It all started last August I think, and it was the fault of Cath Kidston (she has such a lot to answer for in this household does dear ol' Cath!) Her autumn catalogue came through the door tempting the rapidly reducing me to actually look at the clothes instead of just admiring the furniture the models are sitting on or the vintage light fittings. Anyway, she had these lovely crochet tights (pantyhose to overseas visitors) for sale and my new obsession was born. I never got a pair of the Cath tights (I've just worked out that I haven't been in a CK shop since July- gosh!) they were a bit pricey anyway; but I have made up for it this winter with quite a collection of all different sorts. The above pair I got for my birthday from Madelyn who went shopping with me in October in Ludlow and noticed my obsession with tights and if we'd seen a pair of knee high flowery socks, she would have no doubt noticed my passion for them too. (To wear over the tights peaking above my boots in case you're wondering why I would wear socks during the coldest winter we've had in years!)
And here they are - the flowery collection. Mainly navy and black but I do have a new grey pair with dark flowers on that are not shown. They are all from M&S and Tesco apart from the socks second from the right which are from my favourite shop White Stuff. I do have a pair of M&S crochet 'look-a-like Cath but half the price' tights and a ribbed pair, some plain pairs, a merino wool pair...and that is just my woolly tights. I won't get started on my jewel coloured nylon ones. It takes me ages to get ready in the morning these days, matching colours and patterns. But despite 2 layers of the loveliest socks and tights...I've still got cold feet!
Redwings Blackbirds Sparrows Great Tits Chaffinches A Blackcap A Wren A flock of Long-tailed Tits A Thrush A Robin Blue Tits And a cheeky Pigeon or 2
This list of birds are not the birds visiting my father's bird table/feeders or my Aunt Madelyn's, or even my neighbours. Oh no. These are MY birds!! All mine. I'VE GOT BIRDS PEOPLE! I'VE GOT BIRDS!! Oh I love my birds. In case you are new to reading this blog I have spent years (it feels like years) trying to entice birds into my bird-free garden. Read more here, and here. This summer the birds have been non-existent - even my only visitors to my feeders - the 3 or 4 Sparrows - have gone elsewhere. But during this really cold snap my little garden has been full of them. So full in fact, I've had to make 2 trips to the garden centre to buy different foods and more feeders. Yay! Well.. you know me and my 'thing' about feeders...
Let me talk feeders..pleeeeese. I've now have ..er..8! Well in my defence different birds need different feeders, though I have doubled up with quite a few! Hee hee. The family have a glazed over look now though I must say Anth is quite keen and is often found watching the feeders with interest. I even have a pair of cheap binoculars on our bedroom window sill (sad, I'm told). The birds seem to favour one feeder in particular - is that normal? It's the one with the seed tray catcher where they can sit on. I bought one exactly the same but they don't really use it! What's with that? I have also bought a Nyjer seed feeder (even though I'm not expecting any Goldfinches anytime) for my Chaffinches but they haven't tried any. Does anyone know if Chaffinches eat Nyjer seeds? Anyway, I tried so hard to get a photo with the variety of birds in it but failed, but did manage to get 3 Long-tailed Tits
I found it hard returning to work this week as it has been dark when I leave the house and it has been dark when I have gotten home so I have not seen them. I have though, when ringing Lucy during the day, asked who was on the feeders. I got a double 'sad' for that...! I'm very excited though and if you have any tips please let me know. We can be sad together!
