Category Archives: My Blog

Anything about my Blog which does not fit any of the other categories!

So 85 Days To Go!

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Well September flew by before I knew it!  Being ill for some of it did not help and having Doctors appointments, blood tests and things I am quite glad it has left!  Hopefully October is going to be a little kinder, but I am not counting my chickens yet.

For everyone who likes to hide their heads in the sand about Christmas, I hate to tell you this but there are 85 days left before the Big Day!  It you like to look at it this way, it is twelve weeks to go, so some would say it is three months yet but as we know the weeks really do fly by so before we know it, Christmas will be here.   As you, who follow me regularly, know I love Christmas.  Especially the build up to it and I have noticed that my Instagram feed has been getting a lot more Christmas posts.  As the last few weeks have been not good I have even, much to the horror of our Boys, started playing Christmas music in my car.  Eldest moaned the other day when he had to move my car and it was playing “Merry Christmas Everybody”!!!!  🙂

If you remember last Christmas I ended up with Shingles. I was ill over our summer holiday so I am absolutely determined I am not going to be ill this Christmas.  Hence my planning, sorting out and generally getting organised this year so that by the time December arrives, everything is sorted and I can actually sit back, relax and enjoy the holidays and not be ill!!!  SO I am probably going to annoy a lot of you now, but I have almost finished my Christmas shopping!  I have planned the Christmas baking and am in the process of sorting out our freezers so that I can make things and put them in the freezer ready for December.  Obviously we don’t know yet who is going where for Christmas Day but I have two plans incorporating different numbers so I can just pick whichever list I need. 

There will be a few Christmas visits seeing family and friends and some other fun things to do which I will hopefully have pictures to show you.  It would be lovely if it snowed this year, especially when we don’t have to get about but I am not sure that it will co-operate.  It has been heavy rain here for the last two days and we are getting some local flooding again so I suspect this will be it for the rest of the year.  Our leaves are coming off the trees quite a bit now but are of course very wet so quite hard to pick up.  I am hoping at the weekend, which we have off, we will get a day when it is dry to try and get the leaves up.

October I am planning on getting quite a bit done and also some more de-cluttering and tidying as well as a bit of Autumn cleaning (like Spring Cleaning but not everything!) before we decorate for Halloween, Bonfire Night and then Christmas. 

Friday DH and I will be going to Goose Fair, always the start of Autumn events for us and then home jobs over the weekend and at the moment the weather is due to be good so we can get some garden jobs done too and also home jobs.

I hope your September went well and October is going to be kind. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Coco in snuggle mode on our bed.

Blaze on his platform where he can look out of the window and be nosey!

Dame Maggie Smith.

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It is always sad when anyone passes but some hit more than others.  Yesterday Dame Maggie Smith passed away at the age of 89.  She was known for many, many roles alot of which were on stage but to the younger generations she will always be known as Professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor House.  This role was one in a liftime and she will live on through it.  To the older generation she will be known as The Dowager Countess of Grantham from Downton Abbey and its creator, Julian Fellowes, gave Maggie Smith some absolutely wonderful dialogue and lines.  If you have not seen the Harry Potter films or Downton Abbey do, they are wonderful films & programmes.

Dame Maggie Smith

1934 – 2024

RIP

Susie xxx

New Week.

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Having not been well last week, I spent the weekend getting my jobs done as I had got behind with them.  I took it very slowly as whatever I have had has managed to knock me a little sideways! I have been working at my desk on Monday and yesterday I was with Eldest at his business.

I think Mother Nature has decided we in the UK have had enough of summer and it has been today like the above picture all day!  On Saturday we had thunderstorms which lasted for about two hours.  Fortunately Coco and Blaze were not bothered by the storm, Coco just barked at the thunder and Blaze was asleep on a chair all the while it was happening.  I had managed to get dinner cooked just in case the power went out, which it does sometimes when we have a storm, but fortunately the power stayed on.  DH had two busy days with the swimming event and didn’t get home until 8.30pm last night but it went well as always.

This week is a quiet week with work and home things and Youngest & Girlfriend are away for the week on holiday so it is just DH, the animals and I, which will be nice.  I have lots of plans of things I need to get done, but am taking things each day at a time as I am quite tired after being not well.  I do have another Doctor’s appointment next week for a check up, so will see what they say then.

