Digital photography at Itchen College started tonight. My evening class. I arrived late, after a very hilly cycle ride, and missed the fire regulations bit. It transpires that in the 5 minutes that I was not there the class decided to start half an hour earlier each evening, so I will have to cycle faster, invent time travel and hope that Rob is home in time each week. It will be worth it.
Feeling like a loser with my camera, I proudly downloaded some pictures last night so I was up to speed with the course. It is a course of two halves. There is one row of computers, where everyone has a big black camera with extra lenses and they know what to do already, and there are the rest of us. We have small silver cameras and don't know how to get the memory card out of them ( I didn't know I had one of them till tonight!).
I made 2 new friends, Barry, with a big black camera but very helpful and sitting just behind me, and man next to me (sorry forgot to look at his name card) who made me feel more computer literate than an Evans brother. He wrote everything down and we did everything slowly and twice, and it was good for me to talk through things again to help me learn them, and for him to do things and learn. We started with how to press control alt and delete at the same time. Yep. We were slow, but thorough, a good team. Tonight we learnt how to copy pictures and save them in a folder inside 'My pictures'. So far I do not feel at all out of my depth.
I cycled to nursery this am, and then to Hedge End at lunch time to pop into school and give back some work and that kinda stuff. Really missed being there, has confirmed my love for the beautiful profession! Might have just been that thing that kids do when they see an 'old' teacher and wave and look really pleased and give you hugs and smiles. Don't get that on a normal day at the coalface!
Apart from that work interlude, I was doing being at home with no kids day! I did washing, ironing, cleaned kitchen floor, changed beds, hoovered upstairs, sorted clothes that are too small/winter to give away or store, sorted the girls' wardrobes out, prepared a roast dinner, picked H up from school, did Girls God Gang and finished cooking the roast ready for when everyone else got there at 6pm. Did not get around to photo album sorting, loft clearout or gardening, and did not buy a curtain pole or any bicycle trouser clips. My nature is to look at my failures rather than my successes, but even I was chuffed with what I got done. Imagine what the world would be like if I was in charge...
I read in the paper at the weekend that a girl invited people via Myspace or something to a party at her parents house, and 40 000 people caused £20 000 damage, or similar ( that's 50p each - what did they do, break a plastic spoon each?) In the spirit of hoping that my blog reaches that many people and you are all free, I am having a party on Friday night. It is an environmentally friendly revolutionary cleaning cloth party. Get in touch if you want to come. It will be more about tidying than destroying, and will involve 'before' and 'after' cleaning. Now, I can see from reading that back that it sounds too far fetched to be true. It is true. I really am having a party about cloths and you really are welcome. Bring a bottle (of bleach).
Tuesday, 17 April 2007
Monday, 16 April 2007
Woolston was my half way point on a journey today. Offmac stationers are my favourite laminating service. The ladies are so friendly and kind, you feel like you are in a 1980s sit com. Today a customer was photocopying her dead dog (pictures of) and telling the staff member all about the little hound. I am giggling now, thinking of her actually photocopying her dead dog, which probably the ladies in Offmac would nod and smile about too.
Sholing. It lies between Bitterne, Thornhill and Woolston, and means you have to go through it to get to other places. Thing is, it is a no man's land that neither Bitterne or Woolston could be bothered to fight over. I cycled zig zag through it, in a cunning hill averse strategy which went badly wrong. I zigged and zagged and was up hill on almost every pedal. Best thing is to go straight down the outside of Sholing, never try to cut through. It will eat you up and spit out the bits.
Scootering was the transport choice for the afternoon's journey and we had a great time climbing trees on the way home from nursery. We go through 'the woods' - a patch of maybe 10 or 12 trees on a widened grass verge, but it works for my girls as 'woods'. We find conkers and pine cones there, see squirrels and even climbing ability tested out today.
We had our first barbecue of the season today. Less washing up - I love the summer. My courgettes have got 2 leaves on them now, and I cheated on Saturday and bought some plants already going from Haskins, to help me win the slug battle. I have watered every night, although tonight got 3 of our friendly 9 year old neighbours to do it. I have decreed that we need another water butt and will ask R to get one on his bike on the way home from work. He might struggle a little, but today I cycled home from the scrap store with a bucket and 2 full and heavy carrier bags on my handlebars, and R is much more experienced than me so should not have a problem carrying a butt. I did find it difficult to brake, and was going down hill, but all in the name of fashion so its worth it.
My blog was blocked again for 'adult content'. Really struggle to see how I might offend, but sorry if you are easily disturbed. They must be really sensitive at the nanny net dept. So much has happened and I have been eager to write for days now.
Our public transport trip to Thames Ditton. All went well. It took a long time, with some long waits and diversion as Basingstoke has imploded. Ah well. Taking the bikes was the most troublesome thing, especially trying to ensure that all of us and our bikes were on trains before the whistle blows and the door shuts. Without bikes the whole thing would have been a delight. We did 14 trains in 4 days, as we did a trip up to east London and stayed one night in Bethnal Green, with Millie and her owners. We were very impressed with Stratford, in London, although it has a different feel to the more well known Stratford. We went to 'Discover' which is a fantastic afternoon's entertainment for 2-7 year olds, with creative play, crafts and an adventure playground. It is such a friendly place, we thought, and so diverse that H asked 'Are we still in England?' which I thought was a good question and a good place to talk about where people live and why. Bethnal Green is famous for its toy museum, which is big and open plan and allowed us the luxury of letting our girls (and the cousins we met up with) have the chance to roam around more freely than is usual. A spent an hour on her own in the sand pit. Yes, she could have stayed at home and done that, but where's the fun in that? My favourite bit of our trip was pretending to drive the DLR train, and trying to explain to H why there were no drivers on the train and how it works. I went way beyond my comprehension of computers and control, into tortured explanations of messages and switches, while R sat quietly and mentioned at the end that he taught GCSE control as a job. Ha!
Ham House (not made of pig meat, sadly) was another stop on our cultural tour of the capital. It is not far from R's mum's, and as we have bought NT membership we are going to go to every single stately home in the guidebook this summer. The gardens were fine, we did a trail thing which involved measuring and was up H's street. The girls and R stayed in the gardens playing while M and I went inside to nod at the paintings and look interested in the furniture. There were many voluntary workers at this site, which impressed me. There was one in every room in the mansion, and a team of gardeners doing gardening things. It seems to me there are worse ways to spend one's retirement. You might disagree on that. Outside Ham House there is a ferry across the Thames to Twickenham, which we were attracted to because of the playpark you can see from the river. It was great to do the river crossing, at £1 per crossing per person, it might be the most expensive stretch of water, per metre, to cross in the world. The guy driving the boat was smiling, and reminded me of Richard Branson.
Furzey Gardens was our car borne treat on Sunday. If you only go once this year, go now. The azaleas are out and it is amazing, walls of bright pink flowers, bees everywhere, and the apple blossom and lilac smell wonderful. It is so worth a visit in the next couple of weeks, it is by far the best time to go - just go! We did a memorable ditch crossing which went badly wrong when R's instructions to me to 'just catch her' did not match up with me already being precariously balanced on a muddy bank. A, in new white dress, went in the ditch big time. H had wanted to vdeo the crossing, but I had refused as I wanted to look after the camera - oh how I wish I had let her, we would be £500 richer courtesy of ITV by now.
On Saturday we did Itchy Valley for a picnic and play, impressed with the new 'facilities' and mainly by the sunshine. I don't think I have been there on a day that is not sunny. Am I just lucky, or does the sun always shine on Itchy V? We had a birthday party to attend on Sunday for one of A' friends ( 'the one she will marry' -H) at Bitterne! Wahey! Managed to do an hour in the gym during the party and felt loads better for it. beat my own personal best on the rower - 14 miles in 7.8 seconds. Good huh?
Sholing. It lies between Bitterne, Thornhill and Woolston, and means you have to go through it to get to other places. Thing is, it is a no man's land that neither Bitterne or Woolston could be bothered to fight over. I cycled zig zag through it, in a cunning hill averse strategy which went badly wrong. I zigged and zagged and was up hill on almost every pedal. Best thing is to go straight down the outside of Sholing, never try to cut through. It will eat you up and spit out the bits.
