Plant

Plant

Monday 31 March 2014

Blanket

I finished another pair of chunky socks this weekend. Not going to post a pic of it. I will end up having a blog full of chunky sock pictures :-) lol. What I'll do next is something I'm still contemplating. I think I will get on with my afghan. I did a postal knitting pattern thing, and I got a ball of wool ach issue and instructions for an afghan to make. Started this near enough three years ago, and am only half way through the afghan!!! There's another one to do as well lol. Anyway. I think I'll attempt to get some more of that done. Would be nice to finish it :-)


A little more

Over the weekend I saved some fruit from ending up in the bin. I turned the sorry looking stuff into a yummy fruit salad. Always feel pleased with myself when I do things like that. Makes me feel like I have made something out of nothing :-) On the other hand though, I had to throw some salad stuff that I’d forgotten about away, don’t like that so much :-) This week I'm going to do an inventory and go though my cupboards/freezer, use what I can and throw away what I can’t. That might be very painful, but I will know what I have got :-)
Today, I'm doing a recipe look up, and record session :-)
I had all good intentions to do recipes, and ended up spending most the day to get rid of pesky spyware that decided to attach themselves to my laptop :-)
 Now to get on with what I originally planned. So glad I peeled the potatoes for tonights dinner first thing this morning.

Mothers Day

Had a lovely day yesterday. We went to Bristol Docks. Had a trip around the harbour. I was lovely. Really enjoyed it. Had a lovely meal. My darlings bought me a docking station for my ipod and also Gave me a £50 Amazon voucher. I’ve ordered some DVDs. I also had a yummy box of chocolates.






Friday 28 March 2014

Stourdhead

Our eldest, myself and the hubbie enjoyed a day at Stourhead. We went on one of their guided walks around the estate. It was lovely, though we got caught in a heavy hail storm. Thankfully I had a nice big brolly. I did have to pop a waterproof poncho on over the top of my coat as it's only a shower proof one, so got soaked very quickly. The poncho did the job and kept me dry, but it was a cheap one bought from a cheap shop on Minehead front, and lived up to the cheap reputation, by falling apart. It kept me dry for the time needed so that was good :-)














Wednesday 26 March 2014

Sewing

This morning, because I didn't have Arty Crafty on today. (Had to take our youngest to the dentist) I got on with a bit of sewing. I'm putting together some bags for our pastor's wife to take over to Butale for the children who go to the school we sponsor. They use them to put their school books in. I was given ten to do. I did four of them the other week, so I was determined to finish them off today. Me eldest came over and had a go on the machine. She sewed the last two bags up, and I put the handles on. While finishing off the second to last bag, my needle broke :-( So annoying. I still have one to finish off, and I really wanted them done today. I didn't have a spare needle to replace it either so I will have to buy some more. So frustrating lol.

We went out for a meal with my mum tonight. We went to a carvary which was nice. Very reasonable as well. Mum is moving into an independent living apartment. There will be a housekeeper, and she cooks for the residents twice a day. Mum has a microwave, toaster, fridge and kettle in her room. She has a fair sized room as well. It's really nice. She will be able to come and go as she pleases, and it will be good for her not to have all the worry of maintenance.

Tuesday 25 March 2014

A bit more

I've started to write my thoughts in Word. I like writing, and do keep a notebook to write things down in, but I don't always get around to it, so I thought I'd start doing it in Word. I like to reflect, and in a way, I use writing as my communication with Jesus. I'm not a big 'you need to be on your knees' type Christian. I'm sure many prefer to converse with Jesus in that way. I don't. I'm chatty, and that's how I like to pray. In a chatty way, and writing my thoughts etc is the easiest way to do that for me :-) I also like to write my thoughts down, or tell myself off, encourage myself, and write my ideas. Here is a sample from yesterdays writing.

