On the move

We've had some good news over the past couple of days; Rachel and Darren and baby Lily have found themselves a house to rent and the good news is that it's only five minutes down the road from us so visiting won't be too bad.

Rachel moved back home to live with us before Lily was born as she and Lily's dad didn't get on anymore so we had to rearrange the whole house to accomadate her and her new arrival, not to mention the three cats that she brought home with her. To say that space has been on the tight side would be an understatement as me and her dad moved downstairs to sleep so that Rachel could have the little room next to ours for Lily's nursery.

It has been a struggle as our house isn't very big to begin with and with Kim still at home and Rachel having Darren her new partner to stay over, it's been a bit of a tight squeeze.

They get the keys on the 19th and they want to move in before Christmas and as it's a new house I think they'll manage to do it.

I'd like to think that I could move all my furniture back upstairs and have the dining table up and running again before Christmas Eve; I think I'll be pushing my luck, but I'm certainly going to have a damn good try.

It will be so good to go upstairs to bed again although it's been easier on the old knees but I've never felt quite right sleeping in the front room.

Apart from being really cold with this frosty weather, there's nothing much else to report. I've finished all the stitching that I needed to do for Christmas, I do have a picture to show but until it's arrived I won't post a pic of it yet just in case the friend who it's going to sees it.

Off to my bed now as my fingers are seizing up with the cold, a nice cup of tea, a good book and a warm bed are all calling me................

Gift of Friendship.

I received my GOF from Chris (http://alwayssmiling24.blogspot.com/) I wish I knew how to do a link properly but I don't. It was a lovely Christmas biscornu in the reds and greens that I had chosen and it's truly beautiful.

She also sent a Lizzie Kate pattern, some buttons which will come in handy for Lily's cardigan and a lovely Kath Kidson tin of pins so I feel quite spoilt.

I sent to Sally in Canada and she said that she loved the biscornu that I had made for her though she isn't a big chocolate eater so the selection box that I sent might last her for a while.

I've really enjoyed doing this exchange and I am now looking forward to opening my cards on January 1st for my birthday thread exchange. I've been in it for three years now I think and I love the little surprises that are sometimes tucked away with the cards and thread.

I was naughty last week and splurged out on six LHN charts from ebay. They were a bargain so I had to have them and they only cost me £7, a small price to keep me busy during winter............

Clearing out

I had a good old sort through my bits and pieces the other day and found a couple of UFOs that have been lurking at the bottom of a drawer for ages. When I saw this little chap I thought how sad he looked so I decided that I'd try and finish him before I start on anything else. He's been too long tucked away out of sight.

I can't remember when I first started stitching on this but it must have been a few years ago. He shouldn't take long to finish, it's just the outside window frame that's going to be boring but at least with one colour it should be quick.

Another sunny day today but still a bit too cold to venture far. Hope that it keeps fine for tomorrow, there's still a lot of clearing to do in the garden which needs to be done before the frosts hit.

There's Christmas cards to make too so that should keep me out of mischief for a couple of days at least.

Saturday

Well, it's a wet miserable day here in Derbyshire, not helped by the fact that the cat woke me three times in the night, I think the wind must have scared him. If it ever stops raining I need to get out in the garden and see if the fish in the pond are still alive as there's leaves everywhere

There's plenty to do if I can't get out, like all the washing and ironing and there's still the bathroom to finish off properly. We started it last Christmas when we had a new suite in but it's never been finished off so maybe todays the day to do it. The only problem is finding a time when no one's in there, it seems to be permanently occupied.

I finished my biscornu and I'm quite proud of my first effort.

It should now be winging it's way over to Canada for Sally.

I think before I do anything else I'll pop the kettle on and then do a bit of baking, nothing like the smell of homemade bread and cakes to cheer the house up......

I'm so glad today's over

I shouldn't really moan, but today has been one of those days where you want to scream at anything and everything but you know that even if you did it wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference.

As much as I love having Rachel and her daughter Lily living with us, I'm finding it hard to get a little bit of space for just me; it can't last for ever though can it?

This is what the little monster was up to earlier.

She was supposed to be kissing her grandad goodnight, but the door shut on her so she thought that she'd do it through the glass.

Is it any wonder that I'm always cleaning on the days that I don't look after her?

