1000 miles YIPEEEEEE

Hello. Here is a little video in celebration of me reaching 1000 miles. Hip hip hooooray.



Eight days left of this month, let's all keep on walking and make the 31st a good ending for us all.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip.

Not ready for the knackers yard yet

Hello. It's looking like it's going to be a day indoors today, I have lots to keep me occupied so I'm happy to stay in. I had an email come through a few days ago which needs a reply, and rather than spend time writing personally to the reader I thought I would share it here, in case the subject matter strikes a chord with  anyone else. I copy and paste part of the letter here, the readers is a similar age to myself.

I wanted to ask your advice please.   Being childless as we are, what will happen to us when we get infirm?  Who will take care of us?  I'm not scared about getting older but what terrifies me is getting infirm and I must admit to losing sleep over this issue as time goes on.  Friends are now too busy with grandchildren so they don't bother with me much any more and I'd value your thoughts.  

Hello and thank you for your questions. Everyone approaches old age in their own way, and a lot of how you deal with it depends on your outlook on life leading up to this point. You used the word 'terrifies', twice, which makes me think that you have had some worries which have caused you some concerns in the past. Learned behaviour over a long period of time is harder to change. I will answer your questions from my own perspective, which may or may not be in line with your own ideas. We have led completely different lives, so the way I see things will probably not be the same for you. We may lead similar lives now, but our journey to get to this stage will depend on the path we chose. My learned behaviour will be different to yours.  

What will happen to us when we get infirm? I don't worry about getting infirm, because I don't think it will happen to me. I don't go looking for the negatives, I see myself as an independent woman with no health issues, who hopes to stay active until the very last. I see older people in my village who make the effort and go out every day, even though they move around quite slowly. OK, it's negativity which drags you down. Negativity which makes you stay in bed longer, makes you sit in front of the gogglebox for hours, and makes you stop caring about your surroundings. I am up with the lark, looking forward to each day. I fully immerse myself in keeping busy, and keeping the old grey matter working. I don't have time for negative thoughts. Every day for me is a bonus and I don't want to waste any of it. 

Who will take care of us?  Well that's an easy one, ME. I am already taking care of me right now, I am the only one responsible for my well being. Mind you, at 68 I am only a spring chicken, but I am planning to live another 20 years. I see my future as my responsibility. The plan is to keep on doing what I am doing now. Eating the right food, keep walking, keep active in my body and my mind. Ok, so I might be unlucky and fall ill at some point, but it won't be because I have abused my body, it will be because there is something in my genetic make up which I have inherited. 

I hope to live independently for as long as I can, and if the worst comes to the worst, I will go into sheltered accommodation or a care home. I don't expect any members of my family to look after me. 

You mention friends with grandchildren don't bother with you much. I'm afraid that's the way it is and we just have to accept that. My family don't bother with me much, but that's OK, they have families, they have to go to work, and they are struggling to make ends meet. They have enough to think about. I have a mix of friends, some are single like me, and some are looking after grandkids. It was my choice not to have kids of my own, so I cannot now complain that I have no one to visit me. 

I accept that I will face old age alone. It's very rare I think about how the end of my life will pan out, because I am a long way from it. Yes, luck plays a part, and my time could be cut short, but why worry about something that may never happen. 

Dear reader, if you are losing sleep now, you are on a downward slope. Getting enough sleep is very important to your health and well being, so you are sabotaging what could be your happy and prosperous life. I don't like to give advice because inevitably you are in charge of your own destiny, but I will say this to anyone who wants to listen. Live each day as if it was your last. Make each minute count, don't waste any of it. Wake up every morning and be grateful that you have woken up, and you have a fresh new day to fill. Think of how best to spend your bonus day, how to make the most of it, what will give you the most joy, the most pleasure, and do it.  

Dear Reader, you asked me another question, I will cover that in another post. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.Toodle pip

PS. Some of you have been reading this while I have been editing it. I've been struggling to get the font the right size, always happens with copy and paste. 

Going round in circles

Hello. It is very windy in North Lincolnshire tonight, it has been all day. I nearly got blown over while doing my walk this afternoon. I checked the summer house, it's still standing, a couple of the screws holding the plastic roof on had come loose so I climbed up the side and screwed them back down. Handy having the pallets on the outside, saves having to get the step ladder out. 

