Tidy? Me?

I'm beginning to think that someone, somewhere has sent Shimelle a list of my worst characteristics and she is designing this whole Beyond Blogging for Scrapbookers class in order to make me change my ways.  First we had the whole statistics/analysis malarky yesterday which made me think we had got the worst bit out of the way.  So I popped into town this morning, came home and printed off the pdf on the next prompt, made a coffee and went to sit on the patio in the sunshine to see what today's prompt held. 
There must be some mistake.  TIDYING UP?  Clearing out?  Me?  I felt a shiver go down my spine as if the sun had gone behind a cloud.  I don't 'do' tidy.  I do cluttered and messy and 'don't get rid of that, you never know when you might need it'.  Anyone who needs proof, please feel free to pop round and look in my 'drawer of useful things' in the kitchen.
So anyway, I've taken a deep breath and been ruthless.  All those little 'badges of honour' on my sidebar, showing classes I have taken - gone!  Just the ones that I am doing at the moment left.  It's a start and it's my leap of faith that by the end of this course, my blog will be bright and sparkling, up to the minute and looking like it just stepped off the catwalk at London Fashion Week. 
While I am admitting to my faults (of which there are many!) I am deeply ashamed to say that my good intentions on the Rosemary Conley healthy eating front have started to deteriorate.  I blame Mel for giving me a number to deal with on Sunday's blog hop thus enforcing me to consume vast quantities of chocolate all washed down with a nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc to calm my nerves.  I've never been vastly overweight but have reached a certain age {ahem}where I have to be a little careful over my food intake (or the type of food that is intaken).  I went to RC classes about 3 years ago with the intention of losing half a stone, and ended up losing almost a stone but that extra 7lbs is gradually creeping back up on me, despite still going to classes.  So I am going to try and plan my menus a little better from now on, and with the results of yesterday's survey, will share a few recipes along the way.  I've even added a new tab especially!   Tonight for dinner we are having salmon with a red pepper crust.

4 Salmon Fillets
1 pot roasted red pepper hummous
2 tbs breadcrumbs
Sprinkling of parmesan cheese

Place salmon fillets on a foil covered baking tray and spoon hummous over top in a nice even layer (those NOT on the RC diet plan have a thicker layer than the others!)
Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and grate over a dusting of parmesan.  (Those lucky devils not having to watch their weight can have a very much more generous dusting)
Bake at 180C/360F/Gas 5 for about 15 mins
Serve with salad or green vegetables.
Enjoy!

Mathematically challenged

So have we all recovered from Mel's Mega Blog Hop yesterday?  Wasn't it fun?!  I really enjoyed going through all the blogs and managed to totally ignore my husband's 'You can't still be reading through blogs' comments.
When I signed up to join in it was still an alphabet blog hop and I'd been mentally singing the 'ABC' song in my head {a la Sesame Street} thinking of cute stories for whatever letter she threw at me.  So you can imagine my shock and surprise at being given a NUMBER.  Now anyone that knows me will be aware that I hate maths - and it's not one-sided, maths hates me too so that's fine.  I avoid figure work at all costs so being told I had to do a whole post around a number was enough to send me off to a dark room with a glass of wine and a bag of maltesers to have a lay down to get over the shock.  But, hey ho, ever one to rise to a challenge - I managed to come up with something.  Having done that I was really looking forward to the prospect of a new class from Shimelle starting this morning.
So you can imagine how thrilled I was to see that we were going to be signing up to http://analytics.google.com to work out {gulp} statistics for our blog.  Statistics? Oh my goodness, pass me another malteser.  Anyhow, nothing ventured, nothing gained, I'm all signed up and woohoo, I didn't even come out in a cold sweat.  Now we have to 'leave it alone'.  Leave it alone?  What?  Not even have a little peek?  Not one little check just to make sure it's working?  Hmmmm.  Have I ever mentioned how impatient I am?
OK, let's read the next paragraph.  Surveys?  Polls?  That sounds a bit mathematical to me.  But I've signed up for it and I'm sure I won't be scarred for life.  But take pity on me, dear fellow bloggers, could someone, somewhere please take part in my survey so I haven't gone through this stress and strain for nothing?!
Only joking folks.  Now I tried hard to think of what I could possibly do a survey on and whilst this is in theory a scrapbooking blog, I did once take part in a blog hop that was recipe inspired and that was great fun too.  And I know that I love it when other people post recipes on their blogs as I am constantly on the look out for new meals to try.  So my question is:

