Beating the Blues..

This morning I was missing Thomas badly....

I tried to distract myself by doing some piano practice (I've got a accompaniment job coming up in 10 days time at the Birmingham Hippodrome) but my heart wasn't really in it.  So eventually I took myself off on my favourite walk by Worcester Racecourse and the River Severn.

 

While I was walking I made myself count my blessings.

At first it wasn't much more than "It's dry and mild.. and I'm not stuck in a classroom".

That was the best I could do for about half a mile.

 

 

Then.. "I'm so lucky to have this lovely space on my doorstep"

 

"I live in a city with a green heart...."

 

"I'm lucky that people constantly maintain the racecourse area and that it's open to everyone."

 

"Breaks in the clouds"

(a mile or so into the walk on the Sabrina footbridge)

"Even the old railway bridge is attractive as it crosses the river"

 

"I live in a really nice part of the world...."

"A river full of swans"

(the Worcester Swan sanctuary is home to many old swans who have lost their partners, and quite a few juveniles at this time of the year too)



 

Then I retraced my steps at speed to give myself some 'proper exercise'.

I'm still feeling a bit weepy but some fresh air definitely helped.

This afternoon I've got the distraction of several pupils, then I'm off to a Christmas concert at a local school this evening.  Tomorrow I'm going to do some serious tidying up in 'the back bedroom of shame'.  Then I'll be able to start organising Christmas gifts and maybe we'll both start to feel a bit more festive....

Jx

Pictures From a Heat Wave

We managed to get two complimentary tickets for Friday at the Three Counties Show this year.

Mark finishes work at 1.00 so we popped over to Malvern for a few hours in the afternoon.

It was lovely to see all the care and attention that went into the displays..

 

 

We were just in time to see the final stages of the first phase of judging.

(Although we missed the 'parade of champions', where the best of each breed walks round the ring)

 

There were dark clouds over the Malvern Hills and it had already started to turn incredibly hot and stuffy.  However we were lucky that the rain didn't come our way..

 

I always take lots of photos of the vintage caravans.  Secretly, I'd love to have one and use it for quirky holidays.  Sadly Mark doesn't share my romantic vision (He can see all of the limitations and none of the 'bygone luxury'!!!!)

 

We've pretty much moved outside for the last five days.  We even got a new (larger) umbrella to keep some of the sun off the patio.  I spotted it in the Sale at the local garden centre on Saturday.  It was perfect for our Father's Day lunch on Sunday...

 

In the evenings Mark and I just move the chairs and table from the conservatory to the patio.

While I love my new conservatory, it's thermal efficiencies make it WAY too hot for these temperatures...

 

I keep moving my hanging baskets around so that they don't get too burnt up and dried out.

I've made far more of an effort with the planters this year because I know that we're going to be around all summer to enjoy them.

 

On Monday I went up to Cannock to collect two new fuel tanks for Mark's projects. 

Here's Mark checking them out on the decking. 

 

...And everyone's been making the most of the calm evening weather.

These flew over last night..

 

Thomas is way too hot...but I can see that he's not in pain at the moment.

He likes to start the day on his favourite chair in the conservatory.

Eventually it becomes way too hot (for anyone - not just those with a fur coat!)

 

...Then he sprawls anywhere that he thinks he can feel a draught.

 

Much as I love this hot weather, I think I'm ready for the cooler, damper couple of days that are forecast for the end of the week.  Ness and I are doing some flute and harp stuff for the local church on Sunday.  My harp has been extremely irritable in all the heat and actually broke two strings this afternoon.  I need some less extreme weather to 'calm it down' before the performance!

Sad...

 

It seems that Thomas - my beloved elderly cat child - is coming to the end of his days.

We've had several other occasions over the last fourteen months when he's been very ill and we've been able to help him with tablets/pain medication but for the last week or so, he's just been restless and unsettled.  I know that. at 20 years old, we were on borrowed time with him... but you can't help hoping that you're going to squeeze another few months of time together.

I am SO upset....

 

 

For many reasons, it hasn't felt like the right thing to go on a two week holiday this year.

We had our long weekend at Spa circuit in May and there are no plans to travel until October.

However, we're very lucky to have a beautiful part of England on our doorstep....

 

On Friday afternoon we went for a walk on Hartlebury Common (near Stourport in Worcestershire).  It was a perfect 'early June afternoon'... warm but not roasting and gorgeous skies.

