Back to work and a lovely surprise.

Back to work today. Still feeling rough, but well enough for work.

Blooming busy, spent most of day going through my email inbox 😱

Lovely hubby text me to say he was in town and did I want to meet him after work

YES

Silly question really. 

The Christmas market was half open, and it was pretty quiet. We had a lovely couple of hours and I'm almost feeling the Christmas spirit!

Another day of rest and WIP Wednesday.

Another 'sick' day, managed to get 8 hours sleep last night, pretty disturbed with the constant coughing but hey haven't managed that much sleep in a long while. Still feel blooming knackered though !

Enforced rest has meant that I managed to finish 2 of the dog snood thingys

quite like the handpsun knit in 2x2 rib. 

Personally wouldn't put one on Frank, not sure he'd tolerate it anyway, but I know some dogs do feel the cold.  I may attempt a dog coat next year. want to get some of my works in progress done.

I'm still chipping away at my monstera Sweater. 

I am really not liking knitting at the moment, it needs all my concentration, I will be so glad to get this colour work section done, then its plain sailing in stocking stitch all the way. Have about 9 rows left to do for the pattern.Goal is to get the colourway section done by Christmas and I will have a great TV knitting project ready to go ! 

Colds and Comfort knitting.

I've given into it and taken a sick day. I was awake at 3.30am because my nose decided to stop functioning! Fully blocked. My throat feels as if I've swallowed some sandpaper and my chest ache's from coughing.

I've not dressed and am sat here currently watching Kirstys homemade Christmas. 

On the plus side I've managed to finish a knit project !

What is it?

A Greyhound snood!

A friend asked me to help knit some for a lurcher rescue charity. Dead easy. Quick TV knitting. The hole is for the lead! This is a polo neck version ! They're basically a neck warmer.

  Used my own handspun , so generally free to make. Just cast on another using another of my handspun yarns. 

Best way to spend a sick day if you ask me.

Treated myself.

Had a really busy week at work which included a mid week early start as had to head off to Caerphilly for a meeting. 

What you cant see in this photo was the snow ! yes, you heard right, we had a small flurry of snow. I had to get a bus to the station, then it to took 2 trains to get to Caerphilly. It was blooming freezing. Made me realise that my coat is actually pretty crap at keeping me warm, it's great for keeping me dry though.

Being a fat bird trying to find a decent coat can be a bit of a  night mare. I really dont mind what I'm looking like when I walk the dog, but for work and going out I really would like something half decent look-wise. 

I hate going clothes shopping, so it was online shopping for me. I actually found something I like, they had it in my size and was next day delivery, result.It came today.

From Joe Browns

I sized up, (if you buy from Simply Be website they do a good range of large plus sizes) so I could also fit a chunky sweater underneath as well. Really pleased with it, it looks fab and is really snuggly! I am wondering if I should have got a smaller size though, I seem to think I'm fatter than I actually am. I've ordered the next size down just to make sure !

Today I also treated myself to a haircut. After a disastrous short haircut back in May, I haven't had it cut since. I spent the summer wearing hairbands so I could get the layers down past the bottom of my ears ! It feels so good not to have to wear blooming hairbands anymore, also felt a  bit stupid at my age wearing hairbands to be honest !

I've taken the dog out for a walk, did some knitting, still trying to get this blooming colourwork done,

the boys have gone to rugby, Hubs is home with man flu ( the real thing ) and I've not done a jot of housework. Its fab, just how a Saturday should be. 

Bloglovin, Blogger, the dentist and spinning.

Disconnected for a day, I unlinked my blog from bloglovin, mucked up my blog theme, lost my blog list, and am probably going to fart about with it now for days ! grrrrr

Had the dentist this morning, hate the dentist, exceptionally sensitive teeth, brings me out in a sweat just thinking of him doing anything other than look at them. Had to have a filling, felt a right wimp as got anxious and was shaking ! sadly hes a really good dentist and hes leaving my surgery, now I have to deal with a new blooming dentist who wont understand my teeth. 

Worked from home this pm, report writing, Frank kept me company which was nice. Finished at 4.30 to get him and me out for a walk before it got dark. Chucked a bolognaise on for dinner, (one hubby had made and froze last week ).Still feeling a bit yukky. not sure whether its after effects of anaesthetic at dentist or coming down with a cold !

Not sure what to do with myself this evening so have decided to spin. Finally finished the first 100g of this last week so opened up the next 100g, aiming to do a 2 ply again.

I may only do a bit as feel like a snuggly early night reading my book

The Corset,

Rain,dogs and forward planning.

This year is whizzing past, its been full on and fast. I hardly seem to have had time to myself, but I'm not complaining I have done so much and have so much to be thankful for. 

Last weekend was my trip away with some work friends and their dogs. An all girls weekend, even the hounds were female !  It was quite strange being with people that you work with, especially as I had to share a room with one of them. But we got on OK and I had a lovely relaxing time. Sadly the weather in Cornwall was Rain, Rain and more rain. 

Luckily the garden was HUGE so we didn't need to go far to get the dogs out, we had 4 with us in total. Sadly not our Frank, hes still dogphobic !

3 of the hounds in their dogrobes !  these were a fab idea, get them in , quick rub down and put their robes on. Gets them dry, stops them getting everything wet and keeps them warm.

We've started using the dog field for Frank, its great that he can run free without his muzzle, hes really not into tennis balls so we now have to keep a stash of sticks at home. We're averaging about 2-3 runs there per week. £5 a go but very worth it. 

30 minutes later.... hes knackered..

He's got another session with our dog behaviourist but I'm pretty sure we are not going to make any huge progress he just doesn't like dogs. We've got a couple of trips coming up so need to start thinking about kennels or borders for him. Generally one of the boys stays at home, but we do do a couple of family visits each year that needs sorting. not really sure what to do on that score.

As the year is drawing to an end I'm already thinking about next year. 2020 was meant to be the year of the big downsize move, but life happens and the planets are not aligned so its very unlikely to happen for at least another few years. So I need to rethink what I want to do. The current job is a short fixed term post and whilst I am really enjoying it I am not sure I want to work full time if they offer to extend my contract. I'm toying with reducing the hours or going self employed ! My contract doesn't end until march so I've got some time to think it over. 

For now, I'm just going to take each day as it comes and enjoy every second. 

Storm watching.

Well here I am in beautiful Cornwall.

It's my girly dog weekend! A long weekend with 4 work friends and their lovely dogs.

We arrived to find a lovely cottage, very secluded, huge gardens with a very fast paced stream running through it, lots of running space for 4 lurchers. Sadly it was raining and the forecast is not good for the weekend. 

This morning I'm first up, sat on the sofa watching the storm roll in. It's really very peaceful.