So what have you done today???

I have done the two socks and one and a half shoes!!!...that's all I have stitched today, the reasons being I have spent the day with the Canvey branch of the Sampler Guild. I have had a lovely day, laughing, chatting and looking at some amazing work. Beautiful stitching, beautiful samplers, and amazing bags and super friendly ladies. And so talented too, I am in such awe of them, but it makes me want to do a lot more..
So I am screaming again, more hours in the day, more time, more time! LOL
So thank you to the ladies who sorted out the lunch (it was a bring and share) made cups of tea and kept us happy all day. I can't wait for the next one.. Next April I believe, roll on April.

Happy stitching all  

Chris xx

Getting back to how it was!

My garden is beginning to look a little like it used.. but so slowly! During the  four years of being in the hands of tenants the weeds had taken over and it has taken a while to clear the tangle of brambles and celandine. The slowness is due to me, it has been difficult. I have been able to plant up a new bit of garden in front of the small trees. I am pleased I made the effort the other week. It may look bare in places but I am willing the perennials to bush out and I will add to them in the spring.

There are still daffodil bulbs to plant, but when we had that wonderful Indian summer, it was too hot! How could it have been too hot in October? I am not worried about getting the last of the bulbs in, when I worked full time I planted them on Boxing day as it was the only day I had free time!

When people were saying it was too hot I kept quiet after last winter’s snow, the longer it is, before winter sets in suits me best.

My little shed has had a new coat of paint and looks as good as new. The nastursiums bordering the flower bed were all planted this summer, just so I could have some colour. We have sat out here each day for morning coffee and afternoon tea and when it gets chilly we will sit in the conservatory and look at it all, just a small piece of heaven..

A book cover!

I started this on tuesday and last night put in the final stitches.
It's a note book cover for my friend's birthday in December, so I am pleased to have got it done well in advance. She doesn't blog or even is that interested in computers so quite safe to show it here. I make her some thing every year and I saw this in a book and had a go!
The applique work was quite hard to do, well fiddly and I had two goes at the cat!
The note book its self is a 'catty' one with a different cat in each page. She loves cats

 Hope you recognised the suffolk puffs as the flower heads!

To make this now was all part of my Autumn promises, so I have now completed 5 of them, but failed on promising to not buy a book! It was 'The First Wife' by Emily Barr, who is
was my favourite author. This latest book was rubbish compared to her others, very disappointing.
Ah well at least I helped W H Smith's monthly profit as I haven't bought a book at the full price for some time.
I am now on my Christmas ornies.. 3 down 7 to go!!
Thank you for all the lovely comments about my ripple blanket, they are very much appreciated and a spur to try new things.
Happy stitching everyone..

My September finish.... A mammoth task!!!

I have finished my ripple blanket!! Wa-hooooo I decided it would be my September finish of one of my projects and here it is.

Each row took me 45 mins to crochet so quite a few hours have gone into this but I am well pleased with it.

Since then I have made the granny square cushion to go with it. The joins aren't too good at each corner so I am going to put a crochet flower and button on each. I also intend to do a crochet border to finish it off.

It does look cosy on the little settee in the conservatory, I just have to keep Nell off it as she likes to sit out there in the sun.

When I have crocheted the border, I am starting my birthday  present for my friend.

Cross stitching has had to take a back seat for a while but I will soon be back to it as I want to stitch some more Christmas ornies. I think I have five more to do.

Its only 11 weeks away!

Happy Stitching everyone.

Hugs  

South Pacific

Yesterday I had the most amazing day.. I attended a singalong of the show South Pacific. It was thoroughly enjoyable and I will certainly be signing up for another one I enjoyed it so much. There were about 80 plus people there and the two women who teach these days were wonderful, so talented.

If you fancy a singalong here is the original film and Mitzi Gaynor, wasn't she wonderful....

South Pacific - A Wonderful Guy (Sing-along) - YouTube
	www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMO72_TF9JY You +1'd this publicly. Undo 14 Aug 2007 - 3 min - Uploaded by rafizztube "A Wonderful Guy" sung by Mitzi Gaynor from the musical South Pacific. Sing-a- long version.

	"A Wonderful Guy" sung by Mitzi Gaynor from the musical South Pacific. Sing-a- long version. Just Click on the title and sing away and Enjoy!!! Hugs

What you can do when you're retired!

Yesterday when DH had a phone call to say his work meeting was to be put back a week... we decided to take advantge of the wonderful weather 29°C and off we went  to Southend, and there were more people there than we have seen in the summer months! People were swimming and the beach was crowded! We went to Rossi’s for ice cream and the queue was so long DH waited for 10 mins! I managed to get us a seat in the outside area and it was lovely, sitting there in the sun and eating ice cream! Nell loved it too as we always give her a bit! We walked along the prom and although there was a strong breeze it was warm,  just like being abroad!

Then we sat on a bench and watched the sea come right in, the seagulls riding the waves, people walking past and the enjoyed the warm sunshine.

Something that amused us and several other people was an altercation between two drivers. One pulled out of the parking space (they are all in the middle of the road) and so a car coming along had to stop to let him out, then the car driver that stopped, tooted his horn and gesticulated as if to say move along... wow if he did. The other driver stopped got out and started a fight, his wife was trying to get in between them and stop it. We were absolutely gob smacked so were several other people walking past and as they got back in their cars, a woman watching said to us.. 'you can see it all in Southend!'  LOL What a laugh, but so silly of both the men. When we went to drive off, a car gave way for us and was quite happy for us to drive off in our own time, thank goodness!

We got home about 5:30 and got our evening meal right away, cold lamb and SW chips and peas and it was gorgeous, we were both hungry! Then when we sat down to watch TV I went to sleep, didn’t even feel myself go! I missed Eastenders and I woke about 9 but dozed and went to bed at 10 and we have both slept all night. Just shows what fresh sea air can do!

It was such a lovely afternoon, just what you can do when you’re retired!