I think I may have solved it, keep your fingers crossed.

 

I dug this picture out just to show you, my friends, that Spring is coming.  I did a series of pictures showing the 4 seasons, and I always meant to hang them together as a group, but they are still waiting in the box for DH to get his hammer and nails out.  I think I am going to save up for a new camera, as I can't get really good closeups with this camera. 

 

 

 

A group of women in my village are sewing a large wall hanging, we are planning to include as many of the more significant buildings in the village as we can.  This is my contribution it has been done with applique, unfortunately the colour looks a bit washed out.  The building used to be the village Primary School until they built a new one.  My father went there back at the beginning of the last century, I did back in the 40s and 50s and my children did until the new school was built.  The original building was first used back in the 19th century, with bits added on as the village grew.  It is now used as the village community centre, with lots of different activities for young and old. 

 

Isn't it amazing you start the new year thinking I have only 1 project to do and finish (the one above) when all of a sudden you have 3 more projects to add to the list.  I have finished the wall hanging one, and I am busy doing a piece for the next exchange, plus the present for a friend and a table runner for Christmas for my DD.  I guess that is the same for all of us, but as women we can cope.  We are frequently doing 2 jobs at the same time NO PROBS!  Hopefully I can leave my thinking cap on the side as hopefully the uploading of photos has been solved (tounch wood).  I will be back with you soon.

Just the right weather for staying in by the fire and stitching

We have had a few flurries of snow this morning with heavy snow forecast for tomorrow, so where better to be than by a cosy fire and your favourite stitching all to hand.  I have started a new piece as a present for a friend .  It is from a book called 'Flower Portraits in Cross Stitch' by Thea Gouverneur, if you ever get the chance to look at this book, do, as it has some beautiful flowers in there.  I hope you can see that it is an Anemone, when I was a child I always pronounced it as amenome!  The book illustration is on the left, and it's still work in progress so I will let you know how I get on.



I have partially solved the problem of uploading photos on to my blog, still can't do it as normal, so I am using HTML -whatever that means.  I sometimes wonder how I ever manage to do a blog, I feel an absolute dunce at times, but without the help I have received from you, my friends, I think I would have a fit of the screaming hab dabs!!!!  But I am still here, enjoying doing the blog and reading all your blogs.

I shouldn't have just typed that, now my HTML is not playing ball, and won't let me upload any photos.  If you see blue smoke rising from my neck of the woods you will know it is me, I am not going to be beaten by a machine so I shall persevere.  I had some more photos I wanted to show you, but they will have to wait for another time.

GD2 is back to Uni on Saturday, so tomorrow I thought I would bake her some goodies, her favourite is Lemon Drizzle Cake.  Good 'old Nan'! 

I guess the next thing on the calendar is Valentines Day and then Easter.  Why do shops sell Hot Cross Buns all year round, as they are supposedly an Easter dish.  I always refuse to buy them in protest, though I don't think it makes any difference to the shops profit but I feel better.

I am now going to put on my thinking cap and see if I can solve this latest mystery with uploading photos.  It has been great being with you all again and I trust you will all keep safe and well.

Decorations down - back to normal (ish)

Hello everyone, yes the decorations have been taken down and put in their respective boxes.  I had to buy a new box this year just for the decorations that I've made and the table linen, so who is an organised girl, just so long as I don't forget where I have put them!

My computer seems to playing silly devils with me today, I can't put any photos on my blog, I will have to check with my DS.  It will be just words today.

This morning whilst lying in bed realised a luxury, now I am retired, and the weather is lousy I can lie in bed with a delicious cup of tea and listen to the wind howling and the rain pouring down and know I don't have to go out in it.  Lucky lucky me.  Apologies to all you working girls, your turn will come.

I have started sewing with a vengeance again, after the Christmas break.  I was intending to show you photos of what I am up to, next time - hopefully. 

All the bulbs in the garden are poking their heads above the soil, let's hope they don't change their minds and turn around and snuggle back into the soil.  I really want to get out into the garden and prune my roses and generally tidy up, but the ground is absolutely sodden.  I reckon if we get much more rain our island will just float away down the English Channel.  Just been watching about the awful fires in Australia, it must be terrifying for the people, they reckon it's the hottest weather they have had in living memory, and knowing how hot it was around the Med and US last year it makes you wonder about global warming.

Only 16 more days until June and I go off on our expedition to another craft show, I am really looking forward to it.  I will start writing my list of things to look out for.

I hope you like the new header photo, managed to get out in the garden and pick these flowers, there's Winter Flowering Jasmin, Primroses and Winter Sweet now that has quite an insignificant flower but the perfume is delicious, I even found my Honeysuckle in bud.

Bye for now girls, be back with you soon, hopefully with photos.  Take care.

Missed you all.

It is ages since I have written to you, and I have missed you all.  I haven't even checked all your blogs.  Christmas is a very busy time for all us ladies, but I am so glad to be back with you, whether you are an old friend or new to my blog.  I hope you all had a great time, and I send you my very best wishes for a happy and healthy 2013.  (note to self, remember to write 2013 and not 2012).


I thought I would show you a picture that I stitched a few years ago, I just loved the colours they were so vibrant, a pity they don't come across in the photo.  I haven't done any stitching for a couple of weeks, and I am suffering withdrawal symptons!!  I have seen a design by Lynette Anderson in her new book, 'Stitch it for Christmas', it's for a round table runner, not sure if that is the correct name.  I quite fancy doing that for next Christmas.  I also have it in my head to do a snowdrop in stump work.  But who knows, I just have to get myself organised.

