Being happy

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Have had a weekend of very, very happy stuff as this weekend have been at Bradley Wood on our last building weekend before we go to Nepal. Brilliant weather, brilliant fun with the team. There was a County Cub camp on at the same time so there were 700 cubs on site all enjoying themselves doing lots of fab activities and they had a disco most of the day so we were dancing while building. I spent Sat doing drains and most of Sun building a wall out of rough stone on my own.

That really represents how much I have learnt in the last year as I would not have had the confidence to build that last year but I was quite happy doing it on my own. Sorry for the lack of pics – my camera is still at the menders and I did take some on my new flash phone but can’t work out how to transfer them to the computer!

Project Nepal means so much to me . When I applied I didn’t know if I would physically be able to cope given my previous problems with walking. But here I am 18 months later and I am fine – the odd ache but no more than anyone who has spent all day bending building a wall and I am feeling very fit and healthy generally.

Am having a party this weekend with all my friends to celebrate – partly a loft conversion warming (though not all of it is finished) , partly to say goodbye to everyone before I go away and partly as a celebration of us all getting through the last year. It has been a tough one for so many of my close friends – lots of difficult things to cope with but we are all here and we are happy. Hope that you are too.

Hello from me

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Been a little while since the last post as term has started and have been very busy. Have spent a large part of this weekend and last weekend decorating and doing the garden (hurrah!) as we have finally had some half decent weather so me and the kids have been battling the overgrown hedges and lawn and have got it into some sort of order. The decorating is coming on great – have got all paintwork done in the little room that used to be Jake’s and today have filled holes ready for sanding and wallpapering sometime soon.

I had carpets fitted on the stairs, landing, new stairs and the little room on Monday which makes things look a lot tidier and have a plumber coming to do the fitting of stuff in the shower room in a week or so.

All in all very good progress and most of it should be done before I go off to Nepal in less than a month! It is all getting very exciting!

Went out last night with Sue, my oldest friend here, to the pub and had a lovely time with her and Jill another old friend. Also had friends round for a meal on Mon eve  – is nice to be doing stuff like this as have not had time for socialising much over the last year due to work. I am lucky to have very good friends and really value them.

No pictures I’m afraid as digital camera is still at menders from having sand in the lens while in Spain! Do not have much luck with cameras but bought insurance when I bought this one as lots of previous ones have had accidents with red wine, the sea etc (nothing to do with me of course!).

Had a good week workwise – met all the new students on Thurs – a very nice bunch and we are full on next week with the start of term. Has been very nice these last two weeks being officially part-time it may not continue as I think I’m going to need to work full-time again next year but am enjoying it while it lasts.

Have a new feature on the blog – the Medieval Costume page where I am going to post articles about what we wear and how I make it -do visit!

Will leave you with another pic from my needlework collection – this is another of my web collection and shows a fine example of goldwork.

Goldwork on a chausable
Goldwork on a chausable

Season is over – sad! But hello new me……

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Well here I am posting on a Sunday night again – this means that things are back to normal (or what passes for normal around here!!) with the last event of the year. I was originally going to an event next weekend in South Wales but unfortunately finances are not going to allow that now so I have just done the last outside event yesterday – very sad, no camping, no campfires, no clothes smelling of woodsmoke, no fun in the beer tent , no great battles and shows … until next April.

I really hate not being out of doors camping but at least this year I have Nepal to look forward to – two weeks in a tent and the most amazing mountains in the world yippee – it is getting very close now and I am getting very excited – we have another building training event coming up in three weeks which will be our last one before we all go off – we fly out on 10th October.

This pics were taken at the show last weekend at Bolsover Castle.

The  pic comes from the part of our show the Manorial Court where the King dispenses justice – this is very funny part of the show – the person in the stocks is our arch villain John de Greilley who has stolen the tournament money – a part wonderfully played by the very funny Lee who is a natural comedian. In the background seated you can see my lovely daughter Ellie in a dark blue dress looking every inch the beautiful medieval lady.

Manorial Court
Manorial Court

It has been a really quick season this year – for various reasons we have not been to as many events as usual. But I am looking forward to the off season and the chance to spend more time on textiles!

Happy day

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Am having a happy day today despite some fairly major problems at work but I’m sure it will all be sorted eventually thanks to my excellent colleague Julie. I am still on track to go part time from Monday so Friday will be my last day in this role which is very liberating – hello new me. Have now no idea where things will take me which is very strange as up until recently I had a very clear plan for most of the rest of my life but have decided that I like this fate thing in some ways. Bit scary but lots of positives.

Excellent weekend which has put me in a very good mood – here is a pic of us all outside the little castle.  Nearly all of the group are there – apologies to Luke who was absent . Don’t we all look lovely in our costumes!

Order of Fighting Knights at Bolsover Castle
Order of Fighting Knights at Bolsover Castle

They really are the best bunch of people in the world and I am so lucky to have them all. We have such a laugh together and support each other and they are like a big extended family. I am starting to feel like some kind of normality is returning as we are now back at work and the kids are at school from next week – the holidays have been lovely but it is time to go back to real life.

It’s going to be strange for all of us as there are big changes ahead – me and work and the whole embroidery business,  Ellie with her A levels and moving away to University next year and Jake with starting his GCSEs. But they are so fab, strong, kind, caring and really good company.

Hope that wherever you are you are having a happy day too – take care and be strong.

Spanish sun!

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Well got back from Spain last Weds very late – it was a lovely holiday very hot so we spent most of our time at the beach, pool and water parks. Lots of sitting around reading books, going out for meals and generally being very slobby which was lovely. Heat was a bit intense at times though (not to complain!) so had to go and cool off in the jacuzzi pictures of that and us all out for a meal in the local square below.

