The special place

When you are stressed do you have a special place in your mind where you can retreat to ? I want to share with you my special place, if I'm upset or I cant sleep or I'm stressed I start at the gate and work my way through this beautiful place. I usually don't get very far it works it magic on me almost immediately.
Of all the places I have ever been in my life I wish I could re-visit this one GULP !! oh how silly I am get a grip girl.... This was my dad's garden and this is how I remember it 45 years ago sadly it no longer exists only in my memories and this grainy photograph.When other men were growing vegetables my dad was growing flowers and it was a beautiful place I have so many strong memories of that garden.I am so thankful that I inherited my love of gardening from my dad and when my own garden is looking good I have a few moments knowing that my dad would be proud of my efforts.
The Robin always pops in when I'm gardening and we joke that its my dad telling me what I'm doing wrong.

I have been ver lazy with my blog lately...I just feel sometimes I havent got anything interesting to say....but today I have....
Welcome to our grandson Christian born on Sunday 12th December weighing 7lb 11oz.
We couldnt be happier although I am farrrrr to young to be a nanny lol...

 

Well finally I have got round to posting....sorry for my absence I have no excuses.
Saturday I hosted a baby shower for my daughter, I had quite a few sleepless nights worrying about it I have never been to a baby shower so had no idea what people expected.I organised a couple of games and an activity that involved craft (of course) we bought some plain babybrows and some fabric paint and asked people to decorate them, I also did some pages for Natasha's scrapbook and asked friends to fill them in with words of wisdom for the mother to be... it all seemed to go well
and everyone enjoyed the activities. I also did a bit of baking and made some lovely cupcakes which everyone was very complimentary about. All in all a great day I started off taking photographs and then things became so busy the camera got forgotten but here are a few pictures I did take.

Pressie Time

How exciting to get a parcel in the mail thankyou to Lisa over at Periwinkle (I would attach a link but I don't know how doh..... so if anyone would like to enlighten me !!) I was apprehensive about joining in a swap,what should I send, how much should I send,will she like it, what if she doesn't like it.... on and on and on
goes my little mind but in the end it was fine my swap partner Lisa was from my neck of the woods (Sunderland) so I knew we would be ok.
I'm very pleased with my parcel,each item was wrapped in lovely tissue paper and I feel very spoilt my husband and teenage son stood and watched me open it and my sons response was "I hope there's chocolate" and yes there was a lovely bar of Lavender chocolate,cant wait to try that. I love the knitted chicken and the lovely kitchen
cloths although I wont be using them to lift anything out of the oven (too nice for that) they will just hang around looking pretty.
So all in all my first swap went well and I hope Lisa liked my gifts to her.

The most fantastic Merry go round is in Milton Keynes at the moment. Its a french artwork called Magical Menagerie that has been created from scrap items and made into this beautiful fantastical ride. I adore it, it appeals to my sense of shabby chicness (my sons words lol) I cant describe how wonderful it is you have to really see it and I hope if you live anywhere near MK you can come and see it. Its here until 8th August and then it moves on. At first when you see it you wouldn't think you can actually ride on it it looks so mechanical but all the creatures have seats in them and lots of levers which make the animals do things as you go round.In the centre of the ride there is a massive buffalo (my favourite) an elephant a huge fish which has a hydraulic arm that takes it up to the ceiling. Around the outside the creatures are smaller, frogs,prying mantis,ladybird, and bugs. On the corners of the ride there is a cage that you step into and you are in the body of a wasp or fly you can operate its wings as the cage goes up and down. My other half and I had a ride on it(yes that is me on the buffalo the big lever between my legs made the buffalo's head go up and down )and we were the only two on it....... As we got off the music that was playing was the clown circus music....very amusing. I have attached lots of pictures so you can see for yourself although I have to say these pictures dont do it justice.

Well I said I would be back and here I am...... the clue I was going to give you about my surprise is not ready...typical lazy me.......so I think if you look at the picture you can see quite clearly what my news is. Nooooooooooo....I'm not pregnant BUT I am going to be a Nanny whoooooo....

My daughter Natasha is expecting and hopefully it will be here around 8th December.

My husband and I are both delighted after a few horrible years of losing people around us
this was very welcome news. In fact when she told me I sobbed like a loony....everyone who was there couldn't quite understand was I was so overcome but I make no apologies............

I cant wait and up until recently I would have said I'm not ready to be a grandparent yet but
actually YES I AM....

I have already started a small crib quilt which is coming along nicely if not a little slowly but I have got a few months yet. That was what I was going to show you as the clue but never mind you'll see it soon. We have already visited the baby shops a couple of times oohing and aahing
over all the lovely things.... even my son who is 18 got all excited in Mothercare and has already earmarked what he is buying the baby.

Help get me out......................

I just wanted to say sorry to everyone for dropping off the face of the earth for a while....actually that's quite apt as it feels like what I have done. You see I've been in a black hole ( I blame the Hadron Collider)....Every now and again things become a bit too much for me and I opt out for a while. I still have to go to work and do all the things that are expected but my heart just isn't in anything so I apologise....... I'm sure we all get times like this in our lives when things just seem so hard and I was determined that my blog was going to be full of positive vibes but I believed I owed you an explanation. I had nothing positive to say so its better to say nothing. I loose the joy in everything I don't sew I don't read I don't do anything because my heart isn't in it.

I've always struggled between positivity and moroseness (is that a word I think it is I hope you know what I mean) sometimes those bad vibes are just too strong.

I haven't even been reading your blogs.........no don't gasp..........please I promise I'm heading on upward and I'll be back with you all soon.............anyway I've had some good news Yippee...........

but I cant tell you just yet I'll be back with a big clue soon I promise.