Life laundry.

One of the jobs I have set myself for this summer is to have a good sort out of STUFF. So, I started this morning with the cupboard under the stairs. How did I fit soooo much STUFF in there!! We can now walk right into it and the ironing board looks quite lonely ( pity I couldn't get rid of that). When I've had a sandwich, banana and a cup of tea I'm off to the local dump. The rest of the STUFF will go to a charity shop and I have a little gift for the local Lace circle. During the week I hope to make a start on the garage and tonight I will begin an overhaul on my scrapping supplies.



Getting ahead, we have booked next years summer holiday, we are off to Egypt, can't wait to see the pyramids in real life. Michaels' Grandma was born in Egypt so we are particularly pleased to be going.



My 'baby' will be 23 years old tomorrow. Here she is with one of her lovely black labs.. She celebrated with friends yesterday evening so a family meal is planned for tomorrow. HAPPY BIRTHDAY 'FLUFFY'.!

Oven to Freezer!

Well, it seems like we have moved from the oven to to freezer. Two beautiful sunny weeks in Turkey then back to DULL and WET and CHILLY.

We all had a great time, mostly being very lazy around the pool but also took some super excursions. A 'Gullet' cruise saw us in pretty coves, swimming in the warm sea water with lunch on board. The mud baths and thermal pool were an experience and the Ecoventure was such fun and an excuse to act like a 10 year old for the day!

The resort was brilliant, everything very clean , good food and entertainment. I wish I could have put that lovely hot holiday feeling in a box to be opened when needed, which would be all the time at the moment!!

We're off!

Yes, we are off to Turkey , just finishing our packing. Can't wait to see some real sunshine.

My aforementioned mission has gone well and will be carried on whilst I am away.

See you in a couple of weeks.

Ups and downs

Yes, a very up and down week. At Olney crop on Sunday, I made an altered clipboard for our Deputy Head who is leaving at the end of term and also completed a LO. Good company and our new venue along with lots of ideas put forward for future kits and classes made for a really good day. Will post piccies later.

The events on Sunday in Glasgow made me feel a little uneasy about travelling next weekend. Having said that I do truly believe we must not let these lunatics win by not carrying on as normal with our lives.

Michael was away last night and not expected home until late tonight but his plans were changed. He actually got home far earlier than usual and so, took me out for dinner at our favourite Chinese resturant as it is our 31st wedding anniversary.

I had some very sad news today. My cousin died this morning at the age of 52. She was 10 weeks younger than me and although we haven't had alot of contact over the past few years, we did spend alot of time together during our childhood and teenage years. I will remember her for her happy and loud laugh. We always knew where she was just by listening for that. She leaves her husband and two teenage sons , two sisters and her Mum. They are in my thoughts tonight and in the difficult days to come.

Finished it.

Some of you saw me struggling with a LO at the crop on Monday. I had a headache and just fiddled around with the papers, getting nowhere. Anyway I got myself and it together on Tuesday and finished it as you can see. Not a good colour representation, the letters are a willow green with glitter glaze on them . They look sort of gold on here. Not sure about the writing, I wish it was a more flowing style but having had to write in italics in my formative years, my writing is still sort of 'square'.

Well, I have now finished work until September so that sun had better shine! I've got so much planned for the next 10 weeks it will go too quickly no doubt.

This next week sees two wedding anniversaries. Rachael and Gary will have been married 7 years on the 1st and Michael and I will have clocked up 31 years on the 3rd. Michael will be away on the 2nd and not home until late on the 3rd... any ideas for his penalty!

Poor Beverly has had a leak in the hallway of her flat. it has taken some time to locate but we a now pretty sure it is coming from outside (probably something to do with another flats balcony) so, hoping that will be sorted soon. Squirral has had a bad leg this week and Lindsay has had a bad brain (Ha Ha Lins, serves you right. Forgetting that book)

I am doing a workshop tonight, making a beer mat book, hope it goes well. MK scrappers crop on Sunday, first one in Olney so more room to move about and not far to travel for a change.

Only just over a week 'till we are off to Turkey so will update before we take off.

Oh bother!

