Good morning I cannot believe how long it has been since my last entry. Despite several good intentions and many a long hour on the computer, I never got here. But I'm here now!! Today is a beautiful spring day. The traffic outside my window is particularly busy but that's because rush hour has started but inbetween the rush of the cars, I can hear the beautiful songs from the birds which are sat in our hedge at the front. That reminds me I need to put the bird feeder at the front! We used to have it at the back but the company that owns the two houses next to ours chopped down all the trees at the back - about 6 of them so the poor birds now reside next to a main road. I think it bothers me more than them! I picked up a lovely message this morning left by Page in Somerset, its always lovely to hear from fellow Brits as well as others. Page if you manage to read this, I tried to answer but alas you are a very busy lady and your message tray is full. Today I plan to start on the quilt panel that I purchased last October whilst on holiday in Toronto. I made it briefly (only 1.5hrs in store) to Walmart there. I managed to come away with an awful lot of fabric to bring home. I was a very happy bunny that day. I need to work on it as its going to be a thank you present for a friend who we will be staying with in a couple of weeks. Its a wolf panel. We both love wolves it is rather apt that I sew this for her. I have thought of backing it with fleece so she has the option of being able to wrap it around her legs on chilly days or just drape it for show. I've made a quilt with fleece on the back for myself and its so snuggly soft and warm on chilly days. Well for the rest of the week, my dh and I need to sort out our home and the things we no longer want need to go to the charity shops on Saturday morning. That will be my job as my hubby works on Saturday mornings.We have a pile of wood that we no longer need and are waiting for a chap dh works with to come and collect it. We might keep a couple of logs so if its chilly outside we can make a little fire to keep us warmer. Today for me is getting over my head cold, walking to the bank to pay several cheques in (about 3 miles round trip - good exercise), picking up the house and vaccuming downstairs and sorting out my craft room. It needs a general tidy as well as going swimming and the quilt panel. Ummm busy day. Tomorrow I'm back at work and then Friday off again as its Good Friday. I'm off then til next Tuesday. I've decided to change our menu tonight and just have homemade tomato soup. I changed the recipe last time and put pasta in, instead of rice and dh said he prefered it. Since we have lots and lots of pasta in, I think I'll do that again. Regards Jan
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Today I've been very busy, enjoying cleaning my home and making it look presentable if we have any unexpected callers. I took great delight in cleaning my kitchen. Not only do I have spring cleaning but I do love to give my home a good cleaning before winter sets in and the frequent rain which makes putting furniture outside rather difficult. Today has and is gloriously sunny and with a little nip in the air. That sort of nip that you get on a lovely crisp autumn morning. Opening my windows wide this morning I quickly had to go and put on a dressing gown. Sunny days even if they are not warm always make me feel happy and calm. I suppose its admiring the beauty around me.
Over the past week we've had lots of health issues some really good news and some indifferent news. DH was told 10 years ago that he's had a stroke and again 4 years ago was told he'd had a TIA, well we're going to Canada later this month on a 10 holiday and could only find one holiday insurance company willing to insure him at a very high cost. So just to ensure we went to his Doctor to check our information - not wanting to not give the insurance company any false information to invalidate our policy, only to be told by the doctor that DH has NEVER had a stroke or TIA and that on his records its been put down as migraine. That's one big difference and we're not complaining but the stress that those diagnosis had put us under wasn't small at times. I am truly thankful to the Lord for sending us to our Doctor to check the facts. The difference is policy prices was over $300. Believe me I have said my prayers numerous times since. Not only from the policy point of view but that DH is in fact in good health. That's one blessing no amount of money can be placed on.
I've had my MRI scan to see if they had left any stones and thankfully they did not. What they did see is something called a Meningeocele (Sp>). I believe its a form of Spina Bifida. They want to do another MRI Scan but to be honest I don't see the point. If I've never had any problems in 46 years why go doing tests. I'm thankful that I've good health and I don't feel the need to have one. Someone else's need is greater and they should have my appointment.
This past week, I've picked the last of this years Lavender and its drying nicely. I do need far more plants for next year and will be going to look to purchase a few more. I'll put them in the front yard so that it will look glorious when anyone walks down the path. I just love to see a whole row of lavender in bloom. I also need to decide what I'm going to be doing with the back yard. I need to look at which seeds I need to be planting and when for next spring. I like to be organised early in advance so I know what I'm doing.
On Sunday after Church, I want to see our minister to see if they are going to be doing the Shoe Box for Christmas again this year and also if they will be twinned with another Church in a less fortunate area than ours. Last year I had so much fun going and purchasing items for both and it gave me so much pleasure to be fortunate enough to be able to help someone else. I've always been blessed that I've always had enough and I am every day thankful for this.
Tonight we are hoping to go blackberry picking. There isn't many left now but I hope just enough for a couple of portions. I love the peace and quiet that surrounds us when we go picking Blackberries - truly peaceful and magestic.
