Dear Santa..for Christmas I would like!!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE XXXX

Merry Christmas Mum miss you

Oh how I miss you Mum,
Now that Christmastime is here,
You come to mind now and again,
and I'm sure at times I hear you call my name

I'll walk along a street, my thoughts just clear
and then from knowhere, something will appear
a reminder of you, so strange, so true

It could be a stranger who vaguely looks like you
my heart misses a beat "oh my goodness you look vaguely like Mum"
Its such a strange sensation to perceive

Christmases were so special for us kids when we were small
I cherish the memories of all the times you enthralled
us with delights thank you for those Christmases Mum

Its been 18 months or so since you left this earthly sphere
as sitting here writing this I shed a tear
I love and miss you so so much Mum

Merry Christmas darling

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Comfoy cosy knit cardi!

Thought I would share with you my latest knit, a oh so comfy cosy warm cardi, mind you it was a pain to knit. Quite a few mistakes in the published pattern but still, got it sorted out soon enough.

It;s knitted in a beautiful yarn Artesano aran, which is an alpaca mix, expensive at £8.45 odd a skein, this took me 6 skeins....but compared with M and S a worthy knit, it will get a lot lot of wear. Especially when I go in search of the Northern Lights to Norway early next year....wooohoo!

OH DEARY DEARY ME.......eeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk...I don't generally post piccys of myself on here don't particularly like photos of myself, but think that goes for a lot of people. But decided to be brave for once, its very strange I have just turned 57 and quite honestly its gone so quickly lately, more so since all the children (or adults in training) as my dear friend calls them have flown the nest. Well they've been gone quite a few years now...but anyhow thought why not, stop being so shy. Age is just a number and inside I still feel about 40ish.

Won't bamboozle peps with more Christmas piccys, just my fireplace decs, kept simple but sweet.

HAVE FUN, KEEP WARM.....CHEERIO FOR NOW X

Such a cutie!

I KNOW ANOTHER CHRISTMAS TREE PICTURE!

Look at those doting adoring eyes, my Jenny now 10 months old....ahhhhhh!

Yes I know I shouldn't be on the sofa, but Mum put me there, ner ner na ner ner!!!!!!!

Bourton-on-the-Water, Cotswolds.....wonderful.

Hello all, this post is rather picture heavy as just been away for my birthday/anniversary weekend to this most picturesque, charming, delightful village in the Cotswolds. We stayed at a charming 22 bedroomed hotel, fantastic cooked to order breakfast, huge huge beds.

http://www.chesterhousehotel.com/

A restaurant with food well, devine...what more could a girl want. Hubby, wonderful walks, quaint shops, beautiful cottages to coo at......also visited Lower Slaughter, oh my goodness its so so quaint, I felt at times it was a film set. Hope you enjoy these piccys. x First one seems to have gone awol ops!

Hols and hobbies!

Hello, hows everybody? All so busy I suspect, anyway we went away for a few days in our m/h to Fleet Lagoon Weymouth. Stayed at a touring site right by the lagoon, the weather was as for lots of us that particular week glorious. The touring site was on an organic working farm...lots of lovely walks and places to visit. On one of the walks we came across The Old Church Fleet....I managed to photograph (with my old years old Fuji camera!!....more on new one later in post)...this bit of info, now I in my ignorance never knew or would have thought a tidal wave could hit our shores but here is written evidence. The only part left of this church is the chancel...but it certainly had an atmosphere.

You had to wander down this lane I think it was called "Butter Lane" hehe! the name apparently called so as to links with the land and farming....and at the end on the right was the old church. Hubby and I couldn't help having a nose through the window of the first one which was being "done-up" but in keeping. Hubby being 6'2" erm....and rooms so so tiny but oh so sweet.


As you can see from this photo is the touring site, it was only about 30% full which suited us fine.

Must tell you about new hobby, well hubbys fault really. Years and years ago he used to do photography for a hobby, and well now retired he mentioned that he would like to take it up again. So go on "treat yourself" says I. He spent some considerable time deciding what he required and duly purchased. So I take a little bit of interest in his new "toy"!!!......only being cheeky. Well I asked if I could share it with him....the look on his face said it all "it was his". Up to this point I had a years old camera that had served me well...so hubby said "buy and choose one for yourself. So originally went for a point and shoot camera, then started to take a closer look at hubbys....thought Oh! Iwant that and that and that on mine...so cancelled original order and upgraded camera to a super zoom one 36X........oh my goodness what fantastic fun I purchased a Nikon Coolpix p500...hubbys is a Panasonic Lumix fz45 which must admit has far greater write ups than mine!.....but the zoom on his at 24X is knowhere near as impressive....I think each camer has its own merits. So camera arrived and I have been learning and reading about apertures/shutters/isos and all such....very exciting and a new hobby that I thought I wouldn't do or really be interested in. How wrong can one be all thanks to my darling love of my life...xxx....so lots of sharing and finding out going one together. Anyway last night there was a full moon and the first chance to try out my "zoom" on a night sky.........ready for this.

