Run for your life!!!!!

and little Mr Mouse did!!!! He was in the trap and although camera was poised , he was an Olympic mouse!!!! He made one attempt to leap out of the crate I put the trap in to transport him , failed , a second later tried again and it must off been 15 times higher than he I kid you not !! And bingo he  was free......
this is one of my favourite lanes where we live and this is his new home...(3 miles from home so let hope he isn't a super duper sprinter too and has a hopeless sense of direction') looks like he is going to have a lot of neighbours !! I have let the traps out, just in case he did have mates!!! But this morning I am happy to report they have not been sprung.

Mouse holes everywhere!!

So he should be at home.

Thanks for all the recent comments, I so enjoy reading all  the comments.  I seem to have been a bit slow on my blog reading and commenting , but I hope to really catch up soon.  I also need to do some. Blog Housekeeping a few buttons to add...my this is a busy swap time,of year.

Well life here is never dull...I seem to always have a little adventure on the go one way or another!!!!
On the way to release mouse I had a pheasant on one of the lanes , he was walking down the middle
of the lane ,  and the lanes up to the main road except the one where I released him are single track.

He was strutting his stuff, , beautiful colours  so I admired him for a few seconds , then started
hooting  the horn ,  speeding up to him, windscreen wipers spraying screen wash !!  no he wasn't
going to budge . Then his hen joined him, obviously wanted to join in the fun .In the end much to my
daughter's delight I , in absolutely pouring rain had to chase them into the hedge. I must of looked
such a funny sight as when I got back in the car soaking wet, Little Miss was laughing so much her
eyes were full of tears , she was laughing so much she couldn"t speak!!!! I'm glad someone found it funny!!!  At the weekend the same thing happened when we were out

that time they didn't want to play

And did move

Well we had a morning together in Cardigan my sweet girl and I .   After  breakfast in our favourite coffee shop ,  we again in pouring rain , wandered about and did some shopping for some of the swaps, a couple of birthdays and some bits Little Miss fancied for her projects.  She also spotted this in a charity shop window and squealed "can I have it
mummy? It's Mr Mouse and his wife!!( under my breath I muttered something like "I hope not ", you
get my drift ha ha ha, it wasn't that polite!!!)  ! I hope Mr Mouse wasn't Mrs Mouse and has left her
offspring.  behind !!! Anyway I gave her the money and waited , watching , as she went in the shop,
asked and showed the assistant what she would like, waited, paid, put it carefully in her bag and
returned with the receipt and change.  It is so easy to preempt kids with special needs, do everything for them, and it is hard but I am standing back more and more ...setting her( especially) "free",  letting her just be her own person, make her own choices etc..do things herself , for herself, it is hard probably for both of us , but we are getting there.

Can you believe the coincidence?

I must admit I did laugh

the caption on it reads

"Caring and sharing, making happiness grow"

How apt to find it

today of all days...

It now has a little place in sweetheart's room 

she loves it!

I wonder if in years to come she will

remember "mr mouse"

And the pheasant...I hope so.

Today is a stay at home day...we have lots planned, pumpkin carving, Halloween decorating (a bit)
and some Little Miss crafting.

When I got home yesterday two magazines had arrived...I have the 2012 version, haven't seen a 2013 version, was there one? Don't know...and now have the 2014 and 2015 copies.  I can sit for hours reading these .  Loads of charts and ideas for finishing projects.

Squirrel, sheep and a bunny brass buttons.

I also got 3 new buttons (probably for Spring projects ) for when I am bored with Christmas sewing
And a pattern from Madame Chantilly, well a set of 6 patterns to be precise.  I have never sewn her charts before, they are little and I mean little and may be do able in a evening easily (says she the woman constantly with works in progress!!!!)

I did more sewing on the panel again and this is what I call "lovely, happy sewing" I know I am
smiling away as I stitch.  This is the focus of my attention I think  for now.

Well fingers crossed , a couple of mice and pheasant free days, is it only Wednesday???? The clocks are all right now, DH has to do the car though...not messing about with that with my track record this week!!!


