I wish I was a bear

Wow, it's been a blur. Dad's hospital, not the most local, was an hour away, so visits meant every afternoon lost for two weeks. Amongst this disruption to the daily routine J and I had to take up the reigns of G11's after school activities, which is no mean feat. Usually we tend to do two of the five but for a while when Dad was hospitalised or back home and recuperating we were up to the full quota, and everything in this neck of the woods is half an hour drive away!

Old friends coming to stay - and us visiting old friends. My friend's wedding in England to attend and J's Mum's 90th middle of November.  Between these two momentous celebrations we were trying to arrange a craft fair to raise funds for our local church, often an organisational nightmare... It took up a surprising amount of free time. I remember saying 'never again' at least once a day for the week beforehand. 

G11's homework is serious and nightly. We spend more time encouraging, supporting and providing the space to do it in than we have ever done before. It's tiring - and not just for G11.

Our own work too has become incredibly busy, which is a good thing, but when you work for yourself and the buck stops with you this can mean long days to keep on top of it.

They say Christmas is coming.

Please I wanna stop now and hibernate until January.
 

 

Dog cruelty?

G11 has made some rather delicious dog biscuits crammed full of bacon.  The dog knows this as she was present through the whole cooking process.  Topsy really can't fathom out why she can't wolf them all down now and refuses to leave the kitchen whilst the darn things continually tantalise her as they cool.

Unfortunately G11 and her BFF H10 are focused young fund raisers for the Dogs Trust and are baking in earnest to sell doggy treats at a local fayre.

So I'm afraid Topsy Dog, that one little taster titbit was your lot. 

Come to me, come to me.

Next time - shoot me!

Next time someone says shall we do a car boot for the Cadwraeth (translation = conservation; a little community group that looks after the common land) have a BBQ for the church funds AND have old school friends come down to stay... all on the same day - shoot me.  And to think everyone believes it's so quiet in this neck of the woods; think again. It can be busy, very busy.  Luckily living with others as we do, we always have those extra pairs of hands that can help lighten the load.  Thanks especially to Her Next Door who was cooking and preparing for days beforehand.

On the Sunday we took our friends out and about...  as always very proud to show off picturesque Pembrokeshire.  I noticed again how thoroughly friendly people are here; really open, chatty and happy to give you their time. That made me even more proud to be a local now.  My friend's jaw dropped open when at one café, where they didn't take debit cards... and I didn't have cash, it was 'not a problem, pay later'.



My friend's christian name is David, so a visit to St David's was a must.

By Sunday evening I was tired though, I caved in - I think I might have had a little snooze on the sofa.  I just hope I didn't dribble in front of my guests.

The weekend before last we climbed Carningli Mountain - G10's friend had a birthday party at the very top. What a place to have it, thought I'd share a photograph of them - quite a special memory.


Top of the world.

And while we're on the topic of photographs, a blogger friend of mine has gone as far as putting one of my efforts on her wall.  Thank you Rachel for the very great compliment.  Quite mind blowing for me, to think my little corner of Wales is adorning the wall of a home in Israel.

Pick 'n' Mix

Never again… I was told, so I handed the phone over to Jon who was going to stop them in their tracks. Next thing I knew he was chatting away to the person on the other end of the phone like they were lost long buddies. Yes, he’d blown it. Here we were doing yet another interview for a paper. The positive was that we could take our own photograph, though at the last minute this was reneged upon. A professional photographer descended upon us…for four bleedin hours…. Can you just move a little to the right, you er, ummm (he just couldn’t remember our names and when he called Her Next Door Grandma, I thought his cuppa would end up over his head).

The photograph was in last week’s national paper – and I hated it! 

Back to earth with a bump after our flirtation with the paps and celebrity lifestyle (albeit double F grade), we supplied some manual labour and helped out on the village common, just tidying up really. This year though we benefited from a huge tree that needed to come down. There is still some two thirds to collect from the common land but the photos show the new wood in the store, then turning round towards the garage you see some more queueing up to go in. When it's all collected hopefully we'll be full to the brim.

Waiting wood.

Wood store slowly returning to health.

There was a great honour bestowed upon me too, I’ve been chosen to be a World Book Night giver. I’m not a great wordsmith (oh you’ve picked up on that have you?) But I do love books and reading. I’ve never had 24 pristine books in my possession before. What a fantastic treat to be able to give them away and spread the joy of reading. I have clubbed together with Maggie and Wendy to gift all our books during the morning of Saturday 28th.

