Here is the Earnshaw family, with their house decorated to celebrate the Coronation of George V in 1910. One of those pictures that don't do much to tell us what our relatives looked like, but certainly places them in their historical background.
Actually not really my relatives either - I've been helping Allan Dennis, my brother's father-in-law and old family friend, with his family tree and photo collection and they are connections of his.
I envy him his collection of photos; Mum's side didn't save many of theirs, and nor did the Lockings pass many down to my Grandad, a mere 3rd son, although I do have a really early picture of Robert Locking 1823-1853, which was probably taken in the year of his death from typhus -

Our nursery nurse Caroline is leaving for pastures new - The Isle of Wight, to be precise, which should be very nice for her, but not such good news for us.
So today we've been showing round applicants for her replacement. The savvy ones have realised this is actually part one of their interview, as we listen carefully to their comments, questions and body language towards the children.
We've made our mental shortlist so far...

My nicest birthday card was a beautiful glossy version of this picture from Don & Linda Laing. It is one of the illustrations from Linda's recently published book "My Redcliffe Park and Garden", which arose from her nature diary of birds and beasties, trees and flowers, spotted and photographed around the Brisbane suburb wherein she lives.
She is holding an exhibition of the original photos, which are all worthy of wall space from an artistic as well as naturalist view.
Hope she does well.

I've been gigling over http://www.dooce.com/ , one of my favourite blogs - Heather is so much wittier and madder than I will ever be, she never fails to make me laugh out loud - and she had her lists of 4 things.
So here's mine:

4 Jobs I've Had

1. Shop assistant in a seaside gift shop, where the owner called everyone "Topsy".
2. Avon Lady - and no, I never came close to Dooce's mother; I didn't shake Llysfaen, let alone the world.
3. Professional knitter for knitwear designers Rococco - I once saw Olivia Newton John in a jumper I could have made.
4. Supply teacher at the British International School in Cairo, Egypt - how cool is that, to work for money in a place I'd dreamed of visiting?

4 Movies I can Watch Over and Over

1. Room With a View - Just so Romantic, plus Florence.
2. Richard III - Olivier or McKellen - probably the latter for preference, as it recalls the brilliant stage version.
3. Pirates of the Caribbean - well don't you love Johnny Depp, and isn't Orlando Bloom so cute you could eat him?
4. Lord of the Rings - oh, I know it's 3 films in one, but Viggo Mortensen and JRR Tolkien in combination....

4 Places I Have Lived

1. Cleethorpes - born and brought up at the seaside, I like to go and look over the edge regularly ever since.
2. North Wales. Still love the mountains and Gill Blackwell.
3. Cairo, Egypt, especially Al Quds Al Sharif St - I had lived there for ages before I realised it meant Jerusalem St.
4. Isla Verde, Puerto Rico - loved the paradise beaches and pina coladas, got a bit bored in the end.

4 TV Shows I Love

1. Who Do You Think You Are? - Well I am a genealogist.
2. Judge Judy. They are so stupid and she is so wise!
3. Would Like to Meet. A make-over that means something.
4. Strictly Come Dancing - for the dresses, the angst, the bitchy judges..

4 Places I've Vacationed (You'll notice I'm borrowing Dooce's titles here and have slipped into American)

1. Venice - on a tour of Europe, but still a major highpoint.
2. Sinai Desert. Such memories - a golden part of our life.
3. Syria - Palmyra, Krak des Chevaliers, Damascus - ditto.
4. Jordan - Petra, Jerash - ditto.

Oh dear - to think I left out The Valley of the Kings, Australia and all those wonderful weeks in the English Lakes...

4 of My Favourite Dishes

Well, I'm not a real foodie, to be honest, but I'll try

1. Gammon steak with fried egg and chips.
2. Home baked ham with new potatoes and broad beans, with parsley sauce. (Sorry - I just like pig.)
3. Seafood pasta - the best was seafood spaghetti in a shell from an Argentinian restaurant in Cairo that loved us so much, they didn't have Britain on their world map on the menus!
4. Possibly pizza.

4 Sites I Visit Daily

1. http://tricky3.co.uk/ - Richard
2. http://swallowedwhole.blog.co.uk/ - Lissa
3. http://www.justsouthoftoledo.com/ - Kristin
4. http://www2.tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=lizdavies - My One Name Study genealogy page.

4 Places I Would Rather Be Right Now

1. Fiji
2. Any of the vacation places mentioned above
3. With the aged parents
4. Well, it's the weekend and I'm messing around on the computer, so I'm happy where I am really...

4 People I'm Tagging

Erm - I'm not, I don't think...