Arriving Home

I had a difficult day yesterday, trying to reconcile my work’s(1) bank statements. One of my bosses and not to point fingers, I won’t let on whom. Has tried, to be very helpful and pay some suppliers on BAC’s, a system I have used for years. However, I have 20p missing here and 20p missing from there and £14.90 missing off another account *groan* but to track these amounts down to a single invoice(s), is hard work and tiresome.

I am going to have to have a quiet word, to say "really could I just carry on doing all the supplier payments" and be ready for the ‘why’ question!

The consequence was I went home much later than usual (had still not finished that day's work) *another groan*, however when I got home ... upon opening the front door, there was this lovely smell and in the kitchen was Poppy and her dance college friend; Lizzie, they had made these:

They had chopped up Green & Black Dark chocolate and put the bits into the cake mixture, quite simply, cup cakes to die for :o)

However, on the way to the kitchen I passed my bulbs, and thought I must photograph them but the cakes had the first calling. I am so glad I waited till this morning because with the lovely cosy smell of cakes now gone, I could smell the lovely Hyacinths' smell – just lovely and look at that colour pink.

I have made my choice, for my first book download from Audible :

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

I have owned a Shuffle for quite a few years; it was given to me by Toby as a present when he had been on tour and had returned safely from Iraq. Well, I have never properly used it, I wanted to but for some reason I just could not get my head round to using it properly (embarrassing, I know). Well having set up an iTunes account and then downloading the book, it took me some time before I worked out how to get the book from iTunes on to my Shuffle; answer: drag and drop – so simple, why I just didn't do that in the first place, I do not know.

I have yet to listen to the story a part from the first few seconds, however, the Shuffle is sat there waiting for a quiet time on my own. Ready for either listening and sewing or listening and knitting, what could be better? For me, this is far better than a bubble bath. I will let you into a little secret; I don’t like bubble baths, the whole candles, music, book sat in water just doesn’t do it for me, not at all.

Moving on ...

A little bit more of the wedding sewing:

The sewing is going well, but I am so tired and starting to get very slightly stressed ....

Therefore I must ... eat cake while looking at my beautiful flowers ...

Happy Endings

Not quite the story I was going to tell you, but this one seems to have a good ending.

A peep at wedding sewing.

My friend (and I feel a name is not appropriate), has had a right shitty time just lately, firstly she works for a big corporate company as a top flight PA. There have been many tears!

Then last week she found a lump, she was devastated as you can imagine, she just thought what next, why me. This even for the most optimistic amongst us would probably ask at least once.

Even more tears resulting in lots of hugs.

Yesterday I accompanied my friend to the hospital; we had practised several conversations because for the past 10 years, my friend has been treating her body with homeopathy remedies and takes her advice from this very professional and knowledgably lady; Henrietta Wells.

She didn’t want any invasive treatment, i.e. mammograms or biopsies but she was nervous about telling an allopathic doctor. However her reservations were unfounded, her doctor was a very gentle man showing great empathy and when he suggesting having some fluid drained from the lump and then with a gently kick from me. My friend said this was not what she wanted and the reasons why. The doctor was excellent in his answer, he confirmed that he was more than comfortable for her to go away and take further advise from Henrietta and ‘if’ my friend felt that a fluid test was required further down the road then she was more than welcome to make an appointment when required.

We left the hospital very happy and we went back to my home and celebrated with beans on toast with a special treat of grated cheese on top.

What more could I give a friend LOL

After our very filling lunch we both returned to work and my friend was notified of a new job with a lovely new boss and a hand over period next week.

Yesterday was a day of big grins.

My friend had said if she felt up to it, she would come round in the evening.

When she come round about 7:30pm she brought this with her, it doesn’t help my diet but she put an even bigger grin on my face and probably an inch (2.5 cm) on my tummy :o)




...and finally this beautiful lady has become a very special member of our family xOx

A little more of why I was sat in an airport ... tomorrow xx

18th Birthday

January was a busy month for us, there was packing away of Christmas decorations, which I like to do over a few days. I love decorations up and for me the putting of them away makes the home look so bare. By putting a little bit away each day, I get use to my ornaments missing.

