Oops!

And again, Oops.

Or is it really?

See, I started this blog with the intention of writing something every day.  And suddenly I've found that it's been almost a week since I posted.

But am I sorry?  Truly?  

Nahh... no way!

Because I've been living... and after all, you know what they say...

All Work  Blog and No Play Living Makes Jack (or Jill) a Dull Boy (Girl) Blogger!!

:-)

Even so, I cannot tell you that I've been busy with mind boggling things.  I've been to work.  I've gardened. I played my first bowls match on Wednesday evening, and in fact, I'm playing again this afternoon.  

And I finished up cross stitching a small project, which I mounted on a blank card...it's now the first of the hand stitched Christmas cards for this December!

There was knitting with friends at the pub again too.  When we are there, a group of men and women come in to play their varied instruments ... lots of great and lively Irish country music.  And also more modern tunes, with the Irish country feel put to it!

More pictures of knitting and stitching projects, and garden progress to come... having a giggle to myself...who knows, you may have to wait for at least a month for those!  

No... I promise to be back before then. 

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy LIVING LIFE as much as I do!

Namaste, Friends.

All content ©artysane

What's been keeping me busy?

Well, these have, actually!

Do you remember I talked about lawn bowling a little while ago?  Well, I've been practising..and on Wednesday evening I'll be playing in my first team match.  Which meant I needed my own set of "woods".

And here's the picture to prove I've got them!  This is actually this years' birthday present from my parents..a few weeks early, admittedly, but I'll be able to use them now, before the end of the season.

I'm quite chuffed!

Mind you, even though I've been working and bowling, there's also been some time to spend in the kitchen..I managed to quickly make a "Plain Jane" cake yesterday.  I knew I wouldn't have enough time to put icing on the top before I had to go to work, so I sprinkled sugar over the mixture, and ended up with a simple, but tasty treat!

Now though, it's really time for me to stop, and sleep.  Sad to say, I've been battling with the most awful headache today.  I know my triggers for these migraine type head pains:  lack of sleep, hunger, hormones, and not enough, or too much caffeine.

Today it was definitely not enough sleep.  And then it worsened because of hunger!

Although I hate the migraines, it is almost "nice" to know myself so well, that I knew just what was wrong...you know?

Namaste, my friends...I hope you've had a good weekend!

All content ©artysane

Charity knitting

Hello Friends!

I skipped a few days...the last thing I want is for my blog to become a chore for me, so I don't really feel too guilty for not posting.  I've been busy with other creative things though...as you can see!

Over the past few months, I've been busy, on and off, with knitting these teddy bears.  There's 14 of them. All different colours, but all from the same pattern.  

They are now travelling to a poorer country of the world.  To be honest, at this time I don't know quite where.  But there is a retired doctor in this area, who travels a lot to do some humanitarian work, and he packs as many teddies and other "gifts" as he can, to distribute.

On Monday evening, I lined up "my" teddies for their photo shoot, then gave them a talk about how they were going to make 14 little children so very happy, all while packing them into their little bags, and putting a twist tie on the bag.

Then all were packed into a bigger carrier bag, and on Tuesday they began their journey from my home, to one friends home.  Then on to another home...then this morning to the collection point..and at the end of the week, they will be in flight.

It does feel good to be able to make something and hopefully make someone else happy by doing so.

Namaste

All content ©artysane

Clean Sheets Day...and some other thoughts...

Yep...the title said it really.  Today, and each Saturday, is Clean Sheets Day.

I am concerned sometimes that I am getting into a rut, with set days for certain things and what not...

But it is what it is.

And clean sheets are one of the joys of life!!

I quite love my bed actually!  It was given to me when my aunt and uncle moved to a smaller retirement home.  The bedding?  Well, I bought the duvet, but the sheets, and the lovely patchwork quilt on the top were all gifted to me as well.

It's a comfy bed...it's big enough for me to sprawl around in...and, yes, I don't share it with anybody or anything else except for the pink pig!

Sometimes it feels lonely.  

But most of the time right now, I'm glad.

You see, I was in a bad marriage for almost 15 years.  Why bad?  Because he was...no, is..a bad man.  We're talking domestic violence.  Abuse of any sort you wish to mention.  

Finally I came to my senses about 6 years ago, and left.  It's been a hard road to travel.  But I'm ok.  And this time "alone" has really been good for me.  I'm getting to know myself really well.  And my confidence is rebuilding itself.

No, I don't wish to be alone for the rest of my time on earth.  I hope with all my heart that one day I will meet a wonderful man who will give and accept love, and that we'll be happy together.

But in the meantime, I'm content.

I don't think that I'm going to be one of those people who sign up for every dating site on the internet, or answer personal ads in the newspaper, or whatever.

I suppose I fear being ripped off by someone who is pretending to be someone he isn't.

I also have this feeling that if I go hunting for Mr Wonderful, that I won't actually find him.  And then I'll just become bitter and disappointed.

