Blogoversary

Hello!

As I'd been away and was playing catch up when I got back; I completely forgot when I last posted that the two year anniversary of my first blog - 3rd November 2015 - had been and gone! That flew by...

The first Monday in two years without a stint in a charity shop. What did I do instead? I went back to bed to finish off my book! Got up when it was finished, got ready, popped into to town to do some errands and picked up the grandchildren from school. It made a change not being on my feet all day..

Everything charity shopped. Cardigan, (Laura Ashley); scarf and boots all from the Red Cross. Navy blue velvet cords M&S bought in Sandy Wood Green Animal Shelter charity shop last Wednesday after my group walk.  I bought the top in Sense in Kettering on Saturday's rummage for 2. 99. All jewellery is charity shopped.

My earrings seem to have disappeared in this picture!

On Tuesday I volunteered at the Guildhouse. We had a meeting and I was able to tell the Manager that I won't be back after Christmas. I've got two more sessions there and that's it! More freedom...

Yellow pinafore; Sainsbury's retail sale plus a further 20% off. The blouse is charity shopped as are the scarf and leggings; the boots are from Lidl. I wore a charity shopped long sleeved yellow top under the blouse for added warmth.  

I actually cut and hemmed this pinafore as well the navy blue cords I wore on Monday. It took me longer to thread the needles than sew the bloody things; I only had tiny needles in my sewing box. Everybody comes round for a needle and some thread and leaves me with nothing! I bought myself a packet of needles with large eye holes on my way back from volunteering at the library. I have another pair of trousers to hem so I won't have to spend so long trying to thread the needle.

I have been eyeing up this jacket  in the Guild House for a few months now and had rejected it on the grounds it wouldn't fit me. I  decided to try it on finally as I only have a couple of sessions left at the Guild House.  Do you know what?  It fits absolutely fine! 4.00 and it was all mine. It's a bright yellow duffle jacket with a detachable hood and toggle fastenings. I wonder what people in the States and Canada call this type of coat? Do tell. 

Of course Paddington Bear is one of the most famous of duffle coat wearers and I seem to recall dear old Michael Foot (a  British Socialist politician, now dead) used to wear one.

All jewellery charity shopped except the earrings which were a present from my ex mum in law. The necklace was from Oxfam in Newport Pagnell about two years ago - my very first visit, I think.

I went walking with the group on Wednesday. We walked from Rowney Warren through beautiful woods and seven miles across fields and woods to Haynes and Deadman's Cross. It was a very cold day but we soon warmed up.

Image courtesy of Google images

This what I changed into and went to Rushden to pick something up. Of course I just had to have a quick whirl round the charity shops while I was there...

Yellow trousers; La Redoute sale, blue top Sandy charity shop last week; 1.99. I really like this top; the colour and design reminds me of Delft china. I brought the cardigan back with me from the caravan but can't remember where I bought it in Ireland in 2016. I find it hard to resist a patterned cardigan! Boots; 1.99 Red Cross shop.

I bought this necklace on a rummage recently but can't remember where. I happened to have an almost matching pair of earrings in my collection...

The wonderful Salvation Army shop in Rushden always comes up trumps. They had a jewellery sale on. Like I need more jewellery! Nevertheless, at 50p per item I couldn't resist. I bought 4 necklaces and 2 rings. I also bought one grandson a t shirt here and a lovely Phase Eight lace tunic top for me. There were four other shops to look at and I bought a bangle for 99p in one and  something for the other grandson in another. No more rummaging for me for a while, I think, but then I remembered I'm going to visit Hilary in Devon in just over a week's time. I can't see me and Hilary not going rummaging but I might set myself a very strict budget and try to stick to it...

Clashing with the curtains...everything charity shopped except the boots online retail.

 Can you see a mark on my hand? It's an oven burn from my 'new to me' oven. I had an insurance cover on my old Candy double oven and decided one day a few months back it was a waste of money, so I cancelled the direct debit.  Less than a month later the oven went - it's called Sod's Law! As I have plans for my kitchen I didn't want to invest in a brand new oven, so I bought one secondhand from the second hand white goods dealer who has a shop at the bottom of my street. How convenient was that? Anyway the oven is now well and truly christened...

