Totally addicted!

To crafting. Yep, I finally admit that I am hooked! I have been well and truly stung and I can't seem to get enough of it at the moment. It is now two years since I joined a scrapbooking club run by the very talented Mandy Webb. I have learnt so much from these classes and even better made some new friends who share this passion.

This Summer I have been reading and teaching myself other little techniques and even made some cards - I am quite proud of my ribbon embroidery (even if it was only nine stitches)and am still working hard on watercolour techniques. The best thing is though I get to play with paper, card, glue, watercolour pencils, pens, inks, stamps, ribbons, threads - the list is endless and then produce something at the end of it! It's fab, it's fun and totally addictive!

Scrapbooking is a great way to store your favourite photographs in a very visual, tactile way. Adding your thoughts and feelings in the written form, to me, brings the photographs to life, so every time you turn a page in your album up pops a visual and verbal recall of that particular moment in time. Fandabbydosey!! I like to think I can remember everything but my memory is certainly not as sharp as it was 10 years ago and in 20 years time when I am looking back through the albums I will have little prompts to sharpen my memory!!

Mandy always encourages us to use our leftover paper scraps by turning them into a card or even another scrapbook page and I am now trying to do this and have surprised myself by making some cards - not brilliant but hey you know what they say about practise making perfect.

The point is I love crafting, the end result is neither here nor there - it's the actual process along with the satisfaction and enjoyment that counts.

Deputy Head Boy!

Cameron, as Mr Mangan said, you are what Roding Valley High School is all about. You ARE THE role model for the school and every teacher's dream. You are enthusiastic, funny, caring, considerate, hardworking and dedicated. I know you have ideas on how to contribute more to the school and spread your enthusiasm through involvement and commitment - go for it!

I'm really proud of you Cameron.

California Dreamin'

It's well done to Stephanie for completing the final hurdle yesterday to make way for her year of study in Santa Cruz, California. We are all really proud of you Stephanie and know you will make the most of this fabulous opportunity. Thank goodness for technology which will help bridge the miles between us! I guess I will be up late at night skyping you!

Summer Hols!!!

Just back from Bonny Scotland and Scotland is definitely bonny! The drive from Ayrshire to the Isle of Skye was amazing. The drive through Glencoe was hauntingly fabulous, yes Scotland is bonny even with all the weather trimmings!! Skye was a first for us all and it did not disappoint. The landscape (the result of glacier formation and all that jazz)was super duper. It is fair to say that you could travel all over the world and not find such beautiful, unspoilt terrain. Skye (Scotland for that matter) has it all - from white sandy beaches, mountains, rivers, springs, waterfalls to bright coloured housing, fish and chips (no deep fried mars bars in sight although there was deep fried pizzas and pies!).

It was good to see my family (although mum and dad are in Spain, sweltering hot they tell me)I caught up with my sisters, neices and nephews. Spent two nights in St Andrews with June and Tom - that was a giggle - our June is a scream and a wind up merchant!! It was quite sad to leave actually.

We missed you mum and dad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Mum and Dad!

I've had a super duper month. Our camping weekend at Debden was really good - I have to admit much better than I expected, even though the weather could have been kinder - still it could have been worse. Gaye, Paul and Ellis really enjoyed it and we did have a laugh! There is nothing quite like being outdoors. We were lucky though to have an ensuite!

Mum and dad have been here for a week and it was good. Going through old photos, trying to get loads of information about our family etc and also trying to get a "feel" of my mum and dad's youthful days provided endless opportunities for giggles and belly laughs! I have learnt more about my dad's years in the Navy and my mum's days in the Clyde Confectionery and how "the dancing" played a major part in my mum's teenage years. I loved the story she told me about the ice skating - I am laughing as I am typing! Somehow her friend and herself sometimes ended up with two left boots and the stories surrounding this are hilarious!!!

I love my mum and dad and have appreciated this time getting to know them as teenagers!

Alastair and Iain

What a laugh we have had! Alastair it is great to pick up from where we left off (even if that is two and a half years ago!) It has been great to see you both and I only wish Kathy and Rebecca were here too - never mind. Oh! I so want to go back to Canada - it is a fab place to visit and so clean!

Iain seemed to like London and I hope he comes back over at some point with some friends and the same goes for Rebecca too. It is rewarding to see our children grow into adults (most of the time) and as Kathy and I were saying on the telephone "we have got good kids".

I have known Alastair since I was 8 years-old. We were in the same class during primary and secondary school. We lived a few streets away from one another and our social paths constantly crossed too. We both played volleyball and then ended up working in hospitals in Glasgow, so we travelled to work every morning together. We had a strong bond during those years and this has obvbiously stood the test of time and distance. Alastair and Kathy are great people and a great team -I feel quite honoured to know them. I must say and I know they will agree - having a sense of humour is the be all and end all and I think our sense of humour is second to none. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Back to the grind!!

Ah well Easter has come and gone - it was good and I managed to get a few wee things done! We had a good day in Southwold again with Gaye, Paul, Ellis and Kath. I love that place and Steve and I think it would be a good place to retire to!

It has been great to have Stephanie home for a wee while and just fab to be out of the old routine. I have just returned from a super scrapbooking weekend in Debden - what a laugh! I love my scrapbooking and have been filled with inspiration from my scrapbooking buddies - there is so much I want to do. My Heritage stuff is coming along and Stephanie has now fixed the scanner - yipee! I can now get the rest of the "old" family photos on file to fix and print.

Work has been busy and my class is fabulous. I am so proud of them all - they have come so far and we are a good unit. I feel quite confident that they will do well when they move on!