Hate seeming ungrateful but.........

.......Hubby bought me a new phone for my birthday.

It actually didn't arrive in time so I had a photo of it stuck inside my card.

Bit of an extravagance I thought as apart from a bit of a memory shortage my phone was fine. I'm not on a contract so no free upgrades which I've always liked, hate the changing for changing sake.

When it did eventually arrive I couldn't just move my sim across as the new phone needed a different size. Hubby got onto the Vodafone helpline and after they'd checked all security questions with me he was on there for ages and finally they promised the new sim would arrive by the following Tuesday.

The new phone is bigger (awkward for popping in a jeans pocket which I mostly do) and the outside is really slippy (awkward for in and out of my bag (I've ordered a silicone back cover which hasn't arrived yet)!

While we were waiting we did some data transfer with a Google app which mostly worked but not straightforward. Couldn't really test it out without the sim though. So many passwords to remember or reset. Then of course my old phone and tablet were objecting as passwords had been changed!

The following Friday we replayed the whole Vodafone helpline thing again as the sim hadn't arrived, we also realised that as I'm on pay-as-you-go that service isn't free and my credit was going down too fast, however they promised the new sim had now been ordered and would be with us by the following Tuesday!

Phew it did arrive and it has seemed like a fiddle-fart-about every time I pick up the phone. All the ringtones and notifications were wrong, it did when it shouldn't and didn't when it should have. It hadn't imported my contacts so lots of time tethering but the old phone was short on memory so it struggled.

That led on to us checking the tariff I'm on and seems the cost of texting on Vodafone is the most expensive unless you top up and earn their freebie package regularly! Oh the hassle I see ahead if I change provider and need to move my number!

So the old phone is now switched off and I'm using the new one. I will get used to it. Oh note to self, still need to Bluetooth it to the car!
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Water play.....

O spent the day here and it was another hot day so with R he played with water.

 They loved filling 50 water bombs at once.

Hubby was fixing the water feature.
I was staying in the shade as much as possible.
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Saw the Queen doing whizzpoppers...........

Bet you've guessed already, I've seen The BFG

I quite fancied seeing this as soon as lead characters were promoting it on chat shows and magazine programmes. So I invited R to the cinema......she declined as she really doesn't like the cinema, too loud and too in your face!

O had changed his mind about being a Tudor and Daughter had brought him home to his dad a couple of days ago, today we had him here while M was running his Creative Computing Club and O said he'd love to come see a film with me.

3pm on a Tuesday and screen 11 was almost full. We both loved it, only problem was O having the fidgits as he's a bit light for the tip up seats, wish I'd taken in his car booster seat. It was also nice to be inside for a couple of hours as it was up to 29°C outside.

Of course it's a great story like all Roald stories are and this Disney production had Spielberg magic. I believed every character and totally fell in love with the BFG himself, Mark Rylance has the most amazing facial expressions and warm loving expressive eyes!
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Sneaky proof........

While the others are back in Tudor land R is living with us.
Two things R is reluctant to do is outside physical activity or posing for a photo, however, I wanted proof that she was helping me with gardening.

Gone but not forgotten.......

Very sad news yesterday that friendDJ lost his battle with cancer, he fought long and hard, never giving up hope. We were told he slipped away peacefully surrounded by family with his hands being held. He'd recently told me holding hands made him feel safe so I was pleased he had that at the end.

Today facebook is full of tributes to him, he was so loved.

He was very much a part of our friends group. He loved live music, in fact he had played in local bands himself for many of his younger years which is how bfriendM got to know him as he was following the band her drummer boyfriend played in. While chatting she discovered his love of painting so she dragged him along to our art group. After art we always went to Olive's Bar which hosted live bands on a Thursday night so of course friendDJ came with getting to know the whole gang, although he often wandered off to chat to the rest of the room! He loved a good dance too. As I was the only one there without my Hubby friendDJ would often be my slow dance partner.

He will always be remembered, as a very talented musician and artist, he loved life and everything in it, he hated injustice, he appreciated all pretty things and noticed if I was wearing a new top or had nice perfume on. He would help everyone with anything he could without wanting anything in return And he voiced all this so we all felt loved.

RIP friendDJ.
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Olympic standard........

If eating out were an Olympic sport then I've been in training for years.
If this week were the main event then surely I'll get a medal.

Monday pub lunch with BfriendM (then a visit with friendDJ at the care home).
Tuesday pub lunch with friendLE and friendSG, old friends just getting reacquainted.
Wednesday usual crowd in usual pub as usual.
Thursday birthday dinner in a favourite pub with Hubby, Daughter, R, E & O.
Friday another birthday celebration in a pub of course, with BfriendM, friendHM and friendJB.
Sunday late birthday dinner with Hubby, Son and fiancé.

So I'm going for gold, but must remember to pace myself or I'll never manage to climb onto that winners podium!

My first and maybe my last.........

Yes I'm sentimental and yes I'm a crafter who could now so easily make a new one, but my first real patchwork make that was useful was my peg-bag!

It must be about 40 years old now!
Tumbling blocks patchwork, all hand stitched. Cost me nothing but my time.

Only the very bottom hasn't faded from the almost original colours. The brown was an old curtain, the pink a linen shirt and the purple were trousers, all lined with what once was my favourite denim maxi skirt.

So again it's time to repatch some well worn places to keep it going.
Well you can't just replace an old friend, can you?
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