The best way to store bedding for quick easy changes…. February 21, 2013

When you open the airing cupboard are you faced with a mess of confused sheets and bed covers? Can you never find a full duvet set and/or matching sheets?

Once you start doing the following this won’t be a problem

Get your complete bedding set.  If you use extra pillowcases find them.  Get the sheets that go with the set.  You want a whole change of bedding.

Fold everything neatly.  Don’t know how to fold a fitted sheet?  Here’s the trick…. Make a fist.  Put it into the elasticated corner of the sheet. Take the opposite corner of the same end of the sheet over your fist.  The sheet is now roughly folded in half.  Tuck the corners of the opposite end of the sheet together and fold them over your fist.  It’ll look something like this as you do it…

If you place the sheet down on a flat surface with the corners tucked together like this you’ll be able to flatten the sheet out like this ready to fold neatly –>

Fold the duvet cover and all but 1 pillow case neatly BUT inside out.  Why? Because if you reach in and grab the pillow or duvet via the far corners of the cover while it’s inside out, all you need to do is pull the cover down over the duvet or pillow to turn it the right way.  The far corners are already in place! No duvet wrestling

Take your nicely folded stack of bed linen and place it inside the pillow case that is the right way out.  Put it away in your linen cupboard

Smile because the next time you’re looking for a bed linen set you’ll be able to choose the correct patterned pillow case, pull it out, and know that all of the covers you need are there in that one case ready to put on the bed

A Musical Challenge for you today May 15, 2012

I wrote a couple of days ago about Eska Mtungwazi, a UK based singer/songwriter.  Here’s my challenge……. follow this link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brME-eTSdmo&feature=BFa&list=PL91EB9D99DCEA772D) to a performance of one of her songs, listen to it, then try not to sing the chorus for the next 4 days.

I am HOPELESS at this.  This song is now part of me!

Related articles

• Haiku for Eska (fundemental.wordpress.com)
• Nuwamba – Old Interview… (allaboutsoulmusic.wordpress.com)

Tinitus – Haiku May 13, 2012

Scream (Photo credit: paulbence)

Such sibilant sound

Sings in my ears and screeching

Affects my hearing.

The Sunshine Award April 19, 2012

I have been nominated twice for The Sunshine Award, which is lovely!

The ‘rules’ go like this

1. Thank the person who gave you this award and write a post about it – Thank you to A Circle in the Path

2.  Answer the questions below.

3.  Pass on the award to 10 fabulous bloggers, link their blogs and let them know you awarded them.  (I’ve already nominated 3 via my blog http://thedementiadiary.wordpress.com/)

Favorite Color -  Purple (allegedly the colour of knowledge)

Favorite Animal - Dog (It’s no co-incidence that after many unhappy working years I have set up a dog walking and pet sitting business and finally have job satisfaction)

Favorite Number - hmmmm 7?  13?

Favorite Drink – It depends on my mood but champagne is ALWAYS good

Facebook or Twitter – Facebook for keeping in touch.  Twitter for venting.

Your Passion - I’ll let you know when I figure it out

Giving or Getting Presents – Giving.  Getting often ends in disaapointment (soap – how lovely!)

Favorite Day – Sunday.  No work.  Forest with hubby and dog then the afternoon as a family.

Favorite Flowers – Roses

And my list of nominee/winners:

A Year of Photographs

Raising my Rainbow

Lorna’s Tearoom Delights

h20 by Joanna

chittlechattle

manipal’s photo blog

uphilldowndale

Thank you all for bringing a little Sunshine into my life

My Silver Crown March 16, 2012

In 1977 around the time of Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee my maternal grandparents bought me a silver necklace.  On the necklace was a little silver charm in the style of St Edward’s crown.  It was pretty and I loved it.

I remember one day it fell behind my chest of drawers.  I pulled and tugged at the heavy piece of furniture until it moved just enough for me to slip my hand behind and retrieve it.  In doing I managed to get it caught and the cross on top of the crown that helped form the bale got bent.  It upset me but at least it wasn’t broken.  I was given that necklace 35 years ago.  Somewhere in those years it got lost but I’ve never forgotten it and think about it often.

I have a charm bracelet, silver of course, and when major events happen in my life, I add a charm to mark the occasion.  I am also given charms as gifts and these serve to remind me of the important people in my life who give them to me.  Each one is as important to me as that little crown I loved and lost years ago.

