Little ankle biter...

On Saturday I looked after my great nephew for a bit, it was a run in for looking after him next tomorrow, (OH MY GOODNESS just realized it's craft day tomorrow, wonder if they have cable, if so who will will QVC or CBeebies, lol). My mum and dad usually look after him on Tuesdays, while his mum has a driving lesson and goes onto work, but are unable to tomorrow, so I was asked to step in, which I didn't mind. Have always said I'm here if they need me, but them knowing I've got Steven have not asked me much, he is nearly 11 months old, felt funny having someone so small round my ankles, lol.

Well all was fine until 11'o'clock, found out that Alfie does not like the chiming clock we have, oh dear so was crying when he's parents came back for him. Steven was great didn't have a paddy when Alfie touched his toys, OK did grab them away every time Alfie let go of one, lol. But when I told him to give them back he (reluctantly) did. Managed to get a few photos of them together, so will laminate some for Stevens box, also might start a little album for Alfie (maybe use another of my 6 x 6 albums, you never know lol).

This evening have been having a go at making a tag book of Alfie's Christening, (not sure how it will turn out and in fact when it will even get finished, lol). While Clive was chilling out making and painting more figures, have asked him to put the new ones on his blog so you can see, they are really FAB (much better than he's first one Dave), in fact a few of them have made there way to live in France (on a couple of train layouts there), and people have actually asked if he was in business, lol, well he is but not for making figures though.... you can keep up with them by clicking on the link S&CGR build blog on the left...

another good result

WOW, would you believe this weather, you would never believe it's nearly October, with the sunshine and warmth we are having at the moment, hopefully 2 of my friends that are on their holidays in England, have the sun shinning where they are too.

Well Steven and I went to our 2nd footy game today and our 2nd win, we beat Spurs 2-0, sorry Sue, he he he

What a lovely day, it takes us about 40 mins to walk down to Fratton Park, this time Clive pushed Steven going there and I pushed him coming back, as Clive did the whole lot last time, but found he's back hurt for a few days afterwards, so he actually listened to me to split it this time, lol.

Think next time we go, will take the camera as so close to the players might be able to get a couple of good shots for a nice L/O, in fact must take some photos of the double L/O I did of Steven when he was their mascot back in November 2003, to put on my blog for you all to see, as another one of my proudest moments of Steven.



Well it's Sunday evening and I know what that means, ironing. I've done it on a Sunday evening for years, hubby baths and puts Steven to bed, while I watch a DVD and do the ironing, in fact I only do the ironing once a week, so if it's not washed and dried by Sunday, then it has to wait till the following Sunday, lol. Sometimes it takes me an hour or two another time I can be at it for 4 hours plus, depends on the week we've had.....


....so think of me tonight, with an iron in one hand and a glass of rose in the other, lol...

Weight loss recipe: no. 3

Minced beef, beans and pasta bake

1 x onion chopped
350g (12 oz) extra lean minced beef
150ml (1/4 pt) beef stock
227g can chopped tomatoes
425g (15oz) baked beans
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
100g (3 1/2 oz) dried pasta
1 bag dwarf green beans
180g frozen sweetcorn

Dry fry the onions and minced beef for 4-5 mins until the meat becomes crumbly and browned.
Stir in the remaining ingredients (except sweetcorn), bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 15 mins, until pasta is cooked.
Stir in the sweetcorn simmer for a further 5 mins, season and serve.

The Retirement Scrapbook is here....

This slide show refers to three posts below...
only another 17 to use....

It's 13 weeks till Christmas

as my darling daughter keeps telling me...

She starts her countdown straight after her Birthday in August,


then after Christmas she starts a countdown for her Birthday, lol.



I really think she needs to get a hobby, lol

and I think I'd better start thinking about making some Christmas cards....




.

Free blog candy...

Vikki has some lovely free blog candy, you can get it from here... http://vixx-a-craftin.blogspot.com/

Only another 17 to use......

Back in January this year I orderd these scrapbooks, as I thought they were cute and useful, well they've been sitting in my cupboard all that time till July this year, when I actually parted with one.

One of the assistants in Stevens school was retiring, so thought it would be nice to give her a one of the little books with some photos of past and present pupils in it. I found is very hard, as never done a scrapbook for anyone before and was not sure how she would take it, as some of the pupils are no longer with us.

The lady in question has been a part of our lives since Steven started school back in 1995, as she was one of the assistants in his first class and luck would have it, she was working with him when she retired in July (Steven now being in the 6th form).

