Hi Folks
Due to Webshots (a free service) changing over to Smile (a paid-for service) I have now deleted all of my Webshots albums. Unfortunately this means that all slideshows on my blog are now no longer visible. I have decided not to bother searching round for another photo hosting site that allows slideshows as I really do not want to waste time having to upload pics to it to repost.
I have also had to add verification of comments, plus disallow anonymous users commenting, due to being inundated by pain in the ass spammers.
Due to this and a severe lack of stitching mojo I am currently trying to decide whether to delete this blog altogether because nothing much stitchy-wise has been happening here to make it worthwhile posting any updates. What is the point of having a stitching blog if there's no stitching to talk about - right?
To be honest, this year my real focus has been on my Development work: I started out on my Path with the intention of becoming a healer but it seems Spirit has different ideas because most recently the Reiki has taken a backseat and I've been concentrating my efforts on honing my skills as a Psychic Medium.... though the Platform Mediumship has gone right out of the window too. Yes, a total turn-around - 2012 has been a year of surprises and reassessments.
So no Reiki II taken. There was also a No given to P about the Platform demonstration work in Churches, as I work far better within small groups and in one-to-one's. There are no plans to do either for the forseeable future, though they aren't totally ruled out either. What is happening is that I shall be setting up in a little business.... as an angel card reader, involving intuitive Spiritual guidance and mediumship. It seems I have, with Spirit's aid, a knack of pinpointing those things in people's lives that are blocking and holding them back from moving up to the next level of awareness, (usually involving loved ones who have crossed over, so they are unable to get resolution otherwise)... and Spirit want me to help those people who come to me to face and release those blocks, so they can heal and progress. Yes, it is a form of healing... just not the one I had previously been focused on. :0)
Because of the releasings that people have I decided it was wise to get me some further training, so am currently going to one of the local College's and taking Level I in Interpersonal Skills & Communication... or Introduction to Counselling, to you and me. Am with a nice group of folks, as well as having a really good tutor, so it's certainly proving to be interesting. It was also a huge step outside of my comfort zone and my levels of self-confidence have risen, and continue to rise, as a result: boundaries are in place, mainly due to a run-in with a rather overpowering female just before the course began (one day I will be able to thank her for the lessons, rather than wanting to brain her!); am finding it so much easier to speak up for myself, rather than bottling stuff up, and I don't go looking for confrontation but neither will I run away from it (as I used to). Not bad for someone who used to be an agoraphobic & suffered panic attacks. The old me, along with Elvis, has definitely left the building. ;0)
Once Level I finishes it'll be off to the enrolment desk, to sign up for Level II..... providing my tutor gives the OK for this. At the moment the end result isn't necessarily to become a fully fledged counselor working for an umbrella organisation - they wouldn't let me use mediumship etc, for one, which rather defeats the object - it's more about adding counseling skills to the "tool kit" to enhance what I already do and being able to help clients more fully, iykwim.
The home refurbishments have stalled somewhat this year. I have a set of shelves in my Craft Room now... but am waiting for a second set to be installed before things can really progress and the computer can be moved in there. It's been more baby steps in the DIY department, than strides - certainly no grand schemes. Yup, the front garden resolutely remains un-block paved, thanks to the delaying tactics of DH and the imcompetence of the waterboard.... even in these days of instant communication their departments were still unable to speak to one another to co-ordinate all that needed to be done. Many moons plus multiple phone calls later and they finally removed the old stop-cock from our drive and cut off the old supply pipe last month... only finally getting to it when DH pointed out that the old pipe was releasing stagnant water back into the water supply, thus contaminating it. So now we're into winter... totally the wrong end of the year for outside work like block paving. Never mind - I WILL crowbar his wallet open next year.... though wading through the quagmire that is his parking spot on the front during a soggy summer and an even soggier autumn has kind of made an impression on him. I don't need to use me old psychic skills... as soon as the weather warms up I reckon there'll be chaps here pricing up the job and getting on with it. Prepare for flags flying, trumpets trumpeting and a party going on here when it's finally done! LOL
Lots of other minor stuff has happened that kept me busy and (occasionally) out of mischief. ;0)
Visits to the M,B&S events were high on the agenda this year... once again I went both days to the final one of the year at the Lincolnshire Showground, driving myself there and back on the Saturday, then going again with DH on the Sunday. What I also liked about going was.... using me new Student Card to get an even more reduced rate weekend pass. Yay! That almost made up for the seriously nasty pic the young lass took of me for it. Did she take it whilst I was happily smiling at her? NO. She didn't click until I'd got fed up of waiting and had stopped to give her a beady "Get on with it" look and when there was a backlog queue so I couldn't make her do it all over again without inconveniencing alot of other people. Anyways, I digress. The event was a good one. I attended the talks I wanted to on both days, with DH happily coming along too on the Sunday. On the Saturday I bumped into quite a few folks I knew who were also attending, so had some good chats with them, as well as a few of the regular stallholders. I had a very good reading from Simon Goodfellow on the Sunday, during which he gave lots of confirmation that I'm on the right track... he also knew my biggest problem has been a lack of confidence in myself and my abilities. So it's time to put that behind me and get on with the work I'm supposed to be doing for Spirit... and I may well end up being one of the readers at the M,B&S events at some point in the future. :0)
I did have a bit of a health problem a month or so ago: a bad stomach flare-up that had me going to see the GP. Yup... I not only gave in and went there, I also actually took the month's worth of Lansoprazole pills I was given too. That will give you a good indication of how yuk I felt at the time. The pills sorted out the bad burning sensation at the top of my stomach that had been a real problem... plus I realised that an increase in the amount of fruit I'd been eating had been a contributing factor, so desisted in that. So much for eating fruit being healthy for you! Glad to say am feeling much better now. Since then, in the interests of wanting to be healthy - and due to the fact that I really can't manage to eat any more portions of veggies than I already do - I got DH to dig out our as-yet-unused-and-still-boxed juicer from the loft this week. It's now unboxed and cleaned... just need to find the user manual from that safe place he put it in now, to work out which bits to use for what. LOL In the meantime, I've found a couple of good juicing pages on FB - been checking out some of the recommended veg mixes and jotting them down, as well as nosing through the juicing book we bought ? years ago. If anyone cares to warn me about which mixes are really revolting and need to be avoided, feel free. :0)
Whilst I haven't gone any further with my Reiki... I have recently had a breakthrough in finding a Reiki Master to give me some treatment. That's only taken around 3 years, so not long LOL. ;0) It's not being picky : it had to be someone I am happy to have treat me, as there needs to be a strong bond of trust; someone whose energies are compatible; a person who was working from their heart, not from ego. It was worth the wait, as M did a lovely treatment on me last month, removing some unwanted build-up from various chakras... I could feel her pulling it all out, especially the one from my Crown Chakra (which I "saw" as well) - have been feeling far less drained ever since. Am going back for a second treatment next week... it's well worth travelling to Lincoln for, especially as DH will be taking the day off to drive me there so we can do some Christmas shopping afterwards. When he's taken me on this trip a couple more times I will have it set in my head... then I can drive myself there and back after that. Yes, another big step out of my comfort zone - one that needs to be done, as there are a couple of workshops being held in Lincoln in 2013 that I want to attend. Yep, planning on expanding my horizons in quite a number of ways and am looking forward to the new experiences they'll bring with them.
As for Yule... no tree or decs up yet. I had wanted to get them out and up last weekend but we got busy with other jobs, so it didn't happen. Which was probably a good thing, as the decs would have got in the way of the Virgin Media chap, who put in a new Tivo box today (5th)... as well as putting in an ordinary box in DS's room and a faster broadband link, with all the cabling that went with it all. It's amazing what ringing up to complain about the amount we were paying for what we were getting does! We don't have any set plans for this weekend, as yet, so fingers crossed the festive spirit strikes and it all gets done then. Either way, we're certainly all set for enhanced Christmas TV viewing this year. LOL
Thank you for visiting. :0)
Wednesday 5 December 2012
Sunday 15 April 2012
The Blogging Gap Year
For those who have been wondering where I disappeared to: nowhere, I'm still around. LOL I've been keeping up with NH Forum, as lots of my cyber-friends are on there, but blogging lost its appeal for a while. Things got busy here, as they do on occasion for most folks, and my Spiritual journey had to take precedence.... time spent on the computer had to be lessened, not only to relieve my neck, shoulder and back from the RSA type pain it kept getting, but so I could concentrate on the reading and meditational work that was, and still continues to be, necessary for progress to be made towards discovering the soul-inspired person within myself.... and that we are all meant to be. :0)
During the gap year I reached one of those milestone birthdays. My 40th passed without a problem but this, my 50th, bothered me a little.... after all, it is a half century! LOL But realisation came that it's only a number and in no way reflects how I feel on the inside - and I have looked forward to my Crone years with relish - so I figuratively grasped the change with both hands and got on with things. Of course, family and friends helped me to mark this milestone with some wonderful gifts and cards:
Once again I thank everyone for their kindness and generosity. :0) My apologies if I have missed out any cards or gifts but this was some time ago... and those menopausal brain farts insist on happening every so often. I did put details of who sent what on all the pics but, for some reason, it's not showing them - the same goes for all the pics in all of the slideshows! BTW, there are lots of pics for various events so I have posted them all as slideshows, in the hopes that everyone's computers don't get totally overloaded with a major league photo heavy blog post. ;0)
DH, DS and I had our annual summer holiday in July, once again in Undergarth cottage in the Langdale Valley - a fabulous cottage in a truly beautiful area and our most favourite place to be.... and guess who got to do some shopping and visit the wonderful Fobbles again? Then DH and I had a weeks holiday with my DSis, Aunt, Uncle and cousin in the Lincolnshire Wolds, so the bungalow pic onwards are of that and of some retail therapy I had:
Yes, that's me in the purple waterproof.... get the Robin Hood impression. LMAO DH didn't participate this year, as he'd hurt his back in a theatre Get Out a week or so before and was still suffering with, and taking pain killers for, that... archery was not conducive to recovery from said back pain. LOL Thankfully he was still able to drive and do a little walking, as well as get some much needed rest. Although he did get through two tubes worth of Ibuprofen Gel making things a bit more comfortable! LOL
Unfortunately we won't be holidaying in the lovely cottage again this year as someone gazumped us and booked it first. :0( Still, we have found a reasonable alternative within the Langdale Valley that will be something of a blast from the past - we'll be staying in a refurbished Fir Garth chalet type place.... we used to stay in these when DS was little. :0)
The major upheavals we had last year and at the start of this year were a total refurbishment of the bathroom and kitchen, back porch and downstairs toilet. The bath had a leak around it and was causing problems in the kitchen... as in, water running down the kitchen wall every time someone had a shower kinda problems. Something had to be done,as I'd got visions of someone getting in the bath one day and the whole lot ending up in the kitchen below. We'd also realised that, as time goes on, there might come a time when I would struggle to climb into the bath to have my favoured shower.... so fitting in a walk-in shower, as well as a bath (DH can't so without his soaks!), had to be done. It meant having to totally re-jig everything in there, so the whole lot was totally gutted (back to brick!) and started over. Here's yet another slideshow for you, starting with the partially dismantled old bathroom:
I did edit down the pics somewhat... if I'd posted every single one of the ones I took you'd have all lost the will to live by the end of the slideshow. LMAO
Once it was established that all the pipework etc was OK (ie: no leaks) we could then go ahead and get the kitchen refurbished. As this is the second time we've had to re-do the kitchen since moving in we decided to go the whole hog and go bespoke this time, the reasoning being that: it's an awkward shaped kitchen and the only way we could fit in everything in that we wanted to was to have it built to fit; this is going to be the last time it gets done, so we wanted it doing properly. As we wanted the same tiles through the kitchen, back porch & downstairs toilet we also had to gut the toilet and remove the cladding in the back porch. This was done in two stages: the kitchen first, then the loo & back porch a little later. Here are some pics of the various stages it all went through:
The roadworks pic is where both the gasboard and waterboard had the road up out the front - this was whilst the back porch and downstairs toilet were being refurbished.... everything seemed to happen all at once at the beginning of this year! LOL The loo has since had two cupboards fitted in there... will have to take some pics of it and post them another time.