The cutting out of dress patterns and then the full sized linings, add in a bit of figure fittings and alterations.

The process of getting back to work and all that in tales; getting up early, squeezing in jobs before and after work. The catching up of paperwork and the Christmas stories from my work colleagues and workshop visitors.

But we also had two very important dates in January, first being the 18th.

It was Poppy’s 18th birthday on the 18th January.

We had a cake to make .... we had a cake to make because I forgot to order a cake, so I decided I would try my hand at decorating a cake:

Firstly I tracked down a cake tin from Sugar Celebrations in Swindon; to hire this cake tin cost just £2.00 for two days. A lady called Shelley was incredible helpful. I had no idea how much mixture to even make. So for those of you like me who have no idea and a record for me:

Weigh 6 eggs in their shells = EW
EW = Margarine i.e. Utterly Butterly or Spreadable Stock (not packet),

reason so I am told, butter has salt in and can damage the tin.
EW = Castor Sugar
EW = Sieved flour
A bit of vanilla flavouring

Mix in normal way, (happy to help if you need to know more).

Prepare the tin by giving a covering of margarine over the inside of the tin and then shake a tablespoon of floor over the butter, for easy removal.

Do not overfill, the above picture there is too much mixture in.

Please ignore the not so clean oven ...

Cook at about 180 degrees for 50-80 minutes; check at the 50 minute mark.

Shelley helped me with the ‘rolley’ icing and how much to buy and what to do with it.

I didn’t like the pink colours, so asked if I could mix them and she told me how.

I also put a call for help on the forum and Lobbyj, came to my help and gave me all this advice:

These were my questions (more for my information, than yours);

I do know there are some cake people out there i.e. Loobyj, I need tips for laying 'rolly' icing on top of sponge please.

I am going to chop off the bows, who has bows on their ballet shoes

Do I place it straight onto the sponge?

Also can I cut this difficult shape in half so that I can still put jam and butter icing in the middle?

Loobyj’s answers, for all of us;

Okey doke. Nice tin - but from the measurements it doesn't look that deep, and given the complicated shape of it I think you'd need to be quite brave to cut it in half I don't think I would.

You need to make sure the icing can stick to the cake surface. To do that melt some jam in a bowl and then sieve it to get rid of the bits. It's traditional to use apricot, for the pale colour, but you can use a red jam if you'd prefer. Brush it generously all over the cake - this will help with the moistness too if there's no filling.

Knead the icing so it's a bit pliable, then roll it out on a mixture of icing sugar and cornflour until it's a circle a good five inches bigger all round than the cake.

Lift it over the cake ( I find it easier to use the rolling pin to support it) and lay it down gently. Lift and ease it into all the crevices - I'd start with the insides of the shoes. Try not to push out and down as you do it - rather push in and up using the excess to ease it. - smoothing as you go, smooth from the top rather than the bottom. You'll see the shape of the cake start to appear. When you're happy that the shape of the shoes shows well trim the excess icing off from the base of the cake.

Some useful tips:

- if you see an air bubble after you've done your smoothing, prick it with a pin and rub gently to get the air out
- cornflour on your hands will stop you and the icing sticking together, and does a good job of polishing
- any cracks that appear can be gently smoothed until they disappear
- you'll be the only person who notices any imperfections when the cake's complete - everyone else will be wowed by the complicated shape and the bling, bask in the reflected glory

I know you probably don't need any advice on styling - but raising the cake up on a tin or stand always makes it stand out - cover the raiser with some gauzy fabric and scatter sparkly bits over that, it lifts (groan) it out of the ordinary!

