Improving

 I unpicked the outer cover of this bag, I am replacing the front, back and bottom, which I had made in lightweight black leather. I used my new unpicking tool, which hubby gave me for Christmas, the wooden oversized handle made it much easier to use. Here you can see the spotty fabric for the two sides and the strap. 

Back in 2020, I was playing with french knots, and used this lovely material to make a circle of raised dots, I had in mind to use it for the top fold over flap of a bag. 

I did some sewing for a neighbour, cushions for her campervan, I was trying to show her how to make them, but ended up making them myself, she gave me the unused fabrics, which have been very handy in other makes. The black velvet is very sturdy and dense, perfect for this bag.

I am so happy with the finished bag, it now feels a good weight, sturdy enough to keep it's shape when things are inside, and useful size so I can pop things in. I made the sides and bottom in one piece, which gives it strength, it's fully lined so there is nothing weak about this make.

I knew this book would be good, I've read loads of her titles before, a clever plot set in a village/ small town along the south coast, loads of things happening, including gossip, a beautiful twist at the end. Book 20 read this year.

Monday we took the bus to town, had lunch out for a change, hubby was out in the afternoon so I walked to our library and then pottered for an hour outside, later I was tired and read.

Tuesday we had plans all day, but the weather gods changed everything, with rain all day, instead of dry weather. We did walk to our local Co-op for milk, I sat at the sewing machine, I also spent an hour importing post into my 2022 book, I'm over half way now and on plan and then time reading, as normal nothing on TV. 

Wednesday hubby was out in the morning, It was sunny blue skies but cold, I was again out in the garden, I have cut back loads of dead wood from our back fence, most of it Winter Jasmine, it now looks better, just pottering most of the day, we came back in at 4pm. Pure bliss, early shower and catch up on some TV. 

Normal is....

 On Friday afternoon, we had our favourite pair of little people visiting, they are both full of fun and laughter, here they are trying on hubbies new gloves, huge but enough fun for giggles all around. The house looked like a toy shop, but who cares when there is so much to share. George was very happy, he does get sad days, which we find hard to work out the reason, he can't communicate too well.

I am very pleased with outside my greenhouse, this is a working area for the garden, but I do like to see it looking good, this set of shelves I purchased at our last house, so they are over 15 years old, They sit in this space, and are very handy for odd pots with plants in, I've been outside and not moved anything around, so area sorted. I can still see my big black tub from the house, it's good to see these shelves being used again. 

I have played with the wildlife pond, it does not need to be pretty, just useful for any wildlife I can attract, the lower section has gravel in the bottom, it's quiet deep in places, I need to sort the sides to hide the pond liner, I have planted more ground cover plants, I got 3 for a pound each in a reduced section, the top container has bigger pebbles and my 1st plant, it's leaves curl as they grow, I hope to get a solar pump in this section to have moving water, I will also need ramps for the wildlife to get out of the water.  

I picked this book up because I loved her previous book, Before I go to sleep, this book is just as good, as a journalist film maker, she has come back to her childhood village, she has changed and no one knows her, she has no family left. She is making a film, which quickly becomes about missing girls, I guessed some of the plot by the middle and guessed the twist before it was revealed, still a brilliant read. Book 19 read this year. 

Did anyone watch The Jury on channel 4, I found it very interesting, knowing it was made for TV and heavily edited, I still found the concept truly clever, to have 2 sets of 12 people, each unaware of the other jury. Watching how someone can change another's opinion, I would have loved to watch them deliberate longer, it helped having such an interesting case. It was on for 4 evenings in a row, I could not wait to watch the next episode. 

Molly slept over on Friday and was good, fast asleep by 7pm, a bit later than normal, she woke once but went back to sleep, she then slept until 7.30am, which is unheard of, normally she wakes just after 6am. Hubby took her home, whilst I sorted the spare bedroom, mummy had put up their play tent, so with Will and George they had plenty of games to play.

