By it's chilly !!!

Well Winter has arrived with an icy blast up here. Twiglet and I walked to school on Monday morning along icy pavements, blowing, checking out our smoky breath (as he calls it:) and we both had VERY rosy faces when we got home in the afternoon.

The hats and gloves are out and sockies are hung on the radiator in the morning!!So my thoughts are turning to keeping cosy, making and obviously FOOD.

My lovely mate came round to see me on Monday (remember the one I've know for 35 years and we bumped into each other by chance a few months ago). We had a good old gossip while I made a casserole in my slow cooker, not forgetting dumplings of course.Cherry buns for the boys and a rhubarb crumble with custard, just what's needed after a chilly walk home from school:)I've been doing a lot of making recently watching Miranda - yay!!, Sue & Giles in The Good Life, not forgetting Kirstie's Homemade Home and Turn Back Time - The High Street and of course, Strictly Come Dancing, are you watching too??? Anyhoo I have lots of works in progress, which I'll share later.

Oooo look more food, I had my first ever go at making lemon curd today, using Nana Twigs recipe. Oooo it's scrummy and will be prettified for Christmas gifts.Look at this more food, Mr Twigs is getting in on the theme too and purchased this pickling vinegar this weekend, can you guess what he's going to make?

Righto, I must go and do some more stitching, I am determined that our fairly frugal Christmas is going to be a homespun one and I'm really enjoying beavering away. After years of getting panicky over the bank account in January, I have saved during the year, done online surveys to earn Amazon vouchers and I'm in the process of making lots of little gifts. I always feel that although we need to be frugal up to a point, Twiglet must not suffer as both Mr Twigs and I had loving homes, with little money around at times but we never went without.

I was gobsmacked today when a Mum at school asked what Santa was buying Twiglet, his main pressie is a lego garage and no doubt he'll have other bits and bobs from us and I know his naughty Grandparents will be more than generous. She told me she had bought her daughter a computer - a real computer for £500, I nearly fainted, the child is 5!!!! different strokes for different folks and all that, but flippin heck. Twiglet uses my laptop to play games on CBeebies and CBBC now and again but we don't have DS Nintendos, Xbox or anything - we are total luddites :)

Mr Twigs and I are agreed that we don't remember what we had as children but what we did. We work hard to create happy memories for Twiglet rather than buying him stuff he doesn't need. I've used Tesco vouchers to buy us some tickets for Christmas Thomasland with his little cousin. We have also saved up to buy tickets to see Santa on the Twilight Express. We will make gingerbread men, hope to go sledging again and make decorations, this to me is what Christmas is all about.

love
Twiggy x

Boo!! Yay !!!

I must admit I TRY to be a glass is half full type of gal, but blardy hell even I have my limits, so we'll get the bad news out of the way first in one list. Please bear with me..............

I say boo, to the fact I was asked to put myself forward to be a parent governor and was beaten to it by ahem..... someone who sent his wife canvassing for him - I kid you not. However, the Pollyanna in me does like the fact that many people have said we voted for you, which is nice.

Boo as Twiglet wasn't voted onto the school council - we told him he's ace, so there!!

Boo as you may have seen on TV, like a lot of the country we have had rotten weather up here high in the Pennines. Check out our allotment, that is now 80% under water, it was like this at the beginning of October, then after this grotty week we are back to square one. We have lost leeks, cabbages, sprouts, beans, broccoli and Twiglets parsnips:( Our polytunnel is wrecked and frankly, after talking to the parish council for goodness knows how long, I feel like throwing the towel in :( We are currently in negotiations.This is a very, very, serious and most important and sad boo on behalf of my lovely friend, who has just discovered her father is very sick and won't be getting better :( it's so so sad and puts everything else into perspective.

So that's the boos out of the way - are you still reading???

Here's some yays!!!

Yay - Before the crappola weather we had a lovely walk on some of the footpaths around our village.
Yay - I have a new job, the work is sporadic. Funnily enough I'll be working for the governor service.

Yay - We took Twiglet to his friend's birthday party the other day which was ace and involved exotic animals, I held a big hairy spider and a very beautiful snake - brave Twiggy !!
All the children and parents had a great time.

Yay - I appear to have found my crafting mojo, I think it's the countdown to Christmas and I have to take my mind off Richard Armitage disappearing from our screens.

Yay - Miranda is back next Monday - super ace!!!Big yay - Booked tickets for something VERY exciting this week for my birthday in January, but more on that later.

So are you making preparations for Christmas? Twiglet insisted we buy a countdown to Christmas Santa, so I thought I'd pop one on my blog too.

Thanks for listening and take care.
Twiggy x

PS I promise not to gripe on my next post, normal service will resume.

What a week that was........

What do you think to Mr Twigs and Twiglets lanterns?

Blimey half term feels like 100 years ago.

Twiglet didn't go back to school until today as he's had Slapped Cheek Syndrome, but although he didn't fancy rugby tots after school he seems to be tired, but ok :)My back is still a bit rubbish but on the mend.

Anyhoo, what a busy half term we had, even though little fella was a bit off it we still had tons of fun.

Starting with............
Twiglets Harvest Festival. Check out that fab strawberry hat !!!

My first ever attempt at a Christmas cake.We took Twiglet to a birthday party at Laser Quest, which he enjoyed and also went out with Mr Twigs family to celebrate Mr Twigs, Grandad Twigs and Twiglets little cousins birthday - top fun !!!!

We had a sleepover at my Mums.
Last weekend we stayed here for Mr Twigs birthday. Bet you can guess that this wonderful place used to be a train station? We last stayed here when Twiglet was a toddler, it's so pretty.We spent time at Filey......

Scarborough
Thornwick BayThere is a very pretty little chapel and graveyard across the road from where we stayed. Picture this, it's Halloween, pitch black - no street lights, Twiglet decides we'll visit the graveyard with our fancy Halloween torches. We crossed the road, got to the gate, just about to enter and he said, well we've done that then let's go home now - I was secretly relieved :)

Finally, I will leave you with some half term crafting.Hope you like it.The wind is howling a gale up here tonight and the rain is pouring down, it was a very soggy walk home from school.

It's lovely to be all cosy with Mr Twigs watching Autumnwatch :)

Have a fun and safe Bonfire night and a great weekend.

Twiggy x

Whizzy week

Having a lovely time off with Twiglet apart from the fact my back went on Wednesday and Twiglet has a virus, rash doo dah that's going round his school - bleurgh !!

However, we've still managed to go out for lunch, take Twiglet to a birthday party, stay at Grandma's house and we are going for a long weekend somewhere very lovely for Mr Twigs birthday this weekend - phew!!! Chuck in lots of crafting and most importantly lots of cuddles then despite the very sore back we're having a tiptop time.

Cheery bye, I'm going for more cuddles now.....
Twiggy x

Twiglet's Harvest

Here we have Twiglets harvest.

Aren't these pumpkins fab?
We have another orange one in the kitchen too.
What a clever little gardener.
It's half term now for us hooray!!
Twiggy x

Thank you, thank you

I have received a lovely award from the very smashing Diane over at Tales From Baggins Bottom - see sidebar. (I seem to have managed to keep previous award pictures but managed to delete who passed them on to me, so sorry folks) - doh !!

Anyhoo, I've had my blog for a while and told you lots of facts about me, yes, yes, stop yawning. Here are some that I have really had to dig for.

1. When I was at high school I wanted to be a journalist. We had to do a 2 week stint of work experience. Me being me, I just didn't fancy what was on offer, so phoned the local paper (South Yorkshire Times) and said can I come and work with you? - I was even cheeky at 15!! They very kindly said yes. I spent two weeks there and even went to see Bruce Springsteen at Roundhay Park with one of the journos using free press tickets - wahey!!

The very lovely editor (proper old school, cigar smoking, totally lovely chap) invited me back for the school holidays). He told me to go off and do my A levels and then get in touch if I still fancied a career in journalism - I had decided meanwhile I didn't want to go down that path - what was I thinking!! so like a total eejit didn't get in touch.

However, the journo that I went to the concert with introduced me to one of his pals and 25 years later we are still friends, so everything does indeed happen for a reason. Blimey are you still awake? the other facts won't be so long, honest.

2. I'm pretty interested in politics and my next career plan was to go to Leeds Uni to do a politics degree, in a nutshell I beggared about at college, didn't get the grades I needed so blew that too - I am such a slacker!!! However, I'm still interested in politics and feel I might be having a dabble in the next few years - Hmmmmm......

3. I have a wisdom tooth that has been coming through for 16 years. My dentist tells me this is a record for him. It's still not arrived properly - urgh!!

4. I've told you this before but I will repeat myself, I prefer beer to wine, spirits etc. Timothy Taylor is the drink of the gods to me, a pint or two of that and a bag of salt and vinegar and I'm happy - classy lady !!

