Monday's musings

Hello, Not a lot done today, been bimbling around and socializing. Monday is a village day, starting with the Craft Club. We almost had a full house this morning and it was catchup time with everyone chattering at once, and not much crafting getting done. Then a dog walk, then lunch, then the mobile library van and a natter with Stan the man. My fave mag arrived through the letter box, oooh, excitement, couldn't wait to get my sticky fingers into this, so an hour was spent drooling with a mug of coffee. I can be a real lazy slob when I put my mind to it, ha ha.

It's that time of year when I am thinking of walking. Itching to go off on a trek again. As soon as we get some longer days I will be off. I got a free book today, there are bookshelves in the Village Hall, people leave their unwanted books for anyone to take. You can keep them, or read them and take them back, or add some of your own if you have any to get rid of. I found this one all about The Living Countryside. Exploring the land in different parts of the country, looking at the animal and plant life. Some smashing pictures of places I have been to, and some that I hope to visit. Reading these kind of travel books makes me want to put my boots on and go now.

My Anglian Water bill arrived the other day, I get two a year for the water I use, plus it includes  the cost of taking the grey water away. Total for 12 months is �70.55. Out of that, only �15.55 is the cost of the actual clean water which comes into the house. The rest is made up of the standing charge and the taking away of the waste water. There's not a lot more I can do to bring the cost down there. I also get two bills from Severn Trent every year, for the surface water drainage from my property. This is charged at �61.10 per year, I am on a measured drainage band 2 tariff. So my total water charges are �131.65 a year. I will still be frugal with my water usage, even though it wouldn't make much difference if I used a bit more than my normal 10 cubic metres. It makes me feel better to flush the toilets with bath and rain water.

Utility bills due soon, wonder what they will be. Anyway. I'll cut you loose. I'll get back to my magazine, bought with my Tesco Vouchers I may add, in case any of you think I have been splashing the cash  ;o)

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Choose your word

Hello. Thank you all for joining in the 'Word for the year', some excellent ideas there. Inspiration for me to write this blog post, so here are a few comments on what comes to mind when I read them.  They are all good ones, all chosen because they mean something special to you.

Hope. A great one to start off with. We all need hope, that things are going to turn out right, and that we don't encounter too many problems throughout the year. Hope brings us something to look forward to.

Positive. Keeping a positive state of mind does not come easily to everyone, there are ups and downs. Sometimes the negatives are overwhelming. I find it helps if I remember that time moves on, and every day is not the same. I have had negative thoughts in the past, everyone does at some point, but as I often say, you can't change what has already happened and a new day is always a fresh new start. I tell myself I will not let the negatives swallow me up, and I look for positives to replace them. When something goes wrong, I  think it could have been much worse.

Calm. A good one. How to stay calm when all around you is madness? No one can say how they are going to react to a certain situation, you don't know until it happens. You can practice being calm by putting some distance between you and the madness. Walk away, find a quiet place, and breath deeply. Give yourself  time to work things through.

Fragrant. Aaah, yes, smells, these can bring a sense of calm. I love freshly cut grass, the perfume from the lime tree at the end of the road, freshly percolated coffee, walking past a chippy, to name a few.

Kind. Yes, another good one, it doesn't take much effort to be kind. Thank you for suggesting Luke Cameron's Good Deed Diary. He is a very kind man and did a good deed every day of the year.

One reader chose a phrase, 'Have some more fun'. Well I totally agree with this one, you can never have too much fun. It's easy to find and needn't cost too much, there are lots of fun things to do which are free. I like to revert back to childhood and have silly fun. I let my ideas run free. Every time I come across friends with kids in the street, I always talk to the kids. I love to see babies smile and kids chuckle. They must think I am a little bit bonkers. Make life fun for others and you will have fun yourself.

Streamline. The reader suggests declutter, simplify, and lose weight. Three good ways to streamline your life. Other related words I can think of are, pruning, trimming, dumping, and ignoring.

Mortgage. Yep, you could have a year of attacking it with every spare penny you have. Knock it down and destroy it.

Natural. The reader is thinking of fibres, wood, stone, and authenticity. These all bring a sense of calm and bring you closer to nature.

Cheerful. I'm all for this. Nobody likes a misery guts, be brave, show the world you are a smiley person.

Light. The more light we can get on our bodies the better. I like to get outdoors as much as I can. I like natural lights in the sky from the stars, the sun and moon. I like to see someone's face light up with a big smile. I like the flickering lights from candles.

Listen. Even the howling wind is good to listen to, it's loud today. Don't you just love to hear sheep calling to each other, and the eerie sound of an owl. I like the whirring of a helicopter, and the chuff chuff of a steam train.

Peace. The reader talks of inner peace, calming down thoughts. Sometimes it is hard to switch off, I sometimes have difficulty. I try distraction, to keep busy, do something else. I sometimes find I have to make a conscious effort to block things from my mind. It usually works and I can move on.

Positive. Having something to look forward to is good for positive thoughts. The reader has some changes on the horizon and is excited. Good for you. I will keep positive for you. Positives are empowering, negatives are detrimental.

Cozy. as in a nice place to live, home, happy, warm, sanctuary. Can't argue with that.

Reduce reuse recycle. Yep, good for the planet, use up what you already have. Buy second hand, gratefully accept hand me downs, keep your purse closed.

Gratitude. One of my favourite words. Every day I am grateful that I am still here. Life is an amazing gift.

Smile. Yes, let's all smile. What's that song, Smile when heart is breaking, my goodness I've had lots of those. My heart has been smashed into smithereens, but here I am, fully recovered, and smiling.

Determination. Love that one. If someone tells me I can't do something, my response is, I'll show you who can't. Come back later when I've done it. If you really want to do something you will do it.

What a great selection of words, thank you all for sharing. If anyone hasn't yet chosen one, why not pick one off the list.

And my colour for today is ...........

There are tons of berries still up there.

Dog poo bin. All these trees will be pollarded.

That's all for now, going to do a bit of sewing while I watch catch up. Have a nice weekend.
Toodle pip

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Colour my world

Hello and welcome to the first day of a brand spanking new year. Nice of you to call in. I'll try again with an answer to this question. 

Terra28 December 2014 at 03:55

Some years I choose a word for the year, do you ever do that?

Thanks Terra. I haven't thought about doing this, but now you come to mention it, yes, I will. The first word that came to mind as I was out for a morning walk was COLOUR, so that is my chosen word. I will open my eyes and look for colour every day. Even if the world looks grey and gloomy I will search for colour where I least expect it. I will try and find colour where there is none. It isn't hard when you walk around a pretty village, there are little pockets of colour everywhere. 

I pass these beautiful purple berries on my way to the church. They seem to last ages, but look closely, some of them are beginning to shrivel a bit and lose their colour. 

 A few red berries left for the birds, against a background of yellow and green variegated leaves.

I wonder what has caused the green mould to form such a perfect pattern on the wooden fence?

As I enter the churchyard I see colour. Trevor is trimming the branches from the trees. His red overall stands out against the dark trunk.

It's a hard job he has, there are three avenue's of trees to cut back, it will take him a while. If he does one a day it will probably take him to the end of the month. 

They look pretty ugly when they have been butchered, but they will come back.

Oh look, red has been joined by yellow. Graham, the previous church gardener, is out for a morning walk with Lady dog.

