Monthly Archives: February 2025

Friday, Yeah!

Do you ever get to Friday and think that was one hell of a week, AGAIN! I have had one of those weeks and am really glad it is Friday, although the weekend is a busy one for DH as he is announcing at a swimming competition all day tomorrow and setting up tonight. I am hoping to start one of the quilts which needs to be done by May (!) and Sunday we have all the family here for Fiance’s Birthday which is Monday. Today I am doing home jobs, washing and ironing and tomorrow is shopping as well, so it will be a frantic weekend in some ways.

I also cannot believe that tomorrow is March 1st, where did February go to? March is going to be busy for DH with swimming events every weekend, one of which I will also be going to, but then at least I can get on with my quilts! Work has been busy too which is a good thing and I am very grateful for.

One thing I could do without at this time of year is all the Awards show! I am so tired of seeing these people strutting down red carpets, endless discussions about what they are wearing and the general “word salad” words they come out with! Needless to say I will not be watching this weekend!

This is my current book and will be reviewed for March. I have read quite a few of Edward Marston books now and love his writing. It is about the Railway Detective and his Sergeant investigating all things on the Railway in Victorian times. History and Mystery in one. My TBR shelf has now migrated to three shelves after receiving books for my Birthday, Christmas and me buying them as well but I need them all!!! I love having the ability to choose which sort of book I read next and can sit for a good fifteen, twenty minutes deciding what it will be. While I have been working I have also been listening to an audio book on my iPod (I suppose that is old fashioned now!!) but it has been amazing, listening to a book whilst working. Some people say that that is not reading but I think it is just a different way! So far I have listened to The Redemption of Althalus by David Eddings, Miss Marple’s Casebook by Agatha Christie, Bookmarked for Murder by Dan Andriacco and have just started Message Deleted by K L Slater. Although I will say that it does depend upon who is narrating it!!!

I hope you have had a good week and a great weekend to come, I am off now to do the cleaning. I have threatened to tie a duster to someone’s tail so she can help, but she is busy running around with her tennis ball!!!

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

#TBT.

1 Reply

Today is #TBT, Throwback Thursday, and of course I love looking at Pictures. One of my jobs during the decluttering is to tidy our existing photo albums and make sure I have written in all of them but we also have a clip box full of pictures from DH’s family and also from my family. My intention is to get them put into photo albums and write who they are on them for our Boys. We got DH’s father to write on the back of the pictures who everyone was, after I inherited my family pictures I can guess who some of them are but quite a few I don’t know them at all. They are all obviously related to me but not where they are in the family tree.

Anyway one of the best inventions over the recent years has been digital photographs so we can store them on the computer and of course look at them when we want to. Below are a selection of pictures taken during March, April & May between 2006 and 2010 when the Boys were between 10 & 6 to 14 & 10!

The above three were taken in Scotland around the Easter holidays.

This was in London in 2009 on the London Eye.

This one above is on the Pirates of The Carribbean Ride in Disney World 2008

The above one is at our Villa in 2010, the year of the Ash Cloud! You can tell they are swimmers!

We loved going away with the Boys at the Easter holidays. It was a great time to go because Christmas was always so busy and at Easter the weather was getting better and we were ready for the break. It also worked out well being about three months between Christmas and Easter and then three months between Easter and the summer holiday in Scotland and then three months between that and Christmas. As they got older we have not been so much, only on odd occasions and we are not going this year but maybe next, we shall see.

Coco also came home in April 2022 and this is how tiny she was!!! I cannot believe that she was ever that small!

Happy Thursday everyone. Today I have home jobs to do and shopping and tomorrow I have a Birthday cake to make and also have a day off as it has been a hectic few weeks and the weekend is due to be busy again as well.

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Spring Are You There?

1 Reply

I am hoping that this will be the picture everywhere soon. At the moment it is still very cold and grey here although the daffodil bulbs are growing so hopefully they will look like this soon. March 1st is the start of the Spring months but March and April here in the UK can be hard weather wise, with March’s high winds and April’s showers it doesn’t really settle down until May.

Normally March is when I begin to think about beginning the Spring Cleaning which I do over the next three months but this year It may take the rest of the year!!! I have done one cupboard in the kitchen already so that has been ticked off the list, just now need to do the rest, although I am also adding my decluttering of our home in with this. So decluttering first and then cleaning! Youngest’s room is now completely empty so that will be cleaned and then painted before we put any furniture back into the room. I may also use the room, whilst it is empty, to put the boxes in that need decluttering and then they can be put where they will be stored until needed.

