What is it about Friday mornings?

Last Friday I was up and tippity tapping on the laptop before even the dog could be bothered to stick his nose out from under the blanket, and this week is just the same.  What is it about Fridays?

It's dark outside, the orange glow from the street lamp was permeating through the curtains and my mind was racing so much that once awake I was wide awake.  So now I have a warm coffee to set me up, my to do list by my side (all work) and my laptop balanced on my knee.

The highlights of this week have been the Daughter has been staying with her new dog, Koda.  Now Whippet X does not really like other dogs, with a few noticeable exceptions.  He has a particular aversion to spaniels of all shapes and sizes, staffs, Labradors (except Oscar), Floyed (the big standard poodle here in the village), puppies, other whippets, anything snack sized and buzzy - you get the picture! It is probably true to say that we have a 'bit of a reputation' both here in the village that I stay in in Northamptonshire and at home in Hampshire. So it was with slight trepidation  that I said yes to Daughter visiting with Koda.

But Koda is a delight - Whippet X has adopted a stance of stoic acceptance of the 'if I really must' variety - with a bit of nose curling and tooth bearing if Koda has overstepped the mark.  But Koda is just 'whatever', doesn't rise to the bait and just gets on with it. It has been a joy to have him.

  He is demolishing a chew here while Whippet X is under the dining room table working very hard on his 'if I really concentrate hard enough the young upstart will disappear' look.

Meanwhile, Daughter has been working on some dolls.  I have featured a few of her dolls before.  She usually uses a combination of cloth and air drying clay but the latest dolls have real porcelain heads that she made at college.  She has been painting them while here, and is now on the body.

She is a member of a great site called Cloth and Clay Dolls and, if the link works, you can find more photos of here work there.  I am not really into dolls, but there a quite a few doll makers in the states, a few here in the UK and at last years Quilt Festival there were a couple of doll entries.

The other highlight of the week was that I bought a Christmas present.  That's me all organised then!!

On my own creativity front though I am afraid I have been very remiss.  Dogs, work, daughters - it has all been a bit of a distraction.  But I have Saturday to myself and a bit of quiet sketchbooking is definitely on the cards.