tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88836240988021209112024-02-21T09:40:10.405+00:00schoolhousequilterGentle reflections on my quilts, chickens and life in WeardalekatieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-74936299539606569312011-01-12T17:50:00.000+00:002011-01-12T17:50:31.084+00:00positive thoughtsVery busy week this week!! I went back to WI and was given a very warm welcome. Even lost weight at slimming world! Also I have been very sociable, having people here for tea and biscuits and going out to friends for the same! Today I spent the entire day at the bank sorting out all the finances, confusing but necessary. Fortunately the bank manager is a lady and very kind and patient. Off to my daughters for a week tomorrow, need my dose of granddaughters!! We have several nice things planned, lunch with an old friend, movies with family and my Christmas present which was tickets to see a musical at the theatre! It has been much warmer today, 9CThe snow is nearly all gone, I do hope we dont get anymore but I suspect we will!!katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-25922510148182750132011-01-09T17:35:00.000+00:002011-01-09T17:35:43.049+00:00God is goodWe have had another dump of snow, so I carefully defrosted the car and slowly made my way down an icy road to Church, on the way saw 2 people walking in the same direction, so I asked if they were on the way to Church. They were so they hopped in and we crawled down the hill. They turned out to be newcomers to the village that I had met at the Jenny's cottage gathering just before Christmas!!<br />
Well my good deed was repayed big time, my friend's son arrived when I got back from Church, he is a big strong strapping rugby player and farmer!! He came to split logs and do any other jobs requiring muscle or height!!! Bless him , he made short work of the snow on the front path and then went up to the salt bin and collected a bucket of grit which he spread for me so I wont slip, even spread some round the coal bunker, and left me with another bucket of grit for emergencies! Plus I now have a weeks worth of split logs and a promise he will come with the tractor and log splitter and finish the rest of the shed!!!! A big cheery grin and a cuddle made me feel so much better!katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-31407439172074677382011-01-08T19:45:00.000+00:002011-01-08T19:45:38.904+00:00more productive dayBetter day today, delivered a birthday present for a friend and met up with very good friends for a cuppa. Then found a new hairdresser in a local village, on recommendation! Skin test and an appointment for tuesday afternoon to be trimmed and coloured!!! Home for a late lunch, then curiosity got the better of me, I managed to take the drawers from Paul's chest of drawers and carry them across to the little bedroom in the loft, then I thought I would attempt to move the carcass and see if I could get it down the stairs by myself or if I would need to wait for muscle help. Tenacity is a wonderful thing, usually disguised as 'bloody mindedness!' little by little I got it down the stairs and around the bend, through the lounge and up the stairs at the other end of the house! It is now happily in place in the little bedroom, drawers reinstalled!!!<br />
I had a great sense of self satisfaction and it has helped to re instate my self confidence in my ability to live here independently. I was beginning to doubt whether I could. I also managed to use the log splitter this morning and split 4 logs, I think the clue is not to try to do too many and to stand behind the splitter so I can put my whole body weight against the lever to get it to move once the pressure is on!!katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-42189324563623966722011-01-06T17:44:00.000+00:002011-01-06T17:44:31.358+00:00EpiphanyI surprised at how difficult I found taking the decorations down! I didnt find putting them up to upsetting but taking them down was another matter!! Hard work too as there was no-one to help me lug the boxes back up into the loft. Still its done for another year, hopefully I wont have to do it next year.<br />
Its icy here I managed to drive up the lonnen but when I got out of the car it was just sheet ice so poor Barney didn't get a walk to day either! Yesterday we were waiting for deliveries!! Maybe tomorrow! I think a hot bath and a cup of tea calls!katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-89814179619155627882011-01-05T20:31:00.000+00:002011-01-05T20:31:10.202+00:00productive dayThe fire glass I ordered yesterday arrived early this morning and my kind neighbour fitted it to the log burner door!! My new bed frame arrived this afternoon so now I need a family member to come and help me build it in my room and get rid of the divan!!<br />
