Out & About in Lakeland

Time for some of those holiday pics and chat I mentioned, so skip this if that kinda thing bores the pants - or any other bit of underwear - off you. ;0)

The cottage we stayed in in Chapel Stile was lovely, just a few yards along the road from the church, and the back garden was a treat. DH took a snap of the clematis (?) that were growing amongst the shrubbery fencing between us and the next property.

They were way prettier than the pic shows (not one of his best, Bless!). I wanted the pic because I love these flowers and plan on having some in our garden - it will be a reminder, so we'll know what to keep a look out for next time we visit the garden centres. :0)

So what did we get up to while we were gadding about in the Lake District? Well the first couple of days we took it fairly easy as I was recuperating after the stomach upset I had on the Friday night before we came away. We continued unpacking and generally settling in on Sunday but DH and I took time out to have a wander down the road to the pub (and I mean down the road - we were up the hill and the pub and shop were down at the bottom of it), to check out the menu with a view to eating there at some point. We also called in at the Brambles Cafe (above the Co-Op shop) for a warm drink and a menu check - it didn't have anything that I'd be able to make a full meal out of, unfortunately. The walk back up the hill must have tired me out because I fell asleep in the chair for an hour before tea. We cooked and ate in - the kitchen was brilliant and very well stocked with tools etc, again the best one yet.

Monday we all felt a bit livelier so after dinner we got togged up in our walking gear and wandered along the top road from the cottage to the junction with the road up from Elterwater village...... down we went into Elterwater itself for a drink at the pub (herbal tea for me). The menu was very promising and a chat to the lady behind the bar revealed that they would be OK about altering things on the menu to suit my diet. Great - we booked for 6.30 in the restaurant..... even better, it was DS's treat for our anniversary meal. We had a wander around the village and down by the river to kill some time, then headed back. They were very accommodating when it came to mixing and matching the food and leaving out dairy products and dressings etc and the meal was excellent - well worth waiting to celebrate while we were away. :0) The only problem was: we had to walk back to the cottage on full stomachs..... DS's was very full because he shared a starter with his Dad and went on to have pudding too, the guts......... there was a reasonable slope up to the back footpath, a very stony path down, then the flippin' hill all the way back up to the cottage. I was amazed when DS didn't either burst or barf. LMAO

Tuesday spoilt itself big time: it chucked it down for much of the day. We weren't in a rush to get wet. After dinner we drove over to Windermere to do a food shop in the Booths supermarket. For those in the UK, think sort of like Morrison's but better: lots of choice there, especially on the fresh fish counter. The chap behind the counter actually asked DS if he was a Chef - he's not but, due to his regular trips to the Farmer's Market where he chats to the stallholders, and to having a love of good quality food and cooking, he is becoming quite knowledgeable. Once done in Booth's we all decided we were thirsty, so opted to go to Lakeland Ltd as it was only next door. The Menu was full of no-no's for me but they did have herbal teas. Afterwards we had a wander round the store - always a treat - and made a list of the items we wanted. No point in buying them there and then as they wouldn't have fit in the car to take them home, it was so we could remember what we wanted and then do an internet order once home again. Back to the cottage after to unload, have tea and a quiet night in, with beers for the boys.

Wednesday was another iffy weather day so we had a drive over to the Rheged Visitor Centre. Yay, finally a proper shopping opportunity! LOL We had dinner in the cafe first, where they were really helpful (had run out of the chicken and bacon salad so made a smoked salmon salad up specially for me), then had a wander up to the top of the place and worked our way down. I always like a nosey at the bookshop and didn't come away empty-handed - though I forgot to add the book DH bought on the Stone Circles of the Lake District (a little gem: there are way more than I ever thought there were).


We also indulged in a smelly soap with a heavenly smell from the smellies shop. I also treated myself to a small haematite bracelet, to replace one I broke that had also been bought from there a previous year. We also got a few tasty goodies from the food shop...... and no visit to Rheged would be complete without dropping in to my all time fave, The Paper Shop. It was extra fun this year as I knew I'd be spending DS's money for him. ;0) He had offered to buy some replacement goodies, for all those emergency last-minute cards he'd nabbed from my stash....... and I could get a few extra bits and they'd be the rest of my Christmas gift. So with that off I trotted, basket in hand, to see what there was...... not that I actually needed any added encouragement or incentive to go find some goodies. ROFL When we got to the till I got the final stamp added to my Loyalty Card BUT I didn't have to wait until next year to claim the money off voucher - when the lady realised I only bought in there once a year whilst on holiday she knocked the money off straightaway. How nice was that? DH was really happy as it didn't cost him as much as he thought it might and I was happy because I came away with this little lot to play with:

And I still get to find a little something else for my Christmas pressie at some point. LOL

After all that exciting shopping we drove back to Grasmere where we had our evening meal in Tweedies Bar - another very helpful place and excellent meal. I can highly recommend the venison. :0) A steady drive back over the tops to the cottage after.

Thursday was reasonable weather so we had another walk, this time taking a packed lunch and going in the opposite direction: along the valley bottom footpath to the Stickle Barn, just below Dungeon Ghyll, stopping for lunch by the river on the way. We stopped for a loo break and a drink at the Stickle Barn, then opted to walk back via the higher path along the hillside - yup, up another rocky hill and it went up and down, up and down most of the way back...... and it was squishy and occasionally downright wet underfoot. After last years washout of a holiday (remember the bursitis that stopped me from doing any proper walking?) those hiking boots got well and truly christened, for sure. We walked back to the cottage via the Co-Op, where we got a few bits and pieces for tea. The walk was about 5 miles and was the longest one I've managed to do in a very long time and I didn't ache overly much the following day...... chuffed to bits just doesn't cover it. :0)

Friday was a bit so it was decided it was a day for driving over to Kirkby Stephen, so we could visit our favourite shop: the 2 Ravens, which is one of the rare New Age style shops in Cumbria. The lady in there always recognises and always has a good chat with us...... it was also good to have her notice that I'd lost weight and say how much better I looked. As soon as I went in I spotted an absolutely gorgeous Charoite crystal ball sat in the display cabinet and it was love at first sight. It was a stunning piece, not quite purple and not quite blue, with swirls of black and white vein running through it..... and one solid black area with a white vein around it that looked a little like a starburst around a black hole. The owner must have sensed something because she took it out of the cabinet so I could hold it. Wow! There was a definite power/energy in it that immediately had me reacting to it, sort of a slightly spacey swirl through my body - I told the owner that it was definitely a piece I knew I could work with but that I also knew I probably couldn't afford it and daren't ask the price. The rarity and size of the piece was definitely reflected in that: £295........ and that was a real jaw dropping moment and I carefully handed it back so she could lock it away in the cabinet again. The piece kept calling to me and spoilt me for any other crystal in there....... but there's absolutely no way I could justify spending that amount of money on one piece, even though I know it's "my" piece. Gutted just doesn't begin to describe it. :0( Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket? LOL I then made a bee-line for the books and found these two gems to add to my eclectic collection:


