DH and I managed to get the hall, stairs and landing decorated over the weekend!!!  It is one of those jobs where there does not seem to be a lot to do but there is an horrendous amount of woodwork to gloss paint!!!  That took us all day Saturday to do, we got the walls done on Sunday and tidied up and got everything put back on Monday!  We even managed to keep Treacle off the walls whilst they dried!! 

Friday, Saturday and Sunday it was really nice weather wise but not as warm as earlier in the week but at least the sun was out. We also got the lawn mown.  However yesterday morning it was doing this:

It didn’t settle of course but it did snow for a while and this morning, first day back at work and all the cars had to be de-iced as it had gone below freezing last night!!  Treacle doesn’t know if she is coming or going at the moment, one day it’s nice and she can spend all day outside, next day it is back to freezing.  Needless to say our heating is back on but at least it dried the paint!!!  At the next Bank Holiday at the beginning of May, we will be painting our dining room which will be easier as it is large walls and not much gloss to do!!  Then it will be the sitting room at the end of May!!!

In between I will be getting the Spring Cleaning done!!  I have already done one room and now the hall, stairs and landing is done too.  Nine more to go!!!  I also have to do some sorting out and clearing up of things.  I am going to leave DH and The Boys to do the garden and cars which then leaves just the garden to tidy and set up for summer, which I am hoping is going to be like last year when it was lovely and warm. 

We have now been told that the next stage of opening up is going to go ahead on April 12th when non essential retail will open as well as hairdressers (thank goodness), spas, gyms and restaurants.  Obviously things will be watched to make sure that the infection rate does not go up again.  Here’s hoping.

I hope you all had a lovely Easter and a great week. 

Hugs & Love, Susie xx

Happy Easter Everyone

I hope everyone has a lovely Easter holiday whatever you are up to.

Hugs & Love, Susie, DH, Eldest, Youngest, Girlfriend & Treacle xxxxxx

We have actually seen the sun today!  Yeah.  It does make such a difference to the day when the sun is out, even Treacle likes it although she is panting as she has her wooly coat! 

As it is #TBT I thought I would find some pictures of Spring.  Below was the sun setting the other day when the sun was out!

I am waiting for my Primroses to flower this year, they always make me smile.

A tale of two Scottish Easters, depending upon which month Easter falls in.  Above was a late Easter in April and as you can see the wonderful blue sky.  Below was an early Easter in March and we had a lot of snow!!!! 

Yet another Easter and this is Loch Ness in the early morning and as you can see quite misty and ethereal!  I just love all the different pictures you can get in Scotland.  We were hoping to go to the cottage this Easter but it looks like that will be out as travel is not authorised until after the Easter holidays.  We shall have to wait and see. 

Had to have a #TBT with DH and the Boys on the boat when we cruised up Loch Ness!!!

I hope you are having a Thrilling Thursday, It’s Friday tomorrow, yeah. 

Hugs & Love, Susie xx

Happy Easter Everyone

Stay Safe

Thank You especially today to all those in the medical profession, grocery workers, delivery drivers, teachers, firemen, police, the army, air force, navy and all who are working hard to beat the virus and keep our Country ticking over.

To all who are on their own today who cannot be with their families because of the virus, we are all with you here.  Have a lovely day.

Easter Hugs & Love

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

XXXXXXX

Normally I would hate tonight as I really don’t like putting the hour on.  However as we are all at home and not having to get up ridiculously early each morning we should all be okay!!!!! 

The benefit of the hour going forward is light mornings and lighter nights!!!!  Which of course means we can get a lot done outside!!!! 

I know my friends in the US have already moved their clocks forward an hour so we are joining them tonight.

Have a great weekend.

Hugs, Susie xx

She turned to the sunlight And shook her yellow head, And whispered to her neighbour: “Winter is dead.”

A.A. Milne

Happy Spring Everyone!

Hugs, Susie xx

To Everyone: I hope you have had a Wonderful Easter

Sorry for the Belated Wishes, I will show you why tomorrow!!!!