Was a little worried how she would take it, so left it at reception to pass onto her, as we had already said our goodbyes at the prom the week before.


Well I had nothing to worry about, as she loved it, I had a lovely notelet from her thanking me for it saying...

what can I say about my album, it touched my heart, as I know how much 'you put into it'. I cried when I look at the 'old pictures', especially of 'K' & 'E' [2 pupils that are sadly no longer with us] as I didn't have any of these. I have shown it to some of the old girls who left before me & we shared 'a few sentimental moments'. I saw the pictures of Steven and me at the prom, it was a bit of a shock to see how he has grown up so much as I have known him and you all so long, his a very special young man and I so wish him well for the future. Thank you once again Maria, I will always treasure your gift.

The nice thing is now that she is not connected to the school we can meet up, in fact we met up for lunch last Friday with a other few mums from school.

I think since having Steven, it has made me see things differently, you appreciate life for one and I have met and made some wonderful friends.

The funny thing was I was talking to another member of the school staff the other day, and I was telling her how I've had lunch with a few ex- school staff, and she asked if she could join 'us mums' when she is longer attached to the school lol...

...as she misses the contact of parents since the school changed in 2006.

Slide show to follow hopefully...

Weight lost recipe: no 2

Tagliatelle with Meatballs

Low fat cooking spray
240g (8 1/2 oz) tagliatelle
1/2 pack of fresh basil, chopped

for the meatballs

4 thick slices white bread, crusts removed and torn up
4 tablespoons skimmed milk
400g (14 z) extra-lean minced beef
2 garlic cloves, crushed
75g (2 3/4 oz) mozzarella light, chopped into small dice
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 pack of fresh basil, chopped

for the sauce

400g can chpped tomaotes with herbs
200ml (7fl oz) beef stock
1 teaspoon sugar

Place the bread in a large bowl, add the milk and allow to soak for 5 minutes.
Add all the other meatball ingredients and mix together, roll small amounts in your hands to make about 20 meatballs.
Heat a large frying-pan and spray with low-fat cooking spray. Fry the meatballs in batches for 5 minutes to brown on all sides. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
To make the sauce, drain any oil from the frying-pan and add the sauce ingredients. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile cook the taglitelle in boiling water, drain and keep warm.
Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for a further 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check for seasoning, sprinkle with basil before serving with pasta.

1st prize

Got a surprise when I picked Steven up from Beechside, as when I checked his school bag, it seems he had won 1st Prize for his Jack Sparrow costume, he has a certificate to prove it, lol...

....well I think it's his...

...as they didn't spell his name right, (spelt it with a 'ph' instead of a'v'). Good job I know they have no other Stevens at the school, lol

Oh well, they've only know him 13 years, so I suppose it's early days.....

Jack Sparrow

Steven had a sponsored walk at school yesterday, but was also fancy dress, we knew this at the beginning on term, but couldn't get my head round what to dress him up in that was from the TV but was also practical for school and having a stay at Beechside afterwards.

Clive and I were down town last Monday, so went into a novelty joke shop, that also sold fancy dress costumes to give us some ideas. (Would not buy a costume, as they are not usually washable and not very pratical for Steven, with lots of bits and pieces on them). We came away with an idea of doing him as a pirate, like Jack Sparrow (pirates of the Caribbean), but didn't buy anything as wanted to think about what I would need. Came home thinking, had lunch then I nipped back down town, and came home with a hat/wig and a gun from 'U need Us' (the joke shop), and 1 mt lace and brown cord from fabric land, pinched one of hubbies old long sleeve white shirts and set to work, pinning lace round the shirt.

Picked Steven up off the school bus at 3.30, to read in his book that the 6th form was dressing up as superheros, I could have cried, they've know about this sponsored walk for nearly 2 weeks yet 4 days before the day they decide they what us to do superheros, well then I had a dilema!!

...do I carry on with my costume but then would worry that Steven looked different from all he's other class mates, or on Tuesday go back down town seeing what I could do. Spoke to Clive and a couple of other mums who said carry on with what I had started, so wrote back in the school book the next day, saying had started my costume already and sorry it was not a superhero, they were fine, (just a shame they had left it to the last minute to tell us about being superheros), saying that the people I spoke to said that Jack Sparrow was a superhero, lol.

So the rest of the week in the evenings was cutting and sewing, did end up back down fabric land getting some suede type material for a waist coat. So yesterday morning dressed him up, Clive did the markings on his face (tash and beard) with one of Sam's eye pencils, took a few photos, then put his hat and gun in his school bag with a clean t/shirt and some face wipes, asking school to clean him up and change his top before sending him to Beechside. We did get some funny looks walking to the bus stop, but saying that we sometimes do from people that don't know us, lol.




I went down the school as 10, as they were having a coffee morning, and had a 'friends of Mary Rose' AGM (I'm on the fund raising committee). Saw Steven and was pleased with the way he looked, there were a few Jack Sparrows, but all different which was good. (so he didn't look out of sorts, thank goodness).

After the meetings went to the local pub with another couple of mums, as I had arranged for us to meet up with an old school assistant that left in July and a few other mums who's children have also left the school for lunch. But that's another story......

Sam's 21st Pub Crawl

Thought you might like to see a piccy of us before Sam went on her pub crawl back in August, (remember the theme was silly hats or wigs), lol...




You have 'me' in the rasta hat,
Matt in the sailor outfit,
Sam in her glamour wig and outfit,
Clive in the Afro wig and wearing the wooden tie that I bought him for his Birthday, (well what else can you give a hubby that has everything!!!),
Shane, (my nephew) in the star wars outfit and trying out the local booze, lol
and in the front you have Steven is the Scottish wig/hat....

Weight lost recipe: no 1

I feel Clive has done brilliantly with he's weight lost, so thought I would share some of the dishes I made, so here is the first...

...Chicken and Potato Masala

2 onions, sliced thinly
450g (1lb) skinless chicken breast, cubed
4 tablespoons medium Masala curry paste
400G (14oz) canned tomatoes
200g (7oz) mushrooms, halved
550g (1lb 3oz) canned new potatoes, drained and halved, (I always used fresh steamed potatoes)
200ml (7fl oz) boiling water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

Dry-fry the onions and chicken in a non-stick pan for 5 minutes.
Stir in the curry paste and the tomatoes, mix well, and add the mushrooms, potatoes and boiling water.
Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in the chopped coriander, and check the seasoning to taste.

We also had puppodums (cooked in the microwave), lime pickle and mango chutney served with it.

Forgot to say...

... Clive phoned Virgin after we lost the Internet yet again this morning, and they are going to send us out a new modem box, so hopefully will be back to normal by the end of next week. (we've lost it 4 times this evening too, arhhhh)


Oh gotta go, am watching Match of the Day, going to see if I can see 'US' on TV, lol

five years and 4 months...

....that's how long Steven was on the waiting list for a season ticket for Portsmouth Football Club...

Today we went to our first home game being season ticket holders, (we missed the first game of the season which was against Man U, as Steven was at respite, and as he only gets 28 days a year there, thought it would be wrong to cancel, as he loves going there too).


Our seats are just to the side of the goal down the Fratton end, and we were lucky there were 3 goals in the game and all down our end, the only trouble with that is, not only are you watching the ball wishing it either to go in the net or miss (depending which teams scoring) but also watching the ball does not come past the net straight at Steven, as he is not quick enough to protect himself.


Also think we have been spoilt after going to Wembley to see the FA Cup, as the disabled places are actually up about 20 rows, so you are looking down on the pitch, which means you can see all the game and there is no chance of getting hit by the football, oh well we can always dream of getting our new pitch, lol

OH YES it was our first home win, 2-1 against Middlesbrough (sorry Middlesbrough fans)

Internet

Well so much for keeping up with the new look, we've had nothing but trouble with our Internet, it keeps disappearing, lol

So not a good start, we are with Virgin, but the last 6 weeks or so has made us think about changing, others cannot have the trouble we are having. I know my blogging is for fun, but Clive needs the computer for his work, I also do the money on it, (I always like to check my bank accounts every week without fail, to make sure that theres been no transactions I don't know about), I also organize bowling and gym clubs for a group of special needs children and their mums, so need to email them of when and where I have booked it, so I have been finding it a real pain, when I go to do the paperwork/emails, or Clive is waiting for an important email, that the connection goes, arrrrrrrrrrrrh

I have managed to do a few crafty orders over the Internet when connected though, and it all has arrived safe and sound, even the scallop die from America. Oh yes and my last auto delivery of the DCWV Winter kit form QVC came today, and it's scrummy, lol pleased I went for the auto delivery, the only trouble is not touched anything of the other 2 as yet, whoops.

Now it's finding the time to use some of it....

Heath Pond

The weather has not been good here in good old England, did see some of the news last night, showing the people in Wales, some getting hit real hard, I did feel for them, we've been lucky down here in the South.

