Not dropping Santa down the chimney!: The 2024 Santa, Shoebox & Life Challenge. Everyone welcome....

Happy_Kitties

Katiehound you are like your very own doggy duvet factory!!!

How long are you going on your cruise for? I think you need time away from the doggy duvets! 

Your bags that you made and sent me are impressively amazing. I have one full with woolly things like hats and gloves and I’ve put some with the flannels away to donate to the hub where they will be much appreciated. They will be handed over earlier as the hub organiser has started to go into production of her shoeboxes. 

Diversions, what a nightmare. The turning for the ferry terminal is a nightmare as it is. I don’t know how you manage to do your journeys. 

16 is amazing for your elderly hound. 

Not much going on here, have been working quite abit, Nearly finished shoebox 4 but haven’t seen any bargains when I have been out and about. Have sorted out several bulky items to go to a charity organiser now I have a box. Too bulky and big for the usual organiser but for this other organiser, the items will be perfect for a  raffle.

Still trying to declutter, have been doing okay. Really hoping to hit my targets by Christmas.
i hope everyone is keeping okay

Anglea

Hi everyone.

Katiehound, I'm trying to imagine how I would have felt if I had left the phone behind so far into the journey, what an awful experience for you with that as well as the other travel problems. I'm wondering where you're going on this new cruise.

I've had photos from Japan from the exH and the bride and it was such an unusual experience to see my son dressed as an traditional Japanese bridegroom. The wedding was at a shrine and exH said he had to carry a branch, the reception was held in a hotel and they had both changed outfits, she was still wearing some kind of Japanese attire but not the elaborate kimono as before and son was in western clothes however, as he was standing by two huge flags, one Japanese and one British I thought he really looked like a British Ambassador at an Embassy lol

I have sent photos of a gift I am in the middle of making to my American online friends to ask their opinions on a few things. So I'll tell you here about it when I've decided on the next steps or maybe try to add a photo, don't think I've done that before but I think I've seen some on here before.

How are you Happy Kitties? I couldn't believe it when I read about your vacuum handle going through the ceiling. That's unbelievable. Has it been fixed now?
We went to see a steam train last week but had to see it over a graveyard wall across a field as we were too late for the station and we also had breakfast afterwards in the vintage train cafe (not the one with the train we were attempting to reach). As it costs so much to book a ticket, it must have been very disappointing for the passengers to be in a vintage train as the engine was diesel which we hadn't expected so initially we thought it was the wrong train until we saw the carriages a while afterwards. Another near disaster is that at the precise moment the train was going past a horse decided to graze in that exact spot (gap between hedges).

Chanie how are you?

Katiehound

and for anyone who wants to see what happens to shoeboxes (or even why they are needed ) please watch this short video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6YOyWjoSWY

Katiehound

Hello.
Hard day here as I said goodbye to the 'replacement ' for the real  Katiehound. My oldie was 16 and I had had her for more than 13 years. She didn't want to get out of bed or even walk a short distance this morning.
 So, that's an end of an era and I need to get my head around just one dog. I have had a pair for about 20 years.

Taking it easy today.

Happy_Kitties

Katiehound I’m am so very very sorry to read your news. It is really hard, I find the grief of an animal much more difficult than human grief as animals never let you down. It will be a hard adjustment for you aswell. Sending hugs and always here if u need to PM me xx

Katiehound

Thanks for your thoughts
Seems so odd with only one dog now- keep looking for the old 'needy' one.

Just sad.
 Not crying buckets like when I lost Katie- she was only 9 & my 'special' one (PAT dog & Blue Cross education dog). Shyla had had a great life at 16 & was paddling in the river at the beginning of the week.

It's a tad cooler today so attacking the freezer as the ice is so thick on the shelves hard to get the drawers to move.  Didn't get to shop yesterday so it will be 'whatever-turns-up -in-the-freezer!' Looks like a bashed fish cake with some ratatouille. Lots of frozen fruit so there might be a crumble brewing......

Anglea

Katiehound, I was really sorry to read about your faithful companion. Thank you for letting us know. It must be a strange time for you.

I've got Summer Solstice tomorrow and will be going somewhere interesting to appreciate the day but not far as I want to see mum that day as well. I had 3 birthdays in June and only one which required a gift (that online friend I make things for) she was really pleased with the unusual necklace and card I sent. I couldn't make the thing that I had wanted (unusual holder for the necklace) as it didn't look right and I couldn't find the right colour wool.

