The monster under the bed! I am losing my zzzzzzzzzzz s!

Hello!

What have you all been doing since last week? Anything exciting?  Mr. Owl tree,  here at owl tree cottage is beginning to spring forth with leaf!

Mine has been a mixed week... poor George has gone all bent on me again, he is not straight at all!  He got in the car on Monday, stretched his leg on the clutch and did his back in again. Yes, he suffers from back trouble occasionally, and the strangest things can set it off! Once he was reaching for his toothbrush and it went on him big time! Poor George (big ahhhhhh here!), he has been in pain, and I have been in fits of laughter. I know, I know, thats awful, but he understands me after all these years, and my very strange sense of humour by now, and he deliberately trys to make me laugh by making comments!

I, very sadly have always been afflicted with inappropiate giggling!  I think it is nerves or something! For instance, when he came in from the car he told me that there were some children waiting for the bus across the road watching him struggle to get out of the car and then hobble to the house looking like he had had an accident in his pants! Then later on when he was coming down the stairs, very slowly and all hunched over, and I was trying so hard to contain myself,  he just had to say to me that I can laugh if I want, to which I reply... of course I won't laugh! Followed of course by the giggles and many apologies! Talking about apologies... what about Gordon Brown this week? Oh dear!

I on the other hand have had quite a good week on the back of it (sorry for the pun!). For one thing I have had his company for a few days, which is lovely!  And on wednesday night, he felt a lot better and ready to go back to work the next day ( he is so rarely off work sick, infact I always tease him and say that he schedules his flus, colds, etc., for weekends and holidays!) and we had a steak and wine, which we don't usually do mid-week! So I have enjoyed him being home and eating earlier in the evenings, having more time together...the weekends are so short and flash by so quickly... heavy sigh!  Last weekend we enjoyed yet another BBQ! The fresh sardine fillets were wonderful!

These veggie kebabs with the fresh prawns were delish!

Anyway, on the Monday night he could not get in the bed at all, and he slept on the armchair downstairs. He can sleep absolutely anywhere at all! (more George stories there! ), where as I on the other hand, can not! I have trouble with my sleep quite often. I am losing my zzzzzzzzzzzz s! In more ways than one! .... the z on my computer is on it's way out and I have to press really hard to get one, so soon I may be called Suie!  Bertie jumped on the keyboard and sent my little z  a flying!  I was reading THIS post (by a very lovely lady!) and it struck a cord with me. Also a lovely , lovely sweet friend on Facebook (if you are reading this, you know who you are! KAY!)  has trouble with the night time too.  During the day, mostly, I am a very positve and optimistic person... but when I go to bed there is a monster under my bed! I toss and turn, worrying myself to bits. Every single niggle or worry comes crashing in at night time, and my mind will not be still at all! Does this happen to any of you lovely readers? It is awful, and of course.. very very tiring!

 I love Dali!

I have always had the night terrors though, and when I do sleep.. I have very vivid and peculiar dreams.  Recently, the lack of sleep is becoming more prominent. Of course once you get it in your head, it is very hard to stop the cycle! But by gawd, isn't that bedroom ceiling so interesting! NOT!

During the day though I have been busy though! I have been making a start on the garden and have got some veggies ready for planting ( I have only raised a few seeds this year and the rest have had to be ready to plant plants, due to work being done in the house).  Room makeovers coming soon!  I must remember to take before pictures! I shall be doing a complete kitchen makeover on a very, very tight budget!

Been painting again.............

Also I have been finishing off this cross stitch that I started sewing several years ago, and haven't touched since. It is not one of mine.. I wish it was...tis beautiful indeed and really is wasted stuck in a draw all scrumpled up! It really does not need much work to finish it, so I really should do!  So I have been sewing this along side a few other sewing projects too.

