Changes

It has been a funny old week for me feeling very restless since we arrived home after our trip on the bike to France and Spain.  As always when away I do a lot of thinking about things that are going on in my life and what direction I want to be heading in. 

Last Saturday I went with the girls to Fistral beach in Newquay to take part in the Roxy Yoga on the Beach event - never done yoga outside before and it was wonderful, so much so I have done it twice in the garden since :).  In the afternoon Bernadette and I went down to a local beach and she got me in the water swimming.  I am not a confident swimmer in the sea but would love to change that.  It was certainly chilly to start with but once you went numb it was fine!!!  On the Sunday we all went back to the beach in the evening - yes another swim for me and a bbq for us all.  Then back to work on Monday and I then went back again in the evening - this time on my own and had yet another swim - it was somewhat rougher this time but so warm!!  I then stayed there the whole evening by myself and took photos. I have never done this before but always wanted to and I loved it - I find sitting by the sea really helps me to relax and helps to put my thoughts into some kind of order.

So with all this thinking I have been doing have I actually made any decisions??  Yes is the simple answer :)

As usual the thoughts of photography came up - I had taken a basic kit this time, the 5d, a wide angle lens and a 50mm.  I think I used the whole lot a dozen times, it is so much easier to use the phone, which does a reasonable job.  So the old question of do I sell it all or keep it? -  as I don't do much photography theses days due to lack of time and lack of inspiration amongst other things. 

Well yes, I have decided that I do want to continue with my photography, as ultimately I do enjoy it so much when I make the effort to get out there and do some -  but I will have to do it on my own - which means I have decided not to go back to camera club any more - I have met some lovely people there but being president of it for the last two years has well and truly burnt me out of enthusiasm for taking photos - having dealt with adult tantrums and oversized egos for over 2 yrs I have no interest in going back there.  At times it was like being in a school playground - worse actually because as grown adults they should know better!!!  Maybe after a good break from it I will feel differently but for now it is the right decision.  I have also come off Facebook again for the time being - I was - once again - spending way too much time on there and it is such a waste of time lol.   Have to confess it is a struggle not to log back in and have a peek but I am resisting it!!!! 

I have put all my studio equipment up for sale on eBay and I have sorted out all the compact cameras we have kicking around the house that are never used.  Four have gone to the charity shops, one in the bin as not working and two are waiting to go on eBay as well.  My aim is to just have the equipment that I use. 

Now to the blogs - my blogging has gone by the wayside for over a year now - really since I changed jobs.  I have two blogs but don't pay enough attention to either.  Once again I do want to continue with a blog but it will have to be just one and although this one has been running the longest I am going to continue to use my Word Press blog which can be found here

I am coming to the end of another course at work and I will not be enrolling for any more, I have made a list of all the things I want to be doing once the final assignments are completed and I am feeling excited at the thought of ticking items off the list - they include knitting, reading, scrapping, dressmaking, swimming and I might even take up a dance class - something I have always wanted to do!!

Well if you have read this post to the end thank you, if you have been following my posts over the years thank you again and if you would like to carry on please join me on my other blog -  I would love to see you there. 

Bye for now. x

A walk around Portloe

After a very hectic weekend consisting of a flying trip to Doncaster for a family party on Saturday and then back to Swindon to sleep and then a drive home yesterday morning - we arrived home in time to change into shorts and go for a walk along the coastal path to Portloe, a small fishing harbour on the Roseland.  It was just beautiful and just what we needed after all the driving we had done since Friday tea time. Here are just a few of the photos I took, discovered I have a scratch on the lens of my compact right in the middle of it :(

 

 

Wild violets are out in full at the moment.

 

 

so calm out there and very tempting but I bet it is still freezing!!

 

The hawthorn blossom is coming out slowly.

 

Portloe tucked away in the valley.  Beautiful spot.

Monthly Photo update

Well my monthly photo isn't showing much change at the moment but I live in hope!

Lanzarote

 

 

I can't believe that it is four weeks ago today that we went to Lanzarote for a week, it was hot and relaxing - I ate way too much and probably drank a bit too much as well but hey I was on holiday!!!  Managed to read two books and start a third, even Mick read two books - in 27 years I have never seen that before!!!!  Anyway today I finally decided to have a look at the handful of photos I took and it really was only a handful - I only took my compact!!!  So here are the ones that turned out half decent, all of Costa Teguise as that is where we stayed and we didn't hire a car.  After we had been at the resort a couple of days we realised it was the same resort we stayed at when we took the girls back in 2002 I think lol talk about a coincidence.

