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Saturday 31 March 2018

No Spring Here!!!

I usually equate the Easter weekend with sunshine, lambs and daffodils but it's not playing ball today....we have dark grey clouds and it is very cold.
I was very glad to get home after a short trip into town this morning and this is where I will be staying for the weekend.
There is a little tidying up to do, some crosswords to finish and some sewing and for evenings we still have plenty of 24 to go at....lovely.

Hope you are managing to have the kind of weekend you want.
Happy Easter.
Sheila-x-

Friday 30 March 2018

Loved Up Ganma!!!

These past couple of days have been an absolute treat.
Wednesday I spent some very precious time with Marlowe while Ruby was out with Daddy. She was a little tired and wanted lots and lots of cuddles which I loved although the trade off was endless episodes of Peppa Pig....I hate that bloody pig with a passion but I'll take it in exchange for cuddles....lol.
Ruby came back with me for her second sleepover and got a surprise trip to the cinema with Aunty DD to see Peter Rabbit and then she still wanted to watch films when she got back at 9pm so we had a very late night.
Yesterday we set to after breakfast and made cottage pie together for tea. She really loved that....and we would have made some cakes too but my oven is playing up and cooking unevenly at the moment until Andy and I get it sorted out either today or tomorrow.
When it came to time to go home she didn't want to go but after two sleepovers in a week poor old Ganma was somewhat shattered. We are going to see which day she is coming for tea next week and I have said she can stay over then if she wants to.
She was dropped home and exchanged for a hair bow that needs mending and a pair of DS's trousers that want taking up....lol.

Me flippin' camera seems to be having a bit of a hissy fit. I went to take some pics of Ruby cooking yesterday to send to Mummy and all I got was a blank screen. It still seems to be taking pictures but I can't actually see what I am taking photos of. I can't afford to replace it at the moment and it would probably cost more to have repaired than it's actually worth so there may be some strange pics on here until I eventually get sorted with a new one.

I'm just pottering about this morning while I wait for Andy to get up. I'd like to nip out out and get some shopping done for the weekend so that I don't have to go out tomorrow. I just need a leg of lamb and some veg and salad so we won't be out long.

Thank you all for your lovely comments about my desk stand. You are very kind.

Hope you are all gearing up for a lovely weekend. We have no plans to go anywhere but Andy is off for a week now so there will be a couple of outings later in the week.
Sheila-x-

Wednesday 28 March 2018

Just A Quickie!!!

Just a quick post this morning as I have to go out and don't know what time I'll be back.
I've been asked to look after Marlowe this morning while DS and Ruby go out and I'll also be bringing Ruby back with me for tea and a sleepover so the computer will either be off all together or she will be watching You Tube while I cook tea.

Thank you for comments on yesterdays post.
Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

Tuesday 27 March 2018

A Bit Of Upcycling!!!

Yesterday....in between loads of laundry I had the urge to do a project which I could start and finish in a day. Nothing that dragged on for days.
So I set to with an old A4 clipboard which was destined for the bin and four fat quarters which had been in my stash for while and came up with this........


........a handy little stand to have on my sewing table with things that I usually have to ferret out of boxes or drawers.
Nine pockets on the front to hold scissors, Frixion pens, sewing machine screwdriver, hem gauge, tweezers and other bits and bobs.


The back has just one long pocket which at the moment holds my smaller quilting rulers but would be an ideal place to put a dressmaking pattern and instructions or a notepad.

I also recycled a piece of webbing that had been used around a purchased blanket to make a strap to fix between the front and back to stop it sliding flat when in use.
Pretty darn chuffed with it and it was all done in a day.

Just a couple of loads of laundry to finish today, a bit of cleaning to do......but I'll leave that until Andy gets up as he was late getting to bed this morning due to a dentists appointment......and a roast dinner to prepare and cook seeing as how DD missed out on Sunday with her being at work. I've pulled out some pork chops and the last of the Christmas stuffing baubles so we'll have some roast potatoes and fresh veg too. She'll be glad of it when she comes in out of the rain.

I think I'll have a cup of tea and a bit of a blog catch up before I do anything else.

