Friday Chat Day

Hello friends

There's extra waffle this week, pop the kettle on!

Friday again, they come around so quickly, we are definitely hurtling

towards Christmas!

It's time for those Christmas TV ads and I absolutely love the

John Lewis one with the little dragon.

If you haven't seen it click on the image below.

I hope you have had a good week so far. 

Mine has been a mix of things - some work, some crochet,

some festive planning, some birdhouse planning and a trip to the vets!

Crochet - I'll be uploading some more photos and details to my Yarn tab

later today and over the weekend in case you fancy checking those out.

Christmas planning - a new garland is on my to-do list to match

my change of colour decorations this year.

(The boys are still very disapproving of this decision!)

Each year I have this red garland which is festooned with 

pinecones, berries, baubles, holly and more.

I love it but the it's just not rose gold so I've been shopping.

I thought I would share my garland-make with you

as I go leading up to Christmas.

I'm keeping the price as low as possible by shopping around.

The baubles are from Asda, pinecones from Wilkos,

bells from Poundland, braid and ribbon from Amazon. 

I then discovered these in Poundland - Garland Ties.

They are just wired strips of foliage, I never knew they existed.

I set out the braid and calculated how may foliage strips,

no exact measuring, that would take too long!

I cut each one in half and twisted them around.

Admittedly it looks pretty bare and odd right now but plenty more

items will be added.  I'll be keeping you posted.

Birdhouse planning

Many of you will know that my lovely Dad makes birdhouses.

He had a little break but he is back at it and now has

an Instagram account here and an Etsy shop!

It's called Made by Brian and here's one that has just been listed.

Lots more in the pipeline, he's covered head to toe in sawdust lately!

It was of course Remembrance Sunday, I shared this a year or two

ago, a little bit of family history. 

This is a letter written home from my Great Uncle Walter,

also known as Sapper Walter Woodward No.14539513

He wrote this letter home to his Mum whilst on active service,

28 June 1945.  We don't know for sure where he was when he wrote this

but he does state seven thousand miles from good old England.

Impressive handwriting but for ease I have typed a transcript of the letter below.

My Dear Mother.  

Just a few lines hoping this letter will find you all in the best of health

as it leaves me the same at present.  Well Mother the weather is not too bad here 

but we keep on getting showers of rain.  

Well Mum my Dolly told me about Bill having fourteen days,

all I hope he does not come out here,it is not so good out here as people paint it.

Well I expect my brother Len is still in Holland, please remember me to him when you 

write to him.  Well Mother, my mate and I went to town on Wednesday June 27 and

we did have a good feed, what do you think we had? A leg of chicken and two 

eggs for dinner and the same for tea so we did not do so bad did we.

Well how is little Brian getting on? I bet he is just as saucy as ever.

Well Mother, I expect your little garden begins to look nice now.  

Please will you give my love to all at home.

Well Mother, I will be glad when I can come home again and see you all once

more like I used to do.  Nobody knows what it is like to be right away

from home, seven thousand miles from good old England.

All I can say is it is a shame that men like me should come out here 

while there is tens of thousands of young men in England.

Well Mother, do not worry about me as I am OK so now I must say 

good afternoon and God bless you all from your loving Son 

Walter.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I've read this letter many times, it moves me how the language is fairly formal 

but also there is a true sense of sadness and genuine home sickness.

Some of the references: 

Dolly (Dorothy is his wife) they married and were both together till very old age.

He refers at one point to ' how is little Brian getting on', that's my Dad,

he's all grown up now!

A snippet of history written many years ago by a very young man,

in a strange place wishing he was at home.

Who could possibly know that one day his letter would be shared via technology 

that would be way beyond his wildest imagination.

And finally - a trip to the vets:

This is me explaining to Bella that on Monday she is having five
teeth removed!  It also includes her front ones so she's going to be
a little gummy!

She's over 8 years old now and apparently it is quite common 

with smaller dogs for their teeth to deteriorate.

She's so good natured that she does allow me to clean her teeth

but I guess it just wasn't enough.

I'm not looking forward to dropping her off at the vets 

but needs must and I'm sure she'll feel a lot better afterwards.

So that wraps up another Friday Chat Day,

this weekend I'm hoping to do quite a bit of house admin,

those niggly jobs that have needed doing for months

and adding to my garland.

Take care friends, hope you have a lovely weekend,

a good week and look forward to you stopping by next Friday.