The trees are starting to turn quickly now.

Next weekend DH has the last swimming event for Area on Saturday and Sunday we can get some garden jobs done if the weather is okay.  You will not believe how many leaves have come down this weekend.  We managed to get the outside umbrella put away but need to get the outdoor furniture cleaned and put away and tidy the pots up and I also want to get some Spring bulbs planted too. 

Next week is Goose Fair in Nottingham, where DH and I had our first date 38 years ago, now that sounds a long time ago!!!  I wrote about the History of Goose Fair in this post in 2023 if you would like to read about it.

Half way through the week! 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

?

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Having had the virus in August whilst we were away, DH started with a cold last week and I told him he could keep it as I did not want it!  But in keeping with the marriage vows, he gave me the cold anyway!  I started on Saturday with it and by Sunday I felt very ill.  I spoke to our GP and they said it sounded like I had covid as I had the cold part but other symptoms which DH did not have!  I had Monday off but then was back at work the rest of the week.  Obviously it is just Coco and I in our office and she seems okay! 

Having worked at home for over thirty two years now which I love, I think it could also be a problem as not being with other people everyday in an office, liked I used to do, my immune system is lower so I seem to catch things!!!!  I am hoping that tomorrow I will feel better as I have a lot to do over the weekend!

I have a huge basket of ironing to do which I am aiming to get done tomorrow morning and Home jobs to do as well, as I did not feel up to it yesterday or today!!  I am still aiming to get some quilting done too and if necessary I will pinch an odd day here and there to get things sorted. 

©The Grand Tour/Amazon

Having been an only child and a girl it did not stop my Dad from doing what was traditionaly known when I was born “boy” things with him and me!  including helping when he was fixing our car and all other things engineering wise (his occupation was an aircraft engineer).  So I have always liked cars and he used to watch Formula 1 Racing and so did I, so a TV programme in the UK called Top Gear, a motoring news programme was always a must watch.  Especially with these three chaps, Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond presented it.  During the Series Run they were on they started to do Specials where they were challenged to take cars built for roads and do increadibly crazy journeys with them.  Their presenting style, camaraderie and general school boy  behaviour made them great fun to watch and also great to see the places they visited.

After a number of years with the BBC Top Gear the trio moved to Amazon to do The Grand Tour and they did some amazing trips, eventually finishing the main motoring part and only doing the specials.  Sadly last Friday that came to an end with the last trip through Zimbabwe after twenty two years together and again a great trip.  The three presenters have lots of other things going on and these trips as you can imagine take a lot of planning and time but we will miss them. 

My favourites of all of them was the trip they did through Myanmar in trucks, the Africa Special where they had estate cars looking for the source of the Nile, The Beach Buggies and finally where they were airlifted parts of a car, had to put it together and get to a point in Mongolia.  I am pleased that you can still find them on the streaming services so we are able to watch them again.  If you are interested in watching them the Top Gear episodes are on BBC iPlayer and The Grand Tour is on Prime. 

The Beach Buggies above and the Home Made Car in Mongolia below.

Speaking of vehicles Youngest over the last two weeks has been doing his HGV training.  This is so he is able to drive a bigger recovery vehicle for their business.  It has been quite intense but obviously he can drive, just having to upgrade to a very large truck and trailer.  Anyway He did it, passed the test this morning. 

Congratulations Youngest, very proud of you.

Have a wonderful weekend you lovely lot, whatever you are up to.  Keep everything crossed that I will have got rid of whatever it is I have got by next week. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

A New Week.

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Although it is the second week of September we are still having some nice sunshine but Autumn is starting to make itself known because most mornings we are waking up to misty mornings.  Last night when I went to bed I also heard the Owls hooting which again is normally at this time of year.

The trees are also starting to turn, a little earlier this year than previous years.

The leaves in our garden are starting to turn as well and some are coming down.  I will soon be getting our gadget out to get them up.  We are hoping that this weekend is going to be nice as we have some garden maintenance to do, a couple of the posts on our fence need replacing so DH and Youngest are going to get them done and I am going to be putting our outdoor furniture away for winter, giving it a good clean beforehand.  DH is busy most weekends from now until October, so this will be the weekend to get things done otherwise I know the weather will be bad by then.

