Birthday & Bikes

It's my birthday and I've enjoyed my day doing nothing special but spending it with my family.
The Boys rode their bikes to school this morning and Ben had more practice going to his activities.
It was so nice to see him really enjoy his balance bike after all the ranting and raging that he wanted Danny's bike with pedals



My present from the boys was a glass mosaic kit, one of the few crafts I haven't tried before so I shall enjoy doing that very much.

I do have a page to share, I did the weekly challenge from UKScrappers digitally.
I wasn't all that keen on the colour combo that the challenge called for so although I did it in the green/purple on UKS I reverted it to the colours that went better with the photo for here (something that is easily possible digitally which of course would not be possible with paper.





today I am grateful for family

Saturday Sunday Monday

Saturday

In the afternoon Danny had a birthday party to go to, so while he was there Andy made up the train track for Ben. They had a great time with all the twists and turns but best of all was Cranky who lifted all the trains



The evening was girls night and Helen and I went round to one of her friends and made candles and decorated the glass holder. very enjoyable evening.



My As Seen for the day just had to be Sarah's (Helen's friend) Keep calm plaque



Sunday

after church we went into town, we usually go along the canal but the tow path was extremely ice as was the canal itself.
This canal boat was named Ben, rather appropriate to use it for my As seen I thought



It was the Christmas fare so lots of stalls and of course the merry go rounds had to be tried out.





Accrington Pipe band were there to entertain us but we were in the midst of a large crowd so not able to get many photos that are worth showing.

We had lunch in a lovely pizza place called Oakleys the childen's meal was almost free which made for a bargain lunch. We had a mulled wine too the first of the season



We came home and spent the afternoon making candy cane mice the boys really enjoyed doing that.



Danny's ones are called Crooked, Maroon and Cheeta

Monday

Swimming with Ben this morning fun as long as he could soak me with the watering can.

This evening the boys gave me my birthday present, a glass mosaic kit, looks fun to do but will not try it till back home. We gave the boys their bikes. Danny was over the moon and looking forward to riding it without stabilisers



Ben wanted Danny's and was very upset that he couldn't have it. Do hope he eventually accepts it because he said he wanted a balance bike and not one with pedals. still he enjoyed spinning the wheels which was far more fun.



Today I am grateful for enjoying swimming with Ben
the look on Danny's face when he saw the bike

Story telling Sunday

Today my short short story was triggered off by my youngest grandson. He wanted to brush his hair, taking the brush he sort of did it.


photo is of my eldest grandson because he is far more obliging

My thoughts went back to when I was about four, we were down at Worthing, the home of the person we had been evacuated to during the worst of the London bombing. She was lovely and we called her Auntie Feast (her surname). I remember her as a lady that was always in a hurry, rushing around here there and everywhere.
This particular morning she had called us to breakfast and mum was struggling to get my baby brother ready so I picked up my brush and brushed my own hair. I was excited about it and rushed to tell Mummy what I had done. Trouble was Mummy was so pleased she said oh that is good you can do your own hair from now on. I remember feeling very sad at that I didn't want to do it I wanted Mummy to do it, I'd only done it that morning because breakfast was ready and Mummy wasn't.
So even at that young age I hated changes.

Thinking about Worthing I have so many sweet little memories about it from my early childhood. The red pavements, the coffee shop where they roasted the coffee in the window. The bow windows of a building in the high street. The pantomime shows on the pier. I still remember the address where we stayed 18 Brittany Road

Month in numbers

I really enjoy reading other people's month in numbers, but usually feel I haven't any thing to put down. This month I thought I may just give it a go and see what I could come up with. So here goes

3 Christmas puddings made
16 attempts to get a decent self portrait for my avatar
15 Layouts completed and 1 minibook
1 Train Journey
200 steps to the top of the hill on my way to church
1 Trip out to Bicester Designer Village
Seen all 3 Grandsons in November
51 photos of fireworks taken on the 3rd November
10 frosty photos taken
A friend's 80th Birthday party attended

that is all I can think of so will end my number there

I just want to share a page I've done today, it had to be digital as I don't have any scrapbook supplies with me but I really wanted to record this event



my As Seen for today just has to be ....



