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100 Years of Little Eaton Carnival.

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Saturday dawned quite cloudy but very warm, so perfect conditions for Carnival Day in the village.  At least we would not have any people with sunburn!!  It was also quite blowy.  My little visitor arrived at 8.30am and they went off to help, DH having left at 5.00am.  Coco and Gordon were a little manic together so as I was on my own I decided to let them out of their crates one at a time and then over lunch they were both in their crates having had their lunchtime treats.  They were very good and went to sleep for a couple of hours.  

The Floats were judged by Sir Richard Ranulph FitzHerbert, 9th Baronet of Tissington Hall, Ashbourne. He is also currently High Sheriff of Derbyshire and came dressed in his regalia.

We were also lucky to have several previous Carnival Queens who arrived in style on this lovely antique bus.

We also had another celebrity driving the tractor for the Carnival Queen, Attendants & Crown Bearer, one Harriet Cowan

You will probably not know her name unless you follow “Clarkson’s Farm” on Amazon when she went to help Jeremy Clarkson on the Diddly Squat Farm in Oxford to ensure that he did not make a complete mess while his Farm Manager, Kaleb Cooper, was on a speaking tour.  Harriet’s family are farmers in Derbyshire where she helps out and knows Simon who farms in our village.  Here she is in the above and below pictures with the very large Deutz-Fahr tractor

Our Carnival Queen, Ada, on the float with the Crown Bearer

The Gallopping Horses were on the Park and below The Barlow Red Barrows Display Team.  One of the Owners of one of the companies we work with used to be in the display team!

The sun had managed to come out by mid afternoon and the sky had cleared a bit which was good for the fly past.

We managed to get a fly past by this magnificent piece of history from The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.  It is the Hawker Hurricane of which there are only 12 operational ones left in the world.  One of them is the last one to enter service with the RAF and the other one they have is the last Hurricane built.  It flew over the Carnival and our home three times before heading home to RAF Coningsby in Lincoln, not far from us in Derbyshire.  

These two pictures are from past village Carnivals 

All the pictures are courtesy of Little Eaton Carnival Instagram account © to that account & All the photographers.

The Carnival itself finished at 5.00pm but then Youngest & DH had to pack up all the equipment and get it home which took quite a while.  Yesterday we all went out for dinner at one of the local pubs for Sunday Lunch and we had a lovely few hours together after a very busy week.  Tonight is the last two events; The Dog Show & Junior Football as it was far too warm last Monday to hold the events.  There are a few other events taking place in September and October to then conclude the 100 Years of Carnival.

Busy week this week with work and then The Boys are all off to Goodwood on Friday and The Girls are having a girly weekend!!!  Have a wonderful week. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

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

Which Week Are We In?

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Well we keep saying it but where are the weeks going to?  I find that no sooner have we started a new week on Monday it seems to be Sunday evening again and I honestly don’t know where that week has gone to!

Work has been really busy which I am greatful for, especially with all the uncertainty about at the moment with the political situation.  As you know I do not watch the news and am trying to avoid it at the moment as I think it really can make you very depressed.

We have had a few days where the temperatures were getting into the 90’s and that means that nothing gets done.  DH is lucky that if he is in the truck or the offices they are generally air conditioned, Coco and I just have to cope at home and our den where I work is at the back of our home where it gets the sun all day!  I do try and get things done early in the morning and then stop around lunch.  I did that today as it was Home jobs day so I got the cleaning done really early before it go too hot.  Coco has spent the day mostly outside or lying on the mat in the back door looking out at the garden.  

Over the last few days I have been feeling a little off.  I cannot decide if it is a bug, or the result of some tablets I am having to take at the moment!  I have felt a little better this afternoon.  I did manage to get all the home jobs done and tomorrow Miss Coco is having her Spa Day!  DH has a swimming event in the evening and then Saturday we are hoping to get some jobs done in the garden, because Sunday is the start of Carnival Week.  100 Years of Carnival so not only is the normal events on but a few extra ones too.  At the moment the week looks good weather wise.  DH is out most evenings and will be there all day from early a week on Saturday and then Sunday we are having a chill day!  

On my nice to do list I have managed to get the baby quilts made, quilted and am now sewing the binding down.  I still have the bed quilt to quilt but I will be tackling that over the next few weeks.  I have been keeping up with my reading aims this year and not only reading but also listening to audiobooks whilst working.  Some of the audiobooks have been successful and some not so much.  I will be reviewing a few tomorrow for Book Club Friday, which I know I am late with!  The Fridays fly past too!

