Hi Jules,

I had written a largish post to you this morning and for some reason it didnt post so will try again.

Glad to hear you daugters tests proved there is nothing to worry about. You both must have been very relived. Sorry to hear you have again not been able to get tickets for Wimbldon.

I have finished my tidying up in my garage today and have started turning again. I have turned a small ash picture frame this afternoon. So glad to be back in production. Because my sons firm gave him all heavy work he had to go back to his doctors and he has signed him off for another month. His foot specialist had said if if ankle continued to give him problems to phone him which he tried to do but his secretary wont put him in contact so his doctor is sending a sharply worded letter to them. My granddaughter her her prom night last night. She is a self confest tomboy so it was so nice to see her in a dress for a change.

Our local woodpecker came back when I was in the bathroon having a shower as I was so dusty after clearing the garage yesterday. Mrs B used my camera but she had never used it before so the pictures all came out blurry ufortunately as she was quite close to him. Just have to hope he comes back again. With regard to your heron, Years ago when I was working in a timber yard that had a large pond at the back of the yard, I got there early one morning and there was this heron on the pond. He saw me and took off flying straight towards a big tree. Then it tiurned 90 degrees on a halfpenny and flew slowly away. I was amazed as I expected it to fall back in the pond and I found it hard to believe what I had just seen. Such a big bird to turn so sharply and with such slow wingbeats.

I hope you enjoy your tennis on TV. Sending hugs and best wishe to you and your family, Brian.

Well Hazel, the family of Geese (parents and three goslings) were taking their time and I was lining up the shot just as one of the staff decided to shoo them along. I suppose I could have edited the headless one out but I am just an amateur ha ha.  The little ones were cute though!

It was the local fun day yesterday and apart from a brief spot of rain morning and evening(as they were setting up and taking down) it remained dry (last year it was a constant deluge!!). The gym was offering free tattoos for kids so am sporting a little shark on my ankle (this just proves I have not grown up yet!!).  I won a picture frame in the tombola and it was lovely chatting to the various traders. Managed to spent a couple of hours there. 

Today I have been back to the gym and then on to the farmers market  where I stocked up on a variety of cheeses as have family coming for lunch in a couple of weeks and they also love a good cheeseboard(dates are good to August!! but not sure I will be able to resist them beforehand ha ha).

Spent an hour or so in the garden this afternoon and then my daughter and family popped in to say hi and collect the travel cot I have up in the spare bedroom.  Zack still happy to nap in it so they are taking it away next weekend when they are on a Beavers Family weekend.  My son in law is going on Thursday to help them set up camp so imagine they will have great fun.

Tomorrow I am back to the hospital to keep an eye on Zack whilst my daughter has an x ray on her shoulder/wrist.  Now that everything else is sorted for the time being they are looking into the pain she has been experiencing.  It is probably muscular/joint wear and tear but if the x ray does not show anything up then more blood tests to check for arthritis (this has run on the maternal side of the family for three generations that we know of).  We will no doubt pop into our fave hot choc cafe on the way home.

Hope you have enjoyed the better weather today.  Take care  Jules x

Hi Brian,

So Sue's gremlins are getting around! So frustrating when you have put fingers to keyboard and then it is gone in a flash!

The picture frame looked lovely(like the picture inside it too) and now that you have a tidy garage/workshop and a bit of warmth outside too I expect you will be spending happy hours in production.

Such a nuisance that your son's return to work was short-lived and even more annoying that if they had put him on lighter duties this probably would not have happened.  He must be feeling pretty miserable about it all.

I am sure your grand-daughter looked wonderful in her prom dress. It is lovely seeing all the  young people in their finery at this time of year.  Many of our local schools have been having their proms too and one of my friends was making 200 cup cakes for her local school in readiness for their end of year party.  No such celebrations when I left school.  Walked out of the gates on the last day of term and the following Monday began work!!  Quite a few of my friends had the six week summer break before starting work but my parents were not happy about me doing it ha ha. My 'rent' money was helping the budget.Sounds weird now but my take home pay was £11 and a £5 went in the housekeeping.

Well luckily enough the weather has been good all day today and so the lawn is mowed and a bit of weeding done plus enjoyed the company of my daughter and family for a couple of hours. It would be nice if the weather held for the second week of Wimbledon too.

