friends

Thursday was a very exciting day.
I met up with another blogger!
It was a little daunting meeting someone you don't actually know, but at the same time you do know quite a bit about them and they know just as much about you!
But there was no need to have been nervous as it was all good fun and she was just completely lovely.
Clare and I live relatively near each other and arranged to meet up so she could share her new crochet talents with me. Clare has recently learnt this fabulous craft and very kindly said she would show me the basics.
And Clare very generously bought me along a handmade gift.




Isn't it wonderful? My very own snowflake. I love it!
Thank you again Clare. I have been practising my chain stitch you'll be pleased to know.


Yesterday I went across the Solent to visit my oldest friend.

We've been friends since 1980, which seems a very long time ago in some respects and in others it's just like it was yesterday.

We had a brief wander around Cowes before heading back to her home for tea, cake and chat.

If anyone is going over to the Isle of Wight I can highly recommend Grace's bakery which you see as soon as you leave the high speed terminal and also this shop is a must. Lots of scrummy things for sale. And yes I did buy something. 2 birthday gifts and a little something for me but the photos of that were awful so it'll have to wait for another day.

I'm lucky to have some wonderful friends.

New ones and old ones alike.

Melvin and Malcolm

We have 2 new additions to the household.

This is Melvin.



This is Malcolm.

Last week G broached the subject of us having cats again.

We discussed the possibility.

G went to work the next day and on the office intranet someone had posted an ad saying that with regret they were looking to re-home their 2 cats.

We went and visited them on Thursday.

Melvin and Malcolm came to live with us and be part of our family at the weekend.

For me, after Tilly it is a bit soon, but I'm only one part of this family unit and I have to say the other members were very keen. They are a couple of cuties though.

reward and an award

I feel it's been a strange start to the year.
The weather, losing Tilly, the rubbish situation at work, T's (at times) challenging behaviour.
Then Thursday was a bit of a turning point as I had the day to myself.
I had some time to think and reflect.
I went to the Maritime museum to see an exhibtion about the cruise line companies.
I met G at lunchtime and we went for a wander around the art gallery.
I love this owl carving above the entrance to his office.



I did a bit of shopping.
I bought Christmas presents at vastly reduced prices and so have a couple of people already ticked off my list!
I bought this lovely glass botle for 50p in a charity shop and filled it up with bubble bath as it looks much prettier than the plastic bottle it came in.

I bought my 15 year old cousin's birthday gifts from New Look in the sale. A bargain £4.00 for the lot.

I washed the clothes that are new to me after going to a clothes swap event the night before.

There were other things which happened too. One of which I'll share another time soon.

I was very lucky to be given this award not just once this week, but twice!

Firstly from bellaboo and then from chezsophie.

Thank you both very much.

I seem to be saying thank you a lot recently.

And for that's something to be very thankful for.

I would like to pass this award on to ALL those who left me such kind words and messages recently. They all meant so much.

Hope everyone is having a happy sunshiney weekend.

thank you

Thank you, thank you, thank you and once again thank you.
Huge hearfelt thank yous to all who have left messages and emailed me after my post last week about losing Tilly. I can't put into words how hard these past few days have been but I have so very much appreciated reading such kind words from everyone.

It's been quiet at home this weekend. No tip tap of doggy feet across the floor and no sibling squabbling as T spent the weekend away. His Christmas present from his beloved Aunty D was a ticket to see the Lion King. So away to London with Grandma he went and a thoroughly good time was had by all 3 of them.

As we had to collect T from Grandma in Salisbury yesterday on their return we decided to pop up a couple of hours early and have a mooch around.

S is enjoying being a baby bunny rabbit at any opportunity at the moment and the seats on the train provided her with an excellent 'hutch.'



Ignore the pale, washed out tired looking face and instead concentrate on the lovely neckwarmer I received in the post from the completely wonderful and generous Diane.
I had it tucked under my coat ( I'm wearing it like that for photo modelling purposes only) and it was so warm and snug. It's always a couple of degrees colder in Salisbury than here in Southampton and I was very glad to be wearing it on the way home once the sun had disappeared and it had become even chillier, so thank you again Diane.

This photo is for Lynn, no scaffolding on this bit.

