My Family & Other Animals

Sunday 12 August 2012

"Let's Go Surfin' Now, Everybody's Learning How...."

Good Morning to you all, there's a hint of sunshine coming over the rooftops of my neighbours houses and in the distance I can hear a heavy duty drill! Drilling on a Sunday morning! What's wrong with you man, how selfish can you get.
I remember well the Sunday's of my youth. My mother was a big fan of the long-running BBC Radio 2 Drama 'The Archers', a tale of simple country folk and their struggle to achieve ratings in an ever less caring world. In order to listen to her favourite round-up of the week's events (in peace!) she used to get me up at the crack of dawn (8 a.m can seem like that to a teenager you know) and send me off to church. Whilst there, I would listen with great interest to the vicar and what he could teach me about the world around me. I don't think I ever came away from Sunday Service without feeling elevated in some way and with a more positive spring in my step.
Of course that spring was usually knocked out of me by dinner time but for at least a couple of hours I could feel good about myself and my own space. The rest of my day was spent 'hanging about', that thing that kids do today and that makes us say "Well that never happened when I was a kid, where are all the Youth Clubs eh?". One particular highlight was catching my dad on his was back home from his usual Sunday dinnertime drink and knowing that his jacket pocket was now filled with coins and if I caught him just right he would give me some money to go down the beach, to the arcades and the Ice Cream stands and treat myself to some sweets or a few goes on the latest game (Space Invaders and Galaxians being my favourite).
Sunday Dinner was always the best meal of the week. Meat, roast potatoes and loads of veggies with lashings and lashings of amazing gravy. Nobody makes a dinner like my mum used to, she was the greatest cook I have known and even my natural father (a Chef) says he can not make roast potatoes like her. I think this is the thing I miss the most about my mum, her cooking was a big part of who she was and all her strokes and age have taken all that away from her and more importantly, her children
The day would be finished with 'the weekly bath' (whether you needed it or not!), listening to the Top 40 run-down on Radio 1 and Esther Rantzen's 'That's Life' a consumer affairs programme that used to make you laugh and cry in equal measure.
Everything is different today. Nobody goes to church, shops are open all day and people don't eat meals together, as a family any more. Everyone just does their own thing and most of us have to include Sunday in our working week, something that thirty years ago would have had the Unions up in arms about. I'm not saying I don't like the changes. In fact I embrace these particular changes to my life, as Sunday's used to drag for me as child and now it's not much more different to a Wednesday or a Friday if I'm honest with you. But I do miss the peace and quiet, that was a given and I can't pinpoint the exact time that it left us.
Before I tell you about my latest entry into the blogasphere, I must thank everyone who left me a lovely message of support. I have been going through the ringer just lately and I am still not feeling right. After a visit to the Doctor I now know that last Saturday night I had a panic attack and that things are on their way to being sorted out. I may yet end up talking to a Psychiatrist, but I will keep you posted. I would also like to welcome Fernanda and Lauski, my latest followers, I hope you enjoy reading my blog as much as I enjoy doing it.
This week's card for the Kenny K Kraft Krew Challenge (#106) is Sun, Sea and Sand (sadly, no mention of Sex anywhere!!). I have used Surfer Dude (available here) for my image, Bazzil cardstock, a piece of Magnolia paper, some Craftime Embellies, a large pearl swirl and a lovely crab charm which I thought would be funny to have nipping his toe. I have used my trusted Distress inks for the sky background and I have coloured him using my Copic Markers. I am going to get my pencils out this week and have a play with them, if all goes well then I will be showing you the results soon. Hope you like the card and that it inspires you to join us this week and to have a go yourself, if you win then you could walk away with FIVE free Kenny K images and a prize (as yet unspecified) from Marianne Designs.
Hope you have a great day and an even better week ahead,
Hugs 'n Stuff,
Andy
xx
Entered Into: Art With No Boundaries Challenge - Anything Goes & Rhythm Of The Sea Pt. 2
Bunny Zoe's Crafts Challenge #27 - Summer
Critter Sketch Challenge #128 - It's Digi Week!!!
Incy Wincy Designs Challenge - Beach Days
Make It Monday Challenge #102 - Anything Goes
Paper Pretties Challenge #52 - Anything Goes
Truly Madly Crafty Challenge - Summer Fun
Whoopsie Daisy Challenge - Anything Goes

19 comments:

  1. WOW This is wonderful Andy. Such a fabulous image and coloured brilliantly. I love the layout and that little crab looks so great.
    Take care
    Sue