No, I'm just going to live each day as fully as I can.  Be as interested in my own life as I can be.  And then, while I'm living my interesting life, and being happy in my life, all of a sudden.. there he'll be!  And guess what...that'll mean that if he's in a place where I've already chosen to be, because I'm interested in that thing...we'll already have something in common!

And who knows?  Maybe instead of having the bridesmaids head-dress and bouquet from my sisters' wedding hanging on my wall, it'll be my own Brides' things hanging instead!

I'm enjoying writing my drivel each day...I'm not sure if you read it all, but anyway... it's good for me to write this all, and give some typing space to my brain...thanks for the opportunity, Blogger!

Namaste

All content ©artysane

Love...and a couple of pics from home..

Hi there!

I really didn't have much idea of what to write about today, and then I looked through what I'd snapped with my camera, and well, let's see where this takes me!

I love hand made items in my home.  Most of them I've made myself..some have been gifts.  Rarely I've bought them.

These hearts were made my me at some time or another. They've hung in 4 different homes.  Three of those were in the States.  But now they live on a pretty stained glass door, which leads into my lounge.

Well, I say "my" lounge..we all know that the flat is rented...but it's still my little space to occupy until ... whenever!

The heart is, I think, the international sign for love, yes?  It seems that everyone knows it, whatever language you speak.

When I moved in here, I was happy for me, but a little sad for the couple who had just moved out.  They were splitting up.  The cats had been divided..what I mean is, one went to live with her, the other with him...so they were topsy-turvied too...

On the first morning I was here, I found evidence that once they were happy.  On the bathroom mirror.  After my shower.

And I haven't a picture of this, but there was the unmistakable heart, which one of them had, at one time, drawn on with their finger.

I still haven't the heart to clean it off.

It's not just hearts that show love, is it.  Actions speak louder than words, that's what they say.  

So when I bake, and give cookies to my sister's family, or cake to this person or that person, it's also showing love, in my opinion, just as surely as if I were drawing hearts all over the place.

I've had fun setting up my little home.  Mainly I've been using car boot sale, charity shop, or cast offs to do so...but sometimes you have to break down and spend money, which is what I did for the mixer.

But it's already been worth its' weight in gold to me!

I've this weekend off duty, so I plan to be back out in my kitchen again... peanut butter cookies may be on the menu!

Love.

Not just romantic. 

Namaste

All content ©artysane

Chocolate, Hips, and the eternal war between them

It seems to me that I have been at war with my body, regarding its' size anyway, for some time now.  

It's boring.

Problem is that a lot of my weight isn't even due to what I eat or don't eat.  A lot of it is a result of the medications I'm taking for the R.A.  And the asthma.  Steroids are wonderfully quick working meds.  But their side effects really stink a bit, my friends. 

So, here I am.  Trying, again, to fight the good fight to rescue people from the fear that I may suddenly sit upon them accidentally!  HA

 The "diet" has been going for a couple of weeks now.  I've been dreadful keeping with it.  I try to avoid cookies, and chocolate, and cheesecake, and ice cream and pasta and ...and...

Even though I'm good, it's so often just like this with me!  

Now, I'm not going to any slimming club at all.  Basically this is because of three reasons:

1.  I don't really have enough money to spend on my memberships etc

2.  Because of work, I can't guarantee that I'll be off duty on the required times.

and

3.  Surely I can find the will power and positive thinking and self control I need to do this?  Surely if I do the meditations from Quigong, it'll help me to lose this weight?

Hmmm..well, the very first weigh in I did (in private, on my mothers' scales) was discouraging.  I hadn't lost or gained a thing.  I just had to look on the positive.. 

But today, I could jump and be pleased.

Three and a half pounds have gone!

Oh yes, my friends, I'm on a roll now!

Namaste

All content ©artysane

Social Life

We all need at least one friend.  I am so fortunate to have many very good friends, both in this country and also in the other country in which I lived.

At first it was quite hard for me to get out and about when I came home to the UK.  But gradually I found people with whom I wanted to spend time with, and now I'm getting to have a vibrant network of people around me.

So, here's a couple of pictures from yesterday evening.

In a pub.

With my friend.

Knitting.

Drinking.

Laughing and chatting.

Smoking (well, my friend does, but not me)

And yes, that's my almost finished drink right here, and that's my current knitting project.  I'm hoping to have my "idea" completed so that it can be given as gifts soon.  This piece will be a placemat, and also I'm making matching coasters, and napkin rings.  Each set will be a different colour...can't you just see it?  A white tablecloth, with each place setting being a different colour?  Cheerful. Unique.

I promise to put more pictures up of my knitting, as progress is made.

My dear friend, whose face I deliberately left out of the picture, is also very busy with needles, hooks and yarn.  Here she's crocheting squares to put together for a blanket, and she's also busy knitting scarves, which she plans to give as Christmas gifts.

It really was a lovely evening.  Warm enough for us to sit outside in the pub garden.  Live music from inside the bar wafting out to us.  It was Irish Country Music last night.

We meet every two weeks.  I'm already looking forward to our next night out!

I hope you all have something special to look forward to in your social life also.

Namaste, my Blog Friends.

All content ©artysane