Catching up in June

Well it's been a couple of months since I last showed my face in blogland, I have been reading now and again but haven't felt at all like writing. I had a bit of a set back due to some different tablets that the doctor prescribed which meant that for the best part of May I was either in bed or cocooned on the sofa under a blanket hoping that by sleeping my way through the day and night the panic attacks that I was having would disappear. After a month when she kept telling me I would get better and no it wasn't the tablets making me ill my DH had a word with her and she put me back on my original tablets and by the following day I felt so good and I've been getting better every day. I still feel a bit nervous especially if I have to go out but it's so good just to want to do something again. On the plus side I lost nearly a stone in weight as I couldn't eat much, I felt so ill, but at the moment I could eat for England so I'm trying to keep busy so I don't think about food all day.

The past week, while the weather has been so nice I've been out in the garden every day. I love being out there even if it's been a bit tiring but the smell of the roses and newly cut grass do make me feel so good.

These are just a couple of the sweet smelling roses together with the peony which have grown huge this year, the flower heads are so heavy that we've had to put supports in. The other picture is of the pond which we've just cleaned out as we no longer have fish in there, it's looking a little bare but it will soon fill out again.

The top right photo is of the fruit patch; at the top we have blackcurrants, then the autumn raspberries and then the blackberries. The bottom left shows the potatoes and onions and in the greenhouse we have tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers growing.

Troy and Gizmo taking a rest from chasing the bees and butterflies, it was hard work and the bottom right photo is where I sit and relax when I take a breather from the garden.

I've hardly touched a needle and thread for the past month so there's not a lot to show.

This was the April monthly challenge with the ladies on Needlecraft Haven, it was a freebie from the Snowflower Diaries blog and it was the first time that I had actually done one but I never got round to posting it as I felt so yuk.

This is my new start, well it was new in April!! Celtic Noel by Lavender and Lace which has been stitching up lovely though I'm not too sure about the gold thread and all those beads that need stitching on.

Nothing else to report so I'll love you and leave you,

love and hugs,

Sue 

April already

Whatever happened to March, it seems to have passed by so quickly but hopefully we may now have some Spring weather. The problem is that April brings with it, according to custom, showery weather so lets hope that we get some sunshine in between.

I'm longing to get out in the garden but it is so wet underfoot that it's not worth even trying to do anything for the time being. The few seeds that I've sown are sitting in the conservatory waiting for some heat from the sun to start them off and not one has braved the cold so far.

We have had good news that my daughters baby that she is expecting later in the year is fine. Right from the start her pregnancy has been a worry but after numerous scans and blood tests she's been told that the baby is growing well and "it" will be another boy to join Joshua and Becky. So why am I knitting in pink? well this is a little cardigan for one of Sharon's friends who has just had a baby girl, I just need to sew the buttons on and then it can be on it's way. I've already started knitting in blue but there's not much to show yet so I'll leave that for another post.

I've put a few stitches into LHN Season of Growth, just Season of Plenty to do after this one and then I'll decide how to finish them off. They are finished as pillows on the charts but I seem to be getting lots of little ornaments lying around so I might have to think of another way of finishing them.

Beatrix has been out for another airing, I'm just stitching on this when the mood takes me, I'd love to see it finished this year.

 

We've had a lovely Easter weekend with all the family here, I can't believe how the grandchildren keep growing, I only notice when they all get together and see how much taller Lily, the eldest is, compared to Becky the youngest.

Nothing much else to tell, so I'll get back to my stitching,

love and hugs,

Happiness is making cakes

I had the grandchildren round on Sunday and they decided that they wanted to make cakes as it was so cold outside, not the weather for playing in the sand pit or on the swings.

We made lots of fairy cakes though Callum tried to eat the mixture before it even went into the cake tins, his mum, DD Rachel had a habit of doing that too.

It has been that cold that I've not moved far from the fire, I've been doing some stitching and some knitting though when I tried to take photos today my camera had died and wouldn't you know it, we'd run out of batteries so I'll update with pics later on.

I can show you a finish that I did last week when I joined the ladies in the parlour over at Needlecraft Haven.

 

This is the second in the series, Season of Hope by LHN and I've just started  on Season of Growth.I've enjoyed doing these as they are a quick stitch just right for stitching on a Wednesday evening.

I had a sort through my charts as I wanted to start something new but picked up my Beatrix Potter Quaker sampler that I seem to have been doing forever. I only have two UFOs and this is one of them and I don't know why I keep leaving it as I really enjoy stitching on it once I get going.

On the knitting front I've started a little shawlette with the wool that I won on Barbs blog and it's coming along nicely.

Healthwise, I've had some really good news about my leg. I went to see the consultant yesterday and he was going to discharge me until he realised he was still waiting on a ultrasound scan that I had back in January so I have to go back in six months as long as nothing goes wrong. But the best thing is that he said that as long as I still rest my leg regularly I can carry on as normal. I can't wait for some sunshine so that I can get going in the garden again, I have missed being out there.

I hope that everyone is well and thank you for visiting my little space in blogland, I do appreciate the company,

love and hugs,

Five years ago

Yes, five years ago today I was holding my youngest daughters hand in the delivery room at our local hospital waiting for my first grandchild to be born. It's an experience I shall never forget and I'm so glad that Rachel let me share in this miracle.

Here she is today, proudly showing off her newly pierced ears.

I can remember having my ears pierced when I was 15 years old; my eldest sister took me to the jewellers and after he'd done one ear he asked if I was ok. I said yes but I knew that as soon as I got out of the shop I wouldn't be able to make it home and sure enough I didn't make it. We had to call in at the grocers shop where in those days they had chairs for customers to sit and wait, and sit and wait I did until the dizziness had passed. Our local butcher still has chairs in his shop and it's lovely to pass the time of day, he's always got a lot to say and he always knows what I want.

