Dear Blog,I am so sorry I have neglected you. It has been many weeks since I visited you, but I thought of you often. And pondered our reunion many times. So, please accept my apologies, and welcome me back with open arms and mind.your friend,Sarah xSo, I've been an incredibly bad blogger. Also, didn't do too well with my Learn Something New Every Day. I think I knew it was going to be a commitment too far for September. And it turned out to be. Mark ended up juggling two jobs for the month, which meant home life got a bit hectic. But, he has now officially been made redundant, and has started his new job. So life is still busy - but in a different way. Also, I had to do the round of secondary schools with Phoebe, as her application had to be in at the end of September. One week we had seven schools with open nights! Needless to say, we didn't get to all of them! But, the form has been submitted - so, now we have to wait until March to find out where she'll be going next year. Loads more happened, but I won't get bogged down in that just now, better to just get this much posted, I think.So, for something to look at, a couple of layouts that I did in September. No, fibbing, the last one was done at October's crop...
Sarah x
Ok, so I didn't actually manage to post yesterday about what I learned on the first - are you confused as well? But, I have a reason - or excuse. After a day at work, I picked the girls up from home, dove to Ikea, and spent five (yes, five) hours there. Then drove on the motorway in torrential rain, to finally get home at 10 pm. Then I had to go to look after my Mom and Dad's cat and house. Not bad, as reasons (excuses) go, is it?So, I haven't actually done a page yet, or finished my cover page... But, I have a plan! I will be able to catch up at the crop on Saturday! As well as decorate a post box for my friend's wedding...And, what did I learn on the first?"Teenage Daughters love you, when they want a lift home, in the rain."back soon...
So, I've signed up for my first ever on-line class, Shimelle's "Learn Something New Every Day"...I've got some cardstock, some papers and some embellishments ear-marked. Now I just need to work really hard in class - and learn something new every day!!! Not really a problem, I know I learn new stuff all the time... The problem will be my utter lack of organisation, and taking the time to identify what I've learned - but that's one (or two) of the reasons I'm taking the class.This is day one - and I think I know what I've learned today - but, the day's not over yet, and there could be something even more important to be learnt.Not to put even more pressure on myself - but I'm also aiming to blog what I've learned, each and every day in September. See you tomorrow...
Edited - something else I've learned today - how to add a blinkie...
...just got to ride it. Or words to that effect, as Ronan Keating sang.
So much has happened in the last few weeks, I almost don't know where to start...Luu had two weeks work experience before school broke up. She worked at a friend's florist shop - and loved it! By all accounts, she did really well, worked really hard and learned loads. During the first week she started to get a rash on her face - which we thought was an allergy. But as it got worse over the weekend I took her to the doctors, who said she had shingles. She had anti-virals prescribed and off we went. But very worried about potential scarring on her beautiful face. But by that weekend it was no better, in fact it was much, much worse. So, back to the doctors, who this time said it was Impetigo ( a highly contagious skin infection). He was very surprised no-one else in the house had caught it - down to my good housekeeping I think LOL!!! So, the poor thing had unwittingly spread it around her face - while treating the rash as shingles! So now she had a course of anti-biotics and some cream to apply. All the while not telling the mother-in-law - as Luu is now on a cruise with her nan, and her face is all cleared up - no marks left, thank goodness. She was not allowed to go into school for the last few days, and missed out on a trip to Drayton Manor. But we did spend some quality time together, and made a lovely bag - which is now in Norway - with no photos to show, unfortunately.The weather, as we know, was pants at the end of term - so there was no Sports Day - again...School finished, and there was the year six Prom to help organise. I think it was the best yet, the children behaved so well and looked so lovely. My niece especially so - and she loved her ride in the fire engine limo with a group of her friends.In the garden, we now have plenty of tomatoes - which we have grown from seed! Very impressed with that. But, the courgettes are rubbish... We also have plenty of Chillies - indoors though - which were also grown from seed.Then, out of the blue, Mark got a call, and was offered an interview for a job that was so far up his street you wouldn't believe... He went along, did his best, and the next day was asked to go along for a second interview! Woohoo!!! We had a very busy week as he prepared for his second interview - as he had to deliver a lesson to apprentices and management. Anyway - HE GOT THE JOB, and yes, that is shouted out loud. Lots of tears, too, on my part anyway! This is especially good - as the day before the second interview he got his notice of redundancy letter, to finish in November. He now has to negotiate trying to finish early, while keeping his redundancy... Watch this space on that one...The same day we heard off the insurance about the van - yes, Ruby is still in the garage. Anyway they agreed to some slight changes in the parts to be fitted - as some of the standard parts are difficult to source. So, it's all systems go with that. Especially as today, we managed to get one of the parts that was really difficult to get - as it had melted, being plastic, but they don't usually need replacing so nobody makes replacements.So with one thing and another, karma has come around to give this family of mine a lovely hug. With the cherry on the icing on the cake (yes it really is that good) coming in the form of a very unexpected cheque in the post today.Hopefully, more regular posting will now happen, as, hopefully, life settles back down to normal - whatever that may be...Sarah x
Where, oh where has the last week gone? I uploaded these pics last week, thinking I would spend my lunch (half) hour at work doing a quick post - but that didn't happen. So, just so you know I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth - Hi.
Been doing a bit of scrapbooking - some more pages done, but no photos yet. And I'm off to the crop on Saturday - but at the moment I'm mithering about photos - not sure what to scrap next. The photos I had printed off for last month's crop are not speaking to me at the moment. I printed some off on our printer, but the quality is a bit pants, to say the least. I'll give them another go, but I think my next scrapping "need" is a photo printer. Any suggestions?
Speak soon...Sarah x
Not much creating going on this week - as this monster landed in the garden on Tuesday. 
As we have decided to sell Ruby - our VW camper, we quickly needed to find somewhere else to lay our weary bones when we head to Cornwall in August. After much searching and camping-nerdy conversations we decided on this tent. And in a camping-nerdy way, it's fabulous! From it's sewn in groundsheet (no more floods this year!) to the storage pockets (no more treading on DS charger plugs this year!) all the way down to the fabby velcro thingies to hold the guy ropes when you take them down (no more cursing knotted guy ropes this year!)
As you can see, Charlie Moggins went for a mooch around. He has decided he will not be travelling to Cornwall - he will stay at home and be looked after by Nanny and Grandad.As we sat in the tent on Friday evening, chatting over a glass of wine - cue neighbours thinking "what are the neighbours up to, now?" We started to worry that the tent (plus car, plus trailer) may be too big for the compact pitches at our favourite place in the world... However, after a quick look at some photos of us camping there a few years back, we think we'll be ok. Fingers crossed.The garden is now back to normal - save for that flattened area of yellowing grass. So, a couple of pics of some of the flowers in the early morning sunshine...
Sarah xoh, and the Arkansas in the title? Why, it's the name of the tent, of course.
