Making me HAPPY this week

Sunday again and time to look back on the past week to see what has been making me happy.

In no particular order;

1) D,V and N coming down last night for takeaway and a drink or two.  It was nice that Hubby could join in with us (we all went to secondary school together).  He even managed to stay awake until 11pm (unheard of lately).  Christmas jumpers were worn along with some hats.

2) Anni B suddenly fancing a cuddle - oh, go on then.   Do you think she's happy?

3) Meeting L in Leeds to celebrate her Birthday. I love catching up with friends, especially when we have something to celebrate.  The huge crowds in Leeds weren't so good!


4) Finally getting hold of a jar of this.  WOW - where have you been all my life.  Very happy to sit on the sofa tonight with a spoon.............. want to know what to buy me for Christmas??????

(or a bigger spoon!)

5) Making orange buns with a Maltesers topping, chocolate orange biscuit and a chocolate orange slice.  Do you sense we love chocolate orange?????  I love to bake and H loves to eat them :-)

Shush don't tell H - but can he get any more in his mouth?????

Not liking so much - have to frog my crochet :-(

3 hours work all gone, all because I used the wrong sized hook - Grrrrrrrrrrr

Busy, busy, busy

I both love and loath this time of year.  I used to be uber excited over Christmas and I loved it all - the cold, the christmas music in shops, the decorations, the window shopping to choose presents before the real shopping itself.  The last 2 Christmas' have not been great so I don't have a lot of festive spirit these days.  I am hoping that if this one is a good one then the spirit will return in future years.

Today, I popped into Leeds to meet L and to celebrate her Birthday.  I only went into 3 shops to kill time before lunch and I hated it.  In one shop, 3 mature ladies were stood in a line, across the aisle and then 2 more came to say hi and completely blocked the aisle.  They then looked affronted when I asked them to move - Grrrrrrrrrrr.  Then in Next there were a zillion people in the queue in front of me.  I shall not believe it if the news tell us we are still in recession.

Still, it helped me decide that the rest of my Christmas shopping will be taking place online :-)

On the way to Leeds I did manage to work on another Christmas present - don't worry the person receiving it doesn't read my blog - I don't think!!! :-)  Don't all us crafters craft on the bus??????

I had a lovely time catching up with L and giving her her presents (again I forgot to take a photo of presents or the lovely L).  At least we've set our next date!

Advent time again

Can you believe that it almost December?  My heart skips a beat whenever I think about it.  I have so much still to make and lie in bed worrying about getting it all finished.  Of course, it will either get finished or I will buy a last minute present and all will be well.  I think I will feel better when I sit down with a list and figure out what it left to do.

You may remember (if you've been reading me for a while - or hello to any newbies), that every year I make up advent boxes for some friends.  Throughout the year, I buy little bits, make things, last minute panic buying until I have 24 gifts for each person.  Every year, I swear I won't do it again, but the 4 people who receive the gifts tell me how happy it makes them, knowing that someone has thought about them and their likes and have a little bit of love waiting for them each day, so I know I'll do again next year :-)

The bit that really gets to me is all the blooming wrapping.  Just finished number 3 and boy have I had enough............. and I still have 1  left to do!



At least I have Anni B to keep me and H happy.

Making me HAPPY this week

It's been a quite week this past week which was just what the Dr ordered.  I switch between liking to be busy and liking to be a hermit!!!!!

Making me happy;

1) Meeting N for lunch on her day off.  We went local and we managed to push H both down the hill to the pub and uphill on the way back.  Well N did much of the pushing on the way home.


2) Our nephew's 21st last night.  I was great, til I drank TOO much then was not as enjoyable!!!!

3) Not having a hang over this am - not sure how but I will accept it....

4) Being about half way through my gift for my s-i-l.  I can't wait to give it to her and show you the finished gift.

The problem of being a crafter

I have been making loads of things lately, mainly for Christmas presents and there lies the problem.  I am so excited about some of them, and in doubt about some of them.  I'd love to show you the ones I love and I would love your opinion of those I am in doubt about.  BUT every single one of them is going (or not!) to someone who reads my blog.


ARGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.


I am making a gift for A (who I don't think reads this blog - if AJ you are reading this, then it's not for you! (I don't think I have anymore A's)).  I am using 4 different colours of stylecraft DK.  I am crocheting 6 rows of each colour and then swopping colour.  I have finished 1 ball of each colour, but what strikes me as odd is that colour 1 JUST finished a row, colours 2 & 3 finished a row too early and colour 4 had enough for another half row.  All the same brand, the gift is the same size, I just don't get it.  I am a newbie at crochet so not sure if this is normal or if I have done something incorrectly.  Just hope I have enough yarn now as my local wool shop has run out of the Meadow that I need.

Making me HAPPY this week

Wow what a week.  I am so glad it is Sunday night and I am curled up on the sofa making something for someone special who is having an op tomorrow.  Anni is curled up on the sofa on my her blanket, snoring away gently and H is catching up on tv watching.

We've had friends up this weekend and had a blast.

Making me happy;

1) Making a new hat for a Charlton fan.  Just waiting to get a proper photo on the terraces!!!

2) A Saturday night with friends and family.  A fabulous meal in a local Turkish restaurant followed by a drink or 2 in Weatherspoons.  I may have felt a little delicate today...........

3) Meeting S and little M on Monday.  I caught the train to an out of town outlet centre and we met up for lunch and a catch up.  Little M is a real cutie and lead me on a Merry dance round some shop windows whilst Mummy was shopping - it was fab.  Then lunch in Thorntons, a lovely hot chocolate and panini.

4) I loved the expression on a piece of chocolate I had this week.........  a bag of these would cheer anyone up!!!!!

5) A photo of the one finished wall in the kitchen.  The wall is actually painted a really pale blue colour and is lovely and I love the poster that I framed.  We still have to paint/undercoat/plaster the other 3 walls :-(

Erm, the rest of the kitchen looks like this below :-(

Friends

We have been holidaying in Molyvos for many years now.  It actually feels more like home than home does.  About 3 years ago we met new friends in our favourite bar and we have talked about meeting up ever since.  Now one couple live in Kent and one in Portsmouth (we live in Yorkshire) so it has taken a while to actually meet up.

P&D came up about a month ago and we had a lovely weekend.  Today they came back with V&J.

We have had a lovely evening, fish and chips, a belated Birthday cake and too many cocktails.  It's been great!!!

I think D likes his new hat (in his football colours!)  I have an order for matching gloves.

Wine and Greek beer, what more could you ask for?

JellyBean cocktails -not too sure what was in them - Ouzo and stuff!  Very sweet but very popular in Molyvos this Summer!

Cheers.  We have another night like this to look forward to!!!!  I think I need sleep :-)

Making me HAPPY this week

What has made me happy this week?  Note to self, do these posts earlier in the day when not so tired!!!!

1) I had a great day in Leeds with D on Wednesday.  We shopped, ate lunch, sat in the last of the sunshine with a glass or 2 of wine - lost the feeling in my fingers by the time I got on the bus home, but sometimes you have to do these things!!!!

2) Doing more work on the kitchen.  Dad and I painted and Dad did loads more.  Hopefully we can finish the new wall and get the shelves up before this coming weekend.  Then I can think about re arranging the kitchen, and actually having storage.


3) Advent box presents (number 1) being wrapped and ready to hand out tomorrow.  Well nearly finished, there is an I.O.U. in the box.  Well handmade takes time :-)


4) Starting to get my card making mojo back on.  Christmas cards were started today too!

5) Spending time with H and Anni.  It's sometimes enough to sit here and just have a cuddle on the sofa and watch something we love - when Anni leaves enough room for the 2 of us!!!!

Making my heart sing

I never thought Anni would be a touchy feely dog.  She has had moments when she will let you stroke her - but only for a moment or two.  Last night she made my heart sing when she cuddled up to me for at least an hour......... yup, right up onto my knee.

Happiness comes in all different forms!

Mine all mine

so says Anni about the blanket I made myself.  I made the mistake of lying on the sofa one evening wrapped in the blanket and Anni just turned her big brown eyes on me, and I let her up onto the sofa (on the blanket) and I haven't been allowed it since.

Good job she looks so cute!!!!!

Last night, H and I were cuddled on the sofa watching a film, eating Minstrels and sharing a bottle of wine.  Anni, was sat on the blanket next to H with her head on his lap with a huge grin on her face.  I think she's realising that being more touchy feely has great benefits for her..............

Now I'm off to look at what colour wool to buy myself.

Making me HAPPY this week

It's been a lovely week this week.  We've had lunch outside (in late October) in the sunshine, new walks, decorating the kitchen and a fab day out in York with L.

In no particular order, making me happy this week;

1) Exploring new places in York with L.  It didn't start too well with having to stand up on the train from Leeds to York.  Since a car accident a number of years ago, I really struggle to stand for any length of time.  Then we went to the Chocolate Story to find out about the history of chocolate making.  The only downside was that it was half term so busier than usual but we did enjoy ourselves.  For more information see  York Chocolate Story  I did discover that the man who invented the chocolate orange (the best chocolate in the world - FACT) was shot in the war and was saved by his silver cigarette case - my heart nearly skipped a beat at how close we came to not having my favourite chocolate...........



2) Doing up the kitchen, another wall nearly prepared.  Thanks Dad you rock.  More to come this week - whoop.

3) Walking Anni in the sunshine, never a bad thing.  We've been in the woods again by ourselves and let another woman pat us (Anni, not me!).  She is getting a little braver each month!

4) Watching "Mrs Brown's Boys Da Movie" last night for date night.  To be fair, it's not the worlds greatest film (shock horror) but we did eat chocolate and laugh so it wasn't a bad night.


5) Trying a new recipe.  As you know I love to bake but not cook.  On Saturday night I made a cauliflower, potato and pea curry.  Not a great success but I am determined to get more vegetables into our diet.

6) My Dad photo bombing my selfie - though not sure he meant to do it :-)

Walkies at Oakwell Hall

Note to self - if I type quickly I can post this before my weekly happy posts.

Mum and Dad suggested that we take Anni for a walk on Tuesday to Oakwell Hall, between Bradford and Leeds.  I haven't been to Oakwell Hall since I was 15 so it was about time we returned.  The last time I was there I was doing work for a G.C.S.E. project!!!  My friend N has a great photo of me - no N you don't have to post it!!!

Although it was half term and so full of children, Anni had a great time wandering around the grounds.  C'mon you can walk faster, we have all these paths to explore.

My Dad in charge of Anni below - can you tell he has a secret supply of Gravy Bones in his pocket?

 Part way along one path they have created a fence/hedge? by part cutting the trees and lying them down on there sides and all intertwined with each other.  I do love the natural look of this type of fencing.

The path we followed wound round from the car park, past fields and play areas and up hills until you find this amazing view from the highest part of the park.

Anni can sniff out water from 50 paces.  When I think back to our first walk in the woods, my Dad had to clamber down a slope into a small stream as she wouldn't even consider paddling in the scary water.  Now, if she disappears you just have to find the nearest water and you are sure to find her - usually with the biggest stick she can find.

It was such a a warm day we sat outside for lunch.  Anni, as usual cuddles up to my Dad (whilst she waits for titbits!).

I love the photo below, Anni had tried licking my Dad to get him to share his sandwich, hence my Dad's expression and Anni's innocent one!

The photo below took about 10 shots to get them ALL looking forward.  You'd think Anni was the hard one, but almost every time she looked at me, my Mum (or usually my Dad) was looking at her trying to get her to look forward!!!!  Parents........

I keep trying to get my Mum to do selfies and they usually look okay.  Now, if only she'd remember her camera from time to time - MUM.

My Dad and I and Anni actually looking at the camera and no silly faces from Dad - makes a nice change!!!!