Life's little bumps ....

Life has a way of knocking you down and picking you up again. The downs are bad, you feel like you are never going to get through, but then things change and there is light at the end of the tunnel and it starts to gets bright and brighter and all of a sudden you feel better, feel like you can go on and cope. We have had our fair share of these relentless downs over the last couple of years, it has sapped me of energy and the will to do anything, but things have got brighter and better and all of a sudden I feel like I can smile and get on with life again. We have an address for the first time in a long, long time, a tiny little space which is home and ours for as long as we like.

 It has taken over a month for me to feel like I belong there and to gather all our stuff together from various storage locations and now I am even feeling like perhaps I can start to do some of my crafts again or just sit and savour the fact that I have a lazy boy chair that I can just sit in and watch TV if I like or not, it is amazing.

I was driving home yesterday and the sun was setting as only an autumn sun can set!  Leaves were blowing around in the wind the sun was shining through what had been a heavy downpour and my classical music was playing and I had an overwhelming feeling of contentment, it brought tears to my eyes because it is a feeling that has been missing for so long.

 

 

 

I even feel like blogging again. 

Even though I have visited you all regularly I have not felt any inspiration to blog, but I think I am back and would like to thank you who have left a comment on a very dormant blog, it made me feel connected to the world, thank you!

 

Hugs

Cxxx

I really wanted to share this with you ...

I was doing my usual  Pinterest browsing thing (I am slightly addicted to Pinterest) and I found a pin about pre-packing crock pot (slow cooker) meals!  I double clicked onto this site

here

and found this amazing  idea. 

Be sure to go over and have a look!

I am going to make sure that I leave a few of these in my daughters  freezer before I leave,  Brilliant idea!

Hope you are all having a fantastic day

Hugs

Cheryl

xxx

Here's wishing you all a very, very blessed Easter!!

Hugs

Cheryl

xxx

Getting the hang of things ...

I surprised  myself this morning, I managed to open the  cupboard door without a struggle.  It has taken me all of two weeks to remember that  everything  works  opposite here in the USA.   Door knobs turn anti- clockwise, light switches are different,  cars drive on the right hand side of the road instead of the left my brain is continually challenged. 

I have this issue every time I visit here, you would think I would  get it quicker huh?  
I tell you what though, the one thing I do get,  is how to shop in some of the wonderful craft stores (insert huge smiley face here).   I have been to Hancock's, Michaels and AC Moore. 

 I have a problem though, I actually start to feel quite ill when I am in these stores.  I get dizzy at the sheer choice that  I have and cannot actually concentrate on any one thing.  I start thinking ..... maybe I can make this  or  should I do that .... or  maybe I will crochet this, or  scrap that ..... really it is too much for me,  but wow,  it makes me happy, I just wish I had a few million dollars ..... wouldn't that be nice.

My granddaughter told me on Saturday morning that she would love to decorate her initial to hang on her newly painted bedroom wall.  So off we went to buy some supplies and alphabet letters for both of them.  My granddaughters have very  distinct tastes and I was a bit dubious at the choice of embellishments, stickers and papers that were being chosen, but excited to see what  the end results were.  We spent  most of the afternoon playing.  I decorated a letters that I had bought  to give the girls  some ideas  - that is my excuse and I am sticking to it,  I just couldn't resist  

 and with just a little guidance from Granny and help with the glue gun they created the most  amazing Altered Alphabet letters! 

 Emilee loves music and wanted hers to look 'old worldly', her  description of her E

Olivia wanted hers to be 'pretty' 

I  think they achieved their  goals.  We ended up going back to the stores and buying some  alphabet hooks to decorate and I bought another letter to decorate for a gift! 

 My time here as been so cathartic, I am so unstressed and my days are quiet and peaceful and I sooo love being with my girls it is amazing!

Hope you are all having  a happy and  peaceful a day

Hugs

Cheryl

xxx

Totes and tins......

Ta..Da.... I did it ... made myself a tote out of the sale fabric that I bought on Sunday from          Wal-Mart. 

I love it!  It is only 12 x 10", but is just big enough for me to carry the essential around with me while I am visiting!

  It has pockets on the inside and outside too for bits and bobs. 

 I can see me making  another three now - I had little faces light up last night when my granddaughters came home from school and saw my bag and Mom is eyeing out some funky bright fabric for hers......

We had these cookies over the St Patrick weekend

 I just  love the tins, they have a little bit of a  vintage look,  so I will be keeping them. 

I am sure they will be great to store a bit of ribbon or lace.... I am quiet sure I will find some good use for them

Have a wonderful day

Hugs

Cheryl

xxx

A little jet lag .....

Jet lag!  Isn't it ridiculous how the five hour time difference between USA and UK can make you feel so odd, so out of sorts.  Nothing seems to function properly, my brain has felt fuzzy and I have spent the week sleeping at odd hours in the morning and  lying  awake at the night.   
Crazy jet lag, but it has forced me to  rest and now I feel normal and energetic again, at last.   

 While I have been waiting for my body to adjust to USA  time and the hot weather I have been  crocheting hexagons 

I would so love to finish the Kaleidoscope Afghan that I started last month, I have made 70 hexagons so far and only have to make 50 more.

 Did I tell you that it was a toss up whether I packed clothes or my 20 balls of wool that I am using to make the  Kaleidoscope Afghan.  I chose the wool and the

 wonderful  Mr Bean, bless him, went out and bought some vacuum bags  so all my wool fitted into the case and with it all sqashed down flat

  he  even managed to pack  a reasonable amount of  clothes and some shoes :) for me

On Sunday I went to Wal-Mart, gotta love Wal-Mart there always seems to be something that is reasonably priced, I fell in love with two bits of  fabric that were on sale. 

