Eternal Refuge

As promised I am sharing the photos from my trip just over a week ago. I met up with Brenda and we went to Lytes Cary ... enjoy









( A Stroll inside )


Walking round the gardens -






Inside the Chapel, the oldest part of the building as it was constructed in 1343

Sorry

Yes, I know I keep saying that I am going to catch up with you all - but the last couple of mornings I have been busy with housework ... how can dust arrive quicker than the polish gets rid of it!! So, as I had a couple of lazy weeks, I am all behind.

So yesterday was cleaning, washing, shopping ... this morning more cleaning and some banking as well. So I am gradually catching up.

Had aimed to have the Bank Holiday weekend off work but one of the ladies who usually works has had a sudden bereavement and so needs to take time to come to terms with the shock.

So hopefully I will catch up with you all before I head into work tomorrow ... but until then ...




22. Have you ever lived or worked in a skyscraper or high-rise building? Which floor?
No

23. Have you ever tried non-alcoholic beer or wine?
NO!!!! Why would I??





Right, I also have some icons to post then I must get on to work

See you tomorrow (I promise)

I start with this post of 20 icons, for characters20in20  all from the film
High Plains Invaders which is a film starring James Marsters ... so, yes, one I certainly had to watch!

I obviously wished too hard for learning work containing text, as this was another challenge in this set. We had to use at least 3 words from a song. In this case my choice of song was easy (and, no, I didn't know the challenge before I picked this film). James wrote and sang a song A Cappella about the back story of the film (and the words are below). For those who don't know the film, but worry about a couple of the scenes, the 2 of them do end up with a "happy" ending.

Themes

Face Hidden	Ice Texture	Inverted	Blended and Mixed	Outlined
Eyes	Chiaroscuro	Complimentary Colours	Close and Far	Odd One Out

Category - Song Set

Category #1	Category #2	Category #3	Category #4	Category #5

Artist's Choice

AC #1	AC #2	AC #3	AC #4	AC #5

As ever, all are snaggable, but credit would be appreciated. The credits are available over at my icon journal - d4s_icons






ALONE

Well I alone in Averenth
With my lady by my side
After wars I left her
And now she’s come to watch me die

She’s a flower in the sun
Now she’s crawlin’ through the mud
‘Cause a me, ’cause a me

My heart was sick, from killin’ Injuns
With their babies in their beds.
I refused but my General
Put his gun up to my head.

I wanted to come home
So Abby wouldn’t live alone
So I killed, burned them down

I woke up, cold dark morning
Saw a face in the mirror
Realized what I was bringing home
Wasn’t worth bringing anymore.

I tried to heal my sores
With robbin’, whisky and whores
Didn’t work. I was still bad

Sheriff – put the noose right around me
Pull it tightly, snap my neck
Don’t want my love to see me strangle
When my soul’s all blown to heck

So I’m alone in Averenth
With my lady watchin’ me die
I don’t know if I could bear it
To see poor Abby cry one more time.

... one infection followed by another.  Add continued working, and I realised I had ended up with a slight degree of depression.

So, this last weekend I kicked myself, and am feeling more positive again.

The throat is much, much better, but the chest infection is still rumbling away.  However I am going to focus on other things.

So, I am behind with A to Z photos (and not going to do that for a couple of days), and a month behind with photos on photo_scavenger (ditto) .. but at least I now know I am re-focusing.

Over the weekend I walked into the city and did a walking tour of the city.  They do 2 or 3 free ones every day and I am gradually working my way down the list.  This one was "Royalty in Exeter", and I did learn a few new things, but a lot I had heard before.  However it didn't help that the lady read a lot of her notes, rather than just chatting through the info as they had done on previous tours.

Then on Sunday, after Church I drove to a National Trust property about an hour away ... and met Brenda who had done the same.  So yes, that was great ... and I will have photos to share.

Now, I am also behind with questions ... so will catch up with them -







12. Do you regularly moisturise your feet?
When I remember!

13. Do you remember when you bought your first computer?
Dad had one of the early Amstrad Word Processors, which I used. My first computer ran Windows 95 ... so, yes, some years!

14. Have you still got access to an Avon representative locally? Have you ever bought products from Avon?
I don't wear make-up, except nail varnish.
Although someone did give me one of their perfumes years ago that I liked, but that is my limit of Avon.

