Where's the canoe??...............

I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since my last post, but what a 2 weeks it's been! Firstly I've been unable to get to the computer because we've had 3 teenage guests to stay, namely my stepdaughter and 2 of her friends, all of them 14 and a bit. They sleep in the room where we have the computer, and boy do they sleep!! I think the record was 5.30 pm one day, most other days they crawled out into the light, blinking like moles and yawning profusely, at about 3-4pm!

So I must apologise for my lack of contact, I have been cut off from my new hobby for 2 whole weeks and I've been suffering from severe withdrawal symptoms!

The second major upheaval in this house has been the weather. Thursday night last week brought the most tremendous thunderstorm and rain like I have never seen in my life! Throughout Friday it never stopped and after a nine hour journey back from work (it normally takes 50 mins) Ian arrived at 2am to be informed by our nocturnal teenies that water was appearing from under the walls in the basement rooms they sleep in. After 2 hours of unsuccesfully trying to bale out we gave in and went to bed, and woke up to 2 inches of water in every room down there.



So we are officially flooded for the first time in our lives, but we are much luckier than so many more nearby (although we are the only ones in this street - how did that happen?). Watching the news some people have lost almost everything and won't be able to go home for months. We use our basement rooms for guests and Ian's "playroom" (ie. bike store!) so we can manage without them, and another positive is that I can finally get rid of the horrible carpet!

To add insult to injury we have been told that our water will probably be turned off at some point tonight for maybe 3 days. I suppose we could at least go down stairs and ladle a bit up if we're desperate!

I must also say a big thank you to friends who offered help when we needed it, times like these show you who your true friends are!

On a lighter note, this is what we do in this house on rainy days, we make "nests". Kitty made this one on Friday morning and snuggled in there for ages...........

This is my nest, just for you, sophie. How I look forward to falling into it at the end of the day. Notice the stripy pillowcases, bought after a very kind tip from Sophie's blog.

Like many other bloggers my visits over the next few weeks are likely to be sporadic. Summer hols are upon us and, foolhardy as we are, many camping trips are planned. Well we have got to use that new tent, you know!...........

.....................and I would walk 500 more!

Were we lucky or what?? We went to the Cornbury festival on Saturday and managed to get a whole day of glorious sunshine amongst weeks of rain and clouds! The sky was blue, the music was great, the food was fabulous and even the toilets were clean(ish)!

The Proclaimers, The Waterboys and David Gray were among the bands on offer and all of them were brilliant. After an initial hiccup in behaviour (from both mother and son, over a trampoline!) our children were angels and it was great to see them all dancing to music we love. I would highly recommend it to everyone as a great festival to visit with (or without) kids.

Needless to say, brainless moron that I am I forgot the camera so this is all I can offer.................

Now feast your eyes on this little lot - does everyone else have drawers like this, in every room, drawers that you daren't open unless you're looking hopefully (and in vain) for that last AA battery or a plaster? I'm sure if I count up on my death bed I'll have wasted about 4 1/2 years of my life looking through drawers, under sofas, behind beds etc.! How I envy those organised people who open their drawers and have only one or two items laid out neatly and in a logical order, who possess sock dividers and who never ever forget a birthday, anniversary or to MOT the car! Chaos rules in this house, every morning I can be heard screeching down the street to "Get your shoes on , where are your shoes, where did you last see them, oh b....... we're late!!!"

Finally a little picture of the aftermath of a session with scissors and tissue paper with Kitty, note the Barbie scooter for quick exit before Mummy makes her tidy up..........

....................too late!! They have to earn their keep you know!

I would walk 500 miles..............

It's going to be an exciting weekend, can't tell you why but there's a clue in the title.......I'll update you in my next post.

Back to real life and taking a leaf out of ali's and angelgem's book I thought I'd post a couple of pictures of the bits of my otherwise untidy and chaotic house that make me smile and happy to be here.........

Because I find it difficult to part with anything I couldn't bear to get rid of the childrens' baby shoes, so I nailed them to the cupboard on the landing - the shoes NOT the children! They remind me of those little baby feet!

Just a few of the things hanging around the kitchen. I like to be surrounded by "stuff" and once the kitchen was finished I couldn't wait to fill it. But I did make a pact with myself that it should be stuff that I use on a regular basis, and I'm trying to keep to that! I even use the little enamel pan to make a tiny portion of gravy for my chips from the chippy - I am Northern you know, and they don't do gravy down here!