................................................................

BE AMAZED....WHEN I SAW WHAT I HAD PHOTOGRAPHED I WAS WOW WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!!!

Our motorhome

As promised, thought I would show you some piccys of our motorhome. Cannot believe how much joy it gives us, the feeling of complete and utter relaxation in your own surroundings is something that is well pure bliss. Even when its raining dogs and cats and your on a campsite miles from anywhere, its your own little world. Where I sit and knit crochet read, I love cooking in the motorhome, even love washing up, its like playing house. The cosyness is something else too, it seems to envelop you its your haven....love love love it.

A piccy of my kitchen area complete with full size cooker, I also have a microwave and fridge...woohoo!

Do you remember my crochet blanket I posted about earlier, well here she is in situ, a riot of colours....might need it soon with the weather...cosy cosy....and of course every girl needs a bit of bunting to brighten the place up even in m/h.

Crocheted a couple of cushion covers too.....accessorize accessorize..xx

HERE SHE IS OUR MOTORHOME......A KEY TO FREEDOM AND FUN WHEREVER AND WHENEVER SHE TAKES US.....and a lovely awning for sitting out in.

Knitting...woo hoo!

Hello all, hows things I've been busy doing a bit of knitting after my mammoth crochet blanket...thats now awaiting to go into motorhome for our next expedition away to Wales and then the Lake District Keswick. But back to piccys this is a Louisa Harding top called Cuckoo, it is knitted in 50/50 silk wool and is scrumptiously soft and lovely to wear.

Must admit was a tad worried that it looks a bit like a tunic, what do you think.....too Starship Enterprise!!!!

and knitted me an "ol dears hat"...well thats what I thought when I'd finished it...but again another pleasurable knit done in an afternoon on some wool called Symphony from a company called Garn Studio...lots of freebie patterns and great yarn at great prices. I fluffed the yarn up by using a teasel brush. ttfn x

What a difference a week makes!

Well me hubby and Jenny are well and truly acquainted now. Cannot believe how intelligent she is and a quick learner. Hubby and her are best of friends, she follows him everywhere. We did wonder if this was going to happen as she had been used to a previous lady owner. But he has been gentle and firm in his approach and as any dog owner knows there can only be one pack leader. Actually between you and me its quite good as he gets up to feed her when she wakes up about 6.20am....eeeekkkkk! Gone are our lie-ins. Her coat is coming on very well now. Family and friends have said "even though the lady that had her loved her....but with 5 other dogs she was being rather domineered...but...now lives life as a pampered pooch.

I'm camouflaged......x

The kindest most gentle loving eyes!

Come and meet my beautiful new friend...Jenny!

Good morning blogworld, as some of you may know we had to have our beautiful Cavalier Megan to dog heaven some weeks ago and yes we said that we would give ourselves 6 months to see if we wanted another pet.....erm! life has a way of changing things. You see hubby and I felt such an empty place in our hearts and where her basket used to be that last week I tentatively started looking at Cavis again, but something was not right and clicking. You see we'd had two Blenheim cavs over the years and I had the feeling nothing would meet our expectations with another. So we decided to start looking at Spring Spaniels and Cocker Spaniels, the Springers didn't do it for us they seemed a tad too big for us. We then looked at english cocker spaniels, still nearly there but not right. Then

whilst browsing pictures of cocker spaniels I happened upon a picture clicked on it and said to hubby "if we had another dog thats what I'd want her to look like"....hubby turned to be and said the caption read "American cocker spaniel"...what!!!! in my ignorance I had never heard of an American one, so a lot of research and googling was done. Well we started to fall in love with them...so next step look at breeders, ok not a lot of them in the U.K....AND waiting lists.