15. Who cleans the toilets in your home?
Seeing as there is only me here, it had better be me!

16. International Day of Light – when is sunrise and sunset where you live today?
Don't know - but it's certainly longer days at present.

17. How do you keep track of your daily schedule – a paper diary, a wall calendar, on your phone/computer or something else?
Some on my phone diary ... most on the calender on my kitchen wall.

18. How do you store your cutlery – in a drawer or another place?
Most in a drawer - however I do have my grandfather's canteen of cutlery that he received in 1960 from work.

19. It’s British Sandwich Week – what would be in your ideal sandwich?
I take a sarnie to work every day ... usually corned beef, but sometimes cheese & marmite.





Right, let's get on as I am working later.

Let me finish by wishing Jiffy a Happy Birthday. Usually I go and see his grave, but as I'm working today that's not going to happen as it's almost an hour's drive away ... so will just leave you with a photo -




Well I don't have any more tome to catch up with you all - but aim to be a better friend this week.

Hope that you are all well x

I finished the set of icons for retro_icontest  ... we were given 20 prompts, and could chose how many we made.  I have done all 20, although a few I am not particularily happy with.  But it get's to the point where if I keep staring at them then I shall really panic - so decided to post as they are!

1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20

As ever, all are snaggable, but credit would be appreciated. The credits are available over at my icon journal d4s_icons, or listed below in the prompts.  The photos on # 5, 13, 16 &19 were taken by myself.





1. Random character: Joyce Summers
2. Random retro_icontest challenge: round 25 theme 4 "as simple as it can get"
3. Random praise: Text usage here is a masterpiece! Awesome combination of colors, different fonts, their height, etc. Also monochrome look, with the character popping out works really well.
4. Random screencap
5. Random song: Hybrid - Choke
6. Random tutorial: by fuuurs
7. Random movie poster: Hateful Eight
8. Random quote: “Strong people have a strong sense of self-worth and self-awareness; they don’t need the approval of others.” - Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
9. Random texture
10. Random font
11. Random trope: AllGrownUp
12. Random remake
13. Random song title: Rip It Up
14. Random inspiration icon
15. Random palette
16. Random art: http
17. Random album cover: Mr Scruff, by Ninja Turtles
18. Random book cover:.A_Dirty_Job
19. Random word: rush
20. Random screencap pool: my own randomized Buffy caps (mostly s6 I hope that's okay) 

Work continues ... and so does the sunshine!

I have also done some housework ... as well as having a shortish walk each day ... so all in all a good girl!

I can't believe May starts tomorrow - how can a third of the year have gone.

I am back in work later.  I was due to work till 7, but the lady who is due to cover my evening tomorrow asked for a swap.  That works out brilliantly, as I have just had a message from Tim & Claire suggesting we meet up this evening.  So, that's going to be a good afternoon & evening.  Hopefully I shall find out what's happening about their roof ... but if there's no news, it will just be good to meet up anyway.

So, I want to get on ... will try and catch up with you all tomorrow, but until then -






29. What’s the largest animal you’ve ever seen in person?
In a zoo, an elephant.
I have ridden horses, and also a camel.

30. In the UK, it’s the end of the school half-term holiday break. What did you do in the school holidays when you were at school?
We always went away for summer holidays … 2 or 3 small trips if we stayed in England, or when I was a teen we used to spend 3 or 4 weeks in Europe … either in a caravan, or a tent.
Christmas was always family at our house … but Easter was often Mum trying to get us all involved in getting the garden ready for the coming summer season.





Right ... I will be aroung more, soon, I promise x

I know, the weekend got away from me!

My day with Claire turned out to be totally different than we had planned. Their neighbours (not the ones that caused problems 2 years ago), have caused them a total nightmare. They are having a new roof, and when Claire got home on Wednesday lunchtime, she found that the roofer had removed about 2 foot of their roof … the explanation is that the tiles looked uneven. So Claire contacted Tim, and he spoke to a colleague who put legal things in place. Why it’s happened is still a mystery … as Tim & Claire said they had no problems with their roof, and this was totally wrong whichever way you look at it.

So I went round and the morning was letting Claire talk, and talk, and talk ... we had lunch and then she and I made the most of the lovely afternoon, doing some gardening, then sitting on the patio with a drink, while waiting for Tim to finish work. We then walked into Exeter and they treated me to a meal, before heading home.

What a nightmare for them.

