BGG Secret Santa

For the past few years the Board Game Geek (BGG) have run a Secret Santa for users of the site. Everyone who takes part is allocated another person to buy a present for and you use the wish list in their profile to help you choose. The idea is that it is international and games fly across the globe or you can check out game shops local to your recipient. I took part last year and it was great fun :-) it felt good to know my recipient loved the gift I bought and I love the game I received. It is also nice to check out the threads to see who has received what and how pleased they are with their gifts.

Sadly there are those that grumble about it being too expensive or only wanting to send to someone in their own country. I say Bah Humbug to them they are missing the point!!

Anyway in a little while I am going to have fun shopping on line for my recipient ;-)

Oh! and this year they are doing Holiday/Christmas card exchange as well, so I am joining in with that too. A little bit of extra fun :-)

Me Aged 2!

Thought I would share a bit of fun with you!

This picture makes me smile so much :-)

I am looking up at my Dad taking the picture with my chubby little face and smile. And also the fact that I have stolen and am posing with Mum's handbag. I still love handbags/bags to this day and I never have just the right one I need and have a whole collection of them to choose from.

The next bag I am aiming for is a special one that goes with my tripod, which will allow my camera and other bits and bobs to fit in it too...

Maybe for Christmas ;-)))

I haven't changed all that much have I ;-)))

Dear Kirs

My dear friend Dani has paid me a great honor by giving one of my self portraits her special treatment. I just love her artwork :-) it would look would look wonderful in a coffee table book!!!

You can see for yourself by checking her out on the links below!

For comparison here is the original photograph .

Dear Kirs, originally uploaded by CasallArt.

Moo For You ;-)

Well really for my Trade Union Action group. I thought it would be a fun way to pass around the website details to others. Fun little business cards that can be ordered from MOO.

Click on photo for a larger view.

Cosford Campaign

Whilst I was in the mood for making montages I thought I would do one for my friends and colleagues at Cosford. Images of them taking part in the PCS national strike action just a couple of weeks after finding out that their bid for the Defence Training Review had been rejected in favour of a new "Super Site" in St. Athan, Wales. Obviously with this in their minds they were out in force for the strike!

If you haven't already please consider signing their petition to No. 10 downing Street.

Candlelit Memories

It was 2 years ago today that I took part in a 24 hour candle lit vigil against proposed job losses and relocation. Wow! was it really that long ago... the memory is so vivid it seems like yesterday! The day was wonderfully uplifting with friends and colleaugues standing together against adversity.

It was frosty and cold and a thick fog kept descending rather eerily just around the building, the surrounding area was clear. I didn't do the night shift but I am told there was some wonderful headgear to keep the few stalwarts warm! By this time the cameras had given up the ghost due to the extreme cold so there is no photographic evidence!

More pictures of the day can be found in this gallery!

Snowy Sunday

Just to prove it actually did snow after the rain. Much later on in the evening it really did snow quite heavily, but I was tucked up in bed so no evidence of that ;-)

Click on photo for a larger view

Rainy Sunday

It might have been a rainy Sunday but it was a fun weekend! A visit to friends, followed by a surprise family visit :-)

And following this picture it wasn't really a rainy Sunday. It snowed for quite some time!!!

Click on photo for a larger view.

Peace is every step...

This follows on from my 'Lest We Forget...' post.

Thich Naht Hahn leading a peace walk, thanks to Janet Tallarigo-Murphy for sharing her photographs on Flickr :-)

Peace is every step..., originally uploaded by imagepeace.

365 Special Days

I found this link today and thought what a lovely idea. You choose a day and tell the story for that day and the artist paints an image of the story for you. Now I just need to think of a special day!!! I like that all the paintings and stories are shown on the site. I think at the end of the project it would make a lovely book too :-)

Lest We Forget!

Click on photo for a larger view.

WALKING MEDITATION

Take my hand.
We will walk.
We will only walk.
We will enjoy our walk
without thinking of arriving anywhere.
Walk peacefully.
Walk happily.
Our walk is a peace walk.
Our walk is a happiness walk.

Then we learn
that there is no peace walk;
that peace is the walk;
that there is no happiness walk;
that happiness is the walk.
We walk for ourselves.
We walk for everyone
always hand in hand.

Walk and touch peace every moment.
Walk and touch happiness every moment.
Each step brings a fresh breeze.
Each step makes a flower bloom under our feet.
Kiss the Earth with your feet.
Print on Earth your love and happiness.

Earth will be safe
when we feel in us enough safety.

Thich Nhat Hanh

In rememberance...

This was taken underneath the Menin Gate just after the wreaths were laid in rememberance a year ago today. It was a very moving experience...

Click on photo for a larger view.

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them."

Laurence Binyon

More information on the ceremony at Ypres/Ieper can be found here.

Busy Busy Busy...

Although I got to put my 'Feet Up' on Friday I seem to have been busy ever since!!!

Well putting my feet up means I have too much time on my hands and start having good ideas! Which meant that I spent the rest of the weekend revamping a campaign website for my Trade Union. Well I think I like the result, just hope everyone else does too ;-) It is now much easier for people to find what they want and search for information.

If you are curious you can view it here.

FUTAB - Enjoying Autumn

For those of you who don't know... FUTAB means "Feet up take a break" Yes I know I'm a little crazy ;-) and well I do think I deserve a break ;-)

Click on photo for a larger view.

So how was the conference...

...It was a really interesting experience. I stayed along with the delegates (I was there as a guest) in the hotel where the conference was held . This gave me plenty of opportunity to meet new people, especially over meal times. There were some really interesting speakers and some really boring ones. So boring in fact that I had to count the patterns on the carpet to keep awake!! The slide shows of various events throughout the year were also great fun :-) and it was nice to see how other areas within the PCS function.

And apart from the conference itself we had much fun and laughter in the evenings too. All in all it was a great experience!

Packed and Ready to Go...

...but now I am back.

Click on photo for a larger view.