Then, Wednesday night I happened on a website for breeders and people selling dogs clicked on ACS and there was an advert this lady was selling her 5 month old silver buff ACS....well emailed her and waited a couple of hours no reply, so rang.....had a lovely long conversation....went to see her yesterday Thursday pm...lots of questions on both sides. It turns out that this lady had a Cavi whom had died 8 months previous and she was going to get another until someone talked her into a ACS....BUT!......sadly for this lady but not for us.....she couldn't connect with her and felt it not fair for her to stay with her......so an hour later we left with this gorgeous little girl in my arms.....meet.

OUR JENNY....................

Hello everybody...nice to greet you x

Yes I know I'm pretty.




and my new Mummy just had to get me a stripy shocking pink basket....and a pink lead and colour.....good job my new Daddy doesn't mind.

It was so lovely coming down to breakfast and being greeted by such happiness...and that empty place in the kitchen now filled again.

Into crochet?

Are you into crochet? Have you heard of the Japanese Flower Shawl....well I fell in love with this pattern. It was one of those patterns that you could tinker along at your own pace inbetween other projects. I used wonderful Debbie Bliss Andes which has 50% silk and gives a fantastic drape......3 colours 3 purple/2 apple green/1 beige. The yarn is so soft but does have a tendency to slip and separate at times...but nonetheless gorgeous. I will wear this with my burgundy coat in winter. It would also look nice draped around shoulders for evening out.
I made mine 9 flowers long by 3 wide...but it can get as big as you want, even a throw, but maybe I would use a lot cheaper yarn.




Ok...so me and hubby have been out and about for odd trips away in our m/h.
If anybody had told me how much we would fall in love with this type of travel.
To me nothing seems better and more lovely than our own bolthole to go home to at the end of the day.....and as for the bed....the feeling of snuggly down at the end of a busy day. Oh and the best bit of being inside the m/h is when its pouring down with rain and even better a thunderstorm. I know I know!....but that feeling of being in such a small place....I said to my hubby " that if anyone a few years ago had told me I could be so happy in basically a room on wheels that measures 23' by 9'6" I would have laughed by socks off...but it has everything one could want...and you find yourself planning your next trip away.
We spent a few days in Bath last month, just wandering around and have earmarked lots of places to visit next time, one being Jane Austens house, the American Museum with all the folklore stuff in it. We strolled up and down the lovely alleyways in fact you could really be anywhere in Europe....Italy France...only thing that gives it away is the english signs. (Sorry couldn't get piccy turned around).


ONE AMAZING SUNSET ONE EVENING....BLISS!

Hello, it has been months since my last posting but my blog hadn't called to me until the last few days. Well I have been busying myself with all sorts of things.






But firstly there was one very very sad moment when had to have my beloved Megan put to sleep. She developed a huge lump in her neck that was full of poison and when I say huge I mean the size of a satsuma it was interferring with her breathing. We went to vets and she was put on a course of antibiotics....it then went down slowly to the size of a walnut, she was very poorly over this time, just laying asleep for most of it. Anyways went back to the vet which my this time she had developed a cough, the vet said that the poison etc had gone to her lungs and was backing up to her heart, she said that to give her some heart tablets to make her comfy for 3 weeks and then well "the kindest thing". It was an agonizing decision that hubby and I made that lunchtime, either to delay the inevitable or? Well we made the decision that hubby took her back that afternoon, whereby we rang the vet etc. I couldn't go this time, with my other Cavi she was 13 and soooo elderly but Megan just coming up to 10 but very puppyish. She did start to rally for a few hours beforehand almost as if she knew. I know its so silly but I was beside myself with grief for the loss of her, hubby came back and I watched him get out of the car with just her lead and the blanket, I couldn't go downstairs even. He came in and I just asked him to just put all that had been Megans into a bag as I didn't want to see it. Ho hum!!!. pets eh? Miss her so so much she was such a poppet of a dog. Oh and try explaining it to 3 and a half year old Grandchildren that their little friend has gone to doggy heaven. They're still asking now.



My Megs aged 8.




But enough of sad things onto my latest project which I must admist has taken me 3 months......18 balls of yarn....I used basic acrylic and it has cost me roughly £25.00......the pattern is from a lovely lady called Lucy at "Attic 24"...go check ber blog, very inspiring.......Its been made for the bed on our recently acquired motorhome....which more of at another time!


Hope you enjoy the piccys.










Oh and the blog photo is of "Fingle Bridge" Dartmoor..a most picturesque beautiful serene place. It was raining on the day we visited but we sat outside the pub/restaurant pulled the sun umbrella down and ordered the most tasty bowl of their soup and humungous roll and chips. The wind whipped round our legs but everything was "Oh so perfect".