A friend came with presents from school and stayed for a cup of tea, she lost her husband to cancer some years ago so really understands how I feel. She is such good fun and very kind. We had a lovely couple of hours. I dont quite know how it happened but somehow I have agreed to go to an art group on friday afternoon, as I dont draw or paint this could be interesting!!katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-87764562796578769982011-01-04T17:53:00.000+00:002011-01-04T17:53:38.207+00:00log burnersA kind neighbour came to help me sort out what I needed to mend the logburner glass door. Its ordered and should come tomorrow. We then moved on to log splitting lessons, sadly no matter how hard I tried I just wasnt strong enough. I spent the afternoon with a hot water bottle in my back nursing the pain in my shoulder and back! I will have to rely on my menfolk to split logs when they come. I do hope I can cope here, I wouldfind it very difficult to have to leave, all my memories of Paul are here.katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-68681105728090446552011-01-03T23:06:00.000+00:002011-01-03T23:06:20.100+00:00Spring CleaningI made an early start on spring cleaning by finally managing to take down and wash the lampshades in the front room, and to clear out old shoes from the shoe rack by the front door! The old chest freezer is now clean and ready to go to Denise's. Tomorrow I will tackle the broken glass in the log burner door! Slowly making inroads on the excess books I now have 3 carrier bags to take to the charity shop. No quilting today but made a start on the second sleeve of the cardigan I have been knitting since before Paul died. Very slowly beginning to pick up jobs which have needed doing for a long time. Its good to have the peace and quiet and time at home to do things at my own pace, which at the moment seems to be very slow!katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-27176342235065087262011-01-01T20:59:00.000+00:002011-01-01T20:59:38.257+00:00quiet timeWhat a difference a year makes, New Years Day last year we woke to deep snow, this year it was just me and I woke up to light snow flurries!! No hens to dig out, fuel in the house courtesy of my lovely son and just myself to please. Barney got walked and the fire has been on all day, the house has been much warmer and the boiler hasnt clicked on so hopefully I have used less oil today!<br />
All day I have been promising myself an hour on the cottage garden quilt, but what with ironing, cleaning and concerned family phone calls I just havent had time!! maybe tomorrow! It has been good to spend a quiet day gently pottering. Hopefully tomorrow will be brighter skies and more peace and quiet, maybe I really will get some quilting done!!katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-77053905907247953812010-12-31T18:51:00.000+00:002010-12-31T18:51:21.375+00:00Happy New YearThe old year ended on a sad note as I had to let the hens go to a friend, I just couldnt manage them anymore. The weather is looking up a bit and after a pleasant quiet Christmas with my daughter and granddaughters, I am hoping to end my nomadic existance and settle down to kick starting some kind of life on my own. I plan to finish the quilting on the cottage gardens quilt. Happy New Year everyone, may all your dreams come true.katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-42846740739412382892010-12-01T19:21:00.000+00:002010-12-01T19:21:33.286+00:00difficult timesA big thank you to all my cyber quilting friends who sent their kind wishes and thoughts following my previous post. The weather has conspired to mirror my feelings by sending early sustained and heavy snowfall coupled with sub zero temperatures. I am finding it increasingly difficult to stay positive and very hard to dig out the hens and coal bunker daily. I hope the oil and coal deliveries manage to make it through this week and that I can get to the grocery shop!! At 5 miles away it's too far to walk but the ploughs havent been up so we have white roads! heigh ho!!katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-80521756501056968002010-11-15T13:07:00.002+00:002010-11-15T13:07:22.584+00:00sad timesSadly my beloved husband died on the 15th October,there are no words to describe my feelings. Suffice to say I havent been sewing or posting.katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-17771330229653730622010-07-25T12:21:00.000+01:002010-07-25T12:21:22.682+01:00new patioCambell 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!!<br />
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!!<br />
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!!<br />
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!!<br />
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!<br />
The only problem I can forsee is there aren't enough days in the week!!!katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-38887299107787354922010-07-23T04:30:00.000+01:002010-07-23T04:30:32.931+01:00Dark daysHello blogland! It's bben a while since I was last here. The good news is I have finally finished with school and am now officially a lady of leisure!! The last couple of weeks were hard going and it felt like I was never going to get there! My last day was Sport's Day and Summer Fair so not too arduous. As it was a slimming world day I went over to Hexham after school to get weighed and joy of joys had even mamanged to loose another 1 and 1/2lbs!! Nearly a stone gone now and I feel better for it.<br />
