Monthly Archives: August 2021

Oh My It Is Friday!!!

This week has been chaos as always being the first week back from vacation!!! I have managed to keep up to date with work and getting there with home jobs! Sometimes I do wonder whether it is worth going away, but of course it is, just when you are in the middle of trying to get things sorted when you get back!!!!

I was scanning around Pinterest the other day and saw this quote. It is so true I always do this!!!

Saw this on Instagram, I mean Snoopy and Star Trek!!!! Snoopy would defintely be the Captain!!!

Saw this also on Instagram as a T-Shirt to buy, slightly rude I know but after dealing with a business matter today which has been going on since Tuesday with no one answering my emails and getting no where on the phone, I really could slap them (the business) so that Google would not be able to find them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still got lots of jobs to do but they will get done as it is a long weekend for us in the UK and the weather looks okay too so hopefully the garden will be done.

Whatever you are up to this weekend I hope it is a good one and I will be back Monday with some pictures.

Hugs & Love, Susie, DH, Eldest, Youngest & Treacle xx

I am keeping an eye on my Tennis Ball to make sure it doesn’t move!!

#TBT.

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Mom, I am back from the Spa and I have been very good, can I have my biscuit now please?

What’s next on the agenda today?

That’s it for the day now, I need a sleep after my busy spa day!

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It is #TBT so I thought I would show you some pictures of the Boys in Scotland over the years as we have just come back from vacation.

Ah the days when they would smile at the camera!

Prospective Pilots?

Youngest & DH – they do clean up well!

DH & The Boys at Loch Mhor.

Pier Building at Loch Mhor! They can work together when they want to!!!!!

Today has been a work day and taxing Treacle around and I did all the washing and ironing yesterday and just have the cleaning and grocery shopping to do tomorrow and then we are all set for the weekend. We are hoping that the weather is going to be okay so we can tidy the garden after our vacation and also start to get it tidy for Autumn.

I hope you are having a great Thursday.

Hugs & Love, Susie & Treacle xx

The Wednesday Wag.

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Summer seems to have disappeared for a bit but it means I am happy in my basket at the moment! I am going to have a busy day tomorrow as Mom has booked me in for a spa day as she says I am getting a little wooly again and I need to have a short coat in case it does get very warm again.

I also have an appointment with my Doctors next week for my annual check up and booster injections. I think I prefer a spa day to visiting my Doctors!!

I am waiting for all my lot to come home and hopefully I will get my dinner as soon as someone comes in, failing which Mom is here!!!

I hope you are having a good Woofy Wednesday. I will be back tomorrow to show you my new Aire-Cut!

Woof, Treacle xx

I have been on patrol today against those blooming squirrels!!

Dare We Say We Are Back To Normal?

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Are things starting to feel a little bit like what normal was eighteen months ago? Our restrictions eased a while ago now and although there are still cases of Covid occuring it does seem to be a lot less. There are still officials saying that there may be an uptick of cases in Winter but they just don’t know.

I really hope that we won’t be in any more lockdowns this year and hopefully if we do have another issue we can deal with it whilst still doing everything else!!!

Only seven more days left in August and then that will be summer over with for another year, now where did that go? I love all the Seasons but Autumn going into Winter I do love a little bit more!!!

Sadly Nottingham Goose Fair has again been cancelled this year due to the numbers who attend. Over the space of five days 400,000 people come to see the famous fair and as we don’t know what might be happening in October and because you would not be able to socially distance at the Fair, they have cancelled it again. Everything crossed for next year now as this was where DH and I had our first date and we love to go and is also one of the things I love about Autumn!

If things do start to get cancelled again, I may do a Bonfire Party on November 5th for our family again, like last year so that we have something to look forward to.

Yes I know you will probably hate me for this picture but I have to tell you that there are only four months to go until Christmas!!! Especially if you need to get on with making presents for those important family members!!!! Of course there are those super organised people out there who have already made their Christmas presents and no doubt wrapped them already!!! I am organised but not when it comes to getting things made!!! I am going to write a list right now!!!!

I am also hoping that my good friend, Jayne, and I can go Christmas shopping this year in Nottingham, something we have not been able to do for two years now! Did I tell you that she has retired from work? Which also means that we will be able to go out and be ladies who lunch a bit more now!, yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway I had better sign off now and get on with cooking dinner for my lovely lot who will be coming through the front door very soon. I hope you have had a great Tuesday, tomorrow is half way through the week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hugs & Love, Susie & Treacle xx

Couldn’t resist this picture. That look says, do I really have to have this stupid hat on and have my picture taken?!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We Are Back!

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Well that vacation went quickly! DH and I didn’t do a lot, as restrictions had only just eased in Scotland so some things were not open and we also decided we didn’t need to go anywhere! It was just nice to be away in the peace and quiet. Here are a few pictures of the view from the cottage and a couple of times we did venture out.

