Beautiful!

I just love this photo I took this morning on our group walk.  I wish I'd taken more, but was chatting so much, it was the only photo I took!  It was a beautiful day, cold but one of those really lovely mornings when everything looks so beautiful.  It was rather muddy in places though!

I can't believe it is already the end of November.  Time sure has flown by.  We have a busy week ahead... our younger son's PIP assessment on Tuesday, Percy's Chemo on Wednesday and my scan and then my car is going in to be serviced on Friday.  There was a group dinner on Friday but I think realistically I am going to have to miss it which is a shame.  (Thinking I have probably repeated myself here!) 

I'm looking after my son and daughter in law's guinea pigs for a few days and they brought some watermelon down for them.... this is one of mine Jay (Jeremy) enjoying a slice.

I made myself another little bear as I discovered 'Lawrence' is difficult to photograph.  I made this new one from a man's shirt I bought from a charity shop.  I made him a pair of trousers and knitted him a blue jumper.  

The little bear in front 'Potter' was made by a friend who sent him to me a few years ago.

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend and has a lovely Sunday.

Summing up Sunday on Monday

I walked on both Saturday and Sunday with the two walking groups I belong to.  Saturday was very damp so I didn't take any photos but I took a few yesterday afternoon.  We went somewhere I hadn't been before so that was interesting, especially as it was one of my Dad's childhood haunts.

There were quite a few ducks and swans on the lake.

Some pretty old buildings

Leafy tracks.

Since reduces my steroid dose from 20 mg to 15 mg and now down to 10 mg my feet have started hurting again which is a nuisance.  Obviously one of the unexpected positive side effects was reducing inflammation in other parts of my body.  I will have to see if it gets any worse. If it does I think I will be requesting to go back up again for longer as it was nice to have less pain going on.  

In the morning I cleared some more cardboard boxes that I had stored in case I needed them, and listed some items on evilbay.  Hopefully I will make some sales. I also started to sort out some more things for the charity shops.  Some nice leather handbags that I just don't use.  I had contemplated listing them on evilbay but after my last experience of trying to sell a handbag decided it was easier to give them to charity.  Far less stress.   This week will see more clearing, sorting and tidying, a Christmas lunch tomorrow and various other activities including walking.

Sorry I haven't been visiting my usual blogs.  Hope to make some time to catch up sometime this week.  Hope everyone has a good week.

Another Walk and Another Creation.

Once a month our local walking group do an extra walk somewhere out of the area.  Today was the second one I have been on and I enjoyed it very much.

The track started through woods on what was originally an old railway line but has long since been out of use.

The weather stayed dry all day which was good even though it was overcast

We enjoyed some good chit chat.

Admired some of the marvellous wood carvings.  This one has been turned into a fabulous seat.

We stopped for lunch and I got home just before 3 pm I guess, so was out quite a few hours. 

Yesterday I made a bear.  He was originally going to be a prototype or practice bear as I wasn't sure how he would turn out.

He has very long arms so he can cross them if he likes.

He is a blatant copy of a bear I have admired but can't afford to buy myself.

I have to say I am really pleased with how he turned out as I don't usually draw up my own patterns.

I love his little face.

He has a pair of shorts...again a prototype...I have since found him a cardigan to wear that I made some time ago and crocheted a quick scarf for him.

It is not such a bright green as it appears in this photo which I took with my phone, but slightly more khaki in colour.  The clothes will do until I can make some more suitable ones for him.

Marvellous Monday

Gosh what a beautiful Monday we have had.  Cold yes, but a lovely blue sky and the sun shining which always makes for a much better day.

Our Maple is looking more bare, and we need to rake up yet more leaves...

I love the light shimmering through the leaves and the yellowness of them.  They were gently swaying in the breeze as well.

Had a lovely walk this morning through ancient woodland which has been managed for coppicing for over 300 years.  We also went through the meadow which was once an old drovers' track.  Such fascinating history.  We stopped for our customary cuppa and natter after the walk which was nice.

I did a little sewing this afternoon.  I have started to make the rabbit from the book I bought the other week.  As I'm not using felt but calico fabric, I sewed it up a little differently in places to what was suggested... It was quite fiddly, seemed to be more so than the tiny rag dolls I make.

I didn't have any fabric interfacing to stiffen the ears unfortunately so they will probably be a bit floppy unless spraying with some starch will work...I haven't decided yet how I will combat this.

I stuffed the legs before I sewed them onto the body which was what made it a bit more tricking, especially as I had to stuff down the whole length of the leg which is different to the way they suggest you do it.

