A week's leave - bliss.....................

I am on a week's leave now with Alan. I need to get out of the habit at work of saving holidays in case the kid's are ill!! They are now old enough to look after themselves - so I end up with days to use up in the Spring which isn't a bad thing but you end up scrabbling with others trying to fit them in. Anyway its a lovely day here in North Yorkshire, the sun is shining but it is cold still better than the forecast tomorrow. I have had tuition on my lovely visit to Marmalade Rose so I should be able to add pictures in a professional manner - Hmm we'll see.

I took my two beautiful Lillipegs (made by the very talented Lucy Bloom ) on my visit to MR, she was delighted with them as I was and I am sure anyone that has bought any will be impressed by the quality of workmanship. They sit resplendent on my shelf next to the mice and Lucy's box shown in the previous post and one is wearing an outfit to match the box.

We had such a hard frost last night it was a real surprise as I watched Kate and David go off to work only to see David arrive back an hour later after his boss reminded him he put today in as a holiday about four weeks ago!

Alan is currently painting Kate's fitted wardrobe doors which she hates but quite honestly we could not justify changing - they are just plain mdf and not offensive in any way. So he is painting them the same colour as her paintwork a colour called 'buff'. We have bought some long handles from Ikea to update them. She has then chosen to have two walls in the buff emulsion and has bought two rolls of leopard print wallpaper which is actually very nice and not as bad as it sounds.

It is now Friday and I wrote the beginning of this on Monday! We have sweated and painted and stripped and painted and sanded and painted and painted. I will take pics later. Kate is very pleased and now she has to have a big clear out of clothes and possessions which will overtake the new room if she doesn't. She did remind me that I have clutter and she has clothes and her clothes only take up one room unlike my clutter!! This is true and I can't argue with that !!

We acquired a little 20's/30's cast fireplace in creamy browny colours for our bedroom on Monday. I know that a little black one would have been lovely but this is more authentic ( and a bargain) I know it is right when I look at my 1930's books and we have one of the pieces of oak we took off the side of the front room fireplace that will do for a hearth- its just the right depth. This means I now cannot put furniture against the chimney breast and fill the room too much. We also have to cover the Lloyd Loom ottoman in the bay which holds Alan's motorbike suit and boots! We have had the foam and the material for months now but haven't got round to it. Ooh to have a bit more time I could do so much.

We went to Richmond today to visit Alan's Mam but we went for a look around the town and some lunch first (don't think we are mean his Mam would not have come with us for something to eat) If you ever visit Richmond (North Yorkshire) please go to Trotter's near the Museum in the market place it is small but the food is fabulous, fresh and the service fantastic. We had a good mooch around and I found a lovely tablecloth in one of the charities with four corners beautifully embroidered. We always go to York House which Marmalade Rose has blogged about and she added pictures. It is a treasure trove with new delights and upstairs antiques crammed into every room - bliss but I was good and only bought a lovely fridge magnet. If Alan hadn't been with me I would have 'run amok' I could have spent a fortune. I am hunting for a new bag at them moment but I am very fussy as I rarely buy so it has to be right.

I had a go at remembering how to embroider last night and managed a couple purple daisy-like flowers, I need to try and create hollyhocks next after being inspired my Marmalade Rose. I have spent the morning cutting out bunting Laura Ashley fabrics. I am making a lot of stuff for my friend Helen show will have some of her friends round and they can buy my bunting and hearts and some of the ideas that are still in the making! The girls I work with have been badgering me to get on with project for ages so I am off the starting line now having cut out 120 flag shapes. The temperature in the conservatory was 82F I had to have the door into the garden open it was glorious. I have already made a test piece of bunting almost three metres long with a daisy LA fabric and another LA 'dressing up ' fabric, alternating. I am pleased with the result, its double sides and looks substantial unlike what I have seen in the LA catalogue. I have also made two hearts as prototypes. I took them all to work and they were well received by everyone so that has spurred me on.

Whilst I was doing all this Alan was helping an electrician to do some jobs, my brother is an electrician but he is more use to me using his plumbing skills ( he fitted our bath last weekend) and I dont like asking him to do electrics as well. So we asked a young man we know who has set up his own business. We now have legal lights in the bathroom! and they have bigger bulbs so we can see as well. We also have a switch near the door into the garage from the utility which is great as I had to go the full length of the garage before in the dark to get the light on! We also have a new light fitting in the hallway - we added an extra one near to the kitchen door where I always felt there should have been one now I need to find three matching shades for the hallway and landing.

