Friday 30 October 2009

FIRST DAY

This was my first day of having Reb whilst her mum goes to work, OK today was part of the Induction she has to attend, but I count it as work. She will be paid for it and guess who will be taking that money off her?
Hmmmmm I best not go there had I?

Talking of going there, this was our busy day today Reb and me...

Go to town and take wage slips into SS Office for her mum...

Call in at Radio Northampton and buy a Pudsey Bear keyring and trolley coin...

Take books back to Library - only to find when I got home I had left one behind... Got some new books out, 2 fiction 3 patchwork hahahaha...

Go to Town Hall and pick up copy of Birth Certificate for her mum...whilst there I showed Rebecca the wonderful room where meetings are held, I shall have to take my camera and get some piks of this room, it is fabulous....

Nip across the road to the Boot and Shoe Museum, finally, ALL the shoes made by Reb's year at school are on display and she wanted to see hers there in situ; it looks really good, we had another mooch round the museum at all the shoes, she loves trying the ones on you are allowed to, ballet shoes, red high heels, boots, you name it, they are there for the children to try on and march round in, great fun...

Reb was hungry so we did a pitstop for a buttered roll for her, it was what she wanted, I had a swiss bun - yum yum...

Had a mooch round the Memorial Gardens when we had finished our snack, then she decided she wanted to see inside All Saints Church, so I took her in and she thought it was lovely. They were practising on the Organ and it was LOUD, made us jump, but if you want to hear an organ played, the best place to hear it is in a Church...lovely...

Onto the market now to buy some ribbon and wool, but wool stall not on there today, tch!

Whipped into the Poundland shop on the way to the bus station, she found some bits in there, pencils and colouring books and a lovely case to keep it all in...Bargain birds, thats us!

Then home on the bus, a quick lunch, then off to Morrisons to meet her mum at 4pm.

Busy busy busy

Wonder what we will do tomorrow?

Wednesday 28 October 2009

BLOWING A GASKET BIGTIME

I am from London originally. I had to go to school by bus, I paid for the ticket. Every day.    

At the age of 14,  I got a Saturday job, which helped with the payment of things I needed. I have always paid my way.

When I started work proper I paid Tax and National Insurance.  My whole working life I PAID THESE.

So I am entitled to my free bus pass. I WORKED for it as it were.

I was born here in this country. I was taught to be proud to be British or English - whichever you think fits!

Does this still count I wonder?

Yesterday I sat at the SS office waiting for my daughter to finish an interview with them. Hmmmmmmm

When she had her daughter she was unable to work, and so had to go onto Benefits - she hated it, but needs must.
She got herself a job pretty darn quick just as soon as her daughter started school. --A school dinner lady.

The SS got on her back pretty soon to work more hours. Every year she had to go to their office and take all wage receipts etc to show she wasn't cheating the system. Hmmmmmmm

Then they made it every six months.

Then every three months.

All the time on at her to, get more work, get more hours.

So she did. She has secured another job, making the 16 hours they require her to work. They promised [huh] her she would get help with her rates and rent when she got these extra hours.   So today she collected from her new employer, all the forms and information the SS required and went to their offices in town. I sat and waited. Listening.

What a disgrace.
I blew it folks.

My daughter does not deserve such shoddy treatment. It was of course all lies she had been told. She has the extra hours so of course she will be getting extra money ---- it is called wages.

What she WONT be getting is any help with her RENT, she has to pay that in full.

And get this.....she will be awarded the princely sum of 23p towards her RATES.

As I said, I blew it. I just cannot believe that......23p....what an insult.

She will now be working every day, she is keeping the other job, so as to make the hours right for the SS.
What exactly do they want? Blood! If anyone tells me they are only doing their job. I KNOW THAT. I know it is the GOVERNMENT make the rules for them and they have to dish it out and get the flack.

 What gets me is this.......

If I popped over to lets say, India or Bosnia or Serbia or Poland or Africa or just about anywhere in the world basically, and said, I have no money I have nowhere to live, help me please. What would I get?

ZILCH
NADA
NOTHING

Possibly a first class ticket home!  Make that second class.

So.....................
Why is it that the world and its wife comes here to MY/OUR country and gets the damn lot. House with garden, mobile phones, money, furniture, possibly a car, Benefits to live on, a FREE BUS PASS, you name it, they get it. Do not tell me they don't all get it, cos all I will say is,  show me one of them who doesn't.

In this town you see them all roaming around, buying this and that, sitting in coffee shops - which are not cheap places - hour after hour, not looking for work.
I have even heard them telling each other how to cheat the system.

WHEN did they pay their Taxes and National Insurance to get all these things?