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

Monday 26 March 2018

Wonderful Weekend!!!

Sorry I haven't posted all weekend but when Ruby is in the house she demands pretty much all of my attention.
We have had such a lovely time though.
Straight through the door on Friday afternoon and the school uniform was soon in a heap on the floor. If we are not going out she likes to wear one of my old soft t shirts and once that is on the weekend begins.
Then comes the opening of the goody bag which has things in it for her to do and this time I rather excelled myself. Lidl had some lovely stencil sets of fairies and unicorns so those with a new drawing book and some metallic pencil crayons had her set up for the weekend. She is a prolific draw'er and writer.
Pizza and a film for the evening.
Saturday she had a trip out with DD to Trentham Gardens and then we had to take her to her dance class in the evening.
Sunday we met Mummy, Daddy and Marlowe at the pub for lunch and to hand her back.
It all went so quickly but we are having a midweek treat of another sleepover on Wednesday when she comes for tea so that will be lovely.

Time to get the house back in order and tidy up all the drawings and stories.....and try to remove the silver pen marks from the top of my fabric storage unit where it bled through her paper.

Right.....I'll get some breakfast and then crack on.

Blue skies and sunshine here today so I hope you have the same.
Sheila-x-

Friday 23 March 2018

Thursday Was A Bit Of A Washout!!!

Well the paintwork got it's wash down but after that things went a bit downhill with a nasty headache and vomiting so I didn't go out last night.
However....DD came home from work with the news that she had got today off and so I have been able to go out this morning and get everything done and she is just now helping me by cleaning up in the lounge while I do the kitchen and sewing room.
Those who think they know best have altered her hours yet again and now she has to work one Sunday in four and have the Monday off only they could afford for her to be off next Monday due to other staff being on leave. They won't pay her for the extra hours worked on a Sunday so she said 'right...I'll have Friday off then.
This is all down to them being wickedly understaffed.

Another hour or so and Miss Ruby will be arriving.
I am so ready for those kisses and cuddles.

Have a lovely weekend.
Sheila-x-

Thursday 22 March 2018

Now....Where Did I Put My Energy?!!!

Upstairs is Ruby ready apart from changing the bed tomorrow and cleaning the bathroom.
Andy has been fed and waved off to work.
I have eaten lunch and am now trying to decide if I can summon up the energy to give the paintwork around the back door a wash down.
For some reason I feel a bit flopsadopsical and my legs hurt.
I'll take a painkiller and see if that helps.

The quilt is nearly ready to go into hibernation for a few weeks and I am now looking at my patterns ready for dressmaking for Ruby and Moo. I have plenty of suitable fabric so I should get a few things made without having to go out fabric shopping.

DD and I will be popping out to do a little top up shop tonight and to pick up some things ready for Miss Ruby's visit. There has to be popcorn and a few little treats so I'll get them today as I think we are having a weekend at home this time. She has been out so much over the last few weeks and I think she'll love a nice laid back weekend.

Hope you are all having a good day....it's really cold here so the heating will be going on shortly.
Sheila-x-

Wednesday 21 March 2018

This Quilt Is Driving Me Crackers!!!

Quilt one.....a square in a square.......didn't work.....unpicked....fabric recut.
Quilt two....coin strips with sashing in between....giving me brain ache....sashing removed.
Quilt three....strips being sewn directly together.....better but I shall be glad when it's done.
I'm not sure I want to waste batting, backing and time to quilt it at the moment so it may go into the UFO box to be done later and I will move on to some dressmaking.

The chicken penne pasta dish turned out really nice last night. I'm not sure Andy would find it filling enough but DD and I will be having it again.
Cheese and potato pie has been requested for tonight and I have been told to make sure there is enough for pack up boxes for the freezer. I had planned on something else but I can imagine how comforting it must be to come in from working in the cold and eat hot cheese and potato pie.
Poor old Andy is on a twelve hour shift today but luckily there was still some lasagna left in the freezer for him to take so at least he'll get a hot meal.

A start has been made upstairs but I got sick of keep running down to let Smudge out so I'll do a bit more tomorrow......rather that than come down to puddles that need mopping up.