Phew - mammoth answer, hope it helps

Toby and Louise came down for the weekend to help with the celebrations, just as well because Poppy’s babysitting job got cancelled which meant she didn’t go out for the evening for me to bake the cake, putting the whole schedule behind. So on the Saturday afternoon with the bribery of a new dress (this cake is beginning to cost a lot of money now). Louise and Poppy went into town, which left Noel, Toby and I.

Poppy had decided to do a sleep over at Kaan’s the night before so at 10pm the cake was baked, which left us, the cake trio, the afternoon to decorate. We had so much fun; we worked well together, all putting ideas into the cake, from how to layer the pink shoes onto the white base (grease proof paper and doing like the magicians table cloth trick)or to attach the bling bling diamond ribbon round the base (lots of pins).

I forgot to sieve the apricot jam and had to pick out the lumps and the rolling of the icing needed a bit of practise on Toby’s part (it kept sticking to the measuring mat). The kitchen and the three of us was covered and I mean head to toe covered in icing sugar and cornflower. So much so that Toby’s black jeans were pale grey and he had to ring Louise to buy him some new one in town as he didn’t have any clean jeans for the evening and we just didn’t have time to wash and dry them in time.

I used pink edible pink glitter on the pink ballet shoes and peach edible powder paint for the insides of the ballet shoes.

Told you it was an expensive cake LOL

The ribbons and ballet figurines were bought as a keepsake.

The cake was delivered to the pub before the girls got home – just – phew.

Then for 19:30 we all went to The Crown Inn at Broad Hinton, run by our neighbours Dave and Alla. They decorated the ‘library’ beautifully for the birthday girl.

Poppy being given a very special gift by her Godmother Linda, she is sat in her new coat, one of her chosen presents from Toby and Louise.

Inside the pretty package

and inside the box, with Linda looking on.

An opal and ruby ring; Linda decided to give this ring, that had been given to her in the 70’s, when Poppy was about 7 or 8. Neither of us could believe that the time had come and she was celebrating her 18th birthday. Beforehand I was given the task of finding out Poppy's ring size, without giving anything away and then Linda’s husband took the ring to a jewellers in Southampton to be resized and cleaned.

The birthday group and then below is David, Linda’s son and Toby’s close friend since the age of 5. David took his own picture, (so no complaining that you look silly)!

The firework candle lit, Poppy just loved this

Poppy had a lovely birthday, even though the poor thing had tonsillitis and really wasn’t too well.

And the cake, she never wanted to cut it and to date it is still sat on the side of the kitchen, I think we can call that a success.

Within 12 hours, Noel and I was sat here ...

3 July 2009

Ridgeway School 2009 Prom, held at the DeVere Hotel.

I just needed to share these photographs of Poppy and Kaan.

They had always promised each other that what ever happened at school, they would go to the Prom together. They were not actually going out with each other and hadn't been for quite some time however they both kept their promise to each other.

Kaan arrived with a beautiful red rose for Poppy.

Kaan's mum bought him a fantastic suit for the occasion and Poppy and Kaan went shopping at Swindon's Designer Outlet for the red shirt.

Our beautiful daughter : Poppy

Above, the back of the size 4 dress!

The front of the dress, and just peeping out the bottom a pair of saturn red shoes, that matched exactly.

Poppy, has a love for Ford Mustang’s, (just like her Daddy, who has owned two), so for her, there was no other car to go to the Prom in (and included in the price, was a drive around for Kaan on his own, picking Poppy up and a photo session, they were also picked up from the hotel after the prom and delivered home, and an added bonus; Daddy got a ride home to!)

Arriving at the hotel and the driver talking to the official photographer

Now do not get me wrong, there was lots of beautiful girls all dressed in stunning outfits, but I am proud as punch to say as Poppy stepped out of the car, the response was amazing. It was while we were all watching and listening to the recording, Noel had made, did we really hear all that was being said. Noel had said it was a great response but to hear all the ooh's and argh’s – well what can I say (picture a beaming smile).

