It only took 5 years to finish!!!

I am not a knitter really.  I have never knitted a garment or pair of socks. I knit small things, I think I knit slowly and so for me my projects progress very slowly , where I like to see results quickly (says she with still far to many works in progress!!!)

I have this week however finished something.....and it is something I knitted and finished 5 years ago and I know when it was because our lovely Dextie inspired it and I knitted it the winter  of 2010 when he came into our lives.

Finally I dug it out in the great craft room saga and found the buttons which I had especially bought for it and the Dalmatian fabric.

This is what I found.

I decided on the red fabric

......

Added the wadding

and fabric

Red elastic tabs

Big spotty buttons

and at last my spotty 

dally coffee pot cosy.

And this little lot 

is the last hurdle 

In my craft room saga.

I am so bored of sorting now

I lost my mojo 

To be honest.

Thursday and Friday 

are marked on my planner

as 

"Finish it or else!"

days

I just want to get on with proper 

crafting now.

I stomp into the annex like

a spoilt, sulking , teenager...

I don't want to tidy and put away 

(I never did like doing my bedroom either)

I just wanna play and have fun!!

I know it is going to worth it

and the fun will soon begin..

Already I have seen the difference .

It is lovely to pretty much have a

home for everything....

and more importantly 

know where everything is.....

Right!

I have just over. 2 hours before the kids 

Come home from school.

Where's the annex key???

I could sit and read 

Some magazines but 

No I am going to use the 

time 

productively.

See you soon

Xxxx.

A busy Saturday...

First off we headed off to Newcastle Emlyn, just over the border into Carmarthenshire.  Little Man came too so Daddy had a few hours to himself to finish off a book he is reviewing.


Well the visit was not a disappointment .   Melanie you would have LOVED it...Cross Patch
has opened a shop and in my excitement I forgot to take a picture!!!!!!!!
But the website is www.cross~patch.co.uk

And it was AMAZING.......a double fronted shop, it has a huge room for work shops and 3 smaller rooms filled and I mean filled with my idea of sewing heaven.   Kits, charts, stitcheries, felt , notions , buttons, stuff I have only seen at quilt shows.  Loads of Australian designers like Birdhouse, Hatched and Patched, Cinderberry stitches and some I hadn,t heard of.

Well it goes without saying I has to partake in a bit of retail therapy ...my excuse being Christmas  is coming and I need to get making !!!!!   I bought some charts for stitcheries,  fabric for Christmas , a couple of presents , some Welsh buttons , and  a scrap bag.  I love scrap bags , again with a Christmas theme.

So this is what I bought

I just love this stitcheries book.

And also a set of Lizzie Kate seasonal basket charts, all 4 for £8 which I thought was super value.

We did a little bit more shopping for general bits and even saw Christmas selection boxes in the Co-Op,!!!!!!!! I was not happy 😒!!!!
Of course the kids saw them and of course I was the meanest mummy in the world when I refused to buy them!!!! I will not be blackmailed ....Christmas cards last week and now those , and tins of sweets, biscuits and even Christmas puddings...it makes me spit feathers.  Instead the kids had a ice cream.....but it won,t be long until all the decorations start going up I expect!!!


Afterwards we drove home but not before stopping at the next village as it was the yearly produce show.  Little Man was not impressed as it was obviously eating into his valuable IPad time!!!

They were just finishing off the dog show and we saw these Little chaps and lasses....

these two on the left are 14 weeks old

huge big brown eyes..so cute 

Mum is on the right

The owner is a breeder but I kid you not

She has about 12 of her own'!!!

She absolutely adores them to bits.

She was here last year 

And shows her dogs off at various shows 

Even Crufts I believe.

We haven,t taken Dexter yet.  He is 

As most Dally's are

Truely terrible on the lead 

We have tried everything 

And he just pulls 

And at 38 kilos 

that is quite a weight to be dragged along by!

Maybe next year.

Then we went inside to see 

the craft and produce section.

A couple of the  Craft group ladies nagged me again 

Asking why I hadn,t put something in....

The trouble is when I finish something I always see 

Something that I could of done better

Do you find that? 

but maybe next year I will be brave enough...

I have told Little Miss she should display 

Some of the things she makes too..

