A walk around the Garden

The  weather has been lovely over the last week, it almost makes you think summer is here, so here are some pictures from my garden.

My bike appeared from the garage ready for the road, Iain pumped up the tires and made sure it was okay, I did take a ride yesterday was a good feeling, must do more.

Now that the woodburning stove has gone I have a galvanised bucket now obsolete

so next good thing plant it with flowers, talk about recycling

The the giant teacup and saucer Kathryn gave me for Christmas a few years ago

 has the  new seasons plants doing well

It is Monday again

Well ! it is Monday again the time seems to fly by with out me noticing lately, I found this picture I think it sums it up very well for me.

I must not complain about my diary being full but sometimes I feel I am may be doing to much, or is it just the season of over load. I have a list as long as my arm of jobs around the house a lot of them are painting and I really must get to it...I don't want to say around to it or I will get all the bad jokes on that saying.

Just to top the lot I have taken on something else our local Anglican Church needs a body to vacuum for them once a week... now this is not as onerous as it sounds the church is just a tiny little wooden church holding about 40 people and is all nice new carpets, this makes me feel good like giving something back to the community... it also has a small remuneration that goes with it, will pay the petrol.

But this has bought another thing along with it... While talking to a young neighbour about this "little cleaning job" The neighbour said she would love to have someone clean for her, she is a single Mum and has a full time job at the college teaching hairdressing, and finding it hard to keep up with house work and spending time cooking for and caring for her children, so yes! Bet you have guessed ...I am going to do some of her house work for her, just an hour or so a week, I have that time no problem... I will have a real feel good factor that she will not be so stressed. Plus the small remuneration it will bring will help with the rest of the petrol.

Friends and Followers

I have added the followers / friends gadget to my blog, if you follow my blog please add yourself to it you will be very welcome

A Friday Giggle

It has been a bit of a busy week no time to spend on a post...still don't really have the time but thought you may like to read this......a Friday giggle

My Advent parcel has arrived

My Advent parcel arrived yesterday  from Bell in Tasmania and I have opened it and put all the 25 parcels into a basket ready for 1st December, this is going to be exciting...

I have one confession to make, I actually opened the main parcel on the work surface beside the sink in the kitchen and would you believe a small parcel that was loose inside the main package dropped out straight into the sink and into the fresh hot washing up water, I dived in quickly and retrieved it soaking wet,  so had to quickly remove the wrapping paper, but it came to no harm at all, I am sure you can see which one it was Bell, in the picture......

Thank you so much it is the first Advent countdown I have had for many a year.

Things I am and have been doing

I seem to have been really busy in the last couple of weeks... Christmas has already started I have done my second  seasonal lunch and it only November 20th.
Besides eating lunch I have a birthday supper this evening for my very good and lovely friend Mhairi

I have been making her a gift a " project pouch" when you do embroidery sometimes the project is quite small and it is always useful to have a pouch to keep it in and all the threads tidy,  when you go out you can just pick up the pouch and "hey presto" it is complete and all together.

I have also been making other crafty things, Hetty a lovely Dutch Lady who also is an Embroidery Guild member showed us a beautiful box she had made.  It had three tiers and opened along the side, difficult to discribe. ,
Now she has a sheet with some instructions on, it was also with out a few of the measurements for the small box sides and had  no picture.  I took a few measurements and left the rest to memory....so now I am blindly trying to remember how it goes together...here is the start
So watch this space as the saying goes....

On our Friday evening get togethers we often do a project...

Sugi came with this one 2 weeks ago,  she had cut out all the pieces for each of us,  told us to bring our sewing kits and threads...and here is mine finished.  An embroidered white mouse he is about  4 inches long, he is made of felt and has bullion knot roses and bead decoration. I could not decide on which picture to publish so you have them both.

Back on the subject of food ...

tomorrow is Kathryn's birthday BBQ

I was speaking to her this morning on her the mobile phone, the conversation went on the lines of

" Mum have you had chicken pox?" my reply was "yes,  years ago" she continued  " Oh! good because Holly the daughter of the host of her BBQ  has developed them today"

...there was some noise in the back ground so I asked   "So where are you now Kathryn?"

"Oh! I am at the Hospital emergency department with the neice of the same friend Lisa   because she has had her  fingers trapped  in a door, Oh! and by the way Mum, Gary the Dad of the neice is hobbling , because he has just had his Knee operated on"

Believe it or not the friend is still hosting the BBQ tomorrow

Some people are made of very stern stuff.

Happy Birthday

This is my first baby all grown up

Happy 39th Birthday  Kathryn

love Mum x

On the subject of food

One of the items I make that is always successful is Sushi.
For some reason unbeknown to me I have always been able to make it, I can roll it with no problems ...

But I now cheat a little and have bought a sushi maker, it is just great and makes it so quickly. I recommend it, they are available from kitchen shops, so if you fancy making your own sushi ( at fraction of the cost of buying it) treat yourself to a maker...approx $40 ( 20 GBPounds). the picture is of chicken sushi with avacardo unfortunately it does not show up to well as there is not a lot of colour in it.