Good Morning Everyone. Over the weekend we said goodbye to April & hello to May. If ever there was a month full of promise ... ...this is a forsythia hedge that we drive pass on our way to picking up groceries. This year every bush was in glorious bloom. I took the photo as we were driving, it's a busy highway & not easy to stop along.
Current Fun: on Saturday the 1st, it was NSD, aka National Scrapbook Day. This year because of COVD, many business & scrapping greats, decided that is should be the entire weekend. There were lots of online scrap meets. I had no problem devoting time each day from Friday to Sunday, to my favourite hobby. I had a lovely day catching up on some page layouts that have been languishing in my PHD box, (Projects Half Done) along with some card finishing. Late Saturday afternoon, I spent over an hour searching for a very specific die, which it turns out was in its own packaging as it should be & not part of the package I was waving frantically with the cries of "where is it". Turns out the dies packages have similar shaped dies & I had confused which was in which package. But thankfully it was not wasted time, I discovered I do have a specific embossing folder that I was going to order with the weekend specials. Phew saved money, found die ... talk about a good outcome.
This page is about my enjoyment of reading. The chair is actually a purchased greeting card & it's a flocked texture. I left it as a card, whited out the greeting inside where I will write the titles of my favourite books.
Currently Thankful: my upline Stampin Up demonstrator dropped off a goodie bag of Stampin Up treats on Saturday morning.
Currently Working On : the 2021 Summer Photo Scavenger Hunt List, aka SPSH. I will be posting the list on Monday May 24th. Like last year, the list will reflect the challenges of COVID restrictions, such as gatherings, travel bans & the possibility of some of us still living a lockdown life. The search will begin Tuesday June 1st & run until Thursday September 30th. There's not a lot of rules; photos need to be taken within the time frame of the search. It should be your own work or a loved one's work. But the most important thing is to have fun with it. There are some challenging items to find, some really easy ones to find & things in between. Lots of room for creative thinking/interpreting ...
Currently Annoyed: more of my pink tulips had their flower heads snapped off. The tulips would have been quite pretty.
Currently Watching: finished the first season of Line of Duty, which we enjoyed right up to the unsatisfying ending - Mr Man is still annoyed by it. I have series two on request from the library. Thank you to many of my blog friends for recommending, I was hesitate to watch for so long because I had it confused with Call of Duty which is quite violent. Also just finished the first season of The Ambassador, which is quite light & it's another one on request for season two.
Currently Reading: mostly re-reading as there are long gaps in my library requests. Some of the wait time is due to lockdown restrictions, plus it's still too cold & wet to be outside in the garden, which means everyone is reading. One current book that I did pick up is "Relax, Damit" not a fan of the writing style.
Currently Counting Down: the days until our current lockdown restrictions lift. There's been so many changes I am really not 100% sure, but I think it's Thursday May 20th at 12:01am. Of course it could change as our hospital ICUs are still overwhelmed with admissions. The B.1.1.7 variant is really quite aggressive & so easily spread. So I cannot see much of a return to familiar any time soon. Last week our region was celebrating that we had 4 days in a row with no new cases. It did not hold.
So here's to a relaxing week & I hope that everyone gets an opportunity to spend some time lost in a favourite book or hobby.
Nice scrapbook page having the card incorporated. I managed some scrapbooking too, but still have a list of videos that I want to watch. I should get to that now. I did stop and say a prayer that the COVID surges stop, after seeing a worldwide chart showing the steep rise. We have been lucky around here, but like you have experienced, there is no telling when the good trend will not hold. Take care, stay safe.
ReplyDeleteThank you Susanne, I saw the card & immediately knew what I wanted to do with it. I certainly include in my prayers that latest slogan "we are only safe when everyone is safe"
DeleteWe have the same problem with our tulips. This year Tracy put them in a pot rather than the ground, but when he put the pot outside, half of the tulip blooms were chomped right off! I'm grateful for a papercrafting hobby that keeps me occupied during stressful periods -- personal or worldwide. It's the one thing that totally immerses me. Reading is second. While we were away, SEVEN books from my hold list came in. Two are cookbooks, one is one sketchbooks, but four are novels. All of which I want to read. One down, three to go. Unlikely I'll finish them all before they are due.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that reading or crafting takes me out of my head, which these days is a good thing. I use to read cookbooks almost like a novel. This year everyone in the neighbourhood is complaining about the heads of tulips been bitten off. It's a plot, I'm sure of it.
DeleteI am a bit bothered by Line of Duty. The plots are generally similar and not entirely to my liking. But I see there is a new season airing or about to air, and I will probably watch it. Now, we are in the midst of many many seasons of Silent Witness. As mostseries go, it is uneven, but there are many vey good episodes.
ReplyDeleteMr Man announced this morning he's not interested in more Line of Duty, he really needed justice. I guess it is hard to produce a series & make everyone a thrilling ride for the watcher. I've requested Silent Witness DVDs from the library, the waiting list is long.
DeleteI was just wondering this morning, in fact, when this lockdown was supposed to be over. I think you may be right. And yes, too cold and wet to be out in the garden right now. :( -Jenn
ReplyDeleteI've tried searching for an lockdown end date, I went in circles! This morning I was encouraged by some of the good vaccine news. Fingers crossed for a steady supply.