Right I shall go and do some spud bashing and some onion chopping and get this pie on the go.

Oh.....did you see that we have to brace ourselves for snow at Easter now? Looks like winter isn't done with us yet then.

Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-


Tuesday 20 March 2018

What A Grey Day!!!

I've had a ride into town with Andy this morning and was quite surprised at how much snow is still hanging about.
The huge marshmallow hedges are still there where the wind has blown snow through them and the edges of the fields are still thick with it.
It has just started raining though so I expect it will all get washed away and the next thing will be the floods again.
I'm totally fed up of bad weather now and am looking forward to being able to get out in the garden and do some chopping down of brown stalks and getting some tidying up done.
I'm not sure anyone is thinking of sitting out in their gardens just yet but B&M have a rather hopeful stack of furniture sets and parasols in store...lol.

DD and I had a very simple tea of sausages and baked beans last night so today I am going to put in a little more effort and make a chicken penne pasta dish with pesto, warmed cherry tomatoes and rocket....a reproduction of a meal I have eaten and thoroughly enjoyed at Frankie and Benny's. Just hope it tastes as good as theirs did.

I'm stealing lots of time for sewing this week by being on top of my jobs. I do need to clean upstairs ready for Ruby coming for the weekend but I am going to do that tomorrow as Andy has to work extra hours and will be leaving home at 8:30am which means I can get started early, be done by lunchtime and still get some sewing time in. Eeeeeh I'm getting good at this time management thing...lol.

Still off coffee so a nice cup of tea and a quick look at my crossword before I wash Andy's pots and run the hoover over then it's back to the sewing machine.

Have a fabulous day.
Sheila-x-

Monday 19 March 2018

Just A Big Kid!!!

At the moment I am like a kid waiting for Christmas.
The tickets for The Quilt and Stitch Village at the local racecourse arrived last week and we are visiting on the Sunday which just so happens to be my birthday in just under a month.
I have told Andy that as it is so close to home I will be filling the car, coming home to off load and then going back to fill it up again......he looks really scared....lol.
In actual fact I am making a very considered list and so far have on my list.....a Stripology ruler, a stock up on the Schmetz machine needles I love and a selection of blenders suitable to go with two lines of Christmas fabrics I have already. There may also be a purchase of a fat quarter bundle from a new fabric line if I can find one I like......or should I say if I can narrow it down to to one. There are some stunning collections out there but it will all depend on what the stalls still have left as we are going on the last day.

I am so thankful for a not so full laundry basket today as going across the yard to the tumble dryer is not very pleasant with a very spiteful and freezing wind to contend with. Two more loads and it will be done for this week thank goodness.

Tea will be whatever DD feels like when she comes in but whatever it is it will be quick and easy as it always is when Andy is on afternoon shift.....I don't think it will be salad today though.
.....and when I have run around with the hoover I guess you all know what I will be doing for the rest of the afternoon....yes.....sewing.

Hope you are all keeping warm....and safe if you still have snow.
Sheila-x-


Sunday 18 March 2018

Breakfast At The Doodles!!!

I am absolutely loving our new family tradition of Birthday Breakfast.
This morning we were up and out for a pre birthday celebration with Marlowe. Hot sausages and tomatoes in brioche rolls, croissants and toasted hot cross buns with tea and coffee on tap....what is not to love.
Lots of hugs, kisses and laughter. Just the perfect way to spend a Sunday morning and I think we should do it every week...lol.

Back home and our late lunch of lamb chops is nearly ready and it will be very welcome. It is so cold, windy and snow covered....yes we got it and it laid.
Lunch has now been eaten and snuggling will shortly commence.
Hope you are all keeping warm and snuggly.
Sheila-x-

Saturday 17 March 2018

That Wind Is Back!!!

Ooooh it's cold here this morning. The heavy winds started last night and are continuing and there has been a little sprinkle of snow which has now stopped and can stay stopped if it doesn't mind.
As DD was going into town anyway I have asked her to pick up the few bits we need so I have no plans to be going anywhere.
I won't be lazy though.....the wind is driving Smudge dog mad and he is constantly wanting the back door opened so I am up and down like a nodding donkey just so he can go out and bark at it.