Oh before I forget TRACY , has a Christmas cracker swap ...have a look.. More fun
hhttp://madaboutbagsuk.blogspot.co.uk/


See you all again soon. Xxxx

Bother!!!!

Day one

I got up yesterday morning at what I thought was 5.30am but you guessed it I hadn't changed my bedside clock ...so that meant when I awoke at 4.30 and couldn't get back to sleep I had in fact been awake since 3.30am and when I came downstairs and saw all the clocks showing 4.30am I was not a happy bunny, but decided I probably wouldn't fall asleep again so use the time to catch up on a few things.

Then I was in the kitchen and out of the corner of my eye saw a dor mouse scoot across the floor and dive under the washing machine.  Another bother!  I shut him in the utility room and set up a trap with a piece of kit Kat chocolate....those little critters love it, tried peanut butter before but oh so messy...kit Kat works every time...well fingers crossed it will this time too.  The trouble is pupster gets fed in there  plus the loo is on the other side , so how long he remains "contained" in anyone's guess.  Usually when we have a new resident you see signs of their occupancy but I haven't so hopefully he hasn't been here long but just in case I have put 3 humane traps down.  I keep telling DH we need a cat living here but he is having none of it...losing our two pussy cats a few years back when they were 17 upset him (big softy) but Dextie is obviously not a mouser so I suppose the fun of using traps continues.  Now if I had to kill a rat I would do it gladly but those cute little mice with black little eyes ...well I can't .....so when we catch one we taken it with us on pupster's walk and
that is usually several miles away and let them go...and I know if we had a cat any mice we had would be killed but yes I am a southern softie, hands up..I admit it, I bet Pam and Dawn my new blogging friends are rolling their eyes in disgust..ha ha ha.... But I can't despatch them and that's that and I know DH would run for the hills if I asked him too!!!! Back at our old house we never had mice until our cats died and as we backed onto woods and water there were lots of them..   So I think the
smell of cat alone is a deterant......my friend offered me the loan of her cat "fang" ..love that name !!!

But he is feral  and I mean feral!! Greets everyone with a hiss , spit and that mean sounding meow!!,  he is a "outside" cat, lives in a barn (very happily) and is a great mouser.  The trouble is pupster has never been close to a cat and I can only imagine the carnage my soft furnishings would suffer at the paws of  dear Fang!!!!!!so he would be a last option if the traps don't attract the little blighter(s). My friend said if there is one then there are usually more! "Oh joyous" was my reply..I hope not !!! In two years we have caught 3 so I suppose one every 6 months isn't that bad living in the back of beyond . The kids are forever leaving the back porch door open (in and out of the garden) so I know that's how the mice probably get in .  So anyway  , let's hope Mr Mouse has a chocolate addiction !!!!(in my experience they usually do) and doesn't have any mates or his own "open house" policy !!!!

Well I have been craft stall making not for me but for a friend to donate for a stall in aid of a worthwhile charity or two.  My new toy has been in action and has been worth it's weight in gold...in
fact my friend (in her seventies) says she is seriously tempted to buy one too.  She has dreadful
arthritis in her hands and fingers but she can still machine and has sewn all her life and made some
beautiful patchwork quilts.  She finds cutting really painful now (hence my help) and seeing speed
the quilting dies cut made her think she might be able to start sewing again.


Well by lunch time I gave in and had to have a nap and then after a hour refreshed got some cross stitching out and did that for a bit.  I also done some more sewing on my quilt panel, adding some
beads this time.   I so love this and I am determined it will be hanging up for Christmas.  It also has
matching mini panels that I am hand sewing to.  I can't decide whether to make mini cushions, big cushions of bunting with them.  Decisions .....decisions.......

then the doorbell rang and more loveliness coming through my door!! Last week we decided to rehome a Victorian looking iron single bed we had.  It was in perfect condition and was in our spare room and well being single we decided to get a double instead.  Anyway I offered it to a neighbour and she was so delighted and I insisted we didn't want anything for it.  Then this afternoon her grandson arrived with  the new Jurassic dvd for the kids and a lovely bottle of wine for us.  I was really taken a back ..... And wow I know what Little Man wants to watch later!!!!



