Wednesday 27 April 2011

Fessing Up on Being 50 !

Today is my 50th birthday - and what an interesting 50 years they have been.  I come from parents that have been married and divorced quite a few times - and have therefore lived in many places. I have two sisters, 1 half-sister, 2 half-brothers, and 2 step-brothers.  The one half-sister has the same name as myself because she was adopted before I was born and renamed Susan by her adoptive parents.






















I have been a shop checkout girl, a sausage wrapper, a cleaner, a receptionist, a soldier, a carer and a caretaker.  I have been and am still married to my better half for 28 years so far and still counting.....






















given away by my handsome and lovely dad and handed over to the care of my lovely and handsome husband


















I am a proud mother to a most beautiful and intelligent daughter who is now married herself to a kind and loving chap from Kuwait - both currently studying for their Masters Degrees in Nottingham University.

I have travelled, done a parachute jump, learned many crafts, dealt in vintage postcards and read a libarary full of books.

I have been flash with the cash, and bankrupt, loved a lot, cried, giggled and laughed outrageously!

I have enjoyed living and hope that the years to come will mostly be happy, with an occasional suprise thrown in and as few tears as possible.

Saturday 23 April 2011

Proud to be English Day























St. George is the patron saint of England. His emblem, a red cross on a white background, is the flag of England, and part of the British flag. St George's emblem was adopted by Richard The Lion Heart and brought to England in the 12th century. The king's soldiers wore it on their tunics to avoid confusion in battle.

St George was a brave Roman soldier who protested against the Romans' torture of Christians and died for his beliefs. The popularity of St George in England stems from the time of the early Crusades when it is said that the Normans saw him in a vision and were victorious.















Despite the fact that St. George has been the patron saint of England since the 14th century, only one in five people know that St. George’s Day falls on 23 April.
More than a quarter of people living in England do not even know who their patron saint is!
Shakespeare was born on 23 April 1564 and he died on the same day in 1616.

William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) was born at Stratford-upon-Avon in a house in Henley Street. This is preserved intact. His mother, Mary Arden, was one of the daughters of Robert Arden, a yeoman farmer of Wilmcote: his father, John Shakespeare, was a glover and wool dealer of good standing who held the office of Bailiff of the Borough in 1568. From the age of seven to about 14, he attended Stratford Grammar School receiving an excellent well rounded education. At the age of 18 he married Anne Hathaway, who was seven years his senior and three months pregnant. She was of 'yeoman' stock - her family owned a farm one mile west of Stratford in Shottery. He endured her until he could stand it no longer and fled to London to become an actor. He then became actor-manager and part-owner in the Blackfriars and afterwards the Globe Theatres. He was a first-rate actor, but it is as a writer of plays that he has achieved lasting world-wide fame. His plays are thought to be the finest ever written in any language.




 











His 37 plays vary in type; historical romances, light, fantastic comedies, some are tragedies, all including the comical and the farcical. He was a shrewd business man, amassing quite a fortune in his time. He returned to Stratford for his latter years where he died at the age of 52 and now lies at rest in his special grave at Holy Trinity Church. 

Tuesday 12 April 2011

Some Finished Projects

Just to show that we have been a little busy lately.  The bench is by my better-half and hand painted by my good self in a yellow and soft grey.  The cushions and rug have all been made by me and the breakfast tray is a joint venture - my hubby makes the woody things and I get to finish them.








































This old wheel-back chair has been painted in a burgundy gloss - and a few more of my finished crochet pieces.  Now I just need to try and improve on the photography - I am sure that digital cameras are more difficult to use than they used to be!




Saturday 9 April 2011

thoughts and musings on life by Milly James

Introducing my very own sweet Milly James with her thoughts and comments on life.  I am not yet sure whether she is a married or a single lady, but I have discovered that she works in the world of design, has a healthier bank account than my own, and most definately had a fine education.  I hope that she will bring a smile and will pop up quite regularly with her thoughts and musings on life.