Hap[y Halloween

(image shamelessly stolen from MamakBear's blog)

Just a short post to wish everyone a Happy Halloween. We haven't done much for Halloween this year so it's been rather a quiet one. I did do a ritual in honour of my departed loved ones which has left me a bit drained for some reason. I suspect it might have something to do with me feeling slightly lethargic all day...

I am going to sit and watch the last piece of Most Haunted Live tonight, although I don't know what has been happening as I have missed the previous two nights. But I can enjoy tonights viewing just the same and hope I don't get the spookies while watching. I have just noticed that this programme is being broadcast to the States tonight as well..wow how cool is that..

Pains..

I don't believe it, the stupid pain in my derrier has returned with a vengenance. I can't even say I have done anything abnormal to bring it on. Thank gods I had stocked up on painkillers and ibuprofen the other week.. Looks like its back to sitting lopsided on the sofa again

Cats are sent to test us..

Wow talk about a hair-raising weekend..lol. The weekend started off really different and it concerned young Amy.. I was having my lazy saturday morning layin when I got this frantic call from D downstairs for me to come downstairs. Wondering what on earth it was I pottered downstairs and was confronted with two dogs jumping about in the garden trying to climb the back fence, and Ollie sitting on the compost heap staring at the top of the fence. Well guess what?? Amy had made a bid for freedom.. Somehow she managed to sneak past D while he was giving the pets their breakfast for ham and jumped straight over the back garden fence. And guess who went into panic mode..yep me!! Amy hadn't even got a collar on so even if someone found her they wouldn't know what to do, not that anyone would be able to get near her as she would go into "squeak squeak" mode (as we affectionately call it!)

So after a quick throw on of clothes and a mad dash out of the back gate I then wandered up and down our back alley calling Amy and rattling a kibbles box. Boy did I feel a twit, especially when several people gave me some funny stares...hmm they obviously weren't cat people.

And then the little horror decided to make herself known - yep she had gone all of 10 feet into the garden next to us. Trouble is she was getting herself into such a panic that everytime I went near her she would run away squeaking at me.. Then the little moo ran off in the opposite direction and disappeared from view again..

D found her hiding in the front garden of the house that she had originally ran to, so with the help of Jet and D I managed to get her to run back into the garden of that house and thankfully she then decided that she had been out long enough and had given her mommy and daddy enough scares, so she then hopped over the fences and back into our own garden over the same fence and back over the compost heap. So after I went hurtling back round the block to get to our back garden I gingerly opened up so that Amy didn't spook herself and run again. I flew through the back door and held it open so the little madam could saunter back indoors. At this point she got told off from Ollie and Smudge who were rebelling at having to stay indoors while she was captured..lol

Anyway once Amy had settled back down upstairs on her duvet, I put a little kitten collar on her just in case she decided to do a houdini act again. Now that was NOT a good decision on my part..the poor thing then went absolutely barmy. She kept running around as though the bell on the collar was chasing her, then flew to the top of the wardrobe where she sat growling at me. Oh joy!! After about 10 mins of cajoling and bribery, I grabbed her and ripped the collar off (it was easier that way as she was scratching me to kingdom come!!) and she then sat on the top of the wardrobe sulking.  After about 2 hours of sitting up there and growling at anyone that came within 2 yards of her she decided she was going to be the little madam that she is lovingly known as..and settled down on her duvet in the bedroom and become her normal self.

But Ollie did have to have the last swipe, he bopped her on the rump as she ran from the spare room back into our bedroom.. He had been lying in wait till she came down from the wardrobe..

I am now keeping fingers crossed that this week doesn't have any trials and tribulations..lol

I give in - its cold!!

I have persevered for ages now and have been ever so good and haven't put the central heating on or succumb to wearing winter clothes. BUT I am afraid I am going to have to change clothes today. I stupidly thought as the sun was shining that it would be reasonably warm and I could get away with a heavier summer skirt and a longish sleeved tshirt - how wrong I was. I am sitting on the sofa getting colder and colder..even have goosebumps on my legs. So off I go to put a warm pair of jeans and a tshirt and thinnish jumper on. Oh and mustn't forget socks as my feet are now freezing.. I may even have to give in and put one radiator on downstairs in the living room - I am still thinking about this..lol

To comment or not to comment, that is the question..

Just a quick post to apologise to those blogs I read - I am sorry I haven't commented on them. Its not that I don't want to comment or couldn't be bothered, no it's because I never really know what to put. Then when I do go to put something I always get distracted elsewhere.

I hereby promise to make a concerted effort from tomorrow (26.10) that I will try and comment on as many blogs as I read during the coming weeks.

Exchange photos..

Now I know my exchanges have been received at their new homes I can now post the pictures..

This is the piece I stitched for Kiwijo for the Crazy Cat Lady exchange on Robins Nest board. I thoroughly enjoyed this piece and I loved the colours :)

Click to enlarge

For the halloween exchange on the SBBEB board I stitched a scissor pocket for Joanie. This was the first time I had stitched a scissor pocket, and I was so pleased I had finally got my sewing machine back from J.

click to enlarge

Holiday photos - picture intensive

Finally I am getting around to loading up my holiday photo's from the glorious Cotswolds where we went back in September. It is a lovely area of the country as the photos show, although they do not do the area justice.

To see all the photos of the holiday the link is here

The view outside the cottage front door

The village road with Scruffy being his nosy self..

The back garden of the cottage

Oxford University

Canal boat on the River Avon at Stratford-upon-Avon

Cottage at "Little Slaughter"

I have been a bad blogger..

Ack, I have been a bad blogger the past few weeks. For some reason I haven't felt like putting anything down but hopefully that has all changed, especially as I have lots of pics to show from my holiday and exchanges. I've also got a couple new ones of Jet and Amy to put up as well as a couple of tales of their antics lately. So my next post will be the holiday pictures with a few bits written up about them, then I'll update with photos of exchanges I have received and sent and then life at Chez Bears.

Sad day for my town..

Have just heard from a friend of mine that the paper mill here is going to shut down for good in April. There are going to be a lot of people out of jobs here.. It will probably turn this place into even more of a ghost town.

I wonder what will happen to the place as its attached to the main railway and has a lot of history connected to it. I expect Asda will probably put a bid in for it, they have been dying to get into the main town and this is the perfect opportunity for them.

I feel sorry for my next door neighbour who has just come home from having 5 weeks in a london hospital after having a brain tumour removed. At the moment he is on sick leave from the mill, but it looks like he won't have a job to go back to when he returns eventually.

Sad day for my little town, especially as the paper mill dominates our town a heck of a lot.

Aaah carpets and a dog called Jet..

Not sure what has been going on, but my carpet looks like it has been invaded by the dirt patrol. There are all these dirty paw prints coming from the french doors to a certain dogs bed.. Then in trots a very guilty dog licking his lips as though he has eaten something that doesnt agree with him outside, gods knows what. I just hope he isnt ill.. Think I am going to have to investigate what he has eaten or dug up in the garden.. Oh joys..

Meanwhile the rest of the household are just fast asleep and snoring their little heads off in their respective places.. Aaah what bliss to be an animal in the house of Chez Bears..

Just checked outside and the garden has got lots of nice little paw sized holes in it. It looks like he has been snuffling the lawn and has got grass stuck in his teeth by the size and shape of the holes..