New Things

There have been lots of new things recently... I definitely feel a bit like I'm reflecting more....good or bad I'm not sure!  

This afternoon, I will be going to an interview for a Library assistant.  I haven't worked in this sort of environment for 13 years, although I realised when I came to put my CV together, I've actually done a lot of things which are definitely relevant.  I feel sure that if it is the right thing, it will all work out, otherwise I will not stress about it.

On the crochet front, I've been doing ripples, this one for a brand new baby boy (and I have a more girlified one on the hook as well)  These have been my go-tos when the boys have had various things to be at.

I've been going along to a running group on a Wednesday night, I'm pretty much the slowest there, but I smile all the way home (not so much when I'm actually running!)

This last weekend, I did a 10k with the running hubby and middle boy (I whined all the way around as it was hilly, muddy and puddly and I found it sooo hard!) but I did it and was smiling at the end!

(there was a huge hill at the end, which I had already decided at the beginning I was going to walk!)

At Christmas, I did a painting of the daughter of a  friend, taken from a photograph of her when she was working for a charity in Durban, South Africa.  Then a few weeks ago, I heard about a colouring book being produced by a children's charity in Kenya to raise funds, this painting immediately came to mind and I thought I'd see how it worked.

A few days later, I heard back that they liked the picture and hopefully will use it in their book.  I am so pleased, as it seemed so right to me.  The charity is called Rafiki Mwema (Loyal Friend in Swahili) and they look after both boys and girls who have had unimaginable experiences, supporting them and helping them to rebuild lives....an amazing work!

Lastly...not leastly...some knitting.  These (there is a pair, but impossible to photograph without another pair of hands) are a pair of wrist warmers made for a Christmas gift swap.  So quick to make and lovely yarn that I hadn't used before.  The yarn is Louisa Harding and I bought the ball when we were on holiday in the Cotswolds.

I discovered a lovely yarn shop (it's a knack you know!) in Chipping Norton, The Fibreworks, small but perfectly formed, offering lots of beautiful yarns and crafting classes to boot.  The lovely lady on the desk even allowed me to sign-into her wifi so that I could open my ravelry account and find out what I needed (I needed everything of course, but restrained myself to one ball!)

Time

Well 2016 so far has been pretty much me thinking and not really doing!  I'm definitely in a reflective mood.  

I think that probably every blogger has a whole host of things that they should be doing....things that that they want to do....and its probably not worth adding the things that you'd like to have a go at!

It turns out I have rather less time than I thought I had and even then, its probably less than that.

My crafty endeavours, German learning and running come way down the list of things that are part of my everyday, and yet they are important, as they probably make the essential things possible.  If I didn't do some of the 'me' stuff, I would soon not be me.

Last weekend I should probably have been catching up on my German (I have fallen behind in my studying) but we all did a Parkrun instead....and do you know what it was exactly the right thing to do.  I had a clear head, I felt more balanced and not quite so panicky that I wasn't ticking everything  off the 'to-do' list.

So the big list didn't shrink any really, but I was happier.

I would like to be blogging again....I would like to know the method of making all the new German  vocabulary, I look up everyday, actually stick so that when I go to use the word, it is still there (where does it go?)

I would love to know what on earth the coloured ball of acrylic that I was mixing in, with the pale pink, in the above baby blanket was..........I have been back to the shop, I have picked up what I thought it was twice and come back to realise it is nowhere near.....that's a small frustration in the scheme of things, but hey its not asking much!

I would like to be able to combine all the things I want to do into one activity...so I can listen to German TV while I run, but can I blog and knit at the same time?  Maybe I could find a group of German runners who are also part of a knit and natter group....maybe I should start the group....I would.... but I have no free time ;-)

Six-month sprint

Six months in one fell swoop?  

The thing is.... that despite me not being here...... its all been going on still....so for my own sense of being up-to-date.....allow me a sprint through it all?

Blue bell woods at Ashridge, Herts.

Middle Boy's ninth birthday, chicken themed as you can see....and the main present?  Six hens with which to start his very own business.

Summer footie games with the cousins (actually, they were all out on Christmas day playing footie, so this is one for all seasons)

Summer days in my favourite formal gardens.

Pirate Day in our village, Big and Middle Boys canoeing.

Littlest Boy and  Mr. F kitted out to go

Middle Boy's trip to Birmingham Symphony Hall to take part with the school band in Music For Youth 2014.

