Category Archives: Miscellaneous

I Am Sure The Weeks Are Getting Shorter!

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The evenings are definitely drawing in, but I am sure the weeks are getting shorter!  There are supposed to be seven days a week but they are absolutely flying by!   The weekend was really busy; DH, Eldest & Partner, Youngest & Fiancé and Little Man went to a truck show on Saturday.  The weather was great, warm but not too sunny as a lot of the exhibts were outside.  I did not go of course because of my hip, so I was doggy sitting Gordon and Coco. 

Friday DH and I had a busy day getting jobs done.  We have started sorting out the boxes from the attic which are now in the garage and getting rid of things and also giving things to the Boys!!  Hopefully it will be finished by the end of this year.  We also have the attic to tidy, but there is not too much in there now. 

Sunday DH, Eldest & I went to look at a new vehicle for me.   Well I say me but DH and The Boys all use it as well.  We had a good visit and it looked great so we are now in the process of sorting it out and hopefully I will have it by Friday of this week. 

©Universal Pictures

This weekend DH has his first swimming event of the new season but only for a few hours on Saturday and in the evening we are going to see the new Downton Abbey film at the cinema.  We have not been for ages, mainly because there has not been anything ,on we wanted to see, but this is only being shown at the cinema first so I thought we would have a date night.  Sunday will be nice again so I think we will be carrying on in the garage. 

We did do quite a lot of work in the garden and have gotten quite a few of the plants which needed trimming done.  We have arranged for the tree men to come at the end of October to trim the trees in the garden hopefully before the storms begin.  We did them about two years ago but they need doing again.  Our Roofer came to sort out the drain pipes last week and we asked him to go all over the roof to check it and he found one bit where a tile had slipped and it needed re-positioning and re-pointing which he did.  We are so glad he did because the next day you have never seen rain like it!  If we had not had that done we would have had water coming in!

This week is busy again with work of course and I have lots of home jobs to get done too, as well as a basket of ironing.  I am going to Eldest’s business on Wednesday to get work done there too and then Friday we are waiting for a delivery to arrive and then hopefully picking the car up.  

The other news we have in the family is that Youngest & Fiancé are expecting!  Yeah!  We are all so pleased for them.  The baby is due at the end of January 2026 and we had a Gender Reveal here a few weeks ago with just the family and they are expecting a little Girl!  Little Man’s face was a little disconcerted as he has, of course, two sisters and now will have a little girl cousin.  He will be surrounded!!!    Above is the table set waiting for everyone to arrive.  I made lasagne’s for dinner with salad and garlic bread and then we had cake .  They had got the smoke to reveal the Gender and it was very pink!!!!

Little Man in his highchair at lunch.

We are all so pleased for them and cannot wait to welcome the new arrival into the family.  

I will try and post everyday this week as I am slipping with things mainly due to the days flying by!!!!  I hope you lovely lot have a fantastic week.

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Coco has had a slow day today in her basket next to my desk!

HOT!

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Well all of us in the UK have roasted today!  Where I am in Derbyshire it was 31°C but other places it has been up to 34°C which I know is not hot to some of you but it really is for us.  We as a Nation do not have air conditioning in our homes, so are reliant on fans which the more modern ones do quite a good job, although nothing like air conditioning.  DH has been at one of the companies we work with today and then in his truck, both of which are air conditioned.  Sometimes I think it is worse because you are loving the cool but then have to come out in it and of course eventually home!

Coco has been out for most of the morning when it was cool but I brought her in just before lunch at 11.45am and closed the back door to keep the heat out and hopefully the cool in, it wasn’t too bad.  Although she was sick this evening a little bit and I am sure that was the heat, she is fine in herself. 

I have been at my desk all day with my tower fan going and it was okay and I did get all my work and some extra things done which I had been putting off.  Tomorrow is still hot but not as bad as today.  I have a few home jobs to do tomorrow so I think I will get those done early.

I am very thankful that Little Miss Coco had her Spa Day on Friday so she has the least amount of fluff in all this heat.  In fact she has not been panting at all but that is because of less coat and she is able to go in and out of the garden when she wants to.

Carnival has begun in the village.  This is all of DH’s PA equipment for the next week where various combinations will be used for the different events.

Above was the first event of the week the Fun Run and then Crowning of the Carnival Queen and Attendants and Crown Bearer in the afternoon with the Picnic on the Park.  Last night the Dog Show and Junior Football were cancelled due to the heat and they will take place next Monday now. 