Christmas was another time when family and friends were very kind and generous and I consider myself truly blessed:
Once again, I did label all of the pics and tried to stop the arty farty moving about of the pics but the darned Webshots slideshow bit insists on not showing labels and on keeping the arty farty bit. And thank you again my Forum friends... you know who you are. :0)
As mentioned at the start, my Development is still ongoing. I'm reading a lot of relevant books and attend the local Spiritualist Church's Open Circle once a week and a workshop once a month and have just re-started going to the weekly meditation session. Next month J, a Church committee member, will be running a 12-week course on The Principles of Mediumship - it'll cover aspects on the Principles that most, if not all, Spiritualist Churches are run on, about the do's and dont's of mediumship (ethics etc) and other relevant theory work, as well as practising our mediumship skills... at the end of the course we all get to take part in a Fledgling Service. Fledglings are what trainee mediums, like myself, are called and it's an opportunity to use what we have been taught within a Mediumship Demonstration Service, on a Saturday evening at Church. Am hoping that by the time this comes around I'll be feeling much more confident! LOL
I still go to P's workshops (a two-hour once a fortnight session and a four-hour once a month session). These prove to be different every time. P is also helping me to develop more confidence in my abilities and, if a few more people express an interest, is going to run a workshop on Public Speaking, to get us used to standing up and speaking in front of larger groups of people... this is all building up towards doing proper Platform work. She has also offered to take me through the coursework that the SNU have their trainees do, so, when I've read a couple of books she's kindly loaned me, I shall be taking her up on the offer. So that'll mean back to school and writing essays a little later in the year. She has also booked a Fledgling Service for August in Waddington Church... she wants myself and several of the others who attend her Group, to go along to that. Again, it's a ways off, so am hoping my skills have been better honed and my confidence increased by then.
Last month my acupuncturist began her once a month Meditation/Spiritual group, which I really enjoyed - unfortunately we couldn't meet this month (holidays) but next month we'll be talking about 2012 and the theories that abound about what it all means for us all, which is going to be very interesting. It's great to be able to talk about all of this stuff with like-minded people... I no longer feel like a fruit loop or a New Age hippy! LMAO
The most exciting thing to happen for me though, so far, is that I finally found a Reiki Master to train me, so myself and two other ladies from P's group are going to be undertaking Reiki I on the 20th of this month (April). I'd hoped to do the training two years ago but A, who was going to do it, had to stop doing all Spiritual work... that's when the Circle ended too. I realise now that I wasn't really ready then... but now I am. When I work at P's I seem to pick up on ailments a lot, even on people in photos who are in Spirit. For Reiki I I have to work on myself for 21 days.... this is to clear any old stuff that's holding me back, heal old wounds etc etc, so it will be a pretty intense time but also a liberating one. During that time I have to keep a journal... thankfully the Tarot journalling I did last year and at the start of this year has helped me get my head around that type of thing, so am not daunted by that. As part of the training Sh is doing a birth chart for each of us, so that's going to be really interesting to read through, and she has also sorted out the insurance we will need, so we can begin to work as soon as we have done our Reiki II. DH and my DSis are already anticipating lots of freebie Reiki sessions. LOL
I knew at the start of the New Year, with the excitement that I felt as midnight struck, that this would be my year, when everything would start to come together. :0)
As for stitching.... throughout most of 2011 that was a tad sparse but that's improved this year.... the mojo returned in full force and I've been stitching up a storm. How did I manage this? Well... I decided that the way to go was to keep the mojo interested with a string of smalls, giving lots of quick HD's - which was also an opportunity to start making inroads into the mountain of freebie designs I've got printed out. I think it now stands at 21 stitched pieces..... unfortunately they're all waiting to be finished into something. Anyone know where the finishing mojo went? ROFL I haven't yet photographed some of these and the ones I have are still on the camera, waiting to be uploaded to the computer. I shall get around to this at some point and add them to another blog post... or two. LOL
So those are the main happenings that kept me busy during this Gap Year. And if you got this far.... you deserve a medal! ROFL
During the gap year I reached one of those milestone birthdays. My 40th passed without a problem but this, my 50th, bothered me a little.... after all, it is a half century! LOL But realisation came that it's only a number and in no way reflects how I feel on the inside - and I have looked forward to my Crone years with relish - so I figuratively grasped the change with both hands and got on with things. Of course, family and friends helped me to mark this milestone with some wonderful gifts and cards:
Once again I thank everyone for their kindness and generosity. :0) My apologies if I have missed out any cards or gifts but this was some time ago... and those menopausal brain farts insist on happening every so often. I did put details of who sent what on all the pics but, for some reason, it's not showing them - the same goes for all the pics in all of the slideshows! BTW, there are lots of pics for various events so I have posted them all as slideshows, in the hopes that everyone's computers don't get totally overloaded with a major league photo heavy blog post. ;0)
DH, DS and I had our annual summer holiday in July, once again in Undergarth cottage in the Langdale Valley - a fabulous cottage in a truly beautiful area and our most favourite place to be.... and guess who got to do some shopping and visit the wonderful Fobbles again? Then DH and I had a weeks holiday with my DSis, Aunt, Uncle and cousin in the Lincolnshire Wolds, so the bungalow pic onwards are of that and of some retail therapy I had:
Yes, that's me in the purple waterproof.... get the Robin Hood impression. LMAO DH didn't participate this year, as he'd hurt his back in a theatre Get Out a week or so before and was still suffering with, and taking pain killers for, that... archery was not conducive to recovery from said back pain. LOL Thankfully he was still able to drive and do a little walking, as well as get some much needed rest. Although he did get through two tubes worth of Ibuprofen Gel making things a bit more comfortable! LOL
Unfortunately we won't be holidaying in the lovely cottage again this year as someone gazumped us and booked it first. :0( Still, we have found a reasonable alternative within the Langdale Valley that will be something of a blast from the past - we'll be staying in a refurbished Fir Garth chalet type place.... we used to stay in these when DS was little. :0)
The major upheavals we had last year and at the start of this year were a total refurbishment of the bathroom and kitchen, back porch and downstairs toilet. The bath had a leak around it and was causing problems in the kitchen... as in, water running down the kitchen wall every time someone had a shower kinda problems. Something had to be done,as I'd got visions of someone getting in the bath one day and the whole lot ending up in the kitchen below. We'd also realised that, as time goes on, there might come a time when I would struggle to climb into the bath to have my favoured shower.... so fitting in a walk-in shower, as well as a bath (DH can't so without his soaks!), had to be done. It meant having to totally re-jig everything in there, so the whole lot was totally gutted (back to brick!) and started over. Here's yet another slideshow for you, starting with the partially dismantled old bathroom:
I did edit down the pics somewhat... if I'd posted every single one of the ones I took you'd have all lost the will to live by the end of the slideshow. LMAO
Once it was established that all the pipework etc was OK (ie: no leaks) we could then go ahead and get the kitchen refurbished. As this is the second time we've had to re-do the kitchen since moving in we decided to go the whole hog and go bespoke this time, the reasoning being that: it's an awkward shaped kitchen and the only way we could fit in everything in that we wanted to was to have it built to fit; this is going to be the last time it gets done, so we wanted it doing properly. As we wanted the same tiles through the kitchen, back porch & downstairs toilet we also had to gut the toilet and remove the cladding in the back porch. This was done in two stages: the kitchen first, then the loo & back porch a little later. Here are some pics of the various stages it all went through:
The roadworks pic is where both the gasboard and waterboard had the road up out the front - this was whilst the back porch and downstairs toilet were being refurbished.... everything seemed to happen all at once at the beginning of this year! LOL The loo has since had two cupboards fitted in there... will have to take some pics of it and post them another time.
