Food and Drink Festival.

This weekend was our town's Food and Drink Festival.We managed to get there soon after it opened when it was quite quiet.Over the two days 11,000 people visited.Unfortunately I didn't get to take many photos as we had 2 little ones in tow and a pushchair.This year there was lots more tasting which was great and ahuge array of stalls,most of them local producers from here in N Wales.We tasted cheeses,sausages, cakes and lots more.

There was foreign food as well.Loads of different olives.

There was live music all day too.

We had lunch there.Emily chose ostrich burger!

Look at all these pies!

This was a pork pie topped with Blue Stilton which C bought.Very yummy too.

Here are some other things we bought.Different kinds of sausages for tea.Three cheeses and an apple teabread for afters.

All in all a great day.The icing on the cake was the weather.Clear blue skies and wall to wall sunshine(but it was a bit chilly).

Burglars!!

The audacity of some people.Last night someone broke into the shed in the garden of my daughters's next door neighbour.They stole a set of left handed golf clubs climbed over the fence broke into S's shed (or possibly just opened the door.They aren't sure it was locked!) left the first set of clubs and took Mike's right handed ones plus some old fishing tackle.They then climbed over the next fence ,let the dogs out at the front,climbed another fence and broke into a conservatory,using the golf clubs and stole a TV before the burglar alarm went off.The poor mum,with 3 small children ,was on her own.Her OH works abroad.S and M were very lucky as their patio door lock is broken and they could have just walked into their house.

I am still going to the clinic for dressings but hope to be discharged either tomorrow or next week.We have booked a little break to Provence.We can only find a five day slot in our busy schedule so are flying,Ryanair,to Nimes for five nights.We have booked in at the Ibis and will hire a car.If the weather is bad there are lots of places to visit.The challenge will be packing for 5 days in carry on luggage.Lots of scarves and wear as much as you can !!

It's Mold Food Festival this weekend.It gets to be a better event every year.Brian Tilsey is here this year.We went to the Cambridge Food Festival last year and Mold's was much better.Sarah and the girls are coming for the weekend while Mike goes to see his mother in Cockermouth as she has been in hospital.

Is it time to move on?

Ruby having lunch with Grandpa today.Every six weeks the lovely Rachel comes to our house to cut my hair,Sarah's and Ruby's.We had to have a picnic lunch because Rachel was busy cutting and blow drying in the kitchen.How many jigsaws can a girl do?She isn't 3 until November but spent an hour doing these ,with some help.I was amazed how many jigsaws we actually had!

Now about my heading.

I ,along with Sarah(not daughter),Allison and Claire started blogging when we were let down by HipKnits knitting club.The idea was to share ideas,projects etc.I am just wondering now whether anyone wants to read the ramblings of a retired teacher,mother,grandmother,crafter etc.

I think it might be time to give the blog a break.

.

Chirk Castle.N.E. Wales

This is where we went yesterday.It is about a 30 minute drive from our house.Completed in 1310 Chirk is the lastWelsh castle from the reign of Edward 1 and is still lived in today.features from its 700 years history include a dungeon and medieval tower,a long gallery and state apartments.The laundry was in a separate building and was fascinating detailing how the jobs were distributed according to ranking.

Everything here is bilingual.All bills ,communications etc and brochures as above always come in both Welsh and English.I have had a go at learning Welsh but it is a very ,very difficult language to learn.

This is the Salooon, a lovely room.

This just part of the garden with Nepeta "Six Hills Giant",roses and topiary yews.Unfortunately rain stopped play in the garden and we had to run for cover.Its a NT trust property and as we are members we can go again.

I have to confess I forgot my camera so these are scanned postcards which are probably better than I could take anyway.

Do you like my flowers?

Do you like my flowers?C is very good at buying me flowers and always seems to pick the right moment.I love sunflowers.They so remind me of holidays in France and huge fields of sunflowers.I can remember one particular year we were camping and from the campsite to the beach passed fields and fields of them.