DS bought a book and a couple of crystal pieces, then we said our goodbyes and left. On to one of the gift shops and DS did all of his present buying in one fell swoop: lots of bags of handmade choccies, some choccie cookies, bottles of cider and some fluffy marshmallows for his goddaughter. Back to the car and we drove round to Pendragon Castle, to see how it had fared over another winter: a few more stones had fallen and the sheep still use it to shelter in, so you have to watch where you're putting your feet (and there are some areas you just don't go into!) but it still has the same peaceful air about it. We then drove to the Moorcock Inn where we had our evening meal (they do a huge and very tasty gammon steak) before driving back to the cottage. Unfortunately I developed a migraine on the way back but my herbalist had warned me this was a possibility on the new medicine mix, so I had some Migraleve tablets with me - luckily they worked after a time, though it made the drive back a bit of an ordeal....... you can't look at and enjoy the beautiful scenery when you've got flashing gold zigzaggy lines blocking half your vision. :0(

Saturday my brain was a bit fragile to loud noises but I felt fine otherwise, so we made a packed lunch and drove over to Castlerigg Stone Circle, near to Keswick. After eating we had a wander around the circle and Wanda decided she had to have her picture taken:


This is my favourite spot and view, looking out from the circle to the cup of the valley. Yes, that's some of your actual sun shining there too and it must have gone to Wanda's head because she started to get pretty laid back:


Can't blame her, the sun warmed those stones up quite nicely and it felt quite toasty next to them. :0)

Soon after we made our way into Keswick itself to look round the market and do some shopping. The first stall I spotted had some wonderful Fair Trade bags and purses. My other little bag is looking a tad tatty now and isn't really bag enough to carry all my pills and potions, so I chose this one as a replacement:


Plus a cute little wallet to go in it. I was all set to pay for it when DH said he'd treat me, lovely man. :0) Into one of the many walking shops and DS came out with some trousers, socks, gaiters and a bandanna; Dh got a much needed new rucksack. Another shop and I came out with a pair of Brasher walking shoes and some socks which are so comfy it's like walking on clouds. A scout round the rest of the market and the shopping bags included some cheeses for the menfolk, a bottle of cider (gift), some meats for more meals and a pretty necklace DS bought for his girlfriend. Not a bad haul. Back to the car and up to the Twa Dogs Inn for our evening meal, then back to the cottage where I finished my book that night (more in the side bar or over at the reading blog).

Sunday we stayed local. DS tootled off on his own for a walk round the valley and down to Skelwith Bridge and back along the river path in the valley bottom. DH and I had a nice wander down to the river so I could cleanse my crystal ball. The usual spot was already taken by a couple of collie dogs and their owners so we wandered up river a bit, to try and find a suitable spot. As I checked out one place and wondered if it was suitable, lo and behold a dragonfly appeared and flew around the area - we'd never seen one around here before so it was enough of a sign for me, making it extra special. Back to the cottage after, via the Co-Op, for a quiet night in.

Monday we made a packed lunch and drove over to see another stone circle that has been on my must-see list for a while: Long Meg and Her Daughters which took a bit of finding when we got over there, as it's not that well sign posted. It's far bigger than Castlerigg, with many more stones, and a totally different feel to it. Meg herself was quite imposing and Wanda decided she had to have a pic taken:


The weather was decidedly changeable, being overcast then turning to rain..... so no sunbathing that day. The views were disappointing, so Castlerigg remains my favourite site. When we got thoroughly rained off we drove back, stopping off at a pub on the way for a loo break and drink. DS's friend S joined us at the cottage that night for a meal and natter.

Tuesday was lousy weather but it didn't deter the two younger chaps, who got togged up and went for a walk over the tops to Grasmere. DH and I, being much less fit and with a strong aversion to getting seriously soggy, opted to go over a bit later in the car, meeting them both in Tweedies Bar for lunch and a natter. They then decided they weren't quite shattered or soggy enough yet, so set off to walk to Rydal Head next whilst DH and I had a tootle around the shops. DH got himself the Churchill's Wizards book and I managed to pick up another couple of buys from the secondhand bookshop:

I'm currently reading the Reincarnation book. We then drove to the Rydal Head car park to meet the young 'uns who came back from viewing the river, which was topping its banks by now. We dropped S off at the Britannia Inn in Elterwater, where he was staying, then took DS to our cottage so he could shower and change, then went back to the Britannia for our evening meal and a natter with S.

It bucketed it down all that night as well and all the following morning. We picked S up, as arranged, and went for a tour round in the car - S hadn't been to the Lakes before so it was an opportunity to show him more of the sites...... without getting wet! LOL First we went up the valley to Little Langdale, circling back round to Elterwater; then up over the tops to Grasmere and through there to the far shores of Thirlmere, where we stopped in a car park to have our packed lunches. The weather had fined up by now so we had a bit of a wander down to the waterside and took some pics on our phones. Climbing back into the car we took S into Keswick so he could buy some waterproof trousers (he'd never needed them before so had to borrow DH's set the day before) and I took the opportunity to get some more Brasher socks. From there it was a drive past Crummock Water and Buttermere, then back to the cottage via Keswick and Grasmere. The chaps had a fry up and I had some local steak. :0) S was really impressed by the scenery and would love to visit the area again to do some more walking.

Thursday all three chaps went off for a male bonding session at Rookin House Farm: archery, clay pigeon shooting and quad biking. I opted to stay at the cottage for a quiet day doing "me" things: reading, making full use of the broadband connection, doing a little cleaning and tidying up and generally chillin'. When the chaps got back we all headed over to the Stickle Barn for tea
and a natter. It was a good day all round. We said our goodbyes to S when we dropped him off at the pub, as he was heading off first thing, to go visit some relatives further North for the weekend. He enjoyed his time in the Lakes and has decided he's going to come back some time to do some more serious walking. It was lovely to introduce a newby to an area we know and love so well. :0)

Friday was another iffy weather day. The morning was spent packing all but the bits we needed into our suitcases and getting them loaded into the car, to save time the following morning. After lunch we headed over to Coniston for a wander round. We had a look at the beautiful carved cross on Ruskin's grave in the churchyard, grabbed a brochure from the local self-catering cottages agency (for future reference) and a look in a couple of the gift shops. Guess what I bought? Yup, another book:


Though why a book about CB, a Yorkshire woman/author, was in a Cumbrian gift shop beats me. LOL That was the last of my buys - would you believe I actually came home with way more than I spent, so it was a real cheap holiday! LOL