During Carnival Week I am also determined to get my decluttering finished!  I have quite a lot of boxes in our garage to get through but by the time they are done, we just have the attic to do and then we will be decluttered!  

I had a wonderful Birthday with all the family last Friday and we had a takeaway. we even managed to sit outside for dinner which was lovely.  Little Man had a great time going up and down the garden and The Girls also enjoyed playing outside.   I had some lovely gifts :

These are a selection of the Hermes fragrance lines.  They are very light and definitely for summer.

DH bought me this lovely pouch which you can use when travelling for all sorts of things.

DH bought me some of my most favourite perfume, lotion and a new compact.

Also had a new mug from Eldest & Partner and some new oven gloves from Fortnum & Mason.

Youngest & Fiancé bought me this Porta Puzzle where you can put your puzzles in,  but then zip them up when not in use.  

I hope you lovely lot are having a good week and a terrific weekend to come. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco

Thursday Jobs.

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Well Thursday has come round quick this week, or it certainly seems to have.  Home jobs to do today and any work work which needs doing and I have to go out later this afternoon as well.  Today the weather is cooler than of late and not sunny at all and we have also had some rain but we do need that.  The rest of the week is supposed to be nice but we might get some rain over the weekend, but at least we can have the windows open when we are painting.

Breakfast this morning at my desk before I start my jobs!

Youngest & Fiancé took Gordon to the seadside over the weekend and here are some pictures from their trip.

Gordon is beginning to look more like a West Highland White now.

Do you remember me telling you that Blaze got into the habit of stretching the same way that Coco does when they were with us?  Well Gordon has started to copy Blaze now when he is lying down:

Gordon has started “loafing” like Blaze does, when they tuck their paws underneath them!

They are all coming to stay with me in July so goodness knows what they will all be getting up to then!!!!

Coco waiting for a little bit of my breakfast!

Don’t know if I showed you this at Easter on my kitchen counter.  The little houses light up at night.  I also bought three for Christmas.  I have now changed the flowers and put the bunny rabbits away for Summer.

I am off now to get my jobs done before painting begins tomorrow, again! 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

More Days or Hours Needed!

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I don’t know what it is at the moment but I could do with several more hours in each day and at least another two days per week!!!!!

Our work has been really busy over the last few weeks, which is really good but hectic.  It is also coming up to our Year End on May 31st and start of the new year on June 1st.  It involves quite a lot of organising and paperwork which I have managed to get done this week, including shredding the old year and emptying the filing cabinit of the year and also getting the paperwork ready for our Accountant!  Here in the UK we have to keep our business records for seven years so we have a rotating seven years of boxes with the paperwork in.  It takes ages to get the oldest year through the shredder and I end up with six bags of shredded paper!

Been busy with the Boys and various things with them and helping out with Little Man at the weekend.  Also trying to finish two baby quilts, which I have got the tops done just need to sandwich them and get the quilting done.  Still trying to finish the bed quilt I am making as well as a handful of repairs which need doing.  

This weekend is another three day weekend for us and DH and I are intending on painting our bedroom and dressing room and if we have time the landing and down the stairs.  That will then be the entire top floor done and just then need to do the ground floor!  The weather is supposed to be nice over the weekend, although it is forecast some rain, which is much needed.

We need to do some jobs in the garden as well and if we have any left over time at the weekend we could get a bit done.  Also have the Spring Cleaning to finish as well so there is plenty to keep us busy!

This is a quick peek at our guest room.  We still need to put some pictures on the walls and some other bits in but I thought I would show you a bit of it.  As you can see Coco’s bed is next to the radiator and she does sleep on it but also the bed as well.  I am convinced she thinks it is her room!

Little Man is growing up fast.  Above he is sitting at the table to have his dinner instead of eating on his tray.

This shirt says it all!  When Grandad is around none of us get a look in!

This was last Saturday’s dinner I had made them Lasagne for dinner and you just need to use your hands with it!!!  Who needs knives and forks?!!!!

Jayne and I had lunch last week and had a lovely meal.  It was great to see her and have a few hours out of the day where I was not working.  We have also read the second of our Book Club Books and it was really good although both of us said it did not get going until half way through the book!  We have a new one for this month which is a historical mystery, something Jayne has never read before, so I am hoping she will like it.

