Flash of light

Found this picture of a Laser on the kitchen table earlier, looks like something Gran was probably doing with the kids last weekend when we were up in London.

Tomorrow promising to be a reasonable day on the sailing front, tides in the middle of the day, a widely spaced double high, and sunshine the irder of the day..... now all we need is

W I N D .....

Past bedtime

It's getting late it the day and I am waiting for the train to pullout of Waterloo after a night networking in London.

So I shall make do with a photo of Popsie instead of the cuddle I have missed out on!

Old dogs, new tricks...!

I have been teaching my Mum to text, and this morning had the very exciting experience of receiving my first one from her...! So now all we have to do is keep her in practice.

After giving her a lesson on checking what she's written before sending it, I realised that I had a typo in my reply message... doh!

She has been packed off on the train back to Wales and the house will be much quieter tonight I think... Missing you already Gran!

Last Supper

We have had a nice few days with Gran, but tomorrow she has to head home for Wales. Have been for a walk on the beach at Calshot, although it was a bit wet and unfortunately the tide was out otherwise she would have had a demonstration...! Tonight we had some tasty meze and cheese and biscuits in front of the fire.

Miniranda

Miranda has kindly loaned her bed to Gran, and is camped on the floor but it's all so much more fun when you have a new duvet cover. This one arrived from the Burkes and she's rather fond of it. Earlier she managed to get Gran playing a pirate game with gold dubloons - it was all going very well for Gran, but then her luck ran out. Gregory also started well but discovered that half his dubloons were counterfeit; and I who spent most of the game without treasure became a last minute winner...

Greg was very pleased with Gran's praise after playing his guitar. He has been practicing his rock star attitude now he's playing the steel stringed guitar mainly.

Not that he beeds any encouragement to have a cuddle with Gran....

She came to stay

The kids are in very excitable mood as Gran is here with us for a few days. Bathtime is so much more fun with a soft soap to play games with.... but Greg spotted my camera peeping around the door, so the fly on the wall was caught!

Mippy at Seven

Mipp had a few friends around for a birthday tea, and this is the cake eating part of the experience. There was also lots of the usual running around like mad things, hootering and hollering as you'd expect. She's been playing with her presents, so than you to all for thinking of her. Below is a snapshot of the 'tearing of paper' section of the day...

NIce review of Sonny Rollins gig at the Barbican from last night on the Standard website - which the cogniscenti should read. Sonny at 82 is back on form.

A Cheese and Tomato Spider...

Greg has been out at Cubs tonight, and he came home with some badges which I think he said were 35 years old, I think he'd been given them by one of the older group of members! He was very chuffed with them anyhow.

Was a bit late getting Popsie into bed tonight, having made an up to date reading out loud,  and we listened to one we almost exactly a year ago. Then we got side tracked with a few more.... I'm not sure who gave us the Cheese and Tomato Spider book, or whose birthday it was, but it seemed like the right thing for tonight...

Winter / Summer - what is it?

A cold nip in the air for sure, but it was as flat as a mill pond on the Solent today for sailing. I had promised Lewi we would try to get out, as he's been doing alright on the Junior leaderboard.

Anyhow we got out and were joined by Greg helming a Pico and Miranda crewing for him.... the first time she has entered a race. Greg nearly managed to overtake us at one point but we beat them off with millimetres to spare!

Had to get a picture of Lewi loading the car with sailbags etc, I think I shall make this my screenshot...

Er did I mention we capsized? We hardly ever go over but today in light wind we did and it was bl@@dy freezing. I know that because Lewi told me so....

The unfolding story

I love this little vignette from my family history session with Alison and Nick Cross, and their parents Den and Muriel. Also with us to explore old memories and stories were my mum, and her brother Jeremy. And at the end of a long day we were joined by Emily, Alison's youngest daughter who has just produced Chloe - the latest addition to our family tree...

Both Nick and Alison became grandparents for the first time within eight days of each other...!

We spent hours trawling old family photos a la recherche de temps perdu!

Rushn Dolly

She disappears, and the first thing you notice how quiet it has gone. A sense of mild panic whilst you wonder what mischief will have ensued... But there she is busily drawing on the coffee table, coloured pencils and crayons at the ready, and a nice pile of drawings ready to give me.

Today she took part in a special Diwali assembly at school. Caroline managed to get time to go and see it and reported back that she was fabulous, very confident...

A link follows for Miranda to the street in Leicester that is also celebrating Diwali and also some of the puppets here
 

Rain on the Window

The kids were home with an inset day again this morning so I set them working. Greg was writing about two guys sailing down to New Zealand on their 49er, and Miranda got stuck into a bit of drawing. Takes some imagination to come up with rain drops falling on the windows, and they certainly made me smile...

