Not wishing to 'steal Steven's thunder'

On 18th July it is Steven's big day at the Buckingham Palace Garden Party. Y tells me that she has seen Lisa's outfit and she looks great. She is a very nice looking girl anyway and with a bob or two spent on her she will look terrific. We are coming into play as baby sitters. I thought if I published this early enough I couldn't be accused of scene-stealing. I was invited to the Palace in 1983 and this is me and Mrs. Radiogandy (isn't she lovely?) outside the hotel we stayed in. In those days cameras were not allowed within the gates and it was terribly strict as to who could accompany you. It had to be either wife or unmarried daughter. You were sounded out first "Would you accept etc.....?" because we couldn't have people turning down invitations from HM could we? The invitation card, when it arrived, was the thickness of a paper-back book...... I exagerate, but it was substantial, with the edges cut at 45 degrees and so on. They have relaxed things a lot recently and now, I understand, you can have a sort of official photograph.

If you have read Bungus's comment about Sandra's 'medal for assertiveness' it was when she went to collect her MBE and not only was there a photograph but an official video of 'the crucial moment' and it arrived back in Ollerton before they did.

Anyway. Good luck to you Steven. You work very hard and you deserve it.

Picture 2 is the smoke-bush in full 'flume' or is it 'fume'? It isn't me taking a blurred shot; that is actually how it looks. And we are picking raspberries. I wondered earlier in the year whether we would have left before they were ready and it's been a close thing. Even though we will have a much smaller garden we would like to find room for half-a-dozen canes because they are so lovely picked and eaten straight away. Sometimes before reaching the kitchen. And they are so expensive to buy, such meagre quantities, and so tatty.

We are planning a Rest Day tomorrow but I bet tens something will come along. Y is tired and so am I. A lovely story from Palmers Green - Ruby has lost her first milk-tooth and was so delighted because she is the youngest in her class and now she feels she has caught up a bit with the older ones. The tooth was duly placed under the pillow and in the morning, would you believe? the tooth had gone and the tooth fairy had left 50p. Ruby pronounced it the 'best morning of her life' when asked if it was better the Xmas she felt that it was. So- Tooth Fairy 1 - Santa 0.

I'm going to leave it there because I am running very late. My Norton took 90 minutes to scan 278209 files. I can't possibly have that many - can I? Fusion on WUforums sorted me out with Picasa Web Albums telling me exactly which version I needed. I googled it, found a safe site offering it and downloaded it direct. Problem solved. So much for the email 'invite' from picasaweb. I followed their link only to find I had installed an outofdate version.