First post since our return!

I really have no idea just where the time has gone since we returned from our wonderful trip back to the UK. We've actually been home a week today, yet it feels like we only just left!  It's true what they say about time passing more quickly the older you get!

We had such a great ten days and managed to pack it full with lots of hugs, kisses and cuddles for all the family, especially the grandchildren! We opened  late but lovely Christmas presents, ate some wonderful food, drank lots of tea, coffee and the odd glass of vino, and really really enjoyed ourselves.  The ten days just sped by and saying goodbye was as hard as ever.  At least this time, plans have been made and we will be quite busy here with lots of guests over the next few months.  It means the husband will just have to work even harder to get the house more accommodating and he has thrown himself into that - with my occasional labouring help.  I will post some update photos soon - I'm just waiting for him to finish the understairs bit which will be an l-shaped cupboard with, hopefully, lots and lots of storage!

We visited Weston-super-Mud while we were away.  It's the town where I was brought up and I still have family there.  Some of you lovely readers will remember that the Grand Pier at W-s-M burnt down a few years ago but they are already rebuilding it. It's a little more modern than its predecessor and will look great when it's finished, but you wouldn't believe the mess on the surrounding beach!  The contractors obviously have to put their things somewhere, and I know it will all be cleared up when the pier is finished, but I've never seen the beach look worse!

The photos were taken from the car while we were driving alongside - I think the pier is going to look great when it's finished.

 

Fortunately, they are keeping the entrance because it was unaffected by the fire and is such an iconic part of it.  The fire itself made headline news around the world at the time; I had no idea it was so famous!

I crocheted on the journey to the UK, both in the car and on the ferry, and added to the squares I've been making for an ongoing project on the Knit Your Square charity knitting forum on moneysavingexpert.com  http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1979513.  The idea belongs to one of our most active contributors - you can find her great blog in the sidebar here - look for Chalky's World and you will see that she just loves sewing the squares together, and does a fantastic job with them!

These are the squares I have done so far.  Some of them still need the ends sewing in (such a lovely job, I don't think!), and blocking which I will be doing soon.  I'm sure they'll look a whole lot tidier then, so I will post another photo showing the individual squares when they are properly finished off.

 

Thanks for reading, and I hope you all have a great day!

Off on my hols - only ONE sleep left!

This will be my last blog post for ten days because I am sailing back to the UK tomorrow to visit family and friends - it's been a long five or so months since I last saw them for real, apart from via the magic of Skype, so, as you can imagine, the excitement is electric!  I'm longing to see everyone, especially the grandchildren - my grandson aged 10, my eldest granddaughter aged 7, and the latest arrival, granddaughter number two, who is just over five months old.  We will be staying a few days in Hampshire, two or three days in Somerset  (in glorious Weston-super-Mud, so I hope to take some photos of the new pier which is under construction to replace the lovely Grand Pier that, sadly, burned down a couple of years ago) and the last few days back in Hampshire.  We are taking lots of pressies with us, as well as more than a few bottles of wine, to share with friends and loved ones.

This is a simple 6" square I will be sending to Mrs Twins  http://suesfavouritethings.blogspot.com/   whose lovely blog I follow - she is collecting them to sew into blankets for the elderly in memory of her much-loved grandmother who lived to the grand old age of 103!  How fantastic is that?!

Here are another  two squares are for an ongoing project for the Knit Your Square to Give Your Share charity-knitting group running on http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1979513  

The little red circle is a wristband I crocheted to wear on Fridays for this wonderful cause

http://www.supportredfridays.co.uk/

I shall be taking my crochet with me to do on the way to the ferry as well as on the boat itself. The last time we sailed, I was knitting and crocheting  whilst sat in the passengers' reclining lounge, and had a family of four lovely little girls who were really interested in what I was doing.  I often wonder if their Mum had to go out and buy them all hooks, needles and yarn!

Well, the rest of my day today will be spent packing and checking the long lists that I have been scribbling down for the last few weeks, so it's going to be a busy one!  I just hope I can get everything we need to take into the car, as well as the cat, Louis, who will be staying with good friends of ours!

I hope you all have a lovely ten days and I be back with lots of photos!

Great totals again!

I've just posted the latest update and the totals, yet again, are amazing, so thanks to you all!