Oooooh he's a bit gorgeous!

I went to bed on Tuesday thinking about all the things I'd like to get done the following day. I'd started the bobble stitch tutorial so I wanted to get that done, there were a few beds to put fresh linen on, some biscuits I wanted to make, some little crochet projects to finish...you know,  a nice gentle day of pottering.

Then I woke at 3am with a constant ache between my hips, and my instincts saying "Get up! You have work to do!"  But I didn't agree, nope, too much lovely stuff to do in the morning.  I'd have a cup of tea and then go back to bed, address the situation some other time. 

I had a cuppa then phoned the maternity ward.  "ummm" I said, "I think I'm in labour, but it feels different to the last two times.  I hope I'm not being silly but I'm not sure. I just feel different and I have a constant ache that gets a bit worse every two minutes for a minute, but it's not awful, I feel ok, I've been to the toilet, it feels funny, some thing's going on...waffle...waffle...waffle.....Sorry I'm so vague"

How odd, to not really know if your baby is coming or not.  How ridiculous to call the midwives within half an hour of waking up.  Thing is Little Cuckoo came like in the movies, a sudden debilitating contraction, then another, then another.  A white knuckle ride through the city with husband saying loudly "Please stop pushing" whilst flashing his lights and hooting the horn.  Little Cuckoo was born within 4 minutes of getting on the bed.  Just over an hour labour. Total. Full stop.  So who can blame me for being alarmist?

Everything went fairly swiftly after calling the maternity ward. Mandy the midwife arrived closely followed by Lisa.  Mr Cuckoo made a waterproof den in the playroom with pillows and shower curtains.  I hopped into the middle of it all and reluctantly gave birth to my new sweet boy.  I was not ready, still, after all the preparation, I didn't really think I was in labour till about an hour before he arrived.  I thought it was a false alarm!  It was painful, I took advantage of the gas and air, some contractions I hardly noticed, some were dreadful, the pushing wasn't too bad except for I didn't want to do it.  I was too scared to have three children.  I wanted one more day to play, one more day of quiet.  

Then there he was, in my arms and I thought "Today is going to be the best day ever!"

Even the subsequent post partum hemorrhage (minor, self rectifying) and ambulance journey didn't ruin the day and we were all home by teatime.

I have had some lovely messages, thank you all, so much. Some of these messages have introduced me to new blogs to dip in to which is great when I'm up half the night feeding.

I don't know when I'll get a chance to complete the bobble stitch tutorial, Tif of Dottie Angel fame has started a bobble blanket and chances are she'll manage to show you all how to before I can so keep an eye over at her place. It's taken me 3 days to do this post but even so I think a could (cross fingers, toes, legs and eyes) finish a basic tute for those that can already crochet the basics.  Bobble is a doddle and very satisfying.

WiP Completed!

BIG TA DAH!

He arrived safely yesterday morning at 0610hrs GMT, 8lbs 9oz.  More photo's and details to follow. I just can't stop gazing at him!  

What will I call him in my blog? Wee Cuckoo? Mini, tiny, petite? 

****

The Bobble Blanket

The start.

Of course I didn't buy nearly enough yarn.  I used 15 balls of Patons Gold DK wool blend in the end. I had planned to edge it in a creamy colour.  I was going to call the blanket "Cafe au Lait", but I changed my mind, as you do. No idea what to do with the balls of cream I now have lurking around.  Maybe the simple answer is a cream version, I do think blankets should come in pairs.

It could well be my new crush! I love it soooooo much.  It was so quick and easy too.  Such a lovely surprise.  I enjoyed how I could just sit and mindlessly crochet.

Maybe I should have concentrated a little more as the bobbles aren't entirely positioned correctly, I went off piste now and again.  That's homemade charm though. Actually that's laziness, by the time I noticed I'd placed a bobble one or two stitches away from where it should have been I had crocheted a few rows and there was no way I was going to do any frogging.  

The ruffle edge was so simple, I merely did two trebles in each stitch all the way around the blanket, then on the second round I alternated between one and two trebles in each stitch as that gave me just the right amount of ruffle, not too much, not too little.

That ruffle edge does remind me of something from the sea, or fungi. 

