Today is my birthday and I’m taking that big step into the next decade.

I’m not actually sure how I can possibly be 50. I mean I don’t feel 50. I hope I don’t look 50 – at least on a good day. I’m not sure I do the stuff that 50 year olds do….Inside I feel about 25….

Do you remember when we were young and our mothers hit 50 – I think I was 14…..I remember thinking that 50 was REALLY OLD. People were just older younger then if you get what I’m rabbiting on about. They wore tweed skirts, had perms, tutted at anything even remotely cool we bought with our pocket money, had no idea who the people on Top of the Pops were and were just well, frumpy and middle aged.

I’m glad those days are over. I don’t want to have one of those perms like the Queen and go gracefully grey. I want to stay disgracefully blonde(ish) and run in the woods until I’m 80. I want to go to cool movies with my kids and experiment with technology and gel nails. I want to dance to Robbie Williams, eat sushi and just chill.

And I shall……

Helen

(Sorry for the blogging absences of late. I somewhat underestimated the time I had available (non-working) to prepare for Christmas and ended up a tad frazzled. I gave myself permission to sshhhh let things go a little……

It’s called cutting some slack for the almost to be 50’s

It was great!

But I’m back…or at least trying to be. The intention is there. Can’t promise more than that 😉 )

Winter has come up here on the hill. Winter and Christmas preparations, a business trip to England, school Christmas events, lots of doctors’  appointments, the death of my lovely old cat Bumblebee….all of which have squeezed my time even more than it’s normally squeezed. There has been a little sock knitting, a lot of frantic multi-tasking, a couple of freezing runs in the snow, but unfortunately no sewing at all. Blogging has been a million miles away.

Somehow I seem to have lost balance. I imagine this is the lot of the working mum in Advent. Unavoidable only for those who are incredibly well-organized or to those who have scaled Christmas down to the bare bones (believe me, I’m heading there!).

Next year I’m going to do it better. I’m going to avoid the last minute panic and I’m going to keep things going so I can still keep a happy balance of the things that keep me sane and happy – quilting, yoga, long baths, good books, runs in the woods and seeing my friends.

This afternoon I should have been in the city making all those final touches and then going to a carol service, but a cracking headache has kept me at home.

I guess my body is calling the tune and it’s probably time to listen…..

Happy advent!

Helen

I really look forward to Saturday nights….

No, I mean it, I REALLY look forward to them.

Highlight of my week….

Which may be construed as either:

• a) a bit sad, or
• b) a sign of deep unbridled contentment

(please choose the appropriate answer)

and, no before you ask, I’m not out on the razzle. (I might bump into one of my daughters if I was, and that really wouldn’t do, not at all. She will tell you that I’m embarrassing enough without that to boot!)

So, picture the scene if you will….

A log fire

Candles – especially the lovely fat ones burning merrily

A companionable dinner preferably comprising comfort food – or failing that, anything at all that I have not had to cook myself….

Feet up

Cat ensconced

Sock knitting at the ready (currently these rather nice cable socks)

TV on…..

And then a self-indulgent three hours of Strictly Come Dancing (I’m an old hand on Strictly) followed by X-Factor (where I’m an absolute newbie), interspersed with detailed analysis with elder daughter of all participants, sometimes even including comments from DH who is hiding behind his newspaper dozing and pretending not to watch.

(Thankfully Brucie doesn’t seem to irritate me – must be all that Generation Game when I was growing up – and Simon plastic man Cowell is nowhere to be seen, and that Gary Barlow chap is an utter sweetie)

A cup of tea and a piece of fruit cake at some point in the procedings (usually made during the X-Factor adverts).

Then waiting up and continually checking the internet until the Strictly spoilers come through. (I do wish they wouldn’t pretend that the Sunday show is actually filmed on Sundays – do the BBC think we are idiots?).

There you go.

Heaven in my books…

At least I’m a happy saddo!
Helen

I suddenly realized that I’ve only managed to finish one quilt this year – my Siblings Together quilt. I can’t remember when I last had so little to show for a year….quite a few bee blocks, one small, quick quilt and a plain vanilla jumper…..

Part of the problem I think is that the projects I get involved in are, well, all ….big. I’m not a quick project person, never have been….so although I’ve been sewing on my projects – the leaves quilt and the fireworks quilt – pretty regularly, neither of them is anywhere near being finished. I guess that’s the downside of working and not having a lot of time to sew….my things are going to take forever and a day to get done. I will finish them, I always do, but it ain’t gonna happen in a hurry.

Not to mention my lovely Stitch Tease quilt top from last year. I’m feeling a bit guilty on that one as in the last few months a lot of finished tops have been popping up all over the web – and very beautiful they are too – mine is still sitting in it’s box waiting for a border. At least I’ve got as far as buying the fabric I need to make the border, even if I haven’t quite made my mind up about what exactly I’m going to do.

I did manage to get one of Ange’s blocks for this year’s Stitch Tease done this morning…..

She’s making a quilt made with all different sorts of house blocks – this one is ‘Schoolhouse’ by Soma Acharya of Whims and Fancies.

One more to go…the next one has to be purple.

Little steps eh!

Helen

Leaf by tiny leaf I am getting there – 121 squares to date.

Pattern by Brioni Greenberg in her wonderful book: 25 Ways to Sew Jelly Rolls, Layer Cakes and Charm Packs.

I had really thought that the scraps basket would be looking much emptier by now, but I think the fairies must be filling it up again in the night……maybe this isn’t the scrapbuster project that I thought it might be after all.

Don’t wait up….I could be a while…

Helen