Easter Monday - in the UK...

It is always a real pleasure to see one of my pictures being given a happy home.  This one, of the Hermit Crab, is now proudly displayed in Jane and John's bathroom - it was my gift to Jane for her 70th birthday - being something of an artist herself I knew she would appreciate the thought and effort that had gone into it and as her bathroom has a beachy theme he looks right there.

A little bit of my art has returned to Keinton Mandeville although they are technically in West Lyford but right on the border so that is good enough for me!!!

An update on my International Women's Day rose - it is still perfect and it will be three weeks old tomorrow.  People have asked me if it is real and I have double checked and it is indeed real and thriving and shows no sign of keeling over any time soon!

We were up early this morning - the clock change seems to have had a strange affect on us and I spent the whole night with a million things running through my head as to what we might do for our wedding anniversary in July.  John is adamant that we should mark the occasion with some sort of celebration but July is such a difficult time of the year to find somewhere that wont be packed with tourists.  We want a quite intimate do for our closest friends and this may not be possible to achieve.

On the subject of anniversaries Mum and Dad celebrate their 61st on April 2nd.  What an achievement that is!!  I cannot believe that this time last year I was tearing my hair out trying to get their party organised - I believe I said 'never again' after their 50th which was held at a friend's lovely country house restaurant in Somerset and believe you me getting things for a party in the UK is infinitely easier than over here.  I remember getting fantastic boxes of teeny tiny chocolates for a pound from Poundland which looked and tasted sooooo much more expensive.  Places like Wilkos are a godsend and are missed at times like that, thank god for Jumbos!!

Anyway I have been asked to make an anniversary card for Mum and Dad and a tag to go on their gift from Diana and Rob who are coming with us when we go to Gabors for dinner.  I am hoping that, when Rob showed Mum round their bungalow and the decorating he was doing, it was so she could see where she and Dad might be living in the future as I plan to get Rob and Diana to adopt them - only joking Rob, Diana, Mum and Dad!!!  Anyway I got myself organised and made the items Diana required so I wasn't rushing to get them done at the last minute.

It was rather a monumental day today as finally John is satisfied enough with the tiles in the pool for Marek to come and fit the last of the white goods.  I left him to it with John keeping a beady eye on proceedings as now it would be criminal to spoil the ship for a ha'peth of tar so those blooming white goods needed to be put in perfectly.

Here it is then the final result - hopefully the last photograph I will take of the pool without any water in it - we are guessing the water will follow shortly and hopefully the pump will work after being idle for such a long time.  We want to get it up and running and the water warmed up ready for when Debs comes in May and that isn't too long now.

So it being Monday I was with Sheila and Klaus this morning working on my picture - not so much left to do now but the reflection is quite difficult and I spent absolutely ages on his feet because I couldn't get them to look right.  I was sighing about feet and Sheila was sighing about hands as body parts were giving us a real headache!!!  I have to find my next picture because I reckon that I only have one more week's work left in this one.



Belly Dancing tonight - Diana kindly offered to drive even though she has a cold and Rob has man-flu - I would have been inclined to tuck myself up in bed but she said she felt she would benefit from getting out.

As I was waiting for her Chivers rushed home having been out on a date with Jazzy-B who he loves!  We never managed to find her a home before Sean and Sharon came out so she has been adopted by them along with all the other waifs and strays that were regularly fed there.  She is a weenie little cat - I am guessing that now she is just about fully-grown and has been overtaken by the little ginger kitten (Junior) who pitched up recently and was much much smaller than JB initially.

It was hard work at Belly Dancing this evening and Sofi makes it look so graceful and easy!!!  You wonder how hard it can be to make your arse wobble particularly as mine seems to be able to do it of its own accord most of the time.  Our challenge is to do it in a controlled fashion and then walk!!!