Who needs to buy a real Christmas tree!

This is the current view from our landing window. How many people can boast their (almost) very own 20 foot tall Christmas tree, real of course, complete with tasteful white fairy lights?

...no one died

Well, hello! Thanks for calling in.
You may know that I have a temporary job working in Member Services at The Wine Society in Stevenage. I'm only there for Christmas, but already feel like I've been there forever. Us temps, and there are many of us, have been made to feel welcome and included in the build up to Christmas, all the competitions, the goodies left out on the breakout bar, the wine for tasting.
The W/S is one of those companies that goes that little bit further. One that provides a service above and beyond most others. You know the type.
For example, most of the wine is delivered by W/S vans. The customer can ring the day before and be told the approximate time that their order will be delivered, within 2 hours. Great service huh? You think it's enough? Think again.
At 1.27pm today, I answer the phone. It's Mrs G. She's expecting a delivery between 11.30 and 1.30. She asks when, exactly, will her order will be delivered-it was supposed to be there between 11.30 and 1.30. I point out it's not yet 1.30. I don't think she appreciated my humour! I realise that that didn't go down too well and suggest that maybe the driver has been delayed/broken down/done his route in a slightly different order, but that he will deliver today. I check the route-the regular driver is off sick and a temp is doing the deliveries. He's running 1 hr 30 minutes behind. I try to explain that he's a temp/new/slower but must have had 'attitude' in my voice. Mrs G is ranting now, about how it's unacceptable, how she's had to wait in all morning and will now have to wait in all afternoon and has a school run to do. She is one angry lady. I want to point out to her that at the end of the day, this is ONLY wine. No one died.
When you offer THE VERY BEST, and it's still not enough, is it worth it, I ask myself?

Ta Dah!!!!

As promised, here is my winning entry in the Ready, Steady, Scrap Challenge at the  Scraprevolution retreat last weekend.
This picture really doesn't do the photo and the colours of the papers justice-I had to take it this morning in the half daylight before I left the house.
I think it was a winner only because the photo is so fabulous and the colours in the photo matched the papers perfectly.
The kit included a sheet of die cut shapes, some of which were frames within frames. I used the frames layered together and tied with a pretty bow, which made a nice embellishment. I covered the large letters with the plain green and distressed the edges, and used them as monograms. The buttons added a cute dimension to the plain green. The scalloped edge was made using the 'threading water' border punch.

This close up hopefully shows the colours and detail in the papers and ribbon.



Today, I had a stall at the Weston Craft Sale. It was pouring with rain this morning, which later turned to hail and being so dark, I was tempted to stay at home, but having committed to the event, I felt duty bound to go.
I was actually glad I went. Not because I made a heap of money, but because there were so many talented people there also trying to sell things that they had made; patchwork quilts, bags, paintings, turned wooden items, jewellery, cards and much more.
In this day and age of 'disposable' and 'cheap and cheerful', it was refreshing to be reminded that we are still able to replicate the things that our ancestors had to make and use.

Scrapbooking Heaven!

I spent a fabulous weekend at Scraprevolution's Christmas Retreat. The classes were fabulous - this is the first class project - a nifty advent calender. The little decorated squares are magnetic and are removed and stuck onto the edges of the baking tin (yes, I did say 'baking tin'!). As December progresses, the appropriate numbered square is stuck onto the grid right up until Christmas day. How much fun is that!

The afternoon class was a 'grungy' kind of scrapbook page, which involved chopping a pizza box into a 12 x 12" square, wetting it and peeling the smooth cardboard off to reveal corrugated card underneath. This was then painted to within an inch of it's life! Very messy. I will try to take a photo of the page very soon, if I ever manage to be at home in the daylight hours again.
(I am beginning to feel like a mole!)
The Ready, Steady, Scrapbook Challenge was...challenging. For those uninitiated in the art of scrapbooking, everyone who takes part is given a pack of identical scrapbook papers and embellishments, and the challenge is to create a scrapbook page using a photo of your choice and just what is in the pack. I was slow to start, lacking inspiration, but once I got into it, created a passable page which went on to win! Was I pleased???!!!!
Sunday was equally lovely - we created a fabulous page in the first class, and got to burn nylon fabric over a candle! Can you imagine 23 ladies burning nylon fabric over 23 candles? Awesome!
My thanks to Lorraine at Scraprevolution for organising this event so that it appeared seamless. Thanks also to Sue and Clare for the fabulous classes, and thanks to my lovely Mum for being the perfect crafting companion. Love you Mum xxx

Real progress

Amazing progress is being made at the Weston allotments due partly to the good weather throughout October and November, but mainly to the enthusiasm of the allotmentiers!
The water troughs are now in situ and up and working - this is the trough at the end of our plot - very handy, thank you! The fences and gates are in, making the allotment 'cattle proof' but not yet rabbit proof, although I haven't yet seen any evidence of rabbit damage.
Tony is the first to erect his shed and can be seen proudly standing at the door. His patch is looking wonderful with all sorts of vegetables beginning to grow. He was unlucky enough to get the plot with the telegraph pole bang in the middle. I keep threatening to make it into a totem pole!

I just had to include a photo of these little beauties! They look beautiful in a tall glass vase.

Lest We Forget

Until this year, I knew nothing about my ancestors. A chance remark from my mother's childhood friend sent me on a mission to trace my family on my Grandmother's side. It's a long, long story, and I won't bore you with the details, but I managed to trace my Great Grandfather, Arthur Gray, who turns out to have been mum's friend's Grandad's brother, and my mother's Grandfather. This means Arthurs father was both my mother's and her friend's, Great Grandfather, making them cousins and my new Auntie!
Arthur had emigrated to Australia about 1914/15, joined the Australian army and went out to France in November of 1916. Sadly he was killed on 14 February 1917.
But the amazing thing about this is that I found his army record on the National Archives of Australia website, and also his Red Cross records; how he was killed by a single bullet wound to the heart, and eye witness accounts from his friends and comrades.  
And so, tomorrow, I will be wearing my poppy with pride, to commemorate Arthur Gray and all the others who fought in the Great War and in all conflicts since.

For Peace and Freedom, we thank you.

In Flanders Fields 

by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD. Canadian Army (1872-1918)

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row

That mark our place; and in the sky

The Larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow

Loved and were loved, and we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

One more chapter towards my book

My two year long holiday is over and I am going back to work. I will be joining the rest of you on the A1 at rush hour. 40 hours a week will be dedicated to serving a different cause. Work, work, busy, busy.
How I'm looking forward to it!
You know how much I love Weston, but sometimes even Weston gets tedious. Especially on those days when I don't leave the house other than to walk the dog and when I don't see another human being between the hours of dawn and dusk. Well, all that's a thing of the past. Onwards and upwards.
And what's more, I'll be getting paid!