Drawer 3

Two posts in one day!! Firstly I will apologise now for all the grammatical errors. I’m typing this on my iPhone and with photos in its very tricky to do it properly. The screen jumps all over the shop and I can’t get the cursor where I want it easily. There’s autotyping going on with the phone plus random capital letters and missed apostrophes. I think I’m going to

Look for a cheap laptop just for blogging. I bloody well wish that google would just bring back the blogger app. Life was so simple then!! 

I didn’t want my first blog post of 2018 to be all about me drawers! Here’s the before n after drawer 3 photo! It was pretty much full of the same type of crap as drawer 2. So once it was sorted,I went back to drawer 2 and retrieved some items. So now, if you want cutlery it’s drawer one. If you want envelopes and assorted shite it’s the middle drawer. If it’s batteries, lightbulbs keys and pens it’s drawer 3! Also available for looking at are a scout badge from 2007 - it’s Miss 23’s so I cannot throw it away! A bike computer needing one of the new batteries lain underneath, a Whitby lucky duck, thete’s Three more somewhere, a load of Robinson’s marmalade golliwog badges collected years ago plus some little tokens for them off jars. You can see the mint green handlesd baby scissors used to cut Miss 23’s and Mr 20’s little nails all those years ago! The rubbers are from a trip to Eureka in Halifax many moons ago! The map is our English Heritage one with all our castles and places we’ve been to marked off. 

A lovely bloggy friend told me I needed her fancy book from Japan to keep your drawers in order! I’m politely declining thanks! As well as sorting me drawers, I’ve had a lovely wander down memory lane with my rose tinted glasses on! Sure there’s stuff in here I don’t need but it’s not harming anyone and it has a home! I’m lucky I have the space to fulfil my hoardy little habits!! 

I was like this as a child. I had a huge Old battered suitcase under my bed full of treasures and it would exasperate my mother that I’d be tidying my room for 12 weeks sold! I was! I was taking things out, stroking it and putting it back tidily!! My room was like the painting of the Forth Bridge. 

I have many Christmas tree ornaments dotted about and I love my mantle candelabra. 

 New Years Eve 2017 sees me painting my nails with my new Ted Baker nail varnish in front of a lovely roaring fire. The eagle eyed among you may spot the salt and pepper milk on the wood pile. We’ve had those solid beech items for twenty years. I’ve still got the receipt! £19.99 from Boots and they have a lifetime guarantee!  But we have newer ones, these don’t grind anymore so we are going to burn them!proof we can and do get rid! Though I’m not sure how I’d go about claiming the lifetime guarantee - there’s time yet....they are not on the fire yet....they might get rescued!!! 

I’ve also indulged in a little knitting and I wanted to show you my new craft room chair! It’s blue velvet and so comfy! I’ve been making do with a dining chair up til now and have been looking for aaaaages. Spotted this. Half price. Mine! 

Right, am off to enjoy a film with the HG. We sang a long toGrease t’other Night! 

Lots of love from 

Rachel *drawers in order* Radiostsrxcc

Drawer number 2

So this is the after shot of drawer number 2. I did do it the day after drawer number 1 but just getting round to blogging it today. Yesterday I was sick as a dog. Not sure if it’s what Miss 23 had or if I’d eaten something dodgy, but it rendered me useless for the day. Happily I’ve woken up much better this morning. Not totally tip top but a zillion times better! Anyway here are the contents of what I found in drawer 2. It had got to that barely enough room to open n shove something else in! For this reason, I’m not looking forward to drawer 3 because that’s the worst! I will do it after a cup of tea! 

So drawer 2. 

Paperwork/receipts for burning x3

Paperwork/receipts for filing x 3.

Cotton bud x 2 - assumption is they are clean 

Sanitary towel x 1 - unopened! 

Compass x 1 - for finding your way 

Envelopes x 77

Indian takeaway vouchers x 10

Sticky pad thing for car dashboard to put sat nav on x 1 - didn’t work but clearly not enough reason to throw it away. 

