Friday 30 November 2012

MY START TO THE DAY

BEAUTIFUL START TO THE DAY

Woke up to beautiful sunny morning with quite a good frost. took the dogs out for the first time in ages when its wasn't knee deep in mud....






Not a bad start to the day.... Kept Joseph off school and we went Christmas shopping which was successful and fun, then lunch at friends and now shooting off to Tate modern to see a photo exhibition and a meal at Nando's with Joseph.
A good day....!!!

CHRISTMAS LIST

Just in case anyone is interested here is my wish list for this coming Christmas

mum's christmas  list........

toasty slippers from ugg
small tray for our evening cuppa ( tk maxx)
pestle and mortar (tk maxx)
blackcurrant leaf candle or jo malone candle
wool
more wool
wool
cheap dangly earrings
funky clock for the kitchen (??tk maxx)
any nice stuff from anthropoligie
ottelenghi new cookbook( if there is such a thing)
interesting book on bread making or knitting

Sunday 25 November 2012

FORGOT TO SHOW YOU

just realised that I haven't shown you my tattoo.....
The shiny one is just not long after I had had it done and the one with the shoe is a couple of weeks later when it has settled in...
I am still LOVING it

WHERE DOES THE TIME GO??

Where is time going at the moment .. one minute it was the beginning of the new school year , now its nearly the end of term and ONE month to Christmas .



CHRISTMAS SALE





This is why I havent been able to write so much this week as I have been soooo busy getting ready for my little Christmas Sale. I had about 5 other stalls , selling various bits and pieces here at home . It was a FOUL day and sadly not so many people came through the door. That was a shame and I felt some degree of responsibility though it is up to everyone to make it a success  I did very well  actually, selling quite a bit of knitting but more food, chilli jam and granola was a BIG hit. It was a lovely friendly atmosphere so hopefully more folk will come next year if we do it again....
Also raised some money for a charity called Voices of Experience, supporting women and children affected by domestic violence. 

DODGY LODGER                                                                                
Started yesterday in quite an alarming way, A knock on the door at 6am from our lodger who then started asking where everyone was...?? Clearly completely confused. We were quite freaked out and after some more weird chat with him we had to ask him to leave then and there. It was all very unfortunate. Luckily he had a cousin who could take him in and in fact she texted later in the day to say he had been admitted to hospital  with severe dehydration which probably explained his behaviour but at the time he appeared to be going bonkers. He had also gone into our other lodgers room asking the same thing and turning the light on!!                                                                                            




Its still very mild here but it has been very very windy and lots of rain. great fun taking the dogs for a walk, really muddy and wet and handily I am looking after an extra dog this week and a very hairy shaggy one at that,,,!!! Last night we forgot to lock the sidegate and at 3am it started BANGING  A LOT, poor Ian had to go out in the cold, dark and wet to lock it, avoiding the dog poo there as well.. a great nights sleep!!

Wednesday 14 November 2012

SHOCKING.......

what is shocking is how bad I am at keeping this up to date!!

Here is another confession from my dreadful dogs.... Last night I made a beautiful banana loaf of which one slice was eaten. This morning the dogs managed to get it from the work surface and polish it off.... no breakfast for them!!

So what has been happening???

STROUD

My sister and I went down to stay with my mum this weekend in Stroud, in the Cotswolds. It was beautiful weather with the trees all changing and lovely little villages in Cotswold stone. We always do the same thing every visit, first a visit to the LOVELY farmers market with loads of great food and pottery and soaps and creams etc etc. Then on to Nailsworth , another lovely village and a visit to Emmaus charity shop where I come away with armfuls of bits and pieces, tea and cake in a coffee shop and then an evening in front of the fire with our knitting and some games thrown in... all very relaxing and fun. I shared a BIG double bed with my sister and we spent a good amount of time nattering into the night!!
I had the strangest journey home on Sunday... The trains were being repaired so there was a bus service some of the way.. When I first got on there was a man at the back of the bus talking rather loudly to someone on the phone. It soon became obvious that it was someone he hadn't met before and they were going to meet up later. My imagination was running wild and I think it was a lady he had met on the internet.. He was going into huge detail about his life, his various children (6) , one who dies and another he wasn't speaking too, clearly from several different women. then he began asking her if she was Jewish and then very loudly and clearly explained to the rest of the now filling bus that even though he was RC that he was circumcised and so was one of his sons...... the conversation continued but I had my fingers in my ears....


