Christmas movie!!!

Just watch the trailer..

this looks like being the 

Christmas Film of 2013.

I so want to see it!!!

Tom Hanks is one reason;

Emma Thompson another..

the whole fairy-like quality of 

Disney and what more could

you possibly want?

Sue xx

Saving Mr. Banks - Official Trailer (Tom Hanks)

Attic but no cash found!!!

Well, 5 cents is all so far!

I decided to make another foray into the attic

and find the courage to part with long held 'treasures.'

I found the kingfisher ceramic pot that my first

ever Head OT gave me in 1982 when I left my first job.

Can't part with it after all these years!!!

I found even more children's books ...keepers too.

Any grandchildren I have will be able to come

along to Oma's personal library and be read to!!

(No, Becci, not handing any more over to you)!

Between us we must have a huge collection as it was my 

favourite present choice when mine were small.

I would spend hours around Christmas in the various

bookshops, giggling at the funny ones, smiling at the

nice pictures and hugging the ones I wanted to take home.

I have found things I ought to have thrown out years ago

and things that I knew were up there somewhere

but not just quite sure in which box.

I will be going to the charity shop with some things

and the dump with others!

Once I have done the attic I have to start in the kitchen

and decide which things I could pass on to Tim when

he leaves home and which I still use and like. 

More and more I am sure that it will be a good thing for him

to move out and start the independent life that awaits him.

Time to grow up and find the things that matter 

out for himself.

21 next year . . . .would be a good time to aim for.

Sue xx

Slow progress

Son has sorted out his school issue.

Phew.

I think we are more relieved than him!

He did not want our help or intervention.

No, he went to his boss!!!

It comes to something when work is allowed

to help you and family are not.

Do we feel peeved?

I suppose a little.

Is this son standing on his own two feet and 

making tentative moves towards independence?

I certainly hope so!

It is not all sorted out as we know there is 

more to come but unless we are 'in the know'

I hope son will come up trumps with another

solution without us having to worry again.

What have we learned?

Information, information, information.

Be prepared to answer all dodgy excuses with facts.

Hard facts.

Arguing the 'white is black' with him is exhausting.

All he has to do now is pass that final exam!!

And tonight is my first night shift!

Wish me luck guys.

Sue xx

Letting go

..how hard is that?!!!

Letting a child decide their own future

even when you think it is a bad choice?

Standing by and doing nothing

while your heart is breaking and you

want it to be different?

Not being able to make your point of view

known, heard and respected?

Hearing one thing and feeling another?

Oh, being a parent is heart-breaking at times

....isn't it?

Young adults have ways totally alien

to us oldies with different values

and ethics,or so it seems to me.

I am sure my parents felt exactly the same

about decisions I made when younger.

Back then I had no choice but to do what

they said had to happen.

It proved disastrous in some cases.

In others they were probably right to intervene.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Foresight is a different matter entirely.

Do we expect too much from them?

Do we expect too little?

I have no idea, truly.

One thing I do know is that burying ones head in the proverbial sand

does not lead to solutions.

It makes things worse in the end.

Those dreadful words

" I told you so" 

will be uttered.

"Why wouldn't you let me help you"?

I find harder to come to terms with.

Should I be more open and see the positive way ahead

then?

Or does my old-school belief that education matters

just fly out of the window and never be heard again?

I am at a loss to understand, comprehend and support

an action I cannot agree with in my head and heart.

Keeping my mouth closed and my opinion to myself

is getting harder and harder to bear.

Sue xx

Saturday

breaking in some shoes whilst staying home

is better than getting sore feet whilst walking!!!

I am having a tidy.

Each week I promise myself I have to make a start

and this afternoon I actually have!

In my snug.

I have my table covered with wedding items

and need to make room for Christmas Cards;

yes, it's that time again!

I was going to just send messages over 

the internet . . . 

but that's not me.

I was not going to bother at all . . .

but that's not me either,

so making some will be what I just have to do.

But no inspiration as yet.

Started looking around on blogs and 

pinterest for some ideas but really

and truly I have not found it yet.

I have sorted all my papers out

and know I need cardstock at some point.

I have found all my stamps but the one I want...

of course; what else?!

I have still got inks that are good enough to use.

I have got plenty of other stamps I could use

but I want THAT one!!!!

So I will persevere a while longer with the 

sorting out 

but right now I am going back to hunting

down INSPIRATION.

Sue xx

Out of nowhere

came Rain!

It had been nice up until about a minute ago

I even walked to the shops without a coat

this morning,

and now rain. More rain.

It never seems to stop.

Tomorrow Gebke and I are going to enjoy a 

days 'mini holiday ' so very much hoping 

for at the very least a dry day, please?

At the moment I am in bake-off mood

trying out Paul Hollywood's recipe

for my all-time favourite

CUSTARD TARTS.

I've made them before but to other recipes using 

single cream etc but this was just milk and eggs.

They don't look too great so no photo!

but so long as they taste great I will be satisfied.

I watch it on Sundays so no idea how they

fared yesterday.

