A very proud moment and happy dances all around!

I have finished my autumn throw for the conservatory settee. It was extremely difficult and I nearly gave up as each part of the leaves were different colours and there were triangles every where!! LOL It is only the second quilt I have made so not for new learning quilters. The border is sewn on but I still have to catch stitch the back. Although it is far from perfect I am extremely proud of it, and it looks lovely on the settee. I think it might have to be a Christmas one too, although by January I should have finished quite a few of my projects so I might make some thing in bluey colours.

I bought the fabric at the NEC quilting show in August, which was very reasonable, all  fat quarters. One thing is I have learnt a lot making this, and it's as I said before, you can read the books, watch videos, listen to other peoples experiences and advice on how to quilt, but you have to have a go yourself to really learn how to sew it!

I am now back to my cross stitching although having seen Hazel's stripy crochet blanket, I have ordered the yarn!!

So its your fault Hazel that even though I have loads of cross stitch on the go, I am now starting a crochet project!

Happy stitching or quilting or knitting or crocheting everyone!

(Just remembered that I have socks on the go too for Christmas pressies!)

A disappointing read.

This book has had me so frustrated, there were too many characters I lost the plot a few times as the characters  switched from one to the other telling the story. Good basic story line of SIDs (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)  It is told from the view point of Fliss who is a TV producer making a programme about three women who have been imprisoned for killing their babies and then years later acquitted.
Having read 'Little Face' by the same author which I loved and was intrigued by the clever plot, I bought this one. But at least it gives me ideas of how not to write as I am determined to hit those Asda book shelves with my own writings!! erum! Asda because it has the highest turn over of books, would you believe and like it was once thought if your record was chosen to be sold in Woolies, you had made it. It seems the same is thought about books and Asda!
I read in bed each night and this book did not make me want to read it, so I didn't feel that excitement I usually do when I am reading a good book and can't wait to get to it. It was a bit like reading a book chosen by my book group that I didn't like, but persevered because it was the book group!
So I was very disappointed, as usually when I find an author I like, I read everything they have written, this means unless Sophie Hannah's next book enthralls me she is off my lists!
Now I am reading Jodi Piccoult (Author of My Sisters Keeper) and many others. This new one is supposed to take a different format to her others, in that it is not a court case, so I hope  I like it! I have read everything else she has written, so I hope I like 'Picture Perfect!'

Autumn Days

I had a walk around the garden this morning just talking photos of the last signs of summer.

I love the nasturtiums they always bloom right up to the frosts so do the rudbeckia. The one shown here is a seedling that wasn't transplanted and has flowered small still in the seed tray . The sunflower seeded itself from the bird seed; mine have long flowered and the seed heads are all hanging there now for the birds. And these are just some of the last of our tomatoes in the green house, although we still have loads outside and have picked about 16 pounds already.

DH has already made some chutney and I shall make more before the weekend.

My favourite lunch is fried tomatoes on toast with smoked bacon!

It seems tomatoes are supposed to be good for your skin so with  the number I am eating I am expecting to go back in time to have skin of a twenty year old!

I am still writing and spent a lot of sunday printing off stories and I finished off my writing course assignment for this month.

Here they are all ready to post and in fact they are at this minute winging their way to various magazines!
Watch out  JKR here I come!! LOL
Lots to do this afternoon I am having a card making session as the ribbons I ordered have arrived.

They look so lovely I could look at them all day and not do anthing with them!

And from my bimble round the garden early this morning I picked these...

And these have put me in the best of moods all day, so I have cleaned and tidy and done a load of washing and the house looks as though it has been cleaned, I feel we look swish!
Happy days all... tra-la-la-la-la I am singing my way through the day!

Winter garden clear up and a ready meal!

I have started the winter clear up of the garden by sorting out the patio pots.

All the pelagoniums and fuscias are potted up ready to go into the green house for the winter and some in the conservatory.

I left the  hanging basket as it is still blooming beautifully albeit set on a bucket.

Mike cut the grass, weeded and sorted the raised salad bed and our herb patch.

We spent a good four hours out there yesterday and it shows, so I am pleased with our efforts.

