Cards.

Have enjoyed getting these cards ready for the ladies at our craft club to make on Wednesday.Sorry the photo's are a bit wonky! They are not originals by me, the snowman comes from a lovely book of christmas ideas and the gingerbread one was in a supplement with Papercraft Inspirations.

I have made another set of coasters and have been making fabric yo-yos for hair and beard of a Santa, photo' when finished.

Ethan had a sleep-over here last night and was thrilled this morning to help Grandad take down some of the wardrobe doors in our bedroom in preparation for the new ones. We have a lot of work to do before the 16th Dec. The old built in wardrobe has to be covered up, the carpet removed, all clothes relocated and paper taken off the walls and repapering and painting to do.

Our friend who has been having treatment for cancer is not doing too well. He has just started another course of chemo. Sadly it will only be holding back the problem not curing it.

Sometimes it seems that all news you hear is bad news. Lots of little things have been happening lately and after a while it begins to get one down a bit. I am well aware there are people with far worse problems that us but in the end your problems are your problems . I did however read another blog and here is a small extract that took my eye.

' Your heart can break when you loose a loved one or a good friend, a special pet or when a child suffers. But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken or bruised is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.'

Got to keep busy.

Today will not be a good one for Rachael and Lindsay. No matter what age your children are you just want to make everything better for them. Most often you can't. You just have to be there and feel it all with them. I am very proud of the mature decision they have made for Squirral and it seems he is going to a very loving home .



Any way I have been keeping myself busy this morning. I have tidied and hoovered, walked the dog, cleaned the loos!The christmas cake is in the oven and puddings are steaming on the top. I will be seeing Rachael and Lindsay this afternoon.



Michael had another 2 small bits of skin cancer removed yesterday. I actually managed to persuade him to come home afterwards. He normally goes straight back to work, in nearly 20 years with the same company he has had only a handful of days off sick.



I did have a good 5 days at Knuston Hall and here are some of things I made.The matching set of tree skirt, mantel runner and table runner are for Lindsay and Ed. The set of coasters are a small gift for a friend. I have to make some more crackers to put gifts in and the two little trees joined together will have ribbon attached to hang cards on. I have some more things to finish and lots more ideas, just hope I have enough time!

Nice things.

Another week gone, but what beautiful weather. Beverly and I took Bonnie for a walk along the river this afternoon and enjoyed a short rest on a bench whilst Bonnie had a paddle! We are so lucky to have such lovely places so close to home.



Last night we watched the fireworks down on the Charity field, brilliant display well worth the £3 each that it cost. Afterwards we had a delicious meal at Rachael and Garys'. Celery soup( made by me), Chilli and jacket potatoes(made by Rachael) and Bread and Butter pudding or jam steamed sponge made by Rose.) Ooooh those calories!!!



I have enjoyed making these little felt snow people this weekend. They have a little backpacks that small gifts can be put in.

On Wednesday I am off to Knuston Hall for 5 days of christmas crafts and I have plenty of projects lined up. I have been sewing more than scrapping for the last couple of weeks but after Christmas there will be plenty of time to catch up with that and hopefully some new photos'.

Good, bad and ugly

Let's start with the Good. We had a lovely day with our friends on Wednesday. Alex and Ethan had great fun in the forest and Claire and Sheena were impressed with the tree top walk.


My sewing day on Monday went well and I finished of this table centre for Chrismas in the evening.





The bad, so sad for Rachael and Lindsay about having to sell Squirral





The ugly, don't want to talk about it.





I've cut the grass, back and front this morning (hopefully the last cut this year), and tidied up the flower beds. I am now having a really good sort out in my craft room and I can't belive how much stuff there is! I have enough fabric to keep me going for a fair while so I am going to challenge myself. NO fabric buying for the next year and no' scrap' buying apart from essentials.

Sunday dinner with Rachael, Gary and Ethan tomorrow, that will be nice and I'm looking forward to seeing the photo's of them dressed up for the haloween party they are off to tonight.

All's well

Bonnie has the all clear from the Vet. Nothing nasty found after her op' on Monday and she is back to her old self.

Mind you, she is a little put out at the moment as we have Lindsays two dogs staying for the weekend and she is not their best friend! Still, she did enjoy a good walk with them today and will join them again tomorrow. They need far more exercise that Bonnie and my legs will be 2" shorter by the time the weekend is over!

While we were out walking I met two children that I used to teach. Conversation went like this
" Hello Mrs Pearce, why aren't you doing the cooking any more?"

" I needed to do some other things ".

"We don't like it so much now, the new one is really stressy, you didn't get stressy even when I spilt the flour".

"Well, your new teacher has to get used to doing a different job and that can be difficult".

" Couldn't you come back when you have done the other things?"

I excused myself and went off with a grin. It's nice to know someone appriciated you isn't it?

I've been busy cutting fabric for the projects I hope to do at Knuston and am also at a sewing day on Monday. Will post a picture next week. I have lots of christmas projects in mind and must really set to and get on with them.

Tagged..

