The last few days.

The other day we went to the local aquatic centre to get a cleaning pump for the pond.  We were delighted to see some deer next to the car park and I managed to get some pictures of them.

We admired the large carp

These ones looked a bit like skeletons!

One day we will hopefully have a large fish pond of our own and I imagined what fish I would have in it!

Sunday was a lovely day and we managed to get out for a walk locally.

Although I only took the one photo!

Today I took Percy to the huge woods and park I often go to.  We haven't been there since before the storms and were saddened to see several lovely large trees blown down including a fabulous oak.  It was the perfect day for a walk, the sun was shining and even felt quite warm!  A change after Monday and Tuesday's horrible weather.

Some large fungi.

This was dry last time we were over there and is now gushing at a great rate!

Some of the storm damage.

I had choir practice last night, having just joined the local community choir and really enjoyed it.  I also recently joined an afternoon singing group which is jolly good fun and had a lovely afternoon there.  

On another note....having reached the grand total of 1000 posts it is time for reflection.

Things are changing and after having no phone or internet access for the last four days, as well as some chosen absence from various online social network groups for the last month and a half I have decided that I really don't miss it much and get a lot more done! I want to focus on other things and so I have decided that I am going to be winding down this blog over the next few days or weeks.  I haven't quite decided whether to take all I have on here off and just keep it for the odd photo and sharing I want to do, start another , or just stop altogether.  Certainly the information on here will go to private at the very least if I can't work out how to export it all.  I don't want to lose the last few years as they are a record for me, which is why I started this blog, but I have got to the stage where I don't want to share all this any more.  So if I disappear, you will know why!  

The Woods

Yesterday was an absolutely amazing day.  Crystal clear blue sky with the sun shining, although it was rather cold, it was a perfect day.  My husband and I took Percy for a walk in the woods.

Light shining on the leaves

A tree that must have been blown down in the winds the other day.

The streams are now full of flowing water

I just love the sound of running water over the pebbles and rocks, something so restful about it.

A little water fall

Wonderful textures of fungi, leaves and moss.

First Sunday in November - Progress!

A beautiful morning indeed, the sun shining through the leaves in trees against a backdrop of fabulous blue sky - just wonderful.  When you wake up to days like this, you just want to smile for the sheer joy of it!

Sunday - a day of rest?  Not here!

Sunshine inspires me...now the earlier darker nights are here, and often darker days, it seemed the right time to have a good change round in the lounge.  Still some to do, but I can you show you the things I have been doing today.

We have a large table and wall unit that my husband inherited from his Dad and wanted to keep and so it was moved in to our small bungalow earlier this year.  We used the wall unit as a divider and the table was length wise across the room.  The only problem with this is that we couldn't close our lounge door if the chair was at the end of the table.   I have been using the table as a work space and over the last couple of weeks or so...it has become well rather messy!  

I cleared the table, moved it, vacuumed and then also cleared and emptied the unit so I could move it.  Yes I know I shouldn't have done it on my own, but sometimes you just got to, and anyway hubby was out.  

A few hours later.... Unit is in position with my Sasha family taking pride of place.  There is a home for my cello, giving me easy daily access for practice.  Oh and yes I now have a space to practice in - will show tomorrow! I've since added a centre quilted piece to the table.

A closer look at the top of the unit.

The three girls on the right look like they are having a good gossip!

I had to move our cuckoo clock which I bought in Germany when visiting my friend in 2011.   Out came the power drill!

I moved our two armchairs which meant I had to move my china cabinet slightly - which was actually a good thing as now it is centred under our portrait of Shadow.

Three more girls dressed in Autumnal finery.

The doll on the right is the fabulous American Girl Saige who was a surprise gift from my lovely older son for my birthday.  The Sasha in the middle, Amber, is the gorgeous girl my husband bought me when I first started collecting these lovely dolls, and the doll on the left is a Gotz doll called Autumn.  

Come December this little display will change to feature Christmas.

I have started to play my clarinet again - well attempting to.  At the moment I am doing five minutes a day (or every other day) - less is more!  Plus my embouchure has been totally lost so it is not just the arm to consider, but building up of the embouchure again.

I am also playing my cello again - yeah!  Hoping to have a lesson in a couple of weeks, I have phoned my teacher, but she has unfortunately been ill and is hoping she should be better in a couple of weeks.

I have a load of physio exercises to do, which I think I have already mentioned in a previous post - they are hard work, but they were slightly easier today - so making progress!