Last Sunday Beverly and I took Ethan to Salcey Forest again. I asked Rachael to dress him in old clothes and wellies and pack in another set of clothes. We started off with lunch at the little cafe and a quick turn in the playground. Then came the fun bit. As you know we have had rather alot of rain and so there were some wonderful puddles. We told Ethan
that he could run and jump in as many puddles as he wanted so off he went. Oh, what fun...big puddles little ones, deep ones and best of all VERY muddy ones and he found them all and frequently ended up on his bottom in them and guess what...........I FORGOT THE CAMERA!!! I will have to figure out a way to do a pictureless Lay out to remember a great afternoon by.

Last weekend was busy. Liz, was here and onFriday we made a visit to Bramble Patch for their exhibition and had a lovely lunch of bagels, cream cheese and smoked salmon whilst sitting in the car in the pouring rain. Saturday, we went off to a work shop at Poppy Patch to learn a new technique called 'A slant on Cathederal windows'. We really enjoyed it and are both going to carry on and make some more blocks.

Saturday evening, at Lindsays' with Rachael and Beverly along with a few more of her friends. Good fun, but driving through a flooded road on the way home at 1.30 a.m. was not.

Any other news? Oh, went to see 'Notes on a scandal' at Wellingborough on Tuesday and on WednesdayI met Beverly to help her choose a hat for Ladies Day at Ascot.

Going to a B-B-Q tomorrow night...HaHaHa.
Previously mentioned mission is going well so far.

It's my money!!

Just having a rant.
I went into our local Woolwich branch today, it is to be combined with Barclays next week.
I wanted a cheque drawn on my savings account. The cashier informed me that it would cost £10!! It is MY money that that they have been using to make a Profit and how can they justify that sort of charge? Also mentioned that I would be sorry to see the pass books go and the cashier said" Yes, alot of customers have said the same". Do they listen? Customer service? What customer service? Guess who will be moving her money?

On another subject ,I am on a mission at the moment. Results will not be obvious for a while.

Call out.

Thank goodness for breakdown insurance. Had just left Cosco today and suddenly my car sounded as if it was going to fall apart, terrible clunking sounds from under the bonnet. Oh, did it sound expensive!! Anyway, luckily the break down man came along( very nice) and discovered it was the drive belt that had shredded and was flailing around, hence the noise. He did a temporary repair and home we went. In fact I dropped the car at the local garage to have the proper belt fitted and left it there as it was booked in for its MOT tomorrow morning. I was a bit disappointed though, I was hoping for a ride in his cab!


Have done a couple of canvasses this week including this one , which is for my Dad on Fathers Day. The ladies at our craft club did some on Wednesday too and really enjoyed themselves.


I have been busy in the garden this week, putting in some bedding plants and sorting out the wall pots and hanging baskets. A pair of pidgeons have been driving me mad, flapping about in the trees. Their wings make soooo much noise. I suspect Mr Pidgeon is rather amorous and Mrs Pidgeon is none to keen!


Tomorrow is our quarterly 'Patchwork people' meeting and we have our Posse meal in the evening . I am doing two main courses, tarraggon chicken with puff pastry rounds and pork fillets with apricot stuffing.

Just eaten a WW toffe apple yogurt... mmm quite nice.

Bed or bake?

As I said Ethan stayed over last night. After his bath I wasn't sure if I should put him to bed or pop him in the oven. Apparently Grandad had sprinkled him with 'Baking powder'!! Well, he is good enough to eat.

Here are acouple more piccies from last week..

Sorry about the weather!

Well, it seems that when we left for Southern France last week we took the sunny weather with us,but at least we bought it back for you all today. We had a very restful holiday and found new places to visit ( this was our 4th time ). We discovered some different villages and had a super sunny day exploring the Gorges du Verdon, WOW, stunning scenery.

I have lots planned for the next week or so before I go back to work. The small bedroom is still not finished being decorated but, we now have a carpet for it and a bed. So, that must be finished. I must catch up with housework and get some plants in the garden.

Sunday is MK scrappers , so cakes to make. Next Saturday sees the 3p's dinner, my turn for main course.

Tomorrow , Beverly is taking part in the 'Run for Life' so good luck to her and Lindsay has a jumping comp with Squirral, Michael and Rachael are going to watch. I feel bad not going, but I find it too worrying and I feel I might transfer my anxiety to her and the horse. I think she understands.

Off now to check on Ethan who is staying over. I missed that little fellow whilst I was away and I like to think he felt the same about me as he told me he "HAD to stay tonight".