Me on a Monday - 27 February 2023

It was half term last week which meant time for a Spring Clean.  How come that, even though you clean every week, when it comes to a deep clean everything needs doing?

I'm feeling very proud of myself as everything looks clean and tidy.  It's such a sense of achievement and very satisfying, knowing that you've done all the work yourself.

So what else happened during the week?

I met my Auntie and Uncle in a well known bookshop and spent a lovely few hours chatting and drinking coffee.

I walked the boys.

I won a waffle maker at Fat Club and tried out the recipe for waffles using oats and yogurt,  It turned out really well and tasted lovely.

As well as the cleaning I managed to do all my washing and ironing.  Another sense of achievement when the ironing basket is empty :0)

I finished my Christmas blanket.  I started it Christmas 2021 but lost interest in the pattern.  It's now a mixture of two patterns with my own bit thrown in for good measure.  The granny squares are by Janie Crow and the border is Jen Tyler.  The boring bit in the middle is mine!!  More on that later.

I stepped out of my comfort zone and actually cooked something.  Not too much mind.  I don't want hubby thinking I'll cook every night.  I made a Slimming World smoky sausage and bean stew and a Hairy Dieter spicy rice with chicken and chorizo.  Both got eaten so I must have passed muster.

I've finished watching Happy Valley (a bit late to the game on this one, but worth the catch up), and have started watching The Gold, all about the Brinks Matt robbery in the 80s.    I'm also loving The Warship on BBC2.  All about the HMS Queen Elizabeth and her crew. 

If there are any other programs you think I should take a look at, please let me know.

I met my friend for coffee and cake.  She's having a tough time at the moment so I took her some tulips.  I may have bought some for myself too.

The just like that the week was over and it was time to go back to work.

TTFN.

Crochet 2021

2021

A bit late posting but better late than never, as they say.  

Not as much crochet done in 2021 compared to 2020.  But back then we were at the beginning of a global pandemic and told to stay home.  

It was back to normal (or as normal as it can get!!) in 2021.

1. - A commission of a scarf for a friend.  Excuse the dodgy long hair!!

2.  Another commission.  A Hugs and Kisses blanket.  This time for a little lady who loves rainbows.

3.  I finished my High Tea Floral Blanket and it just fits on our king size bed.  Toasty in the winter. (Pattern by Jen Tyler at The Floral Hook).

4.  I finished my Amanzi Throw.  Another amazing pattern by Jen Tyler.  I gifted this to a lovely lady who used to volunteer at the school.  Sadly Miss C passed away last year, but she said that she loved her blanket a lot, so that makes me happy.

5.  Another commission for a scarf.  This time for my friend's Auntie, who had just come out of hospital.

6.  Using the same Virus pattern I use for the scarves, but this time making a huge blanket.  I just kept going until I ran out of wool.

7.  Last blanket of the year.  I used the shell pattern from Attic 24 and used up wool I had left over from other projects.  I like how it turned out.

And that was it for 2021.  

Hello

Hello Hello.  It's good to be back.

It's been a while but here's how last year looked to me........

2022

Do you ever have times when things just get too overwhelming?  Times when something's got to give?  That's what happened in 2022.  It all just got too much and I felt totally out of my depth.

I changed jobs, within the school, at the start of last year.  I had women's problems that needed looking at. We were having things fixed on the house.  We had new windows put in.  We had the pups to look after.  And it all got too much.

It was the right time to take a step back from having to think of what to write or which picture to post or remembering to comment on other blogs or answer the comments on mine.  If I didn't go out to work it would probably be easy to post everyday, but I don't, so I decided to leave it for a while.

Things have now calmed down somewhat.  Having someone to talk too about things, and not judge you has been an eye opener. 

I had to wait until Feb this year to find out about my gynecology  appointment, only to be told that the waiting time is still 12 months!! I've made the decision to go private. I'm still really busy at work, but I love it, The big jobs on the house are nearly finished (just the bathroom to go) and now it's just the decorating that needs doing.  The boys have grown and are easier to manage (although they do still sometimes get me up at 3.30pm for a piddle) and I have made the decision to go down to working 4 days a week from 1 May 23.  Something that will definitely help with my mental health.

So here we are.  2023 is underway.  But what did I get up to last year?

Top row R to L - 

January - A walk around Ness Gardens

February - Freaking out in the butterfly house at Chester Zoo

March - Happy Mother's day

Middle row - R to L -

April - First blood donation of the year

May - Cracking on with the Postcards with Love crochet-a-long

June - Fitting into one leg of a pair of jeans hubby had, and had never worn, as they were HUGE!

Bottom row - R to L -

July - Panicking when left in charge of the barge for five minutes

August - Embracing the blonde and a new length.  And loving it.   I have on several occasions, in the past been told that "Long hair is so aging on older people".  A statement I find totally inappropriate.  You should be able to look however you want, without other peoples snide comments.

September - With my boys, Innes and Blue at three months old.

Top row - R to L -

October - Trying to pick up Innes at four months old.  God he weighed a tonne!!

November - Hubby and I at the Liverpool Empire watching Strictly Ballroom with Kevin Clifton.  What an amazing night.   

December - A sprinkling of snow and a opportunity to get a photo of the boys at 6 months old.

Bottom two rows - The Boys at 6 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks, 5 months and six months.

So there you have it.  Last year in an nutshell.  I'm hoping to post once a week this year but I'm not promising that will happen.  Let's just wait and see.

TTFN