The Fur Babies have worn themselves out today playing.  This is Coco in her basket next to my desk and Blaze is asleep in DH’s chair, in the sunshine of course!

Busy week with work and I have to go and get a blood test on Wednesday but tomorrow Jayne and I are going to lunch which will be a lovely few hours.  Have a wonderful week you lovely lot.

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

 

#TBT.

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The children here in Derbyshire went back to school today, no doubt much to the relief of their parents.  Although I used to hate our Boys going back to school as I loved having them at home on holiday and especially as all the out of school activities also started again; Piano lessons, Scouts, Swimming etc.  Anyway I thought, as it is Throwback Thursday, I would show you my Boys when Youngest first went to Primary school in Reception Class at five years old (almost six) and Eldest was ten and in Year Six in 2005.

Yesterday was a busy day as I was at Eldest’s garage all day and didn’t get back until after 6.00pm.  Today I had to go and have a blood test done at 7.10am and then when I got back have been working all day and tomorrow will be home jobs day and get the ironing done so on Saturday I can get on with my quilting.  I know don’t faint some quilting done for a quilting blog (!) although I will not be able to show any of it to you as it is for Christmas!!!!!

Coco didn’t want to miss out on #TBT so here is a puppy picture of her from 2022 when she was four months old.

It is, of course, the time of year where the machines are very busy in the fields getting the harvests in and one of the nice things about this time of year is after the harvests they, where we live, have ploughing matches on the newly havested fields.  DH and I, if we have a spare weekend, try and go.  These pictures were from 2018 and our home County of Nottinghamshire.  They also have produce and livestock shows as well. 

Also other competitions take place like carriage driving (a favourite sport of the late Prince Philip)

Happy Thursday you lovely lot. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Autumn.

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“Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.” ― Nora Ephron From my favourite film “You’ve Got Mail”

As we say Goodbye to the Summer months and move on to Autumn our weather here must be taking notes.  Although it has been a little sunny and warm over the weekend,  we woke this morning at 5.00am to find it misty and overcast!  Some of our leaves are starting to fall too, so we are definitely getting into the swing of Autumn.  I have also noticed it from the amount of Autumn posts on Instagram!!  Also quite a few Christmas ones too, including there are only sixteen Fridays until Christmas!!!! 

The children are back at School this week for the start of the new year and before we know it, it will be Halloween!  I did see a funny Instagram post the other day of Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson in Hocus Pocus where she is leaning out of the window saying “oh look another glorious morning, it makes me sick…”  🙂 Hocus Pocus was a great favourite in our home and especially at Halloween.

We got quite a lot done at the weekend and the Boys old Den/Fort that they used for years is now down and put out for the bonfire and we will be replacing it with a small utility shed to store the mower and other machinery in.  We got some bits in the garden done too. 

DH and I also got our new mattress delivered on Saturday morning and it is one of those purchases I hate to make because I am never sure if we have made the right choice.  Will it be the right firmness? Will it make us too hot?  Will we actually sleep better on it?  Fortunately we bought it from John Lewis and if it is one of their mattresses you get sixty days to try it and if it is not right you can exchange it.  So after two nights DH thinks it is great (although he could sleep on a washing line!) me, I am not so sure!!!!!

This week is a quiet week for business as not that many meetings just work, I will be with Eldest at the garage on Wednesday and then next weekend is the first of the two day events for DH announcing.  I am hoping that I will get some time on Friday to plan out my Quilting that I want to get done over the coming month.

Coco busy helping with the demolition!

Coco didn’t get any sleep, but she did have a sit down for a bit for a rest!!!

Coco had a very busy weekend especially Saturday when everyone was here and she had no sleep during the day, so by the time Saturday evening came and everyone had left she was in her basket with all four feet in the air fast asleep!!

I hope you lovely lot had a great weekend and a good week to come. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

 

Middle of the Week.

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Coco has been having a busy week, Blaze has been out and about and the two of them spend the day following each other about. Coco is very good and does not chase him just following him and when Blaze sees her he puts his tail up and goes to talk to her.

This was this morning whilst I was working at my desk.

Blaze is very inquisitive and he jumped into my washing basket to have a look.

The washing basket is soft so does not offer much support when you are trying to jump out!

Coco awake after her morning snooze.

