ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 3RD OF 2026

Morning all tis Friday time to clock the silver linings and positive moments for it is time for

So one of my tasks this year is to catch up on my scrapbooking as I'm still scrapbooking 2023.  This is bittersweet as it means I'm still scrapbooking photos of my Mum, but it also means that scrapbooking of my grandson is going to take an age to get to.  Nevertheless I'm determined to put best foot forward. 

This first layout is a double page, it was family making some headway on my Mum's garden which had got a little bit wild.  Me, hubby and my sister set too getting it sorted, and my Mum dipped in and out helping as much as she could.  She was really pleased that it was a more usable space after we had finished and the following weekend my niece, her partner and his sister helped recover the first tier in the garden. 

Then this layout I took of my Mum when we were at a craft class, she loved nothing more if I'm honest and we always had a wonderful day. 

Then this was a theatre trip out, the show a one man show about Laurel and Hardy, they were childhood heroes of mine so it seemed apt to see it with my Mum (hubby was there too)

and then documenting seeing the Ocean at the End of the Lane, which was a fabulous touring production

Layout for the Motley Crue and Def Leppard gig 

I feel that my layouts have become very similar, so I'm attempting to mix things up a bit, you'll have to let me know if you think I've achieved it with the next set I share. 

So how has the rest of my week panned out?

Well I finished this beautiful book last Friday, it is a set of four and showcases Angela Harding's linocut artwork and is beautiful.  I have the other three which I will be reading as the seasons appear (Spring, Summer and Autumn still to read)

We also woke to a smattering of snow, but it didn't last (thankfully) although it did make everything look very pretty. 

We had some persimmons lurking in the fruit bowl and as we both have a real issue with food waste hubby made a persimmon parfait, which was lovely, topped with pistachios and then he added to it the following day with baklava biscuits which are what are sticking out either side.  The dessert lasted us 4 days in total and fully used up the persimmon so definitely a win. 

I also finished this read, I've had the book an age, I think it was published back in 2013.  It is a riotous read and I thoroughly enjoyed my first read of a biography.

You may recall my first knitting kit coming through the post, this was my first couple of rows, I am very rusty and I don't think it will be very pretty but I'm off.  For reference Lisca my intention to learn is one a month not one a week, I don't think there are enough crafts out there for me to learn that would enable one per week. 

I also finished reading this book, which also proved a good read and allowed a little bit of focus. 

The knitting was coming along OK later in the week

and Wednesday night after my working week was done we headed out for our walk and accidently fell into the pub.  I had the none-alcoholic Old Mout cider cherries and berries and hubby enjoyed a pint of cider. 

Thursday was my first full day off, I thoroughly enjoyed a lie in after my three very busy days at work.  We sat drinking tea and reading tablets, made a plan for the next few days and then had showers.  

I had some house jobs to sort, vacuuming through and lots of washing so the dehumidifier is on full tilt today but it shortens the drying time so that is definitely a win. 

I also managed to sort a couple of boring tasks out that were on my to do list, you know the ones you keep putting off and then once you've done them you don't know why you put it off because it didn't actually take that long to sort.  Hubby helped with that and I'm definitely grateful on that front. 

I hope you've had a fabulous week.

Hugs

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 4TH OF 2025

 Morning all tis Friday time for

So last Friday we had what I call a 'doing' day, we went and picked up an order I'd placed at Boots, namely my favourite perfume which is proving harder and harder to find and they had it on offer, so definitely grateful for that. 

Then we got both our cars washed and cleaned and hoovered and dusted given the fact it was a dry day, I was keen to get the salt off the cars after the recent snow we'd had. 

I managed to order my second poetry book from 2023, I collect the poems I create through the year, try to capture them in order, put an associated photo in the background albeit that I make it fairly transparent so you can still read the words and then load the photos up into one of those photo books and get it ordered.  I did that many poems last year that I've had to have two books printed.  I also managed to get the first one read and overall I'm happy (only two tiny typos) with it.  This is the first book, I've added a photo on the cover for the second one to see if I like it. 

Hubby is into making sour dough at the minute so he is perfecting that. 

Saturday we invited son, d-i-law and sister over for a catch up and hubby volunteered to make pancakes, it was genuinely a lovely catch up with everyone, definitely needed.

