ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 50TH OF 2025

 Good morning, our 50th Friday of 2025 and I spend time clocking the silver linings and precious moments of the last 7 days. 

First up last Friday we headed to Sheffield as we had tickets to the opening show of Aladdin at the Lyceum.  

Our first port of call was at the Cathedral as they had a Christmas tree festival on and were showing a new Pete McKee artwork called the Nativity 

We loved the trees, when we first saw this festival they used artificial trees, it was so much better with real trees

I loved some of the decorations that were on the trees

This one was my favourite with the organza ribbon enhancing the snowman all the way down the tree. 

the new artwork was at the end of the Cathedral and there is plenty of merchandise to help raise essential funds for the charitable work they do.  

then we were off to the panto

and Damian Williams as the Dame was magnificent once again! 

we were hoping to walk the artwork around town, but the weather was appalling so only managed to grab a couple of shots of the cathedral whilst we waited for a tram. 

Saturday we popped to a local Christmas fayre which wasn't great, we had met up with said 25 year old, my d-in-law and grandson, given how poor it was we invited them back to ours for a cuppa and some pancakes, an offer they couldn't refuse and we had a delightful afternoon chatting catching up and spending precious time with my family - nothing finer - I am most very blessed and they are very very loved. 

Sunday and we headed to my nieces for a get together which was lovely, it had been her fiancé's birthday midweek and so she decided to have a get together to celebrate on Sunday.  We sat had some food, chatted, drank tea and sang happy birthday. 

Monday and we headed to Hardwick Hall for all things 'The Lord of Misrule' we grabbed a selfie outside

There was a story trail to follow and poetry (my favourite)

the story continued inside and the story was about how The Lord of Misrule had upset the Holly King so he had turned the house 'icy' this was the entrance hall

the white theme followed us through the house 

until the story unfolded and the Holly King forgave the Lord of Misrule. 

Here is the yule log decorated with the red ribbons

Hubby dressed as the Holly King with his Lord of Misrule t-shirt

He also enjoyed playing with the shadow puppets

and then the chapel looked fabulous with the coloured roof. 

It was a thoroughly lovely trip to Hardwick that we enjoyed.

Tuesday and Wednesday I worked (although I left early on Wednesday due to excess TOIL).

Then on Thursday we had a 'tootling around the house' day, also known as the never ending to do list.  Although I've declared that there is an end, also known as 'not making another list' until after the New Year. 

My sister popped over for a few hours and my d-in-law and Grandson followed and finally our son. 

It was a lovely afternoon nattering and chatting, me and my sister are struggle to find our Christmas spirit (we think it might be due to us missing my Mum), thankfully our daughter-in-law is absolutely full of it so it was infectious to spend time with her.  

I feel very blessed to have such a wonderful family.

I hope you've had a grand week

Hugs

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 48TH OF 2023

 Morning all tis Friday time for

Well we've had a busy busy week because we've been off from work last Friday we had tickets to go to Chatsworth to enjoy the Christmas market, the house and garden and then the light trail around the garden.  I have to say it was a brilliant day albeit long, we set off at 9.30am and didn't arrive back until 7.30pm with 17,000 steps on our Fitbits to prove the busy day we'd had. 

The inside of the house was beautiful as always

we particularly admired the handiwork of these hand cut paper pieces

my favourite display were the snowmen along one of the corridors

The evil face of the glitterball snowman whose stolen the carrot really is quite intense!

Outside the blue skies meant only one thing, it was absolutely freezing!

The maze all prepared for the light trail with the globe lights

and the theme this year 24 days of advent and they turned the south face into an advent calendar with 24 doors that opened in sequence to music, it really was spectacular!

With different scenes played out. 

Saturday arrived and we had a busy day tootling around the house before heading to Barnsley in the evening for their second Bright Nights evening, said 23 year old and his wife came as well. 

First up the town hall that had a Middle Earth exhibition showing 

then on to the civic for unfurled clouds, an interactive light installations, affected by movement underneath it created a thunder storm with sound effects included and had written word from the Tempest play

Then another exhibition in the Civic which was spectacular, a really powerful piece of work it has to be said, daughter in law, me and said 23 year posed underneath, daughter in law commented that it looked like we were posing for our 'next album cover' which had us in hysterics

hence the next picture 

and a light installation in the main museum at the Cooper gallery

it was overall a wonderful evening. 

Sunday and we had a busy day and then in the evening we went to see the Luke Jerram piece Museum of the Moon at the Minster in town, it was lovely to see it in the church setting but it was definitely a tight squeeze

Monday was a dismal day so we tootled around the house but on Tuesday we ventured to Hardwick Hall to see their Christmas display.  It was somewhat sparse when compared to previous years, but they did put it on in an Elizabethan theme, I loved this staircase piece, we've done something similar at home but on the edges so we can still walk up and down. 

We got given a lantern to mooch around the house which made it very atmospheric. 

There were a few writing stations based around the house encouraged by posts by the Lord of Misrule and I must admit to taking the time to sit and write and enjoy the prompt. 

Outside and we found a kissing bough in one of the garden rooms, the room smelt beautiful with orange pomanders dotted with cloves and cinnamon hanging from the garland. 

Wednesday was a busy day getting jobs done, I don't know whether I'm more behind this year or whether I'm going to end up very in front if that makes sense.  But we did venture out at night to watch a one man show of A Christmas Carol which was excellent. 

Thursday and I encouraged hubby to have a day doing things that he wanted to do, rather than following my lead, he blitzed several episodes of 'The Continental' which he really enjoyed whilst I wrapped gifts, sorted out Christmas cookie jars and generally did crafty type bits with Harry Potter playing in the background, a lovely day doing what I fancied which is nice but I'm feeling very tired tonight. 

I hope you've had a good week.

Hugs

Rocking Your World Friday - 36th of 2020

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.