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great card Andy. Fab image and oh my have you coloured him so well. Love the papers and that crab really made me smile.
    Having been a nurse since 1971 Sundays were naturally a part of my working week until I began health visiting, then every weekend off. Used to really love them. We would pack up the car with a picnic and just take off to wherever we fancied. That was me, my sister and 3 nieces. We have been to every stately home and garden for miles around. Covered all the museums and know the North East coast like the backs of our hands. You can't beat a Sunday dinner of fish and chips at Seahouses or Whitby. Those were the days.
    Back to you..... I've never had a panic attack but have seen lots of them and they can be very frightening. I am sure they will sort you out.
    Keep smiling and keep creating. Glad you are finally giving the Prisma's a go.
    Eileen x

    ReplyDelete
  3. Awesome card, Andy! Love your colouring. This really looks so summery. Hugs...Mona

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great Memories - I have similar ones although I did have to go to Church. My mum wasn't a great cook but could do a lovely roast :) We do have them here sometimes - usually in the winter time.My children are in their teens so dont get up till lunch at the weekends ( Its lovely and quiet;))
    Love your card. The crab is so cute and colouring amazing.
    take care x

    ReplyDelete
  5. What? No "Wonderful World of Disney"? on Sunday nights? Oh wait a sec, you didn't grow up here in the States. Dang. You were ROBBED! For us, Sunday night was T.V. night...with T.V. dinners on trays in front of the "huge" 13-inch color set! My sister and I LOVED our TV dinners! My favorite was the beans and franks with cinnamon apples and chocolate cake. Invariably an apple or a bean would sneak into the cake. There was something magical about eating out of a molded aluminum plate and peeling back that outer aluminum cover. And Andy..."sex" is ALWAYS implied in Kenny's creations...don't ya know? Take it easy and remember to breathe. Panic attacks are no fun.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a fun image (fantastically colored) and your papers are perfect in that they allow the image to totally shine. Wonderful reminisings here too - there is nothing like childhood memories of days when the whole world was one big possibility!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. It was fun reading your memories of Sunday's gone by Andy. I love your fun card - That little crab getting his toe made me laugh. I hope you get your panic attacks under control. My husband had them for a time and I know how bad they can be. Keep us posted!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for your lovely comments on my blog. Just came to take a look and what a fab blog you have. You really put a smile on my face with your memories -I guess we must be around the same age (I remember Esther Rantzen with her funny shaped vegetables! - the things that used to amuse us!!!)Anyway just love the card, such fun. Hope you are much better soon - I'm sure crafting is the best medicine. Love Maxine. x

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great card, love those digi's!...just got back from Stornoway Scotland...Everything still closes on Sundays there! My hubby makes the best roast potatoes!
    (Lyn)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Awesome card! Thanks for playing along this week at CS challenge~

    ReplyDelete
  11. Your colouration of this fun image is amazing. Love how rich and vibrant the colours are. Perfect choice of BG paper to really complement the image. Love the humour of this card including Mr. Crab. Thanks for joining us at Art With No Boundaries. I'm looking forward to seeing what you create next.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Fun card! The crab is a nice touch--or pinch?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wow Andy! I loved reading your trip down memory lane...Can connect with a lot of what you were saying lol!! It's my first visit to your blog and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute....Your card is amazing and you have a way with those Copics and distress markers:)...I also have my DT hat on today and would like to say Thank You for sharing such an amazing card with us at Make it Monday..did I mention I love the little crab!!...it adds such a lovely fun touch to your image lol!!
    Hugs,
    Marjorie
    xxx
    Have become a follower so I can come back and reminisce a little bit more lol! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  14. Love your card and came over from MIM to tell you so. That crab really made me laugh and your colouring rocks my world. Oh, and my mum listens to the Archers too!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Your card is lovely...Thank you for joining us at Incy Wincy and good luck.

    Caz IW DT

    ReplyDelete
  16. Teehee! Too funny! Thanks for playing with us this week at Incy Wincy!
    Hugs,
    Karen C
    www.busybusyhoneybee.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Love the crab biting his toe and the bright colors in your image! So glad you joined us at Art With No Boundaries!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Andy, I just love coming here and looking at your work. You have a wonderful way with colors. I also enjoyed reading your post. The potatoes and gravy sound great (my favorites) Thanks for sharing this on Art With No Boundaries and hope you feel better soon.
    :) Chris / CS Designs

    ReplyDelete

Please feel free to leave a comment, I welcome constructive criticism.