Lets see if I can do this right today.

Last time I tried to post pics and promised you one of Ollie in the stitching chair,well here he is a big dog in a little chair! I think he looks so fed up.


On Saturday we had a phone call from Ella who is our 9 year old granddaughter ,asking us if we would like to go to lunch with her on Sunday.They live about 40miles away,she was cooking she said and would we like to go. Of course , (anything to get out of cooking Sunday lunch ,but more about that later). So we duly set out on a very wet day which as we travelled along turned into a lovely sunny journey.
When we arrived Ella was busy in the kitchen but had done most of the prep. Here are some pics of her doing her thing.





















Hasn't she done well it was really yummy- Pasta,cheese,tomato and bacon bake, with garlic bread and raspberry pavlova and blackberry and apple crumble for pud. All done by Ella (with mum watching).Graeme said she doesn't like the clearing down bit though as she goes, who does! but Ella WELL DONE.
We then went to Hobbycraft and I picked up the threads for my Sampler Girls Stocking , blimey haven't DMC threads gone up 79p per skein. As I needed 50 altogether(extras for other things) it was a lot just for threads.
Ella had done scones and Carrot Cake for tea and then we headed homeward.BTW Ollie did have a little all to himself and Ella made him a misshapen scone as he has to be treated like the family (spoilt, going on a diet, dog).
On Monday I finished this a design by Pineberry Lane this is for the monthly ornament challenge over on JA forum. Hope you like it,done on Sassys fabric (I do like her fabric) 28 count over 1 using Dmc threads.

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Tonight being Tuesday its the Vine over on JA with Julie and Mr Stick on the UFO night .Hopefully I will be able to start putting the leaves on the right hand side this week.
Speaking of my Julie friend I posted a little gift to her and if you haven't already seen it on her blog here it is again.
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Lastly a pic of the socks that turned the fingers blue and to prove to Julie I did do them.


Thanks to Karan for help in me getting these photos on here she is a star!! However I am sorry they are all in a line, will I get to grips with this I wonder?
As a postscript spoilt dog has a limp - maybe a visit to the vets tomorrow- perhaps I will ask him for a clever head while I am there.

Take care folks and thanks for sticking with me.
Hugs and things Barb

I have not forgotten you my blog and in the next few days I will be giving you an update on things. Plus if I can get my head round it pics(going to look in the dusty cupboard for a clever head (some hope). Anyway I will be speaking soon Hugs Barb

A bit chilly this morning

We are very lucky weatherwise in this part of the country ,but this morning it was a chilly 3 deg when Martin took Ollie for his first walk of the day. In fact he had to scrape the frostoff the windscreen of the car before he went . I was still in the arms of orpheus ,well not quite I had the obligatory cup of tea and was enjoying - come to time! I do not do mornings (as DH will tell you) .Mind you after I had fed the birds this morning I was so suprised to see 10 starlings ,yes I did count them,in ,well on, the table under the roof bit.20 more were in the tree but that is an approx figure as they kept moving lol.Perhaps the early bird does get the food lol.

I was very excited as we had a new sofa and a chair , delivered on Friday. I couldn't bear to get rid of the old sofa as I bought it with some money Mum left me. So it had to go in the kitchen! Will take pic so you can see it in its new place. Only problem being Ollie was allowed ,I know , I can hear you ,oohh she shouldn't let dogs on the furniture, however I do not want him to get on the new one as it is a very light colour and I have visions ,and they are not pleasant,of a muddy retreiver reclining on it. I hate having to say no! when he looks so put out that he cannot sit in his favourite place to watch for cats and any other furry or feathered that may come into his vision.Spoilt dog! I have put my little sewing chair in the window and he gets up there to look out, its a little small for him though and you will see what I mean if I get a pic to show you. You really wanted to read that didn't you!!!I did warn you I ramble.
On Saturday we went over to Portland again and Martin(I couldn't, cause I got the card stuck the wrong way in the camera) took a couple of pics for you to see of the view from the top of the Island ,he says he doesn't know how I could get it in the wrong way ,I told him it was quite simple really and would show him if he liked.He was not amused !! For those of you who do not know the area at all ,Portland is not a total Island it is joined to the mainland by Chesil Beach and a road now that links the two. In the olden days there was a ferry that took people across .Portlanders had a reputation of being very insular and wary of kimberlins (people not from the Island) . Gosh this is turning into a history come geography lesson. One last fact St. Pauls Cathedral is built of Portland Stone and quarrying played and still does ,a big part in Portland's economy.
The second pic is the new marina which is being built for the sailing events at the 2012 Olympics.
Now onto the stitching bit, I have almost finished the mail art envelope and I am so pleased with it. I have stitched a little gift to go inside ,so I hope the lady will like it when she receives it. One day you will be able to see it!!! I am stitching a little something from "The Stitcherhood" ,it is not finished yet but thought I had better show you I have been stitching a little.

Also I thought you might like to see "Socks" dear Julie sent me the pattern stitched on 2 needles instead of the usual 4. I bought the wool many moons ago so ,despite it turning my fingers a wonderful shade of blue and turqoise I actually finished them. I am not a knitter really so it was nice to have something that grew so quickly. I washed them and wore them and was dreading the colour my feet would be ,but all ok ,feet normal colour.

Stash wise nothing much to report ,fabby not arrived yet, did order today some threads for another "blackbird "themed design for the wall "Little berries "from LHN. Will show when they arrive.

I would like to thankyou for the sweet comments and I am being followed too, all you hardened bloggers out there can you remember the excitement when you realised other people were reading your "stuff".I just hope I can hold your interest. I am thinking I shall do a little piece on Dorset, my adopted county. You may want to visit if you like what you see ,as it is a lovely place. Ollies bit, Stitching bits, more or less what I have done this time. We will see. I still am trying to get my head round how I do the blog list bit and all the other bits and pieces. DH helped me put the background on that I liked and I have done a couple of blogs that I visit but will add more when things are clearer.

I am now off to the kitchen to make a rice pudding (Ollies favourite) he woofs as soon as it is out of the oven and has to have a little all to himself. One spoilt dog!!
Take care

Get yourself a cup of something warm and sit in the comfy chair, while I ramble away to my hearts content. Well after my first attempt - and pressing publish before I had finished , I am going to have another go!
The header on my blog is the sea wall at Portland , where I spent my formative years,Portland not the sea wall lol. I also met my DH there too, the beach is Chesil Beach which stretches for 17 miles.I could lay in bed on a stormy winters night and listen to the shingle being dragged out and back with the waves. I live about 9 miles away from it now but still love to go and watch the sea wether it be calm or stormy.
Last weekend we went over for a gentle stroll and I saw this honeysuckle in the scrub , I was so pleased with the pic that I thought you may like to see.



Since I last went over to Portland they have built a cafe on the sea wall we sat outside and had a lovely cup of tea after our walk. Ollie had a ice cream ,although by the time I got the camera ready ,he had eaten most of it so you cannot see what he is eating ,but that is the explanation.


Onto the stitching front and I am still ploughing ahead with the mailart envelope, so I cannot show you any of that. I have just enrolled with the LHN christmas ornie SAL for 2010. How about you joining me too. You can join here, I have ordered with Down Sunshine Lane for an auto ship.



http://littlehouseornies.blogspot.com/

Today I received these in the post (you can see me rubbing my hands together can't you, oohh stash lovely stash. I fell in love with the stocking and was debating with myself as you do ,should I shouldn't I,when to my suprise, being a stitching Janeite I had e mail from Tanya of the Sampler Girl saying she was having a $5 day for her 660th blog (will I ever get that far)and so I jumped at the chance and got these beauties for $15 dollars ,bargain or what just a bit thankyou to Tanya for her generosity . Also this week I have ordered 2 large pieces of Sassys fabrics one in Khaki and one French Cafe . The khaki I had a piece come last week and it is just sooo nice a lovely colour. I do like stitching over 1 on her fabric.



As I sit here writing this I have just glanced up to see a blackbird and a robin on the bird table just outside the window. I do love to see the birds and we moved the table to the front of the house at the weekend ,as I couldnt see it half way down the back garden, so you may get some pics of the birds at some point.
Oh well these things have to come to an end . I am being told that Ollie has NOT had his breakfast ,he does like his routine our dog.
Take care all and I will speak to you again soon. Oh if you would like to leave a comment I would love to hear if all this is ok or just gibberish!!!! To those of you who have been kind enough to leave me a comment THANKYOU so much .
Barb