The garden is looking a bit sorry for itself at the moment and needs a good tidying but there are signs of things getting better with the bulbs starting to appear, the snow drops are coming up and the lemon primulas are starting to flower too. Can’t wait till they are all in flower. This was taken last year when the den was still up, as it has been too cold and raining today to take a new picture!

In the next few months we have quite a few things coming up including Easter! DH and I will be painting Youngest’s room over the long weekend, which is four days! It will need two coats of paint as it has not been done for a while but I am sure it will look great when it is done. I thought I would include some Spring flowers to cheer everyone up. Love the colours of the primulas above and the flowers from our Business dinner three years ago, below.

Wednesday today, middle of the week yeah, almost the weekend. Hope you are having a great week.

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Coco’s Corner.

1 Reply

My little friend, Blaze, has moved out with his Mummy & Daddy so I am back to being an only Dog again. A few of our friends have suggested to my Mummy that we need a cat to be my companion but Mom says that Blaze will be back to stay when they are away and Fiance is coming to stay with us in July with Blaze whilst Daddy and The Boys are away so if we had another cat here they may not get on. Also Honey, Eldest & Partners Labrador, may come and stay too when they are away so it is best that I remain King of this Castle.

Mom has been brushing me more than usual as she says I look scruffy and may need a spa day soon, but she doesn’t want to make the appointment yet as it is still cold here. Today the sun has been out but it is still cold so the little furry creature who predicted six more weeks of winter was probably correct. The bulbs in the garden are starting to come up so hopefully in a few weeks we will have lovely yellow flowers in the garden although the rest of it needs tidying. Mom says she will be getting jobs done when the weather gets a little better.

Going into March we usually get high winds as March begins or none at all so the old saying of March comes in like a Lion and goes out like a Lamb or it reverses. We have had quite a few days where it has already been windy so it may be coming in like a Lion. There is also the old saying of “March Winds doth Blow we shall have Snow”, Mom is really hoping we don’t get snow at this part of the year. She was also saying that how can the first two months of the year be over already? Of course I don’t know anything about that as my days are very much the same!

I did not want to get up the other morning! Mom was busy getting ready but I was not ready to meet the day! Both Mom and Dad have been getting up at 4.30am most mornings and that is really too early for me, even though I get to sleep in and also sleep during the day!

I hope you lovely lot are having a good week. Woof, Coco xx

What A Week and Weekend!

2 Replies

They have gone! Youngest, Fiance and Blaze have moved into their new home. It started on Thursday with them getting the keys so cleaning was done first and then the move of all the furniture and things they have bought. By yesterday they were all set up with a few jobs left to do like finishing putting their clothes into the wardrobes.

The home is lovely with a sitting room, kitchen with a dining area, garden and garage with three bedrooms and bathroom upstairs. It is also very near to some of our friends and also next door but one to some friends of theirs.

Of course their room here is now empty and Coco has taken to playing in there with her tennis ball! We are going to paint it over the Easter break and then get furniture for it and set it up as a guest room for Youngest & Fiance or Eldest & Partner, who have also said that it can be for when Little Man can sleep over. Of course they will all be fighting over it with Coco who no doubt will also lay claim to it!!! I think I will be having a waiting list.

Of course I did not get anything else done at home over the weekend for us including the cleaning, washing & ironing. We also had a swimming event on the Saturday night, locally fortunately, but DH and I did not get home until 11.00pm! It has been one of those weekends. I am glad to be at my desk today working!

It is a fairly quiet week but next weekend is busy again with DH out on Saturday at a swimming event all day, which is the same for every weekend in March (!), and Sunday the family are all here as it is Fiance’s Birthday a week today so we are celebrating on Sunday instead.

This is where I will be spending Saturday and the other days that DH is swimming, as I have two quilts which need to be completed by May! I also have a few others which need to be completed this year too. I am sure I will find time to get them done.

I am sure that Miss Coco will be helping by keeping me company whilst I am in there and she loves my chair.

We are all getting used to it being just the three of us at home. Eldest asked me how long it has been since it was just DH and I and I said well how old are you? That is how long it has been since we have been on our own and this year it will be 30 years!!! OMG where has that gone? I will have to get used to buying food for just the two of us and also not cooking huge amounts as again just the two of us!!! I am sure I will get the hang of it although it will take a while for me to get used to it just being the two of us again.

