WE HAD A TICKLE ON THE LOTTERY!!!!

Yes! Fortune smiled on us this week! How lucky are we!

Not a fortune (although that would have been nice) but almost enough to cover the cost of the van we had to buy last week. I just couldn't believe our luck - we never win anything!

Just wish it was enough to share with everyone.

But still back to thee jobs in hand - this week I started having a good old clear out of my Mothers Attic/loft thingy. We lost Mum in 2004, and its only now I feel I can sort things out.

Years ago when we were moving and whatnot, lots of boxes and oddments were pushed up in the loft out of sight - and I am sure they have been breeding!

I've found all sorts!

Just look at this cuteness! - its a photo of my Boys, I think we were on our way to a Playgroup fancy dress party. This has got to be out on display now, much to the growls from the 'Much Bigger Boys' now!

And I found this!

I vaguely remember Mum saying someone had given her a spinning wheel, she used it for some WI display or something when she lived in Yorkshire.

Anyone know anything about spinning wheels? I think its the real thing - it seems to work properly. I think its made of oak or beech - a heavy wood anyway!!

I thought I might re-home it through Ebay - I shall never use it, and I have nowhere to properly display it - imagine how much dust it will attract!!

Attics are amazing places - they hold the whole History of families in them, simply because we are too lazy to sort though and throw away things, or put things away for later - then promptly forget all about them!

On the crafting front - not a great deal really.

I found these two little denim skirts at a car boot sale, the smaller one is tiny and so cute!

Not great photos - sorry!

As you can see I have started decorating them (well I have the bigger one) with felt flowers, lace, beads and embroidery. I shall make them into bags - put a carry strap on and line them, and perhaps a zip to fasten. The larger one will be ideal - I need a bigger one to cart around all the necessary - notebook, tape measure, glasses, spare bags and the usual when I go to the Car Boot Sales!



I like a nice bright funky bag!

I had an urge! - not always a good thing I know, but this was a harmless urge - and it didn't cost me anything. One Christmas my lovely sister bought me a whole set of inks! what a delight! Every now and then they come out of the cupboard, and I have a play! Not that I am any good at pen and ink drawing, but I love to mess, and to be honest I can do a mean picture (for Birthday Cards and whatnot) by tracing the outline of something pretty.

The thing is its addictive and I want to sit and draw and do little else!





And its Credit Crunch things like this, that I should be getting on with!

I always make a big batch of this Marmalade - its so easy and I have found, if I pour a good dollop of whisky in the pan just as its about done, it makes it all the more yummy!

When Mum died she left behind Robert, her husband of just 2 years, they had met and married late in life, and didn't have very long together. We still see much of Robert and look after each other. We share the Marmalade it keeps him supplied over the winter, he saves me the jars and I 'fill um up'!

Lets hope we can afford butter as well as marmalade this winter, I went shopping last night, and it seemed prices had gone up again!

And on that miserable note I will bid you Bye for now!

Thank you to all those who have given me Awards and Tagged me. I will get around to doing something about them soon - promise. It so nice you are thinking of me!


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ODD PHOTOS AND RANDOM MUSINGS!!!

Home is where the heart is! How true!

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Today just a few odd photos - oddments I have found stashed away, you may have seen them before - I can't remember!

We've had a hectic, expensive, but fun week - and Hubby P has had a days work today! Wow - dare we hope things are picking up on the work front?

I just love candlelight and warm colourful shades on my lights, especially during these long cold evenings!



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The Fun bit - we went to the Household Auction, where we bought a (literally) car full of boxes of goodies - more about that at a later post, when I can get to use the camera!

The expensive bit - Our car engine blew up - head gasket went in spectacular style - it died! We just about hobbled into the Auction! - 'well! what now!' I said to Hubby P - and he said -' we might as well go to the Auction and sort the car later!' So we did - then rang the garage for advice, managed to get going again (with a fully loaded car full of Auction goodies) and limped to the garage.
The thought of hunting for another car made me eel sick - I just hate all that trailing around huming and ahring at all sorts of shapes ans sizes, and degrees of rust!
At the garage they - Hubby P and 'Brian the Garage' were uming and ahring at our dead car, and discussing buying another - I said, 'Well! what we really could do with is a Van, if we are going to do more carboot sales'
'Come with Me' says Brian - and what did he have in the garage but a really good Astra car/van thingy, at a really good price! We know our garage man really well, so were happy to look no further! - How relieved was I!

So now Hubby P is 'White Van Man' !!!!




Just some trinkets!
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Can you see Alice's feet!! Ha ha!

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So A bit of a hectic week - we also had to sort through all the boxes we bought at the Auction - absolutely fascinating - a little sad but so interesting! A lot of the boxes came from an old ladies house and we discovered she must have had a passion for Ballet dance, there were lots of notebooks with dance exercises and examination pieces written in them. Ballet magazines, lovely pictures and ornaments. All sorts! a real insight into a well travelled, cultured Lady.

Hopefully some more up -to date, topical photo's next post!

Ta ta for now xxxx

A NEW LIFE!! ~ AND ITS ALL GO!!!!!!

Hi everyone!

Just a little catch up! Life has been so busy - the inevitable has happened and Hubby has had to go through the long and frustrating process of applying for Job Seekers Allowance/Benefit or whatever its called! A steep learning curve for us - what a faff! Its not something we have had to do before - I suppose we've been very fortunate. Anyway hopefully we are sorted out, so life goes on. A bit strange having him around all day - all week! Mind you we have been so busy rearranging our life - time to do all those little jobs we had put on the back burner, finding sources of free firewood, and other money saving/making little projects.

Thermal undies (even sexy little long johns that Hubby P says make him look like Max Wall!) have been donned, and carboot sales sought in the pursuit of a few extra pennies.

We are seeing another side of life for sure, but I must say it is nice to have all this time together - to mooch about carboots and have our little adventures!

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Our own little Woodsman (son Will) came today to sort out some logs for us - keep the old folks warm! It was nice to see him and catch up - why is it University life seems to be just one big party! Its Reading week this week - no lectures, so he has managed to get some work, he is a qualified Tree surgeon so we may be lucky and get some more wood! We are trying our best to fill the enormous wood shed that Hubby P built earlier this year.

Pretty Three Cornered Leeks!

Just look at these little old boots! they are some of my old walking/gardening boots that I nestled in a comfy spot in the garden, and planted up! They have grown a nice covering of moss - it looks and feels like fur - a real pixie, fairy little corner of the garden!

They are sprouting a nice clump of Three Cornered Leeks.



I transplanted one of my 'baby' larger Oak trees into some of the galvanised ware that I bought a couple of weeks ago. It seems quite happy in there!

I just love the Autumn colours!

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Having a good sort out!

With all that's been going on, and thinking of a life that maybe a little different - hopefully only for a short while, but none the less, it makes a person re-assess all around them.

I have taken the plunge and started to have a major sort out and down size my sewing stash! It really is a sin, I have found stuff I didn't know I had!

Fabric, buttons, trims, and stacks of books.

So keep a look out on Ebay - possibly half my house!!!!

I mean - really!!

How many buckles does a girl need! They should be out there! - adorning lovely Handcrafted bags and whatnot!

Any way - that's about all for now! Early to bed tonight its the Household Auction tomorrow - very exciting!! Getting bidding fever already!

Oh! - and a Chicken for Gary!!!

Ta ra for now xxxxx