Guess who

Who's this? Yes, yes, it's me of course, but who else?

Will this help? 

Maybe this. A-ha, a third person.

You'll guess now.

Yes, it was Meanqueen but she was being very nice today when we met up and went for a walk in Cleveleys. Not only did DD and I welcome her but a little puss cat joined in for a fuss. Good job we all three like moggies.

The sun shone ...

the wind blew ...

and the sea sparkled.

not just the sea sparkling!

Plenty of flowers to look at ...

and people to watch.

A very pleasant walk with very pleasant company. 

Thank you for the walking invite, Meanqueen and I hope you enjoyed our little part of the country.

In the style of

OUTDOOR LIVING MONDAY

Every week I would like to post in the style of one of my Simply Delightful favourite blogs. A sort of homage to the writing and presentation techniques of the bloggers.

Picture courtesy of Mum's iPhone.

This is just wonderful. And so relaxing. I just love to look at the many changing faces of our outside sitting area. Hey, take a look at those hundreds of buds just ready to burst into flower. I can't wait to inhale the heady perfume of those clematis. Can you see all the gardening activity that has been taking place at the table? Such a lot of work to do in the garden but the table will be laid out with a relaxing beer in a moment. Ha!

Enjoy the fruits of your labour!

Please look my Simply Delightful Blogs to find out whose style I've tried to re-create here. :)

xx

To my bloggy friends

 Love

Our

    Virtual

       Encounters

Happy Valentine's Day

xx

Sorry I missed you

I think I have some new followers - sorry but I seem to have missed you when you first arrived - this new Blogger system doesn't seem to flag up new followers or comments anymore. I have only just noticed new faces in the side bar. I also don't know how to get to your blogs as I can only see the blogs that you follow. Perhaps I am missing something here and all this information is under my nose. I shall continue to hunt. Anyway - welcome and enjoy your visits.

xx

Very odd

Sometimes when clicking on the comments on a blog I'm greeted with very unusual pop up messages which don't close down. I have to quit my browser and log in again. Very odd. Does anyone else have this problem? It's only been with one blog so far.

xx

I've given up hope ...

… of ever getting back my Blog List so I'm making a start on a new one. It will be slow and laborious because my list was quite long so if you don't see your blog yet I will get around to it. I'm working my way down my Reading List and have noticed that some of the bloggers have not posted in a long time. If you've not commented recently but were on my original Blog List please leave a comment and then I can add you to my Simply Delightful Blogs.

Blinkin' Blogger bloomin' well made a bothersome b**'s up there!

xx

Where's my Simply Delightful Blog List gone?

Has anyone else experienced the loss of their list?

xx

Hunt the Pic ...

… photo hunt starts tomorrow.

1. There is no need to set up any pictures as participants may submit from 1 picture up to 20, so no stress is involved to complete the lot. This opens up the challenge to anyone who doesn't want to tackle finding all the pictures.

2. Pictures may be taken from personal collections and personal blogs so hunts in computer picture galleries are encouraged. Doing this may help to 'tidy up' the 100s of pictures that many of us store on our computers.

3. There will be plenty of time to collect pictures as 'The Hunt' will run until the week of September 19th to 25th and during that week I shall post my finds and links to other Hunters can be made via the comments. There's no need to post pictures before the 19th. Posts can run throughout the week.

Here's the list. The connection between the picture and word can be explained or left to the imagination of the reader and I have deliberately not put the indefinite article (a) in front of each word to allow for more interpretation. 

e.g. Sight could have a picture of eyes or a view (or perhaps a messy bedroom)!
Mistake could be a DIY gone wrong or a spelling mistake on the high street.

1. dream

2. possession

3. passion

4. wonder

5. source

6. tune or song

7. wink

8. comfort

9. thought

10. glance

11. spectacle

12. inspiration

13. sight

14. beauty

15. arrangement
16. grace
17. weakness
18. elegance
19. smell or aroma
20. happiness

Here is a list of the participants but, as always, please join in with the odd photo or two if you wish to join the party this week. I am posting 4 pictures each day so my contributions will run until Friday.

