ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 19TH OF 2023

Afternoon all tis Friday time for

Well last Friday should have been our day off but after collecting my (now problematic) new varifocal glasses (that I'll be returning with on Sunday to get them sorted) we headed to work as we had a Coronation Open Day event on Saturday 6 May 2023 and there were marquees that needed to be set up, there was also lots of other things that needed sorting and despite us planning only a couple of hours we were there from 11am through until around 5pm.  

We were up bright and early on Saturday as we were live streaming the event and had a number of stall holders attending, we had facepainting, a free sunflower activity for families and children's activities. 

We also had pre-bookable boat trips and the gallery space open for refreshments and hot food.  Despite the inclement weather in London we just about got away with it until mid-afternoon when the heavens started to open.  Thankfully we were able to swap the final boat trip of the day to the trip before and got started and sorting things and putting things back in readiness for the week.  We had a large number of staff missing which was a shame, but we did have a lovely day and it ticked along at a fair pace. 

Whilst we were at the Coronation event on Saturday my sister, my niece, her other half and his sister as well as a friend (not on the photo), went to help my Mum in her garden making further headway which is brilliant

they worked on the first tier and the photo really doesn't do it justice if I'm honest. 

Needless to say Sunday really should have been a day of rest, however me and my Mum had a card class booked. 

These were the cards in question, they were an absolute joy to make, Karen always prepares things so well so we get to really enjoy the making process.  

This is the back of a magic card, the inside working similar to a Jacob's ladder

This was my favourite make from the day

My Mum really enjoyed it and we had such a wonderful day together, precious memories. 

Whilst we were at card class said 22 year old and fiancee were at the christening of fiancee's nieces and they sent us this lovely photo. 

Monday therefore was my day to kick bank and relax - which really didn't happen we were catching up on jobs, pencilling on the panelling for the stairs (which took forever) and generally being very busy.  I clocked the time heading up 6pm,  we'd had no tea and I had family chat at 7 so the evening disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Tuesday and back to work, the day was busy as was Wednesday but Thursday was genuinely off the chart stupid if I'm brutally honest and we both left work feeling very mentally fried last night.  However I did for the first time see one of these through the petty cash tin, a new King Charles III 50p piece

Thankfully Thursday night we had a meal and pre-theatre booked so we dashed home got changed and headed straight out. 

The show was called the Bow and the Fiddle and was a homage to Laurel and Hardy - a one man show nonetheless, he must have been exhausted playing all the characters that he was playing during the show.

We grabbed an Oscar photo before the show

and me and the hubster playing Laurel and Hardy

The stage

Me and my Mum waiting for the show

It was a great show and we all really enjoyed it, my Mum has had a call this week and they have confirmed the chemo is making a difference so scheduled her another 3 which means she is going to have 6 in total, she was disappointed that she has to have 3 more but glad it is making a difference, she had her 4th chemo yesterday so already over the half way mark and was quite buoyed up and spritely last night, she'll struggle for a week or so now before she starts to improve. 

I hope you've had a lovely week too, apologies for the timing of my posts over recent weeks I'm blaming the decorating if I'm honest. 

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 18TH OF 2023

 Good morning lovely people tis Friday and I'm determined to post earlier this week. 

Friday was our first day off over the weekend, so I got the books straight (that was fun and games) and then we cleaned through the entire house including the bathroom.  So it was all spic and span. 

Then we showered and then headed out to sort a few errands.  We went to the Post Office and I sorted a return and bought some stamps and posted lots of belated cards (whoops).  Then I headed to the Craft Box, paid my dues for a card class coming up and bought some ribbon for my very poorly recovered bedside lampshades. 

Then we headed to Meadowhall where I finally managed to get some Bare Minerals make up which I've been desperate for for ages, hubby got a couple of DVDs and then we had a wander. 

Then we headed to see my Mum, she isn't feeling brilliant at the moment, so she was pleased to have a visit from us, it was a lovely catch up and my sister came around too.  

The weekend was busy overall and longer than normal with a bank holiday, however we are on with our stairs so we were busy all weekend on that.  However it also came to light that my Mum is really struggling with her garden at the moment, so on bank holiday our 'kick back' day we headed over to see if we could make a difference in some small way.