The official photographer:

And the picture in the newspaper

And finally a bit of knitting ...

Last year a friend was selling some of her red lace yarn stash, I bought it all up, on the gamble that Poppy’s prom dress was going to be red. When the dress got bought just before last Christmas, Poppy and I matched up the ‘pillar box’ red lace weight cashmere yarn as the best match. Poppy picked the Forest Canopy Shawl, partially because she knew that I had knitted this particular pattern several times before and the betting was ... I would probably finish it in time!! However to make this shawl unique to Poppy, I used the crochet method and attached nearly 1000 beads, defiantly a labour of love and yes it was finished in plenty of time. However the UK was having its own little heat wave and evening temperatures were Mediterranean like and the shawl was not needed.

Not the most flattering of shawl photo's, however it shows the pattern off to a treat.

The Happy Ending : Kaan and Poppy have been going back out with each other for a couple of months now and are extremely happy with each other. As a family we are very comfortable with Kaan at home, he is a nice lad, with a good sense of humour and now at nearly 17, holds a very decent conversation, which is so important when your girlfriend's mum is a complete chatter box!!

Teenagers – don’t you just love em!

Working to Rule

Now I am going to tell you about my work to rule. Because in years to come I will laugh about this, just like Toby and I do over his I am 15 – king of my domain attitude. You will probably laugh now, because you have either been there as a teenager or as a mum or even you may just see yourself in this situation in years to come – good luck...

Toby and I are very similar, very fair minded, shout very loud and then forgive very easily, however Poppy is the quiet smouldering sort and most of the time only really sees things from her point of few. Neither way is right but as a family you just have to work around these not so nice characteristics.

So setting the scene:

Noel and I are sat on the settee having a quiet hour, catching up on our day, a very rare time and we made the most of it. The conversation came round to what to have for dinner, one of my favourite simple meals is savoury mince, basically the mixture you make for shepherds pie but not baked, I have it with mash and peas, as does Noel, and Poppy who detests peas has sweet corn. Now for some peculiar reason, Poppy always moans about this meal.

Noel asks if I can collect said daughter from dancing and pre-warn her about the menu and he will cook us all dinner.

Now, the journey is about 12 minutes long, 8 of those minutes, was Poppy and I arguing about this meal and why she can’t have spaghetti bolognaise and me saying “well you cook it on another day”, and Poppy saying “you don’t have to cook your favourite meal” and on and on, now I am pissed off with myself with arguing with her. Bad state of mind to be in ...

Noel has nearly finished as we step in the door and nothing new, he asks Poppy to ‘lay the table’. She goes upstairs, sits on her bed, I clear the table of sewing (8 x dresses for Poppy’s school trip to Barcelona), so that she can now lay the table without the added ‘work load’ of clearing it first. No sign of Poppy, now remember I am in a grumpy mood, not with Noel or the dogs or anybody if they had happened to telephone at that moment but I am with my teenage daughter.

Me = one ‘grumpy mum’ (GM) goes up stairs, she ‘moody madam’ (MM) still sat on bed, ‘grumpy mum’ turns up volume by a couple of notches;

GM “I thought I had told you to take those dirty glasses (4) downstairs at the weekend.”

MM “I forgot.”

GM “Dad has asked you to lay the table and please take the dirty glasses down with you.”

GM goes to her bedroom to close window and then has to walk back pass MM bedroom. MM has not moved.

GM turns the volume up another two or three notches.

GM “Go and lay the table.”

GM you most note, not MM, stumps downstairs – very grown up, responsible attitude going on here.

~~ Nothing ~~

GM shouts (having turned volume up far too much for nice quiet village) from the bottom of the stairs and repeats instructions, “LAY THE TABLE”.

Note : No, please, no, thank you - really GM is not setting a good example.

MM “I am not hungry.”

GM “Flies up stairs (I am sure I was knackered five minutes ago, hardly being able to put one foot in front of the other), you can go to bed with no dinner then, as you didn’t mention feeling not hungry when I first picked you up”.