Hope this entry finds people well and God Bless you. |
Well its been months since my last blog, not too sure where the time has gone but gone it has. I certainly feel like time is just rushing past me and I have no control. I'm now feeling better after surgery in May for gall stones despite the fact that they appear to have left one in - how careless of them!!!!! Scans and appointments later I'm now waiting to find out what they are going to do. This is a particular problem since DH and I are hoping to go on vacation at the end of September to visit New Zealand as we are hoping of starting a new life somewhere other than England where we currently live. We have heard of lots (and I mean lots) of people who have gone out there and are soooooo glad that they went. We thought that since I'm classed as essential worker (think that's what they call it) that we can start a new life over then in our 40s and hopefully have the homestead we have both longed for. It is impossible for us to have it over here in England. Prices are just tooooo steep and we don't earn enough. Luckily we aren't in any debt now (after 4 years of paying everything off) and I'm not too keen to mortgage ourselves to the hilt (Mortgage companies are lending 5 times joint salaries in some cases!) - that scares me and annoys me. Over inflates the prices of houses.
Enough of that moan. Some of you are going to laugh really hard at my next sentence - I've managed to pickle some onions - yes I now realize that its very very easy but for some weird reason I thought it was soooo difficult. Daft I know. Now I'm looking for other things to pickle - my DH was a bit worried the other day - he stood still too long - only joking.
Does anyone have a wonderful recipe for Jam and cookies - any sort of cookies, I'm trying my hand at different ones. Today I'm hoping to make several different types of banana loafs, some with just cherries and others with mixed fruit. I'll have to give some away but we have a lovely couple at the end of our row of houses who I do like to give things to. My freeze is full with hubby's meat - he's a meat eater. I've tried to subtley persuade him to become a vegetarian but alas he's not for moving on that issue.
The other thing I need to do is finish painting my living room, started it yesterday but came home from work in a fowl mood so couldn't really face it - wanted decent painted walls not temper tantrum walls!!!!! Two year olds have nothing on me!!! We've been told the ward I'm working on is closing - they are closing lots of elderly psychiatric wards over here and we're going to be redeployed but there is one area I don't want to go to and that's the area they want us to go to. Very political and I'm no good at politics, my big mouth gets in the way, way before my brain engages itself. Has always been that way. I just believe in a fair and just way of treating people - silly me expects that from other people too. You'd think I'd grow up at 46!!!!! LOL.... |
Today I thought I'd be efficient and hang my washing out - beautiful day, windy but looked like good drying weather. Well it was until it unexpectedly rained!!! lol... It must have been raining for about 10 minutes before I noticed. I was really lucky though, it was only a brief shower so the clothes weren't too damp having already dried. I meant to take them in when hubby came home for lunch but got sidetracked which is my norm...
I'm quite pleased with myself. So far today I've managed to do 3 hours studying for a course for work so now this afternoon I've decided I'm going to sew. I want to finish my DH quilt that was supposed tobe for his birthday (14.2). I've embroidered deer, wolf, eagles and an owl and now I want to set it for the quilt. I'll going to have a good look in my fabric stash to see what suitable fabric I have. I don't have any thoughts on the fabric just yet. I also want to cut out a couple of aprons and embroider onto them also. On Saturday I needed to go back to the sewing store to take some embroidery threads back. My machine didn't like them and it nearly ruined one embroidery but thankfully, it didn't. I consider myself very lucky over recent events. Today I was listening to the gospel music channel on our freeview box (digital TV) and the music was so inspirational and uplifting. It was truly beautiful. I can't remember what the songs were about or what they said but I do remember that lovely inner peace its left me with.
DH and I have decided that we need to concerntrate on saving money for a down payment for a house. Although houses over here are expensive, we will never achieve our dream by renting a house in a town. So we've decided to save a whole lot harder, banning all non-essential spending - that will be hard for me, work extra (I'm looking into doing agency work also and hubby is going to be helping a plumber out), and growning our own food. With regards to the latter part, I have an area in the yard which I'm going to section off with bricks and build my veg plot in that. Our yard is only small and it houses an outbuilding which is DH's workshop, a store for our bikes etc, a wood pile (for hubby's crafts), along with two chairs and various plantpots. To say its crowded would be a small point - but I love it. I can dream of the day we have our own homestead without a busy main road outside our front door. Saying that I am grateful for the house we are in as we are able to work towards our goals with no debt, no traveling expenses for hubby and wonderful neighbours.
Until next time: God bless and hope you have a good day. |
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Hi,
I've always listened to that famous saying ' today is beginning of the rest of my life' and never really thought much about it. However today's different, not only does it feel different but my resolve to change my family's life and where we are currently living has grown very strong. Don't get me wrong where we live now is OK, its just not where we want to be. My family consists of my DH, Martin, and currently one cat Jade and myself, We live in a town in the northwest of England but wished we lived more rural, living off the land and making a living from our crafts. However being realistic, neither my husband's wood skills nor my needlework skills would keep the wolf from the door - at the moment. My resolve has changed as I'm sure my hubby's has from one basic point - health. Both our health is suffering from the modern 21st century living as we want to go back to simpler times and less stressful livestyle. We need to put all our energies into doing this. We're already started, we grow some of our own food - as much as our backyard will allow use and we seek to find free food - blackberries and the similar. We really do enjoy an afternoon of blackberry picking in the peace and quiet of the country. Today DH has gone fishing with a friend and I'm doing a variety of research on the net before getting down to making a quilt. This quilt will be a belated pressy for my hubby as it was his birthday yesterday. So here's to our new life. |