I'm back

Did you miss me? Well, I'm back now, having put several hundred miles on the mileometer and having two FOs (Bethany's cardi and one jaywalker sock, but no photos as the girls have the camera and are in London for the day).
We went to Weston-super-LameMare for a few days to stay with an old friend of OH. He lives in a large old house and has plenty of room for all of us and is the perfect laid-back host. He also has a 19-year-old cat called Astrid, who was very friendly and soon wormed her way into our affections.

She certainly doesn't look 19 and doesn't really act it either.
Whilst in that neck of the woods, we visited Glastonbury and all its new-age shops.

I have never seen so many crystals, incense-burners, hemp products, Earth goddess statues, d-i-y pagan shrines, divining sticks, etc etc in one place. Brighton has its "alternative" side, but nothing like Glastonbury! I felt spiritually cleansed and full of peace and lurve after soaking up the atmosphere (actually, I felt knackered and full following a lovely veggie meal in one of the cafes there!). From Glastonbury we went to Wells and visited the Cathedral.

Obviously, this picture isn't the cathedral, it's the market cross (I think). I was taking video footage inside the cathedral and haven't yet edited it or worked out how to put videos on the blog. There were a few pictures of the cathedral and its surroundings, but they seem to have mysteriously disappeared (Girls, is that anything to do with you? You know the one I mean - with the gate and the little picture??).
The knitting of Bethany's cardi was completed in Weston-super-Mare and the sewing up was started (but hopelessly cocked up). Pictures when the camera returns.

After our trip to the West, we ventured north to my parents. My brother has just built a Lean-to conservatory so we had a BBQ there to celebrate the opening of this magnificent new edifice. It's so nice listening to the sound of raindrops on glass whilst knocking back Pinot Grigio and munching carbon sausages. We followed that with a family Sunday Lunch at a local hostelry

This is everyone except me and includes, Ma, Pa, Bruv, Bruv's partner, two nieces, a step-niece, OH and two daughters (in no particular order). I'm thinking of setting up as a photographer, specialising in formal, well-presented family groups; whaddya think?! We also had the obligatory visit to Borders (where I was very tempted to join the knitting group "Knit me baby one more time!") and a trip into the city centre where I got the most amazing bargain - a pair of blue trousers reduced from £45 to £10.80. When I went to pay for them though, they were reduced even further to £6.75 - a useful morning's work, I'd say.

On Thursday the girls and I went to Dieppe for the day. We live about 10 minutes' walk from the ferry terminal and hardly ever make use of it. If you get the 8.00am ferry, you can have about 5 hours or so in Dieppe before returning home on the 6.00pm boat. We had enough time to have lunch,

buy some smelly cheese and some CDs (not smelly, although they do make my ears bleed ha ha) and generally wander around soaking up the Frenchness of it all.

We returned home after a smooth crossing

during which the first Jaywalker sock was completed (having been started in about March) and the second one was started. (I may also have bought vast quantities a small amount of duty-free booze).
There has also been some progress on the shrug I am making for Lucy - it has been started three times and frogged twice, mainly due to a) not enough yarn and b) change of mind about pattern stitch. Version three is progressing well at present...............