learning all the time

Well, that's the second thing that I went to last week which I really didn't want to go to and it turned out to be a triumph.

Holiday on Ice - I went to a similar thing about 20 years ago, and it was good - but I have never felt the desire to go again, and when Mark gave me and Oliver tickets for the February 'Energia' show at Westpoint, for Christmas, although an extremely thoughtful gift - my heart sank.

Now, it may well be that the last time I went, I was in the throes of a very dull first marriage and months away from separation and so my emotional responses to anything at that time probaby weren't terribly reliable, but I squared my shoulders, put my head down and summoned up enough enthusiasm to get us in the car and out to Wespoint on Saturday night. And shame on me - it was a bloody fabulous show - Oliver's excitement was reward enough and a joy to share, but the skating, costumes and wow factor were just brilliant. I am definitely going to go next year and boy, I have learnt a few lessons over this one.

I took some crap photos which I will share with you, and I got a right old telling off half time for using my camera. Feel a bit aggrieved to have to take a bollocking for such crap results.

Before the show started:

and no, despite all evidence to the contrary, we were not high on drugs.


Last week was half term, and saw Oliver going off with the holiday playscheme to Plymouth Aquarium. I've never been, but he said it was brilliant, and had a great time. They did some activities there, one of them was making 'goo', and so taken with this idea, Oliver took the trouble to ask the man how to make it, and then spent a considerable amount of time using up all my cornflour at home.

Feeling very content to see his enthusiasm for creating/finding out in action.

wet, cold, miserable.....

that's how the day looked like it was going to pan out to me this morning. And, weather wise - it was. However, in terms of unexpected enjoyment - the day was a big 'free' success.

Diggerland Devon. Has never appealed to me - how could it. It has the word 'digger' in its name. Yawn. Diggers don't do it for me. Maybe it's because I am a girl (yes, I am), or maybe because diggers are just bloody DULL and are just functional machinery, I dunno - but, for 8 year old boys - this place is Valhalla - the epitome of joy and power in their little worlds. Even though it was wet, and cold, and I froze my tits off for nearly three hours - it was worth it - because Oliver and his friend enjoyed it so much. I actually had Tesco Clubcard vouchers so it was technically free - the normal admission price is £17!!!!!! But even I must admit, I would consider coughing up for this. (Although it would piss me off to have to cough up £17 for me to get in too....)

Oliver was able to drive most things - tractors and diggers, and I guess that feeling of control for a kid must be fantastic.

Have now just about thawed out, and looking forward to a hot bath as highlight of the day.

ok, ok, don't faint

I am back in blogworld. The reason for the break? Er, Christmas, disillusionment with scrapbooking, holidays, blah blah blah....

So, Christmas was good - highlights and lowlights as ever. Great pressies received by us all, and it passed peaceably enough. We had the fortune of going to Lanzarote just after Christmas to join Mum and Dad in a villa in Puerton del Carmen - somewhere I have not (and never wanted to) visited before. How narrow minded am I?? It was, although a tad purpose built and touristy, lovely in it's way. The weather was idyllic - hot days, cool evenings, the resort was not busy. We had a villa with our own pool (that's a luxury that I will now demand from any holiday, I can tell you) just up from the main promenade, near the shops (tacky or not, I don't care - shops is shops), and I loved being able to bimble along either way along the beach/prom for a walk. Pics:

Cheezers:

Oliver and his nemesis, the front crawl:

Canarian sunset:

studying the specials board:

Madre y Padre:

Now this - this was an experience. Mum and Dad talked us into a stroll out to see the planes land - YAWN I think to myself - but - sacre bleu - how wrong could I have been mes amis - it was bloody fabulous, free entertainment!!! The runway was yards from where we were standing, and they came in at a speed of at least one million miles per hour and brushed the top of my hair.... well, it seemed that way anyhow. It was well good (as I would say if I were young enough to get away with it).

Get yer fill of that blue sky.......

high days and holidays (and a spot of cutting and sticking)

And here we are - returned from the glitz and glam of Butlins Minehead. Yes - that's Butlins Minehead, Hades of the holiday world.

Actually, it really was OK, though in truth it just could never have been as bad as I was expecting - and I can expect really bad stuff I can tell you. For the uninitiated, the place is huuuge and full to the brim of lots of nasty rough people tee hee. The pool was brilliant and the accomodation was pleasantly nice (since we are tightarses and refused to upgrade from scab class). And for the record - I didn't choose Butlins - the Sun newspaper break system chose it for us.... That said, we probably would go again because Oliver loved it (being a child and all) and we like to see him happy....

(I am hopeful of Disneyland Paris next year).

Art journalling:

Not overly happy with the style of this entry, but have been you-tubing art journalling, and I really wanted to go more scruffy and collage-y, so this is my next entry:

which is a bit weirder and wilder, and I am happier with this one. Find I am struggling with 'letting myself go'. Not normally an issue for me, but think maybe scrapbooking is making me too neat a crafter....

Have also started a cross stitch, which I haven't done for years and I forgot how soothing I found it to repetitively stitch. The one I am working on is a lovely Celtic image, will get a pic on here sometime soon.

Playing Boules at Dunster Castle:

Trying to get a nice head shot of Oliver. Pah.

He simply does not appreciate my need for decent photos to scrap. Reckon if I could see his thoughts at this point they would be a child's version of 'shove it up your arse'.

Mark enjoying the fair at Butlins tee hee.

live in the moment

Whilst out and about this morning I was amazed (and not in a good way) at the number of people engaged in some mobile phone activity - either texting or gabbing loudly for the world and his wife to hear.

