It Had To Be Done!!!

I'm a bit late posting today as DD and I have just got back from the big town.
We had to go as there was a growing list of things needed from there. 
Thankfully it was fairly quiet when we arrived at about 10am but heaving by the time we left at around 2pm.
Everything was ticked off the written list but I forgot the pan scrubbers which were on my mental list. I really should accept that I need to write everything down.

There was a little bit of money in my crafting fund so I have treated myself to a couple of sewing books, a cookery book and a book on needle felting which is something I want to try this coming year.
I also picked up some small click and lock boxes from Poundland for organising some of my small sewing stuff.

Whenever I go to the big town I always come back feeling absolutely filthy so after tea I think a shower, a change into some jim jams and a night of film watching.
We don't do going out on New Year's Eve. It's always seen in at home with a drink and Andy always buys a pack of rockets to let off so we'll slip into 2017 with a bang.

Goodbye 2016 and good riddance.
I wish you all a very happy, peaceful and healthy New Year.
Love Sheila-x-

I've Got It Covered.......!!!

.......the dining table that is.
Pom Pom trim, embroidery threads, lace....you name it and it is on my dining table being sorted and stored as logically as space allows.
The charity shop bag is filling up nicely and my mind is being decluttered as well as the sewing stuff. 
There is hope that my mojo will return sometime soon. I love it.

Andy is also on a decluttering mission on the small piece of land at the back of the house. 
A part restored trailer has gone to a new home and other stuff is being shifted to make way for a greenhouse for DD. 
We are on the lookout for a secondhand one which you quite often see in the local paper.

With all of this busyness going on we will have a simple tea tonight of chicken and salad followed by a homemade Orange and White Chocolate Chip cookie.....which I am just about to make.

So all is well at Tea Towel Mansion today....well apart from the fact that it is absolutely freezing here today. It was white all over this morning and the fog hasn't shifted all day.
I've just lit the fire so we'll warm up soon.

Hope you are all having a good day.
Sheila-x-

 

Not Much To See Here!!!

Well the sun stayed for a little while and burnt away the mist but now she has gone back to bed and it's all rolling in again.
I don't think it's as cold as yesterday but it's still cold enough that I think we'll light the fire when Andy gets back from having his blood test.

The dining room is now completely clear of festive stuff so I will be working on bringing back my sewing things.....sorting as I go to see if there is anything that can go to the charity shop along with the pile of books I sorted out for them.
Once everything is back and tidy I am hoping to get back into the sewing that I have not been in the right frame of mind to do for so long.

Poor old DD is out in this cold for the day so I am thinking that a nice curry will be just the job to warm her up when she comes in tonight. I don't know what I will have as although I love the smell of curry cooking...I just can't eat it.

A couple of foodie things we tried over the holidays that will definitely be added to the list of things to have again......

Jamie Oliver's Spicy Parsnip Soup
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/spicy-parsnip-soup/
Absolutely gorgeous. Everyone loved it including Marlowe.

The Rich Winter Berry and Rum ham....beautiful. Really tasty and moist.
I thought cooking it in apple and blackcurrant juice would make it taste sour but it didn't.
Sorry I can't find the recipe on the A**a website but if anyone ever wants it I have kept the little book it was in so can easily put it on here for you.

......and my new favourite Christmas leftover thing....half of a small crusty baguette filled with thinly sliced turkey, bread sauce, cranberry sauce and squished cold garlic roasted brussels. Oh my word 😋😋😋

Right I am off.
Thanks for dropping by today.
Sheila-x-

 

Deconstructing Christmas!!!

Hello on this very misty and frosty morning. 
My most favourite kind of frosty morning when everything is covered in white without there actually being any snow. It looks gorgeous.

Lots of jobs to be done inside today including........

........the wrapping and putting to bed of the dresser decorations.
They look quite sad now that they have been taken off and the dresser is very bare......a blank canvas for a new display which there will have to be to stop Andy covering it in random c**p.

Laundry.....there is always laundry to be done in this house.
Hoovering......Andy has been at the nuts again and there are bits of shell all over the floor as he never quite manages to hit the bin.
Dusting away.....fake snow and coal dust and wiping away the soot from what must have been the smokiest candle I have ever burnt.....not impressed Yankee Candle Company.

After the mania that is Christmas it is good to get back into the swing of the everyday, mundane tasks. I find it rather soothing and relaxing to be pottering about and cooking simple meals again.
Tomorrow I will bake and use up the ingredients I bought for the Ruby baking session which didn't happen and I'll have a sort out in the fridge for leftover veg for a pan of soup.
Goodbye Christmas 2016.

A new calendar and diary are waiting for the new year to arrive and hopefully they will get filled with nicer things this year than hospital and doctor appointments although Andy does have both in the first half of January.

Right....one load of laundry ready to go in the dryer and six more loads awaiting washing.

Hope you are all enjoying getting back to normal.
Sheila-x-

A Little Bit Of Peace!!!

Just for an hour or so I have the house to myself and it is bliss.
All I can hear is the oven fan whirring around starting off the joint of beef that is in there cooking.
Andy has gone out to get some more parsnips and potatoes and DD has gone out to spend the vouchers she has from work at Christmas.
She uses them to buy her toiletries for the next six months which is very useful.

I am going to have a lovely fruity few months as I use some of the toiletries I got for Christmas.....Orange and Neroli bathroom goodies and Cranberry and Pomegranate handwash and lotion. There will also be lots of dancing around the kitchen to my new First Aid Kit cd's and probably an inch or two going on my hips as I eat the gorgeous chocolate chip shortbread biscuits made by Ruby and Mummy that were in the beautiful new biscuit tin they gave me.
For the first time in about twenty five years I have had no crafting gifts as there was nothing I really wanted to be honest and that did make me a little sad as crafts have been such a huge part of my life for so long.

After the year Andy has had I wanted something special for him to look forward to so he has had an experience day where he gets to drive an Aston Martin and then be a passenger in a high speed drive in an Atom. He loves it and can't wait to book his day for when the weather is nice enough for us to make a day of it and take a picnic out.
DS and DDIL got him a book printed called The Book Of Andrew full of facts and funny things about him.....it's brilliant.

DD is all about gardening, books and dvd's so she got garden centre and Amazon gift cards and a gardeners handcare set in a beautiful red watering can plus the most brilliant pack of socks from her friends. Every sock is different so I don't have to bother about matching them up when they are laundered....fantastic.

Some of the decorations will be coming down today....probably everything but the tree which stays up until DD's birthday on January 3rd.
The dining room needs to be put back as it was so that will get done today too. I am so ready to get back to normal.

Do you take your decorations down as soon as Christmas is over or do you keep them up until Twelfth Night?

Rightio.....I shall go and get on with this dinner prep.

Thanks for dropping by today.
Sheila-x-

 

Love And Laughter!!!

