Time for an update!

Can't believe Easter has been and gone! It's my favourite season, and I always like to mark it in some way. I think because ours this year was so low key meant it swam past really quickly.
Anyway, let's start with the cards I managed to make this year.....

I used this Celtic cross stamp again. I like it because it's filled with flowers and this means that although it's a 'formal' image, it has a softness about it.

I enjoyed colouring the crosses with ProMarkers. In some, I covered the cross with a glaze pen. In others I added sparkly glitter glue, the name of which momentarily escapes me.

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On Easter Day, Luvbug took Mum to Church. She used to go to a 'community church' when she lived in Kent, but hasn't gone to a new one since moving last year. We think it would be good if she got into somewhere again, as she sometimes says that she's lonely and bored. Previously she has said she wouldn't go without me but I'm afraid I can't face going to church. I do all sorts for her but I have to draw the line there, given certain bad experiences I'm afraid the very idea turns my stomach. So Luvbug offered, saying that he was going and would she like to come too? Really it was all for her; he wouldn't have thought of going there otherwise. It was a 'Free Evangelical' church not far from us.

We expected it to be a hands in the air, guitars and drums, 'happy clappy' affair, which is what she went to in Kent (and a type that I was a member of some years ago!) but apparently it was quite formal. An organ playing, 4 hymns, Bible reading, small sermon. Hmm. I thought all Evangelicals were more lively than that-???

Mum did enjoy going, although Luvbug said she shed a tear at first. (Awww.) She said it would be ok to go again..... we'll have to see how this develops!

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Whilst at church, I was back home cooking dinner. We had turkey and lots of trimmings. It was all scrummy! Then we packed a flask of tea and went for a walk in the woods at Highwoods Country Park.....

Here is Mum in the woods....or me, trying to get her to smile for a photo!!!

The bluebells are out...

And so is the blossom....

It was a lovely stroll, and we stopped by the lake and drank our tea :)

It has been warm here for three or four weeks now. On some days it has been hot, 81F was the highest, I think, with most days in the 70s F. Today was the first chilly day, with a smattering of a light shower. Perhaps the weather is about the break for the Royal wedding tomorrow!

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The hawthorn in our back garden is heavy with blossom, fuller than we've ever seen it before. These photo's don't really do it justice-

It's also called 'mayflower', so it's come early!

Our wee tree peony is ready to burst, too. Last year we only had one flower but this year it has a double blessing...

 However it's something in this laurel that we are most excited about....
just where I've drawn the red circle.... right next to the house!

-can you see her? A collared dove on her nest!!!

I say 'her' but it could easily be a 'him' as they share the nest duties. It's so cute if you're there when they change shifts!! Aww.... nearly time for hatching....

Yup, I love Easter, I love spring....

What a lovely surprise!

I feel terribly guilty- I should have thanked Di of Pixie's Crafty Workshop much sooner than this!!! My only excuse is computer problems-

Have you ever had this? I helped Dilly update her blog on Monday (had to- it was her birthday) but then when I came to this page my anti-virus/anti-malware/firewall popped up and told me that this was a dodgy website and that part of its contents were being blocked -???? I tried other blogger sites and it popped up on all of them. OK..... so I went to my Hotmail account; same thing happened. Weird!


I ran a scan and it said it found 21 infected files. WHAT???? So I then I did a reboot scan too, and it took hours. I left it to run overnight and then did some Windows updates. Seems all OK now. But I still don't know what all that was about.

ANYWAY!.....................

The other week, Bob T Bear (esq) spotted that Di was offering this hoard of blog candy!

He added his name to the hat and GOOD LORD! HE WON!!!! And when the box arrived, a few days ago, he gave it all to me, saying that he hoped it would get me crafting again. Awww what a great Bear! And what generous blog candy! THANK YOU, DI!!!!!!!

 The box arrived Monday morning and Bob waited with it to show me:

 He was delighted to see a card inside, addressed to him:

 

What a gorgeous card! Bob loved that there was a Bear on it!

Di sent lots of stamps:

she even sent off for another stamp, just for Dilly!-

Dilly slowed down the unwrapping a wee bit as she wanted to enjoy the pink tissue. She's mad on pink.

 And then- ribbons!!

And flowers!

Bob wondered if the glue would make a good toy:

He liked the charms, especially the Bear one:

They chose their favourite paper stacks:

Then Dilly settled down for a doze in the ribbons and tissue....

What a wonderful surprise! It really gave me a lift! I haven't put any of it away. I like opening it up and looking at it all. I hope it leads to my creative muses getting a kick up the pants. I haven't drawn or made anything in a long time!

THANKS, DI!!!! (And thank you, Bob, too!)

Spooky Synchronicity

This evening I was running a bath and singing to myself [nb: empty house!] "Do You Know The Way To San Hose?"-I reached over and switched on my little 'showerproof' radio and what came out???
"Do you know the way to San Hose? They've got a lot of space, there'll be a place where I can stay..."

WHAT the????????????????

We've all carried on humming a tune after we've switched the radio off, but before we've switched it on?????

Do do doo do do do doo do..... (Twilight Zone theme)