Before I go I would like to give a mention to another Kay, who I know from facebook too!  She is a lovely person and I really like her a lot, so please go and visit her on her blog HERE. On her recent post she has said the most lovely things about me, I was truly touched by her words! She has done some lovely creations and said that one of her pieces featured in her post were inspired by me! Gosh Kay you are so kind and wonderful, I wish you lived near by! I would give you a big hug! Thank you.
Anyway Enough! Enough for this week folks, Let me know what you all have been up to, I am so awfully nosey you know!

Happy days to you all! Suzie xxxxxxxxxxx

When you wish upon a star.......

Happy Friday All!

Many thanks to those whose wished me and the lovely George a happy Anniversary... it was great! Also thank you to all my new friends (followers? Readers and friends,  I like those descriptions way more!) I appreciate each and every one of you, and do send you my bestest thanks! Yes, I did just say bestest! I am regressing and have decided to cooperate!

One of my Angel Angst stitcheries!

We spent our anniversary weekend relaxing and lolling about mainly. On Friday we had an Indian takeaway, which was one of the best I have tasted for a long time indeed! And... cover your ears all of you of a delicate disposition!......I ate the left overs for breakfast on Saturday morning, it was divine, it just tastes so much better the next morning! You will be pleased to hear that I did not have a beer with it though... not this time anyway ..ha ha!

In the evening on Saturday we ate in with candles and cava, music and smiles, and on the Sunday we ate out at a local Italian restaurant, which was reasonably good. I say reasonably, because being married to a undiscovered Michelin chef (No, he is not really, he is a computer manager!) we are quite fussy about our food! I haven't come across anyone who cooks as well as Chef George as of yet!

So, we had a lovely weekend, and you know it is good, when you really feel sad it is over and can't wait for the next time to celebrate. Mind you I don't need much excuse to celebrate, I would celebrate an ant walking across the floor if I got the chance! Hey, don't knock it.. that ant has a life too you know! Sometimes I just celebrate waking up in the morning!

Now it is St. George's Day sooo.......................!...................

Now, how did I meet George? Hmmmm... well, I was in a very unhappy state at the time, lost and pitiful... married, but the marriage had broken down and could not get back up, no matter how hard I had tryed. My husband then, without going into details, had caused me a lot of grief and heartache, and had a couple of times hit me. Anyway, lets just say, without any ill feeling, that the twenty year old me that married him, was ever so slightly disillusioned, and had found out the hard way that my marriage was not the Doris Day film I had hoped for!

It started with a kiss. NO it started with a slap across the chops (him to me I may add!)  on our wedding night, on the honeymoon ( when we got to our honeymoon destination, he hadn't booked anywhere to stay... it was 10pm ! And I cryed, then got slapped for crying!) and quite frankly it was a journey all the way down the slippery hill after that! I stuck it out for 6yrs, even though my Mum and Dad wanted me to leave him from the beginning, in fact they begged me not to marry him in the first place. It must have hurt like hell..... paying for a white wedding with top hats and tails, when you can't stand the groom of your daughter!  But you know how it is.. I thought  that nobody knew him the way I did! He was nearly 10 years older than me, and I hung on his every word!

Anyway, it was a Friday night, and in a moment of true despair, I wished upon a star... Please help me to know what to do I asked, please help me to be strong, please send someone or something to help me!

I adore Walt Disney's Pinocchio!

Well, on the Tuesday night my good friend Susan (of many, many years!) rang me up and asked me to go out with her for a drink. I didn't want to, I was too depressed, but she insisted, and off we went. It was February, a couple of days after my birthday, and it was snowing, and we rolled down some hills, being silly and giddy, laughing and throwing snowballs at each other. Suddenly my spirits lifted! I was young and full of boundless energy.

After we had had a couple of drinks, Susan decided to buy some chips, but that would mean using all the taxi fare, but being hungry, we went to get some. We started to walk back to my house, when she spotted some people getting into a car in the car park, and to my alarm she shouted out to them "Are you going to Carleton?". I looked at her amazed. " No, but he is" they shouted back pointing at some poor unsuspecting man fumbling with his keys. Next thing I knew Susan had run over to him, and before I knew it she was clambering into the car! So naturally ( he-hum, have you never been told not to get into a strangers car? Yoohoo! What are you doing?) I got in too.

