Brutal honesty

I'm sure you have realized by now that I have not been able to keep up with my own challenge.

A lot of it is due to my own poor health.  Some of it is due to the fact that I would rather spend time on my knitting or whatever than compiling intelligent posts when I have my evenings off.

Rest assured though, that I have still been taking many photographs.  And when I do post here, I will try and include them.

So, with my health, it's been a real uphill struggle.  I have had quite a slew of tests, which have shown that I was misdiagnosed almost 2 years ago.  I actually have fibromyalgia as well as asthma.  And it really is knocking me for six.

This time last week, I was in so much distress..all I could do was cry.  I know..that sounds utterly pathetic, but it's true.  So, I went to the doctor on Monday.  Being 

signed off for a week was not my goal really, but probably it has done me a huge amount of good.  Although I am nowhere near 100% fit...

Anyway, this is why I shall not be challenging myself to such a "religious" posting schedule.  Blogging needs to be fun, and not a chore, or a stress.  

Having said that, here are some pictures from the past few weeks..

I held the back of my cardy towards myself while Mum took the photo.  The two sides of the front are just about done too...sleeves next.  

Been getting ready for Halloween too...hoping that perhaps I will have some little trick or treaters come in my direction...there's pencils, rubbers, and sweets.. 

The neighbour kids would come to my door over in the States and chant out..

Trick or treat

Smell my feet

Give me something good to eat!

:) x

Another week has flown by..and I owe you 7 pictures!

Yes, count them... SEVEN pictures...  yikes!  

Fortunately, I have been taking some!

I decided, after looking at all the odds and ends of yarn I have stashed away, to make a wacky but lovely cardigan!  I'm following a basic pattern, but making up my own colour scheme and pattern..

It began like this..

By Monday evening it looked like this..

and this evening it looks like this.. 

The question is..will I ever be brave enough to wear my amazing technicolour cardy out in public when it's done? One thing is sure..I won't be missed in a crowd!  :)

What with that and my new (to me) watch.. well, my Mum, bless her, says I have my own style a bit!  But she knew I wished to have a large faced watch...and has passed on my Dad's watch to me..

It's actually been an odd week for things to be passed on to me!  My landline phone has been on the blink for some time - it just wouldn't turn on.  So, Mum sent me up into her loft (I was awfully brave going up a ladder where there may have been spiders  ewww) before I went to the shop.  And success!  There, in its' original box, was my grandmother's old phone.  What treasures can be found, huh?  It's all hooked up and working in my flat now!  

Obviously, this is set up by the stereo, which is by my armchair, so I can yak away in comfort!  :)

And then there's pigs all over the place here.. these little ones sit on top of one of the speakers behind the phone..

Anyway, I know that's only 6 photos..so tomorrow, when it's not so late, and I'm not so sleepy, I'll post again and there'll be two!  I'm nothing if not determined to have the right number of photos!  LOL 

:) x 

A week in review...26-32/365

This is probably the picture I should have posted a few days ago.. although I have still been clicking, or, in the case of one of the photos, going through pictures taken earlier... I haven't had the urge to even come here and write.

Definitely shenanigans here...

At the weekend, my niece moved into her own place.  She is very excited about it.  Because of other things happening, I haven't been over to visit her yet..but hopefully she will love her card, which I stitched.

In a quiet moment, I began to get some autumn decorations out in the house.  The scarecrow seems quite content to sit here and watch who goes up or comes down!  And the stand was a bargain find at a charity shop..  :)

Even had a bit of time to sort out the cupboard in the kitchen.. I'm still on my gluten free kick, although I confess that it hasn't gone so well on the NO chocolate front.  Sometimes, a girl NEEDS chocolate!

 This is the picture which was taken earlier... my Mum.  Bless her heart, she was taken poorly again and is currently in hospital.  She will be alright..but still it's a bit of a toll on her to be there, and on me to do the running around.

