Other Progress....... Kinda

So what else did we get up to over the weekend, apart from clearing out junk from the garden? Well... DH had obviously been traumatised by the enforced parting from all that cr*p and decided he needed a day off, so he opted to join DS and friends from the LTC for a spot of walking in Derbyshire - Dove Dale to be precise. I had fancied joining them BUT I was totally cream crackered and a touch achey from Saturday's exertions and knew a 6 mile walk would more than likely finish me off, rather than be enjoyable....... so a quiet day at home on my tod, pottering around doing what I wanted when I wanted won out. :0)

I spent a bit of time outside, nursing a herbal tea and enjoying the fruits of our labour - it's so good to see definite signs of improvement. It's also good to know I can go out there without the threat of unearthing or tripping over stray scrap, lumps of wood or other assorted hoarded bits that DH was convinced "would come in useful some time" but actually just sat there rotting away because they didn't. I am definitely avoiding going into the workshop and shed though! LOL

One of the things that I kinda made progress on was a Christmas ornie for JA/S&S Forum's Monthly SAL...... still behind with that so it's July's ornie. It's a small piece I found lurking in the bottom of a pile of bits I found in a cupboard, ready stitched so just the finishing to do.

The small amount of progress made was stitching the two borders. I found a nice alphabet and set of numbers as I intend stitching something on the back - probably Yule 2009 or something similar. Then I got the fabric out for the Christmas Wishes SAL piece, measured and cut a piece and tacked guidelines for the top and sides and middle:

Really impressive progress, ain't it? LOL I just don't seem to be in the mood for stitching again at the moment and would much rather be out in the garden while the weather is nice, either working or making plans. :0)

Oh, I did spend some time updating my other blog with recent things: a post on one of the books I'd finished reading and an update on my latest Herbalist visit and weigh in (still Happy Dancing about that! LOL) and did a little reading too. The day just seemed to slip past as DH and DS soon seemed to be home again, though they did have a side trip down to Mai Mai Gardens for their tea first. The weather had been kind to them and they'd had an enjoyable walk, so I'm determined to go there and do the walk in the not too distant future.

This week has been a bit busy. Monday was my regular jobs day, with a visit from Alex for a natter, as she was back from her holiday, and blogging to break things up a little. DS and I also had a loft session after tea, putting his holiday case back up there, along with a few other bits that needed to go up. Then we made a start on sorting through some bits in the little bedroom and he hefted some boxes downstairs and into the sun lounge - temporary storage area while we clear the bedroom for decorating. DH and DS then brought down the old desk that was in there and put it in the hall.

Tuesday was warm - a good drying day - so I did several loads of laundry and put them out on the whirlygig, finally caught up with all of the blogs I read, gave the child's desk and computer chair a good wipe down and offered them on Freecycle and went through a cupboard down the side of the house. That cupboard has the bird seed stored on top and was supposed to be for the things we need to hand for the garden, like gloves, trowel, ties, feed etc etc but DH had filled it with all kinds of cr*p over the years (wouldn't have guessed it, wouldya? ROFL). More rusty metal bits are destined for the scrap skip and numerous other bits of dross went straight in the bin..... that bin was definitely filling up! Had a poke underneath the cupboard with a stick and I found more bin casualties....... and dislodged a few disgruntled eight-legged beasties too. Had a herbal tea and a magazine read after that (the magazines then go in the recycling box, so more clutter leaves the house) - the meditation I tried afterwards didn't go so well though..... I discovered it was quite possible to fall asleep whilst sat up in a hard plastic chair but you do wake up with quite a start when your head suddenly drops forward, heading for your knees. ;0) Later in the afternoon our neighbour came round to collect her front door key (we'd kept an eye on her house while they were away) and brought a lovely bunch of flowers as a thank you.

Gorgeous, aren't they? The visit gave me the opportunity to show her the back garden and talk about taking down the blue panel and putting up fencing to replace it - her DH is going to come round some time to have a look and they'll take it from there. After tea my DH helped me move out the cupboard so I could sweep the area - thankfully all the eight-legged beasties had long since legged it - then move it back. Found a bag with a decent pair of DS's outgrown rugby boots so I offered those on Freecycle too. Another job done.

As it was UFO Tuesday and Night Watchman is now complete it was time to choose another UFO to come out of the bag. So what won out? Well I finally decided to bite the bullet and tackle Sea Stars again. Here's where I'd got up to:

Remeber I left off this in disgust when those flippin' frogs paid a call yet again on this? Well it was time to do the reverse stitching on it, so this is where it now stands:


Reverse stitching done, in the hopes that I'll feel more like picking it up next time around. The other two ladies in the SAL, Barb and Rosanne, have long since finished theirs so this is now embarrassingly overdue a finish. ;0)

Wednesday was more lovely weather so a towel load got done and put out. I had a general potter around, sorting through some bits unearthed from the little bedroom and tidying up. Also another opportunity to sit outside with a herbal tea and magazine..... and do the whole meditate/ fall asleep/head falling thing all over again. LOL In the evening a couple came for the desk and chair for their DD and a chap for the rugby boots for his DS -and I'd unearthed an old pair of green wellies down the side of the house that morning so I offered them to the guy and he took them too, saving me having to post an offer on Freecycle again.

Thursday I had another pottering around day, the main job being a sort through my wardrobe again and I found more too-big clothes that went in a charity bag. After the previous sort out I ended up putting three bags full out for the Salvation Army. I need a serious shopping session now as, although I have four pairs of jeans and an assortment of tops to wear and some nice summer dresses and some woolies, I no longer have any trousers that fit. Slight inconvenience BUT it is so good to be able to say that....... it's actual proof of how much weight I've lost since last Christmas (see other blog).

Today it's packing day as DH and I are away again next week - we're off to stay in a cottage on a farm site just inland from Mablethorpe, so we're hoping for some nice weather for a spot of beach walking and maybe even some paddling! LOL No internet connection this time but I'll be taking a selection of small stitching projects with me and there'll be evenings of Trivial Pursuits too.
We don't normally have three holidays in a year but DSis booked and paid for this one as a thank you for what we've done to help her since Dad passed away, Bless her. Anyways, we may not get a holiday next year, depending on what happens in the next few months, so we're making the most of it: the numbers have been announced at the steelworks and 18 have to go from across the whole of DH's department, 5 specific to his area - 3 have already said they want to go. DH has asked to know what his terms are and will review his options when he has some figures to work with. No point in worrying about it - DH remains positive and I've given it up to the Universe - now waiting to see what unfolds. :0)

Thank you for all your lovely comments and, as ever, for taking the time to visit. Hope you all have a lovely weekend - will catch up with you all after we get home again. :0)