Thursday bits and pieces . . .

I'm back! I hope you didn't miss me too much!  We had quite an adventure yesterday, leaving here at 6:00 am and not arriving back home last night until 7:00 PM, thoroughly exhausted, so haven't had time to go through my photographs yet at all.   It was a very long day, especially for Todd, as he had not slept at all the whole night before!  (Too much excitement I guess!)  Nevertheless we got through the day and enjoyed it alot!  Got to meet some nice people and eat some nice food and didn't get rained on until the end!



One of the highlights of my day was meeting, however briefly, with my dear friend Julie, who came to the station just to give us a hug, which was so sweet of her, but . . . that's Julie!  Have known Julie for a number of years now.  (Hope she doesn't mind me sharing this photo of her from facebook, but I just think it is so darned cute, just like her!)  We met on a recipe site that used to be called Recipezaar, but is now called Food.Com.  We were co-hosts of the British Forum on there and were blessed enough to meet in person several times when I was down South.  Todd and I went to Boulogne with her, her husband Paul and daughter Jo once and Julie came up here and did a Pampered Chef Party for me after we moved back to Chester.  (She was the best darned Pampered Chef Consultant PC ever had!)  She also went with me on that trip to Jimmy's Farm two summers ago now!  (It doesn't seem possible that it was two whole summers ago, but it was!)

I got a text from the lovely Julie when we were on the train saying she was going to meet us at the station to give us a big hug and that's just what she did.  It was so nice to see her, however brief the visit was.  She was looking just fabulous I might add!  Julie is one of those lucky women who just seems to get prettier and younger looking the older she gets!  It's got to be that beautiful spirit of hers that just can't help shining through.  I love her to bits.



Mitzie did really well despite being left to her own devices for thirteen hours, what a star.   No puddles or anything.  Good doggie!   We did arrange for our next door neighbor to come over about halfway through the day and leave her out in the back for about half an hour to have a good sniff and a wee, so that obviously worked quite well.  (Thank YOU Lawrence!)  It's nice to have good neighbors.   It was Lawrence who helped me to get back into the house that time I accidentally locked myself out when Mitzie was just a wee puppy and I had a cake in the oven.   I had gone out the front because I thought I saw someone out there and the door had blown shut behind me.  Lawrence went over the back fence for me  and opened the front door.   (I had thankfully left the back door wide open!)  For that he was well rewarded with half the cake I was baking at the time!  (He was quite happy about that!)



We've been having major computer issues with our main comp these past few days.  It's the computer I scan all my artwork etc. on to.   We haven't been able to get the printer/scanner working on it, or on the laptop upstairs, which is rather annoying, and I suspect is the reason that Todd wasn't able to sleep the whole night before we went away yesterday.  Expect it was on his mind.  Hoping to get that sorted today.  I have new artwork to show you!  You know how much I value your input!



I had an absolutely wonderful Birthday on Tuesday!   Thanks to everyone who sent me lovely greetings via here and on Facebook!  It was the best Birthday ever!   We went into Chester and had a lovely fish and chips dinner (including the treat of mushy peas), and it was just a lovely day altogether.



First Birthday in forever that I heard from everyone in my family, which was the greatest gift of all.   I was so pleased about that.  Maybe that means my 58th year will be even better than my 57th??  One can but hope, but in all honesty . . . the 57th wasn't so bad.  My life just seems to get better and better.  Not sure what I did to deserve that, but I'll be grateful for all my blessings just the same!

I have a busy day on today, with the  Sister Missionaries coming over with someone to teach here a bit later on and then again for thier tea tonight, so I best get started!

 

A thought to carry with you through today . . .


¸.✿´´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.
Grace comes into the soul, 
as the morning sun into the world;
 first a dawning, then a light; 
and at last the sun 
in his full and excellent brightness.
~Thomas Adams




Something delicious to share with you in The English Kitchen today . . .   Blackberry and Apple Crumble Pavlova.   Scrummy yummy!

Have a great day!