Taggies!!!

Tonight has been spent on and off sewing a taggie blanket for a friend to give to her newborn nephew. It didn't really take too long to make, although I had it on the go most of the evening in between surfing the net and cooking tea. I'm so easily distracted!

Anyway, it's finished and I'm pleased with how it turned out. I've got two more 'on order', one for my cousin's little girl who I gave one to for her birthday but who needs another one. Apparantly she won't let it out of her sight and it needs a good wash...

The other one will be for my sister to give to a friend's baby that is due after Christmas, so I have got a little more time for that one.

A lot to be thankful for.

I read a couple of blogs that really bring home to me how lucky I am to live the life I have.

Jenni is quadraplegic following a car accident in 2002. She is amazing in the way she handles her life now and how much she gets on and does.
http://thesitethatbreathes.blogspot.com/

Greg is also quadraplegic following an accident in 1999. He retains a dry sense of humour and has a very philosophical outlook at times.
http://pittrehab.blogspot.com/

Karly has Rett syndrome. She has many physical limitations and cannot speak, but is able to communicate through the written word after many years of non-communication due to health professionals not believing it was possible for her. Karly may have physical difficulties but she spends her time finding ways to enrich her life, and the lives of those around her.
http://spiritdances.wordpress.com/

Have a read, I find these three people very humbling, I really don't think I could cope with their situations in the way that they do.

It's looking good!!

The sloe gin is looking good, the sugar has almost all dissolved and after reading some more info on the net, I think the quantities will be OK. I've got some more sloes in the freezer, so once I've tasted this lot of gin and decided if it's OK or if the quantities need adjusting, I can make some more without having to wait until next autumn.

This batch should be ready around Christmas unless I decide to let it mature for longer....


.... I think this could be a very happy Christmas!!!

The Bood Donor.

I gave my 'armful' today (for any youngters, check out 'The Blood Donor' by comedian Tony Hancock). It was my 22nd donation, which I am very proud of. Only 3 more and I get my 25th donation award. 3 more donations will take a year though, so I won't get excited just yet!

I think it's really important to give blood and I got over a very deep rooted fear in order to do it. I figured that if I had an accident and needed blood to save my life, I was never going to refuse because I was too scared of needles!!

In my mind, if I was prepared to accept blood, I had to be prepared to give it.

another busy weekend...

....starting on Saturday, when I went to the 'Stitch and Creative Crafts' show in Surrey. I was very restrained and didn't buy much, but came back with some good ideas and yet more inspiration!

Saturday evening I groomed and bathed Tarka, then groomed Pippa. Sunday morning I bathed Pippa. This was all for a charity photoshoot in aid of Many Tears rescue. I haven't seen the pictures yet but hopefully we'll have got some nice ones. And since I won't be able to post the professional pictures on the net, I took a few of my own to mark the bathing occasion!



Sunday afternoon I made sloe gin with the sloes I picked last week. I've made a whole bottle of gin's worth, at the moment the sugar is not yet disolved so it will be interesting to see how it develops over the coming weeks. I don't even know if I'm going to like it yet! It looks like a lot of sugar, but I am assured the quantities are correct!

Sloes..

Well the sloes are picked, but are currently in the freezer not in gin! Apparantly that simulates the first frost, which is what they need before making sloe gin... you're supposed to leave them until then for picking but I noticed they were already getting picked and I didn't want to miss out. I've got 2 1/2 lb which I think is plenty, since I have no idea if I even like sloe gin!

Just need to get some kilner jars and some gin now...

A busy weekend...

...which started on Friday night with Dad's 65th birthday party. It was a beer and skittles night, lots of beer, lots of skittles, and a fab birthday cake made by Mum! It really was a fun night out.

Saturday I was at the Cranbourne Agility Show all day. It was a nice day, the weather was kind and although I made plenty of mistakes in my courses it was just such a lovely atmosphere you couldn't help but enjoy yourself.

Saturday was also the Yateley and District Garden Society show. I couldn't attend as I was at the agility comp, but Sis-in-Law took my entries for me. I entered bread rolls, chutney, lemon drizzle cake, a card and a photograph. I won second prize for my bread rolls and onion chutney, which I was very pleased with! Sis-in-Law did well too winning prizes for her flower arrangements and I'm sure she got something else too, and my brother got a second for his fruit cake. Neice #2 got a second for her lemon cake (although I'm sure mine was better really.... only joking!! :-) )

Sunday, I spent most of the late afternoon/evening making apple chutney. I finally managed to find some apples since my crop went bad on the tree, and I now have plenty of chutney maturing in the cupboard which should be just perfect for Christmas! I want to make some more of the tomato and the red onion chutney, and I want to have a go at sloe gin too. I have found some sloes, just need to pick them and make them into sloe gin!!

Aspartame

In April this year I had the worst migraine ever. So, I decided to try cutting diet coke out of my diet, and wow what a difference! The artificial sweetener in diet drinks is aspartame, which has a huge list of side effects and health problems that it can cause. 5 months later, I have cut aspartame out of my diet completely and I haven't had a migraine in 3 months (used to get 2-3 a month) and I generally feel healthier and happier. I wasn't even drinking that much coke so it just goes to show that you don't need much to have an effect. Also, it can take quite a few weeks to leave your system completely so giving up for a week or two isn't enough, you won't feel the benefits in that short time.

For more info, read this link or just google 'aspartame'
http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-side-effects.html

I'm not getting into a debate here about whether aspartame is safe or not, I don't know enough about it to state publicly either way. I can however say with complete honesty that I feel 100% better since I cut it out of my diet and I haven't had a migraine for 3 months.

That's all I need to know!

Final post for today...

OK I know I said the previous post was the final one for tonight, but I couldn't go to bed without at least a mention of Pippa. Here she is during a visit to a friend in Plymouth. Pippa is old, arthritic, naughty and a little bit cranky, but she's still the same Pippa she always was, just in an older body. And to prove she's not past it yet, she'd had a good roll in some mud.... at least I think that's what it was!!!

Agility high point.

Last post for today...

This was the highest point in Tarka's agility career to date. Winning out of grade 2 into grade 3 at Vyne show, April 2009. She won grade 2 agility. To say I was speechless was an understatement, since I had no idea we'd even been placed, let alone won the class! Let's just say I was very proud of my girl!!

Agility - Tarka in action!

Tarka is still enjoying agility, this is at Newlands show in July 09. She was clear (no faults/mistakes), but unplaced.

Chainmaille

A few pictures since I'm in the mood, this is chainmaille jewellery.

Chainmaille is my latest experiment, and I really like it! It's made from individual jump rings linked or woven together in a particular pattern, and there are loads of patterns to learn of varying degrees of difficulty. This is the first one I've learnt and it's called 'byzantine'.

Back again!!

Yep, I'm gonna give this blogging thing another go...

I never was any good at keeping a diary when I was young, just kept forgetting, and blogging is no different. However it's my blog, and if it's sporadic then I guess that is just a reflection of myself.

I am currently full of great asperations to do loads of stuff, sewing and quilting, jewellery and chainmaille, sorting out my house (yeah right... that's gonna happen??) etc etc. So far, I'm still in the planning stage.... I'm good at planning!!

J xx