There really is nothing better than sharing Christmas Day with the people you love and yesterday was very, very special as we got to share in Marlowe's first Christmas Day. She looked so cute in her snowman dress with snowflake tights and I don't think our house has ever heard so much laughter as it did when she unwrapped her little baby mirror and kept kissing herself. That was just absolutely priceless.
Ruby arrived in a very glamorous outfit of a net skirt with tights and silver sparkly shoes which looked even better when she wore her pink beehive wig that was top of her wish list.
After lunch we all....males included.....had to visit Ruby's Salon to have our make up done. She had asked for make up so that she could be like Mummy and we obliged and added her own vanity case and set of brushes. She was over the moon.

Dinner was rather later than it should have been. The oven was stuffed to the gills and struggled to cope but we got there eventually.
I am giving it a well earned rest today and we will just have cold meats and cheeses with pickles, salad and freshly baked baguettes.....and we will be complete slobs and eat in front of the telly while we watch some Mr Whicher dvd's that we got for Andy.

I hope you all had as lovely a day as we did.
Sheila-x-

Boppin' While We're Choppin'!!!

As long as DD isn't working.......Christmas Eve is my most favourite day of the holiday as we spend the whole day together preparing everything we need for Christmas day.
The Christmas music is cranked up and we already have all the veg ready, pastry for mince pies is resting in the fridge and there is pan of Jamie Oliver's parsnip soup simmering on the hob and smelling so good that we'll be lucky if it makes it to tomorrow...lol.

I'm not sure if I'll have time to blog tomorrow so here.....for all of you lovely people who visit my blog is a card........

 
 Wishing you all a joyful and magical Christmas with my love.
🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

 Sheila

-x-

A Mrs Tea Towel Christmas Eve Tradition!!!

More than twenty years ago I started the tradition of us having a home cooked ham on Christmas Eve. We have it with salad and chips and we all look forward to it immensely.
Over the years I have done everything from mustard to marmalade hams but this year we are having a change and today I will be making this.........

Mine won't have cost me £1.58 a portion though as it was bought with my T***o vouchers.
The recipe is in the little Christmas book from A**a.

It is wickedly cold here this morning with a spiteful wind blowing. The sky is a horrible sickly grey so I don't know what that is going to throw at us I'm sure.....hoping for a little snow but it will more than likely be rain.

Andy has been into the little town early this morning to fetch his pork pie. He has to have one from Birds and if you don't get there early you don't get one. He says it was really busy in town so I am very glad that I will not be going in again now until after Christmas.

I have a good mixture of jobs to be getting on with while the ham is cooking......finishing off the laundry, clearing all my sewing stuff out of the dining room as the cabinets will have to be wheeled out into the kitchen to make room for seven of us around the table on Christmas Day and there is a small basket of ironing to get done out of the way.
The Christmas music will be going on.....for as long as I can stand it and I may see if I can persuade Andy to light the fire.

Hope you all have a cosy Christmas Friday.
Sheila-x-

For Mamas Mercantile-Bread Sauce Recipe!!!

One litre of milk in a microwavable jug with two small onions cut in half, two bay leaves, a good scattering of whole cloves and a good pinch of either whole black peppercorns or coarse black pepper.
Heat in the microwave on full power until just coming to the boil.
Remove, cover and leave to one side for a few minutes for the flavours to develop and then strain to remove the onion, bayleaves, cloves and pepper.

Place a good heap of white breadcrumbs into a saucepan. I use up all the ones I have in the freezer and then have some unfrozen spare in case needed.
Slowly add the milk until the bread has taken all it can....I freeze any leftover for use in another batch when needed.
Over a medium heat stir until nice and thick then add a knob of butter a pinch of ground cloves and a pinch of nutmeg and beat thoroughly.
We like ours quite clovey so I just add a pinch at a time of both cloves and nutmeg until it tastes right.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For a richer flavour I sometimes whizz two halves of the partly cooked onion and add it to the sauce.

This can be used straightaway or frozen for future use.
If freezing defrost and reheat thoroughly before serving.

Hope you try it and find it ok. I've been making this for over thirty years and not had a complaint yet 😊

 

Sweet Christmas!!!

Orange Creams with milk chocolate and Peppermint Creams with white chocolate.

Ruby had a dodgy tummy yesterday so I thought it best for her not be touching food other people would be eating so I finished of the sweets myself.
They are disgustingly sickly and the one of each I had to try will be all I will be having.
Very amateur looking but Ruby thought they were 'WOW' bless her.

I am off out for a while now into the madness that is town and hopefully everything Christmas will be sorted by the time I get home.
I did take advantage of being not far from T***o last night when we dropped Ruby off and went and fetched all the veg except potatoes and I just need to pick up some garlic and ginger for the soup I am making as a starter for Christmas Day.

Hope you all have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

I'm On Fire!!!

Morning all.

Last night I decided to do another simple meal so we had bacon and egg with some tomatoes and crusty bread.
So there I was grilling the bacon. I pulled the pan out to check on it and the next thing I knew my hair and one of my eyebrows was badly singed as a huge sheet of flame came with it. Just what you want for Christmas.....a lopsided hair do and half your eyebrow missing. I'm just glad I hadn't bent down with my face near the grill else it could have been a lot worse.
That has never happened to me before. Andy thought it was funny.....he treads on dangerous ground.....lol.

Ruby's baking day has turned into a cuddle kind of day as she is not very well this morning. She will still be coming but we will just snuggle up on the sofa, watch some Christmas films and maybe drink some hot chocolate if she feels like it. It's very grey and damp here so just the perfect day for snuggling.
We'll have the house to ourselves for a while as Andy is off out to see his brother and deliver gifts. The fire will be lit and the tree lights and candles will be on. I just hope I don't catch whatever Ruby has.

Can anyone tell me how I get the thing where you can click to reply to individual comments on posts?
I don't have it and would love to be able to reply directly to a comment rather than have to write them all in one.
Is it a certain template you all use?
I've been meaning to ask about this for a while and keep forgetting.

Right I will go and light the fire before me gorgeous girl gets here.
Hope you all have a great day.
Sheila-x-

Precious!!!

Handmade Christmas cards from the Doodle Family.
Ruby's hand and Marlowe's teeny tiny foot turned into reindeer.
I think they are absolutely precious.

Today I will be working in my sparkling kitchen making peppermint creams for Ruby to dip in chocolate and decorate tomorrow. I may also make a couple of batches of the cookies and just have her decorate them as I am not sure she will have the patience for everything I have planned. I'll leave the ginger cookies for us to make together and then she can have the fun of using all the Christmas cutters to make her shapes.

Andy has to go out to a funeral this afternoon. He won't be out that long but it will be the longest he has been out on his own since coming out of hospital. I daresay I will worry until he's home again but I am going to really enjoy having the house to myself for a short while. That sounds awfully selfish but I do like my own company sometimes and it has been in very short supply over the last couple of months.

Horrible happenings in the world again yesterday.
Whatever cause or religion these acts are carried out for they leave behind shattered families who should be celebrating Christmas which will never be the same for them again.
My thoughts today are with those families.

Thank you for your visit today.
Sheila-x-

 

Big Job Day!!!