Finally the nicest part of our bathroom, the reason we bought the house! Don't look at the unpainted panelling behind the basin, just another job which will never be done! We weren't looking to move, having just finished the last house, but I love looking on property websites and saw a picture of this bathroom. It's a huge room because it used to be a bedroom so it can accommodate a roll top bath and an enormous airing cupboard as well as this lovely old basin. The taps are ancient and drippy, there's huge cracks in the basin and loo and actually the bath is too big to lie in comfortably unless you're 7' tall, but I still love the room. In fact when we exchanged contracts the first thing I did was rush out and buy a triple sorter laundry basket - Yippeee.......................I know how to celebrate!!!!

Have a lovely and SUNNY weekend everyone...............

21 again !!...............

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me!

37 today, one step closer to the big four-o and the huge party I'll be having! I've had a fantastic day, the sun shone for a bit of it (expectations have been lowered when it comes to summer weather!) and Ian and I had a day without children, which is rarer than a total eclipse. My great friend Andrea had Kitty for the day and we skipped off to Nailsworth for a day of relaxation.

Inevitably we had to go into a couple of the shops, just for a look you understand! And look what my darling hubby (not married, but it sounds so much better than partner, boyfriend etc!!) got me..............

Now, I know to some people this would be an insult as a birthday present, but I LOVE it, and I love that Ian understands my madness and bought it for me. I'm not some closet ironing fanatic but it's old and worn and goes so well in the kitchen I figure I'll just want to iron - will it work, do you think??

We had a great lunch without being distracted, and had the luxury of sitting and drinking coffee without having to gulp it down before child one attempts to kill child two. All in all a fab day, worth being 37 for!

I've had some gorgeous gifts, maybe I'll post some piccies at a later date, but I must say thanks to all my friends who read this blog (you know who you are!) for their thoughtful presents, very gratefully received!

Kitty enjoyed her day, thank you for all the kind wishes. I'm now wondering how we can fit all these extra toys in the house! We decorated the kitchen with bunting because a garden party was out of the question, seeing as we're in the middle of monsoon season. She partied with 4 of her friends, ate far too much junk food, screamed around the house and flaked out at about 6pm in her "bestest present" - the Barbie sleeping bag -Thank-you Andrea!

I have to say the rag doll and patchwork quilt I sat up until the wee hours slaving over did not receive as ecstatic a response! Barbie rules methinks! The patchwork party bags were well received - little did they know that halfway through making them I questioned my own sanity and wondered why I didn't just buy plastic ones!

Lastly I must apologise for being a bad blogger - I will be catching up on all your news later this week - promise!

A special day...........

Three years ago today at 4.30 in the morning, five weeks earlier than expected, our gorgeous little girl was born. Weighing in at 6lb 3 oz she amazed doctors by needing no special care other than being wrapped up in about twenty blankets to keep her warm. From that moment on she has delighted us every day, and driven us mad at times!! She's a great little sister to her big brother and she brings so much joy into our lives. Her constant smile, energy, and sense of fun make her a delight to be around and it's a great privilege to be her mummy.

Happy birthday Kitty, we love you more and more as each day passes.

ps............back to normal tomorrow, hopefully I'll get up to date with blogging!

Bad Hair Day

How come some days you feel like this...........

(ok, ok, slight exaggeration!!)

and then the rest of the time you feel like this????..............

Having a VERY BAD HAIR day!!!!!! I'll be back when I'm feeling less like Norah!

Spot the difference.............

There's a battle going on in this house at the moment! It involves the cushions on the sofa. I have a certain way I like to place them and every night before we go to bed I plump them all up so they look nice in the morning. I know, I know it's very sad but it's one of my "things" - I also can't leave the house unless all the beds are made, maybe I need to get therapy or perhaps a life??

Back to the cushions, I like them like this.........

But Kitty likes them like this.................

Because the floral one on the left has been claimed as her cushion it just has to go on her side of the sofa, but it doesn't look right! So we are having a very quiet battle, every time I go into the living room the cushion fairy has visited and the cushion has moved so I put it back, and so it goes on. Pathetic and a complete waste of time to some people I'm sure, but it's what goes on in this house, and she's only 2, what have I created??

Visited a couple of charity shops recently and picked up this lovely sheet, it's too small for our bed, and I can't bring myself to cut it up so I think it will become a tablecloth for our garden table. I hung it out on the line in the glimpse of sunshine we had yesterday and had that great "washing on the line" feeling, can't explain that one but hopefully you know what I mean!

