And the Book passes to - - -

- - Scrappyjacky! There were only a couple of comments from those who would like a dip into the book - so I wrote the names out 3 times and the Artisan drew one from my little glass dish.

Please contact me Jacky - with the address to send the book to.

I hope to be back later with this month's story - a bit late I know - but as we have been on holiday and I forgot to schedule my post - - -

Thanks for dropping by.
'til later

Bannaghtyn,  J x

Pass the Book

 

- - -this is a fabulous book - full of inspiration for using stamping in your scrapbooking  and I have kept it way, waaaay too long!! So sorry Melissa! It started its journey round the world with Melissa - here - and has travelled widely already. However it does need to set off on its Journeying again - so if you would like to dip in and read it for yourself -- and I do recommend it - - please leave a comment by 12 midnight GMT on Sunday 2nd June 2013 - -

I will draw a name from the list on Monday morning and happily post it on to you - - -

Our Pass the Book was started by Sian - - -  and many really interesting titles have wended their merry way around the world - linking up diverse ladies(and gents?- not sure on that one). A full explanation can be found here.

Melissa very kindly took up the mantle when Sian passed it on. 

If you think you would like a dip into this book - do remember to leave a comment.

Thanks for stopping by

'til later

Bannaghtyn, J x

Storytelling Sunday - - - A very special day

Well - where did April go to  then?? I can't believe how quickly Storytelling Sundays come round - May already - -  and time for another visit to Sian at High in the Sky and other friends round the world who share a story or two. Sian suggested "precious" as this year's theme - - and as I have written these posts and looked at my special items I have begun to realise  - as I suspect many of you have also - that the reason these small items I am choosing ARE precious is the person I link them with in my memory - - -

- - - it was raining - quite hard now - - as the car pulled up in at the door - - it didn't matter - M------ was ready with an umbrella! The group of young women huddled in the shelter of the doorway all moved forward as a group as the car door opened to let the occupants emerge.
The young man emerging smiled rather shyly at them all before turning back to the car door as first a prettily shod foot appeared, followed by a hand in a white glove. He took hold of the glove hand , helping the girl out of the car as M------ sheltered her from the gusts of wind and flurries of rain with her every ready umbrella, as they moved forward into the shelter of the buildings porch
A small girl in pink danced forward " I'm here mummy, I'm here" she squeaked excitedly, "don't I look pretty? Mummy you look BEAUTIFUL  and see my dress" "stay in the porch L---- , and thank you sweetheart, you look beautiful too!" the young woman smiled at her small daughter's excitement. The door swung open and the whole party moved inside, followed by the cluster of women who had waited in the rain to see them arrive,  to find members of their families waiting for them - - - -
- - -along with the Registrar - who led the group into the Wedding Room - for he and I to become man & wife, witnessed by our family and the group of my work colleagues - who had all crept out of work just to see us arrive and ended up staying and watching the simple ceremony - - -27 years ago this month - how did it get to be so long ago????

That was the day I was given today's "preciousssss" (sorry! I couldn't quite keep Gollum out of my  head). May is our Anniversary month so it seems very appropriate that I share my ring with you. It has never left my finger since the Artisan placed it there - - all those years ago now, and it has been joined by a couple of others - each a symbol of how much he cares for me, and in that I know I am blessed.
There are a lot more stories around today, you can find links to them all here, at High in the Sky with Sian. And remember, you are most welcome to share a story of your own.
'Til later,
Thanks for stopping by -

Bannaghtyn, J x

A Month in Numbers ???? - - -

- - this is my first time linking up with Julie's (of Notes on Paper) Month in Numbers, and I wasn't sure I actually had enough items I could genuinely count - - but this month I have some very important numbers to remember, so it did seem like a good time to join in. So this April I seem to have been surprisingly busy - - -
So I begin with

• 1 iPhone

My daughter's finally dragged me into the 21st century by persuading me to get a new smart phone -I am now the proud owner of an iPhone. Not that I have much skill in using it yet, I have sent some very odd texts as to start with I was a bit useless using the keypad!!
On a creative level - -

• 2 - Birthday Albums --- two good friends reached their half century this month, so handcrafted gifts were called for.

• 2 - Craft Club meetings  --- alongside our regular monthly meeting we had one of our two all day craft class days --- and this time it was my turn to find and teach a new project for our group

• 3 - Cards including this one for my youngest daughter's birthday 
  

• 14  - Amazing young people who all took a huge leap of faith by Bungee Jumping off the Transporter Bridge in Middlesbrough - to raise awareness of Mental Ill-health and raise funds for Rethink

• 17 - Kind and generous young people who not only invited me along but made sure I didn't feel out of place at the Bungee Jump weekend

• £475.50 - Raised by my girl for Rethink Mental Health in the UK - she has made me so proud of her!