:: Miracle two :: A Love Story
A few weeks ago I fell in love with a velvet coat. Not just any velvet coat. The deepest glossy purple velvet coat that I likened to the purple velvet petals of a pansy. Over the last few weeks every time I went into Marks & Spencer I would try on this coat and stroke it's soft folds. Even inside, the label had lace around it. But. And it was a big but..it was far too much money I felt to spend on a coat..even a velvet purple pansy one. So, I would visit it, and when I did I noticed to my surprise that the rail of coats was fast disappearing. Then a week before Christmas when I was in M&S buying gloves and tights I went to visit my purple friend and couldn't find any. Gulp. Surely they can't be all gone already and I hadn't said goodbye. No, there were just 2 hiding at the end of a rail. I tried it on for the last time. Two days before Christmas at 7am, Anth and I went to M&S to pick up our turkey. "Ooh, Anth let me show you the coat!" We head towards the clothes section, Anth is not at all interested which is usual. I search and search. Only one size 20 left. The last one in my size has gone. Anth wanted to get on with the grocery shopping, he didn't really look at the coat. Christmas Day I found a squashy present under our tree. I usually know exactly what I'm having for Christmas because I guess. I opened this one and saw a purple sleeve. I screamed. There were tears. My darling husband went to M&S early one morning before work to buy the coat, before he had even seen it! I had only described it to him. I still can't quite believe it. He's never done anything like that before.
The family say it looks like Elton John's stage wear as it is rich and glossy and well...velvet..but I love it and I will be wearing during the day even though it's probably an evening coat. It will come to the supermarket with me, to school, on my charity shop runs. Everywhere. Because it reminds me how much my husband can surprise me and loves me. Just don't shout "Elton" at me if you see me!
Happy Belated Christmas and Happy New Year to you all my friends. Has it really come and gone already? I seem to have been working my butt off for weeks and I don't think I sat down for more than 30 minutes on Christmas Eve and I was still wrapping presents at lunchtime on Christmas Day... deary me. I'm sorry I didn't blog about the joys of running around like a maniac with a crazed look in my eyes; but perhaps it was better that way! We had 8 of us in this tiny house then a couple of days without visitors then my father come, who is still with us. I have now managed to draw breath and finally sit down and attempt this -
a knitted Fox Terrier from the wonderful book Best in Show by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne (knit your own dog) I got the book for my birthday and have saved it for Christmas. I haven't knitted for years so it's been a lovely change.
And snow? Well the whole country had been brought to complete standstill but down here in Devon in our seaside town we only got a lightish dusting. Grr.
Just 20 minutes or so up the road it was thick but not near me. Oh no. I'm beginning to think I'm a repellent for snow I really am. And we didn't even get a single day off school! It has been lovely and cold though. My next post will show you what my darling husband bought me for Christmas and some exciting news...well exciting to me perhaps not so exciting to anyone else so don't lose any sleep over it just in case you are bitterly disappointed and hate me!
Yesterday, due to having our wardrobe fixed we had to empty it of my rather large-ish collection of blankets and quilts. Whilst the plaster is drying the quilts have been plonked onto Lucy's spare bed with instructions not to let the cats climb the mountain of my heart's desire and claw and do cat things and get up to nonsense.
10.15am this morning during break-time at school I check my phone. There was a photo from Lucy with the message..LOL.
Hummmph
Such cheekiness! P.S. Thank you for your birthday emails and good wishes. I had a quiet day by the fire which was just what was needed!
There are good things that can come from watching television you know. Truly. Recently there has been a series on BBC 4 called 'Churches: How To Read Them'. I bought the book by Richard Taylor for Anth a few years ago and I couldn't put it down and absolutely loved the series. (Gosh, I watch grown up things now!) There was one church in particular that had the most beautiful Norman carved font and I noticed it was in Herefordshire which we drive through when we go to Ludlow. I forgot all about it until we were driving that way at the end of October. I also forgot the name of the church and where it was, but thanks to my trusty iphone's, found the info and realised that we were actually only a couple of miles away from Castle Frome. So down little lanes we trundled convinced we were on a wild goose chase and then I saw the little steeple. We had found it.
