PAWESOME MAKES

So.....
watch this space - I am on the verge of launching my *global brand of handmade dog accessories.
When I figure out how, I will be probably adding a page to this blog, dabble in an etsy shop - or look at the gubbins of it etc
When I say handmade - I mean handmade by little old me
When I say global - I have already sold one thing and sent it to Belfast
When I say dog accessories - I mean dog walking bags and bandannas, maybe welly bags for boots of cars and pet feeding mats.
Here's a quick look see at what I've been doing.

A lot of folks on Instagram etc will have seen these already! I cannot keep up with demand and have beautiful new fabric combinations coming all the time. The majority of my bags are waterproof too. 

What's new in Blogland?  Hope everyone is well and Christmas is going to be ok for all of you xx

Lots of love from

Rachel * Entrepewotsit soon to be appearing on Dragon's Den* Radiostar xxx

Wednesday

The week is zooming by very quickly. Quite a few shockers and heartbreak for some of my children over the summer. They all look so smart in their new uniforms and new shoes. One of the Childers who I have a right soft spot for is having a really hard time of it, ran up to me and put their arms round me at playtime, really snuggled in and said they'd missed me and they were so excited because they were coming to the after school club I run. I thanked him and mentioned that someone had told me that they'd pulled someone's hair, on day one! They told me it was an 'accident'. I said I didn't want to hear about any more accidents happening - on regaling this tale to my work chum, we were laughing as we both said the hair pulling 'victim' had probably deserved it!!!! We do champion these favourites of ours hehehehe

She has turned into a right little sock thief! 

Dark enough for candles now!

  This popped up on my Facebook memories and it's made me chuckle all day!

 Speaking of yogurt,my on plan breakfast today was stewed rhubarb and a pink grapefruit muller greek style yogurt. Delicious and filling and homegrown! Bonus of stewing rhubarb is very shiny pans! Wonder if my innards are shiny.

The HG has put Brassic on. A new series on Sky one. It reminds me a bit of Shameless.  I'm only half watching but it has got Michelle Keegan in it. She is so pretty. Naturally so. Right off to read some blogs. 

Lots of love for now from 

Rachel*Rhubarb*Radiostar xxx

Back to school day and back on plan day!

September 2nd. Here we go.
Yesterday I had a shower, moisturised my legs, then went and cut the grass. By the time I'd finished, I looked like I was wearing a pair of 200 denier green woolly tights! The garden is all tidied now. And sorta put away for the year. Sigh.
We had two lots of dog training yesterday, one at the shore, the tide was in and Bluebell went for a dip or 20. One of the times, she went in and couldn't get out. I nearly had heart failure. But she was ok, unscathed and showed no signs of ptsd, unlike me!
I'm loving Who wants to be a millionaire and was so willing the geography teacher from Wales to win a million. New early morning bixset watch for me and Bluebell is a Sky 1 drama called Manifest.
It's right up my street. Some passengers board a plane and they land safely, but...the plane took off in 2012 ( I think ) and it's now 2017! Watched 2 episodes and I'm hooked.
Quick show n tells before I have to leave.
I've had a go at embellishing my work hoody...I had some help!

Lots of love for  now

Rachel *sick of hearing about bloody Brexit* Radiostar xxx

Things I have made lately.

*** Firstly, I would like to ask lovely folks of Blogland if anyone knows how Pam from Wales is? I have been away a while and I notice her last post was in June. Hoping all is well in her world xxx***

I have been indulging in my love of making things. I made this Luna Lapin last year, but she is sitting on a little mustardy yellow jumper I knit for my great niece and I made a little cardigan for Luna to keep her warm in the Autumn months! I also finally broke into a sweat and opened a batch of fat quarters from my stash and, shock horror, gasp, used them! Just some simple envelope back cushion covers but I am very pleased with them.

Today I am going to faff about with some embroidery on my machine. I already walked the dog and have hoovered through. Bluebell is snoozing for now so I am making the most of my LAST DAY OF FREEDOM. I never count the weekends. Its currently very windy - but nothing like it's going to be for the poor people of Florida. Hope the Hurricane fizzles out quickly. I have made a rice dish for tea called Cajun Dirty Rice! It tastes quite good and am looking forward to later on! I've been watching that Deep Water thing on ITV with Anna Friel set in the Lakes. It's ok I suppose but her face doesn't look right with her lips. Nobody on telly 'looks' right these days. I have made the most of my holidays and finished watching series 4 of Fear the Walking Dead. I bloomking love TWD and Fear - love it! I also watched Fleabag. I'm not sure I'd file it under the comedy category it is in but it was very very watchable and I did really enjoy it. Ive almost finished a book  - might review it next time. Ah well, time marches on.
oo I made a new bag for work too.

