Journaling In 2021

I thought I'd tell you about my journaling plans for 2021.

I've been keeping a diary for many years now but over the last couple of years I've been using a Hobonichi Techo. It's only a small diary, A6 in size, but its page per day format has worked well for me. It's not too big that I can't fill the page, but large enough to write all that I want to. Being dated with a page per day has also got me into the habit of writing in it every single day, I haven't missed a day since I started. I'm pleased that I've managed to document each day over the last couple of years with so many things changing in my life, and I feel it's also helped me to get my feelings down on paper.

Before I started using the Hobonichi Techo I'd been using a blank A4 notebook. It was started in 2006 but I wasn't very disciplined about writing in it and this is why I had a go at using a dated diary.

Now that I've got into the habit of journaling every day I've decided not to buy a new Hobonichi Techo this year but instead I'm going back to my A4 notebook. I'm hoping that now I'm in the habit of writing every day I won't let it lapse as I have done in the past. I'd like to keep up to writing something two or three times each week.

You may remember me telling you about the Traveller's Notebook which my friend, Nikki, who has the Notes Of Life blog made for me. I absolutely love this little leather binder which holds my notebooks, so much so that I decided I'd add a Midori Traveler's Notebook to my Christmas list this year and Mick bought it for me. I've decided that once we're out of this pandemic that we find ourselves in at the moment, I'm going to journal about holidays and any days out that we might have. I'm really looking forward to starting this new venture.

Mick also surprised me with a new fountain pen for Christmas. I love my red Lamy Safari but it sometimes gets a bit clogged up with ink and I end up having to wash it out and then wait for it to dry out before I can use it again so I'm thrilled to bits with my new limited edition bronze pen.

I absolutely love stationery, I have done all my life. I still use my Filofaxes, I'd be totally lost without them. If you've missed my planning, Filofax and journaling posts in the past I've added a few links in this post to them and there's a few more below. The Crimson Filofax Tour post is one of my most popular posts ever.

Diary Love

It's Here

A Tour Of My Filofax Crimson Malden

A Planning Update

Year Of Dishcloths

There are always knitalongs, stitchalongs, crochetalongs and makealongs on Instagram, I don't usually join in with them unless it's something linked to a podcast I watch on You Tube, but I saw the Year of Dishcloths which is being hosted by The Kitchen Sink Shop and I've decided to knit along.

A new dishcloth pattern is released each month and it's free to download. I've signed up to the newsletter but I believe Garlene, the lady behind The Kitchen Sink Shop, is releasing them as a free download on Ravelry later on in the month.

January's dishcloth is the Icicles Dishcloth, it's a simple pattern which shouldn't be beyond the capabilities of anyone who can knit and purl. It would be good for someone who is new to knitting who wants to learn how to follow a pattern.

I chose to use this variegated yarn by Sugar 'n' Cream and wondered if I was doing the right thing before I even started, but as I didn't have any plain cotton yarn in an aran weight I pressed ahead. In hindsight I was right, the pattern would have shown up much better on a plain colour, but I don't mind, I'm happy enough with it.

I'm not sure whether I'll join in every month but I do love hand knitted dishcloths and they're good to give as gifts too with a nice bar of handmade soap as they can be used as washcloths instead of dishcloths if you so wish.

Will you be joining in too?

Strike It Lucky

I follow Mr & Mrs Rabbit Yarns on Instagram and have coveted their yarn for quite some time, though haven't yet tried it. They do such beautiful colours.

Recently, Mr & Mrs Rabbit Yarns had a Giftaway on Instagram, they asked their followers to nominate someone deserving for them to send a little gift to. My friend Maggie, from BlackCountry Wench blog, nominated me and my name was one of five which was picked at random to receive a gift. 

I received five 10g mini skeins, ready wound into 'roses', in the colourway Eloise which is inspired by David Austin roses. The colours are just beautiful and will look perfect added to my scrappy blanket. There was also a sachet of tea and a lavender sachet.

Thank you, Maggie, for nominating me. There were so many entries, I feel very fortunate to have such a lovely friend who thought me deserving.