Scootering was the transport choice for the afternoon's journey and we had a great time climbing trees on the way home from nursery. We go through 'the woods' - a patch of maybe 10 or 12 trees on a widened grass verge, but it works for my girls as 'woods'. We find conkers and pine cones there, see squirrels and even climbing ability tested out today.
We had our first barbecue of the season today. Less washing up - I love the summer. My courgettes have got 2 leaves on them now, and I cheated on Saturday and bought some plants already going from Haskins, to help me win the slug battle. I have watered every night, although tonight got 3 of our friendly 9 year old neighbours to do it. I have decreed that we need another water butt and will ask R to get one on his bike on the way home from work. He might struggle a little, but today I cycled home from the scrap store with a bucket and 2 full and heavy carrier bags on my handlebars, and R is much more experienced than me so should not have a problem carrying a butt. I did find it difficult to brake, and was going down hill, but all in the name of fashion so its worth it.
My blog was blocked again for 'adult content'. Really struggle to see how I might offend, but sorry if you are easily disturbed. They must be really sensitive at the nanny net dept. So much has happened and I have been eager to write for days now.
Our public transport trip to Thames Ditton. All went well. It took a long time, with some long waits and diversion as Basingstoke has imploded. Ah well. Taking the bikes was the most troublesome thing, especially trying to ensure that all of us and our bikes were on trains before the whistle blows and the door shuts. Without bikes the whole thing would have been a delight. We did 14 trains in 4 days, as we did a trip up to east London and stayed one night in Bethnal Green, with Millie and her owners. We were very impressed with Stratford, in London, although it has a different feel to the more well known Stratford. We went to 'Discover' which is a fantastic afternoon's entertainment for 2-7 year olds, with creative play, crafts and an adventure playground. It is such a friendly place, we thought, and so diverse that H asked 'Are we still in England?' which I thought was a good question and a good place to talk about where people live and why. Bethnal Green is famous for its toy museum, which is big and open plan and allowed us the luxury of letting our girls (and the cousins we met up with) have the chance to roam around more freely than is usual. A spent an hour on her own in the sand pit. Yes, she could have stayed at home and done that, but where's the fun in that? My favourite bit of our trip was pretending to drive the DLR train, and trying to explain to H why there were no drivers on the train and how it works. I went way beyond my comprehension of computers and control, into tortured explanations of messages and switches, while R sat quietly and mentioned at the end that he taught GCSE control as a job. Ha!
Ham House (not made of pig meat, sadly) was another stop on our cultural tour of the capital. It is not far from R's mum's, and as we have bought NT membership we are going to go to every single stately home in the guidebook this summer. The gardens were fine, we did a trail thing which involved measuring and was up H's street. The girls and R stayed in the gardens playing while M and I went inside to nod at the paintings and look interested in the furniture. There were many voluntary workers at this site, which impressed me. There was one in every room in the mansion, and a team of gardeners doing gardening things. It seems to me there are worse ways to spend one's retirement. You might disagree on that. Outside Ham House there is a ferry across the Thames to Twickenham, which we were attracted to because of the playpark you can see from the river. It was great to do the river crossing, at £1 per crossing per person, it might be the most expensive stretch of water, per metre, to cross in the world. The guy driving the boat was smiling, and reminded me of Richard Branson.
Furzey Gardens was our car borne treat on Sunday. If you only go once this year, go now. The azaleas are out and it is amazing, walls of bright pink flowers, bees everywhere, and the apple blossom and lilac smell wonderful. It is so worth a visit in the next couple of weeks, it is by far the best time to go - just go! We did a memorable ditch crossing which went badly wrong when R's instructions to me to 'just catch her' did not match up with me already being precariously balanced on a muddy bank. A, in new white dress, went in the ditch big time. H had wanted to vdeo the crossing, but I had refused as I wanted to look after the camera - oh how I wish I had let her, we would be £500 richer courtesy of ITV by now.
On Saturday we did Itchy Valley for a picnic and play, impressed with the new 'facilities' and mainly by the sunshine. I don't think I have been there on a day that is not sunny. Am I just lucky, or does the sun always shine on Itchy V? We had a birthday party to attend on Sunday for one of A' friends ( 'the one she will marry' -H) at Bitterne! Wahey! Managed to do an hour in the gym during the party and felt loads better for it. beat my own personal best on the rower - 14 miles in 7.8 seconds. Good huh?
Saturday, 7 April 2007
In the spirit of 'The Good Life' I have been improving our garden. Yesterday I had a great time getting compost out of the bottom of the compost bin and spreading it around the place. Today was the fun planting seeds bit. H did some sweet peas, A did some tomatoes, but the idyllic family afternoon gardening quickly degenerated into me digging and raking and the girls indoors doing much more sensible things, like dancing and colouring.
I had a romantic dream of family life that involved gardening. That dream is gone forever, like the threat of frost in Hampshire. What is it about gardening that makes it more attractive as I get older? Is it getting cooler to garden, or am I getting older and so more likely to be in on a Friday night watching gardening programmes? Either way (and I fear it is the latter) I am pleased to say that global warming is helping me personally as I am confident that there will be no more frost in our garden. With the prospect of early potatoes, a forever supply of lettuce and tomatoes, I am wondering if we should give up the ridiculous public transport dependent car share option and do more to contribute to global warming. The idea of growing figs, peaches and oranges sounds great, doesn't it? Till I remember, with a crashing tumble back to reality, that today is the only day I will be enthusing about gardening and from now until September I will be chasing slugs with a humane trap and getting impatient. Last year I dug up some radishes because I got fed up waiting for them. So peach, figs and oranges are clearly not on the menu in our house this millenium.
Some neighbours of ours (across the road, don't know them, but have reliable facts from Lorna, their next door neighbour), are having a new fence, extension and outdoor heated swimming pool installed in the back garden of their 3 bed semi. Now that's a positive attitude towards global warming which should be encouraged. Might have to get to know them better, so I could have an even more convenient leisure centre than Bitterne. Will ask them to install a gym and sprung floor aerobics studio too.
The Queen eats Carrs Water Biscuits, by the way. Stuffs her face with them.
I had a romantic dream of family life that involved gardening. That dream is gone forever, like the threat of frost in Hampshire. What is it about gardening that makes it more attractive as I get older? Is it getting cooler to garden, or am I getting older and so more likely to be in on a Friday night watching gardening programmes? Either way (and I fear it is the latter) I am pleased to say that global warming is helping me personally as I am confident that there will be no more frost in our garden. With the prospect of early potatoes, a forever supply of lettuce and tomatoes, I am wondering if we should give up the ridiculous public transport dependent car share option and do more to contribute to global warming. The idea of growing figs, peaches and oranges sounds great, doesn't it? Till I remember, with a crashing tumble back to reality, that today is the only day I will be enthusing about gardening and from now until September I will be chasing slugs with a humane trap and getting impatient. Last year I dug up some radishes because I got fed up waiting for them. So peach, figs and oranges are clearly not on the menu in our house this millenium.
Some neighbours of ours (across the road, don't know them, but have reliable facts from Lorna, their next door neighbour), are having a new fence, extension and outdoor heated swimming pool installed in the back garden of their 3 bed semi. Now that's a positive attitude towards global warming which should be encouraged. Might have to get to know them better, so I could have an even more convenient leisure centre than Bitterne. Will ask them to install a gym and sprung floor aerobics studio too.
The Queen eats Carrs Water Biscuits, by the way. Stuffs her face with them.