We had a lovely week down with Sam and the girls, despite Paul's nocturnal disruptions. Sadly, nothing seems to help the pain in his shoulders, which doesn't bother him during the day but which makes sleeping impossible. He is up two or three times in the night, making hot water bottles and hot drinks, waiting for painkillers to take effect. Needless to say it means I don't get much sleep either and it was difficult to manage away from home. I was terrified he would wake the girls, who aren't good sleepers at the best of times. So even when he came to bed and went to sleep I was awake!!<br />
He has been back to the Drs and has morphine now but it doesn't seem to make much difference, I don't know if it's a habit he can't break or whether this is the beginning of the end!! He has lost weight and seems very down. We have been in more contact with his sister which is good and she is coming to visit soon, she will be here when he has his next scan and oncologist visit, as she is a senior nurse I am hoping she will be in on the consultation and give me the benefit of her expertise. He is due counselling with the Macmillan cancer nurses next week and maybe that will help. It's really hard to decide whether the cancer is active again or whether understandably it's worry and fear that's causing the problem.<br />
We are due to go away for a week with Sam and the girls to Devon for a seaside holiday, I was really looking forward to it but now I am dreading it. It's so difficult to manage his insommnia away from home and I am worried he will disturb the girls and Sam. She finds it really hard to cope with the evidence that her Dad is really ill and she is not good without sleep!!! It could be a nightmare.<br />
Work on the decluttering, gardening and sewing have taken a back seat recently but I am trying hard to complete a cross stitch advent calendar for Daisy for this Christmas, I didnt make last !! The sewing room tidy has halted! I have a pile of fabric which needs cutting into strips and filing!! My boxes are neatly labelled, ready and waiting! I think most things will have to wait until September now. By the time we have been away and had our summer visitors it will be September and hopefully Paul will be back driving the school bus! Maybe he will improve then, I think some of it is boredom and too much time to dwell on every little symptom he feels. He has never really been ill before and finds it all very frightening. What a gloomy post!! I wll try to be more positive next timexkatieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-4375023910078989562010-06-24T10:18:00.000+01:002010-06-24T10:18:57.486+01:00rats!!!well it was much cloudier to day so we attacked the shed! Surprisingly it didn't take us long, we took everything outt and then discovered yet another hole the rats had chewed through into the shed! We put some slaymore down and Paul blocked it up before we swept out all the straw and debris from the floor, yet another full car load of junk for the tip!<br />
It was lovely this morning being able to walk into the shed without clambering over rubbish. After the all important England game I started on the fabric drawers in the sewing room, I am sorting out complete fat1/4's and refolding them into the small drawers at the top of the chest, larger pieces are folded into colour coded bigger drawers and any thing else is going into a large basket under the Grace frame to be stripped and filed according to width in my new labelled boxes!!! I think this could be a long job! I have an old feed bag to hand for complete rubbish!! I wonder how many bags I will fill.<br />
every time I think I have finished sorting out rubbish I find another little store! Next job will be the old kitchen dresser ( the man and lady drawers and cupboards)! I suspect it will be like painting the Forth bridge, a never ending task, once you have finished its time to start again!katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-69664608314589836672010-06-23T10:58:00.000+01:002010-06-23T10:58:44.565+01:00beautiful daySadly the table of the garden furniture I had ordered was damaged so now we are waiting for a call to tell us when it will be collected and replaced! It was too warm to do the shed yesterday afternoon and Paul isn't feeling too good at the moment as he is not sleeping because of the pain in his back which they dont seem to be able to sort out!<br />
Never mind another day today, still sunny but very windy, a dangerous combination as you don't realise how hot the sun is! I hve decided not to go to craft group today in favour of serious shed sorting!!! didnt do any sewing room stuff either! After re spraying my fine crop of nettles, ground elder and buttercup I retired to a garden chair in the sun and a good book!!!!!<br />
Must try harder today!katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-49499599942222713422010-06-22T11:55:00.000+01:002010-06-22T11:55:13.482+01:00sunny days and hay meadowsFinaly patience rewarded Summer has arrived, clear blue skies and hay meadows! The fields are full of buttercups and cow parsley waving in the breeze. From high on the lonnen ( lane) there is a patchwork quilt of grey dry stone wall, and yellow fields, once they start cutting up here these golden fields will turn lime green which really stands out against the dark green fir trees!<br />