I've also been lucky with giveaways which I've entered on Flosstube videos I watch on You Tube. Before Christmas, Kim from Barbara's Daughter gave away this Peppermint Pals chart by Brenda Gervais. It's been a popular chart, I've seen quite a few people stitching it over the festive period. I was lucky to have my name picked at random and I shall enjoy stitching it myself.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, I entered a giveaway on Megan's Georgia Girl Stitching Flosstube video to win Promise of Spring, part four of Songbird's Garden Series from Cottage Garden Samplings. This design is an American robin and tulips, it's so pretty.

Thank you to everyone for hosting these giveaways, it's always exciting to win something and have it delivered in the post. I've been very lucky just lately.

Village School

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that back in 2015 I set myself the challenge of reading all of Agatha Christie's murder/mystery books in chronological order. That challenge came to an end during 2020 so I've been looking out for another little reading challenge to set myself since. I've heard a lot of people mention the Miss Read books, some have recommended them to me and said they thought I'd enjoy them, so I decided to include the first book from the Fairacre series, Village School, on my Christmas wish list and Mick obliged. There it was, wrapped in beautiful Christmas paper, waiting for me underneath the Christmas tree on Christmas morning.

"Fairacre is a pretty village of cottages, church and school - and at the heart of the school is its headmistress, Miss Read.

We meet the young school children with their scraped knees, rosy faces and inevitable mischief. Through the author's discerning eye, we meet the inhabitants of Fairacre and learn of their trials and tribulations, their hopes and dreams.

Miss Read takes us through the school year, beginning with the Christmas term, when the bitterly cold weather challenges the school's ancient heating system, right through to the hot summer day when school is over for another year.

Full of Miss Read's fine humour and astute observations, Village School is an intriguing glimpse into a forgotten world and has become a true classic."

What can I say, I loved it. Not only did I enjoy reading it but I've now found my next reading challenge. There are, I believe, twenty books in the Fairacre series and thirteen books in the Thrush Green series. I shall tackle these first but there are other standalone books too. I averaged one Agatha Christie book a month, in between reading other books, so if I continue at this rate, it should take me just short of three years to complete the two main series of books before I decide if I shall continue with the other books which were written by Miss Read.

Miss Read was the pseudonym of Dora Jessie Saint MBE, an English novelist and schoolmistress who was born in 1913. Her pseudonym was derived from the maiden name of her mother. Her two main series of novels were written between 1955 and 1996 when she retired and in 1998 she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for her services to literature. She died in 2012.

I'm hoping that I can get hold of all of the books, it does look as though some of them aren't available to buy new any longer so it will be a case of whether I can get hold of them second hand as the library seem only to stock the odd one or two. I've already ordered the next two in the series from Ebay, fingers crossed I can get the rest.

Twelve Days Of Christmas 2020

I've been swapping twelve little gifts to open on the Twelve Days of Christmas with my friend, Lisa, for seven years now. I met Lisa through blogging and though she doesn't blog now, we're still in regular contact.

These are the gifts I received from Lisa this year.

It's hard to see them all together in this way so here's a closer look.

Lisa knows I've got a bit of a thing for pigs so this 'You make me smile' pig mug is just perfect for me. I love the Merry Christmas plate, I'd actually been looking for one this Christmas but couldn't find one I liked so I'm pleased I'll have this one ready for next Christmas. I've never seen An Affair to Remember so I shall enjoy watching this DVD, and who doesn't love Caramel Crunch, and by Thorntons too, yum.

I love the heart-shaped bauble, it opens up and inside I found the cute candy cane earrings. I'm all set for Easter with the bunny paper cups, bowls and serviettes. There's some notecards and postcards and hand cream and lip balm.

Another piggy gift, how I love these socks, aren't they cute. The sticker book and pretty washi tape will come in very handy in my journal and planner. Another yummy treat, Guylian dark raspberry chocolate, and a cute panda spoon to use in my hot chocolate.

Thank you, Lisa. Once again, I love everything you've sent. I enjoy this Twelve Days of Christmas swap so much, it's become a Christmas tradition.

