Saturday 21 July 2012

July daybook

I found this site, and have been meaning to post for ages, never quite got around to it, like a lot of things in life, but here it is.


Simple Womans Day Book


Outside my window... are houses just like mine, I live in a terraced street, in a suburb of a city.  The place is full of them.  As for the weather, it's a bit cloudy, but really warm,  which makes a change from the rain we've had recently.  Looking out into the yard (that's the English version of yard - a piece of concrete surrounded by walls) I can see my peas have lost the battle with the slugs.

I am thinking...what on earth that bloke is up to, you know the one, he just keeps riding his bike up and down the street, never really going anywhere.

I am thankful...that it seems to have finally stopped raining.  I know we talk about the weather a lot, but it does affect your life and your mood so much.

In the kitchen...the dishes await me, the breadmaker is whirring away, and I can smell coffee.

I am wearing...my weekend 'uniform', jeans and a long sleeved tee shirt.

I am creating...a 40th Birthday card for someone I 'met' on a forum.   I've also got some new craft items that  I want to work with.

I am going...for a walk.  No idea where exactly yet, but there will be coffee at the end of the journey.

I am wondering...why the local cats find my yard so fascinating, why they use it as a toilet, and why they can't use the huge, great park at the top of the road.

I am reading...a couple of different things, depending on mood, but mainly Ian Rankin

I am hoping...that I remember all the stuff they tried to teach me last week.

I am looking forward to...next week, when I've got my first week off since starting this job.

I am learning..new things all the time for work, but for myself, I am spending lots of time looking at youtube trying to work out how to use Promarkers

Around the house...the list of things that needs doing is endless.  Mainly though, its dust, and general clutter, and not being able to throw anything away

I am pondering...the fact that roughly a year ago, my Mum started the slow decline that ended in her death.  This next month is going to be quite difficult.

A favorite quote for today..."The days pass so fast, let's try to make each one better than the last" - I have no idea where it came from, but I heard it on the Chris Evans show on Radio 2

One of my favorite things...my sewing machine - it belonged to my Nan, is made of cast iron and weighs an absolute ton. But I still love it.

A few plans for the rest of the week: 
work
Work,
more work....
you get the picture

Because on Thursday, I'm off - for a whole week.

A peek into my day...



My little craft bag, that I take around with me.

Saturday 14 July 2012

Sewing machines

For many years I have managed to sew using a machine that used to belong to my Nan.

It's an ancient Singer, and used to be a treadle machine, until Nan's brother fitted it with an electric motor.

I've since thrown the motor away, think it's too dangerous, but love the machine as a hand machine, but it does have its disadvantages.

Firstly, it weighs a ton
Secondly, it only does one stitch, and in one direction.  Reverse involves a complicated process of feeding the material back through the other way.  Fine for a cushion cover, not very good for curtains!

Here is a similar one

For years I've 'lusted' after the fancy modern machines, but on reading a few things, realised that actually the old mechanical type machines were hard to beat.  In particular Sewing machine site has some really useful info for owners of ancient machines like mine.  
Then, yesterday I was in John Lewis, and saw this

It made my heart sing, and its £50!

But I resisted, I've no sewing projects on at the moment, so can't justify it, but I can drop hints....

Monday 9 July 2012

Race for life - again

Well we did it!  In a fairly respectable time - the clock at the finish said 55:03, but it said 10:44 when we crossed the start line, so that's under 45 minutes. Considering one of us is VERY overweight and the other hasn't done any exercise since she left school, that's not too bad.

My glamorous sister (that's her on the right) still looked as cool as a cucumber at the finish