The next few weeks we are free in that DH does not have any swimming events on, so we will be getting jobs done.  In three weeks time Eldest’s Partner is having a big Birthday and I am planning a lovely dinner for her at home on the Saturday evening, the day before her Birthday.  Jayne and I are going out on the Tuesday before for our Birthdays and are having Afternoon Tea for a change.  Then the following week it is my Birthday and again we will be at home but we will be having a take away!  In five weeks time it will be the start of Carnival in the Village and this year we are celebrating 100 years!  There are some extra events on for this special year but all the usual ones as well.  I will be using the days and evenings to carry on with our decluttering.  Then the following week DH, Eldest & Youngest will be off for their Christmas Present to the Goodwood Festival of Speed.  Whilst they are away the Girls & I will be getting together for a lovely day and food!  It is going to be a very busy few weeks again.   Tomorrow is home jobs day.

I hope you lovely lot are having a good week and enjoying some lovely Spring weather. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Coco’s tired!

Is It Tuesday or Wednesday?

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Yes we have had another long weekend here in the UK so I don’t know whether it is Tuesday or Wednesday today!!!  Of course Friday will be here sooner than I think this week and I am racing to catch up with things.  We also had Tuesday off work due to attending a very good friend’s funeral.  DH on Thursday (tomorrow?) is out in the afternoon/evening to commentate on the Beacon Lighting for VE Day.  It is 80 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe so there have been celebrations happening all over the country over the weekend and this week.

DH’s Father was in The Royal Engineers and mine was in the RAF, although he was in the Pacific Theatre so did not come home until VJ Day!  My Grandfather who was 42 in 1939 was actually in a reserved occupation so became an Air Raid Warden and DH’s Grandfather was a farmer so again reserved, but he became a Policeman.  So our families were involved.

Little Man is not very well at the moment so is busy sleeping and drinking lots of water but not eating much.  We are having a family day on Saturday so hoping he will be better by then, although we are not going anywhere just round at theirs.

Over the long weekend DH and I got Eldest’s room painted, brilliant white, and also our main bathroom, brilliant white (!).  We then started making the furniture for Youngest’s room, now the guest room.   We were doing quite well and finished most of it at about 12.00am but DH put the bed together the next day.  The matress is ariving on Friday and i can then make it and put other things in.  We will probably sleep in there at the next long weekend at the end of May, when we are painting our room and dressing room!

That will mean by then that the whole of the upstairs will have been painted and we just then need to do downstairs!!!  We have a few painting jobs to do outside and the garden to do of course, along with the continuing decluttering!  I must say that I am extremely tired today!

I hope you are all having a great week. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Cleaning.

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I cannot believe how quickly Thursday rolls round and it is cleaning day!  I have always cleaned and done home jobs on a Thursday, occassionally it has been a Friday before they get done but usually Thursday.  I love it when I have finished and everything is back in its place and it is all clean and tidy, the washing is all done and I can sit with a mug of tea in peace until DH and The Boys come home and within an hour it is back to how it normally is!  I do clean and tidy up during the week also, but the big clean is always done on a Thursday.  I also try and get my ironing done too, as I change the beds and towels on a Thursday as well.

I have fallen into a bit of a trap watching people clean their homes on Instagram!!!!  However sometimes it helps because they give you tips that you might not know and can use on something you need.  I do clean my oven, but not as often as some people do or should do probably.  Anyway I did see one lady using the orange cream stuff with a non-scratch scourer (similar to the Scrub Daddy which I love).  Well I bought some and tried it on my oven door and it really came clean, so I am going to try it on the inside now.  I also need to clean our fridge out and de-frost my freezers but that is definitely a lovely sunny day for those jobs.

Of course Spring Cleaning is needed to be done as well (!) I did do the Laundry when the new washing machine arrived, and I also cleaned out my baking cupboard so that is another one done!  I still have the rest of the kitchen to do and all the other rooms too.  I did, today declutter the pine dresser which is in the kitchen and now just have to clean it!  I will try and fit all this in along with the painting, gardening and decluttering as well!  I also find on Instagram a lot of people decluttering their homes and take that as inspiration too.  All the boxes are now back from the storage unit and I need to get down to doing a box a day, but I am hoping that the weather will get better because our garage is underneath our home and it is cold in there.  Great when it is baking outside but freezing at the moment!

