Playing catch up....again.

Goodness, it is ten days since I last did a blog. I think my motivation has gone a bit as I don't have so many readers now.  It is funny that bothers me because I never set out to have readers. This was, and is, my online diary so it really shouldn't matter.  I think I am just missing all my old friends who have scattered across the blogasphere.  Blogger doesn't seem an easy place to find new friends.

So, the last 10 days......... not sure that I can remember that far back!  Actually, I can as 10 days ago I celebrated my 46th birthday, or if you prefer, I celebrated the 7th anniversary of my 46th birthday! It was a quiet day really as Simon had a parents evening after school and wasn't home until 9.30pm.  Coralie came over with Flynn and we had a nice few hours before going out for a pub lunch.

Last Friday evening we went out to dinner as we hadn't been able to do that on my birthday.  We went to a pub in a village about a half hour drive away. We had lunch there a month or so back and it was lovely.  Once a month they do lobster night there so we booked up for it while we were there having lunch.  Unfortunately when we arrived they had no record of our booking.  They eventually fitted us in but we had to have a table in the main part of the pub rather than the restaurant.  It wasn't the best start.  The service was terrible.  We waited nearly an hour for our lobster.  It was very nice but they were much smaller than I had hoped for.  They were very expensive so I expected more.  I do like seafood. We also waited 45 minutes for our desserts.  I forget what we had now so they obviously were not memorable.  Don't think we will go back there which is a shame as it had such promise.

Last Saturday we had the family here for a birthday dinner.  However before they came I had work to do.  The dog rescue people had their stall on Peterborough market and we had collected a car full of stuff from Gyll, the owner, on Friday night which we had to get to Peterborough by 8am.  It was an early start. I had said that I would drop off the stuff but couldn't stay to help this time because of having the family coming in the afternoon.

They were desperate for help so in the end I stayed.  Simon helped unload the car and set up the stall then he went off home to get on with the garage.  I was there until 1pm and I really enjoyed it again. I do not know yet how much they raised.  Verity and Steve picked me up on their way through from Cambridge.  We got to our house just as Simon got back from collecting Saskia from the station.  We were followed shortly after by Sam,Lisa and the girls and then Joshua and Charlotte.  Coralie was away for the weekend so we didn't see her family.  It was lovely to have everyone here and they all cooked the dinner between them. Oh, and Verity had brought cheese, onion and choritzo muffins for lunch too.  She is a great cook.

Sunday was another early start as I was off to London with Denise for the knitting and stitching show at Alexandra Palace.  It is years since I have been to anything there.  We had a great time although the train journey was a bit of a nightmare.  Wrong train going and then cancelled trains coming home which meant we had to get a bus and then the tube just to get back to the mainline station.  We were home later than expected, it was a long day.  I did enjoy it though.  The exhibition of the quilts was superb.  As you entered they had a display entitled "seams of gold".  The entrants had been allowed to interpret that anyway they chose and I envy their imagination as I could not even have come up with the ideas that alone put them together.  The standard was very high.  Here are a few photos. They aren't the best as I had to take them from funny angles and some are through glass.

There were lots and lots of very interesting trade stands  but we didn't buy much.  I got a knitting pattern book and some wool as Denise has very kindly said she will knit some stuff for the new grand baby.  I also got a nice big roll of "heat and bond" which I need for my little Slice machine.  We did come away with lots of ideas though.  Denise thinks she may take up lace making.  Looks way too complicated to me!

After seeing all the lovely quilt projects, particularly the ones for the "seams of gold" we thought what a good idea it would be for us to try next year.  So although we haven't yet told Coralie, we have agreed that in the new year we will pick a theme and then each of us will have a month to do a small  piece,  interpreting the theme in out own individual way.  No discussing, no helping, just come up with our own idea  and get on with it and then when they are done we can compare them to see how we all did and how different they are.  I am quite looking forward to that, should be fun.

This week has been the normal round of house work followed by sewing time. I have finished my scrappy quilt.  However when I put it through the wash to get the frayed, frilly edge some of the squares came away a bit on the back so I had to hand stitch them.  I am reasonably pleased with it.  I wouldn't want it on a bed but that wasn't ever really my intention.  I shall use it as a picnic rug.  Guess that means it will be put away until next year.

I have also worked on a nightdress case which is a Christmas present for Ellie.  It isn't finished yet as I didn't get enough fabric and have had to order more.  From the little that I had left over I made one of those little monster Nini that I made a while back.  The nightdress case is based on that pattern too.  The other thing I have done this week is the 5th row for my row of the month quilt.  Only 7 more rows to go!  I shall do a  "show and tell blog" then you can see.

Yesterday I got the bus down to Bourne as I was doing a 2 hour shift on an information stall that the Three Counties dog rescue were doing.  They also had tin collecting and bric a brac for sale. I was there with another volunteer called Marjory who is a lovely lady.  She gave me a lift home afterwards. It was later than I had hoped as it took forever to load up her car.  As we were the last shift of the day we had to pack everything up.

Today has been a nice day.  I like Fridays.  Simon is home early and the weekend looms ahead.  This is a long weekend too as his day off next week is Monday.  Since he dropped to 4 days a week, he has Monday off one week and Tuesday the next. He has been busy working on his garage.  Mainly inside, screwing up the frame work for the insulation and the boards that will go over it.  The outside is still awaiting guttering but that was delivered today so hopefully that will be done soon. The electric goes in during half term week which is just a week away now.

Tomorrow I shall be helping out at the dog rescue kennels in the morning and then I think I may go into Peterborough in the afternoon as I want to get the fabric for the living room curtains.  I have finally found some that I like and Denise is coming for the day next Wednesday specifically to teach me how to do lined curtains as I have never done that.  We are going to make all the curtains for the kitchen too.

Well, what do you know, I did manage to remember most of  the last 10 days. I was busy!  No wonder there was no time for blogging.   Time goes so quickly.  I never seem to be able to fit in all that I want to.  Did you know that there are only 66 days until Christmas?

I shall  leave you with that thought!