I was planning on attacking the hedge, but she was also knee deep in long grass

So me, hubby and my sister made some headway on that instead so it is at least more manageable.

the rest of the week has been busy busy, but we went out for pre-theatre dining on Thursday and had a lovely meal including these lovely desserts.  Mine was a black forest roulade, with pistachio ice cream and chocolate sauce

Hubby had treacle tart, rhubarb sorbet and creme anglais

Then we headed over the road for this touring show, a one man show of a coming of age story.  Whilst there were moments of dark humour, it was overall a poignant tale of adolescence and growing up in a household where mental health issues, drugs and overall lack of parental compassion were prevalent, it was a brutal watch, but it reminds us of how life sometimes can be. 

The stage set was very good

It was strange to come out to Whatspp messages from work saying we had 47 children attend our 'good old fashioned' youth club and the majority of them were hungry, having had no tea and looking to be fed.  It is really hard to think of young people and families struggling to make ends meet and children going hungry this is 2023 how on earth is that still a problem in the UK.  So how does this appear here, well needless to say we are gearing up to get some funding bids in to sort things out at least in the short term. 

I hope you've had a good week, said 22 year old fiancee has been referred to neurology so we are still in the dark so to speak but I know I've mentioned it before so thought I'd update you lovely people. 

My Mum is also a little on the melancholy side at the moment, I've drummed up some support so I'm hoping people step up a little to give her some support and I still find our time incredibly precious, I even cajoled her to sit in the garden whilst we were sorting it the other day, so she got a little bit of fresh air which was good. 

Hugs lovely people have a great weekend. 

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 17TH OF 2023

 Evening lovely people, me being late seems to be my thing recently 

I'm going to apologise now the lack of photos, it has just been one of those weeks. We were busy over the weekend sorting the bedrooms out, we are almost there which is brilliant. 

Friday night we went out for our second meal of the week to the Old Smythie, it was a lovely evening, it used to be the local Bistro, I wasn't blown away with the food and to be honest the cost was higher than the pub meal earlier in the week, but it was nice to share a meal together for our anniversary. 

We caught up with said 22 year old and his fiancee on Saturday which was lovely. 

Unfortunately we ailed for a bug on Saturday (cold/flu) and Sunday was spent feeling very sorry for ourselves on the sofa.  Thankfully I was working from home Monday and whilst I wasn't firing on all cylinders I did manage to clear down the year end which was brilliant. 

Tuesday back in work and we've had a busy week. 

Wednesday we went for pre-theatre dining and to the theatre to see Charley's Aunt.  My Mum was supposed to come but she wasn't up to it, my sister did come though and we had a lovely evening, although the play wasn't brilliant and we were definitely clock watching if I'm honest by the end of it. 

I hope you've had a good week. 

Hugs

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY (SATURDAY) - 16TH OF 2023

 Afternoon all I'm mighty late - many apologies

Last Friday hubby was on a knife and cooking course linked with the foodbank and work, so I was home alone and so I spent the day sorting the bedrooms out.  We have just completed bedroom 4 of 4 so this week has been a 'getting sorted' week if I'm honest (which is why I am sooooooooo late).

Friday night and we toddled off to the City Hall in Sheffield to see Russell Howard, he was mighty funny and said 22 year old and his fiancee came too which made for a lovely night out.  

Monday night I had a bit of a funny do, we were on family chat and my vision in my right eye went strange and I had a shadow in the middle of my vision preventing me from being able to see properly and then as it came it went and (touch wood) I haven't had any more episodes since and an urgent opticians appointment on Thursday showed nothing to worry about, so glad for that. 

Tuesday was our silver wedding anniversary and we headed to a local pub for a meal, we had some lovely food, this was mine (and hubbies is in the background), the pub was within walking distance so we walked there and back which was good. 

I was naughty and had dessert

Thursday night we were out with my Mum at pre-theatre dining and then to see the musical Me and My Girl.  Both were lovely, this was my dessert, custard tart, rhubarb sorbet and poached rhubarb, genuinely lovely food. 

We've spent days working and evenings sorting rooms, so not much to share.  Enjoyed catching up with my mum on thursday, she was 'at her best' as it was the day before her next chemo so she'll be going downhill for a week or two now, it is so hard to see loved ones genuinely struggling like this if I'm honest, but I'm grateful for all the time we have together.  