Today I will be arming meself with orange and vinegar spray, bicarb and me trusty Marigolds and cleaning the cooker...oh joy...lol.
While the spray and bicarb are working their magic in the oven I will clean all the kitchen cupboard doors and the outside of the cooker.
At the end of today I should have a Christmas ready kitchen and Ruby and I can enjoy our cookie baking day on Wednesday in a lovely clean and sparkling kitchen.

Where the energy is going to come from....gawd only knows. I was just managing to drift off to sleep at 3:15am when some moron screeched into our road and sat revving his car engine for about 15 minutes. Then the people in the car got out and proceeded to talk very loudly out on the street for about forty five minutes before he started revving his engine again and then screeched off at about 4:30am. I eventually managed to get to sleep at about 5am so am feeling a little zombie-ish this morning.
At one time I would have gone out and tackled them about it but these days you just don't know what you might face if you do so I'll just have to hope that they get a lump of coal in their stocking at Christmas.

Andy is back from delivering cards so I am just going to have bit of breakfast with a good strong coffee to wash it down before I start on the cleaning.

Have a fabulous day.
Sheila-x- 

So Spoiled!!!

Sunday morning and I am not rushing around in the kitchen rustling up the lunch.
Andy wanted a roast dinner and said he would cook it and I didn't complain...lol.
He makes a fabulous Sunday roast so while he is doing that I am doing.........nothing......and it feels rather good.

After lunch I will finally write the cards and Ruby has fetched one of the hems down on her trousers so that needs mending. After that I am going to make my list of what I need to do this week and what veg and stuff I need when I venture out on Thursday and that will be Christmas 2016 done and dusted.

How are you doing with your preparations?

Thanks for stopping by today.
Sheila-x-

It's Creeping Ever Closer!!!

Well this time next week Christmas will be upon us and I for one will be very glad.......only because I am so excited to see Ruby's face when she opens her presents here on Christmas afternoon.
For the first time she wrote a very specific but modest wish list and I think as a family we have managed to fulfil pretty much most of her wishes so I think she will be a very happy little girl.

I was a very proud Ganma at the assembly yesterday as Ruby got two awards for reading and homework. She got to finish school early and we took her home and spent a lovely hour with her, DDIL and Marlowe before we came home to pick Andy up to go out for tea. He didn't feel like going out in the end so we had Chinese instead and it was lovely.

Today I am making a beef stew and while that is cooking DD and I are off upstairs to finish off the gift wrapping and the card writing so that we can clear all that stuff away for another year.
I have no intentions of fighting in the supermarkets for the last sprouts or carrots so I will be doing the last of the food shopping on Thursday and staying well away from town any day after that. I may be mad but I am not quite that mad.....lol.

Okey dokey....let's get this stew cookin'

Have a lovely weekend everyone.
Sheila-x-

It's All Go!!!

The play at Rubys' school was just fabulous and the tissues came in very handy....lol. I defy anyone not to need a tissue when listening to all those gorgeous, sweet voices singing their little hearts out. I've been singing the song about ten tubby snowmen all morning. I am really going to miss the Christmas play.....until it's Marlowes' turn.

Today is a busy day so we will not be taking time out to go for lunch which will end up being rushed as we need to be at school by 1:45 at the latest. Instead we are going out for our evening meal so that we can relax and enjoy it.
So our day will be.......school for the presentation of certificates, collect Ruby and take her home, nip into town for a couple of things we need, come home and pick Andy up, back out again for tea, back home........and breathe.....lol.

I haven't done an update on Andy for a while but he is doing fine apart from one frustrating problem which is preventing him from going back to work. I won't go into details as it would just be too much information but hopefully there will be some help when he goes to the clinic in January. Until then I will just have to put up with him being bored.........and refrain from battering him if he watches Where Eagles Dare or Dambusters one more time.....lol.

Well that's me for today. I need to pop up and have a shower before we go anywhere, put some laundry in to dry and find something to wear so I'll be off and get that done.

Thanks for stopping by today.
Sheila-x-



 

The Baby Whisperer!!!

I got to look after Marlowe this morning while DDIL and DD went to see Ruby in her play....I will be going this evening with DS.
Poor little Marlowe has somehow got Impetigo so DDIL didn't want to take her in to school.
We got the screaming and then I remembered this.......

...ugly brute that Ruby used to love when she was a baby. He sings Jingle Bells and his head moves. Marlowe loved him too and he quietened her down enough for me to get her coat on, get her in to her pushchair and take her for a walk in the fresh air where she promptly fell asleep.
Good old Mr Turkey.....the baby whisperer....lol.

It's cold and damp here today so I am putting off going out and washing down the window ledges. Instead the oven is going on to cook a batch of jacket potatoes which I will turn in to Cheese Souffle Jackets for tea.

DD has been on annual leave for nearly a fortnight and all we seem to have done is spend the time running here there and everywhere finishing off the Christmas shopping so tomorrow we are taking time out to go for lunch before we go to school to see Ruby in her Celebration Assembly. After that she will have just two days left at school before breaking up and then we have a baking date on Wednesday when she is coming for the whole day rather than just coming for tea. I can't wait for that.


Thanks so much for all of the comments yesterday....I am just going to nip in and reply to them.

Sheila-x-
 

Who Knew?.............!!!

That gift wrapping could be so exhausting.
By the time we got back downstairs at 5:30pm I felt like I had wrapped a good part of the Argos warehouse.
We are about two thirds done so another session tomorrow should see us finished.
I really miss good quality flat wrapping paper....you know the kind where you could choose a selection of sheets from a rack and it was all nice and smooth. You can get some in packs from a couple of places but it has lots of creases in it already from being folded to fit in it's display bag and looks like it's been used for about three Christmases already.
Fighting with a ten metre roll of wrapping paper is not very high on my list of 'things I love to do'.......lol.

Today is Ruby day so I will be tidying up and catching up with laundry. Tea is just fish and salad for us as Ruby has requested tomato soup. I swear she would eat that for breakfast, lunch and tea if you'd let her.
Tomorrow is the school Christmas play so I had better stock up on tissues as my eyes always leak when I hear children singing. I'm hoping London Grandma is coming up to see it too so that I have a mate to share my tissues with.

I've got Andy and DD doing their bit this morning. DD is cleaning the bathroom and Andy is going to clean out the fire and relay it so I had best go and get on with doing my bit.

Hope you all have the sunshine we have here this morning.
Sheila-x-

Late Night And Late Up!!!

Good morning from a wet and dreary little corner of Staffordshire.

I am late up this morning as last night DD and I went to a late showing of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. We had to go in to the big town to see it as the little town only had one showing at the very odd time of 15:40pm.
Anyhoo after all the hype and hoo ha....we didn't enjoy the film at all so we won't be buying it when it comes out on DVD.
The best thing about the night was driving in the dark and seeing all the Christmas lights....lol.

We'll be off upstairs shortly to tackle the gift wrapping at last. It should go fairly quickly as I have been quite canny and either bought things in boxes which are easy to wrap or I have saved boxes to put odd shaped things into. I think there are only two very odd shaped things thank goodness.

Just wondering if I need a cup of coffee before we go and start.....no I don't think I will. The longer I put it off the later we will be getting done.

Hope you all have a great day.
Sheila-x-

A Cold Day For Shopping!!!