Tonight is the Treasure Hunt and Senior Football and it is a little cooler as it has not been sunny at all today but it is muggy.  

Coco went to visit Eldest at work after her Spa Day and of course she had to get involved with work!  She is far more strict as a Supervisor!!!!

Little Man has had a busy few days.  He went to his sisters’ Sports Day at school and he and Mummy had a picnic under the trees.  The above picture is him busy sorting out his pasta shapes for lunch!

In true little boy form if there any cars nearby he has to have a look.

This was Saturday dinner after visiting us and his Uncle & Auntie for the day, they got home and had pizza for dinner.  

The rest of the week will be busy with Carnival, tomorrow is the Duck Race in the local brook, Thursday is Wild, Wet & Wacky the silly games for the even sillier teenagers, Friday is the cake competition and bike race and finally Saturday the day itself, although at the moment they are forecasting rain for the morning!  I will not be going to any of the events but will be here, dog sitting and food providing!

I hope you lovely lot are having a great week. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

A Little Bit of Quilting!

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I did get a little bit of Quilting done before Christmas for presents for my family and best friends.

I decided to make for the ladies in my family and best friends Market Totes.  Basically a patchwork bag but huge for shopping!

I loved how they turned out and am going to make one for myself when I get a minute!

For My Boys Partners, I call them my Daughter-in-laws although they are not married yet, I made them a mat each of a present block.

I have a plan later in the year to make a single bed quilt with present blocks but that is after I have made two quilts that I need to begin now which are required early in the year.  In fact DH is taking me down to the Quilt Shop in Northampton on Friday to get the material.  I don’t know about you, those that quilt, but sometimes you just have to see the material before buying it, especially as one of them has a particular colour request. 

Sadly the two quilt shops in Derbyshire closed and the one in Northampton, The Bramble Patch, is the next closest with a great selection of material but it is only about an hour and half away so it will be a nice little trip and we will get some breakfast beforehand.

I will hopefully get to show you the material after Friday.  They are forecasting snow for the UK over the next few days and the weekend again and we are hoping that it will be okay for Sunday and the Swimming Club Open which is in Matlock and could be interesting getting there.  The first time we ever ran this event it snowed the night before but everyone got there which was a relief!  We shall see how things play out.  This morning it was very cold and frosty with the windscreens all covered over!  I have a few home jobs to do today. 

I hope you lovely lot had a wonderful New Year and a great start to 2025. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

My Aims For 2025!

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Happy 2025

Quite a few years ago I moved from Resolutions on New Year to Aims, because I used to make Resolutions and then promptly forget them!  I now write the Aims down in my Filofax and try and check in with them each month to see how I am doing.  As an aside I still have a written diary and notebook in my Filofax, although I do use my computer as well, but I find writing things down and especially my To Do lists and then crossing things off works really well for me.  Anywho here are my Aims for 2025:

1.  Do More Reading and clear my TBR Shelf!

2.  Do More Quilting!

3.  De-Clutter our Home and get it organised.

4.  Our Garden & Garage to sort.

5.  Attic to sort.

6.  Reach my Health Goals.

7.  Maintenance in our Home.

8.  Cleaning our Home From Top to Bottom.

9.  De-Clutter my Wardrobe/dressing table/chest of drawers etc

10.  Continue with my other Hobbies.

The first five are pretty self explanatory and Number 4. and 5. go along really with Number 3!  Number 6. is one I have been working on for a while now and will continue into 2025 with the aim to be healthier and not catch as many things like I got in 2024 which began at Christmas 2023 when I had shingles!  I don’t think any of our immune systems are as strong since we spent two years wearing masks etc for Covid, so I am hoping to make 2025 a better health year.  

Number 7. is because we have some rooms to decorate and some little jobs that need to get done but they will probably be done during the Spring and Summer.  Number 8. sort of goes along with Number 7. and will be done along with Spring Cleaning although that may not be done in Spring this year due to some other issues.  Number 9. is sort of on-going and I did start this in 2024, but again needs another go at sorting out. 

Number 10. I do have other hobbies including cooking & baking which I love and am determined to do more of this year, especially trying new recipes out rather than just cooking the same things all the time.  I also used to do embroidery, before taking up quilting and I have one project of that which I have not touched in a long while, so I would like to do that again. 

I have not written it down but one thing I am more determined not to do this year is read or listen to the news!  I never watch the TV news but I do read The Daily Telegraph.  However over the last few months I have found myself more and more cross with the articles so have cancelled my subscription.  I know it is probably taking the “head in the sand” approach to news, but I think I will be better off. 