Today feels and looks more like an December day instead of early September, but we braved the elements and went for a walk round Petersfield Heath Pond, http://www.petersfield-tc.gov.uk/







we started off in the dry, but then the heavens thought they would open for us, lol. Saying that, it didn't stop Steven and myself giving the round-about a quick go...



Oh well, whats a bit of rain between friends, we then stopped off at Petersfield at a Costa Coffee, and had a lovely hot cup of coffee and sandwich, it was a nice end to the walk, if I say so myself,






then came home, stopping off at Staples as needed some ink for the computer, as still got my 'scrap the day' photos to print off.

Poor little mite...

Well, Steven settled straight back into the school routine, saying that it's only been 2 days so far, and this morning he did pass me his cereal to feed him!!!


Well the 'poor wee mite' is not used to getting up, having breakfast, getting washed and dressed and straight down to meet the mini bus, (all within 45 mins, lol) as the last six weeks he has been getting up, having breakfast about an hour or so later, watching a DVD before getting washed and dressed, in fact some days he was not washed and dressed till nearly 12, lol

So I think next week is going to be fun, how will he survive a whole five days running......




So what have I been up to while the 'poor wee mite' been working himself so hard at school, well Clive and I started on the paperwork for the business, and was still working on it this morning too, before starting on the ordinary household paperwork.

Well was pleased that is all sorted now, it's surprising how it mounts up over the school Holidays.

New look

Well what do you think of it?????


While I might not have been blogging over the few months, I've still checked out others, especially when I lost yahoo and couldn't get on to 'do crafts' the last few weeks and realized how boring mine was, SO.....


.....am going to try and jazz it up, (see have started, with a new name and look, lol), also hopefully show a bit of my crafting that I've done either recently or in the past, not sure how long all this will take, as will need hubbies help until I get the hand of it...


...so I wouldn't hold your breath, lol.

Events

Well not in any particular order, whats been happening...

We got our Holiday in Wales, we were very lucky with the weather, visited lots of places, saw lots of steam trains, bridges, pub lunches and teas and some of the views were out of this world...

....and surprisingly we had a house to come back to, Sam never burnt it down, lol.


Have finished decorating the lounge/dining room, saying that still got the pictures to go up, but cannot decide on the right frames yet.

Sam reach 21, she did not want a party, on her Birthday which was mid week, went out for a Chinese with her boyfriend, my mum and dad, Seven, Clive and myself, which was nice.
On the weekend after her Birthday, she and loads of her friends from school, college and work met up and went on a pub crawl, dressed in hats and wigs. We popped along to the first pub to celebrate with her, but then came home, seeing Steven is under age, lol.


We celebrated our 23rd Wedding Anniversary, (you get less for murder, lol) Clive and I went out for a Mexican, which was lovely, the last time it was just the two of us for a meal on our Anniversary, was in 2001, so thought it was over due.

We got through the summer Holidays, with the help of Play scheme, bus rides, walks, drives in the car and of course pub lunches.


Cannot remember if I told you Clive had lost the grand total of 4 stone, which is fantastic news, he has gone down 2 sizes on his top half, but a grand 4 sizes on his bottoms, we have not really watched what we've eat for about 3 months, just still eating healthy, and has lost another 2 pounds, (he weighs himself once a week, to keep an eye on it).

We went to my great Nephews Christening which was lovely, we were lucky it was a lovely sunny Sunday, the service was lovely and the food was great, even Steven was quiet in the church, (thank goodness).

Haven't really done much scrapping or card making, but have my head busy with ideas for Christmas, that I hope to start very soon, also going to get Clive to show me how to down loads things on here, so it might be a bit more enjoyable reading, lol.

Back in June I did start 'scrap the date' so on the 20th of the month, I take photos and journal of what I get up to, on that particular day, so might start with taking photos of the layouts I've done so far to show you.

I still visit 'do crafts' web site, well only really the scrapping side, it's quite a nice friendly side, I still talk to a lady from when I first joined back on the 8th May 2004 and have made a lot of new ones since.


Well cannot think of anything else for now....

Long time no blog

Sorry not been around, to put it mildly I feel if I've been to hell and back, but hopefully on the return journey now.

I won't go into detail, but a big THANK YOU to the few people that have kept me going over the last few months, with emails etc. you know who you are, Thank you so much, not sure how I would have got through it without you.

Did seriously think about not coming back to my blog, but something stopped me deleting it all, felt like I was getting rid of an old friend, LOL.

Hopefully over the next few days will do a quick update on any major events that have occurred over the last few months, so am off for now...