Sunday we headed to YSP for a walk, it was bitterly cold but thankfully we had both taken sensible coats so we were toasty warm walking around, we stopped off at the learning centre for a cuppa and a sausage sandwich before we set off. 

Henry Moore in the park 

To prove we were toasty warm

We finally found the re-positioned Antony Gormley statue

It looks great from a distance

We also found this new statue 

and this one, the hand on top, the peace symbol we weren't quite sure of the significance on top of the comb but still loved it

Also still love this one which has been donated to the park

these always look amazing in the formal garden

and the Alice door

we came home and had some down time reading, scrapping and a little bit of TV which has been seriously lacking recently. 

The working week tripped along at a fair old pace and then Wednesday night we went to see don't dress for dinner at the local theatre, we both really enjoyed it, a laugh out loud comedy. 

Here are the layouts I've completed recently all from December 2022, I'm using physical stitching as my go to embellishment at the moment utilising some of my Mum's ample cross stitch threads

These were always fun days and she loved having everyone around

enjoying a wreath class together we had a lovely afternoon

Christmas day, everyone had had such a fun day

My two men making Christmas dinner

I hope you've had a splendid week too. 

Hugs

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 29TH OF 2024

 Good afternoon lovely people tis Friday, a day where I clock the positive moments and silver linings in the week that help to keep me balanced.  I started Rocking posts years ago and find it is a lovely way to focus on the happy moments whilst knowing that sometimes life is a set of trials and tribulations, this stops them from overwhelming me, having said that I've had a good week overall (although there is a genuine lack of photos - so sorry). 

So last Friday we headed over to see my step-Dad, we haven't seen him for an age and I was feeling mighty guilty, but I think he was just happy for a bit of company.  Whilst we were there I managed to sort out what we hope is the last outstanding financial element in relation to my Mum for him, so that was definitely a positive.  

Whilst we were there we had a look at what there is still to sort upstairs, we had planned to have another fettle but to be honest my sister has been quite poorly recently and she genuinely was not well enough to do anything so we just took stock of what needed doing.  However, me and hubby did take a multitude of bags to the local Cancer Research Charity shop, which frees up some space and means that hopefully further funds will be raised for this worthy cause.

On Saturday we headed north to see my niece as she had invited people over as it was her birthday this week.  Her and her partner put on a lovely spread of food and we spent several hours catching up and chatting and putting the world to rights and she got to receive her presents early and open the same and we got to sing happy birthday to her, she had three birthday cakes to choose from, perhaps next time we need to remember to communicate more effectively, although I doubt they went to waste. 

Sunday was another miserable day weather wise and so our plans to go to YSP were scuppered, but we still enjoyed a sausage sandwich at home and I did some crafting and reading before I headed back into work. 

Monday came around and I was back at work, I'm still battling with the year end and getting to it is proving mighty difficult if I'm honest, but that I'm persevering and hopefully will start seeing the finish line soon (I hope). 

Tuesday hubby contacted the doctors he keeps getting a sweet taste in his mouth, we can't tell if it is post op or whether there is something else so he got booked in for blood tests and we had a discussion about health improvements because his blood pressure was bad again, however this has led to some sensible discussions and hopefully a way forward. 

Wednesday my last day in the office and I came home very tired and yesterday we set too making the most of the sunshine (which we have seen little of recently) to be in the garden making some headway on some projects that need sorting.  The heat has made the task much harder, but at least it has been dry enough to make some headway.  

Apart from that, conversations with family have kept me on an even keel particularly when I've been struggling with the grief side of things. 

And finally I will document it here because it means I have it somewhere.  Early this morning, as I was just lifting out of a dream which was mad and made little sense, did I find myself sat in a different room and my Mum literally suddenly appeared in front of me, she was radiant and looked so relaxed and happy, younger, healthy, lightly tanned skin and sparkly eyes and she was there in front of me.  I burst into tears and said we had all been so worried and asked if she was OK, she said that she was fine and that everyone needed to stop stressing.  I asked where she was and who was with her but she just shook her head as though to say that isn't for you to know at the moment.  

She was so incredibly vivid, so bright and so close to me that I'm struggling to accept this as purely a dream, I've had other such times when similar has happened on two other occasions, only 3 in my life but when they have happened they have left such a strong impression on me, that I genuinely feel like it was a message from my Mum where she is now and it has given me great solace today, although left me somewhat emotional, I hope you don't mind me sharing this with you. 

