What Ever The Weather

Hello friends

Hope you are all having a good week end. We've had a mixed bag of weather but that hasn't stopped us from playing out.

Saturday was Poulton Gala and our (Thornton) Queen and Retinue were invited to attend so on Friday evening we parents put the float together and made any repairs after the winter storage. Saturday we gathered at the designated area and look at the weather. We had a very heavy down pour whilst getting ready and plaiting L's hair. The rest of the day until late afternoon it was light rain. However the parade still went ahead. This is our float waiting for the children to climb aboard, who were putting on their plastic ponchos. The parade appeared to be moving a little quicker than usual. I feel that the leading band must have been playing a faster march.

This picture was sourced from the internet

The crowning was done in the nearby church, St Chad's by the newly elected Mayor. The church is quite famous because in the spring, within the grounds, the grass is a mass of purple crocus and is featured in many calenders. People come from far and wide just to see them.  Isn't that a beautiful carpet? The church is also beautiful inside.

Next week it's our (Thornton) gala and we retire. I feel quite relieved this year because we have done two years running and M and I feel we need the rest. It's harder on the parent than the kids as we have to design and make the float and then build it, ferry the children to different towns and villages, walk round with them, dismantle the float and store it and then go home. We do it though because we love our kids and want them to have happy memories of childhood.
However we still might have to do one more year because L wants to be Queen next year and it's her last chance due to her age. We have been tossing ideas around and making plans just in case and reminding ourselves that she may not even get chosen. We'll have to wait and see.

Anyway back to today. We woke to brilliant sunshine  so decided that we would visit the Cleveleys Car Show. There were about 200 different cars. There were classics, vintage, big American cars, modern cars, sports and whatever other cars you can think of. There was live bands, dancers (we missed them) magicians and more.

The beach was looking lovely and inviting but the crowd was not interested today. All the shops along the high street were open as usual and I'm sure they did very well but from us we just bought two portions of chips and two ice creams ( I was good and didn't partake)
We sat and listened to some music from a couple of local boy bands (L said that they were not nearly as good as 1 Direction) and they played some good music some old, some modern and some of their own.
We've had a great day and now it must be cool wine o'clock.

Carolx

The joys of Ivigilating

Here I Sit

Here I sit  with nothing in my hands

No book, no knitting, no crochet

I must keep my eyes open

No snoozing on this job

Sniff, sniff

Cough, cough

Wriggle, wriggle

Scratch

Yawn

Shuffle, shuffle

Slurp

Scribble

Sneeze, sneeze

Not me, I'm just quietly watching

An anxious face looks up

Head back down only another hour and forty five to go

Head on hand

Head in hands

Papers turn

Head back up, cogs are turning

Head back down one more hour to go

Almost half way.

My shopping list is done

My kitchen cupboards are sorted and cleaned

Wardrobe sorted

Garden sorted

Only in my head

Oh my bum has gone numb.

Reading and checking

reading and checking again

Pen down, pen up

Last minute scribble and correction

All done now

Times up

That was a long one today

Papers collected

The students leave

A quick wiggle whilst no one is looking

The feeling in my numb bum is back

That is me done for today.

Carolx

Ups and Downs

Hello friends

First I would like to say thank you to everyone who commented on my last post and I have taken your pionts them on board and will leave the frame as it is.

I know it's been a few weeks since my last post. This past week has been half term for us (the two weeks prior I was doing some GCSE exam invigilating, very busy).

Up - Saturday, last week, L was in Churchtown Gala (near Garstang) and the weather was fine and not too warm as we walked along to the, beautiful and old, ST Helen's church for a short service before waking back for the crowning of the new Rose Queen.
Down - It rained on the walk back but luckily we had umbrellas with us. It continued to rain lightly though out the crowning.
Up - My friend lives across the road from the gala field so we popped over for a brew and a natter once the crowning was over.
Down - It was pouring down, after leaving my friends, so M collected the car from the nearby field whilst we waited in a sheltered spot.

Down - Sunday's weather was not so good and there was no archery on.
Up - we got to spend some quality time together as a family

UP - Monday the weather was great and we went to watch the Garstang Children's Festival Gala then had a picnic lunch before going to Fleetwood  to do some shopping at Freeport.

Tuesday - Well that depends on how you look at it as I had a lot of thing to catch up on and preparations to do for the following day and call in to mum and dads and making sure L was ok  doing her own thing ect. ect.