Day two


Little update ........it's.  Tuesday morning , first thing, found one trap has been sprung, yippeeee, it is a boxed in trap, so not going to open it here in the house , feels heavy, well that's is a mouse is "heavy" but a shake and it feels occupied !!!!!

Off later to go shopping so will hopefully have the chance to "set him free" that's if he is in there.
Will let you know next time.

See you soon. ....from the southern softie xxx

What a jolly, happy week.

I have had a lovely week.

I have received lovely e mails and received 3 unexpected gifts from new friends I have made since starting my blog.  Such thoughtfulness , and well DH has asked me what I have been up to as he said I have been smiling , humming away to myself and just seem happier than usual!!!

Diane from
http://thecheshirequilter.blogspot.co.uk/
Sent me a pattern for a crotchet hat that even I think I can manage!!!!

Jacquie from
http://myjourneystarting2013.blogspot.co.uk/

Sent me the most beautiful pin cushion...I love it!!!!! Thank you again Jacquie, the picture , well it doesn't really do justice to it...it is just so lovely and it sits on it's  new home on my sewing table
beside  my arm chair where I'd most of  hand sewing...  Jacquie also added a handmade button (top right) .  Jacquie does such beautiful sewing  , please pop over to have a look at her blog, I'm sure you'll be back!!! Jacquie said she was sending me my gift as a little smile, well Dear Jacquie it was not only a huge smile but a massive grin and a little Irish jig as well !!! ( well my dad was Irish and I did have Irish dancing lessons for a couple of years!!)

And then Stephanie from

http://theenchantingrose.blogspot.co.uk/
Sent me these lovelies

If you haven't had a look at these ladies  blogs before pop over for a look

I then have been receiving lovely  e mails too which have made me feel , I am very lucky to have such lovely
Blogging friends . This time last year whom  I had never " met, " yet here I am a year later with my own little
blog and a lovely list of blogs I follow and new friends....happy times.....

There are a few swaps I have heard about this week, all Christmas ones , so if anyone is looking to spread a little Christmas cheer  and be jolly here is what I have found and been told about


A Christmas card only swap ,hosted by Amy . http://lovemademyhome.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/christmas-card-swap-2015.html

A Christmas gift exchange by Kimberley at
http://creativechaosnz.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/send-us-your-christmas-swap-2015.html



And another Christmas sewing or knitting/crotchet themed swap at sewchet
http://sewchet.com/2015/10/13/stitchingsanta-blog-christmas-gift-swap/


There is still time to join in any of  of the above...

I spent yesterday making gifts for Diane ( who sent me the pattern, blog as above)
.... We have kept in touch lots since being partnered up for the Santa Sack swap.  I can't show you obviously what I've been up to , but the things are coming along nicely and more importantly I have so enjoyed making them for her.

I am looking forward to lots of  lazy days next week in the half term.  We have a couple of outings planned and in between my little girl and I are going to begin on her little list of things she wants to make.   I have been cutting things out for her and getting some patterns together , I can't wait to see her little face..happy days.  I have had a break from Christmas making for a few weeks , I think I
probably only need to make a dozen more things and also get Little Miss to make some more angels
together for the fairs.  I need to get a wiggle on with my Christmas gift making too.  I haven't done
any cross stitching apart from the one I finished off this week (still not made that up yet!') and am
missing it.  I have gotten a little side tracked with other daily events and projects , little lists are now pages long !!! So this afternoon I need to gather all those little lists together and sort myself out!!!

