new patio

Cambell arrived bright and early today to finish the two patio extensions!! We have given up trying to grow stuff either side of the patio, if the rabbits don't eat it, it just dies!! And the weeds just colonise the gravel!! It looks so untidy so I decided to get rid of the gravel and have the two areas paved, this way the swing bench can rest on level ground instead of sinking slowly into the grass! With luck it will last a bit longer as it will be protected from some of the winter weather being closer to the house. It's a good plan!!
Well he is here and by tomorrow we should have the swing moved and maybe teh two wooden chairs with the little corner table as well!! If it stays dry long enough to cut the grass we will be very smart before Sam and the girls come on Wednesday! We are really looking forward to their visit, it always gives Paul a lift and I just love having cuddles!!
I have been dutifully working through the fEQ7 lessons, trying to do some every day! I have nearly finished the pieced quilt lessons and I am determined to work through the drawing and applique lessons as well. Usually I give up then as I am not a drawer and applique smacks a little too much of perspective and clever stuff!! But I do like redwork and the look of naive applique, sort of country style so I have set my personal goal in retirement to master all aspects of the program!!
Needless to say while I have visitors and house disruption I wont have time for 'stripping' in the sewing room so the pile of fabric waiting to be turned into useful strips is sitting accusingly on the ironing board! I have remembered that I bought the June Tailor ruler that lets you cut multiple strips across the fabric fthough so maybe once I actually get in their it wont take too long to restore order!!
I was planning how I would spend my time, now I am a lady of leisure, I thought come September when life returns to normal I would spend one day a week in Durham County Records Office, researching the history of my house. Then one day a week on an away day, exploring the area properly, you know the sort of thing, checking out National Trust properties, garden centres, shopping cntres etc and being a lady what lunches. Then at least one day a week in piecing, one day a week handquilting on my cottage gardens and the redworks I have finished, one day a week finishing Daisy cross stitch advent calendar. Of course at least one day a week in the garden to put it to bed properly for the first time ever and start the hard landscaping needed. Then I kind of realised I would need one day a week each for housekeeping, curtain making, and decorating touch ups like re waxing all the internal woodwork and filling cracks!
The only problem I can forsee is there aren't enough days in the week!!!