Today I am grateful for meeting up with someone I didn't realise lived in Skipton
for having fun with my grandsons

Thursday in Skipton

Both boys up early this morning and bouncing on my bed, so excited because Nana is here.
On the way to school and Play school Ben was fascinated by all the vapour trails from lots of planes passing overhead, he kept looking up and pointing them out to us.



After tea it was time to put on coats and shoes, wrap up warm and walk down to the town centre for the Christmas lights switching on ceremony. A late night for the boys but they did enjoy it.




please note the moustache for Movember, just got photos in time because it's the grand shaving off on Saturday. I think Andy looks very distinguished, rather like an Edwardian gentleman



For Thursday I am grateful for fun with the family

Journey

This is the day I travelled up north to my Daughter and family
This is the day there was a landslide because of the torrential rain we have been having. I got to Cheltenham for my first change of trains, with no trouble at all but then we waited and waited and waited. They kept announcing that the train has been delayed by 30mins then 35mins then 45mins etc etc in the end it was going up in increments of 2 mins at a time. It eventually arrived almost an hour later than scheduled but from then on ran normally but only as far as Leeds, I was so grateful that I was changing at Leeds onto a commuter train to Skipton and didn't have to travel any further up north as the rest of that journey was full of disruptions including buses in places.
I've arrived I'm here and going to enjoy my week. The Boys gave me such a great welcome which makes everything else melt away.

My As Seen for today is when I was on the Skipton train from Leeds and the sun was dipping low just peeping over the buildings.




Today I am grateful for warm clothes
for the journey being much better than I thought it might be
for Grandsons who gave me a lovely welcome

A bitty day

Today the weather has turned very cold

Today I got the cat food for when I'm away

Today I bought a new washing up bowl my old one had sprung a leak



Today I had a phone call from Gemma, "we're going Christmas shopping in town if you want to join us" ..... I did

Today I made sure that I had packed all I need for next week (including my red dressing gown)

Today I made sure that I used up anything that would spoil in the fridge if left for the week

Today I feel cold so have added my purple dressing gown over my two jumpers and thick cardigan

Today I am anxious that I don't forget anything, that I don't have trouble with the trains tomorrow

Today I wonder why I always get so uptight when I'm about to travel

Today I watched a lovely Christmas cartoon on youtube


today I am thankful for being ready for tomorrow
for having time to do things on the spur of the moment (ie trip to town)
for fun things on youtube

Monday

I'm off up to Skipton on Wednesday to visit my daughter and family. So a quick tidy up make sure that the kitchen is clean so that my neighbour doesn't have to fight his way through to feed the cats. Also did a job I've been putting off for months. I like lots of light around this time of the year. Not the main light but little white stings of light (Christmas lights) and the ones I had in my craft room had stopped working and I needed to put up the other set that I picked up at the sale. So steps to the rescue meant that I had to clear some space on the floor (not an easy thing to do :D) still all done now and I have sparkle in here again.



I still have some gifts to wrap and my packing to finish. I'm always anxious that I will forget something important and although I make lists I can never remember all I want to take. Why I worry I'm not sure as so far each trip I haven't forgotten anything vital.

I've now finished the Grandpop album for the boys here is the last page, (which of course isn't the last page)



this was also done for the weekly challenge this week's criteria being to scraplift using one of the 9 sketched provided. use 9 of something and title to have words beginning with the same letter.

fitted well as I used a sketch that had hexagons and changed them to snowflakes both 6 sided.

Today I am grateful for getting things done
also for getting the weekly challenge completed (won't be able to while away)

Saturday/Sunday

I didn't get around to blogging yesterday, I went to an 80th birthday party at the church, and by the time we had cleared up and put the church ready for the morning it was rather late. Well actually not all that late only about 10ish but I had eaten far too much of all the scrummy yummy food and felt bloated and not in a mood for sitting down and thinking about what I wanted to say.

John was the husband of one of my friends that died far too young about 7/8 years ago. I wanted to make a card for him, but I find making cards for men rather difficult. I came up with a simple but effective idea, making it out of kraft card and a bit of raffia



I have done a little collage of some of the photos I took yesterday.

