4 Cats and an awful lot of mess

Monday, 15 July 2013

Lovely weekend

Juliwan July 15, 2013 0 Comments

Just had a lovely long weekend. Had a flexi day on Friday and as it was my Dads birthday we went off to Marks and Spencer's at Warrington to do a bit of well needed shopping. Well I say well needed, for Dad certainly not for me :o) Although I did find a few things I really needed.

After shopping we just had to go and have a birthday lunch. They have built a Frankie and Benny's near by and Dad likes the food there so we had to indulge and then the drive back to his house with the air conditioning on full blast to save us from the summer heat.

Friday evening saw MP and I spending 3 hours putting together the new BBQ. Ours disintegrated when we moved it to clean the front of the house, so in the hope we will get a summer and a chance to use it this year, we forked out on a new one.

Saturday morning was another scorcher. A nice walk with Sam at Hardcastle Craggs, a spot of shopping for supplies in Tod and back home to do some much needed cleaning in anticipation of my friends The Copes coming to visit.

A nice afternoon sat out in the sun catching up and Dad arrived just in time for the food.

The Copes chilling

Dad supervising MP

I had a go at making Sangria, which seemed to go down well and even found time to rustle up a quick birthday cheesecake for my Dad.

Leftovers

The Copes left early Sunday to miss the heat and MP, Sam and I had a lazy day, with a long siesta.

So the weekend went all too quickly but it was really nice to see Susan, Danny and Marc and to actually do something for a change.

Back soon with another update.

Monday, 8 July 2013

Disgustingly absent .....

Juliwan July 08, 2013 1 Comments

I've been meaning for ages to update my blog, time and daft facebook games got the better of me, so finally I sit myself down (way too hot to be outside) and do some catching up ..........

January
We had some good weather and we had some bad weather, there were pyjama days and working from home days. MP had his post cataract check up done (both eyes done in December) and we saw Princess Anne driving through the town we live in.
I started doing project life so took pictures of anything that moved (and didn't). Oh and went a bit blonder.

The road to our house.

February

Quiet month.

Got a new job, so no redundancy for me. As of 1st April will be part of the adults and children's safeguarding team. Can't wait.

Went to Scotland, sadly for the funeral of my friends mum, May McGhee. Lovely to see everyone but not in circumstances like that.

Early morning view from the Lakeside Hotel, Cumnock

March

Glorious start to spring, sat out drinking coffee and playing with Sam. A Birthday ice cream at Hollingworth Lake. Fabulous presents including a mini sewing machine and some Greenday Converse pumps.

Then more snow and this time really bad. Not due to volume but high winds and extreme drifting.

Booked a holiday for later in the year - Montenegro.

The first crocus's and wey hey the curlews are back - Spring is here.

Yum Yum

April

Started new job and off to a conference in York, think I could get used to this! Got the train for the first time in ages (expenses) - must go back this summer and have a better look around.

Moved desks! Much better view of who's coming now.

Weather improving.

Finally decorated the last of our spare bedrooms (only been 6 years since we moved in).

World Book Night - got Damage by Josephine hart.

The York 'Eye'

May

MP's brother Tom came to visit. He had corporate tickets for Manchester United v Chelsea at Old Trafford and kindly took my Dad along for a treat.

Hair went darker again.

Got stuck for hours on the M62 (good view of the air ambulance though) coming back from a meeting in Dewsbury.

Had a bad fire on the moors behind the house.

Made friends with a chicken and the first lambs and calves of the year.

Sam teaching Tom how to play frisbee

June

Some lovely weather and nice walks with Sam.

Father's day lunch at the Millstone at Mellor - wonderful food.

An x-ray of my arm following a fall in the snow (yes I left it a while).

A trip to Manchester to the theatre.

Me and my Dad x

So we are finally up to date on what I've been up to. Again, there's no crafting pics here but rest assured Project Life has been keeping my busy. I am up to date, fair enough I'm not doing the weekly spreads like some folk but rather monthly, but it still takes some doing.

It has served to get me scrapping again, something that had tailed off towards the end of 2012, and I am finally making a dent in all the Studio Calico kits lying around.

I've also been busy decorating some canvas's to go into the newly finished bedroom, so my hands have not been idle.

Next post (hopefully before Christmas) will display some of the fruits of my labour. So till then x

Monday, 31 December 2012

Roll on 2013

Juliwan December 31, 2012 2 Comments

Well Christmas has been and gone and the New Year is imminent, bring it on.

Christmas was lovely, quiet but one of the best ever. I did decorate the tree and even put some decorations up in the lounge, got these fab paper garlands and hanging things from Not on the high street The lounge still needs more to make it look festive but at least it's a start. Here is the tree and self styled guardian of said tree, Harley.

Did really well for pressies again this year, a new lens for my camera (been too wet to play but looking forward to the nicer weather), pitt big brush pens, cd's, new book, fab pencil case made by my pal Kathb and a hamper full of goodies, also made by Mrs B. So a good time was had by all.

We are having a quiet night in tonight, takeaway and maybe even a little tipple or two but unlikely MP or I will stay up to see in the New Year.

I will be glad to see the back of 2012. It started off on a crappy note with the death on New Years Eve of my beloved Muggle and hasn't really improved a lot since then. A year of uncertainty with the impending closure of PCT's (thanks Mr Lansley) has been clarified with recent matching and pooling of jobs in the 'new' organisation and I didn't. Then applying for left over jobs in the new organisations and I didn't get offered so now it's looking like I will be made redundant at the end of March. The letters came Christmas Eve, how's that for timing! A close friend has also had a bad year with family ill health and that's another reason for wishing the old year out, and a new improved year in, so come on 2013, New Year to look forward to.

RIP Muggle - missed every day x

So signing off and wishing everyone a very Happy New Year. May 2013 bring you everything you wish for xx See you next year with news of the 2013 photography scavenger hunt.

Saturday, 1 December 2012

To decorate or not to decorate?

Juliwan December 01, 2012 1 Comments

Well the countdown has begun and the BIG question in our house, do we decorate the tree or not? We don't have many Ch*****as decorations for around the house so the tree kind of looks a bit out of place on it's own all sparkly in an otherwise less sparkly room. With it just being MP and I we sometimes don't bother (unless KathB has threatened to descend on us and put it up), so the jury is still out on whether we bother putting the tree up or not.

I'm nearly there with the presents, just a few more to sort out and then the wrapping. I am determined not to be last minute again this year, it's just way too stressful.

Food is ordered and being collected or delivered on Ch*****as Eve, having managed to secure the day off work, and then I intend to get the dessert and veggies sorted so not a lot to do on the day itself.

I don't know what I am getting off Father Ch*****as this year, I have decided to join in with project life for 2013 (an album of your life week by week) so I may ask for a new album and some page protectors to prepare but what I really want is an antique typewriter (don't ask me why).

I've had a few days off work this week. MP was supposed to have the first of his cataracts done but they cancelled him on the day so it's been re-arranged for next week. So I kept the days off to keep Sam company and do some jobs, including getting winter tyres on the new car just in case!

We had some nice walks, cold but at least dry and with the frost this week the ground has got a bit firmer so it's been less muddy which has been a treat. The dry crisp weather is excellent for taking photos and these from my phone have come out really well.