Christmas was another time when family and friends were very kind and generous and I consider myself truly blessed:
Once again, I did label all of the pics and tried to stop the arty farty moving about of the pics but the darned Webshots slideshow bit insists on not showing labels and on keeping the arty farty bit. And thank you again my Forum friends... you know who you are. :0)
As mentioned at the start, my Development is still ongoing. I'm reading a lot of relevant books and attend the local Spiritualist Church's Open Circle once a week and a workshop once a month and have just re-started going to the weekly meditation session. Next month J, a Church committee member, will be running a 12-week course on The Principles of Mediumship - it'll cover aspects on the Principles that most, if not all, Spiritualist Churches are run on, about the do's and dont's of mediumship (ethics etc) and other relevant theory work, as well as practising our mediumship skills... at the end of the course we all get to take part in a Fledgling Service. Fledglings are what trainee mediums, like myself, are called and it's an opportunity to use what we have been taught within a Mediumship Demonstration Service, on a Saturday evening at Church. Am hoping that by the time this comes around I'll be feeling much more confident! LOL
I still go to P's workshops (a two-hour once a fortnight session and a four-hour once a month session). These prove to be different every time. P is also helping me to develop more confidence in my abilities and, if a few more people express an interest, is going to run a workshop on Public Speaking, to get us used to standing up and speaking in front of larger groups of people... this is all building up towards doing proper Platform work. She has also offered to take me through the coursework that the SNU have their trainees do, so, when I've read a couple of books she's kindly loaned me, I shall be taking her up on the offer. So that'll mean back to school and writing essays a little later in the year. She has also booked a Fledgling Service for August in Waddington Church... she wants myself and several of the others who attend her Group, to go along to that. Again, it's a ways off, so am hoping my skills have been better honed and my confidence increased by then.
Last month my acupuncturist began her once a month Meditation/Spiritual group, which I really enjoyed - unfortunately we couldn't meet this month (holidays) but next month we'll be talking about 2012 and the theories that abound about what it all means for us all, which is going to be very interesting. It's great to be able to talk about all of this stuff with like-minded people... I no longer feel like a fruit loop or a New Age hippy! LMAO
The most exciting thing to happen for me though, so far, is that I finally found a Reiki Master to train me, so myself and two other ladies from P's group are going to be undertaking Reiki I on the 20th of this month (April). I'd hoped to do the training two years ago but A, who was going to do it, had to stop doing all Spiritual work... that's when the Circle ended too. I realise now that I wasn't really ready then... but now I am. When I work at P's I seem to pick up on ailments a lot, even on people in photos who are in Spirit. For Reiki I I have to work on myself for 21 days.... this is to clear any old stuff that's holding me back, heal old wounds etc etc, so it will be a pretty intense time but also a liberating one. During that time I have to keep a journal... thankfully the Tarot journalling I did last year and at the start of this year has helped me get my head around that type of thing, so am not daunted by that. As part of the training Sh is doing a birth chart for each of us, so that's going to be really interesting to read through, and she has also sorted out the insurance we will need, so we can begin to work as soon as we have done our Reiki II. DH and my DSis are already anticipating lots of freebie Reiki sessions. LOL
I knew at the start of the New Year, with the excitement that I felt as midnight struck, that this would be my year, when everything would start to come together. :0)
As for stitching.... throughout most of 2011 that was a tad sparse but that's improved this year.... the mojo returned in full force and I've been stitching up a storm. How did I manage this? Well... I decided that the way to go was to keep the mojo interested with a string of smalls, giving lots of quick HD's - which was also an opportunity to start making inroads into the mountain of freebie designs I've got printed out. I think it now stands at 21 stitched pieces..... unfortunately they're all waiting to be finished into something. Anyone know where the finishing mojo went? ROFL I haven't yet photographed some of these and the ones I have are still on the camera, waiting to be uploaded to the computer. I shall get around to this at some point and add them to another blog post... or two. LOL
So those are the main happenings that kept me busy during this Gap Year. And if you got this far.... you deserve a medal! ROFL
Tuesday 15 March 2011
It's Been A While...
Yes, folks, it's been a while since I last put finger to keyboard to do a Blog post, partly due to being busy and running out of time, as the days keep flying past (who can believe it's the middle of March already???!!! Not me, that's for sure) and also because the blogging mojo went awol for a while. Still, it's better it was the blogging and NOT the stitching mojo - right? :0)
OK, so where do I start? Hhhhhmmm... first off I have to show you all the lovely belated half of the Christmas gift I received from Barb - only belated due to the weather and poor Barb's ill health preventing her from getting and sending them. They were well worth the wait, I can tell you - lookit the pretty wrapping in my favourite colour:
Inisde were these gorgeous goodies:
Barb tells me that the bag was printed by one of the ladies who is on a dig that she told me about some time ago. The image is of a Roman torq which was once worn by a Roman lady - this is much more vivid in colour than my pic shows. There were also some Piecemaker needles for me to try, now I've found my missing mojo. LOL The card is so pretty and looks great next to my Kwan Yin statue. Thank you again Barb, I love them - you know my tastes so well. :0)
Now let me cast my mind back again and try and remember what else I've been up to. Well, I made a stack of cards, ready for the Birthday Thread Exchange that I joined over at Needlecraft Haven... but I can only show you the ones that have been sent. There were two birthdays in February, one for Sheila:
and one for Kathy:
No more of those until April now. Though I did take part in the NH Forum's Sweet Feet Sock Exchange, with opening and reveal being on St Valentine's Day.. and that was alot of fun. Unfortunately I got a bit previous and managed to delete the pics I took of the socks I sent to Jaclyn (no blog, as far as I know)... but here's a pic of the accompanying card I sent to her:
Here's a pic of the lovely card, thread and fab pair of socks I received from Lindsay:
Another pic I'd managed to delete - thank goodness it was uploaded to my Webshots Album! I enjoyed this exchange so much it would be great to do it again some time (Hint! Hint! LOL)
I did make some other cards but this is going to be a pretty pic intensive post as it is, so I won't post them - but if you're interested.... or just plain nosey and need to know (like me LOL), then you can see them in my Webshots Album.
It's good to report that the stitching mojo has stayed around - and that's another reason for the lack of blogging. There are only so many hours in a day and any spare time has seen me sat in my favourite armchair, plying my needle. I've been so keen I've joined the Monthly Challenge at NH Forum and a number of SAL's, as well as stitching gifts (like the Polar Bear and Tiger) just because I want to. It's been a reasonably productive year so far. :0)
First item for your delectation is the January Challenge piece:
I had wanted to finish this as a cube (it would have been a first for me) but the polystyrene stuff I'd been hoarding had disappeared and I couldn't find any foam shapes online any bigger than 2cm sq, so this didn't get finished in time to go in the album... in fact I only got around to finishing it this month, after doing the finishing on the February Challenge piece. It took that to get the cube finish out of my head and give an alternative I was going to be happy to do. LOL
Then I finally got around to stitching a piece that was a previous Monthly Challenge on JA/S&S Forum.. it had guilt tripped me for long enough:
It came out quite a bit bigger than anticipated, so there was only just enough of the thread to complete it (anyone know where I can buy Carrie's threads from in the UK, please?). It was lovely to add another design to the finished pile though. And soon after that followed the NH Forum's February Challenge piece:
Now this one was a must stitch and I knew immediately what to use and which finish to do. Those are my Ann scissors, bought because I loved the colour and due to them having the same name as my Mum, now in Spirit... so now my Ann scissors are wrapped in Love. :0) Then I had a rare sleepless session one night so, instead of tossing and turning and disturbing DH (who had to go to work the following day and wouldn't have thanked me), I headed downstairs and grabbed a small project from my stitchy bag.... and got it fully completed. That was my January Christmas ornie:
Another pic I've managed to delete.... thank goodness for my Webshots Album! The tuck pillow was a pre-finished bargain from that well known auction site... wish I could find a few more of these, as this type of finishing is beyond me at the moment - and it's sooo quick! LOL
In between some of the smaller pieces I'd been stitching away at my piece for the NH Forum's Quaker SAL, Quaker Winter Slumber by Midnight Stitching. It went from this, which I started on the 6th of February:
To this, towards the end of February:
But soon became the first Happy Dance of March:
The pic makes the fabric look a bit pink but it's all a greyish blue, very wintery... and very sparkly. There wasn't much sunshine when I took the pic, so it's not come out that well. This was an absolute joy to stitch and I'd love to do the other seasons at some point. The chart will be winging it's way to Tina (no blog) soon - hope she enjoys stitching this as much as I did. :0)
It was then time to choose a new project. Clare is running a Prairie Schooler SAL on her Forum, Needlecraft Haven, and it was impossible to resist.... especially as it gave me an excuse to buy a gorgeous piece of sparkly fabric for it. Yes, that MS piece has set off a new love for opalescents... why have I not tried these before?! So here's the small start made:
Can you tell what it is yet? ROFL For those folks that aren't members of NH: I shall torment you a little longer with this one and only tell you that the fabric is Polstitches 32ct opalescent, Mummies Curse. Eheheh.
Also on the cards is another new start: Sampler au Bouquets by Jardin Prive. It was too late to join the SAL blog, so some of the memberss over at NH Forum are having a SAL with this. I've opted to stitch all three designs as one piece and am eagerly awaiting the release of part III this month. The NH SAL starts today (Tuesday 15th) and it's a "go at your own pace" one, so no pressure, for anyone that might be interested. Still waiting in the wings is my Enchanted piece, for the Carriage House Samplings SAL (another NH activity), but I don't have a suitable size of scroll frame for it at the moment. I could use a Siesta Bar Frame but I do not want to use drawing pins to attach this fabric to the frame and risk damaging it.... especially as I was a bit frugal on the extra for framing/edging. I can't help it - it's the Yorkshire blood in me. LOL ;0)
Oh, I nearly forgot! Whilst I was in a finishing mood I dug out an ornie I stitched back in 2009 and completed it - yes, it's taken me this long to get around to it *blush*. Here's the result of that:
Many thanks Sharon - I love these little reindeer and it was another lovely piece to stitch... I just need to be in the right mood for finishing.... and it took a while *blushing again* Right, I think that's all the stitchy bits up-to-date now. Phew!