Should I have plumped up the sofa cushions? Nah, this is real life and my sofa's get sat on so that is how they'll appear in my blog.  I think the Snug is my favourite room in our home.  When the sun shines in it glows, when it's dreary outside it always seems warm and cozy, maybe it's the oversized sofas and the velvet cushions, blind and footstool.  Maybe it's just the fact that it's a little room with a low ceiling in the oldest part of the house.

L:O:V:E  L:O:V:E

Love the bobble blanket, love the Snug (aka The Slug), love the fairy lights and the bauble that has been there for 2 years despite it being a Christmas decoration.  Cozy little wood burner which we can use again as we had the flu lined and chimney mended in January.  Bit late for winter (same situation with the broken Aga) but maintenance on an old house costs a bomb and sometimes, unfortunately stuff can't get mended straight away.

Bloody hell (pardon me), wandering through blogland I find this so even when I think I've had an idea of my own it would appear that maybe it snuck in from else where, from a wander though John Lewis to get to the car park. Or did it? Maybe it's just coincidence.  It's just that my memory is so poor I doubt myself a lot.  Did I have that idea or did I see it and forget that I saw it and so it is retained in my head as an idea not a memory? Gah. Never mind. 

I'm considering doing a tutorial on how to do a bobble stitch.  There are quite a few if you goggle bobble, woops, google bobble! (laughing) But I fancy having a go at doing a properly photographed and explained tutorial just to see if I can.  

ps.  Blogger is very very good.  So forgiving, I just deleted a photo by accident and clicked on the undo button and got it back instantly.  It's so simple!

pps. This blanket has a brilliant mistake to reveal when I get around to doing my "Woopsie" post on my crochet mishaps.

Edit: Maybe Matilda has done a stunning bobble blanket that I am now coveting, I can see these blankets in rainbow colours lighting up my life...ah the joy of the bobble stitch. Tutorial found here. If anyone else has a go using my tute then let me know and I'll link to you here x

Kim has one here and there's another here at Daisy Cottage Designs

The Cookie Recipe

Sandi has requested the recipe for these delectable little cookies.  They are so easy that I can make a batch in moments and they are so adaptable too.  What I mean is, if you're after cookies that spread out flat then dollop in more golden syrup, if you want flapjack style domes then leave out a little syrup.

180 degrees, 10 mins (or until they look like you want to eat them)


*110g of each of the following: self raising flour, oats, sugar, butter
*2 tbsp golden syrup
*pinch of bicarb (I don't bother anymore)
*handful of goodies: raisins, choc chips, chopped nuts, apricots, whatever is to hand.


Melt the butter and syrup and stir in the dry ingredients. Put rounded balls on to a lined baking tray and flatten if you want flatter cookies or leave high if you want flapjack style ones.  Make them as big or small as you wish.  Just remember big domed ones will cook on the outside and not in the middle.

It's an adaptable and experimental recipe.  It's never turned out the same twice for me and my friend's never turn out like the ones they ate with me and which prompted them to ask for the recipe.  Mine never taste like GW's, who I got the recipe from, she in turn got her recipe from her friend who I think calls them "ten ten two cookies".  In that they take ten minutes to make, ten to bake and two to eat.  If you live in Kent and you're after amazing cupcakes for any event or reason you should click on that last link.  Planet Cupcake, oh, divine.

Edit: Now featured on this gorgeous blog

Can't sleep? Blog.

I DID IT!!!

The not-so-desolate garden

I made a very basic collage!!!  Oh I am happy, sat here at almost 3am, unable to sleep (grrrrrrrr) and yet functioning rather well even if I say so myself. 

Today Mr Cuckoo took the Cuckoo boys to his parents for a mini holiday and while he was out I took a stroll around our rather bleak plot.  There were a few surprises to be found.  

I crocheted a hellebore today for my tea cozy. A cozy like the many gorgeous ones you can see over at Crochet with Raymond.  I didn't think to take a photo of it during daylight, I didn't think I'd be awake and blogging in the middle of the night.  It could well be my most favourite crocheted flower I have ever done, not that there have been an enormous number but there have been several over the past year.  

***

Every time I use these products and see results as promised on the packet I feel I should blog about them. 

My eyelashes are rubbish, they are still rubbish even after using the above for months but they are much much better, a third longer I'd say.  I have got a 'before' shot on my iPhone but it's terrible quality, so you'll have to take my word for it.  Anyway, I'm pleased. See, terribly vain.  I've mentioned it before, my vanity that is, I hope my vanity is a secret bad trait of mine.  I'd hate for someone else to describe me as vain in a derogatory way.  I mean I'm the first to take the mickey out of myself or to point out my flaws but I am really very vain.  I do try hard to look my best, I just feel really unconfident (that's not a real word is it?) without my war paint and considered clothes.