Pens x 21 ( inc yesterday’s drawer clear ) + 1 pencil 

Light bulbs - various types

Medical dressings ( unopened )leftover from kidney removal x7

Name banner - for birthdays

Doggy poo bags - obvs for Freddie

Our wills

Batteries ordinary x2

Batteries rechargeable- 7

Corkscrews x 2

Keys for top box for car

Yankee candle tea lights wax melts & car fresheners - loads

Old tax disc - from 2015

Kilt pin

Padlocks- for a suitcase from when Miss 23 went to NZ

Pegs- 2 - no idea why 

Tomy room thermometer when kids were little - battery must have run out! 

Photos of the kids

USB pen - been looking for that for ages

Golf multi tool x 2 ( he’s not even been in 3 years!!!! )

Battery recharger x2 - for all the rechargeable batteries 

Packet of quartz glow stones- no one knows who they belong to or from whence they came! 

Money - 5p

New handles for windows - not for my windows

Baubles - back on the tree 

Tennis ball- Freddie’s

A glove - plain black. ‘Not mine’ when I asked Mr 20 and the HG. Well it’s not mine. Must be Freddie’s!!!

An old camera - digital one

Leaflets- for days out

Stuff for a thermal foot bath - belongs to the HG! 

Various wires and leads I have no idea what for

Sunglasses - Miss 23s we think

Penknife x 2

Roll of insulation tape

Scissors - these last three sound like a murderer’s toolkit!!! 

Mini screwdriver - I’ve been looking for this for ages

Blu tac

Pizza oven instructions

Map of wales

Fancy silver ribbon 

Things that I’m throwing away

Packet of French radish seeds sow by 2014 plus millions of other rubbish

Pile of stuff for HG to say yay/nay to. X a billion - included above leads n other assorted what I’d call man crap! 

So this drawer is still full of crap, but it’s tidy. All the batteries are in one place and the pens! 

Thought I’d share a few photos. 

This is a lovely vintage cake plate gifted to me by my ma in law. It’s so pretty. 

The necklace below is one exactly like I bought Miss 23 for Christmas. The name of the crystal is Lightning sun and it’s truly beautiful and on the back of my SW achievement I treated myself to it out of my Christmas money. . I think it’s beautiful.  

Saw these on Amazon and they made me giggle. But I was almost tempted to get some for the Spring! 

Right, a much needed cup of tea I think after existing on one glass of flat lemonade with ice yesterday. It’s my go to drink when I’m sick. 

Last day of 2017. I’m not even bothered about celebrating NYE. I don’t see the hype! Much prefer Christmas! I will leave my tree up until the 6th but I’ll be taking my cards down tomorrow and making them into tags for next year. 

Lots of love from 

Rachel *drawer of shame next * Radiostar x 

A drawer a day - edited

So I have decided to tackle and tidy one drawer a day. This is one of three in my sideboard. It's supposed to be just cutlery. As you can see, I like to collect battery operated tea lights and black biros. This is the tidiest drawer of the three. Knives and forks are now re sorted and tidied. Mats are in the correct place and I shoved the tealights and pens into different drawers to be tackled another day! I am going to invest in a different cutlery storage system because the one I have is rubbish! It's too small. This cutlery is our 'best' family silver*. We got it when we got engaged 24 years ago. Well the newest set on the white box is only a few years old but is a set of 4. Supposedly replacing the   stuff I have in the kitchen...yet to happen. I know this will set the teeth itching of many of my minimalistic bloggey friends! I like my stuff and I'm not bothered about making space. That drawer is my space for cutlery, so that's what it has in it!! No after photo because the dark brown table mats are on the top of the cutlery so nothing can be seen anyway! 

im just typing this out by the lights of my tree and my favourite favourite favourite film is just ending. The Vikings. Blooming brilliant. I always hope though that Kirk Douglas will beat Tony Curtis at the end!! 

OOOOOOODDIIIINNNNN!! 

Lots of love from 

Rachel *messy drawers* Radiostar 

Hahahahahahahaaaahahahaaaa

*family stainless steel. 

