Flower show

Hello friends

Did you all have a good Bank Holiday Weekend? We did. We went to stay with some friends at Alston, in Cumbria. We did some shopping in Carlisle and L came away with 3 new dresses and a pair of funk jeans. Me? a lighter purse. M went down a lead mine with J to do some photography; something they have been doing for a long time. We all went for a walk to the biggest waterfall in England, High Force. pictures are not downloaded yet.

I also wanted to tell you about last weeks Flower and Arts and Crafts show. It was a great success with lots of visitors which included the Mayor of Wyre and the Gala Queen and Prince Charming.
L had twenty four entries I had only two. I got 1st prize for my crochet blanket

 

 

L got quite a few prizes and came away with two trophies. Some pictures of her entries

 

 

 

 

The dignitaries with the Chairman of the Horticultural Society, on the right. 

The hall looking calm with the exhibits being judged before the public arrive. The hall smell wonderful with all the different blooms and foliage.                                                                  It wasn't long before I was very busy sorting out the winnings and handing them out. A very busy day for me. Now the next big job for me is to get the accounts ready for our next meeting in October.

It has taken me all day to write this post in between washing, unpacking, pegging out, more washing. Time for a home made slushy. Left over party ice crushed in the blender and poured over some orange cordial. Refreshing but watch out for brain freeze.  

Thank you for dropping by it was lovely to see you. Now for some catch up reading of your blogs. See you soon.

 

Carolx



Party Night

Hello Friends

On Saturday we had a party. It was a late celebrations for my birthday back in June. I was 50.
We all had a great time with family and friends.  I decorated the fairy, part of the, garden with some painted bottle flowers as I was too late for any bedding plants and the seeds I planted didn't grow.

 

Made a fairy village with L's painted pebbles.

 

I got some hanging lantern tea light holders, cheap, and made some fairies to go inside (sorry there're a bit small to see I will see if I can up load an individual picture at the end) The flower garland I made for the gala float. This will have to come down and be stored for next years two galas we have to do.

 

 and then I hung up the bunting  that I knitted earlier in the year. We got the chimnea going early as there was a cool breeze.

 

 

On the other side of the garden we put up the gazebo that I made for the gala float. Again though it will have to be dismantled and stored for next year. This was put up before we had tided up this part of the garden.

 

 

 

The opening you can see in the hedge M made. It's like a secret entry to the park (no equipment, just grass) at the back of our house and we set up a couple of games for the visiting children to play with and there was space for them to run around. Later this gap will be made bigger and made into a wood store for our fire wood.

 

There are no pictures of food, sorry. However I made a beef hotpot (reduced mince) beef curry (reduced beef chunks like shin beef) with reduced sachets of curry cook in type sauce mix (spicy) they were also padded out with vegetables, sweet and sour vegetables for the vegetarians, homemade garlic bread, rice and nann bread and I'm pleased to say that there were no left overs and everyone had plenty to eat. I bought the meat over a period of time and then cooked it up and put it in the freezer to be assembled on Saturday along with the garlic bread. It made things so much easier on the day.

 

I got some lovely gifts although I did say I didn't want any because I just wanted to celebrate and spend time in their company 

 

 

The fairy in a lantern

 

 

 

 

Next Saturday is the Thornton Cleveleys Horticultural Societies annual flower and craft show where I will busy all day (I'm the treasurer) I am also entering two baby blankets and L has many entries. I will let you know how we get on next week.

 

It was lovely to see you, drop by again soon

 

Carolx



 



Almost a Free Day Out

Hello friends

Nice to see you again.

Yesterday we decided that we would have a day out. It was almost free because we had to drive  there.

L had an appointment at Chorley Hospital to have an x-ray on her back and to see the specialist. She'd already had an MRI scan. The results were that she has a 43.1 degree curvature of her spine (the conditions is called, Scoliosis) and is now being referred to Manchester's children's hospital to see another specialist to decide on either a back brace or an operation. She is scared and apprehensive but is talking to me and asking questions and says it helps. I've been looking on the internet to see if I can find a local support group, but no luck so far.

