The M&M's

Kari time!

Saying bye bye to Kari!, originally uploaded by Miranda Ash2006.

We had an all too brief opportunity to hang out with our great friend Kari this last weekend who was on her way back to California. Great to catch up for a few hours though - happy times!

Natural Wonders

Visit to the Natural History Museum, London 055, originally uploaded by Miranda Ash2006.

Yesterday we headed into London for the afternoon to explore the Natural History Museum with Helena before picking up Kari Ann - who was preparing to return home to California today.

Neither of us had been to the museum in many years and it's changed ALOT since we were children! I marvelled at the architecture of the building alone let alone the ancient bones inside! It was very busy so we didn't get a chance to see everything, but will return again on a rainy day to explore in more depth. The photo above is from the earth exhibit - one of our favourites. Lots of kids getting under our feed and parents running around after them, but I have nothing buy admiration for the parents!

The only thing I missed about the visit is that years ago the largest dinosaur skeletons used to be in the main hall which looked spectacular under the large canopy ceiling. All but one have now been moved into a smaller more cramped room which was jam packed and hot and it was difficult to grasp the magnificence of the creatures. Hopefully our next visit will be abit quieter!

Watts Chapel

Watts Chapel, originally uploaded by Miranda Ash2006.

Picture from our visit to the Chapel last weekend - picture turned out okay - phew!

Friendship and art!

Watts Chapel - Compton - Surrey, originally uploaded by nick.garrod.

It's been a miserable day today weather wise, but it was brightened up by a visit from our old friend Malcolm who I used to work with many moons ago and haven't seen for ages - since our wedding 3 years ago to be precise! It was lovely to catch up whilst enjoying lunch at our local pub and then a look around another local gem - Watts Gallery and Watts Chapel where the two church cats took rather a shine to both Malcolm and Matt! Topped off with tea and cupcakes!

I always enjoy visiting the chapel - it's interior is something to behold and I see something new in the art each time. A true gem.

Thanks for visit Malcolm and look forward to catching up again before too long!

Olympics

GD8286215@Soldiers-stand-to-att-8030, originally uploaded by Gabriel Eduardo Ferrusca.

Whilst I think China's human rights record and treatment of the Tibetan people deplorable, I was nevertheless simply in awe of the spectacular Olympic Opening ceremony. I hadn't been that enthusiastic about all the Olympic fever until yesterday and enjoyed watching the opening ceremony. Does that make me a hypocrite?

Anyway, the opening ceremony was like nothing seen before. Visually stunning and full of the most incredible firework displays. I cannot see how we will top this for the 2012 Olympics (well we have a miniscule budget compared to China)!

The Joker

The Joker, originally uploaded by Fábrica de Sonhos *.

Last night we caught a late film and saw 'The Dark Knight' starring the late Heath Ledger. I have been a fan of his acting for a long time, he always seemed to pour his all into each character producing noteworthy results time after time. If anything, I think, his portrayal of The Joker was his best yet. Go see it!

Matthew & Shelly's Wedding, 26th July 2008 100

Matthew & Shelly's Wedding, 26th July 2008 100, originally uploaded by Miranda Ash2006.

Last weekend was a scorcher and we were blessed to be melting whilst enjoying the fantastic wedding of my cousin Matthew and his stunning bride, Shelly. They were married in the village church in Worplesdon and had the reception just around the corner at Matthew's parent's gorgeous home. It really was a really really great corker of a day and was lovely to see the bride and groom so blissfully happy and deeply in love! Great times had by all! Click on the picture to be taken to flickr to see the album of wedding pics - enjoy!

Catching up

Paver family afternoon 060, originally uploaded by Miranda Ash2006.

Phew! It's been a rather full couple of weeks here in the Ash household. Between family visits, weddings, and lots going on at work, we've had our hands full! More to follow...

In the meantime, enjoy this cute cute pic of Romilly and her big sister Helena taken during a family tea last weekend.

A Message for James from Sebastian!

A Message for James from Sebastian!
Originally uploaded by Miranda Ash2006

The Paver's Return

Romy & Gabs, originally uploaded by Miranda Ash2006.