So what else has been keeping me busy? Lots of fun over at the NH Forum for one thing.... and my home. Yes, DH finally realised that the bathroom and kitchen need a total overhaul, so we've been planning and choosing what's wanted and getting quotes. The bathroom suite and a plumber to fit it have been chosen - he'll hopefully be starting in April (unfortunately that was the earliest he could fit us in, as he's popular). The kitchen maker/fitter has been chosen and we'll be in the process of finalising everything for that soon. The bulk of the waterpipe trench has now been backfilled and some of the slabs have been relaid... that's an ongoing job, as the weather doesn't always play ball when we have a free weekend to do jobs. I booked our summer holiday (vacation) - the same cottage we've stayed in the last couple of years... looking forward to recharging my batteries in my favourite place. :0)
DH and DS are still busy with the theatre stuff. DS has a part in the May production, Jekyll & Hyde, and DH is Stage Manager - he's popular for that job, as he gets everything and everyone organised well in advance, so everyone knows what they're meant to be doing and when. I shall probably be going to the performance... another solo seat at the back. LOL
I've been continuing with Development Circle meetings... but I don't know for how much longer, as one of the ladies has just dropped out. It has never been a large group anyway, so every member counts, and we suspect that it won't be long before a second member drops out - if that happens it won't be viable any longer. I shall be gutted if/when it does fold.... but I know that these things always happen for a reason... and when one door closes, another one invariably opens. I just have to be patient and see what the Universe has in store for me. :0) One door that has opened already: I will soon be going to a new monthly Meditation group that's being held locally - just a small group of women who wish to develop their Meditational skills. It starts in April... am looking forward to that.
DH and I have been to two Mind, Body and Spirit events so far this year, the first in Grimsby in January (the first time we've been to that event in a while) and, most recently, to the one in Elsecar, near Barnsley. They are always interesting.... and a lot of the stallholders now recognise me and say hello, which is nice. The main pull these days are the talks/workshops they hold, rather than going for the lovely goodies.... though I am now saving up for a Native American style flute, as that instrument is calling strongly to me. It helps that you don't need to read music to be able to play a passable tune. LOL
Well, that's not all of the news but it's the main happenings... enough there for you to have needed to make a coffee and put your feet up for a while. ROFL I will admit that I'm now extremely far behind on the blog reading/commenting but it's got to the point where it's unmanageable.... so, I don't like doing it, but I'm going to have to admit defeat and start again with many of your blogs, for which I apologise. I hope you'll all understand.... but I really don't want to be chained to this computer for the next month or two, trying to catch up. DH and DS would soon complain if there were no clean undies in the drawers or food on the table at mealtimes. LOL
Thank you all for taking the time to stop by... hope to be paying a return visit shortly. :0)
OK, so where do I start? Hhhhhmmm... first off I have to show you all the lovely belated half of the Christmas gift I received from Barb - only belated due to the weather and poor Barb's ill health preventing her from getting and sending them. They were well worth the wait, I can tell you - lookit the pretty wrapping in my favourite colour:
Inisde were these gorgeous goodies:
Barb tells me that the bag was printed by one of the ladies who is on a dig that she told me about some time ago. The image is of a Roman torq which was once worn by a Roman lady - this is much more vivid in colour than my pic shows. There were also some Piecemaker needles for me to try, now I've found my missing mojo. LOL The card is so pretty and looks great next to my Kwan Yin statue. Thank you again Barb, I love them - you know my tastes so well. :0)
Now let me cast my mind back again and try and remember what else I've been up to. Well, I made a stack of cards, ready for the Birthday Thread Exchange that I joined over at Needlecraft Haven... but I can only show you the ones that have been sent. There were two birthdays in February, one for Sheila:
and one for Kathy:
No more of those until April now. Though I did take part in the NH Forum's Sweet Feet Sock Exchange, with opening and reveal being on St Valentine's Day.. and that was alot of fun. Unfortunately I got a bit previous and managed to delete the pics I took of the socks I sent to Jaclyn (no blog, as far as I know)... but here's a pic of the accompanying card I sent to her:
Here's a pic of the lovely card, thread and fab pair of socks I received from Lindsay:
Another pic I'd managed to delete - thank goodness it was uploaded to my Webshots Album! I enjoyed this exchange so much it would be great to do it again some time (Hint! Hint! LOL)
I did make some other cards but this is going to be a pretty pic intensive post as it is, so I won't post them - but if you're interested.... or just plain nosey and need to know (like me LOL), then you can see them in my Webshots Album.
It's good to report that the stitching mojo has stayed around - and that's another reason for the lack of blogging. There are only so many hours in a day and any spare time has seen me sat in my favourite armchair, plying my needle. I've been so keen I've joined the Monthly Challenge at NH Forum and a number of SAL's, as well as stitching gifts (like the Polar Bear and Tiger) just because I want to. It's been a reasonably productive year so far. :0)
First item for your delectation is the January Challenge piece:
Design: Petit Chat, internet freebie
Designer: Tralala - Des Filles et une Aiguille
Fabric: Zweigart 28ct Brittney, Antique White
Threads: Dragon Floss, Barrels of Laughter (blues); Carrie's Creation, Rose
Finish: Pinkeep style Scissor Keep
I had wanted to finish this as a cube (it would have been a first for me) but the polystyrene stuff I'd been hoarding had disappeared and I couldn't find any foam shapes online any bigger than 2cm sq, so this didn't get finished in time to go in the album... in fact I only got around to finishing it this month, after doing the finishing on the February Challenge piece. It took that to get the cube finish out of my head and give an alternative I was going to be happy to do. LOL
Then I finally got around to stitching a piece that was a previous Monthly Challenge on JA/S&S Forum.. it had guilt tripped me for long enough:
Design: Mr Penguinee, internet freebie
Designer: Mary Olson and Candy Scott of The Work Basket
Fabric: Zweigart 32ct, White
Thread: Carrie's Creation, Raven
Finish: good old Pinkeep
It came out quite a bit bigger than anticipated, so there was only just enough of the thread to complete it (anyone know where I can buy Carrie's threads from in the UK, please?). It was lovely to add another design to the finished pile though. And soon after that followed the NH Forum's February Challenge piece:
Design: Love, internet freebie
Designer: The Stitcherhood
Fabric: Polstitches 28ct Jobelan, Ice Ltd Ed
Thread: Carrie's Creations, Wedgwood
Finish: Pinkeep style Scissor Case
Now this one was a must stitch and I knew immediately what to use and which finish to do. Those are my Ann scissors, bought because I loved the colour and due to them having the same name as my Mum, now in Spirit... so now my Ann scissors are wrapped in Love. :0) Then I had a rare sleepless session one night so, instead of tossing and turning and disturbing DH (who had to go to work the following day and wouldn't have thanked me), I headed downstairs and grabbed a small project from my stitchy bag.... and got it fully completed. That was my January Christmas ornie:
Design: Robin and Holly
Designer: unknown, pullout from a magazine
Fabric: 28ct Brittney, Antique White
Threads: DMC oddments from my scrap box
Finish: Tuck Ornie (pre-finished tuck pillow)
Another pic I've managed to delete.... thank goodness for my Webshots Album! The tuck pillow was a pre-finished bargain from that well known auction site... wish I could find a few more of these, as this type of finishing is beyond me at the moment - and it's sooo quick! LOL
In between some of the smaller pieces I'd been stitching away at my piece for the NH Forum's Quaker SAL, Quaker Winter Slumber by Midnight Stitching. It went from this, which I started on the 6th of February:
To this, towards the end of February:
But soon became the first Happy Dance of March:
Design: Quaker Winter's Slumber #020
Designer: Midnight Stitching
Fabric: 32ct opalescent Lugana, Wind (unknown make)
Thread: Thai silk, Navy - very fine, stitched 2 over 1
Finish: to be finished as a Bellpull
The pic makes the fabric look a bit pink but it's all a greyish blue, very wintery... and very sparkly. There wasn't much sunshine when I took the pic, so it's not come out that well. This was an absolute joy to stitch and I'd love to do the other seasons at some point. The chart will be winging it's way to Tina (no blog) soon - hope she enjoys stitching this as much as I did. :0)
It was then time to choose a new project. Clare is running a Prairie Schooler SAL on her Forum, Needlecraft Haven, and it was impossible to resist.... especially as it gave me an excuse to buy a gorgeous piece of sparkly fabric for it. Yes, that MS piece has set off a new love for opalescents... why have I not tried these before?! So here's the small start made:
Can you tell what it is yet? ROFL For those folks that aren't members of NH: I shall torment you a little longer with this one and only tell you that the fabric is Polstitches 32ct opalescent, Mummies Curse. Eheheh.
Also on the cards is another new start: Sampler au Bouquets by Jardin Prive. It was too late to join the SAL blog, so some of the memberss over at NH Forum are having a SAL with this. I've opted to stitch all three designs as one piece and am eagerly awaiting the release of part III this month. The NH SAL starts today (Tuesday 15th) and it's a "go at your own pace" one, so no pressure, for anyone that might be interested. Still waiting in the wings is my Enchanted piece, for the Carriage House Samplings SAL (another NH activity), but I don't have a suitable size of scroll frame for it at the moment. I could use a Siesta Bar Frame but I do not want to use drawing pins to attach this fabric to the frame and risk damaging it.... especially as I was a bit frugal on the extra for framing/edging. I can't help it - it's the Yorkshire blood in me. LOL ;0)
Oh, I nearly forgot! Whilst I was in a finishing mood I dug out an ornie I stitched back in 2009 and completed it - yes, it's taken me this long to get around to it *blush*. Here's the result of that:
Design: Holly Reindeer, internet freebie
Designer: Sharon Bennett, Daffycat
Fabric: 32ct linen, Mocha (unknown make)
Threads: Carrie's Creations, Buffalo Fur and Frosty Pine; DMC: 498
Finish: Pinkeep style Ornie
Many thanks Sharon - I love these little reindeer and it was another lovely piece to stitch... I just need to be in the right mood for finishing.... and it took a while *blushing again* Right, I think that's all the stitchy bits up-to-date now. Phew!
