a busy summer

have been busy having fun and enjoying our brief summer.

Last week me and alex went to Torquay in Devon.We had a lovely time.

We stayed in a apartment.Above is alex in front of the steam train we went on.And there is me at Paignton Zoo.

It was my first trip with Alex alone trip alone since becoming a single parent.

I did take my stitching but we wore ourselves out so much during the day I got nothing done.I did buy a cross stitch kit though.It was called Clovelly after the Devon village.I have visited it.

I have been busy reading while away,I am currently reading YOU CANT HIDE by KAREN ROSE and enjoying my KINDLE

I also bought some books..Agatha Christies Biography and 4 of Agatha Christie Novels.I was influenced in buying these as we saw Agatha Christies House and there was an exhibition on her at Torquay Museum.

more crochet and a visit to the dentists

The hospital's consulting dietician was giving a lecture to several community nurses from the Southampton area of Hampshire.

'The rubbish we put into our stomachs and consume should have killed most of us sitting here, years ago. Red meat is terrible. Fizzy drinks attack your stomach lining. Chinese food is loaded with msg. Vegetables can be disastrous because of fertilisers and pesticides and none of us realises the long-term damage being done by the rotten bacteria in our drinking water. However, there is one food that is incredibly dangerous and we all have, or will, eat it at some time in our lives.

Now, is anyone here able to tell me what food it is that causes the most grief and suffering for years after eating it?'

A 65-year-old nursing sister sitting in the front row stood up and said, 'Wedding cake.'

Today I had a visit to the dentists ..it was awful.hope this joke made you smile.I am back for more treatment next friday..

More crochet and fabric postcards.

well today has been a busy one.First I had to deal with a lack of water..our water was turned off because we had a leak on the outside pipe joining it to the meter.The men arrived very early,to repair it.Well they took up approx 20 bricks and dug down and replaced pipe with some plastic type hose pipe and then filled it in and added sand and concrete.The council is coming back tomorrow to make good the pavement,and i also had a visit from my landlord to collect his mail and to talk to next door about what had happened as well as me.

Then i went out my local group where we are working on our fabric postcards.http://quilting.about.com/od/quiltpatternsprojects/ss/fabric_postcard.htmI am finishing my last two before i can show you them in full.

The local theatre where I have my lunch beforehand was packed with pensioners who were having their lunch in the small cafe there before the matinee ,of a old time music hall show.So i was about an hour late to my group.

Anyway following that I had to make my way home having once found the bus stop where buses had been detoured to as one of the flats above some shops was on the point of collapse and so a whole section of road had been cut off and taped around as scaffolding was all that was stopping the building come down.Before I got on the bus I bought myself 2 new summer skirts for £8 each.You know the kind of thing,cotton with elasticated waist and able to fit my growing girth.

On the bus home I managed to knock 3 granny squares out for the blankets, so after tea I set about doing some more and ran up another about 8.

So now I am going to do some ironing ..now i have water for my steam iron.Thank heavens I am not an African living somewhere where you have to walk miles for water.. its only when you don't have it so freely that you appreciate how blessed you are to be able to access water so freely.http://www.wateraid.org/uk/get_involved/campaigns/7204.asp

crochet and sewing

I can crochet.have been doing so since i was about 14 years old..my nan taught me..and to knit.

At the moment I have been in a bit of a fug the past couple of days.Felt very lethargic because of the heat,and very depressed ..thinking

a lot of my new future alone.

Anyway this afternoon after a good sleep I woke feeling much better and so I attempted to sort out my sewing machine.I have a Novum super automatic sewing machine.Its years old and I boug

ht it second hand,without a manual.I have been busy trying to remember how to do the basic of things on it.I can now(thanks to utube video tutorials)wind my bobbins.I can thread the machine and also thread the bobbin.I have a side bobbin so that is why I keep forgetting how the darn bobbin goes in and how everything hooks up.But now I spent about 3 hours mastering my machine again.What i think I need to do is leave it out..and use it more often and then i won't forget how to. I am so pleased and proud of myself for not giving up and to have finally mastered it!Anyway,once i had figured it out..I made a little cloth sample showing what stitches were what letter on the knob for stitch choices on the machine.Then I started to sew and put together my fabric postcards I am currently making for my local group..PEG.I won't share pictures with you yet as they aren't finished.

So today,also I browsed the web.I look

ed at a number of knitting and crochet sites.They are as follows:

www.theknitter.co.uk

http://thebotheredowl.wordpress.com

www.hulucrafts.co.uk

I enjoyed all of these sites that's why I am sharing them with you.

After our evening meal I had a little rummage through my wool stash and have -after consultation with E- decided to make some blankets for the little children who have 'sleeping time' at her nursery where she works.What could be more cosy than a nice warm crochet blanket,made up of granny

squares.So I now have a use for all those crochet squares I have started to make when I feel the need to just sit and crochet and relax in front of the television.Just imagine a bag full of 4" squares ,all multicoloured..when I am assembling them I shall show..ok they look a bit like this..

This afternoon the weather broke.. which was wonderful news for me..I have been sufferi

ng with the heat,basically melting and unable to do much because of it.My usual pursuits just haven't been enough to persuaded me to get out my fug of depression..so I am glad that now the weather has improved I feel so much better in myself.

I visited the chemist today(my local one) and luckily was able to get some blood testing strips.My doctor never seems to provide me with enough.So when i have tested today it has been in the lower normal range ,which is excellent news, and I don't have to worry about my sugar levels dropping too much when asleep as I can test before bed now..the last few nights I have had that worry which isn't very good for me trying to get a good nights sleep.

so off to bed now..goodnight everyone..I just hope tomorrow I wake up feeling good and well .

here and its been a while

well its been a while I have got a new computer, and been away,I have been to Somerset with my good friend Kathy..Here is my bag finished and ready for the exhibition that was held by members of the embroiders guild of which i am a member.

What am i currently working on?

A set of fabric postcards

a picture from heaven and earth called 'Gothic Fairy'

a blue jacket(knitting)

squares(crochet)

a sampler entitled 'Winter'

a chinese embroidery (mao)sample

what about my family life?E is working in a nursery and is a nursery manager..I am very proud of her,my lovely pretty girl,he is also still dating M and they have been an item for about 2 years now.Hair is currently pink!

A is doing well at his special school.he can now really read and write,and loves to produce comics and newsletters.Still obsessed with Dr.Who.Is just as gorgeous!Hair is currently very short..like a skinhead!

I am finding new contacts..have new friends, am enjoying visiting my rock bands and classic car shows as well as continuing to go to all my local stitching hideaway groups and having fascinating discusions about life !