I have enough fabric cut now for two quilt tops all from one Jelly Roll but two completely different looks so I aim to get started on sewing all the pieces together today once I have tidied up the sewing table.

Andy is out shopping for car seat covers  he could be gone for hours so apart from the washing machine whirring and the wind throwing stuff about it is nice and peaceful inside at Tea Towel Mansion.
Despite the cold we are having salad for tea tonight with some chicken and parsley butter potatoes....yum, yum.

Have a lovely weekend.
Sheila-x-

Friday 16 March 2018

Oooooh....It's Nice!!!

The new car has just arrived home and I must say I am quite impressed. It's a Nissan Qashqai in a lovely blue/black colour. It has four wheels and it goes......that is as far as I am interested in cars.....lol.

We are fast approaching Miss Marlowe's second birthday and have an invite to a birthday breakfast on Sunday morning. Her birthday isn't until Monday but with Mummy and Daddy at work the celebrations have to be a day earlier.
I can't wait for that......my DDIL does the most amazing bacon rolls.

DD is out on Saturday night so Andy and I will have a very rare evening on our own although I am not sure if he is required for taxi services so there are no plans to go anywhere.

What about you.....any nice plans for the weekend?
Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

Thursday 15 March 2018

The Oil Man Cometh!!!

So happy that the knock on the door this morning turned out to be the oil man delivering our much needed oil. It wasn't supposed to be here until next Tuesday and we were worried about the very cold weekend we're supposed to be getting this week.

Andy can't sleep so he is up and about which means I can get the hoovering done early and no big meal to cook as DD is out with friends tonight and Andy and I decided we'd have poached eggs on toast....yummy....I do love simple meals.

The plan for the new quilt has been drawn out and I just need to cut a few more pieces to go with the rescued ones so sewing is on the agenda for this afternoon/evening.

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

Wednesday 14 March 2018

He's Not Fit To Be Let Out On His Own!!!

Andy was popping into town yesterday so I asked him to pick me up an extension lead with switches on and two or three metres in length.
He had been gone for ages when I got a phone call from to ask if the one he had found would be OK and then he casually dropped into the conversation that he had bought a car.
That was one heck of a shopping trip then.....lol.
I did know that he was wanting to change his van and he had been looking out for something but blimey Mr....I wonder what he'd say if I chucked a new food mixer in me trolley when I go shopping.
Anyway it gave us all a good laugh and I must say I will be glad not to have to go out in that flippin' van again.

We ended up with beef stew last night. Oh my word it was delicious. Plenty for tea and enough left over for two portions for pack ups which will have to be eaten today as I can't fit them in the freezer. I expect DD will be quite glad of it as it is really cold this morning.

Miss Ruby is here for tea today so I have promised her cheese burger and fries. It's not something we have very often but it's something I know she will eat and I'll do a few carrot and cucumber sticks with it for a healthy touch.

Not much to do job wise today....just a bit of laundry to finish and a tidy and hoover through before Ruby comes and then I'll find myself something to do in the sewing room.....after I have ironed the unpicked pieces from the blocks.

See you tomorrow.
Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

Tuesday 13 March 2018

Bring On The Dry Weather!!!

I am so glad that DD and I got home when we did yesterday as not long after we heard that the road had been closed. I don't know what state it is in this morning but we haven't had much more rain....yet. The clouds are looking very spiteful though and I'm sure more is on the way.
It is actually a bit warmer here today and the kitchen windows have been flung open to let in some fresh air.

My little ironing table is finished and I have set up my little station.......


Andy will be very pleased that I won't be cluttering up the kitchen worktop any longer or having the ironing board up for hours on end.
Just need to find an extension lead now as the socket is at the other end of the room.

There is a lovely pan of beef and onions braising away on the stove and I can't decide if it will be a stew or a pie. I might do a pie as we haven't had steak and onion pie for a good while.

Just a few more jobs to do and then I will be back to unpicking these flippin' blocks that didn't work out so well. It's a very tedious job and I'll be glad when it's done.

