Dealing with it!

This pic sums up how I think... it was really, really nice of some of my readers to email me and and explain why they reacted as they did about that award but honestly I wasn’t hurt, just wanted to state my opinion about it all.


I have learnt through life that some things are best let go. It took me a long time to learn this, and I think for quite a while I was in the ‘special needs group’ learning to deal with some things. But I now feel I have the ‘Pass’ qualifications.

There are lots of things I don’t like in my life but I am ‘dealing’ with it all.

I am living here although I would love to be in my own home, I am now resigned to being here to support my dh and he is a darling, so I must for this point in time live here in the West Midlands. I feel I can just about cope with it all some days but guess what........ it’s not for ever! So rebuffs about an award are nothing to me and I loved offering it and I loved receiving it... so QED!
And my thought for today is....

'Each moment is a new beginning, make your next one count.'

A visit to the NEC

If you ever go to a NEC hobby craft exhibition be sure to watch out for the card makers tsunami with their trolleys! Wow they were everywhere! I didn’t need a trolley and I only bought a few things for card making; I enjoyed all the demos and watched with amazement as seemingly ordinary looking women produced cards with so many different elements and techniques that I felt my usual efforts of a bit of different piece coloured card trimmed with one of those crinkly scissors, a stick on pic.and a ribbon was paltry compared to what they were making. I wouldn’t have the patience to do so many things to produce just one card, nor the time.

This I chose with my Ladies Group birthdays in mind.

The beads are to make some more scissor fobs, the photo isn't good enough to see but they are pink, mauve and purple pearl beads, very pretty I thought.

And these rubber stamps just blew me away... cake cards are just me! They are not on a wooden base, but you stick them on the white card thing pictured behind the stamps. They then had them stuck on perspex but too costly for me so  I shall sort something out myself. And I couldn't not buy some double sided sticky tape always useful.  I bought with different needs in mind and am well pleased with my buys.
Now to get round to make the cards!!

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I did succumb to one cross stitch kit, I saw it and thought. ‘oh yes,’ I must have that but didn’t buy it as I have an ever increasing stash and time is the element I fight for. It was when DH and I had spilt up and I was in the Sewing and Stitching area  by myself, that I saw it, which by that time my leg was saying... SIT down! I couldn’t find the way out and nearly resorted to sitting in front of a young chap demonstrating a sewing machine, which I don’t need as I have an all singing all dancing Husquarva. I found Mike and we found some seats which I really, really needed, walking round for nearly two hours had done my knee in! So chatting to him we decided to go back to look for the kit. I hadn’t made a note of the number of the stall, so I thought if we find it I am meant to buy it and here it is!

I love it but have decided not to start it until I have finished my Rose Swalwel ‘Winter’ design.
So watch this space I shall have smoking needles and making progress on it this coming week!

I did thoroughly enjoy the day and am looking forward to the August Quilting one when I might just get myself a trolley, fabric is much heavier than card making materials!!

This is a post script to my Awards post... how strange that some of those to whom I gave the award wouldn't take it because of viruses??? If like me you have paid (and quite a bit I might add)  for an anti-virus package, then no way could you get a virus from a posted picture.

Every few days when I go to log onto my blogs my anti-virus program pops up and tells me my blogs are  safe sites.

I shall chose my blog award friends even more carefully should there be a next time. I was very disappointed by some of the comments.

And for those of you who have had negative comments? Well you can't please everybody all of the time is my outlook on life.

Sunshine Award!

I have had this lovely award from Belinda who is the cross stitch designer of Blue Ribbon designs which we all know are beautiful and irresistible, if your resolve is not to increase your stash then avoid looking at her designs because you will have to buy one, they are amazing!

So I feel greatly honoured to receive this from her,This is her blog and if you haven't visited her blog, you should make the time to visit! Blog: Samplings from a Blue Ribbon Girl: It is amazing, she is so creative.

I have stitched ‘Between the Lines’ and I made up the ‘Hugs and Kisses’ into the needle case, scissor case and fob as my blogoversary pressie last year.
Thank goodness this award doesn’t ask me to list things about myself otherwise I would have had to told you about????? Now that would be telling!
One thing I can say I am the sort of person who believes..........

