Snippets

 

 

November

I’ve been feeling very ‘Novemberish’ over the past couple of days.  But I decided that that is a GOOD thing!  I’ve always hated November.  And January and February, come to think of it.  But I found myself with a spare hour before the school run this afternoon so I filled it with some of my favorite things…

…a lit fire, a hot chocolate, crochet, something tasty to eat (NOT slimming world friendly – ooops!).  And I decided I like the cosiness of November, more so because of rain and cold outside.

 

I’ve finished the bobble blanket and I LOVE IT!  Hopefully it’ll be going to it’s new home next week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

But in case I want to make another one again I thought I’d better make a note of the pattern (taught to me by my Mum)…

chain row in multiples of 5, plus and extra 4, plus two for turning.

Row 1: triples across the whole row.

Row 2: 4 double crochets. Make 4 trebles into the next stictch then take your hook out of the stitch, insert it into the first of the 4 trebles and slip stitch it through the fourth treble (which makes the bobble).  Carry on with another 4 doubles, then repeat with another bobble, then carry on like this for the rest of the row.

Row 3: Trebles all the way back again.

Row 4: Double crochets with a new colour.

Row 5: Double crochets with the old colour,

then repeat from row 2.

I hope I can make sense of that if I need the pattern again!

 

I’ve got the urge to paint that blue wall green.  I feel a pinterest binge coming on to get some inspiration!  It’d be great to get it done before Christmas.

 

It’s the little things!

That is part of my current Amazon wishlist that I now have on order from the library!  And I’m excited by this!  Mark seems a little bemused by my new found enthusiasm for my library membership.  But I’m just amazed that I haven’t thought of reserving all the books I’d like to read before. Doh.

See, the first unexpected but really positive thing to come out of my new frugal lifestyle! 

And – get this – the county’s library service has it’s own app from which you can search for,   reserve and renew books and even download ebooks! How the library has changed in a few short years.

All of this has made me very happy. So maybe it is the little things in life…!

Finding the positives.

I always find myself getting a bit downhearted when I have a set of night shifts looming. It can make me feel a bit isolated from the family and I hate that.  And, although I get to spend a little time with them in the evening before I head off to work, it seems really hard to feel connected with them.  I’m not the one doing the school runs, cooking the dinner, reading with them,  etc.  After entering the night shift zone on a Monday I feel like things can’t really return to any semblance of normal family life until Friday evening.

So to combat my poor me’s I decided today to actively seek out reasons to be cheerful. And it seems there are quite a few, despite the night shifts!

#1: Some new fat quarters to feed the stash!  I’m thinking of trying my hand at making some colourful,  cheerful bunting.  I love a bit of bunting!

#2: Glorious gladioli. Aaah, these are going to be BEAUTIFUL! 

Good old Tesco were selling them for £3 a bunch, buy one get one free.  It’d be rude not to at that price!

I love this Cadbury purple and the ones above are pink with darker pink tinged edges.  Bring on the happy!

#3: While walking the dogs this afternoon we noticed the most gorgeous rainbow.  In fact, there were two as there was a smaller,  fainter rainbow behind the first.   Maybe we’re due some good luck?  A pot of gold wouldn’t go amiss either for that matter!

#4: watching the big fella teach the little fella how to play chess. And being amazed at how quickly he’s picking it up!

#5: Watching Autumn creep ever closer.  We’ve had some wild weather over the weekend in our neck of the woods. And although I’m constantly lamenting the end of summer I really love Autumn days when the sun is out.

#6: My lovely friend is in hospital being induced RIGHT NOW! No news yet, but hopefully it won’t be too long until there’s a new little bundle to cuddle – it’s SO ECXITING!! I really must get a shifty on with the baby blanket that’s destined for him.

So plenty to stop me feeling too sorry for myself.   Well, that’s the plan anyway!

Bedtime reading.

Oh, my poor achey limbs! I had a WONDERFUL day yesterday at Alton Towers with my very best friend.  Just the two of us so no whingeing about queue times, regular dashes for the loo, constant feeding and watering,  etc. So we made the most of this window of kid free fun time and dashed from ride to ride like mad things.  And had a fab time.

