HAPPY HALLOWEEN

 

Just off to find an outfit for this evenings fun and games ! 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN to all those who enjoy the fun.

THE NORTH WIND DOTH BLOW

 

and we shall have snow                              

and what will the robin do then, poor thing

he'll sit in a barn                                         

to keep himself warm                               

      and hide his head under his wing , poor thing 

So yes it's Sunday already and the wind is blowing a gale . We've had two storms hit the country and for once we have received a lot of rain down here in the south. In fact it's been country wide, with no one escaping. Hopefully this will mean that the reservoirs in the south and anywhere else that needs it are getting a bit fuller, although it will probably that more than two days of storms. But it's a start. I do love a windy day, I had to fight to put the washing out on the line and hopefully none will land up in someone else's garden! But it will all be dry in next to no time.

Finally we have the radiator we ordered !!!! Yes I know minor miracle ! Naturally it was delivered when we were out at our friends for lunch ! But Lindsey was in , so she rang us to check it was the right one before signing for it. 

So the next day Paul drilled holes in the wall to fit it but nothing about the radiator move is turning out to be easy ! The wall turned out to be on the crumbly side ! The house is 100 years old so I suppose we should not be surprised, so Paul had to fill around the screw holes to make them sturdy and we also ordered some radiator feet to also help.

Then almost as if it was meant to be, I spotted a plumbers van parked outside next doors, who turned out to be the plumbing company we normally use. Which saved me having to ring and speak to the lady who I swear is going through the change and is not actually helping their business with her slight aggressive tone. So I asked him to pop round after he'd finished at the neighbour's to see the job I wanted a quote for. Which he did and we received the quote the following day.  After I recovered ! ( It's been a good few years since we have had to pay for plumbing work ) we have agreed to them doing the work, so now have to wait for them to give us a date.

Which hopefully mean's sometime in early November, then Paul can get going on the panelling. I did think about maybe doing white panelling and saving on the cost of more paint, but Paul wants to stick with the red. 

I've completed the back of Paul's sweater and started the front and already up to decreasing for the sleeves. So it's coming along well. Does anyone else own more than one knitting bag but never actually keep their knitting in it because they are filled with wool ?  No ? So it's just me then. . . . .

Currently my knitting is in this lovely Morris & Co gift bag that Gill gave me , along with some Sasha dolls clothes sitting around at the bottom. I really should clear out one of my knitting bags so it can be used for it's proper purpose or then again I could buy a nice new one, since I have had the others for a good few years, mm what to do . . . . .

One of the things I have also been doing this week is sorting out the selves in my utility room and under the stairs. In fact when we put our small freezer under the stairs, we didn't put a shelf above and the top became a storage place for shopping bags, covers and blankets etc. This wasn't good for the airflow round the freezer. Also since I have been taking advantage on some of the reduced prices on food items, I had landed up having to store the overflow in the utility room. Now I do like things to be stored properly, tidily and have a 'place'.   So everything was removed off the freezer top and also from the side in the utility room. 

Which meant the utility shelves have finally been sorted out and bottles of cleaning fluids etc , found that are out of date, so dumped and blankets /covers/old towels found that can really be thrown out or moved on and do I really need to keep those old curtains ?  Paul's put a shelve up above the freezer and it's turned that cupboard into a small larder , making it easier to see what foods in their and easier to get to. I've ordered a small light, which we can fit inside, since the hall light doesn't reach in with the door and a persons body in the way. In the utility one of the shelves has been raised up, so another shelf  has been added to take the towels for the downstairs toilet , that are forever getting buried under other items and a general sort out of things no longer needed. 

Our government has started telling us all to get food etc in, in case of emergency ! Normally I'd not pay much attention but then I thought do they know something we don't ? Like they have f**ked up with our energy supplies so bad , that they know we are going to have trouble over the winter ?  I wouldn't put it past this lot to turn off our energy in order to keep some data centre going somewhere !                         Since I had already been getting extra's in because of store offers and the fact that prices are going to carry on rocketing come the new year, I have not changed my food storing habits but I did decide to buy a decent torch/light and a small kettle that can go on the hob, which is gas. I did also spring for a small camping stove , my thinking on these last items was, okay I can ignore it all as overkill but what if it did go pear shaped ? I'd be sitting here eating cold baked beans when I could be eating a nice warm stew if I'd not dismissed it all as stupid.

So if the lights do go out, along with the gas, I'll be nice and warm ( coal fire ) with my lovely hot stew and steaming cuppa. 

Now there is an awful lot of space on my new food shelf, I may just go see what's on offer . . . . . . . . .

Today's headliner is Robin , who is wearing his dungaree's by  Ginny from a Passion for Sasha. He did try on a different pair of dungaree's but decided that these mustard yellow ones suited him best. 

I do love Ginny's cord dungaree sets especially with the striped long sleeved t shirts under them.

On the less is more front, It's been a quiet week, mainly because I have not got my butt in gear to list things, which I really must do this week. I did order a few things from Ginny at A Passion for Sasha but apart from that nothing else.

I really need to get listing some non doll items as well ,just to reduce the amount of stuff I own. I will get there in the end , she says ! 