One half of our family has returned home for the summer hols! The Paver's - well, almost all of them - arrived home yesterday and it was lovely to spend a couple of hours with them in the early evening before getting them safely tucked up in bed. Here is Romilly with her Auntie Gabs - a regular reader of this blog!

Art at Woodlarks

Greg paints his mask using his feet!, originally uploaded by Miranda Ash2006.

Yesterday was a real high point of the summer as I spent the day volunteering at Woodlarks Camp for the Disabled. This week they have a group of men enjoying the delights of proper camping on a fantastic site near Farnham. There were masses of people joining in with whole families coming to help out. We led a mask making art workshop in the morning - see photo of Greg painting with his feet! St John's Ambulance also came along to do a first aid workshop. In the afternoon a great samba/salsa band played followed by a drumming workshop led by Sean. It was great to see everyone joining in and really enjoying playing music together. I just love this crowd of folks and am looking forward to spending more time volunteering with them next summer I hope!

Wedding anniversary love

Anniversary weekend in London 055, originally uploaded by Miranda Ash2006.

We just got back from spending a very nice weekend in London. Since we haven't got time to get away for a summer holiday this year we decided to give ourselves a little break, celebrate our wedding anniversary, and have fun in London. Although we only live an hour away we decided to make a night of it and stay in a lovely hotel.

So celebrations started with a delicious lunch at Benares in Berkeley Square. We're both fans of Atul Kutcher's cooking on 'The Great British Menu' because of his combination of indian inspired and european fusion cooking and the meal certainly didn't disappoint! Every mouthful was delicious and it's well worth a visit for a special treat. Just to whet your appetite this is what we had:

Chickpea, Green Mango and Coconut Salad
Chilli and Garlic Spiced Kalamari Fritters with Watercress Salad

Oven Roasted Mackerel with Stir-fried White Cabbage and Runner Beans
Pan-fried Corn Fed Chicken Supremes with Leek and Spring Onion Risotto

What stood out about the meal was the clever combination of spices which made the food come alive! Goodness, I'd like to pay Benares another visit one day soon!

After lunch we took a stroll around the corner to see the old office where Matt worked many moons ago and then carried on down Bond Street and took a stop in Tiffany's. Matt gave me a beautiful silver charm bracelet for our anniversary which will be added to with charms over the years - it's so so gorgeous and I'm a very pampered lady!

We stayed at the Sofitel London Hotel just off Pall Mall. This is a relatively new hotel and well worth the visit. We got a great bargain on expedia and were thrilled to discover that we had been upgraded for free to a fantastic deluxe room. The price was incredibly reasonable for a weekend and we loved the stay - fluffy bed, big deep bathtub (heaven!) and a monsoon shower along with all the trimmings. We'd love to visit here again.

To top the night off we got tickets to see Hairspray starring Micheal Ball. It really was an outstanding production. Whether or not you like Micheal Ball's somewhat cheesy reputation - he really was absolutely incredible as Edna Turnbald and Ian Talbot as Wilbur did a fantastic duet that had everyone (and themselves) in stitches! Leanne Jones has made her professional London debut as Tracy and really is perfect in the role and we'll be watching where she goes next! Such a great great show and well worth the ticket price for such a special treat!

Our next break with friends at the end of August for a long weekend will be considerably less plush - camping on the south coast - but equally fun!

Mamma Mia!

mamma mia movie, originally uploaded by wweek.media.

Just started our weekend with a spring in our step! Instead of hiding from the rain we dipped into the cinema to watch the long awaited 'Mamma Mia!' Movie. This is such a great feel good movie full of heaps of joy and laughter! Had a blast singing along to all the cheesy ABBA numbers and getting lost in the story. Meryl Streep and Julie Walters stole the show - both so well cast. Pierce Brosnan can't sing, but he was great eye candy nevertheless. If you want a move to make you feel great - this is the one! And it's one I think we'll enjoy watching over and over again. Huge 'cheesy' factor, but hey, we all need some 'cheese' once in a while!

Fudge

Fudge, originally uploaded by Miranda Ash2006.

Nick & Rosie's Wedding

Nick & Rosie's Wedding 026, originally uploaded by Miranda Ash2006.