For frig's sake. (whoever frig may be) why can't people just enjoy the moment they are in anymore?? They seem so intent on being in everyone else's moment at the same time, they can't enjoy theirs....

Anyhoo, I bought some glue at the Range, and I noticed that I put a couple of things back which, right now, I can't really afford to buy. I never used to do that. This is, for those who don't already know, the first month since last year that I am in charge of my own funds - I am responsible for the money I earn, and for feeding us for the month. I was worried that I had learnt nothing - once a spender, always a spender, but - actually, I have known all month in my mind, my running bank balance and what I have available to spend. I have rejected the things I know I cannot buy within the money I have, I have sold a few things on ebay to give me a bit of spare cash and I have - surprise of all surprises paid some cash in to the bank to cover a cheque I had to issue unexpectedly. Now clearly, in normal-world this is no big deal, but in Janice-world, this is testament to a lesson learnt. Good for me I say.

Finally got around to finishing last months layouts, just did a bit of tarting up really:

And this one - really like the pinks and blues in this, not really my favourite colour combo of all time, but I am happy with the finished result.

Went to Knightshayes (NT) which was fabulous - I love the house and the gardens are so, so lovely there.

Then I took this photo:

which cost me my camera for the rest of the day as I thrust my hand out to stop Oliver from banging his head on the eagle's beak and the camera swung round and bashed on the bird and the lens jammed. Shitsticks. So you'll just have to trust me - it was all gorgeous. Got to playing a bit of hide and seek and when it was my turn (groan) I lay down behind some lavender bushes on some flagstones and prayed I would be found quickly. After I had coaxed my creaky body down to the prone position I became painfully aware that at my age I probably looked more like a victim of a heart attack than a young fit parent playing hide and seek. Luckily Oliver tripped over me before any do-gooders could rush in with a bit of CPR.

happy days and the longest most full of pictures post EVER

Came home today after my mini retreat with the Exeter Scrapaholix girls. What a fabulous hotel - bursting with carved wooden stair cases, tall, tall windows and more nooks and crannies than you can shake a stick at. The gardens were so, so beautiful and tranquil - the sort of beauty that has been hundreds of years in the making - loads of history with this place. Had a brilliant time scrapping - did 5 layouts in all, pretty pleased with them on the whole. The best thing was actually feeling the value in time for me. Just me. I am not a great fan of the whole 'me time' bandwagon, but yesterday, walking alone in the gardens and having the unexpected revelation that I could sit in a deckchair if I wanted to - I did. I took some deep breaths, closed my eyes and also realised I could sit there for as long as I wanted to - and no-one was going to disturb me.

The Hotel main entrance:

The music room:

scrapping with a view:

So whilst I felt the absence of Oliver and home very keenly, I also became fully aware of the true value in time alone, and I will definitely be looking to do this at least annually, and be encouraging Mark to do the same. (not scrapbooking, obviously).

And the food - yumsters. Breakfast is soooo my favourite meal of the day when I stay anywhere. Everyone in front of me was asking for a smidgeon of scrambled egg and a sliver of bacon (wimps) but I was straight in there - 'I want everything, and I also want 2 eggs please' said greedy little me. And I had 4 rounds of toast. So there.

layouts:

Brrrr...

the joys of the British seas. Rachael lent me, well - gave me really (since I have no intention of returning them) three r's to complete my title for this one. Hereafter she shall be known as Rrrrachael. Ha ha.

Harvey

The first of many layouts methinks of the pooch. This one tells his story - found straying in Ireland, blah di blah. There were originally no buttons on this layout, but a sloppy smudge of pen forced my to seek a cover up. Many swear words and gnashing of teeth led me to the button solution.

Time out

Think this is my favourite of the weekend, I like the papers, and the ever present lovely lovely scallops. Also love this recent pic of Oliver. Clearly not one taken by me - it's in focus.

Looking back through history

Taken naughtily inside St Michael's Mount under the noses of the NT armed guard. (aka volunteers). Like to think it's a bit atmospheric - looking back through history - through the historic windows out to sea.... geddit?? There was some heated discussion on whether or not St Michael's Mount looks out over the Atlantic, or the English Channel..... my money was on the Channel, but since I seem to be finding as I get older that things I always believed to be set in stone are in fact absolute bollocks, I plumped for the 'I'll look it up later' option.

I didn't want you because

yes, yes, I know I'm a miserable hateful old cow, but this layout does in fact reflect on my wrongness in not wanting Harvey to start with....

And so to felines:

Think the two awake ones are girly cats, and the one snoring it's head off oblivious to the world is the boy. Hmm.

Are there more trees

...around now than there used to be? Everywhere seems to be knee-deep in Autumnal shades of leaves and the trees are not even bare yet...

Went a-scrappin' yesterday. Had a great time & managed 2 whole layouts. When I showed Mark he said, very nice, and what did I do for the rest of the day. Funny. It's a long process being a creative genius ha ha.

This:

My Guitar Hero (after the DS game Oliver is playing), a layout just because I wanted to, and this:

Week 44 of SLYMI - scrap something which scares you. Well, my list of choices stretched pretty far here, but settled for this one, which is actually a fear that I cannot run away from, and how I handle it will determine how much confidence my son will face the world with....

Scary thought indeed.

Mark is giving the pigeons a bath - don't ask - and he has been in filling up buckets with water and dettol and now the whole house pongs of it and reminds me of school and puke. Lovely.

Oliver went to a Halloween party last night, and I bravely girded my loins and threw myself into staying there and joining in, and, I have to say - it was surprisingly enjoyable. Perhaps being sociable and joining in has something going for it after all lol.