The hedgerowsnt are fabulous at the moment, bee orchids, cow parsley, wild geraniums, alchemilla mollis ( ladies mantle) and white and red clover, I even saw the purple pea flowers of vetch in the grasses this morning. It was so peaceful, just the lapwings calling and the buzz of happy bees! Definitely a good to be alive day! To add to that I weighed in a pound lighter at Slimming World last night and school is finished for this week! I am trying to be patient as I wait in for the new garden furniture to be delivered, then I plan to tackle the shed!! Its due to be dry for the rest of the week so I thought stuff could get left out safely if we don't manage it in one day!!<br />
I am looking forward to lunches on the patio and some outdoor cutting to reduce some of the scraps into usuable strips!katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-30728665643455924992010-06-10T11:53:00.000+01:002010-06-10T11:53:21.057+01:00Another Tip Trip!Yesterday saw yet another carload of extra to requirements hit the tip!! We sorted out the big unit in the study and got rid of old videos which with the advent of DVD are never going to be watched again! This had the knock on effect of emptying the kitchen dresser of boxed games which can now go in the study and ridding the sewing room fabric cupboard of computer paper and sundries!!<br />
Fired with this success I made Paul pass down the stuff on the top shelves of the sewing room cupboard and bookshelves so I could get rid of old school videos, books and lots of saved but useless bits of assorted wadding from previous projects! I kept usefull pieces but was ruthless with the rest! I even managed to empty old magazine files with cookery magazines which were just collecting dust, thus freeing them up for essential quilting magazines to be filed in some semblance of order. Now when the rest of the school stuff goes back I will have a shelf for the re-organised quilting magazines!!<br />
Now for labels for the boxes for strips and squares, then I will attack the chest of drawers! I intend to have colour coordinated drawers for fat quarters only, everything else will be stripped or squared and put in the appropriate box, then with luck it will actually be seen and used rather than hidden in a drawer! This is a good plan I am not sure if it will succeed but it's good to have a plan!<br />
This morning I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my new computer desk for the study. This has meant I have had to dismantle the computer, printer, keyboard, mouse, extension drive and web cam and disconnect the internet! I have used colour coded stickers but am hoping desperately to remember where everything goes so I can put it back together again without having to wait for my son Ben to come up from Stoke to sort it out!!! Fingers and toes are firmly crossed!!!<br />
With another busy day scheduled for tomorrow with shopping (56mile drive) counselling ( 22mile drive) then choir ( 22mile drive)! I suspect this will be a no sew week but with the world cup footy on for the next month I should be able to catch up!katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-21694015911055185272010-06-08T08:59:00.000+01:002010-06-08T08:59:34.219+01:00Low cloud in JuneWe cant see across the road, wish our heads were above the clouds!!! Still looking forward to thursday when my new computer desk arrives and completes the 'look' in the study!!! Going to renew library books, buy a birthday present for a friend, then start on the sewing room. I managed to get 10clear shoe boxes with lids at Sams only £1each!! so major strip tidying and labelling to happen!!Also sorting out the next load to go back to school next week and hopefully cut some more star blocks!!<br />
Busy day but productive!katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-44412023146190502482010-06-07T17:02:00.000+01:002010-06-07T17:02:47.335+01:00Off to school we go!It felt very strange getting up early and setting off to school after nearly 6months off sick! It was good to take more stuff back and clear even more room on the shelves. I felt a bit apprehensive but everyone was very supportive and the children seemed pleased to see me. The junior class was a breeze as I only had 6 children, 2 were absent and the one difficult child has left!! Needless to say in the best primary tradition of unexpected events, we had a power cut just as I was about to show a video about Sikhism!!! The children took it all in their strides and we coped!! After assemble and playtime we practised the Fench songs for the International Song Conference they are attending next week.<br />
The day flew by and I managed to leave on time!!! One down just six more to do!<br />
Hopefully this week I should be able to do more on my star quilt and complete the last redwork block so I can layer it up and quilt it!<br />
The stricken plants survived our week away and are showing signs of throwing off the weedkiller and growing again, while I am pleased they are not dead, it doesn't fill me with confidence that it will be effective against the weeds!! I had a lovely time at the garden centre and collected more compost and bedding plants for the pots in the big garden. The small triangle bed outside the front door is beginning to look much better now the ' snow on the mountain' has been ruthlessly dug up! It's lovely but so invasive nothing else stands a chance! maybe if the weather is kind tomorrow I will get some photos to show you.katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-18763819469719211812010-05-28T08:58:00.000+01:002010-05-28T08:58:36.548+01:00Excited!well it didn't take long! One brown hen in the garden today, but she was desperate to get back to the run when she realise the others had bread!!!<br />