Well only four boys have been redressed for winter so far and no girls, so that's this weeks task to get completed. The sun is shinning after the last couple of gloomy days, so that always a positive for getting things done.

Have a healthy fun filled week ahead.

Dee

IT'S RAINING ITS POURING

 

The old man is snoring,

 he went to bed,

 when he bumped his head , 

and he didn't get up in the morning !

What a rhyme we used to sing as young children back in the 50's and 60's ! To us it was just a rhyme , I don't think we actually worked out the poor mans demise !

However it is, after starting out dry, now a very wet day , which we as a country still need, lots of decent  heavy  rain. Especially here in the south of the country. It gone very cold also at present but if the winds change direction, it will warm up again.

On the home front, they finally collected the wrong radiator they delivered, but naturally could not drop off the actually radiator we ordered ! No that would be too much like labour saving, energy saving and good service, no they wanted the wrong one back before they would send out the new one! Which now is supposed to be delivered probably next week ! 

I also had a small nightmare when I put the wrong postage labels on the wrong parcels ! So an Emma B bowl went to a lady who bought a pack of patchwork squares and the squares arrived at the Bowl buyers home ! Thank goodness for Royal mail collection service , I was able to buy the postage and have the royal mail collected , label and send on the parcels to their rightful buyers! Both ladies were very understanding, thankfully. But it seems it's all very well me writing the lady's name on one of the parcels nut only if it's written on the right parcel ! I will now be paranoid whenever I sell a couple of items on the same day ! 

On the knitting front, I have already finished the back of Paul's sweater and started on the front. It knitted in fisherman's rib pattern with chunky yarn on big needles! Which I love because it means it knits up nice and quick. The colour he chose was vanilla cream.

I did also bring in clothes to change all the Sasha's and Gregor's but then ignored them until today and have redressed four Gregor's, so far. Two of which are 68 boys who are getting wobbly as their strings start to weaken.

Today's headliners are Zak and Toby now nice and warm in their Ginny ( APFS ) tartan dungaree sets.

I also have to confess that it was actually Zak, pretending to be Tony, complaining last week about still being stuck in last summers clothes, I knew he still looked too smart but I didn't twig until I came to change them both !

I've had these tartan dungarees for them for a good few years and only put them in them. But even today I'm thinking does Zak usually wear the red set I've put on Tony or is it the other way round ! I may now have to start taking notes on who wears what !!!

On the finding space front, I had a good week because I finally got part of my act together and listed a couple of un needed solid pine kitchen chairs on market place and a copper coal scuttle on ebay both of which were sold the same day! Along with a small Roche doll. 

So finally those larger pieces are gone to new homes and big space found with there going. But no time to sit on my laurels more needs new homes and I need to get much more active in finding them before I need to stop for the Christmas period. I was alos very good and didn't buy anything so far.

Which means along with redressing all the dolls, I need to get photos taken and things listed here there and everywhere before it gets too cold to be doing anything along those lines.

I do now at least have electric to my studio, so will be able to use a heater when I want to use it during colder weather but I still need to sort out soe proper lighting in there.

So I will wish you a happy healthy warm week ahead

Dee 

A COOL SUNNY SUNDAY

 

Well another weeks been and gone ! We had some much needed rain this week , so the water butts are full and the garden well watered but it as come along with much cooler evenings, much more usual for this time of year.

The week's been all about the usual housework etc , along with having this years flu jab yesterday. Paul's on the Bowles clubs lawn care team, so cuts their grass every Monday along with another member but this Monday just gone, they also spread five tons of soil over the area, luckily they had a big group of others come along to assist. Which meant there were five wooden pallets left over from the delivery, which Paul brought back, to use for making another wide compost area in the garden. So at present they are standing around waiting to be put in place. 

I have finished the tank top I was knitting , it came out a little bigger than I planned but I didn't want it to be too tight and therefore not worn. 

She can actually wear it with a thin sweater underneath and since I finished it, she's worn it most days , so I'm happy and so is she, result.

I have a ball of the yarn left and also some left over from the other balls, where I wound it on to get the stripe colours to start in same place front and back. The problem is I hate to throw out the oddments , so have already crochet some small squares from it ! 

The problem with this is I land up with part made blankets etc  being moved around the place instead of oddments of yarn ! So one of the things I need to do is resolve that problem over the winter. So I will find a small empty box ,to store these latest much smaller squares in until I have enough to actually make something. I will continue to make small squares out of any left over yarn until the box is full.

I now will be knitting Paul a sweater as I do like to knit in the evenings , while watching the tv , and the poor man's been waiting many years for me to make him another sweater. After that I plan to knit myself a chunky cardigan, since I never actually knit myself anything. So lots of knitting planned through this winter.

In the week I went to the doll studio and pulled out some Sasha dresses to start changing the dolls into. They then all got left on the side but I realised the poor boys have been wearing their summer shorts and shirts sine the summer before last ! I know bad mother ! So one of this weeks plans is to change the boys into their winter clothes, since I think this winter may turn out to be a very cold one, along with the girls as well. I'm pleased to say I managed not to go and buy any new winter wear for them, well so far.