Ok ok here is the after pic - with placemats removed so you can see. You can see fish knives in their original plastic wrapping. I’m working class and Northern ffs, what the hell do I need fish knives for?!! I must have been so pretentious back in the day. What’s that? Get rid?? Nooooo, they are part of the full set and the equally unused fish forks need them!!! 

Boxing Day milestone.

I'm not intentionally turning this into a weightloss blog. Indeed I may just regret this when it all goes tits up.   But I go to group on a Tuesday at 5.30pm. And there was a class despite the fact it was Boxing Day. I could have gone today at 9.30am but that would have mentally done my head in because everyone weighs less in a morning!

Sooooo
This week I have been running round like a headless chicken, burning the candle at both ends so I think some calories were burnt.
Anyway on the scales.... the little beep....







SIX POUNDS gone. Don't know where but those six pounds meant I got my hands on not one but three certificates and three shiny stickers! I bought a 12 week countdown  12 weeks ago which meant I got two weeks free and I've recorded the weekly results on baubles!

Shamefully I still have a long way to go. But I've not been hungry or deprived getting this far! I'm not going to blog about it much more as it's boring! But for now...

Lots of love from

Rachel *slightly less round, more of an oval shape* Radiostar xxx

Christmas 2017

This year it's been truly wonderful. Miss 23, her beau and Freddie are here. The house was at last at maximum twinkliness after FIIIIINALLY finishing work on Friday 22nd. The HG finished the kitchen just in time. It's beautiful. Just the window to change and I've to make the new blind. The turkey was moist, the ham delicious!

Anyone else find though that even with the oven cranked up, it seems to take longer on Christmas Day? Eventually the little thermometer deemed it safe to remove the turkey and the goose fat roasted veg crisped up perfectly. We sat down to eat at 3pm, however I have to apologise if I made Her Majesty dizzy but I had to rewind her thrice with popping in and out of the kitchen serving forgotten dishes! I love the Queen. She looked gorgeous and I especially liked the way her hair matched her dress. Also I loved looking at the family snaps on the table at the side of her. I wondered though, if she watches The Crown and if she likes it! I'd raided M&S for puddings but nobody could fit any in! Infact the day was marred because poor Miss 23 fell poorly and headed to bed early. Poor thing. They are due to go back today as they are back at work tomorrow. I'm wondering if she'll be up to the journey. The weather is a bit treacherous too. Worry worry. Fingers crossed she's slept it off ( though the selfish part of me would love them to stay longer ).

As ever I was ridiculously spoilt and my gifts included a new gorgeous kitchen clock and steampunk style mug tree to go in the kitchen. I also got Nigel Slater's Christmas Chronicles. LOADS of sewing bits n bobs. Smellies, slippers and a gorgeous scarf from my daughter that I'd spotted and admired in a National Trust shop. A beautiful Robin mug to go with it too. My children outdid themselves this year. My boy bought me tickets to go see The Killers in July. Massively excited for that.

I sent out a few homemade gifts this year and I'm thrilled to little bits that they loved them! Will definitely make more next year - starting sooner though! ( we finish a whole day earlier on the 21st next year so I'll still be pushed for time! Wanna see some?! 

Right, amoff to enjoy Boxing Day xxx 

Love from 

Rachel 4.5 stones lighter Radiostar

No goose fat roasted potatoes for me!

I came upstairs...

... to put a colour on my hair and make the bed. So far that was 20 minutes ago. The sheets are still in the basket and the dye is still in the box because I got distracted by blogland! I also put away my two pair of boots where I'd just taken them off and left them. I've been distracted all day!
Had some messages from a friend who needed a friendly ear. I burnt the roast beef sewing a snowman onto a stocking. I want to do some more sewing effort bed so need to hurry up with hair and bedding! The boy is on his way back from That There London. We went to see Miss 23 yesterday and had a glorious day out at Gibside with Freddie. It was a truly beautiful crisp Autumn Day. We saw two glorious red kites in flight, a tawny owl flying in the forest and some deer. The trees were in full technicolour glory and I was very proud of the 12000 steps I did. Much easier I have to say than a few months ago. The knees were definitely less creaky! Miss 23 starts her new job tomorrow. I'm much better than I was, though the snotty nose and odd cough is refusing to go quietly.
 Right, it's time to get cracking!

