Bodnant Gardens

I like flowers and gardens a lot having visited a good many in my childhood although getting around them with my disabilities isn't easy as I'm not good on my feet and I tire easy.
One of the places I like to visit is Bodnant Gardens in North Wales, UK.
Here's a couple of pictures I took originated on film shot on HD mode using APS

As you can see the flowers in full bloom and I was rewarded with a bright sunny day which made taking a decent picture using a relatively simple camera easier. Had I of realized it, I'd of shoot them on 35mm film on my Olympus slr going wide and cropping to HD or Panorama style using the computer.

Getting ready for New Term

Fast approaching end of Summer Vacations which for me  at least signifies the start of the Autumn Term and getting all your school requirements such as uniform sorted, ironed ready.
You know pretty much what my uniform is, and what it means to me so apart from anything else making sure everything is in top top shape really matters.

Apart from the socks as I like white just above the knee socks that's pretty much how mine looks and that's what I'm wearing this minute.
Apart from finding Peaches and Spikey after a bit of tidying up I got into my closet and have been creating some space to hang everything nicely.
While there I made a few discoveries such as finding three pairs of tailored shorts that oddly enough two would go with the uniform, being Grey,Blue  and White for PT type fun that gives me an option for playing not least actual out of doors playtime that should help to keep me more in tune with me inner self too. They're not the flannel sort that LB's wear but not so far off with pockets.
I suspect they date from that period I mentioned when I talked about shorts a while back being a route back into littleness before I knew anything about being little because I just do things anyhow.
And I've gotten some new socks ready for September too

Fur side story

After all that standard Olympics stuff and don't forget we have the Paralympics too which the UK played a big role in establishing in 1948 I thought I'd write about something I've referred to in chat but not never really on sites.
When I was living in the Greater London Area, I used to travel out a lot across and just beyond the City and on one Saturday morning in the spring I was in the Covent Garden area, a favourite part of central London of mine where I came by this:

Aww she's cute, very fluffy and and a hand puppet being made by hand and I just had to have her, walking across the area clutching her tightly afterward. This was well before I had any idea of what being a little even was!!!
Well I used to take her to work - as this is the internet and a public site I won't say where - but the job was super important for children's welfare over here and every lunch time I'd put on an impromptu puppet show. We called it Peaches the Panda show and it was ever so funny. At all other times she was on my desk and I'd start playing with her as people drifted about the office.
Shortly afterward I got another fluffy thing but this was more a Plushie I named Spikey cos 'es an Hedgehog.

I found them a few days ago as I was sorting out my closet so I give them a bit of clean and fluffing up and their back out on display.

Over You (Roxy Music Teenbeat special)

Back in 1972, a year I remember well with moving there were a number of  acts that later on you realized were about to break big one of which was David Bowie who released the seminal Ziggy Stardust album that year and there was Roxy Music.
Roxy Music are an English art rock group formed in November 1970 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera (guitar), Andy Mackay (saxophone and oboe) and Paul Thompson (drums and percussion). Former members include Brian Eno (synthesizer and "treatments"), and Eddie Jobson (synthesizer and violin). Although they disbanded in 1983 they reunited early this century releasing live albums but nothing new in the studio.
Roxy Music were one of the first English bands I got into buying their records over the years band one first artists to have their catalogues fully released on cd back in the mid 80's before the Stones or even Beatles and they have been reissued three times with the last set suffering from a very loud screechy sound that lead me toward buying my favourite albums by them on original vinyl.
Last Monday this 10 cd box set came out called The Complete Studio Recordings and I sprung for it although it's different than originally intended probably for cost reasons so here's a few thoughts  on it.
The first thing anyone getting this set has to get over this is it's not the ultimate set with High Resolution audio on dvds and a coffee table book throw in it's more basic than that but by way of compensation is a lot cheaper around the £50 mark. That's not much per cd now is it?
Also unfortunately a background capsule booklet wasn't included which is a shame because it would of helped to set the context of each album (and the singles) release for the casual fan but the packaging is otherwise of a high standard with thick card sleeves and a paper inner to protect the disc.
The card looks durable so shouldn't suffer damage in regular use with a bit of care. The box is sturdy (yay!) and functional allowing you to slide out the core to retrieve an album for playing when it is on your shelf something I appreciate having had experiences of the sort so big you end up putting them at the top of the closet!
For this set Roxy Music (self titled) loses Virginia Plain which was never part of the original lp and 1979's Manifesto gains for the first time on cd the album versions of Angel Eyes and Dance Away rather than the disco inspired remakes issued originally for the 45's and all are present in the  2cds covering non album singles, b sides and odd mixes.
The mastering for this set is different than the 1999 HDCD discs which remain available new, preserving far the better the difference between the quieter and louder passages so when you listen to a track like Street Life, it doesn't tire your ear and you can tell the difference between tracks with more softer passages and those that don't .It seems they redid the transfers from original analogue tape which coupled with newer analogue to digital converters results in much smoother sound compared to previous cds.
I've had quite a blast this week playing all these albums back comparing with other versions finding this set to the best sounding yet.
To sum up, it may not be the ultimate set when it comes to features but is a extremely good sounding set, well presented being available at a modest price suitable for either a casual fan as a one stop purchase or for those looking for upgraded sound.

Hello and goodnight from me

Hi people.
First things first, we've a number of new visitors to this blog according to the numbers thing Google provide, and if that's you please read the About and if you wish, add a comment to the Hellos sections you click on from the top of the blog as they'll explain what this blog is really about and why I was so pleased Samantha amongst others publicly recognized the value of it.
I also wish to welcome PowderKid ,teenb101,Pickachu, tinkerbell and Noodle to my home of schoolgirlish innocence as well as Mary who returned to GT this week.
People at  Adisc and GT may have noticed something, namely my avatar yes the one form the same series as the delightful image I'm claiming this week, looks well, sharper, because when I edited it last time to fit the square 150x150pxavatar size restrictions at both sites, somehow the online resizer made it very grainy something Noodle rightly brought to my attention so I redid the resizing.
Last week I talked about sleep having lost several spoons to staying awake for longer than is good  for me and sleep is something that has been mentioned before as in Little Modes Sleep both at GT and there's a current thread running on it at Adisc plus there's my "Downsized Sleep" entry on here about talking about how and what I got from throwing the groan up stuff out of it!
Anyway peoples you'll recall I'd converted sleep into a going to sleep and waking up  as a adult little girl experience with age appropriate bedlinen, teddy bears, posters, pretty much the works really and it was wonderful.
Well, how well do you find actually switching off, closing your eyes and going to sleep? If you're like most of us maybe a bit iffy even if we turn off the Tv for a bit before getting into bed. But there's something, you might remember it, that used to work pretty well for you when you were younger and I'm suggesting you try it.
Recently faced with this, I recalled this reassuring routine of either being read a short story or maybe of listening to soothing songs -Lullabies- that from being in bed get you into a relaxed sleepy frame of mind from my own childhood.
It happens that Amazon has a pretty good recording of Lullabies in contemporary arrangements in stock that is available as an inexpensive download as well as a cd and I bought it.
Lullabies-the rainbow collection which I'm sure is available on Amazon in the States and Canada too.
It runs for about 35 minutes which is just long enough for you to start to drift off clutching your teddy and it does really help having adopted this into my sleep routine packed with favourite songs and rhymes from the past.
Until the next time and IK chat.
 Hugs Jo.