These are the gifts I sent to Lisa.

A closer look.

I know that Lisa and her family have fun and games at the Christmas dinner table so I thought these Festive Face Mats would be a laugh. They're drinking mats that you can wear, twenty mats and forty different faces. I think I've included a Christmas book in the parcel every year, this year it's a Debbie Macomber book, There's Something About Christmas. I saw this tealight holder and thought it was so pretty, in fact I loved it so much that I bought one for myself too. A Bellini bath fizzer, how indulgent.

I always like to include some treats in the parcel. This year I've gone for Godiva salted caramel flavour chocolate and some spiced almond biscuits, they sound delicious. The Merry Christmas tin contains some sachets of hot drinks. A reusable bamboo mug in a butterfly design.

I saw these measuring cups and thought they were so cute. They're hard to photograph but they're cats and their tails are the handles. A set of two pens. A shopping list pad, to do list pad and some sticky notes, I use a lot of pads of this kind so I hope Lisa does too. A hand knitted washcloth and some Moringa soap from The Body Shop, it smells gorgeous.

So that's it for another year. It was such a fun swap again, thank you, Lisa.

Advent Calendars 2020

First off, I just want to say thank you for all the lovely comments you left on my last post. I try not to get down about things but I suppose it's to be expected after the last couple of years.

I mentioned My Advent Calendars back at the end of November and I thought I'd show you now what I received in them.

My main advent calendar was purchased from Beaches and Birdsong. I'd heard good things about their yarn but had never tried it for myself so it was a leap of faith really as purchasing a yarny advent calendar isn't cheap. I'm so glad I went for this one though, I'm so thrilled with the quality of the yarn, it's so soft and squishy, and I absolutely love the colourways of each of the 10g mini skeins. There were also a few sweet treats, two progress keepers and a stitch marker included.

I also purchased a 12 Days of Christmas Charity Selection Box which Helen from Giddy Yarns organised. It's the same idea as an advent calendar except each of the packages were opened during the twelve days of Christmas. These were 20g minis from twelve different indie yarn dyers. I must admit that some of these colourways aren't ones I'd choose myself but it's been fun having a taste of what each of these dyers offer.

There was also the advent swap which I did with my friend Maggie from BlackCountry Wench blog. I was thoroughly spoilt as in addition to the beautiful yarns included in each package there was a delicious chocolate, and two of the packages contained a beautifully scented lavender sachet and a relaxing bath bomb.

But that's not all. In addition to our daily packages, Maggie and I decided we'd swap a skein of yarn on Christmas Day too and I received this beautiful yarn from Dandelion & Dogwood, a dyer I haven't tried before. It's absolutely beautiful in such a pretty colourway. There was more goodies for Christmas Day too, Thornton's chocolate, Body Shop smellies, a scented candle, a sachet of tea, and the cutest bunny soap. Thank you so much Maggie, it was such a fun swap and I love everything.

This is the second year I've had yarny advent calendars and I really enjoy opening all the little packages, I think it's probably going to become one of my Christmas traditions.

Auntie Beryl

I was hoping that 2021 was going to be a better year after what's turned out to be a very difficult couple of years for me but we've started the year off with more sad news. I got a phone call a couple of days ago from my cousin telling me that my Auntie Beryl had died. She was my mum's elder sister, a particular favourite auntie of mine and my mum and her were always very close.

So here's the weird thing. On New Years Eve I went to bed and dreamt about my mum and my Auntie Beryl. I woke up on New Year's Day with the feeling that my Auntie Beryl had died. It wasn't until the following day that my cousin rang and told me she'd died before the new year.

This photo is of my mum and her five sisters. My mum is second on the right with my Auntie Beryl sitting next to her on the end of the row. Sadly, my Auntie Janet, sitting on the other side of my mum, is the only sister left living, and none of their husbands are with us any longer either. It was very rare that all six sisters got together so my mum always cherished this photo.