Last weekend was a three day weekend for us in the UK and on Saturday morning DH and I went to Chatsworth Farm Shop & Cafe for breakfast and to get a few things from the shop.

The cafe, above, is very nice and the food is great.  Unfortunately it was quite a cold day so we sat inside.  Breakfast was lovely.

This is the entrance to the Farm Shop and they have some lovely things.  We bought some meat, which is locally sourced, eggs and some local bread. 

Sunday we did a few jobs inside and I got a basket of ironing done and not a lot else.  Monday DH went to help Eldest at the garage and I spent the whole day getting his accounts up to date, which they now are!  In fact our work and his are all up to date!  Also home jobs are up to date too!

This coming weekend we are due to have some nice warm, sunny weather but not too warm so DH and The Boys are going to demolish the old den at the top of the garden.  It served its purpose when the Boys were little but it is made of wood and although treated it is starting to go so DH decided it would be a good idea to remove it and put a smaller utility shed on the platform for the garden tools.  I will be making a big Lasagna for when they have finished.  Partner, The Girls and Tobey will be coming too.  You never know we may get to eat outside, which has not happened a lot this year.  Every time we have decided to eat outside it has been raining!

Next weekend is the last weekend that DH has off because every weekend in September he has some announcing duties!  Some are on both days and some are in the evening only and some on one day only.  September is the start of the swimming season again, although we never not swim but it is usually quieter during the summer.  Fortunately for us October is not as busy and DH has a few weekends off.  As I said it will mean that I can get some quilting and other jobs done. 

Hope you are all having a wonderful week. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

 

Away & Home.

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So we managed to get everything sorted the week before we left for our vacation although the few days in the run up to leaving seemed to fly by with jobs and making sure we had everything to go away (I forgot my camera!) but we set off on the Saturday early.  We stopped for breakfast and so Little Man could eat and be changed of course and it was just at the right time.  We pulled off the main road into a little village and found a wonderful cafe and the food was lovely.  We got to the cottage around 5.00pm unloaded the vehicles and got everyone unpacked and settled and had dinner.

The first week Eldest, Partner, The Girls and Little Man were with us and it was a fund time if not busy with walks, swimming, visits, a little shopping and a special walk with some Alpacas down to the shore of Loch Ness.

The Family with the Alpacas, Partner now wants one in the garden!!!!

Eldest, who said his who was called Aero, was very funny!

The Highland Cows near the cottage.

Loch Ness, above and below.  We didn’t see the monster but took two of them with us!

The Walk along the shoreline.

Two weeks before our holiday Eldest had a virus and actually had time off work which is not like him.  Anyway on the Friday before they came home I started with a head cold which I usually get in the summer for some reason but by the time they left on the Saturday I felt dreadful.  Very long store shourt the final week of our holiday which was just going to be DH and I, so  a week together I was ill.  I went to the local Doctor before we came home and he did all the checks and I was okay it was a virus and just had to get through it.  Then to add to all this DH’s truck decided it was not happy and went into limp mode on the way home so it took us longer to get home than normal.  Unfortunately Youngest & Girlfriend couldn’t come up and see us due to work which was probably a good idea as I was ill!

I had Monday off as well but was back at work yesterday and got caught up on all the work.  Today has been busy too and I just now need to catch up with Eldest’s work and then everyone is up to date!  I am starting to feel better but have cancelled my appointments for this week and next just to be sure.

This weekend is the last long weekend in the UK and after all that has gone off in the last couple of weeks I have decided we are not doing anything over the weekend!  Although there are a million jobs we could be getting on with at home and in the garden I think we will take it easy!  The weather is supposed to be nice for once over the Bank Holiday Weekend but there is time for that to change.

Coco had a wonderful time on her holiday although they did say she was a little obstinate!  Of course we know this!!!  I had to use a before de-floofing photo as she has been too busy since she got back.  Blaze has been busy whilst we were away and the two of them are getting on well.

Friday evening we are all together as it is Eldest’s Birthday and we will be having a Takeaway   You never know we may be able to eat outside!!!!

Cannot believe that we are at the end of August almost and September is going to be busy for DH with announcing duties, which is great for me as I can get in my sewing room to sort out some quilting jobs I have to finish and planning my Christmas items to do!

I hope you lovely lot are having a lovely summer. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx