Grumpy Trousers idea of pruning!

Anyone who knows my husband is aware he gets his words a bit mixed up. When he decided to make the most of the sun this morning to go and 'do a bit in the garden' I asked him what he was planning on doing. "Pruning your Clitoris" was his reply. When I looked a bit non-plussed he realised what he'd said. 

He meant my Clematis!

Speaking of Guilty Pleasures............here's my Top Ten

......and I demand to know yours too.  Go on, we've all got some.  They don't have to revolve around sex and erotica do they?  But even if they do, what does it matter?  

Whoops, there I go again creating naughty keywords for my labels.  Ok I confess, my curiosity is piqued.  I'm dying to see what turns up as a result!

Anyway, back on track.  Here's my list....

1.  Red wine.  
It's good for you in small quantities.  I like to try it out twice to see if the first small quantity worked.

2.  Chocolate.
But you know this already and it's probably on your own list.  Dark chocolate is good for you in small quantities. I like to try it out twice to see if the first small quantity worked.  I think I said that about red wine too.  Well, you have to make sure.

3.  Sleeping.
I shouldn't feel guilty about this, but I do.  I can nap for England, sometimes three times a day.  Grumpy Trousers must be so bored.  It's no wonder he retreats into his man-cave!

4. BBC Radio 4.  
No longer a guilty pleasure.  Just a complete and utter pleasure.  If you haven't indulged yet I suggest you tune in for their play and book readings.  I've often sat in the supermarket car park listening to the end of something rivetting.  Can't possibly go shopping until I know who's done it!

5.  Burlesque.
I absolutely LOVE burlesque.  Done properly it's not in the least but rude, but it IS cheeky and mischievous, not to mention hilarious.  It's also beautiful, and very tasteful.  

6.  Guys with deep toned, posh voices
I have been known to fall apart at the seams, rendering me a gibbering wreck when in conversation with such a man.  He ends up talking to himself!  

7. Liam Neeson
He's tall, he's Irish. He's good looking. That's all.

8. Facebook and Twitter
I'm not addicted to FB or Twitter.  I visit my own pages on there 2-3 times a week for catch-ups with chums etc.  I like to take a look at my Penguins Waddle page most days though in case a follower has commented.  They don't very often but I live in hope.

9.  Buying music
I can't help it.  I hear it, I like it, I have to have it.  There and then.  Thank goodness for Spotify, iTunes and Amazon.

10.  Kindle books
Aside from my photography stuff, Kindle books are my biggest indulgence.  As with buying music, I see an appealing ad for a Kindle book and it has to be bought there and then.  I rarely buy expensive ones however.  The prices I pay vary from £1.99 to absolutely free.  I've had some brilliant books for those prices, but they are now stacking up in the Kindle. I need a nice long holiday to be able to catch up on the reading.

I have FAR more guilty pleasures than the ones I've mentioned.  Maybe I'll list numbers 11-20 another time.

C'mon, off-load some of your own guilty pleasures here.  There can't be just me, surely?

People looking for sex blogs, and something curious in my stat count!

When I do a post I set up 'labels' containing key words within that post to make searches easier.  You probably do this yourself too, and know how it works.

Last week I did a posting on Guilty Pleasures and my stat count and those on Clustr maps (bottom of the page) went through the roof!  The posting was about Maya Gold chocolate but all I can say is there must be a lot of people out there keen to find a guilty pleasure or two.  It's an entertaining thought, but they'd need to find a different blog!

A similar thing happened when the word sex was included in an earlier posting.  I popped it into 'labels' and sure enough, it sparked a lot of interest.  I imagine people didn't get far into the blog once they realised the blog isn't about that.

Mischievously, I'm thinking about putting lots of other naughty words and phrases into my labels to see what happens.  There are going to be a lot of disappointed folk out there.  Although I can do She-Devil with the best of them!

Nice news

Not just Nice News but GOOD News
On Monday I had my last session with Andrew at Spirit Acupuncture.  It was a good session and by the time I left the building I was feeling really fit and well.  Nothing hurt anywhere.  I was walking comfortably, and my trademark waddle was down to a minimum.  How good that felt!  It's been a long time since I experienced  that and quite honestly it brought about a few teary moments.  So thankful was I to have a semblance of normality back.

It lasted through yesterday too when Grumpy Trousers and I went to The Photography Show at The NEC, Birmingham.  It's a bit of a trek from the car park into the exhibition centre, and once in there it's at least another 10 minute walk to get to the Halls.  I managed all that with no pain.  Walking without the gait, and striding out at a brisk pace put me on rather a high so I got quite giggly!  It was a lovely sunny day too, not particularly warm but the light levels were strong and lifted my elevated spirits even more.

I'd been looking forward to the show for a while, but was actually dreading the trek around, shuffling along with the crowds knowing the strain on my hip would become unbearable before too long.  But none of that happened.  I was pain free, and because we'd chosen to go mid-week the crowds were not in such abundance. There were still lots of people but  bags of space to move along comfortably.

I've loved photography for as long as I can remember, and to be there amongst the big names together with being offered opportunities to photograph models was irresistible.  We visited all the stands, marvelling at  the latest cameras, looking on in wonderment at the professional equipment, seeing radical new ways with wall art.....the list is endless!  

I went with an open mind about how much I might spend, although I'd set myself a modest budget.  That all went out of the proverbial window within 10 minutes after I enrolled on a course with The Photographer Academy.  The show prices were rather a bargain and it was too good to miss.   It was dear, patient Grumpy Trousers who suggested I enrol.  I dithered for a while, aware that I was about to bust my budget, but considering what came with the package it was a no-brainer.  You see, my skills have reached a level where I can't progress much more without some serious help, so I consider this to be an investment.  Bless him, Grumpy was just wonderful yesterday showing lots of interest and giving me encouragement. That was so nice as I do worry that he may not be enjoying things as much, but he was absolutely fine. 

So, here's a few images shot through the crowd.  They illustrate what opportunities were available.

Models on the Hasselblad stand

The Catwalk workshop on posing and lighting with Frank Doorhof, a Dutch celebrity and fashion photographer

Hey, it's Hump Day!

Don't you just love Wednesdays?  Hump Day, middle of week, two days to the weekend.  

Here's a nice inspiring image for you :-D

Who could resist that little face?  Whaddaguy!

Happy Hump Day