funky cake!

Update on the happy zone.....

The wedding cake was a lot of fun. Different flavoured tiers, and in keeping with the theme of gerberas for the whole wedding.

And it was a fabulous day - thanks to the new "Minnie Tinnies"!

Ladies of impeccable taste.

Of all the shops, in all the world... how did Angela and Leta end up with the same shirt?! (And I have one just the same in the wardrobe.... though mum bought it for me because I admired hers!)

puppy love

Thought it was time to revitalise the blog a bit - and this background was very pretty.

Having dabbled again in facebook for work purposes (we were running Wild Week across BBC NI so I had to have a presence), but I've come off it again - it's such an hour-gobbler and life's too short. THIS however, is more like a slightly public diary and I don't need to be so responsive to it so it doesn't faze me as much - and it doesn't steal my days. That said, it's lovely when someone leaves a message.

There've been some lovely days recently - including the Sunday we went to visit friends in the village to meet their new puppy "Yo-Yo".

Call me sentimental, but a four year old boy and a seven week old pup is sort of a marriage made in heaven - one of life's essential pairings - but this was just a visit - l'il guy doesn't have any pets yet.

"Yo-Yo" is a trainee guide dog and my friend's family will have him for 18 months to get him ready for serious training as a visually impaired person's "eyes". Lesson for life? Proverbs 22: 6 "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it!" (Small, energetic boys... and pups!)

365:146 -150

Paint your wagon....or at least paint the house... still not sure why we needed a cherry picker. Still, house now glowing so it'll be seen from the moon.

Big blousey poppy in the park.

Perfect for a "Fryday" (with a couple of stolen chips).

Saturday cards and coffee at Robo's - we were fundraising for Compassion and selling lovely Phoenix Cards... then round to see the old boys bowling... dad and Billy posed for a pic - so cold they were as white as their coats.

Sunday was Praise in the park day...

Beautiful sunrise today - maybe beautiful every morning but I'm generally not around to peek out at the water at 0435. (Scotland in the distance.)

365:132-136

365: 136 Sunday 16th

These were the "story reminders" we made in beginners' Sunday School today. Just wish I'd recorded the bangs, clatters and rattles of all the shakers, tambourines and bells. A couple of dozen very happy 3 - 4 year olds and happy - but deafened - teachers. The story was about David praising God.

365: 135 Saturday 15th
Big Kids. New playpark in Donaghadee.... hardly any kids in sight, but the big people were having a blast!

365:134 Friday 14th

Baby cake. Not into gender stereotyping or anything, but I don't think it's for a boy....

365:133 Thursday 13th

A wee poke in Maud's, Donaghadee - I'd arranged to meet Lynda and son William when who should drive past waving but ma and pa. Like they hadn't planned it. Hmmmm ;p

365:132 Wednesday 12th

Took days to get over this. I'm not allowed to order feathers with a website address cut into the fluffy bit and a biro bunged up the other end because a health and safety officer is concerned about the chemical makeup of Fairy Liquid. I kid you not. The feathers are washed in it - then rinsed three times, but teachers might suck them and where would that leave education in Northern Ireland. And to think I only asked in case there was a rule about things kids might shove up their nose.

127 - 130 And even more oops

127 - Tried to snap when there were five church spires/towers in view but didn't manage it -train pulled out of station. How many churches etc per square mile in this part of East Belfast? And that's not counting mission halls etc with no tall bits.

128 - Brilliant morning - thanks to Clara and the anon photographer for pics as my camera died on arrival. Some of us from the New Irish Chamber Choir sang at the unveiling of a new piece of art from Ross Wilson - very moving ceremony and a big deal for this Loyalist community to acknowledge the slaughter of the 10th and 16th Irish Divisions as well as the 36th Ulster Division at the Somme. Massively big deal for them to agree to have a Bible verse in Irish as well as English. So now, for a new generation, a new way to "behold the sons of Ulster, marching to the Somme".

129 - The button boot my mother wore as a child. Badly written - despite use of the definite article, she had/has two good legs... and did have other footwear! This one's partner went walkabout over the last 70 years but this solitary, soft, leather lovely has it's own tale to tell. I adore this wee boot and used it as a creative prompt in a creative session about a new history website we're building.

130 - Happy 80th birthday Ewla; I got to decorate the cake mum made for a family friend, and lead the rabble in some trad Irish songs. We'd a lovely evening.

