RTTW 2015

National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire

 Household Guards Memorial

 Riding through the park

 Just a few of the many bikes

This is the first time we have seen the bikes in the park, it just felt right, bikers are all ages, shapes and types, not all here are ex-military, but they all paid their £10.00 to attend. The two over-spill fields were full as well. It was also nice to meet my niece Sophie and new hubby Richie in the grounds.
To see more of the arboretum see my previous post from 2013 or BBC news page, this one day per year raises huge sums of money for this wonderful place, it is normally free to enter and wander around, but if you want a peaceful day please avoid the first Saturday in October.
Needless to say I ache a bit now, over 3 hours ride home, but we stayed dry and warm, so a good positive

Reasons to be cheerful part 2

Carrie Rose is almost done

 Last part due in November, so for now it's packed away

 So tell me how do you start your post for your blog,

I always paste my photo's and then add words, it works for me, I do like to see photo's, if I have anything extra I always add it to the bottom of my post.
But we are all different, I always have a camera close by, and take loads more photo's than you see on here.

This week is again shaping up well

so lets go with my title

1, Late September sunshine, still wearing sandals and summer clothes 

2, Crisp clear mornings, I leave for work at 6.45am,

 it's fresh, cool but not cold and so full of promise

3,  Work is great, every one is playing nicely, no problems.

5, drive home at 3pm, sun still shinning and warm

6, hubby at home, no stress and always a smile for me

7, lovely home cooked meals, no hidden fat or sugar or anything

8, Sammy and Josh after school now on Tuesday, happy little boys

9, both daughters really happy makes me a happy mummy

10, had a pedicure from a new local shop, will go back again. 

PS, still into blue nails

Sorry for the above photo's our feet are always pretty to see, but the sandals are always welcome, I am hoping to be able to avoid shoe and boots for a while longer. The weather fore caste is good into next week.
My diet has started well and I'm feeling good, we are able to go for a walk each evening, so I'm reaching my step target. We have a health check machine in work for 6 weeks, this morning I used it, measures weight, height, which then gives you your BMI and % of fat in your body, also blood pressure and heart beats.  I have kept the print out and will use it again on 27th October, it will be a good measure of how I do this month. My BMI was not as bad as I thought, but my % of fat was high, so I know what I have to do.
We are sorting every thing for the weekend, hubby has cleaned and polished the bike, we have every thing ready to pack, we travel light when on the bike, so loads of little containers, just enough for two days.

Please have a bit of my cheer, it's really uplifting. 

Royal Wootton Bassett

Hubby wearing his biker waist coat

only worn on fundraising days

 We are on an airfield just outside

Royal Wootton Bassett

 As you can see, there are a few of us

 We have all paid £10 each to be here

and many have come a long way,

for us it was over 100 miles

Raising money for Military charities, each year in May the bikes meet on the old air field and are sent off in groups of 1000, to ride the route taken by our fallen hero's when they were returned back to UK. The military now use a different airfield, so this ride is in respect of all those lost in recent wars around the world.
The local town of Wootton Bassett was given the title of Royal Wootton Bassett. People would gather to pay respect to the hearse when they passed, now they gather and clap and cheer, loads of waving, and everyone had a camera. The route went through small villages and on to Royal Wootton Bassett, every where young and old they waved and held their flags.
The day has been dry but cold, I was glad to get home, I am not keen being on the motorways on the bike, I prefer local roads and a slower pace. I am glad I made the trip, it's an interesting ride.
Plans for tonight are to stay warm and stitch.

Sunny Sunday

I did house work yesterday

one task was to put my posh hat back in the drawer under my bed

I don't use this drawer much, the bedside table stops me from opening it.

Inside I saw a box given to me from my mum after my dad passed away back in 1986

 Inside was his driving licence

13 pages from 1949 to 1968 

to start with each year and then every 3 years,
those days you had to reapply for your licence

The annual licence cost 5 shillings (25p)

the 3 year licence cost 15 shillings (75p)

 Each year he signed the licence and stuck the page in the booklet,

It is falling to bits, but I love it.

Dad was a lorry driver, a working man

so for me, this is part of him. 