GM goes downstairs and starts laying the table, then decides that mobile phone has to be removed from daughter, as I feel that making sure being sent to bed does not have making it better gadgets in room. So I go back up stairs and ask for mobile, which is handed over obediently.

MM says “She is feeling sick!”

Now in my loving compassionate thought process my reply is:

“Well you can jolly well eat your dinner for that, because you were fine 5 minutes ago.”

MM; comes downstairs in ballet tights, leotard and her pyjama top with, I have to admit, with four dirty glasses.

Not being able to find her dressing gown (which is in the wash), I suggest she borrows mine, she did.

Now the important bit:

Over the dinner table, Poppy, mentions that I do nothing, Dad cooks the dinner, she does the dishwasher, which she feels is very unfair as I am so lazy. Noel try’s to suggest that ‘Mum’ is not lazy; however Poppy is convinced that I am lazy. On reflection, it is really good that Poppy feels she can express her true feelings but ... a bit more thought might have helped her cause.

At the end of the meal, she clears the table, stacks (half, the other half already done) dishwasher, seems to forget clearing and wiping down the worktops and sink and goes to bed, time is 8pm.

Remember grumpy mum, well I try to put it to the back of my mind and watch How to Look Good Naked, presented by Gok Wan, who always makes me laugh and cry. But groan; it doesn’t go away, the whole incident goes round and round my brain and gives me a sleepless night, however my final thought, before falling asleep which as always, seems, just before the alarm clock goes off; is ‘I will work to rule’.

Finally :

Now picture this, it’s Wednesday morning, which means, I leave work at 3pm, to pick Poppy up from school and take her straight into town for dancing, it’s raining and I am very tired and still grumpy.

Poppy “asks if I can put her dancing bag in the car ready for this afternoon.”

VeryGM “No, I am working to rule, if you think I don’t do anything, then I am not going to do anything.”

I left my daughter nearly in tears, in shock that I am not going to help her, and I walk out of the front door to drive Noel and myself to work. I am feeling crap, guilty (a word that is tied in with motherhood), miserable and rotten. Desperately wanting to go back home and say “I will pick you up etc”. But I have got a point to prove and I don’t want to argue any more, I really just want my loving relationship back but it is one of those hurdles that as a mum of a teenager I am going to have to jump.

Epilogue :

Please wish me luck and please send some ‘I need to rethink vibes, for Poppy’.

I am very mindful of ‘15’, I left home at 15 and I would have hated it, if Toby and today, Poppy felt the need to copy me. I needed to go ... it was the best thing for me but not my ‘stepping back, viewing from all angles’ very well behaved, beautiful daughter. Let’s hope that by tonight we can make up, have a lovely cuddle and tell each other that we really do love each other even though we don’t always like each other.

Poppy dressed in character as; 'A Secretary'

St. George's Day

Are you proud to be an English Man or in my case a Woman? That's if you are an english person of course! Do you think of St. Georges Day as a special day? For me it evokes the images of Knights and Dragons and Medieval Feasts. Would I have been happy to live in Medieval Times – I can never decide ... a lady living in a castle and spending my day working on a tapestry or crewel embroidery, or would I prefer to be a peasant and working the fields and tending the livestock and perhaps using my drop spindle ...

If I am honest a bit of both, and as nobody can take my dreams away, I can mix it all up and live the life I would deep down quite like to live now.

Whatever your thoughts and dreams are about this man / saint / day / celebration, have a great St. George's Day, where ever you are.

I have so much to share with you, so why is that when I have lots to blog, I have no extra time to write it all ... there most be a Chinese saying for this scenario. However I will upload all my photographs and get myself and you all up to date with what has been happening, very soon.