Hugs

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

XXXXXX

Jayne and I were not Ladies Who Lunch today but Breakfast instead at The Apple Tree (above) as Jayne had appointments the rest of the day, but it was a great couple of hours sitting and chatting.  In fact we have said we shall have a day out in Nottingham in the Summer just to have a look round and lunch, so we don’t get to November when we will then be going Christmas shopping!!!  Although the way the weeks are flying by it will soon be November!!!!!!

Thursday last week we had a visit from the Accountants!!!  and the whole day was taken up with that and Friday the company came to service the house alarm and it was Home jobs day!!!  Although I didn’t get that done until quite late in the day as I had had a terrible headache all day and had sat at my desk working as I didn’t feel I wanted to be running round the house cleaning!!!!! 

Saturday DH and I had nothing happening so we took Treacle for an extra long walk at Chatsworth (she will tell you all about that tomorrow!).

Yesterday I was catching up on all the work that had been generated by the Accountant’s visit as well as all my normal work!  I actually managed to get it all done thankfully!!!!!

Our new bed and bedside tables will be arriving after Easter, so this weekend (we have another free weekend – amazing!) we will be Spring Cleaning our room and getting rid of anything we don’t need!  We also have some work to do in the garden and I am hoping that the weather will be good too.

I cannot believe that it is Easter next week.  We have ordered the skip to arrive for our Big Attic Clear Out!!!!  In fact I think we have galvanised some other friends to do their attics too.  Jayne mentioned that it is a job that their family will be doing over Easter.  I am just keeping my fingers crossed now that the weather is going to be kind to us!!!!

I hope you are having a Thrilling Tuesday.

Hugs, Susie xx

Well the first three months of the year have flown by in a flurry of activity in our home.  Eight major swimming events as well as the weekly swimming club sessions, Three weekends of quilting done whilst everyone else was at swimming, countless business meetings/travel/emails, Visits to Universities x 3, Youngest filming three times and one hip replacement.  Along with all the usual washing/ironing, cleaning, cooking, shopping etc.  So although we think it has flown when you actually look back on what has happened you wonder how you fitted it all in.

I actually got to drive on Saturday which was quite strange not having driven for six weeks but I was fine and it was such a relief.  As soon as someone says you can’t do something like driving it feels like you are trapped forever!!!!  Needless to say we did not get the attic done as the “Staff” were otherwise occupied!!!  Eldest was busy and so was Youngest but we have earmarked it for another weekend to get the job done and also the garage and room off. 

Saying that, we did not do a lot over the weekend.  We saw some friends, Eldest and Girlfriend came for Easter Dinner which was lovely and we generally chilled.  It would have been nice to get into the garden but the weather was not good and we woke up on Monday morning to snow on the ground again, but not a lot to Treacle’s annoyance.

Our Easter Table

This is the Simnel Cake I made which I have not done before.  It is a light fruitcake with a layer of marzipan in the middle and then a layer on top with eleven circles of marzipan on top although I substituted little eggs for some of them.  It was really good and I was so pleased how it turned out.  I will put the recipe on my recipe page.

Our German guests arrive on Wednesday evening and so Thursday will be a very busy day but they are leaving again Friday morning which is a change to the itinerary because of their ferry times.  We are going to visit two quilt shops and then take them to Chatsworth House where we will meet up with the men for lunch.

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter break and tomorrow I will have the Spring Cleaning Planner ready for you to have a look at.

Hugs, Susie xx

We are busy Hopping towards the Easter Long Weekend.  House jobs done, work done, washing and ironing done, grocery shopping done and in true British weather for a Bank Holiday Weekend it is throwing it down with rain!!! However that is not going to stop us having a lovely break.

Here is our Easter display.

It looks really bright against the grey of the rain!

Our plans for the weekend may have to change as The Boys are not now around for all of it so getting everything out of the attic may have to be done on another weekend.  I will get it done eventually though!

Treacle and the winter violas and the daffodils still trying to come out.

Easter flowers.

I hope you like these lovely Easter/Spring pictures and have a wonderful Good Friday.  As a child when I was at Sunday School I could never understand why they called it Good Friday as it seemed to me to be the worst thing ever someone dying and I knew all about Jesus rising again on the third day but it still seemed awful.  Anyway whatever your plans are for the Easter weekend I hope it is a good one.

Hugs, Susie xx