KNITTING

I am having a little sale at my house next weekend with a few friends just selling our crafty hobbies. I have got shed loads of knitting and will make granola and some pickles. There is jewellery and food and all sorts, so I am knitting like a nutter at the moment, ( one reason why I have not done this for a while)


TATTOO

We have finally done it... we have had a tattoo each, I can't get the photos to send so i will have to load them later. i have a little gecko on my left foot and Ian has the Hindu elephant god on his upper arm.  Its quite sore I can tell you.. i put some numbing cream on so at first it wasn't too bad but it got sorer and sorer as time went by, it took about 40 mins. I love it!!!
Still can't get pics to send so will have to leave it for another time....


Saturday 3 November 2012

LOTS TO SAY AND A FEW PHOTOS TOO

Well, its been a while again and now lots to catch up on......

ISLE OF WIGHT

Spent a few very lovely days there with the family together again after a couple of months. The weather was mixed but had a few glorious sunny days. We all went out to supper on Sat evening to celebrate our 25th anniversary and had a great evening, very relaxed and fun, playing cards and eating delicious food. I had pigeon breast, it was YUMMY!! The other highlight was clay pigeon shooting, I didn't do  it but everyone else did and on the whole was pretty good. Sam just got it and pretty much hit everything, Becca was also brilliant and managed to hit a double shot. Joseph also managed to hit one in the air which was quite a relief as he was in a bit of a strop!!
The house we stayed in was a bit sparse and chilly to say the least so we had to put in a HUGE list of complaints the next morning and so was much better since then!! Our bed was soooo uncomfortable we were both waking up complaining of pain in our hips, back, neck... Was blissful to get back to our own comfy one!!
The last couple of days it was just Sam ,jo and us so very peaceful. I had some intensive sketching coaching from Sam and did not improve one jot!! so I am retiring from that I think!!






BOROUGH MARKET




Had a day to ourselves today so after our compulsory row with Charlie we sent off to Borough Market by London Bridge. It is great there, really busy and buzzing and loads of great looking food. I was still feeling full from our celebratory meal at the Bluebird Restaurant so just had a wheatgrass zinger which is yum and also feels very healthy and good for you. There are amazing bread stalls with the most fantastic looking loaves that I aspire too. Lots of tasters and samples too.


MOVIES

 have been seeing a few movies this week..... First saw "Ruby Sparks" which we gave 6.5/10, quite amusing and an interesting idea. On the IoW saw "Skyfall", James Bond,Daniel Craig is very sexy and the film was actually very well done and exciting, a definite 8/10. Just home now from "Beasts of the Southern Wild".... what was that about.... we just didn't get it at all. Good acting esp from the 6 yr old star but I have no idea what the meaning of it was!!

Not really movies but we have been watching a TV documentary on the BBC about Icebergs. All very beautiful and interesting scenery but the most ridiculous investigations which presumably cost the license payer quite a few million. One of the unknown facts they discovered after diving around the base of the iceberg was that the water there was"salty and cold". That was something I just hadn't realised, that the sea in the Arctic Ocean was salty and cold... Good old BBC!!

NEW COAT

One last thing.... At last the weather has got cold enough for me to wear my NEW COAT..... its soooo lovely and warm and cosy and toasty... so here it is

DOG CONFESSIONS....



Saw a very funny e mail going around about the disgusting things dogs do so thought I would put my dogs in the spotlight.....