Harlequin....

In between that lot, we even managed an all too short four day nuclear family break in the Easter holidays. We raced up to Aberystwyth to have a little time away. That's the main disadvantage of working for ourselves, we don't get looooong paid holidays... those sadly are just dim and distant memories. Still, we try to make the most of the time we do have instead.

Continuity - in one day.

This morning I went to church and passed the newly dedicated seat to Gran and Grandad that Her Next Door had organised.  

Sweethearts together again...

You've seen lots of pictures of Gran, but here is Grandad in his younger days looking very smart in his Scout uniform. And next to him my daughter G10 wearing her Guide outfit ready to take part in a concert and play her violin this afternoon.  She's following in Grandad's footsteps and made us all here, and those looking down on her, very proud.    

My lovely Grandad as a King's Scout circa 1930 and G10 today.

A personal thank you to the exhibitors at Maenclochog Craft Fayre

The room was made beautiful, thanks to all the exhibitor's displays. 

From healing massages to Aloe Vera products, jewellery and beads to personalised and special cards, weaving to cross stitch, toys to driftwood art, make-up to skin care, bags and aprons, handmade bunting, Christmas decorations, towels, cottons and ribbons, woollen items, door stops, jams, pickles, honey and wonderful cakes.  The list goes on.

Llysyfran church members doled out tea and coffee and at lunchtime delicious home grown and home made soup, ran a raffle, manned a 'nearly new stall' and provided a children's play room with activities.  The children had a whale of a time.

If nothing else the day proved that this area around Maenclochog is full of little treasures when it comes to artistic, creative and business skills. I really believe as a community it's so important to support our small and local businesses; use them or lose them!  They can't be matched for personal service, their carbon footprint is small and money spent with them stays in the local economy.  A win all round.

It was great for me to meet all the stall holders personally and I can't thank everyone enough for the effort that was put in to the day. 

Beautiful displays.   Inset: "Kathryn's Krèche"

It was quieter in the afternoon; I blame the rugby (we lost), the weather (it was a beautiful day) and apparently there was also a YFC Eisteddfod on too. 

Still we managed to raise over £600.00.  Not bad.  We hope to do a similar event next year.   We'll build on the feedback from our exhibitors and the things we've learned ourselves.  Taking everything into consideration it promises to be an even bigger and better Craft Fayre for the local community to enjoy in 2012.

Hellraising...

It's nearly here.  The big day.  The title got your attention huh?  Actually it's fundraising; but at times it's felt like hell.

I have been working tirelessly, well on and off, for it seems like months.  I started in August, it's now October... gosh it really has been months.

There are only a few of us who attend our little church, and although I am not particularly religious I do like the community it helps to bring together and the building itself is beautiful.  And whoever you conceive Him to be it is his house - you can feel that.

St Meilyr's Church; rather beautiful.

I outlined my thoughts of a fundraising day on the church website and the interest started rolling in.  So much so that we've had to hire an extra room at Maenclochog Community Hall.  All good but still I'm panicking a little about how to cram all the exhibitors inside.  Luckily Claire (from Cake Carousel) has been a star.  Having laid on similar such events before she's in the know and is cool, calm and collected.  I don't know where I'd be without her help.

Lists are everywhere... thank goodness for the computer as they are continuously being remodeled.

I'll still forget something though.

Him Next Door has been very busy producing flyers and posters to advertise the event.  They've gone up everywhere and been handed out to anything that moves.  We've advertised in the local Community News and on Radio Pembrokeshire.  Her Next Door and I have leafleted all the local villages and the myriad of houses in between.  Notably every single one of them seemed to have a long drive and a letterbox that eats fingers for fun.  Oh and the dogs.  It really wasn't worth risking life and limb for at one particular house - so I retreated gracefully, never turning my back on the whirling dervish.

My biggest worry is that nobody will turn up to browse or buy.  Bit like arranging a huge party and it ending up resembling the Marie Celeste.  I shall feel totally responsible to all the lovely exhibitors (they are my children now) and I will be on tenterhooks all day.  If they do badly I suspect they won't be coming back next year.  (Oh yes I'm thinking of making this an annual event).  The other (admittedly smaller) worry is that we become too busy and every one ends up squeezed in to the hall, like sardines.  Unable to see what's on offer, people in their droves simply turn their backs and leave.  Empty handed.  Stuff of nightmares. 

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my time after Saturday; but I sure as hell will get a better night's sleep.