Today's headliner is Toby , who actually complained about still being in the same old clothes as last year and said he'd stage a protest  by the front gate to tell all the neighbours how bad I was to my children! He somewhat spoilt his plans by then asking what time Paw patrol was on and could he have some cookies and milk while he watched it ? So since it was due on in fifteen minutes and we live on a very quiet road , there was little chance even one neighbour would pass by his protest. 

On the 'Get it gone ' plans, I'm happy to say I had a good week ! I sold four things, one of which a doll , non Sasha, that I have been trying to sell for a good couple of years due to lack of space to display her, I lost a small fortune on her but at least she will finally get out of her box and start to enjoy a new life. I also sold a lovely bowl, so these two items will actually free up space. 

But it does mean I need to get some other things sorted to put up for sale before the winter lull arrives and nothing happens for the Christmas period.

So on that note I will wish you all a happy healthy doll filled week ahead

Dee 

IT'S THE FIFTH SO DOLL PHOTO DAY

 The first of the autumn doll photo's.

First up , from across the pond  in Gregoropolis , we have the beautiful Holly Belle, who knows she looks good in her new Ruth Hartley dress and she'll hear no dissent !  You cannot blame her because she does look beautiful in her new dress.

Elsewhere in Gregoropolis, Kevin and Lewis in their almost identical t shirts discussing how come a Gotz is so much bigger than a Trendon boy ! Kevin says it's because the Gotz dolls were stretched on a rack before being allowed out in the world !  Lewis say no! It's because he drank lots of good German milk that makes him strong and also grow so fine. Kevin makes a note to go drink more milk . . . .

Here in the village , Anika is admiring the red Canna Lily that always flowers later in the year. 

Claudia meanwhile is saying it's nice and warm in the sun but it is time to get out the warmer clothing or at least a cardigan and some socks would be a start ! 

Up on the wilds of the north coast , Tatum is getting ready to do a big clean , getting the house ready for the coming winter , she'd hoped her mum would help but she's too busy reading and shouting out instructions.

In Broxbourne, Holly and her sister are working on a letter of compliant ! The problem is they have plenty they feel they can complain about but cannot decide which one is first !ready to wear 

" no sweets in the cupboard " says Holly

" No cardigans wear !" says her sister

" Too many brothers ! " mutters Holly

"Why ? we only have three ! " exclaims her sister 

" Are you sure? It seems more " Holly argues " What about the babies ! "

Shocked her sister says " You cannot complain about the poor babies !"

Holly's not so sure but decides " What about we complain about Mum being 'good' and not buying us more clothes or sisters ! "

"That's the one! " agrees her sister " get typing "

Many thanks to all who took part by sending in some photos, still time to have yours added 

just send them in

Dee

THE FIRST OCTOBER SUNDAY

 

That's correct it is now October ! We are in the last quarter of 2026, another year is on it's way out.

The world is going to hell in a hand basket, while we have to watch it happen! I won't get on my soap box because I'd still be up there next Sunday ! 

We are still waiting for the new radiator to arrive ! Supposedly two days which became two weeks which means if its not here Monday, calls will have to be made ! So everything bedroom wise is just sitting waiting.

We have spent the week sorting out bits and piece's, talking about bits and piece's and doing  bits and pieces :) 

I've made Paul a list ( he is naturally delighted ) of things that need to happen in the garden etc, because we keep forgetting what needs doing until we yet again walk round together and see them. He's already ticked three things off, so was worth doing . . . . ;)

My sewing is still awaiting 

But I have been working on my knitting and it's coming along nicely but still plenty to do. I also found the pattern I used to knit my daughters matching sweaters from when they were at primary school , they loved the sweaters, all in different colours, Lauren's was blue with a white fleck, Lindsey's Pink with a white fleck and Courtney's black with multi coloured flecks. So now they all want one again ! This time with a different colour choice. So more to add to my knitting list for over the winter.

Not a lot else has been happening.

Today's headliner is Chloe, she arrived this week after my foolish crowing of having been good and not bought any dolls ! I'd barely published Sunday last's post before I was looking at Sasha's on eBay , came across her and pressed buy!  So that is a lesson I've learnt , no crowing ;)

I had actually been looking at the 70's red heads and putting the odd one now and then in my watching, only to remove them several weeks later. I seem to be looking back at dolls I have previously owned wondering whether to re add them , when in truth I should not be adding dolls at all. But a red head with gorgeous hair is a hard doll for me to pass by, especially if she's not a fortune and so I pressed that button.

Her lovely curls that sealed the deal for me.

So on the making space front, not a lot has happened apart from a Sasha arriving !  But then in truth I've not been into either dolls spaces , to find more things to list and sell. Which means I really must do that this coming week. Which also means it is still untidy in a few places although the floor is much clearer than it was a few months back.

I do have plans to try and do more sewing and knitting through the winter months and reduce things that way and keep myself busy and away from Ebay.

Tomorrow is the fifth, so please send in those dolls photo's , so we can see what your dolls have been up to this month.

On that note I will wish you all a Happy Healthy week ahead

Dee