She’s back!!

She’s back!!

Hi there!

Did ya miss me ?!?!?

Waddayameanno ???

 

First of all, a massive, massive thank you to Paul for steering the bloggy ship in my absence.

What a treat it has been to cut loose for a couple of weeks. And thank you so much to all the friends and artists who did such a super creative job! I hadn’t realised just how all consuming the blog is – not just time but subconscious thought process too.

It’s good to be back mind you. Although this new blog format is a bit of a challenge, I must say!
Talk about trial by fire!!

Who says us old codgers can’t do tinternet?!? Watch this space….it may take me all night, but whatever.

I am jetlagged up to the moon and back anyway!

I’ve got so much to tell you !! We had the BEST time.

Let’s start at the beginning at take you to California first.

Ready? Well climb aboard, for a little trip to San Fran….

The first good thing was that the plane on the way from Heathrow to San Fran was empty. Really.

Less than 12 people in economy. Imagine that. Talk about spread out!!!

There were more of them in Business class!! Wouldn’t you be sick if you’d shelled thousands out for a wider seat – and the commoners up the back had enough room to do a Yoga AND Tai Chi class!!

So we started our break in San Francsico, and got to spend lots of time with Mark.

I do love that boy. He is such a pleasure to be around. He was at the hotel within an hour of our arriving. Got his work organised so that he could. We hung out together loads, ate good food – and talked about everything under the sun. The whole Comey Vs Trump saga erupted the day we landed, so that was on the menu pretty much everywhere.

But we managed to side-step it mostly! On that note….

Watched Mark play a great game of rugby on Treasure Island, and get Man of the Match yet again;

#proudmummoment.

San Francsico has changed quite a bit though. It really has – just since last year. And not for the better.

A lot more homeless people. A lot more drugs on the street. Lots of closed down shops.

The rich-poor divide deepens…

Nonetheless, it was great to see Mark and his girlfriend, Alex. She’s a doll too.

Alex lives near Coit Tower, in North Beach, so we visited her, and then walked up to Coit Tower.

What a beautiful building on the inside! Check out the murals!

 

Well worth a visit to the top too. The views are the best in San Francisco.

And we even had a view of Coit Tower from our Hotel room!

 

 

Here we see him with his step-dad/mate, Dave,

Great meal and an outstanding view at Aliottos near Fisherman Wharf.

We spend 5 nights in the city. Walked miles. And miles. And miles.

Mostly blue skies, mild climate. Sealions on Pier 39. Just like the good old days when I lived there.

And yes. we did make it to Glide Church on the Sunday, to listened to the fabulous Gliders, the choir.

If you ever visit San Fran, make sure you wrap your trip round a Sunday, so that you can go to the Glide.

It’s a real happening, doing, loving church. They feed many, many homeless down there on Mission every single day.

But I think I will pause our road trip there, if you don’t mind.

It has taken me ages to figure out how to import, size and place these photos, and the old jetlag is kicking in again.

Comes in waves, doesn’t it. Well, I is a-ridin a wave right now !!!

See you tomorrow, for You Tube Tuesday.

And then. Oh boy. Are we launching the Big Cheese on the telly this weekend.

The first very good and happy news is that our dear friend Tina Cox is back. And back every month!

So we can look forward to some wonderful Groovi Parchment tutorials from her again.

She has designed some super new Groovi plates, and written a couple of excellent Grid Books,

so that’ll be a cracking start on Saturday!

 

Is it too early to go to bed?

 

Love and hugs,

Barb

xxx

58 thoughts on “She’s back!!

  1. Welcome back, it’s nice to go away but it’s always nice to come home again. Glad you had a fabulous time, San Francisco is on my wish list, maybe next year xx

  2. So glad you are back and that you have had a fabulous time. What a good looking lad your Mark is! 😉😉 Glad Tina is back – she has been missed. Enjoy your sleep tonight. Sleep tight. Xxx

  3. Hello Barbara

    It is lovely to have you back, although Paul has been looking after us very well indeed in the usual Paul manner.

    I am looking forward to the next instalment of your holiday and, of course, Wednesday with Leonie, Sunday with you and Tina and the ODS on Sunday and Monday.

    Love
    Roz.xxx

  4. Hi Barbara &Dave , good to have you both back and well rested.
    Paul held the fort ever day brilliantly , but we had to put him on the naughty step quite a few times, with all his offers !!!!!! The art work of all the artist’s were wonderful and lovely .
    Get your self to bed and rest, looking forward to the weekend and it will be good to see Tina with us again.
    Take care
    Lynn xxx

  5. So glad you had a great time. I know how you feel about your boy. My boy is a rugby player and a fire-fighter – so proud of him. Your trip looks awesome.
    having a bit of trouble myself, navigating this new blog, not to mention new software at home and at work!! Techies – they are not user friendly.
    Looking forward to a weekend of gardening and ofcourse Clarity.
    Gute Geschlaufen – think that’s right!