This last weekend we headed down to Somerset to see another Wolstenholme cousin tie the knot! This time in was Nick's turn to walk up the aisle with his beautiful bride Rosie. They both looked so happy and it was wonderful to see alot of the family together for the first time since our own wedding nearly 3 years ago (it's our anniversary next week!). Had a great party together with alot of hilarity on the dancefloor - goodness our aunties gave us a run for our money! Great occassion! One wedding down, a few more to go this month!

Dad's 70th!

Dads 70th Birthday Barbecue 024, originally uploaded by Miranda Ash2006.

At the end of June we hosted a big family barbecue to celebrate Dad's 70th! It was a great afternoon spent catching up with relatives and playing in the garden with the children. Robs provided most of the barbecue whilst we made a big strawberry gateaux birthday cake! Happy Birthday Dad, here's to the next big one! xxx

Total relaxation

42-17842667, originally uploaded by montree_varietyart.

After what has been a very busy time at work, it was lovely to end the week with abit of pampering! A new beauty clinic has opened just a few mins walk from home so what better to do on Friday evening than go for a relaxing indian head massage and then come home and roll into bed for a deep slumber! It really was lovely and it's a great little spa - Iosis - which I recommend to anyone because they use all natural products and aromatherapy oils - delicious! Now, if I could have indian head massage etc on tap 24 hours a day, I'd be a deliriously happy girl - not that I'm already happy - which I am! :)

Art, Bicycles and Friends!

Roomies, originally uploaded by Miranda Ash2006.

This weekend was another full one - lots of fun! On Friday evening Miranda, Peter and Nic attending the PV for a large art exhibition at the Landmark Centre in Teddington. The wonderfully talented Micheal had a stand showing his stunning paintings of Surrey landscapes. We explored the exhibition and picked up one or two exquisite pieces of jewellry and cards - thanks for a great evening Micheal!

Saturday bought a trip into London to help Annabel prepare for the London to Brighton Bike Ride and catch up with Alice and Vincent visiting from France for the weekend. We headed over to Portabello Road to catch the end of the market and enjoy afew drinks and giggles in a charming pub before seeing Annabel off on her way to Clapham to get ready for the race. Meanwhile, Matt, Alice, Vincent and I enjoyed exploring old haunts in Chiswick and a leisurely dinner before heading home for the night.

Annabel was up at the crack of dawn on Sunday and started cycling at 6am (way to go girl!). She called us just after 9 and was over half way done by that point. In fact she cycled 56 miles in 6 hours with a few breaks and some very steep hills! Anyone who can cycle all the way up Ditchling Beacon without stopping is incredible and she did it on her first ever bike event! We headed down to the coast at lunchtime with the bike rack to pick Annabel up and bring her back to London for a celebratory dinner and goodbye to Alice and Vincent. We're pooped but happy! What a weekend!

Summertime traditions

Bedford CF1 Ice cream van, originally uploaded by classic vehicles.

There is something so quintessentially British about Ice Cream Vans. This afternoon whilst napping in the garden hammock, I was disturbed from my slumber by the tinny sound of 'Greensleeves' played by the ice cream van that winds its way through a neighbouring estate looking for families eager for some of the cool and creamy stuff!

Okay, I've made it sound oh so flowery!

But, the tunes do remind me of bygone days when, as a small child, the sound of the ice cream van coming was such a treat - an opportunity to spend some pocket money or beg Mum or Dad for a treat and then run up the lane to join the other children in the van queue! What joy! And this summertime tradition continues today where I'm sure another little girl is reveling in just the same treat as I did 30 years ago!

Slugs!

20060615 - Slug!, originally uploaded by sadalit.

Nice photo - shame I really don't like the slug! Since planting up the garden for the summer, I've been fighting a battle with an infestation of slugs in all areas of the garden. At first I thought I'd try the kinder approach to getting rid of the pesky creatures by putting down slug traps filled with beer - at least they'd have a party together. Didn't make any difference. So having found more than half my lettucue crop eaten in 24 hours earlier this week I decided to get nasty. And, I make no apologies for this! We scattered slug pellets all over the garden which seems to have bought things under control considerably! Here's to slug free veggies!