Alphanumerical blog hop

Welcome!
I'm guessing you have arrived here via Melissa's blog but even if you just stumbled across me by accident please do come in, sit down and relax a little before you head off to the next port of call.  For those of you that don't know me, my name is Debs.  I was born in 1958 which sounds SUCH a long time ago!  I grew up in a place called Old Harlow and went to Mark Hall School until I left when I was 18.  In 1978 a lady I worked with set me up on a blind date with her cousin.  Just to prove that blind dates can lead to lasting happiness, I married him in 1980!  I have such special memories of the 80s, not least because in 1986 {when I was 28}  our daughter was born, in 1989 I was pregnant again and our son was born the following March.  Have you guessed what my allocated number is yet?  Some more facts for you:
It's an extremely lucky number in China.   The opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Beijing began on 8/8/08 at 8 seconds and 8 minutes past 8 pm (local time) and the Petronus Twin Towers in Malaysia each have 88 floors.
Fancy seeing what the average girl in her twenties would have looked like during the 80s?  Here we go:

Well now it is time for you to move on to my dear friend Denise - it's not far to travel, about 25 mins straight down the A10.  Be ready to fall in love with her gorgeous dog, Archie - star of many a scrapbook page!  If you get lost along the way, the full journey is shown here, enjoy your trip!

blog list
I Speak Melsh: http://ispeakmelsh.blogspot.com/
BE Glorious: http://beglorious.blogspot.com/
Captured On Film: http://mrsbeee.blogspot.com/
Chatty Crafty Arty Pig: http://chattycraftyartypig.blogspot.com/
Creating Room: http://creatingroom.blogspot.com/
Curiouser and Curiouser: http://journalofcuriousthings.blogspot.com/
Daily Life - Bits and Pieces: http://www.melissagross.blogspot.com/
Deb's World: http://www.debs14.blogspot.com/
Den's Crafty Diary: http://deecie.blogspot.com/
From High In The Sky: http://fromhighinthesky.blogspot.com/
Gallo Organico: http://gallorganico.blogspot.com/
Ginger's Life Of Spice: http://gingerslifeofspice.blogspot.com/
Handmade By Kirsty: http://handmadebykirsty.blogspot.com/
Havoc and Mayhem: http://www.havocandmayhem.com/
Heather's Scraps: http://heathers-scraps.blogspot.com/
Helena's Creative Maven: http://helenascreativemaven.blogspot.com/
Holaday's Happy Hearts: http://holadayshappyhearts.blogspot.com/
Jeant-Jinnag: http://jeant-jinnag.blogspot.com/
Just Jimjams: http://just-jimjams.blogspot.com/
K's Crafty Corner: http://kscraftycorner.blogspot.com/
Life...As I See It: http://jillconyers.blogspot.com/
{Life Behind The Purple Door}: http://www.lifebehindthepurpledoor.com/
Lisa E Design Blog: http://lisae-design.blogspot.com/
Living Life One Blessing At A Time: http://livinglifeoneblessingatatime.blogspot.com/
Mary's Musings: http://craftycreation.blogspot.com/
Michelle Loves...: http://michellelovesallsorts.blogspot.com/
Obstinate Pursuit: http://obstinatepursuit.blogspot.com/
Over At Our Place: http://overatourplace.blogspot.com/
Paper Turtle: http://paperturtle.blogspot.com/
Peonies and Pennies: http://peoniesandpennies.blogspot.com/
Random Reflections: http://www.kbwalker.blogs.com/
Rosalind Revival: http://rosalindrevival.blogspot.com/
Scrap Dreams: http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com/
Scrappyjacky: http://scrappyjackylive.blogspot.com/
Scrapworthy Lives: http://www.scrapworthylives.com/
Staring At The Sea: http://fiona-staringatthesea.blogspot.com/
Surefiredaisy Says: http://surefiredaisysays.blogspot.com/
This Kalil Life: http://www.kimberlykalil.com/
This Little Life Of Mine: http://tracyscraftycorner.blogspot.com/
Xnomads' Blog: http://xnomads.typepad.com/blog/

Note: If any of the posts aren't up yet, please bear with us - the different time zones and the peculiarity of blogging platforms when it comes to autoposts may mean that one or two posts don't appear on time! If that's the case, come back to this list to pick up from the next blog, but do please pop back and try the other link later, when the post should be there for your enjoyment.

