My Friday Smiles 2025 # Week 40

It would seem that I lost count of the weeks during my absence and it is now week 40. So hopefully I have caught up right now.

I was slow to link up around the usual Friday posters as we had a very busy weekend. Our son Jonathan, his wife Ella and daughter Aisling arrived in Oswestry on Friday afternon to take posession of their new home, just a short walk across the park from us. So of course we went round to welcome them and see if we could offer any assisstance. of course Jonathan and Chris straightway got into a discussion about phones, internet, anf Football, but their dog Rudi, decided to park herself between them. In a strange place, the familiar settee was the safest spot to be I guess. 

They are settling in well. Aisling loves being in 'Big school' and has enjoyed her first full week . 

Jonathan's commute back to Manchester for work each day takes very little more time than navigating city traffic did when he lived there. And Ella is able to work from home, though after next week she will be on leave ready for the new baby due early in November. So it has been an exciting week for them.

I invitied them all over for Sunday dinner and despite my very limited cooking facilities, I managed to get a roast done and we spent some happy hours chatting together.

Apart from that I have spent my time going through the last boxes which won't be unpacked properly until the new kitchen is installed. But I did, at last, find my missing air pump and cables so I can now set up my laser cutter. I am very lucky to have a big craft room at the top of the house, with two desks - one for paper craft, and actually assembling my makes, and one for the computer, printer and cutters. Having got them almost set up, I decided it would work better if I swapped the two desks round, so today Chris has helped me rearrange everything, and made sure I was connected up correctly and safely.

So now I will give you a quick idea of how my room looks. This is just inside the door. All my shelves of 'really useful boxes' fitted on one wall. They are not packed correctly yet as I fitted lots of oddments in for easy packing and travelling. But I will have them all in order soon and make new labels for them. 

Further along the next wall there is a wide opening, (with sliding doors), leading to quite a spacious under the eaves storage area with a velux window in the roof to let in light. 

Opposite the shelves there is a book shelf and a tall narrow shelf set that house all my books, files of rubber stamps, and folders full of metal dies.

Next to them is a bin holding all my rolls of vinyl, and then it is my work desk, not quite ready yet as my green mats don't fit; but I will work something out there soon. And further along from that is a set of wide, strong, (untidy) shelves where I have put my Cameo cutter, a die cutter, reams of paper, and anything else that didn't have a home!

The room is L-shaped, and across the narrow leg, opposite the shelves, is my computer desk with printer at the end, and my laser cutter on its own table along side it.

And one final picture to show how those last three fit together. 

So how lucky am I? I am really looking forward to using this lovely space, to get back into card making, scrapbooking, and of course, some working with wood as well.

And that really is it for this week. I will try again to find you and link my post to you over the weekend.

My Friday Smiles 2025 # Week 37

I was sad to see that Annie is no longer hosting her Friday Smiles but I shall continue to write my weekly 'diary' blog and hope we can still be found by one another.

I haven't done anything very significant this week but Sunday was sunny so Chris and I did manage some gentle gardening at the front of the house. Chris dug out several baby trees, self seeded by birds and wind from the park I expect. He also removed a dead shrub that was taking up a lot of space. Meanwhile I cut back the cotoneaster on the housewall to reveal the three planters hidden under it. I dug them out and filled them with new compost and planted some winter flowering pansies and tete-a-tete daffodil bulbs.

It already looks a lot better. We still have to remove the bush by the front wall which is deseased, and in the spaces we will be planting some roses. I am told November is the time to do this, and a big rose nursery near here, delivers ordered bare root plants at the end of October, so we don't have to wait too long.

This little chap hopped about between us all morning. He was so tame and he enjoyed a good Sunday lunch from all the worms and bugs we dug up.

We have been entertained all week by some tree surgeons who have worked their way across the back of the park pruning the trees. Last week I shared the one they cut right down, and the next day they came with a grinder and ground the stump down to ground level. But all day Tuesday and Wednesday they worked on the very big tree immediately opposite our house. I sat and watched them for hours! One man climbed the tree and roped himself on. Then he used his chain saw to cut branches down. He tied each of the larger ones to a rope so that he could lower it to the ground safely. Then he adjusted his own tether and swung across empty spaces to the next branch needing attention. I am filled with respect for his climbing ability, care and knowledge.

Three men on the ground continuously gathered up the debris and after sawing up any large useable logs, they fed the huge chipper which made short work of the rest. It all seemed a bit drastic at the time, but the main man had a good eye for what he was doing and the final result is a neat, well shaped tree. It lets more of the autumn sun into our front room, and has opened up our view across the park.

This afternoon I have been pinning out some of the squares for my jacket onto my blocking boards. In the morning I will steam them and leave them to dry and then I have about two more lots to do. The squares are all finished but they need to be blocked before I join them to make sure they are all the right size. Then it will be easier to work them together following a layout plan in the pattern.

And that is all I have time for tonight, as I need to go and prepare our tea. I had a quick look at how to install a Linky on here for everyone to use, but it was too complicated for me right now, but please continue to drop by at the end of each week, and I will visit you too whenever I can.