Morning lovely people tis Friday be prepared for short and sweet, because this last week we have been away on our first break of the year, celebrating birthdays and hopefully having a lovely time.
So I can't fill you in on the week, because I'm preparing this in advance, please link up if you fancy - apologies if I haven't got to read last weeks post I'm not convinced we are going to get access to the internet.
I hope you've had an awesome week with lots of positives and lots of silver linings, my Mum will have got her results this week, so please keep her in your prayers at the moment.
So last Friday I had a slow morning of it, hubby's car was in for its yearly MOT and so you can imagine how pleased we were when she passed with no advisories.
I spent the morning working really hard on my scrap pile of paper and churning out some birthday cards, they are always well received but in all honesty they are never up to much, but hey ho I had fun clearing the pile down. I popped a Harry Potter film on in the background as I was making them.
After hubby had finished work we had a few bits to pick up so headed to the local retail park, popped in a few shops and they are all gearing up from Christmas which feels early, but I suppose in September for the shops it isn't.
I managed to get some boxes for my Mum that she wanted and then we ventured to Ikea, it is the first time we've been and not had to queue, apparently the technique is to go when the kids are coming out of school and all the parents have gone to pick them up. We managed to get the plant I wanted and some stacking stools for my Mum. Unfortunately they are out of the jars hubby wanted so we will have to pop back when they have them back in store, but overall we managed really well and got home before the roads got too silly.
Saturday we'd booked for Yorkshire Sculpture Park so we could get a decent walk, it was lovely to come across some steel sculptures inside by Brian Fell all done with cold forging techniques
I loved these, they were just different, this reminded me of a TV
And here is a side shot of those that were in the space
There was even a glass cabinet of maquettes
then we walked down past Bretton Hall which is in the grounds
The woodland walk was lovely I was grateful that we had some tree cover as the heavens opened but it was shortlived for which I was grateful
I always love the Sophie Ryder statue next to the Camelia House
Sunday and we were off to Chatsworth for a wander around the garden
The skies were blue and we had a lovely wander
The vegetable garden was full of fabulous vegetation
I grabbed a selfie
We found some new David Nash scupltures in the far reaches of the garden
And when we stopped for a cuppa we enjoyed this beautiful wild flower border.
So we had a lovely weekend and got to venture out and about and see things, whilst still maintaining social distance.
Monday and I was in the office and had an incredibly busy day with so many things to sort, but Tuesday balanced it out and I had a fabulous day working from home catching up on the work I hadn't got done on Monday.
The rest of the week has been busy busy with lots of work so nothing much to chat about, but overall a positive week with lots of little grateful moments.
If you fancy joining in pop a post together come back and link up and we an come and visit.
Afternoon lovely people apologies for my tardiness but I've had a busy day, tis Friday time for
So last Friday me and hubby were both off as we had decided to make the best of the bank holiday weekend seen as it is the last one before Christmas, on Friday we tootled out to a place called Holmfirth and then travelled a couple of miles further north to a wholesale gem store as hubby is considering furthering his silversmithing.
It wasn't the nicest of weather but it was still lovely tootling out together, it is strange how quickly we have grown accustomed to being out and about again. I've never been through Holmfirth before, but know it well from the TV series Last of the Summer Wine.
We had a lovely couple of hours browsing row after row of gems and crystals and hubby bought some to start him off on the making front.
Saturday we painted the new shed but only managed one coat before the rain set in which was a little frustrating. Sunday morning we popped to the local garden centre to pick some autumn bedding plants, we got back and managed a second coat on the shed and hubby painted one of the decks whilst I planted out the bedding plants and had a bit of a fettle of the pots.
Monday I knew my Mum was four walling it, she isn't going to get results until the 16th September which left her a little low for a day or so, but she's putting it to the back of her mind and I decided to try and keep her busy, so we invited her to come with us to Wentworth Woodhouse gardens for a walk around, she really did enjoy it which is awesome because we've loved it too.
Here we are in front of the giant chestnut tree
And then the Camelia house
and on the wall overlooking the village where I live
Hubby decided we needed an autumn bucket list to keep us positive and motivated as I've been struggle on the mental health front. Strangely ticking things off lists always gives me a positive sense of wellbeing and it has worked a treat if I'm honest.
Tuesday (an extra day just for fun), we headed to Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire the home of Bess of Hardwick with lots of links to Chatsworth, also used for the film Harry Potter as Malfoy Manor, it was the first day the hall was open since lockdown and we were amongst the first in, despite having to wear facemasks and socially distance from others it really was lovely doing something 'normal'
The house really is stunning and the blue skies helped
They showed examples of the colour the tapestries would have been in their hey day, I did a good job of matching the board up at the bottom don't you think!
This long room was used for exercise when the weather was inclement!
Outside we grabbed a seat and a selfie amongst the roses and busy bees
This view always reminds me of the Harry Potter film as Snape walks up a conifered avenue towards the house, I'm fairly sure on the film it was all computer generated and green screen but I still love to think of it like that!
