59/365 WWII Re-enactment Event

A WWII re-enactment enthusiast shows Oliver how to tune in the radio, listening for enemy or friendly broadcasts. ("Can you get Radio 2?" I asked.) There wasn't much actual re-enacting going on, but there were lots of re-enactors dressed the part and lots of stalls selling everything you need to look authentic, and many of the items were genuine. Eras included all combatants of the two World Wars as well as the Jacobite Rebellion of the 18th Century (see http://www.lacewars.co.uk/ and http://www.13thfoot.co.uk/) and even earlier than that - armour and broadswords, knights and castles! Oliver has a passion for history so was a bit like me at Focus, like a kid in a sweetshop with only one sixpence! I think Oliver would enjoy getting involved in re-enactment so we'll have to see what we can find local to home.

58/365 Daffs

I love the first daffodils of spring. Today's choice was very hard, so there's a small daff gallery on the Picasa page, worth a look. However, I had to post 'Daff Cat' ;0)

57/365 Aids to recovery

After a hard morning's work on a newsletter with JW, I made sure I had a proper lunch and rest. Yesterday's migraine had gone but I'm usually left feeling somewhat jaded the day after.

I bought the daffodils yesterday morning - I was out running errands before I had to take to my bed - and they were all tight buds. Overnight they had started to open out. I love the first daffs of spring and always have some in this jug on my kitchen windowsill. More daffs later! :0)

56/365 Yesterday's booty

Just some of yesterday's booty from Focus on Imaging 2009. New filter holder, polariser, adapter ring, loads of mags and brochures, catalogues and price lists. I had a great day but boy, was I wiped out today - this shot has been thrown together just now as I've been fighting a migraine most of the day :o(

Job done, back to bed, I'll be A-OK tomorrow and maybe get to play with my new grad filter :0)

55/365 Focus on Imaging 2009

Time for a break from wandering around the Show, before doing another circuit! Today was my first visit to the FOI show at Birmingham's NEC (National Exhibition Centre). Two halls full of cameras, lenses, lighting, software... I was like a kid in a sweetshop with only one sixpence! (Yes, I am old enough to remember old currency, but only just!!) I had a good day, had some retail therapy, enjoyed window shopping and hooked up with a few fellow enthusiasts. :0) But I'm so so tired! Its been a long time since I've done one of these all day things on my feet!

While I was sat recharging my batteries at the show I took some shots of the passing throng. So many folk were walking around with these yellow bags... If I had more time (!) I'd change this strange word to Canon, Canon is a more rounded and cuddlier & friendlier looking work than this spiky sharp pointy "Nikon"... ;0)

54/365 Reflections?

It looks like it might be reflections in water. Looks can be deceptive! Answers on a postcard please.... ;0)

53/365 Wedding Day Memories

Here are my bridal bouquet & headress, along with my husband's button hole and my Mum's corsage. I came across them the other week when looking for the vintage toys for Jodie's school topic, and left them out to include in my blog. All the flowers were silk/dried and included poppy seed heads and pine cones. We were married on the first day of autumn and our colour scheme was autumnal. I am something of a control freak and had all the flowers ready 6 weeks in advance of the wedding as I didn't want to risk fresh flowers turning up completely wrong on the morning of the wedding! (September 23rd, 1994)

When I was arranging them this afternoon a piece of pink confetti fluttered to the floor, having been caught up amongst the flowers since The Wedding Day! I supplied all the lady guests and children with colour-fast confetti in heart & butterfly shapes in heart shaped boxes. I tested several makes to find a colourfast one and the reason for this was that a friend's dress was ruined by red & pink confetti which ran when it became wet on their drizzly wedding day. (Control freak - see?? I'm not so bad since I had kids!!) Perhaps another day I'll bring out my dress, veil and lace ankle boots...

52/365 Spinner

Thursday's party bag had a spinner in it. Jodie was learning how to set it spinning today, inbetween reading her magazine. It was trickier to photograph than expected - too slow a shutter speed and its too blurred, too fast a shutter speed and you can't really tell its moving!

Jodie seemed to be very busy today, drawing and colouring, making a book, doing some of the activities in her magazine - she works out what to do with little or no help mostly, such a clever girl! She needed an early night though - school starts again on Monday after a week's break and Daddy has let her bedtime slip!

Today's mainly clear blue sky was criss-crossed by plane trails this afternoon which looked fabulous as the sun started to go down. So what with Jodie and the sky both looking so fabulous, I just had to post 3 today.

51/365 Rita, Mum, Grandma

To me she is Rita, to my husband Mark, she is Mum, and to our children she is Grandma. I took Oliver & Jodie to see her today. She is a very interesting person to talk to - she was a child in wartime so remembers rationing and such, her mother died when she was little, she has a half-sister as her father married again; her husband Bill was in the RAF in the war and died when Oliver was a baby. Mark is her youngest son, all three boys being born in the house she still lives in, and she is the loveliest mother-in-law I could have hoped for.