There were only about 7 entries

but a lady started chatting to me 

And I think we have a new recruit for 

Our tiny craft group and 

She told me about another brand new 

group about 6 miles away..

So I need to find out about that 

And I know a lady who lives in that village 

So will give her a ring.

This cushion was very pretty and finished really well.

I love black and white photos 

Massive onions and tomatoes

(The photo doesn,t show just how big they were )

And it wouldn,t be a Welsh produce show 

Without the national vegetable 

Leeks !!!

After 18 months I feel now 

that I am getting to know people 

And them us.

It is very much a Welsh speaking community here

but we are never ignored and 

they chat away happily with us in English.

We tried Welsh lessons 

last year , well that is a story for another time!! 

Last night I snapped these 

the  evenings are getting chilly

But we have.so far not put the heating on

But husband has got 

The gas and oil all topped up

Just in case. It won't be long.

I bumped  into our handyman gardener 

at the show...

raised beds discussed , 

he is going to price 

some up and  get back to me .

Even he was impressed with the great patio/pot 

clear up !!! Praise indeed!

when  he popped around yesterday

evening to trim one of the banks.

It has been a great, busy , creative week.

Halloween swap ready for posting 

tomorrow.

Goodies from Newcstle Emlyn

smuggled in 

without hubby seeing!!!

.....

Sweet words from my Little Man

I love weeks like this...

See you soon

Xxxx

Little thoughts

I was clearing up the garden and picking up the apples that I mentioned a few days ago....that have now fallen and have put them in a tub until I know what to do with them. The last week has been so nice and it is nice wandering about but the wasps are attracted to the fallen fruit so I wanted to clear the fallen fruit to the far side of the garden to limit the risks of anyone being stung..I hate wasps!


Little man came up to me and looked a bit puzzled when I told him and showed him how damaged the apples were and because of the damage the apples couldn,t be eaten.  He wandered off and returned a few minutes later with a box of plasters which he calls bandages.  Straight away I thought he has hurt himself...but no.  He took a plaster out of the box and handed it to me and then pointed to a damaged apple  still on the tree.
"Go on mummy, put a plaster on it, it might make it feel better".
One of those moments for me when my little ones say something  and it takes my breathe away.
Neither child started to talk until they were nearly 6 .  We had countless speech therapy sessions .  Husband and I went on courses to learn how to learn about how language developes and I also learnt
Makaton (sign language) and something called Picture Exchange System ..PECS .    We never knew if they would ever learn to talk, but PECS and sign opened a desire to communicate.  Often people with ASD do not develope that desire or need , thankfully my two did.  So now when they talk and share their view of their world, it gives me an insight of how they process the things they see and hear, which is not the same way that perhaps you and I do.  Many are visual learners, needing to be shown and re shown how to do things many, many times , if they ever pick up the task you are teaching depends, sometime it happens quickly, sometimes never.


And so back to the story.  I explained to Little Man,  the apple , well it wasn't like a person
when something like this happens to plants and fruits , well it happens sometimes ...and
we couldn,t mend it with plasters or medicine.  He looked up again at the apples  and asked if I was sure the plasters wouldn,t work, and then wandered off.  Little Man is a man of few words.
In that I mean he is as happy as the day is long , but feels little need to share "his world" with us
I always tell people it is a need to know basis  and he obviously doesn,t think we need to know!!
And that makes me laugh.  It makes me laugh , because he is his own person and just doesn,t engage in the art of chit chat.  For him language is when he needs , really needs to ask or tell me something , in the meantime he obviously wants to concentrate on more important things on his mind rather than for example discussing a very boring day at school which is now finished. So on the rare occasion like yesterday and I am "allowed" a glimpse of  his thoughts and how he processes the things he sees,
how his little mind had worked ...... and problem solved even, it does make me feel so grateful he can talk. I know the gift of communication,  it is a gift,  and one we often take for granted.......I know I
did once,  not any more.


First thing when hanging the washing out a butterfly landed on the basket..it was huge, the butterfly and the pile of washing.!!!!!  I don,t know if it was a admiral, must keep my eye out for a butterfly book.. bet I will find one in a charity shop if I look hard enough..........
Then at least I could give it it's proper name or at least try to!!!!!!

Then as I was shutting the back door I noticed this , I don,t think it could of been the same one.