Anyway, we decided that after driving so far (about 38-40 miles) and M taking the day off we would make the most of it, and it was a fine day. We went to Astley Hall. The gardens are open to the public so no charge and parking was free and to go around the hall was also free, donations most welcome.

We had a picnic in the walled flower and kitchen garden and decided that we would look round the Hall first then the rest of the grounds.

Wow! The Hall was amazing inside, in the entrance if you looked up to the ceiling they had the most wonderful plasterwork. It was created to impress and oh boy did it impress.. Sorry they're not very clear. 

There was a quiz for the kids. Questions about some of the rooms and they had to look out for a tulip in that room, they had to look out for objects in other rooms and right down which room it was in.

The rooms that were furnished you couldn't go beyond the doorway. Below are some more pictures. Later we went round the grounds. Lots of grassed areas and then we decided that we would walk along the river/stream (sorry no pictures was having too much fun) the water snaked this way and that way with bridges passing over the top (we played pooh sticks). It took us an hour to walk through the woods with the river. It was then time for an ice cream before making our way back to the car. We had a really great day.

view of the pond from the dining room window





Kitchen court yard
 

I would love a kitchen this big but with modern appliances





 I think it might be aperitif o'clock then time to make tea. Something with sausages and pasta I think.

It was lovely to see you again. Why not join me in a little aperitif?

Carolx


  



This Weeks Catch Up

Hello friends.

Lovely to see you all.

Saturday gone was the last of seven galas for this year, we didn't win any prizes this time. I have to say that we've had fantastic weather this year compared with last year. Last year was cold and wet.  A set of parents, I'll call M&S, have a lovely big garden and they suggested that we go back to theirs to celebrate. We did a Jacobs join and took whatever we had. What a feast we had. Bbq chicken, burgers, sausages, ribs with salad, coleslaw, bread buns, beers and soft drinks. The children had a wonderful time getting cold in the pool and then running around to get warm. It was a lovely evening of relaxation and fun for the first time after working so hard.

Sunday we went to the Kite Festival at St Annes. Wow! there were some amazing kites. Big ones, long ones, colourful ones, and even dancing ones. We took a picnic with us and ate it on the sand dunes watching the kites. There were four identical kites that were dancing to music. The guys had amazing control and were so synchronised, brilliant. One of the guys also made his kite follow people who went past. He gave the kite a personality and had us in fits of laughter watching. Afterward we had a walk along the pier and further along the promenade. It was a lovely day even though we were tired from the night before.



Now for something completely different. For a few months L has talked about wanting pink hair. So I've been on the look out for the right colour for the right price and she went from this, lovely blonde to this very bright pink. Luckily it washes out after 6-8 washes. But I have a feeling that it will have a pink ting when the summer is over so we might dye it back to her original colour of brown or a darker blond ready for school.. We did this yesterday and each time I look at her I get a bit of a shock as it's so bright and unusual. Next summer she is talking of blue. We'll have to wait and see.

On the decluttering front, I haven't done much this month, but will get back into it soon.

That's my news for now and it was lovely to see you and I hope to see you again real soon. Have a good day

Carolx

 

Summer Boredom Busters

Hello friends

This week, whilst melting, I have organised a boredom buster for the summer holidays. School days are so well structured that L has no time to be bored, unless she hates the subject being taught. But at home she gets bored very quickly and being an only child looks to me for ideas.

I got some great ideas from, http://www.frugalfamily.co.uk. First I made up a daily sheet for each day of the summer holidays  and stuck them on some fun backing card. Next I filled in some of the dates that are already booked. 

I then made a list of possible activities (free or low cost) and got the all important approval from L.
Once approved I wrote them onto post its so that they can be moved around.  

