GROOM, SEWING, CARD NIGHT

It's a 'No Walk Day' today.

Which is good as I have Card night on tonight!
Looking forward to that.

Then Wed/Thur and Friday nights I have walks on ... so one night off this week.

I plan on sewing this morning... then at 1 pm the dogs go to the groomer.

On our walk last night I took a couple of photos:

 ABOVE:  Cambridge has some beautiful scenery!  The sun was very low in the sky at 7.45 pm when I took this photo, the long shadows and trees were really pretty.

ABOVE: This is a long row of flats... each flat has it's own gate and number.  

 ABOVE:  Their gates and numbers are so nice.  Clearly the landlord takes pride in his property.

I wish I remembered to take more photos of things like this on our walks!  

So... let's start the day!  Looking forward to getting more Soup Bowl Cosy's done today.

ONWARD...

LOL....  I couldn't help myself... I stayed up just a bit later than planned last night and made another Soup Bowl Cosy.  I'd had this particular one's fabric cut out for MONTHS... and really wanted to see how it would look finished.

ABOVE:  Such a pretty fabric... and I'm not a fan of RED... but it's so lovely!

1.30 pm:  And sheesh!  I was happily sewing away just before and decided to stop for some lunch.  
It was 10 to 1.  And I remembered the dogs were due at the groomers at 1 pm! 
Whoops! So Griffin helped me get them in the car and there on time.  

Now I've just finished lunch and am watching my latest series on Netflix:  'Orange is the New Black'.  I'm really enjoying it.

Once my phone has finished charging I can go back into the sewing room and sew/watch Netflix!  *smiles*

ABOVE:  I got these three finished this morning... So I should get another 4 or so done by the end of the day.  Maybe.

Let's not forget I have Cards tonight!

PATCHWORK?

Today I am going to the Patchwork group!
Yep... as I'm still a financial member, I can go whenever I want.
And so, I'm gunna go and see if anything has changed.  AND pay for the Christmas Lunch meeting.
I plan on going to it cos I missed last year's one.  

Once I get home again I will be .... friggin well sewing!  I have an order for a particular Soup Bowl Cosy, and I want to get a few more placemats done before next Saturday's market.

Brylee goes back to see the Podiatrist this afternoon.... should be her final check up on her toes.  All going well that is.

 ABOVE:  Just a funny to start the day, in lieu of any photos for the day... so far.

ABOVE:  And this is worth posting too.  I have certainly vowed to not go into debt getting Christmas presents for everyone ever again!  
From now on I am just getting little things for my grandkids.  No one else.  It's just too expensive.

Maybe a gift exchange for all the adults?  A secret swap type thing... could be fun!

And that's enough waffling... I'm off to start me day.

ONWARD...

I'm pleased to say Patchwork was NICE today!  I didn't feel unwelcome at all, and I had lots of lovely conversations with various ladies.  I think some were a bit surprised to see me back, but that's OK.  I might even go again next time! lol

Now that I'm home I'm having some lunch, then getting on with some 'real' sewing on the machine.  I don't take my sewing machine to the patchwork group any more, it's just too heavy.

5.25 pm:  Turns out the worst one of Brylee's toes is not quite right yet, so she has to go back again next week.
But all it going well... just not healing quite a quick as expected.

I've been sewing... well mostly cutting out fabric all afternoon.

ABOVE:  I made two cat soup bowl cosy's, and cut out another 15 to sew up this week.

I got a good idea for scraps today at Patchwork group:

ABOVE:  Zig Zag join all ya scraps together and make a baby's floor rug!  Not bad.  I can see one or ten of them in my future!  lol

Now... I better get going and make dinner.  As soon as it's made I will be getting ready for my FBG walk tonight.

Gotta walk!  If I stop I am sure I will just get fatter.  *sigh*

ABOVE:  Tonight's walk photo, taken by the walk leader using her phone... the walk was 5.5 kms long and we took just over an hour to do it. There were a few hills involved, so a good workout.
I took a photo too:

ABOVE: Taken with my Samsung phone... clearly a better camera!  

And that's me day done and dusted!  It's been a really good day.
Lots of variety in my day today. 

KIWI INGENUITY...?