We have had a lot of rain in the last two days and I think it has diluted the weedkiller as they are still holding their own, maybe by the time we get back they will have recovered.<br />
I braved the 'shop with no name' to get the bita and pieces Samantha wanted us to take down. It's called IKEA, a Swedish firm which specialises in inexpensive, but good quality flat pack furniture and all things swedish for the home. It's a good idea but on principle you are taken in a circular route through a large aircraft hangar style store to view the products, then are led to a warehouse section where you load your trolley and finally to queue at the checkouts. Paul just can't cope with this especially if he has gone for a specific item and there is no shortcut! He becomes impossible and has refused to go in again!! We are not allowed to say the store name in the house or in polite society! It's become like Macbeth ( the Scottish Play) we have to make the sign of the cross and say ( the Swedish Place) or the ( shope with no name)!!!<br />
Well I braved it and managed to get all the items she wanted!<br />
so just some redwork to draw and blocks to cut for hand sewing while we are away!! Haircut and counselling today, we plan to leave really early in the morning about 4am so we should get there for about 10am!!<br />
Oh and I joined slimming world last evening, I must get some tonnage off before we go on holiday!!katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-36851203569240843522010-05-27T09:08:00.000+01:002010-05-27T09:08:55.922+01:00Two more sleeps!Every morning this week Samantha has let Daisy ring to talk to us, she will be 3yrs in July and she iscounting down the days until we visit in sleeps!! Yesterday totally unprompted she told Grandad 3 more sleeps!!!<br />
We have had a mixed bag of weather this week, very breezy and cold, some rain but when sheltered and in the sun, gloriously hot!<br />
Pride goes before a fall they say, I was so pleased at planting up my pots, finding a watering can and remembering to water regularly. I was disappointed that the plants looks a bit sick but thought I watered too late and the sun had scorched them. Paul has now fixed the hose and outside tap for me, while making sure it would extend to the back patio he remarked that the plants looked very sick and were they supposed to look like that?<br />
Then announce Oh I think I used that watering can for weedkiller last year!!!!!!!!! I know he wont have rinsed it out so I have been weeding the pots!!!!<br />
Oh well if they survive our week 'down south' with Samantha and the girls, then they were meant to and if they dont I will drag him to his favourite place, the garden centre for more!!<br />
My little redwork from Paula is nearly finished, just one more block to sew, then the fun time of handquilting in the garden ( or on the beach).<br />
My Starry quilt is coming together, I have 3 big blocks of 5 stars put together, when I have 4 I will lay it out and decide if I need more or just sashing and borders!<br />
Samantha has asked for me to take the sewing machine home, I think she has realised how quickly it can put up hems, sew curtains etc!!<br />
The other momentous news is that Poppy is crawling!!!! Daisy said we have to mind her fingers!!katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-42106841213155323542010-05-23T10:07:00.000+01:002010-05-23T10:07:45.532+01:00First BBQ of the summerWe had a beautiful day yesterday. Christine's garden is so peaceful and tranquil, with stunning views over the Dale and the weather was perfect. We had John's own beef which was superb and cooked to perfection!!<br />
At the table Christine announced it was a celebration for Paul's good news and her own recovery from a very nasty virus! We are truly blessed with such very good friends! Conversation flowed easily and ranged over all sorts of topics close to our hearts! The men bantered and teased and John ended proceedings in the evening by threatening to squirt us all with the hose! He only managed to 'get' his sister! I suspect she was the only one who he could rely on not to retaliate!!!<br />
Christine has finished the quilting on the playmat and made the binding, just got to put the two together and slipstitch it then it will be finished. Next Saturday is Eastgate Sheep Show, our local one, and she has had strict instructions from Leanne it is to be ready for then!!! I really love the pink polka dot fabric she has chosen for the border and binding!!<br />
I have been good 'resting' my ankle this week and wearing a support and it is much better, so next week I can get back to walking the dog with Paul again, unfortunately the forecast is for it to be cooler and more unsettled! That figures!<br />