Joy

Thrift Deluxe

Carol

KC's Court

Tracy - Your blog does not seem to be active at the moment. Hope you're still able to join in.

Rachelradiostar

Jackie

See you all tomorrow.

xx

PS I am here in person, having escaped the hospital for the next few weeks. Dropping apart is such fun!

Who reads my blog?

I've noticed that I'm getting comments from quite a few new to me readers during the last few weeks and I love going to visit them if they have a blog. I wonder how they found their way here. Did they blog hop? Had they typed some specific words into Google? What was their journey here? If you are one of my new commenters or followers I would love to hear how you came to land on these pages and if you are out there and read regularly and don't comment why not comment today just to say hello. I don't bite!

Hello to Mr Homemaker and Keith who commented recently. And to all the 'every so often' commenters, I'm so glad you popped by.

Hello to all who visit and don't have a blog of their own. Have you ever considered starting one? I'd love to visit you if you do.

My journeys to other blogs are through blog hopping and also typing my interests into Google. It's fun looking at similar lifestyles and gleaning tips and inspiration from others.



I'm a blog happy bunny today!

xx

PS - Ditty time.

Where did you find me?
Why do you stay?
Do you leave comments?
What do you say?

10 question blogaround

Sue from Our Quiet Life in Suffolk answered 10 questions for the Leibster award. The Leibster award is for new bloggers but she answered the questions anyway and has set 10 questions out into the Bloggysphere for anyone to answer so here goes.

1.  How many different homes have you lived in?

Just 2 different homes - we don't like change.

2. The first record/CD you can remember buying?

I can't remember buying any but it may have been 'The Young Ones' by Cliff Richard.

3. A memorable holiday in this country?

When I was 16 I used to work at a Christian holiday home - call it a working holiday. My friend and I enjoyed the socialising rather than the work. I never ever want to clean a Gents' loo again.

4. Favourite job if you could choose?

No job thank you, I'm retired! :)

5. Worst ever road journey?

All of them - I get travel sick.

6. Last meal out? 

Can't remember, but next meal out is next week celebrating DH's birthday.

7. The station your radio is usually tuned into?

Radio 4, of course.

8.The colour most featured in your wardrobe?

Black

9.The oldest thing in your house?

I'll have to think about that one. I think we've got more second hand stuff than new. The house was built in the 20s and quite a lot of our 'stuff' is from the 30s onwards.

10. Best boot sale/jumble sale/charity shop bargain recently.

I blogged about the CB a few posts back. My best CS bargain was a leather Filofax at £1.

Here's 10 more questions for anyone who cares to answer them.

1. What is your favourite meal?

2. Do you have a party piece? If so, what can you do?

3. Do you sing in tune or out of tune?

4. What was your 'best bit' today?

5. What was your last 'good turn'?

6. Are you social or anti-social?

7. What is your most annoying habit?

8. What is your least favourite food?

9. Dieting or not dieting? (I had to put that one in.)

10. Name one form of relaxation that you enjoy.

Thank you to Mending, Making and Crafting for nominating me in this round of the Awards. I'm not nominating any blogs as I love all the ones I read. Please answer these 10 questions and set your own for this 10 question blogaround if you wish.

xx

Drippy Dittie

(Chorus  - to the tune of the Galop in the Finale of The Overture to William Tell by Gioachino Rossini) 

To be sung with urgency, preferably out of tune. This ditty has particular impact when sung at speed!

(Spoken): Keep healthy - drink 2 litres of water every day.

Chorus: To the loo, to the loo,

To the loo, loo, loo,

To the loo, to the loo,

To the loo, loo, loo,

To the loo, to the loo,

To the loo, loo, loo,

To the looooooo, 

To the loo, loo, loo!

