Ta-da!

After a little break I am back in blogging mode, it has been so wonderful to spend time with my family.  Youngest son has been home for the holidays, and daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter Poppy came and spent a whole weekend here at Granny's house, how nice was that!

Thank you for your patience while I've been away!

So what have I been up to then?

Well here are two cardigans that I have knitted for Poppy, sorry they seem to be the wrong way around!

And here I am, enjoying a lovely cuddle with Poppy!

And another thing I have been enjoying in my spare time is watching Heidi Baker on Youtube

Heidi baker is such an inspiration to me.  She is a Canadian woman, married with 2 grown up children, they have been missionaries for over 30 years, mainly in Mozambique.  They feed hundreds of thousands of homeless children every day and have planted thousands of churches.  They also have a heart for England, and Heidi and her husband both have PhD degrees from King's College London.  Go on Youtube or itunes and you will find a ton of Heidi Baker teaching.  I am currently reading one of her books, 

It tells a little about their journey, and it is so interesting I can hardly put it down.  Do go on Youtube or iTunes and be blessed!

This afternoon we have enjoyed a chicken dinner, and a little rest watching an old episode of The Waltons.

Enjoy your day.

Carnage

Last night, Mr LFH and I went to see Carnage at Warwick Arts Centre.  It was a really good film, starring Jodie Foster and Kate Winslet, directed by Roman Polanski.

Here is a video trailer.................

After the film, we went to the Mead Gallery, and saw a marvellous exhibition of modern art called The Indiscipline of Painting.  There was some brilliant art by Bridget Riley and Andy Warhol.  My personal favourite was a huge canvas by John Armleder, full of glittery drips, very similar to this work of his.......

The gallery holds a weekly knit, crochet and stitch group, and on one wall there were framed pieces of knitting that the group had created in response to the exhibition, like modern art in knitted form!  Here is an example of their work..........................

I found it very interesting, although it would be a bit too far for me to drive to every week.

Today, we are chilling out.  A big casserole is bubbling happily away in the slow cooker for tonight - pork and white wine casserole, based on Jamie Oliver's casserole recipe in Ministry of Food.  

I hope you are having a good weekend.

Been feeling a bit under the weather this week, and wondering what to do with myself, until I read Tina's blog, and there I found my prescription - I need flapjacks and knitting!  She also gives a recipe for flapjacks here in lovely ounces, I avoid grams whenever possible!

We had such a wonderful holiday for our anniversary, we stayed here...

Holme Lacy House Hotel, deep in the Herefordshire countryside.  It is every bit as wonderful as it looks, and the food was amazing, beautifully stacked little piles of delicious morsels, with three courses every evening, plus coffee and petit four, and a full English breakfast every morning.  I'm really going to have to get back to regular walking every day to work off all that delicious food!

We did take some pictures, and when I am firing on all cylinders again I'll add them.  

Hope you're all having a good day.

Working on my PhD.

I've just had such a funny email from my sister, who is a champion knitter.  She said:  When asked, tell people you are working on your Phd this year. They will show you great respect and you can decide whether to admit it stands for 'Projects Half Done' in knitting parlance.  Hahaha, I love that!  My sister raises a LOT of money for Oxfam every year through her knitting, which is hugely popular.

 I am currently working on my PhD, a jacket and hat for granddaughter Poppy.  They might not fit for a while, but  I will be seeing Poppy next Friday and want to give it to her then.  I'll try and remember to take a photo of the finished work.

I made a wonderful cake the other day from this recipe.  Give it a go, it's yummy.  I didn't have any lemons so I left them out, and I added some chopped apples and cinnamon and ginger, and I used Stork margarine instead of butter, and it was still gorgeous, this is my current favourite recipe.  

A new project

Today, four balls of this beauty dropped through my letterbox.  It is Sirdar Baby Crofter in a shade called 'Maisie'.  I have already knitted a cardigan in Baby Crofter for granddaughter Poppy, but as she is growing bigger by the day, I thought a larger size was in order, in more summery shades, for the spring.  I haven't had a project on the needles since Christmas, so now my fingers are twitching to get started!  Pictures to follow!

I went out for my daily walk this morning, just a 1.25 circular walk from home, amidst trees and birds and sunshine, really nice.  Since then I have been giving youngest son some moral support as he gets to grips with writing two 3,000 word essays to be handed in next week.  He's been working very hard, so he's on the last lap now.

Dollies!

Do you love dollies?  I always have, and probably always will!  A few weeks before Christmas, DD and I went shopping for presents for my granddaughter Poppy, and saw this delightful rag doll at Cath Kidston.

I bought her and took her home, and decided that before I gave her to Poppy, it might be nice to make some clothes and a little bag, so I knitted these.........