***

And amongst this chaos I create.  You can just about see one of my bags of crochet/yarn in front of the sofa.  I sat there calmly crocheting while the Cuckoo's whirled and squealed around me. It only got worse!

And now they are at Granny and Poppa's and I find myself missing them dreadfully.  I want to go and smell them and whisper how much I love them in their hot little ears.  I got so tearful when I waved them off today, the morbid thought of what if something bad happens, what if I never see them again, what if they never see me again?  Horrid thoughts.  But I have lost a dear family member in a car crash and Granny lost her mother when she died in childbirth so these are real fears for me.  But I'm optimistic this time next week they'll be tearing around, whipping up a storm and my baby will be screeching and I'll be wailing like a banshee.  Normal life resumed with a twist!  It's a good life, even when it's pants it's still good.

Right, I'm going to publish this now and start to do the Bobble Blanket reveal post.  If I finish it I'll schedule it to post sometime soon.  I'm hoping the baby will turn up in the next few days while The Cuckoo's are away. I had the other two before my due date and here I am the full 40 weeks pregnant which is novel.  I'm a bit tired and uncomfortable in the back and hips now, I'd like to get on with it.  To know he's here and we are all ok.  Also my labours have been a bit quick in the past and I'd rather not have to worry about who to call, who can get here quickly enough to babysit.  The nearest person is only ten minutes away but she has two small boys of her own so she can't just drop everything unless her husband is home.  My Mum is over an hour away and our neighbours are all much older and we don't really know any of them very well, the boys certainly don't know them. Oh what will be will be, I shouldn't fret! But it would be so great if he arrived before the boys mini break is over.

xxx

It grew again, within minutes!

Ta Dah!

This is just Mr Cuckoo's work shirts, a Gi (karate thingy), and my pinny.  You can't beat the feeling of a crisp, clean pinny.  Well, you can, but I can't have a cocktail right now!

I'm from the same ironing school as Heather from Little Tin Bird, I don't iron the following: bed linen, tea towels, underwear, my clothes, the boys clothes apart from school uniform, or Mr Cuckoo's stuff.  And yet, that PILE!  Oh my Word!!!  I should just do a little at a time but I do tend to let it grow and grow.  Mr Cuckoo has, at last count almost 50 shirts so he never runs out and hence the pile gets a bit ridiculous.  He buys really good quality ones which don't seem to wear out and some are over 10 years old.  They are good quality but they do need ironing.  He looks lovely in them.  I bloody hate having to iron them, but I lead a charmed life so I'm a baddie for grizzling.

If the weather cheers up I'll be blogging about my new yarn stash soon which arrived so quickly I didn't get any of my crochet WIP's finished.

I'm on a blogging roll! Hurrah, hope I can maintain a bit of momentum even when the baby arrives.  But that is a bit of a tall order. Can you read my font a bit better now, I have changed it to a very plain one but I'm uncertain that it has made a difference.

Mr Cuckoo

He is worth it.

xxx

Any volunteers?

Housekeeper required

I'm drowning in the never ending chaos that is housework.  Maybe it's because I'm nesting so I can't over look anything, it all has to be done.  That's my ironing pile in the photo above, sat mocking me on the broken AGA.  The pile diminishes a bit, then grows a bit, then attacks me so I fight back....anyone fancy helping?! The current state of play is that the pile has been defeated, but the victory will be short lived as there're a few shirts and a karate thingy drying even as I type.  So the pile will be pretty full again in the matter of hours. Loving my fairy lights in my wire basket though, they really bring sunshine and happiness on a grey day.

The joy of living with little boys. This is the normal end of day scene in our kitchen.  Abandoned sock (partner still not located!), firemans' hat, vehicles lined up. Quite a tidy scene compared to usual.  I'd love to get in their little heads and see what the motivation behind their games is.  Poor  Granny blanket shoved in a crevice.  It's really holding up to so much abuse or should that be love? 

Breakfast sweepings, you can't see how much is there, it looks like far less in the photo.  I think The Cuckoo's do manage to swallow some of their cereals, at least they seem to have lots of energy so they must do!