DeletePretty forsythia hedge, pretty reading page and I agree about the ending to Series 1 of Line of Duty. Thought it was clever how all the way through you were forced to reevaluate what you thought you knew, but by the end I wanted answers and certainty. And justice. I've since watched Series 2 and may carry on with 3, but as I understand from the word on the street, the most recent series has left some bewildered, saying it was hard to absorb and needs to end.
ReplyDeleteMr Man does not want to continue with Line of Duty, he really was annoyed with the lack of justice & he feels it puts crime in a positive light. I'd like to at least try season 2. I've read that the series just finishing in the UK is the end of the series & it left a lot of people annoyed. The photo of the forsythia hedge really didn't do it justice. I just wish there was an easier spot to pull over for a better view & closer. Maybe next year ...
DeleteI like your reading page with the chair card ... good idea. I've never joined in with a scrapbook day but did enjoy going to the crafting fairs and looking at all of the goodies.
ReplyDeleteThe chair card was such a lucky find, so I bought two. I am using the other chair card in a layout for my COVID album. "What I Did On My COVID Pause" sort of like from school, what I did on my holidays assignment.
DeleteNow _that's_ a forsythia hedge! A gorgeous sight, and a great idea. I'm looking forward to being able to have lunches out. It won't be long before I'll feel comfortable with outdoor dining.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy early spring for the very sight of this forsythia hedge - it is a sight to behold especially on a sunny spring morning. I am not sure I will feel comfortable with eating away from home for a long time as yet. For me this continued lockdown, restrictions, warnings have certainly not done a lot for my level of trust.
DeleteI watched the last episode of the most recent series, season 6, of LOD last night and I will not give any spoilers but I did feel a little underwhelmed by it! I think that the hype around it had been so great, it didn't feel like it met expectations. But, it does tie up all the seasons leading up to it so you shouldn't watch the seasons as 'standalone' stories, there is something linking them all!
ReplyDeleteI thought that series 1 was definitely setting the stage for character development, plot lines & twists. I may have to watch alone, but I am intrigued to go further in spite of no justice.
DeleteForgot to say - hooray for the Scavenger Hunt plans - I can't wait!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're in for the search.
DeleteThe series 6 finale of Line of Duty aired here last night - most watched TV show in over 20 years, apparently. It cleared up a few outstanding issues but there's still a few unanswered questions ...
ReplyDeleteIn our house, we refer to Silent Witness to Scared S**tless!
LOD, Mr Man is reluctant to move forward with the series because he was so annoyed with the lack of justice (too much like real life I guess), I've read lots of reviews about the finale of LOD & I don't think many were satsified.
DeleteSounds like you had a good weekend! I really like that scrapbook page with the book patterned paper and the reading chair (and cat!) :) Looking forward to the summer photo scavenger hunt! In the meantime, I'm off to find red things for this month's challenge. Hope you have a lovely week.
ReplyDeleteI am hopeful the SPSH list appeals to a wide range of skills, talents & opportunties.
DeleteLovely to read you're enjoying scrapbooking :). Ah, Line of Duty - a mixed bag and some bits are violent, I have to tell you. Series Six has just finished and I am going to start again with Series One. Forsythia is such a vibrant bush, and your whole row is really something to behold. Looking forward to your photography list. I'm always amazing how different Covid regulations are in different states and different countries - I like your expression 'lockdown life', and think it's going to be around for a while yet, I think.
ReplyDeleteHow each country deals with the pandemic has certainly been mind blogging. I think in Canada our biggest problem has been no national strategy, it's every province for itself. Where the forsythia hedge is planted, there's no house on the property as yet. Mr Man & I would like to own this piece of land, but the owner seems to have had a vision & hence about 6 years ago planted on mass this hedge.
DeleteDid the squirrels get your tulips? Mine are still mostly intact but one group of smaller plants were taken
ReplyDeleteIn a court of law the squirrels would never be convicted because I did not actually see them snap off the tulips but all evidence points to the bonded pair of Black Squirrels. (col). I am keeping a watchful eye on the rest of the tulips, trying for video evidence this time!
DeleteOh, I love that scrapbook page! So glad you had a nice NSD weekend. What a lovely Stampin' up goodie bag.
ReplyDeleteThat is such a bummer about the Covid cases & continued lockdown. Everything is open here, although most places are still requiring masks. So many people are out & about that we are still staying home as much as possible. Vaccines have rolled out efficiently, but there are so many not planning to take it that I doubt we'll reach anywhere near the numbers needed for her immunity.
Our library is still offering drivethru pick up & I've gotten a few books lately. Still waiting on a few newer ones with longer hold lists.
Hope you are having a great week.
Thanks, I was rather pleased to get the page done. I agree herd immunity is going to take everyone doing their part - the needs of the many out weigh the needs of the one.
DeleteI'm looking forward to the new SPSH. I'm hoping that as we "unlock" I'll have more time to go out and find things. Stick with Line of Duty there are some really great characters to come!! The ending to series 6 was a little underwhelming but cleared up a few things and leaves it open for a possible series 7.
ReplyDelete