This still left some gaps where boredom can set in so I cut out lots of different coloured bits of paper and wrote on each and activity and folded them up. Placed them into a covered tube. I didn't finish there. Next, I went through L's toy cupboard and dug out anything that she had not played with or touched in a long time and put them into a bored bag.
As you can see there is quite a few items. Some of it she got at Christmas. With all this I refuse to buy more. In between L will spend a lot of time on her Ipod and spending time with her friends.

Last summer was quite difficult as L was bored a lot and I didn't have much organised so hopefully this summer break will be better. 

I've cut out some my bags and they're ready to sew. Will show and tell when completed.

It's so hot today, my back garden is 38c (100f) it's south facing. My hubby is also suffering in this heat with not much shelter. He's a taxi driver) I have the font door open, on the chain, to create a through draft. It helps to keep the downstairs cool but no help upstairs even though the windows are open and curtains closed.

I need a cold drink.

Carolx

I Wish I'd Taken My Camera

Hi Friends

Another scorcher today. The weather people keep saying that it will be cooler as there is some weather from coming down from the north - when?. I don't cope to well in heat. That's enough moaning and back to the heading.

Yesterday at Craft Club a lady came in to give us a talk about patchwork and quilting. We knew she was coming but no date was set - reason for no camera.
Elizabeth (sorry forgot her real name) showed us her first piece of work. Two pieces of material sewn into a square with some wadding in between. This she made about 10+ years ago when she had no idea about patchwork and quilting. Then she joined a class and did various work shops and now her work is amazing and she told us how simple it is to do and that your work doesn't have to be neat at the beginning of project as you can make it neat as you start building it up. Then she went onto this other technique that starts with a "J" sorry I've forgotten what it was as I've not heard of it before. This is where you have a stitched design on a padded square (or whatever shaped patch you are working to) and then you stuff it to give it a more raised and defined look. Elizabeth's work was so neat and she was very interesting to listen to. In a few weeks she's coming back to do a work shop with a few ladies who want to have a go and learn some more. Must remember my camera.

I've had a busy morning today. L went of to school at 8am and I set to. Hung out the washing (almost dry now) then made some pizza sauce and pizza bases for tomorrow tea (another gala tomorrow and I don't feel like cooking when we get home and I promised pizza and wedges and garlic dip) cleaned up, washed up and put away and got tonight's tea out of the freezer (pre-cooked pigs liver, left over from last week). Now it's time to get changed and get ready for baby sitting my baby niece and nephew whilst their parents move house. Dad is working on his allotment and mum is at day care and M is enjoying the heat whilst waiting for (taxi) customers. All is well.

Think I will get some ice-pops for everyone.

See you soon

Carolx

Adventures of a little blue bear

Hello friends

Lovely to see you all again.

Spring Bank/Whit Weekend L went to Paris with school and had a fantastic time. We spoke each other at night and she told us what she had been up to and what she'd seen and we said Good Night. Her little blue bear, Cuddles, didn't go as she was too afraid of loosing him. However he did have a little holiday himself and here are a few pictures of what he got up to

He had to sit up close to the window whilst the car went through the car wash. Ducking down each time the washer things went over.


Next we found him rock climbing.
Don't know how he got up there without and ropes.
He is one brave bear.



After all that climbing it was time for a rest with M.

   

Cocktails on the lawn. "Anyone
like to join me?"

 

 

Just having a rest whilst we looked around the old church yard.

Drinking beer now. Never seen a bear drink so much. He had such a bad headache the next day. Hehehe, bear with a sore head. He sure was, that will teach him. 

 

 

He enjoyed his tea. Pre-cooked new potatoes, with left over bacon, couple of chorizo sausages, can of sweetcorn, a little bit of onion, bits of leftover chicken all tossed about in a frying pan. Very tasty. 

 

 

 

Cuddles also spent time climbing trees.

 

 

Walking on a wall next to a river.

 

 

 

 

Watching TV.

 

And just hanging around                                                                             

 

 

 

We also had a good weekend but missed L terribly and couldn't wait until she was home again.  

 

Thanks for dropping and please call again. I'm off to enjoy some sunshine.

 

Carolx