Things I did on a rainy day

Look at this picture how neat I just love them...so here is your next Christmas decoration.

So why am I showing Christmas decorations in August ? .....you may ask.

It has been raining here now for 3 days torrential rain and persistent showers in between, I have stitched and even managed a little housework...not to much mind.

My car was also in for service  thus forced to stay put for a while ..which in fact took a day and a bit as they fixed a new reversing light to the rear bumper so when I am reversing in pitch dark down long  drive ways that are lined with shrubs and trees I do not continue to scratch my car .. Mind the best answer is to ask people to cut back their shrubs and trees but that I guess is a little cheeky.

I checked out  the 2 desk computers we have in the study, they have not been used for a very long time may be 4 years ....ever since we retired from our business here in NZ ... In the winter the study is on the cool or rather cold side of the house .. so now I use a laptop in the comfort of a lovely warm dining room.. so after they warmed up ( the computers that is) they are 9 years old it took 24 hours for all the new windows updates to load and the virus protection.

I looked at the setup you know the wallpaper and screen savers etc, and decided to change them all bringing them up to date and a new lease of life

A long time ago I found  http://www.free-wallpaper-free.com/ if you are looking for a nice fresh look to your computer try it ... there are hundreds and hundreds of wallpapers and screen savers to choose from and download.

I took a look at the Christmas ones and found these " red wellies" I just love them so now I have Christmas all ready as my wallpaper. Nothing like being ready early.

P.S.   One of the screens of the desk computers has just given up the ghost, I called my friendly computer tech.... and he said leaving computers not working for any length of time is almost a death warrant to them .... as dust get into the workings and when they are fired up they warm up and the dust and grease collect around the workings and ...POOF off they go.  So the moral is if you have a desk computer bedsides your laptop.. please remember to turn on the desk one often to keep it free of dust and cover when not used.

What a lovely afternoon

What a lovely afternoon we had ... at one point there was 16 adults and 5 children in my dining room
the supply of cakes and goodies were laden on the dining table, such an amazing spread ( thank you everyone for your plate of goodies)
Everyone ate cakes and drank from bone china cups, while talking with their neighbour. It really bought the memories flooding back of those days when I was a child at home on a Sunday afternoon there was always a special cake and we used the best china.
Talking of china ... I always use bone china every day, I really don't like large pottery mugs with a thick rims, I only have bone china mugs, cups and saucers... I don't really understand why people put it in a cabinet and just look at it... it was all made to be used... it is far more resilient than pottery and does not break so easily.
I have had some of my china 35 years the above "Ivy" set was my first tea set and is going strong the tea pot is used every day and it is still perfect and it all goes in the dishwasher all the time
OH! no! I can hear everyone cry... but it is easy you space it out well ( no rattles against it's neighbour)just leave out the dish-washing powder and give it a glass wash, it is not the water that is harmful just the powder.
I have had, may be 2 or 3 breakages in that time and they were caused by dropping outside on the patio, and I would have expected anything to break in that situation.

I bought a china dinner service at Royal Doulton in UK and they told me about the washer trick and that dinner service is now at least 25 yrs old. In fact it is now on Royal Doulton collectors list as it is discontinued it is called Claudia and here is a picture of the pattern.

I just love it. I am just one fruit dish missing ( it was purchased piece by piece not sold in sets in those days) and I did not realise we were short until many years later ... it was to late "discontinued" ......I ask about signing up for a piece and they said it could be run for me on a special at 150 UK pounds or $325 ... you guessed we did with out the final fruit dish.

Saturday and the weekend

Another weekend, time seems to go by so quickly lately... nothing to do with my age , I don't think !!

So the end of another busy week and I seem to have packed in a lot to this one... and managed a bit of stitching.. see last couple of blogs for the saga will not repeat here, but just to say toes are doing great and can now get one pair of shoes on that were always a little on the large size for me.

Stitching ...  have managed some of the bullion knots flowers on the Punto Antico work. After I tracked down some of the thread, Thank you Ribbon Rose for the prompt attention and posting to me.

On Friday I recieved this lovely parcel from Sandy she had  3 lovely give aways on her blog and I signed up and won one of them... I was so thrilled, and here are my items

Two lovely patterns ... a needle case and a bag that you use the "Shrinking Stuff" on... I have never tried this so now have no excuse. A lovely Moda Park Avenue pack in soft muted colour just right for the hexagon quilt  that is in progress...a nailfile that is covered in pictures of thread reels so neat, and finally a Pigma pen so so useful.  Thank you so much Sandy.   Don't you just love the Postie when he calls.

Many years ago in Europe  people used to have "At Home" where they woud let every one know they were at home on a certain day and would love for you to call and take tea.... So I decided to have one here in New Zealand where it is called  " Afternoon Tea"
so I am at home on Sunday 1st Aug. 2.30pm  on wards if you are around please drop by and say Hi... all are welcome.

Update

I found this neat quilt picture on Kathryn's computer... it is amazing how you just take things for granted , I logged in on her computer and was ready to make a post and tried to look for a picture ..  when up came her pictures, What is going on here I thought?  I was beginning to wonder what had happened to all my pictures

then it struck me of course I was not on my own computer and only her items can be accessed, wake up Grandma !!

My toe is much better and not painful now unless I forget and try to bend my foot, then I know about it.

