The day after the night before

Last night I had a really enjoyable evening - a good meal, in a lovely pub with good company.  The evening started with a glass of bubbly to celebrate the birthday girl's birthday house sale and ended with a respectable, although non wining, quiz score.

So, the real question is, after one glass of bubbly, a glass of lemonade and a glass of tap water, why have I felt so lethargic today?  I didn't wake up until gone 8, mooched around and then did some church book keeping / admin before taking the dogs out up at the beach - so nothing too strenuous.  I can only think that it's my hectic social life!!!!!!!  This doesn't bode well for next week when Tuesday night sees me out at my sewing class, Wednesday I am travelling over to Sheffield to watch the Strictly Live Tour, Friday is a meal out at the pub again wit the book club and Saturday sees me travelling, with Wendy, to Nottingham to watch Donny Osmond.  Ooh eck - it's going to be a busy week!

Tonight I am continuing to work on the last block for the "A Quilter Lives Here" quilt.  I have only got until the end of January to finish this (self imposed deadline) so really need to get a move on - just 10 days to go and counting!!!

Another day, another meal out!

So - last night the WI went out for a meal - and what an enjoyable meal it was.  We were served by someone that I knew I recognised but couldn't place - until I learnt her name today!  It was an ex student - but she looked mid 30's or older - oops!  How old do I feel?




This morning I was up early and hit Tesco's before going on to the car wash.  That was a waste of time really - by the time I took the dogs out this afternoon it was dirty again! 











Yesterday Happymum posed the question - apart from carrots and courgette, what else could be spiralised?  Well I bought this butternut squash " spaghetti" today - oh and this butternut squash "pasta" - what ever next?  I have even bought some cauliflower rice to make a mushroom "risotto" with.  I know that I can make my own but they were on offer so I thought that I would try them first.



Then it was onto the hairdressers before returning to the garden centre to buy myself a second daffodil bird feeder (well they do look nice), some seeds and some pots & soil to plant them in.  I have watched the video telling me how to construct the "vegtrug" and how to plant it all out.  Now I just need to be patient and wait for the weather to warm up a little.


Mind you I can't complain - when I took the dogs out the sun was shining brightly.  It was a lovely walk and made all the better for the radio show I was listening to Kris Akabusi who was truly inspirational as he talked about his childhood, the abuse he received and how he has dealt with it as an adult - check it out on iplayer (one hour in).  Millie and Daisy were also exceptionally well behaved (not something I can usually say about them!).  We spotted someone and his dog in the distance and a digger appearing to be coming towards us.  I called them and both dogs came straight back and stayed with me, waiting to be told that we could get going again.  I was gobsmacked!




When we got home, it was feet up, a cup of coffee and a catch up on the tv from last night.  Daisy appeared to be watching tv but then Millie gave up and curled up on the footstool in the sun - something that she has never ever done before in her 10 years of life!




Tonight, as the title suggests , I am out again - this time at our local pub.  It's a friend's birthday today so we are going out to celebrate - and try our luck at the quiz.  Let's hope that it goes better than usual!

Catching up with old friends

Let's start with last night and my spiraliser.  I will confess to thinking this could be another "hard to use, difficult gadget" that would be consigned to the back of a cupboard.  How wrong could I be.  One courgette later and I had more than enough "spaghetti" to make a carbonara for tea.  This is definitely something that will be used again and again - what's more it was the cheapest version - result!

Today I ventured out to the nurse for my leg ( I think another couple of visits might just do it!) and then spent some time in the craft room trying desperately to bring some order to the chaos - failed, obviously!  Just as the kettle had boiled, and I had taken some hand sewing into the lounge for a rest, an old friend popped by.  We used to work together and has just left work on Friday.  This freedom is still quite new to her but she seems to be adapting well.  As we talked, she began to talk about seeing her family, going to some sewing workshops etc, and I think the penny was dropping.  Doing what you want, when you want is very appealing when all you have known is a regimented life!

Tonight is the WI supper club.  Every other month we go out for a meal and, this month, we are going to a local pub.  At the time of choosing we obviously didn't know what the weather would be like and so wanted to make the driving easier and safer. 

Another green offering

The weather here is gloomy so it's been a day of housework, ironing  and sorting.  On the ground that I don't imagine for one minute that you want endless photos of dusters and hoovers, I thought I would do a craft round up.  Sometimes all those few minutes spent during the day or in the evening can mount up and I can forget to report progress. 






First up was Terry's block.  You may recall that I had to redo it when the embroidery floss melted.  Well - here is version 2. 








Whilst the embroidery threads were out I set to and completed a splendid Sampler block, published just before Christmas.







Talking about the blocks, I have started to add the sashing and might even be tempted to sew my first row soon!









I also made some home made soup in my soup maker - Kale soup.  Kale is a vegetable that I have only recently discovered and, whilst this soup looks more like a sludge, it was a very tasty soup indeed - albeit I didn't have any celery!