Weekend fun

Whilst we obviously miss our daughter living at home, there have been a few unexpected bonuses!  She works in town here, but it's a good 40 minute walk into town or a nearly £8 a day parking fee so she would usually ask us for a lift into work on a Saturday which meant that although we had no reason to be up bright and early at the weekend, she still had to be in work by 10 to 9 and we therefore had to be up too.  It was such a luxury to wake up this morning, no alarm clock, and see that it was 8.38am - bliss! 
We're going over for dinner tonight at my sister and brother in law's home.  In June they are going to the same hotel that we stayed in Sorrento last year, so we are going to give them some ideas of places to go and things to do.  They are going to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary!  And I thought 30 years sounded a long time when we were celebrating last September.  My sister is eight years older than me and I can remember being a bit of a moody teenager when I was her chief bridesmaid! 
So, there's a few facts and figures in this post, which leads me nicely to this:

Mel's blog hop starts 2pm {please be kind to me, Blogger, and let my scheduled post go live at the right time} and I'm sure it's going to be fun so please pop back again tomorrow!

Beach body beautiful

Some tips for looking your best on the beach this summer - as modelled by me in Cornwall 1961

• Always wear a hat - an especially handy tip if you have ginger hair to hide.  If you do not have a hat of your own, wear your mothers.
• Shop around for a rather becoming ruched swimsuit.  If it has been handed down from your big sister, the elastic may have 'gone' from around your midriff but no one will notice
• If a bracing breeze should pick up, make sure you put on your cardi.  When bracing breeze becomes too unbearable, retreat quickly to behind the windbreak for a picnic lunch of cheese sandwiches (complete with sand)

It seemed a good idea at the time

I've been giving some thought to what I am going to post for Mel's blog hop on Sunday.  When I signed up for it, it seemed AGES away and I would have plenty of time to think of something witty and original and arty and thought provoking.  Now suddenly it is Thursday and the blog hop is Sunday and I have done nothing!  Not even dull and boring.  So I decided that I needed inspiration from the old box of forgotten photos - got totally sidetracked and still haven't found anything witty, original, arty or thought provoking.  But I did find this

There is actually one professional model in this photo, can you guess which it is? 

So here's the story behind it.  When I left school I went to work for a holiday company that specialised in luxury villas and apartments overseas.  I worked there from 1976 to 1986 and I am guessing this photo may have been taken in about 1984.  My job there was in the Passenger Relations Department, basically replying to all post-holiday correspondence and trying hard to settle disputes with disgruntled holidaymakers.  The other three ladies in the photo are people who worked in the same department as me.  The gentleman um, well, you know, we kind of stole him out of the front window display.

Our manager had gone on holiday for two weeks and she was one of the few who had a proper office, the rest of the building was mostly open plan.  So when she was away, other people were constantly 'borrowing' her office for meetings which was really annoying as her office was where a lot of the filing was kept and if someone had the office on 'Do not disturb' we couldn't get in there.

I'm not sure whose bright idea it was, but someone thought that it would be a good idea to have a sitting tenant in the office so that people couldn't take advantage of it and as her office had a frosted window in the door, so long as they could see someone/something sitting at the desk, they would think it was occupied.

So after work one day we sneaked downstairs, crept into the window display of a couple sitting having a drink in front of a backdrop of a Greek taverna  and removed the gentleman from his seated position, removed the fake glass of wine from his hand and smuggled him upstairs.  How we didn't get caught I don't know and we must have looked a sight carrying him upstairs as the 'gentleman' in question had no legs. 

But we put him in position, closed the door and it worked like a charm.  People looked through the frosted glass, saw a figure at the desk and moved on elsewhere.  We, however, were free to come and go as we pleased.  The only slight flaw to our plan was that our manager had her flights changed and returned to work a day early, only to find 'someone' sitting at her desk.  Ooops! 

Mind reader

This morning I woke up and thought 'Right, today I am going to spring clean and tidy that room'.  Stripped the bed linen off the bed, took down the curtains to wash them before I started work on tidying up the dressing table and hanging up the odd bits of clothing that were on the floor etc etc.  Quietly wondering if I could consolidate the odd bits and pieces left in all the drawers into just one section and how I may be able to incorporate some of my scrapbooking supplies into all the spare storage space .... when my phone beeped to say that there was a new text message ....

How did she know?