But at the moment I will leave you with my fidgety feeling. It is Noel's last day at work today; he has booked Brize Nortons' Fire Department's bar and bar-be-que area and will be saying his farewells to all his team, work colleagues and friends from the last four years. I am going to pick him up much later this evening to bring him home as I am positive he will be quite wobbly and very unfit to drive. He then has a couple of days off work before starting his new job on Monday. I am very excited about his new job, for a start he has only a very short distance to travel, a distance that he can cycle, saving him quite a lot of petrol and car running costs, with the added advantage of less travelling time, but more importantly it will be great for the environment. It is also a very big step up the ladder ... so I am so proud I could shout about it to everyone I meet (I don't of course) but this is surely the next best thing ... however I am left with this fidgety feeling, I am hoping it is because it means a lot of positive changes to our lives, he will be home so much more, something that I am really looking forward to... however there is this little tiny nag at the back of my head that says 'good things never last', it is such a shame to think like this, because since I married Noel my life has got so much better than any of my expectations.

Chickens

Chicken Coup

Work has built me a chicken coup, one of the advantages of working for a joinery company. This is how it looked before it was dismantled to deliver to my bank garden. I just need to paint it, put a waterproof roof on and fill it with straw.

My boss Paul, is giving me 5 of his hens, I think, they are an old English breed, not sure what sort, but when I know I will tell you all about them. I use to keep ducks many years ago but not chickens but really can it be that different? Have done lots of reading, so now need to put all that ‘knowledge’ into practise!!



Front View



Back View


Can you spot what I noticed out of my work window?



Three Roe Deer in the distance (edge of the green field)


Two Questions ...

High Juice



Why are less and less shops stocking this drink?

I am in very short supply of what I like to drink and Orange High Juice happens to be something that I can tolerate, however my local Somerfield and slightly further away, Asda are no longer selling this product. Just wondered if any of you know why?

And my second question is why do I not get more comments on my blog?

I have one friend who graciously leaves comments practically every time I blog; however I wondered why I get few other comments. Any ideas, or is that cheating and getting you to comment?!! lol

Noel Update

Yesterday he really seemed to have bounced back, he still got very tired by the end of the day however he has decided to return to work this morning, Poppy and I joked at the dinner table last evening, that if he didn’t think he could manage to work properly after his 50 minute drive, this could happen!;


Team: "Oh you made it in then?"

Noel: "No, just an April’s Fool’s Joke; I'm going home now!!"

Have a great day and I really hope that none of you got horribly duped on this April Fools Day.

The Answer

The Walled Garden

I have been given the use of this wonderful walled garden. The landowner who owns the farm where I work has this kitchen garden, which I knew nothing about. However a week or so ago, I was very cheeky and asked if I could have a bit of the waste land at the back of our workshop. Much to my surprise he said “I could use his patch behind the wall”. Imagine my surprise when I had a peep behind the gate, which reminds me of the gate to the Secret Garden. I was completely floored by what I found. The price of using this garden, some vegetables ...

The Gate to the Walled Garden
- you can see how close I am from my works carpark!



Inside the Walled Garden – Left Side Facing North



The Beds facing North - spot the gate in the far corner.



The Posh Paths



The Shed – also on the left - (but not sure if I have use of the shed)



The View – behind the hedge, facing south
- opposite the gate / hedge in top photograph.




Now you can understand why I was so excited ... my plans are; to plant my allotment (rented from the Parish Council) with lots of potatoes and sweet corn and use the walled garden for the rest of the vegetables and salad stuff. Now all I need /would really like is a greenhouse, might put my thinking cap on about that one.

The Show

Was a complete success and sold out. I went and watched it on the opening night and the last night and I am so pleased I did, because there was a difference between the two shows and also by watching it twice, I got to see new things, the second time, which I missed the first time.

Poppy was dancing for the first time 'on point', in the Snowflake scene. Which as a ‘soppy mummy’ it did bring a tear to my eye.


An example of being 'on point' (not Poppy).

She was in many things and apart from starting to take a step at the wrong time on the first night (she wasn’t the only one) she did magnificently.

