I Can't Wait To Sew.......!!!

......with all this gorgeousness......

A whole summer wardrobe on one pattern.

Beautiful summery cotton prints.

Quilting inspiration and my lovely new address book.

All I need now is a bit of time to myself and that could happen next week when DD is back at work and Andy will be working three days. I will be working like a demon at the weekend to make sure that all the big jobs are done so that I can take the scissors to the fabric on Monday. I am soooooo excited.

I've been a bit worried about Smudge so Andy has taken him to the vets this morning. Apparently he has kennel cough......he has never been in a kennel in all his life so how on earth did he get that?
Medicine has been prescribed so hopefully that will do the trick.

Decidedly murky here this morning. Very grey and very wet so it looks like DD's plans for doing things in the garden are scuppered. We have clay soil and it is just too nasty to work on when it is as wet as it is now.

Tea tonight will be roast beef and all the trimmings. I managed to freeze some meat in gravy from a previous roast so all I have to do is some veg, roasties and Yorkshires to go with it.

DD has just done us a bacon roll for lunch so I will go and have that before I start prepping the veg.

Sorry for my dismal post yesterday.

Hope you are all having a warm and cosy day today.
Sheila-x-

T'Internet Trouble!!!

We've had problems with the landline since Friday but the internet connection has been fine.........until today so I have been unable to get on here since coming back from Derby apart from a couple of minutes before it went off.

It wasn't a long visit today. I knew what I wanted and how much I wanted to spend and I pretty much stuck to that except for an impulse buy of a lovely new address book and a book about quilting with precuts from The Works. Mind you I was lucky to find anything in there....the place was a tip. I suppose it was understandable as they still have all their clearance stock out along with trying to put out new stuff.

I found the market quite depressing today. Another stall has closed down and another one was selling off all it's stock ready to close down. I really hope the fabric stalls stay else I doubt I will be visiting Derby very much.
Since getting back I am kicking myself up my own backside for not telling the three women serving on one stall how offensive and shocking I found the conversation they were having while I was looking at patterns and fabric. A market stall is just not the place to be having that kind of conversation. They might just as well have had a microphone and spouted their nastiness to the whole market place.

Anyhoo another pattern for adding to Marlowe's summer wardrobe and some fabric has been purchased....some funky and a more traditional one. I'll take some pics to let you see tomorrow as I am now about to start playing catch up with house jobs and of course feeding my pair. Andy starts back to work at 9pm tonight although not full time just yet. He'll need feeding up before he goes though as I expect it will seem a long night.

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

My Little Duvet Hog!!!

Miss Doodle has turned into a duvet hog.
Friday I went to bed in my usual attire of a nightdress and spent the night shivering.....although I did manage to keep my permanently cold feet under cover.
Last night I thought I would play crafty and wear my pyjamas and some socks.....I still spent the night freezing.....feet included.
How one little seven year old girl can need a whole double duvet I do not know....lol.

We didn't do everything I wanted to do this weekend. The rain on Friday night/Saturday morning turned everywhere into a mud bath so I thought a visit to the adventure playground would be a bit miserable with mud underfoot and dripping trees above. Definitely not my idea of fun so after the cinema visit and lunch we had a lovely session playing with the dolls and their hairdressing salon.
This morning after another play with the dolls she is now snuggled under one of the sofa quilts watching a film while she waits to get into her posh frock and sparkly shoes to go out for lunch.
After lunch she will go home with Mummy and Daddy and that will be another sleepover weekend gone in a flash.

No plans to do anything remotely housewifey this afternoon and probably not much tomorrow either as I will be out for a good chunk of the day. The jobs never go anywhere though....they will always be there waiting.

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend.
Sheila-x-

Role Reversal!!!

I thought it was hard when my kids were small to get to those stages in their lives when they didn't need you for things like tying shoe laces, brushing hair etc. Every step a step nearer to their independence which....don't get me wrong.....is a fabulous thing.....but.....I found myself totally choked last night when Ruby didn't need me to read her bedtime story.
Aunty DD had bought her a set of books to go with The Worst Witch which she has been watching on tv and when we snuggled up in bed last night she read to me first and then decided she wanted to do silent reading.
I had to physically remove the book from her hands to get her go to sleep and then she was up with the lark this morning so that she could finish it and start on book two. I am amazed and proud but also just a tiny bit devastated that she no longer needs that very special little ritual of the bedtime story.
My baby is growing up.
I'll just have to hope that Marlowe will want to come for weekends so that I can do it all over again.

We were having a lovely evening watching Zootropolis and eating ice cream until Smudge sent my blood pressure into orbit by pee'ing on the lounge floor. I don't know why he did it as he hadn't scratched at the door to be let out as he usually does. I was not amused.

Anyhoo....Little Miss and Aunty DD have gone off to the cinema and to do their 'ladies wot lunch' thing. I was going with them but passing on the film and going to do some shopping but I didn't fancy wandering around town in the pouring rain so I have stayed home to prepare the evening meal and tidy up. Sod's Law.....it is now bright and sunny.

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

Baby....It's Cold Outside.......!!!

........and it's not much warmer inside at the moment either.
I am waiting for Andy to chop some sticks so that I can light the fire.
It's very pretty out though as we have had a heavy frost and everywhere is white.

Most of today will be spent tidying up and getting the house clean and cosy ready for Ruby coming after school. She will want to be straight out of her uniform and into her jammies so I will have a pair warming on the radiator for her to change into.
No cooking as we are having Chinese tonight. 
This year is the year of the Rooster. I was born in the year of the Rooster so it is my Chinese birthday. That is my excuse and I am sticking to it....lol.

I could really do with a couple of hours out in the fresh air so tomorrow we may take Ruby to the adventure playground at Sudbury Hall.......along with a blanket for one of the benches, a flask of tomato soup and a flask of tea. I think she will like that before she goes off to the cinema with Aunty DD to see Sing.

I am so looking forward to the weekend.
Are you doing anything exciting?
Sheila-x-

 

Greedy Little Blighter!!!

Smudge is very much like his Dad......he will eat anything that will lie still for two minutes.
I don't know what he ate when he was ferreting about in the garden yesterday but it resulted in the most disgusting case of garbage guts he has ever had.
He is well fed with nice food so why on earth does he feel the need to eat rubbish?
The carpet shampooer is going to have to come out and I've a good mind to make him do it.

Had an absolutley lovely couple of hours with Ruby last night. Andy very kindly did the sausage and chips while Ruby and I watched ET-The Extra Terrestrial on dvd. Every time we watch it she likes to hear how the very first time I saw the film was at the cinema and her Daddy was in my tummy. It really makes her laugh and anything that makes that delicious giggle come out is certainly worth the retelling of stories that have been heard before.

There is a lovely piece of pork fillet in the fridge waiting to be stuffed with sage and onion stuffing and apples and wrapped in bacon. It will be roasted and served with Charlotte potatoes, roasted brussels and buttered carrots for our evening meal.
I always thought pork fillet was expensive but T***o have had some lately that are under £4 and smaller ones at £3 and under so I have been buying them for the freezer to use for stir fries, curries and pie fillings with added veg. They are just enough for three of us with no waste.

Rightio....I am off to stuff the pork and finish off the laundry before I drag the monster machine from under the stairs and tackle the carpet.

Hope you are all keeping warm and cosy today....it's freezing here.
Sheila-x-
 

Pass The Smelling Salts!!!

Having recently received our house insurance renewal notice I decided yesterday to go to the comparison website A Spokesman Said. com and see if we could get the same cover any cheaper. We have been with the same provider (our bank) for a number of years and just kept accepting the price rises but this recent renewal gave me a kick up the bum to do something about it.
To say I am disgusted with myself for not doing something sooner is an understatement. We now have a premium cover policy every bit as good as our previous one for a saving of.......£530 a year......£530.....can you believe it? I nearly passed out with shock. 
Our new cover is now paid for the year so no monthly payments for that going out....brilliant.
After that I had a look to see if we could swap energy providers but the only provider who could offer us any significant savings was one who I have read so many bad things about that I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole. I will see if our current provider can offer us a better deal.
Next on my list to check out is car insurance for DD and Andy and then pet insurance for Smudge. I don't begrudge our little boy a single penny but he has had a lot of operations for various things and so his insurance is through the roof. Added to that we have his monthly medication to pay for so he is quite an expensive little doggy and if we can save a little that would be good.

Today started off rather foggy and damp but it looks like the sun is coming out and there is a hint of blue sky. There's a little breeze but I don't think the washing will even lighten let alone dry so I won't even attempt to hang it out.

I actually have one of the patterns for Marlowe out of it's envelope ready to cut it out but I just need to check on her weight before I take the scissors to it. I have never used a pattern before that goes by weight.....strange.
The fabrics I want to use are all stacked and ready to go but I don't think I will get any actual sewing done until next week now as we have Ruby for the weekend, Sunday we are all meeting up at the pub for lunch and Monday I am off to Derby market to pick up another couple of patterns and some more fabric so a busy few days.
DD has nine days annual leave next week....just as I was about to get my house back with Andy going back to work....lol. She is hoping for some good weather to be able to get out and tidy up the back garden and make a start on redesigning the front garden. For some reason that makes me feel really cheerful.

Anyhoo.....I had best go and get on with something else me gorgeous girl will be here and I won't have done a thing.

Hope you all have a smashing day today.
Sheila-x- 

Early Start!!!

Up early this morning for a quick visit from Ruby as Andy was dropping her at school so that DS and DDIL could attend an early appointment. She was only here for about twenty minutes but that was long enough to make me happy for the day. Sausage and chips has been requested for tea tomorrow which makes a change from tomato soup or chicken pie.

Tea last night......

Mackerel fishcakes with a greek yoghurt based lemon, parsley and cracked black pepper dressing, raw baby spinach and cous cous salad instead of sweet potato wedges. It was very, very nice indeed.
It's really cold today so I'm glad I made the pork and beans yesterday. Andy is going to be out in the cold for a while with DS replacing our fence panels so he'll need something nice and warming.

It's taking me ages to do this post this morning as I keep getting distracted by the birds in the garden.
We put a new birdhouse out at the weekend and judging by the amount of visitors we are getting it is a big hit.
I love watching them.

Once Andy has finished outside I will be off up to the attic bedroom to make a start on tidying up. I'll have to stay downstairs until then as Smudge won't go out and stay out with him but will want to keep going out to check what's going on. I am not leaving the door open for him today....it's just too cold.

So that's me for today..........what are you up to?
Thanks for stopping by.
Sheila-x-

Monday, Monday........!!!

.....so good to me.
Monday, Monday it was all I hoped it would be.
One of my favourite Mamas & Papas songs and summing up exactly how I feel today.
I think the bug has finally packed it's bags and I am feeling pretty good.
Time to get back to my job list and get this house back in order.

Today will mostly be food preparation.
Tea for tonight is already prepared....mackerel fishcakes which I will serve on a bed of spinach with a yoghurt based sauce and sweet potato wedges.
There is minced pork in the fridge which I will turn into a pork and bean type of thing to serve with steamed veg tomorrow.
DD loved the cous cous salad I made last week so I am making up a batch of that for her lunches over a couple of days this week and I also want to have a veg drawer sort out and see if I have anything that wants using up to make a soup.
Lots of peeling and chopping to be doing today.

The lounge is desperate for a deep clean but that can wait until tomorrow when I won't have to spend time in the kitchen and I really need to put the attic to rights. All the Christmas stuff is packed away but the boxes are dumped anyhow and need stacking. It has to be nice and tidy as me gorgeous girl is coming for the weekend on Friday.

Thank gawd I have some energy back to get things done.

Hope you are all having a lovely Monday too.
Sheila-x-

Going The Right Way!!!

Although I had a good night of sleep last night I woke up feeling like I'd slept on rocks and the blocked up nose was back with a vengeance and making me feel quite nauseous so I couldn't face going out for lunch with Andy and DD. I stayed home and had three dry crackers and a cup of coffee instead.
I do feel a bit more human now as I have been out to do a top up shop and had a walk round in the fresh air.

We had a lovely hour or so with The Doodles yesterday testing out the cupcakes that DDIL had made as a trial run for Ruby's birthday next month. They were gorgeous.
I didn't get to spend much time with London Grandma and Grandad as Ruby whisked me upstairs to see her new bed and then proceeded to put a little show on for me......singing and dancing. She has a lovely singing voice.
Marlowe was just as cute as a button as always and she has us in stitches. She really wants to be walking now and looks so pleased with herself when someone holds her hands so that she can walk across the room.
I love my little girls so much.

Good news for Andy. He will be going back to work on phased return on January 30th. His first week will be two night shifts followed by three afternoon shifts the next week until he feels that he can cope with full time return. His job is fairly physical so I am glad they aren't just chucking him in at the deep end.
We are so ready to get back to normal now.

Right....I am off to concoct some fishcakes for our tea tomorrow night while I wait for the start of the new series of Call The Midwife....yay!!!

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

Sleeping The Day Away!!!

Had another weird day yesterday where I slept for nearly the whole day and night but this morning I have woken up feeling lots better. My head feels clearer, the stuffed up nose is almost gone and my legs feel stronger.
Hopefully this means that the bugs have left the building and I can start to get back to normal.
I've only had it for a week but it feels like it's been a month.

Easing myself back in gently I am cooking our main meal for lunchtime today as we are visiting The Doodles later on for tea and cake and by the time we get back it will be too late to be having a big meal.
Can't wait to see them all. The London grandparents will be there too and it will be great to have a catch up with them.

Oooooh....11:25am and I am still in my pj's....I had best go and get dressed and get some potatoes peeled.

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

Dreary Day!!!

It's a very damp and foggy start to the day here although the sun does seem as if it's trying hard to make an appearance.
I was going to go out for a wander with Andy this morning but I'm not feeling quite strong enough so I'll just stay home and keep warm.

I did manage to do a couple of jobs yesterday. By leaning on the worktop I managed to stand long enough to make a cous cous salad for DD's pack up and fold one load of washing.
The house is starting to show signs of neglect and I'll be glad when I can get back on top of things.

Today I am going to sort out the fabric I have that is suitable for the clothes I am going to make for Marlowe so that it is all in one place and I don't have to keep going through the box. I might even do some cutting out if I'm not too tired.

Right....on with the day by waking myself up with a cup of coffee first.
Hope you all have a fab day.
Sheila-x-

So Boring!!!

OK.....so this is getting boring now.
I had hoped to be feeling better today but if anything I have even less energy than I had when it started. I feel like I've been done on a boil wash and put through a mangle.
Really hope it goes away soon....I have things I want to do.

Didn't get to see Ruby last night. Her Mummy thought it best if I was left to rest. Oh I did miss her but she called me for a chat, told me all about  her day and invited us down for a cup of tea on Saturday so I shall get to see her then.

I got a bit bored and fidgetty last night and so....now don't laugh.....I started to do some crochet. I have had three balls of 100% cotton yarn in a bag for at least eight years. I am making dishcloths which is about all I am good for when it comes to crochet.
What's the betting I even c**k these up.....I am useless with yarn but I just had to do something.

Well...that's me for today...sick, tired and fed up with it.

Hope you are all brighter and happier.
Sheila-x-

Healing Sleep!!!

Well they do say that sleep heals and boy did I do some sleeping yesterday.
I fell asleep after lunch and Andy had to wake me for my tea which I managed to eat.
I fell asleep again after tea and woke up at 9:30pm, had another shower and watched a couple of things on You Tube.
Went to sleep again at 1am after reading for a while and woke at 7am for a cup of tea and then back to sleep and woke at 10:15am.
I really do feel better for it.....not quite ready for chucking myself about doing big jobs or anything but certainly a lot brighter so hopefully I have slept the bugs away and I am getting over it.

I did warn DDIL that I was germy but Ruby insists that she still wants to come today after school and I will be really glad to see her. 
She and Marlowe already have colds and seem to have had them all winter.

Andy has been a total star....seeing to meals and keeping me supplied with drinks and hot water bottles all day long.
I think it has shocked him just how poorly I have been as I have never taken to the sofa for so long before.

My reading session last night saw me finish my annual reading of Rosamunde Pilchers' Winter Solstice and I quite fancy carrying on in that gentle vein so today I will start on The Shell Seekers which I haven't read for a long time.
There is nothing new on my shelf at the moment so I don't mind going back to an old favourite.

Andy has just got back from town and is offering coffee so I think that and a look at the papers will do me for now.

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

Jabba The Hutt..........!!!

......that just about sums up what I feel like this morning....sluggish, slimy and disgusting.
I hurt everywhere.
I am ravenously hungry yet can't face eating.
I can drink...tea, coffee, water etc but it all tastes horrible.
I think I may well hibernate until this bug/cold decides to go away....which I hope it does soon.
Thank you all for your good wishes on my post yesterday.

I have only just opened my parcel which arrived yesterday so you can tell how bad I was.

Here is what came.......

Love the pattern for the button shoulder dresses but I don't love those huge applique things stuck all over them so I won't be adding those.
From the other pattern I will probably only make the trousers, shorts and skirt as I don't think the blouse would be very practical for Miss Wrigglepants.
The fabric won't be suitable for either of these patterns but will be great for a sleeveless summer dress with a full skirt.
Last but not least....a 30cm embroidery hoop for some American primitive stitchery I want to have a go at sometime this year to make some cushion covers.

Today will not be the day I put my mojo to use. I dread to think what I would end up with if I tried to make anything with my head in the state it's in.
The hoover has been pushed round and that is about all I can manage so I think a sofa afternoon after I have had a shower and washed my hair.

Thanks for dropping by today.
Sheila-x-

Sofa Day!!!

Today I am going to spend the day on the sofa doing pretty much nothing. This cold has gone from bad to worse so quickly that I feel as weak as a kitten.
I need my hot water bottle, a quilt and maybe a gentle film on the tv.
Usually I can work through just about anything as us ladies tend to do but these last few months have drained me so a day off from house duties won't hurt.
Andy will sort out tea for him and DD and I will probably just have a tin of tomato soup.
Hopefully a day resting will have me back into the swing of things tomorrow.