 

We made our way down from the common to the bank of the river Severn, then followed the tow paths into the canal basin/marina.  It's been restored over the last few years and is a fascinating place to explore.  The combination of locks and docks makes it feel a little like a Escher painting!!

 

Mark always has time for a Sundae!!!

 

We walked up the High Street and took a quick look in one or two of the shops.

I found a lovely cotton skirt for £2.95 in a Charity Shop. 

It's blue and cream and the label says that it was made in Italy.... perfect when the weather improves!

Then we retraced our steps back up to the car park on the common

(and came home to the challenges of elderly cat care....)

 

Jx

Saturday 'Show and Tell'

We've had this old footstool for years.

We bought it with a suite from the Co-op in Worcester in the mid-90s.

The suite was replaced years ago but this was too useful to be thrown away.

It's mid-90s colours looked ok with the old carpet...

but it's not looking great with the new one!

 

 

So I'm making a little quilt to cover it.

I'd been saving these fabrics for some kind of project for the lounge..

and this seems like the perfect opportunity to use them!

The main section is just 5 X panels of random 'quilt as you' strips.

 

There's going to be a narrow cream border

then the side of the quilt will be five of these floral print squares.

(The floral pattern is actually a beautiful screen print....

which I picked up for £1 a metre in a clearance bin!)

 

In the evenings I'm also working feverishly on this lace scarf.

I hope that I'll be able to give it to my friend for her birthday in 10 days time.

I love the effect, but the yarn is an absolute pest to work with!

 

On Thursday morning, niece L. and I went for a walk and lunch in the Wyre Forest.

She's doing a nursing degree in Leeds so her holidays tend to be at slightly weird times.

 

 

It was such a luxury to be out and about under blue skies!

 

The paths were really water-logged..

 

but we managed to walk a decent length loop around the forest tracks

and along the old railway line.

 

It was lovely to catch up with all her news.

 

This evening Mum and Dad are coming for dinner.

We're having Shepherds Pie (a good one for people with HD)

Tomorrow we're off to Oxford to try and tackle some of the 'in-law issues'...

Between you and me, I'd rather stay at home and craft...

but Mark would like my support (which is fair enough!)

 

I am, however, taking the birthday scarf with me to work on.

I'm hoping that I'll feel less like throttling people if I can keep my fingers occupied!!

Jx

At Last...

...Some blue skies at the weekend!

 

Mark and I had flexible plans for this morning.  If it continued to be wet, cold and windy we were going to do some serious tidying up in the cupboard under the stairs.  If it was dry (and preferably a bit sunny) we would go for a walk along the lanes and canal tow path to the north of our village.

 

So here are some 'snaps' taken on my camera this morning..

The Droitwich canal at Porters Mill.

 

 

Winter sunlight through a gap in the trees.

 

 

..And a glorious winter blue from the tow path

 

Mark has had major work stress recently - and I've been worried about several situations - so it was really nice to get outside and remind ourselves of the good stuff.

 

Thank you for leaving lovely comments on my last post.  Thomas is increasingly settled and content.  The pain relief has allowed his jarred back to settle and his front paws are fine.  He's worked out that it's me rather than Mark who is adding stuff to his food to make him feel better.  As a result he was a bit anxious when I went out last night with Mum and Dad.... Aw bless him!  We've got a review with the vet next Wednesday, then hopefully we can just carry on for a bit.

 

Other stuff that's 'on my radar' at the moment..

- Dad's asthma is very bad.  We spent a lot of last week clearing rooms and moving stuff at their house.  The builder is coming in next Wednesday to clear a space for the lift in the utility room.  We did all the sorting and moving upstairs... including clearing the entire little bedroom/study to make space for the lift's upstairs position.  I moved all the dusty books etc. but the whole job has made him feel very unwell (and he's VERY stubborn about this!!)

- This week I have to clear the lounge, dining room, hall, stairs, cloakroom and hall cupboard for the new carpets to be fitted.  Expect plenty of photos of this project!  (I'm also project managing new doors and a new conservatory... exciting but slightly scary.)

- I'm also bothered about my sister's health again.... but that's something for another post really.

 

So - if all else fails - eat another cupcake!!

This absolute 'gem' of a construction was my treat to myself on Thursday.

It was called a 'Chocoholics Delight' and they weren't kidding..

..chocolate cake, scooped out for a genache filling; white chocolate butter cream, two beautiful soft centre chocolates, chocolate sauce and a dusting of cocoa powder

 

 

Yummmmm!

Jx

You Can't Beat...