Although I don’t like New Year, especially after all the lovely weeks leading up to Christmas and spending time with family and friends, I do like January & February as it is a time I like to think of as hibernating.  The weather is usually dreadful and we are not able to get outside in the garden and it is not a good idea to be painting at this time of year, so I can spend the weeks reading, quilting or cooking, along with getting some of my Aims completed too!  DH has not got too many dates pencilled in with swimming announcing so he will be busy helping me, especially with the de-cluttering! 

Have a wonderful start to January and 2025. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Christmas Has Arrived!

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Yesterday DH, Eldest, Girlfriend, The Girls and I went to Great Central Railway in Loughborough to see Santa on the steam train.  Fortunately the day was clear and sunny when we arrived although it got misty as evening came on.

This is the Ticket Office and entrance to the Rails.

The Signal and Porters Lodge

We went and looked at the Museum

The four of them stood by The Station Master’s Office.

On the Train waiting to leave.

Eldest & Girlfriend.

Parcels waiting on the Station.

Eldest & Girlfriend’s Youngest.

Santa arrived and brought a gift for both Girls.

The Cafe at Rothley Station.

The decorations in the garage which had twinkling lights.

Santa and The Girls.

Picture Time.

On our way back to Loughborough and it was getting dark so the lights were all very bright.

Here are Eldest & Youngest with Santa from 2007. Eldest was 12 and Youngest Eight, on the very same steam train!

We all had a lovely day and came home and had Lasagna & Salad for dinner.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend and great week to come.  December at the end of this week and then the next few weeks to Christmas will fly by!!!! 

Hugs & Love, Susie xxx

 

What To Do?

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This was Eldest’s room the last time I was camping in there with my sewing.  Things have changed since then when he came back home.  His desk was made smaller and put onto the other wall, so I have got Youngest’s old desk out and that is now where the one above was.

I am still sorting out things in it and I have another few things to show you which I got as my Birthday present but one issue I have at the moment is my fabric storage.  At the moment it is in large clip boxes because A. It kept the fabric clean when it was stored under our bed and B. The Boxes stacked. However they are not ideal and are stacked on the floor.  The problem I have is how many different sorts of storage there is and wanting to get the best solution for the room and the fabric.  When I mean lots of storage solutions it does not come close, there are hundreds!!!!

Do you go for chest of drawers with several draws in, or do you go for shelves with baskets on them?  Do you go for furniture which has a top which you can use as a cutting table or use it for more storage?  Don’t get me started on colour!!!!

As you can see from the picture above we have an issue with the room in that we have two sloping parts of the ceiling so we have to be creative with where the furniture goes.

I do need to find the fairy lights and put them back up!

I started this post yesterday but ran out of time!!  I have been busy with work today and tomorrow DH and I are out at my Library Day at Chatsworth House, can’t wait!!   At the weekend DH at a swimming event both days so I am doing home jobs on Saturday and hopefully getting some sewing done Sunday, say it quietly though, things have been going awry!! 

As today is #TBT as well here are a few more of my sewing space before!!!

Angel Treacle who always got on the bed when I was sewing!  Fast asleep in this picture.

Need to find my other sewing things!!!

Happy Thursday everyone. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Spinning!

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I honestly don’t know where the days and weeks are going to!  One minute it is Friday night and before I know it it’s Wednesday!  The weekend flew by with DH at the new 50m swimming pool in Derby for a two day event to test all the new facilities.  The sound system was not good enough for the event so DH had to use our sound system.  I spent the weekend working, catching up on business work which was not what I had planned! 

Monday I was finishing up work and looking after Youngest after his back op.  It looks very clean and tidy and is now itching which I told him is good because that means it is healing.  He will have the stitches out next Monday.Jayne and I were Ladies who lunched yesterday which was a very nice change of pace after being frantic!  We were due to go last week when it was ridiculously hot so we decided to cancel and re-arrange for yesterday, the only downside was that the children finished for the summer last Friday so the restaurant was full of families and quite noisy!  It was a lovely few hours though.

So here we are at Wednesday, half way through the week and I don’t feel as if I have managed to get anything done!!   Trying to keep on top of things as we are just two weeks away from our vacation and I don’t want to get to the Friday before we go away with a million and one jobs to do and pack and sort the Boys out who are staying at home! 

Are you sure we are taking my crate Mom?