I've lost my crochet hooks and had to borrow some as I want to make more things for abandoned art, I find crochet easier than all the stash needed for other crafts as there isn't room to get lots of fiddly bits and pieces out as I want to keep the dining room table clear as I have another DS2 visit this weekend and I have a lot of food and prep to do.

Happy_Kitties

Katiehound I hope you are doing okay and have adapted to life with one four legged faithful. I know what u mean when u said about crying buckets when you had Katie. I was the same with one of my cats who i  bonded so closely with. It will be nearly 9 years ago that I lost him but I was hysterical at the vets. You never forget ur pets.

Anglea you have so many interesting adventures. Did you do anything for Summer Solstice?
Chanie I hope you are doing okay?

I cannot believe we are the 1st July already. I really need to get moving on my shoeboxes. Been stuck on number4 for ages, just haven’t felt like it but I’ve set myself a target of ten this year that I really want to do. I’m still collecting bits for the shoebox hub so there will be plenty to go over, but not getting myself sorted, 
life has been very busy. Still not repaired the hole in the ceiling🙈. I set targets to make the most of the bank holidays in May……that never happened. But I do have an excuse, I found that I was getting very tired and after a random blood test at the doctors for something different and then a repeat, they found my iron levels were very low. So iron tablets long term and having some tests to be on the safe side. Have managed to get a couple of small Christmas presents. Usually they would have been wrapped and stashed away by now, but have just been dumped in a pile ready for my attention. I really need to get cracking.
So plan tomorrow is to patch the ceiling and have a tidy up!

Katiehound

Finally I get to type here!

Got home from a very pleasant cruise on June 1st & the following week collected 9, yes 9,  human duvets so pretty much taking over the house. The last one only came out of the car yesterday.

So I have been busy busy sewing. I have just totted  up: 12 to craft fair (early August) collected yesterday, 6 to dog training ten days ago & 3 to dog groomers. I now have another 4 for groomers & 1 for a friend. Total made in four weeks:26 Aarrgh!
No wonder nothing else gets done. Sum total for this year now 67.

I took out an annual membership for the leisure centre starting Friday of two weeks ago because I was unlikely to go anywhere this year due to my old girl and her needs. That very day , of course I was off to the vet.
C'est la vie.
In the last 2 weeks I have been swimming every weekday & been to a couple of classes. I actually worked out that if I swam as regularly as that for 6 months I would break even.....

Still looking round the house for the oldie

The cruise was to the Baltic minus overnight in St Petersberg. Two more ports were added so we went round Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania.Four of the ports were new to me so we went on ship excursions (paid for out of the onboard spend which was quite generous due to the major itinerary changes) the weather was lovely- warm sunny days & calm blue sea. Thought you might like to see some of the ways we travelled:

 

narrow gauge heritage train (sadly old diesel not steam) on the island of Gotland (Sweden)

Sandworm at Grenen Skane to see where the North & Baltic seas meet. Actually the Katteget & Skagerrak- remember the old song 'Wonderful wonderful Copenhagen' sung by Danny Kaye? (Denmark)

tram in Helsinki, Finland

Won't let me write under the photos.............

oh, and manged to make 3 batches of elder flower cordial: very yummy and quite as good as the upmarket stuff @ £4 for half litre. Mine worked out at about 60 pence for that quantity but I keep giving it away so the supply is dwindling!!

Off to Ireland next week

Happy_Kitties

Katiehound I’m very jealous…..not of the doggy duvet sewing although it is an impressive amount but of the cruise. Friends have just come back off a cruise aswell, they really enjoyed it. Love the photos. 

I also have quilts to send you, if you still want? I asked the local animal sanctuary who would take the fleeces I had and a pure wool blanket, quilts no and the same with the RSPCA, so wherever they go they will have to be sent. One is almost brand new. 

Shoebox wise, still stuck on box 4 but wanted to say my local Tesc@s has packs of ten black pens reduced to 19p and 3 pritt-sticks for 75p. I’ve got quite a few packs. Will use some for shoeboxes but what is left i will give to the shoebox hub as they do a lot of the ‘Bags of Education’ aswell. They sent quite a few to the HQ this year. I find it easier to collect bits to give them rather than do the bags themselves. Found them difficult to send, quite limiting.

i seem to be very busy but have nothing to show for it, very frustrating and time is speeding along very fast.