Beach days

School sports days

Walking on the coast path

Dog walking

Dahlia....just because....

Painting commission of one of our local beaches

Biggest Boy starting comprehensive school

Being an early bird and beholding undisturbed beauty

Littlest Boy's sixth birthday

My first attempt at patchwork...

.....With a matching crib blanket for a new baby.

Mr. F's second marathon of the year in Chester....this boy is not just a pretty face, he shaved a huge 30 minutes off his previous time at 3hrs 43

Thomas hat for a first birthday.

October holiday to the Brecon Beacons

Taking the boys walking up Pen Y Fan and Corn Du

And at the top.... the mist was so thick I was slightly uncomfortable....but we made it to the top and back to the car before the heavens opened.

My holiday handwarmers

Red Kites feeding, an outstanding and awesome display!

The painting that went down so well, that it became three!

A bit of Christmas knitting thanks to Sarah, Crafts from the Cwtch

Littlest Boy's Christmas jumper for Save the Children

Christmas day magic

Boxing day in the rain and wind.....blowing all the cobwebs away......

So 2014, was a good'un!  Far more than shown here, lots of sunshine, happy family times, good food, giggles, knitting, painting, crocheting, music, baking, running (yes, me running!) German (my studies plod on) French another string to my bow with the Open University, reading, sewing

Gosh, looking at it like that, I can see why I didn't find time to blog.........

I wonder what 2015 holds?  More of the above I hope!

Here's wishing you a happy and healthy 2015 with new adventures and challenges, new skills to learn and experiences to be had!

Best laid plans

As always..... I did have a plan....but somewhere between then and now, it did a runner.....I must remember to lock the cat flap at night.....

I've stopped and started, arrived and left, ticked boxes and buried my head in the sand!

After being a solo cheer leading squad on the sidelines of biggest boy's football match on Saturday (does anyone else get the urge to break onto the pitch in an under 9's match) I came home with crafting in mind, to finish up mother's day presents and cards.

It is fairly normal for me to make things and it is, I suppose, fairly normal for me to be doing it at the eleventh hour.

I spent a lovely couple of hours sewing, threading beads and rediscovering all the lovely things in my hoard of clutter.

It isn't often I get a chance to dabble during the day, so it was a special treat indeed.

The free-hand sewing was/is a first...hhhmmmmm...obvious I know, but I think I may be missing something. I just dropped the feed-dogs and lifted the foot, but surely there is a special foot instead for my machine, as the tension was all over the shop and I nervously laughed throughout the whole ordeal...I must look into this further, because it seems like fun, if it wasn't quite so out of control!

My own mothers day was lovely, a walk with dogs, some baking and then eating a picnic tea in the lounge watching telly, which is a thing we never do....such a treat.

I made a bacon and egg pie, the type where you break the eggs in whole.  There's something very comforting and picnicy about the yellow yolks and the salty bacon.

I also made cheese muffins from a recipe that Nattie from the lovely blog, Florence and Rose devised...highly recommended they were scrummy....these and a few crisps, cakes and pizza and it was a feast fit for a king....or  my hungry family!

So last week was finished well and in to the new week we began....maybe this is where it all went a bit pear shaped...

Biggest boy is on a school camp this week, what an excited boy with horse riding, karting, swimming, archery, dry-slope skiing all on the rota. We were planning on finishing the week tomorrow with a family tea-party (I know, more food) to mark his ninth birthday, which is next week.....

Sounds like a plan?

Middle boy got sent home from school on Tuesday with a headache...which actually, as it turns out....is chicken pox.....everyone, bar my mum and dad have cancelled coming over to the tea party, so we are 17 people down. I am dreading telling my son when he arrives home, it will be another thing his middle brother 'has done wrong!'

I also can't help but think we may now have six weeks of spots, but then if we're going to do it, let's not do it by halves!

So.....

I've done some useful stuff this week like dead-head lots of shrubs, mow the lawn, tackle 'the cupboard'(which you can now walk into again).

I've picked up this again.......to put it down and begin a blanket for my cousin's first baby.

All in a days work!

So here's hoping that your weeks have been slightly better organised, less spotty and more peaceful than mine!

Before I go.....you should all pop over to Jooles' lovely blog Sew Sweet Violet where she is having the most lovely giveaway for her blogiversary, you can win a pretty patchwork needle case, or the lovely bird pocket bunting above....how good is that!

Have a great weekend.x