 I have tucked it back in the drawer, nice and safe

I am trying something new, Kiwi seeds, the fruit was not very ripe, so I'm not sure about the seeds, I have them on wet kitchen paper, kept on the warm sunny window sill. I will keep you informed.
Work this morning was good, because no other department was in and the phones turned off, we ploughed into the backlog and made a good headway, by tomorrow it will just as bad, there are three people out of 8 away (1 sick,1 holiday &1 seconded to another department). Well I have done my bit. Hubby was a great help and cleaned bathrooms, so later we are going out on the bike.
This evening, I have a few more plants to dig out and pass them to Chris across the road, Win has a few plants for me, but they are not ready, she has too many stocks, not some thing I would normally grow.

I'm dry

After our storm today, I caught Grace keeping dry.

She looks so small in here.

 Just a couple of things to stitch here and it's finished

 I don't like the big brown thing, I am not sure what it is, so I have found three stars to stitch instead, these will be one in red, one in white and one using both colours. 

It was hard to find something to use with this design.

 I asked a friend a while ago if she could get me an old horse's bit, I saw one used as a hanging Christmas decoration, I totally forgot about it and today I was given this, it's huge.

 I will use silk holly and ivy, with a pretty ribbon.

 Hubby was out on his bike today, I did not go, it was a long ride, and I still have a lingering cough, hundreds of bikers put on red T shirts and all drove at the same time around the M25 (motorway around London), it was billed as 'A Ring of Red' and again they raised money for charities.

I have had a weekend at home, which is just what I needed, I am trying to rid myself of this cough, it's horrible, I do manage to sleep at night, thanks to Lemsip MAX, I have two together at bed time.
I managed yesterday to spend an hour in the garden, cutting back the last of the dying summer growth, my little shed is full, everything packed away until next spring.
My poor Amaryllis, the leaves grew long and tall, but I can see no sign of a stem with any bud on, looks as if I won't have a flower this year.
My trug is in good use, I have placed all my sewing projects in it, I still have to get my machine out, a couple of friends popped in this afternoon, it was lovely to catch up, but used all my sewing time.
I have finished my book, tomorrow I will give it one more look and then send it for publishing, it will be my 4th Poppy Patchwork book, I love looking back on my blogs, and both Josh and Sam love to see their photo's in a book.
Going now to do some cross stitch, sewing tomorrow after work, if I keep saying it, it will happen!

Tired in Hampshire

I was very pleased how our garden looked yesterday

 All set up for our BBQ, hubbies pride and joy set ready for our guest to arrive. 

 Sam and Logan our grandsons, with my great nephew Riley sat in the middle, this little bench was purchased 7 years ago for Josh, but now is belongs to Sam and Logan, here they are having some of the second cake from the BBQ. 

They played football and chasing bubbles most of the afternoon.

 Grancha was showing off his bike, 

so daughter Su jumped on with both lads, they all love the bike. 

 Today we eat left overs, 

I am so very tired, late finish last night, and an early start, both grandsons were up just after 7am, now they are both home, as is all the family who came to have fun and celebrate hubbies 65th birthday. With both daughters, their partners and Kev's youngest son and his wife, who had not been together since last Christmas day, we had loads of laughter.
My house looks like a tip, but housework will be done tomorrow, I have tidied the garden, the white table and two chairs are back at the bottom end of the garden, hubby cleaned the BBQ and it's back in the garage.
We have enough food in the fridge to last to midweek, but for now all I have is a refreshing cup of black tea, soon I will rest and watch TV for an hour. Just an early night planned for later.

Lowspend/nospend September, is still on track, we did have to buy a few things for the BBQ, but mainly bread rolls, cheese, pate and eggs for cooking,  but at just over £80 for 28 people, it was again a very low spend, using meats from the freezer and salad from the garden.
Without the BBQ spend I spent just under £14.00 on food, bread, milk ect, £2.60 to park the car in town and £6.00 on a couple of plants for the garden, which for me is a very low spend week.
So I start next week with a positive feeling, and no plans to spend anything.

Stash and stitching

Popped to Hobbycraft today, need some more DMC threads for European Cushion, most expensive way to buy them, but it was a nice day out, hubby was not so impressed to be in there with me. 

 I have started sewing the inner panels, alot of this section has the DMC 3041, so I am pushing on with this colour. Still not sure if I am going to change many colours, I think it's a stitch and see.

 Up close, nice and neat.

 Dave the bear with my badges for the two rides for this year, Ride of Respect and Ride to the Wall, I have not yet made up my mind, the choice, should I make a waistcoat for Dave and add the badges and take him with us, or make a sash to go over my leathers and wear with the badges on. I have a few more pin badges as well.