Made from a kit I got from Fabrix in Fleetwood

Lots of love for now
Rachel * Loves puffins* Radiostar xxx

Summer holidays 2019

It's the last Wednesday of the 6 weeks holidays and for the first time in a long time, we are not on holiday. Last year we didn't go away because we got Bluebell. This year the HG had the first two weeks off instead of the last two.
We ventured down onto the East Coast with Miss now 25 eek , her young man and Freddie and we stayed in a beautiful little place called Skirlaugh, close to Hornsea. Hull was one way and Bridlington the other. We visited both. The weather was very kind to us, the dogs were fantastic, our cabin was absolutely gorgeous and I fell in love with Bridlington. What an amazing place to go if you have kids. They have beach huts to hire - I bet it's hard to get one though, and on the beautiful South beach side there's a huge paddling pool area for families and children with plenty of seating, Life Guards on hand and the cleanest most gorgeous sandy beaches I've seen in a long time, even the dog friendly beach at the end of the south shore was clean! The only sad thing about it was that it was too hot really to stay for very long with the dogs.  The North Beach side was also lovely and parking SO CHEAP - mostly £3 for 24 hours if not free.  Actually that's true of the whole region. We had the best fish and chips everrrrrr from a place called Mr Papas I think - it is a chain but they were delicious. Mostly the holiday was great for just spending time with each other and chilling out.
Which the dogs did very well.

I still haven't been on this laptop much and figured it out. I'm still trying to process the literally thousands of photos I've downloaded off my phone. Think I've done a bit this morning. But time will tell. I'm also typing this with my new prescription lenses. Oh how my eyes have deteriorated for reading and close work.
The optician  declared,  "Oh, but you are not due an eye test until 2020.
I replied, " But I cannot see to sew, knit, read etc and it is BUGGING me!"
The astigmatism in my right eye has changed a lot meaning
" It's all to do with how your eyes refract the light, so your eyes need power put on an angle to see things straight and clearly."
Miss 25 giving me her wisdom about why some numbers on mine and her Dad's prescriptions read the same but the axis scores differ greatly. It's also the reason why he can pick up those cheaper readers from supermarkets and I cannot. I didn't get new frames this time as the ones I got last time are in perfect order and it took me long enough to choose them. £120 for new lenses though!
I did see some that I thought I'd try on as a joke, but it turns out they suited me and I liked them!!

But they remain in the shop!

My long distance is about the same, the decision was made to  hold off on the varifocals a bit longer.

As ever, like I tell the HG, I was right. New stronger readers are on my face and like the song, I can see clearly now. The rain, coincidentally, is falling!


I've been taking many many photos of Blubell. I just love this one so much. We had taken her to a local beauty spot and it was the first time she'd been in proper long meadow grass.

I think she liked it!

Took this video of her being very boingy and springy. 

I cannot stop watching it! I had to put it on my YT channel in order to share it here.



Anyway, much to do still...back soon

Lots of love from Rachel *Getting to grips with technology* Radiostar xx

Clearing out a drawer..

Apologies if you have read this drivel before but I found this curious list on my phone from December 2017!
I must have decided to tidy out one of 'those' drawers in the sideboard. We all have them. The shove it in and deal with it another time drawer.
This is what was in the drawer on this day. It's kinda like one of those time capsules!

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

Packet of French radish seeds sow by 2014 

The absolutely awful thing about finding this list is that Im one hundred percent positive that these items are STILL IN THERE plus a load more stuff rammed on top! That Maria Kondo woman would spontaneously combust if she saw it! 

Lots of love for now,

Rachel * Will be appearing on a channel 5 documentary about hoarders for sure in the future* Radiostar

Approx 10,000 photos.

That's how many I had on my phone - and thanks to  Mr 22, most of them are now on this laptop. Approx 9,050 are of Bluebell, the rest are of baking, SW meals I have made, Freddie, the purple flowers in my garden and utterly hilarious memes and pics screenshotted off the tinterweb. A few selfies too plus some old family photos too precious to delete.
I am a hoarder. Of things that can be touched and things now, that cannot!

Bluebell's 1st Birthday

Cake at the pub we went for tea in with Miss 25 and her beau. Huge portions!

See? Dog with cake and cake! Three more full weeks to get through at work. I am meeting myself coming back and my poor brain is too full it's overflowing and shutting down. I seriously don't know if it is getting madder every year or if I am just getting too old and slow to keep up! One thing I do know is how much schools are expected to do these days that in the olden days was the job of the parents! Anyway my job satisfaction meter is full to bursting too. The little one who me and my colleague have been working intensely with is finally having more successful days  than not, can read books meant for their age and has actually gone and passed the stupid waste of fecking space phonics test! Yee haaa - a great big two fingered salute to all who wrote this little cherub off  at 5 years old.  So I guess I will turn up tomorrow and see what's what.