1)Birthday boy
2)Acknowledging the crowd
3)It really wasn't that hard
4)CLUEDO Grey beard -In the Church - with a knife (victim the cake)



My As Seen for Saturday is the lovely cake made and iced by John's daughter

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Today (Sunday) I have been fiddling and making some paper flowers, all from a youtube tutorial found here on Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog

Here is what I have made and I've chosen to use it as my As Seen for today



Today I am grateful for the rain staying away till I got to church (I had forgotten to take an umbrella and didn't really want to be sitting around in wet clothes)
for a nice crafty time with some designing involved (I made the shapes on Robo as I didn't have the necessary punches)

Recipe for success or Successful Recipe

I've just made some Cream of tomato soup, all my own recipe and it was delicious.
I thought that for those of you who like making your own soups I would put it on my blog for you to copy. So here goes

CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP

2 small potatoes

1.5” of Leek

Quarter tin of chopped tomatoes

Tomato puree to taste

half pint milk

Small amount of water

Half veg stock cube

Basil (fresh if have but dried will do)

Chop potatoes and leek finely

Put all ingredients in pan and cook for 10/15 mins

(the milk looks as though it has curdled but it turns out fine at the end)

Blend till smooth

Reheat and serve

2 servings (if you can resist eating it all at once)

Thick and delicious

Sunshine after the storm

Goodness we did have a storm last night, very windy and very wet. Today has been bright and sunny. Yesterday I felt very tired and lethargic again, today I feel bright and alive. Do you think my body is behaving this way because of the weather :D

I was going into town this morning but got scrapping, doing the page I had been planning since Monday. When we were in Bicester last Saturday, Rufus found so much to amuse him and he was as good as gold especially as none of the shops had anything that would be of interest to him. So my page was about him.



journalling is


I did get into town this afternoon, and managed to get another Christmas present. So now all the big ones are bought and just the fillers to get. So pleased about that as it's one more thing completed. Must get the Skipton gifts wrapped ready to take up with me next week.

I still want to get at least one more page done for Danny & Ben's Grandpop album. I did this one at crop on Wednesday but that leaves an odd page to be filled.



Today's as seen I was hoping would be the Christmas lights in town but they haven't been switch on yet. I'm sure last year they were at the end of November. So instead here is one of the Brunel decoration (which I was told off for taking). According to the notice outside it says "No flash photography" but the security guys said we are not allowed to take any photos in the Brunel centre, strange then isn't it that they have had professional photographers in there taking portraits of babies and children?



today I am grateful for feeling on top again
for getting most of my present shopping done

It's Tuesday so it must be food shopping

I seem to be getting my weeks organised, I never used to be so regimented. Yesterday being Monday I tried to do a bit of house work, did manage a little bit but not as much as I should have, felt too tired to do much.

I do have a picture for Monday though the sky in the morning was quite a sight


it's so lovely to be able to look out of my back gate and see this first thing of a morning. I can stand there in my dressing gown and more often than not there is not a soul around.

Today I was going to catch the bus down to ASDA as well as back because it was raining but I just missed it so walk as usual didn't expect to take any photos but I felt that I should look for the beauty in the day even though it was wet wet wet. I found it



I did the weekly challenge from UKScrappers the challenge was to make our own flowers, use punches, inking and scrunching. I had previously punched out some flower shapes from the packaging that held embellishments, so I spritzed the plain side with bronze glimmer mist and sprayed it with water to soften them so I could scrunch them up to form a carnation type flower I also made some flowers with material



here is the layout, I used a photo of my paternal grandparents Harry and Daisy (standing at the back) and my maternal grandmother Emeline Blanche, seated right the other lady is Aunt Ethel (don't you just love those old names)the three ladies are sisters



I now have some dates so I can do the journalling on the larger of the shaped journalling spots.

Today I am grateful that I did have to walk down to Asda and that I found some beauty in the day
and that I am getting sorted with my Christmas shopping

First Frost

It was lovely and sunny but very frosty as I walked up to church this morning. The grass and the plants look so beautiful covered in frozen crystals of ice I just had to take lots of photos.

I had prepared dinner before I went to church as usual and so was good to find the meat and potatoes ready when I got back (later than usual) just had to cook the veg which didn't take long. I always steam my veg on a Sunday and as the steamer I have is two tiered I put the Christmas pudding that I found in my big freezer the other day into the top tier. The pudding was made in 1999 and was as moist and delicious as it was the year I made them. I don't know how this little one got missed but I'm so glad I didn't throw it out. It was yummy.

