Category Archives: Easter

Shrove Tuesday or Shrovetide.

2 Replies

Today is Shrove Tuesday or Shrovetide, commonly known in the UK as Pancake Day!   Ashbourne, where Eldest is, have their own unique football match which runs along the twon streets and you can only play if you are born in Ashbourne and are on the Up’Ards or Down’Ards sides which is split by the River Henmore which runs through the town.  It has been played in the town since 1667 and takes place during eight hours on Shrove Tuesday at 12.00 Noon and Ash Wednesday again for eight hours.  The goals are either end of the town and last year the Down’Ards won 1-0 the goal being scored on Shrove Tuesday.

Today is also Chinese New Year and this year is the Year of the Fire Horse which if you read about it, the Fire Horse sounds quite frightening.  I always thought my Chinese sign was dangerous, which is The Dragon but the Fire Horse represents Power, Stamina, Independence, Loyalty and Prosperity.  However each trait is amplified by it’s combination with Fire which is the most volatile of the traditional Chinese Elements.  Oh boy as if 2026 was not already bad enough!!  

We actually saw the sun on Saturday and DH got some gardening done, I will show you some pictures when I get chance.  We have quite a large area that had a Box plant in (the large bush on the top left of the bed)  but sadly it caught Box blight last year so we had to dig it up.  As you can see how big it is it has left a big hole and some of the other plants have died too, so it is a whole revamp of this bed.  We have some plants arriving in March so I will again show you pictures then.

Jayne and I went out for lunch today which was great.  We only went to the local pub, but the food is always good.  It was lovely to spend a few hours catching up with each other.  We also have a new Book for our Cosy Book Club between the two of us.

I hope you are having a good week.  Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

 

Very Busy Weekend & Week!

1 Reply

Well the Easter weekend flew by but we were extremely busy!  DH was busy helping the Boys on Good Friday, Saturday we got some jobs done and a little bit of Gardening and then we puppy-sat Gordon as Youngest and Fiancé were busy and we had dinner with them when they got back which was lovely.

This was Little Man in the evening of Easter Sunday, after we all left.

Easter Sunday we were at Eldest & Partner’s with Little Man, Youngest, Fiancé, Gordon, DH and I!  I took all the food and just had to re-heat it which was a lot easier for everyone.  We had a wonderful afternoon and then The Girls got back and we left early evening.  Of course we were so busy we did not take any pictures!!  It always happens.

Easter Monday DH and I finally got down to painting what will be the guest room.  It is an absolute age since it was last painted so we knew it would probably need two coats of paint.  We paint all our ceilings brilliant white and for the walls I chose the colour “Antique Cream” which is a darker cream.  I chose this colour because the room only gets very early morning sun and then it is dark for the rest of the day so I thought this colour would make it “warmer”.  I love the way it has come out and yes we did need two coats of emulsion paint.  We are going to tidy all the paint things away tonight and then mark out with tape where the furniture is going to go before we order it, to make sure it all fits where we want it to.  I will show you pictures when it is done.

So having Monday off I am now at sixes and sevens with the other days, Tuesday seemed like Monday(!) and I cannot believe today is Wednesday!   I have not been to Eldest’s today which I would normally be doing as there was not a lot to do, so I will go next week, so today is a bonus day for our work!  Tomorrow I have home jobs to do.

Friday DH and I are going to a funeral of a business colleague who we have known for a very long while.  He was a great age and sadly had not been well for the last few months.  It is lunchtime into the afternoon in Stratford-Upon-Avon, so that will be the day.

Saturday will be grocery shopping and then in the evening we are going to some friends for dinner which will be lovely after no doubt a stressful Friday.  We will also be getting jobs done over the weekend.  We have our room which needs decorating, Eldest’s room needs painting too, as well as the main bathroom.  Then there is the hall, stairs, landing to do, our Kitchen, laundry, downstairs bathroom & Den needs going over again, we did it last year but it needs another coat of paint adding.  

Which then just leaves the sitting room and dining room.  We actually painted the dining room during lockdown but the paint we used when it was dry, if you brushed up against it, it left a white “chalk” mark on it.  My dining room is a deep claret red and I love it but the paint, which we have used many times before has been a real pain.  So we are now trying to find the right colour in another brand of paint.  We bought a tester tin of red paint by Farrow & Ball but the red is not really red it has come out like a muddy red!  The hunt is on!

I did have a visitor today as his Auntie & Uncle were babysitting for the day!  They came for lunch and then they were all going off for a walk with Gordon.  It was lovely to see them all.

I have, in between all this, been doing some quilting and I am getting to the point of the bed quilt top being finished.  My next job will be to cut out the baby quilt.  As soon as I can I will show you them all.  I have also started Our Book Club book and so far am really enjoying it.

I hope you lovely lot had a wonderful Easter weekend and having a good week too. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Happy Easter!

3 Replies

Wishing You All A Very Happy Easter!

Hugs & Love, Susie, DH, Eldest, Youngest, Partner, Fiancé, The Girls, Little Man, Coco, Blaze, Gordon, Honey & Star.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

 

Good Friday.

1 Reply

Happy Good Friday.  I am getting through all my jobs slowly.  We have a busy day tomorrow as well with Puppy sitting Gordon for the day and then we are having dinner with Youngest and Fiancé in the evening and then Sunday we are all together for Easter Sunday dinner at Eldest and Patner’s, I am cooking but we are eating there due to logistics with Eldest being on call for the Fire Service.  We are keeping our fingers crossed they are not called out.  Easter Monday we will be finishing the painting or gardening depending upon the weather.

