Where has it gone?

This Christmas holiday is going so fast...... as is the year...... tomorrow is the last day of 2007.

This is also my 250th post on this blog...... quite an occasion. I never thought I would be able to keep chatting to all my intenet fibre friends for this long. I really enjoy reading your comments, and it has been great this year to meet so may of you who pass by my blog. How am I celebrating? With hot lemon and paracetamol....... yes I have a horrid virus. Again!

To make the most of the celebration I have given myself a few days off. A luxury really, as I have to still to finish the button band on the cardigan. Maybe this evening..... I forgot to get any buttons before Christmas. Have them now though.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

and a special candle for my Doger chums.

Had a great Christmas Eve party with all the granchildren last night.. here is avery clever use of bricks... by six year old granddaughter

Hope you all have a wondnerful time with family and friends.

Finally.........

Finally ..... the Christmas cake is in the oven....... I suppose better late than never. I have been attempting to make this cake over the last 2 weeks. The recipe says it is best made 2 weeks before Christmas.... this one will be 3 days. Do you think anyone will notice?

With everything going on with the family, this has been my first opportunity to make the cake.

I bought the necessary ingredients 2 weeks ago. I have only made a Christmas cake twice before, both times I was on maternity leave..... so a long time ago! I was so pleased I managed to find the recipe again. On my midnight shop last night I bought some fresh eggs, the packaging made me laugh.... love it. Will I be Big and British after all the eating at this celebration?

Another important ingredient of course is the spirit.... this recipe calls for 4 tablespoons of Sherry...... and of course a glass for the cook!

The final mixture looks delicious. Yummm.

Only problem.... I no longer have a cake tin big enough to take the whole mixture. Never thought about that. However hope the solution works.

It cooking now, doesn't it take a long time? I hope it will be OK. Time will tell.

On your head be it!

I can hear my mother say it...on your head be it!.......such happy memories. She said that particular phrase every time, I made, what I thought was a grown up decision.

Well I think I have made one of these adult decisions again..... instead of us going to one of the childrens' abodes on Christmas Eve for a family party....... I have invited them ALL here....... I have so enjoyed the idea of us all being together on Christmas Eve. So they have all accepted an invite for Christmas eve at 6pm


Two years ago we were at my daughters, yes I know it was a terrible ending to the partying, but we were all together. Which turned out to be a huge blessing, as we were able to look after the other children between us. It ended happily though, when we finally managed to resusitate young Jessica. All right, I know I ended up sleeping on the sofa, whilst they were at A & E....... but the children were as good as gold.






Last Year we were all together at eldest sons, and that was brilliant , and no dramas. Really enjoyable. So this year it will be here. Unfortunately youngest sons house is not big enough to accomodate all of us,no chance of going there, so I suppose really it had to be my turn.


So in preparation the Christmas Decorations are up already, never been so early in this household! I have made a shopping list of nibbles I need to get..... when I will get to the shops I do not know. We have some more family illnesses to sort out... but I am determined that there will be laughter and joy in the family this Christmas despite everything else going on. Hubby is sorting our the Christmas music.... he is very good at that, and the children love it. Disco time!

I have done most of my present shopping, quite a bit online... it was needs must. Last year I bought a lot online from one of the big chains ( you know the one...been around for years... famous for good quality underwear! Especially those navy blue knickers when we were at school. If you are my generation - you will know!). I was extremely pleased with them last year, told lots of people too.

Well this year, they have let me down badly..... telling me last weekend .. everything was in stock, and then this morning 5 of the presents are out of stock....... I was fuming ( to say the least). They also now know I was not happy. So apologies to everyone to whom I have recommended this particular store... they are now stricken of my list...... very poor service, may I suggest you strike them off to.... very unreliable. Gripe over.
Maybe I ought to go shopping tomorrow..... my enthusiasm to go to the shops is nil! We'll see.

P.S. Still knitting........ how many days to Christmas?

Life's like that.

Life is like that sometimes... a real roller coaster. I expect no sympathy, as most of you reading this, will have had the awful, horrid virus. For what its worth... it attacked my throat, nose and ears with a vengeance.... lots of headaches and the coughing. Then...... just as you start to feel better.....next morning there it is back again. Lets move swiftly on to more fun stuff.

Sooo .......In between I have had lots of fun.... you will be pleased to know the knitting is progressing well.... Sue saw it last week and can verify the progress made. I will post a photo at another time. Feeling rather pleased with myself.

I have also had the joys of yet another birthday, they seem to come round so quickly these days. So 22 years old again. Such a respectable age. The presents were lovely and lots of chocolates and cards.

Did a lovely workshop too with the Swindon Embroiderers Guild, it was lovely just to have time to work with friends. Angela did a good write up on her blog.This is a photo of my stitching plan.... dragonflies. These were machined freehand all over the surface of the "fabric"

My burned offering has not progressed at the moment, I have a rather lame excuse.. I could not find my soldering iron. I have found it this week. Am rather embarrassed to tell you where, I must have been having a very blonde moment when I last tidied it away.

In the bathroom which we rarely use.. is a cabinet /tablewith a drawer... for some reason the soldering iron was in the drawer. Why? Have no idea!

So I suppose I had better get burning now!

Think this will make a nice round bag..... watch this space.... will it get finished in time for the Christmas parties. Doubt it .... New Year more likely.

The next bit is bad news.... and if you wish you can skip down to the next picture where it gets back to the fabric fun. My daughters husband.. only in his early 30's had a mini stroke and when they investigated further they have found the horrid C. In very early stages... and they are VERY confident of a full cure. Needless to say I have been most fortunate in babysitting their 3 children and looking after them.. which I have thoroughly enjoyed, whilst family emotions are quite naturally on a roller coaster.

We had another great meeting of the Great Western Embroiderers ( see here) .

Anna had organised a wonderful white on White experience for us... we really enjoyed ourselves...and . the work in the photo is from group members... we were particularly inspired by Sorbello stitch , which Anna asked us to play with and practice.

We have taken our GWE Exhibition, which was opposite the Designer Outlet Village, down now, hope you managed to see it. As a result of the Exhbition we had a wonderful interview by BBC Radio Swindon. We have more Exhibitions planned for next year too. So watch this space.

I have also signed up to Sharons new challenge ( see here) I really enjoyed the stitch challenge last year... though I had some difficulty keeping up. Let's hope I do better in 2008.