Oh my, more colour has arrived, people pass through here on the way to the shop. Now we have orange and purple. Little girl is eating my favourite ice cream, she has a Magnum.

So what colour is your world? Do you see things in fifty shades of grey, are you locked in your own little world and don't see the colour beyond it? It's there, you just have to find it. I am going to look for colour every day because it makes me cheerful, and it lifts my spirits.

Colour blindness must be quite difficult to cope with, I'm sorry if you have this problem. I have worked as a fundraiser for the RNIB so have a little understanding of visual impairment. If you are in this category, and you can't see very well, please join in and let us know what other senses you use to bring a little colour into your life. I would be very interested to know.

Have you chosen a word for the year, share it with us, please.

Thank you for all your comments and emails over the last few days. Enjoy the rest of today.
Toodle pip.

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Bye bye 2014, it's been good knowing you

Hello, it's countdown time. Not long to go now till the midnight hour. Don't know if I can stay awake that long. I'm back home now for good, my house/dog sitting duties are done. Henry is with the other sitter and his mummy comes back on Friday. I think he has had a good time on his holidays, walking different routes, and playing with Guinness and Angus, his doggy pals. Got to be better than going in kennels. At least I will be able to sleep comfortably in my own bed tonight, without a choc lab next to me. He is as long as me when stretched out, a big lump to shove over when he is in the middle, ha ha.

Ah, it's nice to be back in my hovel, erm spacious yet comfortable semi, only joking, ha ha. I tried to get on with some sewing while I was there, but I couldn't get in the right frame of mind for it, the place was just too neat and tidy. I can't be creative if I am not surrounded by my mess. I need to be able to lay my hands on piles of fabric, cottons, and all the other paraphernalia needed to make something. Artists just cannot live in tidy places and produce artworks, they need mess.

Anyway, I'm back now and hopefully can get on with things. Twiggy asked about my walking trips. Anything in the pipeline? There will be some, but not just yet as the days are too short. I'm itching to get out on a long one again. Every time I finish a walk I say that was the last, but a few months later I want to go again. It's a matter of working out the logistics.

I must make a start on a bit of spring cleaning tomorrow so I haven't it all to do when spring finally arrives. The place is looking a bit tired, needs tarting up a bit. A wet rag to wipe down the paint work, get rid of stuff I don't want, clean the windows, slap a bit of paint on, that sort of thing, nothing too drastic or strenuous. The outside lavvy could do with a lick of paint, and the sheds want sorting out.

Right, that's about it for this year. I'll pour myself a tot of port and put my feet up with Last Tango in Halifax, on the catch up channel. Happy New Year to you, and I'll see you in 2015.  

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Trying to keep up

Hello, not long now and 2014 will be gone. It's been a good one and I am chuffed. Not doing a look back over the last twelve months, can't be bothered, I'm living for today, and looking forward.

I was wondering just how much of our lives will be taken over by computers in the future. After handing �180 over the post office counter, I'm a bit peeved that they didn't give me a tax disc to put in my car. I took the MOT certificate with me but Hilary the PO lady didn't even look at it, says it's all computerised now. There was no mention of an insurance certificate on the renewal form either, she said she didn't need to see it, good job I didn't take it then.

Having everything about drivers and vehicles on a computer is supposed to be a step forwards, but I think it will create lot's more problems. What about all the vehicles that come into the country from abroad, will all their details be on a computer as well? Will the authorities like the police be able to trace every one to make sure they have paid their tax and insurance, and the vehicle is roadworthy, or the drivers have passed their test? They already let lots of people enter the country illegally without the proper checks, how are they going to police millions of cars with no road tax discs in the windscreen? I can see the computers going into meltdown.

I think it's really strange to see empty windscreens without a disc, I'm thinking of making my own. It could be multicoloured, maybe a flower design, I'll have a think about it. Could make a fabric disc, or even a knitted one. There needs to be something in the space.

I was in the bank the other day, and the man in the queue behind me was getting a bit agitated because we weren't moving very quickly. As we were getting near to the front, I said I wouldn't be long at the counter. He had his phone in his hand and said he had made a ticket purchase on the internet, and the money had to be paid into a bank within half an hour, to get the special deal price. He showed the bank lady the details on the screen and she processed it. I've never heard of that system before. Amazing. Is that how shopping is going to be in the future.

I wonder sometimes if we are all going to lose the power of speech. You see lots of people walking around looking at their hand held device, tapping away at it. Never looking up, ear phones in, totally lost in their own little world, oblivious as to what's going on around them.

When you go into a doctors surgery you don't report to the receptionist, you tap a few details into a touch screen computer. When you go to a supermarket there is no need to have any human interaction at all. You can go to the self scan checkouts. If you want to you can take a scanner around with you and check in each item as you take it from the shelves, then just hand over the dosh at the end.

You can pay for your petrol with a card at the pumps, no need to speak to anyone. You can play scrabble or chess with someone at the other side of the world. You can scan your books in and out at the library.

I don't think I can cope with much more automation. I wish it was all going backwards. Wish there was more smiley people to talk to. Wish people would go back to speaking on the phone rather than texting. I hate texting, it's alright for a quick question and a quick answer, but useless for long conversations.

Spose I must try and keep up with the changing trends, but it's sad that the art of conversation is dying. Ah, well, must get on. It's clocking off time and I want a mug of hot choccy, and the last mince pie. Toodle pip.

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I resolve to......

Hello on this sunny and frosty Sunday morning. It's looking very inviting to go out for a walk, but I'll give it an hour or two before I step outside. Enough time to tap out a few words here. I woke up thinking YEAH! a new year will soon be here, a time for making plans, thinking about the future, thinking about where I want to be in a years time. No, I'm not wishing my life away, but I want to get the best out of it. 

Picture source, Free Printable Calendars.

As with any plans you make, success is down to how determined you are to carry it through to the end. A halfhearted attempt at making New Year Resolutions without putting serious thought to it, will most likely result in failure. Ideas emerging on a whim without a concrete reason to follow them up, will eventually fizzle out. What seemed like a good idea on the first of January may not stand the test of time as the months go by. And go by they will, very quickly, if you keep putting off the start date to your plan. Before you know it summer will be here, and nothing has changed.

I won't be making any new resolutions, because I like to assess the situation month by month. My needs change throughout the year. I did not join in the sealed pot, putting money away religiously every week, then finding a nice lump sum when the time came to empty it a year later. Well done to those who find that kind of saving useful. I do save throughout the year, but I prefer to watch the figures rise on my bank statements.

Here is an example of how a one year commitment worked out really well. Louise from Ramblings of a Roachling took a photo of the same tree from the same spot, every month for the whole year. Take a look at the result, it's fabulous, I love it. I am inspired to do the same, but can I make the commitment to go out and do it? Not sure, so maybe a halfhearted attempt won't work.

So, a question. How many people are going to make resolutions only to see them bite the dust after a couple of months? Or have you got the will power to see it through to the end, circumstances permitting. It's a huge commitment to say you are going to do something for a whole year. Perhaps you are like me and won't make any new resolutions, and choose the month by month option.