So... I have a board I wanted to have standing behind the placemats on my stall.

So I asked Stew if he could figure out a way to hold it in place.

ABOVE:  This is the board.   I wanted people to be able to SEE what place mats I had, rather than rummage through the whole lot, looking for a particular dog or animal.

And Stew, using his KIWI INGENUITY/BLOKE LOGIC ....  'sorted it' for me:

ABOVE:  Yep... his solution!  A vice grip.   SO ELEGANT... NOT!

He said it was simple and effective!

I'm like... NOPE.  Looks horrendous.  I did have to laugh though.  Lacy thought her Dad was just having a laugh and wasn't serious. Me? I knew he was dead serious!

So I sorted it myself, using the two holes already in the frame:

ABOVE:  So that was pretty much the last thing I needed to get sorted out before today.

And it's now time to get in the car and head down town and set up the stall.

It's supposed to be a nice day, and busy in town.  So... let's have a positive day.  Fingers crossed.

Catch ya later.

ONWARD...

2 pm:  Home from the market.  Had some lunch.  And now... I'm going to do NOTHING for the rest of the day!

HOW DID IT GO?

EXCELLENT!  So glad I decided to stay.  That's not to say it will be 'excellent' every month, but for now, I will keep it up in Cambridge.

 ABOVE: My stall.  I should have taken another small trestle table for the left hand side... next time I will.

 ABOVE:  My 'happy face'.... one's face gets sore from smiling for hours on end!

ABOVE:  Customers.  
I sold lots of placemats, thank goodness I made heaps!  And tree table runners.  And ... a smattering, across the range, of my other stuff.

This coming week I will need to make MORE placemats and soup bowl cosy's.  Everything else is OK for now.

The board I made with the list of placemats  available ... was virtually ignored!
Seriously, people still rummaged through all of them!!!  So, I will still use it, but try and point it out more.

ABOVE: There was a parade in our little town this morning at 11 am.

This is why:


At 11am on 11 November this year, New Zealand will mark the centenary of the armistice that ended the First World War in 1918. On that day 100 years ago, after four years of brutal conflict, war finally gave way to peace.

It was only a small parade here, but everyone stopped to observe the 11 am tribute and parade.

It's now 8.58 pm and Stew and I have settled down to watch a movie on Netflix. After that it will be bedtime.
It's been a long, but good day.

WHAT STINK?

I am going to take NO CREDIT for last night's walk photo!

Our walk leader chose the backdrop, and insisted we all 'pose' somehow.  So ... well... this is our photo:

ABOVE:  Yep, a bloody horrible backdrop!   And I wasn't going to grab my nose, so I grabbed my .....! 

And hopefully that backdrop is never used again.

Today I need to make the last trestle table cover... it won't take too long.  Then I will be ready for market.  Thank goodness.
I've worked really hard to get my stock up again.
I just hope it was worth it... cos I am really knackered!

ONWARD...

2.25 pm:  And we have had a busy morning.
I slept in a bit.  Then I felt guilty so got up and got some washing on... made the bed, bla bla bla.

Then Stew said he was dropping Brylee off at work and then going to Mitre 10.  So I went too... and we ended up having lunch together.  Just the two of us.

It's getting more often peeps!  So nice, just the two of us spending some nice time together.
We went to an eatery in town that we'd not been to before, it had been recommended to Stew.

ABOVE:  Paddock.  Very nice food, an excellent selection ... and super fast service!  

After lunch we came home and I've been getting my table arrangement sorted out for market tomorrow.
There is always some re-arranging to do!

ABOVE:  So this is the new arrangement.  I hope it works tomorrow.  The table runners will hang on the rack to the side, beside the path into Van Dykes shop... so hopefully it catches people's eye.
I'm really happy with my new trestle covers, I think the colours look nice together.

I have to admit, I'm so, so tired I am finding it hard to function!  All I want to do is sleep.
Maybe next week I will catch up on some sleep?

Lacy came out just now, I asked her to.  I was grooming Marley's ears and the bending over was just too much for my back.  So I have got her to come out and finish off the dogs ears and tails for me.