Bye for now
Rachel*will do photos tomorrow* Radiostar xxx

October half term 2017

Oh well, I feel right royally shafted out of my holiday. I literally started noticing my ears and throat the minute I left work last Friday. It's now Sunday morning before I go back to work and I still feel under the weather. A full week of copious enforced misery and the weather has been glorious. I know because I've forlornly looked out of the window, a little bit like the opposite of the Little Matchgirl.
Oh my heart, I love that story. Anyway, proper full on woman flu has had me in it's tight grip.

I have not been so poorly for so long for ages. It should not be actually possible with the amount of fresh fruit and veg I've been shovelling down my throat since 1st August! I totally blame the germ ridden beings I get paid to spend my non crafting time with. Anyway, my immune system is slowly getting rid of these illness causing bugs ready for me to go back to work tomorrow.

The only time I went out was to drag myself to my weekly Fat Class. It is EXACTLY the same as starring in my very own sitcom every week with hilarious characters. But I wouldn't miss it for the world. I love it. I am very impressionable and I'm totally indoctrined, but I think going did make my cold worse. Anyway it was totally worth it... a long way to go yet.....

I've been eating so well it's obscene! How nice does my breakfast porridge look?

I've become an expert in the witchcraft of converting quark to all sorts of things. This is my recipe for this delicious looking and tasty crustless quiche.
Just in case you fancy trying it




Recipe for end of the month 1/2 syn quiche.

(Approx 1/4 big tub Alpro Go on = 1/2syn )
(Philadelphia lightest  110g = HEXa )


1. Empty contents of veg drawer - peel off super grotty bits and chop. Search in freezer to find bits of frozen veg bags, pop into a sieve. Let thaw n drain, Add drained tin of tomatoes as no fresh - using juice in non quiche friendly manky veg soup. ( separate recipe )
2. Open and sniff test almost empty pots of Alpro Go on, Quark and Philadelphia extra light. Empty into a jug and mix
3. Whisk in two eggs.
4. Season.
5. Tip drained veg mix into dish, add creamy egg mix and top with the best of the mushrooms you had.
6. Bake.

I've knitted.

I've sewed

If you look closely enough you can spot where I coughed. 

and I finally had a go on the embroidery bit of my machine.

 Today I'm planning on being at one in my craft room again, but first...breakfast!



It's my favourite ever half term coming up at Christmas and I can't wait! Somebody in my personal bloggy  lovely circle made a Pom Pom rug - it's what I'm going to do with the Night Owls .

I got this off my Mother in Law who got it off her neighbour. "It might need a bit of sorting out!" It's going to become the Pom Pom rug. 

.. I'm just going to go find the post now.  But first, enjoy these photos. Albie who is now well on his way to 6lbs and Freddie, frolicking in the leaves!

Lots of love from

Rachel *so much snot* Radiostar xx

Eddie.

Oh little Eddie, you made our day out. I have regaled your epic adventure to most of my real life friends with much hilarity. We will never forget you, or your owners.

It was a boiling hot, blue sky day. We'd been looking round Portchester Castle and had settled on a bench in the grounds, within the Roman Walls for our picnic. The huge vast greens were full of families with children picnicking and playing. Here is a photo of mine taken, rather bravely by me, from the top of the very very very high tower at the castle. This was early on in the morning. You can see the church and the big green space, empty for now, being mid morning...but packed by lunchtime... and the bench next to the tree that I was sat on when my story happened...