Saturday dawned.... and ended up another wet one, thanks to the typical Lakeland drizzle. Packing the rest of the stuff into the car was a hurried and soggy experience and the cleaners arrived before we'd quite finished, thanks to the folks in the next door cottage not going as soon as we'd hoped so we could pinch their parking slot, to make our loading easier - the road is very narrow outside the cottage.... and considerably narrowing the road further whilst unloading wasn't fun. So glad I can't lip read as I'm sure some of the things the drivers who had to squeeze their cars through the gap weren't very nice. ;0)

On the way home we called in at the Country Harvest store near Ingleton so we could get a few necessaries for DH and DS to have for dinner (the cafe was extremely busy) and some to take home with us. I also managed to find a lovely zip up fleece top, thin enough to use as a cardigan rather than a jacket, which I was pleased about. We ate our lunch in the car in the car park then set off again, calling in at a pub near Wyke for a drink and necessary break, then made it home...... to be greeted by a mountain of mail that almost blocked the way in. About half an hour after we'd finished unloading the car the rain that had been dogging our heels all the way back finally caught up. Not bovvered: we stayed in, with our first take-out curry in a fortnight to keep us company. ROFL

I'll post pics of my bits of holiday stitching next time. DH might have transferred some of the phone pics onto the computer by then, so I may add a few of those too. :0)

Thank you for all the lovely comments on my last post. I'm gradually catching up with blog reading/commenting, so if you haven't had a comment from me yet.... you will soon. Thank you for visiting. :0)

Guess Whooooo?

No I haven't fallen off the planet.... not due to the shock of turning 48 or any other reason LOL, I just got busy getting things organised for our holiday, which didn't leave me much time for other things...... especially when my two feel it's perfectly OK to just chuck everything into the case or the back of the car at the very last minute. I was well ready for that holiday by the time the packing was done, let me tell you.

In between updating the packing list, washing and drying a mountain of clothes (they will insist on getting stuff dirty!), sorting a stack of ironing for DH (bless him, that's one chore he likes to do that I don't - it literally gives me a pain in the neck), unearthing all the walking gear from various places and other suchlike jobs I did manage to do a little stitching. Well, actually, I managed it a few weeks prior to going away, on UFO Tuesday, and didn't get around to posting an update. So here's where the handsome fella got to before the holiday packing got underway:


I decided to fill in the other corner so it would define the working area and give a definite goal to work towards. He didn't make it out of the bag again but Mr Stick didn't chase me, as I had permission to go awol due to some perfectly valid excuses: it was mine and DH's 25th Wedding Anniversary on the 14th, followed by our 2 week holiday. Yes 25 years and another milestone event in our lives. Whoda thunk we'd make it this far,eh? LOL We didn't do much, just had a take-out curry, as we decided to go out for a special meal to celebrate whilst on our holiday. :0)

Our anniversary may have been a bit of a damp squib but my birthday excitement continued a little longer when I received another rather pretty package, this one from Clare:


Here's what was inside the envelope and packages:


One of Clare's lovely handmade decoupage cards and an amethyst bead fob (my favourite gemstone) and some perle threads and Silkweaver fabric in the prettiest colours. Thank you again Clare for the lovely card and gifts - I love them and shall enjoy using everything. :0)

Then a second envelope from Clare revealed these fab cross stitch charts:


Plus some blackwork charts:


I do love wildlife and nature and blackwork and the charts made her think of me. How nice is that? Thank you again for your generosity Clare. :0)

Yet more nice post arrived.... this time from Julie, in the form of a book that she very kindly sent on to me:


Thanks again Julie. :0) It went straight from the envelope into my bag for my holiday read. I'd decided taking a Barbara Erskine with me was a bad idea when we were going to be staying in an old cottage - far too spooky! Good decision, as it was a really good book........ so good it didn't last out the fortnight! LOL You can find out more in my side bar or over at The Reading Corner blog, if you're interested.

I also squeezed in a little more stitching before going away and managed to complete the first part of the JA/S&S Forum's Hardanger Bookmark SAL that is being run by Clare. Here's the pic to prove it:


That's one of the very few deadlines I actually managed to beat during July. Yay! The second part is now out, so I need to extract my digit and start applying a needle to this soon so I get to meet an August deadline too.

My niece's birthday was due while we were going to be away so the cardmaking goodies came out. Yes, I got all super-efficient and made a card and posted it early. Here's what I made for her this year:


She's definitely a pink girl so she should have liked it. There was also another birthday girl who's day was due during our holiday: Julie, and here's the card I made for her:

Another one I was really pleased with and enjoyed making. I also stitched a little something..... but I shall put that in another post. :0)

We then went off on our two-weeks holiday to the Lake District, where we stayed in a lovely cottage in Chapel Stile village in the Great Langdale Valley. As this is already a long post I shall do a separate post about that too.

Thank you for visiting and for all the lovely comments. I shall be having a catch up with you all in the coming week. :0)

Thanks, a Re-Homing Plea and a Catch Up

Many thanks for all the kind words of support after my rant - am glad to say that I'm feeling better about this now. The guy obviously has some serious personality issues but as he doesn't seem able to recognise that, and will probably never change, it's his problem - not mine. He obviously thrives on stirring up negative reactions so I don't intend wasting any more of my time or energy in giving him the response he craves....... I will totally blank him whenever I visit my DSis again and he can like it or lump it. I'm sure that the Universe will take care of him in the fullness of time. :0)

In the interests of my decluttering and general sort out I'm looking to re-home this book:

Most of the charts look as if they'd easily convert to cross stitch but as it's already been sat on my bookshelf for yonks without ever being touched I don't think I'm ever going to get round to stitching them now....... so the book has to go. (Anyway I need the room - I've been visiting the Hospice Bookshop and didn't come away empty handed.... again. Oops! LOL).

Leave a comment if you're interested in giving this a new home and if more than one person wants it I shall do another draw, seeing as the last one was so much fun. It's not too heavy so it's open to everyone. :0)

So what have I been up to so far? Well I heard from Elisa that the Giveaway chart safely arrived so I can now show you the card I made for her:


This was a simple card to make and was another of those where I knew exactly what I wanted to use and it all just fell into place. Love it when that happens. It also goes to show that there isn't a total lack of crafting going on here. :0)

I've been stitching the JA/S&S Challenge piece for June but it's slow going as the mojo is a bit hit and miss - too much nice weather and a garden that hasn't just called but has positively shouted for us to be out there. But even if the piece was finished (which it definitely isn't) there'd be no pic to show until after Reveal Day - sorry.