I hope you lovely lot had a wonderful weekend, a great week to come. I am hoping to be back to blogging every day now.

Hugs & Love, Susie, DH & Coco xxx

Susie’s Friday Book Club.

1 Reply

Well February’s Book Club has come round quickly and as we always say where are the weeks going to?

I am keeping up with my Aims of doing more reading this year and have managed to finish two books but I have also listened to three on my Apple iPod whilst I am working or doing home jobs. Some people say that this is not really “reading” but then others say yes it is as although you are listening to the book you are still getting into the story. So for February’s Book Club I will show you the Book I listened to

This is about three women in the village of Churchwood who meet. Alice who is the retired Doctor’s Daughter who have just moved to the village since his retirment. Kate who lives on one of the local farms with her father and brothers who treat her like a slave and dress her like one of them and Naomi who owns the big house in the village and is in charge of all the local charitable good works.

Alice had damaged her hand whilst still in London and is not back to full health and is very concious of it, Kate is very concious of how everyone feels about her family and especially how she looks and acts and Naomi is concious of how everyone sees her as being stuck up and too good for the village. The three of them come together and form a strong bond of kinship and help the village and the wounded servicemen at the local hospital by starting their own bookshop, they also discover whilst organising the bookshop a traiter in their midst.

To be honest this is only the second book I have listened to on my iPod, the first one being a book that I had already read and new the story, thinking that this would be better for me as I already knew what was going to happen. I did wonder if I would actually listen to the story if I was busy working, but it is amazing how good our brains are at doing two things at once and I did manage to listen to the story and work! I have also gone on to download two other books to the iPod to listen to in the future.

It would never stop me from reading the books, which I do still prefer but being able to listen to the story whilst working works well. The Wartime Bookshop was a lovely story, not too taxing but it was well written and read and I already have, in printed form, the next book in the series The Wartime Bookshop at Christmas so I will be reading that! I have just started to read this book, below, and have read quite a few of Mr Marston’s books already and do love them.

The view from the Cafe.

This weekend is entirely free, no swimming, so we have a few jobs to do and we are going to see Little Man tomorrow. This morning DH was not working so we went out to Chatsworth Farm Shop cafe for breakfast and it was lovely. The weather was very cold and frosty so we are still in the depths of winter but it is supposed to get a little warmer later in the week, just in time for us to help Youngest & Fiance move in to their new home next weekend!

Have a wonderful weekend you lovely lot.

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Someboday loves Henry Hoover!

Coco’s Corner.

2 Replies

Before Christmas the sewing room was full of gifts and boxes and everything Christmas! Mom and I could hardly move in there, so when all the parcels had been taken downstairs Mom sorted things out and gave the room a good clean and tidy. Since then we have spent a couple of weekends in there sewing but now it is absolutely full again of boxes and bags. They are all the things that Youngest & Fiance need for their new home and the sewing room is the best room to store them in! However we cannot move again!

They are going to be moving in to their new home a week on Saturday and we have more things being delivered, some of the heavy things are in the garage but then we have to get them over to their home. Of course one thing that I am going to really miss is Blaze, who will be going with his Mummy & Daddy.

We do have our moments but we do love each other’s company especially first thing in the morning. Mom says that Blaze will be able to come back and have sleep overs especially if Youngest & Fiance go away then he can come and stay with us. Mom says I will get used to it being just me and her again once they have moved out.

We have been all on our own before when Eldest had moved out the first time and Youngest used to stay at his girlfriend’s house so Mom, Dad and I were on our own but this time it will be all the time and for real! It will be quiet just the three of us but I know that I will be thoroughly spoilt by Mom and Dad!!!!!

Our weather has been dreadful over the last few days, very grey and overcast all day and then freezing at night and today it is raining. I have been coming in from the garden very wet and muddy and despite Mom wiping my paws all the time I have still manged to get muddy paws on my bed and the doormat!!! I am looking forward to Spring and the better weather.

It is my Birthday at the beginning of next month and I know Mom has already bought me some gifts as I found them and she has now put them on the top shelf. I can’t wait to see what I have got!!! My Birthday is the day after Fiance’s so we are going to have a double celebration!!!!

