I was given this, less anyone should forget the importance of my decision making. 

And set to work judging the crafting and knitting.  Unfortunately I couldn’t take a photograph as the cakes were still being judged.  I actually started to feel sorry for that particular Judge as the cakes and biscuits stretched the full length of the tent.  Getting back to my judging it was more difficult than you might imagine, but eventually I settled on what I deemed to be a fair decision. 

 I managed to take a few snaps of the vegetables with my iphone. 

 So pretty. 

Loved the sunflowers. 

I had a lovely time chatting about vegetable growing and allotments. 

 He certainly launched himself into the role by dashing out to buy a suitable suit, shirt and shoes!

 note the use of a cardigan, 

 and the wearing of coats by others, 

 but in true British style, there was Pimms.

 One afternoon was spent in adoration of a certain Squire.  Our names were mentioned in comedic fashion during the show, which made us giggle. 

 I loved this, 

 the detail was inspiring. 

 I thought I had stepped back in time some 23 years when I saw this quilt. This quilt is the absolute image of Suki and Pippa, our lovely Whippets long since gone to rainbow bridge. I think the artist captured the whippety features and characters a treat. 

 Just so pretty. 

As I say not much in the photographic department this year. 

But there was shopping. (you knew there would be) 

A brand new pair of dressmaking scissors, some fabric for a skirt for Christmas/New Year. And then there was two lengths of linen, and a length of cotton for skirts and two lengths of silks for tops.  

Enjoy. 

p.s. feeling much better, fingers crossed. 

 and very nice it was too.  He then went out with is mates…  he’s 23 what can you do. 

 And the next day we took him to one of our favourite chinese restaurants which has just been refurbished.  We had a lovely time. 

 Hubby looking like he was being presented with the bill.  (why do men pull funny faces?) 

 And me, pretty in pink, (I am trying this colour, I have never tried this colour before, it would have clashed with my hair, but it seems to go quite well now!) 

 Son no.2 dislikes the camera coming out. 

 And gets rewarded with a hearty laugh from hubby, whilst son no.1 is saying, ‘don’t be a knob, just get this over with’. 

 And so it goes on.  We are seriously (tongue in cheek)worried that he is going to be a psychopath or a genius child. Its going to be one way or the other. 

And this was the best family shot I can get.  Never work with children or animals, oh and did you notice the sideburns?  

Getting back to son no.1 whose birthday it was, I can’t quite believe that twenty three years have gone so quickly, it does make you emotional no matter how hard you try and as you know I can leak at the drop of a hat.  He is starting a new chapter of his life very soon and one we all wish him well on, after all, I am hoping for my sewing room back by the time I am fifty.   It was all going so well… 

My boys, I love them so. 

 I am sure you can see this cat smile. 

I think all sick beds should have the addition of a warm purring cat at least for a few minutes a day. 

We are having to keep the Golden Retriever away, I couldn’t have him land on my poorly tummy at the moment, rest assured I get up for a little while to say hello to him and find him laying across the bottom of the stairs, lest it should escape his notice that I have escaped from my bedroom. 

I am doing all right on the knitting magazine stakes, The Knitter came on Thursday, Interweave Knits came today and is still unwrapped waiting for the most delightful of moments to unwrap it and a new wool shop has opened in Leamington and hubby went to it on a spying mission and bought me a couple of lovely Rowan magazines. (more on that another day)   Actually I don’t know what I would have done without hubby in the last week, he took the week off work and became Florence Nightingales understudy and has helped me in all manner of uncomfortable situations. 

I would like to say I am getting better, but I am clearly not, although I am holding my own on the hydration stakes, diorolite has become my best friend and today I woke up without the cracking hangover dehydration headache and without the right hand side kidney pain.  

Samples have been taken as we ended up in the out of hours doctors clinic looking for extra help last night.  

I am allright really, as I said, I have become a bit of a whinge bag.