I was also convinced that the church would be locked on a cold October Sunday afternoon at 2.30pm. I couldn't wait for Anth to lock the car (I felt we were miles from anywhere - locking anything seemed pointless! "Just hurry!") I scuttled up the path..was it open...please let it be open...it was open! The heavy door opened to reveal this
beautiful Romanesque font dating back from around 1170 (a little history here) - just what I had been looking for and it didn't disappoint in the flesh. The sun was pouring into the tiny church and we fell silent for a while.
Oh but my camera didn't stay silent for very long. That font was photographed more than Gwyneth on a bad day.
The figures under the font are said to be signifying sin and the font is crushing them. Such a wonderful treasure tucked away in a little country church in the middle of nowhere. We would have just driven on by if we hadn't had seen that television programme. Good old BBC.
Yes, the white paint has been out again. This time the whole hall and landing, floors and ceilings, upstairs and down has had a freshen up.
I decided to change things too. I have taken down all my samplers and replaced them with my collection of vintage bevelled mirrors. I think it looks much better.
Thank you for all your anniversary wishes. We had a wonderful time. It was a gloriously sunny day and
Lucy took this photo on my iphone after she joined us for lunch in a tea room (where else!) Just waiting for our 40th now!
Today is our silver wedding anniversary. Yes, 25 years ago we were married in the church just down the hill and 10 days later we flew off to start our married life in New Zealand. It was a very small wedding (only 25 people) - very last minute as we were originally going to wait until we returned from New Zealand to marry but we didn't want to wait any longer. After all I had been waiting to marry him all my life. We had no money. I had a hired dress, found only days before and 2 wisdom teeth taken out less than a week before the big day! The most important thing was that I wanted to be Anth's wife..hired dresses (however awful it looks now with it's hoop petticoat!) and chipmunk cheeks weren't really the issue. Well fortunately chipmunk cheeks didn't actually appear..phew! We are 25 years into our journey together and I've loved every minute of it - the good and not so good. Today we are spending the day together, a night in a hotel and a meal in a posh restaurant. All this and me wearing a Cath Kidston dress too..!
enjoying - the colours of the last of the hydrangeas.
very excited - about the coming week (more about that soon!)
astounded/flabbergasted - due to 'the' event of the coming week I have bought my very first (and I hope not my very last!) Cath Kidston dress...well 2 actually as I couldn't decided which I liked best so bought both to try on and send one back. This has been my weight loss goal - a Cath dress - so when they arrived yesterday I was a little scared to finally try one on.
I thought the large might still be too small for me but when I put them on they swamped me! So now I'm waiting for the medium size. A Cath dress at last! But I can't choose so I'm hoping that Anth will let me keep the second one for my birthday in November.
loving - 3 new to me songs ~ Miserere Mei Deus by the Choir of King's College Cambridge (oh this is exquisite) Be Here Now by Ray Lamontagne, and Silence by Seal.
looking forward to - the first of the Christmas magazines out next Thursday (Ideal Home's Complete Guide To Christmas...umm yes, I actually rang the magazine to find out the exact date - sad or what!? Don't tell my family or I'll never live it down!) The first of many good ones this year I hope. I can't believe it is my most favourite time of the year again - but where has this year gone?
going to - Totnes tomorrow to the Nostalgic Mix Fair (do come starts at 10am) and to meet a lovely blog reader and her husband from the US. So excited as I feel I know her already. Funny that. So as you can see I have spent most of this week in a state of high excitement and it looks like next week is going to be even better. How much can a girl take!
This week's happy things that are making me..er..happy.
::New birds::
I have zilch/zero birds in my garden which will come as no surprise to those of you who read this blog regularly. I don't know what happened this summer to my sparrows, but I did spend the summer evenings in the garden with my face skywards as soon as I heard the screaming overhead. Yes, I would stand marvelling at the acrobatics of the swifts and we even had some nesting in our eaves but only saw them once. Now I have more birds on our fridge than we have outside (not counting pesky seaguls and magpies!) Look at these magnets I found on Saturday. I just HAD to have them. The price made Anth wince. Oops.
