Yesterday we said goodbye to our gorgeous, lazy, spoilt, beautiful cat, Todd.  He was 14 years old and had developed heart failure.  The house is so quiet and empty without him, and I don’t know what to do.  This photo was only taken on Sunday when we were having a cuddle.

He had got very clingy lately and now I know why.  Goodbye Todd, we really miss you. xxx

A New Me???

Today I have started The Fast Diet.  I’ve heard really encouraging things about this and a good friend of mine swears by it.  Not just for the weight loss but lots of other health benefits it can bring you.  Today is a fasting day, you fast (only taking in 500 calories) for two days a week and eat normally for the other five days.  I’m extremely overweight and I need to loose at least 4 stone to make me look anything like normal again.  This weight has crept up over the last four or five years and I managed to make myself  believe that it didn’t matter - well it does.  Seeing myself in the photos of my sister-in-law’s wedding the other week horrified, disgusted and ashamed me.  I can’t understand what my husband sees in me, why he’s still with me.  So, today is the first day of the rest of my life...

THANK YOU ...

Rik Mayall for Comic Strip Presents, completely mad and fresh and new.  Thank you Rik for The Young Ones, which people of my age watched slavishly and still quote lines from to this day.  Thank you Rik for Flashheart in Black Adder - Woof!.  Thank you, thank you, thank you Rik for The New Statesman, one of the funniest things in the 80’s where you were unbelievably bad as Alan B’stard.  Thank you for Drop Dead Fred and Bottom and just for being one of the funniest people on British TV ever.  Thank you Rik and good night, sleep tight.

JAMAICA INN...

Wow!  These two really got to me!  I loved this series.  I don’t know what all the fuss about the sound was, I didn’t really notice an problems.  I certainly heard Jem say to Mary “you really want me, don’t you?”.  I wound that bit back half a dozen times like some daft teenager.  It was so romantic and sexy.  Then again, you’re not going to turn round to the gorgeous Mr. Matthew McNulty and say “No”, are you?  Thank you BBC for making a middle-aged woman very, very happy.

Mother’s Day...

Today is Mother’s Day and as usual I have made the two mothers cards from the same collection - it saves me having to kit up the threads twice - clever huh?

Here’s my mum’s...

and here is Dave’s mum’s...

Sorry for the crap photos 

I was meant to be at work today but yesterday I woke up with the most horrendous stomach bug.  I dragged myself to work but was promptly sent home again and because I work with food I wasn’t allowed to go in today.  I wish I could say I’ve had a nice day, but I haven’t.

Last But Not Least...

This is the last Christmas card I stitched and was for my friend Em, who definitely deserves a stitched card.  She bought me a stunning lamp for Christmas, one of those with a pretend flame made out of fabric.  All I got her was a Laura Ashley mug.  Guilty!

Also here is a update of my Long Winter’s Nap socking.

The first page is nearly finished and I’ve had a ball doing it.  There is a lot of boring beard to do on the next page down but I loved that the first page had his face on it.

Been feeling a bit down lately.  I think my depression is rearing its ugly head again.  All I want to do is stay at home and hide, so I bought myself some beautiful tulips to try and cheer myself up a bit.  I’ve had two days off work and I’m due back tomorrow and I’m absolutely dreading it.  No particular reason, I just don’t want to go out.  I told my husband on Monday night that I felt content and he was really pleased to hear that, but it was only because I knew that I could hide away for the next two days at home.

Tree’s Up!!!

I put our Christmas tree up on Sunday.  Red and white Scandi-style is the theme this year as you can see.

War Horse...

We have just got back from our Anniversary treat - a weekend away in Birmingham to see War Horse. We travelled First Class on the train and stayed in the most wonderful hotel in the centre of the city, The Burlington.

We had a wander round the city in the afternoon, I especially loved the food market.

Then after a very tasty early supper at one of the hotel's restaurants...

off we went to see War Horse.

Oh my!  I can't begin to tell you how wonderful this performance is.  Everyone MUST go and see it - NOW!  Everything about it was perfect and the puppets and their puppeteers are sheer genius.  All in all, a very good weekend.

Hello Little Prince...

Yes, yes, congratulations and all that, but what's his name ????

At last...

Just had to drop in and say how thrilled I was yesterday to witness history in the making.  Well done Andy, I had a feeling from the second round you were going to do it this year and you didn't let me down.  Arise Sir Andrew Murray!

60 Glorious Years...

Today is my mother and father-in-law's Diamond Wedding Anniversary.  Sadly she doesn't know anything about it I'm afraid but we still have to mark it and on Sunday we are going round with a Victoria sponge to have a little party.  I made them this card...

