Thanks and Seven Things

My thanks go to Teresa at Blubeberries, Art and Life for this award. I don't really feel justified in accepting it though as I'm not an artist and I don't produce any kind of arts or crafts like some of writers of the super blogs I visit. It was so kind of Teresa to think of me and it was lovely to have a nice surprise in an otherwise ordinary weekend.
I have also to list seven things I love. Assuming that love of family, friends and pets is a given I'm including things that I love. It is hard to chose just seven but here goes:-

Just being by the sea

Trees and woodland in Autumn

Wandering around old buildings

Spring flowers and summer gardens

Soft, newly fallen snow



Going to the Theatre

Curling up with a good book

Well, I now have to pass this on to seven more bloggers and as you know from previous awards I always feel unable to chose so if you are passing by and would like to take the award with you then please do so.

Thank You

Amanda at Pandy Potter Bears has generously passed on this award to me. Thank-you, Amanda. Do visit her super blog and have a look at what gorgeous little bears she makes.

Now I have to do the following:- "The authors say that blogs who receive this award are exceedingly charming . This blog invests in proximity in space , time and relationships . These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends .They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandisement . Our hope is that when the ribbons of these awards are cut , even more friendships will be propagated . Please give your kind attention to these writers !Deliver this award to 8 bloggers who will choose 8 more , and include this cleverly written text in to the body of the award . "

Well, I am going to find this so difficult as lots of you already have this award and anyway, how can I choose from all the wonderful blogs on my list? You are all charming and friendly and kind. So, I'm just going to say if you would like the award consider yourself nominated and take it with you with my best wishes.

Thanks again, Amanda, for thinking of me.

An Autumnal Award

What a lovely surprise! Melody from Teatime with Melody has given me this lovely award - thank you so much.

I have, in turn to pass it on to three fellow bloggers, so I think I will pass it on to:- Teresa at Blueberries, Art and Life, Lynne at Bun Mountain Cottage and Barb at Stamplicity.

Hope you all enjoy it.

A bright spot

How wonderful. Two awards in as many weeks, aren't I lucky? Thank you, Sarah, and Fern for thinking of me. It's been a rough old week this week for various reasons. Firstly, last Friday, the car had to go for its service and MOT, it should have been done in a day but - you knew there was a but - it needed some work on the brakes, the parts had to come from Shrewsbury and they couldn't fetch them until Saturday so couldn't do the work until Monday etc, etc. We had a courtesy car which was useful but we are used to the higher seats in our sweet little Agila and this one was a two door Corsa with very low seats and doors that you had to open wide to get out of, so parking was an issue and getting out in the garage was a struggle. Also the tax was due on Monday and to buy this you need an MOT certificate so we were on tenterhooks that it would be finished before the post office closed at 5.30p.m. otherwise we couldn't bring it home. It was finally ready for 4.30p.m. on Monday and Paul dashed across to the Post Office to get the tax disc and back to the garage to pick the car up. We had to get up at 5a.m. the next day for work so needed the car to get there. In the meantime that evening we noticed that the fridge/freezer wasn't working, just after we'd spent all the week before preserving plums from the tree and making curries and hot pots with the glut of courgettes, needless to say most of this was ruined. I managed to make even more pots of jam with the plums but we said goodbye to everything else except a few bits our kind neighbours were able to put in their freezer. We've been struggling all week without a fridge, making up powdered milk and fetching our cheese and margarine from next door. On top of this Paul had an interview so we couldn't order a new fridge straight away but finally managed to find a cheap and cheerful one which we have to wait until tomorrow for because being at work all this week we couldn't guarantee being in for a delivery. Only niggling problems, I know, but I've felt so tired this week and depressed with the constant rain lashing against the windows and completely ruining the garden; plus the fact that we've spent the money we put aside for a Home Information Pack on the car and fridge. We were going to take the house off the market as soon as we needed to buy a HIP but then we felt that we still needed to sell the house to rid ourselves of the mortgage, but the fact that it has been on sale for over a year and that work is intermittent and our savings are fast disappearing is a constant worry. When is this going to end? I don't think the measures put in place recently by the government will make any difference to us at all so where do we go from here?

Oh, dear, I'm sorry, I'm twittering and wittering and moaning and groaning and there are far worse things going on in the world that I don't really have the right to complain but at least you can see how nice it was to receive the award from Sarah and Fern in amongst all the gloom. I have to award it to others so I'll come back with that later. Meanwhile, it is still raining........

Kind thoughts

How kind people are! Both the Dutchess and Gillian.l have been kind enough to give me this award. The Dutchess for my Family Matters blog and Gillian for this one. As I have very few comments over on Family Matters I'm going to pass the award on to fellow bloggers who visit and comment here. The rules are as follows:-
I must nominate 5 other bloggers 4 of whom are regular visitors and 1 of whom is a fairly new visitor. I also have to link back to the giver of the award. I think I can do that. One or two fellow bloggers whom I could have chosen are taking a 'blogging break' or are on holiday so here goes with my choice:-

Sal at Sal's Snippets
Fern at Fern's Lakeland
Simone at Linden Grove
Rosie at Wuddled Murds
Pamela Terry at The House of Edward

Hope you all enjoy your awards, but please don't feel under any pressure to accept or pass them on if you don't want to, I will understand.

Thanks

I've been given this award by Lois at Matsqui Musings and Rosie at Wuddled Murds - thanks both. I have to name others to pass this on to and also do a meme of '7 weird things about me' - I'm going to think about that but I will pass the award on to 7 of my favourite bloggers:-

Catherine at Alchamillamolly, Steph at Curlew Country, Robert at Park Views, Michelle at Sitting on a Cornflake, Rowan at Circle of the Year, Paul at Distant Thoughts and Tea at Tea and Margaritas.


Just a few things about me don't know if they are weird or not:-

1) I have to read the Guardian Weekend Magazine from the back to the front - any other magazine I'll read front to back - perhaps I find the things in the back of the magazine more interesting? I don't know.

2) When I'm pegging washing outside I match the colour of the pegs to the colour of the items I'm hanging out so that they don't colour clash.

3) I have to tidy up the living room at night before going to bed - fold newspapers, plump cushions and make sure the curtains don't have gaps where the cats have gone through into the windowsill. The cushions have to be pointed end up with zips at the bottom.

4) I don't like to see the underside of ships in dry dock, dark still water or boathouses on lakes - they all make me nervous.

5) I'd rather go to the dentist than the hair dresser - I hate having my hair done - stems from when I was a child and my mum used to take me to a hairdresser who used to push me face down over a bowl and then stand me on a small stool and pull me about to make me stand straight; she once nicked the back of my neck with the scissors as well.

6) I'm a morning person, I like to get going first thing when the day is new and fresh and full of promise. If I have to go out I like to get things done and be home by early afternoon because of:-

7) I really dislike the hours between 3p.m. and 6p.m. I get distracted, can't concentrate and totally slow down. Someone once told me that you were at your lowest ebb around the time you were born and as I was born at 4p.m. I can quite relate to this.

Are they suitably weird? They don't seem very unusual to me so perhaps I'm not totally weird:)