February furtle

Victoria Sampler has a huge place in my heart, some of my fondest memories of stitching with chums stem from VS. There was an embroidery shop/workshop in Aberdeenshire called Gamrie classics they were in a huge lodge in the coastal countryside. The classes were up in the attic with beautiful views across the coast. I went there several times for classes with some very dear friends this is where I first came across Victoria Sampler, Gamrie classics had all the accessory packs and patterns, I've made many and they all still hang in my house. It was always such a treat to go, the owners were lovely the husband would make a lovely lunch for us and we could sit at a huge dining table with linen napkins for soup and sandwiches all home made, as this was the 80s there was no Internet so the husband would run up to the attic where the classes were and tell us the football score if Aberdeen was playing 🤣🤣 it was a different time, we've been through so much me and those chums.

So VS is very special,  she is winding down a bit so when I saw these two charts and the accessory pack I had to have them, one last thing from VS.

These will be first on my list when I'm able to sew again 😊

I really can't justify buying any more kits or patterns! So I decided to buy some needle minders instead, I do love these, want to make some nice pouches for my embroidery with some of my lovely Japanese fabrics and have a needle minder for each project 

February look back

I'm now able to add a few more steps in when I go to the main bathroom or landing for my walks, so i pop into scoobs bedroom to add some more in 😊 he likes to show me that his Donkey Cookie is well looked after 🤣

 Well I am trying to overcome my shower anxiety, Robin suggested just sitting in the water for a minute no washing I think it's worked. Only done it once but it was OK, 🤞🤞

So sad the lovely lady who makes these prints passed away, I was wanting to buy more so hot these for the bungalow 😊 the bats will remind us of our lovely walks to see the bats up here

I have developed a taste for these my indulgence 😊

I was the first finisher for the selkies chilly challenge 🎉🎉

Woolly Bob has been keeping me company on my visits to the landing 😊

Some valentines day chilly challenge fun 🤣

Does GD come with you on your walks?? Silly question 🤣🤣

He's always there ❤️

Saying hello to cookie!

All the horses/donkeys are there! On one of Mark's cycle rides 😊

This just took my heart ❤️  a lovely chum has been writing to me using lovely notepaper, on a visit to her nephew she got him to write to me on his lovely polar bear notelets 💕💕

Postcard from her visit to Tirzah Garwood exhibition 

Fabric she is using for seeing box

So! How has February been? I'm keeping a short note of where I am every month this is where we are now:

January - Start walk to landing x2 no sit

January -End walk to landing x4 sit x2

February -End landing sit x3, sewing room x1, 15 mins, face wash, shower x1 week

Februrary seasons

 So welcome February! This is the far left corner of the garden and neither of us can remember what the tree is 🤦‍♀️ once it's blooming again i can look it up

February has been mixed, I had the window open one day and today it's snowing 

This months picture has been taken on my new phone,  I do think its making a difference 

January

February 

 

January look back

Well January has been quite the month 😊 up down and all over the place 😆 started off with some upset and emotion which set me back but amongst all that there is kindness and friendship, beautiful irises from Jacky, simply the best chum you could wish for, Grey Donkey agrees!

He does love a tuck in from the cleaners 😆

The Selkies chilly challenge continues! New hair cut too 😆

Woolly Bob got a wee outing 😊
 
I walk too the landing and sit too look out, lovely flowers from Jacky

Mark had to go into work so we are isolating, but we chat via what's app,  GD wanted to say hello and Mark took a screenshot, hysterical 😆😆

Emma wanted some silliness for the chilly challenge, happy to oblige!

Double trouble! GD and cookie having fun!