I don't know if any of you read Down the Lane forum, but a year ago Richard introduced a new category, 'Frugal Diaries'. It was a place for people to record their frugal journey, to share their experiences, and to support and inspire others who may wish to take that route. It was also for people starting out, their struggles and successes. My frugal journey is right here, you already read it, but I joined the forum diary, and now almost one year on, the stats are quite interesting. Diaries are for looking back on what happened before, to help bring some clarity into your life, and to assess where to go next.

My forum diary is at the top of the stats, because I made the commitment to carry on. It helps me to keep control over my finances, as does this blog. When I write things down I can see things more clearly. Rather than muddling through I would rather see the words and figures on paper or on the screen. I often look back at old hand written diaries, and see a picture of how my life has panned out. I can see patterns emerge, I can see where I came from which gives me a better understanding of where I'm going.

Sadly some of the frugal diaries didn't make it past January, some made it to March, one to July, and two of us have reached December. What I'm trying to say is it's ok to start something with good intentions, but not much point if your heart is not in it. Don't be drawn along with everyone else, you don't have to be one of the crowd, better to make your own decisions because it's what you want to do.

I'm going to bang on about another related topic now. Faddy diets don't work. I know I've said it before, look away if you don't want to read. Controlling your weight is for the long term only, this is one area where a long term commitment is essential. No cutting out junk food for a month, no stopping boozing for a month, no stopping takeaways for a month, if you want to lose weight it won't work. Re educating your taste buds and recognizing which foods are good for you and which aren't, is the way to go. Now that the Christmas stuffing of faces is over, (yes I had a bit of naughty stuff),  maybe now is a good time to take stock. I will strive to keep my eating on track every day of  2015. Are you going to make that commitment? I already do it so it won't be too hard for me. One step at a time if you are struggling, and good luck.

Tell me your New Year Resolutions, I'm interested. Write them down somewhere, in a book, on a blog, anywhere but write them down. Will you make one big annual resolution, or will you make lots of monthly resolutions? Have you got any fantastic plans you want to commit to? If they are just pie in the sky don't bother, just stick to the smaller ones which have a better chance of coming to fruition. Yes, it's good to stretch yourself, fantastic if you succeed in fulfilling your dreams, but sometimes it's better to have several smaller achievements. It's entirely up to you what you do. Whatever it is, I wish you well.

Enjoy your Sunday. Toodle pip.

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Free sprouts

Hiya and hello. I've got five cute little cubes now. Someone (I'm hopeless with names), suggested they could be made into dice. What a good idea, yes they could. Might make some more, but I'll move onto something else now, got other stuff to do. Things to finish for the stall on Saturday. 

I went to town today. Took three bags of unwanted stuff to two charity shops. Most of it is what I got out of  a skip, which didn't sell on our cat stall on Saturday. 

 I went to get some cash from the machine inside the bank, and it ate my card. My fault, it went out of date on the 30th. I have a new card but hadn't swapped them over. Must get it activated tomorrow. I paid a visit to the Arts Centre to see what was new. A very colourful exhibition by Nick Sharratt, he illustrates childrens books. It was all very interesting, he has amazing talent. Sorry didn't take any pics. Here is a link to his very colouful web site.

My next port of call was the library, I chose some crafting and sewing books. Who should I meet outside with her bicycle was Joanne from the 1939 house. You may remember I wrote about her a while back, she lives down the hill from me. I keep bumping into her just lately. She was struggling to fasten her shopping onto her bike before the ride home. I offered to take her bags back in the car, but she was adamant that she lives the 1939 way, and this is what she does. She's a gutsy lady, it's five miles each way to town and back,. with a couple of hills to struggle up. I do admire her commitment to her chosen lifestyle.

Last place to call at was the pet stall in the market. They often have offers on short dated pet food. Just opposite is a fruit and veg stall and they were packing up for the day. My eagle eye spotted a couple of sprout sticks sticking out of a bag left out for collection, destined for the bin. Nowt wrong with them I thought so I asked for them. What a waste to chuck them, a bonus for me though.

Remember the story I told you about the green phone box full of wires being smashed up outside my friends house? She doesn't live there bye the way. As I walked by this morning I saw workmen had come to replace it. Knowing that my friend was not best pleased where they had put the previous one, overhanging the entrance to her drive, I dashed back home and got in my car and went to tell her that they were about to put the new box in exactly the same place. I gave her a lift so she could maybe get them to stop the job before it was too late. I sat in the car watching her remonstrate with them, her arms waving everywhere. I had to chuckle, she doesn't stand no messing. Didn't do any good though, they were only following orders. She has already had a lot of argybargy with Open Reach the telephone people. Looks like the saga of the box in the wrong place will go on and on, she won't give up until they move it two feet to the right, ha ha.

Anyway, I'm off to bed now, with my library books. Toodle pip

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Mondays mutterings

Hello, my second visit of the day, did you like the doggy story, I've a pile of wet tissues here. 

On my way  to the chat and craft this morning I passed numerous plastic boxes full of  tins and glass awaiting the recycling collections, all left on the kerbside. I'm such a nosey sod I peer in to see what people have been eating and drinking. There was one box full of coca cola cans, full to overflowing . Either 25 people have two cans each, or one person has a serious addiction. Many of the sturdy plastic boxes look in a disgusting state, with sticky gunge splattered all over them because people can't be bothered to swill their empty containers out before they toss them in. Yuk, revolting. I pride myself in my clean box as I put it out on the front. Jars and tins are washed and separated to make the job easier for the operatives who travel in the back of the truck and have to sort them into the correct bins while the vehicle is moving. They must stink to high heaven when they get home from a shift, splashed by the gubbins which inevitably finds it's way onto their clothes. Well done to our bin men, they do a grand job.

Passing through the churchyard on my way to the village hall I came across an enormous dog turd next to the footpath. Yes even in our lovely village we have morons who think it's ok to watch their dog crap where ever it wants to, then walk away and leave it. I wanted to draw attention to this pile of poo so I picked up a few sticks that had blown down off the trees, and stuck them in the ground in a circle around it. I don't suppose it will make a blind bit of difference to the person who left it there, if they happen to be passing that point and see it, but it makes me feel better. I think I'm going to make some little flags and mark out all the piles of poop I see, and hope that those responsible will think again. Probably wont, I don't think there is much chance of that happening, unless pigs learn how to fly. 

After the crafty club I walked round to the mobile library which is parked next to the medical centre. Stan the man was on today. With all the council cut backs we are down to one van and one man, which is usually Stan unless he has a day off or is on holiday. At least they haven't cut down on our visits, we still get the van twice a day every Monday. 

Stan is a friendly sort, in fact he is a very nice man and if he wasn't already snapped up I might be interested. We always have a natter and a laugh. He talks to me while I am choosing my books. The non fiction section is not very big so I go along the rows reading titles out to him, and he tells me if it is new or not. There are always lots of cookery books, so we had a discussion about food. He said he doesn't eat out very much because of the small portions you get, he likes his plate full. I tend to agree with that. We have a very posh award winning restaurant not too far away and the portion sizes are minuscule. You've probably seen something similar, stack up a few bits of food in the centre like a balancing game, and leave a trail of drizzled red blood sauce swirling around the rest of the plate. I reckon that if the food is of the high calorie stodgy fattening type then that's all you should be eating anyway, but if it is the go straight through you in half an hour  vegetarian type, than you can eat as much of that as you like. Pile it high, that's what I say. Stan seems to be eating the right food anyway, he looks quite fit. 