It was a real autumn day and the sun was quite warm, there was that lovely autumny scent in the air too.

I want to freeze the parsley this year so we'll have some fresh in winter soups.

We finished just as the rain started and then had our Tesco's Indian meal which was delicious!
Just served it out of the containers, bombay potatoes. chicken tikka masala,  chicken korma,with pilau rice and naan bread... some thing I love! It was so nice to have a ready meal after working so hard and no pans to wash!

Not quite the diet but it's a one off!!
Today, Sunday, its dreary and wet, and definitely cooler. Autumn has really arrived. I do hope we don't have another winter like last year I just couldn't face all that snow again, I hardly went out when it was around, as since having my knee op I am terrified of falling over, although I did once, but in the house and my knee was fine, but I worry all the time.
I have had a lot of hip pain and had a Dr appointment just before we went away two weeks ago and he diagnosed bursitis and gave me a cortison injection. It wasn't too bad and the anti-inflatory tabs have helped so I walked a fair bit on holiday pain free!
Today I think a relaxing day and I need to make some cards, which I am looking forward to... hope all you lot are having a happy crafty day too!

A week away in Norfolk

We spent last week in Sheringham, Norfolk and it was a truely lovely week.

Sheringham is a pretty little town with lots of small shops and a lot of fish and chip shops and of course Italian ice-cream!

I think I have put on pounds!

We mooched around the town several days and I bought some very pretty mugs and fudge! Which is my favourite. LOL

One very sunny day we sat and watch the sea front activities and the sea

Then ate a pub lunch outside which was delicious, except DH nearly didn't have his, as we had Nell with us under the table.

We were both slightly distracted and suddenly she popped up between Mike's legs and nearly had his crab salad off his plate. It caused quite a ripple of laughter from fellow diners!

This is the theatre which has a very active rep. We might have gone if the weather was poor but it was much too nice to stay inside.

 

We stayed in a very comfortable and well equiped house which wasn't too far from the main high street so easy to walk into and back eating an ice cream One day I had vanilla and turkish delight, absolutely delicious. Why do all the most yummy things have so many calories??? LOL

Most mornings we had coffee in a little promanade cafe and then after a walk around, lunch back in the garden of the house where we stayed.
When we didn't go out in the evenings I stitched,so my 'ABC' and my 'Golden Gate Houses' so both  have made progress...will show these on another day.

HMS Ganges Navy training Base

Driving back to Essex we stopped at Shotley Gate a small village on the river Orwell which is where Mike first went as a 15 year old in the Navy. We had a super two hours, as there was a museum there with a lot of memorabilia of HMS Ganges which is what the base was called. We met some one who was on one of Mikes Fleet Air Arm Squadrons in the early  1970's and athough they didn't recognise each other, well it was over 35 years ago, they did remember each other. They were both excited to see some one they knew from such a long time ago. Photos were taken and email addys swapped. I loved seeing it all through Mike's eyes. There were all the different unbiforms he wore and photos of their mess huts and rooms. It made his day going back there, first time he has and like a lot of us going back to some where when we were younger, he thought it all looked smaller. A great day for him and me.

Now we are back here in Billericay and tomorrow the carpet cleaner arrives and an aerial man to fit a new aerial.The bath was repaired before we went away so we are slowly getting sorted here and it is beginning to look like home again, after four years of being rented out.

A bountiful and fruitful harvest

We eventually picked 59 pounds of damsons from that little Woolworth's tree bought 5 years ago.

So we have wine nurdling under the stairs (two demi johns!) plus damson cheese (jam) and stewed damsons and frozen damsons too!

As well as that today, I have been very busy processing green tomatoes. Mike picked what was in the allotment which was 21 pounds!! So I have made two different types of chutneys plus some green tomato marmalade which I had never heard of but found the recipe on the internet.
Mike did some pickled green tomatoes so once again our pantry shelves are full of home made produce.

Having cooked all day and I have just  cleared up in the kitchen, I think I will sleep well tonight!

It's been a good day and we have enjoyed chopping up the fruit and measuring and weighing everything together.

At least we will have plenty of chutney for all that cold meat at christmas time!

Thinking of Christmas, we will soon be making our christmas cakes!