Why do you blog?

Why do you blog. Recent events have made me ask myself this question. I started reading blogs a number of years ago. I wanted to join in but being insecure and worrying about my dyslexia I believed I couldn't do it. I had a cancer scare, I carried it on my own, I watched three people pass away from this illness and I started to think about my own children, how would they would remember me and all we did together. Soon the urge to join in and feel like I belonged someplace overtook my insecurities and before I knew it I was blogging. Recording all the nice bits in my life, happy times with my children, what we did, a record of our holidays and quality times. Like most of us in blogland we keep away from the rubbish in our lives choosing to record only the positive. I had a place to store my pictures which improved my skills. I became more focused on my creative side and found that people would commission work, I was asked to write for two local magazines. A lot has come out of my blog.

Friendship.

An invaluable record of my time with my children that they are able to look at and enjoy.

Work, commissions and photos sold as art.

General focus in my life.

Keeping in touch with friends and Godparents

Yes indeed its been a fabulous place for me. Yes I know my dyslexic meanderings can be a bit tiresome. I have even received emails pointing me in the direction of correctness. I force no one to read my blog, the choice is yours. Mainly I do it for my children.

Sadly I am forced to end this happy relationship as I watch my blog be used as a tool of manipulation. At present it is not the safe place for me and my boys that it was.

I am still here, I am still in blogland and I hope very much to return soon.

Thank you for all your support, each and every comment, the friendship and creative spirit here is wonderful, if I have inspired just one person I am happy.

Take care my friends, make play, friends and family a focus in your lives and craft on.

Summer is on its way...

Summer is on its way, Yippee! Its official in our house now, the summer china has come out and the ice cream bowls are ready. We are all set for those long days chilling out in the garden. It was even warm enough to have our evening meal in the garden with out pulling blankets around us.

This was a long post with lots of photos, for some reason blog land would not put up my pictures, So I have deleated the origianal post and just left in the first and last paragraph.

A last note.
Thanks again for all your kind messages, the funeral went well or as well these events do go. My family is not a close one, which makes me very sad, so it was so good to catch up with some family members who I have not seen for a long time. This would have made my cousin happy, she was always good fun and people seemed to be drawn to her sense of fun. A sad loss for the world but a gain for heaven.

A BLUE DAY!

Retail therapy

Thanks you for your kind comments about the quilt, I am very pleased with the colour way, although this was effectively put together by Moda so I can not take all the credit here. I spent some time yesterday working on it, then had to rush out for the nursery run, leaving quilt-in- progress in a pile, came back and picked it up. STOP!!! Camera NOW...this picture really touched my heart, the sun streaming in through the window, our much loved wooden rocking horse bought for my children by a special friend and the wooden floor. Maybe its just me but it all looked so warm and welcoming! So off we (my smallest one and myself) went to the local fabric shop, we bought the padding and the backing fabric, I wanted something tough and plain, so it could be used a lot and not take away from the many colours on the front of the quilt. So it all went in the washing machine, just to make sure it would not run!!! Oh yes and must not forget 'Mumble' the penguin, he did not need a wash but my little one did not want to be left out of all this activity so he washed his 'Mumble'.
RETAIL THERAPY-Yep I shop when I am down. I can go weeks without buying 'stuff' then spend a lot very quickly. I guess I have reason this week, but I need to curb it as it will have an impact on next months budget, BIG TIME! Anyway that's the confession done with on to the goodies...Look what came in the post for me...
Love the pattern of this bag, I was recommended this company by a friend who assured me if you love Boden you will like this, so I bought one item, a dress, I am not a big dress fan (something to do with Breast feeding for three and half years!) So this was a treat.
Oh Boy! what a treat I am so loving this dress. The fit is great, I need to 'dart' it in under the arms a little, but it is so nice, an everyday dress but just my kind of thing. As for the rest of the catalogue... Some nice skirts that I would happily wear, but a little bit to, well, it is trying very hard to be its own style and its not quite mine. Saying that I think I will wait until the budget is OK and buy the dress in a different colour. I do this if I like something and it fits well, I buy it in a few colours (especially around sale time)
These arrived last week, I have been wearing them all week, they are the most comfortable things. I saw them at the Harrogate stitch show and thought they looked really funky, alas I did not buy them. As we are quite 'surfy' in the summer always down the beach with the Boards (not that any of us can surf but we can dream...) we saw a lot of people in them, again I never thought to get any. Mostly because they do look funny, they make your feet look HUGE...Mickey Mouse feet. I look down at them and see big round blobs of colour. That said I want another pair they are SOOOOOOO comfortable. Do you think I like green? I L.O.V.E. green!