So what else has been keeping me busy? Lots of fun over at the NH Forum for one thing.... and my home. Yes, DH finally realised that the bathroom and kitchen need a total overhaul, so we've been planning and choosing what's wanted and getting quotes. The bathroom suite and a plumber to fit it have been chosen - he'll hopefully be starting in April (unfortunately that was the earliest he could fit us in, as he's popular). The kitchen maker/fitter has been chosen and we'll be in the process of finalising everything for that soon. The bulk of the waterpipe trench has now been backfilled and some of the slabs have been relaid... that's an ongoing job, as the weather doesn't always play ball when we have a free weekend to do jobs. I booked our summer holiday (vacation) - the same cottage we've stayed in the last couple of years... looking forward to recharging my batteries in my favourite place. :0)
DH and DS are still busy with the theatre stuff. DS has a part in the May production, Jekyll & Hyde, and DH is Stage Manager - he's popular for that job, as he gets everything and everyone organised well in advance, so everyone knows what they're meant to be doing and when. I shall probably be going to the performance... another solo seat at the back. LOL
I've been continuing with Development Circle meetings... but I don't know for how much longer, as one of the ladies has just dropped out. It has never been a large group anyway, so every member counts, and we suspect that it won't be long before a second member drops out - if that happens it won't be viable any longer. I shall be gutted if/when it does fold.... but I know that these things always happen for a reason... and when one door closes, another one invariably opens. I just have to be patient and see what the Universe has in store for me. :0) One door that has opened already: I will soon be going to a new monthly Meditation group that's being held locally - just a small group of women who wish to develop their Meditational skills. It starts in April... am looking forward to that.
DH and I have been to two Mind, Body and Spirit events so far this year, the first in Grimsby in January (the first time we've been to that event in a while) and, most recently, to the one in Elsecar, near Barnsley. They are always interesting.... and a lot of the stallholders now recognise me and say hello, which is nice. The main pull these days are the talks/workshops they hold, rather than going for the lovely goodies.... though I am now saving up for a Native American style flute, as that instrument is calling strongly to me. It helps that you don't need to read music to be able to play a passable tune. LOL
Well, that's not all of the news but it's the main happenings... enough there for you to have needed to make a coffee and put your feet up for a while. ROFL I will admit that I'm now extremely far behind on the blog reading/commenting but it's got to the point where it's unmanageable.... so, I don't like doing it, but I'm going to have to admit defeat and start again with many of your blogs, for which I apologise. I hope you'll all understand.... but I really don't want to be chained to this computer for the next month or two, trying to catch up. DH and DS would soon complain if there were no clean undies in the drawers or food on the table at mealtimes. LOL
Thank you all for taking the time to stop by... hope to be paying a return visit shortly. :0)
Monday 17 January 2011
Santa Was Really Kind
Hope you all had a good festive season and enjoyed time with your families and friends... and hopefully managed to fit in a little crafting here and there too. ;0)
Our festive season was a little on the quiet side but that's how we prefer it... although it did get exciting one night, when the electric power cut out all over the house. We soon sussed that it wasn't a powercut but was actually caused by the breaker reacting to my switching on the washing machine.... because DS did it again, just to prove it, and all the lights went out again. The washer's element was shot and caused a problem with the earthing, which meant one dead washing machine and a trip to the January sales.... the new one has now been delivered and I've been on laundry catch-up ever since. That washing basket had been full to overflowing, so - as I flatly refused to hand wash their undies and socks because I value my health and sanity and don't love them that much - DH and DS had to pop to the main Tesco just after Christmas to get some emergency supplies. So far I haven't killed off the new machine, or the tumble drier, whilst doing the multitude of washes to catch up with the backlog! LOL
Santa was kind to me again, thanks to my forum friends and family. Here's a slideshow of the lovely handmade Christmas cards received this year:
And, as I like adding these little slideshow doohickys now I've worked out how to do them, here are the lovely goodies received:
Thank you again ladies for your kindness and generosity - hope you all had a lovely festive season and Santa was kind to you too, and that the thank you cards have arrived OK. :0)
We didn't get out and about much over the holidays, thanks to the cold weather and residual problems from all the snow we had, but did manage to get enough of a break in it to go and see MIL on New Years Day. The fluff ball kitten is now a fluff ball adolescent and looks like she'll always be petite. MIL is doing OK and spent her first solo Christmas with various friends, with lots of other invitations she didn't take up... though she did say that having Ally (the fluff ball) has been a real Blessing and says she's helped a great deal. Thank goodness for BIL and his family having the idea to do this. :0) So here's a pic of the little fluff ball:
It was taken with my phone, so not a great pic, but it captures her cuteness. She was so curious about what I was doing, which is why she was there long enough for me to take it.... because she's normally flitting around like a mad thing. LOL BTW, those are MIL's feet in the shot.
So what else have I been doing since my last blog post, apart from killing a washing machine, opening fab gifts and cards plus visiting MIL and admiring the fluff balls cuteness? Well.... I kept myself out of mischief by having a few cardmaking sessions at various times, with these results:
Sorry about some of those scans - my scanner doesn't like the 3-D bits on some of the cards, so makes them look all out of focus. Some of you may just recognise some of the cards too. LOL Yes, three slideshows in one post might seem a bit excessive... but not as excessive as posting every single pic would have been. ;0)
I also found time for a bit of stitching too. Bet you were thinking I'd never get round to that bit, weren't you? LOL Well I delved into my stash and started a kit of a polar bear, or rather its head, another one from the same range as the tiger I finished a little while ago. This is another piece stitched specifically for one of the girls in my Development Circle, as the polar bear is her Power Animal. I'd hoped to get it finished before the New Year started but there was just too much left to do...... so it became my first finish for 2011 instead.
He was lovely to stitch and I'm sure he will be well received - just got to find a suitable frame..... or pluck up courage to make it into a wallhanging, as I have a fabric that would go really well with this.
As soon as that was finished I'd planned to do a fox design for another of the Circle girls... but the Seba Designs SAL blackwork piece that I started a while ago suddenly started to shout really loudly and wouldn't be ignored, so I picked that up instead - I'd almost forgotten just how lovely this was to stitch. Add in the fact that the new Seba 2011 SAL piece has been released.... well, I thought it best to get last years finished first. I put the last stitch in it last night (Sunday 16th January) and here's a bad pic taken in poor light, as the bright days are few and far between at the moment:
That's two finishes in a month! Wow! Keep going at this rate and the bellydancing CD will be worn out LOL. It sure does make a change though, after all those months of missing mojo that made 2010 a poor year for finishes - my album has a grand total of...... three pics in it. *blush*
I will now admit to hitting the January Sales for a little more than a washing machine. Yes, I got a few small stash additions:
I couldn't resist - they were real bargains. LOL Actually, I was quite restrained, considering the price the HAED charts were going for... though, admittedly, I already have plenty of those in my stash. Yes, I know, I should have thought of that before buying another one.... but it's an Angel! :0)
The New Year brought a few other new things too. Firstly, Clare took the plunge and started her very own Forum: Needlecraft Haven. It's a lovely, friendly place to hang out and chat and there are a few activities to join in too, in case you haven't already got lots of stitching planned: the RR's are already off to a flying start (sorry, couldn't resist. Eheheh); the Just Nan SAL is ongoing; there's a HAED SAL (any HAED piece you are stitching and would like encouragement with - Mother Earth is demanding attention); the Carriage House Samplings SAL starts in February and some of the girls are stitching Shores, whilst others are stitching smaller designs (I'm joining in with Enchanted); there's a Quaker SAL, again you can join in with any Quaker piece you like. There's going to be an Advent Exchange later in the year and then there are the regular features: UFO Night, watched over by Julie and Mr Stick, is there to help us all get those UFO's finished; a Monthly Christmas ornie section (stitch any ornie you like) and the Monthly Challenge SAL... this months stitch is a cute cat freebie by Tralala. I'm stitching this for MIL... but I can't tell you any details until Reveal Day, sorry.
Soooo, at some point I shall be getting back to my JN piece, Flora, as the plan is to give it to Aureen, who runs the Development Circle, once it's finished. As I haven't stitched a larger Quaker style piece and have a couple of suitable designs in my stash, I'll be joining in the Quaker SAL. This piece shouted the loudest:
This was the initial floss toss, with a Thai silk thread, but am not sure about it, so will be trying DMC 820 instead. I'll be stitching it 1 over 1. Once I've completed the Challenge piece will probably be the ideal time to start this little beauty. So that's covered quite a few of my stitching plans for this year, though they're not set in stone and could be changed at some point.... it's allowed, as I'm a woman and it's part of the job description. ;0)
As for the Development Circle - it restarted last Tuesday (11th) and it was so good to be back and see the girls again. There was only one member missing and we've got our fingers crossed that she'll be back soon too. We were all a little rusty but it was a good session anyway and we're looking forward to the next one.
Then my monthly Reiki session was on Saturday (15th) and that was lovely - such a calming session. As DH and DS were out all day I did some shopping then had my dinner afterwards, in the local Fish and Chip restaurant (though I opted for chicken, chips and salad). It's so good to be so much better that I can do this kind of thing now. :0) Though this year has seen me have my first ever Hypnotherapy session - there are a few residual issues from the old agoraphobic/panic attack days that need to be dealt with, along with my wanting help to get back on track with my weight/diet (gone off the rails since my op last year), and I felt this was the best way to go. Eventually I plan on having a Past Life regression done too, something I've been interested in for a while now. It's going to be an interesting journey in the coming months. :0)
Last week was a time of being in charge of the TV remote every single evening too, from Sunday 9th to Saturday 15th - the Panto was on at the Theatre, with Get In and Get Out at either end. DH was Stage Manager and DS was in it. I tell you, the power almost went to my head! LOL It also meant quite a bit of stitchy time too, hence that Seba blackwork piece getting finished fairly speedily. Of course, the fact that they've been doing the Panto means that the pipework job hasn't progressed, despite the slight improvement in the weather, so there's still that open trench down the side of the house. Fingers crossed that something gets done next Sunday... although that depends on how DH is, as he managed to pull a muscle or trap a nerve or something in his back yesterday (Saturday) morning and has had to rest up today. Yesterday I suggested he went to the GP but wasn't holding my breath as far as him actually doing it.... but he surprised me and went this morning. I won't know what the outcome of that was until he comes home tonight - yes, he's gone into work for what he hopes will be an office based day. Fingers crossed it's just something that a little rest and Ibuprofen will sort out... soon, as I've been having to do all the lifting and bending and it's starting to tell on me too.