While the good weather lasts I am frantically catching up on 2yrs weeding and planting up pots. Today's task is to clear the garden patio of moss!!! and reinstate the patio table and chairs. It does feel strange to think in two weeks I will be back at school, even though it's for a limited time. I think because when I left I was doing three afternoons which effectively meant three whole days it feels more onerous than it will be. When I go back I will be doing just Monday of each week. Talking to the cover teacher at the meal on Friday there is quite a bit organised so it should be quite easy with not too much planning. They are taking part in the International singing Festival mid June, I entered it before I went off sick. So the first couple of weeks will be rehearsing and perfecting their pronounciation as they are singing in French. She has also organised two speakers for RE, a Sikh and our local Vicar to talk about aspects of their respective faiths, once we add in swimming it should fly by !!!katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-14528016202512448492010-05-22T10:21:00.000+01:002010-05-22T10:21:42.062+01:00Almost Summer!It was so hot yesterday while I was planting up the pots I took the momentous decision to remove our winter quilt and wash it! I decided that if I folded it inside out it could dry on the line. No sooner had I pegged it out when we had a thunderstorm, then intermittent showers all afternoon! Who said God doesn't have a sense of humour!!!<br />
I could bear it dripping all over the kitchen floor so I left it on the line, well rainwater is good for rinsing!!<br />
It was strange to be out with the staff from Rookhope School last night, good to break my duck as it were before starting again after half term. I felt like an outsider looking in and actually it was quite nice! I will be pleased when I am really an outsider!! I have been planning in my head a timetable for all the quilts I want to make from September and they were quite surprised at how much I was intending to sew!<br />
Today it's clear blue and hot again, although next week we are to revert to normal, so we are making the most of it and going to a friends for a barbecue! Paul has volunteered me to make a strawberry meringue roulade so I had better go and get started!!katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-35950311664960840732010-05-20T21:13:00.000+01:002010-05-20T21:13:06.399+01:00beautiful dayIt's been glorious here today, clear blue skies and hot!!! We spent a profitable morning sorting out the pots on the patio. They have been emptied of old compost and refilled ready to plant up again tomorrow! Paul used the old compost to fill in all the rat and rabbit holes so we feel very 'green' as we recycled it all!<br />
Quick lunch and then the long drive to the hospital, it's 60 miles away, for Paul's endoscopy. We were both a bit apprehensive and had warned the children and everyone else that we were unlikely to have any results today.<br />
So you can imagine our joy when not only were we given results but GOOD ones as well!! Mr Davies, the surgeon who did Paul's oesophagectomy, was there to do the endoscopy and he couldn't find anything nasty at all, nothing to biopsy and told Paul it was all fine. He thinks the symptoms Paul gets is probably due to scarring after the operation and the radiotherapy. We are hoping that they will subside with time, it's still early days, apparently it can take up to a year to recover from the radiotherapy so he is doing really well.<br />
I may even be inspired to do some sewing at the weekend!!! I want to cut some more fabric to hand piece some more stars. Especially if the weather is fine, perfect to hand piece in the sunshine, I can imagine myself on the beach!!katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8883624098802120911.post-88464382679479848522010-05-18T12:52:00.000+01:002010-05-18T12:52:24.157+01:00gardening!Well it was blue skies all the way and warm so after handing in my notice at school I came home and did an hour weeding in the garden. Sadly my ankle complained despite the support so I have come in for lunch and a sit down! Hopefully I will get another hour in this afternoon, as I haven't done any serious gardening for the last 2 years with Paul's illness it really needs some love. Paul nailed some boarding to the base of the fencing to try to keep the hens out of the garden, so far it's worked. I wonder how long it will take them to figure out a new way in! We are planning to try to cut the lawn and clear up some of the mess they have made!<br />
I had a play with EQ6 the other evening and I think I have come up with a way to make my log cabin idea work. There was a log cabin like block which had a large centre square with logs coming off in triangles rather than rectangles, when set on point it made a ribbon of movement across the quilt. I have been playing with different colour schemes to try to 'get' my idea on paper and work out how to sew it ! So far so good! I cant work out how to post a picture of it here but it's looking quite promising. I put the block in the border and it drags it out to fit which creates a really nice framing for the centre. I did try to add photos but as I haven't read that chapter yet it didn't go too well!!<br />
I like how you can ask it to work out fabric requirements and templates too! so with luck I should be able to take a printout to the quilt shop when I need to get fabric!katieDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12206757288948525367noreply@blogger.com2