7 AM TODAY

At 7am this morning, it was so gorgeous outside that I went for a walk.

 I wandered along the canal path and there along with the other boats in the basin, moored up, were two thames barges. Then I made my way home along the seawall, the tide unfortunately was completely out. 

I used to walk quite regularly in the early mornings but I've been going swimming a lot recently instead and this is the first time this year that I've actually got out bright and early for a stroll.

While I was walking I went through in my mind what I was going to write on my blog this week. It all seemed to flow effortlessly and make a lot of sense but once home, after I'd eaten breakfast, popped the washing on the line and tried to sort out my BT mail ( don't ask, about that one!) I've just sat down to write my post and it isn't flowing as intended.

Over the weekend there was a lot of talk in the news about school trips and the funding of them and I thought I'd tell you my tale.

In 1969 aged 11 when I was at primary school I was lucky enough to go on a school trip to Switzerland. It cost my parent £48 and every week for the whole year my mum went to the school office and paid £1 towards the trip. We went at Easter and it was the first time I'd spent anymore than a day or two away from home and I'd never been abroad at all.
We travelled by coach and ferry and I can remember carrying my suitcase along the platform in France before boarding the sleeper train to Switzerland.
 We all had to take our own food for the journey and to my surprise my mum had packed me smoked salmon sandwiches. Considering we only had a tin of red salmon on high days and holidays, smoked salmon was the ultimate of luxury.
When we finally arrived at the hotel and I unpacked my suitcase, there hidden under my clothes was a large bar of cadbury"s chocolate all wrapped up in tissue paper. The word soon spread and nearly every other child came to my room for a square of chocolate.

It's strange what you remember isn't it?

The reason why this all came to mind yesterday was at lunch time, I opened the fridge door and asked  Michael, "what do you fancy in your sandwich, ham, cheese, smoked salmon...?"
We both chose smoked salmon and hence my tale.

In later years when my children went on school trips I always popped a little treat in their bags, like my mum did. Though, once they both became scouts and for my son especially, as well as treats I used to put little post it notes on their toothpaste and soap saying, "please use me!"

If you think it's a good idea and one to remember I must add, for my son, it didn't work. He never was a great reader!

Moving on, do you remember this jacket I made for Jessica?

Well, here is Charlotte's. Same pattern, different size and therefore a slight alteration in the pattern.

Not going well, not going well at all.  The sleeves are knitted separately, inserted into the rest of the garment and then the yoke is knitted to complete it. Jessica's knitted up perfectly but this one........nightmare! I've lost count of the times I've knitted the capped sleeves  and undone them again. I just can't make out where and why it's going wrong. So frustrating!

I'm really hoping I can get to grips with this and finish it for Easter.

Thank you for dropping by and trying to make sense of my ramblings.

Enjoy your week!