12/05/2009 by Aileen.

Yesterday went really well. I forgot to say that I was going to get back to meditating. And I did it. Twice. I also forgot that I had Viewfinders in the evening. We had a lovely time snapping bluebells in Burton Bushes, which is ancient woodland. I’ll post a photo later, but I MUST tell you what I’ve just seen.

First, I didn’t do what I planned today, but got stuck into TMA05. I had a sudden inspiration for a poem, so I did that, and have finished the Report (not commentary I found out) All I have to do are the references, which was too fiddly for me as I’ve been on the computer all day. When I finished the OU work I started a tutorial on making a clock for Second Life.

Then the laptop seemed dangerously hot, so at 6.30pm I went for a walk round the ponds. I saw goslings, baby coots, long-tailed tits and other common species. I was pleased to hear lots of sedge warblers, as we haven’t heard any in our garden and I wondered what had happened.

THEN….. instead of coming home my usual way I retraced my steps and went past a farm. There on the wire was a pied flycatcher. I recognised its distinctive shape, although I was hoping it wasn’t a pied wagtail, which has similar colouring. But the shape was much more flycatchery. As soon as I got home I looked it up, and sure enough - pied flycatcher.

Luckily I had a chicken casserole cooking, so we ate quickly and I uploaded all my photos. Here is the one I worked on (cropped and increased saturation a little)

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11/05/2009 by Aileen.

Yes, it’s still Monday (10.30am), but my computer magically turned itself on. I was vacuuming the piano stool which gets covered in cat fur, and decided to gently vacuum the laptop keyboard as the fur transfers there. Well, I unclasped the lock, and the computer turned itself on. As I was having a coffee on the go I decided to sit down and report this phenomenon.

That reminds me of my house in SL. I’m sure that’s haunted. When I first got it I kept landing in the water beneath the house, and then when I tried to position furniture it would bump back to where it started. I love my house. Here is a photo of it. Everything in it is made by my (Titiana’s) fair hands.

Titiana Haystack in Second Life.

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11/05/2009 by Aileen.

Oh I love Monday mornings. Always have. Even when I was working. There again I loved teaching until the last couple of years.

Anyway, I didn’t wake up until 8 this morning, and I’ve just had my muesli while looking at photos on Flickr. (All T189 related) It’s 8.45 now, and I really must turn off the pooter.

Plans this week -

• Housework today
• 15 minutes gardening every day
• 15 minutes exercise evey day
• Finish TMA (tutor marked assignment) by Friday
• Birding
• Creative Writing
• Might go to Church meeting on Thursday evening

Gardening is getting imperative, and I hope to do much more than 15 minutes a day. The nettles are back with a vengeance, and thistles are attacking now.

I’ve decided there are some things I CAN and WILL do.  They are keeping the grass short, strimming, half-mooning the edges, keeping the paths weedfree and having no stray rubbish (plastic pots etc) floating around.

This is working at the moment, but I really want to plant up containers this week and have another go and sowing some seeds, as the last lot all died on me through lack of watering. All except the green beans, which are long and straggly and something’s been eating the leaves (not slugs - too high up)  so I might redo them too.

Oh and John wants the photo on his website updated, so I’ll do another piccie of him. This week’s assignment for T189 is take two photos of something/someone we love, so this kill two birds with one stone.

Now, Aileen, stop prevaricating. The house awaits your loving attention.

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06/05/2009 by Aileen.

Wow! What a morning! I thought Michael might switch venues as it was rainy, but no, we went to our planned location. After sheltering from the rain for a few minutes we set off. And saw….

An osprey overhead. And maybe a couple of honey buzzards.

But as well as that we saw about three cuckoos several times, a turtle dove, reed warblers, sedge warblers, linnets, goldfinches, greenfinches, chaffinches, bullfinches, whitetroat, lesser whitethroat, blackcap, chiffchaff, willow warbler, heron, robin, g.c. grebes, tufted ducks, mallards, wood pigeons, starlings, song thrush, blackbird, robin, greylag geese, swallowes, swifts, sand martins, house martins, and I saw a cormorant flying over, but as it was just after the osprey I didn’t bother to mention it.

I came home to John fast asleep, so I have just had an enormous bacon butty and a cup of tea.  I’ve been looking at my photos. The osprey is obviously highly enlarged and has fringing and is out of focus, but hey, it proves I’m telling the truth.

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02/05/2009 by Aileen.

I absolutely love our little village. Apart from the new housing springing up around it consists of one main street. On it are

• three pubs
• chinese take-away
• Indian restaurant
• pizza etc. take-away
• chish and fips (Johnny Haddocks - famous for miles around)
• post office (yes)
• newsagents
• Londis
•  hairdressers (but old-fashioned when I tried it)
• butchers/bakers - fantastic stuff
• florist

I’ve just bought 3 gerbera from the florist, and he had just made up a bouquet for Katherine Jenkins, who is singing at someone’s 60th birthday. It’s the third time he has done a bouquet for her.

I only went in for a few carnations or something, but had to have the gerbera as well - to photo. I’m supposed to be snapping a bottle for the T179 course, but I’m contrary as usual and feel like doing flowers. I suppose I could stick them in a bottle?

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02/05/2009 by Aileen.

These do I love

• Stretching warm limbs after a good night’s sleep
• Planning the day ahead
• Muesli with a crisp Cox apple
• A hot shower
• Johnson’s Baby Powder
• Coffee
• Surfing the Net
•  Coffee
• Opening the Post
• Coffee

I should add meditating, but I haven’t been doing it lately. I don’t know why. I love it, but have been forgetting. Don’t know how. Anyway, tomorrow is another day. Onwards and upwards. Keep on keeping on.

(See I’m not flat any more)

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