Five on Friday - Gratitude (20 December 2019)

Off we go again!

No 1
So grateful I can drive, have my own car and am still confident to drive all over the place; mind you I'm not sure I'd want to drive to Birmingham!

No 2
Tied in to No 1, I am independant, not needing my Beloved at my side all the time!  We go our own ways and pass now and then!  I can be certain he'll be back for meal times....

No 3
Sometimes you can't beat on-line shopping!  I don't do this very often but it is great to order and await delivery.  Recently I ordered 4 quilting patterns from Jordan Fabrics in Oregon as there is no way I'd ever visit the shop there.  Hip hip horray for on-line shopping.

No 4
I've not been feeling so well these last few weeks; could not put my finger on it and then a few days ago, all the aches and pains turned into a cold; thank goodness it is only a cold and not flu.

No 5
Beloved and myself watch Youtube, not terrestrial television.  We watch all sorts (I have to watch quilting videos by myself!) and, living near the Settle to Carlisle line we sometimes watch videos about this.  We both like steam trains.  Just a few days ago we watched a video about Mallard and then it suddenly dawned on me what we'd witnessed in 1988 without realising it.   Back in 1938 Mallard broke the speed record for a steam train.  50 years later (in 1988) Mallard was to make 4 trips along the Settle - Carlisle line to celebrate this achievement.  On one such event we were driving to Skipton and saw a lot of people near the railway line. Beloved parked and we asked what was happening. Mallard is coming by and indeed it did.  I am grateful to that YouTube video for pointing out what we'd seen.  I'm not sure if Mallard has been out and about since then.  So that memory is now all the more special. Of course very much pre-digital camera but we saw her!

Five on Friday - Gratitude (13 December 2019)

Once again it was good to dwell on the last week and realise how much gratitude I have had.

No 1
I've been quilting since the mid 1990s and, lo and behold, I have a fabric stash!!  Not sure how that happened but I've been so grateful that the lady who introduced me to quilting is now raiding my stash.

There is more fabric in drawers and boxes elsewhere....

It is great to see her quilts and recognise my fabrics, 

as they are old friends and it is good to see them again.

No 2

I've finished my new stick!  Beloved came home the other week with a beautiful stick; it was so much bigger than my previous one and took a long longer to yarn bomb.  Whilst I was doing this over a 7 day period, I developed a stiff neck, which slowed me down.  Just as I finished covering it all in yarn it dawned on me that holding my head in the same position had given me a stiff neck!  Phew, so grateful that it is not something I need to see the Doctor about!

Hard to see all the branches are covered  in different shades of green!

I even found the lights I bought for it over a year  ago...

No 3
Living next to adjacent countryside means we get lots of wildlife in the garden which is wonderful.  So pleased to see the pheasants are now returning.  We are grateful to see any wildlife (except for lambs!) in our garden.

There are 8 females and 2 males that day.   They come and go throughout the day and

the numbers vary all the time.  As soon as we are spotted in the kitchen they

run towards the patio doors. I bet they are grateful to have succeeded in 

training us so well!

No 4

My friend is very ill and unable to drive herself anywhere. She has helped me over the years with all sorts of stuff and I'm grateful that I can 'repay' her by taking her out, be it to a doctor's appointment or yesterday to Skipton. Better still the rain stayed away until it was time to come home.

No 5

I like to create things; there comes a point when  I can't go on making stuff but....  As you can see from No 1 above, I have a lot of quilting fabrics...    So I've started to make quilts for Project Linus.  Now I can try new patterns but on a smaller scale.  This week I took 9 quilts and 2 crochet throws to a shop in Longridge from where a Project Linus lady will collect them. Yipee, I can now make more; so grateful I can continue to be creative and some child somewhere will benefit.   Silly me!  I just found a quilt I'd forgotten to take over to Longridge so I can be put aside for my next visit.  Here's a few photos!

Thanks Hawthorn for reminding me what a good life I do have, even if it rains a lot here!

