A thank you for a thank you!

I just had to post about a lovely surprise I received yesterday in the post. It was a thank you from the lovely Colette at Poppy Cottage. A Chicken! He is already exploring the garden.

Isn't he gorgeous? I love him, thank you Colette. I love Blog world, so many lovely people out there. Please go and visit Colette at her place here.

I have been busy at work-starting to think about school reports and ordering resources for next September-Gosh was that my summer just whizzing by?

I am getting into the crochet more and more. My granny squares are coming along, I love it because it grows so quickly. I keep trying flowers though. I want to send some to Touchstones Gallery in Rochdale. (see earlier post and please pass it on and post about it on your blog!)

We are looking forward to this Bank Holiday Weekend and have a few things planned. I will no doubt post about it next week so HAPPY MAY DAY Everybody!

Wool flowers and the end of a WIP

Hello, sorry it's been a while since my last post. I thought I would show you the end of one of my WIP's. The scarf I started ages ago is finally finished and during the hottest Spring in years!

You may remember this post about it. Well it's done at last.

Now remember when I finished my Doolallysally bag I attached a wool flower and a few of you asked about how I had made it. Well I cheated a bit and here is how it is done.

I bought a wooden frame from a shop called Ippikin in Much Wenlock at Christmas. It is made by Fire and Fibre, Unit 3, Vyrnwy Craft Centre, Llanwddyn, Powys, SY10 0LZ. You simply wind the wool around it as per instructions and pop it off and there's your flower!

there email address admin@fireandfibre.co.uk

It was about £10 I think but worth it because you can make lots of lovely flowers!

I have been trying my hand at crochet flowers and granny squares recently and when I get brave I will do a post about them.

I thank you

I thank you for all the lovely comments on my last post. I started this blog in February, to share my everyday life and I aim to keep it light hearted and interesting and not try to share any bad stuff. Times ahead are going to be tough for someone very close to us and I have to say, thinking I have friends I can turn to helps. Either friends like Shan who I have known for what seems like a life time or friends I have never set eyes on in blogworld, you are all so lovely.

Thank you.

Now I need to pass on some crafty information-

If you can crochet or knit a flower or leaf and do you fancy making and sending some to a gallery where they will be included in a hanging installation then read on.

Artyarn are inviting you to do just that so send your flowers or leaves to-

Touchstones Rochdale

The Esplanade

Rochdale

OL16 1AQ

any colour, texture, pattern you like. Along with your name and it will be included. It has to be there by 27th May 2009.

visit this link for more details or this blog-

http://www.artyarn-knittednature.blogspot.com/

Quiet time

Visitor Centre at Wigg Island. Runcorn.

I feel I need some quiet time. We have had a busy and fun two weeks over the Easter Holiday but after receiving some bad news last week I don't feel much like doing anything. I need some quiet time to think and collect my thoughts.

I do want to share the last few days with you though and so will just post some pictures with few words. I hope you understand.

Raspberry canes growing away at my mums allotment. Our Mother's day gift to her.
Hush, hush

I don't know what tree this is but it was beautiful, lime green and frothy.

If you look closely, the bluebells are coming out.

Happy Birthday to me Part II

Thank you all for the birthday wishes to my earlier post. You are all very kind and I had such a lovely relaxing sort of birthday.


When we arrived in Preston our first thought, of course was food. So we ate at DUK, and had lots of lovely Tapas food- the photo is a bit dark because a) we were underground in a cellar so no natural light and b) I did not like the one I took with my flash!
The food was excellent and we were too stuffed for dessert!
Then a walk around Preston. I have known Shan for 23 years and have been popping up to Preston for most of that time. The buildings are very grand and the shops were busy. We went to the Harris Museum and Art Gallery which is a Grade 1 listed Neo Classical building completed in 1893.

We went to see a painting I had heard of 'Pauline in the yellow dress' painted by Sir James Gunn in 1944 and next to it was the yellow dress his wife wore in the portrait.
We called in PAD Gallery too for some inspiration. Lots of lovely arts and crafts on display there.

Shan had bought me a gift card for Waterstones-she knows me so well. So we went and I spent ages looking at the books before picking some light hearted novels by Jack Sheffield about a teacher in the 1970's in a small North Yorkshire village school.

Then back to Shan's for a slice of cake and cup of coffee. It is years since anyone has baked me a birthday cake and she had done two! One mini one for us to share and a BIG one for me to take home. Thank you Shan!

Happy Birthday to me!

Happy birthday to me! I thought I would do a quick post before heading off up to Sunny Lancashire for a day with Shan. I opened my cards (todays post has not arrived yet so there may be more -me hopes). Hubby bought me Elspeth Thompson's the Wonderful Weekend Book and ordered me a new dahlia that smells of chocolate! and my friend Ali bought me more CK goodies. The Pin cushion and pin tin. Gosh I am so lucky. Must dash or I will be late!

A walk of 12,084 steps

Today we went for a walk to work off some of the calories piled on over the Easter break. We decided to walk around some of the Saddleworth Villages.

We parked the car in Dobcross and walked to Uppermill. The picture above is over the canal at the Brownhill countryside centre. We then walked along the canal towards the centre of Uppermill where we bought lunch from the bakery-they make the best jam slices in Lancashire (some would say Yorkshire) here!

Then after a slight detour because Hubby sent us walking up the wrong lane, we walked up to Saddleworth Church (Up hill all the way!)

The church dedicated to St Chad is large and had its tower rebuilt in 1746 and the whole body enlarged in 1832-3.

We then started to work our way back down towards the Brownhill Centre again. It was getting a bit misty but you can still see the church looking back.When we reached the main road we took the footpath back up to Dobcross and passed the church where Hubby's parents were married in 1957.

Then passed the square where scenes from Yanks where filmed in 1979. Anyone who reads my blog will know it's one of my favourite films. The shop Jean's family ran is now an insurance office.
We arrived back at the car. We had done 12,084 steps and nearly 5 miles on the walk so hopefully thats one or two cadbury's mini eggs walked off!

We popped in to see Mother and Father-in-law and I just have to show you a photo of one of their cats-Clemmy.

Yesterday of course was Hubby's day. Watching cars go round and round in circles is his idea of fun. I did enjoy the sunshine and the picnic and the chance to read some magazines though.