aquarium

We had a family day out to Plymouth Aquarium the other day. It is such a great place to visit. I find aquariums so relaxing. The peace is delicious. Well, apart from the squealing children..... 

We found Nemo!

The thing that really grabbed me on this visit were the names of the fish. In the vein of the previous 'minutia' wild flower post, I submit this for your smiling pleasure! 

Schoolmaster Snapper

Bermuda Chub

French Grunt

Great Pompano

Sergeant Major

Scrawled Filefish

Moon Jelly

Horse Eye Jack

Smallmouth Grunt

Rooster Hogfish

Dusky Damselfish

Lunar Wrasse

Lipstick Tang

Bignose Unicornfish

Longhorned Cowfish

Epaulette Shark

Polka Dot Grouper

Oriental Sweet Tip

 Sailor's Grunt

(my absolute favourite!)

rainy days

The english summer time is so romantic and heady, filled with long light evenings, elderflower cordial, the bewitching scents and sounds at dusk, plump sun warmed strawberries. I have a theory that we are solar powered beings. Tell me you don't feel better when on first waking you see the glow from outside sneaking around the edge of the curtain. The feeling of the warmth of sun on your face is almost like a kiss. . ..... insert here the sound of a needle being hastily taken off a record.

There lies the problem - no sun. Holy moly this rain seems endless! I can't ever remember feeling so soggy for so long. Even in Winter. Ughh, grey drizzly mornings, the relentless damp cling of my rain coat, as it is summer my stubborn determination to remain in flip-flops, and the imminent arrival of trenchfoot because of my stubborn determination.

Anyway, Jetstream schmetstream! Though the days have been slightly less cheerful and sunblessed than usual, there have been some bright spots :D 

Drawing dinosaurs on steamed up bus windows.

Watching the conker pods get fatter.

Tea and chocolate fingers with Willow.

Veronica Spicata - these flowers are related to the humble Speedwell, but look like they have come from the moon! I got an enormous bunch of them from the flower man. They look like they have mermaids tails.

veronica spicata

New episodes of "Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom".

Finding a lovely pair of vintage dark turquoise day gloves in my size.

Making a new friend who already feels like I have known her for ages.

Tiny spots of blue sky, the colour of which Monet would have approved of.

The transcendental power of music to turn ordinary, every day chores into shimmering adventures. Thank you Goldfrapp for turning preparing veg into a daydream wonderland where I was transformed into a glamorous spring-heeled, sleek haired, glittering goddess.

birthday days

I have just celebrated my hmmphy humppphth birthday. Happy birthday Me! I love the fact that for one day a year, you are *special*. It's better than christmas. Because for one day, it is all about YOU. In our house the person whose birthday it is choses the breakfast - whatever they want! I forgot to chose something this year, so we had some of my birthday cake. Win win!

I am of the opinion though that a birthday should last a couple of days. The feeling I get when I first wake up the day after my birthday is horribly sad. The feeling that I'm not special any more is awful. Luckily I am blessed with exceptional family and friends and my birthdays last for more than 24 hours :D These are the things that made me smile this birthday weekend.

being woken at 6am by two small girls whose excitement about my birthday was tangible!

Esther yelling "happy birthday mama" at the top of her voice all day

sitting at Jo's table colouring in and eating cherry bakewells

rooftop cafe lunch

family pizza

a trip to the cinema with my boy

a spectacular assortment of presents

hand feeding a lamb, a llama and a deer

painted gipsy caravans and traction engines