The Lady in the Van and Merry Xmas too

has anyone seen the film The Lady in the Van?I can thoroughly recommend it.We saw this on stage a number of years ago with Susan Hampshire playing the Lady .Maggie Smith is brilliant in the film.I am sure it will get awards.
We are off to our daughter's tomorrow for Xmas.We saw our son and family two weeks ago for a pre Xmas get together.Xmas will be ,my hubby,our daughter ,son in law and Emily and Ruby ,our granddaughters.Ruby with her broken arm.Poor thing.
Anyway.
           
      HAPPY XMAS AND A WISH FOR HEALTHY AND PEACEFUL 2016


            Love to you all.Barbara (in North Wales G.B )

Xmas 2015

I must live a very mundane life as I havn't blogged in weeks.I felt Ineeded to add a Xmas blog.Last night we went to see Cinderella at Theatr Clwyd in Mold(where we live) in North Wales.We took our two gorgeous granddaughters Emily and Ruby.You may be able to see Ruby has her arm in a sling.Yes.She broke her arm last Saturday when she fell off a slide.Not the ideal thing two weeks before Xmas when she is having a bike!!The pantomime was great,very noisy but performed by an ensemble of ten,all so multi talented playing various instruments,singing ,acting etc.Brilliant.

Last weekend we went to Cambridge for a pre Xmas get together with our son as we are spending Xmas this year with our daughter.We shall go across on Xmas Eve and stay until Boxing Day with the gorgeous girls above.

I am wishing everyone a very Happy Xmas and a Healthy and Happy New Year(and I promise to blog more if anyone is interested!)Lots of love Barbaraxx

Snowflakes for the Homestart Appeal

 I heard about this appeal from Claire at Summerhouse by the Sea.Homestart is a British charity that supports young families.They are aiming to get 30,000 snowflakes and these will be displayed at the Christmas Handmade Fair in Manchester at the end of November.They will then be given to families to hang on their Xmas trees.

They are fun and quick to make.I used Lucy's of Attic 24's pattern.I have made 30 so far.I blocked them when they were finished and put spray starch on them to give them a bit more body.

Is it just me or are people not blogging as often as they used to?

My Latest Project!

I have really enjoyed making this wreath.At the moment the flowers and leaves are just pinned on but I wanted to share it with you.My thanks must go to Lucy at Attic24 for the patterns.I find following crochet patterns quite difficult as I am left handed but Lucy's are so clear and are taken step by step.The flowers and leaves are going a wreath made of twigs bought from Hobbycraft for,I think, £2.50.This makes it a really cheap project as you are just using up scraps of wool.
Give it a go.Its good fun and would make a great present.

Would you be brave enough to eat fungi found in your garden?

 We moved into this house almost a year ago.It was built 30 years ago and when it was built there were five large trees in the garden,all with TPOs(tree preservation orders).During that time three have gone and we are left with two huge trees,a beech and a horse chestnut.Around the garden are rotting tree roots from the other three and this is where we found the fungi.The one on the left started off looking like the one on the right,egg shaped but on maturity has flattened out.Initially we thought it was a Common Puffball but now think it might be a Parasol Mushroom.My book says they are edible and delicious but I would never dare to try it!!

 Isn't the underside beautiful?

 This is our beech tree.You can see the size in relation to the conservatory.

This is our horse chestnut.Our garden is littered with empty conker shells as the local squirrels are hoarding them away.
We can do nothing with the trees(wouldn't want to as they are amazing) without permission from the local authority.If anyone knows about these fungi I would welcome some info.
Barbarax

Yarndale

 This weekend I went to Yarndale in Skipton,Yorkshire ,UK.This is organised by the lovely Lucy from Attic24.A wonderful feast of yarn and creativity.

 Two years ago ,when it started,we were asked to send in crocheted triangles to make bunting.They came in from all over the world.Here they are again for all to see.

 This year was a different challenge.Flowers.All in aid of the Alzeimers Society.The effect was stunning and took your breath away/

I was in there over three hours and made a few purchases but walking round the stalls and seeing the things that people do and create is amazing.

I like to buy thingsI would not buy else where.The above yarn is for making brooches(left),very fine linen and the other two for scarves.The colours do not come across very well.The one on the right I said to the vendor was "zingy" and she thought that was a good word to describe it.

I also bought an owl shawl pin.I now just need to find some time to create and make.

I havn't blogged in ages......

 I havn't blogged in ages because I just couldn't load any photos.I would spend ages doing a blog post and then it would disappear.So frustrating.I only had this machine new in January!!!Eventually it went off to the computer doctor and came back this morning.She had removed 484 infected spyware files!She thought they may have come in when I downloaded crochet/knitting patterns.Mended now.
A short blog today.Photos of my latest bit of crocheting.Cushions for on our new sofas.I think they look really good and are so quick and simple to do.It is a Stylecraft pattern and uses DK yarn used double.

 Here in different colours.It gobbles up the yarn but is so easy.

 I am still sock making.When C was really bad with his Rheumatoid Arthritis he found hand knitted socks easier to put on.I am glad to report on that front that he is now on medication and almost back to normal.

Finally,a photo of my bougainvillea.Isn't it great.I thought it had died over winter and then suddenly this.
We are off to France on Thursday but will try to get another post in before then.Its lovely to be back in Blogland!!!