  6. Welcome back Barbara! Sounds like you had an amazing time! Especially as you got to be with your boy!
    Paul did a great job whilst you were away keeping us all entertained…. He wasn’t naughty at all!
    Looking forward to hearing more about your trip and seeing what you have in store for us all!
    Love and hugs xxx

  7. Welcome back! Love those murals! Mark and Alex look so happy together and well done Man of the Match again! Easier said than done, but try to pace yourselves xx

  8. Glad you had an amazing time away. Paul as always did a marvellous job. Nice to have you back. Much love to you and Dave xx

  9. Welcome back!! Glad you had a safe enjoyable journey. The feeling of jet lag is so horrid, can’t get over how bad it makes you feel like you’ve missed about a weeks worth of sleep. Hope you and Dave have got time to recover before diving back into business mode. XX

  10. Welcome back! I loved reading Paul’s daily posts and even sucomed to some of his offers, but I did miss you and your sage words as I lay in hospital last week. This week is better and less pain so now I am trying to work out how to do my groovi with the wrong hand while not moving my right arm in any way! I think it is doable if I time it between painkillers!

    1. Happy to hear your pain is lessening but don’t overdo it, give yourself plenty of time to heal, it’ll be worth in in the end. Fingers crossed your OH is improving too. Hugs to both xx

  11. Evening bloggy friends, wet play…ALL DAY!! Thankfully I’m off to the cinema so I can leave the stresses behind and escape to another place. XX

  12. Great to have you back Barb – Welcome home, wel….come. Come on in, and close the door!
    It’s great to read part 1 of your adventures. No… it’s not too early to go to bed!
    Paul did an amazing job whilst you were away. Love and hugs, Gilly xxx

    1. Hi bloggy friends – got back home today. We had a great break and did nothing except gaze at the sea out of our windows and read. Even the weather was kind, love and hugs, Gilly xxx

  13. Welcome home Barbara. and Dave of course. Glad you had a lovely break and were able to spend some quality time with Mark. C xx

  14. Schön, dass du wieder da bist!!! Sounds like you had a great time! Looking forward to your new ideas!

  15. Hi Barbara
    Lovely to have you back, Paul did a wonderful job and behaved himself all the time, honest! Haha. Great to have part one of the holiday, the photos are great, Well done Mark. I love the murals, aren’t they amazing. Now off you go to bed, have a good sleep and we will catch up with you Wednesday when life might have returned to normal – ish! Good to hear Tina is back again too, what a treat for us this weekend.
    Love Diane xxx

  16. Welcome home, sounds as if you have had a wonderful time. Looking forward to the next instalment & to the shows at the weekend.

  17. Welcome home both of you. We’ve missed you but Paul has done a great job. Can’t wait to see what you have in store for us. My credit card is poised!! Sweet dreams. Love and hugs. Rachel xx

  18. Hello Barbara, so nice to have you back, glad you both had a great holiday. Paul has certainly entertained while you were away, his wonderful sense of humour came through on the blogs. Looking forward to Sunday shows. lots of love. Donna

  19. YAY!! so glad you are both back safe and well. How good looking is Mark…how fast they grow up. We have had grandmag and grandpop training this week. 2 year old are hard work aren’t they?
    Onwards and upwards, looking forward to hearing about the wedding.
    Love to you all

    Grandmag (Yorkite) – previously just Maggie (Yorkite)

  20. Paul has done a great job while you were away, but it is nice to have you back too. Have you let him off the naughty step yet? Both the way, it is never too early to go to bed. Sleep well! xxx Maggie

  21. Welcome back Barbara. Glad you and Dave had a good time. I bet Mark was pleased to see you both. Have you let Paul off the naughty step yet? He has done a grand job while you have been away. Can’t wait to see what Leonie does with Clarity stencils on Wednesday. Hopefully by then, your jetlag will have eased.
    Gayle x

  22. Hi Barbra glad to hear you both had a wonderful time hope the jetlag doesn’t last to long Paul did good on your absence lovely pictures of your birthday cards and little quips on the way will be watching on Sunday as well as taping both days
    love Fran

  23. Lovely to see what you’ve been up to and what amazing murals! Thanks for sharing to us nosey lot! xx

  24. Welcome back Barbara and Dave. Glad you had a great time. Our son and his girlfriend were on an empty plane to Sri Lanka last year. Service was great. Those murals look amazing, will enjoy hearing more about your holiday. xx

  25. Welcome back missed you sounds like had a great time with lovely Mark. What amazing murals must have taken hour of talent.sleep well lots love hugs great news Tina is Back speak tomorrow xxx