 

As to what this is I am not sure, Mick thought it was a locust - all I know is it frightened the life out of me when it jumped on my shoulder!!!!

Meva

 

Last Sunday we went for a stroll round Meva.  As you can see by the weather it was very overcast and started to rain as we left. 

 

 

 

 

It was nice to get out with the camera :)

Monthly Photo - January

This year I have decided to do a monthly photo, having completed a 365 project last year and nearly lost the will to live I will never to do that one again!!!  A monthly one is much less stressful. Before I have picked a landscape as my subject matter but this time I have chosen the eucalyptus tree in the garden.  It had a very good prune last autumn (a bit too much in my mind!!), hopefully it will recover, they do normally.  I have always found the bark on the tree fascinating so that is going to be my focus to watch the changing patterns and colours of the bark. 

 

 

This is a close up of the knots on the side of the tree - on the left in the photo above.

 

Is anyone else doing a monthly project this year?

 

Going Away

 

Well we made a fairly quick decision yesterday and booked a week in Lanzarote at the start of March.  I have a few days annual leave to use up and I hadn't been too bothered about going anywhere, then one day this week I just thought - I do need a few days off work to be able to step back and get away from the negativity that is there at the moment.  Naturally Mick did not taking any persuading what so ever and immediately started researching a package.  So here we go, some sun to look forward to in 9 wks time :) 

 

 

We have been once before when the girls were at primary school and I have never forgiven myself for not backing up the digital photos from that holiday as we lost them all when the computer crashed!!!  Having said that I am not much better at backing up my images these days, but will do them today for 2016.  Another job to today's list!!!

First Week Gone

Well that is it we are truly into the new year now with the first week gone.  So many people have said to me 'it has flown by' and I feel happy to say no this week hasn't, I actually feel like I have been present in each day, if that makes sense!  It has been a good week, yes busy and tiring.  There have been dramas at work - that I really struggle to deal with, I tend to just walk away and let them get on with it (I don't do drama's!!).  Plus, I have decided to come off Face book for a while, I have been losing interest in it for some time and tend to use it mainly for chatting to people but I am sure there are others ways to communicate - like the phone, or even the old fashioned way of face to face!!!!!  Now that is scary lol.  It feels a bit odd at the moment as I keep having the urge to peek on there but sure that will fade very soon.  I have also removed messenger from my phone!! 

I have managed to get out walking three times this week, so very pleased with that and it was a big 5.3miles this morning - admittedly not that great a distance but it is the longest I have done for some time, the hip and ankle are making small grumblings but they will have to put up with it.  I am also back into doing some regular yoga and started meditating and it is all feeling good, hope I can keep it up.

 

As I haven't been near my camera this week I was looking for an image on the internet with some meaningful quote to post but I couldn't find one that felt right so instead I have settle for this image of mine and put on there what I am feeling right now.

 

 

 

 

 

Winter Scavenger Hunt - first three.

Once again I am joining in with Joy and Eileen and their Winter Photography Scavenger Hunt,  So far I have not done very well.  Yesterday I planned to photograph certain items off the tree to tick a few off the list, then Amanda offered to help me take the tree down and I jumped at her offer and didn't remember about the photos until everything was packed away in the loft for another year!!!!  So back to square one!

Here are my first three from the list.

2.  Tinsel 

7.  Berries/nuts,

8.  A Wreath,

An Interesting read

I have been eyeing up this book for a while now and when the girls asked me what I wanted for Christmas I knew exactly what I would ask for.  I was pretty sure I would find it interesting and I wasn't wrong.  I appreciate a lot of people wouldn't be interested but I think anyone who has an interest in dressmaking would be, I found it fascinating reading about all the things that have to be taken into consideration when designing an outfit for the Queen from the colours, fabrics, accessories to who they may offend or who they are trying to please!!

It is not a huge book but I so loved reading it and I am sure I will go back to it time and time again just for the pleasure of it.  Having been lucky enough to have worked in a Royal Household (albeit a long time ago) I can still remember the fun we had behind the scenes as well as the strict protocol that had to be followed and was respected by all of us.

Anyway here is a sneak peek at some of the pages.