The old hall that suffered a fire and is now a ruin is still visible from the new hall
The plasterwork inside really is something to behold, it is so beautiful and detailed
Wednesday was a catch up day with work and we went food shopping for us and for my Mum, I also spent the evening helping said 19 year old's GF cut out a pattern for some dungarees she wanted to make.
Thursday I was physically in the office, I got home to a cooked tea as I was late leaving which I was most definitely grateful for from hubby, he then toddled off to my Mum's to fit some shelves for her and sort some door hooks and to help rehang a wardrobe door whilst I helped said 19 year old's GF make the dungarees. We had such fun and whilst they weren't perfect (my pattern matching skills are rusty) the still looked awesome when she'd done them and she was so happy, it really made me smile. He sent me this photo of one of my Mum's cats when he was sorting he shelves out that definitely made me smile
So as you can see I've lots to be grateful for and clocking these positives at the end of every week, definitely balances the world a little for me.
I hope it works for you too, if you fancy joining in pop a post together come back and link up so we can come and visit.
Well first up a massive thank you to hubby, I've been struggling a little bit over the last couple of weeks, nothing serious just feel a little bit meh so hubby decided to surprise me with a night out on Friday enjoying tapas. Tapas Revolution have reopened in the local shopping centre so we booked a table and ventured.
We had a lovely evening enjoying good company, good conversation and lovely food. Here is hubby
and the fabulous story of tapas
And yours truly
And the lovely bar area
Hubby enjoyed the two for one offer on the gin and tonic and I had the lemonade which is freshly made.
So a great start to the weekend.
Saturday was a bit of an odd one, in that we had no specific plans despite aspirations to do just that, but we did get hubby's shed ordered (which has been on our to do list for a while) and booked not one but two week's holiday (fingers and toes crossed that we actually manage to go on them).
We also did a homemade tapas tea which was lovely. In an effort to ensure we had some plans for the weekend, we invited my Mum to come with us to Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
Here is a photo of the three of us with a Damien Hirst sculpture in the background
and here is the sculpture
I also grabbed a photo of hubby enjoying a view over the lake
We stopped and enjoyed a cuppa and a cake and took my Mum in to see the art in the underground gallery which she loved.
Back home and I've made a start on the 2019 scrapbooking and managed 3 layouts on sunday afternoon whilst hubby watched a film and we made a quick and easy tea, so all was good.
Monday arrived all too quickly but it was a positive day, I managed to get some online training done which was great and we managed to get the deck painted that the new shed is going on.
The rest of the week has tripped along at a merry old pace hubby bought me some flowers the other day
which are beautiful and a favourite colour combination
My Mum had a trip to the hospital on Wednesday and whilst the cancer in her back has stayed the same there is a little fluid on her lung which is a cause for concern, so if everyone can offer up an extra prayer for her whilst we are waiting on results that would be awesome.
Wednesday night we went over to help (we being the royal we I mean hubby) finish off a few kitchen bits, he has installed her an extra piece of worktop and a set of shelves which has made such a big different to the area she has to prepare food. She really seems to have enjoyed making little changes in the kitchen which have made a really big difference for her, she is already plotting and planning her front room so watch this space and that my lovely people is the week that was, I hope you've had a grand week, if you fancy joining in pop a post together come back and link up so we can come and visit.
So what have we been doing over the last 7 days that we can count our blessings for, the silver linings the positive elements that just make life that bit nicer, easier and more fun.
Well last Friday I had volunteered to go and help my Mum to paint her kitchen she'd been fettling cupboards and drawers for a couple of weeks and was at the point where it could be spruced up, so I headed over with paint supplies and we set too. It was mighty warm which slowed us somewhat but we plodded our way through the morning and into the afternoon. Hubby arrived after he had finished work and sorted out a few jobs around the kitchen that needed doing, which she was most grateful for. She still amazes me in more ways than one, she was up and down climbing on tables getting the ceiling painted as she went - crazy lady, she may be 70 years young, but she isn't letting life slow her down any time soon!
I must admit when Saturday arrived I did feel a little broken climbing ladders for a day, painting ceilings with my dodgy back, neck and frozen shoulder meant that we had a very slow, laid back and relaxed weekend after the rather busy Friday.
I had plenty of scrapping time, which was great as I hadn't managed any in the week as I get closer to the end of the 2018 photos, I'm giddy to get it finished and get them filed, although scrapbook albums are mighty expensive these days and no one seems to do the cheap as chip ones that I've bought previously, so I'm thinking of a cunning plan where I make my own, watch this space on that one.
Said 19 year old is away at his GF at the moment so the house is much quieter, I catch up every day with my Mum on Facetime usually morning and evening, I even managed a catch up with my sister this week which was nice.
The weather has been somewhat changeable this week if I'm honest, but we have managed an evening walk most evenings which has been good for the mental health.
Well that my lovely people will have to be your lot this week (like I said mighty quiet), so I'll leave you with a few layouts that I photographed.
If you fancy joining in pop a post together pop back and link up (whilst Mr Linky is still working) so we can come and visit.