Right, onto the pics. Four more small bowls I've made, for the crafty stall at our Christmas Fair. They are  covered in shimmery organza.  

 If anyone is making these, it is easier to get neat corners if you use felt for the backing.

This is a bigger one. The backing is a piece of red cotton sheet which needs a double hem.  

Going round and round in ever decreasing squares sometimes make the fabric pucker a little, it's important to try and keep it flat while sewing.

Hey, look at me, I've got an early Christmas prezzie. New fingerless gloves hand knitted by lovely reader Shabana. Thank you so much, they are perfect. I am mighty chuffed.

That's enough of my ramblings for one day. I am seeing some comments from new readers, or maybe you have been reading for a while but haven't commented very often. I try and remember names. Thank you to those who told me the name of the exotic fruit, I knew you would know the answer. Tonights dinner was the rest (5) of those chick pea patties, with steamed potatoes, brussels sprouts, and parsnips.
Toodle pip

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It all happens in our village

Hey, how ya diddlin? Miss me yesterday? No thought not, it was my day off, empty head, day of rest. Quite the opposite of today, I've been running around like a blue arse fly, never stopped, feet didn't touch the ground, ha ha. Well they did get a bit of rest when I sat down at the craft club.

First thing this morning I had to do a dog walk, I didn't have to, I volunteered. My friend Joyce has had a cataract operation and she is not supposed to tilt her head forwards while bending down. Very difficult to pick up dog poo if you can't look down while scraping it up with your hand inside a plastic bag. So I am doing the morning walks for her because that's when Bailey the poodle does his ablutions. Three squats and he should be empty.

I really enjoyed that walk around the village, it was very busy for a Monday morning. The council men were filling a few holes in the road with tarmac, looks a right state now, a real bodge job. The bin wagon was out blocking the road while the men ran around pulling the bins to the back of the lorry. I had a little smile to myself, the operatives were all of slender stature apart from one who was a young portly chap. He must be new I thought, give it a couple of months and he will be as skinny as the rest of them. There was folks rushing to work, and other dog walkers to chat to. I love it when the doggies get to socialize as well. You sniff my bum and I'll sniff yours, ha ha.

On the way to the Chat and Craft at the village hall I passed a large rubbish bin on wheels, which was overflowing. The lid wouldn't shut and the contents looked quite interesting so I couldn't resist a nosey inside. There was a large storage box with a leatherette type covering and several strong shopping bags which had plenty of life left in them. I fished them out and took them with me. Two of the bags were snaffled by the ladies, and I stripped the cover off the storage box. That will do for a crafting project. I wish people wouldn't dump useful stuff.

While I am talking about village life, I'll tell you a funny story, well I thought it was funny. Open Reach, the company who are putting in all the cables for our new faster broadband, has spent the last two weeks installing a large green electrical junction box thingy. It's outside my friends house, on a main road, opposite a long straight side road. A couple of days ago a driver who was not paying much attention to what he was doing, overshot the junction and ploughed straight into it, totally wiping it out and demolishing a wall at the same time. No, that bit isn't funny, the driver is ok by the way. My two friends, him and her, don't live in the house any more, they have moved to another street. Someone told them about this new installation a few days before, so she went to have a look at it. Apparently they didn't put the box in the right place and it was partially over the entrance to their driveway. She got on the phone, and after pressing many buttons she got through to the reporting damaged boxes department. This is before it happened don't forget. She explained where the box was, and was asked if it was damaged. Her answer, 'no not yet, but it will be'. She said this because they will struggle to get their caravan out and it might get damaged in the process. Well blow me down, she was right, it did get damaged. My friend must be clairvoyant, I think I will ask her to read my palm if she can see into the future, ha ha.

After lunch, which was a banana sandwich with lemon curd, no time to cook something, I went to Helen's to help her with the newsletter deliveries. I was pleased to do this as I really need to do more walking. I've been thinking of my next long walk, which won't happen till the spring, I have a hankering for another long one. The bus pass holiday was different, and fun, because I had more time to stop and chat to people, but I did miss clocking up the miles. It felt like cheating, like I hadn't achieved anything. Oh yeah, I did one day of 20 miles, big deal. I climbed a couple of hills in the Lake District. It was nice and all that, but it wasn't a challenge. So roll on next spring when I can get out again for some long walking days.

The time coming up to Christmas is the time of the year I least enjoy. I try and be outside as much as I can, weather permitting. From now on there's going to be chaos at the shops. Shelves of essentials are cleared to make way for the ever expanding array of Christmas paraphernalia. Roads in and out of car parks will be blocked and there will be jostling in the aisles as shoppers barge their way towards the checkouts. Let madness commence. Glad I have opted out of it. I just sit back and let them all get on with it.

Had a nice surprise when I checked the blog tonight, Jason has sent a comment. Thank you  :o)) I'm chuffed.

Some good news, we re homed a black and white cat called Lucky last week. He came to us because his elderly owner was moving into sheltered accommodation and couldn't take him with her. A lovely couple have adopted him, they live in a village location, with plenty of open spaces around his new home.
Toodle pip.

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Get ready for the big bang

Now now, don't get excited, I haven't been knitting. I just had to post pics of this Nativity scene, all hand knitted by Janet from our Chat and Craft Club. Aren't they just brilliant, so neat and so perfect, not a stitch out of place. No, she doesn't want to sell them, or give them away, they will be taking pride of place in her home for many years to come. 

Janet also makes bags. She made this one out of an old pair of jeans which no longer fit her. The needle felting motif on the front panel was also done by Janet. It's a handy medium size bag. 

Here are a couple more photo's of ladies hard at work at the meeting yesterday. This is going to be a woodland scene picture and needs thousands of tiny stitches. It's going to take ages to complete.

I'm not really sure what you call this type of crafting, but I do know the lady makes greetings cards.

I took along the patchwork I am making for the sewing machine cover. Another job I ought to be getting on with. So many things I want to make, need to sew some more shopping bags, and make some more of those fabric bowls. Another idea is lurking for the next piece of artwork.

This morning I started on the back garden at Helen's rental house. It's not very big so shouldn't take long. The cat pee smell is still there in the house, but not quite as bad as it was. She has some industrial cleaner on order which should sort it out. She has already painted all the walls upstairs, now is working on the downstairs, then the new carpets can be laid. It must be soul destroying knowing that she did all this fourteen months ago, and now has to do it again. I think if you take on tenants you hope they are going to look after the place and stay a long time. She was just unlucky, but is better informed for the next time.

Dinner tonight was a bit of a mishmash. I had some pasta left over, cooked extra on Sunday, so I microwaved that with some cheese sauce, and steamed some brussel sprouts, potatoes, and parsnips. I suppose it could have all gone in a pie dish in the oven, but I don't use the oven, so things got cooked separately.

The fridge freezer is buzzing a lot more than normal just lately. It seems ever time I go in the kitchen it is buzzing. Don't know what's going on there. Is it about to pack up, I wonder. I need to eat all the food in it, just in case. Maybe it needs de frosting. I've turned the thermostat down to 1, that stopped the buzzing, but it's started again. We shall see, I'll keep my eye on it.

