This was me yesterday, frantically trying to get work finished, house jobs done, washing & ironing done and the baby quilt finished!!!!  I got everything but the baby quilt finished!!!!!!  I even missed #TBT!!!!

SO we will do #TBT today:

Yes I know it’s a Christmas picture but I am just slowly sinking under the weight of Christmas emails, so you have a Christmas #TBT!!!!   This is from 2005 and Eldest was 10 and Youngest was 6 and I just loved those ages.  They are independent little people but they still want you around and your help and they still rely on you.  Wonderful. 

I am hoping this year that Eldest and Girlfriend will be coming for Christmas Dinner so I will have my family all together, which in this frantic, technological age is something I think is very important. 

Speaking of Christmas (tee hee) there was an advert on TV the other day for the Christmas 24 Channel and you know how last year it began on November 1st?  Well this year it begins on October 20th!!!!  Soon it will be June 25th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#

This weekend, like all of them in October for us, is busy.  Youngest is going to see his Girlfriend at Uni, DH and I are seeing Evalyn, Owen and their parents tomorrow as it is Evalyn’s 5th Birthday and from there we are going to the first of the big Swimming Gala’s for the year.  We thought we would just be attending but the Club who are hosting do not have enough helpers, so I am now running the timing equipment and DH is announcing!!!!  Then Sunday is the second of our County’s Mini Galas for the younger swimmers and DH is announcing at that!!!

We were hoping to get the Boy’s Den and our bench stained, as well as replacing the wooden handrail up the steps to our front door on Sunday morning but the weather does not look like it is going to co-operate.  It was going to be sunny but now they are forecasting rain, like  today.  We woke to bright sunshine which soon disappeared and now it is torrential rain and very high winds.  This storm is called Storm Callum but it is nothing like what the US and The Philippines have been experiencing, although it is getting all the leaves off the trees – another job.  I am glad that I managed to get the shed and my little grow house stained this week, two jobs off the list anyway, tee hee!!!!

As much as I am resisting Christmas and it’s fast approach I am having to get some Christmas presents, especially those which need ordering, so I am just going to go with the flow and have decided to just enjoy the journey.  At least by being organised I won’t be stressed by the time Christmas does arrive!!! 

Treacle last year!!!  I am hoping to have got her new quilt done by this Christmas!

To add to the Christmas feel of this post, last year in the Derbyshire Peak District; a dusting of snow just before Christmas.  They are still forecasting a lot of snow this year and if so Treacle will be very happy!

I hope whatever you are up to this weekend, you have a great one.  Happy Friday!

Hugs & Love, Susie xx

Everyone has that after Christmas lull, the decorations are down, you’re back at work, its cold and dark and you feel the same.  Well there are a few things you can do to help make you feel a little less yuck.

Although red and green are very much associated with Christmas it is a colour which can be used all year. Our dining room is painted deep red, I always wanted a red dining room and apparently it is a great colour in this room as it aids digestion!!!  Anyway I digress, with low energy light bulbs now, lights can be left on longer so having small lamps lit in rooms makes the day feel less drab especially if it is very dark outside.

Using red items around the home also brightens it.  This cloth for the table I got on sale and I love the look (Treacle had to get in on the action!).

Our sitting room with all the decorations down, but still with pops of red colour around and the table lamps on to give it a warmer feel.

I have kept a string of warm white lights up in our den, where I work all day, sorry it is a blurry picture but it is very dark outside today so low light but you get the idea.

I also have pops of red colour in the kitchen and I also open the curtains only a little bit to obviously keep it warmer and if it is dark outside then do you really want to open the curtains anyway?

I love these red and white spot mugs and they do brighten up the kitchen dresser.

My red mixing bowl with oranges in and red fruit.

DH and I were watching Home Alone over the holidays and I pointed out to him how the set designers made the film feel even more Christmassy by using lots and lots of red and green in the house and Christmas lights everywhere.  The next time you watch it look how the kitchen is a very deep red with pops of green and all the other rooms have lots of red in.  Also if you look at most scenes there is always some red in each scene, including the lady on the plane with the baby who is wearing a very red jumper!  When you actually look you won’t believe how much there is, but it makes the viewer completely associate this film with Christmas and also why I think people sometimes think they fail at Christmas, when their homes don’t look like the movies.  Let’s face it no one would have that much red and green in their home all year round.

I hope you like my suggestions to help the transition from Christmas to the New Year and hopefully it will soon be Spring!

Anyway we had a very long and tiring day yesterday at the swimming Open.  Here is the pool before the storm!!!

DH, Youngest and I got there at 6.30am to check all was okay with the sound system and to get ready. Warm up started at 8.00am and the event started at 9.00am and even with all the checks we had some problems with the timing system which seemd to plague us all day.  The pool and centre had its own problems as the heating was on the fritz so we had told all the swimmers to bring extra clothes, jogging bottoms and tops to wear between races to keep them warm and we had a heater in the control room to keep us warm.  After a while we switched it off as it was nice and warm but it soon started to get very cold so we had to switch it back on.  Because we had so many swimmers it was a long day and the event did not end until 6.45pm and we were all ready to go home.

The blocks ready for the swimmers.

DH and Youngest before everyone arrived. The picture is a bit blurry as it was taken through the control room window where I spent the whole day!