Friday  we went to Little Miss' first review in her new school.  We took little man too as he had a inset day.  Well he went to have a look around and play in the new unit and declared "this is cool mum, I like it here"  quite a endorsement for Little Man of few words!! So fingers crossed  if things  continue the way they are going with Little Miss he will join her there.  Well Little Miss is doing well and has settled really well and doing all that is asked of her.New targets have been set and we left feeling so happy we made the right choice for her.   Afterwards the boys had haircuts in Cardigan and I found a REAL old tatty junk shop I hadn't seen before and I bought two hand stitched tray cloths in perfect condition, a beautiful China cup , sadly missing it,s saucer, a lovely tiny plate and a little glass pot with a bird on it all for the princely sum of £2.75!!! Freshly washed the China and glass are on
the dresser(which is looking a bit full) but I like dressers that are full , I love looking at my dresser and most bits have been handed down or been a bargain and cost very little, and now some things swapped to me are being added too.   I also "found" a little China milk jug too with a mint green and gold pattern on the outside and the most pretty picture of a pansy on the inside..it just had to come home with me!! If I could only ever grow 2 flowers again in my life  it would be pansies and forget me nots ..no contest !  What flowers would you choose!

I think these are foreign , the sort of ones you see ladies 

In little med villages sewing, 

but they are hand sewn and just so bright and cheerful.

This little teacup is quite small 

But oh so pretty.

The milk jug 

with pansy picture inside 

I found a big box of old photo's in the annex and need to have a sort.  Some are rather old and I have found one of my sister (who is now 65) when she was a baby in the most beautiful gown, I can only imagine it was taken at her baptism , so I am going to get that a lovely frame and post it to her as a surprise.  I know she is not into blogging so she won't know my little plan.  We have very few photo's of when we were little....mum and dad never owned a camera as far as I can remember, never had a wedding photo of when they married , so the pictures I have well, I think I should share them out, I bet my brothers and sisters have forgotten some of them exist !!

I also received a message on Friday to say a missing swap parcel  has arrived,  yippee  !!! it took a month to arrive at it's new home but it is there now and that is all that matters.  More about that swap next time

Well this week has definitely put a spring in my step , I can't remember having such a super week like this for ages.......

See you soon xxx

"Time waits for no man (or woman!)"

whilst on my shopping trip with little miss I remembered to buy a diary and calendar for next year.  All ready I am scribbling dates and appointments for January and beyond in the back of this year's diary and well , time to get the new ones for 2016 ( oh my goodness!!!') am I ready? Not really this year has just gone so very very fast.

I like big diaries  , never been a pocket diary sort of girl and I like to see a week at a view ....and I like making lists and I hate forgetting appointments or being late so I am good at "trying" to be organised.

I love shabby chic and tea cups and I love hedgehogs , so these made me happy

Whilst I was choosing these a beautiful address book caught my eye too,
I have been meaning for years and years to buy a new one.  I have had my old one over 20 years.  Going through it at times has been a trip down memory lane.  Different addresses and name changes for some entries and the sad memories at times for those entries no longer used for one reason or
another.    So I thought what with Christmas cards to write in November/December time , it would be an ideal time to re do the addresses as I went along into my new book too.

Last week the autumn colour cushions have replaced the bright ones of Spring and Summer, finally had to admit it , summer is now a memory.  The summer throws too have be washed and put away for next year and heavier warmer throws and blankets have taken their place.  The twiggy wreaths are out again .  I had thought once to decorate them, add foliage, or "something".......
but  I changed my mind as I liked them as they are. ...just twiggy, twiggy is rustic and nice.The thick
wellie socks are now in use.  Kids have scarfs , hats and gloves in school bags. Both schools are up
on hills, overlooking the sea and well when the wind blows it is very very chilly!   The heating is on most evenings now.  Our lanes are full of slippery leaves and the odd branch here and there.  My wooden piggies have been put away for the winter, and the wormery has been bubble wrapped to keep them warm.  I still have to get rid of the old dead plants in tubs , I picked the bean pods yesterday and have them drying out now.

The pumpkins are now all made, my they have multiplied and lots gone to new homes (kids schools)!!!  I have been making lots of pretty leaves using the die cutter.  I have a few plans for these.

I found lots of drift wood on the beach last week

dried it on the Rayburn and

I think they make fabulous rustic pumpkin stalks.

