Frank and Josie's House

It's real and now there is no backing out. We've said goodbye to good friends and our family and friends who are like family. There have been tears of anxiety and sadness and also the smiles and giddiness of excitement of things yet to come. We've had an awesome farewell party, given away plants and toys and been ruthless in our sorting of the house. The ferry is booked and our new house lease signed. In one day's time we will no longer be resident in the U.K. Our friends won't be just around the corner and our family won't be less than two hours away. In amidst all the goodbyes and endings it can be hard to see the reasons we're doing it. We've built an amazing life here in the city of Bristol and this is my little farewell to all those people and places that have made this our home. We want to say thank you. Thank you to the many people who have taken us into their hearts, thank you for being sorry to see us go! Although this has made it harder to say ...

It's the hard part of moving - packing up your life and throwing stuff out. Some stuff is easy to sort and part with, credit card bills for example, I've never had trouble letting go of those! Other things are really difficult. Do I keep all the kids school work? Will they hate me because I threw some stuff out? My eldest loved looking through her learning book for reception year. Did I I make a mistake? Or should I look at this as a chance to let things go? Clear things out and clear my mind, right? I made a rule when we started the clearing out: if it's either covered in dust or you've forgotten you have it or it's broken it goes. Now I've donated stuff, lots of stuff, and recycled like crazy (our paper recycling could make several new books) I've even donated some old bras! Little aside for a moment: I found, via a link on Facebook, a U.K. charity that recycles bras for women in Africa. Follow the link  here , a very worthy charity and easy to donate to. ...

Here it is: the crochet ukulele that I made for one of the kids' teachers. (Surrounded by the ruffle scarves I made for other teachers). Now this teacher was special. He'd taught both our kids and they had loved him and flourished under his tutorledge. He's one of those teachers who is special to everyone. Whenever I mentioned anything to him about the kids, no matter how trivial, he took it in and knew it was important to me. My concerns where valid and he got that. I also taught alongside him for a while when he asked for help with the school choir. He's a very enthusiastic musician and got many a child involved in the ukulele club and when other teacher got attention with glockenspiels or bells he used his ukulele. He is well known throughout the school for his ukulele prowess. So when I knew his goodbye gift needed to be something special I went straight for the ukulele link.  I used one of our ukuleles as a base for my pattern and found a couple of pictures online ...

Sometimes there are things that wind everybody up and there's nothing you can do about it. The whole family is feeling it at the moment. The big move. That move to France. I said to my best friend the other day were not allowed to start crying now where only allowed to start crying in August. Did I keep that promise? No, no I didn't. It's one of the hardest promises I've ever had to keep. And it's not even August yet! I feel the tears well up every time I have to say goodbye to somebody else. Already things have ended for the children, various clubs that they do. Each time was a little harder than the one before. The kids are showing their love and strength of character in every single thank you card they write. And even as I write this now I can feel the lump in my throat. There are so many goodbyes. Goodbyes that you don't even think about. The people that you take for granted and assume you're going to see again. Every day people. Like the teachers at sch...

With so much going on lately I've not done as much crochet as I've wanted. This happens periodically so is of no great surprise. But what I have noticed is when I do sit down and get my hooks and yarn out I feel so much calmer. My brain still has lists running through it that nothing will quiet but it's quieter in there, I can feel it. So many articles and books have been written about the proven effects of crocheting or knitting when stressed. There are many you can read. I'm not here today to repeat those facts, I'm here to tell you my experience. It's a personal look into crochet keeping me sane! I find when my brain is super busy and it feels like there are hundreds of people rushing around in there, making lists and running errands, I have two options: really easy don't-have-to-think crochet or complicated-all-consuming-brain-has-to-focus-on-just-that crochet. What's included in those two categories is my personal opinion as it reflects how my brain...

Like a hot child next to a cool swimming pool I'm going to dive right in: we're moving to France! A little while ago I blogged about change gonna come  and it's taken ages to finalise but it's now official. I'm excited and terrified. Last year we visited France on holiday and loved it. Ever since the referendum we've been talking about how the time for such an adventure is now, whilst it's easier to move within the EU but also the kids are the right age. If we leave it later it'll be difficult as the kids will be near the end of primary school. My head is realing with lists of what to do, who to phone, what memberships to cancel. I mean, what do I do with the points on my Boots card?! Should I worry about buying the right suncream for my sensitive skinned children? I know France is a civilised country and has suncream so surely worries like that are ridiculous. Then there's the biggie: the language difference. I can speak some French, enough to order...

Well I've finally gotten around to writing part 2 of my Clover hooks etc review. It's taken a while but we went to lovely Tuscany for a week and I was recovering from an operation etc etc (to be covered in another post). Actually some of the hooks I tested whilst in hospital or Tuscany. I'm such a workaholic!! (Insert winking/sarcastic emoticon here). After my last post about these Clover Amour hooks I got a little bored of coasters and then had to try and make something of them as we had too many cluttering up our coffee table and every available surface. I am still attempting to alter some and make them into, at least part of, a blanket. Who knows if my hair brained scheme will work and it's so long now since I've looked at them that I'm not sure I've written enough details down so it's probably going to go hideously wrong. Don't worry, if it does I'll show you the pictures. Crochet gone wrong is always funny, frustrating too, but when it...