The view from our cottage, it was so quiet and peaceful.

We had a visitor one morning, a Hare.

Going up to the cottage we also had these three visitors, The Famous Grouse!

Various pictures of days out of the mountains, the sea and the local wildflowers.

The Heather was just coming out in all its wonderful purple colour.

We did venture to the outskirts of Inverness to go to Leakey’s Second Hand Bookshop. As you can see from the two pictures they have lots and lots of books and if you go in the cooler months the wood burner is going and it is great!

The above building is across the road from Leakey’s and was originally Dunbar Hospital.

We headed home on Saturday and it started to rain as we left and never stopped until late into the evening and we were home! You would never have known it was August by the weather!!!

It was a lovely two weeks but it’s great to be home and see Eldest, Youngest and little Treacle, who had had the best time with her Boys, being treated like a Princess!!!!

This look says, they are back and of course my dinner is late !!!!!!!

We also celebrated Eldest’s Birthday, 26 (!), but he had been at work all day so was happy to have a takeaway at home as he did not finish until 8.30pm!!!!

Today it is back to work (!) and catch up on all the business work and all the washing and ironing as well. House jobs at the end of the week as well and possibly gardening if the weather is okay at the weekend! DH has also. on Saturday, got the first event in over eighteen months so that will be interesting to see how it goes. We also have a long weekend this coming weekend as it is the last Bank Holiday of the year and we should have been painting our bedroom and dressing room but that is not going to happen now with DH’s event, hey ho it will get done.

I hope you all have had a good two weeks and I will try and show you some of the things I mananged to get quilted and done whilst I was away, although I do now have quite a lot of bindings to sew to the backs of the quilts!!!!!!!

Have a great week.

Hugs & Love, Susie & Treacle xx

Susie’s Friday Monthly Book Club

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Come with me,’ Mom says. To the library. Books and summertime go together.”

Lisa Schroeder

The above quote screams summer vacations to be. We always, when I lived at home, went to our local library the night before we left for our vacation to get lots of books to read whilst we were away. Now I am lucky to have lots of books on our shelves to read while we are away and I will be taking quite a few.

Do you have a set of books that you take away to read? Winter and especially leading up to Christmas I tend to read books about Christmas or Christmas mystery books and at this time of year tend to read books that have summer themes. I know of one friend who always took one classic book away to read, not sure I could do that.

August 9th was National Book Lovers Day which was last Monday. Did you get time to read?

I do have one book that I have wanted to read for a while but not sure whether I am going to like it or not, however it will be going with me to Scotland. This :

I am not a big fan of poems but love stories and I have come across Poe’s work in other books so got this a while ago but have not started it. I will let you know how I get on with it.

Eldest bought me all the Clive Cussler books I was missing so several of those will be going with me as well.

Whatever you are up to during August I hope you can find some time to read and I will be back at the end of the Month with a couple of Reviews.

Have a Lovely Summer

Hugs & Love, Susie, DH, Eldest, Youngest & Treacle xxxxx

Vacation! Finally!

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Finally got there! It has been a long few weeks, months, year!!!! We are off tomorrow morning early, can’t wait. Our Boys are at home together and Treacle is in charge!!!!!!!

I will see you all when we get back.

Have a great summer.

Hugs & Love, Susie & DH xx

#TBT.

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As it is #TBT I thought I would show you some pictures from our vacations in Scotland with the Boys!!!

Biking at Culbin Forrest.

Amazing what you find when fishing, a deer horn!

Standing in the local Loch.

Pony treking at Moy Fair.

Boys will climb anything, including the climbing wall!

Highland Pipers Moy Fair.

Sadly Moy Fair has been cancelled again this year but hopefully they will be on next year! We are not able to get to go away on Saturday but next Tuesday definitely, but it does give me a few more days to get things sorted!!!

Happy Thursday everyone.

Hugs & Love, Susie & Crew xx

Bits & Pieces & The Wednesday Wag.

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After the heat over the last few weeks our weather has settled into a more normal summer pattern for us of warmth but days of rain and they have forecast thunderstorms again for the weeked! They have promised we will have some more nice warm weather a little later in the month but this is usual for us especially as the school children are now on holiday for their six weeks! Of course going to Scotland you don’t expect 24/7 sunshine but of course DH and I don’t really bother about it.

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As you know in the summer we always have the back door open so Treacle can come and go as she pleases. However it means that I don’t always know what she is up to and it seems that she has eaten something she shouldn’t have in the garden and now has an upset stomach! So she is on the chicken & rice/scrambled eggs bland diet!!!! Here she is feeling sorry for herself!

