15/05/2008 by Aileen.

I can’t quite believe it, but last night before Slimming World I thought I might not have lost any weight, owing to two take-aways and a large roast during the week. So I got two pairs of light weight trousers - weighed them - and wore the pair that was all of 20 grams lighter. I needn’t have worried - I lost 1 and a half pounds.

My TMA is almost finished. I could send it off as it is, but I want to re-arrange it a bit, polish up the ending, and generally make it more elegant. I have about 200 words to play with, so I could just about add another point (if I could think of one that was definitely relevant.)

Lovely day today by the looks of it. John has probably been driving the neighbours mad by power washing our patios for the last couple of days. The bottom one hasn’t been touched since we moved here nearly five years ago, and the bit he’d done is looking lovely. I might take a photo of it while it’s only half done.

Although I want to get on with my essay and post it off I really need to go to the tip, get some readymix cement if there’s such a thing for sticking back a couple of bricks on a garden wall, and maybe get some tomato plants etc., if I finally decide it’s too late to grow from seed. Imight hedge my bets and do both. You can never have to many tomatoes. Or courgettes. Well maybe you can have too many courgettes. They grew like billio last year. Want to try peppers again, as they failed last year.

So stop rambling, Aileen, and load up the car with cardboard, etc. Oh no. I can hear John getting up. That means another coffee and another hour gone. So much for my good intentions.

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13/05/2008 by Aileen.

Well not that lazy, but working on my TMA in between reading photo mags and surfing the net.

Yesterday’s photo outing to the woods was disappointing as it was a bit too dark for photos. Long exposures would have been okay, but there was a bit of a breeze. Managed to take a snail halfway up a tree. A bit of a texture shot.

One of the nameless brown ducks brought 11 ducklings up today. I think they came from Anita’s next door, as she had a duck sitting on 13 eggs. They went on holiday on Saturday and she guessed she would miss their arrival. By the time she and Colin come back the numbers will be down no doubt.

I noticed that when Anne said my photos on my website were good I said my birding colleagues did better. I completely forgot to mention the photo club friends. We don’t really spend time looking at one another’s photos. We have practical sessions in Skidby village hall, and sometimes a member gives us an illustrated talk. We see photos then. David and Bryan have taken some fantastic landscapes. One in every four meeting is on a Tuesday, and I don’t go then, as it clashes with my Scripture Group. I think I’ve just missed some of the ‘photo reviews.’

I’m glad it’s not the sort of club that has competitions. I think it could get quite catty! Anyway, we’re outside for the summer and the light can only get better. Of course it could always rain!

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12/05/2008 by Aileen.

I’ve just had a complimentary comment on my website! What a nice start to a Monday morning. Thanks Anne.

I’m looking forward to a good week. Tonight my photo club is going out to a wood to take photos (what else!) Hope it doesn’t get too dark.

I will be working hard on my final ‘normal’ essay for the OU which is due in on Friday. It’s a difficult one - about the Sixties and how distinctive they were and were they significant in bringing about change. It’s difficult what to put in and leave out with only 2,000 words.

Then there’s the small matter of the timed essay under exam conditions but people who have done it already seem to think it’s a piece of cake. That’s not due in for another two or three weeks.

Liam was 8 yesterday. He chatted to us on Skype last night. I don’t know who was more tired, him or Ali.

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10/05/2008 by Aileen.

I can’t believe the wickedness of the Burmese junta. Trouble is - should we donate money? Where is it going to end up? I know that there is still loads of funds donated for the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that haven’t been used yet, and I would have thought speed was of the essence then as well as now. Prayer is the only thing now. And no - I don’t think prayer is a magic wand to get God to act. Prayer changes us - not God.

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08/05/2008 by Aileen.

I feel uncomfortable writing an inconsequential blog when there is such devastation in Burma. I can’t imagine the sheer numbers of people dead or homeless and in danger of disease.

I remember years ago my mother said something similar (about how can we be happy when there is unhappiness all around us) My glib answer then was - just because John uses a wheelchair we don’t all have to go round in wheelchairs.

I suppose that’s why I have a Pollyanna attitude to life. I am so grateful that I live in affluence, in a lovely part of the country, have a great family, good health …… so many things to be grateful for.

And I must do what I can for those less fortunate than me. Only I don’t do all I could. Am I supposed to become a Mother Teresa? I’d hate that, although I can understand her happiness.

BTW New photos on my website under May. The sad saga of the Sooty and her family.

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06/05/2008 by Aileen.

Two things have gone.

Well three.

The two little ducklings have disappeared. Boo Hoo. Probably a pike. I was just gettting geared up to name them as well. Mum doesn’t seem too bothered and her head is healing nicely.

Also, my new laptop isn’t working again, so will have to call the ‘man’ in. I did so want to upload my photos.

Ah well. J and I are going to spend a day working in the garden today.

Bye all.

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05/05/2008 by Aileen.

I’ve sorted out my laptop and am back on track. (Although it was me that boogered it oop in the first place.) M and F came for the weekend and we had a great time. Martin normally tells me off for loading the computer with ‘carp’. This time I was in trouble for deleting something important.i Sorry Mart. Won’t do it again.

When I said I sorted it out - well I must admit it was by chance. To start at the beginning …….

I was trying to link up my new laptop to my printer, as I usually email to myself anything I want to print, then open it up on the main computer. Or sometimes I use a flash drive.

I think I had ……. this is boring - even for me. Anyway, tonight I deleted something on OneNote and suddenly I was back on t’Internet again. Although I could get on ……………sod it………… really boring.

Tomorrow I’m going to upload photos of Sooty’s little ducklings. She had three, now it’s two, and one looks exactly like a plasitc toy. So cute. Couldn’t use other computers as I want all the photos in the same folder.

Saturday - Leeds Art Gallery - learnt loads - lovely afternoon and evening with family.

Sunday - hungover so missed Mass and Children’s Liturgy which I was supposed to do. Another lovely day.

Monday - snapping ducklings -planted up two containers - powerwashed top patio.

AND GOT LAPTOP SORTED OUT!

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02/05/2008 by Aileen.

Since our keyholder neighbour got into our house when she thought we weren’t there we’ve been putting the chain on the front door and going out the garage if we’re both out. We did it this morning when we went to the doctors. (John had a large mole but dr. said it was ‘maturity.’)

What we forgot was that the electicity board had turned off all electricity in the road (from 9am to 3pm) and our garage is up and over electric. So when we came back we couldn’t get in via the garage, and although I had the front door key the chain was on. Luckily, the week before I had decided to add the utility room door key to my key ring - and I remembered!

John had a client at 11am and couldn’t really see him/her in the car!

I had intended to rush off for Creative Writing, but faffing around trying to get in delayed me even longer, and it was such a beautiful morning I said to John I’d stay at home and have a coffee in the garden. Oops! No electricity! No coffee!

Then the lovely Fiona rang and said she and Martin were thinking of coming over for the weekend, would we be there. Sooper dooper. I hadn’t touched the guest room since the pair stayed in it so I had to rush around cleaning it (2 little boys and bathrooms don’t really mix)

And then we had to swallow our pride - we were saying how ridiculous it was that everyone rushed to the supermarkets and stocked up as if for a siege whenever there was a bank holiday. Guess where I went this afternoon? T**cos. And bought the shop up.

11.45pm and I’ve just finished a beef casserole for tomorrow. I’m off to Leeds Art Gallery for the morning. M and F are leaving Oxford about 6am and if they get here about 9am Fi will come with me to Leeds. I haven’t asked the tutor yet. I’ll sort it out tomorrow. Good old Manana. She’s a good friend of mine.

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