Skywatch Friday

A field of oil seed rape again a stormy looking sky.

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It's MOnday. What Are You Reading?

I'm still reading Not Without You by Harriet Evans from last week - I will finish it but it is a bit slow and I'm starting to get bored with it - but I'm 3/4 of the way through it so I will finish.

Instead I have picked up Daddy's Little Princess by Cathy Glass. I have only read one of her short stories before and it was OK. I'm not usuallly a lover of thes true life stories but am being drawn into this one and want to know what is going to happen.

Beth is a sweet-natured child who appears to have been well looked after. But it isn’t long before Cathy begins to have concerns that the relationship between Beth and her father is not as it should be.

Little Beth, aged 7, has been brought up by her father Derek after her mother left when she was a toddler. When Derek is suddenly admitted to hospital with psychiatric problems Beth is taken into care and arrives at Cathy’s.

Beth and her father clearly love each other very much and Derek spoils his daughter, treating her like a princess, but there is something bothering Cathy, something she can’t quite put her finger on.

Meanwhile Cathy’s husband is working away a lot and coming home less at weekends. Then, suddenly, everything changes. Events take a dramatic turn for both Beth and Cathy and her family; as Cathy strives to pick up the pieces all their lives are changed forever.

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Skywatch Friday

My local beach.

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Daily Snappers #151

I hear......


the sound of the sea.

Daily Snappers #150

Bloom.

The Clematis in the back garden in full bloom - and it smells wonderful.

Daily Snappers #149

5.

I'm on chapter 5.

Daily Snappers #148

M is for magazines.

I do like flicking through a magazine - but most of the time I look at the price and put it back. I really fancy the Mollie makes photography one but it's £7.99!

It's Monday. What Are You Reading?

I had picked this one off the shelf a few times in my local supermarket - and put it back asI wasn't sure. So when I saw it in the library I thought I would give it a go.

It's a slow read but on going by friends reviews it does pick up speed and is worth the read. I have to say I do enjoy a book with a couple of storylines set in different eras running side by side.

If you don’t learn from history . . .
You’re destined to repeat it

Not without you, she’d said. And I’d let her down…

Hollywood, 1961: when beautiful, much-loved movie star Eve Noel vanishes at the height of her fame, no-one knows where, much less why.

Fifty years later, another young British actress, Sophie Leigh, lives in Eve’s house high in the Hollywood Hills. Eve Noel was her inspiration and Sophie, disenchanted with her life in LA, finds herself becoming increasingly obsessed with the mystery of her idol's disappearance. And the more she finds out, the more she realises Eve’s life is linked with her own.

As Eve’s tragic past and the present start to collide, Sophie needs to unravel the truth to save them both – but is she already too late? Becoming increasingly entangled in Eve’s world, Sophie must decide whose life she is really living . . .


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Daily Snappers #147

Smooth.

My stone painted heart is so smooth and cool to the touch.

Daily Snappers #146

Screen.

My Kindle - to occupy myself whilst waiting for hubby to arrive.

Daily Snappers #145

Tap.

The outdoor tap - very useful for watering the garden and washing the assorted bikes and cars.

Daily Snappers #144

Memory.

Opened a box that has been sitting in the garage for 5 years since we moved in - it was full of photos - and memories.

Daily Snappers #123

Have fallen way behind with the prompts - so playing catch up.

Rug. The rug in the childrens area of my local library.

Skywatch Friday

On Sunday Caron and I walked from Hopeman to Lossiemouth along the Moray Coastal Footpath. Luckily and is often the case the weather forecast was wrong and I didn't need my waterproof jacket! The sun was out and it was lovely and warm. We met a man who was watching a pod of 5 Minke whales - sadly they were too far out to be seen without his swanky big telescope.

We found a perfect spot for a sit down to rest our legs for 5 minutes.

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It's Monday. What Are You Reading?

The weather has been so good over the past couple of days we have been out and about njoying it - so not a lot of reading time.

I am currently reading Letters To My Daughter's Killer by Cath Staincliffe. Not as gory as you might think - it is the letters of a mother to her daughters killer with some twists and turns along the way. It is turning out to be something of an emotional rollercoaster and I can't wait to see where it goes next.