Just to add another level of sorting out, Coco is coming with DH and I on holiday!  Treacle did come on holiday a couple of times but she also went into Kennels and later years the Boys looked after her very well but Coco is too young to be left whilst the Boys are at work and the Kennels are full so she is coming with us.  The flip side is that we will have two weeks of constant training with her, so she will be so well behaved when she comes home – HOPEFULLY!!!!!!  We are taking with us lots and lots of new toys to keep her entertained and we have bought a long (10m) lead as well as her extender walking lead for walks and her her crate and bed, so she should be all set.  Good job DH has a pickup truck with a top where we can fit loads in, although you should have seen what we used to take away when the Boys were small; toys, books, a few clothes (!) outside toys, bicycles, a boat (!), paddling pool, DVDs’ and a million other things.

After being busy for the last few weekends, jobs have been left to slide including our garden!  So before we go away we are trying to get that tidy and sorted.  We find that usually when we are away it is nice weather and the garden is like “yeah” and goes into manic overgrowth!!!  So at least if it is tidy before we go away it won’t take too long to get it sorted when we are back!  Well that’s the plan!

Also still have a few jobs inside to get sorted too!  My aim is to get this all done this weekend and then concentrate next week on keeping on top of work and getting things sorted to pack!  You know it’s a plan!!!!

Anyway I hope you lovely lot are having a good week and your summer weather is good and not too hot.  They are forecasting that we are going to have some high temps during August again but we all know that the weather people are not always correct!!!  Have a good rest of the week. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

We Are Back.

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I spent Monday catching up on work and Tuesday catching up on home jobs, finally I am able to show you pictures of our mini vacation!  You saw the Merry Marylebone pictures from the Wednesday evening.  Thursday we visited Kensington Palace.  I had always wanted to go and also there was an exhibition of Royal dresses including Princess Diana’s wedding dress. 

Warning:  Picture Heavy Post!!!!!!

The main part of the Kensington Palace tour is where Queen Victoria lived before she became Queen. 

The first room we came to had some Tiaras from the Royal Collection.

A door into the gardens.

This dress was worn by Princess Margaret at a Ball.

A dress worn by Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother on a Royal tour.

Princess Diana’s Wedding Dress.

This dress was worn by the Queen Mother at her Husband’s Coronation.

The following pictures are all from the State Apartments where Princess Victoria and various other monarchs resided including William & Mary of Orange.

King William’s Throne.

The Audience Chamber which had wonderful deep red damask walls.

The Staircase, I loved the lamps.

A Tableaux of Queen Victoria and her Court.  There was a lot of scaffolding in this room as they are trying to shore up the roof and floor.  They had tried in the past but it now needs a more permanent solution.

All around there were little figurerines depicting Princess Victoria’s life. 

The Rules that everyone had to follow around Princess Victoria.

Princess Victoria’s Dog, called Dash.

Princess Victoria’s Doll House.

It was a great visit.  We then walked into the park surrounding the Palace.

The front of the Palace where you visit.

The weather was good and it was nice to see a blue sky and the sun after several days of grey!

We then crossed the city for Lunch at Fortnum & Mason in The Royal Exchange.

We passed Trafalgar Square

DH Had Dover Sole for Lunch

I had Mushroom Wellington.

In the evening we went to see the Play “The Play That Goes Wrong”.  It is a play within a play and very, very funny!!!  If you get chance to see it do.

The set before the play started!  It does not look like this by the end!

We had a very busy day Thursday but it was great fun.  We got back to the hotel around 9.30pm and had some supper.  I will show you Friday’s adventures tomorrow.

Hugs & Love, Susie & DH.

#TBT.

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For #TBT today I wanted to show you some pictures of our visit to London during October school half term in 2005, which I cannot believe is fifteen years ago!!! Eldest was 10 and Youngest was 6! We had a lovely week and the weather was quite good for October!

  • We took the Boys to the Tower of London and here they are with one of the famous Beefeaters (© Susie’s World)

  • The Boys outside The Houses of Parliament
  • The Boys and I on one of the boats which travel up and down the Thames between Parliament and The Tower of London (© Susie’s World)
  • DH and the Boys at St. Thomas’s Tower at The Tower of London (© Susie’s World)

I love looking back on these pictures and to see the fun we had as a family. DH and I are going to London tomorrow for the weekend. This is the trip that was cancelled from July, then September and now the end of October!!! With all the new restrictions we weren’t sure if it was going to happen, but so far and fingers crossed we are going!!! I will have pictures to show you next week!!!!

Hugs & Love, Susie xx