Back to the bathroom - the new bath is in situ now - it's lovely very plain and with great taps. My brother is off to America soon so when he comes back we will have tiled around the bath and tongue and grooved the rest of the walls ready for him to change the sink and bath. I will be glad when the upstairs is done though we are on the home straight now. Oh the bliss of some stair carpet I cannot believe how much dust is created on them by us. We have chosen tiles but are still torn between white and cream. We are going to keep it plain and pick up the black panels in the shower. So we are doing two rows of 6inch tiles then a black pencil tile then a row of 6inch again and a black dado tile at the top. The 6inch tiles would be cream or white I know the bathroom suite is white but I really do prefer cream I am not a white person at all. Anyway we need to go and order them tomorrow so will sleep on the decision we are taking our new loo top to the showroom to have a look.

Well my son and his fiancee Vicky are coming tomorrow as we are cat sitting whilst they visit friends in Immingham. She has her dress chosen now but we are not allowed to see it! I love it when they visit and the cats are lovely but frantic!

I must get some pictures organised - just pretend this is wordless Wednesday!

Only a few weeks late..................................

Hello - yet another upside down post - I need tuition!! Please read and bear with me whilst I get to grips with the problem - some of you must be veryadept at this posting lark!! and some of my pics leave a lot to be desired!Lostthe text somehow - this was my Nana's and the original pencil is still fasteed on the back yet I always remember her using it all the time.

My Emma Bridgewater teapot - bargain charity find £3.99! Love it......................

This is a vase I bought with my Xmas moneyfrom a little gallery in Ripon but can't remember the name of the lady who makes them she is from Lincolnshire and I love her stuff. Plus its very well priced.

The teaset pieces below were £4.00 and I am hoping that when I get back to Elsecar next month I can still buy the rest - I bet its gone I ummed and aaahed over the set and then didnt get it and regretted it all the way home. If its there then I will use this everyday for tea etc as it is so beautiful and should be used and loved. The colours are lovely - so fresh.

This is my bargain shelf from earlier posts it has now moved to the other side of the kitchen and we have added a radiator shelf for more display and it proved to be a good move you can feel the benefit of the radiator much more now and I am happy to have more 'stuff' space! I am wanting to T&G the bottom of the kitchen walls and them add some wallpaper on the top half it shouldn't be too big a job for Alan! we have done it in the last two houses and I love the look - then I can incorporate a nice slubby creamy F&B colour. I love the wallpapers that 'Little Red House' has in her house in America and I know we can get them over here.

The radiator shelf is where my gorgeous box from Lucy Bloom sits with my little mice in it. The two small ones where Xmas decs and reduced to £1.99. They had quite harsh whiskers in black so I took them off they are so well dressed I love them and these mice arent 'just for Christmas'!

These are my Beatrix Potter figures which I have mentioned below. Thispart of the post was the first bit originally I really need to get my head around laying out these posts but not this am. I did this Thursday and its now Sat am just having a cuppa then lots to do. Though Alan is quite settled watching 'Dave' channel - he doesnt know he is going to North Yorkshire Timber shortly to purchase some long shelving for above the kitchen window and door.

I am back in the land of posting having never left the land of blogging, I have been reading more than ever actually finding more to read all the time. Do you ever read a blog and then click on links within the text to another then another until you think - now whose blog did I start reading an hour ago??

On the home front my Dad is not as bad as we first thought. He saw the consultant in early January and he stopped his water tablets, increased his hormone levels quite a lot and sent him to see the kidney man telling him to come back in April. He does not need radiotherapy at the moment. He took some tests and he is going there soon for the results, in the meantime his GP told him that his kidneys were not as bad as they first thought. Dad bucked up so much after the appointment in Jan in fact we all have. Mum said this week he definitely has small breasts forming and sore nipples - Dad doesn't care!The whole family has bucked up after quite a rough Xmas so lets see what 09 is going to bring.

My son and his fiancee have finalised the food for the wedding - they are really glad they aren't spending much on the day and are both quite contented with the plans they are making. Vicky went to Hartlepool (for anyone who watches the news they don't just break up ships with asbestos in them there!!) to a lovely bridal shop and is making her mind up at the moment as to which dress she will have. She discussed with my Mam this week about the cakes as Mam is a wonderful cake lady and her friend Marilyn ices exquisite cakes, its just a matter of deciding on decor now. They are having a fruit cake with royal icing on the day and one for the night do next day along with some big chocolate cakes. I think that's wise then you cover all tastes.

I think I am feeling excited now but am not thinking about what I am going to wear yet! That is too traumatic though there are only 30 people going for the wedding lunch and I know most of them.

Kate's boyfriend returns from training in the Falklands for Valentine's weekend so we won't be seeing much of her! We are cat sitting for Adam and Vicky so they can see friends in Immingham. We will probably start Kate's room whilst she is away.

Whilst I have not been posting our son's little bedroom has been transformed. This is the room we have built out onto the wall facing you as you go down the stairs. He now has a wardrobe built in that space and we have fitted in a 4 foot bed and a chest of drawers. It's a bit like a ship's cabin- without the bunk! but he is so pleased with it and the fact he has some carpet at last of wich there is about 3 feet showing! He says his bed is really comfy and he has at last enough space to spread out to sleep.

There was an awful mirror with a really rough surround left above our bed which we put in the garage it was rescued by Alan who cut hardboard pieces mitred them round it and painted it white it is perfect for Davids room. We have added some floating shelves and just have another two to go up this weekend and some spot lights then its done.

I am going to try and add some pics of my little cabinet that Alan has rescued for me with some paint. We added some dolls house wallpaper and some ribbon on the edge of the shelves. It is to put my Beatrix Potter figures I love so much. I have collected on ebay sets of books and stuff like bookends ready for the childrens, children to enjoy the stories and animals like I did.

This is the end of a very upside down jumbled post hope it doesn't put any of you coming back!!

Happy 2009

Hi I am back in the land of the living - have to be its back to the coal face tomorrow! I am dreading it - time away from work always fills me with dread. Does it you?

We have had a quiet Xmas here - spent time with the family and especially Mam and Dad. He goes for an appointment on Wednesday at the hospital they want him to see the Renal specialist as there is apparently some damage to his kidneys and they need to be careful with the medication they are going to prescribe as part of his new treatment plan in order not to cause any more damage. They are increasing his hormpone treatment and starting with radiotherapy. My brother is going with them in order to ensure we know as much as possible about what is going to happen. Dad isn't driving at the moment so Mam is very cut off- they live in quite a big village but it has no real facilities and she is 80 and doesn't drive. So we will see what Wednesday brings.

I am pleased to say that I am now in aroutine with the tablets (Metformin) for the diabetes. I lost a stone over the time I was ill and am not pleased ot report that 2pound of it has returned!! Still its given me a kick start on what is going to be a very long journey ahead. I have to ring tomorrow to see how the blood sugar is coming along since starting the tabs, so fingers crossed for that.

I have become an ebay addict again over the Xmas break I am sad to say though I spend a lot of time watching instead of bidding! I have just sold my daughter my car though I didn't get any money for it just a standing order to the bank for £100 per month! She now has her own insurance and is no longer on mine. She reversed into some one in the summer - it was a touch by her and hardly a mark on the car but sh thought she had damaged the other car above the wheel arch. To cut a long story short - my husband took pictures of the cars amd measurements of the areas and they simply did not tally ie she could not have caused the scratch along the top of his back wheel arch unless she had gone along side his car with the side of hers. However the insurance would not accept our dispute with the damage and myself and Kate now have to report the incident for five years for insurance purposes. It was a complete farce and now because I only have on more chance before I lose my protected no claims we decided it was time Kate was on her own insurance!

I appealed some time ago at work after my job was evaluated and I lost £2k per year and just before Xmas I found I was successful so I am due a lump of back pay at the end of Jan hence the car change!

