30/04/2009 by Aileen.

Well, I;ve done the ironin, including the incredibly difficult guest room duvet cover (pale cream, lots of pintucks) and I’ve cut the front grass. Had a delicious smoked salmon sarnie for lunch, but I’m still feeling, ‘What’s the point?’ so I’ve been playing in photoshop to cheer myself up. I made a tapestry of a photo. Not quite the same one on the post below, but the one I took straight after it. Looks stupid!

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30/04/2009 by Aileen.

I have a lot to do, but am procrastinating. Usually I love having a lot to do, but today I feel flat. Jim’s funeral went very well (as far as funerals can) Well he was nearly 90, and had died peacefully in his sleep. That evening he had been to Bingo, and challenged an old (aged) friend to a race back to their houses. He won, even though he gave her a head start. We met the mad Welsh crowd again. We seem to meet up at funerals. Of course they burst into song at the first opportunity. (5 sisters - all mad)

More death today, but much sadder. The Iraq Memorial Service is on the tv, and the list of names of soldiers who died is going on and on. The photos show handsome young people. They are very brave.

Anyway, perhaps this is what is depressing me. I really need to garden, and I have a lot of writing to do. The most important, as I’ve been commissioned, is to write 4 leaflets for Redemptorist Publications. (The sheets the children get at Mass on Sunday)

Then I have my Creative Writing homework for Friday’s group. Due tomorrow then!

I need to write 40 lines of poetry for my next OU TMA, and a commentary on who would publish it.  That’s due in on the 3rd or 10th of May.We’ve been urged to get on with this assignment, as out next and final one is due shortly afterwards, and it’s a LONG one. I just can’t get enthused about either.

Anyway, I’d better try and put some cheerful stuff in. I like this blog to be a sort of antidote for miserable stuff in the world.

Oh dear, this isn’t going to be cheerful, but the 12 Easter ducklings have gone down to 3. They’ve lost their mum and go round in a little group. They seem to be coping very well, but attack the smaller duckings around.

Yes, another duck had 9 duckiings. She has only 2 now. She is a good mum, and attacked Penny the Peacock today when she got too close. Have I mentioned Penny? She was here a bit last year, but disappeared. Well, I was only here on and off as John was in hospital. She came back at the weekend, disappeared on Monday, and is back this morning. (Thursday)

Oops. Another bad thing. John’s op wound has opened up again. He went to the funeral although probably shouldn’t have, and is on bed rest apart from 4 hours a day, which is what the specialist said to do when it opened up last time.

Anyway, if I turn this off, do a bit of gardening/houswork/ironing this morning, then write in the afternoon (I keep putting it off) maybe I will be in a better frame of mind this evening.

Oh, and another pissy thing. I’ve seen lots of the photos of students on T189 and they’re so much better than mine. Oh well. I can only improve.
I’m posting a photo I took yesterday. Well, I must put something nice up, and I like this one, although I think I’ve sharpened it too much. Playing around with Photoshop Elements 6 now I’m doing the OU course.

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25/04/2009 by Aileen.

Saturday 2.40 and I’m having a snoozle, which isn’t exactly a snooze but is resting after lunch. I know T189 (OU Digital Photography course) hasn’t actually started yet, but I’m so keen and have read Weeks 1 and 2. In Week 2 we have to see how our cameras cope with blue, so I have taken two blue flowers in our garden. The colour seems accurate. I have learnt to resize photos for the web, and hope this makes a difference to my photos as I always think they look blurred. Anyway, here are the two photos I took.

 Mmm. The muscari looks blurred. It was windy, and I cropped it a lot. Dunno. Need to experiment.

Anyway, Kev and Mag are coming for the weekend, and I haven’t got new sheets on the bed since last week when Al and Trudie stayed. I’m falling asleep here, so will carry on snoozling, then get bedroom ready.

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23/04/2009 by Aileen.

Oh what a glorious day yesterday was. It was Birding, and we walked through dappled sunshine along woodland paths. Saw willow tits, willow warblers, blackcaps and other lovely little songsters. The bluebells are coming along nicely, and there were primroses, violets and wood sorrell in profusion. I missed one grass snake the others saw, but had my own personal viewing of another, rustling through the dry bracken. For more, see Michael’s blog -

http://eybirdwatching.blogspot.com/

In the afternoon I cut the two grass areas at bottom of garden, and trimmed round stepping stones to the washing line. Ialso used spade and half moon cutter to edge a bit of the bottom left grass (cherry orchard!) The earth was surprisingly soft considering we’ve had no rain lately.

I then watered beans, spuds and containers. I think one or two of the fuschias might recover. I had put them out and the frost got to them.

Then, at Slimming World I found I had lost 1 and a half lbs. (In spite of crisps etc. over the weekend) However, this was only taking off what I put on the previous week, so I am back to square one.

Today I have the dreaded church cleaning, then John and I are going out shopping. We were going to go to the coast, but need a few things for the house/garden so will probably just go to B and Q and the shops in St Andrews Quay, and have a panini in Starbucks. Bye all.