We had a busy weekend with lots happening but Mom says this coming weekend is quiet which will be lovely. I hope you all had a great weekend and a lovely week to come.

Woof, Coco xx

One Year Old.

3 Replies

Little Man is One! Where did that year go to? I know we say it all the time that the weeks fly by and they do but I think it is because we are all so busy. When I was little I always used to think that February was the longest month ever, even though it is two or three days shorter than the other months! We are already into the second week of the month. Any-who Little Man had a lovely Birthday.

He loved his Hedgehog cake which I made, although by the time I got it there it looked more like a Ware Hedgehog!!! He loved the chocolate buttons though.

Three Generations and Uncle too.

Daddy built him a Busy Board, they had a nice piece of wood left over which he waxed and then attached various things to it to fiddle with which Little Man loved.

Grandad & Daddy helping with one of his new toys.

The other job for Saturday afternoon was to tidy his room out and get it organised and also set the cot onto its lowest level as he is getting tall! The picture below is where he is in the cot in his dressing gown after his bath.

Tidy room ready for Little Man.

He settled down really well and did not wake up until 5.00am the next morning.

One of the gifts we got him was this Farm set up which makes noises and songs and you can pull and push things and twist them and he loved it. The mat he is on was one of our gifts from Christmas.

He loves it.

It was a really busy weekend. DH was out all weekend at the County Swimming Championships that went off well with a few issues but not too many. At least it is over for another year. This coming weekend we have a weekend free which will be great and on Friday morning DH and I are going out for breakfast which will be lovely. We have a few jobs to do which we can get done but it will be so nice not to have to be anywhere specific. We will need it as the following weekend Youngest & Fiance are moving in to their new home so it will be all hands on deck for that! This week is quiet work wise and I am keeping up with the work and also home jobs too. During March DH has swimming events every weekend so I will be able to get quite a bit of quilting done!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and a great week to come.

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Winter.

2 Replies

Goodness it has been a busy few days at the end of January and beginning of February. Wednesday January 29th was the start of the Chinese New Year and 2025 is The Year of the Wood Snake!!! So what can we expect from the Wood Snake?

A time for wisdom, patience and careful decision making.

A time for shedding bad energy, letting fo of the past an releasing unrealistic expectations.

A time for personal growth, deeper thinking and thoughtful decision making.

A time for adaptability, long term planning and personal development.

A time for new opportunities for growth and change.

So this sort of fits in with my year of decluttering and sorting things out! We shall see how things go this year.

Saturday February 2nd was Ground Hog Day and Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow when he emerged from his burrow so we are in for six more weeks of Winter! It has been quite cold over January and this week it is meant to be in the minus digits most days, so I think he is going to be correct!

So in true Year of the Wood Snake style we have a lot happening at home. Youngest & Partner got engaged and today Youngest started his new job which he is looking forward to! Then at the end of February DH and I will become empty nesters as they are moving in to their new home!!!!! I mean how many things can happen in the first two months of the New Year?!!! They are both looking to being in their own home and have been busy buying things for it. I remember when DH and I got our first home and all the fun of buying things to fill it and they are doing this now. Of course DH and I have been roped in to help them move in with some of their friends too.

They asked what would happen to their room here now? We will decorate it and then fill it with a bed, wardrobe, small dressing table and box so that they can come back and stay for the weekend if they would like or Eldest, Partner & Little Man can also stay if they want to as well.

DH suggested that I move my sewing things in there and then have the smaller room as a guest bedroom but it is smaller and we could do it, but I quite like the smaller room to sew in. One benefit is that the guest bedding will be brought out of the attic and also we can use the wardrobe in there for our seasonal clothes so something else out of the attic!! Of course I am sure that Coco will claim the new bed as hers as soon as it is set up! In fact it could be Coco’s bedroom!!!!

It is going to be very different just DH and I again. We have, since the Boys were adults, had the occassional weeks or months where we were on our own at home because they have been away with the various other halves at times so we have experienced it a little bit but then Eldest came home, Youngest was here so we were back to how it was when they were little. We have not been just the two of us since Eldest arrived which will be twenty nine years but I am sure we will get used to it and of course we have little Coco at home.

I did get some quilting done over the weekend but I cannot show you just yet as they are gifts. I have next weekend to do some more quilting and the weekends when DH is out doing the swimming compere I will be quilting. It was a good weekend to be in as the weather was cold, grey and raining!!!