 Soon I need to sort out exactly what is lurking in the big freezer, it is rather full but needs a bit of a sort, like wise the pantry.  The locals tell me the longest the village has been "snowed in " completely was 12 days...that happened a couple of years before we moved here and was not the first time.  So for the first time last year I froze milk and made sure we had enough of the basics including flour, butter , eggs and loo rolls , dog food, first aid box up to date, etc etc to get by if need be.  Living just over 2 miles from the nearest main road and then another 3 or so miles again from the nearest shop it pays to be ready just in case.   Secretly I wonder what it would be like not to be able to go anywhere for nearly 2 weeks?     Of course being snowed in probably is not as romantic as it sounds....The
downside is for things like emergency services ,prescription supplies , making sure you have enough oil or calor gas .... the septic tank is ok, all very important living here.I now know living in towns and cities is so different from living here and
providing we do a little bit of forward thinking , we will do just fine.  We did have a couple of days of snow last year, but it didn,t last , but it was a nice feeling to just snuggle inside and not worry.


DH has in recent weeks found a new hobby...making bread...he needed another hobby and at least this one is useful.  I do laugh when he fusses about with the ingredients and watches how the dough is going in the warming oven in the Rayburn. I know I should be kind but I think he could become obsessed, shamed he can't become obsessed with the rest of the household chores!!!!!!!

I haven't done as much sewing as I would like......I found a x stitch in my mammoth tidy up weeks ago and plan today to have a look for a suitable fabric or fabrics to make it into something.  It only needed a gentle wash after I finished off a couple of hours stitching.  I will share soon.

Well off now to find that fabric, then a couple of letters and birthday cards ...busy next few weeks birthday wise, and then to put those dates in the new diary and on the calendar , might dig the stickers
out and pretty everything a bit too and use some pretty colour pens that Ellie sent me in the season's swap.


See you soon xxx

Aberporth in Autumn

Happy me is back...hope the last post didn't depress anyone .  I have always been a half full glass of girl , so out of character for me to have a glitch and be down.


Little Miss had Friday off, one of the inset days at school.  After getting rid of a pesky headache that sprung out of no where , we all decided to take Dextie out .  Little Man goes to school nearby so we decided to go to Aberporth beach and afterwards collect Little Man from school.

It was crisp but none of us had coats on, just warm tops .  We have driven through Aberporth lots of times but never been on the beach.  First as we hadn't had lunch Little Miss asked for a bag of chips, well we had 2 bags that we shared , so they warmed us up nicely. The fresh air blew the last bit of the headache away and it was nice for both of us to spoil , tease and have fun with little miss.  She loves and adores "baby brother" but as we do we like to have time to just have special times with each of them .  Last week DH has little man to himself and me little miss...and today she had both of us!!! She is nearly as tall as me now and I'm 5'9 and not 12 until December.  Her feet are bigger than mine , already a size 7 , and I laugh and show mock disapproval when she "steals" my scarfs and necklaces.  She is such a girly girl and DH says when he hears me moan "not again" ( laughing of course) when she wears something of mine , he just thinks what the "best" doctors told us to expect for her, their prognosis wasn't worth the paper it was written on.  She is everything they told us she would never ever be.  She talks, she walks ,  she can understand, write, read... She is her own person and well words cannot describe how wonderful that is.

I have to say this beach at Aberporth was rather lovely.  A lot of beaches around here are stoney but this one was very sandy.  The cafe is open every day except Monday's and Tuesday's (out of season)
 so I think we will be coming here a lot more in the future, especially if on cold days you can grab a
coffee and admire this, whilst pupster does what pupster loves to do which is run and run and run!

The view from the waters edge 

A coastal path.

We didn't do it this time but this path is apparently 

a lovely walk 

and is safe and fenced off

I think we will explore more next time

Pupster in action!!!

A buoy , and we found it like this

Though it did look like 

Dexter had had a chew!!!

I can only imagine what that house is worth on the cliff 

(Top left of the picture) 

Wow what views that must have...

We were there about a hour and pretty much 

had the beach to ourselves. 

These are the views from the car park 

Afterwards we collected Little Man 

from school for a change 

his school is 19 miles from home so he is taken daily by

taxi so a nice surprise for him. 

Oh he smiled when he saw me waiting for him

I got a huge kiss and hug xxx

"Oh sweetheart you've come to get me"

was his greeting 

.........simple pleasures....