There was a woeful lack of charts for Diamond Weddings, probably because they are so rare?  This one a unearthed from my very old Jo Verso book, wow that book looks so basic and old fashioned now.  I stitched clear beads on it to look like diamonds, I'm not very happy with it but there you go.

They also got a telegram from the Queen!  They don't come automatically like on your 100th birthday, we had to apply for it on line, but Dave's Dad is absolutely thrilled with it.

Also a bit of news from myself.  I've been promoted at work to Team Leader and here's the badge to prove it !

Marj's Birthday...

I have known this lady for 29 years - even I didn't think it was that long until I just worked it out.  We used to work together and then she moved back to her native Blackpool and we have kept in touch by letter and the occasional visit ever since.  Today is her birthday and when I saw this chart I just knew I had to make it for her.

I finished it into a little pillow and added lace down one side and beads around the edge.  I really hope she likes it.

This is the card I made for her.  Happy Birthday Marj.

This is the first Bank Holiday weekend I've had off since I started working in the cafe and I was really looking forward to it so I was really pissed off when someone stole my IPhone from work on Friday night.  I accidentally left it in the kitchen, went back for it about an hour later and it was gone.  99% probability that it was a member of the Tesco staff.  Sad but true.  We are claiming for it on the house insurance but we have to pay £200 excess.  Not a happy bunny.

Mum's Birhday...

Friday was my mum's 67th Birthday.  We bought her these gloves:

and I made her this card:-

It is really a Valentine's card but Mum loves penguins so it seemed suitable.  It is my sister's birthday next Tuesday so we decided to go to Coventry yesterday to deliver her present to her.  We went out for a lovely meal and it was a really great day.

Here's my mum, me and Michelle, my sister at the restaurant.  As you can see Michelle hates having her photo taken. Mum and me aren't that keen either but at least we managed to smile.

Michelle loved her present, we bought her a Banksy print.

Lunch was delicious.  We all had the best day.

Do I Have The Best Husband?

This was the the scene I saw when I drew back the bedroom curtains this morning.  Something like this touches you more and makes you more happy than all the designer handbags and expensive restaurants in the world.  Thanks Dave, love you, you are the best.  xx

HAPPY NEW YEAR...

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE ... LET'S MAKE IT A GOOD ONE.

Halloween Cupcakes...

Wanted to share with you the cupcakes I made for my step-daughters Halloween party the other week.  I wanted black icing but despite using a whole bottle of paste it only turned out grey.  Never mind, I was still pleased with them

The black ones were lemon and poppyseed and the orange ones were chocolate and orange flavour.  Everyone at the party guessed straight away who had made them - I was really chuffed.

Halloween Ready...

I've trimmed up the house for Halloween - to me Halloween isn't a day, it's a season.

2nd Wedding Anniversary...

Yesterday was mine and Dave's 2nd wedding anniversary.  We went out for a meal on Monday night, a bit of a double celebration as I had my cast off on Monday afternoon.  Very strange experience, my arm is very swollen, stiff and achy but they've given me some exercises to do and hopefully they will work.  Dave spoilt me rotten.  I got a bouquet of flowers delivered in the morning and he bought me this Pandora charm to remind me of our honeymoon.

I made him this card.  Last night, our actual anniversary night, I made Chicken Tikka Masala and Sticky Toffee Pudding, all his favourites  !

I Managed To Sew On A Button!!!!

Well, two buttons to be exact !  Go me !  I've finished Jack's Dinosaur jumper which has been languishing in a Tesco carrier bag for weeks.  The photo is dreadful as I am no yet up to blocking the jumper - definitely a two handed job - but you get the gist.

The cast comes off on 8th October, all being well.  I'm so fed up and bored.  Dave bought me a Kindle a couple of days after I broke my arm and I absolutely love it.  I've read four books since I've been incapacitated, two of them have "Fifty" in the title (Ahem!)  I've managed to do a bit of stitching this last week but it's very slow going and it makes my bad arm ache after a while, but for a little while I feel back to my old self.

No stitching, no knitting, no crochet, no baking ...

+

         =

Yes, I've broken my arm in two places.  We bought bikes, my husband and I, seemed like a good idea at the time.  We went on a bike ride a week last Saturday and a momentary lapse of concentration caused me to ride into a lifebelt thingy and that was that!  I have broken my wrist and elbow and the pain for the first few days was unbearable.  

Dave has been absolutely incredible, taking on all the cooking, pot washing, housework, dressing of the invalid, washing of the invalid...because I can do virtually NOTHING!  Sob!