Then I remembered that I had lots of pretty yarn left over from making Poppy's blanket, so I made a matching blanket for dolly.

Then I rang DD, and told her the dolly was ready, and she remembered that I had made her a rag doll when she was a baby - well over twenty years ago! - and could we bring it with us at Christmas?  Of course I could!  So I washed all her clothes and got her ready to be reunited with her owner.  Here she is modelling her bloomers!

Frilly underskirt.

Dress and hat.

And here they are together, Poppy's new Cath Kidston doll, with clothes designed and knitted by me, and DD's own doll, all made by me, many years ago, including all the clothes.

Ah yes, I can see happy days ahead, playing with Poppy, playing with dolls, lots of fun!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Thank you so much for all your wonderful comments yesterday.  The combination of York and teddy bears brings out the best in people!  As promised, below you will see some pictures of me with my granddaughter Poppy!


I have always admired the blog  A Life of Grace,  especially when written in the format of a daybook. So today I have decided to follow the same pattern and tell you about my day.


For today: Thursday, 15th December, 2011


Outside my window:  We have filled the bird feeders with seed, peanuts, fat-balls and dried worms.  We have blue-tits, robins, sparrows and blackbirds coming to say hello.


I am thinking: about my family, seeing youngest son at the weekend when he arrives for the holiday, seeing our daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter just after Christmas, and wonderful eldest son, who keeps the house clean and hoovered for me when I am at work, without being asked.


I am thankful:  that today I break up from work for three weeks.  As much as I love my work, I need a break!


In the kitchen:  today is a work day, so it will be spaghetti bolognese when I get home, some mince and onion, tomato puree, mixed herbs, etc.


I am wearing: my usual work clothes of jeans - so I mingle with the students! - and a warm jumper, with a thermal vest underneath, as it is so cold.


I am going:  to post the rest of my Christmas cards today, which I have written bit by bit.


I am reading:  A book about 'Low maintenance vegetable growing', to help me to plan what I am going to grow in the new season.  Last year I grew veggies for the first time, and everything was a success, including salad veg, tomatoes, courgettes, beans and carrots.  I just grew them in pots and they turned out fine.


I am hearing:  the TV, about the Queen's plans for next year, her 60th year.  Her Majesty is planning to visit our neck of the woods.  I would love to see her.  Youngest son was in the crowds at the Royal Wedding in April.  Did you see him?!


Around the house:  I am feeling very smug that I have defrosted my two freezers!


One of my favourite things:  my wonderful family.


A few plans for the rest of the week:  Enjoying not going to work!  Also, I am knitting clothes for a rag doll I have bought for my granddaughter, and crocheting a little blanket for the dolly, so I want to get these finished.  (Pictures to follow!)


From my picture album:  As I received such lovely comments yesterday, thank you so much, here are the promised pictures of yours truly with the best Christmas present anybody could wish for, my almost three month old granddaughter, Poppy Pickle!  She looks like she is saying:             
Sssshhhhh!  It's a secret!

Hmmm......not quite so happy here, but still very cute!

Eco worrier

,

This little dolly lies awake at night, so concerned about the state of the planet, yes.......she is an eco-worrier, hahaha!  I'd like to say this is one of my worst jokes but I would be lying.

Anyway, her name is Emma, she is a Cath Kidston beauty, and I have bought her for my beautiful, smiley granddaughter Poppy Annabel.

She came with this pretty dress, (that's the doll, not Poppy!) and I have knitted the jacket to match, plus a hat in the same fetching shade, and I am now knitting a satchel for her, and crocheting a little blanket to keep this dolly warm in winter.  These are all knitted in Sirdar Simply Recycled, very eco-friendly.

The blanket will match Poppy's own blanket that I made for her earlier in the year, shown in the pic above, along with a little pram coat I knitted for her.

I enjoy knitting and crochet so much that Poppy and all her dollies can look forward to a future of being swathed in layers of wool all year round!

I know I haven't posted for a while, I've been such a busy bunny.  But I have added some new blogs to my sidebar, including Life After Money.  If you are looking for some ideas on how to live a frugal lifestyle, look no further.  This is an excellent site.

Many thanks to all of you who have left a comment in my absence, especially to Tina, whose wonderful blog is a must-read for me, and to Quinn, who I miss so much, now you have graduated and no longer require my services!  Also to Pom pom, who is full of fun, and to everyone else who leaves comments, and those who write the most wonderful blogs that inspire, cheer and inform me.

If you are kind enough to leave a comment, I will post a picture of my beautiful granddaughter!

I'm still here!

I had no idea I would be away so long - I would have warned you!  But I have still enjoyed reading all your lovely blogs.  My working week has been gradually growing over the term, but thankfully I break up for Easter on Thursday - yay!

I have big plans for the hols, which mainly involve crocheting my spring blanket, which is growing apace -  more news and pics on that later, some knitting, and tidying up the front garden.  I've taken some 'before' pics which I'll put up when I have some 'after' pics, but to get the after pics I actually have to tidy up the garden!!!

I suppose I could get a pic of Kew Gardens from google as my after pic, but I know my clever readers won't be fooled so easily.

Here's a wonderful Christian resource to look up that I regularly enjoy: 

http://www.girltalkhome.com/

As this Sunday is Mothers' Day in the UK, I will have the immense pleasure of having all my children here at home for the weekend, which I am so deleriously happy about!  It's so wonderful when we are all together.  Our children have always been very close, so it's lovely as parents to see them having fun together, and to hear them upstairs having a laugh together.  Very grateful to lovely son-in-love for sparing our daughter for the weekend.  He's an excellent cook, so at least we know he won't starve without his wife!  Hope you all have a good weekend, whatever you do.

Anyway, I've had a loooong day, so my bed calls, I'll be back soon!

A sunny day

It's lovely and sunny here today, even if it is freezing cold!  I've got laundry blowing in the breeze, I wanted to show you a pic of my aprons on the washing line, but I'm having technical problems uploading pics!  Never mind.

I've done an online shop today, so no need to go out shopping, it will all come to me tomorrow morning.  Lovely thought.

Now that the chores are done, and I've eaten lunch, time for some knitting.

I really like the picture of the old fashioned wool shop on The Quiet Home today.  It reminded me of the wool shop that used to be just a few yards away from the house where I grew up.  There seemed to be one on every street corner in the sixties and seventies. How sad that many of them have disappeared.

It's been a busy old time at work this week, so I appreciate being able to pause today and take stock.

There have been certain things on my prayer list this week, especially a family member who was feeling a little under the weather, and I came across this phrase somewhere:  "God is magnetically drawn to my need".  How wonderful that He not only knows and cares about every little detail of my life, but that God actually has the power to change a situation when I bring it to Him in prayer. This thought has been such a consolation and a blessing to me.  He neither slumbers nor sleeps, and when He says "My peace I give to you", I fin that this is a real, solid peace that nothing and no-one can destroy.  The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, PEACE...etc.  He is altogether lovely.

Enjoy your day my friend.

A rest on Sunday

"What a splendid day!" said Anne, drawing a long breath.  "Isn't it good just to be alive on a day like this?  I pity the people who aren't born yet for missing it.  They may have good days, of course, but they can never have this one!"

Anne of Green Gables,  Lucy Maud Montgomery.

I am really enjoying reading this book, and I am very happy that I am in contact with L M Montgomery's cousin, who still lives where this book was set.  Thank you Kathie for getting in touch with me. 

Today we have enjoyed a lovely lunch, that I popped into the slow cooker early this morning.  Onions, bacon and mushrooms browned, pork steaks grilled, carrots and parsnips chopped, then everything added to the crock-pot with 500ml of cider and a can of lovely, velvety mushroom soup for good measure. No recipe required, simple!

I also copied my daughter's idea and scrubbed and halved some new potatoes and put these at the bottom of the cooker, so no need to cook any potatoes seperately, very easy, just the way I like it!

Then I simply put some yorkshire puddings in the oven and boiled some broccoli.

Then lit some candles and made everything cosy and homely for a lovely, relaxing Sunday lunch.

Then eldest son very kindly agreed to model the beanie hat and gloves I have been knitting.

The patterns were given to me by my sister, who has won awards for her knitting. In fact, if knitting was a martial art, my sister would be a blackbelt!

There's not much colour here, because he wanted them in black, so I am looking forward to buying some yarn next weekend, and indulging in some technicolour crochet.  Watch this space! 

"Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens.  I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you.  Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light."  Jesus.  Matthew 11:28-30.

The caring lovingkindness of God towards me and towards others is a continual source of amazement to me.  That He, the Creator of all life and the Universe could be so personal, so tender, so thoughtful, so kind and so caring that my heart runs to Him for refuge, shelter, security, and He never fails me, because He is all Love, from first to last.  He knows how many hairs are on my head, and I find in Him a sweet haven of companionship, of understanding, of comfort and of rest.

Enjoy a restful Sunday my friend.

In hot water!

This morning, I was very happy to see our plumber walking up the drive.  Our hot water supply has been intermittent for a few weeks.  He came and diagnosed the problem last week, and at last the offending part has been replaced.  I'm looking forward to a nice deep, hot bath tonight.

(Google images)

This is not actually my bath, although mine is the same size and shape.  In fact, I now feel inspired to dig out all the candles leftover from Christmas, and the Sanctuary toiletries given to me by my lovely sister-in-love, and hang some fluffy towels on the radiator to get nice and warm, and put my dab radio onto Classic fm.  Oh yes, I'm looking forward to bath-time tonight.

I will lie in the bath and think about those wonderful 'cleansing' Bible verses, such as "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9),  and "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin" (verse 7).

"The Word of God is the water that washes us. Ephesians 5:26 says, “Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

The word ‘washing’ in this Scripture is the Greek word, loutron (the verb is louo) and it means, “to take a bath, to wash the whole body and not just a part of it.” It speaks metaphorically of washing every part of the inward man—our heart, soul, spirit, mind and emotions. It’s a whole bath, not just a face wash.

I find that if I do not personally read God’s Word each day that sin can build up in my life and I am not even aware of it. But when I read the Word, the Holy Spirit reveals the things that grieve Him and which pollute my soul. I am convicted to repent and cast them from my life so I can keep my inward man clean. 2 Corinthians 7:1 says, “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (From Above Rubies.  http://www.aboverubies.com/)

Above Rubies is a lovely website that I heartily recommend.

Today, I have stayed indoors, as the rain pattered on the window pane, and I had a knitting day.  I've knitted my second beanie hat of the winter, this time for eldest son.  Now I am knitting youngest son some fingerless gloves, to pop into a little parcel for him, and to let him know we haven't forgetten him entirely!  I had better do some crochet too, or my crochet hook may start to feel neglected and overlooked!

I'll get my camera out later and take some pics of my work-in-progress for you to see.

Have a lovely weekend my friend, and take some time out to pamper yourself.

A Lovely Day

Today I finished work a little early and had time to walk to the wool shop and buy eight balls of the softest, scrummiest merino wool to knit a little coat as a present for someone.  I made a start on it as soon as I arrived home.  It's so soft and lovely, it practically knits itself. I felt cosy, sitting by the fire with my needles.

I've been reading "Candles in the Dark" by Amy Carmichael this week.  She was a missionary in India for 55 years, and in all those years she never returned home to the UK for a break.  She opened an orphanage and a mission there, where many children were loved and cared for over the years.  They were rescued from either death or a life of prostitution.  Children were always close to her heart.  I read this lovely piece of prose, to be taken to heart by every mother, grandmother, auntie and by every mother to be.

"To a young mother.  This morning, I was reading in Luke, and as I read of the angels' joy over the birth of our Saviour and thought of their joy over everyone born again into the Kingdom, I felt sure they rejoice over every precious little life born into a family of true lovers of our Lord.  And I thought how to each little one an angel is given.  How little we know of these heavenly things, but I do like to think of the angel prepared for your little treasure and, above all, to think of what has been prepared for that little one 'before the foundation of the world'.  How much more there is in a baby than just sweetness and the appealing innocence of baby days.  All the great thoughts of God lie behind that little life, all the great purposes.  Ephesians chapters 1 and 2 tell of these.  The more one ponders, the more one wonders."

May you have opportunities to phone, visit, or even give a hug to those who are precious to you.

It made me think also about youngest son, back at university now for another term.  On Monday morning, when I was praying for him, God gave me these wonderful words, as if they were printed in gold, just for me.

"Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall."

Instead of 'burdens', I inserted the names of my children here, as I prayed for them, and had a real sense of God protecting each one of them - and their parents!

God bless you my friend.

My little review of 2010

I've noticed that some fellow bloggers have written a review of 2010.  For an excellent one, see Lucy's wonderful review here.  So I have decided to do a little one of my own over the next few days. 

The first thing that stands out for me is my big crochet project of the year, which was a blanket I made for youngest son, as he was going to university in the Frozon North.

I started off by crocheting a few little squares, using Lucy's blog as my teacher and guide.  Before I knew it I had a whole blanket.

This is the best picture of it I could find, you can't really tell from the pic, but it's plenty big enough to cover my son's bed, and it makes his student room look colourful, cosy, homely and hopefully warm.

I used 100% pure merino yarn, one that is still spun in Yorkshire and sold in the Midlands.  Not a terribly expensive yarn, but I bought it bit by bit and never really did the maths (maybe best not to!)

In June, when the blanket was about halfway through, I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting Lucy from Attic 24, as we had a family holiday in her very pretty hometown in Yorkshire.  I took my blanket to her weekly knitting group, and I was able to spend a lovely time with Lucy and her darling little boy.

There were other smaller projects on the go, but I have no pictures of those.

If I did make any New Years' resolutions, one would definitely be to do more crochet and knitting.

Currently on my needles are a beanie hat for eldest son and an arm cap for the little sofa in my study.  I knitted the first arm-cap a little while before Christmas, but haven't completed the second one yet.  It's a bit like "the curse of the second sock!"  Knitting the first one is always fun, the second one becomes mildly tedious.

Sometime later this week I will share a little review of my reading for 2010.

Hope your day is good.