"Carpe diem! Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is later than you think."~ Horace
I am told this award is for bloggers who inspire others with positivity and creativity. The rules for accepting the award are:

1. Put the logo on your blog or within your post.

2. Pass the award to 12 bloggers.

3. Link the nominees within your post.

4. Let them know they received this award by commenting on their blog.

5. Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

It was very difficult to chose just twelve as I have 'met' such wonderful women through blogging who I think of as friends. You all are amazing and have given me a lift on my grey days and encouragement like no one can know. and now I have met some men too through the Magpie Tales writing blog.
So, here are my twelve nominees ..all of who are positive and creative with their blog posts...all of whom inspire me!

Julie
Barb
Clare
Connie
Claire
Michelle
Sue
Parsley
Sandra
Lindsay
Strawberry Jam Anne
Peggy
Anyone who reads my blog do pop along and visit these, they are wonderful women and write such inspiring blogs, with creative stitching, quilting and paintings.
When I think.....' Its a Wonderful  Life,'  it is these women for me who make it so!

A day in the Simple Womans Daybook

One Day in the Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window...Daffodils are in bud, . Dare I believe that spring has indeed arrived and cold weather will not return? It's raining today but something we needed.

I am thinking...about my planted seeds some of which have germinated and how the garden will look in the summer with all the flowers.

I am praying... for peace of mind as it looks like I will not be returning to my home town in Essex in the summer after all, as after 14months of no work at all, Mike has been offered work here. This is so hard for me as I was counting the weeks.

I am thankful for...a relaxing Saturday at home with Mike, real coffee in the conservatory and some stitching

From the kitchen.. Dried fruit soaking in cold tea to make a fat free tea loaf, one piece each with our afternoon cups of tea!

I am wearing...My grey fleck skirt and just my rose coloured jumper, a few weeks ago that would have been two jumpers.

I am creating..a new writing for Magpie Tales which is a box of nails! What will I write??? Haven't a clue.

I am going... to try to do better with blogging. And reply to the lovely comments I receive, so must try harder

I am reading...  Suite Francaise by Iréne Némirovsky...There is nothing that makes me quite so happy as a well-written, engaging novel on my bedside table to look forward to after a long day, but at the moment the book I am reading is for the U3A reading group and is a translation from the French and while it is quite a pleasant read I have had to back track as there were so many french family names I lost track of who was who, I am sure once I really get into it will be fine!

I am hoping...that I will get back into  losing weight again I seem to have lost the enthusiasm.

I am listening to...Radio 2 'Sounds of the 60s' Sounds from my youth!

Around the house... Everything is tidy and clean from my very good clean on Thursday, so a nice easy day.

One of my favourite things... My stitching..... and I have started my Rose Swalwel design which is 'Winter' and I have my next Round Robin piece which is Clare’s.. Mine has moved on to its next stitcher, so exciting.

A few plans for the rest of the week:  I am one of the Welcoming persons at church tomorrow so must be early. Hair trim on Tuesday and Nell for her yearly innoculations, Slimming Group on Wednesday, then on Thursday we have planned to go the Nec to the Hobby Craft exhibition which I am really looking forward to, Friday I have the Freedom in Christ course with my church group, so a fun filled week!!

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Spring has sprung!

There are definite signs of spring... at last.. I don’t think I have ever known such a long and very cold winter. For the first time ever I have worn jumpers and cardigans at home and my short-sleeved jumpers never saw the light of day until today! The sun has shone for several days although we have risen to a white frosted lawn for this last week and that chill was still in the air early morning.
Not that Nell noticed she raced out each morning chasing these little fellas! Although one could be a girl as we have watched high jinks in the trees with one chasing the other, so may be little ones around soon.

Here she is on squirrel watch! She is now one year old as her birthday was March 3rd. She still needs lots of training but compared to how she was even a few months ago, she has improved. Hasn't she got big, she weighs 19 pounds and quite a lump to carry. We are off to look at kennels next week as she will have to go into one for when we are away for my son's wedding end of April.

At ground level the snow drops are as white as white and the daffodils are showing buds. Thank the Lord spring has sprung!

On the stitching front I have nearly finished the Wedding Sampler for my son and his fiance, and will show this when it is framed.
I now have the dizzy delemma as to what to stitch next??? Such an array of charts and kits to chose from.  I think I will start that Winter design by Rose Swalwel and that little Flower one that Gaynor sent..