::My Own Birds::
I can't look at this photo taken on Lucy's 18th birthday without smiling and my heart feeling all mushy. I love my babies. Each one of them. So much. And the best thing is that they love each other. I really love that.
(how and when did they get so big??)
::My Gospel Choir::
Yes, I have found a choir. Not quite the cathedral choir I wanted (tongue-in-cheek!!) but it is just down the road and Lucy comes along with me. We have only been once so we will see but it's a start isn't it?
::New Doormat::
A Greengateone no less. Only trouble is I won't let anyone stand on it...
::Matthew's New Talent::
Bless him - this summer my brother was desperate to have a go on the organ at my aunt Madelyn's church. She arranged for him to be able to do this and it was lovely to watch him try and master the ancient instrument. He did really well - and no - there was not a single note of Coldplay that came from those pipes!
::It's On It's Way!!::
No,not the fair but the C word!!!
::The English Countryside in Late Summer::
::Our Pink Bed::
Now the photos are showing the pink to be more 'Barbie' than it really is. It's true tone is much softer and creamer (gee, I sound like Gregg Wallace from Masterchef!)
And I can only show you half of the bed as the other half is in a terrible mess. Sorry. I'm also loving my newly thrifted retro pillowcases which actually tones very well with the new paint job despite what the photo tells you.
Anyway, enough happy things for one day. If you would like to share your happy things in the comments feel free. xxxxxxxxxx
There was a little friction over the summer between the girls and me - well, more Lucy and myself to be exact but Alice decided to take her side in the matter of what we now call 'Crochetgate!'
During our few days in Salisbury, Bath and Ludlow I had managed to find a few crochet doilies (I'm still to find a pot holder but I'm ever hopeful). I've become more obsessed with doilies as the years progress and have now gone crazy for larger pieces of filet crochet which I like to back in a contrasting fabrics and make into a cushions. They are quite hard to find so when I find one it's like treasure.
Anyway, whilst in Ludlow I went into The Wear House (the new premises and name of Zani Lady) and found a wonderful crochet runner which I had plans for (probably to do with curtains and it wasn't that cheap either). When we got back home and unpacked, I had all my crochet bits I had gathered at the end of my bed ready to put them away. They stayed there for a day or 3. Lucy decided (with maternal prompting) to 'personalize' her bedroom a little more. She decided to paint her chest of drawers. She chose to paint each draw a different colour.
It was her first time painting. There was chaos. I just closed the doors and let her get on with it grateful that for once it wasn't me painting. I put my crochet booty into a large plastic lidded box.
A few days later I decided to get some fabric out of the large plastic lidded box.
I discovered this..
..it looked like a mark...
..a few marks...PAINT!!!!
Well...Lucy is indignant that I could ever imagine it could possibly be her. I mean she was after all the only person painting so it couldn't be, could it? Alice even agrees with her. I'm so outnumbered. This rumbled on for a day or two. We are feisty lot we Goble girls!
Anyone know how to get gloss paint out of crochet?
Firstly, thank you so much for all your warm words on my return. I am really most touched. It's good to see you again. Today I thought we could go into the realms of fantasy - a place where, according to my family, I seem to spend a large part of my time - and look at some beautiful houses that caught my eye over the summer, particularly in Bath. So there will be little words just some hard choices as to what one you would buy...obviously money is no object in my fantasy world...
Parisian Dream
Hansel & Gretel Cottage (these are my own made up names!)
(you could close the tea shop if it didn't appeal in the fantasy)
The Woodcutter's Cottage
Sweet Gate Cottage
Well, there you have it folks just a few that caught my eye. My favourite? Well, probably given the amount of chimneys and the gorgeous garden around the back it has to be the Hansel and Gretel. I would love to see what it looks like inside.
It has been a long time - a jolly long time - so long that I've almost forgotten how to use Typepad! So long that I haven't, and don't know where to start. So I thought I would just pop in tonight and say a quick hello to get me started as Anth is cooking (gosh I adore that man.)
But what shall I tell you about first...my latest sewing projects, my every growing excitement for the first lighting of the fire (soon, so soon and that also is connected to some sewing projects in a roundabout way..hmmm all will be revealed when I can actually finish it but there's no fire until it's finished...yiks!!) my 2 stone weight loss (woo hoo!!) and subsequent new dresses, our darling Lucy's 18th birthday, our trip to Bath, being snubbed by David Crosby and the rest of the band (quite literally actually..Matthew and I are still talking about the experience.) Alfie and Posy's obsession with shopping bags, and the fact that our bed has changed colour again.
But, I won't start any of that now but just show you the wonderful hollyhocks. I passionately love hollyhocks. I haven't grown any for a few years now but have been known to come home in my lunch hour just to check on them and to see if they have flowered and what colour they were. Sad.
These photos were taken in Salisbury, just outside one of the the Cathedral gates.
Not bad flowers to be growing along the verge, but that's Salisbury for you. Well, I will be back with news and photos. It's good to see you again xxx
Anth and I are enjoying a few days away so I am posting this on my iphone. We started off with Lucy and Alice and went to Salisbury for the weekend. We then left Alice there with Granny and Poppa so she could do her Summer Stage School work experience and drove to Bath.
We house-sitted for my brother and his partner and enjoyed showing Lucy around, who was visiting the beautiful city for the first time. She went back to Devon and Anth and I then drove up to Ludlow to visit my father. I can't believe it's been about 16 months since we were last up.
Anyhow, normal service will resume when we return home.
Go well my friends.
Miss you
J
Xx
Dear Friends
I'm afraid David Crosby didn't recognise my tea making talents on Sunday and invite me to join the rest of their Summer 2010 tour - so I'm back home...shame. The concert was wonderful and I will share more but we have had no internet for days. I'm typing this on my iPhone.
Hopefully things will be fixed soon when I can spare 2 hours to spend on the telephone to a call centre in India. Wish me luck..
Miss you
love
Janie
xxx
Yes, it's almost time for that great event at the Royal Albert Hall - to see Crosby, Stills and Nash and I am going crazy with excitement. Crazy. I am also the proud owner of 5 dresses now and I have to find the right one to wear just in case my sweet David Crosby just happens to look my way or bumps into me as I stake out the Stage Door! There are only 4 are real contenders though but the above photo is only showing 3 (the navy thing is a long cardigan complete with frills and a tie which I love). Here is the other one with me in it (sorry) with and without a grey cardigan. The tummy is still evident and I'm even breathing in for the photo! But I'm slowly getting there and it's so, so wonderful wearing some new clothes. All from Marks and Spencer by the way.
I think this dress is my favourite - plus the photo doesn't show my double chin so perhaps it has some magic in it. I think it might be the one..what do you think?
- I'm finding it so, so hard to juggle my time at the moment with having to work everyday! How do people manage who have to work full-time all the time/run a home/have 3 teenage children at home and sitting exams/have far too many interests to squeeze into one day/and find themselves stuck in bed with migraines 4 out of 5 of the last weekends? Phew..the house is quite unrecognisable with mess/clutter and dirt and I've just had to let some things go - my blogging being one of them. But I have missed this space and am ignoring the dirty floor to sit and chat to you for a while. But I've had a great week this week and here's why.
:: A new crochet obsession- the 'ordinarily extraordinary' blanket ::
:: Singing in a choral workshop in Salisbury Cathedral last Saturday ::
(ooh, I was seriously excited about that folks. I asked Anth to take a photo and I'm afraid they came out a bit blurred to say the least but I've put an arrow pointing to where I am!)