But it was cookies and biscuits I think and I 

just love baking those!

It is all part of my stress-busting strategy actually.

Filling in application forms day in day out,

which take hours if you apply in the UK,

and then finding other activities that one 

must do to fulfil the criteria for the cash -

whilst all the time thinking

"give me a chance"

and not really believing that anyone will.

Sort of soul destroying which is where the

baking comes in.

Always therapeutic 

and since that is my trade....

better put it to good use on myself, right?!

Have a good one yourselves.

Sue xx 

Pyjama Day

Not feeling too well this morning.

An upset tummy making me feel cramps etc.

A headache making me feel tired.

A hot feeling all over ....

think I might have a bug!!

So it will be a day of settee hugging,

tea drinking,

cat-napping,

TV watching,

cat cuddling,

soup eating,

weather watching,

home staying

quietness.

I probably need it.

Sue xx

Weekend in sight

So yesterday I went to the unemployment office here in town

for a talk about it all.

It started ok, a full room etc and overheads . . . .

It was rather noisy due to building work going on. . . . 

then someone noticed water dripping from the ceiling.

Then dripping from where the light was . . . .

then part of the ceiling started to bulge and buckle

and eventually within a few seconds 

it fell down with water cascading everywhere!!!

Ok, end of chat!

They had given us all a folder with the information

from the overheads all in so no problem really.

It was quite interesting to see the wide range of ages 

and people at the meeting.

I suppose when you are at home trying to find work

it is easy to think of yourself as being the only one

with the problem.

But we are not.

There are so many people seeking work, being made

redundant, losing jobs they love,

struggling to survive.

It was a salient lesson.

So today back to writing application forms!!!

It's hard to know what to do for the best as I am torn between

two lands and applying in both.

Trying to spread my chances but not knowing what

I really want the most.

I wish there was  'a sign ' telling me what was 

going to happen and when and where I will end up!!!

This is one time I wish I knew the future...............

all I can do is ask the question and throw it

out to the universe and wait for the answer.

Sue xx

Change in the Weather

Oh boy, has the weather done a U-turn!!

From the fabulous sunshine of last Thursday to 

the torrential rain today.

I've put the winter duvet on the bed and the top quilt!

And a blanket for the cats who appear to relish

lying on the bed whilst I am out.

I lit candles this evening on the coffee table.

It got dark as I watched TV.

I made delicious roast tomato and pepper soup for

my dinner.

It's a curry tomorrow!

The garden is soaked through and through so

Gloria is banned from any more rain dancing.

She wanted it to water her garden . . . .

now we are drowning in the stuff!!!

I've swopped my house sandals for my warmer slippers.

There is a real bargain rug under the coffee table since

this afternoon where I can warm my toes upon - yey!

Wanted one for sooooooo long already.

Now I am on the look out for bargain bedroom

furniture.

And reading how to paint wooden furniture

in shabby chic style so that when I find what we like

I can make it look as we want it to.

The second-hand shops here are great for these

bargains. I take my old stuff to them, browse around

and bring home someone else's old stuff.

How cool is that?!!!

Like Ineke I am wanting to get the bedroom done.

Similar colour scheme I suspect as we like the same

colours though we have gone for the duck egg blue

and white.

She has started and is moving rapidly towards getting it 

completed. 

We have been doing odd bits for the last two years

and still never have the time to tackle it in one go.

This autumn I am determined.

It has to happen.

So let it rain and get cooler.

Let the days close in so I light candles

and snuggle under the heavy quilt.

Let the leaves fall . . . 

I quite like it really!!!!

Sue xx

More photos from yesterday.

Yesterday

was glorious. We cycled from here to Andijk to Medemblik to Enkhuizen and back which is about 35 miles in total. We took 8 hours so there were stops!!! We had our ice cream first, then a wander around Medemblik and the steam train was in - then the shops, and painfully back on our bikes for lunch in Enkhuizen. By now it was getting on - around 3pm - so there were seats by the water at the harbour restaurant. Even more painfully back on the bikes towards home for 5.30ish. I am sunburnt. I am stiff. I am not sitting on a saddle until tomorrow!!! Yey! It was a really good end of summer cycle ride. Super!
Reality today - a day of working in a new situation as cover - hoping I am up to the task!!!
Sue xx

A treat day

Something that I am really looking forward to!

Gloria and I are heading out on the bikes for a lovely, sunny days

cycling along the dyke towards Medemblik.

There is the castle there and Queen Emma's Garden and lots 

of nice places to sit and admire the view.

Oh and of course there is the extremely popular

ICE CREAM SHOP!!!!

We are definitely visiting it. 

Not been all summer so I think I deserve a treat today,

don't you?

The sun is promising to shine its best today

with temperatures reaching 31C in the south.

Here we have a little breeze off the IJsselmeer

naturally . . .one way or the other we will be cycling

into the head wind then....

apart from that with the schools all being back it will

be quieter than during the summer holiday period 

and a gentle 50+ km jaunt.

So I'd better get the bike out!!!

Sue xx