This has been a very unusual Easter - for a start, the amazing weather!!! Good Friday was probably my favourite day - got up early, went for a run, did a bit of gardening and baking then basically lazed!

It was also unusual as Phil worked 2 twelve hour day shifts, one on Friday and one on the Sunday and it was strange for us all to be home relaxing without him.Our new garden furniture has had plenty of use though, and we had a bbq on Monday for Phil's dad.

On the Saturday we met up with a bride whose wedding we are photographing at the end of June. We are very excited because the reception is to be at the Grosvenor Hotel in Chester - a VERY posh location right in the very heart of Chester. AS London bus is also involved - that should really be something to see! It's a little challenging to be photographing a bridal couple in Chester's very busy main street on a Saturday afternoon but hopefully we will get some great shots!

I took an extra day off today and went shopping in Liverpool with the girls; we had a great time although my debit card is now worn out and begging me not to touch it for the forseeable future!

Due to my work pattern I'm actually only working one day this week, then it's another long weekend which coincides nicely with our wedding anniversary on Saturday and Phil's birthday on Monday.

I'm looking forward to watching some of the wedding on Friday - can't wait to see Miss Middleton's dress! Despite all the weddings I've been involved in, I still get a HUGE thrill seeing the bride in all her finery. I'm sure Kate will look stunning!

We are enjoying some beautiful weather for April and for once it has coincided with a holiday weekend - well, a holiday for some, poor Phil is working 12 hour shifts on both Good Friday and Easter Sunday!

I have to admit, I spent a big chunk of Friday sat in the garden reading and enjoying the sunshine. Although I did get up early and go for a run first!

Running is a fairly new activity for me; I took it up about two months ago after chatting to a friend who had started running using an NHS programme of podcasts called "Couch 2 5K" - at that point she was on week 7 and running for about 20 minutes, which really impressed me! For some reason, I've always wanted to run but never managed to get anywhere - I'd run for 15 minutes and it would nearly kill me and I'd give up! i also wanted to get fitter for riding.

So off I went with the podcasts on my MP3 player and Laura as my in the ear mentor. On the first week you begin with a brisk 5-minute walk, then alternate 60 seconds of running and 90 seconds of walking, for a total of 20 minutes. Over the weeks you gradually build up to running for 30 minutes (and/or 5K) The first week was hard! But I felt a big sense of achievement and I kept going. Tomorrow I start week nine and I'm already running for 30 minutes although I'm not quite up to 5k distance yet. There wasn't one run I didn't complete!

I have found I really love running. I have a certain amount of tendon pain in my left ankle (the one I sprained!)but my stamina has increased hugely - it's only the discomfort that limits me now.

I'm planning on continuing to run 3 times a week, hopefully building up speed and distance and i'm also walking 2 miles in my lunch break 4 times a week.

The wedding season is approaching and we're meeting up with our couples. I must watch the royal wedding to get me in the mood!

Happy Easter everyone!

Mum - Edwina Rose

Mum in Law - June

This is the first Mother's Day that I have no one to send a card to. My wonderful Mum died over 20 years ago and my lovely Mum in law just a few months ago in September. I miss them both every day but know I am lucky to have had two such exceptional women to love me and look after me.

So, no cards or flowers or hugs, but a poem - an annoymous poem I found on the Internet  that says what I want to say today to both my mothers.....

Sometimes I catch myself
Thinking, "When I phone,
I can talk of this or that!"
Then remember, I'm alone.

She was always there
To answer my calls -
To listen to my "small talk"
Or when I climbed the walls.

At times, I didn't feel like talking
And somehow, she understood -
Didn't say she wished I'd call
Or make me feel like I should.

Now, I wish I would have
More times, to show I cared -
To say, just how important
Were all those times we shared.

I could have shown my love
So much more than I did -
I never did it enough
Even when I was a kid.

Now it's too late to do or say
All those things I wish I had -
No way to ease the pain inside
When my heart is sad.

She was my "anchor" to this life -
The "rock", that I clung to -
The placewhere I could turn
When nowhere else would do.
Now, the ravages of time
Have worn my "rock" away -
And all I have to cling to
Are memories of yesterday.

Jay Bradbury of  "The Jaywalkers"

It has been almost two months since my last post - I am so busy these days and have so little computer time that blogging is one of the things I've had to more or less give up. As is commenting on blogs although I do still keep up with quite a few - usually reading them just before I drag myself off to bed!

The photo above is one I took recently at a gig for a local band, The Jaywalkers. Jay, the singer pictured here is one of Kate's friends and an extremely talented young lady with a stunning voice.

It's the second lot of band photos we've done recently as we also did a publicity session for Treuddyn Tested, another local group - you can see some of our pics on their website.

We are gearing up for a cluster of weddings in early summer and next weekend I am photographing an prizegiving for a poetry competition.

I really want to start blogging regularily again.Working full-time is taking it's toll though, especially the two 12 hour days  every week and soon it could get worse as I might be working alternate Saturdays again.I miss my part-time hours SO MUCH!! I find myself homesick these days as I'm so seldom actually in my house! Anyway, I'm going to catch up on the last few months and hope I can blog more often...

Work is very busy and huge changes are on the horizon as libraries are merging with another department and we will be restructuring. We are very lucky as Wirral is not closing libraries as so many councils are and I still have a job but it is clear that things are going to be very different in the future and I am feeling quite anxious. I don't know what my new role will entail, or how my work patterns will change. I am hoping I will still be able to do my volunteer work at RDA.

Sian had her French exchange student, M to stay - the visit started off badly as poor M was sick but we all loved her and felt very sad when she had to go home.

We have booked a holiday in Florida - we couldn't decide where to go that would please everyone and not cost the earth and suddenly it occurred to me that Florida might fit the bill. We would all like to see Harry Potter World and revisit Seaworld and some of the other parks as well as  Kennedy Space Centre. After another hard winter preceded by a fairly dismal summer we are all longing for warmth and sunshine. We have booked baseball tickets, we can shop and Sian and I can go trail riding. We have a villa/car/flights package that is reasonable and we all can't wait. It will probably be our last big family vacation.

I am still riding and slowly improving; absolutely loving it too.I have also taken up running, much to my surprise, using a plan from the NHS called "Couch to 5K" and it's great, I'm just about to start Week 6 and yesterday I ran for 20 minutes for the first time ever!" I get such a buzz from running! The only question is if my joints can stand it!

Am I nuts, taking up running and riding in the year I am due to turn 50????