Such a busy bee!

Once I started this wavy crochet blanket I couldn't stop!!

Its for one of the cane chairs in my house in Essex. I absolutely love it and have been madly crocheting most evenings.

And I have stitched quite a bit of my ABC too,  I took this with me to stitch when I went to the Get Together of the Sampler's Guild group on Canvey Island. It was just 17 miles from my house and near where I used to work. The very tiny bit of stitching which is a corner of the next set of letters  is all I did there the whole day!!! We just chatted and laughed and it was a wonderful day. This group meets weekly so I shall certainly join them once we are there permanently.

And my Golden Gate Houses has had a little bit of  the back stitching done but not a lot, been too busy doing other things, I need more hours in the day!

And here is my Round Robin back. Its been to various places in England and to America and doesn't it look great. I am going to put a title on it and everyones names and then frame it.

So a very big thank you to Clare, Lynn, Jaclyn, Dusty and Tina. I love it!

I am off tomorrow to the Stitch and Stash Get Together at Nuneaton so I wonder will I get more done than I did at Canvey!
Hope you all have some thing nice to look forward to at the weekend too!

Is it really Autumn???

Today the temperature soared to 21°C, it was so warm we drove with the windows open to see Mike's son and his wife Zena and little Carter who live in Surry.
We had a very tasty carvery meal at a pub, my pud which was cherry cheese cake was delicious. Diet out the window again.
Then we went to a local park for Carter to play on the swings and climbing frames. They are expecting a new arrival in April so that was some surprising good  news.
We had a lovely day, Nell was very good, poor love was left in her cage at their house and then only had a short time loose before she was back in her cage to drive back here to Billericay. 
We are back to Coventry tomorrow, its going to be very hard to leave here, but we will soon be back for Mike'a birthday as we have the show  Chicago booked in London.

I will be top stitching the border on my autumn throw as soon as we get back and I have lots of stitching to show!

Hope you all had this brilliant weather too over the weekend, trouble is if it goes cold now it will seem worse.

Will you pass this on?

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.


My confession: I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina). Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events..... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.
Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says 'Thou shalt not kill'; 'Thou shalt not steal,' and 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay. (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide.)
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.!
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet? Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not, then just discard it . .. no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.
My best regards, honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein

Home and what I have been up to!

I am here in my house in Essex all alone and have been since thursday! Although it has been raining and the grass needs cutting I love this garden, the leaves are starting to turn Autumn colours and the crab apples are turning red too.  My friend Yvonne came thursday evening as she had two days teaching here. She and her partner have moved down south to Worthing and the invite to go to stay is very tempting. Saturday I went to a Cross Stitch meet up through the Sampler Guild of which I am a member and loved the whole day. I met some super women and wonderful stitchers. Their work was inspirational.   I can't wait till the next one in  April next year and this group meet each week so I will definitely join that.

  

This is my swish front door, it was a special design and I had forgotten how lovely it was. Not a very good photo perhaps I should have taken it from outside? It is irises, with dragon flies in the two bottom corners and butterflies in the two top ones.

And this picture is in the hall, it is my favourite I bought it in Brixham on a family holiday many years ago and it has survived three moves and suits this hall. I think this hall sold me the house, because for a three bedroom semi , it is quite spacious. The rest of the house was awful when I first looked around back in 2001. But I could see the potential and of course with the old concrete garage pulled down it opened up the garden and thats a nice size too, not too big and not small. To those friends who say it will be too big when I am older??? Poofff I shall spend my pensions on a gardener!
And what have I been doing all this time by myself? Well..... I ordered this yarn and had it delivered here!

to do this.......

A wavy ribbly throw for this old chair in the kitchen! I have three of these old cane chairs all waiting for me to do them up! All different, my son got them for me when he had his furniture shop. When he delivered new beds he always took the customers old one away and sometimes they asked could he dump other furniture as well, ( I think for the price of  a pint!! LOL) And the chairs came to me.
This chair is in my kitchen as it is such a lovely room, I had it all built and done in 2005. It is beautiful and I love it. I had forgotten how much I loved this house. It took three years to get it straight, I had it stripped and completely re-plastered, new windows, new doors, and decorated  and then when all that was finished I had the kitchen and down stairs loo built so more mess but all worth it... and a soon as it was done. I had a new bathroom.... so even though it has been leased out for four years it still looks good. Some carpets have had to be replaced and my raspberry pink one which is all down stairs and hall, stairs and landing looks good after its professional clean.
So I feel at home.. and very, very happy.
I have missed Mike and Nell as well.  In the past each day when I came home, I always had a dog to greet me, so a bit strange walking into an empty house. Mike is arriving this evening so I best get my party frock on and rustle up some thing good for dinner; I have planned coq-au-vin, which I haven't cooked for a while, so hope it goes ok!
I shall post stitchy pics next time, they have all made progress.
Happy days everyone, and thank you for all the lovely comments onmy autumn leaves throw, I am trying to catch up on blog visiting.

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!