A look back on April

I woke this morning to a very thick mist more like a fog really, it is strange how often the last day of April can throw some strange weather at you. We have had snow, hale & thunder, brilliant sunshine, fog and torrential rain on this day over the years. Perhaps that is usual in this country but I seem to record this day in particular. My parents were married on 30th April 1938 and it snowed apparently, according to my mother.

The fog did clear and we had sunshine for a while, just enough time to walk to ASDA down the back lane.

With my food shopping done and as I had the perfect photo for today already in the bag, or should that be camera, I decided to do my April pages today. I had a lot to record so how best to display them. I didn't want to do two double pages as I did last month, no real difference to distinguish one event from another. So I did them in batches of 3 putting like with like with a title tile done like a chalkboard for each.


Today I am grateful for a relaxing day scrapping
for weekly shop done and dusted
and for a sneaky bar of chocolate (oh how I love chocolate)

a friend of mine pinned this and is going to see if she can make it isn't it pretty

having just been into Karen's blog and found another wonderful quotation there so sharing it here Thank you Karen

Tuesday crafting

Today was craft club at the library I had in mind to do a layout of how much Rufus reminds me of his father at the same age. Fearless, adventuresome, try anything.

photos were taken on a lovely sunny Saturday when Rufus came to play with me and we ended up at this play area full of fun things to do with ropes. I think they are really made for the teenagers but if Rufus could reach them he was going to climb them. I no longer worry about him falling as I used to worry about his father, they just are so sure of their ability.

Today has been a good day, I feel more positive again, and it was good to get out of the home and in company.

I do have another couple of pages to share, one was done for this week's challenge on UKScrappers

challenge criteria sewing, inking, something/one you love & a Sketch Ben on his birthday

this page is another one of Ben (Grandson No.3) on his 4th birthday blowing out his candles photo not brilliant as taken in the darkened room but I wanted to record it anyway. Ben had to have a caterpillar cake


I've also made a cutting file for Robo on Silhouette

if any one would like it, it can be found here

Today I am grateful for feeling much better
for crafting
for prayer

and finally I want to share something that Karen (Dolly's Dreamings) shared today

Trip to IKEA

I woke this morning thinking I would take a trip to Cirencester, I missed the bus by 5 minutes and as there is only one every hour I wondered if I should wander round Swindon for a bit, I did but then decided I couldn't be bothered to go to Ciren after all, I was just about ready to come home when I had a phone call from my son, 'do you want to come to IKEA with us. I felt that there was a reason why I missed the bus so now I knew.
Just love this photo of Rufus, he was being the office manager interviewing Daddy for a job, apparently daddy got the job 

 high up in the green tunnel, Rufus really liked this bed and luckily his own bed will convert to this so I think tomorrow he will be sleeping up high

 Couldn't have photos of Rufus without taking my lovely little fellow, Eli is getting a super baby now and I think he is going to have a ginger mop

today I am grateful for missing the bus
for family who care and include me in things
for not spending too much money.

Resurrection

I'm thinking it is time I resurrected my blog again. I have been finding it so hard to actually put anything down on 'paper' but I will try to be a better blogger.

To summarise the January through to March I have done some layouts
January's page was for a challenge to create layered embellishments using fabric and cutouts and this colour palette

here is the page I produced
 


February, as this is a dull month I brightened it up by using orange as my main colour



and for March I have done two double page spreads as I spent part of march in Skipton with my daughter and family



Today I am grateful for small mercies
Rudi going strong though always seems to be begging for food
Rain stopped me going out but I scrapped instead and enjoyed my day
this evening a brightening in the sky and the rain seems to have stopped

Christmas Season Album

I was going to be so good this year and blog regularly but it hasn't happened yet. I have been scrapping my Christmas photo though so will start with those










goodness me I hadn't realise I had scrapped so many since I last posted here. Hopefully I will keep up a bit better now.

today I am thankful for having some really lovely photo of my grandsons
and for having the time to make pages of my memories

Christmas Season Album

Just a few pages from my Christmas season album











I also want to do a page with this photo, such a stormy day yesterday that my umbrella  has completely had it, metal twisted and cover hanging on by threads

title has got to be The Weather outside is Frightful but I don't have a fire to finish the line :-D

have a good Christmas Eve everyone.

Today I am grateful for the weather calming down and the sight of the big yellow ball in the sky
for family to spend Christmas with
for all the goodies ready to take over to the family

Christmas Cooking

I've been having fun today, I've made some sausage rolls and made them more festive than usual

take some good quality Pork & Apple sausages out of their skins
add finely chopped (done in my electric chopper) cranberries & mixed Peel (I always buy fresh peel each year for my puddings and then the rest gets left so thought I would try this)
mix well together
shop bought puff pastry (can't be faffed to make my own)
roll the sausage mixture back into sausage shapes, put on their pastry coats and cook for 15 mins at 220
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS (these are staying here for me to nibble on when I'm on my own)

also tried a different variety of mince pies I used filo pastry for the base and shortcrust for the top they look good but still have to taste them.

also made Neil (my son) some coconut crisps, I think I would be in his bad books if I hadn't lol

pasties are already made and in the freezer ready to come out tomorrow and cook for Christmas Eve dinner another tradition that we love to continue.
Neil has been over and taken all the rest of the food (I have a large chest freezer so plenty of room for all the goodies)

today I am grateful for being more or less ready for Christmas
for tasty food tempting me to eat
for being good and not eating too much yet

