Daily Snappers #31

Cultural

These are the encyclopedias that belonged to my Grandparents and which I can remember spending hours looking at when I was a child.

Skywatch Friday

Late afternoon sun over the River Spey - taken during a short 4 mile walk from Garmouth to Spey Bay and back. Plenty of birdspotting but sadly no dolphins to be seen.

Pop over to the Skywatch blog to see more skies from around the world.

Daily Snappers #30

Scary photo alert!!

Something beginning with J.

It just had to be me I'm afraid.

Daily Snappers #29

Boring.

My desk at work - very boring.

Roll on 5 o'clock.

It's nearly pay day.

Daily Snappers #28

Inside.

I always take a pot of chopped up fruit to work for my afternoon snack - here is the inside of my kiwi fruit - very pretty.

Daily Snappers #27

Group.

It was my new Slimming World group meeting tonight - there were some amazing losses - sadly non of them were mine!!

It's Monday. What Are You Reading?

A new author for me this week - one that I discovered on Facebook. I do enjoy reading her posts as even thought the blurb in the front of the book says she lives in Cornwall all her posts are from  the Cayman Islands - which looks like paradise.

Her third book is called Amber Scott is Starting Over. It has been a little slow at the start but can see how it might start to pick up soon.



Amber Scott loves her city life - a terrific job working on a glossy magazine, and a fiancé, Ed, she's known since Uni. Even if Ed doesn't take her job seriously (as a solicitor, he doesn't have much time for women's magazines!), it is Amber's dream job. So Ed's news that he has taken a job in the West Country turns Amber's world upside down. 

The new life in Cornwall does not get off to the best start. The huge house Ed was so keen on is, well, huge - what is Amber going to do with four acres? And do M&S make Aga-ready meals? And when a handsome, if surly, man leads the local hunt over her land, it's more than Amber can stand. So how is it that, before long Amber is friends with the local eccentric Lady of the Manor, making love potions at her mother's recommendation - and answering the door naked to strangers...?

Pop over to The Book Journey and see what everyone else is reading today.

Reading Bingo Challenge 2014

A challenge was spotted over on Goodreads by a member of my e reader club and posted about it on Facebook - quite a few of us are taking part.

You need to read a book for every bingo square (some titles may cover more than one square but that would be cheating.)

For a book written by someone under the age of 30 I read I am Malala - can't say I was overly impressed by it but did plod through to the end.

For a book at the bottom of my to be read pile I picked Babies In Waiting By Rosie Fiore. I bought it not long after I first bought my Kindle as it was just pence. Will be reading more by this author.

Daily Snappers #26

Perfect.

It was my local crop today - had to go down to the harbour to look at the view - perfect.

Daily Scrappers #25

Small.

First thing this morning the moon looked really small up there in the sky.

Then it rained :(

Then the sun came out :)

And we managed a 4 mile walk - so a good day.

Daily Scrappers #24

Family.

I wanted to take my photo before I went to work today. But one had already left the building to go to work. One was kicking a football up and down the drive. And another was still in bed refusing to go to school - I ended up leaving him there.

Here are my photos in the living room of my boys :)

Daily Snappers #23

Road.

It was only just light enough to take a photo of my road before I left for work and it was now or never as it would be pitch dark by the time I got home. We are lucky to live in a culdesac - very few cars going past and those that do can only go slowly due to the huge speedbumps.

I could have taken a night photo tonight when I ran around some local roads at my first Jog Scotland meeting. It wasn't as bad as I thought but trying to take a photo while jogging would have been difficult - seeing as how just breathing was proving a challenge!!

Skywatch Friday

This is my local beach - thankfully it doesn't get much busier than this.

Pop over to the Skywatch blog to see more skies from around the world.

Daily Snappers #22

Swirly.

No longer played with by my boys - but they won't part with them.

Anyone for a game?

Daily Snappers #21

Lying Around.

My Slimming World cookbooks were lying on the front room floor - left there last night as I was browsing through them for inspiration when I cam back from class. Was chuffed to have lost 3 pounds this weeks - so celebrated with a slice of Christmas cake (only a small piece left now!)

And tonight a made a big pan of Minestrone out of the little soup book - should keep me going for a few days.

Daily Snappers #20

Cozy.

A trip to Aberdeen today and had some time to kill before we went to the Orthodontist so popped into john lewis. I would love to have a go at patchwork (I did make a quilt for the cot when the boys were babies) and this fabric caught my eye - I could make something nice and cozy out of it I think.

It's Monday.What Are You Reading?

Instructions For A Heatwave by Maggie o' Farrell has been in my to be read pile for ages. I read The Hand That First Held Mine several years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.

It's July 1976. In London, it hasn't rained for months, gardens are filled with aphids, water comes from a standpipe, and Robert Riordan tells his wife Gretta that he's going round the corner to buy a newspaper. He doesn't come back. The search for Robert brings Gretta's children - two estranged sisters and a brother on the brink of divorce - back home, each wih different ideas as to where their father might have gone. None of them suspects that their mother might have an explanation that even now she cannot share.

