Christmas

Its that time of year again,i think we are about as ready as we can be.Lots of changes have been taking place as we have two new little people in residence.and our gorgeous baby girl has moved on to pastures new. Its a heart breaking way to earn a living.
Here at the madhouse We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy new year.Here's hoping for snow.
Sarah x

keeping up

Its been a while.I'm still managing to keep up with every ones blogs,but only just. Life looking after someone Else's 16 month old is ongoing and a joy.I am also starting a degree course on the 5th November so that should be interesting.I am going to take it a year at a time and hopefully steadily plod along.
 Summer seems long gone and autumn is beginning in the garden.Although i  may have to cut the grass maybe once or twice more before the mower goes away for hibernation.
 There are still some flowers out but not many the rain seems to have helped with the loss of the petals.
  Thoughts of winter excite me and I'm looking forward to cosy nights in front of the fire.One weather forecaster i watched said we were going to skip autumn and just go straight to winter in November,snow,freezing temperatures the lot!
My mind has jumped from summer days sat in the garden with a good book to how much should i stock the freezer and should i buy a electric blanket? And of course Christmas presents and is it too early to buy cards?Ah well so it begins the madness. keep warm.
Sarah x

Grandchildren

Happy Easter

Father Christmas and driving tests

Last Wednesday was my daughters 15th birthday,We sat in the garden,we had the paddling pool out for the little ones and ate outside.
 This morning just six days later we have woke up to a good 4inch of snow.My little grandson aged 3 announced to his little sister this morning that Farther Christmas was coming!
 I love snow,but tomorrow i have a driving test.I passed over 20 years ago.This a re test for work,which to me seems stupid to me.If you have a clean licence and never had points then surely you are a good driver.Its a full test booked for 8.10 in the morning.I have been so stressed about it and just want to get it over with.Aaah well fingers crossed.

Open wide

I helped my daughter out this morning by taking her cat to the vet for some stitches out.
 As i got me,handbag,cat carrier etc out of the car i somehow banged my front tooth on the corner of the door.By the time id got into the vets i realised id chipped my tooth  and by the time we got called in it was hurting.I explained to the vet what id done (mainly because i now look like a hillbilly!) and because i couldn't speak very well.
 When the vet had finished with the cat he said "lets have a look at your tooth then" I was a bit shocked but obliged.He then proceded to get a small pot of gel and rub some on my tooth."There you go" he said "That will take that pain off until you can get to the dentist.It lasts a good couple of hours.Its what we give dogs when they've a broken a tooth"
 Well i have to say its worked.I'm now pain free and going to the dentist in the morning (although i should imagine the pain will have returned by then)
 It wasn't until i got back to my daughters and was telling her what happened i realised he didn't change his gloves from examining the cat.Aah well I've probably had worse in my mouth although i don't want to know.

I hope your day is filled with hearts and flowers.x

And so it begins

It started to snow around 6pm and hasn't stopped yet. The cars are struggling up the hill and the cats keep looking out of the window with a disgusted look on their faces.

Sledges are at the ready for morning.

Fingers crossed

It's been a long time in coming, but there's been a lot of talk in the last couple of days that later on Saturday into Saturday night a large part of the UK will be affected by the first widespread fall of snow so far this winter.For our region current timings bring the snow into Pennine areas early Saturday afternoon, reaching the coast late afternoon and into the evening.
The girls are really excited and the sledges,shovel and wellies are ready.

The areas affected are covered by a Met Office amber alert, shown.

Do you mind

Now about that new cat bed!

busy

10 minutes to wizz round the shop
9 people to feed tonight
8 rooms to clean
7 chops marinating
6 hours sleep
5 loads of washing due to 1 and 2
4 bottles of lucozade bought
3 e mails to reply to
2 cats with the runs :{
1 ill daughter

Note to self

must buy another cat bed.There is a bit of a queue forming.

dilemma

If I'm not careful this could end up being a DIY blog.judging by the amount of things i want to do to the house and garden this year.Not that id mind i love reading all those blogs about what people have done and are doing to their houses.This is my dinning room from various angles and with and without the table.

The thing is we don't use it very much,we have a smaller table in the kitchen where breakfast and dinner is eaten.We use the big table at Christmas and when everyone comes for Sunday dinner.

I would like to put a carpet down it there the laminate is so cold in winter and maybe put in a sofa and a tv.I know tut tut but theres nothing more relaxing for me that to sit down and watch tv.I don't get to do it all that often and the girls are usually watching some rubbish in the lounge.I actually like to sit in that room and fine it quite cosy.My dilemma is the dinning table.I really like it and don't want to get rid of it.Its too big for the kitchen and i don't think i could squeeze a sofa in there with it.The piano is moving and the recuperating rabbit should be back outside soon.I will have a think and a plan and once the piano has moved shove the table around a bit to see where it will fit if anywhere.

 Next time you see it it could be a different room.

 Blogger has changed and i don't seem to have any control where my photos or text were going to go hence above.I will have to play around with that too.

The world outside the window

I actually managed to hang some washing out today.The sky was blue not a rain drop in sight.The grass was very wet and boggy,and it probably wasn't a great idea to wear my daughters school shoes.Now we all take the same size i tend to put on the first pair i come across!!(I do wear my own shoes when venturing further than the garden).
I picked up a few twigs/branches that had been forced off the tree in the high winds that have kept me awake for the past two nights.
Then i spotted these.The first snowdrops in the garden.

The garden is still in such a mess.I took some dead wood off the flowering current (or at least i think thats what it is)ok maybe not all dead.

I am itching to get on with the garden.The area where the pond was needs the most work.This bit will be leveled and pebbled for the table and chairs.And this bit turfed,although it seems to be doing ok by itself.Maybe i will just seed the bald patch.As you can see the new fence is up to stop children plummeting over the wall and falling the 7 foot to the ground.It looks so much better from the road.I may try and grow something up it (any suggestions?)

The new path was put down on Nov 5th and was still very wet when folk arrived for the bonfire party.There was a lot of walking the plank going on.Which was much more entertaining when thay left in the dark and somewhat tipsy.

I hate it .It looks so industrial with it being concrete (cheapest option) Its also non slip ready for all the ice,which means there are bits i trip over every time i walk up the blooming thing.

And finally the door is painted well was painted just before Christmas in a spot of warm,dry weather.Its a farrow and ball.I cant remember the name but I'm not sure i like it although its growing on me.It looked better with the wreath on it.

Roll on spring.And no the washing didn't dry,its all in the tumble dryer.My Gran thought central heating was the way to dry washing.Well if it was due to come on anyway you may as well make use of it she would say.It gave the house a warm,damp feel.Mind you the piano tuner always tells me to stick some washing on the radiator near the piano as dry airs no good for it.Does he know how long all those little baby clothes take to hang?!