We had to nip out this morning to pick up a few bits, return some Christmas lights that only worked for an hour before the bulbs started going and to return some trousers I had bought for Ruby that didn't fit and I am now chilled to the bone.
It's a very still, dark and damp day so I think the fire will be lit shortly.
DD has now gone in to Derby so not much getting done on the present wrapping front at the moment. I think I will fetch the cards down and get those written on so that I have that job ticked off my list.

Just a simple tea tonight of bacon and tomato paninis. I do tend to cut down on big meals in the run up to Christmas. Not that we go overboard with food but I don't think it hurts to have some simpler meals for a week or so.

I need to warm my hands before I start writing. I think a nice mug of tea will do the job so I'll get the kettle on.

Hope you are all keeping warm today.
Sheila-x-

Oooooh Me Ribs!!!

We have had an absolute ball with Ruby here for the weekend.
I don't think I have ever laughed so much and I swear my ribs are sprained....I ache so much.
That was the last sleepover of 2016 and she now has a very busy week at school with Christmas Dinner, a Christmas lunchtime party, the Christmas play and goodness knows what else going on.
She'll be glad to break up the week after.
At least she can now go to school in her trousers after having three inches lopped off the bottom of them. Kudos to Next.....the trousers may have been expensive but the quality is second to none and made the job of turning them up a breeze.

So now Ganma can get the house straight, wrap the presents and then chill for a bit in the run up the big day......yay to that.

Hope you have all had a fun filled weekend.
Sheila-x-

Where's The Off Button!!!

Oh my goodness me.....I never knew that a baby could scream for so long. 
Little Marlowe decided that she didn't want to be looked after by Ganma and Aunty DD, she wanted her Mummy and Daddy and so screamed for a solid four hours. She wouldn't eat her tea and she didn't want to play so all I could do was hold her and hope it passed......but it didn't.......until DS walked through the door and then she was all smiley and chatty.
DDIL says it is a recent development of separation anxiety and happens if she even goes out of the room for a minute or so. I'm just glad that it was that and not something more serious that I was missing.

Off out to do a top up shop this morning with me Ruby. I will be trying to have a heart of steel and not spoil her too much with it being so near Christmas........honestly I will try but will I be successful? That remains to be seen.....lol.

This afternoon I will be taking up the school trousers which didn't shrink at all so hubby has been despatched to buy ballpoint needles for my machine so that I can get that job done.

Tonight it will be snuggling with hot chocolate and a Christmas film........bliss.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Sheila-x-

Mess!!!

Still sorting and tidying.
I need to pretty much clear everything out of the dining room apart from the table and chairs and my sewing cabinets......so anything not in the cabinets needs to be hoofed out and stored so that they can just be wheeled into the kitchen on Christmas day.
Basically I am trying to fit a pint into a half pint pot and it is very frustrating. Should've bought a bigger house.....lol.

Got some new lights up in the dining room last night and they looked great until one by one the bulbs were going. They have come down and will be going back to the shop later today and I wont bother buying any more. We have a snowflake light, a Santa light that whirls water and glitter along with changing colour and a tree that does the same so I think that will be enough. They are only really to entertain Marlowe who will be having her first Christmas dinner with us.

I have to be out of the house by four to go and babysit Marlowe while DDIL takes Ruby to a birthday party so I had better go and crack on with crackin' on....lol.

Have a fab weekend. I know I will as we are bringing Ruby back tonight to stay for the weekend.
Thanks for stopping by.
Sheila-x-

Dressing The Dresser!!!

She fits so perfectly it's just like she was made especially for the space she is in.

Top left cupboard comfortably holds the day to day crockery and the top right cupboard has all of my glassware in the same place for the first time in years.
Bottom left cupboard holds baking tins and serving dishes. Bottom right roasting pans and baking sheets all easily accessible.
One big drawer is the cutlery drawer and the other is yet to be filled.
The centre drawers hold phone directories and the address book and I have a first aid drawer.
The small drawers hold batteries, keys and other small items that were just crammed into one drawer previously and there are still a couple left to fill.
She's like Mary Poppins' bag.....lol.

There's room for a pretty Christmas display..........

.......and another one......although for me this area would have better with just one central shelf and then my cookery books could have fit in there.

I had great fun deciding where everything would go but boy was I pooped by the time I was done.

Not a very good start to the day today as I fell over Smudge on the landing. Thank gawd the sideboard was there else it could have been very nasty. I have just ended up with a scraped arm. It's sore but when I think I could have ended up smashing my head against the wall......well it doesn't bear thinking about actually.

Ruby's little face when she opened her parcel last night was just awesome......and when she found that the trousers fit her smile could have outdone Blackpool Illuminations.
They are a little long in the leg but I have asked DDIL to wash them before I take them up just in case they shrink. I didn't want to take them up and then find they shrunk and ended up being short.
I got to spend a little time with Marlowe when we dropped Ruby off last night and I got the shock of me life.....she is crawling now. She snuck that one in as she wasn't crawling the last time I saw her the little monkey.
Looks like I will be having some fun when I babysit her tomorrow evening.

Well lots more sorting and tidying to do today. 
The present wrapping has gone a bit further down the list and will now be done on Monday. We are just going to put each persons gifts into a black bag for now so that Ruby doesn't see anything while she is here for the weekend.

.......and that is the news from Tea Towel Mansion for today.
Hope you all have a wonderful day.
Sheila-x-
 

Waiting!!!

We are waiting patiently for the dresser to arrive. No idea what time it will be here.
I can't get on with much as we have had to move the sofas to give as clear a pathway as possible from the front door to the kitchen so I can't really clean in there.
The kitchen and dining room both have stuff on every surface so I can't get much done in either of those rooms and upstairs is already tidy.
Daren't go up to the attic to start the wrapping as if Andy wanders off with the dog there is a chance I won't hear anyone knocking on the door and if I did hear them they would probably get fed up of waiting for me to hurl mrself down two flights of stairs....lol.

The trousers have arrived for me Ruby and they look as if they will be OK. Can't wait to see her little face when she opens the parcel.....I have taped it back up so she can open it. I just wanted to check them first.

Well that's about it for today.
Hope you are all having a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

 

Sorting And Shifting!!!

DD and I have just spent a dusty, mucky half hour sorting out the sideboard in the kitchen and moving it up to the landing.
We have measured and discussed the storage crates we want to put into it and she has gone off to fetch them so by tonight we should be fully sorted up there.
While she is gone I am decobwebbing, scrubbing skirting boards and hoovering ready for the dresser to go straight into it's new home tomorrow but we will spend the rest of today surrounded by all of the stuff that will need to go into it. The dining room looks like an indoor carboot sale 😟

Determined to find Ruby some grey stretch school trousers I finally found and ordered them online in the early hours of this morning from Next and they will be here tomorrow. I just hope to gawd they fit her and don't need any alterations to the length.
I can't believe how hard it was to find them. Most supermarkets do them but they are all sold out. They have thousands of pairs of the other trousers hanging there doing nothing so maybe next year they should have less of those and more of the jersey trousers. Guess who will be first in line when uniform comes out in July.