This afternoon I have scrapped the photos I took this morning. I had the design for the page all worked out in my head as I was going to church. Isn't it great when a page comes together so easily.



I did the journalling on a piece of Pergamano parchment using a nice new font, well new to me Jane Austin, it read
How beautiful the ordinary looks when God kisses it with frost. Each tiny leaf, each blade of grass sparkle in the sunshine. Time now for the earth to sleep, lay dormant and refresh till the spring rains awaken it again.

my As Seen is one of the frosty photos that really caught my eye



Today I am grateful that I felt on top, and although the multimedia was playing up I didn't panic and we eventually got it going properly.
That the sun was shining and plenty of photos were taken

A surprise trip out

Today I had a nice surprise, I was in town to try and do some Christmas shopping and also to try and bring a smile to some long shopping faces. I wore my jingly hat

old photo taken about two years ago.
Well I did succeed in bringing smiles and conversations too. I was in Carole's Crafts when Neil phoned me "We are going out the Bicester to the designer village would you like to come" well of course I refused lol jumped at the idea. Boy it was very crowded and the car parks were all full but they seemed to be used to that scenario and find other parking places and free coach ride to the centre.
I only bought one present there as the prices are beyond a joke but of course they are cheap compared with the original price of designer goods, (something I will never understand).
We had a meal in a lovely Italian restaurant The Villandry I had wild mushroom risotto very nice and the service I just couldn't fault.
Rufus was his usual charming self keeping me entertained. He is growing into a super child and should really blossom when he starts Pre school.
Guess who features in most of the photos I took



Rufus is eating the grated parmesan cheese that Gemma didn't want. He so enjoyed it but boy what a mess afterwards




My As Seen today is the little avenue of trees at the entrance/exit to the designer village all lit up with white lights (in fact it was white lights everywhere so sophisticated)


Today I am grateful for surprise expedition (the best kind)
for getting Andy's present before Neil phoned
for a lovely lovely grandson who is a delight to be with
for several little things that made the day special and I could acknowledge the Lord's hand in it

the Great Christmas cook out

Today is the start of my Christmas, today I made my Christmas puddings, that is always the first Christmas cooking I do. They have made the bungalow smell delicious and they have turned out beautifully. I had the scrapings to try yummy.
Of course being a scrapper I had to take photos and having taken them I wanted to scrap with them right away. This page was finished before the pudding were ready.
I used the sketch from Scrap 365


So I've not only started my Christmas cooking I've started this years Christmas album.
Next on the agenda will be mincemeat and I have found out (by asking) that Gemma does like mincepies so will get vegetable suet for that.

I didn't fancy cooking myself any tea tonight as by the time the puddings were cooked it was getting on towards 8 O'clock so I thought a takeaway was a good idea. When I got to the lane through the alley I was met by a waist high barricade of leaves, the children/youths had been having fun obviously, I had to kick my way through it, got my meal and came back for my camera. I was lucky that I decided to kick the leaves on the left hand side of the bollard because there was a child's bike across the right hand side which was only visible when the flash went off.






Just had to have this as my As Seen for today


I did another page yesterday for the Grandpop album



I have at least one more photo I would like to scrap for this and I may be able to find another. So hopefully two more pages and that could well be it.

Today I am grateful for feeling I have achieved something

Wednesday is Town Day

I try to go into town at least once a week. Most times it's just to get out of the house and do something elsewhere, most times I don't need anything but end up spending money just because I'm in town. Today I had a reason for going in, my friend needed something from Poundland. I also needed to get some more pants and thought it might be nice to have a pair of Fashion tight, like socks but in tight form. I had seen them in Marks but they were £9.50 which I thought was not worth it. So went into Primark and got a pair of tights for £3.00 and two packs of pants for £3.00 each, bargain.
I also needed some goggle eyes for the candy mice I want to make with Danny & Ben when I go up to see them at the end of the month. So that meant I had to go into my favourite haberdashery shop and of course I had to buy some Christmas ribbon, so many to choose from I chose 4 but will be back for more I know. These are really lovely vintage style.



My as seen for today just had to be my lovely Christmas Latte a mince pie and magazine in Costa



and the candy mouse



Today I am grateful for getting some idea of what Helen & Andy would like for Christmas
for not falling asleep this afternoon
and getting what I wanted from town