My DD has tagged me and I'm happy to give 7 facts but I think everyone I could tag has been tagged so this may be the end of the line.
1. I actually consider being a Mother and housewife the best career ever. (Controversial hey?)

2. I have appeared on TV four times and in the Wembley Ice show once.

3. I hate wearing anything on my feet.

4. I am T-total simply because I don't like the taste of any alcholic drink. ( Bad enough without it.)

5. I love to travel, UK and abroad, but I am always happy to come home.

6. I want to see whales in their natural habitat.

7. I hate shopping apart from craft shopping of course!


Bonnie seems to be recovering well from her op. Today she is eating and drinking quite well and looking less sorry for herself. She has to go Friday morning for a check up. How does a dog who weighed 20 kgs in the car suddenly weigh 200 kgs when you try to get her into the Vets?

Appreciation and apprehension

Michael and I have just returned from Yorkshire where we very much appriciated the scenery and the friendliness of the local people. Of course I had to visit a few 'scrapping' shops ,it would be rude not to. We used our National Trust membership and visited, Fountains Abbey, the Treasurers House in York and East Riddlesden Hall. In Howarth we enjoyed the Bronte Cottage museum and wandered around Hawes, Grassington (shop called Chocolace is well worth a visit), clambered up some of the Brimham rocks . Our campsite was in Strid woods where there are some beautiful walks, the river Ouse and Bolton Abbey.

The only down part of the week was thinking of poor Bonnie having her investigationn on Wednesday. Still, she coped well but has to go back in on Monday to have a 'mass' removed. The vet. tells us that it shouldn't be anything nasty as the size it is would probably mean she wouldn't be here if it was. She also has an ear problem and does not like having the drops put in! Here's hoping all goes well.

Murphys' Law.

The last place you look should have been the first! I met Lindsay in MK today to help her find a hat for the wedding she is going to in a couple of weeks. We walked the whole length of the centre... too big, too small, too wintery, right shape- wrong colour..TOO expensive. Ended up in House of Fraser and found just the right one. Very light and young looking and a bargain price. It was nice to spend some time with Lindsay on her own, I don't often get the chance.

Michael and I have a few days away booked next week and yesterday we were told by the vet. that Bonnie needs to go in for an exploratory op. and maybe some surgery ,depending on what they find. She will be going in on Wednesday, I won't go into details here but it is to do with her rear end! Anyway, we have decided to still go away, Michael really needs a break ,we really can't do much and she is fine in herself. She will be well looked after by the girls and Dad and we will try not to worry too much.

MK Scrappers crop tomorrow, I have loads of projects in mind so must try to get down to some of them. Maybe I should sit in a different room so I don't chat so much!

Hope to have some good Autumn photo's when we get back. Watch this space.

I've succumbed..

to turning the heating on this morning. Just on low but it really was cold indoors especially at the back of the house which faces north.

Last night I went to the cinema with Beverly to see Atonement, good film. You really do have to watch and keep track as just when you think you know the truth of what happened, you realise that you don't.

Michael parents were here to stay last weekend. We didn't really do a lot but we spent time talking about other generations of our families and I am gradually putting together more facts and gathering photographs. This is the first photo' I have ever seen of Michael as a small boy, probably about 7 years old.

Poor Squirral has been a bit poorly for a week or two. He seems to be on the mend now and it seems to be a problem with his back. Hope he will soon be back to his old self. Here he is concentrating hard on a jump in his first one day event.

I have just booked a few days away in Yorkshire next month. Better get the winter woolies out!!

No Mojo...

Isn't is strange that sometimes you can have so much to say but you can't seem to be able to write it down.. I don't mean that anything bad has happened, on the contary, nice things have been taking place. Maybe I've just lost my blogging mojo for a while.

The MK scrappers retreat last weekend was great. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, with many requests for a re-run next year. It was nice to get to know some of the girls that I hadn't had a chance to talk to much at the crops. Don't some people suprise you by being quite different from the impression you have of them? One in particular thatI had down as very nice but rather shy and quiet turned out to be, yes, very nice, but also very cheeky and had me laughing out loud!

Ethan will be 5 years old on Friday and seems to have a few celebrations lined up. Friday evening is the Pearce family celebration. As well as his Mummy and Daddy, he will have 3 great grandparents , Micheal and I and his aunties to share a birthday tea with him. My job is to make a cake. (No suprises there.)

I have been reading a book by Richard Dawkins, ' The God Delusion'. It is heavy reading in parts but it is very interesting and thought provoking. It has certainly confirmed to me what I have been thinking for quite some time but, as it says in the first part 'didn't realise I could say'. You will have to read it yourself to see what I mean.



Made this LO at the weekend. Beverly and I got lost in Lucca (Italy) we had a silly 5 mins asking this lady the way!

I certainly haven't missed going to work so far and with so many thing planned to do I can't imagine I will.

Oh, forgot to say, Rachael and I were held up by a tortoise crossing the road the other day!!!
We managed to find the owner and return the 60 year old . Rachael said the tortoise gave me a really dirty look. After all it had taken him all morning to make his escape from the garden!!!

Do you think my mojo is returning?