Before this month gets away from me..

.. I’d better play catch up.

A couple of weeks ago on a damp, windy and very cold Tuesday morning I hiked a six mile route high up over Blackstone Edge with Caroline and Trev.  Sounds like a crazy thing to do I know but we all three had a thoroughly good time.  Half of the time we couldn’t see further than a few yards in front of us because of low lying clouds and mist but we soldiered on and on…  It took a couple of hours until finally we reached the lake where we had a much appreciated piping hot coffee at the visitor centre.   The day after my thigh muscles complained, rather loudly too, but I didn’t.  I’m hoping we’ll do it again some time soon!

Charlie has stayed with us a couple of times this month. Granddad told him to bring his Lego and they would play with it together. I’m no good at building anything but I had great fun lining up all his little figures for a photo op and heaven knows he’s got plenty of them!

At bedtime we played cards and I taught Charlie how to play Strip Jack Naked. He was thrilled with his new skill especially when he won the first proper game we played! I know he’s played it several times since at home. So now that’s all three of my little treasures on the way to being card sharps!

George stayed overnight recently too. 

He brought the game Beat The Parents with him.

We enjoyed a game of that and then watched the television.  Faulty Towers was on.  George thought it was hilarious and was beside himself laughing at Basil’s antics.  In fact we were both tickled pink by it and it’s making me chuckle now just thinking about George rolling around on the couch laughing his head off over it!  Fun times.  This boy seems to be growing up fast now.  It won’t be long before he’s as tall as I am.  Time, slow down a little bit, please!

The Valentine’s fairy called at our house.   Sweet of him wasn’t it?   I have to say he doesn’t usually forget me.

Our house has been ringing with the dulcet tones of these two old favourites almost permanently since William got them as Christmas presents from the girls.  They both make me feel nostalgic, particularly the John Denver, since watching a documentary telling his life story before Christmas.  I had no idea he died at such a relatively young age.   Such a shame. 

And finally, today I went on a little shopping trip.  It wasn’t very successful.  So, on the way home I called in at a McDonald’s and consoled myself with a Munchies McFlurry.  Every so often McD’s bring out a McFlurry that really does it for me and this is one of them.  It’s only the second one I’ve had but it probably won’t be the last.  There again it wouldn’t surprise me if I’m a little late to the party and I’ve discovered them at the end of their run!  Never mind.

Until next time.

Billy Bob’s Ice Cream Parlour

It’s half term school holidays here this week and on Monday Caroline invited me along with her, Trev and Charlie on a trip to Billy Bob’s Ice Cream Parlour.  Billy Bob's is a 1950s American themed diner complete with soda fountain.

Set smack dab in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales and not far from Bolton Abbey, it’s an unlikely find housed in this Cape Cod type building.

Caroline had come across mention of it on FaceBook and thought it sounded good and worth a visit.  She wasn’t wrong. 

Inside is nothing but pure 1950s Americana.  A blurry iPhone pic above of the espresso bar but it gives you the general idea of the place. 

We had arrived in time for lunch.  Food was ordered and here Charlie’s waiting patiently for his pancakes…

..and tucking into them with gusto!  I’m sure he even said Billy Bob’s pancakes were better than mine and he thinks mine are awesome.  All I can say is Billy Bob’s must have been very good!  We all enjoyed the food, in fact we almost licked the plates clean! and I just know we’ll go back for another helping one day soon.

Outside there’s a fantastic play area for the kids.  Plenty of seating for grown ups and those table and benches combination thingies where Trev and Caroline are stood were on sliders.  Looked like fun to me!

Lots of big, sturdy, fun stuff to climb over.

Shame about the weather on Monday but imagine that view on a good day!  Easy on the eyes to say the least I can assure you.

So, Caroline, another good find of yours.  You’re a regular little bloodhound when it comes to sniffing out new places to visit aren’t you? 

Llamas in Ealees

Sunday morning a breath of fresh air was the order of the day. 

Nicholas had stayed overnight with us and this was him just out of the shower getting ready to face the world.  A little look into the future I thought.

A stroll through Ealees was what we had in mind.  Caroline and Charlie joined us there.

We had a surprise along the way.  There are now llamas in Ealees!

Needless to say we stopped to take a butcher’s hook.  That’s Nicholas above.  See his wellies?  They’re  mine!  I knew there’d be lots of puddles about and I also knew Nicholas wouldn’t be able to keep out of them.  He hadn’t got his own wellies with him so he asked could he wear mine.  With his own socks and two pairs of mine on as well he managed very well thank you. 

And here’s Charlie.  That stick isn’t any old stick.  It’s a balancing pole while he walks a tightrope over a canyon!

And finally one last, totally unrelated as it happens, picture.  George slept over Saturday night before last and it was a bit cold first thing in the morning so he got himself the “sick quilt” to snuggle under.  We love that old Dutch Doll quilt.  It has a bit of a story to go with it and that story can be read here.

Until next time,

Don’t Want to Whinge and Whine…

…because I know some folks are a lot worse off weather wise than we are.  Take Somerset in the southwest for instance.  Those poor souls are still suffering flood conditions after I don’t know how many weeks of it.  But the fact is, I’m ready for blue skies and bright sunshine.

Ready for dry paths when we walk down the canal towpath.  Like Caroline and I did recently at Uppermill.

Ready for fewer grey clouds.  It’s still good to be out and about but everywhere is so gloomy.

I thought this was pretty though, regardless of the colour of the sky.  The water was so still it was like a looking glass.  I was going to say mirror but looking glass sounds so much more refined don’t you think?

And a coffee shop always brightens the day.  This is a new cafe Caroline had been told about by a friend.  It’s just off the towpath, rather pleasant and definitely our kind of place.  Dogs are welcome inside too so Caroline’s dog, Harley, got to come in out of the cold and join us.

A different coffee shop now.  This one is in Hebden Bridge.  My sweet niece Lindsey came up for a visit last week and I took her to Hebden Bridge.  We had a lovely couple of hours together chatting non stop about this and that.  One of the subjects under discussion was sewing.  It seems we both have a fondness for patchwork and that being the case I was delighted to show her a new fabric shop which has only been open a month or so.

The Quilt Cabin has rocked my world!  I’m thrilled to bits at having somewhere so close and full of all the wonderful, colourful, top quality fabrics I see in the World Wide Web’s quilter blogs corner. 

So, there we have it.  This post might have started off with grey clouds but it’s ended with all the colours of the rainbow!

Needles and Pins

In December, after many years of intending one day to make a patchwork quilt I finally took the plunge and made one, albeit a small one.

And here it is my first attempt ever at patchwork quilting.  A Christmas table topper.  I had hoped to finish it in time for Christmas but didn’t quite manage it.  I’m really quite pleased with it and can see plenty more of this in my future for certain.

I indulged in a bit of knitting before Christmas too.

 

This side of Christmas I’ve been having a lot of fun sewing.  I made this simple slip-in cover for my Kindle and little zipped pouch to hold my knitting and crochet bits and pieces.  I’ve also made a couple of patchwork tote bags but I can’t get a good picture of them for love nor money so will not be putting them on show here.

 

Oh, and I’ve turned a king size duvet cover into a double sized one with two matching pillowcases.  That was very satisfying because there’s also plenty of material left over to use in a quilting project of some description.

And finally this crochet blanket is finished apart from the blocking.  So, what to do next is the question.  I’ll come up with something that’s for sure.

Until next time,