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

......And Relax!!!

In my humble opinion Sunday is the very best day of the week and today especially as it is filthy outside so no pressure to feel that we have to go out anywhere.
Sunday is the only day of the week that I let myself off the job list unless there is something I particularly want to get done so today I am cooking our late lunch of lamb leg steaks with all the trimmings and then I am going to become a sofa hugger for the rest of the day.......being kind to myself as I  came down with a stinker of a cold yesterday evening. No signs I was coming down with it....just wham and I was a complete snotty mess with a head full of cotton wool.
I thought Andy might offer to cook lunch but he is looking at a book about Spitfires which is obviously more important...bless him 😞

Good job my parcel didn't arrive then as I wouldn't have felt like doing any sewing today.

Hope you are all snuggled up out of the cold and rain today.
Sheila-x-



 

I Survived.......!!!

........the shopping trip without killing him....yay.
I just need a cup of tea and a lie down in a dark room and I will be fine....lol.
By gum it were cold out there this morning and the sun was blinding. I was really glad to get home.
I am now officially an old woman with a shopping trolley 👀
Sometimes I have to go down to the veg shop by myself which is fine but coming back up kills my back with heavy bags and a long incline to tackle so he's bought me a shopping trolley.
I buy a lot of veg so it will be worth it's weight in gold.

DD and I really enjoyed our salad last night and we would have it again tonight but of course Andy wants a hot meal so it will be chicken in a stilton sauce with steamed veg and roasted baby potatoes to use up the last of the Christmas stilton.

I was hoping my parcel would arrive this morning so that I could start on some sewing tomorrow afternoon...but it hasn't 😢so I will have to find something else to do for now. I don't know what but I am definitely getting in the mood for crafting again.

Right I am off to put the rest of the shopping away and do some cooking.

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

Surprise!!!

Yesterday we had wind, rain and a bit of sun and then at teatime you could've knocked me down with a feather when we got snow.
Big fat, fluffy flakes that actually settled until we couldn't see the lawn after half an hour. It kept stopping and starting but in the end didn't amount to an awful lot.
Looking at it this morning I think I could sweep it all up and fit it in me washing up bowl.
So.....I've seen it and now it can go away.

This morning we have had the plumber here to fit a new tap in the kitchen sink and we asked him about converting to oil. He gave us a ball park figure which was much less than we thought and suggested a combi boiler which would solve a couple of problems and also give me a pantry........the pantry swung it for me....lol and I am now firmly on the side of going with oil. The money is there to get it done so we just need to decide on the when.
So excited to think that by next winter we might not have to deal with the coal fire and it's mess.

We are having a use it up tea tonight. Andy will have what is left of the mince from yesterday and DD and I will use up the cold meats and salad. 
Tomorrow I am going to let Andy take me shopping....I must be mad but I will chain him to the trolley so that he can't keep wandering off round the shop and filling my trolley with c**p. I will also avoid the medical aisle as he thinks it very funny to go to the opposite end to me and shout me to ask if I need any ExLax or other embarrassing products. Sadly he thinks he's a comedian...lol.

Having had a sort out of my fabric and finding some one metre lengths of pretty cotton I went online and ordered a couple of patterns to make simple button shoulder dresses and little trousers for Marlowe for the summer. Another couple of metres of fabric and an embroidery hoop also fell into my basket so I am now excitedly awaiting a parcel. I haven't had a parcel through the post for ages. Doesn't take much to please me...lol.

As always I have laundry to do today. I am not looking forward to the trek across the yard to the tumble dryer but that is preferable to going down to the washing line through the mud bath which is currently our lawn.
I think the kettle needs to go on for a coffee first though.

Hope you are all keeping warm and safe.
Sheila-x-

 

Jumping For Joy!!!

Andy has had good results from his latest blood tests and will be returning to work at the end of the month when his sick note runs out 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌
He will have further blood tests 3 monthly, then six monthly and then once a year but I think we can safely say that he is fixed.
He's hoping that he can go straight back onto his normal job and not be fobbed off with light duties....he hates that.

Another reason for a little bit of jolly dancing and excitement.....tickets arrived yesterday for DD and I for our visit to the Sewing For Pleasure show at The NEC on 19th March 💃💃💃. We haven't had a big day out for a good while so we are both looking forward to it.

Had a lovely couple of hours with me Ruby last night and then spent half an hour with DDIL and Marlowe when we dropped her off. That little monkey is really, really wanting to walk and is already moving herself around the furniture a little and so chuffed with herself. DDIL now needs eyes in her bottom.....she found her trying to get up the stairs the other day......she is not even ten months old yet.

No snow for us today just rain and perishing cold so I am off into the kitchen to make a nice pan of savoury mince to warm us all up.

Thanks so much for dropping by today.
Sheila-x-



 

Windy Wednesday!!!

Crikey...it's wild out there today.....not the 'oooh I can dry me washing on the line' kind of windy but 'mmm...I don't fancy fetching me washing back from Ashbourne' kind of windy.
There is stuff flying about everywhere.....quite scary.
I won't be going out in it as I have a few things to finish from yesterday. I was going great guns until about 3pm when I started with a migraine. The whizzy thing going round in my eye was so bad that I had to lie down before I fell down as I could hardly see.
The headache is still hanging about but I can cope with that.

I need to make the chicken pie for Andy and Doodle. DD and I are having a salad so I'll get those plated up and covered in the fridge ready to go. Wednesday is always a bit frantic when Ruby comes as I like to make sure I have time to sit with her seeing as how she is only here for a couple of hours. Can't wait until our next sleepover date at the end of the month.

My sewing/dining room is just about set up again and there are some stirrings in the mojo department. I'm going to find a couple of small projects to get me started again before I wade into quilting and I am quite excited.

Okay............on with the day.
Have a fab one 😁
Sheila-x-

Ten Years!!!

Well I can't believe that I am saying this but......today I have been blogging for ten years....wow........Where did that time go?
When I first started the content was a little different as a lot of my posts were geared towards cardmaking and papercrafts mixed in with a bit of everyday life and now it is mostly everyday life with a bit of crafts thrown in when I manage to do any.
How things change.
I miss my cardmaking but what I don't miss is the stress of deadlines and things like sitting up for two days without sleep to replace a box of samples that got lost on it's way to Create and Craft for a show I was doing........only to find that they had turned up when I got there for filming.
All part of life's rich tapestry....ha, ha, ha.

Anyhoo.....fast forward to today and there is yet more decluttering and cooking.....Ruby has requested chicken pie for tea tomorrow so I will make the filling ready for that and I am making bean salad for DD's lunches. I've soaked a whole bag of mixed beans which will be cooked, divided up and frozen to be pulled out and mixed with a low fat vinaigrette when she fancies taking some....and I'll be multitasking along the way with laundry.
Tea tonight will be a quick mixed grill and that will be my housewifely duties done for the day.

Andy has just phoned....his first appointment of the week seems to have gone well at the clinic in the little town. The most important one is Thursday at Derby hospital and we have everything crossed for that one.

It's cold and damp here this morning and I desperately want a coffee but I'll wait until Andy gets back with the papers.
Apparently it is going to get colder and we are going to be getting some snow.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.
Hope you are keeping warm.
Sheila-x-

Life's Little Pleasures!!!

I woke this morning to the sound of rain battering down on the dormer roof in the attic. My hot water bottle was still warm, I was really comfortable and so I treated my self to a few minutes of a lie in. Sheer bliss and I am now raring to go on the job list.

The pork has been marinating in it's rub all night and that is about to go into the oven to cook slowly. I hope it turns out as nice as the one my son does....although I have used a different rub.
DD is having her first session at the gym tonight. She will be later home so I have decided to just do corn on the cob with the pulled pork rolls and we'll have the sweet potato wedges with something else later in the week.

Christmas is all packed away except for one item which needed bubble wrap so that will get done today. 
There is still some stuff that wants taking back upstairs and my boxes of fabric need to be bought back down to the dining room.
Once that is done I shall just about be back to normal at last.

Andy has two appointments this week which will hopefully give us some news of when he can go back to work.
He does still have a small post op problem which he needs help with but we hope it will be all good news.

Right....he is back from town so I will go and make us both a coffee before we start on anything else.

Hope it's not too wet where you are.
Sheila-x-

Spending But Saving!!!

DD and I had a lovely couple of hours out in the little town yesterday afternoon.
Usually we just go to the retail park on the outskirts and shop at T***o, B&M and Poundland but we decided to go to A**a and then some of the smaller shops. It was really, really nice.....and I got bargains.
First up I got four ten metre rolls of Christmas wrapping paper for the girls.....10p a roll and then I popped across to Barnado's and picked up these........

49p each. The larger one is just over six inches square and the smaller one about five inches square. One for each of the girls with a special gift in......you can't beat that. I will be changing the ribbon on them both but I think they are just adorable.

On to Home Bargains.
I have been wanting a medium sized red mixing bowl to have on the dresser to hold eggs and had only seen them at the farm shop where they were quite expensive at £20 so instead I picked up a beautiful red metal colander....£2.99.
Balti dishes which I have been wanting for a while....3 for £2.97 which is half the price I had seen them elsewhere.
New sandwich cake tins which were on my wish list from Lakeland at over £10 pounds each........almost exactly the same in the size and depth I wanted £1.29 each.
I am pretty chuffed with all that lot I can tell you.

Other bargains I have got so far this year include Christmas cards which were £4 per box or 3 for 2....reduced to £2 per box and still on at 3 for 2....and my first Christmas present for 2017....a set of two pairs of festive leggings for Ruby £3 instead of £8 and a top for myself from Yours......£11.50 instead of £23.
A good start to the year I think.

Lunch is smelling absolutely gorgeous. I ended up getting a piece of beef which will do for two meals....three if I'm careful so sliced beef in gravy in the freezer to pull out when I am feeling lazy.
I also picked up a huge piece of boneless shoulder pork for just over £5 which is going to have a rub applied and then cook long and slow for pulled pork. A meal for tomorrow and then I'll freeze the rest to make two more.
Eeeeh....I'm cooking on gas....well not really as my cooker is electric but you know what I mean....lol.

Well I'll go and give the beef a poke and see how far off from lunch we are. I can hear tummy rumblings from the sofa huggers.

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

Lazy Woman!!!

I should have been going in to the big town this morning but I just couldn't be bothered after a rather painful evening yesterday with an abcess under one of my back teeth. It just came out of nowhere and I have sent it back there with a good old fashioned hot water bottle, some painkillers and some Corsodyl mouthwash.
DD has gone in by herself as she wants to join a gym in the town where she can meet her friends after work and have some company while she does her thing on the treadmill or in the pool.

Now she is back I am off into little town to buy a joint for Sunday lunch and some fresh veg to go with it....how exciting...lol.

Thank you all for your comments yesterday. I am glad I am not alone.

Have a lovely weekend.
Sheila-x-

 

Get The Handcuffs Ready.......!!!

.......I'm about ready to do him in.
He has the tv on watching some dreadful old film with an equally dreadful soundtrack and it is driving me crazy 😝
I need to invest in some ear plugs.
DD and I are so ready to get back to the nights where we have what suits us for tea and we can watch what we want. We currently have two seasons of Broadchurch, a season of Rizzoli and Isles and three seasons of something DD had just bought whose name escapes me....all waiting to be watched. At the moment we grit our teeth and watch anything that will keep Mr Fidget Pants occupied for more than half an hour. Last night it was the absolutely horrendous Beowulf. He was snoring before it was halfway through but if we had tried to switch it off and put something else on we'd have been in deep doo doo.

Horrible mizzly rain today so I'm not planning on going out anywhere. 
DD is going out for a meal with friends tonight so my top up shop can wait until tomorrow and I am not cooking as Andy has offered a Chinese.
All the financial stuff that needed doing has been done this morning so I am going to have a lazy afternoon doing whatever takes me fancy.....and I can't make my mind up what that will be so I will have a nice cup of tea while I mull it over....lol 😁

Thanks so much for visiting today.
Sheila-x-

 

A Lovely Start To The Day!!!

We have had guests for breakfast this morning.
Last night DS was reminiscing with Ruby about the eggy bread that Andy used to make so he phoned and asked if he, DDIL and Marlowe could come for breakfast this morning and have the said eggy bread.....obviously not for Marlowe....she had porridge and a clementine.
It was so lovely to see them and as always Marlowe had us in stitches with her funny faces and abundance of cuteness.
She has gone home with one of the candy cane ornaments from the tree which she rather took to and played with for ages.

The kitchen is calling this morning.
I have to make a pie as requested by hubby. I pulled a pork fillet out of the freezer last night so we'll have a pork and apple pie with steamed veg and a thyme gravy so that should warm our cockles on this cold day.

No big chores today so I will spend the rest of the day having a potter around and organising fabric. 
I must be getting back in the crafting mood as last night I bought issue one of the new cross stitch part work. For 99p you get a good sized piece of Aida, six skeins of thread and a pack of six needles which I thought was well worth the 99p. I don't particularly want to take up cross stitch again but the threads will be useful for felt projects.
I'm quite sad that the patchwork and quilting shop nearest to us has decided to close their unit at the garden centre and carry on their business from home via the internet. It was lovely to go there and actually see and feel the fabric before you purchased any and obviously to look at samples for inspiration. I'll miss my little trips there.

Well it has just turned afternoon so I had better go and get on with the filling for the pie.
I hope you are all keeping warm today.
Sheila-x-

 

Just Another Day!!!

After DD's birthday yesterday I think we are done with celebrations now until February 11th when Ruby will be seven and then we have one or two birthdays every month until the end of October.
This year I am going to be more organised and buy all of the cards in advance to keep in a box....written on but not sealed in case we are giving money......and all ready to go.

DD just wanted a simple day yesterday...relaxing, a home cooked meal and an evening of snuggling to watch a film. Friday night she will be out with friends for a meal and that's just how she likes it.

Today I have a couple of hand sewing jobs to do....Ruby's trouser hem needs re-sewing and Andy needs a new button on his trousers so I am doing those while the laundry is washing and drying.
After that I will be preparing our evening meal of a pasta bake with salad and I'll fetch the decorations box down to put away what I can of what we have left out. It can be left downstairs then for DD to put the Christmas tree away at the weekend.

So it might be 'just another day' but I for one am glad to be getting back to normal. I can't say that I have totally enjoyed the festive season apart from Christmas Day when we had The Doodles round....but I think that was because I wasn't quite as organised as I usually am.....hey ho....it was what it was and there is always another Christmas to come to get it right.

It's a very still, dull and damp day here today and quite cold so we'll light the fire just after lunch. I must admit that as we get older we are finding the coal fire a bit of a chore and I am definitely coming round to the idea of changing over to oil. I just need to investigate the costs involved as we have several large jobs that we would like to get done before Andy retires. It's just a matter of prioritising.

Well my hands have gone really cold while I have been typing so I think I'll wrap them round a cup of coffee before I go back to the sewing jobs.

Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

Thirty Seven!!!

This time thirty seven years ago I was flat on my back being pushed, pulled, prodded and poked as doctors tried to induce me to give birth to my baby. 
At 9:45pm I had an emergency caesarean and finally I was a Mummy to a beautiful, tiny little girl.
Happy Birthday my gorgeous girl....love you so much 💖

She is spending her birthday doing what she likes best...shopping...so she is off to Derby to spend her gift money in the sales.
I am staying at home as I still have lots to do in the house. The Doodles will be calling in later to see DD so I want to have everything nice and tidy.

Andy has gone out to drop off what we hope will be his last sick note. This time next month he could be going back to work and we will be able to get back to normal. Thank goodness for that.

Hope you all have a lovely day whatever you are doing.
Sheila-x-

 

 

It's All Going South!!!

If this morning is a sign of the fact that I turn sixty this year....I think we'll just stop the clock right here.
I woke up feeling like I had been battered with a baseball ball bat....everything just hurt. I swear I heard creaking in my bones too as I manouevered myself upright and I didn't even know what day it was until I had a good think about it. Goodness me....I am not ready for a zimmer frame just yet.
I feel heaps better now that I have been up and about for a few hours but honestly it frit me to death to wake up in such pain.
Maybe I just got myself in a funny position while I was sleeping.

The weather has cheered me up no end....bright blue skies, sunshine and a hard frost. It's beautiful out there.
The Tea Towel Garden Restaurant has been very busy this morning with robins, a wren, lots of sparrows and other birds....such a lovely thing to watch while I had my morning cuppa.

DD has just gone off to work for a couple of hours and I am going to set Andy onto taking down the outdoor Christmas lights and the wreath from the front door.
The tree will stay up until the weekend. It's DD's birthday tomorrow so we keep it up for that and then she will dismantle it all for me on Saturday. 
Much as I love the tree lights I will be glad to get my proper lamps back down.

More sorting and organising for me today. I am really enjoying doing it.

I hope you all have blue skies and sunshine today.
Sheila-x-

Filthy Day!!!

Well not a good start to the new year weatherwise.
It's cold and thrashing it down with rain.
DD is out in it as she has had to go into work for a few hours. She'll be back just after 3pm so we'll light the fire shortly and get the house nice and warm for her.

Lunch is cooking....pretty much the same meal as last Sunday but we are having chicken today which I prefer to turkey.
It's rather a big one so I am hoping to get a couple more meals out it too.

I am still organising the dining/sewing room and Andy has just put together a CD unit for me that will take my CD storage upwards which will take up less space than the baskets I have them in at the moment. It's starting to look a lot better already although I still have boxes of stuff that were moved upstairs over Christmas to sort through.

No new year resolutions made here....just hope to get through the next year as healthily and happily as we can.
There is hope that Andy will be able to go back to work next month. He is so ready for it and to be honest I am too.....so fingers crossed for that.

Hope you all have the kind of new year that you wish for yourselves.
Sheila-x-