Our Bedroom.

Setting the guest room up will enable us to get things like the spare bedding out of the attic and use it in there and some other things as well, including some pictures we put away, so in a way repurposing things from other rooms for the new guest room.  I think the next room I want to do will be Eldest’s room which I am camping in for sewing.  It is the smallest of the rooms, but not too small, and we will be painting it brilliant white again as I do have quite a few pictures on the walls.  Then we can get down to painting our room and we can sleep in the guest room whilst we do it and our dressing room.

I am really enjoying doing all this tidying and sorting and know that by us doing it, it won’t be left for the Boys to do.  My next job will be to go through our bookcases and let go of any books I will not re-read and make room for the books which are currently on my TBR shelves!

There is not too much to do in the dining room but I can always declutter the dresser again, if I do it will only be one or two things to go.  I definitely need to do our dressing room again there are at least one pair of shoes that can go and the odd handbag (!).

Our garden is doing okay and still looks quite tidy but I have one or two plans for a re-design of a couple of the beds and one or two trees need a trim as well.  We have begun the grass mowing season too.  We have a few little painting jobs to do outside but again I am waiting for the good weather before we embark on those.

Anyway I hope you are having a great Thursday. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

All Change!

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I don’t know about you but you think the week is going to be just another week and then things all change again!  Does that happen to you?  So Youngest started his new job in February and it has not been as happy as he had hoped due to the people he was working with.  Now I know that it is a case of just get on with it which he has but as there are only three of them working together and the two others have been shall we say not professional, he has been none too happy.  Upshot of a long story is that he was speaking to his Mentor where he did his training and they have offered him a job with new training immediately and more money!  He has therefore handed his notice in and going there next week.  It is also very busy at Eldest & Partners with them helping out a relative for a few weeks, so we will be helping them out over the weekend with Little Man.

Work is busy which is great but tiring of course which we knew would happen after all the elections were finished.  Of course we are trying to make sure that all the orders get delivered on time.  Eldest is busy and then he was out yesterday on a long fire call so DH had to help out with work there.  The weekend is going to be busy as always but with home jobs.  The weather is supposed to be nice again so we are hoping to get inside and outside jobs done again!  Because of the nice weather the garden is starting to come alive and that will also mean that we will need to mow the lawn too!

Miss Floof has her Spa Day on Friday and I also have a hair appointment too so we will both look better.

Last weekend we did some more decluttering and we are now getting into the swing of it.  I spent a few hours shredding the old negatives, do you remember them?  Well we had quite a lot and so decided the best way of getting rid of them was to shred them.  We have also brought the memory boxes and stored things back from our storage unit and I will be going through them and sorting things out.  I know there are some things which can go and other things just need sorting out and tidying.  I was speaking to the Boys Godmother today and sadly her Dad has just passed away and they are now in the process of sorting things out at their home and for her Mom.  She said it is a huge job as he never threw anything away and in fact when something went wrong he kept things like motors so they will all need to go to the scrap yard now!!!  This is why I am on a mission to get our things sorted.

I hope you are all having a great week. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Lion of March.

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Saturday, yesterday and today it has been quite windy, so March is definitely leaving like a Lion this year.  Although we have had some sunny days but it has been quite cold at night still.We put the hour forward on Saturday evening and I am already feeling tired!  To be honest I was feeling tired anyway but not having that extra hour, oh boy!  Coco is all confused of course as she is expecting breakfast and dinner at certain times and now it is an hour ahead!!!!

We had some very sad news that a very good friend and swimming colleague, Gail, passed away on Thursday last.  She and her husband had just come back from a holiday in Scotland and she did not feel very well, she went to hospital and they did all they could but they found she had pneumonia and despite best efforts passed away.  The above picture was taken at Youngest’s 18th Birthday party and we have known Gail and her husband, Pat, since Youngest was five years old and Eldest was nine which was when we first joined the swimming club.  She taught Youngest to swim and then when he was 14 he started working with Gail on poolside when he was doing his teaching courses.

Gordon is doing really well with his training and here he is with Blaze on the bedding which was on the floor waiting to go in the washer. We can’t decide if Blaze wanted to cuddle with him or he was just holding Gordon down!!!!  They are doing really well together and we think that Blaze having been with Coco for as long as he was he is quite happy with Gordon although he does put him in his place when he gets to be a bit of a nuisance!  DH and I puppysat him yesterday for a few hours whilst they were out and he was very good.