Some of it has to go on my son a new bed. He has the little bedroom at the front of the house and we have built a cupboard on the wall that faces you as you go down the stairs but accessed from his bedroom. Its about 25 inches from the florr but gives him a good sized wardrobe and room for a chest of drawers for his undies. It has been really worth it for the difference in his room. We had a chat and agreed that he would like a bigger bed and use the room only for sleeping in ( he and Kate have the front room to themselves for tele etc) so I need a four foot divan now and the decorating begins again!

We now have a beautiful, gorgeous classy shower installed at the cost of an arm and a leg I might add! It is wonderful and we were so pleased with the workmanship we have booked them for end of March to do the rest. This is my extension money I am dipping into but I would guess that by the time we are finished the kids will have left and I wont need one!

I will post pics later - we had some but they got deleted by me in error. I have been reading all the blogs since I posted my previous one and you have all kept my spirits up.

I have been lucky as a person and a family not to have had any illnesses or loss so what happened came as a shock but I am well aware of how lucky we are and I am approching this year in a much more positive frame of mind now. We would cope with what happens with Dad and will just increase our love to him. I am also adjusted to the dreaded Diabetes and the doc was sure that once the sugars ar a bit more controlled I should be able to decrease the dose (it is giving me a terrible tummy!!! I cannot be fair from a loo at the moment - it is one of the side effects!!

So heres to a good 2009 for all of you out there - back to normal tomorrow - but I have had a good break - right off to Ireland to my new Maeve Binchy book - bliss. Was it just me or was the tele pretty diabolical over Xmas??

Finally a post after a long absence

I am writing this in the kitchen at home where I am the worse for wear. I am off work with the end of a virus I have had all over the weekend and today have been to the doc's and have a prescription for my chest - I also cannot speak as my voice has gone and my throat is raw.

I haven't posted for a while I have been reading and ocassionally commenting and sometimes buying but I havent had the heart to blog a couple of weeks ago as I had planned.

I know we all try and be cheerful on our blogs but I don't feel that way at the moment. I suppose I am wallowing in self pity and anger at this time. A couple of weeks ago I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetis which was a shock to say the least. My colleague took my blood a couple of times ( she is a type 1) and was concerned so I went for the tests and lo and behold there it was and high cholesterol. I am annoyed with myself for getting this way and am working hard to get the cholesterol down and taking the tablets for the dreaded 'D'. I am enjoying all the wonderful side effects of headaches, nausea, and the runs.

I am feeling angry that I have not been sick for over 2 years and was feeling fine and dandy until this happened. Now I am living under a constant worried cloud - trying to cut out the things to get the cholesterol down and wondering if all the fruit etc is bad for the 'D'. When I left the doctors I was given no advice, no paperwork, nothing just told to come back in a month to see how I was dealing with the cholesterol. I know its my fault - the lack of exercise - I certainly do not overeat and we eat very healthily its just the lethargy that sets in after the chores are done after work and we dont even have a wlak in the evening anymore. I am overweight and I guess this is a wake up call to get me to deal with it. So that makes me angry with myself.

I started on Thursday feeling sick and hot and by Friday was away with the fairies. I felt terrible and then the voice went - I know this is coincidence and nothing to do with 'D' and even 'C' (cholesterol) but it takes me down further. However my woes are superficial compared to my Dad's.

On Thursday I had the worst news I have ever had in my 52 years. My Dad has had prostate cancer for over 2 years but it diminished with drugs and was at bay. Now however the tumour has got bigger and seems to be on the move - his kidneys are clear but we hear on Thursday what is the next thing to happen to him but they have said they won't operate. Now I see that as a bad thing - does it mean its too bad or what? We have been a lucky family with illness but we are a small family and this is my Dad we are talking about - who has always been there for me - even when my Mam wasn't! He is so very precious to us all and it is going to be hard to feel festive this year.

I know life goes on but we are all in deep shock at the moment..................... I have thanks to post for purchases and some pics to add but not today.

I hope no-one minds me posting such a blog but I want to let people know I am still here but sad

Bargain Sunday!!

Went to Elsecar on Sunday and found exactly what we have been looking for the conservatory. I wanted a smaller table than the old Ercol we had in there - to give us more room and small enough that we could eat at it and I could sew small things at it!.

I am off today on a flexi day - what is this weather like - I have been washing and cleaning today and I cant get it out fast enough before it dries. Bad news though that means I should be ironing now instead of going off into town.