As well as those I will do my monthly bit to my Summer Celtic Lady and will stitch the next Round Robin which I think will be Clare's and coming all the way from Dusty in US. Jaclyn has stitched mine and I think it has been posted to Tina, so quite exciting to think my stitching will have gone half way round the world before it gets back to me late summer!

We have been extremely busy and have decorated our conservatory. This is quite a feat for us as we are not DIY people and so we are amazed and delighted as to how good it looks! Its a pale lemon and all the cracks from where it was new and settling have been expertly filled and sanded by me and DH has painted. So we are well pleased. Perhaps we might be tempted to do the hall stairs and landing although that does seem rather a lot for us!!!  LOL
Hope everyone else is feeling the full of zest and the joys of spring.
Happy Stitching all

opps correction

My lovely pillow was from Lindsay I sent to Lucy!!

An exchange present, a swap and progress

This is the beautiful long pillow I received from Lucy in Exchange Heaven

Its LHN Paperwhites and

is gorgeous.

She also included some stitchy pattern fabric which is very, very nice indeed and as well as those a scented thread.. Lily of the Valley and it does indeed smell of them.

So I was delighted.. thank you Lucy your parcel couldn't have come at a better time.

Then I saw this Butterfly in Gaynors swap shop and immediately had to send her stuff for a swap.

I love it and wouldn't mind the other two as well, but I have so much to stitch I don't think I would have time or the space to hang them.  Although on that tasty programme 'Come Dine With Me' when looking around one of the participants houses, her down stairs loo walls were covered in pics and I thought ah.... I could do that with little cross stitch pics in my house in Essex.  The stairs there have a window at the top, so very light and so the outside wall would be perfect for hundreds (well about twenty) finished LHN designs I have quite a few completed now and intend to do a few more. Gaynor also included this absolutely lovely Bent Creek design called Smell the Flowers. I can't wait to stitch it..

And yes I know this looks like a limp rag but I have picked it up and put it down so many times this week as I just couldn't concentrate but I am going to work on this totally in the evenings this weekend,

so it could be a finish next week!

It the Wedding Sampler for my son and his fiancé Tracy..The wedding is end of April so plenty of time...

I must thank you for all the comments and messages I have had this week about Mo, it is so hard to believe..

Her family must too be having difficulties coming to believe what has happened.

But they are in our prayers and each member of my Ladies Group has written a tribute to her which I will email to her husband and daughters.

Good bye to a friend and fellow stitcher

This is Mo, Christian, wife, mother, grandmother, friend, stitcher, quilter and crafter.

She was a faithful member of the Ladies Group 12Friends that I run and have done for seven years.

She always mailed into the group at least once a day, some times twice or even more.

She was supportive, loving, kind and full of fun and brought a caring nature to the group.

Always there with good advice and prayers for any who needed it.

Here she is a very proud gran.... they will miss her most dreadfully as will we.
I think we are all still in shock, it was so sudden..
We will miss you Mo and me especially, a good friend. Although I never met her, when someone  writes to you every day about their daily happenings, you know them and all their family.
Now, no doubt she is in God's arms and safe, but what a hole in our hearts she has left behind.
Such a sad time.

St Davids Day Memories

Today its March 1st St David’s Day.. it holds some very happy memories of when I was little and I was dressed in a welsh costume for school. The morning was spent in singing and poetry reading and then we were given the afternoon off.

In the morning break time all the girls paraded around with our skirts swirling. I can remember untying and retying my black and white checked  shawl I loved it so much. I think my daffodil pinned to it looked a sorry state by lunchtime. I wonder how I kept the tall hat on but thinking about it, I would have had some very strong elastic holding it in place.

My Aunt made me the costume and I wore it originally with a long skirt and then as I grew it become a short skirt! But it was beautiful and the very full petties under it made it stick right out. I thought I was the ‘bees knees’ in it !

The boys of course came dressed as St David with shields and wooden swords and many a clash of swords could be heard throughout playtime. Happy times and memories, I sometimes wonder where all those little girls are today, well they’d be old like me for a start, but do they remember those times too with a fondness that could bring tears to their eyes, just like me?

I have got some photos of me somewhere, so I am just posting this to show the costume; this could have been me.

Anyone else have memories of school days of many years ago?