Thursday 26 February 2015

Notes from my diary and an idea for a Christmas card.

We have had some chilly weather over the last few days so still nothing happening in the garden, but most of Sunday was lovely and bright and I did another fast 20 minute walk before we cleaned out the biggest chicken shed. Then around dusk the wind got up, the rain started and by golly we had some rough weather. BUT the days are getting longer, the chickens are being shut up around 5.30 now instead of 4.15 just a few weeks ago, and I no longer need a light on to find my coat and  welly-boots when I go outside just after 7am.

On Monday we drove across Suffolk for the funeral of my eldest cousin. Although she wasn't old - just 68, with 4 young grandchildren who won't remember their Gran. So sad. We are a very bad family for keeping in touch and I didn't even know she had been suffering from cancer for 3 years. My cousin's mum - my Aunt - is 90 and has outlived 4 of her younger siblings,including my mum and now her daughter too.
 I really should try harder to stay in touch with family.

A very chilly wind on Tuesday but bright sunshine again so washing was out flapping all morning and was soon dry. Cats had to go to the vets today as it's a year  since we adopted them from Cats Protection. Mabel is an outside cat, we can pick her up for cuddles but carry her inside the house and she is off like a shot. Polly is the opposite, especially in this cold weather, preferring to be curled up somewhere comfy indoors.
Little Polly Flinders sits beside the cinders, warming her pretty little toes! ( Her fleece mat is made of 2 layers cut from Col's old fleece jacket, and stitched together - she seems to like it)


Colin was working at our neighbour's and she had been give a box of chocolates that she mustn't eat so passed them on to us. He put them on the back of the mower and then found they had fallen off and been run over by the mower trailer - one slightly squashed box of chocolates will still be enjoyed!
I got out my old sewing machine to stitch the 'things' I'm making for presents only to discover it had fallen apart. The motor still runs but rubber bits had perished and plastic bits had cracked and other bits had fallen right inside! I'd been wondering about getting a new one because several other things were going wrong, now I really will have to decide what to do. I know a new sewing machine is about the same price that I paid for this 30 years ago. Back then every town had a fabric shop or two and I use to make curtains and cushion covers. Now it seems cheaper to buy curtains ready made ( or better still to find them secondhand) and there is hardly anywhere in the whole of Suffolk to buy material.


Painting rooms is way down our list of favourite things to do but needs must as there are a couple of rooms that haven't been done for.............well, we can't actually remember when!
So Wednesday morning saw us clearing out a bedroom, and filling various cracks and dents. We have some paint left over from the new kitchen which will do for this room.Sanding down, washing down and a coat of emulsion rolled on on Thursday morning.
I popped to Saxmundham for Milk and fresh stuff first thing and stood outside the bank for several minutes waiting for it to open before looking at the sign and remembering they are now shut all day Thursdays - Duh!

Just after Christmas several people - me included, posted pictures of Christmas cards cut up to make tags for next Christmas. I started cross stitching some small pictures from my stash and decided to turn them into tags for cards and to make the front of the card as 6 more tags, ready made to be cut out.
Can my Penny Pincher Letter friends please look away now! Since the photo was taken some shiny red stars have been stuck on around the tags to brighten up the card fronts.

Now I'm not posting so often there is more time for other things , and all 7 that I need are done and will be tucked away for December.












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