The table was originally £125 reduced to £85 - Elsecar has a collectors fair once a month but there is a building full of booths and cabinets that is there permanently and it was in one of those. The guy had left his phone number on the wall so Alan gave him a ring to ask his best price - which I thought was cheeky when it was already - he said he could have it for £75! I nearly fell over. He then rang one of the ladies who work there so she knew what he had said - it fitted in the car so off we went clutching our gorgeous table.

I have also managed on Saturday to rearrange the conservatory so I now have my two sewing/crafty boxes handy and have moved some of the books to the front room. Two of the pics are of the shelves Alan has added around two walls of the conservatory - it is 96degrees in there at the moment and I would love to spend the rest of the day in there fiddling about and reading but I have to go to the butchers and the bakers etc! so we can eat.

We went to Bedale on Saturday and were pleased to see that the shops we liked had got better. There is a shop called the Red House and it had the most gorgeous stuff in it. I saw some lovely Art Deco original border tiles that I really want for the bathroom I was going to go off white and aqua's and F&B greeny blues, but then I saw these tiles they are just off white with a soft checkered pattern on them in a soft black sounds silly but they were it wasnt a harsh black - they are lovely - need to persuade Alan now. Bedale is only about 5 miles away but we havent been for ages we have had DIY free weekend because of the weather this might be the last weekend like we had.

We were thinking about going to the Vintage & Handmade Fair but its a lot of petrol and we need to stay two nights - so we are thinking its a lot of expense. It will at least £300. I would dearly love to see all the bloggers in person but its a long journey for us Northern Ladies! I am going to very jealous when eveyone is blogging about the day and how they met up - my friend at work is going to ban me from reading blogs in my lunch break after the 22nd November because it will put me in a mood!

The trouble is that money would buy me a bath and taps and maybe even a basin for the bathroom wouldn't it. I have to get on and get it done asap because the carpet for the stairs is waiting to be fitted and ther is no point until all the mess has been up and down them from the bathroom.

Right I must go - I have just added my old Ercol table and two pine chairs to Freecycle - so I have no excuse now to be on the laptop.

We are decorated and carpeted - blissful nights ahead

Another post that is a bit upside down - ie I wrote the bottom bit first so the title refers to further down in the posting. Just a few pics around the house and some of this weeks creations.

I got these little tiny cupcake candles in Whitby this summer and the little hive candle in a charity shop in Pickering - I have had the other bits of china for a long time but they all live happily side by side in the dresser
This pretty cup and saucer was a recent bargain isn't it lovelyThe two little black bowls were Nana's, one is glued together very badly but I still love them and the little jug was a charity shop buy this year - I think it was 99p This is what is on the top of my bargain dresser - we haven't really had the weather to get it outside, strip it and paint it this year but I have high hopes of using the garage later on though I haven't told Alan he thinks its a job he has got away with doing yet! The original Roberts radio was picked up about 5 years ago in a fleamarket for £4 - it gives perfect reception and will go in the conservatory at the weekend. I must get that picture hung up on the wall - there is a velux above the dresser so its lovely when the sun shines - whats that you say? I'm afraid I should have zoomed in on the image a bit more.

This is the gorgeous box I bought off the very talented Lucy Bloom some time ago - I was so thrilled with it aren't you envious???

This is our printers tray in the kitchen it hung in the hall in the other house - I think we probably have enough stuff to start another one! Alan got loads of printing bits from a bin that were being thrown out at the Police HQ - they are brilliant and very different. There are lots of old police badges and lovely signs - see the direction ones on the top of the tray and there is a bobby with his hand up to stop on the top left. There are tiny teddies and little ornaments that were in my Mam's jewellery box in the bottom underneath the tray. I have the box and when its unpacked will post it - her Dad made it for her and it is so simple - she didn't want it but I certainly did. I wear a lovely old gold ring that was my Nana's instead of my wedding ring which grew too tight(!) and this weekend it snapped luckily I was at home and felt it fall off - Alan is going to see if we can get it mended. I am not a jewellery person at all but do love that ring very much as she always wore it and she loved Alan and I getting married very much. She was almost 99 when she died and left me with lots of lovely memories and things ......... She was a perfect Nana when Peter and I were little - she always had time for us - she even had a bag of sand which ashe would haul out onto a blanket for us to play with in winter!! and she always gave us tinned strawberries with evaporated milk - yummy I can taste them now.......................

These are guilty purchases from LA - I know I can make them but I am never going to get round to it and those chairs are hard!!! I got 6 pads and they are so soft

3 reversible cushions not 6 different ones! From my fabric stash - to match Arundel (LA) curtains that are now three widths wide not two - what a job it was like hauling a sail around the table. The carpet is down, the curtains are up and there are even cushions made for the bed! No pix up on the walls nor shelving for my bits yet and no bedroom door on as it needs planing post carpet being fitted and we forgot to do a second coat on it as well.

Apart from spilling 750ml of F&B oil eggshell paint on the floorboards, down my blouse, trousers and shoes - through the floorboards as well the job went fine. I had to remove my trousers in the bay window! to drop them onto the newspaper that David ran and got for us as the disaster took place. I had to scrub myself with turps on my leg in the shower before it would come off and everything had to go in the bin!

We have no wardrobes yet either as they need building in - Oh but the bliss of carpet under your feet and we even freecycled the big old dirty rug.

We finally fitted the shelves in the downstairs front room after making carboard templates and then cutting the shelves to suit. Worth it and a useful tip for fitting shelves into old alcoves.

We could hardly get out of bed on the Monday am after working flat out all weekend but it was worth it. We are tempted to find a little bedroom fireplace and cover the badly finished wall then it will stop me filling the room with more furniture but then a little narrow table would be nice instead................. we will see.

Its the auction again this Friday so we will take a look - we are looking for a small table for the conservatory instead of the old Ercol round one we have in there now - something we eat on and I can do my sewing on as well. I was able to extend the kitchen table and position the ironing board at the end of it with a piece of plywood on top to give the me the length to turn back up the curtains. I sewed one triple width hem and lining during Saturdays Strictly and the other during the Sunday results show. We were lucky with the bay window in our room as someone in previous years had painstakingly cut and fitted wood around the curve of the bay ceiling so we could hang tracking from there, instead of at the window itself so we put up new tracking and thought it was all going too smoothly.

When I went upstairs on Sunday night after Alan had hung the curtains ( I was determined to go to bed with curtains up that night! and then I closed my eyes to get the full effect...............Hmm - the bay window seems to lift at the right hand side as it gets to the end nearest Alans side of the bed thus the curtains seem to rise up and they are two inches too short at that side because of it - I could have cried but I was too tired and panic if I can't get to sleep on a Sunday night. So I gritted my teeth and went to bed. Its only a room I know but I sweated doing it all!!

We are facing the problem at the weekend as its no good attempting jobs during the weeknights - plus the rerun of Goodnight Sweetheart has started again and when I get in Alan is watching the tele - whereas he would do a job in the time before we had tea - no more alas - he must have seen that series at least four times all the way through.

Now on a complete chage of subject

Has anyone ever had a glitch with a subscription with Country Living - I finally got my subscription started after writing to them several times - then I only got two issues - I have to be honest I havent read many mags they were sitting in plastic wrappers until about August - so I started ploughing through them all and noticed there werent any American CL's since the May isssue. I got out all my correspondance tonight and went on the website - when I checked my details it said it was undeliverable due to incorrect details and the account was suspended. Why didnt they email me and say something. The strange thing is that the details they hold are correct so I emailed Customer Services to ask what is going on. I will keep you informed but has anyone out there had problems.

Right I must go to bed and continue to try and catch up with my magazine backlog - its now one hour later it took me all that time to add the pics at the top and a bit more blurb

Good night all

Bunging on some pictures and not much text

As usual got the pics in the wrong place!!

I am not going to go on the internet this weekend as we are having a blitz on jobs and once I get on thats's it - hours disappear and so does the weekend. We hope to get upstairs and sand and paint our room. Some of the pics are the back room finished with the wall lights finally up and the front room fireplace with the offensive oak sides removed, painted and shortly (Sat am ) to have new glass uplighters added. Also the promised picture of the lovely bargain chair which is so comfortable I sat last night in the conservatory on it with Karen Black singing to me it was blissful.

So here goes - but I bet I sneak on to read blogs secretly!