Well... a nice dinner cooked by Stew tonight.  Marinated pork steaks and veges.  Lacy went home after dinner.  It was good to see her.
Stew and I are now watching a movie on NETFLIX.... it's a bit shoot 'em up-ish, but quite good.
Law Abiding Citizen... a fairly good story line!

After it finishes I will be off to bed... market tomorrow!

HMMM, I REALLY SHOULDN'T FEEL BAD

So, I was thinking about my walk photos... and I was sure I had one from last year with a horse.  
Similar to the one taken on Wednesday night. 
So I hunted it down...

ABOVE: And there it is.  Taken in September last year.  And this is the one taken this year (with a horse)...

ABOVE:  Taken 14 months later.  NOW I can sure see a difference.  In me.  And it's a nicer looking horse too!  lol

Sometimes you need a comparison to boost your motivation.  

Now today, I am heading off to Hamilton, meeting up with Sue #1 and we are going out to Sue #2's for lunch.
It's simply AGES since I spent time with the Sue's!

I can't wait to see them. They are just lovely girls to hang out with.

I'm gunna leave the teenagers to their own devices, I'm sure they can look after themselves.


ONWARD...

4.21 pm:   And I'm finally home from my lovely day out!
I took a few photos, which I will need to download and edit, then I can share some on here.
But not right this minute.

I have to take Brylee to work soon, then sort out dinner.  THEN I have a walk at 7 pm.

SOooo... it might be a bit later on before I can do a proper update of my day.

Sorry about that... but I will get to it!  *smiles*

PHOTOS FROM TODAY'S EXCURSION:

ABOVE:  The Sue's and me.

 ABOVE:  Sue #2 and I, looking over the garden.

ABOVE: Our lovely lunch, chicken and salad.  I even tried some Cranberry drink, which was very nice.

 ABOVE:  Sue's goats.  The one lying down looked dead, or heavily pregnant.  She was neither!  Just sleeping.

 ABOVE: Looking across the garden, what is that goat doing?

 ABOVE:  Crazy goat, she's in a lush field of grass and she's eating the tree!
Daft animal.

 ABOVE:  Sue's pond, with their Loch Ness Monster. 

ABOVE: The view from the upstairs balcony... Sue's son is getting married in this garden in 3 weeks.  Sue and her husband have worked their butts off getting it looking so gorgeous for the big day.

ABOVE:  Some pretty cows up the road from Sue's.  They were quite friendly too.

ABOVE:  On our way back into Hamilton, Sue # 1 and I stopped here for a little wander.

 ABOVE:  The Area is populated by many, many chickens and ducks! The chickens are very tame, and don't even bother to move away half the time!

 ABOVE: Sue # 1 telling me all about the Redwood trees that are in a circle around her.
It's a very pretty nature park.

 ABOVE:  Hamilton's version of Stonehenge!  lol

 ABOVE:  More of the cute wildlife.  Some of those birds were super colourful.

ABOVE:  Pretty foliage, and a funky tree trunk.

And that's all I have... I actually forgot my 'good' camera, so I had to use my phone.  The photos are not too bad for a phone camera!

I got home from the FBG walk about half an hour ago.  Sadly, we missed a couple of streets, so it was a really short walk.  I will post the walk photo tomorrow.  It's a bit 'different' this time. 

Catch ya tomorrow.

LET'S JUST REPEAT ...

Well... my days are seemingly all the same at the moment!

I sew.  I walk.  I do some shopping.  And that's about all!

Today I am making a few more placemats... I sold these two yesterday (from a very long time blog reader!):

ABOVE:  I utterly LOVE these two placemats!  Luckily, I have one more of each of them to stitch up, so I will do them today.
Along with a few more dogs.

My last walk photo made me depressed.  Last night's photo made me smile:

ABOVE:  The horse was under a tree, and it was too dark under the tree for our photo, so we moved further along the fence.
And that lovely horse came over and stood with us!  He was a really big horse... I felt a bit nervous being that near him.  But he behaved.

My teenagers did NOTHING in the way of jobs yesterday, so today I'm going to give them a couple each.  I wonder who will bitch the most?

Guesses?  lol

And ... that's all for now.  Catch ya later.

ONWARD...

