Monday morning, never the best time of the week.  Too much 'goodbye weekend', and 'hello hard work'.  But wait, on this Monday the sun was shining……so why not delay the start of the working week, and cycle into Emsworth for lunch, to eat fish and chips and drink Sauvignon blanc?

I put this idea to Mr Cooper, and he said "Right, I'll get the bikes out!"

And this is where we ended up, sitting at that empty table above in the sunshine, eating the best cod and chips I have ever had, plus homemade tartar sauce and fab mushy peas.
If you are ever feeling like a treat, do head for fish and chips at The Bluebell, Emsworth, Hants.
http://www.bluebellinnemsworth.co.uk/

So that delayed the start of the working week till Tuesday morning, where I returned to the sinks at The Greyhound, to hear about all the dramas that had unfolded. Although Sunday evening had proved to be a very exciting shift in the kitchen (flying burgers, flying punches, and a steady stream of expletives) I found that I had also become a drama in gossip-land, as apparently I had walked out, after having realised that I was about the only person to have not received a bonus!
Well, I am still there, and sadly still without a bonus.
 Perhaps my leaving present will make up for that!

But last week I did receive many good things, one of which was an email from Nigel White.
He had preached successfully for the first time, which was when my silk image of the crucifixion was used by him.
Here is the finished image, in my garden, looking a lot smaller than it actually is…………..

……….and here it is alongside Nigel in the Mission Tent, doing what it was created for.

Do please follow this link to find out more about Nigel's work as an Evangelist.    http://www.missiontent.co.uk/

My other creations this week seem very frivolous by comparison.
The completion of my stripy jumper, and also a summer holiday dress, ready for Puglia.

 My life seems always to be a mixture of many diverse elements!

This week started with a definite 'holiday' feel, and it certainly ended that way.
On Friday, my favourite little brother, complete with my favourite youngest nephew came to stay, ready for a day out on the Isle of Wight!

We set out at 8.30am to walk to the station, to catch the train to Portsmouth. Then we sailed over to the Isle of Wight on the catamaran, in the sunshine.

Then off the catamaran and onto the amazing little train, which was once a London Underground train to sunny Shanklin, which was at the end of the line.
Shanklin does have an 'end of the line' feel about it………

………………..but the beach was wonderful,

 We had a great time from when we ate our first lollie (Chocolate Feast for Mark and me, Twister for Jem, and just tea for Mr Cooper) until we left to have Calamari for lunch.  It was like being abroad, eating squid, drinking Moretti and sitting under a sunshade!
Then up the cliff lift, back to the station and on to Sandown.

 We started off there by having a welcome break in the shade in a lovely coffee shop.
Mr Cooper was complimented by the coffee barista on the brightness of his attire.
I was, as usual, overlooked, as I sat next to him, dressed in my lime green dungaree shorts, turquoise crocs, shocking pink T shirt and straw hat festooned with knitted flowers in white and turquoise.
On second thoughts, perhaps the barista thought I was dressing for a bet.
Then onto the seafront, the pier and the beach.  Much busier here, with lots more 'Kiss Me Quick' elements.  But we were on holiday by the seaside, and everything was fun.

After paddling, digging, and getting soaked by big waves, we got on the little train for the last time that day.  Back to Ryde, then back to Portsmouth (inside the catamaran this time) then back to Southbourne, pausing only for a drink or 2 in 'The Travs' where Christian told us the best joke ever.*

We got back to The Gables 12 hours after we had set off, well in need of our delivery of curry.

A week's holiday in one day, brilliant.

I think it is a rather fetching straw hat, don't you?

Well, as there is a week of rain ahead, perhaps it will be a week of more work and less pleasure.
Having said that, it is a very wet Monday morning, and we are going out to lunch!

Hope your week is a good balance of work and pleasure, I will catch up with you after that.

*I ate an entire clock yesterday.  It was very time consuming, especially after I went back for seconds!