And is it me or my part of the world but I haven,t seen one ladybird this year? Where have they gone?

This is last bit of planting 

To finish off.

Better finish off  as Little Miss

Wants to get going 

To that new shop

And keeps giving me 

"The look"

See you all soon

Xxxxx

A day of news and this and that

Last night I received news that I have another new great nephew...welcome Patrick Desmond .
He is named after my Dad and brother and I am sure he will be a very loved new additional to our family.   I became a aunty when I was five......but it seems strange to think I have great nephews and nieces.  Having a large family has always been a blessing to me.  Mum had children over 21 years and we often used to joke that her and Dad never really got their act together but had us here there and everywhere, some have a year between us, others seven years.  All the pictures we have of us
growing up are usually in the garden and in the background nappies blowing on the washing line!!

Yesterday we had a morning out. We decided  a lovely cafe in Aberaeron was just the place to have brunch.  Afterwards Hubby wandered off to the deli for his weekly cheese fix and I wandered off
to get some toy stuffing.  I tried last week in Cardigan to get some but they were sold out , then tried 2 shops in Aberaeron and both of them had sold out!!! There must be a rush on ! Tomorrow Little Miss and I are off to see a newly opened shop that I am very excited about, a craft shop of course.  I found out about it yesterday and I have heard they are going to start doing classes in various patchwork and Christmas themes...yippee!!!!!   I will no doubt be tempted though I have been very good recently and may even get the stuffing I need from there.


My hands , more my fingers really felt quite stiff yesterday after lifting and doing the pots so I didn't fancy making them worse so I didn't get around to any sewing but spent a lovely evening list writing.
I love lists and sort of need them to keep me organised.  Not only usual household lists but school lists , swap lists and I have been asked to have another stall at the Christmas Fair in a local village in November.  I did them back in Kent too and did one here last year and it was fantastic fun and so
good for Little Miss.  I love to encourage her to make her Angels from beads which last year sold
out!!!! Little Miss just couldn,t believe it either and it has so inspired her to do more....
......Little Miss makes the bead combinations and as she has fine and gross motor delays her grip is
not  great so I finish of the wire loops and then she decides on the ribbon.....


At the shows I encourage her to serve customers and she does love it.  We did a summer show last year too and the other stall holders have got to know her and we bump into them from time to time
And she always remember if the lady is the jam lady, the painting lady, the jewellery lady.  We never do the shows for the money, if fact any profit we make I give to the children  who then decide what we are going to spend it on...a trip out or a meal or cinema tickets.    The lady who organises the shows works so hard and always makes sure all the stalls sell different things and when we are setting up we all have a good natter and laugh.  Our husbands and partners are often a source of our amusement as they ferry our goodies back and forward from the cars and look like our little elves!!
We don,t share though what we are laughing about .......need to know basis and they don,t need to
know !!!lol.

I cannot draw for toffee but I have been doing some doodles of a new felt ornament , need to have a play with that sometime but for now happily getting my swaps sorted.  When I went into the newsagent yesterday for my magazines they were putting out the Christmas cards!!!!! Now I adore Christmas  but...September?????? I think it is far too early even for me. But....it reminded me to start making a list as time for making for the stall will soon whizz by, let alone for family and friends!!!

This afternoon I did some more sewing on my Halloween swap and tomorrow I think I will finish it.

Wherever you are

Whatever your plans 

Hope this weekend 

Brings you a little closer 

To achieving the above 

See you soon

Xxxxx

A good days work

Yesterday I put off what I had planned to do and I instead

Did the patio, patio table and pots

I was so ashamed and it was such a mess

6 hours later

All clean and tidy, pots weeded and refreshed with 

With new compost

Some new plants added 

Or repotted

So nice to see it all done 

My back was aching a bit

So having a day off today.

Even the garden gnomes had their yearly bubbles

This Is Colin

One of my favourites

He is called Colin because the kids

Used to have a taxi driver who did 

The school run and he looked like this 

Little chap.

And here he is with his mates

And a few others 

Today they get put back 

One or two may  need a 

Makeover 

Maybe a job over winter 

For a bored retired husband

Won,t suggest it yet

In case he makes some escape plan.!!!!