Can't blame everyone else in this house for creating the mess.  I am very untidy.  That's my paperwork pile, mid sort out I hasten to add.  It's usually balanced in a precarious heap but here it's spread out in a mad method.  Makes total sense to me of course.

I should be dealing with all this domestic stuff but instead I am blogging and indulging in a spot of the above.  I am a country wife and mum cliche.  Cornish blue china, Emma Bridgewater mug and a Cath Kidston oil cloth table cloth.  I love it!  Notice the Vintage Stripe blanket and the half eaten cookie?  I'd tucked in before grabbing my camera.  I've seen and enjoyed so many snap shots of other bloggers elevenses so I thought I'd add mine to the Blog sphere.  Looks good doesn't it?  Bet you wish you were here, I wish you were too.

The circle inspiration explaination

To tell you the truth I don't really know where exactly or when I first saw a circle centred granny square.  It's pretty much everywhere in blogland and it must have sneaked it's way into my head, forming a little plan, and then coming to life as though it was all my own idea in the first place.  Except I'm sure it was never my idea, I haven't an original idea in my head!

Maybe it was Bobo Bun's Cushion, or Raymond's mandala.  Perhaps it was Bunny Mummy's
blanket which was from Lucy's Summer garden granny.  Tke the middles out of all of these and you pretty much have my circles.

But then again did it creep in from these places?
Hand made at home
Yvestown
Yoyo quilts

Nope, it must have come from Julia Crossland she has made a cushion in circles laid in a brick formation.  I must have seen it there first and then every other circle granny square I saw added to the fire. I had to have a piece of the action.  Shame that yarn was bitchy splitty.  Never mind, the stripey one is whipping up so quickly that I may have it finished before my next load of yarn, just acrylic stuff, arrives.  I'm hoping I'll have enough of the cotton yarn to finish the stripey blanket in one go.  I ALWAYS run out of yarn, I cannot judge how much I will need.  On that note, the final ball of brown arrived today so that I can finish my bobble blanket and start using it before the weather cheers up.

Changing the subject completely, I saw my midwife today. As she was listening in to Pom Pom's heart she had a funny expression on her face.  His thumpety thump sounded much slower than usual and she listened in for way longer too, listened until it sounded like the usual train on the tracks.
"That sounds slow, is he ok?" I said.
"Yes" she said "everything is fine, did you not feel that?"
"Feel what? What were you doing?"
"You were having a  contraction that affected the baby's heart rate like we often see in perfectly normal labours, your tummy was as tight as a bullet, I'm surprised you didn't feel just a bit of discomfort"

Ah, right, that explains the speed of my labours then.  I'm a 'silent' one.  Lucky me! But then again she went on to say it means nothing, I could go on like this and still end up being induced and labouring for days.  Except now I feel jumpy at every little twinge.

I wonder which post will come first, the Bobble reveal or the Baby reveal!

The beginning of the bobble blanket.  See? I told you it wasn't an exciting colour but it has turned into a gorgeous blanket that looks so good in the little living room we call The Snug but the boys have renamed The Slug.

xx

Circles vs Stripe

Just a swift fly by to show my new yarn.

It Rico Creative Cotton that I saw, like sooooo many other blogsters, at Lucy's and decided I'd give it a whirl too.  I ordered a stash of the stuff but had to wait two months for it to arrive due to stock issues (plus the snow) and a further 2 weeks for the final two balls of that stunning emerald green (second in from the left)  The plus side to having an unexpectedly looooong wait was that I had to go to my LYS and buy supplies for an alterntive blanket, the bobble blanket that is so near finished and waiting for a reveal AND introduction.  Any who, I digress, the yarn arrived and I could wait no more, I thought I'd just roll the yarn into balls....

Hmmmm, such yummy colours, I'll just have a tiny hooky play.  I didn't know what style blanket I'd do, stripey, granny, ripple.  So many options.  Then I thought I'd just have a go at making the circles to go inside a granny square.  Of course one led to another, oh the colours go together so nicely, how could I stop at one when I just needed to see how another pair of colours would work up?

Somewhere in my memory bank was an image of a blanket made up of the inner circles of a granny square all joined together, I decided to trial it, see if that was the way to go.  And I loved those circles, although I realise I should have joined them together in brick format not in straight rows.  When I remember or stumble across the image I have in my head I'll link to it.  So apologies in the mean time if I've managed to totally copy somebody out right, I vaguely remember where I saw it, I think, I'll have a poke around blog world at some stage.  

