Camping at Brightlingsea

Way back in 1966 I was around 10ish and my dad decided to take our family on our first camping trip. A friend of his loaned us a tent which looked more like a marquee, and after setting it up in the back yard to make sure he knew what went where, we discovered that 6 of us fit into it with lots of room.

We set off for Brightlingsea, a seaside resort about half an hour from our home. The tent was pitched and we started our holiday. There was freedom back then for children to explore without the fear of abuction. My siblings and I did a lot of exploring. That night after Mum made us dinner on a propane powered stove top, we settled down for a good night's sleep. What a night! No one could get comfortable. Sleeping on the ground with no mattress was new to all us kids. There were countless complaints!

Next morning Dad drove home and sort out all kinds of cushions from our house. Couch cushions, pillows, even the actual foam seating from our couch! So that night we all slept a lot better!

Here is a layout that I just completed today. Here you can see the opening of the tent with my older brother and my 2 younger sisters. I think the youngest would have been about 3 or 4.

David went for a boat ride, and I love the picture of me and my sisters waving him off!

Some new work

This is a layout of my son playing in a park in my hometown in England. This was an easy and fun layout to do.

I created a Slide Show! Check it out!

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

Number 20: My life is...

...an unfinished novel, with many interesting and adventurous chapters so far.

Number 19: One thing people don't know about me is...

...I miss being in a relationship.

I miss sharing my life in a meaningful way with someone who wants to love me and be loved by me.

Number 18: The one thing I can live without is...

...war and conflict.

The senseless distruction of life infuriates me. Men wanting more power and money instead of content, happy and healthy people.

Number 17: I think that _________ is beautiful.

LOVE.


The many different kinds of love. The love of a caring man, the love for your own child, the love of a great book, the love of meaningful music, the love of your family, the love of your cherished friends, the love of life.

Number 16: When I look at someone. the first thing I see is...

...their smile.

I like to think that I can bring a smile to almost anyone's face. From there I go onto their eyes to see if the smile is genuine.

Number 15: My guilty pleasure is...

…Galaxy Chocolate.

I love the way it melts in my mouth if I just leave it on my tongue, it is so creamy. Fortunately or unfortunately I don’t have easy access to it here in Canada. It is very expensive so I don’t buy it here. My family back home know my love for it and will send me some at Christmas time. The only other way I get it is if I take a trip to England and pick up lots of very large bars!

Number 14:My worst habit is...

…spending too much time on the computer!

I will turn on the computer just to check my email, and there are always links that I need to check out. Then before I know it, 2 hours have passed.

Number 13: The Town I live in is .....

...Toronto.

It is place filled with people from all over the world therefore rich in its culture, its food, its acceptance, its entertainment, its heritage, its way of life.

Number 12: To relax, I like to...

...make a scrapbook page or two.

I have been scrapping for over 5 years now and it has become a passion. I just spent the weekend in Michigan visiting with some people who are also into scrapbooking. We spent many hours in scrapbook stores buying some amazing stuff. Now I must sit down and do a few layouts before school starts again.

Number 11: My favourite material possession is...

...my digital camera.

I carry it everywhere and can snap a picture whenever I want to. And to have the instant results just show up on my computer is so rewarding. This is my third digital camera.

Mothers Day

My Mum died in 2004 and this Mothers Day I wanted to make a tribute to her life. This is the layout I came up with.
The journaling says:
Dear Mum,
You are so beautiful in this picture as a bridesmaid. I can't help but wonder if you had any idea back then of how your future life would be. You have accomplished so much and have touched so many lives.

I bet you didn't know back then you would:

Leave South Africa
Marry a soldier
Become a nurse
Have four children
Take student in from all over the world
Have eight grandchildren
Travel the world and exotic places
Knit sweaters for African children
Donate money to buy goats for African families
Volunteer with seniors

On the tag:

Of all your accomplishments I am so glad you decided to be my mum.
You are not only a wonderful Mother but a wonderful friend

Number 10: My eyes are....

much better now than 25 years ago! I had lasik surgery a few years ago and now I see 20/20. However I still need to wear reading glasses. I have often had compliments on my eyes, but to me they are the first thing to react to allergies! They itch and tear up, and many a day has been spent with them being swollen half shut. Fortunately though I can see, therefore I am very grateful to my eyes for allowing to see all things everywhere.

Number 9: My favourite mode of transportation is...

...the streetcar. Sometimes I use the bus or the subway train, but I love the streetcar. I usually take 2 streetcars to get to work, and to get home during the week. I get a monthly TTC Metropass sent to me and it is good for buses, trains and streetcars.

However once the warmer weather appears I like to ride my bike. It is a great way for me to get exercise, and it costs little to run and maintain. The annual tune up and a can of oil is really all you need.

Number 8: On Monday morning you can find me...

...drinking tea on my way to work, from my Thermos(C) mug.

Being English, of course I love my tea! However, as you see pictured here it is just a Canadian tea bag. I LOVE it when someone from back home sends me a box of English tea. There is such a difference.

Number 7: I am at my happiest when ....

...I talk to my sister, Lorna.

It's funny that as we were growing up, we didn't like each other very much. Now as adults we are best friends. And since our mother died in 2004 we have become even closer. Lorna has a laugh like no other. My mum used to call it common, but to me it is music to my ears!

Number 6: Something I always do...

Every day I come home from work the first thing that I always do is to turn on my computer to check my email. Having my family in other parts of the world I wonder if I will hear from my son in Korea, my sisters and brother in England, my cousins in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or South Africa. I also have friends in Thailand, Malta, Spain, and the United States of America.

Number 5: I always carry...

....my camera. You never know when the right picture will present itself, so it is always best to be prepared!

Actually today I am off to buy a new camera. This one no longer works properly, the flash just won't work. So I am using money I received for my birthday to buy a new one.