Five on Friday - Gratitude (6 December 2020)

Once again Hawthorn  has asked us to join in.  This week I've been more thoughtful of things to be grateful for.  It is good to be reminded about the good things in life!

No 1
I was making a parsley sauce to go with some fish and pulled out a tub of chopped parsley. Luckily I looked at the contents before I added them to the sauce; it was a tub of chopped green chillies......  grateful I spotted this!

No 2
Earlier this week it was so cold that I had to put my thermals on.....  thank goodness photos were not required!

No 3
Walking into our nearest town (trying to be fit!) the other day I did not take my camera with me. Typically I needed it.  So you will have to believe me when I say we saw 2 herons, close by too!   Grrr but they are in my mind so I'm grateful for that.   I would have had some good photos....

No 4
Driving out the other day, a local bus was approaching a mini roundabout and Santa was driving it!  We exchanged waves and went on our separate ways.  Grateful that I'm easily pleased by small things!

No 5
Last one but the best one for me!

So grateful when my Beloved came home on Wednesday with

this 'stick'!  I'll try to keep the story behind it short!

We don't celebarte Christmas.  I do like a Christmas tree but  ...

Here is the one I made 3 years ago; a piece of ash, yarn bombed!

At Christmas I hang my Christmas ornaments (including

chocolate things which I've yet to buy).  After Christmas

I take them down and replace them by non-Christmas

dangly things.

I have red lights which are on from

October to March, when it is dark.

I wanted a new stick and had already ruined 2 others 

as the stick needs to go in a corner and I'd cut off the wrong branches.

So imagine my delight when Beloved turns up with a most

beautiful stick on Wednesday.  I can't think of a 

better 'present' from him.   I will keep the

above stick here and have the new one elsewhere

as my collection of dangly things is 

growing, thanks to gifts from friends

or what I've made.

The new stick will go here.  I even think

I've some lights for it, bought last

year when I planned to make another one

but I broke my right wrist instead

so no new stick then!

Thanks once more to Hawthorn for suggesting this link up.  Click here to return to her blog and see who else has joined in.

See you next Friday.

November 2019 Photo Hunt

Time this month has raced by and for once I don't mind.  November was dull, wet, dull, wet etc etc.  On a positive note we are nearly at the winter solstice so spring will soon be on its way!

Once more thanks to Hawthorn for another challenge.  Can't wait to see what everyone else has done but here's my efforts!

1   Seasonal View

I'd rather it was spring/summer all year round but there are benefits with the changing seasons.  I am so pleased at my seasonal view that I just had to include 4 photos!

A fieldfare, a seasonal visitor to the UK and I am viewing them from my window!

Yes, I am proud to have fieldfare visitors in my garden.  For years I've glimpsed

them in fields, too far to take a photo but this year I've been vigilant

so much so that I've been stalking them from various windows in our house.

They fly off at a moment's notice.

Eating hawthorn berries so once the berries are gone, they will be off.

I've had more than one visitor.  One day I had a flock of them.  So thrilled to see them

that I might even look forward to next year's November month.

2   Oops

A screw in Beloved's tyre....  picked it up when we were over at Keighley doing more clearing;

he had to get a new tyre.

3  Seashore

My sister lives in Port Carlisle; this is the view after about 3 minutes' walk from her house.

Scotland is on the horizon.

4   Card

Made by Jackie CARDy.   It is a broach bought for me by a dear friend years ago.

I do wear it now and then but have no wish to wear it out!

If you are on Facebook you can find her here.

Or visit her website here.

5  Stripe/d

A simple striped quilt I made for Project Linus.

Sadly the jelly roll was not cut accurately to 2½" wide and I only noticed

this when making this quilt as some of the horizontal lines do

not line up....  grrrr.

6   Own Choice

Finally I finished my Seaside Stash Busting Blanket CAL!  I even tried a fancy, wavy border.

Really pleased with it.  I used the pattern from the Coastal Crochet blog.

Click here to see the instructions (spread over 36 weeks)

under the heading Seaside Stash Busting Blanket CAL.

