A time to relax

Blue skies, fluffy white clouds, you could almost think that it was the beginning of Spring instead of the start of Autumn. The garden is beginning to look a little tired now that everything has bloomed but there is still plenty of colour out there. It will soon be time to dig everything out to make way for Spring bulbs and then another gardening year will be over.
We've spent a lot of time out there this year, pulling stuff down and building things up but I think it's been worth the effort. The willow tree that has been causing concern for the past couple of years was finally taken down this summer; it had got too big for the garden and was overhanging next doors garden too and although it looked really nice in full leaf, it never stayed that way for long.

This was when Tony started to take it down,and here it is before we started on the backbreaking job of digging the roots out. We'd had the idea of putting the grandchildrens swings there but then we decided to build something for us, or at least Tony did.

This is what he came up with, all his own work and design and I couldn't have asked for anything better.

He finished it just in time for our anniversary in August and I've already spent many an hour out there reading or stitching. The pots were full of busy lizzies the week before I took this photo but some greedy slugs came and devoured the lot.

I do have a little stitching finish to show....

I really enjoyed stitching this LHN, Rose Sampler, just what I needed to get me back into the swing of things, now to decide what to stitch next......

Take care,

Catching up

Doesn't time fly when you're having fun? It's been hectic the past couple of months; the garden has taken up a lot of my time, forever watering and weeding and this year it's been for little return but I have enjoyed being out in the sunshine.

The flower garden has provided a good show as have the fruit bushes and once I get the time I shall be making jam as I'm down to my last jar.

I am still cross stitching but have no pictures to show any progress as I can't find the cable to my camera, I've looked high and low for it so I suppose that it will turn up when I'm not looking for it.

On a happy note, I became a grandma again on Friday. Callum Owen Brodie popped into the world at 2:08pm weighing in at 8 pounds 1 ounce. I've managed to snag a photo from my daughter Rachel's Facebook page so that I can share him. At the moment he is being good although I don't think that Lily is too sure of him yet, I think she thought that he was only going to visit, not be here all the time but I think she's enjoying being a big sister.


Hope all is well in your world,

take care,

Where has the time gone?

It's been a while since I visited my blog, computer problems and lack of motivation have both got in the way, so I thought that it was about time that I did a little update.

There's not a lot of stitching been going on although I have started a couple of things but not made a lot of progress. I've been decorating and cleaning and doing the one thing that keeps me sane........gardening. I don't know what it is but when I get out there all my problems disappear, no pressure, no problems, just a peaceful way to spend the day and then after a soak in the bath, curl up in front of the TV and nod off!

I've let so many things get to me since last year but I think that with the aid of the "happy pills" and a lot of talking to myself, I'm finally sorting myself out, albeit slowly. I've finally realised that I can't be superwoman, I can't be the best at everything I do, not that I ever thought that I was, but I can do what I want to and be happy in achieving whatever makes me happy and contented in my life.

I've taken a few pictures of the garden to remind me of a few of my achievements........ along with a little help from Mother Nature......

The first picture is of my paeony, it was a small piece taken from my Dad's garden at least thirty years ago and still going strong.

Next is a gorgeous pink rose that the old gentleman next door was throwing out, it smells devine.

A view of the pond, sadly only two fish out of the four are left but it's lovely to hear the sound of water trickling down the rocks.

I have lots of different aquilegia but this is one of my favourites.


And finally this beautiful lupin that self set amongst the vegetables, it was too pretty to dig out so there it can stay.

That's about it for now, next time I hope to be able to show some stitching progress.

Thank you to those who've emailed to ask where I'd got to and if I was ok, I'll try and update this old blog a bit more regularly if I can,

love and hugs,

A finish at last

I think that I am at last coming out of hibernation, it's amazing what a few days of sunshine can do to lift the spirit, and finally I have put the last few stitches into LHN Travelling Stitcher which I started as a SAL in January. Two months late here it is mistakes and all.

I knew that I'd made a mistake but the mood I was in at the time meant that I just couldn't be bothered to frog the house and the tree and as there's probably only me who's going to look at it all the time, I decided to leave well enough alone. I've not put the date or my initials on yet because I don't know whether I want them on seeing as it's going to be framed and not made into a stitching bag. All I've got to do now is decide what to stitch next, there's still plenty to do on my Beatrix Potter which got sidetracked last year, and there's still a couple of UFOs lurking in the bottom of my sewing drawer so I won't be stuck for something to stitch but I really fancy something different.

I've also been doing a bit of knitting, but sometimes I relax so much when I'm doing it that I fall asleep so I don't get very far.

This is a little cardigan for Lily, it's supposed to a little extra gift for Easter so here's hoping that I can finish it on time. It's quite an easy knit but I'm not sure about the band round the neck yet.

