MONDAY MORNING.....WHAT THE HELL?

Ok, I've had a rather fab weekend.  Seem to be making a habit of those lately.  Saturday was a lazy one with a bit of shopping, bit of gardening, bit of telly catching upping, you're getting the idea and Sunday was the excellent Fuse Festival in Rochester Castle grounds with my beloved son, who is now the grand old age of 16!  We love the Fuse Festival and, luckily, it always falls on the weekend of his birthday so we can't forget it, hehe and it gives us something definite to do.  Favourite acts of the year were The Giant Balloon Show, which, no matter how many times we see it, still cracks us up and The Most Dangerous Cup of Tea in the World which was very silly with a bit of slapstick thrown in.

 

Giant Balloon 

 

Dangerous Cup of Tea




However, last night, for some unknown reason, I couldn't get comfortable and therefore didn't sleep well.  This has meant that I've woken up later than I wanted and am totally 'not with it'.  I'd like to sit in the corner and play silly buggers on FB or watch a movie.  What I NEED to do is clean up, feed the dogs, sort out dinner for later, do my finances and check what my son is up to on the home ed front.  Can't believe it's nearly 1.30pm and I haven't even put my bed away (I sleep on a Zbed downstairs due to back and sleep problems).  I have a feeling that this week is going to be a long one. There has already been one change of plan and I sense there is more on the way.

I'm still in Glastonbury panic mode although nowhere near as bad as before, but I will feel better once I've packed, repacked, sorted, probably packed again and know that everything is ready.  I probably won't be truely relaxed until we are there and the tent is up; damn this anxiety thingy.

It's also a friend's birthday this week and do you think I can find the present I made her?  Nope, of course I can't....Grrrrrr!  So will have to get something small and give the actual present to her when I've found it.  It's around somewhere!

Anyway, just a quickie.  Really must get going and get on with stuff as supposed to be off to cinema later this evening and want to tick off my list before I go.

Cya

BIG IDEAS + LACK OF TIME = PANIC!!!

Hello all, yes, it's my turn. How are all you lovely peoples?

I'm in that panic mode at the moment. Halloween is just 2 weeks and 3 days away and I'm sort of organised......not! Well I say I'm not, I have lists, lots of lists, I've researched online for some ideas and at least I know the theme. But actually getting anywhere with it, hmmmmm, that's a different matter.

Not to give too much away, oh all right then I will (no kids peaking please!), I'm having a MacBeth themed party. Well, why not, there are witches, a ghost, murder and blood....sounds pretty gory to me. I'm decorating the front room as a forest where the witches will be...haven't made the tree sillouettes yet though or bought the witches. However, I do have a dress I could use to be the third witch, but I haven't tried it on for a few years, so it might not fit. Better sort that then. I also need a large cauldron, tissue paper flames, twigs and some spiders.

The dining room will be an old castle with a banquetting table. Have got a mansion scene setter, some camoflague plastic netting to cover up the computer, etc and we already have exposed patches of brickwork so that'll work, but no idea how to cover up the cupboard or decorate the table. I do have a list of medieval foods which look quite simple; meats, cheeses, breads, fruit, but must go over the top with a black and gothic table setting. Talking of food I still have the cupcakes to make, some will be used on the party, but the rest are for trick or treaters. Do know what ones I'm doing though thanks to A Zombie Ate My Cupcake...just need to make them (60 cupcakes at least, 20 of each kind).

But games, hmmmm, games? Am reading MacBeth through again and picking out main points of story and trying to configure some games around those scenes. Some are easier than others, but I don't want to repeat too many games from the past, so am having to give it a lot of thought, hope it all works and the kids enjoy them.

On top of this, I'm still knitting a jumper for my daughter for Christmas. Still got half the back to do, both sleeves and the collar. Hopefully will get it finished.

I'm also preserving like a mad thing. So far we have had Spiced Plum Chutney, Cherry Plum Jam, Nectarine Chutney, Damson Jam, Green Plum Tomato Chutney, Apple Wine, Plum Wine and Sloe Gin. Still got Green Tomato and Orange Jam, Quince Cheese, Apple Chutney and Damson Vodka to do.

Then there is the garden: Still got to rip up last of the tomatoes (which will give me more green tomatoes!), sunflowers need removing and deseeding....some for the birds and some hulled and roasted for us to eat, weeds need digging over, plastic bags need laying where the paths are to be put in, 5 trees need planting and I haven't done the bulbs yet.

