Yorkshire is covered under a remarkably thick layer of snow. So thick that the miracle happened- I was allowed to close my shop at 6.30! After taking an amazing 188 bets (and a few menacing phone calls, I have to admit) all day, the powers that be decided to let us go early. YAY!
Sometimes, snow seems to bring out the best in people. Like their bums. Don't believe me? Look at these ghastly ghostly captures of The Man braving the elements and, while he was at it, traumatizing the neighbours...
This was a few days ago, when the first layer of snow came down, and I am actually quite happy with the fact that my new stupid compact digital ALDI camera decided to capture a ghost rather than the full monty; at least I do not need to censor anything. Any questions?
Today, my little world looked like this:
Since the photos were taken, the amount of snow almoust doubled- I am kind of giddy about it, even though I am aware of the downsides that come with it.
Tomorrow, I will buy some food for our feathered friends and make sure they have a little landing area in the garden. If I make it up the hill to the shops. If not, they'll have to make do with what I find in the house.
And since there is bugger all else to do, there's loads of time to craft- look at my new necklace!
All you need is crappy pencils the kids reject because they are, well, crappy, a drill, a cutting tool and a few jewellery findings. Behead the pencils, drill holes, connect with eye pins, add chain, wear with pride and stick out from the crowd. Easy.
Tomorrow (hopefully), I will tell you a tale of overseas friendship and crazy jewellery that found its way to my house over the big, big pond. Stay tuned and behead some pencils while you wait! Love you all, folks, you are an amazing bunch.
Okay, so whoever marched into our home on Hallowe'en robbed us blind.
So, the insurance is being a ... female dog about paying anything.
So, I had to increase the overdraft on our poor old bank account to purchase a compact digicam at ALDI which, I can foresee, won't be my best friend anytime soon.
So, every time I see the now obsolete chargers for all our gadgets I want to cry and stomp my feet and slap somebody, anybody 'round the face. Mostly myself.
So- WHAT!
Our feline babies are alive and kicking, sweet as ever and then some.
The Man has lovingly fixed an old mobile phone (which had officially been pronounced dead about 6 months ago) for me which is now good as new and works a treat- he even took my most favourite picture off it and installed it as a desktop background on "Holly", the reliant old machine he built himself from scratch years and years ago.
There were so many incredibly lovely comments and mails from people we have never personally met... I have come to firmly believe that the internet is a true blessing and far more than just a way of showing off what you're up to, paying your bills and keeping up with the latest nonsense. Wonderful people from all over the world dropped us a line (or two or three) of support, asking how we're keeping and generally giving us the big thumbs- up.
D'you know what, peeps? I won't lie to you and say that mere things don't matter. They do. My camera, an extension of myself, is gone. Hack off my arm and it'll feel the same in some instances. So many pictures are gone, and it sickens me to think about it. BUT, and it is a very big, fat, in- your- face but, as much as this incident shattered my last remnants of faith in mankind, it also restored it. The Man and I came out stronger than before, and I had opportunity to get a glimpse at how many unbelievably lovely people are out there who are ready to offer a kind word and a shoulder to cry on to mere strangers. Our cameras, phones and laptops gave us convenience, their being taken gave us a helluva lot more.
Here's to us, little burglar, UP YOURS.
And do you know how much stuff one gets done when there is only one PC which needs to be shared between two adults, one of whom is the rightful owner AND builder AND guildmaster of a (pretty cool) online game of aforementioned machine?
Thanks to my (pretty much self chosen) deprivation of most things online, I re- discovered a lost love. Model clay. FIMO, whatever you call it.
Please excuse the appalling quality of the pictures, but not only am I not used to that new camera- thingy yet, the light- conditions in our house in our city in our country in winter also don't help at all.
So, there are loads of owls that need finishing touches, a decidedly moody bat and two dragons. If my (ancient) model clay (which I bought in Germany years and years ago) was any more cooperative, I reckon the outcome would have been a tad more acceptable, but for a lass with no talent and sausage fingers I think I didn't do too bad. Please cut me some slack for the purple poopers, they are for my bff and actually have her name printed on their bums.
The brown owls ALL had eyes, but the eyeballs decided to fall off. As you do. So they need some plastic surgery before they are sent on their way to Germany to a particularly lovely Mum I am proud to call mine.
You might have seen my Mum on here before? She is incredible. Thoughtful, selfless, caring, nurturing, fiercely protective, over- bearing (in the best way possible!), generous, forgiving, respectful, sweet, unobtrusive, you name it. Well, she gave me a bell yesterday, which I sort of expected because my bloody landline had been dead for almost a week (again) and she wanted to know how we're getting along.
Well, phone rings, I hear her voice, she sounds... tense? I immediately freak out "Mum, whazzup? Are you okay? What has happened?" (The lass is a cancer survivor, you start getting paranoid about little things as your mums voice sounding different, trust me) She's like "Awwwwwwwww, good to finally reach you, been trying, blah blah, how are you, how are the cats, yaddayaddayadda" "Right, mum, WHAT IS IT???" And she starts telling me this little story.