  26. Welcome home Barbara! I am so glad that you and Dave had a great time, especially with Mark and his lovely girl.
    Now that the batteries are re-charged, don’t go overdoing it and wearing yourself out before the wedding!
    Paul did a great job with the blog, but it is good to have you back and to hear that Tina will be back too. I can’t wait for Sunday, to see what you have in store for us.
    Sleep well and hope the jet lag doesn’t last for too long. Annette X

  27. Of course we missed you, but everyone deserves a proper holiday, so I’m really pleased you both enjoyed yours so much. Hope the jet lag doesn’t take too long to pass x

  28. Welcome back, so pleased you had such a lovely time and you were able to switch off, your team did you proud. Looking forward to the weekend shows xx

  29. Welcome back Barbara and Dave. Lovely photos. Ease yourself back in slowly if you can Barbara. Tina has been missed , it will be good to have her back. Sleep sound xx

  30. Hi Barb,
    Great to have you back with us. Paul has done a brilliant job even though he’s been enticing us to spend too much money( only joking!).
    Sounds as though you’ve had a brilliant time and so lovely that you got to spend some quality time with Mark and his lovely girlfriend. Bet he loved having his Mum so near. Hope you manage to have a good night’s rest and I look forward to reading the next instalment. Love and hugs Alison xxx

  31. Welcome back. Paul did a great job, but it wasn’t the same without you. Your trip sounds wonderful, hope the jet lag passes soon.

  32. Paul kept us very happy while you were away, don’t keep him on the naughty step for too long 😊. Hearing about SanFrancisco and seeing the pics bought back memories of when my hubby and I went some time ago. The view from the top of Coit Tower is amazing I agree, and the seals at the end of pier 39 is an experience I won’t forget. We are all looking forward to hearing from you more as soon as you are over your jet lag. But for now sleep well.x

  33. Lovely to have you back, pleased you both had a happy holiday, pictures look great. Paul has done a great job while you were away, and its been lovely to see some of your beautiful birthday cards. xx

  34. So nice to have back in Blighty safe and sound. Looking forward to a catch-up with you soon. Rest, take care and let it all begin again! Xxxx

  35. Glad you’re back in the saddle after a great break ! Paul did a good job especially with his offers ! I hope you didn’t put him on the naughty step for too long. I’m still getting used to this new blog. Just got in from our hols, flew back from Fuerteventura today and just sat with a cuppa now, the heating is on and the cases can wait till tomorrow after we’ve collected our fur babies. How can we leave in a heatwave and come back to winter conditions! thankfully the rain had stopped. X

  36. Good to have you back in Blighty safe and sound and happy that you’ve had a good time with Mark, his girlfriend and revisiting old, familiar places. Paul did a grand job while you’ve been away but I believe he has led one or two friends/customers to part with their hard earned cash in your absence – lol! Looking forward to having Tina back as we’ve missed her but she had to do what she needed. Will be great to finally have the ‘grand reveal’of the secret product…hmmm! xx

  37. Hello Barb, so glad that you and Dave are back safe and sound. Looks like you had a really wonderful time with Mark and Alex in San Fran, thanks for sharing all the photos. Hope you managed to get a decent nights sleep. Looking forward to everything you have in store for us. Paul did a really fab job in your absence. Take care all. Bx

  38. Welcome back Barbara and Dave sounds like you’ve had an amazing time, loved the murals, looking forward to the next instalment xx

  39. Great to be e you back and lovely photos too.Paul has kept the blog record going nicely, what a great idea to hand over the baton to keep the daily blog going and give you a proper break too. Shows what a great team there is at Clarity. Looking forward to the weekends shows.

  40. Glad to see you back and to hear you had a good time with your Son Mark. I also have a Son called Mark, they are very special aren’t they! Looking forward to seeing you, Tina and the ODS at the weekend. What a weekend to look forward to, bet we’ll all be on the naughty step next week!!

  41. Welcome back Barbara, glad you had a fantastic break. Paul tempted me several times with his ‘naughty step offers’, so now I’m worried about the shows on Sunday and Monday tempting me further. You might need to consider a stamp/groovi plate of beans on toast soon, with all the ‘must haves’ you keep producing !

  42. Hello Barb, welcome back! of course we missed you! looks like you had a (very well deserved) wonderful time. So happy for you that you got to spend time with Mark and Alex. They are very photogenic together. I look forward to your shows and will record whenever I can’t watch live! Thank you so much for your never ending support. Love you loads Ruth xxxx

  43. Great to see you back safe and sound Barbara and having had a wonderful time with Mark in San Francisco. I do hope I get to go there some day. x

  44. Welcome back pleased you had a wonderful time with mark and his girlfriend.
    Looking forward to clarity on tv thank you to clarity towers I ordered some dangle groovi plates on Saturday night they where dispatched yesterday wonderful service looking out for the postman tomorrow.xxx
    Hugs to all on the blog xxx

  45. Welcome back Barbara! Glad you had a great time!
    Looking forward to all the exciting new things coming up with clarity.

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