A Special Day ... and a Secret Spills Out

 

It's my birthday, and I'm happy to say that I am 62 years old today.  

Some don't have the good fortune of making it this far and those that do should shout it from the roof tops.  True this has not been a good year for me.  I've literally spent the whole year since the last time a year was crossed off my calendar of life, trying to get over the broken bones and trapped nerves in my back, but I made it through to see another birthday and for that I am truly grateful.

The day started well, Alan had ordered sunshine and warmth and it was lovely to sit on the patio with him and the furries opening my cards and enjoying my flowers and the first coffee of the day.

Yes we were all out enjoying the sunshine.  

Mavis looks a little bit like she's been plonked down, but that is the way she sits when she's waiting for something.  This time she was waiting for a walk, which she got twenty minutes after these photos were taken.  She and Alan set off walking and after ten minutes arranging my flowers in a jug, me and Suky jumped into the car and drove to meet them at the park.  Where we all enjoyed 'bench hopping' ... moving from bench to bench with a slow walk between each ... enjoying the scent of the blossom in the air and the bird song in the quiet park.  Then we all got into the car for the three minute drive home, which Mavis thought was a perfect way to get home quicker than usual for the post-walk dog treat.

And a birthday surprise from me  to you.

 I shared this photo on my Facebook page so the secret is out anyway.  Yes we really are Lord and Lady Hall, each in our own right and not just through marriage.  There ... and you thought you knew almost everything about me.  😄

Edited to add these ... birthday flowers that have just been delivered from Simon, Emma and my grandsons.

Sue xx

Sending Letters By Pigeon Post

 

On her blog, Tracing Rainbows the other day, Angela mentioned receiving a Pigeon letter and my curiosity was spiked.  I just had to go straight over to the website ... and wow I fell in love with the designs.  Just look at this one from one of my favourite artists, original Angela Harding artwork just beautiful in every way.

Of course if this had been 'normal times' I would have picked out a couple of designs and ordered some straight way but it's my year of No Spending, so I had to bite the bullet and simply add them to my Wish List.  At least Alan might have a clue about what to buy me for my birthday!!

Summer Meadows Design, just another of my favourites and there are lots to choose from.  If you are as interested as me why not nip over here to read all about The Pigeon Story.

💖💖💖

This is not a sponsored blog post ... none of mine ever are if you are wondering ... but I have acquired quite a few new readers recently so I thought I would just point this out. However, I do like to shout out about useful and beautiful things that I come across in anyway in my day to day life and leave a link for you to discover more about them yourself if that is what you would like to do.

  

Sue xx

John Gray - Influencer

So I read John Gray's blog post the other day, the one called  Guilty Pleasures  all about him going wild in the centre aisles in his local Aldi ... and then I made the mistake of going shopping, yes you've guessed it to Aldi 🤣🤣

There really was a plethora of new and varied goodies.  All sorts actually, there was a real mixture of random stuff not just the usual gardening, summer sports or DIY type linked specials.  I quickly spotted the pencils that John Gray bought and then I spied the notebooks 'ooh he didn't mention those' I said out loud to myself, it's okay no one can hear you chatting away to yourself when you're wearing a mask ... well that's what I tell myself these days!!

In this little stationery section there was also the cardboard tube ...

... with it's contents.

All these items were just £1.99 each, and although I didn't really need them, you all know that stationery is one of my few weak spots and they will come in handy one day.  So they all made it into my trolley.

I spotted John's little glow in the dark squidgy nightlight thingy, and although I loved it and it's little assorted friends I couldn't justify a splurge on one of them.  But then I spotted a brilliant deal on Aveeno hand creams and body lotion and treated myself to some of these.  At just £3.49 for the body lotion and just £2.99 for the hand-creams they really were a bargain worth having. 

You never know what you are going to find on the centre aisles so it's always worth a look, and when the rain is thundering down outside and people are running past the shop windows looking like drowned rats, there is really no need to rush through the shopping.

So John Gray as well as being a brilliant blogger and a newish YouTuber, can now officially class himself as an up and coming Influencer 😃

Sue xx

How to Win Your Own Cottage in Wales

How do you fancy winning this beautiful Welsh Cottage.  

Situated between the Llyn Peninsula and Snowdonia National Park it is less than an hours drive from our cottage and is in a beautiful part of North Wales.

Within easy reach of Snowdon and also the fantastic visitor attraction of Portmeirion it would make an ideal first or second home.  I know for sure I would rather be here full time than just using it for holidays, it's been renovated to a high standard and has everything that a couple or a small family could wish for.   And the welcome you would receive from the locals if you chose to be a full time resident would be amazing.

I checked out all the small print and the FAQs, and did a bit of research and this is a genuine competition complying with all competition laws and is being overseen by solicitors.  If by any chance the required number of tickets are not sold for the cottage to be won, they need to sell 80,000 tickets to make this viable and include the donation to charity that they are making, there will instead be a large cash prize almost equal to the amount of tickets being sold.  So it's much better odds than purchasing a lottery ticket!!

The tickets are £5 each ... I bought 4, well I thought why not, it really is worth a go  😃

So if you fancy a flutter, with the chance of a Welsh Cottage of your own at the end of it -

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Good luck 🤞

Sue xx

Something to Read and Something to Watch

Now and then I am going to share links to some of the Facebook and YouTubers that I follow or know.  If you have suggestions that you think I would like to discover please feel very free to leave them in the comments below.

Let's all … while we have this time to be able to … scroll, watch and listen and find some new people with similar interests to us from all over the UK or the world.  

And while we're there lets delete, unfollow or simply stop looking at all those things that pull us in and drag us down and depress us.  Personally I'm starting with all the YouTubers who whilst talking about sustainability and simplifying their lives then bombard us with their latest acquisitions, sponsorship deals and things that you simply have to have.

Something to read and watch.

A brilliant person to follow on Facebook and/or YouTube is Plant Based Gabriel … well I mean just look at his beautiful little daughter.  There are lots of recipes, some foodie based gardening hints and tips … and lots of lovely photos of little Bridgette.

Plant Based Gabriel on YouTube

Plant Based Gabriel on Facebook

Something to make you smile.

Swans and Dolphins return the Venice Canals.

And Mavis says ... Hope you have a lovely day  💖

Sue xx