I don't know if I am on my head or my heels!

You would think that when you retire there would be plenty of time for everything.  WRONG.....  my DH and I are going away to Cardiff for a week for a christening and staying with friends.  Looking forward to the christening such a happy occasion.  Smashing shops in Cardiff so maybe some shopping as well.  So because we shall be away I am trying to get everything up to date, gardening, housework and even trying to get some bits in for Christmas.  I have finished my Christmas exchange I just have to pack it up and post it off. 

 

My DH has raked up loads of leaves for leaf mould, he can do it again and again as they are still falling.  Our decking has had to be renewed as it was rotting away, a friend of ours put his foot right through.  It has only been there since 2000, we called it our Millenium project, we were expecting it to last longer than this.  You can see a very good friend of ours is helping, they were getting on well until the rain started!  I have an Oak tree in the garden which I grew from an acorn and that is about 20 feet high, we also have an Ash tree, and as we have in the UK now a disease that kills Ash trees I am worried that my tree won't survive.  I think the authorities were very lax in their reaction to this disease, trees are so important and they should be treasured.

Moaning over.  I can now show a photo of the exchange I received from Marjorie, I was so thrilled with it.  I can't show a photo of the Christmas exchange yet.

Confession Time - I have been into Marks and Spencers and bought my Christmas cake, I know I am a lazy so and so for not making one, but I shall do everything else.  The cake has been iced so I don't even have to do that.

June's club had their Christmas meal out last Tuesday, we had a lovely meal, I couldn't eat all mine so I had a doggy bag.  The only trouble is I don't have a dog so guess who ate it up.  I did take some photos but as the lighting was so poor in the restaurant they are not very good.  I will try to do better at our party next week. We have great fun at the meetings lots of laughter and banter, whilst we are producing some lovely stitch work.
  I bought some wool to crochet a blanket, but I couldn't remember how to do it, so I go onto Youtube to follow a video.  There I am crochet hook poised, wool held in my left hand, computer on and running, but I just couldn't keep up with the instructions, I nearly threw my hook and wool out of the window swiftly followed by the PC.  June has kindly offered to show me (after Christmas) what to do.
Whilst I am in Cardiff I shall be taking photos to show you what I have been up to. 
Thankyou for visiting me, please come again or else I would be talking to myself, keep warm and dry and good luck with all your Christmas preparations.
As they say in all the best places - That's all folks.

It's true a womans work is never done!

I thought when I retired I would have so much free time, that I could at times sit and do nothing!!  Little did I know that my days and evenings would be so full that I never get chance to do nothing.  I bet you all find life exactly the same, especially now with Christmas coming along.  I have started my Christmas preparations, so I thought I would share some photos of what I have been up too.

 

The pickled onions are done, now I must own up here these were done by my DH, but as he is the one who eats the most of these, it's only fair - don't you think.

 

 

 

Here are all the ingredients for the Spiced Apricot and Orange Chutney, which I have now made, the kitchen smelt delicious with the spices and the ginger - so I can put a tick against that on the list.  This is great with the cold meats that we enjoy on Boxing Day.

 

 

 

This is the mix for my Christmas Puddings, I leave this to stand overnight to let the flavours develop.  It's full of goodies like the dried fruit and mixed peel, apple, lemon and orange zest , spices, eggs and dark brown sugar I use stout to mix it all together.  I'll steam the puds tomorrow.  I also plan to make my mincemeat tomorrow, so I have started.

 

I plan to go out Christmas shopping next week, I am determined not to leave everything to the last minute, wish me luck.

 

I have finished my Christmas exchange, just got to put it together, no photos yet of that, nor of any of my other stitching, sorry but like I said busy busy.

 

Received the magazine that I won on Vickie's blog, lovely ideas and more things that I would like to sew.  Thanks again Vickie.  Blog world really is a great place to be, I am so glad that June introduced me to it, I have met so many people and I value their friendship.  If you are reading this and wondering if you should join blog land - go for it, it's great.

 

We have had a lot on the TV and in the newspapers about the US presidential election.  The actual election is a very different system to ours in the UK so I have had to really concentrate so that I can understand how it works. It's all over now, done and dusted.

 

Back to the important things in life, stitching of course and at the moment Christmas baking, I would love to hear your tales about your Christmas preparations.  Until the next time, do take care of yourselves.

 

I've started my Christmas preparations.

I had a good weekend I finished that quilt, made some new curtains for my kitchen and actually started on my Christmas sewing.  At the moment this looks a load of nonsense, I just hope when it's finished it will be worth all the work.

 

I had to iron the material on to bondaweb and then cut out, and then iron onto a 12" square piece of green felt, but as you can see some of the pieces are coming unstuck.  I'll iron again, and then I have to do fancy stitching to really secure the material. I wish I had cut the pieces larger, but I was following the instructions.  As I go along I'll show you how I am getting on.  Keep your fingers crossed for me, I think I will need a lotta luck!  But nothing ventured nothing gained.

 

I have also started my Christmas exchange stitching, can't show you yet what it is, but I am enjoying doing that.

 

 

 

I dug out this photo from a couple of years back of some Christmas baking that DGD No 3 did, the Chocolate cake was delicious a really rich mix, it was made in a ring cake tin and then decorated with edible glitter. The table runner is one I made, it has a red and gold design on the other side.  I prefer the holly leaves design.  My DH is out in the kitchen at the moment peeling onions ready for the pickled onions, haven't heard any tears yet.  I'm going to get down my Delia Smith Christmas cookery book, and check what ingredients I have to buy to make the Christmas puddings.

 

I have been watching the TV news with horror, seeing all the destruction caused by Sandy on the other side of the ocean, I hope all those of you who may have been in the pathway are safe and sound.  It must have been frightening for you,  it just shows there is not a long you can do about Mother Nature except get out of the way and take shelter.

 

We had rain here last night (Halloween) but the children and their Mums still came calling.  I was all prepared with sweets.  My DGD No 1 was doing my hair at the time (she is a hairdresser) so I had pieces of foil etc in my hair which was sticking up all over the place, so when I answered the door with a roar I think I frightened them more than they did me, and NO there are no photos of me!!

 

I hope you have enjoyed visiting me and my blog, I love keeping up to date with other bloggers and seeing what you are up to.  So come again you will be most welcome.