I am doing the Debbie Abraham's Mystery Blanket Club.You receive five squares a month to knit and we have just five more to do to complete the blanket.It has been a real challenge and I have learnt so much like knitting with beads and sequins.However they all have to fit together so the one on the left above has got to become a square the same size as the right hand one.I think the sewing together will be a problem as blocking doesn't seem to help much.

This is the latest sdhawl that I have just finished.It is enormous.I just kept knitting.I didn't want to waste any wool.Will I ever wear it?Don't think so but I got great satisfaction doing it.

This is the latest sock wool I bought from RKM in Chester.The colours have come out very poorly.They are purples and khaki and will be for C. who was complaining this morning he had to wear shop bought socks as all the hand knitted ones were in the wash.

Finally,I am feeling much better.I went to my reading group this lunchtime.This is my less serious group where we talk about the book for about 10 minutes and then just chat way.We meet in a Costa coffee place.I had hoped to be discharged from the clinic today but I have to go back twice next week and once the following week for dressing.It is making us realise now that it was quite serious.M&S meal deal for tea!

Feeling sorry for myself!

I had to give myself a good talking it this morning.I had been feeling really down over the weekend,disappointed about the cancelled holiday but also asking -why me.What are the chances of getting another abscess after 5 years of nothing and it has to come just when we are about to go on,what for us,was an adventure.I think as well it has really knocked me for six.We went to the Grosvenor Museum in Chester on Friday.C hadn't been before but I went in the summer with S and the girls and we were impressed with it.So off we went but there are a lot of stairs and we had walked a fair distance from the car park(it's free at Tesco if you spend £10 for 2 hours).On the way back I decided I wanted to go to RKM wool shop and when I got there I really didn't think I would make it up the stairs to the fancy wool.I did but it made me realise I couldn't have coped with Manchester airport etc.So I know it was the right decision not to go.I was also disappointed because after my knee op in January I vowed I wasn't going to the doctors for anything for at least 12 months!!
So today is the new positive me!We have been to Ikea at Warrington and actually bought something.We use our dining room as a second sitting room because we often want to do different things so we have a TV in each room ,C has his music,guitar etc in the lounge and I tend to sit in the back and watch Corrie.You can tell who is the intellectual in our family.In the dining room we have a black Ikea type chair and a 2 seater sofa.The sofa is going and we have bought another chair and a coffee table.We also had lunch there.It's usually meatballs but today I had the herring platter which was yummy.
I have just had a long chat with S.We speak virtually every day but she told me I was wonderful which is good to hear.We are helping out with the children after school on Thursday and her OH is having "the little op".So I am taking tea and will stay to put the children to bed so she can go to Zumba.
I think I must have felt down because I felt so grotty.It's all over and I am grateful for so many things in life.A missed holiday is nothing.

How things change!

We should have been going away this Friday for an all inclusive hotel ,week long,holiday to Marrakesh in Morocco.On Friday I noticed a red lump in my cleavage area on my chest.I thought it would go away but by Monday morning it was the size of a large grape and very angry and sore.C made me make an appointment at the docs.I still thought I was making a fuss and would be sent away with a flea in my ear.However, he took one look at it and picked up the phone to the hospital which is 30 minutes away and arranged for me to go the Surgical Assessment Unit.Immediately!We were due to go to the funeral of a relative of Cs straight after my appointment so when I got home C was suited and booted and black tie on.He had to do a quick change and off we went to Wrexham.They were great.There was a bed for me and I was seen by the duty consultant within 10 minutes of arriving who told me that they would have to do a little op and I could either have a local anaesthetic or a general.When the surgeon came to see me she said I would have to wait till late evening for the general as there was long list for theatre in front of me.So,brave girl that I am(not) I went for the local plus gas and air.havn't had that since I had babies.Ouch,ouch ouch!!!It was not good but I am OK and came home 2 hours later.Amazing treatment from the NHS.The only problem is it has to be packed and dressed every day for at least 10 days so no trip to Marrakesh.Hope we can get our money back.My GP has said he will do all the paperwork.

So no photos of Marrakesh coming up.

C'est la vie.We can go another time#