I've got quite a lot of Tesco points saved up, and been thinking I might treat myself. I quite like the idea of getting a Hudl, has anyone got one? With the double up promotion I could pay a big part of it with vouchers. Something to think about.

Guy Fawkes night tomorrow night, are you ready for the bangs? Get your pets in early. Our fireworks started last Thursday, someone close by had a party. No doubt some will be saving theirs for Friday or Saturday night.

That's all, thank you for popping in. Toodle pip.

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Share your secrets

Hello. Did ya miss me. Only the usual stuff going on at Tightwad Towers. Today I got the Dyson out, YAY, three cheers, I did some housework. I saw a programme called Trust me I'm a Doctor, and it said that housework and working in the garden is as good for you as a session down the gym. They did some tests, getting people to do some ironing, mopping, hoovering. and dusting, then checked how much energy they had used doing these tasks. Apparently you get a pretty good workout while doing mundane housework, so maybe I should do more of it. In your dreams, ha ha. No, I'll plod on with the housework in my own sweet sedate way, and when I feel the need to limber up I will go outside and do a bit in the garden instead.

Today I went out there with the loppers and shears and attacked the Leylandi hedge. Behind it is a six foot wooden fence between me and the house round the corner, so it's difficult to get to all of it. The hedge is about eight feet tall, and even standing on the step ladders I can't reach it all, so it was a matter of climbing up into the middle of it, and standing on the lower branches. There's a particularly high bit which I would like to cut down, don't know how I'm going to do it. The trunk is too thick for the loppers, I'll have to try the saw. I ran out of daylight and had to give up, will try again another day.

I'm on the home stretch with the picture, spent most of yesterday working on it. I was going to go to the Bake Off in the Village Hall, but completely forgot about it. Fancy that, missed out on the cake, oh bother! I was so engrossed in what I was doing, everything else went out of the window.

When I am at home, I have my computer on most of the day, keep popping back to have a look what's going on. Sit down for ten minutes with a drink, or a bite to eat, have a nosy round the forums. Do you do that? It sort of breaks the day up, I do jobs in bite size chunks, half an hour here, half an hour there, sit down for a rest when a job becomes too boring. Can't stand long boring jobs, Can only Dyson for 20 minutes, or clean two windows, or put a load of washing in, or clean the kitchen for 20 minutes, then I need a break. So I have a look round the blogs and forums, have a nosy on Facebook and Twitter, see what's going on.

I go on Down the Lane forum. It's about self sufficiency, gardening, pets, health and fitness, hobbies, food, bit of alsorts really, It has a big section on chickens, not that I read that, I have no desire to keep chickens, but it's useful for anyone who is interested. Richard who runs the forum is in Nepal at the moment, he has been posting updates. No doubt when he gets back there will be more photo's appearing.

I like the Walking Forum. It's all things, erm, walking. My user name on there is fit old bird, 'cause that's what I am, ha ha. It covers walkers of all abilities, from the novice just starting out, to experienced mountain climbers. There are a lot of trip reports on there, so if you are thinking of walking in a particular area, you could probably find a report from someone who has been there before. There are sections on equipment and what gear to wear, and a meet up section for those who want to walk with someone else.

Does anyone go on Money Saving Expert Forum? I go on there quite a lot, well I would do wouldn't I. There is always something new to learn about saving money. Alright, I do know most of it, but I don't know everything. I know what works best for me, but there might be something I might not know about, something new I can learn. The forum is not just about money saving either. It's a bit like sitting in a launderette and having a gossip, or chatting over the garden fence with your neighbour, or stopping in the street to chat to the postman. There are such a diverse range of topics on there, you can find out all kinds of things about how folks live their lives. Some of it is very enlightening. The MSE forum is so busy, you can have conversations on there. No need to wait for a comment to be published, it is instant on a forum, and if someone is reading it, a reply can come back straight away.

So how about you, what forums do you read, any that I should be looking at? C'mon share your little secrets, what have you seen on a forum  ;o))
Toodle pip

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Nice and easy Sunday

Hello. Now what shall I write about tonight. No, that isn't a question for you, it's a question for me. I do not expect you to come up with ideas for a blog post, though if you do decide to ask me a question, I can usually cobble together an answer. You want to know how my day has been? Well, a bit uneventful. A mug of coffee got me going at 7am, nice that it's a bit lighter in the mornings now. The third tree was on my mind, the yellow one. I did some pink stitching on it last night, but wasn't happy, the colour wasn't right. So I unpicked it, and chose orange. Much better, orange stitching on a yellow tree, that will be fine. I got it finished, cross stitch, then had a bowl of bran flakes.

I did think about doing a load of washing but couldn't be bothered, There wasn't a full load in the basket so I decided to put it off until a bit more was added to it. The mess on the table was getting on my nerves, all the materials I had gathered together for the weaving were now a big tangled mess due to two cats using it as a bed. So I sorted it out to make some space to work on. Some of the fabric got binned, it frayed easy and was just too messy.

My elevenses was a banana sandwich, and my lunch was some of the tortelloni with spinach. This afternoon I did a bit in the garden. All the bean canes are now sorted, grouped together in size, tied up in bundles, and stored in the garage. I had a big hole in the middle of the raised beds, where an apple tree used to stand. It finally keeled over a few months ago, with a bit of pushing and shoving, and the hole needed filling in and the ground flattening. There was no apple tree root because it had rotted away, but there was a rose bush root which was next to it. A bit of sweating and cursing as I attacked it with a fork, and finally it came out. I put the contents of the compost heap in the hole and covered it up with soil. All riveting stuff, eh!

A bit more on the picture this afternoon, I can see the end in sight, but not yet. Just as I think it is not far off ready, I come up with another idea. You can't rush these things. You know I said I have been given another chrome towel rail exactly the same, well it isn't exactly the same, it is bigger. So, I have the choice of making another picture with it, or another idea is that I can place the smaller one, the picture, on top of the new one, and fasten the two together to make a frame. I wasn't going to give it a frame because I didn't think it needs one, but looking at them together, I think it looks pretty cool. I will give it some more consideration. You never know, I might come up with a better idea.

Dinner was steamed potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, and sweetcorn. I made a drop of gravy in a mug in the microwave to go with it. Very nice.

Well blow me down, the bulb has just gone in my desk lamp, I think I've got a spare somewhere. Nope the spares don't work either, think it needs further investigation, maybe it's the switch or the fuse in the plug. I'll check it out later, meanwhile I'll finish this with the ceiling light switched on. I have another desk lamp upstairs if I can't get this one to work.

Oh gawd, here's Heidi back again, she will insist on lying on the table in front of me. I might as well give up.

I will sign off now as I've got the bath water running. It's a bit slow at filling up but I think it's almost ready. A nice long soak awaits me, bliss.
Toodle pip

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We need more art

Hello. It has been reported that we are going to get a massive new factory on the banks of the Humber not far from here, and it's going to build new wind turbines. People are excited and rightly so, because there will be a few thousand new jobs created which are desperately needed for the area. Training has already begun in anticipation of this. 

I am in favour of exploring all sustainable energy sources, because one day the oil will run out. I know there is a lot of controversy around wind farms, but this post is not about that. One criticism is that they are ugly, but I have a solution to that. Why do they all have to be the same boring white colour? Who has decided that, the designers or the manufacturers? Was it put to a vote, or did one person sit at their drawing board and say, that's it, this is how I want them to be made, and they will be white?  

Well I have a better idea. Why not paint them different colours? Why not make them works of art? Paint hippy style flowers on them. Make them into trees with three branches. Put lights on them so they glow in the dark. Make them tourist attractions, start a turbine spotters club with a book so people can travel the country ticking off and photographing all those they have visited. Sell turbine spotters all inclusive holidays, it would do wonders for coach companies looking for business.

We could be the first country in the world to start a collection of artistic turbines. We could have visitor centre's selling mini turbine models. Trips up to the top of them for fantastic views. Helicopter rides to view them from above. There are endless possibilities. What we need at this new factory is someone with vision, someone who can exploit the full potential of money making spin offs. Even more jobs could be created.

As I walk around our towns I see lots of opportunities for improving the environment we live in. The dull drab exteriors of derelict buildings, empty shops, and groan inducing general mess of the place. I don't mean just litter, the way signs are put up everywhere which do absolutely zilch to cheer things up. What we need is lots of paint. We need empty shop fronts to be turned into works of art, posters to brighten them up. Brightly coloured waste bins. We need to think outside the box, not just take the easy option and stick with what it's always been like. We need more art.

Where is the creativity in every day life? Why keep doing something when with a bit of forethought things could be made better? Creative thinking and ideas should be encouraged, not just in schools, but throughout everyday life. We should not be accepting of, 'that's how it's always been', we should be doing things differently. We are moving forward in medicine, technology, and engineering, so why do we have to look at white wind farms when they could be so much better.

Now let's see what ideas you can come up with. What could be made better using art where you  live? Or has your council already come up with some good ideas?
Toodle pip

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Time to move on

Hello hello hello, someone has asked a question, so instead of trying to cram the answer into a comment, I will give you the full Monty here in another post. Crafty eh! Look to my readers for ideas on what to write about, saves getting my knickers in a twist as I delve into my many topics trying to decide what to say next. So I'll crack on and bash this one out, then I can get on with other things.

You have the right idea Ilona! 
Were you stressed during your driving days?

Thank you Anon for your question, funnily enough I was only thinking about this when I got up this morning. What part did choices play in my work as a lorry driver? First of all, I could have done the job half heartedly, the bare minimum just to get by, but I chose to put all my efforts into it and do it the best way I could. All eyes were on me, so it was important I did not let myself down. Easy decision.

Once I had laid down my own rules, commitment to the company, look after the vehicle I had been given, look after the load and deliver it in good condition, and return to base with an empty lorry. OK, mistakes happen, it is not a perfect world, but as long as I tried my best, that's all I could do.

There were stresses to address, but mostly these were foisted on me by outside influences. It was up to me how I dealt with it. For instance, I would arrive at a delivery point, say a big distribution depot, and find I had to wait several hours before they could unload me. So, I had choices, rant and rave, no point it did not make any difference. Ask if I could be next on the loading bay because I had another delivery. Sometimes that worked so worth a try. But if I had to wait I would, lie in the bunk and snooze, read a magazine, listen to the radio, or, and this might sound daft, I walked round and round my lorry and trailer 20, 30, or 50 times. I find physical activity very good for the brain, and also of course my body was getting the exercise.

Something else that could be a bit stressful was deciding which route to take, to get me to my destination with the least hassle. Avoiding town centres, peak hours on a jam packed road, and roadworks on motorways. To help me I had hundreds of maps, still got them. As you know I still like map reading. There was lots of choices there, which could have been quite stressful, but I looked on it as a challenge. I still look at a map now and measure a route in terms of how long it will take me to get there, rather than how far is it. A bit of forward planning can reduce the stress levels.

Multi drops could be quite stressful. Sometimes they were routed by the office and I just followed the plan, but often I had to decide which order to do them in. This is where the street maps came in handy. There was one job, I had a trailer load of bicycles, triple decked, three high in the trailer. I set off on a Monday morning, the bicycles were loaded in order of delivery, so if all the shops were open when I got there everything went according to plan, but often they weren't. Half day closing, closed for lunch, that mucked the system up. So then I had the choice to go the the next shop and come back later, that's if I could shuffle the bikes around to get at the ones behind. These were minor stresses which were beyond my control. As long as I had done my best I was happy.

Getting a large vehicle stuck in a dead end street is a bit stressful. No way out but to reverse back. It happened to me in a busy street in London. What I would normally do is park before I got there, and walk down the street and check it out before I drove down. On this occasion I was in a hurry and didn't check. Oooops. Nothing for it but to ring the local constabulary and ask for assistance in getting out. It was too dangerous to do it by myself, and I wasn't about to trust some passing stranger to help me.

Ok, so here's an example of a wrong decision which had disastrous consequences, therefore caused me a lot of stress. I was under pressure from the company to get to a delivery point, discharge my load, and get back to the depot pronto for reloading. I hadn't planned on going back, preferring to have a night out in the cab, because I felt I had done enough that day. I worked it out, reckoned I might just be able to do it within my legal hours, such was my ethos for doing the job to the best of my ability. I saw the gate at the entrance to the factory and threw the lorry into it. Kerrrrunch. I wrapped the trailer round the gate post. Now you can see how that could be stressful. Three days off the road waiting for it to be repaired. After much deliberation I concluded that although the company shouldn't have put me under that much pressure, it was my hands on the steering wheel, I should have said no. What actually brought the seriousness of that incident home to me, was that someone could have been killed. Thank God it was in a quiet road in the middle of the countryside.

Quick answer to Anon, yes, sometimes, but not for long. I treated every day as a fresh new start. I couldn't change what had happened the day before, it had gone, finished, so move on. 

So, today I have moved on from yesterday. I have whittled down the amount of decisions I make. I use the same principals as separating needs and wants. I need to buy a bottle of wash up liquid, but I don't need 21 different kinds. I need to keep my house clean, but I don't need to spend hours running the dyson round. I know I am going to eat tomorrow, I don't need to know what I am going to eat.  Cost determines a lot of what I do now, so the only questions I ask myself, are, how much is it, have I got enough money to pay for it, and then I make the decision, do I actually need to buy it.

If you find yourself overwhelmed with choices, too many decisions, causing too much stress, dump some of them. Banish them from your life, have a declutter. Ok, the big decisions, the life changing decisions still have to be made, but I'm talking about the piddling little decisions, the ones which are taking up valuable space in your head. Space that could be better used for your general well being and peace of mind. Think about what makes you happy and concentrate on that.

I could go on, but I'll stop now. My stomach is telling me to eat, so I will, that's one decision I don't have to make, my body tells me when it's time to shovel something down there. Hmmm, might have some eggs, I'll decide between now and when I walk into the kitchen, about 30 seconds.
Thanks for deciding to read.
Best wishes. Ilona      

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Too many choices make a complicated life.

Hello. Today has brought wind and some rain, but not as much as yesterday. It's also a little bit warmer. I've been sewing, working on the picture. Now I have two trees, a turquoise one and a red one. I was thinking I need three trees but not so sure now. I wonder if I ought to make a few smaller trees. I have made some leaves out of felt, think that's a good idea, but how many shall I make. All these choices. I suppose that's what art is all about, shall I use this colour, or that colour. It's nice to have the freedom, to take it in whichever direction I choose, but with freedom comes many more decisions to make.

