Goodbye 2012

Hello 2013. HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone out there!
I am saying goodbye to this blog today. It has served me well and I have thoroughly enjoyed posting over the years, but I need to move on in another direction so that is what I intend doing. It may take the form of another blog, or a journal or a bit of both, because the pleasure of writing remains. But I need to change my focus and do something different, and today is as good a day to start as any!!!

Thanks for following, reading, commenting, hopefully enjoying my little slice of blogspace. Bye!
Sue xx

Absent blogger

I've had a fall and am feeling rather sorry for myself! My knees are black and blue! It happened at the weekend when I slipped on black ice. Silly really  but it is impossible to stop oneself from going down!
My left knee is totally blue all over and all around as that was the first one to hit the ground. My right knee is swollen above the knee and has an impressive bruise on the inner side. Ouch! I twisted my neck at the time to avoid hitting my face on the ground but that is getting steadily more flexible and does not hurt any more.
I'd like some tender loving care please!
Sue xx

snow and ice

It's getting gradually colder isn't it?! Saturday morning going to Alkmaar with Tim and we had ice rain and such cold air! Still, getting into the shops was the only option, right?!!!
We managed to do a couple of his things but he spent Sunday there with Amber and they got a lot more done it would seem.
I went to see a friend and we walked around her village and then visited the local garden centre's Christmas Display. No where near as impressive as De Driesprong naturally but she got a few nice things including some lovely clip-on birdies .. . she loves birds! I reckon I can make some out of paper if I try. I have placed a couple of decorations in the living room to test Will's reactions to them. Baubles in glass bowls seem to be ok - my little Santa's as well . . . .will add more things this week and see how he does!!
Dentists today. Not looking forward to it that much but it is something I have avoided for a long time and that has run out! With health insurance being what it is here I need to go before the end of this year if I am to benefit from it; next year we can think about the next outstanding thing!!!
Right, off to brave the cold.
Be safe on the roads everyone.
Sue xx

pss. anyone know how to delete old photos on blogger so that I can add new ones? Seems my quota is up!!!!

December

1st and counting!!!! I usually make a 12 days of Christmas mini album and call that my December Daily and this year I am doing one again.
Take photos!!! That is the key to it, because otherwise I have  a pretty little album and nothing to show what we did!!
So with that in mind...off to fight the good fight in the town as Tim does his shopping!!
Sue xx

It's got to stop!

I am waking up at 4am and sitting down at the computer and working on things!!
I am making Christmas cards and reading and making notes.
I am not sleeping.
I am falling asleep at 8pm and missing out on things I want to do in the evenings!
My body clock is failing me....

I  ought to just roll over and go back to sleep.
I ought to get a drink of water and slip back into that comfy position again.
I am going to try it because I need to sleep.
Sue xx

Almost the end of 2012

and December is just around the corner now. Listening to radio 2 brings it all a little bit closer!! Here it is the last shopping weekend before 5 December - and guess what? Sonny boy wants to go shopping on Saturday for his presents!!! I suspect he has not got a long list, in fact, no list at all. I asked him what he was buying for his girlfriend; 'don't know.' And your sister? 'don't know.' ' I'd like a gift certificate from Douglas please"....'I have got something else in mind so no, you are not getting that!' Well, at least he knows what he is NOT going to buy!!!!!!
My children do not like surprises. They are inquisitive and plague me with questions or go feeling presents until they are satisfied they know what they contain. I was the same when young too, so hardly surprising is it? But I do like the fact that I can remember during the whole year what they have mentioned and liked, and even though it might not come as a surprise, it will be what they really, really wanted.
On that note I am going to get ready for my trip to Christmas Wonderland in Zoetermeer!! Todays the day Ineke and I have our annual winters day in the garden centre De Driesprong. Its my favourite for its showiness and huge range of decorations. I am expecting a lot from the creators once again this year!!!
Will take photos!
Sue xx

one little word

Have you started thinking which will be yours for 2013? I have certainly got a shortlist this time!!!!!
Of course we have to get past 21-12-12 first, but if all the disasters that have befallen us so far this year are not enough, then bring it on. I am hoping that by 22-12-12  I will have passed the worst and be heading for a brighter future.
It is such hard work, living in the now; being mindful; practicing thinking only about what is happening and not what has or what is going to. I'm not very good at it to be perfectly honest. After a period of not sleeping properly I have returned to the vivid dreaming I am prone to. If Steven Spielberg could only read my mind whilst I dream I reckon we would earn a fortune together!!!! Sometimes they make no sense at all and at others I can see what it is all about. I remember them word for word, I seem to dream a whole film or book at a time!! Tiring? Yes it is!! Suggestions? There is a programme about sleep disorders coming to the BBC soon; guess I will be watching that!

Last night I went to Ann's for Strictly. We sat and had coffee watching Pointless . . .got to the credits and bang, the TV went fuzzy and suddenly the picture disappeared as the titles for Strictly started to roll!! We tried everything and couldn't decide if it was her TV or Ziggo....what to do? Race back to ours, turn the TV on . . .same thing here so it was ZIGGO!!!!! Watched a film and waited for the text to come that all was restored and we could enjoy Merlin after all. Ahhh.....
I have just watched the Strictly clips on their site; what are Flavia and Louis playing at?!!! Dropping down the leader board!! I do like Vincent and his partner and she can dance so well....dark horse indeed. Not too keen on Denise and think Lisa is wonderful. So, still an open competition which is good. Last four weeks!!

I've had a week of being ill and am just starting to feel slightly better. Hence the absence of blogposts recently. Just can't seem to concentrate on anything for too long right now.

If you are in the flood areas of the UK - just watching it on the news is awful, so I cannot imagine how terrible it must be for you all. Living here the need to manage the water is such a  top priority that it seems sad that so much expertise and knowledge does not seem to be available in Britain. If the water gets the better of us here the whole country would go under. There have been disasters enough over the years, so the Dutch have learnt from them and got the whole thing nicely under control nowadays.
So, perhaps it will now be time for the government to wake up and sort it for everyone who is at risk of flooding and stop the tide.
On that note,
Sue xx

A selection box of Christmas cards

As promised, some of the designs I have created this year for our cards. Keeping it simple as I also vowed, and using my distress inks and polychromos pencils and not buying any new stuff!!!! It worked out quite well. I sourced some ideas and techniques from various crafters and used stamps I have not used for a while to keep it all as easy and pretty as possible. What do you think? Colouring using a water pen and the distress inks is great. Works fast and with the card stock it doesn't leak through to the other side of the paper as ordinary stazon will do etc. So all done. Maybe I will do some more now I am in the swing of things!!!!
Sue xx

A Sunday walk

Yesterday it was lovely weather here so my friend and I took the opportunity to do a walk around the dijk near her home. It was peaceful, no wind, just sunshine and lovely skies. Since we are suffering an extraordinary amount of rain this year, it was good to be outside in the dry for a change!!!
Sue xx