Talking choirs - I spent a large part of my childhood in a church choir and I am desperately yearning to join another that has all the musical parts or a choral society. I'm finding it hard to find one locally but the search is on as the need to sing choral music seems to have been reawakened. It must have been all those times sitting behind the choir in the Quire in Salisbury Cathedral and being so moved by the soaring voices that I am covered in goose bumps and I have a lump in my throat. It is in my blood though as my father used to a chorister at New College Oxford and my lovely aunt Madelyn has her own choir and a beautiful voice. (Though mine does need working on so some lessons might be in order first.)
:: Discovering a new anthem ::
Carrying on from my choral bliss last weekend I was sent into the stars quite literally at Evensong when listening to the choir perform this anthem by Jonathan Dove, 'Seek Him that Maketh The Seven Stars'
I had the privilege of being seated in the Quire right behind them so was fully immersed in the beautiful sound which I confess moved me to tears. You can listen to a version here on YouTube but it isn't as good as the Salisbury Cathedral version on their CD, Praise & Thanksgiving Anthems (in my humble opinion) Don't tell anyone but I'm actually going to buy the sheet music so I can learn to sing it properly by myself so I can sing along to the CD! How sad is that? I told you I just had to sing in a choir didn't I! Well a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do.
Seek Him that maketh the seven stars and Orion and turneth the shadow of death into the morning. Alleluia, yea, the darkness shineth as the day, the night is light about me. Amen. Words Amos 5:8 and Psalm 139
:: The receiving of the most wonderful gift ::
Sometimes, very occasionally, I find myself lost for words. A week or 2 ago was one of those times. I was so very blessed to be gifted the most loveliest crochet cushion by sweet Emma from way 'up North'. The fact that someone actually made it for me still makes me tear up because I have never even met her and the hours of work that has gone into this...I'm welling up again. Sigh. You should see the back, it's just as lovely as the front.
The rest of the family were touched by Emma's generosity too and I have noticed them each studying the cushion carefully when it arrived - probably, me thinks, wanting to see what a real life finished crochet project looks like...hmm. Emma, words still fail me xxxxxxxx
:: Alice has started to crochet ::
Well let's not get too excited just yet. She has started to chain stitch but has really enjoyed doing that and has made bracelets for her friends - so there's hope she might be turning out cushions like Emma by Christmas and I won't have to make any presents this year as she will! She's not interested in the least in making anything else so this photo is probably the last you'll see. Shame. I have to laugh because as soon as she said she wanted to learn I was up off my seat and over to the bookcase pulling out all my 'how-to' crochet books as fast as my little legs could carry me. The hooks were out and a choice of yarn colours thrust under her nose. Hopefully I'll be proved wrong and she'll be on her first granny blanket by next month and actually finish them, unlike her mother.
Hello Friends, just popping in to let you know that I'm still alive and kicking - I just seem to have nothing new to say at the moment. Life is busy and I am working extra hours until we break up in July so my creative outlets are being stifled as well as feeling quite tired when I do have the time to make/do something. Some really good news is that I have nearly lost a stone in weight over the last 2 months. My tummy is still far too wobbly still (that's all I focus on) but others say they can tell in other places that I look thinner. I have even bought another dress (all ready forCrosby Stills & Nash in Julyat the Royal Albert Hall.) One stone down - 3 more to go.
I did make another new purchase last month. A proper bird table - more arsenal (5 feeders etc) in my effort to attract the birds.
Have I actually seen a bird anywhere near it? Of course not. But. The food disappears AND Anth said he saw a sparrow on the roof...so who knows. Maybe in the winter it will be teeming with all sorts of birds..mmm.. I think not! Well, you never know. Never say never. Table makeover reveal coming soon.
My corner with extra added fairy lights for good measure (day time)
(night time)
Well, it all helps with the sparkle don't you know? And we all need a bit of sparkle in places you don't expect. Go on - hang some fairy lights this week. A home can never have too many.
Oh these last few days - I've had the best few days I've had all year! The sun has shone, and I have pottered about at home doing all the things I enjoy. A little sewing. Wearing my new flowery pyjama trousers (Primark. I just love new PJ's.) ..