5. I come from a family who enjoy a good laugh and thankfully I married someone with the same irreverent sense of humour I have (I think that's one of the many reasons we got married). Twiglet also seems to have inherited the funny gene, he certainly makes us laugh. I was trying a new dress on at the weekend - I never usually wear dresses. First of all he told me I'd forgotten my trousers. I said do you like the dress? He said yes it's lovely, I like old lady dresses :) oy cheeky!!

6. You've probably noticed this one already but I'm very proud that I come from Yorkshire. I adore this county and unless we moved to a cottage by the sea in South West Cork, I can't see us ever living elsewhere. I love the scenery, we are lucky to live in a pretty rural village (unfortunately it has a VERY busy road through it). We have the Yorkshire Moors, the Dales, pretty towns, cities and best of all for me the fantastic Yorkshire coast. One day we'd love to live by the sea. The people here are pretty magic too!!

Ok, I'd like to pass this to the following lovely bloggers please, join in if you wish. If you'd rather not, that's fine.

Jennie @ Falling Rabbits
Vicky @ Anglesey Allsorts
Taz@Ratbag
Jackie @Jackies Crafts
Frugal Queen
Daisie Days

Forgive me for not adding links but I'm now off to get ready to go down to our village church. It's Twiglets Harvest Festival. He has made a strawberry hat and will accessorise with his Mr Noisy wellies and school uniform :) We're taking Mr Twigs decent cameras, so I'll hopefully have some nice pics to show you later.
Cheery bye
Twiggy x

Goodness me, I've made something

Isn't it chilly? we're doing a mop up operation this weekend up at the lottie and I think I need to dig my woolly gloves out !!

It must be the dark nights but I've actually had a few creative stirrings recently and although I have many Works in Progress, I thought I would share.

Hope you like them.
(Apologies for the quality, I'm having to use my old camera as my new one needs new batteries!!)I love these cheeky snowmen earrings!

Twiglet is away to one of his girlyfriends for tea after school, so I might as well have a play while I can :)Have a great weekend.
Twiggy x

Hello Pumpkin

Hello. Phew I'm banjaxed, we go swimming on a Wednesday night and I'm now fit for nothing apart from perhaps watching The Apprentice or Ugly Betty :) Anyhoo, how are you all? Glad to know I'm not alone in my appreciation of Mr Rickman.So firstl,y please see above the first pumpkin from Twiglet's amazing harvest, many more to follow, this is one of the smaller ones, isn't it pretty?

It's my mates birthday next week (the owner of Margot and Barbara the chickens) so I made her this little card - please excuse out of focus photos, do you like it? it made me larf!!We attended Twiglet's parents evening on Monday and it was all good stuff, he is sociable, loves science, maths and his reading is fab, however like a lot of young chaps his hand writing needs work, but we'll get there. He came home with a certificate on Friday for - always contributing to class discussion - which I thought was most lovely :)

As we all know blogland is fab and full of lovely bloggers. Well I followed up on recommendations from two great bloggers this week. Firstly, Lisa at A Day in the Life of a Craft Fairy who mentioned these fab kilner style jars at Home Bargains for 99p!! bargain or what - get them while their hot!! Warning though, they are flippin heavy !!Also, lovely Diane at Heart Shaped often writes about how wonderful Wentworth is.

It was glorious up here on Sunday so we finally got there and enjoyed it so much we're thinking about getting a season ticket. I've scattered a few photos throughout my post.

Remember, I told you that I'd bumped into my bestest ever friend who I hadn't seen for 8 years a while ago? Well we have subsequently met up twice since then and honestly it's just great.

How can you not see someone for so long and then feel like they've just returned from the kitchen after making a cup of tea. We had to laugh on Tuesday we had a shopping trip, when we were teens these would be buying outfits, earrings, make up etc to go out that weekend. Now we're both Mums we bought kilner jars, mops and electrical extensions - oh the glamour of it all :)
Take care

Twiggy x

PS I will return later in the week with a bit of work related news !!

Pass the smelling salts............

So over the next few days on UK TV we have Mr Tennant, Mr Armitage (see previous post) and blardy ALAN RICKMAN!!! - I'm all of a dither. Did you see The Song of Lunch this evening?? I swear that man could read the telephone directory and it would sound fabulous. Here's a link if you missed it.

Here

I've mentioned this before on here, but just around the time the fantastic Truly, Madly, Deeply was released in 1991 we were lucky enough to go and see Alan Rickman play Hamlet. I had flu and sat two rows from the front sniffling throughout but it was absolutely magic - what a super star.

I must go and have a lie down now, I'm overcome :)

Have a great weekend.
Twiggy x