Out for a meal
Out for a meal
Jacuzzi time!
Jacuzzi time!
Please note that I do have a bit of a tan in these pics – not easy when you burn as easily as me but I am a lot browner than before.
After Spain it was a quick two day turnaround for us to get ready for last big OFK re-enactment of the season at Bolsover Castle. We had a wonderful weekend and thanks to the 3000 plus people who came to see us, to the rest of the group for being the best extended family anyone could have and extra special thanks to Stef who came and joined us and made it into a very special last full show of the season. I am off to South Wales in two weeks but most of the group are not coming and then will will only be all together once more this year in Nov.
Am really sad once again at the prospect of no life under canvas – will have to resort to sniffing the tents to get the smell of wood smoke  ho hum ……..

It’s all go here!

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Right – have just got back from the Bodelwyddan event in North Wales and am packing up to go to Spain tomorrow. We had a wonderful time in Cornwall with the Tintagel event – a bit wet unfortunately and so not much beach visiting but three good battles and lots of visiting the beer tent and sitting round the campfire. North Wales was somewhat drier – today being very sunny indeed and good battles and again more beer tent and campfire activity. Did not get any good battle pics but friends did so will hopefully be able to include one or two later. Am having a little bit of IT trouble at the moment as the drive that all my pics are stored on is not being recognised by the computer so cannot even post any old pics.

Thnak again to all my fab friends and special very big hugs to Bev, Tracey, Carl and Denise for being so brilliant – life is wonderful!

Now off to get hot and make full use of Mum’s jacuzzi!

Off on holidays

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After a brilliant but very hot weekend at Ashby de la Zouche Castle we are now really on a roll with the events and hols and will be off to Tintagel in Cornwall soon followed by North Wales then Spain for sitting in the jacuzzi with bubbly stuff!

Big thanks to the group for their support this weekend – especially to Kerry for coming all the way to get me and Jake and bring us back on Sun. Ellie has come back from Kosovo and has a a really good time – lots of social events as well as the work with the kids.

The pics below are from the event we did two weeks ago at Tewkesbury – you can’t really see clearly from the second pic but the King has the most fabulous goldwork on his surcoat. I love this event as it is such an amazing sight with all the armies and flags and the sheer scale of the market etc. I love, love, love re-enactment and can’t wait for the next two events – especially Bodelwyddan as that will be really special. I will be so sad when the season ends in September but at least I have Nepal to look forward to!

Fighting at Tewkesbury
Fighting at Tewkesbury

 

The King and his retinue
The King and his retinue

Finished at last!

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Well Jake is safely in bed in his new room at last – have spent all day building flat pack furniture with him and finished putting up the curtains at 9pm. Still got to have some furniture delivered on Fri and put up posters and move all important gaming chair, Nintendo and Wii back in but is done. Big hugs to the kids for this as they have been fantastic – Ellie painted loads last week and Jake is a dab hand with a screwdriver. And I got to use my new power drill – liberation!

I didn’t think it would get done ever but it has – now only the rest of the trashed house to fix! However it will get done and we will get there. Ellie has gone to Kosovo on her youth education project and she has texted to say she is enjoying it. She is a star and deserves extra big doses of future happiness for the support she has given me and Jake. Jake thanked me tonight for getting his room done – he is such a sweetie.

Am having trouble uploading pics of the new room due to technical problems at the blog end but here is one bit. It is a hard room to photo anyway being an L shape attic and in this pic the carpet looks a bit strange – looks better in real life and Jake really likes it – colour scheme is his choice.

Jake in his new bed
A bit of the new room

Anyway will not be posting for a little bit as have a busy week ahead sorting out stuff ready to be away lots – have three events in next few weeks and a holiday in Spain – mother has just e-mailed me a pic of her in the jacuzzi – can’t wait.

Life is good. Sad things happen but they are outweighed by the kindness of everyone else.

Fab weekend

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Well the Tewkesbury event was wonderful, weather was not too bad – rain on and off on Sat especially while we were waiting to go into battle which led all the boys to moan about rust – lots of WD40 needed.

My brother took loads of brill pics so will try and get them from him. On the domestic front have done little except try and paint so poor Jake can have a  bedroom again – carpet is coming tomorrow and then will do furniture building Fri and Sun so he can move in then. Then on the bathroom! Lucky I am an independant woman who knows one end of a screwdriver from the other though I am going to have buy my own power drill now.

Will try and take pics of finished build so you can see all my hard work.

Positive day and new beginnings

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I have had a very good day today with some lovely things happening.  Today we had our end of year strawberry tea when all the staff gather to eat strawberries, chat and those who are leaving are given gifts and thanked.

I went today particularly to say goodbye to one of my colleagues who started me off on my full time career at the University by appointing me to a research post many years ago and was delighted to find another old colleague from the past there as well.

Peter was my old boss when I worked for the Adult Education Service, a lovely man who really supported me through my time there and who is responsible for developing my love of Numeracy teaching as he gave me my first class in that subject. I was so pleased to see him as he has just been appointed to a new post in our section to develop research and funding etc. It was a lovely blast from the past and a very nice new beginning for him and me.

I will leave you again with some fabulous work – not mine again as I need to get things sorted and places decorated before I have the luxury of sitting down with a needle I’m afraid.

Blackwork
Blackwork

The only information I have for this piece is that it is Swedish Blackwork though given that it is a black and white picture it could well be redwork but I really like the scrolling patterns on this.