Well it looks like we'll be re-convening in January 2020.  Thanks to Hawthorn for organising this photo hunt.  I love to see how you all interpreted her words.  Click here to see her  pictures.

Enjoy your Christmas holidays.

October 2019 Photo Hunt

Believe it or not it is 10 October as I prepare this post; the weather has been awful and looks like it will stay this way until the end of the month.  So on yet another wet day, I'm using my time to get jobs done, in this case the photo hunt photos.  Then if a better photo opportunity presents itself, I can change things!  So, please read on.

1   Umbrella

I had it in my mind that there was an umbrella shop in Skipton with a lovely display of umbrellas in the window but as we drove past a few days ago I could not see it....  But I decided to use my own 'umbrella'.  I follow Lucy on Attic24 and back in October 2018 I noticed a post which I sent to my friend; click here to see this post.  A week or two later my friend had made an umbrella with her granddaughters.  They had a lot of fun so that motivated me to make my own umbrella.

It's only tiny but is perfect for the mouse and its home that I added to complement 

the umbrella.  I agree it's not waterproof but it'll not be going outside!

2   Wet

So much choice for this word; I feel as if all of Lancashire is wet....

This autumn flowering plant is sagging under the

weight of the relentless rain...

Poor Schizostylis!

3  Puddles

I have a wet garden....  As a rule I always have to wear wellies!

4  Overflowing

I know the word is overflowing but for some years now this well near where I live had been

UNDERFLOWING......  It flows down the hill (to the left of this photo) and across

the road; when the temperature dips below freezing, the road is interesting!

Click here to see a short video clip of this well.

5  Splash

Top left - water coming into the garden and flowing down a concrete

channel which I have named The Zambezi.

Top right - ready with my brush to sweep it clear of leaves etc.

Bottom left - looking back to where I've swept.

Bottom right - more Zambezi to sweep!

Click here to see me splashing about in the Zambezi in my wellies.

I know how to have a good time!

Own Choice

As I write this I realised I could have used this photo for Wet!  Read on...

Towards the end of June this year, Beloved rang to say he'd found a wet sparrowhawk and did I want to come to our fields to see it?  Of course I did.  Beloved had seen the long grass moving and on closer examination he found the wet bird.  He picked it up and put it down on the drive but it could only hop about.  So he picked it up and phoned me.

Here is our feathered friend.  I suggested he place it on the roof bars of his van and almost

at once it flew off.  We came to the conclusion that it had dried out as I drove up 

to the fields.  We've assumed it is a sparrowhawk!

Well, it is now the end of the month and we've had some dry days....  but overall October was damp.

Thanks to Hawthorn once again for organising this.

September 2019 Photo Hunt

Hello everyone; it's that time again.

Once more Hawthorn has had my brain cell working overtime but I've managed to prepare 6 photos!  So here we go.

1   Cosy

My cosy, striped leggings I made (crochet) a couple of years ago.

Hope you like the 'garter' I added at the top!

Come the cooler weather (and it has started to arrive)

I wear them a lot.

2  Changing Foliage

I was spoilt for choice with this word.  But you can't beat a Virginia Creeper at this time of year.

3  Scarf

I follow Lucy from Attic24; she is one of the organisers for Yarndale.

Each year she asks her followers to make something; this year it is to knit

or crochet a teddy bear for the Mercy Ships.  Each one needs a SCARF.

Click here to read about this on her blog.  Click here to read more about

the Mercy Ships.  She is also going to put a photo of each teddy bear

on Pinterest.  Click here to see them.

My attempt was made using the crochet pattern.  So far I can't see him

on her Pinterest boards but I know she has received more bears

than she anticipated!  My friend has knitted about 20!!!

It took me ages to make just the one so I did not make any more.

We are both off to Yarndale on Saturday 28 September (tomorrow) and we

hope to see our bears there.

4  Baking

Years ago when  I did a lot of  bread making, I made some

Saffron buns.  They froze well and were yummy! 