Up - Wednesday was a big day for me. First I delivered fourteen twiddlemuffs to he hospital ward that mum was in just before Easter. I made twelve and two were made by members of the Thursday craft club. (More are being made for me to decorate and will be donated to another ward) The ward sister was delighted with them and will keep the muffs on the ward and take them home to wash as and when needed.
Down - After making the delivery I made my way through the hospital to the eye department because I was having another injection into my left eye. It was a different one this time as the last one didn't work and has left me with Glaucoma. It was quite unpleasant and I've to have two more. Hopefully this will work but if not the next line of treatment is laser. My eye felt uncomfortable for the rest of the day and I was feeling quite sorry for myself.

Up - Thurday and my eye felt much better although it was a little blood shot. L came with me to craft club and there was a lot of catching up to do as I'd been missing for two weeks. Then we went off to Blackpool to visit the Illuminatia at the Winter Gardens. Local resident got a reduced price during May so we took advantage of it. It was fantastic. All the exhibits were made of silk over metal frames. They were bright, colourful and just amazing. I took so many photos that really they deserve a picture post of their own.

Down - Had to some housewifey stuff in the morning.
Up - Played on the Wii all afternoon with L and tea was late.
Down - Forgot to turn up at the Gala Queens mum's house to sort the float sides out for next week end, oops. I did phone to apologise. I just had too much fun in the afternoon.

And today. M and I dropped L off at the train station because she was off to Liverpool Arena with the Guides to watch the Big Gig. It's a concert of various artists (no 1D unfortunately, they're in Manchester tonight) and the arena is just full to the brim with girls and their leaders. We've done some holiday shopping (one pair of linen shorts and long trousers for M so far) and I've done some gardening and later M is taking me out for tea to a new pub that's recently opened, The Iron Horse. Then we'll pick up L, from the station at around 7pm. She'll be so full of excitement, well she was last time, and it's so lovely to listen to her. As I'm a unit helper for the Guides I also could have gone to the Big Gig but L didn't want me there which was fine because I didn't want to go.

Well I better go and get myself washed and changed ready for my date. It's like going on a date as we so rarely go out on our own.

See you soon

Carolx



 

Wedding Gift Dilemma Solved

Hello friends

Hope you are all having a good weekend and not getting too wet.

Welcome to new follower, Jeannette, Hope you enjoy my ramblings of everyday life here at Spring Cottage. I will drop by your blog soon and see what you get up to.

L and M went to archery at lunch time and I made a roast chicken dinner for when they came back and whilst I had the oven on I made some biscuits which taste quite nice but are too cakey and not crispy. I'll not make them again. I also made a pork and mushroom casserole ready meal for for the freezer for when I don't feel like cooking.

Ok, the wedding gift dilemma I had was that my friend daughter is getting married in July this year and we've been invited to the evening do. On the invite it suggest that presents were not needed as they have already set up home they had all that they needed and that money would be much appreciated.  I don't like giving money for two reasons. 1 - Money gets swallowed up into every day expenses and then there is nothing special to show for it and, 2 - How much/little do you give? what is an acceptable amount? and we didn't want to look like cheap-skates by not giving enough.
After racking my brains for a few days I came up with an idea but I had to buy the right colour of embroidery thread and then I got M to do some artwork as I'm not very good with a pencil and drawing. I then transferred his artistry onto a piece of cloth and did this:

I'm not a great embroiderer either, but I wanted something that was personal to them and I chose this colour of blue to link in with the wedding colour theme.

When I'd finished it I pressed the embroidery on a folded towel covered with a flat, non-textured cloth so as not to flatten the stitches and then cut it to size. 

Want to see it finished?   OK then

What do you think? I'm now thinking of sticking some, blue/silver, gems around the edge to make it a bit more glam. I would really appreciate your ideas and input.

Twiddlemuff update - The ladies at the craft club I go to are helping to make some muffs for me and have engaged some of their friends too. The library were the craft club is held are having the Alzhiemers society come and set up an information stand and asked me if I would also like to have a stand with the muffs. I agreed and some of the other ladies are coming along and doing some knitting. The support has been wonderful. Most of the ladies knew my mum from when I used to take her, and often ask about her, so I don't know if that has made a difference to the support they are giving me. I have seven muffs completed so far.

Looking forward to reading your comments.

Carolx

Heroes, Villains And The Village Bike

Hello friends

How was your bank holiday week end? Do anything exciting?