The HG and I settled ourselves on a bench facing the main path, which was the main route from the sea too. We ate our lunches and people watched.
We spotted Eddie's humans an older gent and a younger lithe chap. Eddie was trotting alongside and and we looked fondly on as he was a splendid border terrier. The HG had a Lakeland/Border cross years ago who was beautiful. So we admired the pooch as they almost reached our bench.
Actually we had no idea at this point as to what Eddie was called. We learned his name when suddenly the dog darted like a minnow across the path onto the large green behind.
Eddie,     Eddie,    EDDIE,

EDDIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE
was the cry from the hapless owners. Eddie clearly hadn't thought they were shouting to him because he completely and utterly ignored them and sped on with murder on his mind.











On the large green behind us, several families were picnicking and playing. There was a huge group of mums n kids at the very back of the green.

Suddenly there was a huge wail, simultaneous with the shout of



EDDIE NO, NO, EDDIE.

So of course, all of us spectators got whiplash to turn and see just what the flippity heck was going on.

Well, Eddie had captured a football and was viciously shaking it to death all the while running at a zillion miles an hour around the arena!! He was killing it good and proper! The mums collectively stood, hands on hips. The owner of the ball, an 8ish year old boy wailed forlornly and Eddie's owners scrambled down the slight incline to the green, all the while shouting at him to
drop it,
leave it and
come here.

Eddie clearly heard,
kill it some more,
bite it some more and
run away some more.

The chase that ensued was of the cartoon Roadrunner proportions. Eddie, dropped down to lie on the floor, panting, prize ball betwixt his little furry front paws. He let his  owners get just *soooo* close to him before snatching up His Ball Now and  scampering away.

His owners tried a pincer movement. Eddie saw them coming. He danced around that field. He scooted the now popped ball with his nose, he then recaptured it and rekilled it over and over. Another tactic of the owners was to get close to Eddie, call his name and show him a tennis ball with a 'what's this?' Eddie merely glanced, Eddie then laughed his head off with the rest of us as the older owner threw a tennis ball at him. He looked disdainfully at said sad little tennis ball as it landed close by and made off with his prize to another part of the field. The younger, lithe owner took off his jacket, flung it to the ground and set off like Linford Christie after Eddie, Eddie pelted away, the owner was gaining, Eddie paused, and I kid yet not, the owner leapt off his feet as if to swan dive on top of Eddie. Eddie waited until the last split second to dart away and let his owner belly flop on to the grass arms outstretched!!

Eddie got a smattering of applause from the spectators. All except one. Angry Mama, still hands on hips approached the older owner who was on his hands and knees beseeching Eddie to come here. Eddie had the ball in his mouth and was in the playful pose of bum up in the air, tail wagging, down on his front legs, wide open mouth grinning at his owner.

The owner was now throwing treats at Eddie from his man bag. The mama came up to him and you could see he exchange. The older man gave the mama some money. The mama went away.

The next tactic was for the owners to nonchalantly walk off the green, saying, 'Come on then Eddie'. Eddie didn't care! He was having the best walkies ever! He scampered around, playing with his new toy, totally oblivious of the fact that his owners were standing off the green near us. I said that I thought Eddie needed more recall training. The older owner said the angry mama said she was glad it wasn't her dog and that the ball had been a limited edition. I'd said I hoped it wasn't an England
signed ball!! So Eddie was thrilling his adoring fans by throwing his popped ball up in the air and catching it and running around some more. His owners needed oxygen by the looks of it.

Their next cunning plan was for them to go hide behind the church wall so Eddie would worry where they'd gone. Let me tell you folks, Eddie couldn't give a toss where they'd gone!! The older man was crouched down and the younger man was trying to double back around Eddie and trying to capture him from behind. Eddie, of course, had this sussed from the get go and simply trotted ever so slightly just out of reach. Eddie's older owner now took to the area again. This time, he threw treats at Eddie. Eddie wasn't arsed about tasty morsels at all! He took to his heels, all four of them and scarpered in the opposite direction.
This had been going on for ages. Indeed, I'd finished my giant Slimming World friendly lunch

and
was on my own tasty morsel of an apple. Finally a group of young chaps, who'd also been enjoying the show, took pity on Eddie's poor owners. They had a shiny new football that they began to kick about tantalisingly close to Eddie. Eddie could not resist. He let go of his popped toy and darted to attack and kill the new ball but the youths were too fast and Eddie was thwarted. Eddie ran back to his first kill.....where the younger owner was waiting, collar was grabbed and Eddie was nabbed!
Eddie was carried off the field to a giant round of applause! He was put on the lead and his owners had to do a walk of shame back along the very long path in front of a lot of tourists! I wish I'd videoed it. It would have gone viral I'm sure. Especially the failed swan dive! We will never forget you Eddie x

Picture off the Internet of what Eddie looked like!




