Pat on the back!!

Despite having a jippy tummy all morning and not being able to leave the house!! I managed to do the understairs cupboard and one or two of my snuggery ones too, AND started on the second wall in the bedroom!! I lie in bed pondering the whether's:- plaster and paint v paper and paint. The jury is still out on this one! Ideally I would love to plaster the walls properly so that they finally get a smooth finish and the option for papering still remains on one wall, but nicely painted silky walls are still for the other ones.
I've had to push back the thought of new bedroom furniture until maybe the end of this year . . . we so want to do the kitchen side to give us more space, and we cannot do both. I watched the Ikea programme yesterday where they Fix This Kitchen and give someone a brand new one in place of the terrible one they have already. Please someone give me up for this make-over!!!! We all love to cook here and the space we have is tiny and simply not large enough for our ambitions! Apart from the Boretti I would be  happy to get rid of everything else, and start again...................even a small space like ours could be so much more efficient (sigh). I know exactly how it would look too....................(small splodge on the keyboard).
However, there are so many other dreams and wishes if truth were told, so if I start to think about all of them as well, the beautiful sunshine outside would not cheer me up and that would be sad.
Queenie Day here in Holland!! The world turns orange today and shortly there will be a parade of decorated bicycles and the local harmonie (band) parading along our streets and park. I don't tend to get involved with it much - we are going out on our bikes this afternoon, Gloria and I, and that will be nice enough. A Thai Curry for dinner, the footie for Tim  and settled for the day. Just the morning to get through first, and more chores. Finka was in and out of the garden yesterday as it rained a teeny tiny amount only, and I am still thinking about moving those slabs round to the front to use as steps in the garden. Might just manage that today!
Have a good one where ever you are and be safe. Think I am ready for my first coffee in the garden with Finks - Will is still too young to be let out on his own.
Sue xx

Rain, rain, go away . .

come after bank holiday again!!!
A typical start to a long weekend!!! I wonder why it is almost too predictable every time?
Luckily I did the garden yesterday so all the weeds are gone for a time anyway, and we look presentable again.
I have no plans for today so I suppose rain is not a problem for me and the cats. Just think, we would have been on holiday since yesterday if we hadn't moved it to later in the year?!! I suppose I ought to be happy as maybe the weather will be better by then!!! I think even the heating might have to go on today since it is really awful outside.
Better get up now too I suppose and tackle that cupboard I was talking about sorting . . . .am I in the mood for it? Definitely not!!!
Sue xx

recent photos

A Chocolate Cake for work.

Will with his beloved Mousey.

Said Mousey . . Finka has one as well!!

Wool for my granny squares.

And some I made earlier!!

There were two in the bed and the larger one said . . 

Will suspended between the bed and the stool!

The cutest cat on the block!!!

So, I seem to have been up to a lot lately whilst my arm has been recovering but not more than usual really. I made some cakes for work this week so this was one of them  . . . tasted great! I made an Orange Cake too which is delicious and not one I've tried before. And a Coffee and Walnut and a Fruit Cake . . . all for a good cause.
Then we have my granny squares which eventually will transform themselves into a bed blanket for Becci & Ric's bed in their new home. I've done quite a few now and like the colours a lot, so it is going to be good when I finish it - hopefully for October so I can take it over when we go on holiday.
And finally here is Willoughby. 4 months old and already dominating the scene!! Finka adores him but stands no messing so there are times when the fur flies - and today my beautiful large blue bowl as well - but all in all, she is recovering her spirits since Will arrived and Genghis rested in peace in the garden.
It was very difficult deciding what was best under the circumstances but then fate stepped in and made it possible so we are so grateful about that. An exchange system is perhaps not  a bad thing after all when money is an issue!!! The main thing is that all is well with Finka and Will and we have happy cats once again.
It's a bank holiday weekend here so hopefully it is going to be sunny!! Now my arm is recovering I hope I can do some weeding in the front garden and place the stepping stones ( slabs from the back) where I want them etc. Tim is off to his girlfriends and I have no plans other than perhaps a bike ride on  Monday weather permitting. If anything I need the time to haul out all the clutter from under the stairs and sort that cupboard out again. A sort of spring cleaning burst of enthusiasm perhaps . . and there is still the wallpaper stripping to tackle if it rains . . .plenty to occupy me anyway.
Have a good one where ever you are!!
Sue xx
Sue xx

weird . . .

ok, just trying to get to grips with the new style blogger and experiencing several problems . . . will keep this short but wanted to say that my arm is slowly improving although I had the blood test yesterday and that seems to have triggered the muscle spasm off again. Lots of tingling in my fingers and arm so not going to post much right now, but will hopefully be back on track soon!!!
Sue xx

diagnosis

Apparently I have got Thoracic Outlet Syndrome which means that there is a nerve trapped in my neck due to the muscles being too tense and narrowing the outlet for the nerve!! It took Dr Bakker just a couple of presses on my neck to discover the problem!! Ouch!! I am busy trying to contact a physio to treat it for me as soon as possible, please.
So here I sit painfully typing a few lines. It was Tim's 19th birthday yesterday - wow, last year in the teens.
We had his 'do' on Saturday which we enjoyed of course, and thank everybody for coming over. Last night we went out as a family and celebrated it quietly together. Tim had to get up for work so early that there was no chance of making a night of it for him!!! Both the children nearly grown up is quite a thing really - so proud of them both.
I'm still loving THE VOICE on Saturday evenings. The last guy on this time was phenomenal and I loved his voice and presence on stage. He could win . . . . .
It remains cold here sadly with some frost apparently this morning though not here!! The bargains in the garden centres are so tempting but for some plants it is still too risky to put them outside. I love Fuschia's  but they need warmth so too soon....I love so many plants that I sat down at the weekend and wrote all the ones I have my eye on for the garden, as well as the ones we already have, and it is quite a nice list!
Ok, pain increasing rapidly so going to make a coffee and do some more reading for work.
Sue xx

painful arm

means typing is  ridiculously slow and painful with one hand! hence no blogging right now - sorry!!!!
Hope to be able to cope with it in the next few days once I figure out how to do it differently . . .
Sue xx