Saturday saw construction of the back fence being started first thing:

By the end of the day it was totally completed and now looks like this:

They did a fantastic job. It's a bit overpowering in it's raw state but we have the creosote and brushes ready to go - probably this coming weekend, weather permitting. The next big job out there is to flatten the area in front of the workshop (where the fence ends) to make a base for a greenhouse - when we have that in place we can then put the composting bins in place, then we can run some guide wires across the fence, make a proper flower bed and start digging some manure into it. So it won't be too long before we'll be deciding which fruit trees and flowers we want to plant, and finding out the best time to put them in, and also choosing a spot for my silver birch tree. :0)

The sort out has continued and a couple of small kitchen items have gone to new homes, courtesy of Freecycle, and I took another bagful of bits down to the Hospice Charity Shop today, when I went to the Clinic for my Herbalist appointment (will do a write up on my other blog about that). The shelving in the little bedroom (previously DS's room) is now virtually empty and has had a dusting and they'll get a wash down tomorrow before I dismantle them. DH found the clamp bit to my old wooden cross stitch stand this evening so, as I just didn't get on with the darned thing, an ad for that will be going on Freecycle shortly. Alex took the last of the children's books on Monday (I unearthed them when I was sorting my piles of books into storage crates) so her schools' library will be looking even fuller now. Am still finding this whole decluttering thing extremely liberating. :0)

I finished reading The Time Traveller's Wife (more in side bar) and have now started another book (another Hospice Bookshop find): An Angel Saved My Life by Jacky Newcomb - true life accounts of ordinary people's encounters with Angels, which is very uplifting. It's lovely to know that miracles do happen for ordinary folks all around the world, courtesy of the Angelic Realms. :0)

I had a surprise gift from Julie in the post this morning but have had to promise not to show pics until after Reveal Day - hope that's soon because it is so lovely I so want to show it off. Thank you again Julie, your timing was perfect and you have definitely made my week. :0)

Thank you again for all your lovely, supportive comments - hope you are all having the happiest of weeks. :0)

Junk and a SAL Sign Up

Thought I'd better check into my blog and post something to prove I'm still around. :0)

Hope all those in the UK had a good Bank Holiday weekend and that you all had as good a bout of weather as we did - yes, a BH weekend and the big yellow thing in the sky actually shone! Whooo Hooo! LOL

Ours was a busy but very liberating one. Nope, no sky clad dancing in the garden (with these wobbly bits? Purlease!) but a major clearing out of junk session. I know I've had these sessions before but they always seem to have fizzled out, as I felt I was fighting a losing battle.... against the two fellas in the house, who seemed to fish stuff out of the bins as fast as I put it all in there, and because it's such a monumental task. Well, feeling refreshed after my holiday and a lovely Reiki session last Saturday (see my other blog for more about that) I was well ready to start tackling the mountainous junk heaps once again. This time DS was onside, having already had a big sorting session and throw out in his bedroom....... funny how once you start these things they just seem to build up their own momentum. :0)

Firstly there was a ferret round in the loft and all the empty boxes that were up there got ousted to the skip at the amenities site, along with a few more dead electrical items (although after DH chopped off the flippin' plugs to keep!), a few more boxes from the back room (for more recently bought items) went up into the loft. Next: off came the doors from the fitted wardrobe in DS's room and DS disappeared into the workshop to varnish the new doors, had a trip to B&Q for new hinges and actually got ready to fit them...... only to find that they are a bit too wide and will need trimming slightly to fit - nope, no job in this house is ever straightforward and that put the kybosh on getting that job finished. Still, no doors meant that all the stuff piled in there was on view...... and it showed how desperate it was for a sort out. One of my jobs has been going through what's in there: charts have been filed away (though there's more to do); old magazines (non-stitching) and various leaflets and the like went in the recycling box; old paperwork shredded and a few really old bits were binned. As this is getting done now I won't have to do it when the little bedroom is turned into my craft room - everything will be in a state to be moved in there as soon as it's ready. Yay!

I've also shredded some stuff that was cluttering up the back room (which will be a proper dining room one day soon!) and a bag of books went to the Hospice Bookshop and a bag full of unwanted items to the other Hospice shop on the Saturday. Then a crate full of DS's old books from the little bedroom got sorted: a few bits I have in a bag to go to my DBro for my niece and nephew, the bulk of the rest Alex took for her school's library and a couple more, along with some videos, went to the Hospice Bookshop today. A charity bag full of clothes went outside with the recycling boxes this morning and has now been collected. A bag of toiletries (some bits we tried and didn't like or I've reacted to) and an old child's desk (that was taking up room in the workshop) were collected by fellow Freecyclers this week. Five black bin bags full of shredded paper will be going to the local animal sanctuary next time we're out that way, for them to use as insulating layers under animal bedding. I've finally sorted through an old jewellery box and my new one and have ousted all the stuff I no longer want into the old one and it and its contents will be going down to the Hospice shop in the morning. In the meantime my Dad's old bedroom TV has been put up for re-homing on Freecycle (am finally ready to let it go) and I've unearthed my old sewing machine and that'll be advertised once it's had a dust off and DH has checked the wiring. Every time an area was sorted and the attendant junk ousted I felt lighter - more links in my Marley's chain dropping away...... it's made such a difference Jan, my Herbalist, noticed and commented on it today (will post about that good news on my other blog another time). :0)

There's still a long way to go before things are properly straight but it finally feels like we're getting somewhere. Yay! *big cheesy grin*

It hasn't all been sorting and chucking out though, as DH and I did get time for some other fun stuff. DH went off for a relaxing days fishing with some work colleagues on Tuesday (always gets 2 days off for this BH) and I had some quiet time, as well as doing a few more jobs and having a visit from Alex. I finished my last book, The Warrior's Princess by Barbara Erskine, and started the next: The Last Templar by Michael Jecks. The Challenge For A Finish needleroll got to the half way point, though that seems to have ground to a halt at the moment. The last of the small ornies I was stitching got the last bit of finishing done...... and they were finally packaged up and sent off in the post today - Clare, watch out for a package arriving shortly. :0) I'll post pics once they've been received.

No JA/S&S Monthly Challenge biscornu as I ran out of time (hope to maybe do that this month though). The next Challenge is to stitch the Flowers of Olde freebie from With My Needle, using whatever colours we want and finishing however we want. There was no stitching on Night Watchman this week (Shhhh, don't tell Mr Stick!) mainly because all that sorting out had me falling asleep in my chair when I should have been stitching! Hopefully I'll make up for it soon.

Despite the fact that I didn't get all the Challenges completed this month (well, I was away on holiday for a week as well), and as if I haven't got enough to do already, I still signed up for a SAL. There's a LoopyLou Designs Christmas SAL over at JA/S&S Forum and the two pieces are Christmas Tidings and Christmas Wishes. I tried to resist but it was no good...... Christmas Wishes was shouting too loud. Here are the goodies for it:

Isn't it a lovely mix of colours? I ordered the chart from Polstitches as there were a couple of other bits I wanted from Jo's site..... having discovered that Mummies Curse fabric isn't discontinued, as I'd been led to believe, getting hold of more was a must - it's one of my favourite colours and I've only got a couple of scraps left in my stash. The SAL starts on 1st June and as Jo has emailed to say that the goodies were posted yesterday I should be all set to go........ let's just hope I can keep up! LOL

After my monthly trip to the Herbalist today I had a wander down the street afterwards, to post some packages, including the one to Clare. Whilst in the newsagents (the PO is in the back of the same shop) I had a look at the stitchy magazines - as I'd had some good news I felt a treat was in order and chose this one:

I think the embellishments pack is supposed to be used for stitching but it will do as well for cardmaking too. :0) I chose this specifically for the peacock design, the first one that has ever appealed to me - after Aureen's comments last Saturday I thought stitching and hanging this in my home would act as a lovely reminder. :0)

Of course a trip down the High Street wouldn't be complete without a book or two, would it? Help the Aged had the custom this time and here's what came home with me:

The MH one is hardback and I got it for a grand total of........ £1.00. That was a little something for DH - the other one is from the fantasy genre and will appeal to DS, as well as me. Now need to keep an eye open for the other books from the same series and the ones from the prior series. Yes, I know adding more books to the pile isn't sorting out........ but books are different. ;0)

Speaking of books: Rachael, The Warrior's Princess is on the way. Hope you like. :0)

Tomorrow (Saturday) I'm off to the clinic for the Introduction to Angels workshop. It's from 10am to 3pm and I have to take a packed lunch and drinks along...... will probably take my Archangel cards and rose quartz angel with me too. Have so been looking forward to this! On Sunday it's the Mind, Body and Spirit event at the Lincolnshire Showground, so guess what we'll be doing that day. LOL

Whatever you are all doing this weekend hope you have a lovely time. Thank you for visiting. :0)

Done Chillin'

Yup, that's me - back from my holiday and back to the usual routine, so all done chillin' out. :0)

Quick warning: NO stitching pics, so skip this post if general holiday chat isn't your thing.

DH and I set off for Rural Roosts on Friday afternoon, once the organic veg box had been delivered, and had a good run all the way there - just a bit of traffic on the A15 to contend with initially, everywhere else was pretty quiet. My DSis had already arrived, unpacked and settled in when we got there and had even had time for a snooze! LOL We had a quiet night just chillin' in the lodge, reading, chatting and watching a little TV - and watching some of the birdlife that is always around. The peace and quiet was brilliant! :0)

On Saturday we had a trip into Market Rasen where we grabbed a bite to eat at Joplins (very helpful with making something up to suit my diet) and have a look around the shops. Of course we made a beeline to our favourite place The Rainbow Room to see what we could be tempted with. Unfortunately there wasn't as much amber jewellery in there as usual but you can see what I succumbed to instead:


The book was half price, so a bargain, and is about a form of Chinese divination I've never come across before - decided I was interested enough to buy the book, anyway. Of course I couldn't come away from there without some crystal, could I? LOL Not sure you can see it clearly enough in my pic but the piece on the left is a reasonable sized amethyst point and it has some pretty rainbows inside, as well as the loveliest feel to it. It wasn't the piece that I first asked to look at - that one didn't call to me at all when I held it but this piece felt right. I didn't go into the shop with the intention of buying a bracelet but that was another piece that called to me. My DSis came out disappointed though, as nothing appealed to her at all and she'd wanted to buy a small crystal sphere to go in what was originally a tealight holder I bought her: a pretty blue piece with a sleepy dragon curled around its base - it will look great with the right sphere in it. Think we'll have to take her to a M,B&S event soon to give her a better chance of finding the right piece for her. :0)

When we'd done there we called in at the local Tesco to do some food shopping, as we'd only taken the basics with us, then drove back to Wragby for a look round the newsagents and Hospice shop there. This was my haul there:

There's a bit of a tradition developed over the years, in that I always buy a cross stitch magazine to browse through whilst away - when I saw Tinkerbell on the front of this I knew I had to have that to stitch for my niece Erin. I don't usually "do" Disney but for her I make an exception. :0) Those books were the first proper haul of the holiday. LOL Back to the Lodge for our evening meal and a couple of games of Trivial Pursuits afterwards.

Sunday we had booked a carvery dinner at the Turnor Arms in Wragby. They were very helpful with catering for my dietary needs and the food was excellent - well worth a visit, if you are ever in the area. Back to the Lodge after and we had a bit of a walk round and a snooze after..... that's what a good meal and fresh air does for you! ;0) It set us up nicely for the TP tournament that night though.

Monday we chilled out in the morning then had a trip into Wragby for some shopping in the afternoon, with a drive round afterwards so we could see a little more of the area. There's quite a bit of woodland round there and a Fen area with hides for birdwatchers, as well as lots of farmland. We'd hoped to visit the Fen for a wander round but didn't get the chance, due to either being busy doing other things or the weather not behaving itself.

Tuesday we all had a trip to Mablethorpe for the day. Now I have fond memories of the place from many a childhood seaside holiday there but seeing it now was a bit of a shock: it has changed a lot and the Thorpe Sands Holiday Park we used to stay on is no more, replaced by lots of bungalows and a Lidl supermarket. Tacky souvenir shops are in abundance, as are amusement arcades, but the eating was not only very cheap but very tasty in the cafe we had our dinner in. We also found a couple of shops of interest that tempted me into spending a few pounds and this was my haul that day:

Some craft goodies, including a storage box that was cheaper there than what I paid in The Range. There was also a crystal shop - they didn't have any crystals that called to me but I did get a great book on crystal healing (it also had that dinky little dowsing pendulum with it) and a shell that will be ideal for using with smudge sticks. There were also some nice clothing shops too and I came away with two short-sleeved knitted jacket tops - quite dressy and the medium fit me (great boost - used to be L or XXL!). Despite being on the coast I never actually got to see the sea that day, as being with Uncle, Aunty and cousins we felt obliged to go with what they preferred to do.

Wednesday the three of us had a morning's chillin' then went off on our own after dinner. We headed off to Brigg Garden Centre for a look round, as they have a big gifts area and an Edinburgh Woollen Mill clothes section - unfortunately their trousers didn't fit me (14's were too tight and the 16's too big) so I came away empty-handed from there. Gutted, as I desperately need replacements as all the trousers I have are now way too big for me - guess I'll just have to lose a couple more lbs so those 14's will fit! LOL Next we headed back to our house to make ourselves a meal, then get changed as we were booked in to the Theatre that night, to go see the LTC production:

I thought DS was playing a vampyr in it but his role was the Reverend "Mightily" Oats and our friend Alex played the Countess and her DS had a couple of small roles too. It was a really good performance and we enjoyed our night out. We went up to the Theatre Bar afterwards and spoke to DS, Alex and her DS and a couple of other folks, then headed back to RR..... finally rolling into bed around 12.30am.