It was a nice treat for me too, 

nice to see his teachers and see some 

other parents , 

something you do miss when you

don't do a school run any more .

Of course as kids do Little Miss teased 

Little Man that we had chips whilst he had been 

at school !!!

So of course he wasn't happy about that

so to restore peace to our

household we had homemade chips and battered cod 

for tea. 

chips twice in one day is 

very naughty

and not something I think we 

have done before ??

Never mind we all had a lovely time.

See you soon

Xxx

Autumn in so .....so many ways

Monday...
I woke up early, too early (again) I love my sleep, but for some reason, I woke at 4 ish and thought and thought and before I knew it the alarm went off and I pulled open the curtains and it seemed such a lovely day.

First thing our mornings are busy , but now I take time to appreciate this rush, my children will not be children forever....soon as nursery was, this time will be over, lots of deep breaths and patience is all that is needed....I can do that!

  I put little man in his taxi and learnt one of the little one's dad died suddenly yesterday. (Sunday) Instantly my heart was heavy because I knew my friend had "lost" her husband.  Like us she has two autistic kids, the dad was only 50 and well I felt so deeply saddened . Last month we shared a lovely afternoon at their house .  A small group of parents  and kids   (most of the kids have ASD ) the kids were due to start the new unit with her son and my Little Miss in September and now this ...........  I rang . My friend's sister in law answered , said my friend could not talk, ....oh the rawness and I just said "I'm sorry, if, when , you need anything , we will be here" but words seem like leaves blowing in the wind at times like this ..don't they!    So hard to find the right words .....I had a list of things to do this week , but when things like this  happen so suddenly and unexpectedly , well lists seem rather less important ..  my heart and head just felt numb.........DH told me to go for a walk ........I needed some fresh air .... I did....
I wandered down the lane and saw this beautiful horse across a field

 

and 

everything 

seemed so still

Our lane full of fallen

leaves 

I don't see a single vehicle

the quietness 

was so ...peaceful

The cows and calves have returned to

the field 

next to us

many more calves have been born 

In recent months 

A reminder that life just goes on.

That thought cleared the fog from

my mind a bit

Life going on as usual

but different

All week I have just wanted 

to be at  home 

...my favourite place ...

During the week 

Little Miss told me they have been going 

On lovely country walks  in school and have a nature project 

table now at school...

So wanting a distraction and with her 

project in mind 

I looked on the net a bit 

and decided to do a bit of making.

As you know I have a bit of a stash of fabric , so in peace and quiet I sat in the annex, and picked out some fabric and felt.

I thought a lot  in between , maybe too much.....


And in between doing the this and that Of every day life, I  have.made lots of these and still have more to make .

This a biggy!!

  I have never made pumpkins before and they have been so relaxing to hand sew ( I adore my sewing machine  but I find hand sewing so  enjoyable.).  ....   .not too  much concentrating on , letting me use up lots of fabric that I love  and big smiles from the children when I show them my efforts after school. .  I have played with the embroidery stitches on "Dolly" (my sewing machine) ..

.I have walked the lanes ,  walked through crunchy leaves in my wellies, bumped into "neighbours" .  I have seen farmers getting the ewes ready for tupping (mating) and thought of the new lambs that will be everywhere is this county I now call "home" come the spring.  The weather has turned rather chilly... Woolly wellie socks , hats, scarves and gloves have now had a freshen up wash.  I am ready for the cold weather when it rolls in.


This weekend I hope Little Miss will join me in making some more pumpkins... Her little fingers haven't got great grip...  so we will take our time ..... no matter what we will have fun ...she has such a  sense of fun , just what I need after a week like this.   I look back when I was a teenager and how my mother 's eyes would roll at my antics and wickedness!!! I am sure my sweetheart is my payback, she looks at me and at times it is like looking at my mother I swear!!!! I asked little man would he like to make some pumpkins and his reply made me laugh " I'm not at school..no thanks!!'"


Autumn have arrived here in more ways than one for sure...

See you soon, hopefully only happy, creative or fun things to post next time.

. Xxx