Surprise present

On Saturday the ever-lovely man in my life gave me a belated Christmas present.   It was a cardboard box with a handle.  When I opened it I was so surprised I couldn't speak.  It was a Macbook laptop computer!!!!   Wow! And wow! again!  I have always dreamt of owning a laptop and I must say I do fancy the apples - ever since I first put my fingers on a Mac keyboard many moons ago when dreary old, stick-in-the-mud teachers were pushed into the new, technological age of computers.  I loved dragging the icons across the screen to move them about and especially to dump them in the wastepaper basket.

Well, I now own one!  I feel a bit frightened of it though.  I really do not know how to put things onto the screen so that I can use them later.  I suppose it's because I have never needed to (lovely man-in-my-life again).   Anyway, my super duper brain box son (who knows everything there is to know about apples), was really great and sorted it out to get it up and running.  Then, his fantastically organised and clever wife offered to put things onto the desktop and show me how to operate the things I want.  They have both spent hours helping me and I am eternally grateful.   Thank you both.  I know I shall still need more help in the future, so don't go away, please.                                                                                                                                

Of course, my lovely m-i-m-l has shown and guided me through everything too.  He is still getting acquainted with apples though after a lifetime of PCs - which he's crazy about.  How kind it was of him to get me something which is more difficult for him to use.                                                                                                      

If I find out how to get pics onto this site from my new computer I shall add some asap.

Christmas this and that

Just thought I'd post a brilliant card which one of my grandsons gave us. I believe that it captures the essence of Christmas. He was so pleased with the result he couldn't wait to see our faces when we opened it.

My daughter and family gave me a lovely lampwork focal bead pendant which she had made and silver chain. I think it's beautiful and shows her considerable skill. The photograph has been taken indoors and under tungsten lighting so it isn't true to its colours but I wanted to show it.

These are the covers of DVDs which the man in my life was given for Christmas. As you can see he is more than a little interested in Astronomy and has recently spent several freezing evenings nipping outside with the telescope trying to capture images of Mars. Apparently the lens has become misted over and the images have been blurry but he is hoping to overcome this obstacle. Watch this space!!!

He also acquired a slide guitar which he is finding more of a challenge than he expected. This Michael Messer DVD may help but unfortunately it appears to be scratched so we have to 'have a chat' to the supplier tomorrow!

Christmas 2007

I've just had two lovely days with my family. I think it would be very lonely if I didn't have children and grandchildren to enjoy. Everyone has been so kind and generous with their time and thoughtful presents - we have so many I feel quite embarrassed. Thank you everyone.

We had two grandsons here for Christmas dinner yesterday and everyone had a great time opening presents. The tree looked healthy after a year outside and we didn't overdo the decorations and weigh it down too much. I have put up a picture of the tree and another of the puddings which the grandsons had.

Today we went to see the other two grandsons and had another great time opening more presents! We don't really deserve all this love and attention. The silver pendant was made by grandson number 1 and he had a little bit of help from Mummy. It's really beautifully made and I love the design!

This old English yew turned bowl is quite amazing with all the imperfections of natural wood. When you hold it you HAVE to stroke it - it's so soft and smooth. Thank you for this lovely present.

The pair of earrings below are a present from my lovely best man. They match exactly the bracelet which he gave me a little while ago. I love them.

Christmas Fair

On Saturday I took dizzydesigns' beautiful handmade beads and jewellery to the fair at Overton. It took ages to set up but I had a good spot and the table was lovely and big. I was next to an amateur artist from Kingsclere who had some great water colours of boats old and new.

It was raining though - you may remember that it was forecast as being a really bad day weather-wise. It was also rather cold. The venue was lovely and the caretaking staff and tea makers were so helpful and friendly. But the public stayed away.

Well, some ventured out and dripped into the hall. Those who came were chatty and happy to wander around in the warm. I did sell several items but nowhere near as much as I'd hoped.

A shame, as the lampwork beads really sparkled.

Next to me was, Raspberry, my daughter-in-law with her gorgeous array of corsages and really fab handmade bags! Those who appreciated quality realised that they were beautifully made and finished off. The picture above shows her table. The bags are all unique and show her expert skills in needlework and design.

On the table you can also see some superb photographs taken by my hugely talented son. I am very proud of him and his works of art. I love every one.

I think I did pretty well on the whole considering the quiet pace. I'm sure another time, and with better weather I would do very well.

Thank you Overton for your warm welcome and also to those who came to have a look. I'll be back, I hope, next year!

New hearing aids

A fortnight ago we went to The Hearing Centre in Lymington to have my hearing tested again. Apparently it has deteriorated a little and my present aids had to be tweaked a bit. However, we were told that some new Oticon aids were on the market now with the latest technology and I could try them if I liked. What an invitation! They cost about £4500 though - a lot of money.

A week later I went down to have them fitted with my own shells. I could try them for 2 weeks to see if they are a big improvement on the old ones.

That evening we did the Christmas Fair in Winchester and I did find it difficult to cope with all the loud noises. It was difficult to hear individuals speaking against the loud background noise.

On the Friday we went to Marwell Zoo and they were ok - although I had to turn down the volume I could hear individual speech much better but that was not against background noise.

On Sunday we went to the Anvil to hear the RAF band. I was terribly disappointed. I couldn't hear the compere really, and the aids just carried on the ringing sound after the instrument had finished!

Yesterday we went back to The Hearing Centre and Martyn Bowles changed the setting of the aids making them much more comfortable to use. It made a huge difference. My dear husband has now complained that he can't swear quietly under his breath without my hearing it! He says he can't get away with anything! So I'm very pleased. But it is going to cost me.....

Christmas Fair

Tuesday evening was a very good evening for both dizzydesigns and Raspberry - my daughter and my daughter-in-law. They each had a table for selling their hand-made treasures, lovely hand-made beads and silver jewellery and beautiful, artistic, appliqued bags. It was very, very busy and they both sold quite a few items. I think it would have been a little better if there had been more room for the buyers to move around and be able to stop and browse without holding up the through traffic. The picture above is of their tables in quite dim lighting.

Marwell Zoo

On Thursday we went to Marwell Zoo at the invitation of my sister-in-law and brother. It was a Christmas present from last year to my husband and me and we have waited all year. What a great idea! It was quiet, cold but beautifully sunny. It wa a good time to see the animals in their fantastic winter coats, all glossy and bright. There were a few animals, eg the monkeys and gibbons which were warmly tucked away for the winter but most were on show and we had lots of room to see them.

We didn't take the land train but hoofed it all the way round - good exercise in the lovely weather.

Afterwards we drove along to Fishers Pond to have a hot meal and it was very nice. The place has been taken over by a company which has made it much better than it was.

Intech

Yesterday we went to Intech in Winchester. The two grandsons had a great time playing on all the interactive scientific stations there. It was quite quiet when we arrived at 10.30am although there was a class of young children having a lesson with a noisy teacher so we had plenty of opportunity to try everything out.

This is the tornado making machine.

The mobile phone mast arrangement was rather good with a mobile phone going around the tracks like a train. Both boys liked the letters you feel through holes in a box and you try to work out what it says by touch.

And, of course, they enjoyed the black and white ball sorting machine which sends messages in binary form. Lots to pull, push, turn and try out. Great fun was had by all - not only the children!

Grandson's birthday.

Last Tuesday was grandson number 2's 9th birthday. He was so excited. Apparently they sang 'Happy Birthday to you' to him at school and he had a cake with candles when he got home. You can see it in the picture. He and his brother were given a Wii system for their birthdays and they have had a super time playing on that ever since.