Yesterday I went to monthly quilting group.  I made a doll - she isn't stuffed yet, just limbs, head and body sewn.  Not sure what she is going to look like yet!  Will hopefully get round to working on her tomorrow once I have finished in the lounge.  I also cut out nine Christmas dresses and managed to get all nine bodices sewn up.  Will work on these over the course of the week all going well.

I had my eyes tested yesterday at the opticians and they have changed it seems...I thought they had!  It will be two and half weeks before I get my glasses - yikes, how am I going to multi-task in the evenings?!

Last night was interesting, I went to a concert with my friend.  I had to read the directions and was using an old pair of glasses and had to take them off to read the directions and then put them on to read the road signs!  It made me realise just how jolly useful those trifocals that Percy chewed were!  We arrived for the last note of the first half - very disappointing as we were both looking forward to hearing the Finzi Concerto.  The road were bad, we missed the turn off to the road we were supposed to be going up - the road sign couldn't be seen and then ended up in a horrendous one way system!  When we finally got to the venue there was no parking!  Fun and games!

Something a bit nicer...parts of my day.

Needing something pleasant...

Pretty sheets and pillowcases. 

My blue crochet bedspread back on the bed with two little bed friends.

The cupboard I bought the yesterday - the one that 'accidentally' found its way home.

It is now in my sewing studio full of fabric.

Apple, blueberry and raspberry crumble that I made the other evening - might make another tonight for pudding.

A rose for the 1st November.

A childhood toy - I remember taking this to school when I was around the age of 5 years (wouldn't have been any older as it was in England at the time) and I lost the baby on the way to school.   My Mum had to go back to look for it.  Fortunately she found it and they have been together ever since!

Some books that I have either just finished reading, are working through or still reading... in that order.

Oh and I have a few plans for November

Physio exercises - for the hamstring tendonopathy - I now have a mat down in my bedroom and the gym ball for the exercises the physiotherapist set me.

Clarinet practice - yes I am going to try again - five minutes daily.

Work in my Art Journal on a more regular basis.

It is just too much!

On 25th October, this was the state of DS2's room.  He absolutely refuses to tidy it and hey who am I to argue with a Arnold Schwarzenegger wanna be?  So the only time it can be tackled, as indeed it must on occasion for health and safety reasons is when the stars align...i.e. when he is out and I feel the strength to go in there!  Now whether this is JUST because he is a gross teenage boy, or whether it also has to do with him having Autism Spectrum Disorder I don't know.  I do know one thing, don't believe that they like things neat and orderly....so many other parents with children on the spectrum have similar issues...although whether they are quite this bad I don't know.

Anyway after I told him I needed all the plates etc...out and washing in the basket for me to wash, it still looked like a health hazard.

Yes, they are empty sweetcorn cans, empty bottles etc...

A view under the bed...I am surprised there wasn't anything either alive or dead under there!

More rubbish, oh and some 'school work.

Um...I thought I asked for all the washing?

I attacked the room and the result was...

\

Three plastic bags full of recyclable plastics and tins.

One huge black sack full of rubbish.

One huge black sack full of clothes - they look pretty dirty to me!

One large plastic bag of loose CDs and DVDs.  I reclaimed all ours and put them back in the right cases - although some are still missing, goodness knows where they are.

There were 8 spoons and 2 plastic spoons,

4 forks,

1 glass,

2 plates (he had already brought out FOUR earlier.

Oh and this.... pretty gross don't you think?  He isn't studying science for sixth form either!

A closer look at the grossness!

Oh and one of the spoons was completely encased in a harden mummified melon skin!

Oh and his Sixth Form AS Level work for the first half term...

Apparently this is it...I picked it all up from off the floor.

Brand new folder bought at the beginning of the term...I don't think he has used it to file his orderly notes in somehow.

Combine this with his complete and utter rudeness to me, whenever I ask him (nicely I might add) to do something, I really don't know how much more I can take/tolerate.

Never mind all the towels, food, supplies etc...that just disappear on a daily basis as well!

I can never go into a well stocked cupboard to make something, or get a dry towel, as he uses all his we supply him with - this was in a bid to try and least have a towel each ourselves to use as required.  It is so frustrating.

Oh and he nicked his bigger brothers large tin of coins (out of a locked room, so he must have found/taken the keys to unlock it)

Yes I know other teenagers are very similar....I have already had one, but this is on another level altogether and you really have to live with it to understand it and I don't want to have to put up with it any longer. 

Oh and the other side effect of having to deal with all this is the resulting pain that I am left with!

Next post will be more pleasant!