Day 31 - January 31st

The last day of the first month of taking a photo a day. I'm not struggling as much to find something to photograph this time around, but perhaps my photos aren't as imaginative or as well composed as they were in 2009.

Today I ate the last of these chocolates. I've been eating them since Christmas but no one else in the house will try them. They are worried that they are meant to be eaten by cats not humans! I googled Katzenzungen today and found out that instead of translating as 'Chocolate Cat Fingers' which I thought it did, it translates as 'Chocolate Cat Tongues'. Sounds weird but the chocolate is delicious. According to the Internet they are A Classic German Chocolate commonly presented as a gift to the hostess when you're invited for coffee on a Sunday afternoon. 

Day 30 - January 30th

Today I made a Turkey and Mushroom pie for tea using the left over turkey from Christmas that I'd frozen. I didn't put four and twenty blackbirds in the pie but I did add one. LOL

Day 29 - January 29th

The hyacinths I planted at the beginning of December are flowering and are such a blast of colour.

Day 28 - January 28th

Monday night is Lara's gymnastics club night. We have gotten into the habit of popping up to the local motorway service area to pass the hour whilst she's at the club. Tonight it was KFC for 3!

Day 27 - January 27th

Today Lara and I took part in the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch. The children have all been members of the RSPB for quite a few years so when we saw the event advertised in the magazine we decided to join in. We sat for an hour (10am-11am) this morning and counted the birds in our front garden. There weren't that many! 6 Blackbirds, 6 House Sparrows, 3 Blue Tits and 1 Feral Pigeon. 

Day 26 - January 26th

This morning we took the dog for a walk over the fields. There was still quite a bit of snow on the ground, although rain and warmer weather is forecast for the coming days, so it won't last long.

Day 25 - January 25th

We've had a bread machine for quite a few years and used it from time to time. This year I have got into the habit of making bread a couple or more times a week. It's lovely to have fresh baked bread rolls with soup or a fresh loaf to cut a hunk from to have with pasta. Today I made rolls. It means taking the dough out of the machine after it's mixed and risen and then kneading again by hand, leaving to rise again, shaping and baking in the oven rather than leaving the bread machine to do everything but well worth the effort.

Day 24 - January 24th

Before Christmas, Lara's Brownie Pack planted daffodil bulbs to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care. Lara's pot has been standing on the window sill in the kitchen and now its flowering.

Children in schools and groups have taken part in 'Mini Pots of Care' by planting daffodil bulbs and by learning to care for their bulbs over the winter months they represent the care that Marie Curie Nurses give their patients.

In the spring they will celebrate their blooms on a Mini Pots of Care fund raising day. I'm afraid Lara's flower is a little early to be celebrated in the spring! 

Day 23 - January 23rd

I made a card today and today's photo is of the card. It's for the 'Scrapology -Adventures in Scrapbooking' blog. 

Day 22 - January 22nd

Today's photo is of my bargain roses. Last night we popped to the supermarket to get a few things. It was an hour before closing time and they had cut the price of their flowers massively. I got 12 long stemmed beautiful pink roses for the princely sum of ............. 45p. 

45p? They had originally been £5, were then reduced to £4.35, then £2.55 and finally 45p. I also got 2 huge £5 mixed bouquets for 45p each and a smaller bouquet for 25p. I know they were right on their display date and probably won't last long but while they do I'll enjoy the luxury of having fresh flowers in the house in winter.

Day 21 - January 21st

The children got their wish and today the schools were closed! A snow day! There was more sledging and building of a snow dog.

Day 20 - January 20th

Today it snowed all day so snowball fights were the order of the day.

Day 19 - January 19th

Enough snow today to go sledging. We went to the same field that I used to go sledging in when I was a little girl.

Day 18 - January 18th

Its been snowing all day since about 9.30am. Steven and I were trying to take photographs of the snowflakes that had got caught in some cobwebs outside the window. He used the camera on his mobile phone I used my camera. His photos were better so he let me use one of them as my photo for today. 