I am still waaaay behind with blog reading and commenting, thanks to it being so cold in here during the bad weather - even wearing the fingerless mitts didn't help. I will gradually do a catch up in the coming week or so.... but I've now got so far behind with some blogs I may just have to give in and admit defeat and just catch up with the most recent posts. So sorry, but even my nosiness can't cope with over 150+ blog posts from one single blog on top of all the others... especially as I still want time to do other things. LOL
Thank you for all your visits and kind comments. May 2011 bring you all much happiness, good health and plenty of time to stitch. :0)
Our festive season was a little on the quiet side but that's how we prefer it... although it did get exciting one night, when the electric power cut out all over the house. We soon sussed that it wasn't a powercut but was actually caused by the breaker reacting to my switching on the washing machine.... because DS did it again, just to prove it, and all the lights went out again. The washer's element was shot and caused a problem with the earthing, which meant one dead washing machine and a trip to the January sales.... the new one has now been delivered and I've been on laundry catch-up ever since. That washing basket had been full to overflowing, so - as I flatly refused to hand wash their undies and socks because I value my health and sanity and don't love them that much - DH and DS had to pop to the main Tesco just after Christmas to get some emergency supplies. So far I haven't killed off the new machine, or the tumble drier, whilst doing the multitude of washes to catch up with the backlog! LOL
Santa was kind to me again, thanks to my forum friends and family. Here's a slideshow of the lovely handmade Christmas cards received this year:
And, as I like adding these little slideshow doohickys now I've worked out how to do them, here are the lovely goodies received:
Thank you again ladies for your kindness and generosity - hope you all had a lovely festive season and Santa was kind to you too, and that the thank you cards have arrived OK. :0)
We didn't get out and about much over the holidays, thanks to the cold weather and residual problems from all the snow we had, but did manage to get enough of a break in it to go and see MIL on New Years Day. The fluff ball kitten is now a fluff ball adolescent and looks like she'll always be petite. MIL is doing OK and spent her first solo Christmas with various friends, with lots of other invitations she didn't take up... though she did say that having Ally (the fluff ball) has been a real Blessing and says she's helped a great deal. Thank goodness for BIL and his family having the idea to do this. :0) So here's a pic of the little fluff ball:
It was taken with my phone, so not a great pic, but it captures her cuteness. She was so curious about what I was doing, which is why she was there long enough for me to take it.... because she's normally flitting around like a mad thing. LOL BTW, those are MIL's feet in the shot.
So what else have I been doing since my last blog post, apart from killing a washing machine, opening fab gifts and cards plus visiting MIL and admiring the fluff balls cuteness? Well.... I kept myself out of mischief by having a few cardmaking sessions at various times, with these results:
Sorry about some of those scans - my scanner doesn't like the 3-D bits on some of the cards, so makes them look all out of focus. Some of you may just recognise some of the cards too. LOL Yes, three slideshows in one post might seem a bit excessive... but not as excessive as posting every single pic would have been. ;0)
I also found time for a bit of stitching too. Bet you were thinking I'd never get round to that bit, weren't you? LOL Well I delved into my stash and started a kit of a polar bear, or rather its head, another one from the same range as the tiger I finished a little while ago. This is another piece stitched specifically for one of the girls in my Development Circle, as the polar bear is her Power Animal. I'd hoped to get it finished before the New Year started but there was just too much left to do...... so it became my first finish for 2011 instead.
Design: Polar Bear, kit
Designer: Roger W Reinardy, for the Janlynn Wildlife Series
Fabric: swapped the aida for 28ct white evenweave, unknown make
Threads: as supplied in the kit, unknown make
He was lovely to stitch and I'm sure he will be well received - just got to find a suitable frame..... or pluck up courage to make it into a wallhanging, as I have a fabric that would go really well with this.
As soon as that was finished I'd planned to do a fox design for another of the Circle girls... but the Seba Designs SAL blackwork piece that I started a while ago suddenly started to shout really loudly and wouldn't be ignored, so I picked that up instead - I'd almost forgotten just how lovely this was to stitch. Add in the fact that the new Seba 2011 SAL piece has been released.... well, I thought it best to get last years finished first. I put the last stitch in it last night (Sunday 16th January) and here's a bad pic taken in poor light, as the bright days are few and far between at the moment:
That's two finishes in a month! Wow! Keep going at this rate and the bellydancing CD will be worn out LOL. It sure does make a change though, after all those months of missing mojo that made 2010 a poor year for finishes - my album has a grand total of...... three pics in it. *blush*
I will now admit to hitting the January Sales for a little more than a washing machine. Yes, I got a few small stash additions:
I couldn't resist - they were real bargains. LOL Actually, I was quite restrained, considering the price the HAED charts were going for... though, admittedly, I already have plenty of those in my stash. Yes, I know, I should have thought of that before buying another one.... but it's an Angel! :0)
The New Year brought a few other new things too. Firstly, Clare took the plunge and started her very own Forum: Needlecraft Haven. It's a lovely, friendly place to hang out and chat and there are a few activities to join in too, in case you haven't already got lots of stitching planned: the RR's are already off to a flying start (sorry, couldn't resist. Eheheh); the Just Nan SAL is ongoing; there's a HAED SAL (any HAED piece you are stitching and would like encouragement with - Mother Earth is demanding attention); the Carriage House Samplings SAL starts in February and some of the girls are stitching Shores, whilst others are stitching smaller designs (I'm joining in with Enchanted); there's a Quaker SAL, again you can join in with any Quaker piece you like. There's going to be an Advent Exchange later in the year and then there are the regular features: UFO Night, watched over by Julie and Mr Stick, is there to help us all get those UFO's finished; a Monthly Christmas ornie section (stitch any ornie you like) and the Monthly Challenge SAL... this months stitch is a cute cat freebie by Tralala. I'm stitching this for MIL... but I can't tell you any details until Reveal Day, sorry.
Soooo, at some point I shall be getting back to my JN piece, Flora, as the plan is to give it to Aureen, who runs the Development Circle, once it's finished. As I haven't stitched a larger Quaker style piece and have a couple of suitable designs in my stash, I'll be joining in the Quaker SAL. This piece shouted the loudest:
This was the initial floss toss, with a Thai silk thread, but am not sure about it, so will be trying DMC 820 instead. I'll be stitching it 1 over 1. Once I've completed the Challenge piece will probably be the ideal time to start this little beauty. So that's covered quite a few of my stitching plans for this year, though they're not set in stone and could be changed at some point.... it's allowed, as I'm a woman and it's part of the job description. ;0)
As for the Development Circle - it restarted last Tuesday (11th) and it was so good to be back and see the girls again. There was only one member missing and we've got our fingers crossed that she'll be back soon too. We were all a little rusty but it was a good session anyway and we're looking forward to the next one.
Then my monthly Reiki session was on Saturday (15th) and that was lovely - such a calming session. As DH and DS were out all day I did some shopping then had my dinner afterwards, in the local Fish and Chip restaurant (though I opted for chicken, chips and salad). It's so good to be so much better that I can do this kind of thing now. :0) Though this year has seen me have my first ever Hypnotherapy session - there are a few residual issues from the old agoraphobic/panic attack days that need to be dealt with, along with my wanting help to get back on track with my weight/diet (gone off the rails since my op last year), and I felt this was the best way to go. Eventually I plan on having a Past Life regression done too, something I've been interested in for a while now. It's going to be an interesting journey in the coming months. :0)
Last week was a time of being in charge of the TV remote every single evening too, from Sunday 9th to Saturday 15th - the Panto was on at the Theatre, with Get In and Get Out at either end. DH was Stage Manager and DS was in it. I tell you, the power almost went to my head! LOL It also meant quite a bit of stitchy time too, hence that Seba blackwork piece getting finished fairly speedily. Of course, the fact that they've been doing the Panto means that the pipework job hasn't progressed, despite the slight improvement in the weather, so there's still that open trench down the side of the house. Fingers crossed that something gets done next Sunday... although that depends on how DH is, as he managed to pull a muscle or trap a nerve or something in his back yesterday (Saturday) morning and has had to rest up today. Yesterday I suggested he went to the GP but wasn't holding my breath as far as him actually doing it.... but he surprised me and went this morning. I won't know what the outcome of that was until he comes home tonight - yes, he's gone into work for what he hopes will be an office based day. Fingers crossed it's just something that a little rest and Ibuprofen will sort out... soon, as I've been having to do all the lifting and bending and it's starting to tell on me too.
I am still waaaay behind with blog reading and commenting, thanks to it being so cold in here during the bad weather - even wearing the fingerless mitts didn't help. I will gradually do a catch up in the coming week or so.... but I've now got so far behind with some blogs I may just have to give in and admit defeat and just catch up with the most recent posts. So sorry, but even my nosiness can't cope with over 150+ blog posts from one single blog on top of all the others... especially as I still want time to do other things. LOL
Thank you for all your visits and kind comments. May 2011 bring you all much happiness, good health and plenty of time to stitch. :0)
Saturday 25 December 2010
Wednesday 1 December 2010
Being Snowed Under.... Literally
The main topic that's on everyone's minds at the moment here in the UK is the unprecedented early start to the Winter snows we've been having. Now I know there are a lot of folks out there who have probably witnessed much worse but for this neck of the woods it has been exceptional, as we usually have the mildest weather in the country. We'd been having some snow for a few days and things managed to carry on just about as usual..... until yesterday (Tuesday) evening, when things took a turn for the worse. It just didn't stop snowing, then the temperature dropped and the slight thaw during the day time began to freeze..... the main roads just became sheets of ice, including the one outside my house, and there wasn't a gritter or snow plough in sight. So most of the roads became gridlocked at rush hour and the few hills we have round here (Lincolnshire is known for being flat) were gradually being closed by the Police as too dangerous to drive.... people were abandoning their cars and either walking home or finding a nearby friend/relative's house to stay in. A couple of my DS's friends actually dossed down in the theatre bar last night, rather than risk the journey home - very sensible, as the Police had asked the radio stations to tell people to stay indoors, rather than risk travelling. My DS had to leave his car at a friend's house and walk home last night... the Mini is still there now, as the snow is above its bumpers.