This was me then, in THOSE dungarees with my first Old English Sheepdog Dylan, gosh I loved that dog!

The strange man drove us to Carleton and stopped by an avenue telling us that he lived down here, in other words, you can both get out now! Susan, who must have lost her sanity completely that evening asked if he would like to come to MY! house (Hello!) for a coffee. Anyway he did, and after our coffees, Susan went upstairs to go to bed, and I sat with the strange man talking, and talking and talking, telling him all, and he me, and at 8 in the morning, we were still talking. At 8 at night we were still talking, and into the night we were still talking, and talking! we talked for two whole days!  Then I thought perhaps I had better ask him to leave. For the records, there was nothing other than talking taking place here! Nothing but talking!  No eating either, except for a bit of marmite on some scraggy crusty bread I had. I had no money in those days! Come to think about it....

I was as thin as a stick (no food!), dressed in second hand (Susan's) scruffy old dungarees, with walking socks and a DIY haircut, psoriasis ridden, and stressed out. What a pitiful state I was and he still wanted to talk some more!

Yes, the strange man was George, and my wishing upon that star must have worked as we have been together ever since, and luckily he didn't turn out to be an axe man! That is how I met George! I didn't need a husband, or a traditional relationship. I needed a soul mate,and that is exactly what I got on the 7th February 1984!

Infact the day after I met George, one of our daughters who we were to adopt a few years later was born! Fate! All fate Sometimes, no all times,  I really believe we have help from real angels/forces! Of course, I don't make a habit out of getting into strangers cars, not usually anyway!, and certainly don't recommend it, but gosh, am I glad I did do that night!

So, thats all for another week, Go and wish upon a star... you never know!

Lots of love and good wishes   Suzie xxx

A sneak preview of my secret project!

Gosh is it time to say hello to you all again! Yes, it is!  Thank you for your comments since last friday, I have enjoyed reading them so much. It seems that generally we women are all singing from the same page! What was very interesting was how  many of you agreed with me that these days women can certainly have it all..... ...... children, careers...........Oh yes they can! ....And they can also have all the housework too, all the shopping, all the responsibility of sorting out everybodys birthdays, christmasses, organising holidays, school holidays, ironing and luandry chores, clothes shopping, lunchboxes,...... do I need to go on?  because they generally do so much more than this list...and  mostly alone.  Yes, they certainly do have it all these days!  Hmmmm! Equality!  What a laaarf!

Here is my drawing/painting from last week, a bit more finished off, gosh she looks relaxed and peaceful!

 She has had more layers of paint now and looks a bit clearer. Here is a preview of something to do with my secret project too! This one has only just been very lightly started, so it is only as yet in the first stages!

Click on the pic to see it better, if you like. Next week it will look so much clearer! The little girl really does have a body to go with that head... honest!  It looks a bit squashed too, and is not at all in real life!

Well, I dont' know about you, but I have been out in the garden this week, making the most of this glorious weather.

Even though I am at home all day, I find it hard to keep up with all I have to do, and while I am outside, I am thinking of all the chores and pressing matters (like my secret project!) that I should be getting on with in the house, but while I am in the house I am thinking.. gosh that garden needs doing... and that garden is 150ft long! However I spend time busying myself  I am always thinking that I should be doing something else!


We had a lovely BBQ on Sunday, it was wonderful getting to eat al fresco again after that long and cold winter!

It was seriously yummy folks!

This week I was very lucky, TheGirl sent me this lovely award! Tis pretty I think! Thank you so much! xxx Please go and visit her.. she is just so wonderful and interesting, and has a brilliant slant on things... I love her humour!