I’m learning to ‘earn’ from the income that comes in from Rich’s hard work. How am I doing that?? Well, I’m trying to make instead of buy. Save on Costa costs, by taking my own hot drink with me. I ignore the magazine isles, which are a great temptation for me. Try to remember to take my Kindle out with me when I go out. (I always take my crochet) that way, I have something to do if I should treat myself to a cafe moment, and won’t go and buy a magazine to read. Or if I go back to sit in the car and have my own bought hot drink, or sit on a bench outside, I have something to do J All these things help, especially when you think that a magazine costs a fiver. So if I do nip into a cafe, that could end up being nearly a tenner spent. As I wrote that, my eyebrow rose, because looking at it in print, is a bit of a shock!!! I have to be honest. It does give me some kicks though to see where I’m saving money. At the moment, these savings are virtual, one day though, maybe they can go into a treat fund. J
Obviously, the biggest money saving place is in the kitchen. With all my extra time, I have no excuse not to spend some of it baking. My biggest enemy is that I’m so badly self organised. I talk myself out of doing things, then waste a whole day doing nothing that can be accounted for.
L So! This week, I’m on a ‘I’m going to do this’ roll. I’m determined to be disciplined and be of some use. If I’m not working, then I need to make sure I’m contributing in some way to make all the work Rich does less of a burden.
With that in mind, I did a bake up. Cooked two banana tea breads, a cherry cake and a fruit cake. Some of these will go into the freezer for another time, or when I haven’t time to make something. It’s good to know something is there.
J What I want to do is try and bake something daily, so I’m not bound to a whole morning bake. It would be good to conquer my fear of my halogen cooker that way, I can cook one cake. I feel guilty to bake a lonesome cake in the over. I have a small oven as well as the larger part, which is great for Victoria Sandwiches, but not for big cakes. I’m determined this week to bake at least one cake in the Halogen, and start to form a relationship with it. J
While getting the tins out this morning to get ready to be filled with mixture, it occurred to me, how much more time would be saved, if I prepared the tins the night before. I think then, I’d be more inclined to get on and bake!!! It’s psychological. It would be like waking up to something already done for you.
J My mum always does that.

Sunday 23 March 2014

Pheasant

Before popping over to Lacock this morning, we looked in at the cemetery to check up on my dad's and our son's graves. While there, we saw a pheasant having a wander about!!!!!


Sunday

After feeling very spoilt by being treated to breakfast in bed. Darling Hubby made me some egg and bacon :-) I got up and made a tray of Chocolate chip sponge cake, which I cut into squares for the family and anyone else who comes into the house to tuck into. I also put a couple of loaves on in the bread machines. An ordinary one for my daughter, and a seedy one for us :-) When that was all done we spent the morning at Lacock, (see post below)

This afternoon I've been busy knitting. yes you've guessed it. Socks again lol. These are for another friend :-)Nice chunky ones, and I'm doing them in a round having adapted a pattern for two needle ones. The beauty of using double pointed needles is that there is no sewing up afterwards, so no bulky seams :-)

Lacock

This morning we popped over to Lacock for a morning out. Works out a cheap morning out, as we are members of The National Trust. Ok. We have to pay for the membership, but we more than get out monies worth out of that membership, and in a bit of a twisted way, because we don't have to pay any entrance fees etc. It seems like a free day out :-) I also packed a flask, and cake, so we got a very cheap cafe experience in the car as well :-)















Friday 21 March 2014

More knitted craftiness :-) A baby cardie to be sold in a local PDSA charity shop and a pair of socks for me :-) On the needles at moment is a pair of purple chunky socks for a friend :-) First one nearly done.





Don't be afraid of left overs.

Tonight, I made pies using up the remains of the mincemeat casserole we had last night for dinner. Accompanying it, were some chippy things made with left over jacket potatoes, and some left over roast potatoes. I cooked a little mixed vegetable as well, and all in all, a very yummy dinner, costing no more than a quid each for hubby and I :-)








Saturday 15 March 2014

Socks

I've been going sock making crazy again :-)





Stonehenge walk

Today I went on a National Trust walk at Stonehenge in Wiltshire with my eldest daughter and my hubby. Although sunny, it was quite chilly as the wind had a bit of a bite to it. Here's some pictures taken on the walk.
















Sky life


I love skies as you will see. Photos of skies will appear quite often in my pasts :-)


Outside my garden one morning a few weeks back

Outside my garden one night a few weeks back

Outside my garden one night a few weeks back