5  Cobweb

Well I've seen hundreds of cobwebs.  They are everywhere.  Some I find by walking into them!  Quite a lot have a spider in the middle!  It's been good to watch a spider make/repair a web.

Not sure what the 'lunch' is but the spider (in its cobweb) was busy preparing

it for storage.  Not my idea of lunch....

6  Own Choice

Well I've had a lot of photos that came under this heading; I think I'll save some for another time.

Another quilt made for Project Linus.  I had made the top 2 stars back in 2011

and the bottom left and centre stars also in 2011 on a day course I attended.  

They have been in storage since then waiting for inspiration.  It came to me a few weeks ago.  

I could make them 'fit' together and I just needed to make the bottom right block.

What fun I've been having; I am doing simple machine quilting and also

attaching the outer binding using the sewing machine.  It's not perfect

but it allows me to improve my techniques whilst producing a quilt 

a young child or teenager might like.

I used a fleece for the backing.  It is soft and cosy too.

Once more thank you Hawthorn.  My brain is just about ready for the next set of words!

Click here to see that other delightful photos have been shared for us to enjoy.

August 2019 Photo Hunt

Well hello.  What a wet month August has been.  Typical British summer....

Here are my dry (mostly!) photos for this month's photo hunt; thanks again to Hawthorn (click here to see her photos) for keeping my brain ticking over.

1   Mark

A friend is re-modelling their kitchen; a monster task.

One of the first jobs was to build up the brick surround to the 

solid fuel stove and use this lovely stone at the top.

It does have an interesting mark in it.

We've no idea what it means!  Do you?

2   Duck(s)

Sadly we've had no ducklings visiting this year.  But I did bring out their pond

and here is someone enjoying the clean water.  It does not stay clean for long!

3   Window

Years ago we stumbled across Pendragon Castle, a ruin but what a delightful

place.  Click here to read about it.  There was just us and a few

sheep; so wonderful not to contend with hordes of  people....

Lots of windows but this one caught my eye.

4   Arm

This is the story of the steering arm on Beloved's Zetor tractor.

It kept getting bent....

Picture 1 shows how bent it was.

Pictures 2 and 3 show Beloved straightening it, after he'd

had to do some welding to strengthen it.

Picture 4 shows it back in place and since then (14 years ago!)

it has been fine.....

5   Straw

I have discovered the delights of making raspberry gin!

Click here to see the recipe I use.

I tried using a straw to drink it but soon gave up!

I drink it 'neat' without tonic or ice!

6   Own choice

I have a good stash of fabrics......  For years I've fancied making a 

quilt using the Disappearing Nine patch pattern.  Here it is!

It was fun to make and I was able to use up quite a bit of my stash

and experiment with machine quilting.  It will be given to a Project

Linus lady later this year.  Click here to read about Project Linus.

I will be making more quilts for them; I don't need any more quilts but there

are lots of patterns and techniques I would like to try so making them

for Project Linus is the way to go; I get lots of fun and someone gets a quilt.

Well, that's another month done; will September's weather be better????

July 2019 photo hunt

Usually I am so organised but this month I'm combining text and photos with about 12 hours to go before reveal time.....

Perhaps the heat is getting to me!  Actually I am enjoying it but I know most people are wilting.  So let's see what I can offer you.

1   Cluttered

Mike's aged aunt's kitchen/living room in April this year.  Sadly she'd

passed away and this was the cluttered sight that greeted us

when we went to her house.

Her parents bought the house in about 1936 and I'm convinced that little

has been thrown away.  Also no-one had any idea how to file

important papers......  So for the past 3 months we've been sorting it all.

Still plenty to do!

2   Paddle

Beloved and friend paddling their way ashore after a ride in Loch Fearnoch and

beyond in our RIB.

3   Pink

Despite appearing later than usual, there are plenty

Common Orchids at our fields.

4  Starts with E

It made me smile to see that the box these earrings came in (a gift from Beloved)

also begins with E!!!  They look heavy but are so light to wear.

