Staking a claim to our own little high-tide kingdom

Easter weekend in Broadstairs

Over the Easter weekend we paid a visit to sunny, seaside Kent.

Broadstairs is a Victorian resort perched upon the north-easternmost point of the Kent coast. It's renowned as the home of Charles Dickens, blessed with wide sandy beaches and a genteel ambiance. We were fortunate enough to be X free for a bit and booked a couple of nights at a B&B in the centre of town.

Looking out the window as I type this, the sapphire blue skies are a distant memory now -the summer weather just did not let up! I'm sure we'll be looking back at Easter during a mild, wet July crying out for more of the same.

A cliffside cave carved out by the tides near the delightfully named 'Dumpton Gap'. Heh heh, the 15 year old in me got a good chuckle about that.

Sign for a childrens' club outside a Church in Broadstairs. A very thought provoking choice of name in my opinion.

Broadstairs seafront - like a Victorian Bondi Beach with even more pale English people

Samphire Hoe lighthouse - just outside of Dover.

The time away was just what I needed. It's great when you can just put pressing issues on hold for a couple of days and just live in the moment. I've returned to real life feeling refreshed, happy and ready to face what will be sent my way.

Sunburn and a new sense of positivity

'He say.... YES!!!'

I love this time of year.

Everything still green and lustrous, the trees full of blossom. You start feeling the warmth of sunlight on your skin and sunrise doesn't wake you at 4am.. yet...

Sunburn doesn't strike yet, either. I can walk around for hours at a time (as I often do) with shoulders, neck and face unprotected. My vulnerable parts turn a lustrous raw umber instead of the midsummer burgundy tan I end up suffering. Still, a hat is de rigeur for those such as myself - time to dust off the Man From Del Monte panama for my travels.

In other news, I have a spring in my step which isn't entirely to do with the change of climate. E has had her tougher moments and was recommended an audiobook by Paul McKenna. Yes, that Paul McKenna, hypnotherapist and maker of spurious claims like 'I Can Make You Slim(!!!)', 'Change Your Life in 7 days(!!!!)' and 'Be Happy Forever (!!!!)' - maybe not the last of those titles, mind. To be honest, I wasn't convinced. But I gave it a listen anyway..

And, a week on after twice daily listenings with Mr M, I'm feeling pretty good. I've banished the negative inner voice which can sabotage your day and dealings and barely hear a peep from him. I awake in the morning with a sense of positivity and action which is remarkable. I can't rate it highly enough!

The effects might wear off in the longer term, I don't know. But in the meantime I reckon Horace was bang on.

A.

And yet, it carries on going up...

So I took delivery of some more silver dollars today..

The chart over here continues in an uptrend >>>>>>

And it has done since the start of the year! Of course there will be a pullback as people start selling their stuff, but I intend to continue adding to my stash in the months to come.

In other news, it's a busy time for birthdays and special occasions. We'd love to get a chance to go away for our anniversary.. its been 3 years already (gasp!). The temptation would be to stick a naughty weekend on the Amex (I get airmiles, dontcha know?), but we're taking a couple of frugal days on the Kent Coast.

Managed to sneak in a cinema visit, viewed the eminently enjoyable 'Limitless' starring Bradley Cooper ('Face' from the recent A-Team movie). When you get past the vertigo inducing intro sequence that Alfred Hitchcock would be proud of, it's a plot hole heavy thriller which surprised me greatly.

Made wish the fish oil tablets were a bit stronger though...

And whilst we're at it...

Beatbox Dog Abwabwabwa (Drum'n'Bass Edit)

In other domestic news...

I've bought a tree!! Yes, the greenhouse and garden have been calling me for several years. Now I've taken the plunge.

Ever since some childhood memories of planting spuds I've always entertained vague thoughts of growing stuff for myself. Till now, there's never been a patch of earth to call my own. Now I have two long swathes which are currently yielding a fine crop of spring weeds and very little else.

So, I now have a stubby little apple tree which stands pride of place amidst all the shrubbery. Got more kicks out of planting that than nearly everything I've done of late. Something bout getting hands grubby and soil under your nails which can't be

beat. That's my belief anyway.

X gave it a welcoming watering and christened it 'Ben Ten'. Consider it an experiment of mine. We'll keep it bug free, watered and in the line for plenty of sunshine. Harvest comes October time apparently.. I look forward to see if my efforts will bear fruit (ha ha).

Cider anybody?

X meanwhile turns 6. He gets spoilt rotten, acts like a proper little centre of attention at his party (something I'm still not impressed with), but is suitably thrilled with the largesse he has received. So many lego sets to play with, Transformers without end.. and a Nintendo DS!! Tired cliches about kids 'not knowing they have it so good' aside, I do hope he's enjoying life right now and getting everything positive he can out of it.

And me? I've been sleeping so lightly of late. E snoozes soundly through to the morning hours whereas I wake up as soon as X makes his elephantine presence felt (how can someone so small make so much noise?). With my spare time I've been following the ways of the world more than I used to (Libya/Japan/The economy/etc). Would love to be able to get my hands on my previous work pension and invest it into precious metals right now. Reckon there won't be to much in the bank by the time I get my hands upon it. Still, my stash of bling steadily gains further value, silver and gold continue their undulating ascent up the financial charts. We're planning a car boot sale later on this spring, so will be packing the eye glass and a roll of twenties just in case I can pick up some scrap!

I'm watching the alternative news websites to keep tabs on the nuclear meltdown business in the Far East. Our news stations are saying bugger all now, but if you dig a little deeper the radioactive seawater and exposed fuel rods make for worrying reading.

A.