Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone and I hope 2016 will be a year of good health, laughter and joy... and if you're like me, it will be the year you keep to the food plan and lose that extra weight!!
Usually I post all the craft work I have completed in the year in this last post, but this year broken arm stopped 'play!!'
But I am determined to get back into stitching so if anyone is hosting a WIPs finishing group or you know of someone hosting one please let me know. 
I have to say a big thank you to all you lovely bloggers, that have left comments over the year to wish me well and that my arm will heal, I can't say  thank you enough, they all gave me such a lift.. thank you to the moon and back!! I love you all......
A very Happy 2016

XX

Happy Christmas all, the little play is delightful.

 

An Unexpected Christmas - YouTube or Photo Display ...

www.morefm.co.nz/An-Unexpected-Christmas/tabid/94/...

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An Unexpected Christmas. This is so adorable! ... The Best Christmas Card You'll See This Year; OMG! GALLERY: Home Alone stars Then vs Now. A Look Inside Santa ...
 

Happy Christmas all and hope 2016 will be your best year ever.. I am hoping my arm will continue to get better. I did last evening for the first time was able to eat my yogurt with a spoon in my right hand!! yeh!!

Love to all you peeps that have visited my blog over the last year, especially as I haven't been that active but typing left hand is very slow.

Wishing you all the happiest of Christmasses and a Healthy 2016.

Chris xx

If the link doesn't work, just search for you tube.. an unexpected Christmas.. well worth it

Hurrah I did it!

I managed to knit the last two pairs of socks.. it was an effort but here they are. These for #3 grandchild, opps young person!

  And these for my grand daughter.. I really like this colour and bought some plain pink to match up with the self patterning yarn to make a pair for myself.

The yarn I used was Drops Fabel sock yarn, 75% wool, 25% polyamide, so they can be machine washed.

And here they are my three growing up fast grand children, who are wonderful, of course!

My grand daughter, BSc... starts her first job in the new year, she is thrilled and so are all of us, although she kept her Saturday job in Waitrose all through her University years, so she knows the world of work..

Happy Days

xx

 

 

What a horrible day!

I had a horrible day yesterday.

Every other Monday DH drives to Coventry to see his aging parents, especially as his 93 year old dad, who has been very ill. DH's mum phoned at quarter past one to ask if DH had been in contact because he hadn't arrived. I said not to worry as I knew traffic was held up on the M25 so an hour and a bit late arriving wasn't too bad. My mobile was dead and I didn't have DH's number so I had to phone #1 son for DH's number!! Then I phoned DH.. and it went straight to answer phone. I decided to check the traffic and there was an accident reported on BBC traffic on the M1 north with a 12 miles tail back. I tried DH again thinking, if he was stationary in traffic he'd be able to answer. Answer phone again. at 2:30 I was frantic. I kept phoning him.

 At 2:45 I phoned the police to try to find out about the accident on the M1. I had to search thro papers to find the car number, I could only remember the old car number!! By now my mobile had charged up, so if DH could phone he would have phoned that as we both have each others numbers first on the list of contacts. He was now 3 hours over due.  I had to describe DH, and what he was wearing, was he mentally stable, etc!! I was crying on the phone, my son phoned me on my mobile to say he had tried our home phone too and it came up engaged.. he tried to console me saying I would have heard if anything had happened.

At 3:20 I had a text from DH, he had chugged along in the traffic and managed to leave the M1 at Dunstable and then chugged his way back to South Minns services, as there had been an accident on the south side of the M1 too!!  It was such a relief to hear his voice when I phoned him, there was something wrong with our home phone, hence the engaged tone. When he arrived home as well as crying because I was so happy to see him, I burst out laughing as I was completely wrong about what he was wearing!! 

He was in the car for 5 hours!!! I don't ever want to go thro' that again!

What a day……BUT I have learnt to keep my mobile charged and to use our land line to check if it’s ok and to memorise DH number!!.
Thank the Lord for his safe return on a day when there were accidents all over the place. I hope no-one has to go through what I did yesterday.

Chris xx

You win some and you lose some!!

As I have said before, I love reading blogs of those women who are determined to save every penny they can, usually because their income has been greatly reduced. I have looked at our spending and we do shop what I would term wisely, but we spend a lot more than these frugal ladies.

But I did have an amazing saving last week My little battery operated toothbrush which I bought duty free at Gatwick years ago went phut.. we looked at them in Tesco and they were £35!! I couldn’t believe the price, but I needed it so into the trolley it went. However it was reduced by £20 at the checkout. Tesco had price compared it and hence the reduction!! Wow!! Even the checkout girl looked at our receipt twice too. Isn’t that amazing?

And this little chrysanthemum was free! One of my SDs sent me a beautiful bouquet when I broke my arm and this was in it.. I loved the little pink rose bud type flower so took cuttings and here is my most successful one, flowering!               