I got home at 8.00pm and then DH and Youngest got in at 9.45pm.  Everyone seemed to enjoy the day and there were some great swims, but I am glad it is only once a year!!!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  No quilting got done unfortunately but I am hoping to do some later this week.  Next weekend Youngest and DH on Saturday are visiting one of the University’s he has applied to and in the evening it is another swimming event (!) and on Friday night DH has to be at a hearing which he previous chaired when he was President of Derbyshire ASA last year.  The protagonists were not happy with the outcome so have complained to the ASA who now have to interview everyone including the panel which DH chaired.  If you told all our parents at the swimming club, who are potential volunteers to help at our club, that this sort of thing happens, we would never get anyone to volunteer ever again!  Saying that a lot of our parents think we are paid to do the jobs we do for the Club even when we tell them that no we do it for the love the of the sport (!!!!!!!!!!). 

Happy Monday everyone, have a great week.

Hugs, Susie xx

Epiphany when the three Kings arrived to visit the Baby Jesus although as with everything these days there seems to be a bit of confusion as to the date when it should be celebrated.  Some say it should be on January 5th and some January 6th, our Church are celebrating it today!

Whatever date it is when the three Kings arrived, even if it is a little late as we always seem to represent the Kings being there when Jesus was born.  It is also the date when we take all the decorations down which is the bit I hate about Christmas, I always think that this house looks so dull without all the pretty decorations and especially the lights.  In fact I have been keeping a few of the white lights out to brighten the place up.

We are at the swimming pool all day today with our swimming club’s Open so it is going to be a very long and tiring day, hey ho.  I will try and get a bit more of Evalyn’s quilt done this coming week to keep up with my goals for 2018.

Happy Sunday everyone.

Hugs, Susie xx

I don’t know about you but after a holiday I always get confused as to what day it is!  Suddenly it’s Wednesday and even Treacle has not caught up with things yet!

It’s Wednesday?  Oh I don’t have anything prepared perhaps you should do the blog today Mom!

Okay Treacle just relax I have a few things to show everyone from Christmas still.  Fliss, Lee, Evalyn and Owen came for the day last Thursday and we were all here too so it was a very busy, fun day.

Youngest and Owen

Girlfriend, Eldest and Owen

Eldest and Youngest may be the Uncles but really they are playmates!

Owen & Grandad

Youngest and Evalyn

Evalyn had a children’s camera for Christmas so who is taking a picture of who?  Her Mom was not too  happy when she snuck into the bathroom and took a picture of her in the shower!!!!

Eldest and Evalyn.  Girlfriend and I had just managed to get a cup of tea.

They went home about 5.00pm and we were all tired!!!

I have been at my desk all day today catching up on my work and getting things organised although some people are not back until next week, which is great as it gives me time to breathe!!!  Youngest is not back at college until next week as well so we are still a little in holiday mode.  At the end of this week we will be taking the decorations down which is not my most favourite job at all, I hate how the house looks when they are all down, especially all the lights which are my favourite things.  However I will be showing you how to make the most of things you already have to help keep the winter nights at bay.

Happy Wednesday everyone, it’s almost the weekend.

Hugs, Susie xx

Well January has opened and I can honestly say I do not have the same enthusiasm for the New Year that I have for Christmas.  In fact I always associate January with a Monday morning and we all know how we love Mondays!!!!!  In fact you can split the whole year into a week; Monday = January & February, Tuesday = March & April, Wednesday =May & June, Thursday =July & August, Friday = September & October, Saturday = November & December and Sunday is New Year!!!!

Anyway back to Christmas!  We had a lovely time.  The companies we work with and our customers finished on December 22nd and didn’t get back  to work until now so it was lovely to not have the phones going and emails coming in and to completely disconnect from the computers for ten days. 

Our Christmas Dining Table

Our Tree with the family gifts under.

Christmas Eve DH and Youngest were out at the Carols Round the Tree event so I took the opportunity to get things ready for the next day.  Eldest and Girlfriend called round for a couple of hours and it was great to see them.  Christmas Day Youngest was up at 8.00am which for him is early.  We opened our gifts to each other and Treacle opened two of her gifts but we saved the rest for after lunch. During the day between eating and drinking (!) we watched a film on DVD, The Queen’s Speach at 3.00pm and “Victoria” in the evening for two hours.  Youngest had filmed quite a big part but unfortunately it was cut from the final production, he was not pleased!!!!

8.00am December 25th, they both look like they should be back in bed!

New Toy, New Toy!!!!!!

Eldest and Girlfriend came round at lunch and brought more gifts with them, which was lovely as we had two lots of present opening.

More Toys, More Toys!

Daddy and Treacle watching the movie.

Our Christmas Tree in the evening.

Eldest and Girlfriend left about 9.00pm and we all went to bed, me reading my new book and DH and Youngest sorting out a new game on the X-Box!  It was a great day and I loved every minute of it. 

Boxing Day in our home is always a PJ day!!  No one gets up early and everyone gets what they would like to eat from the fridge when they want, a completely chilled day.  We watched another movie Youngest had got for Christmas and Treacle was enjoying all her new toys.

Treacle’s Christmas presents.

It has been a wonderful, quiet and very peaceful few days. 

It has also been very busy too and I will show you the pictures of those days tomorrow.  I will also let you know about my 2018 goals in a few days.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.  Thank you for reading my blog during 2017 and hope that you will stay with me for 2018.

New Year Hugs & Love, Susie xx

Wishing Everyone a very Happy & Peaceful New Year

2018

New Year Hugs & Love

Susie, DH, Eldest, Youngest, Girlfriend & Treacle.