OK, so its been a long blogging break for me, but I couldn't remain away from the bloggosphere after the weekend Andrea and I have just had.On Friday we went rock shopping! We've been engaged about a month, but we only managed to get enough time together to get the ring this week. Having been recommended that we look in Brighton, we trekked down on a lovely warm day to the south coast.
The experience couldn't have been better. We headed straight for Exclusive Jewellery, owned and run by Sam New, brother of Charlotte, who until recently was working for me. Sam took us through all the things we could have wished to know about, right from all the different metal options for the mount, to stone settings, and all of the factors going into the grading of diamonds. I'll never look at a diamond again in the same light!
After a couple of hours (literally!) we stumbled upon a ring that looked really good on Andrea's finger, and were excited about the 'peach' of a diamond as Sam called it that he'd just brought up from the shop store; a very bright white 50 point 1/2 carat round diamond.
Usually time would have been required for a deliberation on whether or not this was the right purchase, but we were both so happy with the experience and the look of the diamond ring now sparling on Andrea's finger that we made the decision there and then. 15 minutes later the ring had been resized and the diamond set, and we were cracking a bottle of bubbly in celebration with Sam. We left the shop with big grins on our faces, very happy with the new sparkler on Andrea's hand.
Just saw this on the bbc website - somewhat different to the last time I saw them!Looks like the US is having some snowy fun!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/8407256.stm
Make sure that you have a decent backup regime in place in case you don't heed Advice #1
Thankfully I think the laptop is going to survive long enough for me to get everything off it...
Thankfully I think the laptop is going to survive long enough for me to get everything off it...
Don't spill a whole mug of tea over your laptop, it can seriously mess up your day.
Not too long ago the Met were issuing some ludicrous publicity, calling upon the general public to phone the terrorist hotline if they saw people taking photos or using two mobile phones. The campaign really made me see red, but after trying to complain on the Met's website, and getting nowhere with 'Liberty', I gave up.
Thankfully, common sense has prevailed with some new guidance from the Home Office.
I think I'll be printing this out and keeping it in my camera bag :-)
Thankfully, common sense has prevailed with some new guidance from the Home Office.
I think I'll be printing this out and keeping it in my camera bag :-)
Hopefully I'll soon have a little more time to blog about my recent trip to the Lakes, although you might not be able to deal with the levels of smuggness involved!While most of the rest of the country was in cloud, Amo and I were having a wonderful sun-filled holiday in the Buttermere and Ennerdale valleys of the Lake District.
I even have a tan!
I just wanted to post a couple of pictures of me and my new friends from this trip - red squirrels and a couple of nuthatch. More soon on some of the wonderful walks and mountain views I experienced this time around. I truly love the Lake District...
Continue reading The Lakes.
Well, gardens actually! A whole group of us from Reading took advantage of the nice weather this weekend to trek down to Kew Gardens for Dave Green's (cough-)th birthday celebration.A good time was had by all, and we just about survived the onslaught of the limitless energy young children seem to have ;-)
The pictures can be found here on my gallery (or via my blog if you're viewing this on facebook)!
OK, so working around a dining room table can be fun for a short while, but its not sustainable!
We've been praying for a new office in central London so that out teams can get together and work in an office environment - yes, us 24-7'ers do like working in an office environment - even if it is one with a particular 24-7 vibe...
Check out the vid for a tour.
We've been praying for a new office in central London so that out teams can get together and work in an office environment - yes, us 24-7'ers do like working in an office environment - even if it is one with a particular 24-7 vibe...
Check out the vid for a tour.
Got up a little late last night. I don't usually say that when I get up at 4am, but do you know it starts getting light at 4:30 at the moment? Crazy.The reason for this was the annual Perseid meteor shower. Although the sky was getting too light for any decent photography, I did see a couple of very bright meteors and many lesser ones. It was quite fun! I'd try the photography again tonight, but it doesn't look like we're going to get cloudless skies. It'll just have to have been one of those enjoyable moments in life you can't capture ;-)
I kinda got distracted! I find blogging gets a bit like that. I'm not as disciplined as the delightful Mrs Harding.
However... In case you were following any of my posts on the prayercasts, don't forget to head on over to 24-7 Prayer's international website to catch the remaining ones in our series on Europe...
However... In case you were following any of my posts on the prayercasts, don't forget to head on over to 24-7 Prayer's international website to catch the remaining ones in our series on Europe...