But it seems I’m getting old. Strangely,  I don’t seem to be able to spend an adrenaline fuelled,  mad day out without feeling a little worse for wear the following day. And I’ve got a 14 hour shift to get through tomorrow! So I’ve had a lovely hot soak in the bath and am about to settle into bed with a couple of my most favorite books for a bit of visual eye candy.  Bliss.

Back in Blighty.

I’m trying very hard to fend off a case of the holiday blues.

We arrived home yesterday and, in many ways, it was lovely to walk back through our front door.  My lovely Mum had been busying herself about the place and it was all spick and span.  The garden looked lovely and green, although many of my sweet peas and geraniums are looking well past their best…someone pass me the miracle grow!  I wonder if they can be persuaded to keep flowering a little longer.

While I was away there were a lot of changes at work.  We are now in a new ward which is MUCH bigger and my first shift back today proved a challenge as I didn’t know where anything is.  Ah well, I’m sure it’ll feel like home again very soon.  I’ve requested a reduction in my contracted hours.  I feel strongly that I need to be at home more at the moment.  So, from November, I’ll be working 30 hours a week and I CANNOT WAIT!  I want to spend more time here at home, playing Mummy and keeping house and I think my family will really benefit from this too.

  I went for a quick walk over the field with Mark and the  dogs when I got home.  They sky was BLUE – woo hoo! –       and the trees beautifully green so I took some photos.  I’m sure Autumn will be arriving soon and it’ll be interesting to visually document the changes of my normal dog plodding routes.

So, reasons to be cheerful…

Number 1…drumroll please…THE BABY RIPPLE IS FINISHED!

  I had the blanket finished on holiday and finished most of the border on the plane home (which made for a very relaxing flight) and got the last blue bit finished in the car on the way home.  I LOVE it.  It’s now all wrapped up and ready for Mark to take to work tomorrow, to give to his friend as a belated congratulations on their new baby boy.  I’ve become quite attached to it and will be sorry to see it go.

Reason to be cheerful #2

A jiffy bag, delivered whilst I was away, with new, beautiful, soft, gorgeous new yarn…oh happy day!  I ordered it so it would be ready and waiting so that I can get started on another baby blanket for a friend’s baby who is due in approximately three weeks.  No pressure then!  This is Rico Creative Cotton, ordered from the Wool Warehouse and IT. IS. GORGEOUS.  I’m thinking colourful little granny squares.  However, I have lost my beloved crochet hook so I can’t make a start on it until I buy a new one tomorrow (that crochet hook has made many items, traveled many miles in my handbag at all times, gone to Spain and back TWICE and I manage to loose it somewhere between my mother-in-laws house and our house.  Unbelievable.)  So in the meantime I’ve been enjoying have a good old squash and a squeeze, arranging the balls and rearranging them.  I really must get out more! 

Reasons to be cheerful #3: being reunited with my doggies.  HAPPY.  ‘Nuff said!

We’ve got some lovely things to look forward to in the near future so I’m trying really hard to focus on the positives and not feel too sorry for myself about the return to routine, work, etc.  I think that it’s helped that the weather today has been blue and sunny.  Which always helps a bit, doesn’t it?!

Today’s happy stuff

#1: Beautiful flowers in my Mum’s lovely garden…

Even the weeds here are pretty!

#2: being able to fit my Mum’s sewing machine in my hand luggage – yeeeha! I’ve wanted a sewing machine for a LONG time. My Mum has had one for ages/ever but doesn’t use it much. After humming and haa-ing about how to transport it safely we’ve decided to try and get it back VERY CAREFULLY when we fly home. Fingers and everything else crossed!

#3: Despite having had this phone since February I only today realised that the camera has a panoramic shot function and I’ve been having great fun with it!
::just realised the app on my phone won’t let me upload larger shots. Will try later::

We’re off out to eat later in a new bar/restaurant in Daya Nueva.  Looking forward to it but I’m very aware that the end of our holiday is drawing ever closer and I’ve got really mixed feelings about that.