Have a lovely weekend where you are. 

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 13TH OF 2024

 Morning all tis Friday and Good Friday at that time for 

Well it has been the hardest of weeks as Tuesday was my Mum's funeral, but I'm determined to still find the silver linings in amongst the week. 

The first has to be meeting the Celebrant that conducted my Mum's service, he was genuinely lovely, spent time listening to our stories and took what I'd written and used it as the main element of the service on Tuesday.  I'm proud of my brother, son, sister and niece's partner for carrying my Mum into the crematorium, I'm pleased that the service was ultimately the most personal of occasions and I think relayed some of the stories of my Mum.

I'm pleased that myself and my sister managed to deliver our part of the service even if to a degree I had to be on an auto-pilot mode to ensure I could deliver the speech, but so many people afterwards said that it really made the service and I think that my Mum would have approved, it felt like the last thing I could do for her writing the speeches for her service and co-delivering one of them. 

Afterwards we all congregated and caught up, well a lot of us did.  It was nice to reminisce see people even if it was an immensely sad occasion and enjoy time together and to celebrate my Mum's amazing life. 

I've continued to receive sympathy cards throughout the week, which have meant a lot, two of my Aunties gave me cards indicating they'd had masses said for my Mum which was lovely and my best friend from school sent me a letter to say she was having 10 trees planted in my Mum's memory in Scotland as part of their rewilding scheme, it is something my Mum would genuinely love and it really did bring a real tear to my eye, she said she knew that my Mum always loved Scotland and she thought it was apt. 

I'm also grateful for the little nudges this week which seem to be reminding me that my Mum is still about.  The first is the pairs of magpies I have seen, since my Dad passed away when I was 16 I've always felt he was close when I saw a solitary magpie, so I've decided when I see a pair now it is my Mum and Dad.  

Also the day after my Mum's funeral, we got in the car and the radio came on with Cat Stevens singing Morning has Broken, which was the track we had played in the middle of my Mum's service, I have genuinely never heard the Cat Stevens version until Monday night this week, so for it to be playing the day after my Mum's funeral seemed like a nod to let me know she is OK, I know it sounds mad but once people have gone finding little things to hold on to really does help. 

Also Wednesday evening, I'd booked tickets for hubby at Christmas to see Robert Plant and his band Saving Grace,  hubby has always been a fan of Led Zeppelin and I had a feeling he wouldn't book tickets himself so it seemed sensible for me to buy them for us to go and see him.  Whilst it was only the day after Mum's funeral, it still seemed the right thing to do and we were treated to an intimate evening listening to some beautiful music, much of which spoke of people passing away and he played a song called Angel Dance, again seemed to give me a nod to what I've been going through this week. 

Thursday morning and me and hubby were back at the hospital for his pre-assessment for his upcoming operation, I'm grateful that they appear to be dealing with this relatively quickly, please keep him in your thoughts and prayers over this next few weeks.

I came home and managed to finish some crafting I'd started, it feels good to be creative again, if that makes sense. 

 

I hope you've had a good week and enjoy the bank holiday weekend. 

Much love

xxx

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 11TH OF 2024

 Good Afternoon 

The hardest of weeks and I'm dedicating this one entirely to this amazing lady.  

My Mum passed away at 4.08am on Wednesday 13 March 2024, my sister held her hand as she took her last breath and we are absolutely devastated.  

She was always the light and soul of the party, that infectious smile and those sparkly eyes never changed.  

She loved us all so fiercely and we never wanted to let her go, but it was her time. 

She leaves the biggest hole you can imagine, but big personalities and beautiful people do that and whilst we are broken I take solace in the fact she was my amazing Mum.  She always gave great advice, was bubbly and happy, loved seeing family and friends and I was blessed to have her for the 51 years I've been on this earth. 

I will remember her always sat at her kitchen table when we visited

her love of shopping, (emptying Ikea)

enjoying fine dining and the theatre

always so beautiful

her love for family and her grandchildren

and children

Her love knew no bounds and I will miss her for the rest of my life, I have already needed to ring her so many times for advice since Wednesday, we aren't sure how we are going to manage moving forward, but we will and we will do it for her. 

Until we meet again Mum, fly high with the angels. 

xxxx