Yes I love those circles, love the colours, love how they look.  Do not love making them.  That yarn is bitchy splitty.  I think I'll save that kind of blanket for a non splitty yarn, in the mean time I intend to knock out a super speedy vintage stripe.  Tutorial found here. But I'll do irregular colour rows.  Just pick out a random colour and do as many rows as I fancy before a colour change.

I've made a little nifty crochet hook roll because I was losing and finding my hooks all over the place and I know I can't blame my little boys for this all the time, I'm soooo untidy!

I couldn't remember where I first saw the idea (terrible memory) so I googled it and found this.  I used it as a guide, I didn't follow the measurements at all, or the instructions as I was too impatient and wanted to throw myself at it.  On reflection it would have been a good idea to have followed a tutorial.  

Happily it was one of those rare things that I managed to start and finish in one sitting while The Cuckoo's were at school/prescool.  I was chuffed.  Then I remembered where I'd seen the idea first and where the tutorial was.  Wish I'd remembered sooner as I'd have been able to make a much better one.  You Go Girl, that's the tutorial I WILL follow next time.

In other news, the sun shone today and I noticed the world smells differently, the seasons are changing, I feel different.  

xxx

BLOGGER

(lifted from my old blog) 


I may HAVE to go to blogger... Or somewhere... It's taken hours to upload that last post and it's lost the whole righthand side of my photos. Grrrrrrrrrrrr!


Edit: I've cut and pasted in my old blog and that seems to have sorted out the issues I had with the photo's not being aligned quite right.  I'm hoping Blogger is the answer, I seem to be able to find my way around better.  Shame I have lost all my comments but I guess they will always be in the old blog over at typepad.  Just need to tell people who have me on their blog lists that I have moved and renamed my blog.  I'll soon down grade my typepad account so my blog wont look pretty any more, all that hard work Gay Wife (GW) did for me last year....I know blogger wont be perfect but I had to do something, my frustrations were stopping me from posting.  Right, time to add the bits I'd like to see in my side bar....

Just uploaded that to see how quickly Blogger does it compared to Typepad, it's quicker but not by a lot.  Copying and pasting from the typepad edit section into blogger was unbelievably quick!  I was hoping it would all be as quick to upload.  Look at that tummy! 38 weeks pregnant.  In my decorating clothes.  He was having a stretch so it looks all wonky.

New Years Resolutions Update

(Lifted from my old Blog)

The trouble with the iPhone app is that I can't put two pics in and write around them. They just appear where they like. Hey ho!
So far I haven't done brilliantly with the resolutions. I still swear more than I'd like or realise. I haven't used a crystal glass. I've not learnt any eminem songs but I have had a bath. Will not have another till the baby is out. It was painful. I must be the only pregnant bird to find a bath made everything hurt much more! I've also painted my nails three times. Tonight, while the boys bathe and I wait for their dad to come home to get them out for me, I thought I'd multiple multiple task. I've dragged in the wicker chair from Big Cuckoo's room (my usual perch on the loo seat is not an option) and I've painted my nails and now I'm blogging. Oooh get me!
Look how massive I am! Ready, almost, to drop. But please not just yet, not quite ready.....
X

 

 

Testing the Typepad App

I'm running out of time. So little time left till our baby arrives. There's not enough time to blog....and I need to spend more time under my granny blanket, I swear it has magical sleep inducing powers. Precisely what I need as my sleep quality is pretty shabby!
Hopefully this iPhone app will allow a quick update now and again!


 

New Year! Is it really?

NYE 2009

(Lifted from old blog)



