All I want for Christmas!!

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What have I been making?

Following my success at the Christmas workshop at English Garden Plants (well, they didn't throw me out) I decide to use my new honed skills to make my own garland, see picture below. 

             


I've never considered myself to be crafty (though I am sure my family would say otherwise). I once made a blouse for a School fashion show, well I'd be lying if I said I made it, as the Teacher had to finish  it for me, otherwise I would have walked down the catwalk in my vest. Mind you, I think it's genetic- my Mother once had to sew a button on one of my Dad's shirts and sewed her dressing gown to the shirt- in her defence it was very early in the morning. I've always admired people who are good at craft, my friend Irene has a whole shop dedicated to it and the things her and Suzy make are truly inspirational- or I get them to make them for me. 

The other thing is, I never have the right equipment. Just today I tried to stick an oasis to a piece of wood -don't ask! (it's meant to be a table decoration) but all I had was porcelain glue. Needless to say that it did not stick! Angel Strawbridge never has that problem, she has everything, even a glue gun and what she does with a staple gun is truly amazing. 

I have two staple guns and whenever Tim and I have something to put up or fix (most days really) the first thing he says to me is "we don't need the staple gun". I'm thinking about moving on to to bigger and more beautiful things like a nail gun but I won't put it on my Christmas list in case I get one. My love for staple guns comes from when I was teaching. We had display boards inside and outside of our classrooms and I used to get a bit carried away with mine. God help any child that leant up against them and who knew that you could staple a whole 14 year -old boy to a display board-only joking!.

What have I been reading?

One of the few things that I miss from the UK are magazines. It's odd as some Publishers can post to here but others can't, I can get Woman and Home but not Good Housekeeping- must be the weight of all those adverts for floor and table lamps. Thank you to my friend Meryl who suggested Readly. I had two months free subscription to start me off and I can sit in front of the fire reading mags on my tablet that I normally would not read- who knew that Warships International Fleet Review could be so interesting- trust me you will be hooked!.

Must also mention our visit from our dear friends Peter and Lisa who had a trouble free journey from London on the Eurostar via Paris. We had a lot of laughs and an interesting evening in a bar surrounded by French people to watch the England v France game with Tim and Peter in England shirts. It was all very good humoured- apart from the result that is!.


With love and best wishes for a very Happy Christmas and for 2023. Stay safe and healthy. 


                                                                                 "God bless us everyone!!"




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