Journal your Christmas

Half way through December only 8 days to go till Christmas and as usual I am no where near ready.
but I have been scrapping I am making a Christmas season album so not exactly following the prompts for JYC but some of them do tie in.
My first page is what Christmas is all about, it's why it is called CHRISTmas and not crimbo or xmas as so many people seem to call it now-a-days. The greatest gift that man has ever received
For unto us a child is born, who is our Saviour, who showed us how to live our lives for our Father God



I really enjoyed my birthday, spent with Helen (Ben was at nursery and Danny at School) we went to Boulton Abbey, had lunch in the Cavendish and then took a stroll along the river. The sun was shining and reflecting off the trees into the water in such a beautiful way making my day, a birthday present that is beyond anything that money can buy



here is the double page I did to celebrate my birthday


Neil sent me a lovely photo of Eli and I just had to do this page


one of the prompts for JYC is Special treats, my special treat is a Luxury Pick-a-mix from Lindt. Earlier in the year I had discovered the Lindt shop in the outlet village, all my favourite chocolates in bowls that you can choose your own. Well I couldn't resist having a big bag of them for my Christmas treat, the only difficulty is keeping them till the 25th.


Although I am struggling to really get into the atmosphere of Christmas I am enjoying all the little things that make this time of the year special.
I have put up some decorations, have sorted out some presents, still have more to get but it's finding the right things especially for my son so perhaps a trip into town today, a mingle with the crowd, perhaps taking some photos of people rushing hither and thither and hopefully finding something that will bring a smile to Neil's face when he opens his present

today I am so thankful for the warmth of family love
for the warmth of my bungalow
for the warmth of a friends smile.

God bless you one and all

A trip up to Skipton

Thursday 28th November, sees me on the train journeying north to see my daughter and family. The trains were on time but somehow I seemed more anxious than usual. Maybe it's because I was developing a cold.
Good to be greeted by my two grandsons and a lovely hug with my daughter.

Saturday, a slower start then a wonder round the town and a little Christmas shopping. Now have a few presents to wrap.

Sunday 1st December and church in the morning, Danny lit the first Advent candle, shame I didn't get a photo of that.
Andy does have some brilliant remedies for colds a glass of Mulled berry drink with a tot of Whisky did the trick and I was able to get to the evening service in which Helen was singing in the choir.
The church looked beautiful both outside

and in


I did get a photo of Helen in her gown


Monday and I feel much better, I take Ben to Musical Tots and we have a lovely morning together. Go for snacks in the Craven centre and take photos of Ben and the Christmas tree for my Christmas Album.



Today I am grateful for fun with Ben
for not falling when I tripped (long story)
for being with family

Christmas pudding stir up

Saturday I decided would be Stir up day and time to make the Christmas Puddings. This year I wasn't going to do them on my own, I had a little helper. Rufus came over with his Daddy and he and I made the puddings while Neil sorted my paperwork.
I left some of the bread for Rufus to grind to crumbs and some of the weighing of ingredients and of course the big stir up with wooden spoons and the Christmas wish/blessing.
Neil took some photos for me and of course I have made a page for my Christmas Season album with them.


While Rufus and I were busy Neil sorted out all my paperwork that I just stuff into the sideboard cupboard, he thought it was going to be a far more mammoth job that it was too. It is so nice to have it all sorted and tidy again.  (should have taken a before photo but I didn't)

Pudding cooked, smell and taste delicious, well the crumbs sticking to the side of the basins do. Wrapped and now in the freezer along with the turkey, duck & pheasant. Christmas is coming.

Today I made a start on packing for my trip to see my daughter and family in Skipton. Also wrapped the presents I have already got that have to go up there, the rest I will get when in Skipton which saves having to transport them.

Today I am grateful that I have such a loving family

Christmas Season

Goodness me a month has gone by since I last posted. It is nearly December and time to start my Christmas preparation. So that means starting my Christmas season album.
I have decided to go for a 8x8 size this year and I'm hoping that I can fit enough pages in the one I already have, I still have to decorate the cover but I have made a start.
My first page is my shopping expedition to ASDA for the pudding ingredients plus so extra goodies

As I hadn't made up my mind what size when I bought this years papers my pad was only 6x6 so I am going to make the background pp myself for several (if not all) the pages

Hopefully tomorrow I will be making my pudding, this year I will have a little helper, Rufus is coming over and we will be mixing and making a Christmas wish/blessing as we stir the lovely fruity mixture.

Today I managed to get Andy's present and also Danny's, Ben's I will get in Skipton when I go up next week and Helen wants clothes so that will be easier to do up there too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have done a couple pages of my newest grandson Eli but as yet I don't have many photos of him


I've also done pages of Rufus this one is a double page

to make it easier to see here are the individual pages 



another page for last years Christmas Season album


a couple for my Florida album (yes I am still adding to that one)



and three taken last June/July when I was last up in Skipton with my other two grandsons and my Daughter and Son in Law of course.




finally I did this one for this week's challenge to use no patterned paper a photo that wasn't people or pets & a cluster of embellishments.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

today I am grateful for a successful shopping expediton

for the sunshine this morning as I sat in bed and watched it rise in my mirror

and for the start of the Christmas season