No rest for the wicked though, as we had to be up and out to join everyone for a trip into Horncastle. Uncle etc like to look round the charity shops and antiques places and we like the market and charity shops. Why do I like the charity shops? For the books, of course! LOL Here's the nice little haul I got this year:

Quite meagre, compared to last year, but I'm extremely happy with it - especially having found a copy of The Golden Bough (one I've wanted to get my hands on for some time) and an Egyptian book to add to my esoteric collection. I really should stop buying books, as there's a huge heap in the little bedroom waiting to be read now, but it's something I just don't seem to be able to control...... I love books and reading and if one catches my interest it has to come home with me. The market was a good one as it had several local food producers there: we came away with some smoked trout (something we hadn't tried before and it tastes heavenly!) from Belleau Smokery and DH indulged his passion for cheese from the Lymn Bank Farm stall, getting Tomato and Basil, Brewers Choice and Traditional Apple Smoked cheeses (so wished I could try some but had to resist!) and some bacon and other meat from the Redhill Farm stall, one DS knows well from Brigg Farmers Market. One other purchase was a lovely skirt in browns, all flowing lightweight cotton and long - I used to avoid this type of skirt as they made me look like a sack of spuds tied around the middle but the weight loss has given me the courage to try them again..... and it was so pretty I couldn't resist it. :0) We spent the rest of the day back at the Lodge packing up, so we'd be ready for the 10 am departure time on Friday.

I have to fess up that not one single stitch was made at any time during the holiday, despite taking Night Watchman and Sea Stars with me.... though we all seemed to do quite a bit of reading. I finished my latest book - see side bar and The Reading Corner for more on that - and started the Barbara Erskine book The Warrior's Princess that Julie very kindly sent to me. My DSis did really well as she managed to read two books!

Despite having a good time having to go Friday to Friday is a weird way of taking a holiday, throwing all of us out so we had to keep reminding ourselves what day of the week it was. As they won't do Saturday to Saturday anymore we've decided this was our first and last Friday to Friday holiday at Rural Roosts and we'll be going somewhere else next year - a real shame because it's such a lovely place, so peaceful and relaxing and with so much bird and wildlife around it's like a mini Garden of Eden. This is one of the scenes I captured with the digicam:

These Canada and Greylag Geese pairs seemed to be really good buddies and we often spotted them close together like this, usually also accompanied by the Mute Swan pair too. The evenings were fun, as the Canadian Geese would suddenly start a kerfuffle, honking away and flapping their wings, then suddenly taking off to fly over the Lodge and off into the distance...... very soon followed by a similar performance from the Greylag's - guess they all probably roosted together somewhere else for the night. They always came back early the next morning, honking their arrival, then spending the day swimming around the pond or cosied on the banks. I shall really miss this but the new place we'll be going to next year seems to be equally as nice surroundings.... fingers crossed it's just as peaceful too. :0)

Hope you've all had a good time whilst I was away - will be stopping by to catch up with all your news soon. :0)

Reading, Stitching and TTFN

Well that strimming didn't get done on BH Monday: by the time we'd had dinner at Uncle Henry's, did some shopping there, at the Pink Pig and Tesco Express, and went home and put it all away the rain had started. I don't reckon DH was all that upset by the change of plans though. LOL We did a few things around the house instead, then chilled.

Tuesday was a catch up on jobs day, doing a lot of the things I usually do on the Monday but didn't get done because we were out and about instead. There was also a little stitching on the cards for me, which meant the third of three small pieces was completed in the afternoon and more stitching done on NW in the evening. Afternoon stitching is a bit of a rarity for me these days but I really wanted to get the small pieces done before the holiday packing started in earnest...... though the finishing will have to wait until I get back now, as I haven't been able to fit it in. Too much laundry and other such boring things to sort out! Will show pics when they are completed and been received. Again, I didn't feel like I achieved a great lot on the handsome fella, so stitched on him again Wednesday evening. This is what he looks like now:


He's now all packed, ready to come on his holidays with us, so fingers crossed I manage to pick him up at some point during the week....... that HD is so close now I'm keen to get him done. :0)

On Wednesday morning I had a trip down the local High Street for a consult with Jan, my Herbalist. It turned into a longer than usual session as I was finally able to talk to her fully about what happened to my Mum and Dad, an emotional and cathartic experience for me, and useful for Jan, as it gives her a fuller insight into what is going on in my head/emotionally and will help her to further develop the ideal treatment for me. There's more over at my other blog.

After the consult I had a trip further down the street to do a little shopping and also checked out the books in Help the Aged and didn't come out empty-handed, of course. This was my haul this time:


Both were under a £1 each, so a real bargain. I did take out The Last Templar as an audio book some time ago but the cassettes were getting old and had an annoying echo, so I gave up on them before getting to the end of the story - now I can find out what happens! LOL Unfortunately I was quite loaded up by the time I got towards the top end of the High Street, so decided not to call in at the Hospice Bookshop....... probably a good job as we'll be having a trawl of the charity shops whilst on holiday, so am guaranteed of a good book haul then, judging by last years standards. ;0)

DH and I will be going off on our holiday tomorrow afternoon, to Rural Roosts again. Not far to travel at all but so far out in the countryside it's like a different world: all bird and wildlife and no traffic, apart from the cars of the folks staying in the lodges and the very occasional farm vehicle. Bliss! It also means no internet, which means I'll not be blogging again until after we get back, so will have a catch up with everyone's news then. We're leaving DS to house sit, as the Carpe Jugulum production he's got a role in starts either Monday or Tuesday, so he's unable to come with us...... we'll be coming back, with my DSis, on Wednesday night to see the performance though. Can't miss seeing him playing a vampire, can we? LOL

Rachael: the book is yours and you're not cheeky at all. If you don't ask you don't get, do you? :0) Just make sure you remind me though - brain = sieve overload going on here at the mo. I love holidays but so hate the hassle of trying to remember to pack everything we need!

For those folks who are running in a Race For Life event this weekend, as I won't be around/online after Friday: I wish you lots of Luck - hope the weather is kind, you have a great day and you make lots of money for Cancer Research. :0)

Thank you for taking the time to visit. Be good while I'm gone. LOL :0)

Still Around

Just thought I'd let you all know that I'm still around despite the lack of blogging lately. Unfortunately there hasn't been any stitching progress pics to show because it's either for Challenges, so can't be shown until the relevant Reveal Day, or, as in the case of Sea Stars and Night Watchman, haven't been touched recently.