I hope you have had a lovely week apologies for my tardiness. 

Hugs

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 15TH OF 2023

 Good afternoon time for 

So we had a tea party for said 22 year old's fiancee, it was a lovely afternoon catching up with family 

we just about completed the craft room but that has led to painting the next room and well you get the drift.  This is hubby's first attempt at panelling and I'm sooooooooooo pleased with it.  

Sunday we headed to Chatsworth, the photos are out of order but we will just roll with it. 

We finally got chance to see this stonework up close and personal (it has always been cordoned off previously). 

The view down the valley is stunning

The sleeping lion

This year they've asked artists to interpret different rooms in the house, this was the sculpture gallery

we got a photo of the six-toed (well on the painting at least) Georgiana a previous Duchess of Devonshire

I took a photo of the tulip vases, I hadn't appreciated the complexities of these until they featured on the Great Pottery Throwdown, they are individual stacking vases which is mindboggling given how clay shrinks when fired - a truely amazing piece of craftmanship/craftwomanship 

Blown glass in this room, it made us giggle as some of the elements were a little strange

this was in the inside grotto next to the indoor fountain

and these two beauties were stunning

We grabbed a selfie when we were having a cuppa

and got a photo of the house on the way in

This week has been very busy at work and very very busy when we get home as we continue with the decorating, we have just completed our bedroom which leaves one more bedroom and the hall stairs and landing. 

I hope you've had a beautiful and blessed week. 

ROCKING YOUR WORLD FRIDAY - 14TH OF 2023

Afternoon all tis Friday time for 

Well it has been another funny old week, last Friday was mighty stressful, said 22 year old's fiancee ended up in hospital having a lumbar puncture the results of which we are still awaiting.  Needless to say she felt a little battered and bruised over the weekend, not helped by the fact it took 7 attempts to get the needle into her back - ouch.  But it was lovely to catch up with her over the weekend, albeit that she was still very sore. 

Sunday we went to Yorkshire Sculpture Park for the first time in an age, the weather really hasn't been fit enough or we've had excess rain which means that it wasn't practical given the mud levels there, although we were still tiptoeing through mud it wasn't too bad. 

There was a new artist on display (Simon Palmer) in the centre itself, these are prints of watercolours, I would have liked to have seen originals if I'm honest but I liked them nonetheless. 

We also spotted the 'stitched stories' quilt hanging in the centre as well now it is complete. 

and a couple more Simon Palmer prints, this one reminded me of the bridge in Chatsworth - but the floating lady confused us somewhat. 

Then on to the chapel to see Leonardo Drew installation - all I can say is wow, it reminded us of a stationery tornado - if ever there was such a thing

He had a couple of framed pieces upstairs too

and the view from above in the chapel I thought was particularly spectacular

Then on with our walk, blue skies and reflections

woodland walks

We really enjoyed the walk and the blue skies and then we popped to see my Mum who has just had her second lot of chemo, this one has made her very poorly this week if I'm honest but she was fairing Ok when we saw her on Sunday. 

The week has been mad crazy, I would have been working from home on Monday, but we had a visitor at work (the Home Secretary), which isn't an every day occurrence for reference, so it was all hands on deck.

Tuesday was just as manic and with the year end procedure on me, it meant that I was crazy busy all day, not that I've made a dent in things (yet). 

Wednesday and Thursday me and hubby had taken two days off, to make for a very long weekend which meant more decorating if I'm honest.  

We've managed to complete said 22 year old's room which we are going to have as a joint craft room. 

Then on Thursday we managed to paint his old art room.  At the moment I think that is going to be end as an office for me when I'm working from home and a drying room in winter as it is a warm room.  

Which then leaves the remaining two bedrooms, we were going to attempt the old office first, but having had a think we have decided to do our room next as the old office needs a new floor, we are moving things around and getting rid of things as we go which is good the goal is to actually get the stairs done but they have to be done after the other rooms. 

It is said 22 year old's fiancée's birthday this week (Wednesday), so we've a little tea party planned today for her and we are just getting ready for that today. 

I hope you have had a good week. 

Hugs