Oh, I forgot, we saw tiger beetles mating on our woodland/heathland walk yesterday. Here they are.

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21/04/2009 by Aileen.

Right I’ve put up a few more photos, and got myself a screen name, which is almost the same as my login details. PHotos are rubbish compared with T179 group (Open University) I have just joined. But that’s fine. Onwards and upwards.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wild_thing_09/

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21/04/2009 by Aileen.

I need a new project. And I think it’ll be to get to grips with Flickr. I joined it last year, and have put a few photos on, but think it could be better organised (surely?) I think you can create sets if I remember rightly. So, Aileen, why aren’t you sorting it out now rather than writing about it? Doh.

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20/04/2009 by Aileen.

Bloody Hell! I got 96 % for my TMA! Childhood reminiscences. Nothing dramatic. Just happy memories. But I’ll record this on my other website -

www.rainbowpuddles.co.uk

Then we had a phone call on Saturday night, that John’s uncle had died peacefully in his sleep. He was nearly 90. He was a great character. Always making  jokes. When his sister, my mother-in-law, was in St Thomas’ Hospital, London, a few years ago he drove up from the coast to visit her. Coming out of the hospital you’re supposed to turn left, but as the wide road was clear he turned right, so he would know the way back! He used to drive all over the place, stopping frequently, because of his prostrate I think. In the last couple of years he moved up to Lincolnshire from Sussex to be near his son, and we kept meaning to visit them, but never got round to it. This is so typical of us. Maybe of everyone.

Anyway, there will be the funeral later this week - don’t know when yet - and we will meet up with the Welsh side of John’s family. They’re all zany.

We’re having a new upright freezer delivered tomorrow, as we saw a special offer in Hull the other day (end of range) and I hate the chest freezer we inherited when we moved here. I can never find anything in it. So it’s Sorting Out The Garage Day today. I’m supposed to be doing Church Cleaning tomorrow, but can’t make definite arrangements until we know when the freezer is coming, and when the funeral is.

And we also had a very pleasant weekend with Al and Trudy.  We dossed around on the Saturday, just going for a walk round one of the local ponds (made by extracting clay years ago) and on the Sunday we went to Hornsea with a picnic. Although there was quite a wind we were quite sheltered beside a groyne, and enjoyed watching the gulls. Trudy and I took photos. Poor John had a terrible night on the Saturday with his root pain so he stayed at home. We think it can be psychosomatic sometimes, as he had just heard his uncle had died. He also hates flying, and usually gets it before travelling as well. But there again, pain is a constant with him unfortunately.

Trudie and Al have just left, and I am enjoying a coffee and catching up on t’Internet, which I have neglected over the last few days. Then I must put some washing out, as it’s a lovely day for drying.

Viewfinders tonight, and I think we are going out on location. I must find out were. Bye for now.

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18/04/2009 by Aileen.

I’m pleased with my hair but can’t possibly post a photo until I have some warpaint on.

Anyway, Trudie and Al are coming today for the weekend, so I got up early (nothing new in that) intending to go shopping and be home before 10am. Well I did my usual surfing of social networks and forums and then saw it was gone 9am and I wasn’t even showered.

So quick shower, down to the shops, and the post office was closed. It was only 8.20am! What am I like? Luckily the butchers was open so I got some braising steak, chicken, and ham. Decided the farm shop wouldn’t be open, and as it’s slightly out of the way I went to Morrisons istead and bought the shop up. Washing now on line, shopping away, beef marinating, and I’m on my  beloved laptop again.

I sent off TMA04 with seven hours to spare yesterday. It’s not brilliant, but I don’t think life writing (at least mine) lends itself to anything wonderful. Wish I’d done poems now, instead of prose. Anyway if I get in the 70% range I’ll be happy.

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16/04/2009 by Aileen.

Yes, I have a TMA due in tomorrow, friends are coming to stay for the weekend, and my hair is BAD! Here is a photo of me at the moment-

However, tomorrow I shall post a photo of a suave sophisticated Aileen, with a cool haircut and stunning expresssion!

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13/04/2009 by Aileen.

Yesterday’s Easter Sunday mass was good. Really packed. I was only just on time, and we had to grab chairs from the side room. It’s such a friendly parish. I love it.

When I got home I was greeted by a mummy mallard with 12 little babies. I didn’t even know the ducks were nesting yet. Anyway, it was a lovely symbol of new life. And here they are!

 Today, I must do lots of housework, gardening and OU stuff. I’ve been very lazy the last couple of days. It’s because the OU residential island on Second Life is open at last, and I’ve been partying and decorating my house. I’ll write about it in Titiana’s blog.

http://titihaystack.wordpress.com/

 I’m stopping for a coffe now, so am justified in blogging. I also took a photo of a really bad fire opposite. I really hope no one was hurt. It seemed to come from near the houses across the lake. I heard fire engines, and they put it out really quickly, but I don’t know how long it had been burning. I have to deliver some Slimming World leaflets round the village later, so I will probably see what it was. I can’t find the local radio station, but it probably wouldn’t be on that.

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