I seem to have gone off coffee for the moment so I am off for a cup of tea before I get going again.

Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

Monday 12 March 2018

Many Rivers To Cross!!!

Good grief....DD and I went into town this morning. It was raining and there was water laying on the road although not an excessive amount.
We have just come back and it's like the flippin' Ganges out there. The road is flooded all the way across from one side to the other and quite deep all the way from town.
The trouble is that even if we tried another way back there will be flooding at some point as we know from experience.
This is the first time we have done floods in little Agnes the Kia. She did good but I don't fancy doing it again any time soon.....and our weather forecast is heavy rain all week 😒
It won't matter if we don't get out again as both freezers and the apocalypse stores are full to busting so we won't starve.

Having been out for a few hours I need to get a shufty on and catch up with getting the laundry done and wash all the pots Andy has kindly left for me before he went up to bed.

Hope your day is not quite as wet and drippy as it is here.
Sheila-x-


Sunday 11 March 2018

A Special Sunday!!!

Happy Mother's Day to all you lovely Mum's out there.
I hope you are all being thoroughly spoiled, hugged and loved.

Another lazy day for me with Andy cooking my favourite lunch of roast chicken and DD offering to do my chores for me although my day is tinged with a sadness for my nephew and nieces trying to get through their first Mother's Day without Maggie. It will be hard for them.
I'll be spending time reading the papers before lunch and then getting on with reworking my quilt design to incorporate the fabrics I have already cut.
At 6pm my bum will be on the sofa ready for the Dancing On Ice final and rooting for Jake to win.....and at 8pm I will probably be bawling my eyes out at Call The Midwife.

DD is having her first four day weekend due to the shift changes at work so she will home tomorrow. I will take advantage of that and go out to do a freezer shop as we are running short on a few things and as I refuse to be dragged out for a yearly airing on Mother's Day we may take a trip to the garden centre.

Lunch is smelling absolutely gorgeous so I am off to grab the papers and a cup of coffee.
Have a lovely day.
Sheila-x-

Saturday 10 March 2018

She Made Me Do It!!!

So sorry for not posting yesterday but I was kidnapped by DD and forced into a duvet day of binge watching episodes of 24 and eating the most wonderful chicken salad.
It was a smashing day but of course I am now all behind with me jobs and will have to do a bit of catching up today.

First job will be to make a big pan of meat sauce for some lasagna which will be tea tonight and then portions frozen for other meals and pack ups and once that is bubbling away I shall have a run through with the hoover and duster.
My quilters ironing board should also get finished today and then I am going to redesign the quilt top because this new block is just not doing it for me.

Ruby called in to see me on the way home from school yesterday with a gift and cards for Mother's Day as they were starting out for a weekend in London and won't be home until later on Sunday. That rather scuppered my plans of inviting them all up for tea and cake on Sunday afternoon but never mind....we can do it some other time.

Smudge dog is at the vets this morning having yet another check up before he can get a repeat prescription for his medication. He hates going and started trembling before Andy even got his harness on so he will need some cuddles when he gets back.

.....and that is just about it for today I think.
Thank you so much for comments on my last post.
Hope you all have a great weekend.
Sheila-x-

Thursday 8 March 2018

Not Here To Stay!!!

We have had snow this morning. Huge flakes and quite heavy but thankfully it was falling onto ground already sodden by rain and was melting as it fell.
There may be more later but it will be mixed with more rain so I can't see it settling.

DD came home chilled to the bone last night and all she wanted to do was snuggle under a blanket. A quick tea of egg and chips was rustled up instead of going out and we enjoyed a nice cosy evening watching more episodes of 24.
I rather needed it after a very frustrating day of sewing using a new quarter inch sewing machine foot on the blocks of my new quilt. The blocks are coming out smaller than they should so I now have some unpicking to do and then I will go back to using my scant quarter foot which I should have stuck with in the first place.
Sometimes it just pays to stick with what you know.

Today I am waiting for DD to come home before I decide what to do for tea. She may want to go out or she may not but I do have some salad cut up ready in the fridge and there is cold meat and cheese so I'll let her make the choice.

