TO DO

Recently I have found my life to be a  TO DO LIST which gradually I'm ticking off, I think that's why I'm not motivated to blog at the moment. We bloggers know that it's not a thing that can be done in just a few minutes, we think about what we want to write. Then we write and probably if your like me edit and then write a bit more and edit again. It is then onto adding images, I'm not happy if my posts don't have at least one image (hopefully more), they have to be edited and with luck they appear in the right place, if not it can take an age to get them positioned in the right place. Oh! there is spell check, and why does blog spell check want to change 'bloggers' to loggers and 'blog'  to bog, log or blag ????

Anyway back to my 'To Do List'

1. Get up to date with City and Guilds Samples and design work- Getting There.
2. Finish work for Seeking Artemis Exhibition - Another three months should do it. - NO GOOD               ONLY 7 WEEKS BEFORE HANGING !!!!!! HELP
3. Pay for holiday in May - Done can't wait...... (hooray some sunshine at last)
4. Book holiday for later in year and decide where to go - Done booked a week in Southern Ireland***.

The list doesn't actually look so bad now I've written it down, I must have left a few things off!!!

A few things that have been done over the last few weeks. Dave and I went to see 'Les Miserables' the show not the film, we both really enjoyed it. I have the feeling that it's a show that's a bit like Marmite some people have said they loved it whilst others hated it, well I don't like Marmite but I loved the show.

Shaftesbury Avenue, London

While we were in London we  took the opportunity to visit the V&A and then the Brunei Gallery at SOAS to see the exhibition of World Eco Fibre and Textile Art (WEFT)  it was one of the best exhibitions I've ever seen. As we had hours to kill we wandered around the Piccadilly area, had dinner and strolled around China Town always a good place for people watching!

China Town, London

I've continued with the cooking of curries, baking bread and trying out different recipes every week. Last Friday the result wasn't quite so good when I managed to slice through my thumb,  it meant a trip to the emergency room, for over an hour it wouldn't stop bleeding! That evening we had take away fish and chips instead of the Mac and Cheese I'd planned. (How did my hands get so old?) No nasty comments to that question PLEASE.

I've changed my shopping habits too instead of having ALL the groceries delivered by Ocado, I've started going to a Butchers, Green Grocer and Fishmonger. I'm staying with Ocado for the time being  it's convenient, but will probably start shopping at the local Waitrose. Going from shop to shop is not as easy as doing the shopping sitting in the living room on the laptop and browsing, but I fancy a change. It has nothing to do with the recent Horse Meat in food situation, I very rarely buy ready meals and Waitrose has not been involved, (I think) but never the less I feel that the smaller individual shops should be used. I can't say local shops where I live since a large T***o opened the two butchers the bakers and the greengrocers have all closed.  I will travel a little way to do the shopping but I'm going to give it a try!

I've  joined a group of people who walk their dogs every morning in the local park/woods/ponds. Betsy is really enjoying it,  until we started meeting this group  I'd not let her off her lead. When I was on my own I worried that she wouldn't come back, so far it's been ok and she comes back when I call her. I think the fact that I have a pocket full of cheese helps. She is having a great time running around with  various sizes of dogs they range from a very tiny Yorkshire Terrier to a Long Coated German Shepherd and a Pointer and of course her best friend another Miniature Schnauzer Dizzie. It has been really muddy and all the dogs enjoy running through the flooded areas she comes home caked in mud and so do I, she then spends a lot of the day sleeping, but very very happy. It's a shame that I can't meet them every morning but sometimes life gets in the way and Betsy and I cant spend two hours running through the park and have a speed walk around the streets, but at least if we meet up with them three times in the week it's good and my walking boots are proving they were well worth their money. Next winter I'll buy some wellies but my boots are warm and I get to wear my hand knitted socks.

Dizzie wearing his coat, Betsy au natural, well she didn't
 want to get her posh coat muddy!

I'm still taking part in the photo challenge I posted about it in my previous post. I do put some of the images on Face book. It is a challenge too, I don't find it easy to keep to the list every day so I don't think I'll carry on into next month but at least I tried.....

*** We had planned to spend a Holiday this year on the West Coast of USA this year travelling up to Canada from San Francisco then to Seattle and finally Vancouver Island stopping along the way. The plan was to spend a few days on Vancouver island so we could visit the gallery where the Material girls and Articulation  will be exhibiting their Bridging Waters work. However we cant spend as much time away as we hoped and so plans have changed.
Be back soon.....

Ninth Day - Advent Blog

Today I met my daughter Rachel at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) we visited the Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes and the Imperial Chinese Robes from the Forbidden City exhibitions.  We have been planning to go to see the Diaghilev exhibition for ages, we both really enjoyed both exhibitions. No photos I'm afraid but I took these  of a red shoe and a patchwork dress.

This has a lot of reflection but you get the idea!

We then went to Oxford Street for a quick bit of retail therapy and left before the student protesters arrived thankfully! All this before lunch.........

For lunch I took a journey down memory lane, the Barclays Bank branch  that I worked in 29 years ago, 9 Gracechurch Street, is now a restaurant  bar! The building was listed so the interior is still the same, dark wood paneling and marble columns.  It's the first time I've been back since I took James, when he was about 3 months old.