Plenty of time to think today, while I sew. Am I the only one who thinks the fewer choices we have makes life a lot more simpler. I am limited by what I can buy because I have a small income. It is not so small that I have to go without, I have enough, but if I had less money my options would be a lot less, so there would be less to think about. I could cope with that. But if I had more money, that would give me more choices, and I'm not sure that would give me a better life.

I like things being simple. When my heating didn't work I didn't have to make the decision on whether to turn it on or not, whether I could afford to heat the house. There was no decision, it didn't work, end of story, so I managed. Making decisions takes discipline. I am laid back, I only make the decisions I have to make, on important matters, everything else gets pushed to one side and I say I'll deal with it later. Like, getting the dyson out, I think about it for a few days, and ignore it. It's not important that I clean the floor today, might do it tomorrow, or the day after.

In the supermarket there are far too many choices, I don't need twenty kinds of baked beans to choose from, or ten kinds of fruit juice or soya milk. And why so many different kinds of cereals. Bran flakes do me fine. I eliminate a lot of choices when I go shopping, I am blinkered as I walk down the aisles. I totally ignore the stuff I don't want, don't even see it. Every so often I will try something new, but only if it is a reasonable price, and only if I spot it while looking for something else. I skim over the shelves, not really seeing what is there, I just look for what I know I want. I have already decided before I go, what I want. I don't have to think about shall I get this, or shall I get that. My mind is already made up.

When I drive my car I have my radio programmed to Radio 2, 3, and 4, that's all I listen to. I don't fiddle with cd's, because then I would have to decide which one to play. In fact I have only got about half a dozen anyway. My radio at home is tuned into Radio 2 and 4, and local Radio Humberside. If there is nothing on those stations I want to listen to, I switch it off. I can play cd's, records, and tapes, but rarely do, I like the quite. I can hear the rain while I type this, there must be a metal cover on my chimney pot, when the rain hits it the clinking sound echoes down into the living room.

I don't do meal planning because I don't want to think about what I am going to eat until half an hour before I eat it. There is no food prepping in my house, my cooking is quick and simple.

It's good to plan a holiday, but not to the point of stressing about it. The bus holiday I did, I didn't have a route, just a destination. No accommodation booked, take whatever I could find. Come back when I felt like it. No worries about missing a bus, there will always be another one. When on my walking trips, I don't plan exactly which route I will take, just a possible route, which always changes along the way. I make my choices while actually walking, because my mind is cleared of everything else.

I have decided not to go shopping this week, so that has eliminated a whole lot of choices.

Eliminating  trivial choices gives me freedom to think about the really important things in life, like happiness and contentment. I often say freedom to choose is very important, and it is, but I don't want so many options that I am overwhelmed. Making lots of decisions uses too much brain power, so I weedle out what is important and dump the rest. When I am deciding which way to go with the art work, all other decisions go out of the window. I want to make it the best I can so other stuff has to wait.

At this time of night I start winding down, it's time for relaxing, for switching off. I've just decided to have some rice pudding, that will be my last decision of the day.

Here is your question for today. Can you prioritize your options, switch off from those that aren't important, and decide which to deal with and which to push to one side?

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A very exciting day ;o)

I renewed my library books online today, just learnt how to do it, that will save a few bob as they were due today and I couldn't be bothered to take them back and the mobile library didn't come on Monday so I couldn't take them there. Aint technology clever. What with booking an MOT online, I am getting brave. What next, internet banking, no I don't think so.

I now get text messages from the dentist and doctors surgery, reminding me of appointments, not that I have many, almost nil in fact. I have heard that if you have a new fangled phone you can see the person you are talking to, not sure that's a good idea, means you have to comb your hair and put on a bit of slap just in case you want to impress the caller. Not that I am bothered about impressing people. I look pretty much ok as I am, sort of ordinary, I'm a blend in sort of person.

I had a chat with John the other night on skype, he said my hair looked nice. Don't know where he was looking, think he might need to go to Specsavers. I bought a �1 colour yesterday, need to do the roots. Did think I might go red again, but decided to stick with the blonde, it's ages since I was a redhead.

I've got a tickly cough, not a cold or anything. I feel pretty good, but I did a foolish thing at lunchtime, I breathed in through my mouth while I was eating cream crackers and cheese, and a few crumbs went down the wrong hole. Have you ever done that? It's very uncomfortable. Been trying to clear my throat all afternoon, Think I'll get another drink. Gargling didn't shift it either. Why oh why don't I keep my cakehole shut when I am eating. It's still irritating me now, hope I am not going to be coughing all night.

I spent an hour cutting my hedge, on the neighbours side, this morning. Picked up the bits as best I could, but not easy when they have fallen among the rose bushes. Good job they are not too particular about the border being tidy. All three of my cats came with me while I did it, they follow me everywhere.

Needed a filling lunch today as I was feeling a bit empty. Porridge is a good filler for breakfast, but it soon wears off by lunchtime, even with stewed apples and sultanas in it. So, lunch was mushrooms, courgettes with scrambled eggs and salad.

It was a nice day so I went off to Barton and had a walk along the waters edge, and Rocky came too. Another ride in the buggy. He likes watching the ducks.

Did some work on the weaving picture, it's coming along nicely. A friend from the craft club lent me some embroidery books and they have some good ideas in them which I might be able to use. I'm really getting into this textile art, it's fascinating.

Oh chuffin heck that crumb is still there, it's driving me nuts, I'm going to have to get a drink. I fancy a hot Ribena, maybe that will calm my throat down a bit.

Tatty byes and Toodle pip.

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Monday Night Natter

Helloooooo, is there anybody out there. We've had some beautiful sunsets just lately, the best ones are when the clouds partially cover the sinking sun. I managed to get this shot the other night, the river along the bottom, looking out over Doncaster way. This afternoon this same view was shrouded in mist with the wind turbines in the distance barely visible. What funny weather we're having. 

 I did a swap today, at lunch time I microwaved a home made veggie stew out of the freezer, something I would normally eat at dinner time about 6pm. Then tonight I just fancied spaghetti and scrambled egg on toast. Half a tin of spag 12p, two eggs 34p, two slices of bread 5p. dinner for 51p. Quick and easy, can't be bothered to cook sort of meal.

This morning I went to the craft club, and had a natter with the ladies. I am still working on the patchwork cover for my sewing machine. I seem to have three projects on the go at the same time here at the moment. Very confusing switching from one to the other.

Well I had a false start to this latest picture, but luckily I didn't get too far into it to abandon it and start again. I think I'm on the right track this time. The base layer has gone onto the frame, It's a bit like a watercolour wash if you were painting onto canvas, only my base layer is fabric. Yes, you can see the cords through it, but be patient the reader who pointed this out to me, they will disappear the more I add to it. There is a long way to go yet.

I've had a lovely email, thank you to the reader who sent it. She said I have inspired her to have a go at making a quilt. I hope she doesn't mind if I quote a bit of her email here, I am dead chuffed to get it.