Grandmother Ruth Sutton writes to the man she hates more than anyone else on the planet: the man who she believes killed her daughter Lizzie in a brutal attack four years earlier. Ruth's burden of grief and hatred, has only grown heavier with the passing of time, her avid desire for vengeance ever stronger. In writing to him Ruth hopes to exorcise the corrosive emotions that are destroying her life, to find the truth and with it release and a way forward. Whether she can ever truly forgive him is another matter - but the letters are her last, best hope.

Letters To My Daughter's Killer exposes the aftermath of violent crime for an ordinary family and explores fundamental questions of crime and punishment. How do we deal with the very human desire for revenge? If we get justice does reconciliation follow? Can we really forgive those who do us the gravest wrong? Could you?

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My Month In Numbers : April and May!

Where do the days go - forgot I hadn't blogged so I'm going to play catch up. I do make notes throughout the month - but then promptly misplace them so have to start from scratch.

In April the fitness campaign seems to have taken a bit of a backseat - not sure why. But in total I walked 7.34 miles, biked 15.95 miles and ran 42.04 miles.

Combining diet with the above exercise I lost a further 4 pounds.

In April I got one new job. I have applied to a few over the last 12 months but I have a feeling they already have someone lined up for the positions. It is a grade higher which means a payrise - so more money for what appears to not be doing very much different but no doubt that will change.

Another trip to Aberdeen for the penultimate orthodontist appointment - I did manage to snap 1 very rare photo of number one son (sitting down in the childs ride on toy - with his best mate alos known as his brother by another mother!!)

I read 10 books - the biggest surprise for me was Entry Island by Peter May. Thoroughly enjoyed it and gave it 5 stars.

In May I seriously stepped up the fitness and am feeling the benefits. I walked 19.38 miles, biked 74.96 miles and ran 30.57 miles. This is a grand total of 125 miles burning off 15989 calories.

This in turn led to me losing 2 pounds (doing more exercise can slow down your weight loss apparantly)  but I did get my 2 1/2 stone award - plus shiny sticker. Only 3 1/2 pounds to get to my next target :) I also received my Silver body magic award - which you get for 6 activity sessions of 15 minutes (or 3 of 30 minutes) over 3 to 5 days and maintained for 4 weeks. Think I well exceeded it.

The increased exercise meant I could go clothes shopping and buy a new wardrobe - some things were a size smaller but a few were actually 2 sizes smaller. Happy days!!

Over the Bank Holiday weekend (we only got the one up here in Scotland - maybe I should suggest a full compliment of Bank Holidays to Alex Salmond in exchange for my vote!) I have 1 poorly car. I have to admit it was like saying goodbye to one of my children when it was taken away on the back of a recovery truck. Thankfull it is back and in full working order.

At the start of the month myself and my friend Caron completed the 6 Harbours charity walk - 15 miles from start to finish taking in the harbours of Portsoy, Sandend, Culen, Portknockie, Findochty and Cullen. Despite the rain for the last mile (which we would have missed had we not stopped for coffee and scones!) we did enjoy it - and will be taking part again next year.

At the end of the month some dear friends of ours came up to Moray on holiday. They were our neighbours in Wales when we first got married and we have stayed in touch. It has been almost 20 years since I last saw Sandy - but it felt like just like last week. What a laugh we had. They brought their 4 legged friends with them - and when Maisie has her first litter of pups we have been told we are having the pick of the litter.   But we might have some new additions sooner than that.......

Pop over and say hello to Julie and check out everyone elses month in numbers.

Skywatch Friday

The standing stones of Lossiemouth West Beach!

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It's Monday. What Are You Reading?

Well I did end up reading the Milly Johnson first and I am now onto The Son by Jo Nesbo. It's a big book and not to be rushed.

SONNY'S ON THE RUN


Sonny is a model prisoner. He listens to the confessions of other inmates, and absolves them of their sins.


HE'S BEEN LIED TO HIS WHOLE LIFE


But then one prisoner's confession changes everything. He knows something about Sonny's disgraced father.


SONNY WANTS REVENGE


He needs to break out of prison and make those responsible pay for their crimes.



WHATEVER THE COST

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