Day 58 - February 27th

I didn't intend taking this photo today. I was planning on taking it next week, but the houses behind us are flying up so quickly that i thought I'd better take a photo today before they get too advanced.

The timber frames are now up and the roofs tiled. I guess they will soon start bricking up the outsides.

Day 57 - February 26th

On Sunday morning Lara and I went to the Stamperama Rubber Stamp and Papercraft Show at Stevenage. Today I sorted out my purchases. Lots and lots of pretty, sparkly gems and flowers and buttons, and charms, and others lovely things

Day 56 - February 25th

Nuff said! Sniff, sniff. Cough, cough.

Day 55 - February 24th

After a weekend at home (that passed very quickly) it was time today for Christopher to return to University. He used the train this trip and so tonight we took him to Bedford Railway Station to catch his train. 

Day 54 - February 23rd

This evening Wayne, Christopher and I joined my Mum & Dad and Brother and Sister-in-Law for a meal at a local pub/restaurant to celebrate my Dad's birthday. 

I choose Gammon steak with triple cooked chips, grilled tomato & free range eggs. The restaurants approach to food is straight forward. You get what you order and it was delicious. 

Wayne's meal included a salt baked potato. We were unsure what this would be like but when it arrived the potato had been baked in a salt dough crust. 

Christopher had steak but choose wholetail scampi for his starter which came served in an individual wire frying basket.

Day 53 - February 22nd

Today is my Dad's birthday so I made him a cake. Nothing fancy. Just a Victoria Sandwich filled with butter cream and raspberry jam. Just one candle. If I'd put one for each year I think we would have set the house in fire! Happy Birthday Dad!

Day 52 - February 21st

My favourite mug. I don't often drink hot drinks but when I do this is the mug I always choose. It was bought a few months ago to replace my previous favourite which got chipped! I love this mug - just the right size, the right shape, the right thickness, the right size handle.

Day 51 - February 20th

Today Lara started her rainforest project. She is going to make a paper mache jaguar and a back board of information about jaguars. She used a soft toy as a guide and with a little help she started to make the model. We couldn't find any suitable paste to use so had to resort to making old fashioned flour and water paste - very sticky!

Day 50 - February 19th

Lara has a month long piece of homework. She has to produce work to display in a school exhibition about the rainforest. We went to the library today to get some books for inspiration.

Day 49 - February 18th

When I last took part in the 'Photo a Day' project I took some photos of a clump of violets which were growing underneath the shelter of a shrub. I didn't remember ever having seen violets in that part of the garden before so assumed they were either self-sets or got transplanted with something else. This year they aren't there. I'm guessing someone has dug them up thinking they were perhaps weeds!!!! I did however manage to find one or two still growing in another part of the garden. Maybe I could move some back to where they were before. I love violets and would hate to not have any in the garden at all.

Day 48 - February 17th

I went for a walk around the garden this afternoon desperate for signs of spring. I've had enough of the cold, grey weather and can't wait for the weather to get brighter and warmer.

I was surprised to see this Honeysuckle in bloom. It's a variety that does flower in winter/spring so i shouldn't have been so surprised, but when I walked beneath the arch that it grows over it's unexpected fragrance pleasantly hit me

Day 47 - February 16th

Today's walk with the dog was very muddy. Wellies were the order of the day and we had to make sure we side stepped all the puddles and mud pools.

Day 46 - February 15th

Yep, more food! Friday has turned into my weekly baking day. Today I made some fairy cakes and as yesterday was Valentine's Day I added some heart sprinkles as an extra touch.

Day 45 - February 14th (Valentine's Day)

Happy Valentines Day.

Day 44 - February 13th (Ash Wednesday)

This week is quickly turning into a 'food' week. In our family Ash Wednesday  is also known as 'Doughnut Day' and we eat 'Bedfordshire Doughnuts'. I'm not sure where this tradition came from and it seems kind of strange to be eating these sweet treats given that Ash Wednesday is the start of Lent and a period of abstinence. My Mum has the job each year of making the doughnuts (which are actually like Welsh Griddle Cakes) and she didn't disappoint today.

Day 43 - February 12th (Shrove Tuesday)

Today is Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) so of course we made pancakes.

Day 42 - February 11th

Last night we had snow. It snowed all through the night from about 5 pm but, because yesterday was such a wet sleety day and not much settled, when we woke up there was only a light covering. Poor little daffodil bulbs have such a lot to put up with when they are doing their utmost to grow.

Day 41 - February 10th

Today Rainbows, Brownies and Guides from the district met for their annual World Thinking Day celebration. Lara moved from Brownies to Guides after Christmas so yesterday we had to go out and buy her new uniform and today she got her first badge to commemorate the event.

Again it was too dark when she got home to take a photo of her in her uniform so I had to settle for a photo of the uniform and her badge. Roll on summer and lighter nights.

Day 40 - February 9th

Whilst taking the dog for a walk this morning I noticed snowdrops growing beneath the trees by the church. I bent down to get a low shot with the church in the background. I quite like this shot.

Day 39 - February 8th

Today was Lara's school Valentine Disco. Not the best photo of her but it was dark by the time she got changed into her disco clothes and was the best I could get. She's got to that age where she's not particularly keen to have her photo taken.

Day 38 - February 7th

I made carrot cake today. Y-u-m-m-y!

Day 37 - February 6th

Today I did some scrapbooking. I haven't finished the layout and even if I had I'm afraid I couldn't show you the whole layout because it's for a design team project and won't be published online until next month. But here's a tiny sneak peek of it.

Day 36 - February 5th

Confession time. I didn't actually take today's photos myself! I went to the dentist for a check up so I decided to use a photo from their website (well two photos actually) as my photo of the day. I'm always nervous when I go to the dentist but thankfully I got a clean bill of health with no treatment needed. 

Day 35 - February 4th

A busy day for me but a lazy day for Millie. Lots of sleeping and laying in her bed looking out of the window.

Day 34 - February 3rd

My monthly photograph of the building site behind our house. Since last month the remaining piles of rubble and dirt from the demolition have gone, tarmac roads have now been laid and the properties nearest us have started being built. Last week scaffolding arrived and has been put up around the first new properties.

Day 33 - February 2nd

A trip to the shops for a late Christmas present today. Wayne offered to buy me some clothes for Christmas but before Christmas I didn't see anything I wanted. Today I got to choose a couple of cardigans, a couple of T-shirts and I also found some jewellery (in the sale) that I liked so I was able to get that too. I feel very spoilt.

Day 32 - February 1st

Yesterday was very windy and now our satellite TV isn't working properly. We can't get all the channels and annoyingly these include BBC, ITV, Channels 4 and Channel 5. Sky say they think the problem is with the dish. The wind has probably knocked it out of alignment so they are sending an engineer out next week to have a look and adjust it.