These are the gingerbread men, two of my granddaughters made, we used the  ready made icing out of a tube, which didn't taste that brilliant, shan't use that next time. The biscuits themselves tasted great.

These are the marzipan sweets they made, the sweets are very moreish!!

 

 

How about my Chocolate Log, it is a fatless sponge, which I rolled up as soon as it came out of the oven, and that was fun. (I don't think) and when cooled iced with chocolate butter icing, and then into the freezer.  It froze beautifully so no worries there.

The last baking photo is of the Shortbread biscuits, which we loved, very crisp and buttery.  I just love butter, no low fat spreads for me!

 

 

This is a wall hanging which I appliqued a couple of years ago, had great fun doing it.  Can you spot Rudolph?

Had a New Year's day drink with a couple of friends yesterday, they asked if I was interested in going to a craft fair at the end of January. Now what a silly question, YES PLEASE!!!!!!!  My DH just can't understand why I should want to go to another craft show, he reckons I have enough supplies going to the day I die.  What does he know, they are always bringing out new stuff and I wouldn't want to miss anything.  What do you girls think?  I hope June can make it, as we have great fun comparing what we have bought. 

I just have to mention the rain and flooding we have had (the weather is a common complaint on my blog) but it has been dreadful, we have had non stop rain, and non stop snow in USA.  I am praying for a proper Spring and Summer this year.

I guess the decoration will have to come down soon, the holly is starting to dry up and drop leaves and berries.  I reckon once that is done it will be back to normal or whatever goes for being normal.  Keep well all of you, stay away from cold and cough bugs, I am now going to catch up with reading all your blogs.  It has been absolutely super dooper being with you all again.

Thinking of Christmas' past!

You know how it is you start thinking of friends and family that have left us.  I am a war baby (the second world war - just in case you had any doubt!) so things were in short supply, my Mum used to iron the christmas wrapping paper for use next year and roll up the string to re-use.  Our christmas dinner was a chicken, which was a real treat, we used to have a large tin of fancy biscuits, but we were never allowed to go onto the bottom layer until the top layer was finished, even if the biscuits left weren't very appealing.  Can you remember early in the morning feeling with your foot at the bottom of the bed to see if Father Christmas had left you something, and yes I did have an orange in the toe of my stocking, fruit was in very short supply, Mum told me that the first time I saw a banana I tried to eat the skin as well.  How Mum used to give us such great time I don't know, she must have saved and collected things for ages quite a challenge.  Surprising what you can do when you have to. Very different to now, we are so lucky and we mustn't forget it. 

Had a great day with the scouts in the village the other day, we planted over 100 trees (saplings) we are looking to the future.  My youngest granddaughter is in the front of this photo, she absolutely loves scouting and the things they get up to.

 

Here they all are after planting a Royal Oak!!  Just think they will be able to tell their grandchildren that they planted these trees!

 

 

Thought you may like to see a couple of pieces I did a couple of years ago, I love beading especially at christmas, it just gives that little bit extra.  How are you all getting on, finished your cards and present shopping?  I've decided to have a go at making Gingerbread Men this year, bought my cutter just have to find a recipe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I still have to get out my decorations, 2 of my granddaughters have volunteered.  (I haven't told them yet), but I'm sure they will jump at the chance.

 

It is getting colder here, been having frosty mornings but the weatherman tells us there is more rain to come, can you believe it.

 

Thankyou for visiting me, and a warm welcome to new visitors I hope you have enjoyed coming.  Take care everyone and don't get too panicky abouit christmas I am sure everything will work out just fine.

 

Just remembered

I haven't hung up my Advent Calendar yet, this is what comes of all the grandchildren growing up.  But I bet when they call the first thing they will ask is, Nan where is the Advent calendar.  It is one I made a few years ago, it has different designs to hang on each red button, (supposed to look like berries).

 

Juat back from a week in Cardiff, lovely shops so I managed to get some Christmas shopping done.  The streets are all decorated with light and Christmas trees, they even have an ice rink outside the civic buildings, they also have an outdoor market selling all kinds of christmassy things, including delicious food.  The city has lots of arcades, some of them are very old and have little specialist shops, I found a great button shop in Castle Arcade, so if you are ever in Cardiff you must pay a visit.  You can just see it on the right hand side of my DH, who is so patient when I discover a shop like this, he wanders around whilst I am looking.

 

 

This is one of the outer walls of Cardiff Castle.

 

 

This is another of the really old arcardes.  They have also built some modern ones, the latest St Davids has a selection of the more exclusive shops, nice to look at!

 

 

I've been busy since I've come home, just sunk in how near Christmas is, I've made a couple of dozen mincepies and a stollen.  I freeze the mincepies raw and cook them fresh when needed.  I burnt the top of the stollen a little, so when I take it out of the freezer, I'll cheat and take off the burnt bit and cover with icing and flaked almonds.  It's not good getting older if you don't get wiser.

 

Here is the first tray of mincepies ready for the freezer.

 

Sorry this photo is so blurry, it's the stollen going for it's 2nd proving, I've put sultanas and dried apricots and cranberries in it, (could they be thought of as jewels) plus of course the marzipan.

 

Before I went away I had a great evening at our club's Christmas party, this is June and Liz choosing the loveliest decorated present.  The winner had 2 gingerbread men as part of the decoration (they didn't last long).

 

This is Vi who has just won a prize, we tease each other non stop, but laughter helps the world go round.

 

I think I have caught up with all my news, going shopping again tomorrow, must remember sellotape and more Christmas cards.  In my next life I am coming back as a man at Christmas.  Thankyou for visiting me, not much sewing this time even though I am sewing every evening and loving it.  Looking forward to meeting with you all again soon in Blog land

 

 

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.