Food and warmth

Gosh ! It's cold out! Time for some warming filling foods! So on Saturday I got some Beef Rib Trim  out of the freezer and made us a casserole by cooking it all day in the slow cooker. There was enough for myself and Josie  on Saturday, although I found it a bit bland, so yesterday I added a tin of Oxtail soup to it, and it fed myself, Josie and my son as well. I took pictures of it cooking on Saturday.......

 I'm sorry they aren't very clear  but at least you can see something!  We had the stew/casserole with mashed potatoes, cabbage and carrots and dumplings. My daughter said it was "Lush"

Finished Meal

As promised in my last post I've also taken some pictures of the hot water bottle cover I crocheted, It is really simple, I just made 6 granny squares for each side and added a border of treble crochet all around the edges and joined them, then I made a flap for the top out of double crochet until it was long enough to fold over. I was going to add a loop and button fastening, but I don't think I'll bother unless I find it slips out of the cover too easily.  

My next project is to crochet a top blanket cover for a Moses Basket. I have a table sale coming up in February, and have already rescued and renovated a basket, I just need to make a little cover for either the basket or a pram. Someone locally was going to throw out the basket and drapes so I took them home. Boil washed the fabric, and pressed it all, Scrubbed the basket with hot water with antibacterial cleaner, and washed and air dried the mattress. It looks brand new now, and will do someone a turn I'm sure, plus help out finances a little. I need to save as much as I can to move house.
I'm hoping it won't be too much longer before I can get out of here. I checked at the beginning of January and I was #5 on the transfer list, I also have a mutual exchange proposal that we are trying to find a third person to join in. There is someone who wants my property, but they have a 3 bed House, so we can't do a direct swap. I need to find someone who wants a 3 bed in his area, who has a 2 bed in an area I want.
 I belong to a scheme called Homeswappers, and although there are 3 or 4 people who, on paper, who fit this criteria, no one is actually answering emails or messages. It's very frustrating!
However if I get offered a transfer before we find a third person, I'm afraid I shall take the exchange. I'm going to put my health first, my Angina is going to get worse through the stress and high BP, and I'd like to enjoy a few more years yet , thanks all the same.

I have to set to and make a birthday card for the end of this month. I have no heating in the bedroom at the moment, so it's a bit cold to make cards. I want to get some Valentine cards made to upload to the website and get that running again as well, so I'll have to just get on with it.  

I already have a re-order for 30 Christmas cards to go out to Holland this year. They were so happy  with last years batch, I got a request a few days ago. They have apparently been getting lots of compliments on the cards they sent............that's a boost for me too! This is very similar to the ones I made for them, except theirs were done with rainbow shaded cardstock and had gemstones on. Also their Initials were added under the greeting. Now I have to think up a new design, "simple but classy" is the request! I'll have to do 2 or 3 designs and send them to them for approval.
My daughter has come in quite excited, ....after being out of work for a year, she has just passed a telephone interview for an office admin apprenticeship!
  I do hope it doesn't all fall through, as she desperately needs to work.
 She is looking to do something she can make a career out of, as she isn't interested in having a family/children. I want to see her in a career that can support her after her father and I are gone, 'cos she will be on her own. Unfortunately we were older parents so we won't be around as long as we would expect, to be a support in times of trouble. I know there is no such thing as Job security these days, but a good training will help her.

I've waffled on enough now. I tend to drift from one subject to another, if not forcibly restrained, so I'm off to make tea and walk the dogs now.

til next time
bye