Relaxing
Originally uploaded by Marshall the Dog.

Right now, despite having a stinker of a cold I consider myself to be very, very lucky.

John is outside building me a new gate, and Peter and Catilin are downstairs amusing themselves.

I have to admit to being slightly apprehensive about the kids coming to stay at my house for the weekend. It’s all well and good going over to John’s when the kids are there and spending time with them, but it’s different them coming to stay in my house.

I needn’t have worried. Despite me being in bed for much of the weekend and John being outside, the kids have been so well behaved. I shouldn’t be surprised, they are lovely kids.

When I think back to when Richard and I were their ages (11 and 14) I can’t believe the difference. We could not get on at all, constantly arguing and fighting. I do know that we could both entertain ourselves quite well but rarely together.

At the moment I can hear the kids building a den for Marshall (the toy dog in the photo) in my front room, cushions from the sofa and pillows from the spare bed!

I know now that it’s very unlikely that I’ll have kids of my own, but having Caitlin and Peter around more than makes up for it.

So I am lucky; lucky to have met John, lucky to have met the kids, and even more lucky to be able to be part of their lives.

woodwork
Originally uploaded by MollsMusings

I’m just beginning to appreciate how ‘handy’ John actually is! He’s building me a new gate – tongue and groove and all!?

Actually I don’t think he’s too happy with the wood, it’s rather damp. Anyway, I’m impressed none-the-less.

Cooking
Originally uploaded by MollsMusings

I’ve done it again – cook, that is. Tofu and veg stir fry. I’d bought the bits as Kate and Lou were coming to stay – but for one reason or another they weren’t here for dinner. But I cooked anyway and I’m glad I did as it was very nice.

Don’t tell John, but I’m quite enjoying this cooking lark! Not sure I’m up to cooking for others just yet, but can manage for just the two of us.

Most people who know me will know that I don’t really ‘do’ cooking – I’ve never been that interested and as a result I’ve never really been very good at it.

But meeting John has changed that, he loves cooking and is appalled at my lack of knowledge regarding food and cooking. So, I’m making an effort.

Last week I cooked for him, I’m to chicken to actually cook in front of him, so this was all prepared before he came round.

Anyway, it turned out really well and was very nice (although I say so myself!). Problem is, I’ve proved I CAN do it if I want to – so I’ll probably have to do it again!

Bloody Sat Nav
Originally uploaded by MollsMusings

This is Faye, she lives in John’s car (when he is travelling). She lives a very precarious life – at any moment she could be dashed from the windscreen and sent flying out of the passenger window.

I hate Sat Navs, as many of you know. They are an excuse for idiots not to learn to read a map – a life skill that I believe everyone should at least try to learn.

I have no problem with Sat Navs if you are totally unable to read a map despite trying to learn (you know who you are!), or you travel alone a lot to places that are hard to find and driving and map reading at the same time is dangerous or difficult (as John does when he visits clients).

What really annoys me are the idiots who blindly (?) follow what their sat nav says – even when it takes them up a farm track, to the edge of a cliff or down a one way street the wrong way.

I should just qualify that part of my hatred of the things is due to the fact that a Tesco lorry ripped a large gash in my car as he was trying to squeeze down a country lane which he shouldn’t have been on but which his sat nav had sent him down.

So, for the time being Faye is allowed in the car – mainly as a source of amusement and a focus for my insults!

Mum would be so excited and impressed! John and I are planning my garden.

I have to admit that I thought John was going a bit far when he went out and measured and then created a scale drawing in photoshop! But now I’m pleased he did as it’s made planning much easier.

So the above photo is what it currently looks like – boring really.

The back door opens onto a nice patio with a raised water feature and steps upto a lawn. Badly spaced slabs make the path up to a sort of terrace where the two silver birch (ignore what it says on the pic) trees are. Then at the top is a badly paved area which until recently had a load of wood dumped on it, and of course my shed.

Below is how we are currently planning it to be.

The patio, water feature and steps can’t be changed. But John is building a barbecue in the corner to the left. Next to the steps gets little light and is quite wet – perfect for ferns. Then the path (we’ve yet to decide what it will be made of), to the left of which will be a bed with lots of different grasses and a few flowers.

The next line, where the trees are will be screened off with hurdles which I hope to grow dwarf fruit trees on. Behind this will be a kind of Zen Japanese garden – pebbles, Buddha statue and a seat.

John wants to try growing things so we will have a small veg patch and some herbs next, then above this there will be room for the compost bin, a water butt (to collect water from the shed roof), and maybe in time a decked area – this part of the garden gets sun for the longest.

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New fangled things, originally uploaded by MollsMusings.

I hadn’t seen these before (Liz tells me that they’ve been in Meadowhell for some time) – they are for drying your hands, without touching and quickly.

You stick your hands in the top and strong gusts of air dry them in 10 seconds!

Wow! what will that talented Mr Dyson think of next?

Having said that I did notice a lot of people ignoring them or being confused by them – so many they won’t catch on?

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Forbidden, originally uploaded by MollsMusings.

A combination of certain pills I’m taking and my total lack of will power (not to mention having a chocoholic for a partner) have meant that I’ve put on a substantial amount of weight – this is not good.

So, I’m on a diet. Whilst I realise it’s dangerous announcing this to all my friends and family (well, those who read my blog anyway), I’m hoping this will mean that I get some support and encouragement.

No more biscuits, ice cream and certainly no more chocolate.

I’m not capable of going completely ‘cold turkey’ about this, so I am still having something sweet after dinner – but I’m trying to reduce this, and I’m also trying not to eat between meals.

I’m also not giving up alcohol completely, although I don’t drink large amounts and have cut out beer anyway.

Cans
Originally uploaded by Ms. Moll.

I’m sure that I’m not the first photographer to have had this said to them – and I know I won’t be the last.

When I was taking some shots of Tom working on his street art he commented something along the lines of – “your photos are good as you have a really expensive flash camera”.

I pointed out to him very quickly that his art must only be as good as it is as he has the best paints available? He got my point.

Why do people assume that the reason I’m able to take good photos is that I have a good camera!? What about my ability as a photographer? If I gave them my kit to use would they be able to take stunning photos? I’d question if most of them would even know how to turn the bloody thing on!

What really pisses me off about comments like this is the stupidity behind the statement – especially when it comes from seemingly intelligent people.

So if I were to go out and buy the most expensive paints, brushes and canvas I’d be able to paint like Monet or Turner would I?!

Following my earlier post about the new Counter Terrorism posters, I’ve just found this on the web -

FANTASTIC! Wish I’d thought of it, wish I’d done it! If anyone knows who did it let me know and I’ll give them credit (and a pat on the back!)