Well, Blimey, it's been so long!

It has been a long time since my last post, and there have been a mixture of reasons.

One is work - at this time of year I do get incredibly busy as being a housekeeper for two private holiday homes keeps me on my toes. Especially this week, when both houses clashed! I was at my main job, providing a three-meals-a-day, laundry, cleaning, flowers, shining sliver and generally running myself ragged, and there was a quick 'changeover' at my other house, eek! Luckily, Mr P is handy with the hoover, and a wizz at aga cleaning. Only problem, apart from being on the go for what seemed like blimmin' hours, was that this was the week that the family leaving the house left it in a right state, as well as re-arranging all the crockery, glassware and furniture, they had re-arranged the cutlery drawers as well! I can't tell you the time it takes to put stuff back to where it should be, grr! Also, all the t-towels had been washed and pressed (?) but the cooker-top, oven and microwave were filthy.

Rant over. Sorry.

However, I also had the news that my uncle John was very ill, in fact dying. So, I rushed down to London, thankfully in time to see him and say my goodbyes. I was with him and my cousins when he died and I think he was ready to go. You may remember that his wife, my auntie Moreen, died in May this year? Well, it might seem spooky but at about 3.30 am during that long night we sat up with John, I could deffo feel Moreen in the room. I told my cousin, Ali, and she could feel her mum, too. The words 'full circle' came into my mind for some reason, and it just felt right that Moreen was there, and John was looking over Ali's shoulder - we think at Moreen. Though it was a sad 'passing,' as I said, I think he was ready to go and we all felt at peace that he was with the love of his life. They would have been married 50 years next February. I can't attend the funeral, due to work, which does feel as though I am letting my cousins down, but at least I was there at the end.

My cousins will be making the long trek from London, up to Scotland to visit us shortly. They've said it will be before the end of August at any rate. I can't wait to show them around here, the area and where we live. Their mum and dad visited us just after we first moved here four years ago, and loved it so much.

Out of this has been my contact with my mum and my sister. This is a bit strange and strained to say the least. Mum has recently moved house, to be nearer my sister and this will suit them both well. They are very alike, and they, and I simply do not understand each other, we are such different people. Though, thinking about it, we do like similar things ie cooking, crafting, charity shops but we have very different ideas, politics (with a small p) being one of them. I cannot abide and won't take part in any form of discrimination - I just cannot take it, and find it physically painful to hear some of my mum and sister's views. Anyway, I could go on and write a long, long list of stuff. But, it's late (for me, today!) and I must away to my bed.

I will write again soon, and do pictures and everything! Take care, love, Karen x

The reason I joined ....

... is now happening! Joined the life of real living, I mean. Instead of going out to paid, more than full-time (ie work in the work I used to be in, does not end at 5 pm. Or, even start as late as 9 am) I now have to organise myself.

And, in the meantime, I can play. The above items (apart from the baby body suity-thing) is a knitted blanket and a home sewn bag to put the other items into, and then post off to a friend's daughter. She gave birth to Hamish, weighing in at 8 1/2 lbs (don't know what that is in new money) a week last Friday, and this is his welcome gift.

Now, I know that in the midst of all the wonderful crafty talent that is in blog interweb land, this is fairly tame, but it is done with love.

As was the late-lunch-fare I prepared this morning for nanny's best girl and her family, who are due to visit this afternoon. How lovely to have the time to do it. Bliss. There is another reason for their visit as well, they are staying here to look after the dog and the chickens while we are off to Cambridgeshire for The Wedding!

Cheery-bye, I'll see you again next week. Unless, of course, the hotel does have the wi-fi facilities it promises. I was more pleased that there are tea-making facilities to be honest!

And another Contest!

With a Yay!! and a Woo Hoo!! I am one happy bunny today! Jason Evans, over at Clarity of Night has another short story competition, which started today! (apologies to any who don't like added links within the text of the post, but this is v.v. important!)

I have only managed to enter one before (see over on my 'Other Blog' Pushing Pencil ----->) and didn't win but really enjoyed the push to get on down and write something! But, even better than entering and enjoying the feedback from Jason, is the reading of the other entries. There is such a wealth of Darned Good Stuff to read there!