WHEN and WHERE is that person who said yes come here and you can have it all?

WHY are we not looking after our own?

I have never been a racist, I have friends of many different races, I have lived with people from many different countries, yes they were lovely people. My girls were brought up to respect others, where ever they came from. As is my Grand daughter now.

I am talking of the people who come her to MY/OUR country and just sponge. Day after day, month after month, year after year, over they come in their droves, playing the system, getting it all, giving NOTHING back.

IT HAS SURELY GOT TO STOP.

We are a small country a comparatively small island, for goodness sake, where are all these people going to go in the future. Why oh why don't they go home to their own countries. WHY are we still letting so many in here. WHY you are asking,  am I ranting?

Because of the way my daughter has been treated,  pure and simple. She has followed the rules and look where it has got her!

Does anyone remember Enoch Powell? I do. Maybe, just maybe,  he was right.

I am of the age where SS meant something really nasty from way back.    Nothing changes!

I look at people where my daughter lives, they are NOT all foreign, to my shame - some are Brits, they are playing the system. It makes me so mad.

 I have to go back to these SS people on Friday for my daughter, to take her wages slips, the claws are not out of her yet apparently.  I am going to inform them of these people who are playing the system. I am sick of it. Totally sick of it.

They get everything.
My daughter gets 23p

I have calmed down since coming out of that office, just as well I didn't come on here straight away I can tell you.
You will have to excuse me now I have to print this out and address an envelope to 10 Downing Street.

I know, fat lot of good that will do me, but I just have to do it. I also have to go and apologise to my neighbours at the top of our street, they got the FULL FORCE of my anger when I got back from town.

I will be looking after my Grand daughter whilst her mum is it work - they offer money if she sends her to a Child Minder!!! The mind boggles doesn't it? Would YOU trust one of those these days? No I thought not. She will come to me and be taught as her mum and aunty were of what is right and wrong.

If I have offended you by any of this, put yourself in my position. I am a Mother who is very proud of her girls who both WORK and always have, they have never cheated, stolen, or done anything nasty to anyone. How many of these people coming in can say that!  Think on Britain, think on.

Monday 26 October 2009

GO GO GO

Time for you to nip over to Geta's blog for her wonderful October Give Away. Just how gorgeous is this.
The link for you to do this is over on the right hand bar................................................................


Beautiful and it measures 13" - can you believe that!
Amazing
A stunning work of art from The Master



Oh, on second thoughts. I don't think you should sign up for this cos I really really would like to win this one.
So, no don't you go to Geta's Blog and sign up...............Oh, go on then.
Dare I say Good luck?

CLOCKS

He missed the one in the sunroom and the one in the kitchen was broken!!

No pictures, as the stuff I did at the class was rubbish.

Sunday 25 October 2009

MUDDLED

Why? I hear you ask, am I muddled? Well the clocks go back here one hour today, Saturday, well at 2am Sunday morning, but who gets up at that time to do it? I daresay someone will!!! Muppet.
Hubby changed them all earlier this evening - he always forgets one though - tomorrow we will discover it!!! Anyway I am looking at the clock now and it is saying 11.20 so really it is 12.20 Sunday morning but not at the moment is it? See, I am muddled. Totally confused. The computer clock is saying it is 00.18 Arghhhhh!!

Anyway, as you know I had been looking forward for a while to going to the Embellishing class on Saturday - whenever that was, today or yesterday??!!

Well, just thought I would let you know I have been.

Tell you something I nearly didn't get there. Hubbies car went kerput, had to get Suzanne to take us. Not my week. Our dinner last night [Friday] was off, when I went to dish it up the meat was off, I didn't realise, as all meat smells off to me so I just cook it regardless, and NO it didn't look off! Oh well, then the car, then the class. All good fun here folks. I think I may just hibernate.

Thursday 22 October 2009

ANOTHER BAG AND OOOOH

Suzanne made this fabulous block from a book she bought from Pat's stash, there was no pattern for it, but she worked it out and just look, isn't it fabulous; rather than waste it, she has turned it into a very smart bag for a friend of hers...



Suzanne 'modelling' the bag -
whoar just look at the background though...



the other side of the bag...



the inside of the bag which is totally reversible of course,
her friend likes gardening so the fabrics relate to that.



Well done Suzanne, it turned out just great.

***********************************************

Now we come to the OOOOH bit
As you know I am going on a class at Bramble Patch with Di on Saturday, to learn how to use the Embellisher machine I had for my birthday. I have been collecting bits and pieces to take along to use and Maggi has sent me some wonderful bits also - see a previous post -
I was having a look on Ebay the other night, and discovered these, now you are going to be in for a treat, they beat the postal strike hooray, I just keep getting them out of the bag and stroking them, I cannot believe how soft this is, but the colours, OOOH, gorgeous, I am so pleased with them I shall definitely go back for more from this lady, who was very quick with the service and is really friendly. She is in Germany, but posts all over the world I believe. Here are links for her eBay shop and her Blog.



Enjoy



Yummy colours...

Gorgeous...

Open it out...


Spread the fibres out...


How fabulous is this...


again, opened out...

fabulous shades in there - some strands of my voile has got into the picture,
they did not come with these, my error...

so many of them...



I just can't wait to use these, although they are just beautiful as they are, I will use them and hope I do them justice. I am absolutely thrilled with them...can you tell?
***************************************************

These curly natural shade bits came from someone else, in this country.
I was surprised how much was in the bag tell the truth, hope I find a use for these...



Roll on Saturday

Wednesday 21 October 2009

FOOL = ANNETTE

What am I to do with my crazy daughter?  I have put together the Charity Quilt for our group and I need to get it sandwiched ready for quilting, so I asked her to put the roll of wadding on the floor. All she heard was roll on the floor - so , well, just look at her. We had a good laugh.



Crazy girl...



I threw the roll of wadding at her...



We laughed so much it was a race to the loo!!!

Tuesday 20 October 2009

SHOWTIME FROM MY GROUP

Here are the various Quilts and items made by the ladies of my group and brought along for the Showtime.  I had to wait for Suzanne to bring her camera to load them onto my computer. Some good work here. Not sure how Blogger is going to load these on the page, I have them one underneath each other.................we shall see!!


A new lady joined us today, Pat, Janice told her
about the group and she came to see if she
would like to join us - she stayed all day,
this was her first ever Quilt she had made -
well done Pat, great job....                                                    Irene's teacups and saucers.....



2 small hangings by Joyce...



The green and cream by Betty...                        the HUGE Sofa throw by Kate...



Close up of Di's Hallowean hanging...



Spooky one by Di....



Spooky two by Di...



Great work by all don't you agree. I always look forward to Showtime at the end of our day, I love to see what the ladies have made and finished. There are always some surprises there. November is our last meeting of the year so it should be a really good Showtime. Watch this space.....

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Saturday 17 October 2009

BRILLIANT WORK LADIES

What a wonderful day at my group today was, just look at these wonderful Quilts that are well on their way to being finished. The ladies have all worked so hard from last month to get this far, then I ask them for more... how Wicked am I? Next month we will be sandwiching and tacking or pinning these,  ready for Quilting. Hopefully they will get them done very soon, not on the day, but a good start.
Well done to all of you, I am so proud of what you have achieved so far....
The first one is all the ladies holding up their work, the following piks are individual ones for you



They are all gorgeous aren't they
I have to laugh though cos they have all hidden behind their Quilts haven't they!
:-)
I bought some gorgeous fabrics today, did I need them?
Of course I did.
Silly question.
hahahahaha
Thanks Lisa and Neil.
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YEAH RIGHT

The 'thing' is back from the shop. The chap in the shop has said there is nothing wrong with it!   Yeah right!

Apparently, he had his two ladies - who are NOT quilters - sewing on it all one morning, and guess what, the thread didn't break once. They experienced no problems whatsoever!   Yeah right!

What I have to do - according to him - is to sew s-l-o-w-l-y then I will get no problems.   Yeah right!

How the heck am I to do free machine quilting slowly, isn't that asking for broken needles? And where, you may ask, is this wonderful 'thing'?  Still in the bag hubby brought it back here with, in the dark, banished up a corner, where it belongs.

YEAH RIGHT.

He also said, wish I had this on tape.......

Janome's are not that good at quilting and free machining
Even though I sell them, they aren't that good
You can't beat a Bernina for perfect stitching

My my my

Letter to be done methinks

Friday 16 October 2009

WELL DONE



WELL DONE REBECCA
Just look at that big smile
A CUP and a Certificate for her dancing

GIFTS FROM MAGGI


I have been sent all these wonderful things for use at the class I am going to for my Embellisher machine.
I was chatting to Maggi from the PP forum and she kindly sent all these to me. Aren't I lucky.
Thank you so much Maggi, these are just great, I most certainly will enjoy playing.






Beautiful Paper Napkins........
Silk and the front of the card Maggi sent....
Hand dyed scrim......
Maggi also helped me out on the Blogger problems I have been having. It may take me a little while to get used to this, but, I will get there...in time!!


MORE BAGS

I was searching for something - as you do - and just look what I found, more bags...



I feel I shall be able to use a different one for every day of the year soon. hahahaha


Some made by me some by Annette.....



One thing in common....they are all mine