Oh Christmas Tree!

For the last 10 years or so I have made my most dearest friend a

crafty gift at Christmas.

I usually give her it around the beginning of December so it can be used to decorate her house.

Poor woman may need a bigger house by the time we are in our 70s.

This is this years effort a doorstop.

Hope to give her it over the next few days as the the snow has put paid to visiting her lately.

The placemat underneath is the ones I have been working on over the last few days.

12 Days of Snow (nearly)

Been snowing on and off here for well over a week now all seemed to be getting back to normal and we wake up this morning to yet more snow.

Anyway kept myself busy.

Also thought I was going to collect the keys for our new house on 25th November

Did I heck...........

The day I was to collect the keys a surprising phone call from the lawyer put paid to the nice cosy thoughts about Christmas garlands, bunting and trees. The short version is because we are buying a repossession property there was a High Court ruling slipped quietly into play the day before which basically allowing the previous owners still to have a claim on the property because the repossession was not carried out properly. We are still no further forward and the snow is not helping as the solicitors acting on behalf of the bank selling the property are based in Aberdeen and the office is closed due to the snow.

Anyhoo I did this Red Stitch Work 12 Days of Christmas garland for the staircase in the new house but have decided since finishing it last week I would put it up in the house we are renting.

I very happy with it.

Two of my favorite things about Christmas. The Twelve Days of Christmas and A Christmas Carol.

I have also made new placemats and a Christmas goodie for my bestest friend.

Will post photo next time as I will hopefully have given it to her by then.

Have also put tree up photos tomorrow in the daylight

Love stitching

Life is a bit hectic here at the moment.

Colin goes away to China on Saturday for 3 weeks.

Un-forseen circumstances mean we are only now about to move house . We get the keys while Colin is away. We plan to move the week after he gets back.

Anyhoo tried to have a relaxing weekend I love hand sewing so enjoyed making the cushion below to add to my Christmas collection. Quite pleased with it. The middle is a Tilda pattern.

Disney Fun

The family spent 5 days in Euro Disney during the half term break. It was the most magical time for all including the adults who out numbered the kids 5 to 2. Watching Aimee's face was brilliant as she saw all the characters that she knows so well come to life in front of her eyes. Here are a few photos

My favourite ladies

Mr Mickey

With the one and only Minnie

Outside Boo's Door

Stitch helping Aimee with her chips

Son in law Graham grandson Murray and Sully

The girls with Mickey in his Cafe

Ashley and Aimee in Adventureland

Aimee loved getting her face painted every day!!!!! This was her favourite

Aimee with Jack she just loves him.

This guy was fab

Mrs Robinson ....... NOT

Colin graduated yesterday that might make me his Mrs Robinson

Bachelor of Arts
(with merit)
in Tertiary Education with Teaching Qualification
(Further Education)

Colin with our girls.
Shelley on the left Ashley on the right

The campus at Stirling University is situated with Wallace Monument as the back drop.
Airthery Castle and the lake you see in the background are within the campus.
Our much loved Ochil Hills also near by.
We are fortunate to live in such a beautiful area.

We had a lovely day followed by a bar-b-que at Ashleys.
Aimee is very proud of her grandad although she's not quite sure what a graduation is.
She just thinks her grandad is great

This is more like it my fun loving family

Class A student

As hubbie is not one to blow his own trumpet I am about to give it a go.......
He got his final essay result from his university course he is jumping up in the air....

He got a 1A

This from the man who throughout his childhood and early adulthood was continually told he would never manage any sort of further education and certainly never university. His parents never gave him any encouragement. Think it is why regardless of whatever hair brained schemes our daughters came home with we always tried to encourage them to follow their dreams. Mind you when your daughter at 18yrs is offered a job at the Halifax Building Society but decides she would rather work in a pub it can push you to the limit. Mind you after 6 months she started work with a local care organisation and has not looked back she will be 30 in September.

So at the end of the month he will graduate as a teacher and me and our girls will be sitting cheering smiling and most certainly with a tear in our eyes and will be so proud of him but hope with all our hearts that he is proud of himself

Magic Moments

Sister & Brother Magic Moments

Magic Moments is the 1st song I sang as a child. It has become a song that has worked its way down the family and was even played at my mums funeral as she had sung it to her grandchildren and great grandaughter.

Anyway tonight I was looking at some photos Ashley had emailed me of the Aimee & Murray and I just thought what Magic Moments these are and I now can't get the song out of my head so it is now being hummed, sung and whistled much to the annoyance of the local cats chorus.

Moving on up

I love houses

Hubbie loves renovation

We down-sized a few years ago so Colin could go to college and university he graduates next month as a teacher of further education. I love the house we live in at the moment but Colin has never settled. Now because this man I have been married to for all these years has never asked me to do anything that he thought would make me unhappy also over the past 18 months or so our lives have changed forever and as my wee grannie used to say marriage is about compromise we are on the move.

We are lovers of traditional property but we have decided that it is time for an easier life and not for every spare bit of cash we have being used to maintain a property. We are buying a more modern house and for some strange reason I love it.

The most exciting bit about it for Aimee is that the house will have stairs.

So in 6 weeks time we will be embarking on the next phase of our lives......... bring it on

Pearly Time

Where does the time go..........

30 years ago today I married the man or should I say boy who would become as they say in the old movies my rock.

Colin was 19 and I was 23 when we married everyone was very sceptical about us making a go of a marriage.

Colin and I went about in the same circle and he played badminton with a friend. A couple that we both knew were getting married and he asked if rather that going on our own that we paired up. The following day I headed off to London for a week to attend a course to do with my work. On my return he was standing waiting on me as I got off the bus big bunch of flowers in his hand and asked me to out that night for a meal. That night he asked me to marry him and as the saying goes the rest is history.....

2 daughters and 2 grandchildren later we celebrate our Pearl Wedding Anniversary

Had a lovely meal with daughter(number 2) son-in-law and grandchildren last night.

Today has been a lazy day ... so far reading and couching

Daughter (number1) and partner coming later for tea as she has been working yesterday and today looking forward to that

Treasure Maps

Since Aimee was born we have always had an Easter Egg Hunt.

Two years ago the 'Grandad' thought it would be good to have a treasure map to help find the eggs.

He draws the house gardens garage etc simply then rips the edge of the paper and stains it with tea to make it look aged.

Often wonder who is the child!!!!!

Picture is of Grandad, Auntie Shelley and Aimee plus the treasure map in hand.

Murrays first Easter was accompanied by the chickenpox poor wee thing

He is such a happy laid-back kind of guy he smiled and laughed the whole day

On the hunt for eggs




Murray and Grandad having fun



Aimee sporting the Hannah Montana sunglasses the Easter Bunny left at Granny and Grandads
Also the bunny ears that could only have been bought by
Auntie Shelley