• £534.76 - Raised for local Mental Health groups from a Gig night organised in my son's "local". All the bands gave their time for free - and made it a great evening for all who went along.

• £2670.50- Raised by the Bungee for Ben Team for Rethink Mental Health Charity in the UK

They still don't know how much in total they have raised from their sponsorship forms as they are still collecting in the funds - - this group of my son's friends have grown into young men and women I feel honoured to know - and am so very deeply touched by how much my son meant to them all.

So you see - these are really important numbers  - and so this time I was compelled to link up with the delightful Julie. Thanks so much for dropping in, it really is good to see you my friends - - - to know you all still think of me occasionally is a very special gift I have been doubly grateful for this last year - do you have any numbers  to share? Hop over to Julie's blog for full details - the link's in her name

'til later
Bannaghtyn, Jen  xxx

Flitting - - -

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/2530011/?claim=sq9ytxq4a23">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>
With Google Reader abandoning us I thought I had better move house!!
 You can  now follow this blog with Bloglovin - I will quickly add a widget!

Til later
Bannaghtyn, J xx

Simply a moment - - April

Tuesday - 23rd April 2013 - - 9.36am

sunlight streams through the window  - - I can see I need to clean them - why does the sun show the grime so clearly - making me feel guilty, I wonder? I find myself thinking once again that I am NOT the worlds greatest housewife  - there always seems to be something much more fun to do than cleaning - I guess it is mainly outside again as we havd has so much rain!!, but  a quick wipe with a window cloth will do no harm  - - - I disturb the crystals hanging there, sending rainbows dancing round the room and covering every surface with splashes of colour - tears well up at the memory of my son as a tiny boy chasing the dancing colours to try and catch them - laughing delightedly as the crystals swung on their slender silver threads - - -

I mop up my tears - trying very, very hard to recover the joy and smiles this thought used to give me, put the window cloths away and put the kettle on - isn't tea the world's most wonderful remedy for everything?
Once a month Alexa at Trimming the Sails asks us to take a moment - to really look , think , and feel it - so once again I'm linking up with Alexa who runs this meme each month. (I'm very "late to the party" this time but without Alexa and Sian my blog would have had no posts this year and I am very grateful to them both for giving me something I could be a part of )- if you pop over to visit her here- you will find lots more "moments". Off you go - you know you want to - and maybe you have a moment of your own to share too?

Thanks for stopping by


'til later
Bannaghtyn, J x

Storytelling Sunday - - - A Little Book of Wisdom

My daddy is a quiet gentleman, patient, kind and quietly spoken and I have always known he loves us dearly - I know he still does as I am fortunate that he is still with us. Growing up I don't think that our family was especially demonstrative  - but hugs and squeezes were always readily available when when wanted or needed. However we rarely got gifts or presents of any kind - birthdays, Christmas and a treat whilst on holiday was the limit for gifts - - and daddy especially, rarely brought us unexpected gifts, yet when I was 13 he came home with this little book - - and gave it to me.
At 13 - -I was still a "little girl" in a lot of ways - I still loved my Bunty comic with the paper dolls on the back page! Oh how I loved them (I've always suffered from what my mum called "cutty-itis"- I love cutting out - "fussy cutting" as the Americans term it - - but I digress), playing with my dolls - making clothes for them I think, reading, doing jigsaws - - - all the typical pursuits of my generation. However I was heading towards adulthood - - I had recently been confirmed - and was I think beginning to really appreciate "wise words" - I had my own Prayer book and had been given my granny's bible - so beautiful words were just really registering as being important to me - - -

As I look back now - I realise daddy had noted this - and when he saw this little book knew that I would love it - - - he was right. A little shabby now - and well thumbed - one of those you "drop in" on  - but precious not only for its contents - it really is full of wise words - but because daddy gave it to me. It sits on my book shelf still -  next to my Prayer book.

These days there are many of these types of little books  - - I see them all over - - but this is the one that is precious to me - - - an unexpected gift from daddy - - -that really demonstrated how well he knew me as a girl - - - the world's most priceless gift actually.

Thanks for stopping by - - there are lots more stories around today courtesy of Sian from High in the Sky - do pop over - just here - and maybe you have a story of your own we could share?

'til later
Bannaghtyn, J x