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.

Not something you expect to see...

in an English garden in winter!

Taken through the patio windows...the tree is half way down our garden so not the clearest of pictures.

A good reminder to fill up the feeders - which are now done!

Words on Wednesday

At the beginning of October I bought a lovely Denby mug with a picture of a Wren on it.  Yesterday while walking round the charity shops in our little town I spotted two more cups, so of course they came home with me.

Two of my favourite garden birds, a Robin and a Blue Tit.

It is interesting that they have information on the back about each bird.

So my new 'collection' now consists of three of these lovely mugs.  

I also spotted this for £1.99 and door stops are always handy especially heavy ones.

They fit in with a theme that also seems to be developing!

Monday afternoon we popped over to a local shopping complex as our son and his wife had come down and they and my husband wanted to pop into Marks and Spencers.  I wasn't too keen but went along for the ride.  They got a few things in there and then we went over to TK Maxx, again another shop I am not too keen on shopping in, but I did find a couple of lovely lambswool jumpers that were nice and cheap and look good on.

A nautical themed jumper

and a nice bright and cheerful orange jumper.

I now need to clear two jumpers (at least) for these to replace.  I do have some well worn ones that I think are well over due to go.

I took some things down to the CS yesterday so that was good and made a little bit more progress on my clearing.  

This morning I've got to take my bike down the road for the light to be replaced - he had to order it in.  I'll go for my walk, then pick up the bike to ride it back home.  We are then going out for a family Christmas Lunch - a bit early, but it was the only date we could all get together to do.

Next week we have our younger son's PIP assessment which we are fretting and stressing over as so much depends on it as does he!  I've got my CT Scan, which seems to have come round quickly and Percy goes back in for another round of Chemo treatment.  

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.

IOW for the Day.

Yesterday we had a lovely day out on the Isle of Wight.

We caught the 7.30  am ferry from Southampton and arrived just before 9 am in the morning.

We had a wander around Godshill when we first arrived and had a lovely cuppa in a Cafe there before we headed off to have a walk around St Lawrence and Ventnor.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Plantation Room Cafe before having a wander around the beautiful gardens that even now have lots of interesting plants to admire.

We walked down to Steephill Cove

Stanley absolutely loved it!

My daughter in law enjoyed it as well.

This place has really been left to deteriorate.  I took a photo of it several years ago and it wasn't any where near as bad as this.  It was bought a few years ago and a ridiculous planning application was submitted for huge extension and changes that just would not have suited the property.  I am not sure if they were approved or not...I suspect not...and cynical me now suspects that it is being left to get to the stage where it is no longer tenable to restore, so it can be torn down and some modern monstrosity built in its place...  

We then headed back up to the Botanical Gardens and enjoyed some of the flowers.

We finished the day in a wonderful very dog friendly cafe in Ventnor on the beach front.

Dog beds were provided for the four legged 'customers' and Percy took full advantage of one.

We enjoyed very tasty cakes and tea/coffee.  

We caught the 6 pm Ferry back and was home just before 9 pm.