Do have a go if you are into jottings, or just read stuff, it's great!

Cough, cough

I wonder if Beijing will be hosting some or any of the endurance races this year at all. It's just been on the telly, that there were over 300 microcosms of pollution in the air on one of the days that the man from the BBC measured it. I think you can put the air into a jam-jar and bring it home with you, it is so thick.

No wonder we came home with chest infections last year, cough.

It did mean, though, that I gave up the fags at the beginning of this year, though. Yay.

Can you tell there's not a lot to write about today? (snigger) There isn't, actually. Except I got my hair cut today, except it makes me look like the middle-aged, grumpy woman that I apparently am, grr. And, I know I've left it late, but I went looking for a wedding outfit and could find nothing at all that a) fitted and b) I liked. Except a lovely green silk blouse that is perfect.

The other thing(s) that is perfect today is my bust! I finally cracked and had my bosom chest measured for a busten-holster, and what a difference! The fitter and I had a giggle on the way to the till as I nearly fell over a shelving display while looking down at myself! tea, hea.

Gap Year

(picture courtesy of fotosearch)


Yay, here endeth my Gap Year, I hope. It feels like a lot longer to be honest but I'm so glad it is now over. When I say Gap Year, I don't really mean it, what I do mean is that the gap at the front of my teeth is now filled, yay! You cannot believe just how much I have hated, hated, hated the gap I had. And, it's been months in the development of a a filler for the gap. I promise I am not going to go into all the detail. Suffice it to say it is now over, phew.



And, it is timely in its completion as we have a Very Important Wedding to attend this weekend. We are orf darn saaaaf to Cambridgeshire for a lovely wedding that has also been a long time (at least a year) in the preparation, but at last we are nearly there! My bezzie friend's Daughter is about to become single no more and marrying the man of her dreams, for a fairy-tale life to continue, ahhh. We are really looking forwards to seeing her, meeting her chosen man and to meeting her baby daughter, all in one fell swoop! And, I shall be seeing my bezzie mate, with her uplifted and feathered person all rolled into one. Just what more can a person ask, eh?

A day out

Our craft group went out for a day trip recently, to the House of Dun, at Montrose, to see the linen weaver at his work. We had a splendid day with the morning taken up listening in fascination to the weaver, whose family have been weaving since the 17th century. He showed us two big looms, one of which can hold 11,000 threads and is used for weaving table-cloths. We spent a good two hours with him and also learned that he has several other looms close by, but the public are not allowed to visit there as they do couture work on these. Hmm, I wonder who uses an Angus weaver for their collections?



We had a fabulous lunch and then were due to look around the main house, with an organised tour. Three of us didn't want to do this as the sun was shining so brightly, and we each intended to return soon, so we walked around the gardens and then sat and chatted on a bench in the lovely, warm sun. It was a very pleasant day, spent with serious crafters, those whose living is made by their talent and those, of which I am one, who shilly-shally and dabble at the crafting and thoroughly enjoy doing so!



I also could not resist purchasing some 'apprentice-weaved' t-towels and a yard of linen fabric. I think I shall make a long-awaited, large and roomy shopping bag for me, and possibly a book cover, again for me. But, I shall have to see how much fabric I have left after my bag - and, I shall take a very good friend's advice and practice the bag on some cheaper fabric first!

Handsome fellows, aren't they?

* Editor's note: they don't sell yards anymore! I meant I bought a metre of the lovely fabric.

After the rain ...

The other evening nbg's mummy was at work and her step-dad had to go out to do an errand, so I went down to stay with the girls for an hour or so while he went and did what he had to do. Luckily, the absolute downpour of rain we'd had occurred before I went out. But, on my way home, at about 10 pm, this is some of the magic I saw along the way. Beautiful.

I had a telephone call today from my uncle John. He has lung cancer, but he's out of hospital and at home at the moment, until they can determine which type of cancer he has and therefore how and with what, to treat it, or not. He sounds quite strong, but still cannot talk about auntie Moreen without dissolving into tears. The next few weeks are extremely busy for me, but I have promised to go and visit him as soon as I can.