At the moment I am in the middle of making myself a quilters ironing board. Two doors were removed and saved from a small cupboard unit that I have in the sewing room. They have been glued together and now I just need to cover them with foil and batting and then staple on some fabric for a cover.
I would have liked to have finished it today but the staple gun is in Andy's shed and I forgot to ask him to get it out for me. ......I don't go in Andy's shed.....there are spiders  in there bigger than my dinner plates😰😰😰  A job for tomorrow then.

It's after one now so I think an early afternoon cup of tea before I start sorting out these blocks.

Happy Thursday everybody.
Sheila-x-


Wednesday 7 March 2018

A Free For Me Half Day!!!

In about three quarters of an hour Andy will be fed and watered ready to go to work. I will wash his pots up and wipe around the kitchen and that will be the end of my domestic duties for the day and then it's me time until four forty five when DD gets home.
There will be sewing done today.

Last night I had a wonderful hour or so on You Tube watching ice skating videos. It started because I wanted to re-watch the French couple who were on Dancing on Ice on Sunday. They were awesome. That led to me watching their Olympic performance and then all sorts came up and I was lost. 
I finished by watching Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean dancing the Bolero in the 1984 Olympics which is my most favourite ice dance ever. It still sends tingles down my spine.
I remember sitting up until the wee small hours to watch their performance then as I didn't want to wait until the following day to see how they did.
What I can't remember is how I got through the following day with a four year old who needed to be got ready for school and a small boy who needed to be looked after all day...lol.

Right....off to feed the man and get ready for my lovely sewing session.

We have a bit of sunshine today so I hope it's nice where you are.
Sheila-x-

Tuesday 6 March 2018

Panic At Tea Towel Mansion!!!

For a few days I have had a suspicion that the sonic gauge between the oil tank and the house may not be working properly as with heavy use through the bad weather the reading didn't seem to have gone down as much as I thought it should have.
We've resorted to poking a long stick into the tank and we are quite low. An order has been placed but delivery could be as long as two weeks so heating will only be going on if it absolutely needs to so that we can save what is left for cleaning and bathing.
If the battery has gone on the unit in the tank we will have to source the correct type.....apparently from a camera shop or chemist.
Hope to gawd the bad weather doesn't turn round and come back before the oil is delivered.

No worries about being cold today as I have just worked up quite a lather giving the ground floor a good going over. Miss Ruby is due after school so I like everything to be ship shape.

It's warm enough today that I can do salad for tea with some crispy chicken wraps. It will be a lovely change from rib sticking stuff which I am heartily sick of now.

Still nothing doing on the sewing front. I don't know what is wrong with me these past few days as I really want to do this new block but can't summon up any enthusiasm.
I am hoping I may have some tomorrow now that I have cleaned through and accepted an invitation from DD to go out for tea....we'll see.

Anyhoo I do hope you are having a good day.
Thanks for the comments yesterday.
Sheila-x-


Monday 5 March 2018

Back To Brown!!!

After more rain we are now back to the brown and muddy. I daren't even stand on our lawn for fear I shall sink up to my armpits in the mud...lol.

Sunday turned out to be a lovely day until DD didn't arrive home from work at the expected time. There was a crisis which needed all available hands and she eventually arrived home at 8pm.
She didn't want the lunch I had saved for her so she is having that tonight and I will have some beans on toast.
No sewing done as I wasn't really in the mood. I am trying a new to me block and if I am not in the right frame of mind things can go badly so best to leave it.

Lots of jobs to catch up on this afternoon as I have been into town this morning. I desperately needed a new pair of slippers so popped into the new Shoe Zone in little town and got myself quite a bargain. Some styles were on offer at two pairs for £10. The ones I was buying were £7.99 so I thought it worth spending an extra £2.01 to get another pair.

I'm sneaking in a quick coffee before I get back to the jobs and the kettle has just boiled so I'll be off.

Have a good day.
Sheila-x-

Sunday 4 March 2018

Soggy Sunday!!!