I don't feel very New Yeary. I'm not sure how that feels anymore.  I feel how I used to as a child when I went to bed at the normal time and woke in another year. Not that I mind at all. For the last two years we have been really lucky that my Mum had the kids for two nights to give us a break together, having had a relatively short courtship it's great for us to spend time as husband and wife at home doing nothing but rubbing along harmoniously.  It's a blissful couple of days usually. This year the Cuckoo's stayed at home so I was in bed by 9pm and asleep by 10pm in anticipation of an early start...which turned out to be a late start as Mr Cuckoo didn't wake me till 8am!  Not that I'm sleeping well as I'm having almost constant braxton hicks and Pom Pom is beating the living daylights out of me!
I have some fabulous New Years resolutions. I didn't keep any of last years which were: Learn the lyrics to Eminem's "Go Crazy" and do it at karaoke, stop swearing (I say b*gger and bl**dy too much, just like my Nanny, the original Cuckoo) and to improve my handwriting. I did keep trying to stick to them but I didn't succeed so I'll just carry them over to this year and add on my two new ones which are: Take more relaxing baths with bubbles and to be more glamourous which will involve wearing more hats and drinking cordial out of a crystal glass.  Lovely.
I've started a new blanket. and I'm thrilled to bits with it.  It's not a bright colourful explosion like my GRANNY, it's brown!  Sounds awful but it's restful and mesmerising zooming up and down the rows... double double double bobble...  Yup I've learnt a new stitch.  The bobble stitch.  I feel very clever about it all!  I'll do an ode to the new blanket soon.  I also plan to do a "whoopsie" post showing all the mistakes in my GRANNY blanket.  I notice no one seems to blog about the mistakes so I thought I would.  Maybe that could be my USP.
Happy New Year to all x

Happy 6th Anniversary Darling.

Gosh.  6 years already. It's been a whirlwind.  We met, married and got pregnant with in 18 months. What a ride!  It's been great, a very busy 6 years with a lot of major changes having occurred. I still absolutely love and adore my husband, much more than I did on our wedding day and I didn't think that could be possible.  

Happy Birthday Little Cuckoo!!

Lifted from old blog

Three years ago today at almost 5pm I had the first sign that my baby was on his way.  At 6.12pm my Little Cuckoo flew in to the world and he hasn't slowed up since!

Today is his 3rd birthday, three years of joy with that fabulous little boy.  I feel blessed.  Because his birthday is at a funny time of year we plan to have a little tea party later.  He has requested a pink cake. He will not share it with us he says, just with his brother.  Funny little onion!  A pink cake? Pink?  Oh-Kay, how will I make that look acceptable for a boy of 3 and not embarrassng for that said boy when he is 6,7,8 and looking back at photo's?  But rise to the challenge I must.  Can't let my big boy down.
I'd post a picture of him when he was first born but I can't find one anywhere on this computer.  I must get Mr Cuckoo to get all the photo's off our old computer properly.  There are lots missing and I fret a bit about losing them completely.  I'd do it myself but I'm hopeless, I'm much better at baking than computing...now then where is that pink food colouring?

Weather

Lifted from my old blog

It's been very...weathery.  I could go on and on about how different daily life is due to the weather but it's would just come across as grumpy.  Living where we do is really difficult when the snow falls.  We get rather cut off and I feel very very VERY nervous about something happening to my boys or my unborn baby and an ambulance not being able to get to us.
BUT...

IT IS STUNNING!
























That's frost!!!!! The snow you see in the top photo kind of dried up, it was too cold for it to melt and I didn't see any drips, I suppose it did melt but it seemed as though it dried up and got replaced by a frost that stayed for three whole days.



























Followed by more snow that has brought the country grinding to a halt.  Yes it's beautiful but it's spoiling lots of peoples Christmases.
The view from our home is breathtaking though, mesmerizing almost.  Good job too since we are stuck here!!!

A Suprise Gift!

The other day I saw something on Sandi's blog and I left a comment to say how much I loved it.

I said it made me want to learn to knit so I could make myself one. I never thought for a moment that...

...Sandi would package one up so prettily and send it all the way from Australia!  I was so touched, not least delighted to have my very own, stupidly gorgeous face/dish cloth!!!  LOOK!

Isn't it darling? I really love it.  I keep fondling it and holding it to my face as it's so soft.  I don't know if it has a front and back, both are equally lush.

The only trouble is, I know what it's meant to be used for but I can see washing my filthy mug (crockery/face) could ruin it.  So I want to find another use.  I'd like to be able to see it all the time and to use it somehow but I don't want to spoil it. For this reason I can't even bring myself to use it as a pot stand as the saucepans could sully it and that would never do.  Help! I need ideas! But I've been hearing form a few sources that typepad is playing up when people want to leave a comment.  Blogger here I come? But how? Will I lose all my posts and pics? I digress.
Thank you Sandi, so very much.  The fact that you took time and effort to post me something I am hopelessly dotty about means an enormous amount to me.  Thank you, thank you  x x x x x