She went to work yesterday morning. It was early, it was cold.
She heard a blackbird kick off as if it felt threatened... you know, this frantic chirpie- cheep thing they shoot off when there's a cat about. That's what Mum thought, so she looked around for the suspect.
My Mum is 53, and what she saw that moment was something she' d never seen before in her life.
An owl.
Well big according to her, larger than a magpie (her words) with a white- ish face and chest.. It looked at her with disdain (as owls do) and elegantly made an exit.
My beautiful, loving, mindful Mum took this as a sign. She immediately thought of me as I have a thing for owls. So straight after her shift, she grabbed the phone and made sure everything is alright in my neck of the woods. We are not superstitious, religious or otherwise spiritually inclined, but there are certain things that strike chords in us. A wee robin saved us from losing it during our aunties funeral (the little birdie sat in a tree nearby, singing away and enjoying itself with no care in the world like she would have done... minus the sitting in the tree part) and we both just held on to each other sort of knowing looking at it would keep us sane). And the night after I had to let my beloved first cat, Penny, go, for the first time in my life (and still the only time) I met a fox. It was late at night, I could not sleep for crying and went outside... and there was the fox. He or she did not shy away from me but walked with me for a minute or two before our ways parted. It was the day of the fox (or should I say night) and I decided right there and then that no matter what logic, science, brain and lifetime experience tell me, there is more between heaven and honeycomb than a dog cares to reveal.
Hey, this was a much longer post than I intended it to be. I meant to thank you all for your support, understanding and love in the last 2+ weeks- you are an incredible bunch and when I count my stars, you are on top of the list. Without The Man and you lot, I think I would have packed up and buggered off back to Germany, but you all managed to turn one of the most intimidating and discouraging situations of my life into an experience I wouldn't want to miss, even for the sake of getting my stuff back. (And I claim this after The Man provided me with a candlelight bath with classic music, a VERY relaxing bath foam and a nice, light glass of wine to get the tension out of head, legs and shoulders. I am so blessed!)
A great, big I LOVE YOU to The Man and every single one of you who have turned an impersonal internet to a source of support and friendship.
after a weekend of bliss with the weans, we went out last night to celebrate our engagement. This was supposed to be a really lovely post with loads of pictures, but after a great night out with loved friends around us, this morning we woke up to the fact that we were burgled during the night.
Whoever did it must have come in during the night, taking 2 laptops, 2 mobile phones, 2 digital cameras and my purse. Including wallet, bank cards and whatnot.
It took The Man all day to get the old PC (he calls her Holly) hooked up to the internet, and it took me all day to sort out the bank, mobile phone provider and insurance.
I am not too sure if the insurance is gonna pay up- front, in which case I might be unable to replace what has been taken straight away. I could cry over the fact that my camera is gone. Nikon D40 with loads of pictures still on it. And the pictures that weren't on the camera were on the laptop.
the most horrifying bit is that they actually left the front door open for all my cats to get out. None of them did. Not one. Can you imagine how little I care about the things being taken in comparison to thinking what could have happened? Main road ten meters away, none of my feline babies used to life outdoors. I am trying not to think about any of it and just stay angry.
What a way to celebrate an engagement.
I will get back to normal posting asap, just meant to inform you so you don't think I'm abandoning blogland or anything. As soon as I get anything resembling a camera, I shall bug you again with loads of wacko pictures, promise! Just stick with me for a little while while we get our stuff and life back.
Luv ya
S
Be safe!
For this particular piece of bliss all you need is a Hello Kitty pair of plastic sunglasses, a charity shop Fez, a charity shop beggars hat and a particularly gorgeous daughter. If you don't have a daughter on hand, an incredibly gorgeous niece/ goddaughter/ granddaughter/ neighbour/ randomly sourced orphan will do.
Once you have this gorgeous lassie, take a nutcase (it helps if it's male with a serious case of gaga) and let him loose.
Tell the girl it'll be alright, she won't be all over the internet.
Take truckloads of pictures.
Congratulate yourself on the fact that you just took truckloads of immensely gorgeous pictures on a dime.
Blog it.
Kiss her goodnight and remember what she said.
And I quote.
If you steal the stars and stick them to the walls with blue tac, they'll shine for you!
So... the minions (cheers, Sunny! Abigail has a new favourite word) are 'round, and since things in the Three Bed Semi are not done your average ole way, it was "dress up your offspring- day" today. Minion A is only 8 and has never been exposed to the real meaning of Hallowe'en before, and minion Aa, who this post is all about, is only 4 and even more blissfully unaware. Yet. Count your stars, guys.
I will not over- elaborate on anything, just be told that Aa(ron) is an incredible kid. Immensely well- behaved, clever, sweet, helpful, patient an LOL funny.