Okey day.....the Marigolds are waiting but if I can get at the kettle I think I might just have a coffee before I do my scrubby thing.

Hope you're all having a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

Went The Day Well....Up to A Point!!!

The day started well today with a trip to Market Drayton in search of a kitchen dresser. Fingers were crossed that they still had this one I had seen on their Facebook page.......

but somehow I ended up with this........

I didn't ask for it.....honest. I was just told by Andy that I could have it if I wanted it and given that we have absolutely zero storage space in our house I took it while it was offered.
It will be in my kitchen on Wednesday and I am very excited.

Once we left there things went rapidly down hill.....a horrible lunch in a horrible pub and a very tiring and non productive trip to Tamworth after dropping Andy home.
We've not long got home and Andy has fed us beans on toast and a cuppa with a mince pie. DD has gone for a hot shower and a very early night as she is not feeling well and I think I am going to convert to sofa huggerism for the rest of the night as I am pooped.

Hope you've all had a good day.
Sheila-x-

A Bleurgh Kind Of Sunday!!!

Andy is in a bad mood. 
I know he is getting frustrated with certain post op matters that are not clearing up as quickly as he would like. However I am not to blame.
Nor am I to blame for the fact that the leg of lamb which I bought from Iceland was disgusting. I cooked it as I always cook it and it would have been beautiful if it hadn't been all skin, fat and bone.

He has reverted to speaking in his Mother tongue of Grunt and I am just itching to whack him round the ear with me wooden spoon.

I am to blame for the earbashing I gave him this morning when he came back from T***o with gawd knows how many different dressings for Christmas pudding.....you know those weird cream things they do plus brandy sauce. There is one person in the house who likes the pudding so we get one and it sits in the cupboard until about June. I don't think the dressings have got that long a shelf life so they will be stuffing up my fridge until I can decide what I am going to do with them to save them from being chucked out on their useby date.
Some people should not be allowed to go shopping on their own and Andy is right at the top of the list.
Give me bloody strength 😩

Lovely lady at Mamas Mercantile......I will write down my bread sauce recipe and post it for you asap.

Thank you all for your replies yesterday.
Isn't it funny how we all like different things. I can eat an egg with ham and chips but with gammon it has to be pineapple.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. Andy is taking Ruby to and from school for a few days as DDIL has a poorly car so he will be out early. When he gets back we are off to Market Drayton to look for a kitchen dresser and then when we get back from there DD and I will be off to Tamworth where I will be on the hunt for school trousers for Ruby. I really want to get them for her as she never really asks for anything and she particularly asked for grey stretchy trousers....bless her.

Nothing on tv tonight for me so I will either be in the dining room painting trees or in the attic getting ready for The Big Christmas Wrapping Session which needs to be finished by Friday lunchtime at the latest and everything hidden away from little Doodle eyes.
I must say Christmas is feeling like a huge chore this year I haven't enjoyed the preparations at all.

Anyway....I hope you have all had a lovely weekend.
Thanks for dropping by.
Sheila-x-

Saturday Doings!!!

Up and out this morning to go and do a shop for the local food banks as it is the last day for collecting in T***o........ and a top up shop of veg and bread for us.
Back home and DD has gone off to work, Andy and I have just had a spot of lunch and once I have tidied that away I will use up the leftover bread from the week to make my bread sauce for the freezer. I have to make loads as my lot love it.

Andy has been and fetched the Boxing Day beef from the butchers although we won't actually have it on Boxing Day as I can't face two roast dinners on the trot. We'll just have cold meats and salad on the day and maybe have the roast beef later in the week.

I need to move all of the frozen meat from the inside to the outside freezer and I am not looking forward to that as it's very cold here today.......damp cold rather than frosty cold.
There is also a print I need to frame and get wrapped up for a Christmas gift and the finishing touches to put to the snowman wreath.

DD is off out to her work Christmas do tonight and will be eating out so we have treated ourselves to some gammon which we will have with a few chips and some mushrooms and pineapple.....lovely.

Heaven knows what we will watch when we settle down for the night tonight. We do have loads of dvd's but have watched some of them so many times that they are just about worn out. I was going to have a troll around the charity shops this morning to see if I could pick up any cheapo ones but we had to get back with DD being at work.

Break time is over so I'll go and whizz up some breadcrumbs and I shall see you tomorrow.
Hope you are having a fab weekend.
Sheila-x-

 

Slowly Going Crazy!!!

My daily routine is shot to pieces and has been really since Andy came out of hospital. I am missing it badly.
The house which is almost always tidy until he walks through the door is a permanent tip as he is sooooo untidy.
All my lovely cushions are in a squashed heap on one sofa instead of being nicely plumped and arranged on both sofas because he sits on them to try and stop his backside from going numb.
He is eating like a pig and drinking like a fish. The kettle is always on and wherever I am and whatever I am doing he always finds me and dumps a drink by my elbow. I tell ya......I am so full of tea I can see it swishing round in my eyeballs.....lol.
A threat has been issued that I am going to burn his shoes if he doesn't stop leaving them where I can break my neck over them......totally ignored as I nearly went flying over his slippers this morning.
I am going crazy.......and if anybody wants me I am sitting in the corner rocking and talking to myself.....lol.
P.S.....I love him really 😘

Called in to see the Doodle family last night and luckily arrived before Marlowe went to bed and we had a lovely cuppa along with lots of cuddles. Ruby was thrilled with the little set of Christmas lights I found.......her name and some stars. Daddy had to immediately find Blutack and fix them to her bedhead. I would love to find some where you can get individual letters to make up a name as obviously the name Marlowe is a tad unusual.

Well I suppose I had better go and find something to do......I don't know what. There's plenty wants doing but I have woken up in a 'can't be bothered' mood this morning unfortunately so I will just have to see what takes me fancy.

Have a lovely weekend.
Sheila-x-

Ruddy T'internet Shopping!!!

My day today has been spent trying to find those last minute bits and bobs of gifts on t'internet as I just can't face trekking around the shops. From a list of five things I have found one and I feel as knackered as if I had been round the shops.
Ruby asked me last night if I thought Santa could bring her some grey stretch trousers for school.........can I find any?........no.
I bought just about the last DesignAFriend doll at Argos for my niece and wanted another outfit to go with it......not a single one left in stock to collect and I am not paying four quid to have a faffing tiny little box delivered so I went with the hairdressing set.
I really hate internet shopping.....lol.

We have just sat down to eat a lovely beef stew that been simmering all day long. Mine's a bit hot so I am letting it cool a bit while I write this.
Once tea is done with DD and I are off down to the Doodles to deliver presents to be taken down to London at the weekend. I hope they like them when they open them on Christmas morning.

Right.....I'll go and scoff me tea.
Thanks for dropping by today.
Sheila-x-

Getting Me Wriggle On!!!

Good morning all 😁

Goodness me....I have overslept this morning. I went to bed at some ridiculous hour....I think it was about 2am. Usually I can get up at my normal time but not this morning so I am going to have to get some serious wriggle going to get everything done that I want to get done.