We get a string of three long weekends quite close together in the UK, there is Easter, then May Day Bank Holiday and then Whitsun Bank Holiday and then we get nothing until August when it is the late Summer Bank Holiday.  At least we can get lots of jobs done when the weather is nice hopefully.

Jayne and I were Ladies who Lunch on Tuesday and it was really great to catch up with both our news.  Her Eldest’s Birthday is on Easter Sunday this year and he and Eldest turn 30 this year and both of us said how can that be?  We don’t feel like we have 30 year old children!  Jayne and I met when our Eldests’ became best friends at school in Reception Class (aged 5) so we have known each other for twenty five years, OMG!  Jayne and I are so similar in that we like the same things and of course our Birthdays are one week apart!

Anyway because we started our two person Book Club last month as well as catching up and chatting we also spoke about our first book. This Month we decided to go to The High Peak Book Store, above, which is near Buxton and it was quite a lovely drive as the weather was sunny but cold.  DH took us as he was going to a meeting nearby, but then got cancelled but he still took us.  To be honest I was quite disappointed in the Book Store.  It used to be an old garage that was turned into the bookshop but I don’t know about you but I have a vision of what Bookshops should look like inside and well this one wasn’t it.  There were books but there was also a lot of other stuff, which I would normally class as “tat”!  Jayne had the choice of this month’s book, as I chose last month and she did manage to fiind one, it is a crime novel by Harlan Coben.  I have a few of his books and really enjoyed them, so am looking forward to it.

We had lunch in their cafe and again it was okay but the menu was leaning towards a lot of vegetarian things.  Next month we will be going to one of our regular haunts at a lovely local pub and if it is a nice day it will be great, as the big bit of the dining area is in a huge conservatory.  I will also show you the new Book Club Book next week.

Anyway I hope you all have a lovely day and Easter weekend. 

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

Two Busy Weeks!

1 Reply

Sorry there has been a lack of posts over the last two weeks but it has been hectic, but what else is new. The week before Easter was busy with work and then DH had a meeting every night of that week so that meant it was busy in the evening too, trying to get things done.  I have done a few Spring Cleaning jobs, I got Youngest’s room done but it has been put on hold as DH and I were trying to get some decorating done too. 

Anyway as this is a catch up Post it will be picture heavy!  Here to start with are some little man pictures of a growing boy!

Good Friday DH was at the Garage with Eldest sorting some jobs out and I spent the day sorting the laundry out, Saturday DH was out all day at a swimming event, whoever thought it was a good idea to have an event on Easter Saturday?!!!!  Easter Sunday they were all with us which was a lovely day.  Monday we had a sort out day and got rid of some old clothes and things out of the attic.  Tuesday we sorted everything out to get ready for painting the kitchen, laundry, den and downstairs bathroom.  It sounds a lot but all the rooms are connected and this is the ceiling which we had replastered.  So far we have done the first bit of the kitchen, the laundry and downstairs bathroom which leaves the second bit of the kitchen and the den to do! 

Little Man looks like he has been with his Daddy to work!!!  He hasn’t this was just what his babygrow looked like after Daddy came home from work and was given Little Man to look after whilst Mummy sorted the Girls out!!! 

Daddy’s home, better behave now!

When you are having dinner and there is an interloper wanting attention!

Honey got more attention than she wanted the other day!!!  This is the state of both Honey and Coco after they have been out after all the rain we have had!  Nowhere is dry at the moment and does not look like it is going to dry out anytime soon.  Needless to say Honey had to have a bath and then the bathroom had to be cleaned afterwards!

Miss Floof has had a busy old time.  She does not like it when our home is upside down and I don’t know about you but whenever you are doing a job the whole house seems to be upside down!  Well our home does!  At the moment the kitchen things are in the dining room, the laundry things are in the sitting room  and we are eating in the den at the moment.

Mummy I hope our home goes back to normal soon!

This is Coco’s Mummy, Luna, and her Sister Binx.  This was sent after all the puppies reached the big age of two year’s old!!!  I really think Binx, on the left, and Coco look so alike!!!!!

Once DH and I have finished painting the kitchen we have our Bathroom, which was renovated at the end of last year, to paint.  Fortunately it is only one small wall and the ceiling to do with the specialist bathroom paint.  At some point during the year our bedroom needs painting, Eldest’s room needs doing, the landing and staircase need doing and finally our dining room. 

Our garden is also in desperate need of a lot of love and attention and I am really hoping that the weather gets better soon and we can get some jobs done.  It has been raining a lot again and this happened quite a few years ago when we did not get Spring or Summer really it just rained all the time and I really hope that it is not going to be like that this year!!!  Normally I can cope with Winter and it being cold and wet but this year it has got me down.  April has begun with the usual April showers.  I love all the months as they each have something different to offer but I can honestly say I hate April! 

DH has another swimming competition on Sunday and then the Saturday after and work next week and the week after a business exhibition at the NEC for the whole week so another busy two weeks.  I am hoping to get the Spring Cleaning done whilst DH is at the exhibition. 

I will let you know how things go with the painting and cleaning.  I am also trying to declutter as I go so two jobs in one.  I have seen quite a few Instagram reels on cleaning and decluttering and feel inspired to get organised!

I hope you lovely lot had a wonderful Easter and thank you for sticking with me whilst life has been going a million miles a minute at the moment!!!  I could do with an extra two days in each week but we are getting there. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xxxx

Jobs Done!

2 Replies

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

#TBT.

2 Replies

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.

3 Replies

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