It's been so lovely to have had a bit of Spring weather, even if it has rained a bit today, it's still been bright and the days are getting longer so it will soon be time to get out in the garden and give nature a helping hand. There's just one problem with this sunshine, it shows up all the dust.....

Sue xx

Just a little moan

I have been feeling so down again so I thought that if I wrote about it on my blog it would get it out of my system. I just seem to getting one thing after another; colds, sore throats, aching and generally feeling run down but it seems to have been going on for so long now, in fact way before Christmas. I just want to wake up feeling full of energy with no coughs and sniffles. I am due back at the doctors on Tuesday so I shall ask her if she can do anything to help as I'm starting to feel that my tablets aren't working any more

I have done a bit of stitching and knitting but nothing to show at the moment but I'm hoping to be able to post something soon if I can get it finished. I had so many ideas of what I wanted to do this year but another month is nearly over and I've hardly achieved anything.

I am looking forward to going to Chester either this or next weekend to spend some time with Sharon, Carl and Joshua. Sharon says that Josh is trying so hard to walk on his own and I don't want to miss a minute.

Sorry for the moan, just needed to let it out to someone.

love and hugs,

My PIF from Chris and my PIF

Last weekend I received my PIF from Chris which was a lovely surprise as I'd forgotten all about it. She made me a beautiful scissor case, complete with scissors and a gorgeous handmade beaded fob complete with a pretty handmade card. Chris made seven of these fobs and scissor cases for her PIFs so she's been a very busy lady.



So now it's my turn to offer a PIF to anyone who would like me to stitch a gift for them in the next twelve months. Once I've stitched something for you then it is your turn to make the offer to stitch for three people. It's a lovely way to make new blogging friends.

Anyone who would like a PIF from me would you please leave a comment on this post and if I have more than three takers I will draw three names on Sunday February 28th.

hugs,

A new month

I am so glad that February is here as January wasn't the best of months for me and ended last week with my youngest daughter Rachel being admitted to hospital with chest pains. Thankfully she is out now though she has to take a strong course of antibiotics and as she is three months pregnant it was a very worrying time for her with all the drugs that she was given when she was first admitted.

We've looked after her daughter Lily for most of the weekend and it's been lovely to hear her shout my name when she wakes up in the morning and even her singing away at 4.30 one morning was a joy. I can't believe that she will be two years old on Sunday, it doesn't seem five minutes since she was born.

I thought that it was about time that I posted a photo of my Travelling Stitcher SAL as I think this is the last week and I'm nowhere near finished yet.


This is what I had done by the end of the second week but then I couldn't find the cable to attach to the camera to download the photo. I have done a little more since then but not a lot so I must try this week and stitch a bit more.

I hope that wherever you are that the weather is better than it is here, very wet and windy, just the sort of day to sit and stitch if only I could get off here!!

hugs,

Belated New Years greetings and part 4

It seems such a long time since I've felt like blogging, I haven't felt well since way before Christmas and a bit of a health scare set off my panic attacks again, though now that the pills have kicked in I'm beginning to feel so much better.

We had a lovely Christmas with all the family here and we enjoyed it so much that we decided to do it all again for the New Year as it was my birthday but things didn't go to plan as both Tony and I went down with the Norovirus which was sweeping the district. We were both really worn out so I spent my birthday on the settee under my duvet.

I've not done a lot of stitching but I have managed to finish my Prairie Sampler off and make a start on the Travelling Stitcher SAL which I'm enjoying and Chris has introduced me to Gimp so I've been playing around with that programme for a while and I think I'm beginning to understand it at last.Today is my eldest daughter's birthday, I can't believe that the last 31 years have gone so fast, so Happy Birthday Sharon and I hope that this year is a good one for you.

Sharon, Kim and Rachel

This is a picture of my three daughters taken at our 30th weddding anniversary party last year, it's not very often that I can get a photo of all three of them together.

That's all my news for now,

hugs,

Part 3

Part three of Prairie Sampler is finished so by this time next week it should hopefully be finished.



I've run out of one of the threads though so with any luck it will arrive in time for me to finish on schedule. It's been lovely stitching this and I'm hoping to get it framed before Christmas.

It's been wet and windy again today, really miserable weather, so I'm making the most of sitting by the fire and playing with Lily. She's decided that she likes grandma's cakes!



I can't believe that Christmas is so near, we've been trying to sort out how we can get ten round our small table this year, I think there's going to be a lot of furniture moving. I've nearly done all my Christmas shopping which is a first for me as I usually leave it until the last minute but it's been a lovely experience shopping for grandchildren this year and I get to play with the toys first.......

hugs,

Sue

Part 2

This is the second week of stitching on Prairie Sampler and so far I'm keeping up with it and still enjoying doing it.


I've not done any other stitching this week, just had a quiet week catching up on housework and sleep.

Still raining heavy though it's not too cold but just the weather to snuggle up in front of the fire with a good book.

Hugs,