Hope the woodpecker returns and you manage to get a photo next time.  I saw a heron at the local pond this morning so a few more pictures taken but still need to whittle them down on the camera before uploading to the computer.

Hope you and Mrs B have enjoyed a good day today. Stay well.  Jules x

Absolutely adorable xxxxxxx

Debbie

Thanks Debbie. The 'chance'photos are often the best but the little family was a bit quick for me!

Will keep you in my thoughts on Thursday (unfair/cheated just about sums it up).  Take care, hugs. Jules x

Hi Debbie haven't private messaged you in a while hope your well and life is keeping you busy. Take care -Diane x

Hi Jules,

Have had another good day today out in the garage. I had found a 6" owl ceramic tile amongst my odds and ends so to day I turned a large oak suround for it (see pic) This evening my new vacume cleaner arrived  with the instuctions all in Italian complete with a two pin plug. I can soon alter that. But cant complain for it wasnt that expensive. I can also use it as a blower so what I cant hoover up; I can blow out the door ha ha.

Your experiance of leaving schooll matches mine. I couldnt wait to leave as I didnt like school apart from the woodwork lessons of course. I started work the next week learning how to make printed circuits albiet small quantities but with a 24 hour turnaround. Just six week later, the chap in charge left and I ended up running it myself.  just like you and my take home pay was about half of yours. But then things were so much cheaper then.

Hope you are enjoying your time off and that when you visit your mother tommorow, she is okay. Mrs B would love to see some owls visit her bird table ha ha.

Sending hugs and best wishes, Brian.

The owl tile is not yet glued in.

Good aftenoon Jules,

Have had a very good day in my garage. I have just made a circle cutting jig for my bandsaw. I can not only cut the hardboard and perspex for my picture frames but  I can also cut the circles of timber for making bowls and picturee frames ect.Yesterday I watched several differnt you tube videos on making circle cutting jigs and I took the best from all of them. I made it all from odds and ends I had lying around and I can cut sizes from 2 inches and up so easily and accuratly in a fraction of the time it used to take and with no marking out and it hasnt cost me anything. So I am very pleased with myself and consider it time well spent.

My son has his archery club champiuonships tommorow so hope it stays fine as last year it was cancelled, And next weekend he has another big championship match. He is making his own arrows and finding them more accurate. They have told him he cant get to see his specialist until the 21st July. I went low with my diabetes this morning. Woke up covered in sweat so had to get up at about 4.00 and get myself a drink with sugar and something to eat. Then this afternoon just befor tea, Mrs B went low but luckily not to bad.

Hope you had a good walk to the gym this morning and that the weather has been kind to you. Sorry the person you wanted to win the tennis didnt make it. But I bet you enjoyed watching it. I am not a tennis person; much prefer watching the cricket ha ha. Hope you are able to go to your local market tommorow to get your cheeseand other bits.

Sending best wishes and kind thoughts to you and your family. Brian

Hi Brian

What a productive few days you have had in the garage.  Loved the owls by the way.  We occasionally get an owl fly by in the early evening (woods are only a couple of miles away) but it would be a miracle to be able to see it land!!  I am not surprised you are happy with your results today and making things easier for little outlay is always a bonus. By the time your next Wood Club show comes round you will have a whole new supply of items to sell.

All in all I have walked over six miles today as was feeding my daughters cat.  They are enjoying a family camp weekend with eldest grandson's Beaver Group so no doubt they will all return shattered tomorrow.  I rewarded myself with savaloy and chips on the walk back home ha ha.  Had not had chips in a while and it felt very naughty.  So much for the healthy shop earlier today........well there is always tomorrow.

I like to watch quite a bit of sport but only get to see highlights of the cricket as do not have Sky.Used to go to regular Sunday club matches with my Mum and Dad and can still remember the 'afternoon tea break'.  Tennis is something I enjoyed at school but again only watch these days.  Have got home to find the Womens doubles just begun to will settle down and see that. Have had to shut the windows and back door as a neighbour nearby has begun a fire and with the gusty wind I would get 'smoked'.

Well no farmer's market this week so weather permitting will go for a walk after feeding the cat and going to the gym in the morning. If it stays dry will begin trimming back some of my shrubs; all the damp weather has send everything haywire.

Hope your son does well with the archery and hope his foot holds up okay as must be difficult weight bearing for too long. Fingers crossed for good results. Take care of yourself and Mrs B and keep an eye on those blood sugar levels.  Jules