After being almost physically sick listening to Vanessa Feltz today talking about dog fighting (it's disgusting - please don't torture yourself listening to it on iplayer - dog fighting that is, not Vanessa Feltz!), I also went online to check my pension forecast.  It was a very easy process to do, and you can do your own through this link, but I didn't particularly understand the answer.  If £X is the maximum then that was my forecast in big letters in a big green box.  Well, I figured, that makes sense, I have worked for 33 years plus a couple of years earning smaller amounts when at college doing holiday work.  But then the screen went on in smaller letters to suggest that the amount may be £30 less per week unless I want to spend the next 8 years making NI contributions.  I think that's a no then!  However the smaller figure was around what I had originally anticipated so that would be okay - just a tad confusing!  In any case - I am not due to receive it until 4th December 2026 so anything could happen before then!

Tonight I am going to gird my loins and try out the spiraliser - wish me luck!  Photographic evidence to follow!

Dancing on air!

Today, being a Tuesday, you might imagine that we would be off to the usual Senior Screen but, truthfully, there was nothing on offer that we fancied.  Instead I really wanted to see La La Land so Jean and I set off for the 12:20 screening.  Of course, being over lunch, we just had to stop off for a meal break - coffee and a scone in actual fact.





The restaurant was in a garden centre and, with my veg trug yet to be assembled, we spent time looking at veg seeds (carrots, kale, broccoli, courgettes, swiss chard etc) and bought a bag of seed potatoes toshare between us.  I also spotted a trolley of cast iron daffodils that had been priced but not put out yet (they had only come in yesterday).  Back in November I bought a poppy one (they are actually bird feeders and a donation goes to charity but I think that they add permanent colour to the garden) and so thought that a daffodil would add to the collection.  Now in place I am very tempted to get a second one - I love yellow flowers anyway and have put them in an area that doesn't get much sun or water.







Mind you, it's only January but my pots of daffodils and spring bulbs are already showing through!







So - onto the film.  Is it worth the hype.  Yes, Yes, Yes - I loved it!  As the opening number finished I wanted to give it a round of applause.  It's a real old fashioned musical with nods to classics like "Singing In The Rain" and deserves all the plaudits that it is getting.  The lead actor, Ryan Gosling, is such a good piano player that I would have thought that they had used a stand in - had I not listened to an interview with Graham Norton where it appears that its all his own work.

Back home, and more mundane matters, it was time to "plant" the feeders, deal with two dogs who seem to think that they should have a chew every time I come home as their treat for being abandoned and some preparation for an evening of sewing (what else?). Pictures to follow tomorrow - honest!

It feels like christmas all over again

Wow - that was a shock!  The alarm went off at 6:30am - I can dimly recall such a time when I worked but REALLY?  The cause was an early (well 8:45am) appointment at the doctors for my leg, followed by the craft group but it was still a shock to the system!

At the craft group we had planned to finish the mug rug started last week but getting to grips with free machine quilting took its toll and no one has finished.  I got the furthest and just have to over sew the binding.

When I got home the dogs had a lovely surprise for me - one large box of eggs all smashed on the floor!!!  Aren't they just the cutest dogs ever to think of me?  They even allowed themselves to be shut away whilst I mopped the floor - how considerate!  Suffice to say -I wasn't pleased!



However, moments later thankfully - the postman appeared with some goodies!!  First there was a replacement jigsaw - you may recall that I finished this jigsaw with three pieces missing.








Then an envelope from M & S revealed a £10 voucher to use towards sleepwear and slippers.






Then my order of ink for my printer arrived - I have been waiting for this.







Closely followed by some half price Gutterman threads from Hobbycraft.  I was having a ball!










I am feeling better today so braved the inclement weather to walk the dogs at the beach.  To say that it was wet and raw would be an understatement!  So, it was home to heating on, feet up and relaxation!  Ooh - what's that I hear - no surprise there then!!

Going stir crazy

I must be feeling better - it will be good to get out of the house tomorrow!

Confined to barracks, and enjoying the novelty of washing up (that wont last), I pottered around the kitchen before settling down to listen to The Archers whilst doing some sewing.  Project one was a Christmas present (or rather the preparation for a present) whilst project 2 was some applique and marking up for a splendid sampler block. 

Project 3 was the embroidery needed to complete the front of last week's mug rug.  Tomorrow, at the Textile Group, we are planning on doing some free motion quilting and so I wanted to get the front sorted and the backing / wadding cut to size.





Next up was to clear out the fire place and lay the fire.  I don't know about you but its rather cold and damp here and so an afternoon in front of the fire was the order of the day - well, all of that hand sewing needs to be done now doesn't it?  After some intermittent power breaks, I settled down to watch Bobby 66 on Amazon - a documentary film about Bobby Moore.  I can really recommend it - although you will need tissues at the end!




Talking about hand sewing - I set to last night and have made good progress on Terry's block - for the second time grrr!  Still, it would have annoyed me to leave it with that thread damage so I feel better for making the effort.  Sometimes it's just better to take a deep breath and right the wrong!  Now - that's not a bad metaphor for life now is it?