I had started it in the summer and completed half of it - January - July and had put it aside to finish the second part once the year was over.
The mini book is about Dorset beaches in all of their beauty. Regular readers know I NEED the beach. I need the water and the waves. We go to the beach so much - at least once or twice a week, often more. I love it most in the winter. I am not a fan of hot weather and sitting on the beach appeals to me not at all. I like the cold, the wind and waves, the sound of the waves, the feel of the sand, the tang of salt. And thankfully, the county where I live is diverse from wide sandy beaches, some of the best in the country, rugged coast, peaceful harbours, busy quays and, of course, the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coast. And we love it all.
So here are the pages of this mini book which kind of grew and has a lot of flaps and pockets and tags to cram in as much as possible.
and - should you want to see as it makes the interactivity clearer, there is a five minute video.
Today I am thankful for
Living in Dorset - the best country in the world (I think)
Having the courage to do the video
a positive glaucoma review
and for those of you who are digital scrappers do please come and sign up for our huge event at Pickleberrypop. It is free and there are great things to win
Just go to the forum and click on the register at the top of the page
It has been a glorious day here - so gorgeous we even ventured out into the garden and did a little work - and my hand and wrist are aching to prove it.
We popped into town and - no surprise there - had a Starbucks - and then came home did some gardening, some work and some scrapping.
And it has been lovely.
I have a new page to share which was made with Dawn's Grab Bag no 6 which is amazing.
another for the Florida album
Now I just have to share a video that has been doingt he rounds for a while but is too good not to share.
It is longer than some but worth watching all the way through - though the New York segment is my favourite.
I hope you enjoy it as much as we did and that you are as impressed as we were.
Today I am thankful for
lovely spring days
clever people who entertain in so many different ways
We had a check up at the vets today to see how he was doing on his weight loss programme.
The answer is .... very well. He has lost 1lb 6oz and is allowed to slow down the weight loss as the vert doesn't want him to lose weight too quickly
He has another 2 lb to lose but the vet will be happy if that jas gone by Chrostmas so all is good and he can have a little more to eat
I checked that he was OK with the diet we were giving him and the vet said it was good that he is having a mix of Felix, dry food and fresh chicken. As he said, cats are designed to do the Atkins diet really as they don't need carbs that are in most cat foods so the pure protein of chicken is a good thing.
So I couldn't resist scrapping this today.
The bad news, however, is that we also took Boo today.
Boo, who came as a stray in 2001, is of indeterminate age but somewhere between 14 and 17 we think. She is totally deaf now, has cataracts and, most worrying, is losing weight quicker than Fiki. We are trying to feed her up but she has a tiny appetite and is skin and bone now. Her coat is healthy and she seems happy, but we knew things were not right and have been weighing her weekly too.
Tom examined her fully and thinks he can feel a lump in her tummy. We were expecting kidney or thyroid problems as they are common at her age, but not a tumour. It may not be and he wants to see her again in three weeks. If it is then we won't put her through surgery at her age. We have already lost one cat on the operating table who had a massive tumour. We will just love her and care for her and then make the awful decision if she gets sick. At the moment, whilst she is very thin, she is happy and healthy.
Thought I would share this [age of Boo doing what she always did best - stealing.
She is a terrible terrible thief.
Or maybe that should be she is a very good thief!
Today I am thankful for
Fiki doing well on his diet
Boo being healthy even of she is poorly
A vert we have great confidence in
A great half term - almost over but a good one. I haven't done much other than recharge and recover
Finally I share this which Hilary posted today. The video isn't great quality but stick with it. How to see a dog having such fun!
So ... I am a sucker for men with white beards and red suits, jolly smiles and a round little belly ... no not Nigel (Though he fits some of the criteria he doesn't have a red suit!)
I mean Santa - love that whole image thing of a traditional Santa and can't resist taking pictures of him.
This Santa is right by the German Bar in Bournemouth and he is lovely.
Nij decided to have a check of his naughty or nice list .... just to make sure we were on the right side.
And so as well as photo of the day he was also the focus on my journal for today.
We were actually a little shocked when we went to Bournemouth today as in very small writing they had a sign saying it was a flat fee for parking - £4 no matter how long you stayed. OK so that is a pretty good deal if you are there all day maybe, but highway robbery if you pop into town for half an hour. We kind of just accepted it as the way things were, but there were a lot of people in the foyer quite insensed.
There were other outraged people around when we went into Starbucks today too - as there was protest going on about the whole tax issue. Now without getting into the rights and the wrongs and the politics, if there is a loophole in the tax system isn't it actually the tax system and HM customs and revenue that needs to address this too. Plus Starbucks have tried hard in the past week to rectify things. However, no matter what the reasons, I felt very sorry for the staff today, many of whom we know. They are just that ... staff - they are not personally responsible for whatever issue is going on and really didn't need some of the ranting they were subject to today.
Today I an thankful for
a sunny Saturday
seeing Santa
Starbucks
And I want to wave and say HI to Mike x
And no LOL cat today - I have resisted sharing this and I know most of you will have seen it but i do love it so much and here is a good place to keep it. Plus there might just be one or two people in the country who haven't seen it (and my American readers may not have done)
Enjoy this lovely video
And finally my page a day calendar for today
MYSTERIOUS WAYS I’ve never been one to take a nap in the afternoon, especially because I have two very active sons. I was always too worried that if I didn’t keep a constant eye on them, they might get into trouble.
But one afternoon, completely exhausted after finishing a long workout at the YMCA, I lay back on the couch, watching my two-year-old playing quietly next to me. I must have dozed off, because moments later I was startled awake by a voice loudly saying, “Teresa!”
Right before I opened my eyes, a flash of fear surged through me. Who’s in my house? I wondered. Did I leave the door unlocked? My husband and I had separated for a short time, and I was the only one home to watch over things. My eyes flew open, only to feel a new fear fill me as I saw my toddler’s little fingers in midair, holding a toy only inches away from an electrical outlet. I’d forgotten to cover it after unplugging the fan!
I scrambled off the couch and scooped up my son. My heart raced as I held my little one close, grateful to the voice that had woken me at just that instant.
I never did find out where that voice came from, but I knew then and am still sure today that it was no stranger. I take comfort in knowing that help is very near, that even if I’m home alone with my sons, I’m not the only one watching over them.
Awake or sleeping, Lord, let me always hear Your voice.—TERESA TAYLOR WILLIAMS
I am Scrapdolly - frequently answering to just Dolly. I live with my soulmate Nigel and two new kittens and I love to scrap. Scrapping is my creative outlet, my daily therapy, my sanity restorer and where I meet my friends. Come share it with me.