(Spoken): Go to bed, try to go to sleep, toss and turn and then - 

Chorus: To the loo, to the loo,

To the loo, loo, loo,

To the loo, to the loo,

To the loo, loo, loo,

To the loo, to the loo,

To the loo, loo, loo,

(Spoken): Before you go out.

Chorus: To the loo, to the loo,

To the loo, loo, loo,

To the loo, to the loo,

To the loo, loo, loo,

To the loo, to the loo,

To the loo, loo, loo,

To the looooooo, 

To the loo, loo, loo!

(Spoken): Before an important occasion.

Chorus: To the loo, to the loo,

To the loo, loo, loo,

To the loo, to the loo,

To the loo, loo, loo,

To the loo, to the loo,

To the loo, loo, loo,

To the looooooo, 

To the loo, loo, loo!

(Spoken): Pass by a public convenience.

Chorus: To the loo, to the loo,

To the loo, loo, loo,

To the loo, to the loo,

To the loo, loo, loo,

To the loo, to the loo,

To the loo, loo, loo,

To the looooooo, 

To the loo, loo, loo!

(Spoken): Sorry, have to go now!

Chorus: To the loo, to the loo,

To the loo, loo, loo,

To the loo, to the loo,

To the loo, loo, loo,

To the loo, to the loo,

To the loo, loo, loo,

To the looooooo, 

To the loo, loo, loo!

xx

Written with inspiration from Rachael Radiostar.

:)

Collections

I think I'm making a another collection. Is there a name for people who do this? Is it one of my hobbies? Could I be a collectoholic? A look at the Collections label shows the makings of an addiction.

I seem to be collecting blogs at the moment - my own. My Filofax blog is a record for me and I'm quite enjoying my Filofax adventures but here's another blog - hot off the press - and, again it's for me but it may be of interest to others. (If it's not to you then read no further than its title and certainly don't click anything!)

Grandma's Crazy Crocheted Cat Couture

:)

xx

PS Welcome to my new followers - I'm not too sure about one follower so I've not visited their link, having read somewhere that it's not a good idea. Beware.

If it is a good link I apologise but I'm not taking the risk.

Is it me?

I can't seem to log on to Frugal Queen's blog from the link on my side bar or from Google. I just get a blank screen. Is it just me or is anyone else having trouble?

xx

All sorted

This organiser box jumped into my trolley at Lidl this morning. I had just the job for it.

Under the spare bed there's a little bit rather a lot of Technic Lego hanging around in various unsightly plastic containers. The teeny tiny joiny pieces are now sorted into their own little compartments.

Some other items jumped into my trolley too because they may be useful for my Filofax hobby addiction. I've decided that this particular hobby needed a blog of its own as it's not everyone's cup of tea. If you're as interested sad as me in this particular area of organising then you will find me playing wasting more of my time here. Right, that's under the bed sorted.

xx

PS Welcome to my new commenter.

PPS Jo, I've just read about your crimson Malden on my travels around 'you know what' blogs. Ooooh!

Blog trailing

I thought I'd go on a blog trail today and what better place to start than here, a new thrifty blogger who's just setting out on her blogging journey. Thrifty left a comment on one of my posts and revealed that she was a fellow Filofaxer. Her post on her thrifty find in a CS endeared her even more.

From here I pressed on to Simple Living who is one of Thrifty's followers. She's also one of mine (at least I hope she still is what with the decline in follower numbers). There was a bit more organising here on her 26th January post.

I found my next stop on Simple Living's blog list - my empire of dirt garden - what a fabulous name. Her post on Bullet Journals from 13th January caught my eye.

The end of my trail came here, to Second Hand Susie's blog. I admired her whole approach towards sustainable living. Her post on most of her wardrobe being given over to second hand clothes reminded me of my wardrobe with most of the clothes from the CS or second hand and her post on 'no-poo' intrigued me. I've read quite a bit about this subject before but never heard of using a plant to help! (If you haven't the faintest idea of what I'm talking about just follow the link.)

