Tidying up the Wool Stash...

 Introducing.... my first ever 'scrappy blanket'.

 

After two years of happy crocheting I've collected loads of 'part balls'.  There's some cheap and cheerful DK in there but I've also got some lovely soft cottons and bits of interesting textured yarns.  My first 2014 project is to work them all together into a 'scrappy blanket'.  (I'm just working with one yarn until it runs out then tying the next one in.) Currently I'm in a pink and purple phase....

 

I'm trying to create a bit of a 'summer garden' effect with all this colour.  The blue bit at the centre is supposed to be a garden pond, the green is the grass and all the other colours are the flower borders.  It may not be the most elegant piece of crochet I've ever done but the riot of colour is banishing my January blues!!

 

 

Once I've finished up all the purple and pink, there's still another red section to do and enough bits of yellow for one more paler border.  I hope that it will be finished by the end of January.

 

I spent some time tidying up my wool stash over the holiday.  I realised that there's several 'close to being finished' pieces of work tucked away in there.  I hope that I'm going to have the self-discipline in February to finish these things off! 

 

I'm back to school tomorrow... although the New Year starts with training rather than teaching.  My school has joined up with some of the local primaries to do a large scale training event at the NEC.  (That's another first for my 'Novelty' list!).  I'm actually really looking forward to the new term.  I feel as if I've had a proper chance to recharge my batteries over the holidays.  I've also had plenty of time to catch up with niggling jobs and other bits and pieces that were waiting patiently for my attention at home.  In short, I feel 'smiley and positive'.

 

Not sure if I'll feel the same way when I have to get up at 'stupid o'clock' tomorrow morning....!!!

Ha Ha!

Jx



 

365 Novelties.... A Challenge for 2014!

I've got to 'come clean'... 2013 wasn't as good a year as my blog frequently suggests.  I try to post about the nice stuff because those are the times that I want to focus on, remember and celebrate.  The reality is that my workplace, especially by the end of last term, was extremely difficult.  One of my line managers went off with stress at the beginning of December, the other followed him about a week later.  My own health 'went astray' in the last week.  I ended up doing most of the last week on crutches (not easy when the school site is about a quarter of a mile wide).  My family's health is not great.... and a certain family member's behaviour has generated huge tension and upset across the rest of us.  A few of my closest friends have had horrifically difficult 2013s too, while Mark's workplace has been worse than mine (One of his line managers collapsed at an airport, while he was waiting to travel for work.  He's OK - but not in work until they can find the reasons behind the collapse.)

My only wish for 2014 is that things don't get any worse....

As a result I've decided to take a slightly different 'tack' on New Years Resolutions for 2014.  (As I read in another blog recently - life is stressful enough without creating more self-imposed stresses.) 

So here's my idea... I'm going to collect 365 "Novelties" over the course of 2014.  By this I mean recording all the tiny new stuff (a new recipe; the discovery of a new author or new song; the pleasure of doing a walk in a new direction; choosing a different flavour of ice-cream - simple things) and then I'm going to post more regularly about the things that are keeping me sane and 'out of a rut'.

Does anyone feel like joining me?

Happy New Year and best wishes for 2014!
Jx

Season's Greetings!

Season's Greetings to you all from my poor neglected blog.  The last few weeks were SO chaotic (both in terms of a ridiculous workload at the end of term and lots of lovely Christmas stuff with family and friends).  My new year's resolution must be to post more regularly again.....!

Anyway, here's the edited highlights from December...  The harp moved out of the lounge so that the Christmas tree could move in.  I was very proud of the 'new look' silver and gold tree (63 baubles for £5 from a local Charity shop!)

The harp has taken up temporary residence in a corner of the dining room.  This photo was taken on Christmas morning.  There were five of us for Christmas dinner this year (my parents and Mark's Mum).  My sister and her family went to stay with her Father in Law in Derbyshire.

Thomas the cat has really enjoyed having his humans around.... in the form of open access to the sofa and an almost unlimited supply of treats!

On Christmas Eve we took my parents and Mark's Mum for a little drive around the Cotswolds.  This is the church in Temple Guiting.  Mum particularly wanted to see this village because she's recently read a murder mystery based in the area.

We then stopped off at the tea rooms near Broadway Tower..... A coffee break seamlessly moved into a lunch stop too!

The views from the windows were so gorgeous that it seemed a shame to move on..

Eventually we drove down the hill to Chipping Camden and stopped to explore another church.

The church was full of families rehearsing for the Nativity play and Christingle Service..... All very festive!

A very important, non-festive, development in our lives has been the arrival of another (!!!) Marcos.  You can probably see that it's another major project to entertain Mark for a few years.  (He gets as excited about Marcos parts as I do about wool and crochet projects!).  However it has to be said that family and friends are slightly bemused by the fact that this is Marcos number 3....

 

Anyway...

I hope that you are all enjoying the last couple of days of 2013

and all my best wishes for 2014!

Birthday Celebrations

I celebrated my birthday on Friday evening.

A few of my oldest friends came round and we had a little 'carpet picnic'..

On Saturday I continued to celebrate with a lovely walk round some National Trust land,

just to the south of Bridgnorth...

The sky was a fabulous colour...

There were shadows and reflections everywhere..

At the top of the valley we tried a new route, which extended the walk by a few miles..

We picked up an old lane, which was in surprisingly good condition..

Eventually we reached higher ground and the views started to open up..

These two cottages have a stunning view towards Clee Hill and the Welsh borders..

We picked up another old lane and dropped back down to the River Severn..

By this stage we'd walked about 9 miles and had a huge appetite

for the 'eat ups' from the night before..

I even had a small glass of 'drink up' red wine (birthdays and all that!!)

The end of November is a funny time to have a birthday....

My cards always have to fight for space with the early Christmas ones

and work commitments can be a nightmare.

However, I loved my 'low key' celebrations this time.

Winter picnics are really fun!

~X~

On other subjects...

At the moment I don't seem to be able to access any of the blogs that I follow through my dashboard.

I haven't a clue what's going on - but I just can't get to your latest posts.

Is anyone else having the same problems...

I wondered if I'd missed an update or something.

Jx

Routemasters and Other Things...

 

Things have been  'mid-term' chaotic here -

 

400 effort grades and levels to do...

130 Year 8 reports to write...

Endless coursework to mark (to the rigorous detail of a new specification)..

The final weeks before a school show (in which I'm playing the piano almost continuously for hours every evening)...

AND Ofsted are now 7 TERMS overdue..!!!

 

Then....

My Mother-in-Law came to stay for three days at the end of last week to celebrate her 70th Birthday..

and Mark's been really ill (but is fine now)

 

So it's the little things that are making me smile...

like my husband's deeply eccentric ways of showing affection.

At the end of last week I was moaning that our lunatic schedule of commitments was making it impossible to get any real exercise.

"If I keep on like this, " I moaned "I'll be like the back end of a bus!"

"Never mind," said my husband supportively "You're my cute little Routemaster!!!!!"

 

It's a good thing I share his sense of humour!!!

Jx

Out Takes

We decided to make a permanent record of my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary

by having some 'proper' professional photos taken at a studio..

There are loads of really nice 'serious' photos - but I'm rather taken with this group of 'out takes'..

 

All the girls (youngest niece, sister, Mum, me and eldest niece)..

 

 

A lovely one of H. and I.....

 

Sis and I in giggles....!

 

It's the first time that we've had some professional photographs taken since we got married.

Digital technology makes it all much more immediate and it was great fun.

 

Here's a more serious one of Mark and I..

 

 

..But I think my favourite is still the first photo...

What do you think...