Our cleaner has been having a hard time bless her but she came and cleaned us and made a wee shrine of my cards and pebble for Mark ❤️

We got our fancy loo rolls

I had my physio catch up GD came too 😊

Looking at bungalows ...... this one peaked my interest 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

January furtle

 Well! Still no "actual" Crafting in January but hey who knows let's hold out for February 😊 but it is time to retire some notebooks! Well not retire but complete them and store away until I can finish the embroidery they are for, first up is this wee beauty, it's been used to store the temperatures for both my 2023 and 2024 temperature embroideries, I think I have 4 months of 2024 to finish off so will store this away until I'm ready 

This is the cover, I bought this notebook on my lovely visit to Bath in 2019, its from the Americsn museum there which had an exhibition of Kaffe Fassett quilts, what a lovely day that was 😊

Next up is my emotions tracker 2024, this came with the pre printed embroidery I'm using, again about 4 months to fill in when I can 

I've decided not to track temperatures any more 3 years is enough but it is interesting to track emotions but I'm going to do that digitally from now on, I have a spreadsheet and it's all colour coded 😊

I wasn't going to subscribe to any more cross stitch boxes but them I saw this 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ I adore stitchrovia Emma Congdon and this was too pretty to pass up and its so true as well 💖

January 2025 reading and Storygraph

Murder at the Vicarage- Agatha Christie 

What can I say, classic Agatha Christie, this must be the second or third time I've read this and it never disappoints. Twists turns and Miss Marple just a joy 5 🌟

The Jack of Hearts murders a Shilling and Florin book, 1 by Kate Haley

I really wanted to like this book but in the end it just wasn't for me. An intriguing alternative setting but I struggled to get much of a feel for this universe, the characters are amiable and maybe it develops.more in the rest of the series 3 🌟

Death on the Boardwalk:A Myrtle Beach mystery book 1 by Caleb Wygal

I gave it 3 🌟 but in all honesty this didn't grab me felt a bit "paint by numbers"

Confessions of a demonically possessed librarian by James Wright

Rollicking good fun! Light hearted horror, plot clips along nicely 4.5 🌟

Open Season by C.J. Box

Loved this, great main characters, intriguing story good pace kept me gripped 4.5 🌟

The Canningtown murder by Mike Hollow

I struggled with this book, there was enough plot and character development so that I didnt dnf it but for me it dragged

The plot was interesting and there was a good sense of place and time but for me it didn't move quickly enough 3.5 🌟

H.G. Wells stories on Audible

Fantastic compendium of Wells main stories with a great set of Narrators 4 🌟

Cemetery lodge by Paula Hillman

Great book, loved the characters some nice twists and turns a good solid 4 🌟

The Crone of midnight embers by Iris Beaglehole

I struggled with this book to be honest, the writing was enjoyable but the plot just dragged 3🌟

The Signalman by Charles Dickens on Audible 

I love this story and really wanted to like this version more, Sam Mendes is a great narrator but the sound effects really spoiled it for me they felt clunky and intrusive 3.5 🌟

The beauty queen by Sally-Anne Martyn

Absolutely loved this, a great twist on a time shift plot. Switching between the 80s and present day, great sense of time and atmosphere of the 80s very well done. I loved the main character and her back story. Well written and absorbing 4.5 🌟

Red Rising by Pierce Brown on Audible 

It's just not for me, excellent narrator but I'm no in the mood for this DNF

Nettle and Bone by T Kingfisher on Audible

It just wasn't for  me DNF

Murder at ravens Edge by Louise Marley

I did mostly enjoy this book, very entertaining but oh my goodness the amount of plot twists was a bit dizzying 3.5 🌟

A thief in Stickleback Hollow by CS Wooley

I'm giving this a 3 because I think it is well written etc but it's just not for me 3🌟

So January was pretty productive, 13 books but quite a lot marked don't follow up which is fine I was testing put a few authors while I had the KU trial, I'm quite surprised I seem to like police procedural so much maybe its because I have found a few authors I like? Most books are series which I know I do like so not a surprise there, not too many DNF either.

January seasons 2025

So welcome January! There are many reasons to continue with taking my monthly seasons pictures in our garden.

Practically I'm still housebound so that's a major factor! But also we have made the decision to move house in 3 years time. I should hopefully have way more functionality by then an our mortgage will be paid off. So I want to document our lovely house over the next 3 years

This is the far left corner of the garden and neither of us can remember what the tree is 🤦‍♀️ once it's blooming again e can look it up!

We are still gobsmacked at how much scotrail have cut down behind us you can really see it here