I go over to her place twice a day to look after her rabbits and the fish..this particular little guy is a character!  They are both moved indoors now...makes it nicer for them once it begins to get colder and darker outside.

Here's the both of them in their outside home..I'll have to take a photo of them again now they're indoors!

:) x

25/365 - in my lounge

I have a cute little fireplace in my lounge.  It's not a functioning fireplace, but that doesn't mean it can't be pretty, does it.

Underneath the grate I have some of my little pigs.. the stones are from Pembrokeshire.  My sister brought them back for me when she holidayed there earlier in the year.  The candle..well, it's just a candle...a well travelled one, as it came home with me from the States...and the little tray was a gift a good few years ago.

And twinkle lights...a girl can never ever have too many twinkle lights! 

:) x

24/365 .. a day late

Really and truly, I wasn't doing anything too exciting.  

I just wasn't ruled by my blog, that's all.

I went to work.  Shopped (for milk)  ... watched the Great British Bake Off..did some knitting..sorted mail..talked to the pets... and relaxed.

It's all good though, huh?

:) x

23/365 ... Jane Austen quiz

Not been such a good couple of days for me....have been at work and then pretty worn out when I got home.  However, I did take this quiz on the 23rd..so I don't feel too bad posting this..albeit a  bit late.

After all, the aim of the challenge is to keep the blog active, I guess...  

Love Jane Austen.  Love Persuasion too.  So I'm quite satisfied with these results.

I just need my Captain Wentworth!  :)

Take the Jane Austen Character Quiz here!

:) x

22/365 - sentimental things in the kitchen

My home is filled with items which mean something to me.  In this picture I see the molds which my grandmother always had on her kitchen walls when we were kids.  The little teddy bear baker and chimney sweep were gifts on my first Christmas back in the UK from a client and his wife.  The pig timer...gift from a friend in the states, as was the pig who grunts and shoots sweets out of its' well..you know!  There is a reason why that was actually appropriate and why it always makes me giggle.

The round thing on the left with pigs on came from my aunt, who passed away just a few years ago.  I didn't know that she was also "into" pigs!  The decanter and glasses...they were a gift from my cousin.  The basket..well, that actually belonged to one of my girls, but somehow it's ended up with me.  

My grandfather made the pressed flower picture.

And the jar..well, this is my silliness, but I put all the odds and ends of thread or yarn from my projects in there..I thought of getting a plain glass Christmas bauble or something, to make a tree decoration?  

Silly ideas I have, huh?

The shelves though, are the new addition to the kitchen today.  My dad made them.  Bless him, he was a good woodworker.  There were two choices..throw them away or I could take them and hopefully use them..that was the final word from Mum.

As you can see, they came home.

And I have another set in the car yet.  Not sure where they will go.

:) x

21/365 - Dad, Mum and circle dancing

Today's photos were actually taken back in January and February of this year.  Back before Dad became really ill and then passed away.

I miss him terribly.

They were taken before my Mum became ill.  Yes, I know she is improving all the time and will return to her circle dancing (I was there to watch this particular night, with a lady who used to be one of my clients) ...  

None of us knew what this year was going to bring.

All of us are hoping for better and happier times in 2014.

And this is what everyone was dancing around...a lovely scarf, candle and the most gorgeous geranium.  The colours in this little ensemble just ..well, I think it's wonderful.. sometimes I think I could live by candlelight... but then would I be able to see my patterns and stitching?  :)

:) x

20/365 - bits and pieces in the bedroom

I came home from work today, happy that I have this weekend off, but also totally shattered.  I ended up laying down on the bed with a pounding head...and feeling just a bit too dizzy if I lifted my head.  No fun at all.

So pictures today are from the bedroom.  Lay on the bed...face towards the right, and that's where you'll see this little curio shelf.  

T

 And this is above the headboard.  /sighs a little  Right now, my dream would be to have no pain tonight and to have a good nights' sleep!

:) x

18/365 and 19/365 - lawn bowling and decorating!