This award is for looking on the bright side.  Crikey!  I really do try to do just that as often as I can! Now I really hate choosing people, so I won't (well I will!) , because last time I did I  just spent ages worrying about all the lovely bloggy friends that I didn't choose!  But two people in particular do pop to mind when thinking of someone who despite life throwing manure at them, keeps smiling regardless! I admire this lady  greatly, so I will award this award to Tracey . Not only does she keep herself going, she cheers us often with her wonderful and funny nature! She is one of lifes fighters! Go and see for yourself! I appreciate her humour, as I too use humour to help me get through lifes trials..

Heres to all the mushrooms amongst us... you know who you are!.... Kept in the dark , and every now and then someone comes and throws s**t  at you!

One of my cross stitch designs, note ... she is sat on a mushroom! Ha ha!

The other Mushroom, ooops I mean bloggy friend is Mummymad, she certainly has had her fair share of mushroom food being thrown at her! But she carries on regardless, and where, a lot of people would crumble to the ground in despair, she picks her self up and may I say too, that she is a jolly good Mum too!  Go and pay this fabulus lady a visit!

To all the other mushrooms out there, carry on, stay focused, don't drown in your own tears!
The rules of this award are to list 10 things which make me happy, but I would just be repeating myself! Also to list 5 trivia facts about me so!.....

1:   I have to wear this darn sleeve every day for ever!  But the funny part is that occasionally while trying to get the damned thing on (it is elasticated, but stiff!) I punch myself in the face! It hurts. OUCH! What did you do that for.. I ask myself!

 I was going to show my other arm for comparison purposes, but figured out I needed it to hold the camera! DUH!  It is now 30% bigger than my right arm, an improvement of 10%, but If I don't wear it, it will expand to giganticous proportions! I do sometimes wonder what would happen if all the lymph fluid suddenly left my arm, would I suddenly have a huge head, or foot or something?!!!

2:  Once when I was little, My Dad took me to work with him on a trawler (he was an engineer and it was in Canada). He left me in the room with all the controls (first mistake!) and told me not to touch anything (second mistake!). Hmmmm I wonder what this button does???? It was the fog horn! Oh dear, he was not pleased!

3:  I apologise to lamp posts when I bump into them, and I apologise to people when they bump into me!

4:  I love buddhism, and have been on a retreat, and got many books on this philoshophy. I try to live in this simple, but difficult way of this thinking, and constantly question my thinking and way of looking at life. I truly believe I can alter the way I view events in life and therefore learn to accept all with grace. But at the moment I think I need to read those books again and do some serious meditating, as I am starting to have murderous thoughts towards Aunty chaos! Maybe this is my latest test in life!  :o)

5: I get goosebumps watching the red arrows, fireworks and thunder and lightening. They all make me quite tearful and emotional!

Also I really must thank Jaqueline  , she send me a gorgeous token of friendship through the post this week! Isn't she such a kind lady! Thank you my friend! xxx

Look at the Owl!  Thank you!

What will you all be doing this weekend I wonder? It is mine and George's 24th (say it quick!) anniversary on Sunday, so we shall be doing something lovely I should think, whether it is a meal out, or in, there will definitely be food and some vino involved! Heres to the man I met in a car park 26 years ago! ( A funny tale, too long for now, and maybe a tad inexplicable!)   Raise your glasses ladies to my lovely husband George! To a man who actually does help out round the house and cooks like a michelin star chef! Oh yes! He does!

 The poor, long suffering George! Thank you blorb for putting up with me all these years!

Have a happy weekend all you sweetpeas!

Suzie xxx :)

Equality for women? Undervalued Mums?

Another Friday! Where does the time go? I hope you all enjoyed a lovely Easter and had the lovely weather which we had in Lancashire.... It was so spring like!  In fact so spring like, it inspired me to draw and paint this little creature!

 She is unfinished as yet.............!

Of those of us who are Mums, is there anyone who feels like society undervalues the role of Motherhood?  Out of the Mums who go out to work, I wonder how many of them actually feel that time has moved on in the way it is claimed to have done?  Have we women really got the equality that we have been told we have?