It continued to snow for much of the night and this is the sight that met our eyes when we looked out of the bedroom window this morning:
The road out the front was a mix of snow and ice, barely discernible from the pavements. It was obvious that, even if DS had been able to drive home last night, there was no way he could make it into work... he would have had to negotiate one of the hills and drive out through a couple of villages to the wharf. If you think the road in front of our home is bad the villages are even worse, as they are even less of a priority for snow clearance. Then DH realised that there was no way he would be able to get into work either, despite being only a ten minute drive away.... the car needed digging out before he would be able to even try the roads.... and he'd had a couple of hairy moments getting home the previous night.... and now there'd been a whole lot more snow. Phone calls from work colleagues soon let them know that no one else was able to make it in, so common sense prevailed and they both stayed home.
Here's a slideshow of some of the views from various windows in the house. Take note of the depth of snow on the bin lids - I'd cleared them off the previous evening when I'd put some stuff in them, so that is the depth of snow that fell last night.
All three of us have done various bits of snow clearing during the day, so we could negotiate the trip to the bins and the workshop freezer without needing to wear snow shoes or skis and so DH could get his car out in an emergency. Unfortunately my poor baby isn't going to be going anywhere any time soon...like me, she's stuck in for the duration..... and it's been snowing on and off again since this afternoon, so there's about an inch and a half layer already over everything we'd cleared. Goodness knows what we're going to wake up to tomorrow (Thursday) morning!
On the up side: the lack of traffic going past has meant that it's been pleasantly quiet for a week day; I've never seen so many people walking, so it must be good for their Carbon Footprint; most of the folks that are about are surprisingly chatty, which is unusual for round here; we won't go hungry, as the fridge and freezer are well stocked, thanks to last weekends Farmer's Market shopping, and it's been nice having the two chaps around, mucking in whenever an extra pair of hands have been needed.
So what does a body do when the weather outside is abysmal? What else, once the jobs are out of the way, but do online shopping and stitch, of course! LOL I can't tell you about the online shopping because much of it is for Christmas gifts.... I'm just hoping that Santa's substitute - the Postie - can get the goodies here in time for me to get them wrapped and posted out to the recipients, so they get them in time. Guess it serves me right for not getting organised sooner... and this year I don't have the excuse of an ovarian cyst and an op! LOL The Seba SAL is growing nicely. Here's a pic I took of it pre-snow:
Another bad pic that had to be taken in poor light but at least it gives you the general idea. Here's how far it's progressed post-snow:
Yes, I've made a start on the fun bit - the blackwork that's actully in blue. The colours are much nicer irl, honestly. I decided not to complete the large box at the bottom just yet, until I figure out what I want to do: the original has two lines of cross stitch along the bottom, to make the patterns fit, and I'm not too sure if I like it that way, so am trying to decide if I have the confidence (and patience) to do a bit of a redesign on it. The jury is still out on that one. ;0)
So what else, other than the weather and its effects, has been happening here? Not a great lot really. The trench work and drilling is stalled big time... too cold for outside work and DH is trying to reconcile himself to having to buy a bigger drill bit - £40 for one bit of metal seems an awful lot and it's breaking his heart to have to do it. LOL The greenhouse is going to need two new roof panes, as DS caught the plastic shovel right between the overlap and broke them... didn't have the heart to bust his chops about it, as he worked so hard at clearing everywhere. DH has done a hasty covering up job until we can get it sorted properly.
My DSis came back from her cruise earlier in the week. She had a good time, though would opt to go on a smaller ship, should there be a next time - 4,000 people got a bit much. She and her friends were lucky enough not to have too much weather to deal with on the jouney back from Southport, initially, and she drove home from her friend's house in Barnsley before the worst lot started - she's not had her car out since though. The shopping Outlet she works at was closed today due to the snow (though she is still on holiday) but the management are wanting it open tomorrow, when she's supposed to go back to work.... but things aren't looking promising for her being able to get out of her drive, let alone the street. £££££'s seem to be more important than the safety of the retail staff, it seems.
Development Circle was cancelled again this week, this time due to the weather - good call, as we would have struggled to get there, and if we had managed to make it there we probably wouldn't have been able to get home again. I certainly wouldn't have, as Mortal Ash Hill (dual carriageway out to the villages) had been closed by the Police. I've been keeping up with the meditation and practising some of the techniques whenever I can at home but it's not the same as being in Circle.... and I miss the girls. There's no acupuncture this week either - another casualty of the lousy weather, as the acupuncturist lives out in one of the villages and both routes into the town from there have hills that have been closed. She almost had to spend the night in the Clinic Tuesday night - it was only because a Policewoman friend rang to let her know when Mortal Ash Hill had been briefly opened that she made it home. I don't blame her for not wanting to risk the journey or the possibility of having to stay at the Clinic tomorrow (Thursday) night... though she now knows there'd be a bed here for her, if ever she does get stuck, as my house is just a few minutes walk away.
Did I tell you DS had a job interview? I can't remember. It seemed to go much better than the previous ones and DS feels they have reassessed their view of him since.... no news yet, as to whether or not he's made it into the second round, but they are notoriously slow at these things. If he gets the job it would mean some changes, as he'd be working shifts.... but the better wages and opportunities for promotion should make up for that.
Think that's about all. It's freezing in here, so it's time I was away into a warmer room - and the stitching is calling. :0)
Thank you for stopping by and for the kind comments. I hope all those who are getting similar bad weather are staying safe and warm. :0)
It continued to snow for much of the night and this is the sight that met our eyes when we looked out of the bedroom window this morning:
The road out the front was a mix of snow and ice, barely discernible from the pavements. It was obvious that, even if DS had been able to drive home last night, there was no way he could make it into work... he would have had to negotiate one of the hills and drive out through a couple of villages to the wharf. If you think the road in front of our home is bad the villages are even worse, as they are even less of a priority for snow clearance. Then DH realised that there was no way he would be able to get into work either, despite being only a ten minute drive away.... the car needed digging out before he would be able to even try the roads.... and he'd had a couple of hairy moments getting home the previous night.... and now there'd been a whole lot more snow. Phone calls from work colleagues soon let them know that no one else was able to make it in, so common sense prevailed and they both stayed home.
Here's a slideshow of some of the views from various windows in the house. Take note of the depth of snow on the bin lids - I'd cleared them off the previous evening when I'd put some stuff in them, so that is the depth of snow that fell last night.
All three of us have done various bits of snow clearing during the day, so we could negotiate the trip to the bins and the workshop freezer without needing to wear snow shoes or skis and so DH could get his car out in an emergency. Unfortunately my poor baby isn't going to be going anywhere any time soon...like me, she's stuck in for the duration..... and it's been snowing on and off again since this afternoon, so there's about an inch and a half layer already over everything we'd cleared. Goodness knows what we're going to wake up to tomorrow (Thursday) morning!
On the up side: the lack of traffic going past has meant that it's been pleasantly quiet for a week day; I've never seen so many people walking, so it must be good for their Carbon Footprint; most of the folks that are about are surprisingly chatty, which is unusual for round here; we won't go hungry, as the fridge and freezer are well stocked, thanks to last weekends Farmer's Market shopping, and it's been nice having the two chaps around, mucking in whenever an extra pair of hands have been needed.
So what does a body do when the weather outside is abysmal? What else, once the jobs are out of the way, but do online shopping and stitch, of course! LOL I can't tell you about the online shopping because much of it is for Christmas gifts.... I'm just hoping that Santa's substitute - the Postie - can get the goodies here in time for me to get them wrapped and posted out to the recipients, so they get them in time. Guess it serves me right for not getting organised sooner... and this year I don't have the excuse of an ovarian cyst and an op! LOL The Seba SAL is growing nicely. Here's a pic I took of it pre-snow:
Another bad pic that had to be taken in poor light but at least it gives you the general idea. Here's how far it's progressed post-snow:
Yes, I've made a start on the fun bit - the blackwork that's actully in blue. The colours are much nicer irl, honestly. I decided not to complete the large box at the bottom just yet, until I figure out what I want to do: the original has two lines of cross stitch along the bottom, to make the patterns fit, and I'm not too sure if I like it that way, so am trying to decide if I have the confidence (and patience) to do a bit of a redesign on it. The jury is still out on that one. ;0)
So what else, other than the weather and its effects, has been happening here? Not a great lot really. The trench work and drilling is stalled big time... too cold for outside work and DH is trying to reconcile himself to having to buy a bigger drill bit - £40 for one bit of metal seems an awful lot and it's breaking his heart to have to do it. LOL The greenhouse is going to need two new roof panes, as DS caught the plastic shovel right between the overlap and broke them... didn't have the heart to bust his chops about it, as he worked so hard at clearing everywhere. DH has done a hasty covering up job until we can get it sorted properly.
My DSis came back from her cruise earlier in the week. She had a good time, though would opt to go on a smaller ship, should there be a next time - 4,000 people got a bit much. She and her friends were lucky enough not to have too much weather to deal with on the jouney back from Southport, initially, and she drove home from her friend's house in Barnsley before the worst lot started - she's not had her car out since though. The shopping Outlet she works at was closed today due to the snow (though she is still on holiday) but the management are wanting it open tomorrow, when she's supposed to go back to work.... but things aren't looking promising for her being able to get out of her drive, let alone the street. £££££'s seem to be more important than the safety of the retail staff, it seems.