Very very proud – a big well done from all the family, xxx

Sunday

Which was such a beautiful day, was sort of wasted by me sitting on my bottom all day, recovering. However as a family we all watched two DVD’s, the first being Run Fat Boy Run and then Stardust, we all really enjoyed both of the films. However I was left with slightly itchy fingers as I kept looking out on the back garden and really wanting to get outside but as it was Toby and Louise last day before they both went home yesterday, I also really wanted to spend the last few hours with them, which of course they won. They left after a lovely roast dinner altogether at tea time, especially, important for Louise, who has a long drive home. Louise still has another week before returning to teaching but Toby will be back on his ‘Up Graders’ training at Arborfield this morning. And to be honest my head was up for gardening but not the body, so watching films and knitting was really the best option. But as Saturday / Sunday here in the UK, we have changed over to BST Time, which means I can hopefully get out into the garden for a little bit each evening and catch up and make it all look lovely!! Best of both worlds ...

Knitting

However time indoors as I said, did give me a bit of a chance to catch up on some knitting and thinking; I have decided to succumb to knitting the Central Park Hoodie especially as other friends off the CT’n’Y forum have been saying what a bargain this particular yarn is. So as I still had my Mother’s Day present money from Toby to spend, and therefore still not breaking the stash along, I have decided that I am going to purchase the Aran Weight Donegal Silk Tweed in Damson, at just £1.80 a ball. I am going to buy 12 balls (a couple spare, just in case and could be used up on gloves and a beanie at a later date), which means I have gone over budget by £1.60, I am sure I will be forgiven for this *winks*.

Noel

Update : I took him to the doctors on Friday afternoon as he was just not getting better. Just as well as the doctor has said that he has a chest infection with fluid causing a crackle on the bottom of his left lung. No wonder he is feeling poorly. Noel has been prescribed some antibiotics, which he has been taking over the weekend, however he is only making a very slow recovery, so if he is no better by tomorrow, I think we should seek some more advice.

Reading

I also spent a bit of time, including at the theatre while waiting for Poppy at the end to pack up and come down the stairs to be collected after the show to finished the book ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ (see margin for information) what a story, enthralling, sad, very sad, I highly recommend this read.

.

Poppy in the lyrical costume : Designed and made by Jacky

Now I haven’t got a lot of time today:

1. Noel is very poorly (high temperature) – poor thing, he thought he was on the mend.

2. Wages had to be processed today – very important!!

3. When I get home from work, I need to make some bloomers for Poppy to wear tonight.

4. Sew elastic on hat for tonight.

5. Poppy’s Godmother (Linda) is travelling up from Southampton for dinner and the show.

6. Getting Poppy to the show on time, which is way before we have to be there.

and the very last thing - I hope so, anyway ...

7. Getting us (6) fed and to the show on time.


However why do you think this picture could be causing me so much excitement?

Answers on a postcard please :o)

Easter Weekend

Philippians 3:10-12 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. (NIV)

How did you celebrate Easter?

Perhaps you attended the parade on Good Friday or your local church service on Sunday. You may have spent the holiday period with your family and all got together for a lovely meal.

Me, I spent it in bed – now now -*winks* don’t go there, it started with my back going (where I do not know, but I what I did know was that it hurt!) all to do with it being to cold at work and my body being tense and cold all day for several days. I had got up on the Wednesday even had a shower but as I put the towel round myself, that was it, my back went into spasm. I did manage to get my pants, t-shirt , jumper and one sock on but that was all, I could hardly breathe it was hurting so much. So I crawled back into bed, half dressed … and stayed there till Noel came home (early I have to say, because he is lovely like that). I was a little bit better on Thursday, so did get up and plod around so that I didn’t go completely stiff and watched films with Poppy who was on a TD (Teacher Training Day). I also managed a visit to the Chiropractor which always helps enormously. And later Toby came home on Easter leave, with dirty washing and a smile.