I'm listening to Bridget Kelly - My Heart...

Dawn raid

Woken from my slumbers just before seven on a Sunday is not my ideal start to the day. However the tides dictated an early start, and we had a challenge to go sailing with Ben and Tom in their new boat, so it was game on!

It was a beautiful morning, although rather still, and we had a really enjoyable sail. We also managed to dig into some maintenance issues such as replacing the mainsheet halyard.

This afternoon Miranda and I hace been out on our bikes to the park. Sha played with a little girl who was only two years old but very talkative and friendly.

Lewis has been checking out his position on the Calshot Sailing Club leaderboard this afternoon, and he tells us rhat he's in pole position. Just three more races he tells me, so he's going to take it steady to make sure he holds in to things! Sensible chap....

  

  

Just rediscovering some of my 12in singles on the web. I often pick these up from my vinyl collection, but can not longer play them since my Naim turntable powersupply gives me only 33rpm! Montana Sextet by Heavy Vibes, Bassline by Mantronix and (check out the vid) IOU by Freez

Snap

Had a nice bike ride this morning with Greg, he was rearing to go! A cracking winters day, nice light and fairly warm, although a few showers too.

There was one sinking moment when Greg crashed off his bike onto the road, but fortunately nothing more than injured price and stinging hands.

The photo was taken after bathtime waiting for dinner, having a quick game of cards.

In the background you can  our pumpkin which Greg and Miranda carved - featuring a fatty batty and a witch! Unfortunately they carved a bit too much out and it's sagging a bit now!!

Bare your soul to me

A long time ago I started an occasional series of pictures of the bits and pieces of the kids, that i was fond of. Bits that we share, that one day will be gone from view.

A pair of Gregory's upturned feet sharing the settee with me before Dinner...

Story Time

Diwali Lamp

Miranda has been studying India at school and she told me all about Hindu practices and their religion, in particular the festival of Diwali... On the back in her best handwriting was the instructions for making the lamp.

Miranda is my little lamp, she dispells darkness and lights up my life ....

Dopelganger

One of my pleasures is taking double exposures; that is two photographs one on top of the other, and trying to imagine what they will look like. I took this one on the weekend and the kids were more than happy to oblige my amusement. This one is my favourite, the more I look at it, the more it has personality.

There's a great Miles Davis interview on the Guardian site tonight by Richard Cook, who is also sadly no longer with us. I saw Mikes play one day a few years before he died. Possibly one of the worst concerts I have ever seen (musically) but the guy was a genius, for sure - just watch the 'Time and Again' clip from about this same period.

Standing tall

Taken at Pooh Cone Bridge in the forest after the cones had been thrown and the time had come to move on. The forest does look nice this time of year but the colours are nowhere near as vivid as they were in Cumbria I don't think. Apart from Miranda, that is...

She was telling me tonight about her work in school, she was writing about her hero. A long drawn out sentence building in excitement, which I thought was her purposeful way of reeling me in - but it turned out it was Mum!

Story time was Mr Potter's Pet, which we finished tonight, and had us hooting merrily!

I am listening to Miroslav Vitous  - the CD Universal Syncopations, and track is called Beethoven.

I can see clearly now

Lewis gazing out of the window towards the beach at Morcambe. We had awoken with the sound of rain cascading onto rhe window, an auspicious start to a days travels. Fortunately the rain cleared within minutes and we were soon walking on the fabulous beach.... with an excellent view over to the Lake District.

Popsie

"That's a strange name for a dog" Miranda said to me, as we were walking through the forest today. Her face screwed up in that "I'm a clever cloggs" sort of way.....

"What's that then Miiranda?"

"Popsie!"

Beer o'clock

Just a passing memory from our trip around Cumbria. I have almost stopped drinking beer in the afternoon, it's not that conducive to working thereafter - and kids I guess were the final nail in the coffin.

Well we were relaxing and the Manor Arms in Broughton in Furness looked superb, so we went in for Wensleydale toasties and beer. Sheer bliss it was too! If you are looking for the perfect rural England pub, this is it. Fine beers, simple food, an a roaring open fire at lunchtime... add in friendly locals and a choice like you see below, and you'll get the idea.

Something of a coincidence

Last day of our northern tour today, we visited the Hockney gallery in Salts Mill. Culturally uplifted we headed for the Diner which has some great food on offer.

Looking at the menu we were surprised to discover they were celebrating their twenty fifth anniversary as well. Not entirely surprising as we visited the opening exhibition, with the giant fax artwork back in the day. Still a great place to visit, and a great bloke a listen to.

On the way back we stopped off for a Picnic of Wensleydale Cheese and fruitcake both of which were procured in Hawes yesterday.