Saturday, 27 September 2008

First Time Lucky layout


This is the layout I started at the crop last Saturday and I have only just finished it today! Don't seem to have had much time or inclination to scrap lately, but Ross's contact finishes at PGL in 3 weeks so he will be home then for 3 months, so my craft room (his bedroom!) will be out of use - so I had better get going in the 3 weeks of scrapping freedom that I have left.
The positioning of some elements on this layout are rather random but they are to cover up the ripped paper from where I took off some letter stickers that did not work! I am a bit fed up of my straight liner style so tried to angle the photos which looked nice but that did not leave enough room for all the journalling I wanted - so I had to start again. My challenge to myself is to try something different - because they are all getting a bit samey and learn to use more elements and papers to jazz things up a bit.

Spontaneous pressie!

Steven surprised me the other day with this little present he had bought me:-He heard Idina Menzel being interviewed on the radio the other day and remembered how much I liked her from when she was the original green witch in Wicked the musical. He thought that I might like this CD so he bought it for me! He does not usually buy me gifts so this was a lovely surprise and the CD is actually very nice!

Thursday, 25 September 2008

Gorgeous Rocky Road

At the crop on Saturday we were discussing recipes and I said that I really wanted a recipe for Rocky Road - as I used to be able to buy it in Lakeland but they have stopped selling it. Well Ann kindly forwarded this recipe to me - thank you Anne!

I made them yesterday and they are just gorgeous - even nicer than the shop bought one - I can see me making these again and again.

Recipe ( from a real Aussie cookbook!)

INGREDIENTS

375gm of milk chocolate

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

1 cup unsalted peanuts ( I could not find any of these so substituted Brazil nuts chopped instead)

200gm glace cherries

250gm pink & white marshmallows chopped in half.

METHOD

Line a 28 x 18 shallow oblong tin with greaseproof paper.

Place chocolate in large bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Add coconut, nuts and cherries and stir until all combined. Then add marshmallows and stir well until combined. Spread mixture into baking tray and place in fridge to set .

Cut into small squares and eat!

Sunday, 21 September 2008

Back to Aberystwyth again!

The sun was shining and the forecast said it should stay out all day so we made plans for a day out in Mid Wales - first going to a geocache at Pistal Rhyader waterfall and the walking up the mountain behind it, following a route from Country Walking magazine. We were all prepared and just about to leave the house when Liam rang to say that he would like to come out with us and would we pick him up from the sleep over he was at.

The problem was that Liam wanted to go to the seaside and Steven said that as Liam had actually asked to come out with us ( unheard of!) we should do as he wanted - so the trip to the waterfall was put on hold and back to Aberystwyth we went.
We managed to do one geocache by Clarach Bay - up a very steep hill! (Allt Glais GCZB7H). It was a very cany hide and worth the steep climb to get to it. Sorry for the topless shot - it was the only one I got of the cache!
It was arrivals day in Aberystwyth for the new university students - so there were lots of parents and students unloading cars and moving into accomodation overlooking the sea. We did not see any tears though - which is a usual feature of the Taylor family dropping off our children at University!

Saturday, 20 September 2008

Return visit to Craven Arms

Thelma's recovery from her knee surgery is going well so we ventured out for a gentle stroll back to Craven Arms and what a glorious day did we choose to do this. The sky was blue and the sun shone all day and guess who forgot to put sunscreen on again!

The day started off well with the sighting our a resting heron who we managed to catch in flight as well.

Our first Geocache was Sunday Best (GCH8M6) a lovely little cache following the track people used to take to get to church many years ago. All I can say was the church floor must have been very muddy!

Then came View Edge (GC10563) and what a wonderful view it was. We then walked back through Sallow Coppice where we had found some caches last time and a new one had been placed there called Fifty Fifty (GC1E94G) - to commemorate 50 years of the Shropshire Way. The owner had placed 10 Shropshire Ways coins in here for the finders to activate - but they had all gone by the time we visited. We then came back into the town and found a sneaky cache hidden in a stile (Craven Arms Crossroads in Time - Flying in Stile GC13EG5) and Mollie thought it was fun to attack me just as the shutter went off.

so Thelma had to separate us. We then ventured on to Halford along the river bank. This lovely view of the weir and the working water wheel are lovely but the cache (Craven Arms Crossroads in Time - Wheels and Weirs GC13EV) was in the church yard - on the other side of the river!! so we had to retrace our steps.
It was worth it as these lovely horses were in the field next to the church. Unfortunately this detour made us a bit late and when we wanted to return into Craven Arms found the field full of bulls (it is a public footpath!) so we had to take the long way round to get back back to the car.Thelma's knee held up very well as the walks were not strenuous but it was certainly aching afterward.

Tuesday, 16 September 2008

Jess has passed her driving test!!

Yes our very clever girl passed first time - we are so pleased for her. I must say that I was not convinced that she was going to do it because despite our driving practice all Summer, she still had not really got to grips with her manoeuvres - but in her test she did a bay park and reversing around a corner perfectly. She said she had a lovely lady examiner.

Steven took her to her test as she did it in her own car and he said it was so nerve wracking waiting for her - his stomach was so churned up - that it was worse than when he went for his driving test many years ago.


It has worked out so well , as she goes back to Norwich tomorrow and starts her placement (forensic OT) which is based on a business park on the outskirts of the city which you need to be able to drive to. If she had not passed she would have had to do the journey on her bike and resit her test in Norwich - which is a much busier city than Shrewsbury and she does not really know the roads. Aaron is going to take her around some of the places she needs to know over the next few days. I will drive most of the way there in her car and let her drive from Elevden Forrest - which is about 40 mins away from Norwich and no more motorways are involved. Steven will follow us in our car so that I can get back home!


Here is the little Me to You bear we got in anticipation of this event - she loved him. I think we had better fill her car up with petrol when we arrive in Norwich as well. Oh it has been an expensive summer!

So that's 2 out of 4 children driving now. Eleanor finishes her PhD in January and may be coming home so its time she learnt to drive as she is 24 and then the baby will be 17 next summer and we will have to get him going - though as he is a boy I may make him wait until he is a bit more mature. Ross was 21 and Jess is 20.
So the outcome of my lack of creativity all Summer - because I have been out driving with Jess all the time has been worth it - lets hope normal service will resume shortly!

Sunday, 14 September 2008

Ellesmere canal festival

Today, Steven, Jessica, Liam and me went to admire all the barges at Ellesmere canal festival. We had a lovely afternoon and it did not rain! We have been to the Meres there many times but never to the canal.There were lots of barges on show, all beautifully decorated - some in traditional barge fashion and others in more modern attire. There was a visual history of a barge they have rescued and restored callled Saturn which was very interesting.The area surrounding the canal head, was rather run down - an old factory had been demolished around it - but there were big plans posted showing the planned redevelopment, which is going to be lovely and revitalise the area. There are houses and flats planned along side the canal - I want a house here as well now!The day was made even even better because Liam wanted to come with us without being forced. He wanted to spend some time with Jess as it was her last outing before we drive her back to Norwich on Tuesday.They get on so well together its lovely to watch them out and about.And because he was in such a good mood he even agreed to have his photo taken with me - unheard of!!

This canal is part of the Llangollen canal, part of which which Steven and I walked along a few weeks ago. They had some photographs of some locks along it which we have never seen, so we are going to look into trying some more walks along canals.