Please pop over to The Book Journey and see what everyone else is reading today.

Daily Snappers #19

Favourite thing to wear.

Don't really think I do have a favourite thing to wear - I tend to live in my jeans. (Didn't realise this was written on the button till today!)

Weekly challenge

It was a good challenge this week over on UKS.



Let's create a layout using any three of the ten elements below (10 points for each):

1. hot tropical or warm summer colours
2. ribbons or flowers
3. birds or butterflies
4. sparkle and bling
5. break open your new stash after the holidays
6. use your favourite photo from last year (2013)
7. ice cream
8. sand or water
9. frame the photo
10. scraplift from someone else's work and please do credit them when you post your LO picture

I chose elements 5, 6 and 10.

My scraplift came from The ATDML blog and you can see the original page here.

Daily Snappers #18

Today.

Today I have a happy boy. Number 2 son has been saving his money and today he had enough to go and buy himself an XBox One. We celebrated with a hot chocolate with all the trimmings for him and a skinny latte for me in Costa.

Daily Snappers #17

Positive.

The books are out - a positive sign that the revision is underway for number 1 sons prelims which start at the end of the month. He has had 2 NABS this week in Chemistry and Biology - he passed thee chemistry and should find out on Monday about the biology. Fingers crossed.

Skywatch Friday

2 views of the River Spey from our walk on Sunday.

At Aberlour at our half way point:

And the the Thomas Telford bridge at Craigellachie at the end of our walk - you can just make out the snow on the top of Ben Rinnes (we need to walk up there again soon.)

Pop over to the Skywatch blog for more skies from around the world.

Daily Snappers #16

Fun.

My kids don't realise it yet but school days are the best days - and they are fun.

Parents evening tonight - much praise from the teachers (although I doubt they say negative things at these events) - just a shame one of the teachers left early without waiting to see me. I expect a phonecall tomorrow as the head teacher was made aware. Not fun.

Daily Snappers #15

Drink.

Where would we be without our coffee machine??

It is hubbys birthday today - so I did get him a beer or two to have with his tea.

I should have remembered too that we have been in our house for 5 years today - this is what it looked like just before we moved in.

Daily Snappers #14

Ordinary.

The view of my desk at work. 2 computer screens - aren't I the lucky one!!

Also it is happy birthday to my Mum.

Daily Snappers #13

Bag.

I don't do handbags. Too prissy and girly for me. I like something far more practical.

It's Monday. What Are You Reading?

Some light reading at the moment - Good Husband Material by Trisha Ashley. It was a slow start but the story is starting to pick up. Really enjoy this author and love her daily dog walking updates over on Facebook.

James is everything Tish has ever wanted in a husband – she’s married a man who even her mother approves of. He’s handsome, dependable, and will make an excellent father – unlike Tish’s first love, the disreputable Fergal. Her teenage sweetheart abandoned her for a music career and now lives a typical celebrity lifestyle. Fergal broke her heart – James helped mend it.

Now, they’ve bought a cottage in the country. The next step – kids and a lifetime of domestic bliss. Well, that’s the plan. And even if James has a slight tendency to view the village pub as a second home, their relationship is still in pretty good shape after seven years of marriage. So why is marriage to Mr Right making her long for Mr Wrong?

Pop over to The Book Journey and see what everyone else is reading today.

Daily Scrappers #12

Todays word was UP.

We try to go walking most weekends - this is a view up the river towards the bridge in Aberlour.

On our way back down the other side of the river I looked UP into a tree and saw this strange thing.

And when we were almost back at the car after some off road scrambling we looked up the bank and saw a couple of plastic skulls stuck on sticks - a little strange - and a warning perhaps!!

Skywatch Friday

A bit late with this one.

The sky this morning was stunning.

Pop over to the Skywatch blog to see more skies from around the world.

Daily Snappers #11

Carry.

We saved up our Tesco vouchers and bought a dustbuster. If it stands still long enough - I dust it! So much easier than lugging the hoover out and hoovering the stairs os now a breeze - so easy to carry about.

Daily Snappers #10

Look out your window.

I am very lucky too see fields and hills when I look out of my craft room window.

Daily Snappers #9

Face.

In a close. On a wall. In Elgin town centre.

Daily Snappers #8

White.

Thanks to the boys and their ginormous bowls of cereal we get through loads of milk. The skimmed milk is mine - a sort of experiment seeing as how we are on this healthy eating trip. It is OK in tea and coffee but quite revolting on cereal - looks (and tastes) more like dishwater.

Sorry for the bad photo - but the big fridge is in the garage and it's a bit dark out there.

Daily Snappers #7

Clouds.

Only had one chance today to take my photo and that was at lunchtime as it is dark when I leave for work and dark when I come home. Quite pleased with how my town centre shot turned out.