Ok, I have to confess.  I actually FORGOT to post yesterday.  I had a busy time, with work, followed by an appointment in town.  And then I went off to play a bowls match.  It was an internal match..me against the captain of the club, for heaven's sakes..it was no surprise that I didn't win this one!

I love these bowls actually... they clean up lovely...and only need to be handled by a better bowler to get consistently good scores!  :)

The other picture for today is the hearts hanging on the door into the lounge.  They .. the pretty stained glass door, and the hearts too...are being seen more now.  When the weather is cooler, I shut the door to keep the heat from taking a tumble down the stairs so easily!

I'm not sure I'm enjoying these night drawing in now...or the colder temperatures..

:) x

17/365 - knitting progress

Today was a day off for me, but oh boy, did it rain or what?  All outdoor activities were stopped and I stayed indoors knitting and watching television.  

Very lazy..but, I did get a few more blocks of colour done for the charity blanket, as well as finishing up the knitting part of the first sock of this pair.  Sewing up to do and sock number 2 will be cast on tomorrow.  It's an interesting pattern, as it's done on 2 needles, rather than 4. 

:) x

16/365 - yoga and the goose!

I was a bit nervy taking this picture at Broadwater Lake the other day..just in case this goose decided that I needed a goose-ing!  :)

I did get left alone though..probably because Mr Goose was appearing to be practicing his yoga positions! Seriously, he stood on one leg like that for ages.. I wish I had that sort of balance.

:) x

15/365 - freebies = treasure

Just one photo today.  I love finding things for free..or for very little.

So imagine my happiness when this basket turned up outside my mum's neighbours' house, with a sign saying "free..help yourself"...

Obviously, I did!

:) x

14/365 - cross stitch

I've had a pleasantly busy week of stitching..a bit of knitting here and there, but mostly I have been cross stitching this week.

I began this kit, for a card, on Wednesday evening....

and finished all the stitching on this project last night.  Now I just have to mount it into it's card frame...and presto... a gift for my niece who is moving into her new place in a couple of weeks.

I think this is the kit (a freebie from a magazine) which I'll work on next. 

:) x

13/365 - Big Bang Theory on my telly

Tonight, I have a headache.  I also have a bit of a heartache.  And, quite frankly, I haven't the wherewithall to compose an interesting blog post, or to mess around with the photos which are on my camera..they can wait for tomorrow.

So, you'll all have to forgive me for cheating, as I am going to post a picture which I took last weekend.

It's of my television screen..while one of my favourite "funny" programmes were on..  The Big Bang Theory...

12/365 - Guildford Museum and the Castle

Mum and I decided to take a trip into Guildford today..not for shopping (although how can you pass by a charity shop...or two...ok, I confess THREE)  ...  I mean...did you know that the Phyllis Tuckwell has 2 stores in town?  No...we didn't either.  We came home with some vintage knitting patterns and I also picked up a cute set of windchimes, which are now hanging by the bedroom window.

But I digress a bit.

We actually went in so that we could visit the museum.  It was lovely..of course, we especially loved the stitching exhibit!  Lovely little boxes for keeping your needles in..and they were so so SO tiny.. 

Lace which was to die for!

Beautiful samplers...made by such young girls.  They really knew how to create beauty.

And toys ... they were so much simpler in those days.  No batteries.  No noise, except for those the children would make themselves.  I loved to see them.  :)

I shall go back there, for sure.. 

Afterwards, we walked up to the Castle Grounds.

Lots of benches to sit on..lots of beautiful flowers to see..and it was really peaceful.

A different part of the castle walls.

 Looking up towards the keep... we didn't go inside because .. well, other than the charge to do so, there really wasn't a reason.. happier to be outside I suppose...

It was a very quietly pleasant afternoon.. finished off by tea and sandwiches in the cafe at Tunsgate ..  

If only I could say that all of tomorrow will be so lovely..but I have to spend at least part of my day at the hospital for tests.  Never mind, worse things happen at sea!

:) x