DH was away on Friday night and at the swmming event all day Saturday and got home about 8.30pm.  I had a lovely dinner with Youngest & Fiancé on Friday night and then spent all day Saturday quilting.  I have now completed all my blocks and just need to get them put together.

As promised here are the pictures of my Spring flowers in the garden:

Of all the Spring bulbs I love Daffodils the most.  I just love the big yellow flowers.  My violas from winter have come back strong and I chose the lavender coloured ones last year.  I am not sure how long the bulbs will last because our soil is so wet during the winter and quite often the bulbs just rot but I will plant them again this year and hope they come up.

It has been sunny again today but not that warm, Coco doesn’t mind though as she has her thick winter coat still.  She is now booked in for a Spa Day on April 11th.

It was so cold this morning I had a hot chocolate in my Christmas Mug!!!!

This week is busy but quiet if that makes sense.  I am at home today and tomorrow with our work and out on Wednesday with Eldest and Thursday I have home jobs to do because Friday we are babysitting Little Man for his Mummy who is going back to work.  The weekend is completely free, I know don’t faint!  There are loads of things to do at home so it will be pick a job and get on with it.  The weather is supposed to be nice all week so we could do a bit of gardening and a few jobs inside too!   In fact every weekend in April is free so we are going to make use of those free days to get as many jobs done as possible. 

Also we have the Easter long weekend in which we are going to paint Youngest’s room to create the guest room. we will probably use it because we also need to paint our bedroom as well.  At least we won’t need to use the air mattress in the sitting room like we have in the past.  In fact we could have a winter bedroom and a summer bedroom if we really wanted to!  I suspect we will be fighting Coco for possession of it!

Have a wonderful week you lovely lot and I am hoping to post every day this week!!! 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Winter.

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Goodness it has been a busy few days at the end of January and beginning of February.  Wednesday January 29th was the start of the Chinese New Year and 2025 is The Year of the Wood Snake!!!  So what can we expect from the Wood Snake?

A time for wisdom, patience and careful decision making.

A time for shedding bad energy, letting fo of the past an releasing unrealistic expectations.

A time for personal growth, deeper thinking and thoughtful decision making.

A time for adaptability, long term planning and personal development.

A time for new opportunities for growth and change.

So this sort of fits in with my year of decluttering and sorting things out!  We shall see how things go this year.

Saturday February 2nd was Ground Hog Day and Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow when he emerged from his burrow so we are in for six more weeks of Winter!  It has been quite cold over January and this week it is meant to be in the minus digits most days, so I think he is going to be correct!

So in true Year of the Wood Snake style we have a lot happening at home.  Youngest & Partner got engaged and today Youngest started his new job which he is looking forward to!  Then at the end of February DH and I will become empty nesters as they are moving in to their new home!!!!!  I mean how many things can happen in the first two months of the New Year?!!! They are both looking to being in their own home and have been busy buying things for it.  I remember when DH and I got our first home and all the fun of buying things to fill it and they are doing this now.  Of course DH and I have been roped in to help them move in with some of their friends too. 

They asked what would happen to their room here now?  We will decorate it and then fill it with a bed, wardrobe, small dressing table and box so that they can come back and stay for the weekend if they would like or Eldest, Partner & Little Man can also stay if they want to as well.

DH suggested that I move my sewing things in there and then have the smaller room as a guest bedroom but it is smaller and we could do it, but I quite like the smaller room to sew in.  One benefit is that the guest bedding will be brought out of the attic and also we can use the wardrobe in there for our seasonal clothes so something else out of the attic!!   Of course I am sure that Coco will claim the new bed as hers as soon as it is set up!  In fact it could be Coco’s bedroom!!!!

It is going to be very different just DH and I again.  We have, since the Boys were adults, had the occassional weeks or months where we were on our own at home because they have been away with the various other halves at times so we have experienced it a little bit but then Eldest came home, Youngest was here so we were back to how it was when they were little.  We have not been just the two of us since Eldest arrived which will be twenty nine years but I am sure we will get used to it and of course we have little Coco at home.

I did get some quilting done over the weekend but I cannot show you just yet as they are gifts.  I have next weekend to do some more quilting and the weekends when DH is out doing the swimming compere I will be quilting.  It was a good weekend to be in as the weather was cold, grey and raining!!! 

Happy February you lovely lot and have a great week. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx