My week off January 2015

This week has been a week off work as I've had a weeks holiday. It's absolutely flown by, as weeks off tend to.

I've spent the majority of the week trying to earn more money online and doing my husband's selfassessment tax return. Here in the UK you only have to do a tax return if you are self employed, which will hopefully be me this year.

I'm still taking a photo a day, and sunday's was off the small woods at nearby Northumberlandia, we broke down near there collecting a car my husband had bought with a cylider head problem.

Monday's was the sky outside my house, I love the pattern of the clouds.

Tuesday's is the engine of the car my husband is fixing, I was goinf for a nice macro shot.

This is the little bit of snow we had on tuesday, it froze overnight, but had melted by wednesday night.

A sparrow eating from my bird feeder.

My dad being pick pocketed by a swan at the QE 2 lake at Woodhorn.

My cat had decided to follow me when I went outside to look for a photo.

New week, new year, new me 2015

Well ok, not really a new me, but I am still trying to be a better me.

This week I've been busily trying to make money online, I have a long term plan to give up my part time job, and this could be the answer. So I've joined a couple of new sites, both paid to click sites and writing sites. I'm not sure how they'll work out but time will tell. 

I'm also looking at trying to do some of the smaller more manageable things on my Pinterest dream board. One of them is to take a photo a day for a year, something I'm currently working on, as you will have seen from my last post. 

It's been quite a busy week, but I'm pleased as I feel I've got quite a bit done.

An atmospheric shot, taken at our local hospital, it was getting dark and had been a wet day.

Thursday's photo, sunset just outside Seahouses in Northumberland. I had been to a spa day with my mum at The Ocean Club. You can see what I thought about it on my other blog :).

A sculpture at nearby Weetslade colliery country park, I went there with my dad on Friday, and while I took several photos this was one of my favourites.

Today's photo, I'd been hoping for a nice sunrise shot, but the weather wouldn't cooperate, and by the time the dark clouds had gone I missed it.

First week of the new year, January 2015

Today's Wednesday of the first full week of the year, and so far the week is going quite well.

Sunday I went swimming with my husband for the first time for a few years. We both snorkel when on holiday, but that's more like floating. We decided to go as we both need to get fitter, and my husband was hoping it would help his nasal polyps, we also felt it will help snorkelling in future. I'd forgotten how much hard work swimming is, and came away exhausted. I'm that unfit I can now barely swim a length, although I'm quite good at treading water :). 

My photo of the day, the recreation part of the leasure centre I went to.

Monday after work I took down our Christmas decorations, I'm never sure which day, but a look online suggested that twelfth night is actually the fifth as it counts from Christmas Eve night. It's also the day that the three kings arrived. 

My favourite christmas bauble, a holiday souvenir from Palma Aquarium in Mallorca, and Monday's photo of the day.

Tuesday after grocery shopping I dragged my husband to nearby Blyth, we had a walk along the quayside. It was a bright cold day, but it was a nice walk. My photo for Tuesday is a pretty pigeon I saw. 

Happy new year 2015

This week saw the start of the 2015, some disappointment for me with my favourite social site, bubblews and a continuation of everyone being sick at work.

The new year went well, me and my husband went out to nearby Morpeth to see it in. It was pretty quiet, but we had a lovely time and the company of some friends was good. New Year's Day itself was spent relaxing, although we did have a walk down to the nearby river. It was a cold blustery start to the year though.

I also started one of the challenges from my Pinterest dream board, an easy one, taking a photo a day for a year. I suspect it's not as easy as I think, as I need to think of something different to take each day :). So far we've had the river, Morpeth clock tower in the rain (scene of where we were at midnight), and my apple tree. I like trees, and they change so this could be a feature :).

The river wansbeck, day 1

Morpeth square and clock tower, day 2

My apple tree, day 3

The sad part of my week was bubblews deciding to cut everyone's payments, money we thought we'd banked. I lost 80 dollars or about 50 pound. I'm staying around on there and I hope they get their act together, but more because of the great friends I've made on there. 

So that's my week, I hope you've all had a great new year, and we all have an even better 2015 :)

Christmas week 2014

Well christmas finally came, as it has a tendency too whether we are ready or not. 

I was pretty ready although we spent the last few days before Christmas making some homemade drinks for gifts, and generally running around doing last minute jobs. 

It didn't help that my work kept phoning as there seemed to be a domino effect of people going sick. I ended up working my day off, but got Christmas Eve off instead which I think was a better deal. I lost a little money, but sometimes there are just more important things.

On Christmas Eve we dropped off the presents to my mother in law, and then went through to see my stepdaughter and her 3 kids. Aged 5, 3, and 1 the house was busy :) we had bought them (the two oldest boys) gifts of Lego, which they were allowed to open. That was a mistake, lol, we hadn't realised they would be in a million pieces, none of which looked like the race car and fire truck on the box. 

We helped them to assemble something that had wheels and left :). 

We missed santa / the space station by about 10 minutes, and while I looked I couldn't see it from the car. 

Christmas Day itself was a nice relaxed affair, although the turkey took ages to cook, we had our starter of garlic mushrooms about 3 hours before. We watched a couple of films, including my favourite "it's a wonderful life", and later that night my mum and dad came over. It was nice just sitting and chatting to them while eating nibbles.

Boxing Day was spent with me working, and my husband fishing, I'll never understand the urge people have to buy more food and drink Boxing Day :).

Well that was my christmas, I hope you all had a lovely day if you celebrate or not :).

Boxing Day in retail

I work for a large grocery chain, and today I was at work.

Several things struck me about the changing times that we live in, for a start today was reasonably busy. People were buying all sorts, including the snacks in the sales. That always puzzles me as its just rampant consumerism, nobody needs that many snacks or even that much chocolate. 

Apart from that it was strange as people didn't seem to realise it's Boxing Day, they were surprised that we closed early. 

The job itself has also changed, there's a lot more to do as there's the start of all the sale things, and the start of food for new year. It was busy with a lot to do, and of course it's double time so there's only two people in and one of them is on the till. 

I miss the days we were closed, and people made their piles of food last two days, but sadly judging by the sales I don't think we will go back to that anytime soon.

Happy Christmas

Just a quick post to say Merry Christmas to all my readers, I hope you all have a great Christmas.