Finally, I treated myself to some cherries yesterday, how expensive are they? £2.37 for this little lot, but boy were they worth it! There's no better taste in summer, although I always think the spitting out of the stones somewhat spoils the moment!

The post with no name...........

This blog is a tribute to the two dads in my life............ Here's the first one.......

Don't panic, that's not his real hair (and he's not Pat Sharp's love child!!), we just have a bit of a thing with wigs in this family, any excuse and we'll stick one on! This is my lovely dad, with a selection box growing out of his ear, no wonder his hearing's going! He's had a few hard years but has remained optimistic throughout and will always be a great inspiration to me. I can't imagine a better father (even if he doesn't see the point of blogging!)

And here's to the other daddy in my life........the father of my children, Ian.......

This photo captures the true essence of him, he's a great dad (although I don't tell him enough), patient, understanding and always there for his children. They love him to bits and the feeling is mutual. Ian, we love you and always will.

So, the weekend was spent picking strawberries from Pop's veg plot, and then eating them with meringues and cream, YUM!

On Saturday we went on a tiny ferry from Knott End to Fleetwood and then caught a tram down to Cleveley's. We had a fantastic time, the children loved being with their grandparents and as an added bonus my grandmother came with us too! Four generations of the same family on a Knott End ferry, bet that doesn't happen often!

Thought I'd end this post with a couple of kitchen shots for all those of you like me who like photos of other peoples' houses. I'm going to have to start sewing again soon to have some more interesting bits to show!
This is the top of my old kitchen dresser, filled with all my car boot/charity shop finds, apart from the little choir boy who belongs to Ian (one of the few ornaments he will lay claim to).

And finally my sideboard full of gorgeous old plates and serving dishes, and yes that is the sun you can see shining through, it finally came out this afternoon! My mum spotted this old table in a junk shop, it was painted a dark green. A couple of coats of Farrow and Ball "String" and it fits in perfectly I think. It's one of my favourite pieces of furniture and so useful, it can hold loads, a very important requirement in the house of an unrepentant hoarder!

Just time for a quickie!.................

Come on everybody, cleanse those dirty minds. I'm talking about a new post. It's nearly midnight, my eyebags are the size of suitcases, my back's hurting from sitting at the computer and my vision's gone blurry - too long gazing at other peoples' blogs methinks! Ian has become a blog widower, poor bloke, maybe it'll persuade him to buy me a laptop so at least he can look at other people's houses with me - unlikely!



This is the front of our house, I suppose the number painted on is a bit of a giveaway there! It's funny but people know our house from that painted number. It's something I copied from the big, posh townhouses round here, and when I tell people where we live they often mention the painted number and how much they like it. You can just see Kitty's pyjama'd legs in the doorway, she was wondering why I was taking photos. One of her favourite questions is "What you doin' Mummy?" with a sound of bewilderment in her voice!



This is one of my favourite spots in the house, it's our little family gallery on the stairs. Before I go to bed each night and every morning when I get up these are the things I see. Most of them are simply blown up on ordinary printer paper from the computer and framed. I love black and white prints, so much more flattering and kind as the years advance I think! The hall in our house was painted bottle green when we moved in, it was so dark the removal men kept bumping into one another! It's also covered in textured wallpaper that I would love to get rid of, but finances do not allow that so I'll make do with camouflaging it with family pics.



Finally, I know, I know, I've been sucked into the croc trap (these are Jack's), but I have to admit we love them! They are so comfortable and I have the excuse that we've bought them for camping. No more standing in other peoples' hair in the showers, and they are great for the garden, beach etc. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

Everything's coming up roses..........

So how come I do all the hard work and these two get the deckchairs? Something's gone wrong somewhere!
I'm so excited, we finally have a nice rose in our garden. When we moved in this rose was covered in blackspot and had about three leaves so last year I hacked it down to the ground and a miracle has happened. It's come back so healthily and the roses are a much prettier pink than before, I love it!

Finally the garden seems to be taking off a bit. The children and I spent all day yesterday out there, them in the paddling pool and me grafting away, and I have to say it's starting to look pretty good. It's not a big space, about 50' by 20' and half of it is filled with climbing frames, scooters and various bits of "works in progress" (ie. tat), but it's enough for me. I have fantasies (hold on!) that I'd love to have acres of garden but in reality I'd never have time to dedicate to it and it'd just be another thing to get stressed about!

I have lots of ideas for my perfect garden but that will come when the children are older, for now we share it and they love it out there, although I think they preferred it as a building site when they could dig wherever they liked! Jack has his own little bit planted with delphiniums, stocks a clematis and the obligatory sunflower and he now loves "Gardeners World" - what have we done to him?

