No more pretending

My hubby is now 40.  His birthday celebrations have lasted a week so far and haven't finished yet.

So how does a (nearly) 40 and (actual) 40 year old celebrate?

Cake (last week)

Check.

Badge (and "cake" today)

Check.

Decorations

Check.

What more could the birthday boy ask for?  Just waiting for his special present to arrive in the post (excited squeal).

Things making me HAPPY this week

Been a mixed week this week.  Hubby is still off sick but we are hopeful that as his dislocated knee recovers his MS will settle down and he'll be able to go back to work.

This week I have been made happy with;

1) Baking my hubby's "nearly 40" Birthday cake.  The cake actually managed to look like the one in my head.

2) Making cards for Birthdays.  I have a lot of birthdays in January.

3) I once made the mistake, when playing with Anni to hide her toy underneath me for her to find.  Now when we play she automatically goes under skirt to hunt out her toys - even when they are not hidden!!!!!

4) Spending time with friends.  Thanks for coming for hubby's not quite 40th tea N.  He even managed to stay awake!



5) Movie night with hubby.  We had a pizza, watched "White House Down" and cuddled up on the sofa - with Anni between us.............

Do you give in or keep going?

I love reading.  I don't fell complete if I don't have at least one book on the go, maybe one in my bag, one by the bed.  A pile of charity shop finds to take on holiday so I can leave them and let others enjoy them too.  Books are great.  Except when they aren't.

I have been plowing my way through the following book.

I love Tami Hoag books so was really excited to treat myself to this book.  I was sadly disappointed and here lay my dilemma.  Should I ditch it or keep reading?  I hate a book defeating me and it has only ever happened twice so far.  Yup, I have only given in twice and stopped reading a book.  The first sticks in my mind and was "Robinson Crusoe" which currently lives in the void under our bath, where I threw it in a fit of disgust (apologises to whoever buys our house eventually!!).  I hate giving in and giving up. It's only a book, just words on a page but god when it just doesn't click it is so hard.

So what do you do - do you keep going with gusto, do you give in and move on or does it bug you so you slowly keep going?  I kept going, for  a week.  Books don't take me a week to read.  Arghhhhhh.  Have to say it's put me off Tami Hoag books for a while.

Am now reading fluff and enjoying it much more.  Phew.

Making me HAPPy this week

Phew, Sunday already. I am not sure if Sunday's are arriving quicker these days or whether this week in particular has flown past.  Do you get that - you look up and another week has passed by??

Things this week;

1) Amazing views in the local woods.  I love these colours.  G - need another walk?

2)  Do you think she is comfy?  She stayed like that for ages... no animals were hurt in the taking of this photo!!!!!

3) Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

4) Baking.  Been trying different flavours this week.  Ok, so I topped the biscuits with a lemon icing and then decorated them.  Lovely (but I forgot to take a photo of them before they were scoffed).  Guess, I'll have to make some more.



5) Picking my needles up for the first time since before Christmas.  Does this make me a knitter!!!!!

Itchy fingers

I've not had a great time lately.  My hubby's health took a downturn on Boxing Day and it's not been a happy time since.  I have really struggled this week.  Getting tireder and tireder each day.  The highlight of my week has been walking Anni with my parents - getting out for fresh air and a chat for a couple of hours a few times a week has been a god send.  Thank you Mum and Dad.

Yesterday was  the end of a bad time and (hopefully) the start of a better time!  Yesterday was hubby's appointment at the Knee clinic.  He dislocated his knee just before Christmas and we had thought this may be playing with his MS.  Now we are not as sure.  We had thought that the appointment yesterday was to start physio on his weak knee.  BUT that would have been too easy!!!!  I ended up pushing him all over the place - thank heavens there were no hills!!!!  We saw a specialist, who because hubby's X-rays had been taken in another hospital had to have new ones taken.  Then back to the specialist, then to the plaster room for a knee brace, then to Physio to ring our local hospital to make the actual physio appointments (which we are still waiting for).  The brightness in all this was that by wearing the brace for an hour or 2 he is already steadier on his feet.  Fingers crossed that the brace and physio will get him back on track and I can stop worrying about him and have a rest!!!!  You so owe me love!!!!!!!

I even managed to find energy today to make a Cottage Pie and even I enjoyed it (I don't do pie - unless it has apples in it and is covered in custard!).

I have been having itchy fingers though.  I have been desperate to start something new.  So tonight I cast on and off I go...... I feel better already, though not too sure about the colours.  I am hoping I'll fall in love with it.

Aster (blue) and Purple.

So to see if anyone is reading this blog.  I forgot to take photos of the knitting i did for presents this Christmas.  If you received something knitted from me, can I have a photo please to add to the blog??????

Things making me HAPPY this week

Woohoo, getting there. It is still Sunday and I am remembering my thankfulness post.  If only I could keep this up all year......  still I will do best.  During my last job, I hated Sundays.  It was the day that as the day went on took me closer to having to go back to work on Monday morning.  By the time Countryfile came on (a tv programme on Sunday night), I was pretty miserable.  Now, I love Sundays.  I love lazing on the sofa with the dog, debating whether to bake and what to make for tea.  I love Sundays - FACT.

Things making me happy this week;

1) Catching up with Grey's Anatomy on tv.  We loved series 1 & 2 and then stopped.  I love catch up tv - if only NCIS season 10 was available.



2) Anni's choice of stick.  She loves sticks.  The bigger the better.

Found the perfect one.