Yesterday we had a family day out and went to a village called Wray, on the other side of Lancaster, to visit their Heroes and Villains scarecrow festival. It was our first visit and was absolutely brilliant and hope to go again next year. It was more popular than we realised with fields being used for visitors to park. Afterwards we made our way to another village, Scorton, for their Bicycles and Barrows festival. There were less participants here than in Wray but the talent and imagination was just as brilliant. I will leave you with a few of the many photos that we took.

Please click on the picture to make them bigger for easier viewing

Hope you enjoyed them

Carolx

Mum's Virtual Spring Fair

Hello friends

I'm liking up with Mum with her Virtual Spring Fair. Thanks for organising it again this year.
Welcome and come on in. We are inside today as the sun is not shining and the breeze is bitter cold.

Would you like a cup if tea?

or some non alcoholic sparkling wine?  

We have some little orange flavoured cakes. Don't worry there are plenty, I've been baking all morning. (Note to self - must borrow my mum's cake stand next time)

Or how about some chocolate scones. Plenty of these too but they are going fast so might have to whip up some more. Recipe at the end of the blog if you like them.

The little bunch of flowers you can see are wild garlic and bluebells, both from our garden.

We have a few visitors in the garden today. Some are a little shy and some are on guard.

I hope you have enjoyed yourselves and please visit the other stall holders and don't forget your recipe on your way out.

Carolx

Chocolate Scones - makes 4 large or 6 small

8 oz (225g) Self Raising Flour
pinch of salt
2 oz (50g) Butter or Margarine
2 oz (50g) Caster Sugar
1 Medium Egg with milk to make 1/4 (150ml) of Liquid
instead of using milk you can use chocolate custard, chocolate milk, drinking chocolate (and use less sugar)

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and grease a baking tray.
Mix the flour and salt and rub in the fat.
Stir in the sugar and mix to a soft dough with the egg and milk mix. Reserving a little milk mix to brush the tops.
Press lightly on a floured board and either divide or use a cutter to make 4 or 6 scones.
Place on a baking tray and brush with the egg milk mixture and bake for about 10-15 minutes.

To decorate I split the scones and spread with chocolate spread and topped with whipped cream and then added a chocolate button. If you have any fruit that would be nice too.

Hot and Cold

Hello friends

How are you this weekend? The weather here has been ok, A bit of sun, some cloud, a cool wind and a little bit of rain in the evening.

HOT

chilli sauce

Saturday Morning we went into Blackpool for the second annual Chilli Festival. I rally don't like chillies but M does so we went along to see what it was all about.

chilli honey

Radio Wave

There were lots of stalls selling various sauces, chutneys, mustards, even honey, any many other accompaniments of varying degrees of heat. We were told that the lighter the colour the milder the heat and the darker, the hotter. I tried a couple of mild sauces but they were much too hot for me. M tried a super hot one and then had to go and buy a bottle of milk to cool down the burn.
The local radio station was there and later in the afternoon were doing a chilli eating contest (don't know how it went because we had left by then).
A couple of stalls that were cooking some foods using chillies.  The aroma was so good.
Once you'd had your fill you could wash it all down with some chilli cider.  We were going to give this stand a miss but we spotted M's younger brother there with his partner (J and D) so we popped over for a chat. J gave us a taste of his cider. It was quite unpleasant and I like cider.
L and I felt that there was one stall missing, an ice cream stall to cool the burn.  Will we go again next year? probably not.

COLD
This morning I decided that our chest freezer needed defrosting and reorganising. I emptied everything out into cardboard boxes and cool bags and covered them up with blankets. M came along wearing his thick gloves and carrying a scraper (my cool hero). He scraped off all the frost. Look how thick it is. It's been about three years since I did it last and it took hours for the frost to melt then (man with scraper was working) and my arms are just not quite long enough to reach the bottom.

Once it was all nice and clean and dry I sorted the contents and had to throw some items away because they had freezer burn. I then put all the loose bags of individual items into a larger bag. For example all the veg went into one bag, chicken into another, chips, waffles etc. went into another and so on. I don't know how long it will stay like this but one thing for sure we don't need any sausages for a few weeks. I have enough red fruit to make some jam/jelly. I just need a chicken to cut up and some bread for my freezer shop this week. I have enough bones to make some good stock (Tues afternoon Job). I want to use up some of the freezer stock over the next couple of weeks now that I know what is in there.

I've just enough time to watch the end of Jurassic Park before I start making tea. Thank you for dropping by it's lovely to read your comments and I always look forward to them.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend

Carolx