Yes, that's a fess up: I didn't actually manage to get around to stitching on NW last week! Please don't send Mr Stick round though Julie - I did stitch on him last night and fully intend on doing more to make up for last weeks lack, so hope he'll let me off. :0)

As for the Challenge stitching: I've completed the piece for Challenge for a Finish and taken the pics. I'll be wrapping it up and sending it off to a new home shortly - fingers crossed the recipient will like it. I then had a rethink on the piece chosen for the JA/S&S Forum's Monthly Challenge, so instead of stitching the design originally chosen I've gone for another one to do instead - purely because I want to send it as a gift to someone and the second chart suits this plan better. Just hope my finishing skills are now up to the finishing I'd like to try! LOL

I had a nice surprise drop through the letter box today - literally, because the posties seem to have done their best to annihilate the envelope, which dropped to bits once through the door! Thankfully the book and card inside were fine:

Lynn had noticed that I'd only read two of Dan Brown's books (The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons) and was on the look-out for more of his to read, so she has very kindly sent me Digital Fortress. Having read the back it sounds an exciting read, so am looking forward to picking it up soon - probably after I've finished my current book: In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick which is a true story of a whaling ship that actually inspired the tale of Moby Dick, which was sent to me by a fellow Book Crosser. Whilst I absolutely abhor the whole whaling industry it is a fascinating read........ though I'll not say any more until I've finished it and written up about it on The Reading Corner blog. Thanks again Lynn for your kindness, which is very much appreciated. :0)

As for other things: the surprise book came at just the right time, as I've been having a bit of an "off" week. I don't know if it's due to the new regime Jan has put me on (I popped in to the Clinic on Saturday: she altered my tablet taking, dropping one off and changing the time of day I take another, to try and sort out the queasiness I've been having lately) or if I'm having one of those "candida die-off" sessions again but I've been a little out of sorts with myself this week, not helped by the fact that I suddenly seem to feel hungry much of the time, no matter how much or what I eat and drink. I was perfectly satisifed before - why the flippin' change all of a sudden?! I have been a little stricter on myself and have tried to be more active, as I'm determined to drop below the 13 stone mark this time round, but am definitely not on starvation rations by any means. I just hope my stomach will shrink some soon, so it'll be much happier. Guess it'll be something else to chat to Jan about at our next appointment. LOL

DH got on with painting out the kitchen cupboard last weekend, so the all-pervading and not so sweet aroma of paint has invaded virtually very nook and cranny in the house.

No complaints though, as he seems to have decided he's going to crack on and get it finished now. Yay! There'll be flags out and a party at mine when it's done! LMAO No, we're not going mad, finishing off a kitchen cupboard when we plan on having the kitchen revamped - this particular cupboard is built in and also has all the wiring and central heating piping from the boiler running through it to the rest of the house, so it has to stay...... though it'll be getting new doors on it to match the rest of the kitchen when that's fitted. We had a trip over to Grimsby on Saturday to see the Moben display within the Homebase store there and what a disappointment it was - a huge store and all they had was a very small area in one corner that had to share space with the bathroom and bedroom displays. Only about four of their kitchen ranges were represented and it didn't really show them to their best advantage. There's what they call a flagship store over the bridge in Hull so I guess we'll be having a run out there at some point for a look-see. Meantime, we plan on going back to the Jackson & Shipley showroom on Friday for a better look round, taking in the kitchen measurements to get a few ideas. It's getting all exciting now. :0) LOL

It's been about the usual routine for the rest of the week: a quiet, watch the Grand Prix and do jobs at home day on Sunday; my usual house jobs day with a visit from Alex on Monday; DH had his diabetic blood test on Tuesday - goes for the results next week, so fingers crossed that's showing his sugars are back under control again - and I spent some time in the garden, clipping back the crocus leaves and some other dead bits, plus stitched on NW in the evening; today I've just been pottering around, made a card for my last minute emergencies box (had planned on doing more but inspiration is sadly lacking) and have finally managed to catch up with all blogs on my reader..... let's hope I can manage to keep it like that!

Well that's about all the news for now..... hopefully there'll be some actual stitching to show you next time, even if it's only another NW update. ;0)

Hope you're all having a good week and thank you for taking the time to visit. :0)

Something Old, Something New

The something old is the latest update on the ongoing UFO Night project, the handsome fella. This week I really got into this piece and actually did three nights stitching on it and here's where he's at now:

Still a reasonable amount left to do but that HD is getting so much closer! I want that new start finishing this will enable me to have! LOL There are plenty of candidates waiting in the wings for their turn, too........ what shall the new project be? Don't you just love that anticipation? :0)

As for other projects: I've got the final bit of finishing to do on this month's Christmas Ornie, then I can add it to the album and post a pic here. Talk about scraping in at the last minute! I'm still stitching the piece to turn into a scissor case for Challenge for a Finish but that looks like it might come in overdue - I keep prevaricating and it's because that scissor case is a first and I keep bottling it. Yes, I joined because I wanted a push to try new types of finishing but it still comes hard when I know my other sewing skills aren't up to a decent standard - it's just awful when you've taken time to stitch a really nice piece then go ahead and ruin it with naff finishing! If the Adult Education folk hadn't pared down the craft courses available to an absolute minimum I'd go join a sewing class to learn some useful basics and boost my confidence that way.......... it would be nice to get out my sewing machine and not be afraid of the darned thing! LOL

DH booked a couple of days off work and had Thursday and Friday off. No, not from some romantic notion of spending some extra time with his missus - he was going to a full dress dinner over in Grimsby on Thursday night and wanted the extra time so he didn't have to rush to get ready and over there on Thursday and so he wouldn't have to go into work on Friday. You know.... should he need some recuperation time. ;0) Actually he was quite well behaved: though he wasn't exactly sober he didn't come home rat-faced either, so there were no after effects at all other than him being tired. Lesson learned, shall we say? Eheheh.

The something new was the arrival on Friday of the final few bits from my last Thread Bear order:

A couple more finishing braids, some gorgeous buttons that will be ideal for ornies or biscornus and a blackwork kit I just couldn't resist - I love blackwork and it'll be ideal for one of the monthly Christmas ornies. Looks like I'll be getting more practice at a heart-shaped finish then, doesn't it? LOL

Today (Saturday) has seen more windy weather, bitter cold and alternate hail and rain showers - not nice at all. Despite wanting to do the hedgehog thing and hibernate we had to venture out. DS was up and out first thing to Brigg Farmers Market with Alex whilst DH and I had our own plans. First we went to Jackson and Shipley, though not to the DIY bit: we went to the next door showroom to have a look at the kitchens they do in there - more bits are dropping off our old one, so it's going to have to be done soon . A certain well-known DIY place hadn't impressed us much when they were doing the bathroom quote for my DSis... or should I say quotes, as each time she spoke to them the price went up. Not by a few quid either - by around a £100 each time....... which is why she told them thanks but no thanks and why we won't now use them. We saw a really nice set of units in there that we both liked and a chat to one of the staff had us both reasonably impressed with the service they offer. We came away with a brochure to look through and get a better idea of what we'd like - once that's firmed up and some measurements taken we should be off back again to have another natter and see about having the designer round. If redundancy is on the cards for DH it would be nice to get this big job done, paid for and out of the way before it happens.