Waiting.... no arms have been made yet.

I think though it does actually look like a rabbit!

Of course instead of sewing I should have been attending to more household type duties...but with a nice clear sewing table, I couldn't resist the temptation!

I did book my car in for its service and MOT though. 

This evening I will sit and knit.  

Saturday Stroll

Well it was a bit faster than a stroll today!  I did manage to stop for a few quick photos though.   

We walked a route I haven't done before so I really enjoyed it.  

The walk did eventually come onto a track I was familiar with, but that was towards the very end of the walk.

Lovely to see the different Autumn colours...and surprising to see some Oak trees still very much with leaves on.  The one in our street has now lost almost all its leaves.

The streams were higher than they have been before.

We used to bring the boys and the dogs to play here many years ago.  

An old stump, behind which is new fencing which had signs all along it saying dogs on the loose.  I guess as a warning to those that might want to trespass.  This has changed a lot over the years.  I can't remember the huge gardens behind that fence work in the past.  It is lovely to be able to walk through the countryside.  Very refreshing for sure!

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It is exactly two months today since I started my daily journal which I record my 'To Do' List, and also my food diary.  It has been pretty good at keeping me on track.  I have lost 8 pounds, so just over half a stone which I am pretty pleased about considering I have been on high dose steroids for most of that time.  I seem to be maintaining my current weight which is fine, although I would like to lose about three more pounds if I can and then maintain that weight.  I'm walking pretty much everyday and three or four times a week I walk twice a day.  The main walking group I belong to walks Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, but we also do one Thursday a month and go further afield. I am looking forward to the walk this Thursday.  Another group I am walking with walk every second Sunday.  So this week I will actually be walking twice five times!  I'm averaging 40 - 50 km (24 - 30 miles) a week which is pretty good going.  I'm generally feeling much better than I have in a long time, although I have noticed since my last reduction in steroid dose that my feet have been hurting later in the day.  They haven't hurt like this since before I started the steroids and folic acid...so I am guessing the steroids have been acting on the inflammation in other areas as well which was an unexpected bonus.  Just hoping it doesn't get any worse. I will keep a note of it, as it has only been the last few days.   

Words, Walking and Working on Wednesday

This morning began with a nice walk with Stanley...Percy opted to go and have cuddles instead - there was no way he was going to go out for a walk this morning.  

I started on our utility room/conservatory which is the access from the back garden through to the front garden (if you don't count going through the actual house!).  We need to clear this ready for the tree trimming which is happening tomorrow, so a good excuse to give it a good going over and sort out.  

A nice break to go on our local group walk left me refreshed to tackle the rest of the conservatory/utility room in the afternoon.  I managed to sort out about 10 pairs of shoes, some to be thrown and others taken to the charity shop.  Plus a full bag of rubbish. How on earth does all this stuff accumulate in this area?!   I do have some things that I have just put in boxes to sort through after tomorrow, but as I had been procrastinating with this job, I haven't been able to sort as thoroughly as I would have liked as I go along.  Typical really to leave things to the last minute! 

The Sailor arrives home on Friday morning, so we his wife will probably come down and stay tomorrow night so she can go to the airport with DH in the morning.  She is very excited to see him again as he has been away for four months.  Ha ha, he thinks he has come home to rest little does he know we have lots of jobs for him to do both here and at his place while he is at home the next two months.  We want to clear all the rubbish from the garden and garages at his place and will need to hire a skip, so it will be a couple of days at least of hard graft.  This job should have been done years ago when we inherited the place, but it was one of those jobs that never got done.

At least it has stayed dry today which is nice.  Yesterday started off lovely, but soon deteriorated into rain by mid-day.  I did pop out briefly yesterday morning and picked up some craft books (oops!) from The Works and a couple of other things, but I haven't photographed them yet so will show them another day.  The day seems to be zooming past, probably because I have been busy, which I guess is a good thing.  Soon it will be time to start thinking about what to do for dinner!  Unfortunately tomorrow's forecast is for rain, so our conservatory will probably get very wet and muddy with the tree surgeons walking through it with branches etc... but can't be helped.  I will just have to give it a jolly good mop after they have finished.  

Sunny Sunday.

I enjoyed an absolutely stunning walk this afternoon with one of the local walking groups across lots of stunning countryside.

This was one of the first things we saw on the walk - just look at the colour of those leaves.  So vibrant.

So beautiful.

Of course it helped that we had the most perfect afternoon for walking.  Blue sky and sun shining.

Saw some interesting things along the walk.

Fungi

Lovely little church.

Beautiful stained glass.

Through woods.

Such a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon.