When I was posting my blog yesterday my pup Millie (short for Camilla) thought I was neglecting her and proceeded to destroy what ever she could get her mouth around. She is adorable but sometimes I need pictures like these to remind me that she really is very cute and not a demon in disguise.

I found her sleeping in the sunshine in the back area that we have set up for her (she managed to escape from that area yesterday)

But when she has a face like that, with all her freckles its hard to stay mad at her.

She has very long legs for a puppy her size which means that when she's running up and down stairs she sometimes falls over herself.

Anyway I daren’t leave her out alone in the garden for much longer, I’m beginning to dread those moments when everything seem so still in the house because you just know that she’s up to something.

Posted: April 22nd, 2009 under Uncategorized.
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Last weekend my fiancee treated me and a few others to a weekend of sailing (considering that I’m just a little bit afraid of the sea). It didn’t turn out quite as it was supposed to, we were meant to leave from Maryport on a rather large boat and experience the joy of the wind in the sails, the listing of the boat as we tacked across the seas etc.

Unfortunately the sea doors at Maryport had been sticking and this was the weekend that they decided that they needed to work on them so we couldn’t get the boat out. So they came up with a quick solution and we went up to Ardrossan and got on an even bigger boat.

She was called Lady Q and at 43.7 feet long she was a very big boat to be learning on. With three double beds on board one which had en-suite!!

We all booted and suited up in our sailing shoes, waterproofs and life jackets and set off through the harbour walls, neatly avoiding the the local ferry. The forecast for the weekend was extremely sunny with light winds, very light winds. so when we had motored out of the harbour and tried to put up the sails pretty much nothing happened, so we kept the motor running and took turns at steering.

I was pretty nervous at first when it came to my turn, but eventually it came to be one of the most pleasurable tasks on the boat.

We sailed for a good few hours enjoying the sunshine, eating lunch...

...and learning a few of the knots

we set our course and headed straight for the Isle of Arran

we looped a buoy and set up the dingy to take us into shore. The boys initially decided that the best way to get to shore was to use the oars on the dingy but half way across the skipper told us that he’d never rowed before and would someone else mind taking over so with a bit of jiggling about Thomas too the main seat and rowed us there and then the rest of the way back, and decided to switch to the motor on the boat.

Still it is kinda nice to watch

and it is rather a long way to row...

When all of us were ashore we found the nearest (and only bar/restaurant in town) thanks to a few tipsy walkers who were headed on to the next town and had spent some time at the Lochranza Hotel. We topped up on food and bit of drink, and then Shilagh and I went around the local castle and admired the sunset and the rather tame deer that surrounded the castle.

quite a cool and famous landmark on the island.

then we all piled back into the dingy and headed back out to the boat, to get rocked to sleep.

 The next day we woke to another calm beautiful morning, and started to practice weaving in and out of the buoys, then lassoing the buoys. then it was time to enjoy the still waters once again and head home to dry land.

looking over the bow of the ship moving through the still water.

So here is my last look over Arran and if you ever see a weather forecast for the weekend that looks as good as this then head for the nearest boat and find Arran.

Posted: April 21st, 2009 under Uncategorized.
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Today thanks to a bit of organisation, most of my bridesmaids and I got together and went bridesmaids dress shopping (we didn’t neglect the final bridesmaid she’s on compulsory bed rest and hopefully recovering speedily!). Having been slightly starved of girly attention for a while, it was a real tonic to be around the girls that I’ve grown up with. 

We started off by heading off into Watford, straight into one of our local department stores. We were looking for dresses that suited each of the girls, that went with my dress, and possibly matched in with my colour scheme of yellow and white. When we arrived we picked out three lovely dresses and then the real fun began. Playing “dress up”.

A quick intro to them my best friend Abi, Sammy my cousin and Katy my sister, I promise pictures of Jamie to follow later. The two dresses on the left were the initial favorite, our front runner, and the yellow was just because it looked kinda pretty.

Then they all swapped dresses around to see what the different dresses looked like on them. Katy kept describing the white dress as something from the sound of music, though I think she does look cute in it.

More and more dresses Katy trying on the sound of music dress (oh the excitement on her face) and Sammy trying on different sizes. Sometimes they look more like sisters than Katy and I do.

These were universally hated! But certainly gave us all a bit of a giggle.

A bit more of a folly dress with the draped neck, they loved the pockets but said that they really didn't feel special enough. The strapless dress went down a lot better but the poor quality of make just destroyed our opinion of it.

These were a few more yellow dresses that seemed to remind us all of Tinkerbell!? A little too much going on on the dress I think.

Then finally we found the one that got all the girls excited and prancing around the changing room getting excited about pockets in the dresses, the types of shoes that they could wear with it and what sort of jewellery would go. So as most good shoppers know when you start thinking about the shoes to go with the dress, you’ve found the right dress!

Too me they look incredibly beautiful and they all adore the dresses, I mean they have pockets!!! and on the label it says lemon, so I got the yellow dresses that I had hoped to have them in.

So now we just need to find the shoes and the rest of the bridesmaids gear, lets hopes its as easy as finding these dresses!

Posted: April 16th, 2009 under Uncategorized.
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