Toby home and Jill keeping him company.
Good Friday; I was feeling an improvement, and knowing that I had sewing to do for the show, I got up and toddled off to do some sewing, only to find that my ruffler decided to break – groan. Why is it when ever I offer to do sewing for Judith Hockaday, something always breaks – always. Louise also arrives from Hull and managed to do the whole journey in glorious sunshine.


Louise's first 'Teacher Board Picture'
So Saturday arrives with a flurry of snow (just like the day before)


The flurry of snow.
and I am on the phone tracking down a new ruffler, a lovely man in a Husqvarna shop in Bath, had one, just a ¾ hour drive away. Poppy is at dancing so the four of us pile into the car and drive to Bath. Now if you have ever been to Bath it is a beautiful city however, as soon as you reach the city limits it becomes grid lock.

Much to our amazement and with a little bit of help from Tom Tom, we drove within 5 minutes walk of the shop and found a parking space.

Now the going price for a ruffler for the Orchidea is approximately the £40.00 mark, however the guy (who owned the shop) had this particular ruffler hanging around (new and still bagged and boxed), he sold it to me for £15.00, yes £15.00, the box said it should have been £25.80, which is still well cheap and then he gave me another ruffler (second-hand) which he said "would hopefully fit my Emma" – what a bargain, I will definitely be visiting this shop again and would highly recommend it. The shop also holds quite a selection of patchwork and quilting fabric.

Back to Swindon to get new batteries put in several wrist watches!! Collect Poppy from dancing; buy some more overlocking thread from Sew Craft and then on to the Wyvern Theatre to pick up all the tickets I had pre-booked for the show. Now as I was getting out of the back seat, I smacked my head so hard on the door that didn’t quite open properly and the spring on the door moved backwards. I did still manage to go into the box office and buy all the tickets but didn’t my head hurt and I could just not think straight at all.

So Saturday started brilliantly but did it go down hill … my slight grumpiness became obvious why!! I now have a very sore head … we all then travelled home only to find a ‘snotty’ letter from the credit card company to say we had not paid. I cried, I knew I had paid it, and we are not talking a small amount of money either, it was over £4,500.00. The credit card company had shut an hour before for the long weekend, however having checked the bank, I had paid the wrong card number by one digit $%^&*, I went into panic over reacting mode – very unlike me, so I have to say the bump on the head got some of the blame. I just wanted to crawl up and die but I had sewing to do and sewing is what I did. 7 out of 16 cotton skirts, with at least 7 meters of ruffling round the bottom, which Noel and myself took turns to hem.


Evidence of Noel having learnt to hem on the overlocker.
Dinner time and then Noel and I went next door to have a quiet but pleasant evening in with our neighbours, who have the 8 month old twins. The twins were in bed but both had awful coughs so every now and then a small drink of water or a spoon full of medicine had to be administered.

Sunday – really did it happen – I woke with a migraine and Noel was not feeling so well either, he was suffering from a cold. However I am not sure what happened for the rest of the day, I slept all day and all that night.

Monday – Noel is really suffering from the cold which was also beginning to settle on his chest. I managed to get up and with the assistance of lots of tablets throughout the day (which I hate doing), but I did manage to sew the rest of the skirts.


16 Lime Green Villager Skirts

Close up of ruffles
Toby went and delivered them only to be given lots and lots of lime and orange coloured straps to hem. I just got on and did them all, to my surprise they were all done within a couple of hours and back they went.

That was the end of the bank holiday weekend. Tuesday I went back to work and just for good measure another visit to Chiro. Noel was off work yesterday but he is feeling a lot better today and has returned to work. Just as well as this evening is Poppy's dress rehearsal, ready for the show which starts tomorrow evening and timings for home live really go out of the window!!

Last but not least the bump on my head is only egg size now and shrinking I am pleased to say, the credit card payment was put into a holding account and should be being moved into our account as I write this and the sun is shining.