Hillier's

Although the weather didn't look very promising, we decided to take a chance and go to Hillier's. It was great! We took two of my grandsons, put on their wellies and made our way through all the wet grass - trouser legs becoming very wet, but no-one cared. The trees have all taken on their autumn foliage and, where many of them have already dropped them, the boys enjoyed kicking up clouds of the crunchy leaves as they ran around.

The sun came out as we enjoyed all the pieces of 'art in the garden', from grassy sheep to chicken-wire dragon.

There were baskets of berries and fruit in the pavillion and they looked fantastic - gorgeous shiny reds, yellows, oranges, purples, black, white and greens. In fact they didn't look real. There were some medlars too - fruits which my father used to forage from the countryside. Not heard of much nowadays.

Unfortunately, the machine for making hot chocolate had broken down so the older grandson was disappointed. It's usually one of the highlights of coming to Hillier's! Never mind. They had fizzy Fantas instead. A great time was had by all!

My hairdryer ......

Yesterday my husband read what I had written about the hairdryer now only working on slow speed and he decided to see if he could fix it. The result is that everything was taken out of the casing and, after measuring all sorts of things, he found that the rectifier (shown as the black spider-looking thing in the foreground with 4 legs of wire) has shorted out causing the faster speed to be unavailable.

He found a new rectifier and fitted it and - hey presto! It now works perfectly. Wow! Just like new. And there I was thinking that I'd have to buy a new one.

Went for a short walk this afternoon alongside the River Test. The sun was shining and the air was calm. In the clear water of the river we could see the trout just resting facing upstream, gently swaying with the current. It was really lovely. The gravel on the river bed looked golden in the sunlight. Some of the houses have the river running through their gardens. How lovely to be able to enjoy it at any time.

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness ...

What fantastic weather we've been having over the last few days! Really frosty, windscreen-scraping mornings and warm, clear, sunny afternoons.

I have been out in the garden cutting back and pruning the plants and shrubs which have enjoyed their best ever weather this year! They have grown extraordinarily large - all thanks to the rainfall this summer. What we didn't appreciate, they loved.

I went to the 'Walled Garden' last weekend and expected to see lots of homespun crafts on sale, but the only things I could see which could possibly come into that category were honey, and jam. Rather disappointing. However, we did listen to a rather nice jazz band - sitting in amongst the fruit and veg beds we enjoyed a pleasant 20 minutes or so.

There were plants on sale too, and I rather fancied the intense blue gentian which is shown in the picture above. I haven't planted it yet - will have to cut back something else to squeeze it in! And so far the snails and slugs have left it alone - a miracle!

The grasses have seeded and look so light and fairy-like in the autumn sunshine that I just had to take some photos.

The colours are super at the moment.

I must just add something which surprised me somewhat this week. At the table when two of my grandsons were having a meal with us, the older one, (nearly nine years), asked, 'Do you know what reverse psychology is Nana?' I nearly choked on my food. Then he proceded to tell me what it is!! I just wonder what is going on in his head?

An update on the kettle: The lid works fine with the new knob but I have to use both hands to open it as you have to press in a button on the handle to release it at the same time as pulling the knob back.

Now my hair dryer has given up working on the faster speed and the lovely bread making machine has decided to play up. The dough I made the other evening just hadn't risen when the bleeper went off to tell me it was ready to made into rolls. I had to decant it into a bowl and leave it in the airing cupboard for another 30 minutes or so. It seems that the heating part of the programme is playing up.

Lovely husband has looked at both appliances and it now seems that the fault with the bread machine is intermittant but the hairdryer will now only work on slow speed. Ah well ...

A great baking day!

Two of my grandsons arrived in time to help with baking today. The dough was shaped, pulled and poked into hedgehogs and pizza bases and then left to rise (in the airing cupboard again).

They each made a great pizza which was eagerly eaten for lunch. These are the results



They also made hedgehogs which looked and smelt delicious. I am so so glad that I didn't get rid of the baking machine! Wonderful smells of baking bread waft through the rooms. Can you imagine anything better.