I have so many unwritten blog posts it's ridiculous.
Another couple of pics then that's it.

The very funny card Tracey from My Beautiful life sent me. I love her.

Me and my Dad circa 1974
I wonder what I was laughing at?


Lots of love for now
Rachel*loves her job* Radiostar xxx

2019 SATs

Well, every year at this time, on the blog somewhere will be something from me talking about how sould destroying it is having to sit and read Maths questions to children who should not even be doing these stupid tests let along Janet and Roger Middle of the roadsters.

Anyway they are also good for a chuckle. No childers were harmed in this story and my little charge was very happy with how they'd done on the day.  I'm having to paraphrase so you get the jist as I can't recall the exact words.  There was a picture of kittens...something like this.

image nicked from google

There was a statement that said. 

Here are a group of kittens, all with different masses 

 recorded here.

(Under each sillouhette was a weight eg 250g 375g etc in a random order.)

The first part of the question asked what is the difference between the kitten with the largest mass and the kitten with the smallest mass ( sic )

My cherub whispered to me, " I don't know what masses are, I don't know what it means."

I say, I can't tell you what it means, shall I read it again to you? An eager nod. The reality is I could read it forwards, backwards, in Spanish and in Latin and it would not have made it click. If I have cheated and said, it means how heavy they are, look, can you see the weights underneath? They are the masses. The poor sould would still not have understood. Anyway we went on. I re read the question stressing the words 'difference, largest and smallest - this is totally allowed under the readers for sats guidelines.

ahhhh said my charge. And correctly circled the kitten showing the smallest mass. In my head I'm thinking, bloody hell, they might just get this one. ) then circled another kitten with a bigger mass but not the largest mass ( which was 410g by the way )

So then we spend some time looking at what we have circled. I read the question again. The child looks at me and whispers - pointing at the first one they circled -

 Easy, this one has a shorter tail.

Bless!!! I then whispered back, I don't think there is enough room in the box to write all that, it's Maths, maybe they need a number. 

"Oh ok," they say nonchalently, and just write the number 10 in the box without a moment's thought! 

Anyway, its been a full on busy day. I've walked 2 miles to training, had the weekly dose of humiliation of how crap are you with your dog, then 2 miles home. Madam was too tired to eat her tea. I wasn't! It was a pork loin chop, chips and peas kinda tea here today. I'm on a course tomorrow all about the effects of ACEs on children's brains. It really is quite devastating statistics. ACEs is a bit of a buzzword really, nowt new as they've always been here, just that along with poor mental health, people are talking about them. They stand for Adverse Childhood Experiences. I will write more on these next time as my eyes are closing. 

Lots of love from 

Rachel * NOT Barbara Woodhouse* Radiostar xxx

So it's Saturday

Two posts in two successive days!

I don't know if I have ever shared these photos with you. They make me laugh though every single time I read them. William is Harry's older brother by a year. He is such a funny little thing. He is so funny. He made me laugh when Lisa said he asked her
'When will I be tall for my age?' because his sister Madeleine is super tall and gets lots of comments when they are out and about!
I also fell about laughing when Lisa texted me telling me how William was full of concern for Harry's pile of Easter Eggs going out of date..Harry isn't a glutton for chocolate like William!

Today was supposed to be rainy, but like the rock and roll rebel I am, I pegged out anyway before we went to town for some bits and bobs. And then we had to take Bluebell back to the vets for the umpteenth time in two weeks. She was spayed on Thursday 2nd May and we are all feeling the effects of enforced rest and recuperation. At first it was alright because of the metacam they had her on. She's very good and is crate trained so that helped and we have lots of kongs, puzzles and toys and games to keep her mentally stimulated but she is literally straining at the leash, despite my amazing* heelwork training. She also looks supercute in her doggy baby gro to keep her stitches from harm!
Right I have just connected my iphone to this laptop and downloaded a few snaps. Once I am organised I will do some proper get them down for posterity posts.
I've boiled a ham and it's roasting in the oven and smells amazing.

Anyway more pics -

Meet Betsy, the new school budgie after Barry sadly didn't wake up one morning. She is funny, very inquisitive and interacts far more than Barry ever did! 

I baked last Saturday for the first time in ages. Lemon maderia cake with real double cream filling.

My breakfast last Sunday. Now normarily, she actually doesn't bother us when we are eating, either at the table or on our knees but she'd just run in after eating her scrambled egg in the kitchen and as per our funny little routine, I have to say, in a high ptched voice, Have you eaten all your.....? She yips and then I go get her a treat. Here she is licking her lips at me and it looks like she really wants more eggs!! These are FROACHED eggs. The HG bought some new gadgetty egg froachers by josephjoseph.  Fried, poached eggs using no oil, just steam.

Absolutely NO remorse shown as she callously dismembered the piggy that she has had since day one when we brought her home! Piggy is now on the Shelf of Mending, along with Fishy, Octopus and two doughnuts. 

Can you see what it is yet? Had this three years now and I shaped it a bit the other day. Trying to get it to look as if it's from legs are resting on it's fat tummy. I need to buy another teeny plant though because round the back, my bunny has no tail as it's not growing down there!

When Madam steals something she shouldn't, she either brazens it out right in front of you with a fixed stare and a waggy tail or she avoids all eye contact and dashes to her hidey space under the table! She's buggered off with the HG's car washing sponge here!

My irises are putting on a good show this year.

The second of my ancient peonies are out now. The first is a single petalled cerise pink one, this is a deeper pinky red and the third usually waits til June and you think it's going to be red when in bud but it is a blousey large frilly huge palest of pinky/white. They need staking tomorrow.

Quite literally green fingered! 

Here she is just now with her new toy I bought her for being a very good girl at the Vets. She weighed 16.8kg now. This is a flat fluffy turtle with about ten indvidual squeakers in it. It kept her quiet for a while. I say quiet....


Right it's been SATs week at work and I will share a funny story with you tomorrow! Ooooh cliffhanger!
Thank you for all your comments. It's lovely to be back xx Blogging is so much easier now!

Lots of love from

Rachel * Blogging again * Radiostar xxx


*amazing, if amazing means she will walk to heel when we are walking away from the field but pulls like a train the minute we head towards it - some days we don't even get there becuase I am so dizzy from all the stopping and turning we do! They say Springers are clever, well this one needs to learn faster that walking without pulling gets you there faster!! 

Here I am, on my brand new laptop.

I cannot express  how much I am pleased with the few clicks it took to upload a photo! The HG has ruined me once more. I said I was looking for a refurbished little laptop purely for photos, blogging and embroidery file thingies for my sewing machine and voila - brand spanking new posher than I wished for laptop. He is definitely a keeper.

It has been a long time since I faffed about in Blogland and I will have to get used to blogger on a big screen. Hopefully I will be able to find all my favourite blogs to read.

News wise - nowt new unless it starts with a capital B and runs off with my slippers. I have turned into the most dreadful puppy bore. She is almost one year old already. Currently going a bit stir crazy as we had her spayed a couple of weeks ago. It will be worth it in the end. Her first and only season was a nightmare. She is so clever and adorable and perfect.

She is like my little shadow/stalker and is by my side except for when she's off lead on the field or when she has got something she is not allowed. In this photo, she has a sweetie wrapper in her mouth. Although when I am asking her, ' What have you got?' she pretends not to hear and goes to hide under the table until I go to the treat jar and say 'hand' and then she will spit out the stolen contaband for a gravybone!

 Lots of love from
Rachel * Slave to the Bluebell * Radiostar xxx

Haggis

A few photos in random order of my long weekend away in Scotland at the end of January. I had a cheeky Friday off work and we set off on the four hour drive on the Thursday straight after work. We holidayed with two other couples - who we normally celebrate Burn's Night with but this year, we did it in style. Absolutely loved it. The PortsochananHotel wasn't in the mid Nowhere, it was at the End of Nowhere. Stunning views. Freezing cold and remoteand quietand perfect. A day trip to Glencoe and Fort William one day and to Oban the next. A lovely drive home on the Sunday. We came back with lovely memories, a vow to do it again and a new found love of haggis bonbons! On the menu. Divine. Little crunchy fried balls of haggis, served with a whisky cream sauce! I don't even like whisky! Apologies for the jumpiness of this post. It'll be muc better when I get my mitts on a laptop. 

This post is almost a month late! I can't even get to the end onthis iPad to do my sign off so I will do it here. 

Lots of love from 

Rachel 'haggischops' Radio star xx

 This was Bluebell when we went away up to stay on the banks of Loch Awe for Burn's Night 2019. She is clearly pining.....

The first meal of pancetta wrapped cod loin was delicious. 

Glencoe I think. 

Taken in the forest of Glencoe. 

This dining room table was hilarious! Why a hippo in the Scottish Highlands? 

Traditional pipes. 

The accurate accent for the poetry of Rabbie Burrrrrrruns. 

 Tasted far better than it looks.

The haggis was yummy.

Tasted as good as it looks! 

View from the hotel over Loch Awe.

We literally threw the contents of the car in the dining room and she did not move from ere for aaaaaaaaages as if to say, you are not going away without me!