I just had to write and let u know what you have inspired me to do... I've made my own quilts!! 
After winning a lovely bag from u(forgot to say I comment as "simplesista" on your blog) and having been a long term admirer of your quilting I decided to have a go myself! The thing I love about your methods is that u don't say "buy this, that and the other" or give a million instructions- which I find a bit intimidating if I'm honest.you just say "use what u have, give a go and see how u get on". So I decided to make a scrap quilt for my daughters birthday. I used bits of material I already had and other pieces of fabric that were important to her.
They were all just random sizes so I tried to order them a best I could- It's not the most evenly sewn patches u will see on a quilt but it's the first one I've made and I'm actually rather proud of it! 
I've made another more organised one with fabric I found in my cellar.

You make a very valid point, I think a lot of the yoootooob videos nowadays are promotional videos made by companies trying to sell you their products. They go to great lengths to tell you about the equipment they are using, the machines, and the fabric which they also sell, when all you need is a pair of scissors, a tape measure or ruler, any old machine, and lots of used clothing that you can cut up, and a spare bed sheet or two. You don't even have to buy batting, a flannelette sheet will do. Most people have these things in their cupboards, or they can be found at car boot sales and charity shops. 

Your pictures show lovely quilts, ss, the colours are great. I am so pleased that you have had a go, and that your children love their new quilts. 

An update on the skip finds, the toys and childrens clothes have gone, they have been picked up and are on their way to children who need them. Ten boxes and two big bags of soft cuddly toys.

I'll get off now, going to relax with a book or two. Toodle pip. 

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Get off me chuffin taters!

Hello. My teenage delinquent Heidi cat strikes again. She is always on the lookout for a new place to sleep, I never know where I am going to find her next. Oh my, in the corner of the worktop I have some baskets for the fruit and veg, she has decided she rather likes to curl up and doze on the potatoes, next to the bananas, apples, and onions. Can't be that comfortable, all the lumps and bumps, even though they are wrapped in a tea towel. 

Old boy Bugsy has been sunbathing by the back door. He doesn't come down stairs very often now, preferring to spend his time in the bedroom. I have had to cut lumps out of his fur which was starting to get a bit matted. He doesn't wash himself as much as he used to. He isn't keen on me grooming him either, so I have been tidying him up bit by bit while he has been eating. His coat is looking a lot better now.

I had a busy morning this morning, washed the bedding, cleaned the kitchen, washed my hair, and took Mishka for a walk. Her usual dog walker is having a few days off, so I stepped in to fill the gap. She is a big girl, Greyhound/German Shepherd cross. Quite easy to walk, if you don't mind going at 90 miles an hour, ha ha. Keep a look out for any cats, though, she nearly dragged me through a hedge when she caught sight of one in someone's front garden. Oh, and be prepared to dive out of the way when she lunges forward to give you a big sloppy kiss full on the face. She can leap six foot into the air without warning.

This afternoon I went back to The Ropewalk at Barton to the Open Studios event, to visit the artists that I missed last week. I took a friend with me from the craft club. We had an interesting time, really enjoyed it.

Afterwards we popped in Tesco next door, I wanted some yogurt. I wasn't planning on doing any shopping till next week, but when I saw the lady with the yellow sticker machine I had to see what she was marking down. Here is my shopping list, I spent �6.32.

Tomatoes reduced 59p
2 tubs houmous reduced 60p
4 pack small yogurts reduced 25p
Pack chicken pieces reduced 86p for the cats
Tub cottage cheese reduced 30p
Small cheesecake reduced 18p
Multipack dips reduced 59p
Value plain yogurt 45p
Box Tesco cat food pouches �2.50
So the cats food cost more than my food, ha ha.

I've found quite a good web site for all you textile artists out there. It's a place for art enthusiasts to be inspired, learn from the best, promote their work, and communicate with like-minded creatives. Check out TextileArtist.org   There is an interesting article on how to write an art blog, the tips and advice could be applied to any blog really. It covers attention grabbing titles, identifying your target audience, adding depth to the post, and encouraging interaction. Here is a quote from the site.

The comments section of your blog is the perfect place to have conversations with your audience. How do you get them to leave comments? Ask them. Calls to action (Leave a comment to let me know what you think about�) are the most effective way of inviting your readers to be active participants in your blog, rather than passive bystanders.

Asking for their opinion is also a great way of making them feel valued; and you should value them � they can offer incredible insights and feedback that will help you grow as a blogger, artist and person! But try to make it a win/win; think about what�s in it for them!
Read the full article here.

So, I've got to ask you a question. Erm.....Did you have a busy day or an easy day today? Now that's not too difficult is it. Answers in a comment please, but only if you feel like it. You don't have to if you don't want to, or can't be @rsed, but it would be nice if you did, because I like reading them, if I have time. If I don't have time I won't bother reading them. Oh please yourself, I'll leave it up to you.

Thank you for popping in. Hope you have a nice Sunday.
Toodle pip

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Our clever crafty ladies

Hello, me again. I'm feeling a bit stuffed tonight, I thought I would make a veg curry with the tons of runner beans from the garden. The freezer is full of them. As per usual I cooked too much rice. I never bother to weigh it, don't have any scales, it's always a guess, big pan of water, pour some in straight out of the bag, and hope for the best. Oh lordy, it will be rice with every meal till it's gone.

For all you crafty people here are some ideas if you are wondering what to make next. Not my ideas, but from the ladies of the Craft Club I go to. This is a small trinket box, or could be a gift box. Thick cardboard is needed, cut four triangles the same size, and cover them in fabric. Cut a strip of cardboard for the sides and cover that as well. Sew all pieces together with tiny stitches and sew some braid along the edges, make it long enough to gather up at the top.  

And there you are, a little box to hold a pressie for your loved one. Cute eh!

Here's another little box, made in a similar way, but square this time. The lid has some padding on the top.

Makes a nice little sewing box, or maybe jewelry. Put some padding inside the lid and it doubles as a pin cushion.

The decoration on the lid is lots of small French knots. 

This wall hanging is a bit more complicated, sorry I can't do a tutorial because I don't know how it was made. Most of it has been very carefully sewn on a machine.

And another one from the same lady. A beautiful cushion cover.  She is so clever.

Now this is quite fascinating. These patterns have been stitched onto a piece of velvet which is going to become a cushion cover. So how come they are so neat?

You can see the tacking stitches around the edge, it is two pieces of fabric.

This is the back of it. The stitches are worked from the back, using the squared fabric as a guide. 

This is another example of the same method.

I would have to keep on turning it over to check that I was doing it right. How interesting.

We are going to be having a stall in the village hall at our Christmas market in November, to show off some of the things we have made, and to recruit more members. A new lady started this morning who has recently moved to the village. Always room for more. It's a good way to start a Monday morning.

We've had a sunny day today, I've been out in the garden, trimming the hedge. Changed some books at the mobile library, and had a natter with Stan the driver/librarian, about cars. Mine is due for it's annual MOT test soon, and he was telling me about a rogue garage he once took his to. They failed it for some trivial reasons, just so they could get the work. Little did they know that Stan knows cars inside out. He is into classic cars and does a lot of his own repairs. I got some useful tips off him.

Anyway, Heidi has just jumped up onto the table and parked herself right in front of the computer, demanding I make a fuss of her. Her head is resting on my left hand so with that I will sign off. It's not easy typing when a wet nose is nudging my hand and her legs are sprawled over the keyboard. Ok Heidi, I give up.
Toodle pip.

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