Challenge Update - June 2014

My 2014 challenges are:-

1) Knit one hat each week for The Innocent Big Knit.

2) Do something nice for me.

3) Choose a non fiction book from the library.

I've found two little hat patterns which I'm really happy with, so I'm using them over and over again, two of each this month. The Innocent Big Knit Hat With Brim can be found on The Creations of Crazy Dazy blog and Innocent Big Knit Garlic is by Juliet Bernard and can be found on Ravelry.

I used to take lots of home video of the children when they were young, more of Daniel before Eleanor was born actually. I don't know what happened, I suppose I was just alot busier once I'd got two children, and by the time Eleanor was toddling, I was seriously ill and out of action for a year, so we don't have quite as much of Eleanor. It was all transferred on to VHS video tapes, but as they were phased out, DVD's taking their place, we got rid of the video recorder and haven't watched them for years.

I looked in to getting them transferred on to discs, but the cost was around £20 for each tape so we left it. Then, a few weeks ago, I saw an offer on Amazon Local to transfer five videos on to disc for just £19, less than we'd have paid for one doing, so we decided to go ahead. They've now been sent off and we're waiting for them returning, but first of all, Mick borrowed a video player from work so that I could go through the tapes and see which five were to be transferred.

My nice thing for June was spending a Sunday afternoon, and it took hours, watching the videos. There were also family holidays on them, and seeing my sister again after all this time was very special. It will be fifteen years on Saturday since she died and I miss her so much. There was also our wedding video, so many of the guests are no longer with us either, in fact, one of my uncles, my mum's brother, passed away this Thursday just gone. Having these videos transferred on to disc will mean that I can watch them whenever I feel the urge. It was fabulous seeing Daniel and Eleanor again as babies and toddlers, you forget so many things so it's wonderful having these memories recorded.

The non fiction book I borrowed from the library this month is The People's War by Felicity Goodall. It's quite a hefty book, but so very interesting. It contains photographs and first hand accounts from those left at home during WW11. There's so much information about those who kept the country going, digging for victory, knitting for victory, being evacuated, taking in evacuees, those who were bombed, those who were struggling on rations and much more besides.

It's a pleasant day today after a few unsettled days, though rain is forecast again for tomorrow. I really wish the weather would make up its mind, it's supposed to be summer for goodness sake. The baked goods stall at yesterday's gala raised £200 for Eleanor's drama group, and the company which one of the volunteers works for have said they'll match whatever was raised, so that's £400 to be added to the coffers. I think that's a decent result.