And Home Ed! Yep I haven't forgotten that one. Must admit with all the preserving, gardening, arts and crafts and baking going on, I'm sure if I can get him included we'll cover quite a bit.

Oh and I've still got some crafts to finish, luckily deadline has been extended to 1st February next year. Phew!!!

I do LOVE this time of year as I love all the festivities and the excitement and the darker nights and crisper mornings and I know it will all get done on time (may not be within budget though), but sometimes sitting down and looking around at all that I want to do*, I do begin to panic...hence the lists. At least if I have a list, I get the pleasure of ticking things off.

Tomorrow we'll be up in the attic getting all the Halloween stuff down (and I've got loads) and going through what I can reuse and what I need to get. Did catalogue it all last year, but forgot to print it off and then my computer died. Grrrr!! So Saturday evening guess what I'll be doing.

Well there you are, if no one sees me or I disappear off of Facebook, then you know what I'm doing..one of the above.

Cya

*NOTE: I said want to do, not have to do. That's my problem. Big ideas and not enough time (leaving things to last minute more like) and I get PANIC!!

I'M STILL STILL ALIVE - HAHA

Well, I haven't written anything in this blog for months!!! I don't think its because I haven't felt anything or been annoyed by anything or...you get the picture; I've just been really busy and really tired at the end of the day. It gets to 9pm and I'm to be found happily flopped in my pjs in front of the telly watching...crime programmes mostly!

Now I don't know what that says about me, but I like them. I like having a go at guessing the outcome, although the American ones, which is mainly what I've been watching lately, tell you the end almost before they start. I also like the sciencey bit! I have to say that the programmes I've been watching have been NCIS, Bones, Criminal Minds and Dark Blue. NCIS has its forensics as does Bones; Crimimal Minds is the pyschological side and Dark Blue...well actually I only watch Dark Blue so I can lust after Logan Marshall Green *embarrassed grin* - a girl has to have something to look forward to. Other progs have been Being Human - love a vampire me; Primeval - have watched from the beginning and do have a bit of a soft spot for the silliness and Andrew Lee Potts if I'm honest (again); Dr Who - who hasn't been? and a couple of comedy shows: Ideal and Family Guy.

The problem I now have is that THEY HAVE ALL FINISHED!!!!!!!! Well, Family Guy hasn't, but then that is on constant reruns anyway. My only saviour is that Top Gear started last week...aaah Jeremy Clarkson is back! Why does that happen, why do you get a season of stuff you really like watching and then they all finish about the same time and you are left with nothing. Do they really think that everyone is outdoors having BBQs or evenings in the pub or days out at the beach or even on holiday for the whole of the Summer? Well, I'm not!! For starters I couldn't afford it! Come on programmers, let's have something that takes us all through the year. Even Dr Who stopped half way through and isn't back until the Autumn. We are not America, BBC!! We want the whole series all in one go, thank you!

As to money or rather lack of it. Am I the only one who hasn't got any, I don't think so, but what the hell is happening to it? A couple of years ago the money I had got me through the month, saved for a little holiday and saved for Xmas, now I'm lucky if it gets me through the month! Last month I went overdrawn for the first time in five years!!! I know that there is a recesssion, but this is ridiculous! I'm using my credit card for essentials and it's got to stop. Callum, stop growing!

On a lighter note, my leg has improved to the point where I'm actually getting out into the garden and digging! Yes, digging!! Thank you beautiful Osteopath!!! This means that my garden is finally getting somewhere. It will be a long and slow process, but at least I feel like it isn't a lost cause. Have got another bed dug over and planted which is fab! We've also decided that, due to time and the stupid Council putting in parking restrictions, we are going to have to give up our allotment. This will mean utilising the garden for not only my wildlife, woodland, pond and herb areas, but for also growing some vegetables and fruit. Callum doesn't use the garden loads, so I'm sure that if marked out properly he will still have plenty of room to play and I will be able to have plenty of room to plant. May have to rethink some areas, but it isn't impossible.

Anyway, that's about all I can think of at the moment. Been pretty busy this week with Callum catching up on project work and I can hear the sofa calling me very faintly in the distance. 9pm isn't far away, although what the hell I'll watch I don't know, maybe Alan Titchmarch on C4+1 and then a movie.

Cyas