Development Circle was cancelled again this week, this time due to the weather - good call, as we would have struggled to get there, and if we had managed to make it there we probably wouldn't have been able to get home again. I certainly wouldn't have, as Mortal Ash Hill (dual carriageway out to the villages) had been closed by the Police. I've been keeping up with the meditation and practising some of the techniques whenever I can at home but it's not the same as being in Circle.... and I miss the girls. There's no acupuncture this week either - another casualty of the lousy weather, as the acupuncturist lives out in one of the villages and both routes into the town from there have hills that have been closed. She almost had to spend the night in the Clinic Tuesday night - it was only because a Policewoman friend rang to let her know when Mortal Ash Hill had been briefly opened that she made it home. I don't blame her for not wanting to risk the journey or the possibility of having to stay at the Clinic tomorrow (Thursday) night... though she now knows there'd be a bed here for her, if ever she does get stuck, as my house is just a few minutes walk away.
Did I tell you DS had a job interview? I can't remember. It seemed to go much better than the previous ones and DS feels they have reassessed their view of him since.... no news yet, as to whether or not he's made it into the second round, but they are notoriously slow at these things. If he gets the job it would mean some changes, as he'd be working shifts.... but the better wages and opportunities for promotion should make up for that.
Think that's about all. It's freezing in here, so it's time I was away into a warmer room - and the stitching is calling. :0)
Thank you for stopping by and for the kind comments. I hope all those who are getting similar bad weather are staying safe and warm. :0)
Monday 22 November 2010
Pumpkins, Blackwork, Digging, Chat and Another SAL
It's well past time I put in an appearance on this poor blog... it does seem to get put to the back of the queue on the list of things to do these days and I have no idea why. So, what have I been up to this time? Well, believe it or not, a second Happy Dance has followed hot on the heels of the Tiger - I guess that goes to prove that the sttichy mojo is definitely back from it's holidays and here to stay. Yay! It did help that the piece I picked out was an absolute joy to stitch..... and here it is, in all it's unpressed glory:
Design: A Spot of Halloween
Designer: Midnight Stitching
Fabric: Sparklies 28ct evenweave, Pumpkin Patch
Threads: DMC B5200 & 310
Apologies for the slightly blurry pic - the weather here has been dull and dismal much of the time and the digicam isn't that good.... and neither are my photography skills, to be honest. LOL This one was the best of the lot I took. It didn't get finished for Samhain (Halloween) this year...... but I am well organised for the next one..... providing I can decide how to finish this up before then. I'd like to finish it as a wall hanging but my sewing skills aren't up for it - the darned sewing machine will insist on galloping off and doing it's own thing, no matter what I do. I shall get to the other side of Yule (Christmas) and into January and go find out what sewing courses, if any, are available via the Adult Education classes or the local Colleges - it's way past time I tamed that darned machine and cured my terror of it, once and for all. School sewing classes have got an awful lot to answer for!
As soon as I got Spot of finished I picked a new WIP progress out of the To Stitch pile.... sorry Julie and Mr Stick, those UFO's are just not grabbing me at the moment and not even Wanda brandishing her broom at me has worked - though I have got rather good at ducking and diving! LOL I bet you're all wondering what the new WIP is, aren't you? I did wonder about leaving that until the next post - then remembered that poor Tina (no blog) has been itching to see what it is and I've been tormenting her for long enough now. So here's the first update pic:
Design: Blackwork Mystery SAL
Designer: Seba Designs
Fabric: 28ct evenweave, Vintage Blue
Threads: Thai Variegated Silk (so far)
It's another really naff pic too, due to the same reasons as above. :0( The fabric is actually a lovely pale blue, in a Vintage style, and the silk thread is graded from a lovely deep blue to a pale blue. Strictly speaking, the Mystery and SAL are no longer relevant, as the SAL finished long since and it's no longer a Mystery as I have all the parts... but I won't go splitting hairs. ;0) It has grown a bit more since this and would have grown even more if that darned frog hadn't come a visiting. What was so annoying about it was that I was just half a stitch too low. Yes - not even a whole one, just half a bloomin' stitch! So it got frogged, then restitched in the right place, with the satisfaction of adding a couple of extra stitches, just so it seemed like some progress had been made overall. Sheesh.... when I think that without that mistake I could have had two squares stitched, not just one, I could spit like a camel. Well, I did have the hump big time afterwards.... does that count?
Now let me cast my mind back and see if I can remember what else has been happening since my last post. Eeerrrrmmmm..... well, I've had a few sleeps since then, so it's a bit of a struggle. The poor wee brain cell is on overdrive, trying to keep up with the regular stuff, and this might be a step too far. LOL
DH and I attended the Mind, Body and Spirit event at the Lincolnshire Showground on Sunday 7th and had a great day. I attended three of the workshop/talks: Past Lives; Meditation with Instruments and Healing with Crystals - DH came to the second and third ones with me. They were all very interesting. We also had a little retail therapy, though not as much as previous times, and I also underwent a Crystal Healing session, from one of the stalls..... now that was a great experience and further proved (not that any was needed) that I have an affinity with crystals and need to develop this further. It also helped me to go straight to a crystal stall and pick out a new Pendulum, for use in Dowsing specifically for health related matters. This event was the last one in this area for this year.
Oh, I know what else: the chaps decided that, with the help of one of DS's mates, they would lay the new waterpipe. You know how these things go with the male of the species..... they get a professional in to give them a price; they then see a large amount of £££'s on a quote and go: "You what? How much? I can get it done cheaper than that"; then they start the job, all enthusiastic..... and very soon realise that, actually, it's a hell of a lot more work than they'd realised and it's going to take them longer than they thought and, then they go: aaahh crap - wish we'd paid somebody to come and do this.
Seem familiar? Yup, that's about what happened here.
Getting the slabs up was relatively easy.... it was the bloody horrible clay stuff they had to dig out that was the problem, especially as it all had to be done by hand because we weren't 100% sure where or how deep the existing water and gas pipes were. Here's the front all dug up (one days work) with the sand layer in and the new pipe loosely laid (the second day):
Now the side of the house, behind the wooden gates, is a whole different story. That had to be left in this state:
That bit is from the side gates and almost to the back door and the next pic is from the back door to the back end of the house (the wooden board is so I can come out to put stuff in the recycling boxes without falling into the hole):
Saturday (20th) I thought I'd show willing and I shovelled and ferried two half barrows of sand round from next door (can't lift a full barrow of wet sand) and then shovelled a layer into the bottom of the trench, from just after the carport upright up to the back door and tamped it all down - it's now ready for the chaps to lay the pipe, stick a sand layer on top and backfill, whenever the mood takes them. After that I was mildly cream crackered. ;0)
DH spent much of the first weekend taking apart a kitchen cupboard, to access the outside wall, and drilling through, for the new pipe to come in.
That bit I don't mind..... it means the kitchen refurb has just been bumped higher up the Must Do list. Yay! LOL I spent most of that weekend making cuppas and a combination of bacon/egg/sausage butties - the fuel that keeps the British Workman going. The only bit about that was that I couldn't eat any of it, due to the food intolerances/special diet - bum!
This weekend, as if there hadn't already been enough destruction, DH had to dismantle some of the downstairs toilet and uncover the wall, so he could drill through for the new pipe to come in there too (it has a separate pipe system to the rest of the house, as it's in an extension). This is what it looks like at the moment:
Yup, it's definitely out of commision for the foreseeable future - we're all getting a little extra exercise going up and down the stairs, to use the updstairs loo. LOL The little white "lump" in the right hand corner of the pic is a piece of kitchen roll blocking the hole to the outside. The outside bit now looks like this:
Thankfully we have a pile of bricks at the bottom of the garden, some of which can be used to repair the bashed out area there, plus the matching bashed in bit to the kitchen. We have no idea what that random bit of brickwork is to the right of the trench: the proper manhole and sewerage pipe is further over, running straight between the houses and out to the main sewer under the road - that bit is totally out of alignment with our house and the neighbours house. All we can think of is that the builders got that bit wrong and decided it was too much hassle to rave it all out again, so just left it in situ. You find some weird bits and pieces when you start dismantling or digging bits up in and around this house. LOL Fingers crossed (and everything else!) that this job gets finished before Christmas because the level of muddy footprints that are getting traipsed through my house is now starting to give me a decided twitch.
Development Circle is going OK, though there wasn't a session last week as Aureen was undergoing some hospital tests for a couple of ongoing health isues she has. Lots of healing vibes have been going her way. My acupuncturist is currently on holiday, so I booked myself in for a couple of Reflexology sessions - those have been very interesting, not just for the healing but also for the chat with the practitioner, B. She is undergoing training in Hypnotherapy... so I've requested that she lets me know when her training is complete, as I would like her help with a couple of things: to get me back on track with my diet, as that's gone to pieces since my op; help with learning some self-treating techniques, to help me tackle the last couple of post-agoraphobia/panic attack things that still give me a little anxiety and to aid meditation; wanting to remember a couple of childhood incidents that could have a bearing on issues I have now and, the main thing, to undergo a Past Life Regression. B should receive her certificates in January and will be able to give Hypnotherapy treatments from then, so 2011 looks set to be an even more interesting year than this one. :0)
Oooo, I nearly forgot: the lovely Tina (no blog) will be running a Shores of Hawk Run Hollow SAL over at the Stitch & Stash Forum but it's not just for stitching Shores - folks can join in with any Carriage House Samplings piece. So I went rummaging in my stash and found three CHS charts lurking in there and this one shouted the loudest:
Enchanted... and, as you can see, I've already got the fabric chosen and done a floss toss. I've been extra good, as everything is from stash. I think the SAL starts in January 2011 (best check, hadn't I? LOL), so it'll be a nice way to start off the New Year and, hopefully, I'll manage to keep up this time... unlike with the Just Nan SAL (sssshhh, don't let Mr Stick know! LOL).
Oh, and before I forget again: someone asked about the new header pic. It's a view of the Langdale Pikes, as taken from the path between Skelwith Bridge and Elterwater, in the Lake District. It's one of the pics I took when DH and I did the walk on our summer holiday this year. :0)
Thank you for taking the time to visit... and especially for the lovely comments you leave. Welcome to newbies to my blog too.. please say Hi. Have a good week folks. :0)
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