31/10/2009 by Aileen.

I don’t spend too much on myself, but make an exception for my top and bottom. Hair and shoes I mean. I HAVE to be comfortable so buy good trainers, sandals, heels etc.

I have also been going to Tony and Guy for my hair for the last six years, and spending over £50 for a cut and blow dry. Well, it’s a bit of a drag going into Hull every few weeks, and I don’t always want anything else there. So I thought I’d give the village hairdresser a go. Well, Mitty has done a really nice job, and I nearly fainted when she told me the price. £15. Mitty, you have my business for life.

Off to Yorkshire Sculpture Park (in the rain) today, to take photos with an OU group. I might get one of them to take a photo of me now my hair is just done.

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26/10/2009 by Aileen.

I’m not a week  ahead with the OU, I’m dead on target. I must have lost a week somehow. Anyway, this week, Emil should finish our sitting room, going down to Stoke Mandeville to hear if John needs another op, (staying with M and F overnight) hoping to take pics of autumn colour.

On Saturday I’m going to Leeds Sculpture Park with some OU people I’ve never met, to take photos.

We’re having a portrait session at Viewfinders tonight, in ‘the style of an old master’. Think it’s going to be Hollywood type portraits. Should be fun.

Hope to do the last lawn mowing of the year, and prune the plum tree.

I also hope to finish my OU assignment and carry on developing church and photography websites. I’ve definitely learnt loads in the last year.

Thank God I seem to be pretty healthy, although I’m still getting short of breath and I burst a blood vessel in my eye again. I’m fed up of blood shot eyes.

Anyway, this morning is housework. Bye.

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23/10/2009 by Aileen.

I haven’t posted for a while. I’ve been busy with A363, trying to keep a week ahead. And I have. And I’ve even done most of the exercises. I had the beginnings of a story for the first TMA, but thought it had to be 3,500 words, and it’s only got to be 1,500. SO I’ve shelved that story. I’ll use it for my ECA - which I have finally discovered stands for End of Course Assignment (I think)

Ali, Eric and boys back from a good holiday. Martin and Fiona fine. Fiona is 24 weeks pregnant now, and is in a ‘low risk’ category. Praise the Lord.

Wet and windy here, and the weather isn’t much better. Michael cancelled birding on Wednesday, as we were going to Spurn, and if you look on a map of Britain you’ll see why. It’s the bit that sticks out by the Humber Estuary. You drive along this little track with the North Sea on one side and the Humber on the other. Great place, but then, I’ve only been there when it’s dry.

I’ve been working really hard on learning how to make a photo gallery using CSS. I’m nearly there.

Famine Supper at John Hall’s tonight. Hope it’s tasty. Oh no, that’s not the idea.

See ya.

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18/10/2009 by Aileen.

so I won’t even try

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15/10/2009 by Aileen.

Taken at Hull Fair. Ideally I should get rid of the green stem and its distractions, but I do like this photo.

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12/10/2009 by Aileen.

I did all I intended to, except I only meditated once. Did housework, and went for cycle with John. Lovely morning.

 Studied in the afternoon. Now on Chapter Two- a week ahead - and went to Hull Fair in the evening with Viewfinders. On the way to David’s I stopped to take sunset photo of Drax power station. How can something so terrible be so beautiful.

Hull Fair was so impressive. It’s the biggest travelling funfair in Europe.Great atmosphere.Several young people stopped and asked me to take their photos, and then wanted to know where they would appear! Here are a few photos, but I have so many more.

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12/10/2009 by Aileen.

It’s Monday, so it must be housework. And Viewfinders. And lots of plans for the week ahead.

First, on Saturday we had a really good Day School for the OU. Nice people. I surprised John by managing to pay in a cheque to the PO, get the paper, and get the outstanding wall lights from Argos.

Sunday, I ‘did’ the children’s liturgy, and had to do a fair bit of shopping in the Coop on the way home, as I’d forgotten I was out all day Saturday. In the late afternoon I just had to get some fresh air. John wouldn’t come out, so I went for a walk. J said, yes, safer than cycling as it was windy, but I fell down a rabbit hole on the way home. I didn’t end up in Wonderland, so no ideas for a story.

Anyway, tonight at Viewfinders we are going to Hull Fair. That’s not the kind of photography I usually do, so it should be fun. Hope the weather stays fine.

And today, I’m starting A363, Creative Writing, in earnest. I have a plot for my first assignment. I just need to transform it into a concrete story.

And as I was 11stone 2  this morning, I am also going to cut out biscuits and exercise more.

And…. and….. and…..

Oh I love Mondays.

BTW Fiona is over half way through with her pregnancy. Yay!

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10/10/2009 by Aileen.

Oh I love my cosy little house. I don’t want to go to Sheffield today to meet all those nasty clever Open University bods at the Day School.

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08/10/2009 by Aileen.

Thought I’d post a photo of my eyes. (Sorry if it offends anyone) This happened spontaneously on the way home from the hospital yesterday. Is God trying to keep me on my toes?

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08/10/2009 by Aileen.

All went well at the Breast Clinic yesterday. So glad I didn’t ask to go to Royal Marsden, Carshalton, where I was operated on before. The Castle Hill section is friendly and efficient, and SOOOOO much nearer. Anyway, nothing suspicious, the bleeding is probably due to the car accident. I’m gonig back in three months as a precaution.

I wasn’t going to put in a claim after the accident, as I’m glad to be alive, and don’t believe in the litigation culture we live in. However, I was stiff and in pain for three weeks after the accident, and I had that funny turn a week later when the doctor gave me an ECG, and I’ve been worried about my breast for nearly a fortnight now.

The shortness of breath that is being investigated is not to do with the accident. I’ve noticed it for months.

Anyway, slight setback with the decorating. Emil was so apologetic, but he’s had to go to Bulgaria on business, and will be away for a few days. He said he wouldn’t have started the room if he had known. We have another living room, but the TV point is in the out-of-action room. We don’t really miss TV, but John watched a video on his Mac last night. I’m working hard on the websites I maintain. There’s a lot of history and pictures to put on to the church one.

I seem to have a lot of fiddly things to do at the moment, mostly on the computer.

Finish two Look assignments for Redemptorist publications

Produce an application form for First Communion parents in the parish

Polish up my Friday creative writing assignment

Produce a bit of work for the Day School on Saturday (tutor wants it tomorrow)

Prepare Children’s Liturgy for Sunday

I also want to produce a sort of job description for the children’s liturgy as we are getting two new helpers, and as one of the Safeguarding Officers I think we need this. Must check with Barbara.

And I have to go to Argos in Goole for lights. We (John) looked everywhere on the internet, and we’ve (both) looked round shops, but Argos has our favourites. Cheap too!

But I really must Carpe the Diem. I often miss photo opportunity because of my favourite word (banana manana). Yesterday it was a beautiful sunny afternoon, and decided to wait until the evening, and go up on the Wolds for some sunset pictures. What happens? It clouds over.

I AM NOT GOING TO MISS AUTUMN TREE PICTURES THIS YEAR!

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