I spent a while gazing through the windows of this shop. Unfortunately it was closed and Iwas disappointed as it's one of my favourites and they had

a massive 70% off Christmas stock! A rummage would have been good.

Tilly

Today our hearts are heavy with sadness.
Just after midnight last night I was at the vets with Tilly.
She was in so much pain. I made the decision to let her go.
I know it was the kindest thing to do but it doesn't help how I feel.
It's all the more difficult as she was Dad's and as well as losing her we've lost another part of him too.

Love you Tils.

the leaning tower

No snapshots of Pisa, just a tall and wonky pile of books that make up my 'to be read' pile.
I think there are 41 in this photo but I have found a few more since so am probably pushing 50.
I must not buy anymore books.



This is the book that is currently on my bedside table which I am reading at night time. I am hoping to learn something from it and introduce calmness into my life.

This one is also sat on the bedside cabinet. I bought it for 50p at a charity sale just before Christmas. It was published in the late 60's and I just love the title and cover illustration. Maybe if I find a few worthwhile tips inside that'll make me feel calmer too!

snow story

Tuesday was my first day back at work. I had to pop to the big supermarket in town on my way home and as I was leaving I noticed people entering the store had big fluffy snowflakes on their hats. It was proper snowing! I rang home to find out what they were all up to and they hadn't even realised it had started as all 3 were up in the attic playing on the playstation! By the time I got home T and S had been out for a play in it although S had gone in complaining it was too cold when a snowball hit her on the head! T was still out with a couple of friends. He eventually came in at 8.30 and by then we had a mini snowman on the path. Thank goodness I had bought a bag of carrots the day before.


Yesterday morning G was able to get to work without a hitch as the buses were running reasonable ok. From 7am I had the radio on and kept updating the schools closure list on the internet until at 8.45 it was confirmed T's school was closed. S's though was open. Both were happy, T that he was staying home and S that she could go to school.
So T and I took her in and then come home and had a snowball fight with a few of his friends. I left them to it after a while as my fingers were stinging with the cold and went in to drink tea and eat a hot cross bun as this seemed like a far more sensible option.

We took this photo of T's school after dropping S off, the playground looks so perfectly white.

S's school decided to close at mid-day so she only had a half day in the end.

Out in the back garden we made a mini snowman and had another snowball fight, back indoors we wrote a few more thank you notes and cheated and sent a few by email too.

Today the schools are closed again. G left early to make sure he got in to work ok and was there half an hour early so he can leave half an hour early tonight. I am very thankful that we have enjoyed the snow and everyone is safe but I'm also wishing I had the house to myself today! I know that sounds mean but I after the school break and Christmas and all the busyness I was looking forward to a bit of quiet time.

That'll have to wait for another day and instead we'll make sure we all do something we enjoy.

And if you're reading this Sue, I hope you had a wonderful birthday earlier this week.

sun and skates

It's been freezing cold this weekend. But the sun has been out too.
We took a wander out on Saturday afternoon to deliver one of the stack of thank you cards we are currently writing and stopped on the way to play a while with this floppy frisbee.
Both children received one of these at Christmas and they were an instant hit, being taking out of the packaging and flung aorund the front room as soon as the wrapping had been torn off.
T and S also amused themselves with hopping and jumping and running races before the bickering started!



T's photo of our shadows.

Sunday morning we went to the park so S could have a proper good go with her new rollerskates.

She ended up on her backside more than once but managed to laugh about it each time.

And more giggles were had whilst pretending to be a train.

hello, goodbye, forever

Hello 2010.

Happy New Year.

I must admit I was sound asleep at midnight and so didn't see in the start of the new year.

We did have a good first day of the year though. Well G's wasn't as good as ours as he had to go to work, but T, S and I went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Squeakquel. It was S's first cinema trip and T is a huge fan of the furry singing trio and they had a fab time which is what counts.




6.40pm saw us all sat huddled in the front room for David Tennant's last Dr Who episode (sob, sob).

With Christmas and NY the refuse collection days are out of their normal pattern and I had forgotten to put the bins out last night so at 7.30a.m I toddled out in PJ's, hat, coat, scarf and gloves to do that very thing and found G had been left a message for me on the car windscreen when he had left for work an hour earlier.

Forever.