I've almost finished LHN Season of Hope but I've either run out of or lost the thread that I need to finish it so it will have to wait until I order some more. I think I'll kit another couple of charts up while I'm ordering, just have to decide what I want to do next. I have a L&L lady that I'd like to stitch but I'm not very good at sticking to big projects but I might give it a go.

Not a lot of other stitching going on. January was a month where I played around with all my craft stuff; I've been card making with my cuttlebug and I've found a load of stamps that I'd not really used so I've had a play with those too. I did finish the pair of socks I was knitting and I've put a few more rows into my cardigan, maybe I'll finish it one of these days.

I was determined to get my sewing machine out as it's hardly been out of its cover since I bought it apart from doing a few alterations or sewing up my cross stitch. It just seems a waste to leave it lying in the cupboard so I made a little bag to put one of Lily's presents in.

It was only stitched up quickly but Lily was thrilled with it so I think I might have to use it a bit more and get used to it again.

And to end on a happy note I've just found out that I've won a skein of wool on Barbs giveaway so it looks like I'll be busy making socks again, aren't I lucky!

Until next time,

love and hugs,

A very cold Wednesday

I'm sitting huddled by the fire which is roaring up the chimney and yet I still can't get warm and it's so cold outside that I've not even been out to see if the bird feeders are empty. I'm sure they won't mind missing a meal or two especially when there are still berries on the branches. Even the cats won't go out so it must be cold but if they keep on fighting like they have been doing they will be out of the door like it or not. I think all three of them must be bored as they lie in wait for one another and then the fights start, can be quite amusing at times but not when they're hanging off the curtains or trying to hang on for dear life on the arm of my leather chair.

I've been keeping busy researching my family tree; my youngest daughter Rachel bought me a subscription to Ancestry for Christmas and I'm loving finding out about my ancestors. I did a lot of our family tree some years ago but it's been good to be able to update it and add some photos and new additions to the family, sadly there were some passings too but it's good to know that they won't be forgotten by future generations.

I finally finished "Season of Rest" just after Christmas it was lovely to stitch.

 and last week I joined the ladies in the parlour over at Needlecraft Haven to stitch on the next one. "Season of Hope".

I'm also half way through a pair of socks as the ones I knitted last year are, although still wearable, a bit on the baggy side.  I said I'd never knit another pair as I couldn't get into it until I'd almost finished the second one but this time I'm finding it easier.

I've also done a little bit more on my cardigan that I started last year and as I'm still supposed to be resting I'm making the most of the time while I can as I know that once the warmer weather gets here I'll want to be out in the garden. Even if it's just keeping the garden tidy or sowing seeds I'll be out there........I hate being stuck indoors.

Until next time,

 

Testing

A Happy New Year

This year has not been a very healthy one for me but I am so thankful for all the other things that have happened in my life. I am so grateful to my dearest OH who has looked after me so well. My three lovely daughters who have given me so much love and my gorgeous grandchildren who have brightened my life with their hugs and kisses along with the tears and tantrums (theirs not mine).

We have said a sad farewell to friends and relatives through the year and this time of year brings back memeories of those long gone but never forgotten. I look back on 2012 with thankfulness for the new friends I have made, the time I have enjoyed doing my stitching and knitting, the time I managed to spend in my garden and the love of a good family.

As tomorrow dawns I will also be celebrating another birthday so more celebrations with family.

So here's to 2013 and a wish for you all to be happy, healthy and trouble free.

Love and blessings,

A Very Merry Christmas

I'm all ready for Santa to come tonight, everything is done......hopefully.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow morning when Lily and Callum come round to open their presents, I love to see their faces when they open each parcel and hope that it puts a smile on their faces and not a frown.

Just hoping that my middle daughter, Kim is feeling better as she's come downwith this horrible sickness bug that's going around so instead of going out celebrating with her friends this evening, she's stuck at home with us.

I've nothing stitchy to show but I just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and hope that Santa is good to you all this year.

Love and hugs.

A lovely exchange and a little bit of finishing

November flew by and the way December is going Christmas will be here before I'm ready for it.

We have the Christmas tree up and some decorations but I need to put a few more up to make it look a little bit more festive. I've spent this afternoon shopping on line for the grandchildren and I can't believe how much a little toy costs but it only comes once a year and it's a chance to spoil them a little. I'm looking forward to Boxing day when all four grandchildren will be here to open their presents. Lily is 4, Josh is 3, Callum is 2 and Becky is one so it will be madness in our house, I can't wait.

December 1st was my youngest daughter's birthday and she celebrated it by coming down with a cold and lost her voice too, not the best of birthdays.

Saturday was also the day for opening my exchange from Diana, she doesn't have a blog but she should have. I've been participating in a Gift of Friendship exchange for quite a few years now with a lovely group of ladies and this is what I received, it was an ornament exchange and I received not one but two beautiful ornaments and some lovely extras too.

This is what I sent to Diana, and she said that she liked it.

There's not been a lot of stitching going on apart from a few Christmas cards that I like to do for some stitching friends. I did make a couple of ornaments up that I'd stitched ages ago  but for the life of me I can't find the other four ornaments that I'd stitched  to hang on my mantle. Never mind I'm sure they'll turn up one day.

Healthwise, I am improving day by day, still being told to rest but I'm feeling so much better in myself and so much happier.

Hope everyone else is happy and healthy,

take care,

I won

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to win Teresa's giveaway on her blog At willow tree pond. Along with the chart she sent some sticky notes and some hand dyed thread and as I'm not one to win very often I'm one happy lady.

Hope that everyone is having a happy Sunday