It's been a fantastic weekend. On Saturday I had a whole day child-free - yes, a WHOLE day! Andrea and I went to the open studios day in Stroud where artists open their houses for the weekend to the general public. The sun shone all day, we went to Nailsworth for lunch and a bit of shopping and then we wandered around the most amazing houses in the most amazing places all day. You know when you just love every minute of a day, we were like two schoolkids, I think the lack of children made us a bit giddy! Ian looked after the children all day and when I got back they were bathed and in bed - BLISS! It was something Andrea and I both needed, and my batteries are recharged, I'm inspired to create, now all I need is a studio - hmmmm!

Couldn't take any photos of the houses as I felt a bit awkward asking so the only one I got is of where we had lunch, and it's not a good one at that - never mind!

For some unknown reason, blogger has gone completely haywire tonight - has anyone else out there had problems?

In the pink!

This is my favourite tea set. It was given to us by Ian's mum. I just love the little pink roses and tea does taste gorgeous when it's in a china teacup. The problem is I'm a true northern girl at heart and I like a good mug of tea, so the tea set doesn't get used very often. I am a total tea addict, completely horrible unless I have at least two cups of tea first thing. During the day I "treat" myself to cups when I think I've achieved certain things, it cheers me up and quite often calms me down. I love it!



Another vision of pinkness in this house is Kitty's bedroom, although she professes her favourite colour to be "lellow"- she's not allowed an opinion on home decoration yet, she's not even three! Both she and Jack share the top floor of the house and it's lovely and cosy up there tucked into the eaves with great views of the hills over the rooftops.

I found the curtain around the basin on Ebay, it came from the States. They have the most fantastic vintage stuff over there, much more than we have on offer here in the UK and quite often it sells for so much less, even taking the postage into consideration. (Is it my eyesight or are these photos blurry?)

It's a great place for hiding all the paraphenalia that children accumulate. The mirror above was a car boot bargain that I haven't yet got around to hanging, I can't quite bring myself to drill into the wallpaper!

Hope you're all having a great week, and here's to a sunny and relaxing weekend!

Rock and roll...............

Don't laugh !!............

Let me introduce you to Slash and his rock chick (aka Ian and Julia). This is the closest I'll get to a self portrait just yet. Ian and I went to an 80's party on Saturday and after much deliberation decided to go like this. We had the best time and danced and danced - I love the 80's so I was in seventh heaven. I could also get quite used to having a long haired, guitar playing rock star to share my life with! The most worrying thing about the whole evening was that we walked to the party and nobody batted an eyelid - are they used to seeing such sights where we live? Crossing the road Ian asked "Would Slash wait for the green man?". (Doesn't really look like a "Rock and Roll" garden does it?)

This is how our house looked during half term........................

...........actually it's how it looks all the time until I sweep it all to one side to take a blog photo, just to convince you I live in a pristine palace! Is it just me or do we all spend a vast majority of the time picking things up and putting them away just to turn round to find them back in the same spot again. I also can't throw anything away, hence I have drawers full of bits of broken toys and party bag stuff that I hang onto "just in case".

Jack wasn't well for a couple of days over half term so spent it like this, watching his favourite "Tom & Jerry" dvd on a continuous loop.

This is my sister Sarah helping Kitty bake a cake during her stay over half term, looking a bit like Nigella I think! She came to stay for a few days with my niece Hannah who I've threatened to put on the blog but my life's too important to me to take the risk! That's teenagers for you!

I must also mention Sarah's partner Keegan who hasn't been mentioned yet, just so he doesn't feel left out. I know my sister will be reading this so love and kisses to Matt to wish him all the best for his GCSEs. It's always sad when she leaves after a few days stay, we live over two hours apart and I wish she was just around the corner.

Finally the sun came out at the weekend and we could eat in the garden. I made a really tasty (if calorie laden) celery and Stilton soup and we soaked up some rays.

OK, so now for some gratuitous house shots................

This is our bedroom, the one room I try to keep free from Lego, dolls' prams, K'Nex etc. It is however home to an ever increasing pile of washing to put away. Once the pile gets to shoulder height I put it away and start again on the next tower.

Now I should really go and do some tidying. Tomorrow one of my oldest friends and her two children are coming to stay and as usual the house looks a little (understatement) untidy. By the way to see a perfect house you must visit sophie, her house is a vision of gorgeousness and soooooo tidy!