PETA:  OMG!  I don't know how I feel about that, except you are BANG ON CORRECT!  It's a bit worrying when someone knows me THAT WELL... yet has never met me in person.  lol

It is now 12.15 pm and I have just woken Griffin up!   He stayed up far too late last night... so I've just issued 'bed time orders'.
New bedtime, not to be up till all hours of the night anymore!
I think during the 'holidays' a bedtime for older teenagers of 12.30 am is fair, don't you agree?

I have been sewing this morning, and am now taking a break for lunch. 

5.10 pm:  And I've stopped to get dinner ready.
The family are having a salad and chicken steaks.
I shall be off walking at 7 pm.

I took a photo of what I got done today, put the card in my computer and there's a few extra photos on it.  Ones I didn't take.

Seems Stew decided to take a photo of last night's pie while I was out!

Too funny:

 ABOVE: So there ya go... thanks to my darling, last night's pie!

 ABOVE:  And here's what I've been working on all day.  They just need to be pressed then have the top stitching done.  I will get that finished tonight or tomorrow.  Either way, another 15 will be ready for Sunday's market.

8.37 pm:  It wasn't a very long walk tonight, 4.2 kms and dead flat.

ABOVE:  A nice bunch of FBG's.  I was laughing me head off cos, just moment before this photo was taken, I was licking the top of my post!
Our walk leader wanted us to get frisky and 'pose' with the posts... I licked mine!  Thankfully, THAT photo didn't make the cut.  PHEW, rather relieved about that.  *smiles*

And that is a wrap for today.  I will catch ya tomorrow.

LET'S GET SOME EXERICSE

I'm utterly shattered from sewing for days on end... I need to get some exercise.

So, there's an FBG walk on at 9.30 am this morning, and I'm doing it.
I might even drag Brylee along too.  She expressed an interest in joining us last night, so let's see if I can get her outta bed.

I forgot to show you Griffin's freakin' shoes eh?

Well...

 ABOVE:  See!  Just outright HOLES.  So, he got some new ones yesterday.
He got the exact same shoes cos... well he likes them. And he reckons they last about a year....so let's see if that happens.  *smiles*

ABOVE:  These are the 9 placemats I got finished last night.  I love the cows.  There's about 9 cow ones altogether.

If my fluid retention settles during the day, I MIGHT get the next 7 done by tonight.  But we will see.  

And that's all for now... catch ya after me walk.

ONWARD...

OH!  Can you please give me suggestions on what I can watch on Netflix please?
I am loving The Crown.  I enjoy all sorts of things!  eg:  Broadchurch.  Murder/Mysteries. Comedy, particularly British comedy. Chick flicks...  and heaps more stuff.

Actually about the only things I don't like are action/shoot 'em up bang bangs and sports!

10.25 am:  And I didn't go on the walk.  If you could of seen my face and legs this morning you'd know why.
Instead, I took a Furosemide pill and am waiting for the non-stop piddling to take place!
Summer is coming, so is fluid retention obviously.

I have booked myself into a 7 pm walk tonight instead.  NOT going to stop walking.  Just not.

So... I'm going to do some sewing, but not as much as yesterday or prior days.  Just want to finish the last 7 placemats.  That's not gunna take too long, it's only the top stitching needing doing.

Then I'm going to put me feet UP.

FRIGGIN HELL... I had to go grocery shopping.... I'm sitting outside the supermarket, about to go in. Hope I don't end up all hot and crabby.

BUT I PROBABLY WILL.

I am getting a nice list of things to watch over Netflux! Thanks so much for your suggestions.

So, Brylee had a girlfriend over today.  They have been watching Netflix while I've been out.

And it's taken me ALL DAY to realise that Danielle is actually the daughter of one of my cousins!  So, she's freakin' family.  

A bit funny.  But then, I've got a lot of cousins!

ABOVE: Brylee and Danielle hanging out together.

They helped me put the groceries away, which was nice.  And now, I've actually got me feet up.  

Well I had an awesome walk this evening... it was a long one at 5.64 km... throw in a steep hill and then a long slow incline and it was a tough one too.  But, it's better to do it and feel good about yourself, than pike out!

I'm signing off for the day now, time to chill out and relax till bedtime.