Lots of love from
Rachel *finally blogging again* Radiostar xxx

Six week holidays snapshot.

It seems so long ago now, when I was planning all the things I was going to do. A lot I did, a lot I didn't! I'm still not fully unpacked from my holiday and I'm choosing to ignore it and blog, rather than tackle it!

So, this handsome little chap is Albie, my Great Nephew. Born 13 weeks early on Saturday the 29th
July.  My niece was fantastic and the hospital staff were amazing. He was 2lbs and 2oz. Exactly a bag of sugar.
He's now a month old, doing really well. He's moved into the next room of incubators and mostly breathing on his own. He just needs to grow and get fatter. Which he is doing slowly.
I got busy knitting and sewing!

I knit some teeny little hats and bootees for him. And then looked up incubator wraps online.

I bought two baby %100 cotton flannel cot sheets from Asda for £5. I figured the fabric is safe to use as it's for cots!

Cut them out and actually went wrong on my first attempt. As you can see below!

Today I'm going to have a go at some little vests. I traced around one that fits him now. He is so super teeny. He's a miracle. His nappies are the size of a tea bag! 

Other things I did and bought over the Summer. 

So the last photo tells a big story. I've never ever ever ever been to a weightloss branded group before. I joined one run by the health visitors after Miss 23 was born but that wasn't as daunting as it was to even make the decision to go. I had sweaty palms when I went. And because I've so many photos on this post, I'll post about SW next time. I'm not endorsing it or anything like that. It's more like I'm appearing in a Sitcom every week! 

Putting photos on the iPad takes ages and it causes the writing to jump and leap about. Maybe Fr Christmas might bring me a cheaply little notebook that I can blog more easily on. I'll have to send him a note up my chimney. 

In reply to some people on my last post, Annabeth, we stated in a lovely place called Tilford. Tilford Forest Lodges. It's not far from a town called Farnham. The choice was swung by the half price price!! Sometimes it pays to wait! And Marlene, I cannot believe you were so close to me on one of my day out! It was quite the last minute thing mind. 

I'll tell you all about Eddie next post too. 

Right, I must get up. I've sewing to do, coffee to drink, fresh fruit to eat and the chimney sweep  is 

coming. And my very first Ocado shop! How vair  middle aged/middle class am I to get excited over that?! Well, I got a voucher code in my SW magazine for £20 and free delivery for a year! They've only just started delivering in my area. So I thought it's worth it. Everything I've ordered will be used and it was all mostly on the offers/half price section. 

Tatty bye 

Rachel *how is this my last day off, I've so much to do and Miss 23 and Freddie are arriving today yippeeeeeee* Radiostar xxx

Ps. I watched Bake Off last night and I absolutely loved it. I thought it was brilliant and the two new presenters did a great job. I'm not watching it in real time however, because I cannot stand adverts! So I taped it and watched it a night later and FF through! Can't wait for the Jo Brand spin off on tonight. Love that too. 

Where did that go?

I'm talking about the six long glorious weeks I was having off! Vanished in a flash they have.

 I love this shot I took of the HMS Warrior with the sun just in the right position.

 Time for ( overpriced ) tea.

 I did not go up this.

 RIP Lord Nelson.

 An arty farts shot I took of the newest Navy warship through the windows of an aged Navy Warship.

 The Roman walls of Portchester Castle. I must tell you the hilarious tale about Eddie.

 Still on plan! Picnic lunch for a SWer.

Bognor Regis int sunshine.

Just a few holiday snaps.

Rachel *back from holidays* Radiostar xxx