Friday I had a lazy morning before going into work, and Saturday I was a good girl - housework, housework, and I made soem ANZAC biscuits (which I should have made the previous day)


Sunday, was Sunday!

Apparently I am ahead with the A to Z ... so that's why it's missing today.

This is just a quick catch-up before I head into work -








25. Do you ever watch the birds in nature? Can you identify any by their song or by their appearance?
Mum and Dad usually had blue tits nesting in their box on the wall, and it was lovely to see them in and out of their home.
Tim & Claire have a lot of bird feeders that get very popular.
So, yes, I have watched them in gardens, but despite living opposite a bird sanctuary for years, that’s the limit of my bird watching.

26. What colour is the sky right now?
Blue … today is the 28th, though.

27. If you could change one thing about your appearance, what would that be?
Sorry, but it’s everything! I am not a person who can look in a mirror at all.

28. In 1761 Marie Harel was born – a French cheesemaker credited with the invention of Camembert. Are you a fan of this type of cheese?
No, although haven’t tried much of it … so maybe that’s a project for the future!




Right, I will catch up properly tomorrow!

When I got in from work yesterday I made a cuppa, came upstaires and switched on my computer and ... the doorbell rang!

It was truly lovely to see them both, as they satyed for a couple of hours, but by then I just decided to have a lazy evening - chatting to a friend via text, and watching some TV ... so, sorry, my plans of being here, were shot down.

I had a lovely Easter Day ... it was a lovely service, and when I got home I actually sat in the sunshine for an hour reading - just so lovely. My great-grandmother always said that whatever the weather around Easter, it would always be sunny on Easter Day. Thank you Grandma Hillson!

I am working again this afternoon ... and want to get some icons made before then. But as it's the first post of the week I need to do my A to Z ... Week 18 – Apr 27 R is for ROOF. And, you get 3 for the price of 1. This is my house .... conservatory, kitchen, bedroom ... 3 roofs.


And ....






21. In Egypt, National Food Day is a day to celebrate the country's diverse cuisine. Do you like falafel?
Ironically, despite touring Egypt for 2 weeks last year, I don't remember seeing falafel. I don't actually remember having any, elsewhere ... but it may have been one of the things I tried when I was in Sicily, as we had a wide range of foods there.
So, the answer is, I don't know!

22. What do you have hanging on the walls of your home?
Pictures, photos, pictures, plates, pictures, clocks, pictures ... and more pictures. I have Vitorian photos of my great grandparents, to a cartoon of 5 giraffes named for myself, Nick & Tim, Brenda & Claire. (And everything in between)
As I look straight ahead of me, I have a cartoon of a lion with the quote "Sometimes I sits & thinks and Sometimes I just sits". Next to that is a painting Mum did of a village in Northamptonshire (near where she was born), and a love spoon that Dad' best man made for their 50th wedding anniversary.
In fact there is very little space left on my walls now.




Right, my artwork is calling me

I will check up on what you are all doing, as well

I was late into the Stargate Atlantis fandom ... but love the series ... although I did hope that John & Elizabeth would end up together ... which is why I actually wrote a fic to sort that over-sight out!

This set are made for icons10in20  ,,, where we had a Monopoly Board to play ... I will admit I had to cheat as a couple of times I landed on a coloured question mark and couldn't tell the colour of 3 of them (so I just added 1 to the dice roll).

Anyway - here we go -

1.  W1 - Reckless	2.  C1 - Amber	3.  TN2 - Blocks	4.  P1 - Ist Colour Palette	5.  TN3 - Framed by an Image
6.  P2 - 2nd Colour Palette	7.  W3 - Love	8.  TN4 - Overwhelming Text	9.  Current Favourite	10.  T4 - base by tinny
11.  TN5 - Simple	12.  TN6 - Close Crop	13.  C6 - Pink	14.  T1 - base by vintagic	15.  W2 - Beautiful

As ever, all are snaggable, but credit would be appreciated. The credits are available over at my icon journal - d4s_icons

As I said this morning I went to A La Ronde which is only a few miles away.

The house was completed in about 1796, and designed to be 16 sided, by 2 female cousins when they returned from their Grand Tour. They were great artistes, and the whole ceiling is a shell gallery, now too delicate to visit. One of the rooms has a feather frieze.





Mary's Will - 1848

Grand Tour - starting 1784


( Wandering round the house )


( And into the grounds )