Now what trail shall I go on next?

xx

Posting for Joy

Joy asked how I've set about using my new to me Filofax as a Hobbies organiser. It's only in its infancy at the moment but here's a first walkthrough.

My monthly divider cards are made from and old calendar. I probably don't need monthly dividers but at the end of the year I will be able to see how much I've done each month.

The first section is for Ebay listings. I'm trying to de-clutter and one way of getting rid and recycling at the same time is by selling on Ebay.

I have made an opening section to quickly list in order the items I intend to sell. The top headings include date of listing, starting price, whether auction or buy it now, postage price etc.

Following on I have more details for each item and a place to put the proof of posting.

The next section is for ...

my foreign language practice and includes various exercises from different course books.

The third section (and on this divider I have stuck a photo of some dance friends) is ...

...for notes on different dances. I'd kept a few handouts in my gym bag and now I have the ideal place to store them. My intention is to use this section as a reference for the different dance steps.

I have quite a few other hobbies that won't necessarily end up in this organiser. For example my recipes have a book of their own. Our music group sessions are recorded in a separate book too. Crochet, knitting patterns and more recipes are stored on my computer.

I wonder if I should start a Gardening Section or list my Lego collection. If I'm not careful I'll end up as just having the one hobby of - 

organising

with no time for anything else!

xx

Not a shelf or a cupboard ...

… to tidy and sort today but various tins and tubs. Isn't the word tub a great sounding word? 

Tub, tub, tub.

All my sewing box and threads were getting in a tangle so hence the attack.

The greens in the above pic were sorted but I've a pile more other colours to wind up and plonk somewhere. Reels, elastics, threads, cutters, scissors, pins and needles. Buckles, press studs, hooks and eyes, catches, bodkins and old zips. How to arrange, what to throw, what to put where? This is going to take a long time to sort. Today's a rest day so I'm taking my time.

Questions:

How many thimbles do I need?

Am I really going to darn any socks?

Will I smock anything using shearing elastic?

Am I ever going to use the rainbow of coloured threads that I have acquired?

I don't do dressmaking so how many old zips, that I have rescued, will I use?

Do I need an old bra wire?

Answers: 

(in no particular order)

No

None

None

No

I doubt it

I wonder where the other one went!!!

xx

PS 1. Welcome to another new follower.

2. I've been out once to sing to the tree. I may go out again!

Ensuring a good crop for the future

I need to be prepared for tomorrow - it being Wassailing Day. Our apple tree has never borne much fruit. Last year it produced 4 apples - the most it's ever had I think, so I need to intervene. The Wassailing link gives me hope for the harvest yet to come. It's worth a try anyway so tomorrow I shall be outside wassailing the fruit trees. I haven't got any cider so perhaps a 'little bit of sherry' will do and I may even sacrifice some Christmas cake to spread amongst its boughs if that will help produce a bumper crop come September.

Now I'll need a song so this one will do.

Health to thee, good apple tree,

Well to bear, pocketfuls, hat-fulls,

Peck-fulls, bushel-bag-fulls.

Here's to thee, old apple-tree,

Whence thou may'st bud, and whence thou may'st blow,

And whence thou may'st bear apples enow

Hats full! caps full!

Bushel-bushel-sacks full,

And my pockets full, too, huzza!

Stand fast, root! bear well, top!

Pray God send us a good howling crop:

Every twig, apples big;

Every bough, apples enow!

I'll be happy with more than 4 - stay tuned!

A very warm welcome to my new follower.

Welcome follower
Fellow blogger,
Comrades all we be
Here's to thee
And one and all
Warm greetings
To you from me.

xx

PS Just getting in the mood!

A Very Happy New Year to all my followers and those who leave comments. Thank you for dropping by. May your year be filled with peace and happiness.

xx

Advent Calendar 25

* A Merry Christmas to you all *

Love from

Mum

xx