First up is to wrap all the tiny presents to go in the Advent calendar. That needs to get done so that Ruby can take it home tonight ready for tomorrow and wouldn't you just know.....I have no red tissue paper. Andy to the rescue.....he is in town so I phoned him and he will pick me some up.

Next job will be to finish the wreath. I was a bit late starting it last night as I couldn't find enough of any ribbon for wrapping the polystyrene base and so had to resort to tearing strips of a blue and white spotty fabric.....which is actually perfect so that turned out well. It may not be completely finished today but I can live with that.

Another job I have on my list which may or may not get done is to paint some papier mache cone trees. I have three and want to paint them in cream, soft blue and green and then print white spots onto them. I'd love to get them done but they aren't urgent.

Luckily there is no major cooking to do today.....just a bowl of salad to prepare and some fish to cook. Andy and Ruby will have theirs at teatime as they like their fish hot but DD and I will have ours after we take Ruby home as we like ours cold.

Thank you for your comments yesterday. It's good to know that I am not alone in losing my crafting mojo. Let's hope we all get it back soon.
Jackie asked which garden centre we went to....it was Byrkley Park at Rangemore Jackie.

The red tissue has arrived so I will go and get that job done. It would be nice if I could have some music to help me get a jig on but Andy doesn't like my music and I don't want to drive him mad....lol.

Back tomorrow.
Sheila-x-

 

Winter Wonderland!!!

Well it's not quite the snow I would love to see but we did wake up to a very heavy frost this morning. Very nipsy on the fingers, toes and noses but very pretty too. It has stayed all day.....the lawn is till white.

Andy and I went for a ride up to the garden centre to pick up part of DD's Christmas gift and we were very surprised by how quiet it was. We were there just before lunchtime and we expected there to be a few coaches of OAP's but there wasn't even one. I was quite disappointed as I do love to hear the old ladies marvelling over the modern Christmas decorations and light up things.
When I used to work there I had the most darling old lady come up to me and ask if I would look at a fibre optic tree with her and tell her if I thought it would look OK in the corner of her living room. I managed to keep a straight face and tell her that I wasn't sure what her living room was like but if she liked it then it would probably be fine. I'll never forget the joy on her face as she told her friend that she was going all mod and having a plug in tree....it was priceless.

The fire is lit now and we are starting to get cosy although my hands are freezing still. I bet DD's will be even colder so I will go and put the kettle on and make a cup of tea for when she gets in to warm her up.

After tea I am going to try and finish the snowman wreath so that I can give it to Ruby tomorrow. I have failed big time on getting the Advent calendars sewn up so Ruby will have the one I made last year and as Marlowe is too young to know what is going on I will just give her the money I was going to put in hers. My crafting mojo has well and truly disappeared this year which I am very sad about.

I hope you are all keeping warm and cosy today.
Thanks for stopping by.
Sheila-x-

 

Here Comes The Sun!!!

Hello on this glorious sunny, blue sky morning. It really is beautiful out there today.

After a lovely lazy Sunday there are a couple of things I need to catch up on but at least I don't need to cook for tea as I got that done yesterday. I just threw some chicken breasts in the slow cooker with some onion, smokey barbecue sauce, Worcestershire Sauce and some brown sugar, whacked it on for a few hours and hey presto....pulled chicken which will only need heating through and I'll serve it in rolls with some corn on the cob on the side. I managed to find some in Iceland. T***o don't stock the frozen one in the winter.....or at least ours doesn't.

My grey stripe didn't get magicked away yesterday. DD is exhausted and has a long week ahead of her this week before she has her two weeks of annual leave and she didn't feel like doing it last night. She says it will be done tonight.

Andy and I haven't been out for a wander this morning as he had to go to the doctors' so we might do that tomorrow. I have a full loyalty card for the gorgeous coffee shop we go to so that will mean one of our drinks will be free.

I also didn't get completely sorted in the attic but we have plenty of time to to get that done when DD is on holiday. We want to make sure that everything is wrapped and hidden before Miss Doodle comes for the weekend on the 9th December.

Today I have promised Andy that I will make him a bread and butter pudding with the Panetonne thing he bought home the other day so I will go and do that before we snuggle up to watch the Christmas film on Channel 5.

Hope you are having a wonderful day whatever you are doing.
Sheila-x-

My Kind Of Sunday!!!

Slow and lazy....that's just how I like my Sunday to be.
Lunch is cooking and filling the kitchen with warmth and good smells.
Hubby is reading the Sunday papers.
DD has gone to fetch me a couple of large gift bags. One each for Ruby and Marlowe and by the time she gets back lunch will be ready to eat.

This afternoon I will use up the stale bread and make the Christmas stuffing to put in the freezer and if there is enough I'll make the bread sauce too which always tastes much better for being frozen.
DD will also sort my hair out as I have rather neglected myself while I have been looking after Andy and I have a very nasty grey stripe which needs covering up. I should really man up and stop dying it now but I just know my hair will be white rather than the gorgeous steel grey I would love it to be.
If there is any time left before we settle down for the evening I will go and make a start on gift wrapping to tidy things up in the attic. It's starting to look like a shop up there....lol.

Time for the veg to on so I'll say....bye for now.
Hope your Sunday is fab too.
Sheila-x-

Busy, Busy Bee!!!

Another busy day today.
Tidying and finishing laundry this morning and now I am about to go out to run a few errands and do the freezer shop.
When I get back I shall do a lazy tea of cheese, crackers and pickles after which I will more than likely collapse in a heap on the sofa in me jammies to watch a film.

I'm not over fond of shopping online but the postie has delivered a couple of parcels this morning so that's two less gifts to slog around the shops for...yay.
The end of next week I am hoping to have everything in and wrapped ready to go to Santa.

Managed to get another weekend sleepover in with Ruby and a big bonus is that DD will be on annual leave. We are looking for somewhere to take her that doesn't involve a visit to Santa. She really doesn't like fake Santa's. I might look if there are any panto's on that she would like.

Anyhoo I had best get off to town.
Bye for now.
Sheila-x-

 

I'm Late Today..........!!!

........but I am just about done with Christmas now after a four hour marathon with DD who finished work early today.
We have just shopped in the little town and everything bought was on my list.....no extra things just because it was Black Friday although some of the things on my list were discounted so that was a bonus.
I just need to go and do a freezer shop tomorrow as I have turned the outside freezer back on and again I shall buy just what is on my list and no more.

I am off to tackle some laundry while DD and her Dad watch a film and while I am waiting for washing and drying I shall browse through my Derbyshire Life. I love the December issue but this year the cover is quite disappointing 😒

Hope you have all had a fab day.
Sheila-x-

It's Up!!!

First of all I would like to wish all of my readers in America a very Happy Thanksgiving Day-x-

Well the tree is up and looking absolutely gorgeous. A bonus week as it doesn't usually go up until December 1st.

I won't bore you with a photo as it is almost the same as we did it last year with a couple of new additions.

Decorating the rest of the room will probably get left until next weekend......just to avoid extra dusting....lol.

The roast beef dinner was really lovely last night and there was enough beef, roasties, Yorkshire puds and gravy left to take down to DS and DDIL. They just did their own veg to go with it and there is still enough beef for sandwiches for Andy.

Today I will be clearing out the veg drawer and making a chunky soup. It's pretty nippy here today so that will go down well with some toasted garlic and cheese baguette.

Not much else on the agenda for today apart from some laundry and maybe a bit of ironing and a run over with the hoover so I might get chance to watch a Christmas film on Channel 5 with hubby this afternoon.

Last weekend I started reading A Christmas Mouse by Miss Read to Ruby. I used to read to mine when they were little. We didn't get to finish it so DDIL is going to see if we can squeeze in another sleepover for Ruby before Christmas so that we can finish that and do some Christmas baking. When she comes after school there really isn't much time for doing anything other than having tea and a bit of a cuddle so I have my fingers crossed that she can fit it in even if it is just one night instead of two.

Andy has just nipped out for papers so I will wait for coffee until he gets back and I'll get on with chopping some veg.

Hope you are all warm and cosy today.

Sheila-x-

Feeling Happier.......!!!

.......now that I have a bit more of the Christmas stuff done.
I just need to pick up a couple of tops for Ruby to go with the other clothes I got her and a small toy for Marlowe to go with the clothes I bought for her.
The Christmas ham is bought and in the freezer. A smaller one this year as I get sick to death of eating the leftovers for weeks on end.
This weekend I will get the stuffing and bread sauce made and frozen and pick up a turkey crown and that will be Christmas dinner sorted apart from the fresh veg.
Aaaaaah....I feel like I am getting somewhere now.

Andy has requested a roast dinner today so beef and all the trimmings it is. He has prepped all the veg for me so once I have the living room cleaned and ready for the tree decorating I will get everything cooked and plated up so we can eat quickly. Ruby is only here for a couple of hours and I want to give her time to see the tree finished. The lights are on and the topper is done so it's only a matter of putting on the other decs.
I think for the first time ever....I will be glad when Christmas is all over and done with this year.

Right.....Andy has taken the Smudge out for his walk so I will go and get on with some tidying and cleaning.....or should I do it after coffee when he gets back....decisions, decisions....lol.

Thanks for dropping by today and for comments left yesterday.
Sheila-x-

Getting There With Christmas!!!

We are taking DD's car to have a new headlight bulb put in so I am going to take the opportunity to pick up a couple of Christmas gifts that I have reserved at Argos. That will be the London gifts done and dusted and they can go down with the Doodles next weekend when they visit.
I will also make a start on Marlowes' gifts and there are a couple of things I forgot to get foodwise yesterday so they can be picked up too.
Tonight DD will assemble and fluff the tree, put the lights on and do the tree topper then when Ruby comes tomorrow she can help to put the decorations on and that will be another job done.
My preparations feel rather messy and disjointed this year and I don't like it. I'm usually quite organised.
Hopefully it will all come together in the end.

How are your preparations going?
Sheila-x-

The North Wind Doth Blow!!!

Well actually I don't know where the wind is coming from but it's flippin' cold and has been thrashing it down with rain for hours.
Not the kind of day to be out and about but Andy and I braved it and went out this morning for a ride to the farm shop and into the little town.......his first big drive since his op.
Despite the foul weather we both enjoyed being out in the fresh air and managed to pick up what we needed for the week so we don't have to go out again if it carries on like this for the rest of the week.
I am waiting to see if it dies down a bit before I go and do battle with the coal bunker. I can't handle taking the big coal container down even with the parcel truck we have so I have to fetch up four smaller buckets to fill it. It's a right old job any time but in this wind I run the risk of being decapitated by the bunker lid.
We have just about enough in to last until DD gets home so she can hold the lid while I get the coal.

I missed snuggling up to my Doodle last night and the sound of her breathing. I'd love for her to have another sleepover before Christmas but they have two weekends away in London and various other things going on so I doubt we'll manage it.
We had a lovely lunch with DS and family yesterday and I got to play with Marlowe Gigglebritches. Unless she is hungry or tired she is the most good tempered baby. I don't think it will be long before she is crawling now. She's desperate to get moving judging by her antics yesterday.

I've not done a stroke of housework today but do you know....I couldn't care less. Today is a day for hunkering down and snuggling and that is what we have done since we got in.

Hope it's a bit drier and calmer where you are.
Sheila-x-

 

The Best Laid Plans And All That!!!

We got back so late from town yesterday that we didn't have time to put the tree up.
Plans were made to do it this morning before we take Ruby home but DD has gone down with something nasty and is in no fit state to do anything.
Snuggling and watching Christmas films is done, hot chocolate with marshmallows and sprinkles has been drunk and Ruby has drawn me some beautiful Christmas pictures so there has been some festive stuff going on but not quite as much as I imagined.

Ruby did quite well out of the visit to town coming home with a new lace dress to replace the one she has outgrown, a pair of jeggings to replace a pair outgrown and three new tops. I did wonder why she was so eager to go and have a look round Pr****k....lol.

Another hour and that will be our weekend over😢and I doubt there will be time to fit in another now before Christmas. It has been so lovely to have her here though.

Back to normal tomorrow once I have cleaned up and found places on the fridge for all the pictures which I can't bear to throw away.

Hope your weekend has been lovely too.
Sheila-x-

Long Day!!!

Well I surprised myself and got through an amazing amount of housework yesterday.
After getting the lounge sorted I went up to the attic intending just to tidy ready for Miss Doodle arriving for the weekend and ended up having a really good sort out. There were bags of stuff for the recycling bin, the burning bin and the charity shop. Christmas gifts were hidden in the blanket box away from little peepers and the wrapping station was finally sorted out.
It feels very strange up there as it's the tidiest and cleanest it's been for a good while.
Just need to pop the clean bedding on and we are done.
It was 8:30pm by the time I sat down last night and I ached like hell but was rather chuffed with meself.

When Ruby comes for the weekend there are no rules apart from she must clean her teeth and wash her face before bed no matter how tired she is but there will be late nights, popcorn on tap, a small amount of sweets and most likely one or two treats at the shops in town tomorrow.
Tonight we are all being treated to tea out courtesy of Aunty DD and we're off to Frankie & Benny's.
Tomorrow Ruby has requested Chinese and Sunday we are out for lunch so I get a weekend free of cooking apart from breakfasts and lunches. Can't turn my nose up at that...lol. 
I am really ready to spend some quality time with me Doodle.....roll on 3:45pm.


Once this weekend is over I really must knuckle down and get the advent calendars sewn up. We have the little gifts for Ruby's and Marlowe will just get coins as she is too young for tiny toys. I will plan some simple meals to maximise the time I get at the sewing machine.

Feeding time for Andy shortly and as it is bitterly cold I think I'll do him the bacon and roasted tomatoes we didn't have last night.

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend.
Sheila-x-

 

I Despair!!!

Just when I thought my short nursing career was coming to an end up it all starts again after Andy smashed his toe on the bed leg and ripped a chunk of his nail off.  I have had to sort that out for him before I start on anything else. A close eye will be kept on it as he is diabetic and foot injuries can turn nasty if not looked after properly.

Spiders beware....I am coming to get you today. I will be ferreting in every corner so there will be no hiding place.
The cobweb brush will be working overtime as I am ashamed to say decobwebbing has rather taken a back seat over the last few weeks. One corner of the lounge is so bad that I could spray the webs gold and leave them up for Christmas decorations....lol.
Multitasking to the max today with laundry washing and drying while I am cleaning then once I am done downstairs I will be off up to the attic to get the bedroom ready for Ruby coming tomorrow.

Tea tonight will have to be something quick and easy so I will just open the fridge and see what falls out. DD bought home the last of the tomatoes from work that had ripened so I might just do some bacon with oven roasted tomatoes and some crusty bread.

No Sunday lunch to cook this week and no pub lunch as we have been invited to stay for lunch at DS's when we deliver Ruby home. Can't wait to try out their new sofa. It looks gorgeous so we shall see how comfy it is and whether I might want to become a permanent resident....lol.

Kettle on for a quick coffee and then on with the mucking out.

Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

Good News!!!

The first mad appointment day of the week went well with my blood pressure showing improvement due to the new medication and no adverse effects to my kidneys. Very pleased with that. Andy just had to see the doc with regards to some medication he needs to stop taking now that he has had his op and his appointment at the hospital was good. They are very pleased with his progress.

Back home by 1pm and a quick lunch before starting to tidy up and prep tea ready for my Doodle coming after school. Can't wait for a cuddle. She'll be here in just over an hour then the time she is here will whizz by. We'll take her home and that will be another day gone in the blink of an eye.

Tomorrow I should have been having Marlowe for the day and Ruby was coming here after school but there is no need now as DDIL's thing she was going to is cancelled so a change of plan to a furniture shifting day to hoover in all the corners before the tree goes up on Saturday. I will need to relocate Andy to the dining room out of my way and avoid him trying to help with the furniture and doing himself a mischief. Friday will then just be a pottering day and waiting for Ruby to come for her two night sleepover/ pre Christmas weekend.
Saturday I have an appointment at the opticians so DD will take Ruby round town in search of a particular Christmas film trilogy that she wants and then it will be home to put the tree up and then collapse on the sofa.
Honestly my life is madder now than it was when I was working...lol.

Anyway I hope your day is busy or relaxing...however you want it to be.
Thanks for stopping by.
Sheila-x-

Wild Night!!!

Another restless night tossing and turning and another nightmare. I really must mention this to the doctor when I see her in the morning as one of my meds has a side effect of nightmares.
Night inside matched the night outside where it was very windy and wild.
Today is cold, dark and damp so I am off to fetch the coal in shortly so we can light the fire. It's not my favourite job but Andy is still not allowed to lift.

Something hot and tasty for tea I think so what about tuna and sweetcorn bake? Yes I think that will do very nicely along with some steamed veg.

Some Christmas shopping has been achieved thanks to the Argos reservation service and DD to go and collect so I am almost done with gifts for Ruby apart from a couple of things I need from Derby when we can fit in a visit.
I haven't an idea in my head what to do for Andy this year. He has one hobby and has all of the equipment for that and I really don't want to resort to DVD's and clothes. My brain is in for a really good workout I can see.

I am really fancying a hot chocolate so I will wait for Andy to get back from his walk with Smudge and have one before I go and haul that coal in.

Hope you are all warm and snuggly.
Sheila-x-

Mrs Tea Towel Goes Down!!!

Oh yuck...I have spent today nursing a poorly tummy and a nasty headache.
The tummy was entirely my own fault for eating sage and onion stuffing yesterday. I know it doesn't agree with me but what is roast chicken without some sage and onion.
Sometimes I can eat it and be fine and other times it knobbles me completely.
The head was the result of a bad night of tossing and turning and a nightmare.

I'll be back tomorrow hopefully feeling a lot better.

Hope you are all OK.
Sheila-x-

Sunday Sunshine!!!

Honestly....our weather does make you swear.
Yesterday I could have done with a bit of sun and some dry so that I could take the girls to the park...... it rained.
Today we are stuck indoors as DD is at work so no transport with driving still being off limits for Andy.....it's bright and sunny.
Still....we had a fab few hours with DDIL and the girls.
Ruby is into dressing up with make up now so I had to patiently have my face made up several times and she can now do ponytails so I got my hair done too.
We played Operation which really makes me jump if you touch the metal and it buzzes. Ruby finds this hilarious.
After a lovely lunch Ruby decided she was going to be an office lady so I got down on the floor with Miss Marlowe who was exploring her sensory basket.
Lovely quality time with my girls.

Last night we snuggled up and watched the last in the trilogy of Hobbit films. I could watch those films every week.

A late lunch today of roast chicken, roast potatoes and brussels with peas and steamed carrots, stuffing and gravy. Mine and DD's favourite. Andy is not so keen....or so he says but his plate is always clean...lol.

We have a mad week of doctor and hospital appointments, opticians appointment, a whole day of childminding on Thursday and then Ruby arrives for the weekend on Friday. It's going to be busy.

Hope you are all having a nice weekend.
Sheila-x-

In And Out!!!

Just a quick post this morning as I have overslept and am due to go out shortly to see me Doodle family.
I'm disappointed that it's raining as I was hoping to take the girls a walk down to the park at the end of their road to give DDIL a bit of a break as she has been housebound with Ruby who was sent home from school early on Thursday and Marlowe needing lots of attention.
We'll have a good long visit as DD is dropping us off before she goes to work and picking us up when she finishes and hopefully the furniture will be delivered before we leave so that I can distract the girls while DDIL sees to that.
As tea is already prepared we will just have to hot it up and then light the fire and relax for the evening.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend.
Sheila-x-

Friday....Again!!!

A huge heartfelt thank you to everyone who left a lovely comment on my post yesterday sharing in our joy at Andy being clear of cancer. They were very much appreciated.

Today I will be spending some time in the kitchen. I won't be cooking anything for tea tonight as Andy really fancies Chinese so I will be getting ahead of myself and making a beef stew for tomorrow and a chocolate cake to take with us when we go to see DDIL, Ruby and Marlowe for lunch tomorrow. They will be stuck in the house waiting for a furniture delivery so I said we would go down in case DDIL needed to nip out to the shops or anything. After these last few weeks I know what it's like to need something from the shops and not be able to get out.

The sun is shining this morning but it's very damp with no breeze to speak of so laundry will have to go in the dryer. I have absolutely nowhere to put damp washing that comes in off the line so dryer it is.

The search for a piece of furniture for the landing came to a bit of a halt when Andy was in hospital and nothing could be done until he is able to drive again but that darling man of mine has come up with a solution. I have always wanted a dresser for the kitchen and while DD and I were in Market Drayton some weeks ago we visited a place called Surplus Supermarket and found they stocked exactly the kind of dressers I like. When Andy is driving again he is taking me to choose one and the cupboard/sideboard we bought for the kitchen will be just the perfect thing to go on the landing. I am so excited. The dresser will be my Christmas present.

Right....I am off to cook up a storm.
Have a lovely weekend everybody.
Sheila-x-