She also walking with my Dad.  Can you find her in the shot above?  She's getting much braver when we are out and about.

3) Crafting - back to card making.

Birthday card

4) I Baked!!!! I love to Bake.  I have a thing about biscuits lately.  Do you have any favourite recipes to share?

Vanilla with chocolate chunks

5) Walking - yup you read that right.  I love taking the dog on a 2 hour round walk, in the sunshine (well it wasn't raining), with my parents.  We go through woods, Anni searches for sticks, Anni throws herself into streams and the views overlooking my suburb are amazing.  I can even do it (including the hill) without having to stop for a breather.

Wow Day !

Oh my, the sun is out.  Really.  It is shining and although cold feels lovely through the window.  Mind in about an hour it will be shining right in my eyes and then I'll be moaning :-)  It feels so good, Anni is superglued to the window enjoying it.  It feels like a long time since we had sunshine.  I know we are lucky though that we are not experiencing the bad weather in other parts of the country/world.

Exciting day today............  Anni's new dog food arrived.  This is exciting- no, really.  It means she might actually eat it.  Our dog is fussy.  She is a Lab and we have learnt that no-one has told Anni the "Lab Rules".

1. Labs eat everything - erm, not if it is dog food related.  Then it NEEDS additions of rice krispies (her current fav), tuna, gravy, mashed potato, bread, cheese, ice cream (melted), just about anything we eat.  No additions, no eating.  FACT.

2.  Labs love everyone - erm, not if you are human.  Then she'll have to look at you suspiciously and Grrrrrrr at you.  Unless you have human food.  Then she will gently take it off you, all the while looking at you like you are trying to poison her - but she will take the risk, as a favour............

She has the inbuilt foot guidance tendency though.  If she is lying on the floor a part of her body, usually her head. must be touching your foot at all times.  If I am sat on the floor, reading/crafting then she must be touching me at all times - usually lying up against my back so I can not move without disturbing her - at which point she will sigh and let me know she is not happy to be moving.  Good job we love her!

I have been crafting a little this week.  We have a lot of Birthdays coming up this month.  First card is for my Dad (already received).  I do like the simpler cards.  I look at cards with more detail and I do love them, but when I come to making my cards I still struggle to put more detail on them.  The second card is for my Mum and I don't like it as much.  She won't see this, before she opens it tomorrow so I can post the photo now!!!  It has more elements on it and I am sure she'll like it but I'd do it again if I had the chance!

Dad's card

Mum's card

Babbit trying to get Anni to eat!

I have just received my order from paper and string I love shopping on this site.  Not only do they have gorgeous stuff (I drool a little every time I log on), but you also get a sticker for every £5 you spend and when you fill a card you get sent gorgeous little craft goodies.  I'd shop anyway so happy to feel like my custom is wanted.  Your goodies always arrive wrapped in tissue and it makes shopping feel a little bit more special.

Anni checking for monsters.......

Oooh goodies

Must dash, I have making to do.

Resolutions one by one

I'm pretty good at making resolutions and pretty good at not keeping them.  This year, I am going to make them as I go on and that way I have time to think about what I want to achieve and how I am going to get there, without the knowledge that I am going to have so many epic fails.

So here I go with my first few resolutions.

1) Learn to crochet - I said this in 2013 but then I started to knit so not too sad that it's added to 2014 instead.

2) Make a photo college each month for my blog.  I want to naturally take more photos and I hope this will encourage me to use the camera more.

3) Declutter every single day.  We need to move in 2014 so this is a biggie.  I am a hoarder - there I said it (hubby be quiet).  I will hoard less this year.

4) Read more of my books and less library books - until I have donated more to the charity shop.

Things making me HAPPY this week

I actually remembered that it is Sunday today and so time for my weekly post.  I am hopeful that I will actually remember these posts now that the madness of Christmas and New Year have been and gone.  Hubby has gone back to bed, at least I think so, he left the room over an hour ago and had yet to reappear and Anni is cuddled up next to me.  She'll start snoring soon!!!!!

So what's been making me thankful this week.

1)

I have finally finished Hubby's scarf.  He picked the wool and I did the knitting......  Just need to weave in the ends and he can wear it back to work tomorrow.

2)

Anni got her new Babbit for Christmas and she loves it.  Go Anni.

3)

Oh yes, Gary Barlow.  You rock!

4)

A Girls day in Leeds.  Don't mind if we do.  Happy New Year N.


5)

Watching the Christmas lights in Leeds.  I'll never grow too old for lights.

Something I am NOT loving.  My one Christmas tradition off of my Mum, my Chocolate Orange, is missing and I haven't eaten it.   HELP ME!

Ooh something new to play with

I follow/read a lot of blogs.  I really need to stop but it is so addictive.  I have been so jealous of seeing people's photo collages on their end of year posts and it's been really bugging me that I had no idea how to do the same.  Well today I finally figured it out - WOOHOO.

Thanks heavens for Pic Monkey . I think I love you.

My 2 collages so far (I am a little slow working it all out)

Hello from my family and friends making me happy this past year.  You know who you are!

Molyvos, where Dave and I found our "other" home.  We love this place, A LOT.  As the plane lands we actually feel we have arrived home and we are so sad when we have to get the plane back to England.  If I ever win big on the lottery we are off here and maybe never coming back!!!

Oh I like the photo editing too.  A photo of my Dad in case Mum missed it earlier.

Now I must get on with the washing up and not upload more photos.