Ruby's textile work and a view from the Thames

 First of all, I want to show this cushion cover which Ruby made in school (textile lessons). I think it's fab - I've never been able to sew so I admire her even more for it, and it's nice and colourful which I like. Oh, and I haven't done any embroidery for ages, just too busy at the moment with other things.

It was lovely weather today, so I took Bonnie down to the Thames for a walk.

It is a lot of fun to take pictures with the new camera, and carrying it is no problem whatsoever. I'm also now seriously trying to grips with Photoshop. I've bought one of those 'The Idiot's guide to...' books for Photoshop, but it is massive and very technical  - I found it too hard for a complete beginner like me. I mean, I'm usually quite good with the computer and with new programmes, but Photoshop is just so vast. There a quite a few online tutorials around thanks goodness, and this one is an excellent one for absulute beginners: http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/photoshopcs2lessons/Photoshop_CS2_Basics_Online_Course_Index_of_Lessons.htm

I'm slowly working my way through the lessons, and while I still get stuck sometimes, I think I finally get the hang of it. The pictures above are not edited with Photoshop, only in the Canon's ownZoomBrowser EX software, so only basic edits like cropping, levels and Tone Curve were done.

Medway's snip and my new camera

And here he is, our little man - or not any more? Yes, Medway's had the snip today. Dropped him off at the vets in the morning amidst loud protests from the family (and from him!), but I'm just too aware that not castrated tom cats will just stray and get into fights, and also... he started spraying around the house - now that's something I can definitely without. So, here is his first picture as a new 'man':

My new camera arrived last week - after a week of reading endless reviews online and (most importantly I guess) trying compact cameras out at the shop, I went for a Canon Powershot SX210. One off the main selling points for me was the exceptionally hight zoom range of 15x optical zoom, so I've almost got a mini-DSLR which can easily fit in my pocket. The other point was that I am used to the Canon models e.g. the buttons, software, layout is easily recognised by me, and this is so much easier than getting used to a completely new model.

The first few days I went through all the shooting opions and found it surprisingly easy to get to grips with it, in short  - I love my new camera. ok, it won't replace an DSLR, but it has many of the functions a DSLR will give you and is so handy for travelling, well, even if I walk the dog across the road, it is much easier to fit this little baby in my pocket, and also I won't attract unwanted attention as I sometimes feel quite uncomfortable having a big and very expensive looking DSLR around my neck.

So, here are a few shots from last weekend and today:

Beacon Wood Country Park, view to Southfleet

Beacon Wood Country Park

' The Bridge' Estate, just across the road from us.

Again, at 'The Bridge', view to Dartford Bridge.

There is light at the end of the tunnel.

Sophie Kinsella 'Can you keep a secret'

 I've got some many books still stacked up here on my windowsill, ready to be reviewed. Read most of them ages ago... So I better make a start with this one. I have to say - I haven't joined the E-book revolution yet (i.e. Kindle). Firstly, I don't really like the feel of holding this min-laptop device and reading a book on it, clicking a button to go to the next page. I don't know, can't really describe, but I have to turn a books page when I read to get my enjoyment out of reading a good book. Maybe I will have to try it for a while... no doubt technology will go more and more forward, and one day there won't be any more print books, or they will be the exemption, so than it is not a big deal for me, but in the meantime I shall stick to a good old-fashioned book. Also, I've got over 100 books still on the shelf, waiting to be read, and all my Stephen King Books are the old-fashioned type, so I don't want to download them again!

So, chick lit time. Yes, I admit, chick lit is my guilty pleasure ever know and again. And Sophie Kinsella does it to a 'Tee' as they say. in 'Can you keep a Secret' we meet Emma. She works in the marketing department of a soft drinks company, and in the first chapter, gets send to an important business meeting to proof her worth. well, it's hilarious, she hasn't got a clue and just gets everything wrong, but it's also a wonderful caricature of those so-called more serious characters in 'business' life. On the way back from her meeting, sitting in a plane, during a few turbulences, she thinks the plane is going to crash and spills all her secrets to the (goodlooking ehmmm) stranger sitting next to her. Not life-changing, horrible secrets, but the little secrets which we all have at some stage i.g. bra cup size, lying on your CV, feeding orange juice to the plant of that colleague you really hate etc. Only, the stranger isn't really a stranger at all, and when Emma comes back to work the next day she finds out that he is the Company's mega-rich executive. the comedy from this is great, and it makes a perfect train-commute or beach read.