5  Roof

Back in September 2017 when Beloved's aunt was in hospital we had to help Social Services

tidy up her home so she could return home.  On the left is the garage personal door.

On the right is the roof to said garage.  Beloved accidentally used the wrong key 

when trying to open this door.  So the only way in was through the roof.

Just as well the roof sheets were loose!

Why did we need access to the garage?  To get to a roll on vinyl floor covering

so lay over her old, torn covering.  Yes, we did it but that will have to be a 

tale for another photo hunt if the appropriate word appears in the list!

6   Own choice

Look what we saw in our garden the other week!!!  It was about 8.30 pm.  I could get

within 5' of it; it did not roll up but stayed still.  I'd seen evidence in the garden

here since we moved in so I knew a hedgehog was about but to see it

was wonderful.  It's not been back since that week, well if it has

I've not been lucky enough to look out the window and see it.

Click here to see a short video clip of the hedgehog.

Well, that's me done for this month.  Time to see how other people have interpreted Hawthorn's word.  As usual thanks to Hawthorn for hosting this photo hunt.

June 2019 Photo Hunt

Well I did manage to find time to join in this month; once more another month has whizzed by.

Apologies for last month's incorrect link in the Link up thingy on Hawthorn's page!

Here goes!

1   Notice - seen earlier this year on a new walk Beloved discovered, not far from where we live.

This was intriguing.  No idea who she was but she does sound like a character!

2   Spotted - as in Spotted Flycatcher.

We used to see them at our old house (about 800 steps away) but I've yet to see one here.

I agree it is not very spotty but it was a very bright day when I took this photo.

3   Starts with K

Years ago (gosh over 20 years ago....) I used to knit almost continuously; my favourite yarn being mohair.  Luckily for me I did not have a problem knitting it or wearing it.  The only 'problem' was Beloved finding fibres in his food so I had to stop wearing mohair knits at home!  I've given most of these mohair knits away but I still have a few that I wear very occasionally!

I also went to a lot of trouble lining each one!

Very pleased I could find complementary buttons!

4  Cobweb

Rather than take a picture of one inside the house I opted to find one outside!  In January this year we woke up to find a slight frost has appeared overnight and all the cobwebs were easy to see.

There were so many.....

5   Step

Now my original thoughts for this word have not materialised (I had at least 3 planned) so I had to go to plan D.

Several years ago I bought myself a Fitbit One.  I still have it and love it.  It does help

me be more active.  Anyway, on 12 May 2017 when I was home alone and the 

weather was dry and sunny I decided to do lots of walks, radiating out from

our house.  I had planned to do 25,000 steps but I got carried away!

If I'd paid attention I could have walked 35,000 steps but never mind.

It was good fun but sadly my knee will not let me do this again!

6   Own choice

It looks like we will not be having any ducklings this year but instead we've had an adult male woodpecker feeding 2 juvenile ones.

What a joy it has been to watch them.  Note the newly exposed wood on the bird house!

One juvenile was trying out its pecking skills while dad brought it some food!

Click here to see a video clip I managed to take.

A few days ago we were about to go out when I spotted a juvenille woodpecker sitting in a

puddle at the front of the house.  Beloved picked it up (it did not struggle) and put it on a dry seat.

When we got home (at least 2 hours later) it was still there.  I suggested that he

pick it up and put it inside the bird house.  As he picked it up, it started to protest

most loudly.  When Beloved put it inside the bird house it flew off into the distance!

Hopefully it is still going strong.

Just another nature note to end on...  no chance to take a photo but I'd like to share it

with you.  On the edge of our decking I spotted a small rabbit (so cute) trying

to stand on its hind legs to reach the seed head of a grass stalk.  It had to 

really stretch and then suddenly it lost its balance and fell off the

decking...   I had to laugh but it hopped off and has since returned.

Well that's all for this month.  Next month's challenge will soon be upon us.  Thanks once more to Hawthorn for organising the words.  Click here to see who else is taking part.

Bye!