I try to keep upbeat. It's been quite hard over the last couple of years with my parent's illnesses and their subsequent deaths. The coronavirus and all the associated restrictions last year have been very trying but I've still put a brave face on everything. I have to admit though that I'm finding it very tough at the moment. It just seems that it's bad news after bad news. Obviously, family deaths are hard to deal with at the best of times, but we're back under new coronavirus restrictions again with the threat of more restrictions to come and it's all beginning to take it's toll. 

I miss Daniel and Jasmine. They live 200 miles away, which doesn't seem that far, but they may as well be at the other side of the world at the moment because the restrictions mean that we can't travel away from our immediate area, and even if we could, they're having to be extra cautious because Jasmine's classed as high risk so they're being very careful. I just wish they lived closer.

My mum and dad's deaths have hit me hard this Christmas, they've never been out of my thoughts. The grieving process is an ongoing thing and I suppose it will take a very long time until I come to the end of it.

When I'm feeling a bit down I try to get myself out for a walk as I truly believe that a change of scenery and some fresh air does wonders. It may not be a cure all but it can definitely lift the spirits. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to leave the house since before Christmas as I'm having some medical issues and this really hasn't helped my mood. I was supposed to be having an investigative procedure at the hospital today but that hasn't been possible which is making me feel even more down in the dumps. I should say here that it's nothing to worry about but I don't want to go into detail about it due to the personal nature.

I won't be able to attend my Auntie Beryl's funeral because there's still restrictions on numbers. It really is a sorry state of affairs.

Goodness, this really is a woe is me post, though I know that many of you have felt, or are still feeling, this way. I suppose it's only natural with the way things are. Who knows how long all this is going to go on for. I really need to start feeling more positive but that's easier said than done with everything that's going on at present. I'm never usually so downbeat but I suppose the saying 'at the end of your tether' really is true and I've just about reached mine. I do try to keep my blog positive but life isn't always a bed of roses and I suppose this post just reflects that.

Looking Back At 2020

At the end of 2019 I commented that the year had been a sad one for me with the death of my mum, and here I am again at the end of this year saying the same thing following the death of my dad. I never would have predicted that I'd have such a devastating couple of years, and on top of this, we've had coronavirus to deal with this year too. It's been a very mixed twelve months with sad time and happy times too, lets take a look back over the last twelve months.

We were Blowing Away The Cobwebs back in January with a new year trip to Scarborough. Little did we know then but this, and another day in March, would be the only trips we took to the coast this year because of the coronavirus restrictions and lockdown.

Storm Ciara blew in during February causing damage and destruction. We had quite a few days of stormy weather but got off lightly compared to many people. There was flooding, loss of homes and sadly, loss of life too.

Coronavirus came to our attention in March and we all started to practice Social Distancing. Who'd have thought that we'd still be in this pickle at the end of the year.

We were only allowed to walk in the neighbourhood during lockdown so I took you with us on Another Local Walk For Archie in April. We were lucky that we had some lovely weather at this time and we went on many local walks.

In May we were Enjoying The Rhododendrons at Temple Newsam. We like to visit around this time each year to see all the beautiful blooms, though it was a different experience this year with social distancing still in place yet very few people following the guidelines.

I was finally At The End of my five and a half year long challenge in June to read all of Agatha Christie's sixty six murder mystery books in chronological order. It was a fun challenge and I was sad to come to the end of it.

I wrote about A New Normal in July after the death of my dad the previous month. I recognised that after spending so much time caring for and looking after my dad, my life was about to change now that he was no longer here.

We had an impromptu day out in Burnsall in August to celebrate Mick's birthday. We haven't had many days out during this year because of coronavirus restrictions so this was a welcome visit to the place I love best, the Yorkshire Dales.

Crafting has been a big factor in my life this year especially with having to spend so much time at home. I decided to give my attention to a number of different projects with a view to getting some of them finished, and making some good progress on others, and I gave An Update On My Crafting Rotation in September.

At last, we had something to celebrate in October when Jacob asked Eleanor to marry him and She Said Yes. They haven't set a date yet but they don't want to wait too long.

We had some very murky days in November so it was nice to come Out Of The Fog and enjoy a walk at Roundhay Park. As you can see, Archie had a lovely time too rolling about in the fallen leaves.

