Big sticks

Gary has a new facination, although squirrels are still his number one love. He has evolved into a big stick lover. Every morning for the last couple of weeks my ankles have been knocked black and blue as he races past me with sticks that are longer than him Not content with a normal size stick he feels the need to grab the biggest one he can find and run along like a mad thing with it, only to drop it before we get home, to then find another the next morning...mad my dog... but cute with it!

Do you like my stick?

Nearly home from the walk...dropping in 5..4...3...2..1!

Best live performance ....

And the best live perfomance goes to k.d.lang at the opening ceremony of the Olympic games in Vancouver. She truely has an amazing voice and I can't listen to that song without a tear coming to my eye... beautiful, please go see it if you missed it on opening night.

k.d.lang sings Hallelujah

Colder than Olympics

With the Winter Olympics taking place in Vancouver at the moment you'd expect mounds of snow and freezing temps.. well here in Florida it's been colder at night than at the Olympics! They've even had to airlift snow onto the mountains!

(Ask Washington, they can lend you some !) Mild temperatures are expected to continue for the rest of the week... just to illustrate the fact look at the comparison temps for here, Florida and Vancouver...

Brrrrrr... I think I'll make a trip up there... Apparent 'El-Nino' is to blame... there's me I thought he was a South American footballer playing in Italy!

It wouldn't be the 1st time I'd been to the Olympics. You see my brother was an Olympic athlete.. ok.. you think I'm making this up don't you! Well I'm not.. I went to Atlanta in 1996 to watch him (he was a badminton player for Great Britain) where he lost in the quarter finals ... and then a whole posse of us went to Sydney to watch him (and all the other sports) in 2000.

Me dressed up in my Great Britain hat and flag after coming out of the Olympic stadium late one evening

They will forever be the best Olympic games. Sunny and warm, great venues and wonderful friendly people...oh and I forget to mention my brother won a bronze medal...

My brother, Simon, and his partner Jo

I'll always be proud of how he played that day, bought tears to all our eyes, he and Jo, his mixed doubles partner, won the 1st ever medal for a British team in badminton, a sport dominated by the Asian nations.

So you'll understand now why I'm a bit of an Olympic nut. I love all sports and having them all in one place in a three week period is like heaven for me. Hubbie and I are already planning our London 2012 trip... I can't wait!

Blog Design

Update

Readers have been asking me for some posts explaining how I designed my new blog... What I'm going to do first is post the sites where I found all the info and then write some instructions myself!, but without these fellow bloggers I'd be stuck with my old design, which wasn't too bad, but it was someone elses template and ideas..

First stop was to see Amanda for advice on custom fonts, signatures and ideas.. just looking at her site makes you want to get designing! I was able to download some free fonts and some extra bits (like the stitching)

Next on to find some digital scrap booking papers and other bits....

 I found this kit at Twisted Summertime Designs - perfect for Gary's Blog

 

I also found some nice background paper and the cute bow at the Shabby Princess  - click the link to got to a fantastic tutorial page.

Lastly I got loads of advice from The Three Column Blogger who makes understanding the HTML side things very easy and talks you through creating a three column blog.

Without your help guys I'd still be walking around in th widerness...thanks for sharing!!

 

Ooooh look I've been designing...

Hi guys... just a quick one 'cause it's nearly midnight... but 'tra laaaaa' I've designed a blog layour for myself with the help of some digital scrapbooking bits and pieces and some fantastic fonts..

I'm still tweaking, it really needs cleaning and re-arranging (especially the left sidebar being so close to the centre)  but please let me know what you think... I'm actually quite proud of myself *blush*

Have you time for a coffee....?

A friend sent me this email today and it touched a nerve.. we all sometimes lose sight of the important things in life...I had lunch out with my husband today and he said thank you... I asked what for? he said just for having lunch with him.... then I read this email and I knew just what he meant x

When things in your life seem , almost too much to handle,

When 24 Hours in a day is not enough,

Remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class

And had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly,

He picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students, if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured

them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.

The pebbles rolled into the open Areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.

Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided,

'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things - family, children, health, Friends, and Favorite passions – Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, Your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else --The small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' He continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, You will never have room for the things that are important to you

So...

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play With your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal

'Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter.

Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled.

'I'm glad you asked'.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

Take time today to show your loved one how much you care about them, it will make them an you feel great...and then grab a coffee with a friend ;-)

Chastised...and an award!

I have been chastised by my blogger friend Brahm for not posting for a few days. I have been lazy and uninspired... although my husband has been collecting blogging material in the shape of candid camera shots for me this past week and later today I promise to atone for my slackness!


Anyway I'm joining the blogging chain letter so to speak, as Brahm & Alfred nominated me as one of their bloggers to check out... we're supposed to tell you seven things about ourselves that you don't already know, post seven of our favourite blogs that we follow and then comment on those blogs to let them know that we've mentioned them... It's all for the creative Kreativ blogger award, and all you need do to 'qualify' is  (1) have a blog, (2) be creative enough condone the spelling of the word "kreativ", and (3) have someone who really really likes your blog... well as I've been included in a seven (blushes) I guess I qualify!

I searched around the blogging world and found these 'rules' ...so here we go.....


1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award. Thank you Brahm and Alfred ... Gary and I are flattered and blushing
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog. See above - phew that was easy
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
Please visit Alfred ( a dog nearly as cute as Gary!) and Brahm @ http://alfredliveshere.blogspot.com/
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.

• When I was about 13 I used to throw the Javelin...and I mean I was really good...then we moved and I decided that I preferred boys rather than training!
• I'm English, but live in Florida although everyone here thinks I'm Australian..go figure
• I've known Anne (see blogs of note below) nearly 20 years and I've not hit her yet...it's quite an achievement
• I met my husband (American) on the internet, our 1st phone conversation was for 16 hours, we got engaged the 1st time we met in person (30 days after 1st speaking), married 16 months later and next week is 6 year anniversary... sometimes you do find your soulmate
• If I'd not met my husband when I did there is a good chance I'd be living in Australia today...
• I am super scared of spiders..
• I'm sorry but my secret love is Reality TV .. may I be struck with the stupid stick just for admitting...

5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
I'm combining 5&6 ..The hard part here is that there are so many I love, and for many different reasons


1. Of course Alfred Lives Here. It's my 1st stop most days. Alfred (whilst not Gary, is super cute and his Dad is articulate, amusing and approachable... I think you will enjoy reading, I do.
2. Anne, The Day After Tomorrow. Anne is my caustic, sarcastic, witty, deranged, creative, perceptive friend of nearly 20 years... she's pretty amusing even if I do say so myself
3. Kevin & Amanda - really one of the most creative people I've found in the blogging world.. this girl can do it all and their dogs are gorgeous
4. Eat me delicious - I'm not vegetarian, but if I spent too much time on this blog I would be! The orange berry muffins are to die for ;-)
5. Coffee with Marty - I don't consider myself religious at all but this doesn't stop me reading Marty's blog. He is a great writer and his style makes me feel very relaxed when I'm reading...and he loves coffee too (snap!)
6. The Life of a Firefighters Wife - I like how Katie writes, the normal day to day stuff she writes about and her kids are cute too....
7. Crystal goes to Europe - A fellow ex-pat I love reading about Crystal's life in Paris.. she fell in love with a Frenchman and stayed...this is her story


7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.


I'm off to leave some comments.... enjoy ;-)

As Katy Perry said on American Idol...'I feel dirty'

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