Next we went to Uncle Henry's Farm Shop where we had dinner. Only I left DH to order didn't I, so the ham salad and small jacket I wanted came with both potato salad and coleslaw on it - neither of which I'm allowed to eat. It also had a huge jacket potato when I wanted a small one. Guess who had not only his own jacket potato with beans and coleslaw but also my potato salad, coleslaw and half a jacket potato? Yep, he did - makes you kinda wonder if the gannet did it on purpose, doesn't it? ;0) I'll be ordering my own food from now on though - that way I'll end up with more things I am allowed to eat on my plate. Once we'd eaten I popped one of my Book Crossing books (Astraea) into the separate comfy sitting area (I'd gone prepared) - this time I tried a slightly different tack and stuck a yellow Post-It on the front explaining why the book was there, so I hope this one gets picked up quicker than the previous wild releases I've made. We then did our shopping and when we paid we got a £5.00 off voucher for our next visit, thanks to the loyalty scheme they do - plus two stamps on our next card, to start saving towards another voucher. Don't you just love those loyalty schemes? :0)

After that we called in at the Pink Pig to pick up a few things we couldn't get at Uncle Henry's. It wasn't until we saw some signs up that we realised it was their WWII re-enactment weekend, so it was rather busy despite the lousy weather. When we'd done the shopping I grabbed another of my Book Crossing books (Ingo) and headed for the Cafe. In there they have a shelf of books that are available for folks to read but with a couple of provisos: if you want one of the books on the shelf you have to take in a book to replace it and pop 50p in the Hospice charity box. I spotted it last time we were in there and thought what a great idea for raising funds for the Hospice and a nice way of sharing books......... and what a great place to leave a BC book! LOL Here's what I found on the shelf and brought home with me:

Julie: if you haven't got this one let me know and I'll send it on to you when I've read it. Giving you first refusal with letting you down over Lady of Hay. :0)

No idea what the plans are for tomorrow yet - guess it's dependant on the weather and how brave (or not) we're feeling - but I do know we're having roast chicken for dinner, as DH got it out of the freezer earlier. LOL Am sure I shall find time to fit some stitching in along the way though, whatever we do.

Thank you for visiting and all the lovely comment, which are very much appreciated. Hope you're all staying warm and cosy! :0)

An Owl, Books and More....

It was UFO Night again over at JA/S&S Forum last night and, despite being tempted to get Mother Earth out for a change, I carried on with Night Watchman as I thought it would be nice to give him the rest of his body.

He's a handsome little chap. LOL

Yesterday saw the choices for February's Monthly Challenge being posted at JA/S&S by Karen. We can choose one of the heart design freebies from Elisa's Passions to stitch and finish as we want. A quick choice this time and the chart is printed off ready and I have a reasonable idea of what I want to do with it re: colours and finish........ which makes a nice change. LOL I've also decided on the design I want to stitch for the Challenge for a Finish piece, a redwork heart-shaped ornie: chart is printed out and thread and fabric chosen but I'm still trying to decide on how I want to finish this. Guess I'll just see if anything occurs to me whilst I'm stitching it. Unfortunately there won't be any pics of those for a while.

As there's a lack of any other stitching or craft pics to show I thought I'd share pics of my latest acquisitions. While I was in the Hospice book shop last Friday I spotted a set of books I'd had recommended to me some time ago by Lynn but couldn't get them at the time, as I knew I was going to be fairly loaded up between the new meds from the Herbalist and a Tesco shop. So, keeping my fingers crossed they were still there, DH and I called in on Saturday morning. Result - they were still there!


Three out of four of the Boudica books by Manda Scott. If I enjoy these as much as I think then they'll be joining my collection - meantime I'll be on the look-out for the fourth book, to go with them. Of course we had to have a really good look round while we were there and I ended up adding another four books to my haul:

Courtesans was from the Non-Fiction section and is about the lives of five specific courtesans: not just about who their lovers were but about the influence and power they held as leaders of fashion and society. The two books by Rosemary Hawley Jarman were recommended to me by one of the ladies in the book shop when there weren't any Philippa Gregory books to be found, as they are supposed to be written in a similar style - thought it was worth giving them a go. The Centurion book I was vaguely interested in reading but mostly got it as I thought it would appeal to DS - another prolific reader.

Meanwhile, DH had been rootling round the CD and DVD section. He'd found a classical CD he wanted and mentioned he'd seen a couple of CD's in there that I might like, so off I went for a rootle of my own whilst he looked at a book I'd spotted and thought he might like. Rootling was successful and I had these three CD's in my hand by the end of it:

I love the sound of panpipes, whether they are playing native music or a version of modern music (like these CD's), as I find them very soothing. I've been listening to them today as I've been doing a few things around the house and feel really chilled out now. LOL I love the songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and as I've not been able to listen to the cassette for ages, due to the player being broken, thought I'd treat myself to a CD version. They didn't break the bank either: they were only a £1.00 each. :0)

I'm afraid DH is a typical man and doesn't know how to shop: whilst I'd got myself a nice haul all he came away with was his classical CD and a book about WWII called Bomber Boys. He has such a fascination with that whole period of history, despite being a most extremely laid-back pacifist, that I'm sure he must have had a previous life then!

My Amazon order came in two parts this week, with the first half arriving yesterday and the second half today. The Candida diet recipe books are great: full of useful info as well as lots of tasty recipes, so I shall enjoy having a play around in the kitchen with those. The other goodies I got were these DVD's:

All of them were in the sale and all were under a fiver. As you can probably tell by the first three I love a good costume drama and these will be watched many times......... obviously when the menfolk are out. DS gave me the Elizabeth, The Golden Age DVD as a gift a couple of years ago so I had to get the first one to go with it, as I have a passion for the whole Tudor period and like these renditions of Elizabeth's story (those beautiful dresses!). The DVD at the end is for DH - part of his belated Christmas gift. He finally chose what he wanted last weekend: a screwdriver kit, complete in it's own tool box, from Screwfix - not much, or very exciting, so I've added this to go with and will be keeping my eyes open for other bits that he will like. I tell you, he just doesn't know how to shop at all - even when he doesn't have to pay! LOL

Well I've got a beef and veg stew going in the slow cooker that needs checking and a couple of Challenge pieces that need a start making, so I'd best get on.

Many thanks for visiting - hope the waffle hasn't bored you. LOL ;0)