Saturday 22 September 2012

No Blog

Sorry chaps due to ill health unable to post. Will be back as soon as I can.

Friday 14 September 2012

Bugs, Baby, Bike, Banner, Bairns and Blanket.

Our home seems to be invaded by some crawling insects - spiders seem to be loving our tall ceilings, bugs in the bathroom sink and one decided to sit on top of my ironing.




This bug was n my ironing.




This one in the bathroom sink.




This creature on the bathroom shelf.









Now to quilts - one of the ladies who comes to the craft group has made her first ever quilt and it is all hand sewn! She decided she wanted to use some of her girls dresses from when they were small. I have to say this lady is retired and what an amazing job she has done. I'm so proud of her for what she has achieved. Sadly her husband died last year - he would have been so pleased with what she has made. It lays proudly on her bed.


Also another photograph from the craft group - our newest and youngest member.




He's soooo cute! The cardigan was knitted by one of the group. Not in baby blue as mummy isn't keen on that colour.









Saw this banner made in a local library - what a wonderful way to advertise your group. No prizes for guessing our group is now going to make one too.



Decided this week to start doing some more exercising and so Mr P fixed the puncture in my bicycle, gave it an oil. Trouble is I'm not a natural cyclist and so when I go down hill I brake because it is too scary. I must be the only person going slower downhill than uphill!





It's a bit of an old bike that I bought from France in a bric a brac shop. Mrs A and her hubby were rather rude about my bike. But I rather like it and it has a cute basket and it's pink!








Realised tonight that all my grown up baby chicks are in different countries. No 1 is in Northern Ireland, No 2 in America (where he was born), No 3 in Geneve and No 4 in Scotland - ooooh. I can't go cluck, cluck and gather them all in.

After weeks after of trying to crochet - I have finally finished my husband's blanket. It started off with some nice wool that I bought from a charity shop for very little money. Then realised whilst last up in Northumberland that I didn't have enough wool so I had to buy some more from the wonderful wool shop in Berwick (looks old fashioned but they are brilliant). I am reluctantly going to show you all a picture as it displays a true beginner! But we all have to start somewhere and Mr P approves. Actually I have already christened it last Sunday when I fell asleep doing some of it!



And finally having overdone it with my elbow I decided tonight to do some sewing and made this cute owl out of some felt.


Sunday 9 September 2012

What a Weekend.

Well it truly has been a most amazing weekend. It started off with early Friday evening going for a lovely walk along the canal. It was such a beautiful sunny evening. The canal was gleaming and the fields look as if they are bursting into harvest festival hymns.

 
Along the hedgerow are loads of deliciously ripe blackberries.


We stopped for a drink and then we witnessed something that left us with a rather nasty taste.
Saturday was a busy full day. Started with a trip to Asda to buy food for the barbecue we were holding for Mr P's smaller church. We shopped, cleaned, prepared food, got the garden ready with all the furniture and then by 11:45 made a trip out to Donnington to see some cars! Went to an amazing place that sells thousands of second hand cars. The car company were really good, you enter and they give you a catalogue with all the cars and where they are. They issue you with pencils and if needed umbrellas and you are then left to wonder in peace. The cars are all left open so you can sit inside them. Then if you choose one or want to know more you come back inside where there are masses of staff to help you.

 (This is a legal free picture) Perhaps not quite the sort of cars we were looking at but at least the picture breaks up my dribble!






 Wonderfully they are not on commission - so there is no hard sell, or rubbish spouted at you. For us it was an exercise to just look and see what sort of cars are out there as we have had our Renault scenic for some time and some day soon it will be ready to enter retirement. As you know from my blogs we like to take the seats out of our car and fill it with camping stuff or furniture to take up to the cottage etc. We're after a car that does this but is not a huge car and good on petrol and tax etc. Well saw plenty of different options and now Mr P has to do some reading up on the cars we think could be a possibility. Oh also Mr P likes to service the car and some of the cars seem to be designed to stop you doing that but there are still some with large bonnets. Anyway enough about cars. Back home in time to heat the barbie up - should say it's a gas one so does make life a lot easier. Amazingly they nearly all turned up at the same time. Apparently they all met up at church and drove in a convoy! It was so lovely to have guaranteed warm sunny weather and not spend the day wondering whether the weather will hold or what we might do if it rains. I think everyone had a lovely evening and the church generously bought around some rather yummy puddings.

Sunday was the day of Mrs A's baptism. I have to admit to being rather nervous. As Mr P had me playing my flute, helping to dunk Mrs A in the baptistry and then finally saying a few words in front of the whole church. That is definitely well out of my comfort zone.




Mrs A painted her nails for the event!

















Mrs A just happened to have her name down for church flowers this Sunday.


They were so beautiful.



Just like her.













BEFORE



AND DURING.


Sorry no after pictures.









It was a lovely service and such an honour to be asked to help with this baptism. Afterwards the family and ourselves went to a local pub for a yummy Sunday roast. It was so great to meet some of Mrs A's family and apparently one of them reads my blog - hope Mrs J approves of what I have written.

Have had such a special weekend which was finished off with a sleep in the garden!

Wednesday 5 September 2012

Hooked



YEP - I'm well and truly hooked / I've got the crochet bug. Have taught myself, along with some help from Mrs A and my son's girlfriend to do a basic granny square. The desire to start crocheting came from Lucy at Attic 24 I just love all the things she makes and the bright colours she uses, very inspirational. So have now completed a cushion and have done enough to make half of another cushion! Think I should have done another row of squares as it seems to have come out a bit tight across the front (and I'm not referring to my figure!). The back was made with a jumper I bought for a £1 from a charity shop. Again there is a picture tutorial on Lucy's blog for this too. The only reason I haven't managed to complete the next cushion is that I rather overdid the crocheting on holiday and have got a repetitive strain injury, so need to give my elbow some time to recover. Patience isn't a strong point for me. Having been into our local wool shop last weekend my injury seems to be a common place! I'm just picturing loads of women at physiotherapy with the therapists threatening to take their knitting needles
away if they don't crochet for sensible lengths of time! So that's discussed my elbow now my cold! Yes I come back from a lovely holiday to a stinking cold, which has lasted a good week. Now I'm left feeling as if I'm in a bubble, because my ears are blocked. I can remember it didn't seem that long ago when I had a cold it went within a few days - don't like this getting old business.




Well the green beans have been a real success. It seemed as if nothing was happening for ages and then all of a sudden the plants went from a few tiny beans to masses and masses overnight. They taste so yummy, no stringy bits. Was so worthwhile all that work back in spring covering them over every night when there was to be a frost. I shall surely grow some more next year.
















Tomato plants - well they are interesting! I don't think I'll be winning any prizes. OK I went on holiday and the greenery went mad. Hidden underneath were all these tomatoes. I don't know if they'll ripen up otherwise I shall be hunting for recipes for green tomatoes!


Meant to to mention in my last blog whilst away and busy crocheting I listened to "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen". It was fantastic, just want to recommend it. Well time for my dinner and first choir practice this autumn. We shall be singing Handel's "Israel in Egypt", in November. Not too sure I like it but then I always start the term thinking I'm not too keen and the more I learn the music the more I get to like it - so we shall see.