September

I have suddenly realised that this is the last day of September... Joanne was 44 on the 26th (Linda, my friend was 61!) so I feel old!

Well some days I do anyway, but there is a light because Saskia is coming to stay the last week of October as her school has two weeks at half term and she would be home alone.. Yvonne has asked if she can stay too at that time so two visitors!.

My Autumn Hanging

I loved stitching this and popped in little extras like the mouse and the bees and the apple... The hanger I had from Debbie Cripps so might get some more as it was just the right size.

Wow Alone!

We are alone both girls have flown the nest and yesterday was the first day Mike was home having finished at Atritor, we sat and chatted and had coffee before we both did a bit of catch up cleaning! He blitzed the kitchen and me the bathroom, so we were gleaming by the time we sat down for lunch…
Then we popped the Dunelm Mill and bought some new pillows for us, so with a lovely clean bed last night and working hard doing the house work we both slept like logs!
Although in the late afternoon my knee was bad, I think I stood too long doing the bathroom and then walking around looking at the bits and pieces at Dunelm Mill, it was horrendously painful! Must be more careful with it!
Mike did a lovely steak meal and we had a glass of Blackberry wine, and it was very nice too!
I think we are going to like this being alone!
The pic this morning are the last of the cosmos all very over grown now, still we have all winter to get the garden straight!

Scrolling Effect!

Today has been a stitch-a-holic day as I have received a beautiful biscornu from Tara and I am still stitching my hanging for Iris... so no time to cook, wash or clean... just gotta keep stitching!

Friday and the sun is shining

This is the garden at the beginning of the year.. a bit over grown now.....

........Yvonne thought it looked wonderful but she would say that knowing how I feel about gardening and not having been able to do much since my op. I forgot to say that she had stayed last week, and once she went the days have dragged. I think I will have to visit her. It was months before we had seen each other. It was nice to have her here I had forgotten how nice to have a friend around and she is so patient as I walked so slowly!
She took me out craft shopping which was lovely and so good to do it with a friend. Some good news about SW I got the fruit basket for Slimmer of the week even though I only lost ½ pound as the big loses were from people who had either missed last week or had put on last week! I am as Mary says just chipping away at it! Now lost 1 pound in two weeks!
I would love to lose 2 pounds this week so I am writing everything down…
Must get on with my Autumn Exchange today, I would like it finished by Monday!

Writing Group

This morning I felt full of beans! Monday did me the power of good and also I had coloured my hair so went to the hair dressers this morning and had it done!
Having successfully driven on Monday I drove off to my Writing Group meeting today and once again to escape from the house was wonderful. It was wonderful to see Jean, Elaine and Lisa… Debi is recovering from a hysterectomy.. Ian nor Jana was there but there was still enough there of us to have a good discussion on Writing ones Own life Story. Elaine did well to try to keep us on track but chatting persisted as per usual. They all congratulated me on my letter being published in Gardeners World Magazine and I told them how my friend Linda in Cambridge had bought the magazine and read the letter, recognised it was from me and then phoned to say, ‘Wow read your letter in G W Magazine!’ I am famous!!
I must find a way of incorporating my successful letters into this blog, there is so much I leave out… like all the cross stitch I have done in the last 3 months, as for most of that time I have been laid up with this knee, Saying that today driving in the car it was like there was nothing wrong with my knee, it was only getting in and out of the car and walking that it was painful!

Driving at last!

Monday 15th.... this is week 9 after my op, I am fed up of being in and listen to the whines of those who can go out but chose to stay in, so after lunch I decided I'd go out in my car! I thought about it all morning and so as soon as Mike went after lunch I said bye to Kathryn who panicked! Asked if I was alright and did I want company????

It was wonderful I got in my Cleo and she started right away even though she has been standing outside the house for 5 weeks,,, We used her the first few weeks with Mike driving me.... the sun was shining, I had the window open, no AC for me...... I like the wind in my hair... then I went to 'The Range,' bought some white cards so christmas is sorted and had a coffee and a piece of carrot cake!
Then on to Tescos and bought myself some bed socks, 2 books, a Jodi Picoult that I haven't read and 'The boy in Striped Pyjamas' and some pencils for writing as I love propelling ones... so I really enjoyed myself!
Sad or what but it was a lovely free feeling, just like when I first moved here, when the girls really got to me I used to hop in my car and buzz off!

Garden

Sunny today! Saturday we went to Blooms and I have bought some pansies for our winter patio pots.. I managed to clear the very over grown petunias and busy-lizzies and pelagoniums and Mike helped me sweep up. I was struggling by the end but I am pleased that I have done as much as I have.. just a bit more and it will be tidy for winter. Today I want to pot up the pelagoniums for the green house and plant some bulbs in the pots.

Early sunday 14th September
I had a wonderful couple of days with Yvonne here, it made me realise how living here has downed my spirits and how I long to have friends near. She took me to The Range on tuesday so I was able to buy a whole lot of card stuff and have started my Christmas cards... I struggled a bit walking round and I had to sit in the cafe section for a while as my knee was so painful, still it meant we had a lovely coffee and chatted even more. She is so patient because I walked so slowly and getting back to the car was agony. It taught me one thing I can't go out by myself alone yet!

Then wednesday we went to visit Penny Yvonne's cousin Kevin's wife as Kevin was in work. She does this massage and gave Yvonne a treatment as Yvonne wants to do a course to do the same.
If Yvonne can get on the course it is near here at the end of Octaober and she has asked could she stay here, which would be wonderful! A whole five days!

W e had lunch at Penny's which was delicious, lots of tasty bits including home made bread and humous!
Diet went out the window, but it had already as Yvonne had brought her home bread and her fruit bread which is very very yummy. I was afraid to go to SW on thursday to be weighed but I had stayed the same which was a relief!

Back to the food plan this week with renewed effort!

September

Here we are in September, it has been cold and damp already..and some leaves are starting to change colour.

Our garden has had a definite Autumn smell and my summer tubs are overgrown and ready to be changed.

I think I 'll just have a couple as it seems such a lot to do and my knee is still not 100%

I am walking about the house without my stick but after an hour of house work my knee starts to give me pain and it is still uncomfortable at night.

We are not sleeping that well as Mike is now into count down of finishing his job, so we have had middle of the night cups of tea... so all a bit stressful. I am sure something will come up and he has been given details of Engineer Support jobs, so that seems helpful.

I don't think the girls really understand what it means that their father will not have an income!

But some good news for me, Yvonne wants to come and stay for a couple of days, so a friend to stay.... yiphee!