Guess it's that time of year

I have been busy sewing up a storm on my embroidery machine making little angels. They will be scattered on the tables at the Relief Society evening next week. I did the same thing last year and they were a big success so thought I'd make some more, but why do I leave it until the last minute?  I just need to cut off the mesh fabric I used to sew them onto and probably make some more.

At the last BSK meeting I embroidered a pile of Christmas bags in the hoop, just need to get them serged to finish them off.
Now if anyone finds the secret of an extra 24 hours from somewhere please tell me.

A beautiful gift

Chris gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers for my birthday on the 20th.

On the the 21st they were wrapped and transported to the lodge we had hired, where the only container was a plastic jug that had to be balanced in a waste paper basket to stop it falling over.

The 24th saw them again being bundled into the car to bring home.

26th today and they still look as good as the day he gave them to me, thank you for the wonderful gift Chris.

Bainland Lodge Lincolnshire

Friday saw us travelling to Woodhall Spa to a rented lodge for the weekend. The family arrived early evening in time for dinner and celebrating Richard and Jacqueline's 16th Anniversary and my 70th birthday.
The lodge was well kitted out with two bedrooms at one end with a shared bathroom, and another bedroom en-suite at the other end of the building. it overlooked a nine hole golf course and there were many activities available on site.

Chris trying out the furniture

En suite bedroom

Double and twin bedrooms at the opposite end of the lodge.

The girls could not wait to try out the hot-tub even though it was raining and very dark! I guess if your getting wet it does not matter.

family fun in the hot tub

After a large cooked breakfast the chosen activity was water waltzer [ think that is what it was called.] Eleanor was not sure she wanted to have a go until she saw Abigail zipped into a gigantic ball trying her best to stay upright on the water, then she could not wait for her turn. Both girls worked out how to stand upright and run up and down the swimming pool.

Abigail being blown into a ball while Eleanor is not too sure about it!

Abigail walking on water

Eleanor managing to run 

A wander to the Adventure playground was great fun balancing on the zip wire [photos did not turn out as they moved too quickly once on the wire!], climbing on giant tyres while Jacq and I looked on.

fun on the tyres

Play time

preparing to use the zip wire

Jacq and I watching the fun

All very tired the men fetched fish and chips for a lazy evening in.

Sunday we repeated the large cooked breakfast and the younger members went off to the swimming pool and for hot chocolate in the Bistro. We drove into Woodhall Spa for lunch at The Mall a very nice but very busy restaurant bar. A lazy afternoon followed [ other than dips in the Hot Tub] and everyone seemed to be hooked on the game Amazon and Frozen on their iPads.

Clearing up the breakfast

What would we all do without our "gadgets"?

Richard, Jacq and the girls had to leave Sunday evening for work and school today, but Chris and I stayed on until this [Monday] morning. It was very quiet!

Monday morning preparing to leave

Birthday treat

I had a wonderful day with friends at Machine Embroidery club yesterday, where I managed to make seven Christmas bags and spend too much money on fabric!
The owner of the store gave us all a "one off" Christmas gift of 20% of everything except machines, so there was a lot of buying went on!

Today we are off with the family  to Lincolnshire where we have rented a lodge with jacuzzi on the deck. The weather guessers are saying we are in for a wet weekend so not sure there will be lots of sitting on the deck but there are lots of things on site to keep the granddaughters happy and I have a book to read. Not sure about Internet connection so it may be Monday before I write again.

The picture in the brochure

Happy Birthday to Me

Had a great evening at Relief Society last night, where three of us set up craft tables, button cards and Christmas trees, gift bags and my table was felt Christmas ornaments. All went extremely well.

Today I spent the first half hour in bed opening presents and cards, thank you all so much.
One of the cards was full of little 70 s, now the bed and floor are covered with them!

Off to BSK for a Machine Embroidery day with my friend Penny, so I have the cream cakes ready!

How's this for a coincidence? My husband wanted to get me a card with nice words plus a card with 70 on it.
The card from my son and his wife was the same card!
Friends last night told me life starts at 70, so I am looking forward to it.

November Catch Up

Where has the time gone since my last blog post?
Most of it has been spent in terrible pain from an IBS flare up and not much "get up and go". It has been years since I had an attack and I had forgotten how painful they can be.
Yesterday was a better day and I am hoping I have seen the worst of it.

During the month ;-
I taught a workshop for BQS [Busy Quilters and Stitching group] at Bedford.
Fifteen ladies made little thread catchers in Christmas Fabrics. It was a great workshop and I really enjoy the friendliness of this group.

Preparing kits

Friends celebrated their Golden Wedding, well done Pauline and Brian.

I spent three days at the Temple south of London, after a good journey down I had a terrible journey home [ 5 hours!] but the time spent at the Temple is just so nice and spiritual.

Early one morning

A workshop with Helen Spence at Hamtune Quilters, was a great success and I enjoyed making another bag, which will probably be a present for someone.

Last Saturday Chris and I attended the Lighthouse Theatre to see Abigail and Eleanor perform with the Michelle Randle School of Dance. It was Eleanor's first time to dance on stage and she looked great and obviously was really concentrating on her steps. At 7 yrs and 1 month she was brilliant. Abigail [11yrs] did some very impressive moves across the stage on her own and had many costume changes going from being a school girl in Matilda to a nun in In The Habit. I think she was on stage in about 6 numbers!
The whole show was so well performed by everyone, even son Richard who was Back Stage Crew and  DIL Jacqueline who helped dressing and with the props.

I think this brings us more upto date on what is happening in my life. Now on countdown [ 2 sleeps to go ] for my BIG birthday. I started wondering where November went, now I'm wondering where the last 70 years went?

Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day, 11th November. let us not forget.

My mother's youngest brother, my Uncle Charles Henry Ashby born 1919 served in the
Royal Army Service Corps #219884 during WW2 .
He was taken a prisoner of war soon after he landed in France and taken to Camp 4c Stalag in Wistritz bei Teplitz. Prisoner #252314.
 When he finally managed to escape and return home he was always a loner.
I think the horrors he saw effected the rest of his life.
He was always one of my favorite Uncles and is fondly remembered.

Stalag 4C was a POW Camp at Sudentenland Treibstoff Werke, Wistritz bei Teplitz near Brüx (now called Most) in Czechoslovakia, where fuel was synthesized from brown coal and many of the POWs worked in the mines.