As soon as I saw the fabric I thought I would love to make myself a small tote bag,   maybe using  both  pieces of  fabric

I  haven't  brought a handbag  with me (pocketbook as it is called here in the USA),  because I needed a really large bag to use as hand luggage, you know for the laptop, kindle, passport etc. etc.    Soooo I decided that I am going to take advantage of my time here and the fact that my daughter has a good sewing machine and over-locker and will endeavour to make myself a small tote bag just big enough to carry my purse, cell and other important bits around, while I am here.

Hope you are all had a wonderful first day of Spring!

Hugs

Cheryl

xxx

Every day is an adventure...

Good morning dear friends, did you think I had dropped off the face of the earth huh? Huh?  Nope life just got in the way of blogging and  stuff.  

 I have been on a bit of a roller coaster ride again - my life is never ever boring I am always on the edge with  an adventure every day, around every  corner, to be embraced and enjoyed even if some are a little daunting! 

I have not had work for a few weeks as my precious lady has been moved to a nursing home and I have to decide whether to change work options, an adventure  and a challenge if I do make a change.

  The house  we are renting has been sold so we have to pack up again,  this is not my  best sort of adventure it is a bit of a nightmare to be honest, but  may become an adventure when we find a nice new place to live in.

Yesterday I caught a plane from Heathrow, London and  flew to Charleston,  USA!!  I will be visiting with my daughter for a month.   Yay, definitely an adventure, a time to think and rejuvenate and be peaceful .......

 Ah just to be here and spend time with my precious daughter and granddaughters..... perfect.

Have a good day

Hugs

Cheryl

xxx

Happy Valentines day to you all, so hope you all had a helping of love in your day today. 

 At the end of the day write down a list of all your blessings and all the things you have to be grateful for

 remember to give thanks for the  pleasure of being  loved  by your  partners, or your children, grandchildren, friends or even our pets,  is always a wonderful  thing to  experience, is love and it can be found where least expected.  

I have been spending the last two days with my daughter and our twin grandsons. 

The love that I have for them is startling and the love that  I receive  from then is unconditional  and breath taking .  I often wonder how I can love so many people so much. My husband, my children, my grandchildren, all have such a huge chunk of my heart.  Then there are other  members of our family, close friends all loved and cherished and again I wonder how  hearts have the capacity of so much love.

 

Baked some golden cheesy scones  for breakfast today

I love baking. 

My  darling daughter loves Cheesy scones and what better gift than scones,  hot  out the oven for  Valentines day. 

The ritual of  getting everything together and  measuring ingredients, has a satisfaction  of its own,   not to mention the smell of the scones backing in the oven!

The best though is the lip smacking sounds as  the scones were  being devoured!

 I wish you all a wonderful love filled Valentines day! 

Hugs

Cheryl

xxx

Let it snow, let it snow....

Sooo  exciting , waiting, waiting,  knowing it is coming, but just not knowing  when and then at about 9 o clock last night, after looking out the front door at least 20 times it started to fall!!  Snow, beautiful snow.  Woke up to a wonderland  of white this morning. 

 Not a huge amount of  snow, well not as much as I expected after all the weather warnings , but enough to make it all look wonderful. 

The only disturbance of the pristine snow was the foxes trails - I love that you can see evidence of their well beaten path around the garden.  

Our village is  tiny,  no gritting or salting of roads here and I  definitely  couldn't drive my little car in the snow, so I have been in all day.   

 I have been doing  4 hour shifts at the Nursing home every day looking after my lady and I felt at a bit of a loose end  and eventually decided to do some crocheting. 

 I managed to make 30 hexagons today while watching old movies and drinking loads of  hot tea.  Now that I have started making these little hexagons,  I am so excited to make more, I love the way they look!

 As far as I am concerned  one of the most comforting quick meals is Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup, so what better for supper  than toast for dipping and hot Tomato Soup, swirled with cream, yummmmyy!

Been a good day today!

Hope you are all wrapped up warm and safe  tonight....

Hugs

Cxxx

The last of the South African photos .....

These are the last of my photo from the Gauteng province and most of these landscape photos were taken out of the  car window while we were driving soo, please bear that in mind if they are slightly out of focus.....

 In the opposite direction to the Game reserve, on the other side of Johannesburg, is a totally different landscape. 

 We  took a drive out to Hartebeesport Dam

The road goes all round the Dam and then along the Dam wall and through a tunnel that goes all the way  under the mountain. 

I remember coming here and driving along this same wall and through this same tunnel when I was a very little girl and it is still here and such a good condition still!

This is a very  expensive area, with luxury homes,  mostly holiday or weekend  houses

almost everyone owns a  boat of some sort. 

 There is a snake park which is a huge tourist attraction.

Tortoises of all shapes and sizes were around the restaurant area,

 A variety of Turtles

A large family of Meercat entertained us with their cute antics  

and some larger reptiles were luckily behind glass

 The 'Flea Market',  that is what they call it, but really it was huge and a permanent structure

consisting of Huts selling a huge variety of  African curios. 

This is when you need a few thousand ££ £ or $$$ notes to indulge in an orgy of spending. 

On our way home we came across an old trading store, Tant Malie Se Winkel (Aunt Malie' s Store) established in 1921

one of the first  in the area and it has been kept immaculate and  looks like the day it was built. 
They even sell home made bread still made in the original ovens and have cool houses outside (original fridges) and dried fish and biltong (dried meat) hanging everywhere. 

 It was like walking into a time warp back to the Voortrekker days!

And another very satisfactory day ended with an exquisite African sunset!