Easter Sunday

Did you watch The Boat Race? What a farce this year with a swimmer getting in the way and the race being halted and then restarted only to find that Oxford lost an oar and Cambridge won by default!!!! I think there will be many enquiries going on about decisions made etc. Shame, it was ruined in the end.

The sun came out yesterday so we managed to sit in the garden with our pre-lunch Bucks Fizzes and enjoy the moment. Soon went in again however, in the afternoon so no bike rides for us! I must compliment myself on the Scallops Started; it was delicious and even Tim who never eats seafood, decided it was fine.
My friend has eaten in the Rick Stein Fish Restaurant in Padstow so I am firmly convinced that we have to do this when we are holidaying in Cornwall later this autumn!! If Tim will now eat fish, then its fine. But we will have to book to get it apparently! Just 6 months away now - where is this year going?!
In the end it was a Pavlova and the Queen of Puds as Tim wanted both. Yummy! My focus is now on the coming weekend and what to make for Tim's birthday bash. I think the youngsters will want to frituur some stuff so I can leave that up to them, but I fancy doing something different . . .
I was reading Ineke's Easter Brunch menu and it sounded amazing! She is so good at planning the buffets for her family, I practically drool as I read her blog! I know what to get her for her 50th this summer!!!

Today is lazy day here. A day for doing as little as possible apart from catching up on stuff I have neglected over the past month ie. my admin! Top priority as it is beginning to pile up under my computer and needs filing. We deserved a pat on the back this year as we actually got money back from the water company!! That's a first, right?! Proves our money saving efforts are worthwhile; just got to work on the electricity in a certain person's room . . .

Anyway, enjoy all your chocolate eggs and have a safe and fun bank holiday.
Sue xx

its raining....must be a bank holiday!!!

I set my alarm at one a.m this morning to ensure Tim woke up on time; he did!
I heard my phone ring at four a.m this morning so I woke up to answer it.
I fell back asleep until the heavy rain falling woke me up again at six a.m.
I went back to sleep - the best of the whole night, after that, until I finally knew it was time to get up and feed the cats around eight a.m!!! So, this is bleary-eyed me ( not quite 'black-eyes peas' but does rhyme)!!
sitting here tapping out my state of alertness on this wet Easter Saturday, and wishing you all
HAPPY EGGS!!!

First thing I did on the old apple was to search for recipes for Sticky Chicken Thighs! I was dreaming about them as I have got some in the freezer and in a weeks time Tim will celebrate his birthday and I thought they might go down well with his guests. So Nigel and Jamie have both got suitable offerings to tempt me into the kitchen to cook them later in the week!
Tim came home with the first Easter marzipan and fruit stollen that I have actually tasted and loved! It was a surprising change from the ones I have tried before and I especially loved the hidden icing surprise under all those fantastic nuts!! So anyone wanting one ought to run along to BOTMAN Bakery and buy them before they all run out!! Cheers, Nico - delicious!
I was trying to decide what to bake for Easter having failed miserably before with my Chelsea Buns, but since we have now got this at home, it feels unnecessary to go to such lengths to bake more carbohydrates we are not supposed to be eating! I did find the Scallops in Deen that I wanted for starters tomorrow; a Rick Stein recipe sounded too nice to ignore, but I am undecided between a Pavlova or a warm pudding like Tim's favourite - Queen of Puddings . . .jury still out on that one but we are going to have the fabulous Chicken Gougere a la Suzanne once again as it is a super main and nice and easy to prepare. Hope Gloria will enjoy it as much as we do!!

Still suffering from a painful arm which is a bother as I have such a lot to catch up on really, but anyway, first things first - get dressed!!!
Sue xx

Easter...

Thinking about what to cook.
Thinking about what to do.
Thinking about doing nothing.
Thinking about reading, crotcheting, sleeping, cycling, gardening, baking, sleeping again!!!
Thinking my thoughts and enjoying getting lost in our cookery books!
Takes my mind off other things  . . . .
Sue xx

Frustrating pain

in my right arm and shoulder is driving me mad!! It is tingling so that means a nerve is irritated, and it is agony to do some movements especially in my shoulder blade and all up my arm is just so painful!! I didn't drive yesterday as it needs some rest, but I am not sleeping well either as I cannot toss and turn over from side to side etc. Aagh! I am fed up!

Tim and I have put up the new blinds at long last, but oddly enough one pattern is a different shade to the other two, so now they look odd!! I didn't notice at the time I bought them as they were the same pattern and together on the row, so never thought twice about it . . .serves me right I suppose! My guess is that the smaller one is a new batch and it has a darker print, so now I will have to search for the older batch and replace it when I get chance. It will be ok until then no doubt.

Where has the lovely weather gone?! The garden is blossoming well but we can't enjoy it now that it is so much cooler. And snow at Easter? Well, we have had it before so I suppose it can happen again.

Off to the vets now for some salve for Finka's eyes. I think they are sore and not getting better on their own, so mum to the rescue!!!
Sue xx