I've been searching my stash, and it's a big stash, for rings, any kind, metal, wooden, plastic, any size. I am having a go at a project featured in a copy of Stitch magazine from earlier in the year, or was it last year, they never put the year on the front cover. 

Heidi is watching over the proceedings. It involves wrapping thread around the rings. Looking quite good so far. I'm enjoying playing. I'm going to get back to it so I'll say goodnight.

Thanks for popping in, enjoy your Sunday, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

My porridge runneth over.

Hello. I had a little accident with the porridge this morning. I normally make it in a pan on the hob, but I thought I would have a change and do it in the microwave. While I am preparing food I usually find other jobs to do at the same time, I have no patience when it comes to waiting for food to cook. I set the timer to a couple of minutes, then went back to it, not ready so set it for another two minutes. Then checked the emails, and look what I found. Oh dear. 

It was a bit too solid so I added a splash of milk and some yellow sticker strawberries which I had frozen, it was fine.

I've been rearranging things today. There was a space where the treadle sewing machine was. I was using it as a table so something needed to go in it's place. Upstairs in the office I have a cupboard with a glass door, my friend gave it to me, it used to hold her stereo unit.I pulled everything out of it and very carefully lowered it down the stairs, step by step. It is just the right size to fill the space, and I can put things inside it as well as on top of it.

Then I had to find something to put all the files in which I had taken out. Luckily I had salvaged a set of plastic drawers from the skip. They needed a wash so I did that outside on the table. Now everything is put away, so that's one job done. I need to sort out my boxes of crafty bits and bobs, I keep saving things in case they might come in useful for something, and I don't know what is at the bottom of the boxes.

Another little job I did today was to strip out the plastic inserts from a wooden CD storage unit. Something else salvaged from the skip. It's quite a big size, storing three stacks of CD's in an upright position. If I turn it on it's side, it makes a nice shelf unit. I'll keep it and find a use for it.

I went to town yesterday, stocked up on Heidi's wet cat food, but found that Poundstretcher don't have any of their favourite dry Ultima left. I suspected that they have stopped making it when other shops ran out. Oh dear, I have two bags left, I think they will be sulking when that's gone and I have to put out a different brand. I went into the bank to take out some cash and pay my credit card bill. I also changed the two old £1 coins that I found. I did a top up shop at Aldi as well.

That's all for tonight. Brain has stopped working, now winding down. I am in the habit of going to bed early and getting up early at the moment. 5am this morning, make a mug of coffee and back to bed for a read.

Thanks for popping in, enjoy your weekend, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

How to make an indoor mini garden

Hello. I spotted this wooden letter rack in a charity shop last week, it was tossed in the bargain box, everything 50p. Hmmmm, no scratches or chips, maybe I could do something with it. It looks like it's been engraved, but probably mass produced in some sweatshop somewhere. I expect a lot of letter racks are lying around redundant now, hardly any letters come through my door any more. 

I have an idea. First paint it in a pale shade of apple green. Then colour in the flowers with felt tip pens. Cut some pieces of polystyrene to fit in the bottom, and top with some pieces of green mesh bags.

I have some sticky back felt, from the Scrapstore, cut some leaf shapes and enclose small pieces of wire in between two leaves.

Then make some Sussex Puff flowers and attach longer pieces of wire to the back of them. Cover the stems with strips of felt, twisting the leaves in as well.

Next some greenery is needed. Take a small piece of cotton fabric and cut strips into it. Stick a small piece of wire to it with tape, and roll tightly, hold it together with a few stitches.

I made some small flowers with red and blue felt, also sticky back. I curled the top of the wire into a circle so it wouldn't pull out.

With all the pieces ready then I made my flower arrangement. Cut the wires to the right length, and stick them into the polystyrene. I could have added some embroidery and beads to the felt pieces but I think it's alright as it is.

Where best to photograph it. Outside on the table by the back window.

Or on the mantle shelf above the gas fire in the living room.

I am mighty chuffed with this. A little bit of garden indoors, to cheer the room up. An idea to make something new out of all those redundant little containers you have lurking at the back of the cupboard. Give it a go. If you don't have stickyback felt you can use any felt, just stitch the back and front together with blanket stitch.

Raining today and I have to go to town. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip