Day 122

I've just made my niece a long-overdue star to go in her Song Sack.

Day 121

 Today is International Mud Day; I'm celebrating with a Mudd Mask!

Day 120

I do enjoy a Rio, it must be said. 

Day 119

Today I worked 8am-5.45pm - quick zip around Ikea, pop to Tesco to buy a sandwich, eat the sandwich and off to Child Protection Training from 7-10pm. A long day! Now I need to get sorted and then off to bed ... I start work at 7.45 tomorrow!

Day 118

Just got back from the park. This is the view from where I sat praying, eating, thinking, hoping, being.  

Day 117

K's plate, white choc-chip and raspberry muffins made by F, candles chosen by B. Yummy birthday muffins, but now all gone ... naturally!

Day 116

My swimsuit. I've finally decided to take the plunge and start using a swim cap. Ugh. Alas, when I came out of the pool, ready to buy one, the queue at the desk was too long ... next time! 

Day 115

 

I'm re-reading Jane Eyre. I first read it 10 years ago, this is my fourth time round. I think that's why I chose this photo; the focus is on the spine's wear and tear.

Day 114

 What to say?!

Day 113

Sadly, I didn't make this. Happily though, I bought it in Yorkshire. Hoping for a restful weekend.

Day 112

 

I was thinking about what to photograph today, what to say. Thinking about just how stressful it is at work. Thinking about one of the parents calling me Rach; I think she's the first one who's said it. Thinking that it's those little lovely moments that make it worth it. But, while I'm eating this chocolate cake as I am right now, all I can think is mmmmmmmmmmm........

Day 111

B had played some netball, popped in to get her book, found mine (The Great British Sewing Bee - hopefully more on that in the not-too-distant future!) and sat down peruse. 

Day 110

Apparently, I mentioned to my manager that I haven't tried artichoke before. She remembered and kindly brought me some from her allotment. Now all I have to do is Google what to do with it! :-)

Day 109

Yesterday I mentioned finding some shells on the beach. Here they are. 

Day 108

So, I'm dreading going back to work tomorrow. In an attempt to make the most of my holiday time, I decided to schedule in one last adventure hence today I drove to Bracelet Bay, in the Gower, South Wales. It was VERY wet ... rain, rain, rain. But I enjoyed walking on the beach and looking at the different coloured shells. I chose this photo because it features my wellies, which mean adventure, as Helen would rightly say. 

(Talking about wonderful Wales, I can't quite resist sharing this link to Horrible Histories' latest song ... Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ded-oI56RE  )

Day 107

When we were in Devon (in March), Jenna and I had a white hot chocolate which she shrewdly suspected of being Horlicks. I mentioned that we can get white hot chocolate at our very own Boston Tea Party, we - finally! - went a-white-hot-choccing today.  I enjoyed mine, although we were so busy talking that we neglected to mention whether or not we liked it! 

Day 106

I've spent chunks of today praying and processing. Earlier, I'd got the tripod out and popped the camera in. While I was writing, as you see, it was looking down on me and I thought, hey, here's my day for you! God being glorious; loving to hear what I have to say, loving to speak to me too. Also, you've probably spotted my new book! It was a birthday gift from my Gran. I'm really enjoying it, hoping that I'll soon understand the sciency-bits(!) and my photos will truly go 'Beyond Snapshots'. Beyond into excellence, I hope. 

Day 105

Today was a sewing day. When I say 'day,' what I really mean is 'couple of hours'! But, I made myself a hoodie, so what's to complain about hey? Well, maybe the fact that I spent almost the same amount of time trying to get a great photo of it, especially its gorgeous hood ... it's very full, almost Elf-like, Lord of the Rings-esque. But, alas, the photo was not to be! :-( 

Day 104

Hurrah, the Irresistible Numbers are finished! Even though I started them back on Day 19, today I finished them and pegged them up outside to share with you. But, this was my favourite shot! Here they are for you to see properly:

Day 103

I'm really pleased to be able to mention Helen - faithful blog reader and dear friend - as we spent this afternoon in Bath. Inspired by the thought of milkshake and cake, we found this courtyard and cafe ... rather yummily!

Day 102

Lovely to spend some time sewing today. 

Day 101

G took me out for a birthday milkshake this afternoon; I had strawberry and it was delish!

Day 100

Ta-dah!! Welcome to Day 100 of my 365 adventure! Although this might feel like the right moment for some blog-related reflections, I'm going to save those for a later date. Suffice it to say, that I am really enjoying 365 ... and thank you so much to you lovely people for checking in; my 'audience stats' include countries as far afield as America and Ukraine, France and Malaysia. Please, please feel free to leave me your comments.

I'm also going to sneak another photo in today. Niki has just returned with from Serbia with my birthday gift...

Day 99

Well, I'm back and the washing's done! 

Day 98

My time in Yorkshire ended with a visit to the Bronte Parsonage Museum. 'Twas lovely to walk around Charlotte, Emily and Anne's home and to soak in the utterly breath-taking views across the Dales. (Thankfully, my car and I made it through those crazy, narrow, winding, steep, steep, STEEP hills!) 

Day 97

Despite the fact that yesterday's glorious sunshine resulted in bad sunburn for my leg, I really enjoyed it here at Kirkgate, the Victorian Street at the Yorkshire Castle Museum. 

Day 96

Enjoying another day of gorgeous sunshine in York. Among other things, I popped into the Yorkshire museum this afternoon where I found this - part of an original floor left by the Romans at Eboracum, near York. 

Day 95

This gloriously sunny afternoon found me walking the walls of York. I was thinking about Wilkie Collins' book No Name because the main character, Magdalen, finds herself in York for a fairly important part of the story. Let me share a favourite part from early in the novel:

"At the end of that time, a flying figure in bright garments, flashed upon the two gentlemen through the glass - the door was flung open - flower-pots fell in homage to passing petticoats - and Mr Vanstone's youngest daughter ran up to him at headlong speed, with every external appearance of having suddenly taken leave of her senses." 

Just in case you wanted an idea of what the walls look like...

Day 94

Here are some of my birthday cards. The ones you can see ... an R filled with things beginning with R ... and two cards of women reclining barefoot in a garden reading ... Anyone would have thought that I like reading?!

Day 93

I'm spending the weekend in London, mainly to visit the Tower of London and visit The Cloth Shop to buy some lovely jersey. Happy memory from the Tower? Standing behind a mother and daughter looking at George IV's crown and hearing the mother turn to her daughter and quote a Horrible Histories song: 
    
     "I'm George the Fourth, the Regent King
     Which means I was just standing in, 
     Acting king because my dad
     George the Third had gone barking mad!"

If only she'd sung it; I probably wouldn't have been able to restrain myself from joining in!

Day 92

After four and a half hours of driving, I arrived in my hotel room hoping to find something interesting to photograph. The most interesting thing was my camera! Ah well, where would this blog be without it? Let it have its moment!