On Friday I did a bus walk with the group. We caught a bus from Bedford to Rushden Golf Club and walked to Souldrop, Sharnbrook, Felmersham, Radwell to Oakley where caught a bus back to Bedford. It was 10 miles and I was completely shattered. I went to bed at 9 pm and slept like a log!

On Saturday we went to see my son.

Boots; Sainsbury's, leggings; Store 21 sale (I noticed when I was in Rushden last Wednesday that this shop had closed. Such a shame it did good household stuff). Phase Eight lace tunic; Salvation Army Rushden; 5.00. Kimono, 1.99 Red Cross shop about three years ago.

All jewellery charity shopped. This is one of the 50p necklaces from the Salvation Army in Rushden.

On Monday evening, OH and I went to see 'Murder on the Orient Express' at our new Vue cinema. I booked the tickets online and they have a senior i.e. over 60 category which I booked. The online information said the film started at 8.10pm. When we got there we were told the film started at 8.45 pm and the online information was wrong. We had a wander around the new complex; I crossed over the new bridge over the Great River Ouse for the first time. I was very sad to see that new complex has been inhabited by an encampment of homeless people. It was a bitterly cold night and it is shameful that in such a rich country as ours people still have to sleep on the streets. If I had my way I would turn one of the vacant premises in the new complex to a night shelter for the homeless.

When we returned to the cinema the manager gave us two free cinema tickets to make amends for the delayed start time. Yippee! I enjoyed the film. I'd not seen the original and this is one of the few Agatha Christie books I haven't read. The clothes were fabulous and Judy Dench had some amazing jewellery!

On Tuesday I volunteered at the food bank in the morning and in the library in the afternoon. Tuesday wasn't a bad day but Monday was very cold with a really chilly wind. I just didn't fancy going out for a walk so I got on with sewing the ends of my third blanket in. Yawn...

Everything charity shopped except boots; online retail.
The cardigan was from the 1.00 rail in Extra Care, Kettering last Saturday. The blouse is from the Red Cross 1.00 rail. Can't remember where the trousers came from but they were charity shopped as well as the scarf. All jewellery charity shopped. The necklace is another of the 50 p necklaces from the Salvation Army in Rushden last Wednesday.

On Friday I went to spend the weekend with my friend Hilary in Devon. We went to Exmouth to visit her daughter and grandchildren and have a good old rummage as Exmouth has about 10 charity shops. I'm still looking for a purple bangle; I'm finding it very hard to find one - one that fits, that is. I don't know if it's the arthritis in my hands or just general old age but my knuckles have definitely got bigger which makes finding bangles that fit, problematic. I sometimes struggle to remove my bangles in the evening as my hands/knuckles/fingers have swollen.

I had a lovely weekend with Hilary but forgot to take photos - doh! We went to Exmouth; I found two pairs of summer type trousers; 2 necklaces; one 50p and one was a 1.00; a bangle (lilac not purple) and a pair of earrings. I had a budget of 10.00 and only spent 8.00!

This was Sunday's outfit. I'm wearing a Desigual tunic which I charity shopped somewhere; over a green top from Primarni and  brown leggings from M & S;  brown boots from Sainsburys; scarf and jewellery charity shopped. The necklace is yet another of the 50 p bargains from the Salvation Army in Rushden.

I had a horrible journey back from Devon on Sunday. There were 3 separate accidents between junctions 22 and 21 northbound on the M5 to Bristol; I was between the two junctions and we were at a standstill for 1 hour and 20 minutes. The journey home took me over 5 hours.

I've now finished my crochet blankets and have sent 3 to 'Knit for Peace'. I'm currently sewing my hexagons together and hope to have it finished by next week. I may give this blanket away; it all depends on what it looks like when it's properly finished. I'd like to give it away. I won a book last week  - a biography of James Ravilious (son of Eric) on 'Dovegreyeader scribbles' blog here. I'm so looking forward to reading it.

Have a great week!