Getting Rusty- & a Meme.

First & foremost, I would like to say a huge "Thankyou" to all of you for your kind Birthday wishes. I had a thoroughly lovely day, & enjoyed every minute of it, right until bedtime.



The Camera God, in the guise of GOM came good with a lovely new camera. Now all I have to do is learn to use it to the best advantage. Friends gave me a book about photography- not knowing I had the new camera!

I was treated to another lunch out, by my daughter, on Wednesday, seeing she had missed my actual birthday. So 3 'girls', Nanna, Daughter J & Granddaughter S went off to lunch. It was an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet. We let our hair down! We feasted. We waddled out to the car. I was so satisfied I could not eat any tea!

I had Birthday phone calls from New Zealand.

I had emails from NZ with photos for treats.

This is a pic of BFJ's daughter's new puppy. She is to replace a dearly loved old dog who passed away last year. Who could resist a face like this! Isn't she gorgeous.


She is Jessie.




And here, is a photo of my Beloved Brother, & his handsome Eldest Son, Beloved Nephew D, who is about to be a first time Dad! Woo Hoo, my first Great Nephew!

It seems a long time since I posted. Getting rusty & lazy.

Not much sewing has been done around here for the past 2 days. It has returned to Summer! HOT! Steamy. Makes me want some of the Snow I see in the north of America!

Here is a first attempt at using the new camera.

I had a little grasshopper all lined up, but I got the settings wrong, & I couldn't see the little blighter!

But I did manage to catch Mrs Spider, out of her leaf hideaway. I really tried to capture the spots on her back, but she is very shy.

We had to collect Small Grandson from the school bus yesterday afternoon. He has surprised us all by insisting he is ready to get the bus to & from school, all by himself. He is so proud. He loves everything about school. I hope his enthusiasm remains as he progresses.

When he saw me at the bus stop he came hurtling down the bus steps & flung himself into my arms. I was very conscious of enjoying the moment to the fullest, as I realise he will soon grow out of his unselfconscious joy, & will no doubt retreat into the 'dont kiss me now, someone might see' stage!

***********************

I've been tagged....
....by Katie, of My Sandbox,
It's been fun reading random facts about everyone else!

So here are the rules:

THE RULES:

1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.

2.Post THE RULES on your blog.

3.Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.

4. Tag 7 people and link to them.

5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.

I have actually done this a couple of times before, but here goes again. If I repeat myself & you recall it as a repeat, I apologise.

Perhaps I am running out of weird!!

1. I used to be really scared of spiders, but since I have seen them more closely, I have a respect for them, & try not to harm them. I have found the more I learnt about them, the less afraid I became. If I find a Huntsman in the house, I will try to capture it, to liberate it outside. Huntsman spiders are very large, & rather hairy! I swear they are really intelligent, & know I mean them no harm when I capture them.

2. I love dogs, & wish I could work with them in some capacity. I used to be terrified of them, until my father, who bred working sheepdogs, taught me not to be afraid.

3. I have some hideous itching condition, which I fear is related to our new carpet. The onset of the condition coincided with the laying of the new carpet. I need to have some tests to determine if it is indeed the case. grrrr.

4. I have 2 grandchildren, a girl & a boy. I am very lucky. I keep dreaming of further grandchildren, which I don't think will be the case. I am aware you 'never know what lies ahead'.

5. My hair is still mostly brown, though it is getting more grey sprinkled. I have a strip of hair, at the front left temple, which was always blond when I was young. Now it is grey, & I refer to it as my "Witchy Streak". I can't be bothered with dyes.

6. Around the time of the full moon, I tend to have very vivid dreams. Perhaps I am a Lunatic??

7. I married a man who is the exact opposite on the astrological wheel. We are indeed, Chalk & Cheese.

Ok, this is where I break the rules. I will tag 7 people, but the expectation for them to reply or actually do this meme, is not rigid. I know most people have done this, & find it tiresome to rehash old oddities, however much we might enjoy re-reading them. One can always hope they have developed new oddities in the meantime, of course!

So:

The Sagittarian, of More Canterbury Tales. Such wise wit.

Rosie, of A Bitch About Brittany. Love these glimpses into another space.

Kal, of Trauma Queen. Such an interesting blog.

JulieK at Juliek Quilts. Lovely things to see & read about.

Kitty, at Kittywrinkle. A new aquaintance, but she sure is lovely to meet!

Kim, at Ragged Roses. If you want to see beautiful, & tasteful & talented, go visit Kim!

Leslie, In VanCan. Leslie writes lovely posts, has a great sense of optimism & is worthy of a visit.

Randi Crawford, One Day I'll Fly Away