But I didn’t do so well with the little bag I bought. I first saw them in October in Skipton market for £4.99.. I said to DH I am not paying that for a shopping bag, I’ll make one as I have loads of fabric. But last week when visiting my cousin in Shropshire, we visited a garden centre and there they were, the very same ones, for £2.99, so I bought one. However at a garden centre we visited at the weekend, right near us, they had them for £1.99 Poooo!! I was most put out, but I have used it and it is saving me 10p a time, except I can’t remember a time when I have bought something and not had a carrier bag in my hand bag to use!! Because I can’t stand all the bags and wrapping for items, which you then have to dispose of. Never mind it’s a pretty little bag and it could hold a lot if I wanted it to!

And it rolls up neatly into this little bag.

So not too bad, I think I ‘m winning!
I am still knitting and have completed the first one of my next pair of socks but so slowly, I used to knit a pair in three evenings, but I have to rest my arm now and then,  so it is taking a lot longer. We are carrying on with the ultra sound treatment each day, and I do think my arm is less painful, but it still doesn't do what I want it to and wanders all over the place when I try to spread butter on my toast. I suppose the answer is to go without butter,  but I couldn't, I love it!

XX

I can knit !!!

Each Christmas I knit a pair of socks for each of my grand children, actually I should say grand young people as GD is 21, #1 GS is 19 and the youngest is 15. They all tower over me! 

It has been a struggle as it isn't as easy as crochet as I have to move my arm, but here is the first pair completed. I wondered if they wear them but when I visited them the other week, the youngest had on a pair, except they were odd. Both hand knitted and a blue colour but odd! My DD was wearing a pair belonging to #1 GS as she was gardening and wearing wellies!. So they do get worn..
I even knitted this last weekend when we visited my cousin who has bought a very swish barn conversion in Shifnal. We had a lovely long weekend with her; it is out in the country and we walked through the autumn fallen leaves. She fed us well with home baked apple pie, and other treats, I put on weight!!

Home again now and another Christmas cake is in the oven, this one for my #3 son.
How are your Christmas preparations going?

Still here......

 

Thank you everyone for your kind comments about my broken arm. The exogen treatment is going ok. The 20 minutes goes in a flash and the machine records all the treatments. It is just a hand sized unit with the plug part on a curly wire that is held in place with a strap.

I don't feel anything at all. I was expecting to feel waves of warm or something but disappointingly nothing. Only another 70 plus days to go! I shall be having it on Christmas day!!

I have been able to do some knitting and started socks for my grand children.

My camera seems to have gone phut so no photos, sorry.

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I have been reading blogs of those people, mainly women who have decided to blog about living frugally. They are fascinating and buy food from supermarkets at near closing time when a lot of fresh food stuff has a marked down price on 'yellow stickers.'

So I decided to look at what we buy. But we make a list linked to a weekly menu so we buy what we need not what's on offer, although if something we needed was on offer we would buy it.

We rarely if ever throw food out and at least once a week have a 'bottom of the fridge' soup. Today I had a root veg soup with some home grown squash and frozen peas added for a variety of colour and it was delicious. I struggled to cut up the veg into small chunks (DH is visiting his Dad who is not well and his mum) but I managed.

I think over these seven months my left hand has got stronger and I can do things that I couldn't before.

Thank you again everyone. I am not going to lie and say I am happy, happy,  because I am not,  I am still having weepy days and my diet has gone right out the window!

XXX

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bad news about my arm!!

My broken arm goes on and on and on, grrrrrrr!! Today I have seen a very nice Consultant whose name was Ravi Ray! (nice name!)My humerus has not healed, here I am week 28 and it still hasn’t healed. But I am having exogen treatment which is ultra sound on my arm where the fracture is, 20 minutes each day. Because it is a very expensive treatment the consultant had to apply for it and it has been approved so I suppose I should be grateful but I have gone a long time with no treatment at all, except for the brace which I hated at first, but I  have got used to it and I feel secure when I am wearing it as it protects my arm. This treatment is for 12 weeks!! Can you believe that, 12 more weeks or maybe more? I don’t understand because I am taking extra calcium and multivitamins and doing the exercises….

 I am fed up and having trouble getting jumper sleeves over the brace.. so this afternoon diet out the window and I have had toasted currant bun with lots of butter… yummy. So I am keeping positive and praying, surely this will work!  So please remember me in your prayers, I need lots.

 

Chris xx

Such a busy time..

I saw this on Attic24's blog, a multi coloured poncho, so I decided I'd make one for me.

I am having problems getting jumper sleeves over my brace and in an evening this would ideal. I sometimes wear my shawl but this was a bit of a stash buster too! 

Crocheting is some I can do and it's good for my hand, as sewing is still difficult and still causes tweaks of pain.

 

 

 

And sorry this is the 'C' word!!

 

Christmas!!

 

 I have made the first Christmas cake( I always make some for my grown up sons as well as us.) and a very large pudding as we are joining with DH's daughter and her hubby for Christmas in Yorkshire. DH's  other twin daughter will be joining us as well , so quite a different Christmas for us as we always stay home.
And not to be out done, Dh has made mince meat.. we have already given some away, it will be ready to use in a months time.

I can't wait to make the pies but with my arm still not ok I will need help or I could let DH make them!!

Have you started your Christmas baking yet?

XX

 

For Downton Abby fans

A treat for Downton fans, I loved it..get your cup of tea or coffee, sit and enjoy

                            https://vimeo.com/115023404

Chris xx