..a little bit of fabric therapy.

I managed to buy a whole pile of festive fabric from 'Oh Sew Crafty' in Kidderminster.

Some of these 50cm and 100cm pieces were just £2/£3!!

I hope to make a patchwork stocking for every member of the family for next Christmas.

My "Crafting New Year's Resolution" is to schedule 'makes' so that they don't become chores!

 

 

You also can't beat a brisk walk by the River Severn in Worcester on a sunny winter's afternoon.

There's a lovely circuit which takes a path down the back of the racecourse, over the main city centre bridge, back over the footbridge by the rowing club and through an avenue trees to the car park.

 

I guess it must be somewhere between 2 and 3 miles.

Since I've stopped work I try to walk it at least a couple of times a week.

 

It's far more beautiful than the street circuits round the village

- especially in the light of a mid-winter afternoon..

 

While I was walking today I realised that I'd been really daft when I set up another completely new blog for 2017.  Mum's illness is an increasingly important part of my life (and one of the reasons why I didn't post for much of 2016) but essentially my day to day posts haven't changed at all.  So a few tweaks to the header and those explanatory pages at the top should be enough to 'set the scene'.

 

In this house we call these kind of episodes "Blibble Moments".. The rough translation is harmless, but time-wasting, stupidity....!  Do you have similar 'in house phrases'?

Jx

Between the Storms...

... Mum, Dad, M-I-L, Mark and I visited the lovely National Trust moated manor house at Badesley Clinton.  We were really lucky to see just a hint of blue skies on Boxing Day afternoon.

 

 

I first visited this house when I was a student at Birmingham university in the mid-80s.

In those days NT properties were always closed through most of the winter months.

I love the way many of the properties now stay open and have been specially 'dressed' for the Christmas period.

 

This year Badesley Clinton was full of natural and traditional decorations.

This was the wreath on the ancient door below the gate-house..

 

This is a little detail from the dining room table.

(I'm a huge fan of blue and white and would love to be able to replicate this on our own Christmas table!!)

 

The whole house was full of dried fruit, berries and evergreens.

This is a detail from the library window..

 

Here's our Christmas table, just before everyone sat down for our main meal on Christmas Day.  You can see my beloved blue and white china (Royal Worcester clearance in the mid-90s) but I've got a long way to go before my presentation looks anywhere near as glamorous!

 

Happy New Year to everyone who reads this post

and sincere Best Wishes for 2016 to regular readers who have become my 'bloggy friends'

Jx 

More Good Things...

It's been another weekend of celebrations here in Worcester..

On Sunday we drove down to Oxford to take my Father in Law out for his birthday.

He was delighted with a 'Jan Original' patchwork cushion

(in colours to match his conservatory furniture...)

 

 

Mark and his Dad share a passion for sweets and puddings - especially ice-cream sundaes.

 

Yesterday I took my parents out to celebrate BOTH their birthdays

(Dad is exactly four years older than Mum)

We went to Upton House - the lovely National Trust Property near Banbury.

After days of gloom and dampness, we were so lucky with the weather...

 

The gardens looked fabulous, with just a hint of early Autumn colour..

 

My parents love gardens and enjoyed exploring each of the terraces..

 

The borders were really pretty..

 

After lunch we went into the house.

Normally it's presented with a '1930s House Party Theme'.

This year it's been completely transformed to tell the story of it's life during WW2.

The owners were a rich banking family and they decided to move the bank from London to their home pretty much as war broke out.  The rooms now capture the bizarre combination of beautiful art and functional wartime food, furniture and crockery.  It's really well done...

 

 

Everything is designed to prompt memories...

Internal mail envelopes have a drab 1940s colour and

children are encouraged to use the type-writers to create memos..

 

 

One of the upstairs bedrooms is given over to a display about Ladies fashions and 'Make Do and Mend'.  Then the next room is presented as the Ladies dormitory, with everything from this little Singer sewing machine to reproduction 1940s WC roll.

 

All the clothes in the wardrobe were made from war time patterns by the volunteers.

 

It's clear that everyone involved in the house has put an immense amount of energy into this wartime project.  It's been carried out with a tremendous eye for detail and I'd really recommend a visit to anyone who's in the area.

 

Today things are a bit more 'normal' again...

Walking, harp, housework and preparation for our approaching holiday...

I'm popping round to help Mum with Facebook this afternoon..

We're out with friends from the car club this evening..

Can't think how I managed to find time to work!!!

Jx