We got more snow late last night but this morning it has been raining and the snow is slowly thawing so it is very soggy and wet outside.

DD is at work until tea time so it's just Andy and I for lunch. I'll put DD's up to warm up for her later.
Today we are having the third meal from a joint of beef I cooked a few weeks ago. I sliced it up and froze it in gravy so that will be heated through and served with all the usual trimmings.

Just a pottering about day in the warm. I have no desire to be out in the wet. I will cook, Andy will wash up and then he will probably watch telly while I do some sewing on a new quilt until it's time for Dancing on Ice and Midwife later on.
I do love Sunday.

Are you having a cosy day today?
Sheila-x-

Saturday 3 March 2018

Here Comes The Slushy Bit!!!

It doesn't feel any warmer but apart from where the snow has drifted thickly we do seem to be thawing a bit.
The road into town has some awesome drifts where the snow has blown through hedges and looks like marshmallows albeit filthy looking ones where traffic has splashed it with mud.
Now I have had my fix of seeing the garden all white and sparkling it can go and we'll have no more of it thank you very much.

Poor London Grandma has been stranded up here for the weekend so I didn't need to go and look after the girls today. We still visited though as we needed to go out for a bit of shopping and had a lovely hour or so listening to Marlowe singing all of the songs she knows. She is such a little bundle of fun.

Tea tonight was courtesy of the chip shop....the most beautiful piece of fish I had for ages and soon we will be settling down to watch a new film Andy picked up. Not sure it's quite my cup of tea but at least it's time spent together.

Hope you all have a lovely cosy evening.
Sheila-x-

Friday 2 March 2018

Frisky Friday!!!

Golly this wind is horrible. All the snow that has fallen is being blown into drifts and causing a few headaches for drivers on our country lanes. 
Andy has a ten minute drive to work but last night it took him half an hour. This morning DD went off in her little Kia but was soon back as she was sliding all over the place and couldn't get off the estate. She ended up taking Andy's van with it being a lot heavier and I got a phone call to say that she made it safely there.
The noise is driving me demented and making my head pound.
We are supposed to be getting more snow today....another four inches. I hope we don't.

The sewing machine got cleaned yesterday and a cover was made..........


A large shopping bag from Home Bargains which had hardly been used. Handles removed, bottom cut out and zig zag stitched across the top to keep it closed. Ten minutes to make and it cost 79p so I call that a bit of a bargain......plus I love the picture on it as it reminds me of the band of trees at the bottom of our road.

More fabric cutting today and maybe a bit of laundry.. if I feel brave enough to open the back door and go across the yard to the tumble dryer.
A nice easy tea of jacket potatoes with beans and cheese and an evening snuggled in front of the tv. I have no intentions of going anywhere today and DD will have had enough of being outside anyway. All she will want is to change into her comfy clothes and eat some hot food.

Please stay safe and keep warm.
Sheila-x-

Thursday 1 March 2018

A Day For Staying In!!!

It started just as DD and I left T***o at around 8pm last night and it hasn't stopped since so I guess The Beast isn't such a wimp after all.
It's snowing very heavily and we also have strong winds so sitting in the sewing room is rather like being inside a snow globe.
I just hope that DD is able to find some jobs indoors for her team today.

My jobs are done for the day apart from making some dumplings later for tea which means that there is some me time available. There are a couple of tutorials I want to watch on You Tube, I want to clean the sewing machine and also make a dust cover for it. It does have a very smart bag it lives in when I am not using it at all but for the moment it is out all the time and just needs something to cover it and I saw a brilliant post on Facebook showing how to make one from a shopping bag. They had used one from Joann's Fabrics (USA) which appropriately had sewing motifs on it but I don't have one of those.

Ruby arrived here for tea yesterday with a very healthy glow and dreadfully cold hands after being outside doing Forest School. Hot chocolate was offered and accepted with the biggest smile I have ever seen. The cottage pie was declared 'so yummy' and she was delivered home warm and with a full tummy. I love that little girl so much and can't wait until Saturday to spend more time with her and Marlowe.

Well enough of this chatting. I must go and make the most of this free time while I have it.

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