A short break 'with a difference.'

We thought it would be nice to have a little breakaway, somewhere not too far and by the sea with lots going on, somewhere we could take the dog with us.
We went to Ramsgate in Kent, last week.. it was raining when we got there.. it rained the next day but in spite of that,  we drove off to visit here, the harbour. We sat under the awning of a coffee shop, and I also had up my umbrella! But it was good coffee and we enjoyed looking at the quay and sitting there 'people watching.'

It wasn't warm,  but not deterred we had a walk into the town, bought some fish and chips and took them back to the cottage where we were staying. It rained all afternoon.. it did stop for a short time about 7 o'clock so we went for a walk and found the coast. But it was all cliffs so we couldn't let the dog off the lead in case she went after a seagull and charged over the cliffs. It rained Sunday too, but we found a pub outside Ramsgate which served an excellent Sunday dinner and joy of joys allowed dogs.
In fact that Sunday lunch time there were three dogs in that pub and people coming in had no idea. They were all,  like ours tucked behind one of our chairs chair and quietly lying down.

We did visit Canterbury and used the Park and Ride, Nell had problems getting on the bus, we had to hoist her on!  She is very good in towns and often people stop to pet her, she is pretty dog. We loved it there and had a very pleasant day there.

Although we had a break, Ramsgate was not for us. The town was heavily littered and quite a few shops boarded up, quite disappointing. The contrast between where we live and there was too great, our town is very clean, no litter and no boarded up shops, in fact it is thriving. Ramsgate was not what we expected, very different to where we live and we were so glad to get home. It's one saving grace in our eyes, was that it had a Waitrose where we shopped for water, as the tap water was so heavily chlorinated, tea tasted like disinfectant. And because we were often sheltering in from the rain I did a lot of knitting!

Ah well..... there is always another time when we can have a break taking the dog with us! I think it will be back to Norfolk or even just our lovely Southend on Sea, where we have been today and were too hot!

To answer your questions/ The Fibonacci sequence

The Fibonacci sequence is 1,1,2,3,5,8,13, 21,34,55... as you can see it is adding the two previous number together and when these numbers are squared and placed along side each other they make a spiral..
But don't take my word for it but search for it, the pictures are extra-ordinary.

Search for images of the fibonacci sequence and you'll  be amazed at the photos of nature that follow this sequence.

Isn't it beautiful?

Who ever designed this was amazing!

We sing a worship song... title? 

Our  God is an Amazing God!

Look what the birds gave us!

 Feeding the birds we often get seeds that seed themselves and grow in the garden. I pull them up, but DH asked that this one could grow

And isn't it a magnificant flower?

A beautuful sunflower and if you are into maths or a teacher you will know that this seed head follows the fibonacci sequence of numbers.

Some thing I taught and grew sunflowers just to demonstrate the sequence in my teaching days.

I am glad DH said to let this one grow, it is a sight to behold each morning.

. Don't you wonder how such a huge flower can grow from such a small dropped seed?

The beauty of nature can't be beaten and it's all a gift from God.

Happy Days everyone xxx

A present and happy days indeedie!!

My GD is 19 this week so I thought  I would make her a little quilted fan bag and put in some nail polish and manicure bits, as a little present..... with a cheque from Grandma of course!

And it has arrived...I have the coffee coloured 28c Linen to start this lovely design from Cath

'There are Fairies at the Bottom of my Garden'.

And because I have all the time in the world (erum!!) while I was looking for the above coffee coloured linen in that evil shop........these charts were calling me...A pretty little box, she said it was easier to make than it looked!

And I really wanted 'Dare to Dream' which was a dream catcher like this but I was outbid, so I bought this instead and I love it.

And because I was outbid on 'Dare to Dream' and I really wanted a Dream Catcher design I bid for this as well, in case I didn't get the one above and got it! So now I have two!

I saw this Celtic Lady 'Angel of  Light' and wanted it, although it took me an age to stitch 'Summer,'  this looked so pretty..and no one else wanted it so it was a bargain!

 And yes I bought a page out of a magazine, but didn't pay £4 for it,  only 90p with no charge for postage! I have the blue even weave 28c for this, so I consider it a real bargain as I don't have to buy the fabbie!LOL 

So not a mad New Year start with something new every day for 15 days,...... but a mad August of buying and wondering how on earth I am going to fit all this in, with the huge crochet blanket I am doing, 2 quilts to do, plus I have the wool to knit myself a big cardi, plus socks to knit for christmas pressies..but I only have 4 wips, so not so bad!!

. but I love all I do so I shall get going.. I think I will have to start Fairies right away!
Oh very, very Happy,  Happy Days!!!

Slow progress and a bath mat!

Thank you for all the wonderful comments on my quilt, its very encouraging. 

For those of you who said you'd like to but don't know how to get started, there are loads of utube videos that can get you started.

I am still stitching but very slowly! Too many things to do and also I have been out and about!

But my cut-thro Beach Hut is growing. I have been very naughty and bought some new charts from that evil on line shop! I will show those next time.

And I saw something like this on Pinterest so had a go myself.

Sewing a nine square block is a good way to use up scraps.

This is  bathroom mat and it works as we are using it!! 

I intend to make some more with smaller squares for the blocks so I can fit more blocks in a similar size.

It is all good practice to match corners.

Happy days

Wa-hooooo we are using my quilt!

I bought this fabric in 2001 when I moved to this house and intended to retire and quilt!
But didn't make the quilt. I had a half hearted go at it but didn't have a clue. So I found a quilting shop that did classes and I made a tote bag, then I made another tote bag and then I made one for my friend.. all this time I had this fabric in a bag! I started to do some part time teaching which meant I didn't retire till 2006 when I married my DH..
Four and a half years while I lived in Coventry, the fabric stayed in the bag... on my return to Billericay I looked up the shop where I had first gone and she had moved to a place just outside Billericay and only 7 minutes drive from me! I have not made a tote bag since!! But I started this quilt in January 2012 and finished in April 2012. I am very pleased with it, it wasn't easy but I continue to practise and make cushions as you can see in the picture. I like what I call the piano keys edging, a great way to border a quilt with only small thin scraps you have left.
 I now have another big quilt with the top all done and just have to layer it and then quilt. This the first time we have used it.. we had some colder nights and as we still had on our summer light weight duvet we needed something else on top of us..
What you can do with some tutoring is amazing!

Mayo jar, golf balls sand and coffee

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee. 
The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee.A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, " I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

“The golf balls are the important things -- your God, family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions -- things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

“The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car.

“The sand is everything else -- the small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

“Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and ‘fix the disposal’.

“Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

Is this just another ordinary day?

Some times I feel it is just another day, an ordinary day and it would be easy to sit back and let it happen. But every day is precious so .......

.... I make a list, well several lists

What to do today

Extra jobs

Long term jobs

For my DH!!

And in two days I have managed to do several extra jobs, emptied and cleaned the fridge; cleaned the up high tiles in the bathroom;  tidied and bagged all my patch work fabric in colour order, and put them in a very large under bed drawer; sorted and tidied a long narrow cupboard with 5 shelves, where we keep spare toiletries and medical supplies and our First Aid zippy bag for holidays and a First Aid kit for the car.

I have also made up a clean bed in our other double bedroom for us.. I thought we'd have a change. This bedroom faces east so we will have the morning sun to greet us; what more could we want?

So I feel good and give thanks for the energy to do these tasks, that the washing has dried and is fresh from the breeze, for my DH who made my lunch and is planning a dinner for us. 
Although some of the flowers are going over early this summer, the heat and lack of rain being the cause of this.. it is still pretty and colourful.

 We have a green house bursting with tomatoes, shiny and ripening, I look and think I did this from small seeds and I had a wonderful sense of living so I stopped and said a prayer. I didn't do God did..... Taking a breath for this pause worthy moment.. life is filled with them.. thanks be to God. Such precious moments that occur daily and in a breath are gone.

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men. that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5. 14-1

A winner is picked ... and it was forth name drawn!

And the winner is.... Inga?

This was  the first name I picked but when I went to her blog to inform her she hadn't complied  with the rules because she hadn't promoted the giveaway on her blog.

This was the same for the next two as well, so sorry Annie and Heather, I couldn't find my giveaway listed anywhere on your blogs.

 

So number 4 that came out was Cath!! Who unbelievably has found the chart I was looking for.

After looking through some of the other blogs, they too hadn't complied with the rules. Only 8 did out of 28 entries.. Sorry if you missed out, I did state that you had to promote the giveaway on your own blog..
So I hope have been fair, but rules are rules.... Saying that I have quickly checked if I had promoted Victoriamottosampler's giveaway and yes I have a link on my side bar, do have a look she has some gorgeous floss and rik-rak to give to some lucky person.

I am going to stitch the pin cushions designs that Sub Rosa gave me 'free' when I bought the Faith design, so generous of her and these will be RAKs for three of my followers.
Happy Days, with all this sunshine it's not possible to be sad!

Chris xx

Surfing ebay!

My latest buy from that evil shop.... but on looking through how can some people ask for £4 for a page out of a magazine? I have given bags of magazines away so now wonder could I have made a fortune out of selling the pages!! LOL

I was looking for a chart called 'Fairies at the Bottom of my Garden.' One of my followers is stitching this but I can't remember who.. is it you? It is in a magazine and she has said I can have it when she has finished, but I thought if  I knew what magazine it was from I could try to get it as a back
number.

If you are reading this mystery stitcher please tell me who you are!!LOL


Still time to enter for my 5th Anniversary giveaway.. leave a message here or on the previous post.

Happy Days