123 - 126 More oops!

123 - Eat up - you're in gran's and mum's not looking... "half pint" sinks not quite a half pint of ice-cream. When it comes with chocolate sprinkles, coloured sprinkles and marshmallows it's been declared "the most delicious ice cream I have eaten in my whole life". That's a big admission from a 3 1/2 year old!

124 - GB "old girls" night out at McKees - name no reflection on mum and Winnie - though I did hear mutterings about "former members not old girls".

125 - Hmmm.. Ulster's politicians as potential king makers? Somehow I don't think so.

126 - discreetly sneaky shot of fellow passenger's journey to work: makeup bag, coffee, paracetamol and iphone. HOW DO YOU PUT FAKE EYELASHES ON WHEN THE TRAIN'S MOVING?!!!!! More to the point - WHY would you put them on at any time?

119-122 Oops!

Sorry it's been a while folks... but the shots are getting uploaded at last. (I console myself that at least I've taken them and they are probably most of benefit to me as a log of the year's comings and goings!) So some now and some later today so upload doesn't glue up the server.

119 - Rainbow on Dublin Road - suspect the pot of gold in the multi-story carpark.. note to self - check level 13.

120 - Stiltwalker in Ards market - did Cafolla's poke do that to his skin?! - note to non-locals - a "poke" is an ice cream cone.

121 - Flowers (alstroemerias?) a "thank you" from the ladies breakfast - for "not" interviewing the speaker.

122 - Gang at HJ's and M's amused at having the Tatler's page 48/49/50 pin up in our midst...

365:115 Sympathetic background...

...for Ali whose dad died this morning.

365:113 and 114 Catching up!

Friday was train day - very low on inspiration, so have settled for the real Holywood - Co Down. May day dancing round the May pole on Monday at the town's medieval fair.

Then Saturday - and shopping with the girls. Mum wasn't sure what size the shoe was, Fi got to read the sole and Ang had a good laugh. Next stop Moulin Rouge Mum!

365:095 Quiltin' cousins

Had a wonderful day at Alex's - with two quilts rattling through two sewing machines and the clucking going nearly as fast as we caught up on all the gossip. I love quilting days - we're a couple of sew 'n' sews.

Got home to find the Sandyknowes and Killowen gangs here - just sorry they didn't stay longer. Had a revolving door yesterday - lost count of the number of cuppas made - but always good to see folk. Think I need a baking day though - the boxes are all empty!

365:091 Hey ho, hey ho...

...it's off to remedial class (for theology) we go.

Quote: "...and I thought they'd be good for illustrating a children's talk on Joseph and the rest of Jacob's seven sons... no wait... was it seven?"

Oh dear, oh dear, back to the drawing board - and where to start?! I'm definitely grumpy.

365:086 Getting dug in

First day at "God's Garden" today - and Jona came to help with the heavy stuff. So glorious spring day with birdsong and that lovely satisfied feeling at getting the first planting done. A carpet covered patch needed little clearing, but lots of breaking up to do - I've enough clay to start a pottery. (Now there's a thought!) We have rhubarb, onions, red onions and shallots in so far. Seeds to go into trays over the next week too. Lots to keep me busy but it's so good to get back.

365:079 More ahhhhs.....

Today is just one of those beautiful spring days you long for - cold, yes, but sunny and in the sheltered spots, just lovely. On the way home from a long, leisurely lunch with a friend I hadn't seen for ages, I spotted this lovely mare and foal.

A field further up the lane, a farmer was ploughing much to the delight of the terns (?);

By the drive-in at home, the dwarf daffs in the wall planter were still looking fresh despite having been out for a couple of weeks.... ... and a suprise bouquet of roses and lillies was waiting for me in the porch - from American friends who enjoyed a concert in the Belfast Waterfront Hall - Sharon Shannon and the Ulster Orchestra (St Pat's day).

Could you want a better day. (Ok, a win at Croke Park would have been nice!)

365:073 Mother's day in the UK...

... and a game of Jenga gave us all a giggle after lunch - though you wouldn't think it from this shot! My brother's in-laws joined us (the out-laws) and we had a lovely day in Bushmills.

365:067 Bye Mary...

Despite being in Omagh today, my pic of the day is from Good Book Club this evening. Mary's heading to Scotland to work and we're going to miss her. Great to see everyone this evening - especially Zarina - and Anne G called from teaching practice in Cornwall. I love these gals.