Too often the truth is, that, yes women now have the opportunity to study and achieve jobs that they could have only dreamed of years ago, but it seems to me that a high percentage of women who now work full time are still also carrying out all the 'traditional' chores that they always have done! Ok, a lot of men do help out more, and spend more time with the children, etc., still it would appear that women are multi-tasking big time these days! In fact, what fantastic multi-taskers we women are! I only have to read all the wonderful blogs out there to see what mammoth acheivements are under our noses everyday! Working, selling, crafting, baking, bringing up a new generation...... the list is so long!

Not one of mine!   Sourced from the internet

Some women who work are reported to be suffering a great deal of stress, and can feel guilty that they can not spend more time with their children. Other women who are stay at home Mums often say that they feel under-valued. I know that when I was bringing up the children at home all day, when I did venture out to some adult occasion, one of the first question I was always asked was " and what do you do?" Once I had replied that I was a housewife and looked after children all day, more often than not, they were visibally unimpressed, and could barely stop themselves from yawning!

 OOOH, what do you do? I stay at home and look after the children.......

My sister- in-law agreed with me, telling me that she felt like people suspected that she must be the most uninteresting person in the world. Believe me, she is not, and never will be!  Why is such importance put on title and salary, and why does someone have to be making money to be considered worthwhile to others? After all even Mums who don't go out to work are still working...hard!

 Sourced from the internet!

Besides being very hard work, bringing up children, in my opinion, whether you work or not, is the most important and rewarding job you could possibly do, so why is it not regarded more highly. What could be more wonderful than nurturing a tiny child into an adult, giving them as good an experience as we can, making sure that they have a childhood to look back on with warmth. I have mentioned before, but George and I adopted our three children, and from the start, due their ages and other issues, the social worker preferred me to be a stay at home Mum, so that is what I did. I enjoyed all the domesticity and cosiness of home, but I do understand that not all of us are the same. Some women love their jobs, and others go to work through necessity. A lot of women work these days, perhaps most,  so taking into the consideration the fact that a lot of women do go out to work.............

.................What about the media?  Why are we still being bombarded with adverts on the TV which  show women dusting, and hoovering, and carrying out all the 'traditional' domesticated tasks.   Why not men?  Little girls are still bombarded by the media with images of domesticity,  and boys still with guns, fighting and action!

In my first marriage, I had no children but worked full time, and yet I was still expected to wash, iron, cook, clean, shop, etc. One of the things that would really grate on me was that although we both worked full time, and on occasion, I often worked longer hours, It was I who had to tend to the household management and when things were not done, eyes did not look toward my husband as the rather shabby housekeeper,  oh no! They looked towards me! His Mother would have looked down on me, but my Mother would have encouraged me to go on strike!

                                                How True!.......................................................

He could always get away with lolling inert on the sofa! Have things really changed that much since I wonder? I would like to say yes, but have they?  What do you think? Some men now really do take on a more hands on approach to the children and home.... but how many stragglers are there still out there? Quite a few I suspect! For the women who have a straggler in their lives and who also work, they now have more workload than their pre-women's movement ladies! As they now have a full-time job too, as well as all those chores! Yes, we do now have labour saving devices, but even so ! .........

One of my stitcheries

Whatever we choose to do, or have no choice, work, stay at home or a mix of the two, society should value our mothers so much more!  I really should have posted this for Mother's Day!

Before I go again, I would like to thank Tracey, my lovely friend and partner in laughing out loud at what life throws us for this very  happily recieved award!

I am supposed to tell you all  seven things about me that you may not already know. Hmmmm, there are some, but I think I will not! Ha ha!

 Ok then!
1:  I still suck my thumb! Yup!
2:  I am double-jointed and can get in a lotus position, but these days... I may not get out of it again!
3: My wolf whistles, which I learnt from the boy next door when I was 14, can echo for what seems like miles across hill and dale.
4: I like eating left over takeaway curry for breakfast... Oh yes, I do.
5: When I was little I wanted a monkey as a pet so much that I made up a story to my Mum, that the man next door had one... and she told everybody that he had. Then I had to go and tell them all that he did not!
6: When I was little I used to make friends with children who nobody wanted to be friends with. One little girl smelled so bad, but I persevered and tryed to pretend I couldn't smell anything! But it was awful! It was dire! But I wanted her to feel loved, so I sat listening to her and trying not to inhale!
7: I am actually a real loner, and can go for long periods of time without seeking out any ones company at all, but heres the twist... I am a really friendly person and love people! I even suspect that there are people who have known me for years who don't  realise I could actually become a real recluse or hermit, and be happy!