Here is his transformation from parents' dream to dead zombie pirate skull rotting monster ghost thing formerly known as The Bad Guy in The Mummy. Err.
Yeah, the lad is wearing my shirt. And it took me bleeding ages to get that pathetic mirror shot. But can you see how much fun there is to be had with virtually nothing? His cape/ tunic is an old pirate flag his dad cut up, and the face paint was a leftover from his big sister's last stayover.
Hell, I don't even like kids!! Can you tell how this lot stole my heart?
I noticed today how little effort (and even less money) it takes to entertain kids. And their fathers.
Beforehand, we went out and bought some toys to make sure every eventuality is covered, but it turned out that a wiggly cat toy (for Aaron) and our sheer attention (for Abigail, who will be featured in the very next post) were a helluva lot more catching than anything you could ever buy.
So, if you have wee ones in your life, try the cat approach. Bin the toy and give them the box it came in.
Kinda restored my dented faith in mankind.
Cheers, little Mister. Your ears are still ridiculously big.
Every three months or so, my company sends so- called mystery shoppers 'round. They have to fill in a questionnaire about their in- shop experience, the service they receive, cleanliness and all kinds of stuff.
Last week, I was unfortunate enough to encounter a mystery shopper... and fortunate enough to spot him. It's relatively easy when you know what to look for as they tend to be strangers, lurk about the shop and ask daft questions.
Well, my mystery shopper was so happy with me that he answered the question "which was the best part of your visit to shop xyz" with "The friendly customer service I received"
Cheers, mate! Truth be told, I wouldn't have been THAT good if I hadn't known it was the mystery shopper. I would have still been polite and friendly, but the reason I could answer his question instantly was that I could easily predict what it would be and looked it up while he stealthily (...) inspected the toilets for cleanliness.
My manager knows all this, but the fancy suits that receive the reports don't. So now they think I am, to say the least, the bees' knees. I'm dead chuffed! Of course I actually AM the bees' knees without a doubt anyway, but you guys knew that all along.
So, a bit of deception and a sixth sense go a long way in the life of a CSA in a bookies. Interesting. It also helps to give people a fair share of quality abuse rather than "Yes, sir, no, sir, thank you, sir". Seems to make them feel at home, and as long as they think that "Hell, man, I can't believe you're still here, don't you have a bloody life??" is just banter, all is well.
As much as I moan about work, there are good bits. Very good bits. For example the fact that it's so dead at night that I managed to finish off a crocheted cat hat (beanie with ears) and little cuffs for Abigail to wear tomorrow. She and her little brother Aaron are going to pop 'round tomorrow, and instead of taking them for Trick and Treating, we are going to dress them up as cat and dog and watch, well, Cats And Dogs. All I have to do now is crochet a little doggie beanie for Aaron, whip up a tail and take tons of pictures tomorrow when their Dad turns them into Fido and Fluffy. Well, in this case, Cerberus and Sekhmet! I'll show off what I came up with tomorrow or Sunday, as now it is time for Folksy Friday.
According to the omniscient Wikipedia, Samhain is a Gaelic festival held on October 31–November. The Irish name Samhain is derived from Old Irish and means roughly "summer's end''. A harvest festival with ancient roots in Celtic polytheism, it was linked to festivals held around the same time in other Celtic cultures, and continued to be celebrated in late medieval times. Due to its date it became associated with the Christian festival All Saints' Day and greatly influenced modern celebration of Halloween.
I thought I'd pay tribute to the elders and give you a glimpse at what Folksy has to offer where it comes to Celtic and Gaelic inspired pieces.
As always, a click on the pic will take you straight to the shop.
Love y'all, have a wonderful Samhain/ Hallowe'en/ All Saints' Day if I don't see you before.
Please remember, if you see anything that tickles your fancy on Folksy, most sellers ship internationally, and it won't cost the world. Highstreet was yesterday!
Guys, just a quickie before work. Honi soit qui mal y pense!
I have recently experimented with crocheting around beads. No way I am paying loads of money for them if I can whip them bad boys up myself! Give it a go, no explanation needed, if you can hold a crochet hook without stabbing yourself through the eye, you can do it.
Since it's Hallowe'en VERY soon and my beloved colleague Barbara has already got a pair of my Whee Ghostie earrings (and bought a pair for each of her daughters in law, the bats of Britain will appreciate it!), I thought I'd make her something to go with it out of an orange crochet bead.
Meet Jack O'Pendant and his 8 legged companion!
(sorry, the pictures are %$*&?!, but 'tis a dark ole day over here!)
The eyes are seed beads, the folds and mouth are stitched on. So easy, even I can do it.
It's not the best stitching job in the eorld, but the bugger is no bigger than a thumbnail, and should I ever join the Seamstresses' Guild, it will not be for my needlework skills.