We discovered A New Walk in December. Being close to water, it's a walk which will attract Mick time and time again, we've returned once already.

A huge thank you to everyone who has visited my blog this year and those who have left such wonderful and supportive comments, especially when my dad died back in June. It's been a tough year in more ways than one but life has gone on, albeit in a very different way to that which we're used to. Wishing you all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2021.

Books Read In 2020

I'm pleased with the number of books I've managed to read this year, especially as my reading dropped off a bit after my dad died in June. I found myself unable to concentrate on reading, as well as most other things, during this time but I did get back into it again eventually. During December though I've only read two books as I just haven't seemed to have time for anything. In total I've read seventy five books this year.

In 2015 I challenged myself to read Agatha Christie's murder mystery books in chronological order. There are 66 in total and I averaged one book a month for five and a half years, having completed this challenge just before my dad died. I never got the chance to tell him I'd finished reading them all, he was always interested in which book I was reading having read some of them himself.

I've found some new to me authors this year so as well as reading books by authors I already enjoy, I've read quite a few books from some different authors, some of which I'll continue to read. Some new favourites are Dani Atkins, Elaine Everest, Celeste Ng and Mary Gibson. Some old favourites are Charity Norman, Amanda Prowse, Jojo Moyes and Donna Douglas.

Passenger to Frankfurt - Agatha Christie

The Colours of All the Cattle - Alexander McCall Smith

Nella Last's Peace - Nella Last

Nemesis - Agatha Christie

Elephants Can Remember - Agatha Christie

Postern of Fate - Agatha Christie

The Nurses of Steeple Street - Donna Douglas

District Nurse on Call - Donna Douglas

The Light in the Hallway - Amanda Prowse

A Nightingale Christmas Promise - Donna Douglas

The Librarian of Auschwitz - Antonio Iturbe

Nightingale Wedding Bells - Donna Douglas

To the Land of Long Lost Friends - Alexander McCall Smith

The Girl in the Red Coat - Kate Hamer

The View From the Corner Shop - Kathleen Hey

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry - Rachel Joyce

The Story of Us - Dani Atkins

A Good Heart is Hard to Find - Trisha Ashley

While I Was Sleeping - Dani Atkins

Our Song - Dani Atkins

This Love - Dani Atkins

The Christmas Sisters - Sarah Morgan

The Choice - Edith Eger

Fractured - Dani Atkins

The Woolworths Girls - Elaine Everest

If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things - Jon McGregor

The Other Half of Augusta Hope - Joanna Glen

The Perfect Couple - Jackie Kabler

In Five Years - Rebecca Serle

Half a World Away - Mike Gayle

Curtain - Agatha Christie

A Mother's Journey - Donna Douglas

Dear Edward - Ann Napolitano

The Wish List - Ruby Hummingbird

Found - Erin Kinsley

Sleeping Murder - Agatha Christie

One Split Second - Caroline Bond

Three Hours - Rosamund Lupton

When All is Said - Anne Griffin

Love After Love - Ingrid Persaud

Little Fires Everywhere - Celeste Ng

The Man Who Didn't Call - Rosie Walsh

The Keeper of Lost Things - Ruth Hogan

The Secrets of Strangers - Charity Norman

Poirot Investigates - Agatha Christie

The Garden of Lost Memories - Ruby Hummingbird

The Beekeeper of Aleppo - Christy Lefteri

Sister of Mine - Laurie Petrou

The Day She Came Back - Amanda Prowse

Where There's a Will - Beth Corby

The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding - Agatha Christie

I Confess - Alex Barclay

The Chain - Adrian McKinty

The Day the Nazis Came - Stephen R Matthews

The Alibi Girl - CJ Skuse

Everything I Never Told You - Celeste Ng

All We Left Behind - Danielle R Graham

Hughie Mittman's Fear of Lawnmowers - Conor Bowman

The Holiday - TM Logan

Christmas at Woolworths - Elaine Everest

Wartime at Woolworths - Elaine Everest

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird - Josie Silver

A Gift From Woolworths - Elaine Everest

After the End - Clare Mackintosh

Blood Orange - Harriet Tyce

Foreign Fruit - Jojo Moyes

Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts - Mary Gibson

Jam and Roses - Mary Gibson

Gunner Girls and Fighter Boys - Mary Gibson

Bourbon Creams and Tattered Dreams - Mary Gibson

Hattie's Home - Mary Gibson

A Sister's Struggle - Mary Gibson

The Peacock Emporium - Jojo Moyes

One Moment - Linda Green

The Secret Santa - Trish Harnetiaux

The stand out book for me this year was The Other Half of Augusta Hope by Joanna Glen. I don't know what it was about this book that did it for me, it's just a touching story which is beautifully written and I came across it by chance during the first lockdown when I'd run out of books to read so I was looking for something on my Kindle. In fact, I stumbled across many books this way this year. Other memorable books were The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe, The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri and Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts by Mary Gibson.

Now that my Agatha Christie challenge has come to an end I'd like to think of a new reading challenge, what that will be I don't know, however, I'm going to cut back on my reading in 2021. I've found that I immerse myself in whatever I'm reading to the detriment of my other hobbies. I'd like to spend more time on them this coming year, but we'll see how it goes.

Merry Christmas 2020

It's going to be another strange Christmas. Last year was the first Christmas without my mum and this Christmas is the first without my dad. It's been a strange year all round actually with many of us being separated from our families because of coronavirus. I had taken comfort in the fact that we were going to spend a few days with Daniel and Jasmine who we haven't seen since last Christmas but as they live in Essex and therefore have entered Tier 4 restrictions, we're now unable to see them. It's going to be very quiet around here.

Wishing you all a happy and peaceful Christmas.

Aava Socks

Once again, I've taken part in the Strictly Sockalong which Ali from the Little Drops of Wonderful podcast hosts each year. I used the Cha Cha Chevron sock pattern last year and the year before so this year I decided to go with something different. I had a look on Ravelry and came up with a pattern by Heidi Alander, Aava Socks.

It's a pattern with a design running down the outside of each leg, so there's a definite right and left sock. It looks pretty and the lace pattern isn't too difficult so I didn't have to concentrate too hard whilst watching Strictly.

I used Noodle Soup yarn in the Disphotic Zone colourway. It's on a stellina base and is very sparkly but the photos don't really show just how sparkly they are. I thought this yarn was perfect for Strictly socks with all the glitz and glamour.

The socks were started during the Strictly Specials which were aired prior to the launch show and I've knit them whilst watching the main Strictly shows, the results shows and the sister show, It Takes Two, which is shown on weekdays. I got them finished just ahead of the final last night.

They're a perfect fit and I'm very happy with the end result.

Radio Times

First of all I'd like to thank everyone who left a comment on my last post about my dad, I know I'm not alone in my grieving, many of us have lost one or both parents and it's a hard thing to go through. So much so that many of you are still missing your parents many years on, and I know I'll be the same. It's all still very raw for me but I know in time I shall be able to look back and remember the good times we shared. Your understanding when I've written these posts about my mum and dad over the last twenty months have meant such a lot to me, it's been very comforting reading through your comments so thank you once again.

Let's talk about Christmas traditions, or one Christmas tradition in particular that we had as a family when I was a child. My parents would always buy the Radio Times and TV Times at Christmas. In those days you had to buy two magazines as the BBC channels were listed in the Radio Times and the ITV channels were listed in the TV Times. Nowadays, each publication lists the other channel listings. 

I remember all three of us kids sitting down and circling all the programmes we wanted to watch over the Christmas period. I know a lot of people had the same tradition and they still follow this with their own families now. It's something we no longer do, we have Sky so we just go through the programmes on the listing page and set it to record the programmes we choose. I don't think it's as fun doing it the way we do though so I thought I might buy a copy of the Radio Times and go back to our old ways but I got a bit of a shock when I picked it up, the price was £5. I decided I wouldn't bother just for old time's sake, I'll stick with my Sky listings, especially as there aren't that many programmes on my 'must watch' list these days.