horses and boats

Have been sorting through old paper pics recently.

Threw out a MAHOOSIVE number of prints and negatives.

Kept some to be gifted to the person in the picture. Others because they spoke to my heart.


Boats on the water appeal to my flight instinct. There seems to be an inherent freedom to them even when anchored has been weighed.





These pictures where all taken a bazillion years ago in the early '90s. I spent an afternoon with a friend at her job on an Arab stud.

Staff meeting apologies to be minuted.

I would like to proffer formal apologies for my non-attendance at Saturday's Inaugural Staff Meeting but, factoring in the time difference and all, I have a reasonable excuse - I read the memo too late and was already booked to go into Central London.

Getting off the train at Waterloo I took the Tube to Regent's Park. A mistake on my part but the walk down Great Portland Street onto Portland Place resulted in me ending up in front of my life's soundtrack - Broadcasting House.

At this point I went 'cross-country' crossing Cavendish Square and using a non-Oxford Street entrance went into John Lewis. Squeeeeeeee! The biggest JL in the country and there was no one with me who would whinge, moan or roll their eyes about mooching through its seven floors of consumer heaven.

I spotted the 'Bobbi Brown' counter and meandered over hoping they would give me a whole new look. Nothing. So I looked at the woman behind the Benefit counter meaningfully. She sat me down and proceeded to apply her products. It was only once my chin was being twisted in her firm grip that I took a proper look at her. A Yemeni drag queen with an obvious passion for turquoise eye shadow and Nefertiti eye liner applying a make-up line created by a company in San Francisco. This did not bode well. I made the decision to stay clear of Soho when I was out walking again.

By the time I escaped her potions, lotions and puce talons it was 12:30 and my meeting with my aunt was scheduled for 2pm. Turning left into Oxford Street I headed toward the first mandatory stop in any visit I make to the Big Smoke - Liberty of London then across Regent Street and down Savile Row and onto Old Bond Street for a look through the windows of all the flash jewellers. Heading onto Piccadilly I went past the Ritz and into Park Place to meet my very aged aunt at the Royal Overseas League Club.

Given that she is a few weeks off 81 and had spent the previous four days hitting the highlights of London - two theatre trips, visits to Patisserie Valery, walks around the galleries and just that morning a trip to get her hair done - I declined her offer to walk around Green Park and we sat and had tea in the gardens at the 'Club'.

Having exchanged all our news over a couple of hours I left to head back to Waterloo to get my train. Once back onto Piccadilly there was nothing for it but to head straight to Fortnums where the concierge of the China department tempted me to a weekend in London by telling me about the special Burleigh event happening in-store on Monday. I stayed strong and resisted but it was hard.







A tree grows even in Central London on this corner of Albemarle Street & Piccadilly.


Moving through London is a bit tricksy any day at 5:00 but on a warm(ish) Spring Friday the people were everywhere so rather than squeeze onto public transport I decided to walk across town.

In search of a present for destructoBoy I stared death in the eye and entered Lillywhites. Five floors of sporting goods and equipment. With my prize claimed and good mother staus assured I continued on, crossing Pall Mall and passing the Athenaeum Club I walked down onto The Mall.

(that tiny speck at the end is Buckingham Palace -honest)

I walked through the archway and out onto Trafalgar Square.

Turning the other way I could see Big Ben at the far end of Whitehall.

With an hour and a half until departure I decided to walk up The Strand and cross the Thames up near Fleet Street.

Looking up the river The Palace of Westminster and The London Eye were silhouetted by the Constable-like clouds.

The Royal Festival Hall in the foreground. I wish I had taken a picture of the fabulous 25 foot tall straw fox artwork that is out in front of it at present.

On the other side of Waterloo Bridge is St.Paul's Cathedral, 'The Gherkin' and the beginnings of 'The Shard'.
And then rounding the Imax I was at Waterloo Station with just enough time for a restorative drink before heading off into the sunset on my trusty Great Western steed.

And so I hope the committee will accept my apologies and reasons. I hope to make a staff meeting one day.

(All pics taken with my camera phone and I am NOT responsible for Blogger's stupid layout shenanigans.)

A little splash of colour

In a brave attempt to stave off the heightened emotion prevalent during the upcoming Season of Grey Gloomy Misery Festive Good Cheer lovely Missus SilverPebble has proposed a weeklong 'Splash of Colour' once a month. To keep us all perky and happy as the days begin to get dark by three'o'clock in the afternoon there is a Flickr Group filled with bright shiny images. Among my contributions is this sunflower shot taken down in The Lower 40 Summer 2009.

At this time of year when the sun is so low and even on a bright day seems a little tempered it is amazing to me the intensity of colour that exists in the height of Summer.

Would you mind just taking a quick look?

Have been playing loads more in Flickr recently and most of my pics are SOOC but occasionally I edit. In this instance I can't decide which I prefer. What do you think?

Helllllooooo!!!!!!!!!

Is there anyone still out there?

Through no fault of my own (this time, ahem) the posh whizzy Vaio has been sick for a few weeks and is even currently in hospital at the computer shop. This is the first time in 17 years of knowing CK that he has been unable to fix a breakage on the computer so it must have some serious issues.

This has meant any computering has been done via Jane or Nancy (CK's little handheld Dell Axims) for nearly two weeks now. I have been able to read most blogs (But Pioneer Woman? Your site is soooooooooo huge.) and even comment on a few. Sadly I have been unable to actually blog as neither Jane nor Nancy is happy to share tales of Hilltop life with the wider world. However today CK rigged up the 'dead (I had a bath)' Dell laptop to speak with the Innernets again so HURRAH!! Here I am :-)

It has been a busy few weeks so if you can bear with me I have a picture or two to share over the next few posts.

Most recently - Easter.

For no discernable reason destructoBoy thought this rather yummy chocolate 'babbit' was apt for me ;-)

Easter Monday was rather lovely around here. We did some gardening.

Then before that was the bloggy picnic. Unfortunately I entrusted the camera to Pr. C-W and d/Boy so we only have two pictures of the event, both contain fuzzy images of elbows and knees.


However as I am so late in posting about it there will be pictures on other sites I feel sure. Except Moogsmum. Don't go there, she has doctored a picture to make me look quite odd!


What I can offer you is a photo of the picnic quilt I started to construct to take to sit on. I didn't finish it but on of my ex-children had a lovely time playing tea parties on it while it was laid out to figure out the finished design.

It is made up of the charm square assortment I was sent by Kylie. Theoretically it is a dark/light construction but...... towards the end of the initial sewing stage things got a bit lax. Ahem, moving swiftly on ........................



I was given a bunch of flowers by CK one night several many days ago now. He had been away in Madchester for a week having a love-in with all the other boffins in the company so the kids got magazines and bob and I got fleurs.

The reflection is in the door of the fireplace.

Way, way back many, many moons ago it was Mother's Day here in the UK. CK asked what I would like to eat. I replied anything I didn't have to make.

Princess Curly-Wurly was responsible for lunch.

Obviously it is a crown. Perhaps the ham is a cape and the pickles/gherkins sceptres? I am unclear as to the role of the Pringles but undoubtedly they are out to further their position at court. Notice how they are cuddling up to the injured pickle?


Then destructoBoy constructed dinner. And I do mean constructed.

The baked beans were a beard. I feel he may need to trim the hair in his ears though!!

The (decidely odd) hand of CK can be detected in both these meals

This is a birthday present from back in Feb to the ex-child of mine in the tea party picture.

This was were the first tranche of Kylie squares went. I had fun with this and while it will never win awards for any part of its construction she is thrilled with it. And when you are three it really is all about you, don't you know?

Pre-Easter (pre-Lent in fact) I bought this rather gorgeous tin thinking to make rather gorgeous Easter cakes, plus I don't happen to think having five different rabbit-shaped cake tins is excessive. Whatever anyone else may say!

d/Boy and I had a lovely morning at the very beginning of the holidays baking and one of the tins we used was this.

Oh disappointment :-(

They were jammed tight into all little crevices and while they did come out it was more like eaten jointed rabbit pieces rather than sweet bunny shapes.

We forced ourselves to consume the lot though ;-)

On the same day I bought my lubbard flamingo fabric I also found these.

Oh Elumps! I see this becoming the inside to a shopping bag. Just think, there would be no need to ever make a list because as we know - elumps never forget.

My mother bought some of this at Spotlight during TGTH and I kicked myself (metaphorically obviously) I didn't get any. Hurray when I found a bolt in fabric shop in the big town!

And dragonflys!!!!!

Loving the brightness. I may get brave and make this into a slipover type for Princess C-W.

We shall see.....

Tag Galaxy - there is a whole universe out there (doodoo doo doo)

This is probably just about the best fun I have had at this computer screen in aaaaages.

Go on, click here. Choose a tag and enjoy.





btw photo in previous post shows two things. 1. Do not let CK take pics of self while I am sitting and he is standing. 2. I now know what I will look like when I am dead and all my muscles have collapsed!

15.12/31.12 Holiday pictures Part Six

After these pics there will be a short interlude before anymore holiday ones are displayed. This will give the management time to download them from their various hiding places and weed out the ones that are beyond boring to see - did I mention there were over 1000 pics taken?