This year marks the 60th year since Queen Elizabeth came to the throne and I thought it would be nice to add a crown to my charm bracelet as a marker for this national event and as a little nod to the one my Grandparents gave me.  Ebay is my usual port of call for these types of things (most things actually) so I had a browse.

I found a charm that completely matched my memory of my little crown.  I was thrilled and bought it.  Today it arrived and imagine how I felt when, not only was it exactly like my old one but, the cross on top was bent!

Daydreaming March 6, 2012

I dream of a warm blue sky

Of an orange scented breeze

And of sun toasted skin.

 

Listening to the roar of the waves

In the shade of a palm

With sand beneath my feet

 

I long for some time to spare

To lie with eyes gently closed

And nothing to do

 

And I want you by my side

Enjoying this moment

And sharing the dream.

I’m Back (in more than one sense) March 4, 2012

After about a week’s hiatus I have returned!  I know you’ve missed me.  What happened?  Well, let me explain……

I don’t think I’ve written about being Bi-Polar. It’s terribly trendy at the moment and I hate to be the height of fashion so it’s something I tend not to talk about.  Actually I have what’s known as Bi – Polar II or Cyclothymia which means I get all of the fun of the lows without the highs, and my ‘normal’ is what the average person on the street would register as unhappy.  Even on meds the best I get is ‘Meh!’

Anyway, I hit the worst low I’ve had for a long time last week.  By last Monday I was calling my husband at work, asking him to come home because I was worried I was going to do something to myself.  By Wednesday I was self harming and by Friday it was like it had never happened.  One of the big issues of cyclothymia is that the mood swings are so rapid and disabling.

So I’ve been resting for the past couple of days.  I spent yesterday making jewellery and playing with my new phone.  Today I have been exercising with my husband.  That was so much fun! despite the fact that he is training for his 3rd London Marathon he struggled as much as me with the DVD we were following.  Hooray!  I felt better about myself because of it.

Then we went to the shops together, as a couple.  We had some quality time which was really nice.

So here I am again.  Tomorrow I can start writing about interesting things again.

For once I am looking forward to tomorrow!

My gift that keeps giving (or should that be making?) February 20, 2012

I’ve been getting back in touch with my ‘crafty’ side and thought I would share some of my jewellery making with you today.  My husband bought me a ‘Wire and Bead’ jewellery making day as a gift and below is the first piece I ever made.

 

 

Just last week I bought some lucky bags from Claire’s Accessories, in the hope that there would be some pieces I could take apart and reinvigorate but alas there was only a couple of things.  Until I have taken those apart and made something fabulous with them and my stash of beads here’s a few older pieces…

 

 

All pieces by www.kittyfisherjewellery.co.uk

Good things update….. February 12, 2012

Veni, vidi, vici!

I came, I saw, I conquered!

Actually “EGO venit , EGO epulor , EGO venit domus” – I came, I ate dinner, I came home

The journey was fairly painless.  Here’s my view.

 

 

 

Despite car sickness I gave up my seat for F i L.

We passed the London 2012 olympic site

Not a great picture as we were in a moving car….

Dinner was great, even if beer was spilt all over husband’s dinner and the question “Would you like Cream or Creme Fraiche?” was answered with yes.

and I even got to do a spot of bird watching

 

Good things…..

Aaaaaaaargh!

Do I have your attention?  Good! Because I feel like I’m teetering on the edge of a great pool of despair and I’m about to fall in.

It’s been such a busy week and I am tired.  Being tired always makes me so grumpy.  I also know that a ‘friend’ wants to ‘talk’ to me and you know that any talk in inverted commas is never a good talk.   Today, for the first time in a couple of days I’ll be seeing my (senile) Father in Law (http://thedementiadiary.wordpress.com/), which because I am tired will be a struggle.  I have to keep patient. We’re taking him to my Mum’s which should help; A problem shared and all that!

 

So I’m looking now for a couple of positives to see me through the day and I’ve come up with a couple.

The first is dinner cooked by my mum.  I don’t think there’s many people in the world who don’t love their mum’s cooking (except my kids who have weird eating habits but that’s another story) and I am no exception.

The other is this post that I’ve just found http://chittlechattle.wordpress.com/a-collage-a-day/

It’s half term so the kids are at home.  My work is reduced during the holidays so I’ll be looking for creative ideas to share and do with my children, and this really inspired me.  I’m looking forward to doing some similar things.

Right off I go now into the day………..