Bits and bobs.....

So, Christmas is over barr the decorations coming down and how did it go?

As usual I enjoyed the preparations, gift buying, wrapping decorating and joining with the girls on Christmas eve to prepare the food and decorate the table for the day. Of course the best part was when Father Christmas turned up at Rachaels, just for a quick visit to say Happy Christmas. I kid you not!

I even had a little giggle when I was at the checkout in Tescos (Thursday before Christmas.) Along the conveyor belt in order came a bottle of wine, paracetamol and Zirtek (anti-allergy pills). The chap on the till looked up with a grin and said " Mmm , In Laws coming to stay?" I had to chuckle as indeed they were. Sorry , Sylvia and Ken if you should ever read this but I did think it was a clever quip.

The day itself was fairly quiet, although there were 11 of us. Delicious dinner and lots of lovely pressies. Poor Rachael was not feeling so good and had to have a lay down for an hour or so but otherwise battled on.

Boxing day was quite too. Rachael, Gary and Ethan came up for lunch but Rachael was still feeling ill so they went off early. Lindsay and Ed had gone down to visits his parents near Bath.

Bev and I had a pleasant walk with Bonnie and in the evening enjoyed watching 'Ballet shoes' which was one of my favourite stories when I was a little girl.

Thursday and Friday we finished decorating the bedroom, ordered a new bed and bought new bed linen and curtains for one of the other bedrooms .Today I have ordered new linens for our room from Next. Just carpet, lighting and a picture or two to sort out now.

Saturday was a busy day. 13 for lunch (16 if you include the dogs!) More pressies . Quizzes and banter. Ethan and Kaila loved playing together and they were so good, a credit to their parents.

Ethan slept the night and UncleEd (that's how he says it) was conned into reading rather alot of bedtime stories.

So just New Year to come now. I'm not sure if we are going out and I shan't be bothered if we don't.

Anyway, Happy New Year to anyone who might be reading, I belive there are one or two who visit.

So, the bedroom is now prepared for our new wardrobes which are to be delivered next week and installed on the 17/18th. I shall be very pleased to get all our clothes back in one place instead of spread around the other bedrooms.

Today was the Dickens Fair in Olney. Sadly it was very wet but there still seemed to be alot of people around. I hate using an umbrella but I also hate getting my hair wet. I did get this photo' of Lindsay and I think she looks pretty good with hers.

Here are the pics. of the canvases I made earlier in the week, the red one is going off as a Christmas card to Michaels parents.

Tomorrow Beverly and I are off to the Cotswolds, it is her birthday on Tuesday and she has two days off work.We shall have a wander around the villages and the gift shops, a nice lunch and hopefully take a few nice photos', I hope they will be wintery ones not soggy ones!

Ouch!

Yesterday afternoon I mopped the floor in the dining room . Ten minutes later , forgetting the floor was damp I slipped over and ended up under the table! I now ache down one side particularly my shoulder and hip. Good job I'm well padded.

I managed one LO at the crop on Sunday, here it is and yes , I am that old. Also a picture of two little snowmen, who I have named Iggy and Oggy just because I wanted to.

I have a whole day at home today,other than taking the dog out for a walk. I am hoping to get a lot done. Some cooking to put in the freezer for Christmas. Some wrapping of presents and lists of things still to do. Tomorrow is Swap a craft day so I have to finish two sample canvases ( pic. next time). I also have some fabric crackers to finish and put little gifts in for a couple of friends at my Thursday evening sewing group.

So, I'd better get cracking.

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.