Solved the sleeping problem with the pillow in the bed...thank you to every one who suggested different ways to over come the bedclothes problem.

Today my time of "incharge" is over .. well! after I cook the evening meal and collect boys from school that is ...  Kathryn and Steve should be back around supper time and that will leave me time to drive home and snuggle in my own bed...Oh! there is nothing like your own bed, not that I have not been comfortable here in Hamilton, I have and enjoyed every minute with Ben and Alex I think they enjoy talking Grandma into things that they would not normally be allowed to do .. kids are crafty even when fairly young, and then they look amazed that I know they are trying it on .. but they got away with a few things but that's what Grandma is for  so they can remember these things when they get older and it gives us a special things to remember away from  the rules of parents... I know I had this special thing with my Grandma and loved it ...so I hope they will as well.

Lorri Birmingham designer

I have been talking to some ladies across the net about Lorri and her hardanger and cross stitch patterns and I was certain she had stopped designing quite a while ago I remember reading it somewhere and I have finally found this ... I quote from  the Internet 

 "Lorri Birmingham, is an internationally known designer recognized for her light hearted whimsical characters and elegant Hardanger needlework. Her designs have earned her several prestigious awards throughout the years. Lorri attended the Paier School of Art in New Haven, Ct. Where she furthered her training in portraits and the fine art. She began her needlework career as a free lance designer in 1989 and founded her own company in 1993. She finally closed the doors to Lorri Birmingham Designs in 2006. Lorri sat on the board of directors for the Stitching Festival from1999 to 2006. She started a new business in 2006, designing jewelry. Lorri owns and operates 2 jewelry stores on Lake George, New York, which keeps her busy all summer. All this time Lorri hasn't been able to forget her love for needlework. She is currently working with Stoney Creek on new designs. She also missed all the wonderful friends she has met throughout the years. "It was very hard to say goodbye to all my fans and students, but now I get to see them at least once a year on the cruises!" 
 ... it seems she teaches on these cruises.

I must say I have done many of her hardanger pieces and have many of her patterns. So she can still be found via Stoney Creek designs hopefully in the future..

Sunday in Rotorua

Sunday morning in Rotorua up bright and early a few chores to do before heading to Quilting day ( once a month we have a day when we stitch at the club rooms doing charity quilts or your own work) from there I head to Hamilton .. all well until I opened the door to take folded laundry to the cupboard when I pulled the door across my toes...of course bare feet no slippers on ...after I dropped the laundry and head on door post shed a few tears said a few choice words not to be repeated here ... I hobbled around a bit.

Ring on the door bell and I have unexpected visitors so after making them welcome and drinking coffee with them it really was to late to go to quilting....never mind a few things I could get done before heading to Kathryn's.

Walking was becoming difficult and painful but managed to get shoes on ok... and they gave my foot support. Finally drove to Kathryn's, on arrival I realised that foot was really painful and now walking was  a whole lot more difficult...

Kathryn took one look and off to emergency room...yes !!  bet you have guessed by now I have a broken toe and bruised others ... I now have a fancy shoe that is wonderful as it keeps the foot supported and no pressure across the toes ...3 weeks they said to keep it on and plenty of painkillers.

Sure wish I had had one of those cage contraptions they put in the beds in hospital to keep the bedclothes off the legs or feet last night..  but no time for self pity have boys to look after.

Doing the Grandma bit

Yesterday I drove to Hamilton  to be here so as at 6am  today Kathryn and Steve could take off to a conference in Auckland, they will be gone for 3 days...So Grandma's in charge.

This morning was fairly easy boys were up and watching TV when I woke up.. a couple of commands or should I say requests and they were washed and into their school uniforms, breakfast was easy and lunch boxes packed ... we were out of the door right on time.  Now it is time to be thinking about the evening meal, Ben and Alex have very limited likes and lots of dislikes ( very child like  or normal one could say) so it looks like chicken and beef mince for a couple of days
I have bought my sewing and hopefully I can manage a cup of coffee with a friend who moved here a couple of years ago...then it will be pick up time.
So far no disasters  but it is only 11am   and may be another cup of coffee is called for.. 

Book reviews .. and stitching

A couple of the  blogs I follow review books they have read,  I began to think  about my reading and at present it is non existent, with stitching and patchwork and quilting I find reading has gone way out of the window ... on top of that I find reading in bed just sends me to sleep after reading the same paragraph 3 times or more.

Then a few years back some one put me on to the talking books from the library,  now it is wonderful I stitch and someone reads unabridged books to me on CD's.  I always thought talking books were only for sight impaired folks ..but not so they are easily available from our library and would you believe at no cost what ever ( I am given to understand this is not so everywhere) most books are 8  to 10 hours long so you can serialise them if need be, but sometimes you just have to hear the next section and I have been known to sit all day listening and stitching.
They are great if you are travelling in the car for long distances also, I have converted a few people to them, including another stitching friend Mhairi, who now  stitches to her talking books, it is amazing how our conversations have changed from  the books we have read, to what CD's we have listened to ( a sign of the times I guess).

This weeks selection will last me may be two weeks, I try to bring  different types of books Crime, thrillers, novels and Biographies even some travel books,  it is amazing what I have listened to ... but would never have read such a book if it came down to me reading it,

so it has definitely broadened my tastes.

So if you need to read and stitch , also an impossibility to do both at once,  try talking books then you get the best of both worlds.