This is one



and this is the other. Don't they look good?

Early autumn and Harvest Festival

It's a beautiful sunny day now after a very foggy beginning! The lovely acer which stands in a pot on my patio has turned a vibrant shade of red and will be losing its leaves quite soon.

This morning I went with my daughter in law to school to see my grandson's Harvest Festival celebration. He has been in this school for just 6 weeks and we were hoping that all would be well and that he would actually enjoy taking part. It was crowded with parents and grandparents of the 50 pupils and we all listened to a speaker who had come from the Salvation Army with the aid of her hand puppet to explain the pleasure of sharing. As time went on my grandson started to relax and eventually he appeared to enjoy singing with the rest. It was lovely to see.

Whilst waiting for the tile fitter to come and inspect the tiles which are not quite firmly stuck down, I have started another batch of dough which I shall make into rolls. This time it is Doves' organic white flour, which I know isn't as nutritious as wholemeal! I hope not to surprise my husband this time by forgetting that they are rising in the airing cupboard!

My kettle has been difficult to use recently as the spring in the lid has broken. My husband had already installed a new spring some time ago but, since the lid has become difficult again, today was time for drastic action. The offending spring has now been removed and a small knob has been added to help lift the lid. I have included a picture of it. We'll see how this arrangement pans out over the next few boilings!!!

The day after I started my blog!

I spent a long time this morning with my daughter putting up photos of her beautiful hand-made glass beads onto Etsy. She only started this particular strand of artwork earlier on this year and I think some of her results are quite stunning. (You can see them if you click on the link to dizzydesigns on Etsy.) During the past couple of weeks we have spent literally hours trying out different lighting and backgrounds to find a way of getting the best picture and I now appreciate how difficult it is to get everything just right.

We managed only 5!! But they are eye-catching I think. I really must organize the whole procedure more carefully. Hats off to all those millions of people who have managed it successfully and effortlessly!!!

Last week we had new carpet laid on the stairs and on the landing. It's very pale in colour and I'm hoping it won't show the dirt too quickly. It was such a contrast to the old, green carpet that, when he first saw it, my grandson number 4 aged nearly 6, said, 'Wow! It looks like it's been snowing on the stairs!' A good description I thought.

We also had Karndean flooring put in the kitchen, the study and in the cloakroom. What a chaotic mess! All furniture had to be stacked in the lounge, the garage and in the bedrooms. The floors had to be screeded and left to dry overnight. The smell was awful and, although I had bought some 'ready meals', we couldn't get to the fridge or the cooker, so it was a good excuse to go out for a meal.

The limestone tiles were put down over the next two days and they look really good. However, ever since we have been finding that the edges and corners have lifted slightly. The experts at the shop have told us to put 'something heavy' on the areas since pressure will stick them back down. So there have been all sorts of heavy objects scattered around the floor since last Thursday and the furniture remains in the lounge etc. Some of the tiles have stuck themselves down but some have been very stubborn and so the very nice man from the shop is coming back on Thursday to have a look. I'm hoping that he'll put it right. I don't know of anyone else who has this stuff on their floor so I have no idea if this is normal ...

This picture shows the tiles

Hello!

I have just re-discovered my bread baking machine and now I have found the best use for it ever.

I remembered why I had put it to one side when I tried it out again last week after months of retirement. The loaf rose fantastically well, in fact too well but it ended up stuck to the glass window lid and then sank into the biggest crater you can imagine! All the loaves I have made in the past finished with a soggy crater which made slicing the loaf well nigh impossible.

With my new organic buckwheat flour I decided I would try making rolls. The machine could do the hard work and I could just finish it off.

However, last night my husband was completely shocked when he opened the airing cupboard door to put in some newly washed towels only to find a tray of rising rolls in front of his eyes! It was late - after midnight and I had forgotten them. So the oven was switched on and they were baked. The results are shown in the picture and today they tasted delicious. Quite the best bread I have ever made.