Although saying that she rather likes the chicken and rice!!! However this ALWAYS happens the week we are due to go away, it is almost like she knows! The Boys are at home all the time we are away so she will have them all to herself which she absolutely loves!

Of course as we are away she will be able to hog our bed all to herself!!!

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Pictures from British Swimming

We have been busy watching the Olympics although most of it after the event as Tokoyo are about seven hours ahead of us. Our swimming club swimmers did not do too bad although no medals for them. Molly Renshaw got into the final of the 200m Breaststroke but did not place. Jacob Whittle who is only 16 did make it to the semi-final of the 100m Free but again did not get into the final but did smash his PB time. By the time Paris comes around in three years time, when Jacob will be 19, I am sure he will be up there with the best of them.

We have watched quite a few events; the diving, the swimming of course, the Equestrian events, the Triathalons, the bike races, the rowing (!) and some of the gymnastics. I think under the circumstances all the athletes, officials etc have done an amazing job.

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Do you remember this? This was the whole of our sitting room, mainly all the books, when we painted it. Well look at this :

This is St Paul’s Cathedral in London, part of the conservation & restoration project of it’s library. This is some of the 12,500 books which have been packed away in 977 clip boxes and transported to their temporary home whilst the work is carried out!!! How neat and tidy but of course a lot more people involved in the packing and sorting!!!! Makes our stacking look shameful!!!!

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I have some business work to do today and also some home jobs to do as well as trying to sort things out for the vacation!!

Whatever you are up to today I hope you all have a good day, half way through the week!

Hugs & Love, Susie & Treacle xx

Festival of Quilts.

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On Friday DH and I made our way to The Festival of Quilts at the NEC in Birmingham. Obviously the event was not on last year so it was great to be able to go this year. They had ensured wider aisles for people to pass easily and there were less people on each day to also help. There were a lot of quilts and the ones below are my favourites. The only downside to the show was there were not as many vendors as normal, especially the big fabric sellers so I was not able to get the material I wanted!!! Hopefully next year they will be back.

Warning : Picture Heavy Post!!!!

The above quilt was made by Alexandra Crompton who was getting over surgery and used quilting as an outlet. I love the colours.

Who hasn’t seen seagulls sitting on steps like this? Greta Fitchett of Derbyshire made this and it is entitled “Chips on the Menu Again”!!!!

The above is by LeAnn Hileman of Glendale, USA and is called “Missouri Barn”

I think this is my favourite by Jane Wheeler of Hampshire called “Treescape II” and the depth was amazing in fabric.

Again the one below is by Greta Fitchett and called “Dance at Dawn”. I love the colours in it.

The above one is by Helen Schutten of the Netherlands and is called “My View of Brexit” Again I love the colours.

You know I love Elephants so this is my other favourite. This is by Susan de Vanny of Australia and is called “Deceptive”.

The above one is by Mary Mayne of Bedfordshire and is called “Banhamayne Village. Lots of lovely houses/cottages.

The above one is by Birgitta Jadenfelt of Sweden and is called “Kotten” Again the colours I love.

This was amazing. By Jane O’Sullivan of Surrey and is called “Homeless Quilt”. Jane volunterred at the charity Crisis in 2019 helping to repair garments for homless people. The team helped 700 people so this quilt has 700 luggage labels with fabric on and they are joined by their string tabs. My only thought is where do you put this after the show!!!

I love the colours in the above quilt. It is two person quilt; Tracy Balsdon & Sandy Chandler.

Who doesn’t love a sewing based quilt? This is by Connie Coupland & Shauna Large

Another two person quilt above by Maureen Lazenby & Iminei. It is called “Maritime Signal Flags”

Another two person quilt by Alice Armstrong & Nicole Rollo and is called “Such a Pretty Garden of Flowers” I just love the colours.

The above quilt is a Group Quilt by Dulwich Quilters who number 28. It is entitled “Housebound” and made during Lockdown. I just love all the houses.

Above another Group Quilt; Upcycled FOQ Group of 34 called “A Cup of Me”!

Another Group Quilt above, Gibside Sewing Group of 12 and called “For Ever For Everyone”

Finally on Topic; Black Widow Natasha Romanoff played by Scarlett Johansson.

As I say these are my favourites and not the entire show, some of the quilts whilst being brillant were just not my taste. I will be going next year, hopefully, and as I say hopefully it will be back to its normal size etc.

The weekend was very chaotic at home for various reasons and this week is about the same (!) and although we are due to be away from Saturday on vacation for two weeks it looks like we will not now be able to go until next Tuesday (!). Joy! Hey ho.

I have quite a few jobs to do this week as well but it now seems that I have more time (!) Always a silver lining I suppose.

Hope you are all having a good week.

Hugs & Love, Susie & Treacle xx