zlokey chat back

Imagined today would be a calm day, just relaxing after a lovely weekend with friends after they had gone on their various routes back home. For some reason however, we decided to finally go and get our daughter her big girl bed (proper single bed size) and so ventured off to Ikea. On a Bank Holiday Monday. Could have gone wrong on so many levels, but didn’t at all. Had a lovely day out in fact. Only problem was having picked her new bed, she needed to sleep in it. She is 3, there is no reasoning that enabled us to leave it until tomorrow, plus childhood is about that kind of silly excitement. So after trekking up to Ikea, where they magically had everything in stock, we trekked back and made the bed before she went to bed. Happy as a pig in … well, you get the idea. Needless to say, no proper images today, just another iPhone job.

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Sandwich, being the place in Kent and not something to eat following a roast, of course! Always seem to take friends very locally when they visit, the Bay, the Bubble, the Bury and also Faversham (ran out of ideas by this point). For a change we decided to have an early Roast and head off to Sandwich. I must confess I have not been here, other than to drive through, for a very long time. Kept meaning to go, but never got round to it. What a lovely place to mooch round on a quiet Easter Sunday. Think we all appreciated the calmness of the walk, even with the two sproglies creating havoc. Some very strange street names too. Random selection of images for 365 today, found out that my son is at his happiest in a muddy puddle with dogs continually walking past and the ability to see ducks and birds. Excited in a rather understated word for his enthusiasm.

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A day that starts with a walk along the beach and someone else making your family breakfast can only ever be a good day. Today was an amazing day, that was filled with friends, catching up and renewed lust for life. Today sees the start of me wishing for something more than I have ever wished for anything, it is not monetary or for myself, but so very, very important. So, all of this means, I had zero time for taking photos. Today was an iPhone day. Meet the little critters that helped the girls beat the boys at Cranium.

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In preparation for the Easter weekend, our morning was a trip out to our local farm shop and the marvellous Brogdale Butchers and Country Goods shops. If you are local to Faversham, Kent and have not been to Brogdale for your meat, then you are missing a truly amazing butchers. Now a new shop has opened which sells a range of baked goods; bread, sausage rolls, pork pies and, most importantly, cupcakes! Add to this the Tiddly Pomme, which sells some brilliant cider, it is a great little one stop venue for so many things. Needless to say we came away stocked up.

If this is not enough, the trip is not complete for our two, without a visit to the Mangalitza pigs. Tucked round the side of the shops are the gorgeous curly pigs. I have mentioned these a few times on Twitter, but though it was time to take the big camera, so managed a few quick snaps before the sproglies tried to feed them the contents of my handbag and we had to drag them away! Then it was homeward bound and off to our local farmers shop. We have to support him as his fields back on to our back garden. I love the feel of this farm shop, it is how they should be, very rustic!

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Getting quite excited to be nearing the 100 mark. Feels like a long way through. I know there are still a lot of shots to go, but I am getting comfortable with it now and loving carrying my camera with me a lot more. Today was a family day and the weekend that stretches gloriously ahead of us is one to be filled with family and friends who are like family. So images today are of our family day out. Start with the arty ones and move to the family ones.

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Well, they are not really macro, but they are food and I (mainly) had fun doing it. Watch out on cucumber 2, I think there is a funny little shape to the bubbles. For the record, tomatoes do not ‘plop’ well. Do have another idea from this one though for a later date. Watch this space.

Word of warning, 365 may deteriorate in quality over next few days as I have really close friend coming and I won’t be spending the time on the shooting. Real shots, rather than staged I think.

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OK. So I slacked off yesterday. If you don’t care why, just scroll on down and start reading from “So, the images”, otherwise, fill your boots! I wasn’t in the mood to write the post and thought I’d explain a little bit about why. Those who follow me on Twitter might have read that after 18 months, I finally feel like a fog that has surrounded me since the birth of my son has really started lifting. This might sound all very weird, but there will be people who can understand. It is not just the children, but a lot of other things that have been happening that led to far too much mental activity and considerable self-doubt. This coupled with the massive change in role from 16 hour days working in a mad geek tech environment to staying at home with the kids, has been a lot to take in. I don’t regret any of it, but it has been flipping hard work at times! So, just as I start feeling like things are moving and I am happy with me and my lot in life, a couple of things happened yesterday, that tested my new resolve. Ironically too, as I grow back in self-confidence about me, my professional doubts, that I can’t cut it, creep back in. This is a good thing, this is what made me continually strive to improve in my career and makes me want to do the same with my art and photography. So all of this bundled together meant I just was not in the mood to post images that I was not particularly pleased with. Today, however, I just don’t care. I walked away, I slept and I put it all back into perspective and I feel much better again. I do so miss the Duvet Days of a working life!

So, the images. The first is a barn (and yes, I have severely over processed this, that was the look I wanted). Apparently this used to be used for making traditional fencing, but since that business closed down, the barn has just been left to dissolve. Guess I have a bit of a thing for old wrecks. Seems a sad waste. Then, the lambs. I am still on the hunt for the lamb picture I have in my head, I don’t want to achieve it by visiting a centre, I want to do it with those bouncing around in the field. So, another failed shot, but I like the fluffy little things so much I have still included one! Just for completeness, I thought I’d do it as a before and after. So, the lamb shanks we had for dinner last night make a funny little appearance.

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I had to go and find the pot this plant came in, just so you know I am not really that hot on my plant names. Despite the rather substantial amount of plant photography in my 365 I am not overly green fingered, but, thankfully, they are all around and great stand-ins for when I have not been able to shoot anything else all day.

Glad hubby was not home for me taking this one, otherwise they’d probably be a rather embarrassing ‘from the rear’ image of me trying to get these ground level shots in the rain with an umbrella covering some of me and all of my equipment, camera remote in one hand, off-camera flash in the other and peering into the low mounted camera. Not a good look, I’m no Rear of the Year. Thank goodness we live on a quiet street.

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Somewhat loosely based, I have tried to make all of my images fit a ‘B’ alphabet theme this week. Some obvious; Biscuits and Buds, others less straightforward; Blooms and Birds, while the remaining two of Babies (for Lambs) and Barnet (for my new haircut) are pushing the concept a bit.

Today I had the suggestions of Booze and Bottoms, so I combined the two. Enjoy!

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Bit of a cheat, quick portrait of me with new haircut. Quite a large step for me as I normally play it pretty safe and only vary hair length by an inch or two. So, if you can’t say anything nice, do as your mother said, and don’t say anything at all! Please be aware, this will be one of the few times I feature this close in my 365, I much prefer to be behind the lens, not in front of it. Other picture is there for reference for those who don’t know me and yes, the new image is softened!

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