Dedicated to Peggy

I was going to post pictures of Edens party today but just as we were going out the door to go to one our our family breakfasts we heard that a very dear friend died in the early hours of this morning.

Regular readers will have read about a man called Jo, who I have known since childhood and my Mum has known for over 48 yes, I usually mention him in connection with our charity knitting as he's a prolific knitter.

I don't know all the details but his wife was taken into hospital yesterday afternoon and died very unexpectedly.

Although we did go to breakfast the rest of the day has been spent quietly, the boys have been talking about their memories of Peggy as we use to meet up with them at various knitting clubs over the past years.

I will always remember her as a quiet lady with a twinkle in her eye and knitting needles in her hands.

She will be missed greatly by her husband and children but also by a huge amount of friends, we will hopefully all have the chance to comfort each other at her funeral and through the next months and knit for her charities in her honour.

Pictures

Still so much going on behind the scenes here, it's quite overwhelming at times with all the phone calls!
I thought I would do a post of pictures, mainly of the cooking I've been doing.
Our back fence is being fixed by the landlords workmen and as we all know the way to a mans heart is through his stomach so I thought if I could keep them supplied with tea and cakes they would do a good job.
Chocolate chip muffins

Fairy cakes

Victoria sandwich

Blueberry crumble and cherry crumble, not for the workmen I might add!
I've also made a chicken pie and "diamonds" as we call them. Puff pastry cut in a diamond with bacon, tomato and cheese in them.
I went to take a picture but the battery in my phone had died and I'm sure they'll be gone before I get a chance to take one again!

I've also been enjoying these, they're becoming a bit of an obsession!
I don't very often drink coffee but these are lush

Callums jumper is coming along, I have done both the sleeves now and have started on the hood. I love the way the wool knits up

It's Edens birthday tomorrow, she will be seventeen.

She's having a load of friends round tomorrow evening for a party. It's themed as "flower power" so she's been making loads of hippy decorations and she plans to face paint flowers on everyone as they come in the door.
Lots of photo opportunities there I think!
Today I made her cake, skittles, just in case you're wondering, because seventeen year olds are going to need all those "E" numbers! Right?

Frustration !

Following on from my last post, the first meeting went well. Neighbour has her own social worker and Neighbours son has his own social worker plus a community nurse. So you can imagine the amount of communication that has to go on to keep all parties up to date with events! Unfortunately and inevitably I think the communication hasn't been happening.
The second meeting was canceled but nobody told us, so I bounced down the road with notebook and pen in hand only to be told by N that she'd been rung and was told that I would be rung too, I wasn't !
After complaining to social services I was told somebody would ring! They haven't!
I came home from my Mums today to be told by Malc that another meeting for this afternoon had been canceled! A meeting that neither N or myself even knew was happening, even though it was in N's house and about N!
I honestly give up!
Our back garden fence has come down in the high winds of last week so today we've had some workmen out from out landlord and hopefully it'll be fixed at the end of this week.
We've blocked the gap with rabbit runs but the dogs seem to be more intelligent than we thought and have worked out how to get into next doors garden several times! They have three little Chihuahua type dogs and even though my dogs are friendly I often envisage one of my Staffies returning from their garden with just a little tail hanging out it's mouth!
So what have I been doing to relieve all this frustration? Why, knitting of course!
I've done these for my Mum who wanted them knitted for Eds Great-neice

I've also bought this pattern and I'm knitting this for Callum

With this wool.

It knits up beautifully, I've already knitted the back and front so just two sleeves and a hood to do. I hope to have pictures of the finished article by the end if the week.
Off to start those sleeves and await Broadchurch!

Blogging about things I can't blog about!

The last two days have been taken up with problems at "N's" which I really can't blog about which is really frustrating as I could really do with pouring out all my anger and frustration.
I now have meetings with social services on Friday morning and Monday morning, I'm not looking forward to either and I'm thinking out my strategy of what to say to them and how to phrase things so I can get my point across without looking like a total loon who has lost the plot! I'm a very passionate person and I do tend to get a bit fiery when I think things are unfair.
Anyway, wish me luck!
I have cut back on my working hours so I had time for a quick coffee with a good friend yesterday afternoon, which unfortunately meant that the ironing got postponed until today. However, I'm sure you'll all be glad to hear that tonight there's not one item left in the ironing basket! I think my iron took a bit of a bashing as I work out some of my frustration on those creases!
I also had time to sew this up, a skirt and braces set to go with last weeks completed boleros.

I'm now knitting a white one to go with the white bolero.

We're bracing pourselves for a few days of blustery, wet weather here in Dorset. It looks like we're getting away with the worse of it though as the higher up the country you go the worse it seems it's going to be!
So batten down your hatches and I'll see you the other end!

Charity shopping

Yesterday we went to a big market near us, we've not been to it for years.
We heard that they had a store that sold Xbox and PS games so the boys counted their money out of their moneyboxes and off we set.
They returned not only with what they wanted but Callum, Soloman and Cody bought themselves a second hand DS which they had hours of fun playing with yesterday afternoon.
Today we went to our local charity shop to take three bags of clothes, books and niknaks that I'd cleared out.
Look what I found

400grms of a peach coloured double knit for £1 a 100grm ball and 400 grms of orange 50/50 acrylic/cotton also for £4.
I'm not sure what I'm going to knit with it soon.
Callum returned with a couple of puzzles , Cody with a game and Soloman bought a plane kit that you make a plane with.
A picture of the skirt and braces I'm knitting at the moment

 Me being me though I prefer the pattern on the wrong side!

Malc's at a Cub leader meeting this evening so hopefully whilst the boys are otherwise engaged on their technical devices I will get on with some old fashion knitting!

My favourite pasttime

Which of course we all know is knitting!
This morning I sewed up this,

So that's the two of them done.
As there was a fair bit of wool left I'm now doing a skirt and brace set in white and another one in pink.
We had a lovely New Years Eve, I danced non stop from 7pm until midnight when we all went outside to cheer in the New Year.
Then we went back inside and danced for another hour!
One of Edens friends was staying the night but the others were all leaving by 1am. Unfortunately two of the lads didn't get picked up for some reason, so by 2am I sorted out a sleeping bag and they slept on the sofa.
Apparently their lift text them at 5-30am and said she was ready to pick them up!
New Years Day we went to my Mums for lunch, as usual it was lovely apart from the ache in my hips and legs from all that dancing the night before!
I took a very rare picture, firstly  it was Eden who will never let us take one and also of my Mums dog, Rumbles, who doesn't usually sit with anyone other than my Step dad!

Yesterday we went to my friends with all the children for tea, again we had a lovely time although it was slightly marred by her three year old having to go to A & E after slipping and banging his head on the table. He had to have it glued as he had about an inch gash on his forehead just in the hairline.
He's fine and they only took about 2 1/2 hours which is super speedy for our A & E!
As is normal with young children, he's fine and suffered no ill effects from the incident.
Today we had a lovely lay in, a very late breakfast and I have spent all afternoon sewing and knitting.
I have a stew in the slow cooker and I've made the dumplings ready to go in.
I'm also watching Mrs Browns D' Movie which Clark bought himself with his Christmas money.
Hope you're having a lovely afternoon whatever you're doing.