Day 17 - January 17th

I took a short walk with the dog this morning. It was very, very cold! Brrrrrrrrrrrrr

Day 16 - January 16th

More snow is forecast this week but although we've had no more snow since Monday it is still extremely cold and very, very frosty.

Day 15 - January 15th

Despite the cold winter weather there are signs that Spring isn't far away.

Day 14 - January 14th

The forecast snow arrived early morning but by mid morning a lot of it had disappeared and then suddenly snow started falling again and by mid afternoon we were back to square one.

Day 13 - January 13th

First snow of the year forecast for tomorrow.

Day 12 - January 12th

Today we took eldest son back to University and left him at his student accommodation. Exams start on Monday.

Day 11 - January 11th

Baking Day. A tin of fairy cakes.

Day 10 - January 10th

On a cold miserable day Tux knows the best thing to do is to stretch out on the landing next to the radiator and sleep!

Day 9 - January 9th

We currently live next to a building site. We used to live next to a sheltered housing complex for elderly people but the Housing Association and planners (in their infinite wisdom) decided the complex was past it's sell by date and that family houses were needed instead. So the site was cleared and a number of family size homes are in the process of being built. I thought it would be interesting to take a photo from this same spot several times during the year to see the changing view. the new homes are expected to be completed by the summer. 

The two bare trees when in leaf will screen some of the view.

Day 8 - January 8th

Found a couple of goggle eyes on the floor today. Whilst having lunch Christopher created Coca-Cola Charlie

Day 7 - January 7th

When I woke up this morning I wasn't expecting this to be the subject of my photo of the day! The waiting room at A&E.

At 1pm I stubbed my foot on one of the legs of the sofa and knew instantly that I had broken my toe. Normally I wouldn't have gone to the hospital because I know there isn't a lot you can do for broken toes, but when my little toes was at a 45 degree angle to the rest of my foot I thought I had better get it seen to. So off we went to the Lister Hospital and after x-raying it to confirm it was broken, my toe was pulled back to the correct position, strapped up and home I came. Unfortunately this has probably put paid to any trips out to take photos this week so my photos are likely to be home based.

Day 6 - January 6th

Today I took the boys to the cinema to see The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey. It was a great film and we really enjoyed it. Can't wait for part 2.

Day 5 - January 5th

Today's photo was taken during another walk over the fields. The last time I took photos whilst walking these particular fields was in July 2009. It look very different to when I took those photos.

There was quite a lot of 'Old Man's Beard' or ‘Traveller’s Joy’ as its sometime called growing in the hedgerows...

.... and Teasels...

... and Rose Hips.

Our walk was again quite a muddy walk. Wellies were the order of the day.

Day 4 - January 4th

Millie.

Day 3 - January 3rd

Today I went in search of flowers in the garden. All I found were the odd clump of Primroses. The rest of the garden is bare.

Day 2 - January 2nd

A rather random shot today, but there is a story behind this photo.

When my eldest son went off to Uni in September he left behind an old pair of converse trainers because they were rather tatty and grubby. He said that he didn't want them any more and that I could have them if I wanted (even though they were 2 sizes too big!). Whilst he's been away, I decided to try and clean them up. Armed with cleaning fluid I scrubbed the white plastic and put them through the washing machine. When he returned home  I showed him the cleaner trainers and now as an impoverished student he decided that they were so much better that they were worth him investing a couple of pounds in a pair of new laces and they will now be joining him at Uni next term.

Day 1 - January 1st

I have decided to take part in the 365 - A Photo a Day project again this year. The last time I did this was in 2009 and I thought it was time to have another go. Once again my photos will be of everyday life - what we do, where we go and who we see. Some days I will just post one photo but on other days there may be several others in addition to my photo of the day.

This morning we went for a walk over the fields near where we live. It was a lovely dry, bright day - a real change to what its been like for the last few weeks.

There was evidence of the wet weather we have had with lots of puddles, waterlogged fields and MUD!

Since I last took part in 'A Photo a Day' we've had a couple of new additions to the family. Millie our 13month old yellow Labrador will no doubt feature in lots of photos like this one, as will our black and white cat Tuxedo (Tux).

Thanks for looking at my photos. Do come back soon for the next instalment.