Have shoes will travel

Lots of pictures today. I've discovered you're not limited to the first five photos - you can add subsequent lots too - how long have I been doing this? Duh!!!

Over the past six months DD1 Sarah has had lots of problems with chronic abdo pain - several doctors visits and various tests culminated in a real nasty episode this week necessitating a visit to the Accident and Emergency department of our local hospital on Thursday. I won't bore you, or embarrass her, with any details. Suffice to say that we're all (that's us and the medics) coming to the conclusion that she's suffering from a very unpleasant spell of IBS. It goes without saying that we are hugely relieved that it's nothing life threatening or sinister but the pain she's suffered this week almost put paid to her partaking in something she's been looking forward to for months.

However she rallied round enough to head off this morning with the rest of her rugby playing team mates on tour for the weekend to Cornwall. She's a determined girl who seldom lets anything stand in her way and I'm glad she's been fit enough and pig-headed enough to be able to go.

The coaching team and one of the mums have worked extremely hard to get sufficient sponsorship to give each of the girls a tour polo shirt, a pair of tracksuit bottoms, a tour waterproof training jacket and a tour kit bag - WOW! (Sarah's the one under the coach wing mirror)

The yellow for the shirts was a big surprise to everyone - someone had heavily hinted at pink at one stage but they're male shirts which apparently you can't get in pink - whatever! - I think they looked pretty smart actually - you certainly wouldn't miss them coming that's for sure (and again she's the one in the centre with her tongue out)

Before they were allowed to set off they were given the task of arranging themselves into order as per the letter embroidered on the left arm of their shirts. If they stand in the correct order the line of 28 of them spells out 'Taunton Fillies Newquay Tour 07!' This was a huge challenge as you can imagine at 8.30 in the morning when they were all massively excited. Failure to replicate this manouevre at speed throughout the weekend may have dire consequences :o) - revenge for the coaches (even in jest) is a dish best eaten cold!

They all managed to get on the road just before 10am and so the rest of the family had the day to go off and do something else with.

When Nigel asked me what I'd like for my birthday I told him I've been wanting to treat myself to a pair of crocs shoes. They are starting to become quite popular over here but are not widely stocked and there is usually very limited colour choice. The purple ones I fancied have been particularly elusive in my size.

However I happened to discover that a new footwear shop was opening (on my birthday no less - obviously an omen!) which exclusively stocks all manner of Crocs in Glastonbury, about 30 minutes from us and a couple of miles down the road from Nigel's work. Obviously meant to be!

The town is a magnet for all things mystical, new age and whacky and is probably a very good place to put this shop. They should do well.

So we headed there first and made the crucial purchase. Please excuse the chubby ankles - I'm blaming the camera angle ;oP - 'Yeah right' I hear you all chorus!

Once we'd finished our shopping and had some lunch we headed off, best foot forward, to climb Glastonbury Tor.

The tor is a hill outside the town which can be seen for miles around and has a ruined church tower on the top. It is probably the most easily recognisable symbol of Somerset and deemed by some to be a very holy and spiritual place - the mythical Isle of Avalon from the times of Arthurian legends.

Well mythical it may be but it's also a jolly long steep walk up to the top! I did it in my new purple Crocs with not a jot of discomfort - they might not be very pretty but they are like walking on air.

Apart from the 300+ steps you have to climb actually up the tor itself, the hill is situated a good steady yomp of about a mile and a quarter from the car park in the town centre - we certainly had our exercise today and the weather was pretty hot and sunny making it fairly strenuous.

As is usually the case I always tend to bring up the rear so am generally caught on camera further down the hill than the rest of the party. Not pretty! We have many such pictures of me in rear guard position part way up a variety of climbs in our family albums.

But the views from the top were well worth the effort - wonderful, if a little hazy, and you could see a good proportion of not only Somerset but into Dorset and Wiltshire, the neighbouring counties, too.

Whilst we were browsing the shops before our mammoth ascent I came across a lovely striped lady's sleeveless shirt in a charity shop and some Indian cotton plaid fabric with an elephant grey background in another shop - treasure! Wish the shirt had been man-sized and long sleeved as it is a lovely stripe. Actually they go quite well together too - mmmm I wonder?

On another tack I don't know if any of you are familiar with Leanne's blog from Australia. I've decided in a fit of sheer lunacy that I'd quite like to have a go at her 365 day challenge. My birthday seemed as good a time as any to start.

So here are the first two days worth .........

I have lots of ideas for this and won't use it as just a report of what I do each day - heavens that would be so boring - whoever would give that a second glance after about the third week (or should that read third day?). But I think it will make an interesting 'document', albeit in fabric, for my descendents and will be fun to do.

Of course, in my usual inimitable fashion I've gone in feet first with no preparation - have I pre cut all my days/pieces? - er...... No! Does all my fabric match? - er...... No! but hey who cares? I've made a start and can catch up with the cutting as I go along.

Leanne has decided to use all various parchment coloured fabrics so it looks like old vellum. I'll be a bit more eclectic than that and intend to use lots of different pastel fabrics and a variety of colours of pigma pens too. I shall add little illustrations along the way with maybe some embroidery and/or applique as the fancy takes me. Watch this space..............