BLESSED SPEEDY

So here we are half way through January and Im doing my start of 2026 post! All good and it actually fits quite well with my "word" or "intention" for 2026 I found a quote on the net which describes how I want to show up in 2026 pretty well "The word "gentle" is a popular choice for 2026, representing a desire for softness, intentionality, and self-compassion in a world that feels rushed, often used as a personal "word of the year" to guide actions with kindness, slow pace, and balance, rather than force. People choose "gentle" to mean being kind to themselves and others, embracing realistic expectations, and moving forward with care and strength, contrasting with aggressive goal-setting." Yes Im a busy person and yes I do pack a lot into each day, but Im also not good at being kind to myself which then makes me just a little bit cranky when others ask too much of me Yes Im happy to help others and to be kind to them b...

Ok Im yet to finish anything craftwise - but I have finished christmas - its all packed away so I thought I would do a reading update Here we go Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid This book came with lots of people saying how good it was and I wasnt disappointed! Its set in the 1980s and tells the story of Joan Goodwin who has always wanted to go into space as she is obsessed with stars and finds herself in the astronaut program at NASA It takes us through her training, the friendships she makes and the challenges she faces And yes there is a suprising but lovely love interest Did I cry at the end Yes! A huge 5 stars The Cosy Croissant Cafe by Jane Linfoot My daughter gave me this to read and it was such a lovely easy book to read Its the story of Betty and her pony Pumpkin and they time in the village of St Aidans Yes there is baking, and small village life and of course a gorgeous man An easy relaxing read and 4 stars Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness (via Audible) Boo...

My good friend and helper Molly (also known as Molly by Golly, or Good Old Girl) has gone over the rainbow bridge She gave us 16 years of love, friendship and devotion to her work She was really good at talking too! She was also super fussy - would only drink water from the water trough at the top of the drive way (in her last days she drank from my hand so that felt special) She didnt like to eat out of dog bowls that much -preferring to eat off the ground And she liked to keep Buster and Monty in line (goodness knows what will happen now) We will miss her greatly, she was a lovely dog Rest well Molly - a life well lived

Its the first week of December and Christmas week For me the last few years at Christmas time have been really hard, sad and challenging with mum and Garys dad passing at that time and other things going on in our family I dont think Ive even really put up a "proper" Christmas tree since before then - maybe a token thing at the last minute, but this year I decided to "try" and decorate So December 1 saw us putting up our tree and wreath and a few other decorations around the house and I must admit Im glad Ive been making various Christmas items to as that helps! And in a nod and happy/sad memory of Mum Ive bought a poinsettia to sit on the kitchen sink, which Mum always did - it was always in the way (yep achieving that) and some time between Christmas and New Year Mum would ask me to take it to my place to bring it back to life as she had either over watered or forgetten to water it - most times Ive been successful in keeping it alive until mid year however our w...

Oh this is so late and apologies! The days just seem to be running away I finished a lot of things at the end of November - Firstly some socks Pattern is agatha socks and yarn is west yorkshire spinners solids and was bought from the Wooly Thistle in the UK (Isnt that a great name for a shop!) Second pair was a test knit and the pattern is called Proper and the yarn I used was NFA Merino Superwash I went to a class and made these super cute Christmas cards - thanks Julieanna! Reading wise I finished a few! Thanks Sarah for recommending this book to me What a nice read but with some twists and turns It tells the story of Augustus (Gus) and January (how do authors come up with these names???) two people have been hurt a lot in their past, both are authors and living next to each other temporarily They make a pact with each other and thats about all I can say otherwise I will spoilt it for you Its a four and a half star read for me as its stayed with me for a while I loved this so m...