Here are my nominees! I really almost didn't choose anyone as I find it so hard! I don't like to at all!

The Girl
Mummy mad
Valerie
Dee
MMB
Jacqueline


And everyone else too..Please take this award!

Also a big thank you to my lovely, and caring friend Jacqueline who has dedicated this lovely post to me! All about the fight to survive the dreadful disease that breast cancer is. Thank you  so much, you are such a warm and beautiful soul!

Anyway all you lovelies, have a wonderful and happy weekend, and I shall be catching up with you as soon as I can do! 

Lots of love  Suzie xxx

April Fool! And a happy Easter you you all!

Hello everybody!

How the devil are you all chaps?  Well and happy I hope!   Its Friday! Gosh How did that happen! No I am just April fooling... I know you are not all chaps, and this is not Friday!  Yes, this is thursday.... due to the holidays and other plans and obligations I shall be occupied with many goings on over the break, so if you don't hear from me, please don't think I have forgotten you. You are all always in my thoughts!

 A spring time stitchery, with one of my handmade buttons. And yes I really do believe that there are fairies at the bottom of my garden!

                                I love making the table spring like and cheery for Easter time!

Can you believe it is Easter already!??? 

Well it is April Fool's Day today isn't it?  Have any of you been playing Tricks on anybody?  I can be a bit of a practical joker at times... Once I dressed up an artist easel, complete with face, wig, boots, and even wavering fingers, and placed it behind My Mother's bedroom door, ready for her to come in from my Aunts in the evening. It had taken me all evening creating my fiend, I whiled away the hours humming to myself like an insane frankinstein, while occasionally giving out a little chuckle!  I kept giving it practice runs by pretending to be the 'victim' and rushing in to the bedroom to see the ghostly face and the fluttering fingers emerge from the darkness. By the time she came home, I couldn't attend the 'show' because I was on my bed in a helpless fit of hysterical giggles! .....When she finally got up from her bed, after recovering from the shock, she did see the funny side of my antics!

Carrying on from last weeks post, the next day after my operation ( when I was just about coming around) was April fools day, and looking at poor George's despairing face by my bed, (his body was actually there too!)  I decided to try to bring some humour into the situation (it was hard though!)... I said, after he had tryed to cheer me up by telling me of an April fools played at work, "well, I have had a right old one played on me this year"  "What??  what was it?"  he asked looking slightly confused.... "Well!"   I said ......."someone has nicked me boob!" His face brightened quickly, and the awkwardness of the situtaion was lifted, as he realised that I was still my daft old self! I was thinking of him really, because he must have felt so useless and helpless, and obviously didn't know how to, or whether to talk about the whole hideous affair! I couldn't bear to see him so lost and worried about me! I have always used humour to deal with lifes traumas, and when I stop you all have my permission to hunt me down and shoot me! I now am reconstructed, and secretly give myself the nickname of patchwork Frankie, as I am a mass of scars... my proud war wounds!  (Frankie after my creator.. Frankinstein, and patchwork I think is quite apt and actually rather amusing... as the stitcher has been stitched!)

                                 One of my stitcheries with alittle bit of Patchwork Frankie thrown into the mix!

Anyway folks, I really have been mad busy, what with Aunty Chaos (oops, sorry! But honestly, she really is!), home and my secret project! What will you all be up to at Easter? Rolling eggs? Flying a kite maybe? Hmmmm.......

Whatever you may all be doing... I wish you all a lovely Easter.

                                                  Awhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! !!!!!!!

Good egg!  Love and blessings to you all! Suzie xxx