Thursday, 5 April 2007
We are attempting to simplify our lives and reduce our dependence on a car, as regular readers will already be chuckling about. Tonight, we have attempted to find a way to travel by public transport from Hedge End to Thames Ditton. Not the most frequently used route in the solar system, but we have worked out that we can bike it at both ends. So desperate has become our quest, we have looked at getting a coach to Heathrow (one journey is over 5 hours long, and involves a 2 hour stop in BOURNEMOUTH); a bus from Winchester to London (can be done, but only at 6am and still costs over £60; train travel via Reading (4 changes - imagine that with 2 kids and 3 bikes, even the Bowens can't do that kinda travel!). Our best bet seems to be to spend most of a day on a train, with 3 changes, and the whole thing comes in at £65, or £40 if we buy a family railcard. Which would, I assume be an incentive to further travel (we have bought the damn thing so we had better make the most of it!). Still, once we get there (and we did even think about cycling the whole 70 miles - poor H, she only just made it back from Haskins this afternoon) we are doing some travel into London, to inspect the Olympic sites, see the Queen to catch up on her brand preferences etc, and travel with children is free on the underground. Phew. Does the District line come as far south as Hedge End?
R is keen to get back on the computer to check out flight options, and hiring a helicopter might be worth looking into. We are 'saving' £100 a month from our car share, so can splash out from time to time. Andrea's husband has a microlight plane glider or whatever, and he might be convinced to take us - but not sure about the bikes. Anyone have a motorbike, roller skates, horse and cart - hey, we might even have to break our rules in the first week and nick the car from our own drive when H is not looking.
Haskins was good fun, they had a hunt the easter bunny competition on, and as Easter is all about bunnies, gardening and DIY we took part with gusto. As an ENFJ person I get gripped with the emotional fervour of competitions and it makes life tiring for everyone else in my family. I made H wander round the slug killer section twice looking for a bunny. The girls both got some free chocolate out of it, and Haskins was the destination of our 'Family Bike Ride'. This is a big deal for the girls, who think it sounds fun. R has bought a new death wish seat for A that goes on the front of his bike, which she loves. We cycled along the pavement on the A27, and I found the journey there one of the worst journeys ever, as I kept barking orders at H to stop, move away from the kerb, cross now, now NOW, while she sped along downhill at her top speed.
R bought road tyres for my bike as well, which makes me go faster. That's a significant chunk of our '£100 we have for public transport and cycling' gone already, for this month, so it is looking like cycling up to Surrey is going to be the only option open to us. I am sure that local buses would be a good option, but R is not keen. His best plan is for him to road bike the whole journey, while us 3 girls fend for ourselves with a go cart and 2 scooters.
R is keen to get back on the computer to check out flight options, and hiring a helicopter might be worth looking into. We are 'saving' £100 a month from our car share, so can splash out from time to time. Andrea's husband has a microlight plane glider or whatever, and he might be convinced to take us - but not sure about the bikes. Anyone have a motorbike, roller skates, horse and cart - hey, we might even have to break our rules in the first week and nick the car from our own drive when H is not looking.
Haskins was good fun, they had a hunt the easter bunny competition on, and as Easter is all about bunnies, gardening and DIY we took part with gusto. As an ENFJ person I get gripped with the emotional fervour of competitions and it makes life tiring for everyone else in my family. I made H wander round the slug killer section twice looking for a bunny. The girls both got some free chocolate out of it, and Haskins was the destination of our 'Family Bike Ride'. This is a big deal for the girls, who think it sounds fun. R has bought a new death wish seat for A that goes on the front of his bike, which she loves. We cycled along the pavement on the A27, and I found the journey there one of the worst journeys ever, as I kept barking orders at H to stop, move away from the kerb, cross now, now NOW, while she sped along downhill at her top speed.
R bought road tyres for my bike as well, which makes me go faster. That's a significant chunk of our '£100 we have for public transport and cycling' gone already, for this month, so it is looking like cycling up to Surrey is going to be the only option open to us. I am sure that local buses would be a good option, but R is not keen. His best plan is for him to road bike the whole journey, while us 3 girls fend for ourselves with a go cart and 2 scooters.
Wednesday, 4 April 2007
Gruffalo day today. We went to Eastleigh (always a treat), with 2 kindred spirits, Andrea and Gillian, with assorted family members, to The Point for 'The Gruffalo Child' play. It was impressive. The actors were very talented and there were only 3 of them.
I cycled to Eastleigh. And home. Our serious car share trial began yesterday, so car use at weekends only, and I am starting as I mean to go on, even though Hat still has her car for 2 weeks, she is insured and the car is for her use Mon to Fri. It means we are doing a few creative journeys this holiday, and it is good that we are both 'j' people which means we plan ahead. Have to, to work out how to get everyone and stuff to right place at right time. Might need to get some panniers, and really need some cycle clips as have ripped another pair of trousers. I have started folding them up to the knee to avoid more mishaps, so if you spot a crazy cyclist with one trouser leg up and one down you can keep safely assume it is me.
Yesterday was a Hannah day. We spent the whole day together, got loads of activities packed in including pottery painting, hair cuts, swimming and a pub tea, and did it all on the buses ( 4 different trips.) Did Harefield to Bitterne, Bitterne to Woolston, Woolston to St Marys and then home on a number 7 to the top end of Thornhill. Woolston has a poundland shop which had modelling balloons, which H has desired for ages, so we bought some. H made her money back on them, as in the pub at tea time a gang of old guys on the next table were so impressed one of them gave her a pound coin. She made them benches and dogs, she actually is not bad at all at them, a skill worth nuturing for a lucrative career if the job at BLC doesn't come off.
My hair cut was a highlight of yesterday for me. I was there for ages, and H had hers done and made many balloon animals while she waited for me. I had it dried straight, which takes forever, and was well chuffed with my 'stepped out of the salon look'. However, swimming a couple of hours later does not do much for straight hair, and I was back to curly as ever within seconds of entering the water. By the time we reached the pub, I was feeling a bit despondent because I LIKE having my hair straight and it was curly again by then. We sat down in the pub, and one of the balloon model fan club walked in and looked at me and said: 'That hair style... amazing, looks incredible...' to me! To my normal curls!!!! I wonder if he was an angel sent by God to encourage me, which seems crazy, why would God be interested in my hair being curly or straight? But then the bible says that he notices each hair on our heads, and it is very hard for me to imagine a God who would be that involved with me. So, have taken it as an affirmation of my being made in God's image. Which is curly as well as straight.
I cycled to Eastleigh. And home. Our serious car share trial began yesterday, so car use at weekends only, and I am starting as I mean to go on, even though Hat still has her car for 2 weeks, she is insured and the car is for her use Mon to Fri. It means we are doing a few creative journeys this holiday, and it is good that we are both 'j' people which means we plan ahead. Have to, to work out how to get everyone and stuff to right place at right time. Might need to get some panniers, and really need some cycle clips as have ripped another pair of trousers. I have started folding them up to the knee to avoid more mishaps, so if you spot a crazy cyclist with one trouser leg up and one down you can keep safely assume it is me.
Yesterday was a Hannah day. We spent the whole day together, got loads of activities packed in including pottery painting, hair cuts, swimming and a pub tea, and did it all on the buses ( 4 different trips.) Did Harefield to Bitterne, Bitterne to Woolston, Woolston to St Marys and then home on a number 7 to the top end of Thornhill. Woolston has a poundland shop which had modelling balloons, which H has desired for ages, so we bought some. H made her money back on them, as in the pub at tea time a gang of old guys on the next table were so impressed one of them gave her a pound coin. She made them benches and dogs, she actually is not bad at all at them, a skill worth nuturing for a lucrative career if the job at BLC doesn't come off.
My hair cut was a highlight of yesterday for me. I was there for ages, and H had hers done and made many balloon animals while she waited for me. I had it dried straight, which takes forever, and was well chuffed with my 'stepped out of the salon look'. However, swimming a couple of hours later does not do much for straight hair, and I was back to curly as ever within seconds of entering the water. By the time we reached the pub, I was feeling a bit despondent because I LIKE having my hair straight and it was curly again by then. We sat down in the pub, and one of the balloon model fan club walked in and looked at me and said: 'That hair style... amazing, looks incredible...' to me! To my normal curls!!!! I wonder if he was an angel sent by God to encourage me, which seems crazy, why would God be interested in my hair being curly or straight? But then the bible says that he notices each hair on our heads, and it is very hard for me to imagine a God who would be that involved with me. So, have taken it as an affirmation of my being made in God's image. Which is curly as well as straight.
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