Pupdate

We are oftentimes asked what we do to fill our time now we are retired 

In truth -  I have no idea. Ask any retiree and they will generally tell you the same - they can't fathom how they managed to fit work in !

One of our favourite ways to pass an hour or two is to explore our beautiful county and to do so with the dogs is an added treat

The world is always so interesting through the eyes and nose of a dog, we can learn a lot from their enthusiasm to explore and examine every little detail of a place

Our four legged friends find genuine pleasure in just 'being' somewhere new. They are not distracted by cell phones, time limits, protocol, what's cool and happening

Much the same as small children they can be mesmerised by the simple things in life, the ebb and flow of the tide, the peculiar sideways crawl of a crab or the enchanting twinkling of seaside treasures half buried in the sand, waiting to be released and played with, nudged with noses, padded by paws

Oh to see the unspoilt joys of the world from an innocent

Come on dad, give up with the camera, throw the ball now pleeeeeeease

Bruce has perfected the head tilted, floppy eared look of a dog begging to play, heartstrings firmly being pulled

Molly practising yoga among the seaweed, down dog - beach style

Bruce will always bring the ball back and wait patiently for the next toss, nothing will distract him, his mission is to retrieve and return

Molly on the other hand will run around randomly, ball in mouth seemingly oblivious to everyone and everything. She has been known to get more than one object in her mouth at the same time, ie not drop a ball to pick another one up, she sometimes even manages a ball and a stick !

And of course we can't forget our other little furry friend

What has Sox been up to this summer ?

Yes this cat can sleep anywhere and anyhow, utterly unbothered by the presence of two large clumsy canines. We had reservations when we first brought her home, terrified her tiny frame and placid nature would be no match for the huge personalities of the dogs

We need not have worried

Sox rules !

We also had an unexpected sleepover with this little cutie Tilly

Rob finished his shift last week to find Tilly in the beer garden, without any sign of an owner

We tried to find where she was from, but, had no success, so we brought her home for the night to keep her safe from the roads etc

She loved our dogs ( didn't quite know what to make of Sox) and was as good as gold.

 Happily she was reunited with her owner the following morning

Secretly Rob was a little sad to see her go, I think he would have quite happily kept her

xxx

I'm baaaaaaaack !

Hello

When Neil asked me if I had given up blogging I realised that my posts have been less than regular

It has been a case of life getting in the way, in a very nice way of course - all the kids are home yayyyyyyy

I mentioned in my last post that Robbie was the first to arrive and quickly found himself a job to tide himself over the holidays, he is still working hard and doing lots of hours, he has finished the  training he was offered so will be getting a pay rise shortly. He survived last week which was the Charlestown Regatta and was his busiest week to date. We are beginning to notice a big difference in the amount of people visiting -  our sleepy little towns and villages are becoming increasingly busier with lots and lots of holiday makers enjoying all the joys of Cornwall, thankfully the weather has been kind with most days dry, sunny and warm.

Ben and Amy are also here now, and both working

Amy has got a job in the tea-rooms at the Lost Gardens of Heligan and absolutely loves it, she says the people she works with are all super friendly and helpful. She commented last week that she loves the general laid back nature and genuine friendliness the Cornish people have, and she gets lots of yummy treats to eat on her breaks

Ben is working at a seafood restaurant - Wreckers -  in Charlestown just across the road from where Robbie works, he also works similar hours so it has been easier for Neil to drop them off and pick them up at the same time

And last but not least AJ is working as a kitchen porter at The New Inn in Tywardreath, he has applied for an apprenticeship at the Eden Project but wanted to keep busy and earn himself some spends over the summer

And now for a little crafting update ( I found a few images on my computer of projects that I have not yet uploaded to my blog, so I will try and incorporate them into my next few blog posts)

My mum's birthday card from last month

I created an 8" x 8" card base, I extended the Nestabilities die to fit the card, matted and layered the patterned papers and added a punched border, using a Martha Stewart border punch

The flowers were created using a variety of Marianne dies ( the largest actually being a snowflake)

The butterflies are also a Martha Stewart punch

And next I have a page from my bullet journal last month

Each month I create a 'memories' page, a little reminder of the things that made me smile that month, I love that my bullet journal allows me to document what I want, how I want ( and I get to do lots of doodling)

And finally all our pets are super happy that we have a house full of knees to sit on, extra playmates and many more opportunities for spoiling

Sox alternates from being super sleepy and peaceful, knee hopping as each of us gets on with our daily activities to being ultra playful, taking a swipe at dangling dressing gown belts, laces, ear phone wires and generally anything that catches her attention

One full house = happy kids, happy pets and one very happy mum!

Love and family fun

Tracey

xxx