..drinking plenty of tea..
Going to my favourite car boot sale on Saturday morning and finding ...
a new £2 crochet tablecloth - perfect for the back of our sofa.
A new £2 knitted blanket (which the sellers were using as a ground sheet!)
If you have happened to be passing by our home recently, the chances are you would have been hearing some new tunes being played (& sung) wherever possible. There is nothing better, nothing, than finding a 'new' favourite song.
But talking of discoveries as per usual I am well behind the crowd on this one - give or take 6 years or so but over the last few weeks I have discovered Keane. I heard 'She Has No Time' on a TV programme and was hooked.
"Why didn't you tell me about them before?" I complained to Matthew who, as it transpired, had actually seen them live ages ago. I had heard the usual well known songs before but never really listened I suppose. I still only like a handful of their songs but the ones I do like I'm really into at the moment. I also unearthed a beautiful song called 'Still Lost' by Tom McRae. (Again on a TV show. My ears prick up and I put what lyrics I can into google to try and identify it and voila you can have the song playing on YouTube in no time - and hopefully it will turn out to be the start of a beautiful friendship!) Anyway, here is my current favourite playlist:
She Has No Time - Keane
A Bad Dream - Keane
On A Day Like Today - Keane
Still Lost - Tom McRae
Hamburg Song - Keane
Bedshaped - Keane
My Shadow - Keane
Is It Any Wonder? - Keane
Love Is The End - Keane
We Might As Well Be Strangers - Keane
Very Keane dominated - see I told you I was into Keane at the moment..! Better late than never I guess. Now what's on your favourite playlist at the moment?
I shouldn't really be blogging feeling so utterly blah. I wasn't going to but I needed to get my laptop out for something else and I was feeling guilty that I have ignored this little space for what seems an age. So I thought I would just say hello and show you my 'new' crocheted throw for the back of the sofa. Found at Totnes market.
I'm a bit of a sad bunny at the moment for various reasons. I'd like to tell you that I've lost some weight but I don't think I have. I don't actually have any scales so don't know that for sure but going by looks..mmmm..certainly not Gwyneth yet. Poor Anth's mother has been very ill. It is so awful being on the other side of the world and not being able to go and see her - I do feel for him and the rest of the family. It's so damn expensive and so far. And there are changes for me at school which...well..we will see.. What a year it's been - I feel quite buffeted by life and just want things to go back to normal but it seems to change on a daily basis at the moment and it doesn't always feel for the best. Even the weather is cold, but at least I have a little ray of sunshine with my yellow crochet throw and I'm hoping for some of the real stuff soon.
An actual new dress - already. I thought I would just go and look in Marks & Spencer really not expecting to find anything yet, but I did. It makes me feel like a million dollars and one or two tears were quietly shed in the changing room when I realised that I could possibly get away with it. (Tears seem to come very easily these days as I adjust to the changes in my medication..plays havoc with my eyelashes which have just started to fall out! They have lasted well though.)
I'm not on any particular diet, I'm just trying to eat a low-fat, healthier diet with much smaller portions. I have tried for years to do something about my weight and now without my daily headaches and weekly migraine (which made me hungry and crave sugar) I feel I can tackle some exercise and eat more sensibly. I have a long way to go as I want to lose 3 stone (I would say 4 but people shrink back in horror when I say that but I'm only 5'2" and as round as a ball). I can't quite believe the will-power I have prayed for for years has suddenly arrived in abundance. I am determined to do this because I don't want to feel overweight, frumpy and afraid of cameras anymore. I want to be "Whoa...Jane Goble's on fire..er!!" and I don't mean for my wallpapering skills this time! It feels so good at last to be doing something about it. I only hope it will work and I can keep it up and that I may shed more tears of joy in changing rooms over the next few months/year.