These were all taken down on the farm on 29.12

1. Heading out to feed the racehorses.
2. Farmhouse still life (or as Giovanna's m-i-l would call it - firewood)
3. Is it mutual love? Princess Curly Wurly and a racehorse foal.
4. Feeding the racehorses.

15.12/31.12 Holiday pics part six

After these pics there will be a short interlude before anymore holiday ones are displayed. This will give the management time to download them from their various hiding places and weed out the ones that are beyond boring to see - did I mention there were over 1000 pics taken?

These were all taken down on the farm on 29.12

1. Heading out to feed the racehorses.

2. Farmhouse still life (or as Giovanna's m-i-l would call it - firewood)

3. Is it mutual love? Princess Curly Wurly and a racehorse foal.

4. Feeding the racehorses.

Holiday pictures 15/12-31/12 Part three

this one reads left to right from the top corner.

1. 27/12 The soldiers who defeated the miners during the historic battle of the Eureka Stockade (google it if political history interests you - or not) - or rather their painted bollard personages.

2. 28/12 Our very broken down car just past Lake Burrumbeet en route to the Grampians from Ballarat.

3. 27/12 Artwork of the Southern Cross (again - google it if pol.sci or astronomy speak to you) in the Eureka Park. (Waves at someone living near here;-)

4. 28/12 Fence post beside road where we sat for 2.5 hours aiting for new (even crappier)car to be delivered!

5. 27/12 Two pale English children wondering why Australian horses are wooden?

6. 27/12 Mahoosive example of the Eureka flag (politics/history/astronomy -I'm just saying for those interested)

7. 28/12 Pale Englishman pacing up and down side of road for over 2.5 hours b/c he can't sit down just onto the ground! By the time the 'new' car turned up even his watch strap was white with sunscreen.

As my master commands.....

Last Sunday morning (when in-house tech support was looking the other way) Destructo Boy was fooling around with the webcam on the new posh unpronounceable computer.


He thought himself highly amusing with this effort.





He wanted you all to see too.

Yesterday.

I am sorry. I have no photos of yesterday. But I went to London. All by myself. With no-one else. To meet my cousin and aunt.


We went here.

We had afternoon tea. With champagne. For five hours! Mine was pink.

Before being seated in the St.James' Room (oh the elegance)we meandered around the shop and my cousin bought the childer presents.



Which they opened this morning.



Look at the gorgeousness inside!

His.

And hers.

This is how I passed my time on the train.




That and podcasts of 'The NOW Show' and 'The Newsquiz'. Knitting and sniggering in public! It really is just as well I was unaccompanied.

EDIT

I bought myself a present or two.

How fabulous are these colours?



And as a super special treat -

Talk about family dynamics!!!

I took some triffic sunsets photies the other night

and posted some off to various family members 'back home' to show a 'typical English sunset' (as CK regularly puts it).


My tropical brother responded with
'Did you get that off the net? Can't see the fog!!!

Here's one from Hamilton Is - Damn, I think yours looks better. It's the view
from the apartment we were staying in.'





Being a rather generous younger sister I immediately dashed off an email agreeing with him wholeheartedly!

This morning I logged on to see my mother had entered the fray. She wrote

'Our contribution to the sunset debate.'

Curses! She has won outright!!

Steel wool cages cannot hold us.

Things didn't get off to a great start when this was one of the first things we spotted

Of course it also didn't help that I was walking so funny, what with the bolt cutters down my knickers and all.



But with only a minor issue of concern (as in I had no idea what Missus Moog and the Mooglets actually looked like!) we all met up and proceeded to fight our way through the gazillions of people flooding Moors Valley. At this point Mrs Moog and I made a blood oath that we wouldn't blog pre-visit again as all the hundredty people who read these pages knew where we would be and came to join in ;-)



Some may have had a lot of energy to burn off

and others looked for sun shining through in an attempt to thaw just a little!



One of the things I love about the blogoverse is the general lovlieness and generosity of the people who inhabit the part I like to be in. Lesley ever so kindly brought along gifts. A beautiful bag each for myself and Princess Curly-Wurly and a felted snail for Babyman. (note to self: listen to CK next time and take gifts. second note to self: do not admit his rightness to CK). Of course there are some who cannot take responsibility for their own actions. And those of us for whom the consequences are a brand new bag muddied and sad.

So much of our time today was spent like this

And this

We loved this dog.





Especially during his turning circle among the trees. CRASH!



The mothers mostly spent the day like this.





But I think my best and favourite image I shall take away from meeting up with my real imaginary friend Moogsmum is



Sausage Monster and Babyman storming through the day as only small boys can.