And I am not going to lie, I have mixed emotions about it. I know the two kids need to go back. They are definitely getting bored. They are bickering and to be fair they haven’t a huge amount over the holidays. Partly I suspect as my daughter has turned into a proper teenager and spent a lot of it in her bedroom, but even so any time spent together is an issue now!
However I am going to miss them. I always do. I dread the holidays as 6 weeks feels so long, but when it goes so quickly and they go back the house feels so empty. Hey ho, what can you do! I will just have to enjoy my time with them even more. Speaking of which I only have this weekend as next weekend is the big Purbeck half, or more than half I should say. A group of us are off to walk 16.5 miles. Not sure how I am going to do it as my fitness has fallen off a cliff and my foot is so painful, but I am going to give it my best shot. More on that nearer the time.
This week I have managed to finish two pet portraits and scan them in AND edit them on my new laptop, or not so new now I should say haha. The reason I can, is because I finally calibrated the monitor, downloaded Microsoft Ice. Brilliant program for stitching images together and and hey presto, two pet portraits are scanned in. I am hoping the colours look ok haha.
Both are dog portraits and first up is Cal.
And second up is my 5th springer spaniel portrait, Charlie.
Charlie’s Mum has given me the go ahead to frame his pet portrait and Cal I am waiting to hear on, but I am keeping my fingers crossed. Although Cal is being posted within the UK his portrait will be going to India for his Mum’s wedding. The family are gifting his pet painting as a wedding gift. What a lovely idea. He won’t be framed and will go as, as I believe it will best for him to travel like this due to glass breakage. Although if you remember Baiza and Morton travelled in their frames safely.
I have been busy trying to get some training in for this purbeck half marathon, which is actually 3.5 miles longer than a normal half. It will be tough. Lots of hills and after my disaster last Saturday my confidence has been rock bottom. Anyway, hopefully some what I have been doing will have some benefit to me when I go. I managed a lot of hill reps and walking up Star Hill, not all the way but quite a way which is no mean feat. It’s not the steepest hill in the world, but boy it goes on. Anyway I did 4 miles of hills, that’s probably 2 miles in total as I what goes up has to come down and vice versa. Tomorrow I will be doing another walk, but not anywhere near so hilly, I can’t over do it as I don’t want injury or anything else. Plus rest is as important as building up strength and stamina.
Back to the pet portraits, I am going to try and upload to Charlie’s time lapse for you to see below. Not sure if it will work, guess you will see!
https://www.facebook.com/sarah.brookes.58/videos/16518737249432
Well second attempt did it, using the old methods of editing the site. At least I have worked out how to upload pet portraits videos again! It has pleased me and I consider it a success! I think I am going to call it quits now and edit my home page with my new pet portraits and other bits tomorrow! I am shattered after all that exercise!
I can’t believe this time next week I will be sitting in Dorset eating fish and chips with all my lovely nordic walking friends. Not sure it counts as carb loading, but we shall see I am nervous as it is but hopefully my walk to Penshurst and back will give me a much better gauge of the distance I need to walk. Not the hills I will need to tackle. Anyway apart from a last bit of training early in the week it will be frantic pet portraits working time to get as much done before my well deserved break!
So next up on the pet portraits front is back to the cats and the blue heelers, well one this time. I have a double doberman dog portrait and a horse portrait too. So much to do at Sarah’s Pet Portraits HQ