Season's greetings

Happy christmas peeps!

Hope you are all having a laugh.

Doxie

snow gone

Didn't think I'd be pleased to see it go but yesterday after doing some local christmas card posting and a general reckie of the roads on foot, I ventured out for the first time in a while in the Doxiemobile...got a few pressies. Bumped into my friend P when I was out and about, he is 82 ( though doesn't look it ) but he's still braving the cold weather bless him...after meeting him I bumped into our mutual friend J who I hadn't seen in eons ( yes another J, so many of my friends are J lol ) who is just as elderly...it was so nice to see they were both plucky enough to go out!

N and J came up Monday night...I answered the door in a mask which wasn't the right thing to do, gave N such a fright he thought I was an intruder and nearly decked me lol!  J's Mum who is J as well lol...had made me the most beautiful wreath to hang on the door but I'm gonna put it on my festive table, shhh, don't tell!
J was appalled to see I hadn't decorated tree number 2 after he spent forever untangling my decs last week, so I have to do that today as they are coming up again tonight...which may produce another post if all goes to plan.

Things are very laid back here at the mo...I have a few more bits and pieces to do, but not much and I am thinking surely I can't have got it all under control??? I guess Christmas will come whether you are prepared or not lol. As long as I am with friends, have food and warmth there's not much else a girl could ask for :)

Spare a thought for my friend C, her baby is due on the 29th! What a time of year to be so very close to D-day. I wonder if it will be a 2010 or 11 baby? If any lady who is truly glad the snow has gone, it's gotta be her

The North wind doth blow...

...and we shall have snow

What will Doxie do then, excited thing?
N will collect her in the truck and take her to take pictures of donkeys in the snow,
Lucky thing! :)

The other night N suggested we get together today to go out and take pics, which we did. 8 of us met locally and had a lovely COLD but festive walk in the woods. Sadly Mr D couldn't go but I did leave him eating his favourite meal of chilli so hopefully he wasn't too disappointed...we all missed him but hopefully he will get to go next time :) One of the 8 was an adorable little 2 year old... his giggles at us throwing leaves in the air was nothing short of infectious, awww!

With the prospect of snow it seems daft not to plan going out and making the most of it photographically. Doxie though, is not keen on driving in the snow even though she had a few lessons in the white stuff with her instructor...so N offered to come here and pick DS and I up. He knows where some tame donkeys are likely to be next week that we could take pics of, or failing that we will head for the New Forest.

I am so excited, what a lovely Christmassy picture Donkeys in the snow would make!

Hope you are all warm and snuggly wherever you are.

Dox

What a difference a week makes!

Last Friday I was down the beach with DS and my friend J in tee-shirts and today it was so cold when we went for a walk J offered me his gloves to wear and my hands were still a bit cold even with them on!

He came up on his motorbike. I fell about in fits when I saw him...I'd never seen him in all his bike gear before... he looked like Buzz Lightyear!!! After he warmed up with a cuppa we bundled into the Doxiemobile and I drove us all to the woods. It was beautiful, I thought the leaves would have gone but they hadn't...the oaks in particular were hanging onto their leaves and were the most stunning colour.

I found a hill to run down through all the leaves, it was really steep and I couldn't stop once I started! It was such fun I went back up to the top and did it 3 times lol! We didn't notice the time going and got back to the Doxiemobile just before dark! We texted N just before we left to come home and he came over to Chez Doxie straight from work where he joined us for dinner. I just love an impromptu gathering! Somehow things got a little out of hand and we ended up drawing on each other's faces LOL. Don't ask even I don't know!!!

It has been a really weird week for many reasons but one good thing is that this time last week I was 8st 11lbs, this morning I was 8st 6lbs!!!! I didn't mean to loose the weight that quickly, but now it is off I intend to keep it off!

Anyway I hope everyone is fine wherever they are.

Doxie x

Walking with Anaya

A few pics from my walk with Anaya. After a couple of hours grubbing around in the undergrowth looking for nice nature shots we vegged with Latte and cake, yum!

Wot no giraffes? I love the sky in this teasle shot.

 

Even a blackberry flower can be very beautiful.

soft like a nature painting

Wood monster's eye?

 Have the fairies been out with the 'Mr Sheen'?

 I had to put the camera on the ground and just hope it was pointing in roughly the right direction as I couldn't see... the screen was facing away from me.

I like the bokeh effect in the background!

 I love how the flowers hug this bench...just a few days later they had all finished flowering

 Pretty wood and flowers by the pond

Horse hill gate

I'm really looking forward to catching the Autumn leaf colour. So glad I can drive now, Woohoo!!!!

Life is good!
Doxie



UFO attack

Tonight I went back to a UFO that has been teasing me since last Summer when I originally started it. I had an image in my mind and being a perfectionist I didn't want to just plough on if it wasn't going to be exactly what I imagined. I've been thinking Zakka meets French Country. I have been putting it off ,but today I was suddenly hit by a wave of inspiration and I have the bit that was bugging me finished. I just have to actually join all the layers together now and it will be done. I'll post the pics soon hopefully.

Doxie feeling extremely chuffed with herself. :o)

Loving the freedom

Well I can honestly say I LOVE DRIVING!!!

I am loving the fact that my life does not revolve around public transport timetables...if I wanna hang the washing out before I leave, I can lol.

I am so enjoying that I can buy as much as I like and not just what I can carry home in two arms...you should see the amount of clothes and shoes I have bought in the last few weeks lol...I have found out the pitfalls of clothes being sold in supermarkets! It is still a novelty going shopping and using a trolley when I am on my own and not a basket!

I love that I can run stuff to the charity shop or tip on the day I think of getting rid of it!

I love that I can go to the nursery on a whim and bring back tons of compost and flowers and not have to rely on DH and wait for the weekend.

I love that I can take my friends out to lunch.

I love that I can go to scenic places to exercise. DS and I go running together... first Sharp End gets his go and then while he waits in the car we go and do our bit. It is wonderful to not be confined to fume filled A roads!

I love that on home-ed friend meet ups we don't have to worry about what time to catch the bus and leave our friends early.

I love that I can take DS to places in the evening and Mr Doxie can relax in the bath instead of rushing to run DS around.

I love that I can go to the beach just for lunch because it doesn't have to be an all day event.

I love that I can stay out after dark on my own if I want!

It's all the little things that most people probably take for granted that I am appreciating.

Doxie

I did it!

I passed my driving test today and first time around!

I will never be in.

To celebrate my friend invited me out to lunch, there was Asti but I couldn't sample it for obvious reasons lol. I've been invited out tomorrow with someone else, it will be so brill to just jump in the car and GO...and I can take my heels to change into! No more waiting at bus stops in the rain, woohoo!...and I can buy whatever fits in the car!

Yay life is brill!

Dox

Distracted

I have a million and one things to do and a deadline to meet but I am so distracted by all things embroidery at the moment. I have so many projects whizzing around in my head. The above picture is part of an embroidery I added to a gift for a neighbour last week. I am working on the assumption that if you get these distractions out of your system by giving in to them you can then get back on track and give your work 100% attention...does it really work like that?

What is your biggest distraction and what should ( ahem ) you be doing instead at the moment?

Doxie giving in to girly whims.