50/365 Bananas 3

The morning sun kissed my bananas today. Once I noticed, I grabbed 3 shots before my bagel popped out of the toaster, then tried to re-create the shot after breakfast by moving the bananas into where the sun had moved to, but as is so often the case, the chance happening is the better shot and the later attempts fail to live up to it. So here is Bananas 3.

49/365 Cookies

We baked cookies today as Jodie had a friend over to play for a while. We were able to send her home with some to share with her folks. There weren't many left so Mark and I had to share one ;0)

48/365 Pin cushion

This pin cushion belongs to my good friend Mel. We met up today to catch up on each other's news whilst our girls played and Mel had been doing some sewing before we arrived. We've known each other around 7 years now and have many things in common, we're on the same wavelength most of the time! Mel and I are never short of things to talk about. I think she's one of my 3 best friends. I have a school days best friend (from before children), a becoming a family best friend (we met in AN classes), both of whom no longer live close by, but Mel is my local best friend :0)

Mel was expecting a tulip shot on the blog today - she had some lovely pink and white ones.

47/365 She's so lovely

The Golden Child. That's what my brother began to call her not long after she was born. For reasons too long to go into here, that's exactly what she is. This is Jodie, in the sunshine in the kitchen this morning. She'll be 5 in 5 weeks, better start organising a little party! (No alcohol, of course!)

We had been playing around with reflections in one of yesterday's beer bottles (rinsed clean and dry I might add) and I caught these few images, Oliver pretended to drink, Jodie copied him, then I asked if there was any left and Jodie looked down the bottle to see! LOL! Couldn't resist sharing these, but Jodie had to be the pic of the day.

46/365 Beer Friends

Yesterday, Mark treated himself to a few bottles of beer, (we keep Valentine's Day very low key in this house!) so I set up the bottles this afternoon to play with lighting and such and also some Photoshop practice which Mark suggested. This is lit using a floor lamp to the right and above bounced off the nearby white wall, and a silver reflector to the left for some definition against the black velvet background. The bottle at the back was Old Speckled Hen and had already been drunk, and as it was a clear bottle rather than dark brown, I filled it with tea of the right shade. That's enough info for now... Can you guess what PS editing I did, specifically?? No prizes folks, just for fun! ;0)

45/365 British Waterways

We went for a walk along the towpath at Willington today. This is one of a few canal boats which seem to be the full time home of the occupant(s), others being holiday/weekend homes. Many were gaily painted, all were pretty well kept but this one seemed to me very lived in. And this is the guy who lives there. More of today's photos on my Picasa page - "The canal at Willington". If you are interested in a little canal history see

http://www.canaljunction.com/canal/history.htm

and also http://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/history.ukcanals.htm.

Apparently, the Chinese did it first in the 10th century!

44/365 The many faces of Oliver!

Wait long enough and he gets bored with ducking out of the way!! I strapped the Gary Fong Whaletail onto the Speedlite for a play while Oliver was playing at his PS2 and captured The Essential Olly. Next task is to persuade him he needs a haircut! He really needs a haircut! Couldn't possibly choose just one shot, especially when he so rarely lets me take his picture, so here's another collage. Tomorrow may bring canal boats depending on the weather.

43/365 The last marble?

Did you know that marbles have been around for thousands of years? This one has only been in our house for a few days, Oliver found it and its really a beautiful marble. Cool find. Better than losing them ;0)

If you are interested in the history of marbles check out:
http://library.thinkquest.org/5236/Marble%20History.html for more information.

42/365 A stitch in time

This is my other hobby although I haven't done much of it since I got my dslr! This project was for my daughter when I started it, but she is so horse/pony/unicorn mad these days that I doubt she'll want it in her room. So I'll have it in mine instead. Its called Wilfred's Birthday and is based on an illustration from the Brambley Hedge stories by Jill Barklem.

41/365 Satinwood

I made some progress on the landing woodwork today. First some filling, then after lunch (which was on the hoof whilst tidying kitchen and putting laundry out!) painting skirting and doorways. We had blue skies and sunshine today which seemed to lift everyone's spirits after so many grey days and snow/ice.

40/365 Red Dragon

My father gave me this little guy. He was handmade in Bangor, Wales, in 1980. Sadly his right wing broke during the last housemove, but I glued it back on. He ususally sits on top of a chest of drawers in our bedroom, but I brought him downstairs today, dusted him off and took his portrait. Its one of a few little things that remind me of my Dad who died from cancer in 1984. The alternative shot for today was more snow and ice. 'nough said.

39/365 Glass fragment

This is a detail of the coloured glass in the front door of our 1930s home. Apart from a window which is currently being restored, this is the last of the original glass left in the house and we love it.

38/365 Armchair soccer

Oliver spent a lazy afternoon on his PS2 Soccer game. He usually has a coaching session but today's was cancelled so he had a kickabout with a few other lads who turned up, then came home. While he was out, Jodie and I went to Darley Park, so here are a couple of extras.