This weekend we had a simple normal for us weekend, both Saturday and Sunday were blue skies, dry and on Sunday warm, I did not do much on Saturday, I was tired and still feeling yuck, we did have a glass of red wine with a Chinese takeaway in the evening, I slept the best night sleep in weeks. 

We woke up late on Sunday, hubby got up just before 9am, he opened the curtains, lovely blue skies and popped the radio on, love songs on radio 2, I relaxed, snoozed and listen to the radio until 10.30, then a long lovely shower. We had coffee and biscuits in the garden, it was so warm, I then pottered for a couple of hours, hubby gave our bench a coat of clear varnish. We had lunch outside for the first time this year, and sat chatting, later we walked to the village shops, our neighbour was in the local tap bar, so we popped in for a quick half, they sell wonderful ciders. Later we read and relaxed some more, for the first time in months I feel well and good, I was tired after time outside, but it's a good tired. 

I've still not sown any seeds, but I have sorted my potato growing bags and the tubs for my carrots, another step forward, I can wait another week or two. I was also able to tidy my side of the garage once the bench was back outside again.

Tulips

First tulip of the season, the plants in this grey oblong tub have all been moved from the raised bed by our back door, the tub is now in a different sunnier spot, so to see a tulip in early March is not normal here. There are loads of bulbs, the woody plant is a Fuchsia, there is also a Peony and aquilegia in here. 

So many different spring plants are blooming, sadly the snowdrops in this pot are going over, they have bloomed so well, I don't intend to change this pot at all, just store it away until next spring. I have large and small daffodils, whilst loving the tet-2-tet's, I still love the bigger blooms. The primrose is one I have had for years, I had added more this spring. 

Inside my Amaryllis is in full bloom, I only have one flower stalk, which is OK, these blooms last a long time. 

Another great book, having finished One day, I thought this looked good by the same author, it's a story of a couple in their 50's, their life has been great, they are on their last foreign holiday with their teenage soon, dad has his list, he is trying hard, things go wrong, a great story and read. Book 18 read this year. 

I'm feeling better, I've noticed dust and did some cleaning, the windows were dirty, so I've cleaned them, after 6 weeks of feeling ill, it's good to be doing things, even if it's just housework. We did pop to Lidl's for a top up fridge shop, £90+ later, with only a £4.99 non food item added to our basket, food prices are incredibly high. 

I have been in the garden a couple of times, did a 4th revamp of the area outside my greenhouse, with hubby laughing at me, I moved an old pot to the other side if the back fence, in the corner, it has a broken base, I put my second winter jasmine in it, hopefully it will grow along the back fence, from the opposite side, with a rose already planted and growing. I sorted the wildlife pond liner, just to see how much space I have, it will need loads more work before I can add plants. Little jobs, soon it will be sowing time, I sorted the subscription to Kitchen garden magazine, just for one year, which will help with any gaps in my veg knowledge. 

Tonight we have Molly on a sleepover, mummy is going out, and Molly is not settling well at night, so rather than Molly giving the babysitter the run around, she can sleep (eventually) here. Should make an interesting evening/night/early morning. 

February round up

 Almost nothing spent on crafts, I am busy, but I am using what I already have, I just purchased a shaped cutter for use in needle felting. I got loads of plastic wrapped metal post and a net for use in the veg beds, and seeds, again I've just over spent, I have most everything I need now, that won't stop me spending in the garden.

Again no food waste, purchasing our fruit and veg without packaging is brilliant, we get just the amount we require, we go to our local Monday market, there are a few veg stalls, the one we use has top quality, and the produce last the whole week, which stops us walking to local shops for bits. 

Nothing big in the house it was the month for car, tax, insurance and MOT, which was in our budget, no issues with the car, phew, we did think new tyres were required, but ours will last anther six months.

I have put 4 pounds on this month, my steps have dropped, I lost 2 days when my fitbit stopped recording, and also weeks of feeling unwell, kept me inside, I'm not going to worry about such things, I can get back on track in March. I still have this hacking cough, as does hubby, both our energy levels are very low, it's a chore to do anything, February this year has been a lost month in our home, on the bright side, we spent very little this month.