The Bad
The bad side to being 5'"2, round around the middle, and wanting to wear dresses without looking pregnant is having to wear what they call 'magic knickers'. There really is no magic in them for me. This new pair cost as much as my dress and are the most uncomfortable things I have ever had the misfortune to wear as well as looking rather..er un-firelike! They're just one pair of my Bridget Jones pants collection. I actually have 3 pairs of different ones but these are the biggest and ugliest. Lucy and I were in Starbucks the other day and I popped to the lavatory. Well, you don't just 'pop' to the lavatory when you wear pants like this. Lucy quizzed me when I came back as to why I had taken so long.
"Well," I replied rather crossly, "these stupid knickers need peeling off which takes times, then they need heaving up..no it's more like wrestling which makes your arms ache. Then they roll down again so you heave them up again which made me bash my elbow on the soap dispenser. They are also cutting off all circulation...blah, blah, blah..!"
Yes, the sooner I lose some weight and don't need to wear the hideous Bridget Jones knickers the better.
:: actually being able to go out onto our patio through our new doors ::
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ :: The Delicious Miss Dahl ::
Only there are a few problems. I have serious, serious kitchen and kitchen utensils envy when Lucy and I watch her cookery programme.
I love the programme though I'm not interested in the slightest in the cooking (I actually fast forward through that bit!) but I do pause our sky+ and spend ages, much to everyone's annoyance, studying all the details of the kitchen and rewinding the poetry bits and the snippets of music. I love Sophie and apparently she has been given some bad reviews about the show. Shame.
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:: driving to school the 'lanes way' for the first time this year ::
Today was my first full day at school and I am not completely exhausted!
P.S I would like to thank you for your kind comments about my eyelashes (they're still hanging on!) in my previous post. The diet is going very well but I don't think I have lost any weight - how can that be!?
There has been a slow transformation going on here over the last few months. There hasn't been a part of my life style that hasn't been changed in some way or other since I became ill in January and that has been a good thing. I'm now on a diet and I'm actually sticking to it and for the first time in many years I feel quite positive. Maybe, just maybe, I actually might be able to lose some weight. The change in my medication seems to have helped in that department too. Just wish it would happen a little quicker. I can't tell you how excited I am about the fact that I maybe in a floral Cath K dress (or Fat Face/Boden/Whitestuff/etc) with a cute cardi by Christmas. Or even before, in July when I go to see Crosby Stills & Nash. I haven't worn a dress for years as I look pregnant in dresses. I will keep you posted. It will be floral dresses everyday let me tell you. And on Monday I did something I have never done before. Even my friends didn't think I was going to do it.
I lay on the unfamiliar couch at the local Beauty Therapist's salon. My eyes closed. (Hands clenched as I was actually scared!) Half an hour later I had one set of individual eyelashes glued on to the top of one eyelid.
"Have I turned into Gwyneth yet? I whispered.
The Beauty Therapist roared with laughter,
"You are funny!" she said and started on the other eye.
Little did she know that I was only half joking!
I skipped out of that salon and instead of going to Sainsburys shopping went home to show Anth (who still is off work unwell but improving now.) his new look wife. He approved and nobody in Sainsburys laughed and pointed when I finally got there. Lucy and I laughed later that evening though. I asked her to take some photographs of the 'eyelashes' for the blog and we went out into the garden. There she was asking me to 'smize' like Tyra Banks and the children from next door (and the rest of the street) were passing our gate and they doubled back at the ridiculous sight of me trying and failing to pose like ..well like Gwyneth on the cover of Vogue. I cringed with embarrassment. Now these are the best of a bad bunch (96 bad ones to be precise!)
How long these lashes will last is anyone's guess. I check every morning first to see if my tummy has shrunk a bit in the night (please God) and then to see if the lashes have made it through the night! I'm getting rather fond of them and it's only been 4 days we've been glued together. I'm hoping we will stick together a lot longer.