owls again

I told you I would show you my favourite owls.Here they are!Bet you didn't think they would look like this.When Sarah was about 6 my in laws took her and Matt to some church event to give us a bit of a break.We gave them some money to spend and S knowing my love of owls spotted this salt and pepper set.My MIL was mortified because one had an eye missing.I was so touched and have treasured them ever since Yesterday in a garden centre S was looking for something to put on the top of a sweet jar for something at Emily's school.We spotted a Xmas pudding,crocheted, for £6.99.I told her not to buy it I would have a go at making one and this is one I made, making it up as I went along.It stands about 4 inches tall and I feel pretty pleased with it.

Bitten then by the Xmas bug I made this little snowman.

I did promise to show some more owls but the ones I wanted to photo are in the garden and it's gone dark.

I,finally, got signed off from the clinic today 5 weeks after my abscess op.On Friday we are off to Nimes for 5 days.Fingers crossed nothing goes wrong although we are aware the French are striking at the moment over the raising of the retirement age.We may get stuck in France!!

Do you collect anything?

Owls are the first thing I started collecting 40 years ago(I had 2 photos and I have loaded the wonky one!).OK there is a dog in there but that has a special family meaning.I will show you some more tomorrow that have aspecial meaning.

I also have a small collection of Wedgwood Limited Edition Clarice Cliff plates.I love these.I have them on a wall at the end of the hall and you see them as you come in through the front door.

My grandfather was a carpenter and also a woodwork teacher and he made a bureau cum display cabinet for a competition which he won.My stepmother didn't want it in the house anymore so we stored it in a shed for a while.My brother was a Methodist minister and lived in fairly large houses so he had it for a number of years.Then he retired so back it came to me.We really havn't space for it so it stands in a corridor at the back of the house by the utility room but at least it has a home.
I decided to try and find the Midwinter pottery we had when we first got married and this is it.

I then bought this one(all off e bay).This is the crockery that my brother and his late wife had when they got married.

Then I bought this set because it was the one that my best friend at the time had.

I bought this because I liked it.

I must hunt out some more.There is still room in the cabinet!

a birthday present

It is the birthday of one of my friends next week.She is really difficult to buy for.I usually spend ages looking for something but never seem to hit the spot.I would never give her anything i had knitted as she just wouldn't appreciate it.Anyway I spotted this teapot and decided to get it for her plus some fancy teas and a reading journal as she is in two reading groups.What would you think if someone bought you a teapot as a present?Have I got it hopelessly wrong?May have to rethink and keep it for myself!

Yesterday I had to play "mummy" for my daughter.She had to have a wisdom tooth out and is terrified of dentists.She doesn't like the injection.This is someone as an insulin dependent diabetic injects herself four times a day.She goes into total meltdown and has been known to hyperventilate.Actually yesterday she was OK.I just prattle on and try and distract her.She realises how silly it is afterwards and came out and said this is ridiculous.I have had two C sections and wasn't nervous of them at all.It's a funny old world(but the tooth was huge and had a hooked root).I was just glad I could help.

This weeks finished projects

This is a beret I knitted last night for Ruby from scraps of wool I have stashed away.

You can tell I feel the cold weather coming.

Socks for me.This Regia self striping wool is brilliant to knit with.

Socks for C.These are knitted in Lana Grossa merino.80% wool.20% polyamide.

I have now started some gloves.I have never knitted gloves before and I think they may be a bit fiddly.I couldn't resist Posh Yarn on Sunday and bought two lots.Some lace weight and some sock weight.

Someone asked me the other day what was the happiest period of my life so far.It certainly was n't school.I went to a very small primary school and was the only one to go to my grammar school.College was OK.I loved being a mum.Having lost our first baby the happiness Matt and then Sarah brought was amazing.There is only 13 months between them so it was hard work but I loved family life.I enjoyed teaching immensely( I didn't go back until the children were in school) until National Curriculum and the dreaded SATs came in.They were so ridiculous when they first arrived.I love being retired and now being free to do what I want when I want after all those years of juggling work and family.I love being a Grandma.I'm sure I will add more tomorrow.

So many things to be thankful for.

What has been your happiest time and what makes you happy?

Something new.

Llandudno with the pier in the background.

Llandudno West Shore.

For my birthday (Back in January) my daughter bought me an hour's session on a potters wheel.This is something I have never done before so Idecided Ihad better go and do it before the voucher ran out.Gill was lovely and very patient with me but was thrown a little when I told her I was left handed.It was very much geared up for right handers.I had a great time and got better as the hour went on.I produced three little pots which are now being fired and I pick them up in three weeks time.Photos then.I did get very dirty.It was good job I had brought a change of top as I was picking my granddaughter up from school and taking her to ballet.

We have been to the theatre this week.We saw Barkin',a black comedy by Frank Vickery.It was very good and I have such admiration for the actors who are probably paid peanuts.We go again on thursday to see Dancing at Lunghnasa.

Yesterday,as the sun was shining ,we ventured to Llandudno and had a walk by the sea,had our lunch out and visited an art gallery.Of course by the time we got there the sun had gone in.I did take some photos but they are very dark.The photos should have appeared here not above!!

What else have I done this week.Three coffee dates with different friends.I have also joined a gardening club .

Food and Drink Festival.

This weekend was our town's Food and Drink Festival.We managed to get there soon after it opened when it was quite quiet.Over the two days 11,000 people visited.Unfortunately I didn't get to take many photos as we had 2 little ones in tow and a pushchair.This year there was lots more tasting which was great and ahuge array of stalls,most of them local producers from here in N Wales.We tasted cheeses,sausages, cakes and lots more.

There was foreign food as well.Loads of different olives.

There was live music all day too.

We had lunch there.Emily chose ostrich burger!

Look at all these pies!

This was a pork pie topped with Blue Stilton which C bought.Very yummy too.

Here are some other things we bought.Different kinds of sausages for tea.Three cheeses and an apple teabread for afters.

All in all a great day.The icing on the cake was the weather.Clear blue skies and wall to wall sunshine(but it was a bit chilly).

Burglars!!

The audacity of some people.Last night someone broke into the shed in the garden of my daughters's next door neighbour.They stole a set of left handed golf clubs climbed over the fence broke into S's shed (or possibly just opened the door.They aren't sure it was locked!) left the first set of clubs and took Mike's right handed ones plus some old fishing tackle.They then climbed over the next fence ,let the dogs out at the front,climbed another fence and broke into a conservatory,using the golf clubs and stole a TV before the burglar alarm went off.The poor mum,with 3 small children ,was on her own.Her OH works abroad.S and M were very lucky as their patio door lock is broken and they could have just walked into their house.

I am still going to the clinic for dressings but hope to be discharged either tomorrow or next week.We have booked a little break to Provence.We can only find a five day slot in our busy schedule so are flying,Ryanair,to Nimes for five nights.We have booked in at the Ibis and will hire a car.If the weather is bad there are lots of places to visit.The challenge will be packing for 5 days in carry on luggage.Lots of scarves and wear as much as you can !!

It's Mold Food Festival this weekend.It gets to be a better event every year.Brian Tilsey is here this year.We went to the Cambridge Food Festival last year and Mold's was much better.Sarah and the girls are coming for the weekend while Mike goes to see his mother in Cockermouth as she has been in hospital.