New Stash, a dead bird and a traffic jam....

Yesterday I went on an outing to "Stempel Mecca", a craft fair in Hagen, a town some 80 kilometers from Düsseldorf. I had stayed up rather late the evening before, and then put the light out and wanted to sleep at about 1.30 a.m. Just as I was drifting off, I heard strange noises, coming from the direction of the window, fluttering and scratching. I tried to ignore it, but it would not let me sleep, so I got up and went to the window. The noises stopped, and I could see nothing. I thought it must be a leaf caught on the window frame and fluttering in the breeze, as the window was open at the top. So, went back to bed, tried to sleep. Was 2.30 by then, and the noises kept starting again. Every time I got up and went to the window, there was nothing to see or hear. Sooner or later the noises stopped, but I didn't get to sleep till 5a.m., which made the night very short. Got up, opened the curtains and looked again if I could see what had caused those strange noises in the night. At first I saw nothing, then I saw a shadow in the vase on the window sill. It's a red murano-glass vase with a bottle neck. I looked inside it, and saw, to my horror, a bird, dead and stiff with outstretched wings and claws. The poor thing must have flown by mistake through the window and then nose-dived into the vase, and couldn't get out again, hence the frantic attempts in the night. It must have died of exhaustion. This morning I managed to remove the bird from the vase with a wire sling, and have buried it outside in the garden. The vase has been washed and disinfected, but I do not want to keep it anymore, so I will give it to the next charity shop.
Anyway, after that strange start to the day, my friend B collected me and we drove off to Hagen. No problems, we got there in an hour and even found a good parking space almost in front of the door. We paid our admission, got a stamp on our hands - a blue flower - and submerged ourselves in paradise. Lots of stands from all over Europe and the USA, with stamps, inks, paper and equipment galore, enough to let every scrapper's heart beat quicker. There were lots of craft demonstrations, too, where they showed amazing ways to use stamps and inks and colours, and produced fantastic and inspiring things. I was determined to only buy a few new stamp pads, which I did, although the term *few* is relative. Somehow the baskets filled up at each stand, and we both came home with several bags full of crafty bits and bobs and prospects and little presents. The two demonstrators from *Heindesign* were really marvelous, it was very fascinating to see what works of art they made in the shortest time, we could have watched for hours. But it was time to start the journey home. We wanted to go to Burger King on the way back and have something to eat, so we set off in high and hungry spirits. After a few minutes, we were on the motorway heading to Essen, everything stopped - a traffic jam. On a Sunday, and it seemed to have no apparent cause. We had seen no signs warning about jams or building works, nothing had been broadcast over the radio. It took more than an hour for the next 7 kilometers, till we could leave the motorway and head off somewhere - anywhere, we didn't know or care exactly where we were, we just wanted to get moving. Later we heard in the radio that the motorway had been closed due to road-works, but they had evidently forgotten to post their signs or broadcast in time....After a few minutes, we were looking for a garage, we saw some wonderful signs, not in the sky, but ahead of us on the road - not only a garage, but KFC and Burger King, too! After filling ourselves up in BK, B filled the car, and the rest of the journey home - on a different motorway - was quick and uneventful. It was a long, interesting day in the company of my best friend and scrap-mate, and I enjoyed every minute of it, even the traffic jam....still, it was a pity about that poor bird!

Crazy NYC Album

Make a Smilebox slideshow

An early start....

Last week I went to my friend B for a crop. We settled ourselves comfortably in her well-stocked craft-room (why do we always think that others have more than we do?), and each had to set a challenge for the other one, and it had to be something different from the things they usually do. I gave B a mini chipboard album to cover in bright Xmasy colours - not her favourites, and she challenged me to do a Layout in black and white about what I wanted to be as a child. Grey and silver were also allowed as deviants of black and white, so we both got started. I always wanted to be a teacher, as far back as I can remember, I never thought of doing anything else. I used to line the neighbours kids up, and get them to sit on the stairs so that I could teach them *important things*. I did not let myself be discouraged by first problems (kids who cried, wanted to go back home, started to shove each other about etc), this was a just a mild foretaste of things to come. Altogether I taught at different secondary schools for more than 35 years, and although I was happy to retire, I can look back on many happy times and experiences, and do not regret my early decision.

Crazy Castle Album

Made this album over the last few evenings, didn't like it all at first, but it has grown on me, and "with a little help from my friends" (especially Gina), I now like it. Thanks to the DC Scrappers who made good suggestions for changing the binding, which I did.

Chips with ketchup and majo...

Today is Saturday. A pleasant day, time to do what I want or to leave what I don't want to do. The weather is pleasant, a typical late summer, or perhaps early autumn day. The cycle of time seems to turn faster and faster with every approaching or passing birthday. Yesterday I was at the old people's home where I work, a beautiful place, which offers a cultivated ambience and good food and care to all residents. But yesterday, 2 old ladies didn't seem to enjoy their lunch of fried fish, potatoes and salad, although it was delicious. Tastes are known to be different. Then I watched how 2 of our old girls put their jackets on and left the home, rather surrepticiously, with lots of giggling, and looking back over their shoulders. I watched them out of my window, and saw that they went to the takeaway across the road, where they shared a paper plate of chips with ketchup and mayonnaise or *majo* as it is called here. They enjoyed their lunch no end, and came giggling and rather guiltily back to the home. I asked if they had been for a walk, and they said, with lots of giggles again, that they had been for a few steps in the park to digest their dinners. Later, when I was drinking coffee with them, they told me their "big secret" and were still giggling like 2 small girls at school. I asked them if it was better, and they answered "it was just something different, it was fun!" And I think that really was the whole point of it. We have the whole world in front of our door, we just need to open it, go out, and enjoy what's on the other side of the road. Take a taste of something different, before it's too late!

Quiz for a rainy day- Come and play with me!

And the winner is....................
GINA R, Mrs TSV. Well done, your prize will soon be speeding on its way to you per post!!




How good are you at answering quesions?
Try this quiz, and see how many you get right:
This is a Quiz for People Who Know Everything !

I found out in a hurry that I didn't.

These are not trick questions. They are straight questions with straight answers

1. Name the one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know
the score or the leader until the contest ends.

2. What famous North American landmark is constantly moving backward?

3. Of all vegetables, only two can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons. All other vegetables must be replanted every year. What are the only two perennial vegetables?

4. What fruit has its seeds on the outside?

5. In many liquour stores, you can buy pear brandy, with a real pear inside the bottle. The pear is whole and ripe, and the bottle is genuine; it hasn't been cut in any way. How did the pear get inside the bottle?

6. Only three words in standard English begin with the letters " dw" and they are all common words. Name two of them.

7. There are 14 punctuation marks in English grammar. Can you name at least half of them?

8. Name the only vegetable or fruit that is never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form except fresh.

9. Name 6 or more things that you can wear on your feet beginning with the letter "S."

Copy and paste the questions onto your blog and get going with the answers. Leave me a link to your blog and then the Blogger with all - or the most - answers rght gets a little pressie. If more people have them all right, I will draw one name. Good luck! Oh, you have time till Friday 11th September.
PS for those who don't have a blog, or don't want to blog the answers, send me a PM at DC.

New Triptych album

Made this album last night to try and cure my headaches and not-exactly-good mood after a (dis)stressing day....