My desk was by the window just behind where the two men are sitting! We then walked back to Fenchurch Street Station after a walk through Leadenhall Market, it wasn't quite so glamorous when I worked there it had a couple of pubs, a fish shop, cheese shop and fruit and vegetable shops. Now there are expensive clothes shops, how I would have loved that, I remember being over the moon when a Chelsea Girl ( I think that was what it was called) opened in Fenchurch Street. Well that's enough of my nostalgia.

Up Date

Friday I managed to get up to the V&A to see the quilt exhibition, I'm so glad I went it was well worth the trip. There are some fantastic quilts on show. It is good to go to an exhibition with friends, we had lunch in the members lounge, I'm making use of my new membership. In the afternoon we went into the Grace Kelly exhibition, as others have said, the dresses lacked sparkle without Grace! Hopefully Rachel and I will go together to see the exhibition before it closes!

The vegetable plot is looking a lot healthier Saturday I took the chance on the weather staying fine and planted beans, leeks,squashes and all the usual, here's hoping for a good crop.

Mum is really no better. Ever since she first went into hospital she has been worrying about the 'Christmas Lunch' with her friends. Ever since the company she worked for closed Mum and eight of her friends have met together for lunch in November, some moved away from the area but travel back for the occasion. She has asked them if they could bring it forward, she's to frail to go to a restaurant, so the Nursing Home have said that they will be happy to lay on a special lunch for them. How it will go I really don't know but Mum has been talking about the lunch now since March. I'm hoping that she has a good day.

I think I've mentioned before about Belle, the cat, my blog is named after her. Belle has been ill for years and only 4 weeks ago was at the vets with her ongoing problem, this time the procedure didn't help. A vet we had seen previously said she could have an operation,it would involve removing part of her bowel and it may not work. Towards the end of last week Belle became really poorly and yesterday we took her to the vets, this time the vets said that we should do the kindest thing and Belle was put to sleep. We had Belle for 10 years, she was a timid little thing, lots of people didn't even know we had a cat as she would hide under the bed if someone came to the house and not come out until they left. James once had a friend stay for a week, he never saw Belle, she only came out at night when everyone was in bed.

This Week

The weekend was lovely, good weather, good food, good company and most of all a good tutor.

We spent the weekend with Yvonne Brown she was really very generous with her knowledge and I for one came away very happy,above two images of the pieces I did. I've stitched my bag together and plan to get the lining sewn in this afternoon, image to follow. I have lots of ideas for new projects, heat gun and soldering iron will be in there somewhere! The other group where making Maio books, everyone had a lovely time, the problem is how to follow this weekend and getting someone else to organise it next time, I've organised this event twice and it's time for a break!

Yesterday I went to the Art Quilt Group I belong to T2T, we are working on a challenge.

I received my membership to the V&A today, I'm planning on a visit very soon.

It's Working

A really good week, three trips to the gym, it seems to be working! I visited the doctors to get the results of a blood test I had a couple of weeks ago, my cholesterol is fine and the other things he tested for were good to!

Friday I went to the V&A with a group of friends from ERTF we went to see the Maharaja exhibition, Chris generously took me in as her guest! The exhibits were wonderful I was particularly taken by a necklace Diamonds, Emeralds and Platinum! I couldn't take photographs in the exhibition, this is in the foyer of the V&A it's a glass sculpture by DALE CHIHULY. Then as usual we sat and had a lovely lunch and a good chat, it's always nice when we catch up. The plan had been to go and look at a venue that is possibly going to be used for ERTF 2011 exhibition, but that didn't happen.

Yesterday I went to Romford Embroiderers Guild meeting, the weather was awful really strong winds and pouring rain, I was surprised how many people turned up. Today was totally different weather warm and sunshine! We went to Lakeside Shopping Centre and managed to get a few more Christmas presents.

Now the weather is changing I'm glad to be snuggling up under my quilt in the afternoons watching something good on the tv and stitching!

Tomorrow evening I'm going to Chelmsford Embroiderers Guild for the first time, I'm really looking forward to it!

Hats and V & A

Just to prove I've not been completly idle here's a picture of my daughter modeling one of the many hats I've knitted for her over the last few weeks, I've not stopped knitting socks just had a short break! As you can see Rachel wasn't keen on modelling for me!

Yesterday I met up with 5 ERTF members for a visit to the V&A, next year we are having an exhibition using the work of Owen Jones, as inspiration. We spent the day looking at his work, during the afternoon we had a room to ourselves and were allowed to  view his designs close up and take photographs. It was amazing to be able to touch such wonderful work from 1840, I left feeling very inspired and my head was buzzing. I took lots of photographs, but can't show them here as they are for personal use only, but here's the group!

To end the trip three of us went to a tea shop in Kensington, they had lovely cream cakes, I managed to resist! I met Dave at St. James's and we travelled home together. As the train was pulling out of Fenchurch Street Station I noticed the sky and the light looked really good so I had my camera out of it's case. I think this is a good shot of Canary Wharf!

I was back at the gym this morning so far I'm managing to fit in these trips, I cant say I'm enjoying it but I'll keep going, all I need now is to get some willpower and eat less!