We did pop to a garden centre, which happens to be next door to Hobbycraft, we purchased some new bird feeders, there are loads of starlings and their young around and they love the meal worms.
I also purchased some Basil plants, none of my seeds have grown this year. I aways plant Basil in the same tubs as Tomato's they each improve the flavour of the other plant.
It's a nice sunny evening here, my stitching is calling, garden is all tidy and looking good.

I have been asked about the designs I have recent stitched, most have been freebies, some found on Pintrest or blogs I am following, send me a message if there are any you would like to stitch, I can then send you the links.

May bank holiday ride

We have had a day out on the bike, and headed to The New Forest, 

a place full of history

 This area dates back to times when boat building was all wooden, they built 3 boats used by Lord Nelson in the battle of Trafalgar, it's now preserved for every one to enjoy, I have tried to take photo's without too mush of the 21st century showing.

 Just one street, with two rows of houses, which includes a pub and chapel.

The stitching inside the chapel was beautiful, the Alter cloth was fine detailed stitching and loads of kneeling cushions, all different designs.

 Wood work being shown here, traditional skills for every one to watch. The place was full of families with picnic's enjoying the Bank holiday Monday. Children playing football, rolling down slopes and loads of giggles.

 The wooded area full of bird song, and interesting trees, the bluebells were still carpeting the forest floor. Loads of interesting trees, and sadly loads of trees fallen over, a reminder of the bad winter we have suffered. 

Hubby having a rest and watching the modern boats sail by.

We popped on to Lymington for lunch by the water edge, on the way we pasted the wild ponies, and cows all grazing in the open areas. There were people out for a stroll and well as hikers, families on bikes and serious cyclist. Beside every lake or river there were picnics being shared, a true family day for everyone.
It was fun to be out on the bike, on a Bank Holiday it helps to get past all the slower moving cars.
An evening in tonight, I hope to do some more stitching, tomorrow back to work.

A finish and loads of growth

Another finish, I stitched this heart a week ago, and was longer in making it up, now Laura has received her parcel I can show it here, I am so glad she likes both items.

 European Cushion is coming along, I am adding to this corner to get a feel of the design, so far just 3 colours, they blend well, not the original shades, you all know what I am like. It's fun.

 Just a couple of flowers from the same part of the garden, 

here they get the morning sun.

Hubby is busy in the garage, humm I think he has a plan for our bikes.

 It must be summer, the big bike is out, we have had a couple of rides, but it has to be sunny and warm.

We have a weekend at home planned, if it is nice then we will pop out on the bike tomorrow. Today we have a farmers market in town, so a visit is planned, at this time of year there are loads of plants for sell.
This afternoon is back in the garden, not alot to do, still a bit early for planting most things, we were told to expect a frost last night but it missed us.
Monday both Fliss and Su will be back home so we should see them and Josh and Sam.

Sunday garden fun

The weather has been beautiful here in our part of Hampshire, 

warm sunny days, the sky tells the whole story.

 The tree is full of bird feeders, they are always full, winter and summer, the starlings (thugs), regularly feed, here, even when we are sat close, they have no fear. Another sign of summer the wind chimes are back out.

 I have planted in one greenhouse my cucumbers, one normal the other cucamelon, a bushy plant with very small fruit, they come from central America. With a few spare in pots to pass on.

 The greenhouses are full, loads of seedlings, peppers, salad items and loads of flowers for all around the garden and pots.

 Behind our garage, here we had a water butt, log store and this compost container, we have lifted the paving slabs, ready for the hard task of digging all the compost from the container.

 Pat on the back time, there was alot of compost in the bin, most have been used on our garden and in my tubs, I have flattened the ground and spread the sand, all we have to to now is relay the paving slabs. This area is almost ready for the delivery of my new shed later this week.

 So our final part of the task, a cold drink in the sun shine, it's nice to see the doors open. The sun shine today was really warm, the down side, I had the hose out to water the garden.

We have spent alot of time with Fliss, she was with us all last evening, and for a while today, she has gone to the gym, she loves a good workout, then an early night ready for work tomorrow.
We have been out for a ride on the bike, still a bit cool, but loads of bikers every where, we had a coffee at our local bikers cafe, sat looking at about an 100 bikes.
I have not picked up my stitching, but I do plan to stitch tonight, I love to be out in my garden as soon as the sun shines, I am not a great gardener, but I do like to potter.

Hope your weekend was fun.