On a much more serious note, it is my cousins funeral tomorrow so it will be no surprise I will not be wittering on to you tomorrow. It will be a sad day, I still can not believe that we have lost her. As a Mom my heart goes out to her Mom who had to watch her daughter suffer so and eventually watch her slip away. It seems so wrong, no mother should have to watch their children pass away. So sad also for her sister and ofcourse her Husband, I can not imagine the pain any of them are feeling now, may peace be in their hearts.

All over the place...

ALL over the place, both mentally and physically, I am unable to concentrate on one thing before my mind hops on to the next, I feel I need a good tidy up, so bare with me... I want to thank you (and I will do personally by email) for all of your support over the sad loss of my cousin. I had such a busy couple of days I told myself I was just going to get on with it. I think this had an impact on me in a way I did not expect as I ended up ill on Sunday and spent most of the day in bed, I could not even face picking up my knitting. I slept a lot and spent a lot of time thinking of my cousins direct family, her husband, sister and Mother who were all there at her parting. It brought back a lot of pain about my Dads death and from what I have been told those final moments were both very similar, my heart truly goes out to them. A braver women you could not hope to meet, to fight with such dedication and zest for life. With that heavy guilt feeling we carry on, how strange it is that you get up and do the things you always do when such sadness is all around. I know this is an inbuilt thing so that we cope and keep going. So I shall carry on with my witter, I had a special moment last week, I actually took time out just for me in my garden, the day before I had done a lot of gardening and I enjoyed the rewards, the sun was shining, the children were out and instead of running around doing house work, I sat in my favourite corner of the garden, plugged my ipod in my ears, made a pot of tea and sat for and hour (or so) and finished my older ones tank top. Oh it was bliss. Before I knew it it was time to throw down the knitting and do the nursery run, but that moment was very special.
Baking, I have baked cakes until they came out my ears, Friday was a none stop day. Fridays are always a little busy but this one was especially full. I went to lunch at a friends, I stayed later than I should so I missed my 'baking time' in the afternoon, I did the school run then had an hour between Drama class for my oldest, I ended up at a neighbours whilst our children jumped all their energy away on their HUGE trampoline. Again missed another baking window. So once I had finally got all the children home, settled playing in the garden, I put on the apron and stayed in the kitchen till nearly 10.00pm. Why, well Saturday was my patchwork class followed by the school PTA quiz night, as I am on the committee I had promised to bake in the hope of raising some more money. So trays of cakes later and very gooey chocolate cake...well I was worn out to say the least, I also managed to cook a roast dinner, including Yorkshire pudding for the family.
So I curled up in bed and actually slept well, so Saturday, I went on my patchwork course, we did two blocks this week, I am only showing you the heart at the moment, quite apt I thought. We worked on 'curves' and I have to say I found it hard, but I did manage to achieve the end result, I will get the other block photographed then you will realise just how many curves we did!
I love this day, I will be sad when the course is finished, the whole thing is great, including the drive over to the place. I do live in quite an outstanding place of beauty, full of history and the grit of time gone by. On the way back I actually stoped my car and took a few pictures, they do not really show its beauty and impressive size but it gives you an idea...I have watched the seasons as I drive through these hills and moor land, from Autumn, to snowy winter, grey wet rain and incredibly thick fog (not a trip I enjoyed) and now to the freshness of spring. I listen to the radio, with no children to distract me and take in the views. Its a great time, although a little nervous when I realised a man in a car had pulled up behind me, I made a quick retreat...
On arrival at home I unloaded my sewing machine and fabric goodies and got the kids in the car ( I am always welcomed by such love, lots of kisses and cuddles) get the baking and off we went to quiz night, it went on till 9.oopm and the children all got past their best, My table won the general knowledge round, yippee...it was through no help from me I can assure you. My poor little boy was so tired he lost his co-ordination and fell about four foot onto his head, my heart went out to him, so he spent the night curled up in my bed, so peaceful in his sleep. Yesterday he came in to wake me before he went to bed and we spent a lovely half hour chatting and giggling, kids laughter is truly the best tonic on this planet.

Over the Rainbow

No crafty goodness today, my cousin lost her long and painful fight against cancer yesterday:-(