Sharon's news

I almost forgot to write about the best news that I've had for weeks; my daughter Sharon and her partner Carl are expecting their first baby in May so me and Tony are going to be grandparents again. They live near to Chester so it's a good two hours drive away for us and we always get stuck in a traffic jam going to Chester zoo, but I'm sure the travelling will be worth it if it means we shall get to hold our latest addition to the family, I'm definitely going to have to get the knitting needles out now

French exchange

This is what I stitched for my friend Helene in France, it was made up into oven gloves which she had requested, I think she liked them.

I have finished my biscornu and it is all ready to send to my partner in the Threads of Friendship Exchange for the December 1st opening. I'll post a picture later as my camera seems to have died on me, too many photos of Lily I suspect.

Talking of babies I have become a great aunt again to Ruby Louise, the daughter of my nephew Carl and his wife Jess. I am also waiting for another arrival due this week, that of the son of my nephew Marc and his partner Kate, so a busy week for babies. Might have to get the knitting needles out again.

Soooo cold

It's been a real cold start to the morning; frost has covered everything in sight and my wallflowers are looking rather wilted sitting out in the garden, hopefully they'll pick up once the sun comes through on that side of the border. It's beautiful and sunny now and if it wasn't for the fire stoked halfway up the chimney you wouldn't think that it was so cold outside.

I've just put Lily down for her morning nap which are getting less and less frequent these days, she just doesn't seem to want to sleep and as she's all over the place I daren't leave her too long out of my sight in case she falls over. My last day for the week though, her mother takes over until next Monday, so four days of catching up on what I've not done.

I did manage to get a hearty stew going in the oven before she got up, one of Tony's favourite meals, only the dumplings and shallots to add later so an easy day cooking wise. I might even make a rice pud to go with it for afters though I probably won't be able to move for hours after I've eaten it.
Rachel's three cats don't like this cold weather and they've started picking on each other and the fur is literally flying everywhere so a good hoovering is on the cards for tomorrow. I'd love to have a move round with the furniture but at the moment I can't see how it would fit in any differently, will have to get the tape measure out and work it out.

I think that it's time for a cuppa then I'd better make a start on the two piles of ironing that are waiting for me. I might manage to get a bit done before Lily wakes up. you never know...........

A new beginning

It's been a bit hectic the past week or so, Rachel has had Darren staying over for the week and with my three days looking after Lily time has been a bit lacking.

Lily is now crawling, a bit too fast for these old legs of mine to keep up with her, but we have fun on our days together. Rachel found another tooth had come through tonight so that means she's got four altogether and she certainly knows how to nip with them. Feeding time is fun as she is supposed to be having proper meals but getting anything solid down her is like fighting a losing battle, though she has taken a liking to organic carrot coated crisps!!

I had a lovely weekend in the garden with Tony, I watched while he did all the work. We had a drive down the side of the garden and he's turfed it over to make a bigger lawn for me. It's been a lot of hard work for him but it's looking good at the moment, I've just got to sort the borders out with my bulbs and wallflowers and hopefully come spring I'll have a nice display to look at.

I've managed to finish my cross stitch for the Christmas exchange that I'm in, I never thought that I'd finish it as one thing after another seemed to go wrong. I haven't done a lot of stitching this year but I'm getting back into the swing of things so I hope that I can keep going with it.

I've still got to sew the biscornu together and as I've never done one before, I'm hoping and praying that it will come together ok. I've got to post it out next weekend so if it all goes wrong there's not much time to stitch anything else.

I've also managed to make five of the six cards that I need for the thread exchange next month, I don't have to make hand made cards but I like to make the effort. Now if only I can find the energy to do all the cleaning that's been backing up over the last week, I'd be a happy lady. I'd better go and do a bit of tidying round or it will all be waiting for me tomorrow and I don't think I could face that........

Twelve months on.

Well, the last post I did was a year ago and I can't believe that it's gone so quick. Such a lot has happened in those twelve months and this blog which was meant as an online diary for me to remember everything is sadly lacking any news at all. Over the next few weeks I'm going to try and fit all that's happened, all the stitching, knitting and gardening, all about what's happened to the family and add some photos of my new granddaughter Lily Mae. She is now eight months old and I did manage to finish my knitting for her before her hasty arrival in February.

This is Lily at just a few hours old; she weighed in at 5lb 10 1/2 ounces and looked so tiny but she's certainly making up for it now.