And the honey bees and bumble bees were having a feast 

Yesterday  on this bush

no idea it,s name

I must try to find the couple of 

Plant directories I have "somewhere"

Looking forward to a bit of sewing 

Today

Seems far too long since I threaded 

A needle other than for uniform things.

I have my Halloween 

sewing to finish 

It has been fun making .

Looking forward to sending it on it,s way.

Oh before I forget, I am  having a big glitch 

Replying to my comments, 

So if there are spelling mistakes 

And a delay in my replying 

It's not me honest !

Thank you for the lovely comments re 

The children...

It meant a lot .....

See you soon 

Xxx

Hotbin ...a good result

Early summer last year we bought a Hotbin and a wormery.  Today was the first time I opened the Hotbin up to find out what the compost was like and the result was really good.  Compost as black as coal, all rotten down, no slime or smell .  I spent the morning outside the front weeding the pots and putting in some spring bulbs.

Yesterday the temperature inside the bin was 105

degrees!!!' no wonder it composts

So well.

I love Honeyballs and tulips and have added a few more varieties here and there.

If you have ever  visited Wales in spring you will know daffodils are EVERYWHERE...so I haven,t put any in pots unless they are scented ones.    I have repotted some bargain hostas I bought 2 weeks ago!!!! I know 2 weeks but as is my usual style it took me ages to get around to it. But they are done now and I know where I have put them is shady, and relatively slug free.....

This morning I measured my intended raised bed space.  I think instead of one big one I will have 3 smaller ones.  I had 4 raised beds back in Kent and wouldn,t plant veg any other way.  I had a look on the net and the price seems to have dropped from when I first bought mine.  I will speak to Chris our garden man to see what he thinks, make or buy??? In the meantime I will pop down to a neighbour who has horses and get some horse poo as I think when the Hotbin is emptied a bit more , adding that every now and then will not doubt speed up the composting and I hope by the time the beds start going in I won,t have to buy too much compost.  


The weather is supposed to be nice until the weekend so I will probably spend this time in the garden.
The patio looks a mess, so this is probably a job for tomorrow.  All the pots look muddy and full of weeds so think it will be a all day job.  Hubby has been happy pottering doing inside jobs whilst I've been outside , we make quite good team and it is nice not to be getting under each other's feet!! Plus
He has been making sure I have some lovely cold drinks to keep me going...


                       ,                     ,,           See you soon  xxx
                             

When is the right time to tell....

When I started my little blog I didn,t think I could figure it all out and the greatest surprise was I did and  created it and love it very much.   I had a huge dilemma , one I thought about and just couldn't  decide upon until this post. I wrote my profile and yet something was missing.

When you write your profile it is a glimpse about you. I love reading profiles.  However when I wrote my profile I left a very major part about my children out ...both my children have Autism and it does at times fill a huge part of our lives.  I didn,t share before because some blogs that mention Autism (ASD) always make it seem the worst condition, that every day is another trial another obstacle to cross.  I suppose it can be at times. We have had more than our fair share of ups and downs ...

But for us ASD means different things for different people. Each case of ASD is different ...

but my children are children first, as beautiful as any child, funny, cheeky, wicked , love a trick as much as anyone and yes their world confuses, upsets and does not alway turn out as they like all the time, but they are ours and I know them no different..I am their mum and they mean the world to me and my husband .  I do not feel everyday is a trial or think that every day is hard ......I just enjoy my children  for them, unique as any child is , special because they are ours, and blessed because  somehow, somewhere there was a plan that they would be our daughter and son

we didn,t or couldn,t choose............ 

  we take each day at a time......

We love them like any parent, grandparent, aunty, uncle, family friend does, and from time to time I will share those moments that I hope you will enjoy reading about it too....

I wondered  if I should mention their condition and thought about it long and hard . I spoke to friends with and without ASD kids and they all agreed ...SHARE..... I do not intend to make every or every
other post one about my children, but sometimes they say or do the funniest things and I would so
like to share that with you if you would like me too.  Sometimes what they do and say takes my breathe away, I know they see their world so differently at times .  I wanted my blog to show a glimpse of my life and to avoid including ASD would not show me as the person I am or my family.  

So I hope you understand why I have waited until now .........

                        See you soon
                                 xxxxxx