Thursday 18 June 2020

Adjusting

Hello Lovely blog readers, where do I start?!
So, so much has happened to us all since my previous post. I don't feel that I can put into words the effect it has had on me, and yet I know I'm really blessed, we are all ok...so far, touch wood, not counting any chickens.

So, as life begins to gain a little more normality, I do sincerely hope this finds you all well. It's hard to know how much personal stuff to publish....and I don't think I can share too much at the moment, but  I need to say I've struggled, and stumbled.

But this is my happy space and it's good to be back, sharing the small stuff that gets us through the days and means so much.

So lets have a bit of a catch up shall we? Back in late March , when eldest was furloughed, middle son came home from uni, youngest stopped going to school and hubby and I carried on working as normal (except my work was becoming far from normal) I was feeding my local Robin...


And trying to find some solace in my favourite places.


The lock-down meant the local roads were super quiet so we ventured out on a family bike ride.


There was time to tackle the little shed of horrors..


Were I found many ancient, mouse chewed, seeds..



And took a chance on planting a few
 

I still got the shed ship shape too...


And we got a new visitor...one that was still allowed despite social distancing. Meet Fred, the little lady tortoise. She belongs to my mum-in-law, but is staying with us for a while. Her age is uncertain, but hubby remembers her from his childhood, so she's over 50...


There were also cute creatures in the local fields..


And much walking with eldest, who loves the outdoors as much as me.


Another distraction was baking...and boy did I need distractions...


Playing with rainbow yarn felt like a good thing to do, to share a bit of hope with the neighbours.


This bunting is still in our front window.


Like many others I felt the urge to try and grow some food this year, so we made a start on a kitchen garden area...


And the natural world did it's wonderful spring thing...thank goodness.


We even had blue tits nesting in the garden for the first time..


In April I was really struggling. Jigsaws proved a great distraction. I don't think I've ever completed a puzzle as an adult pastime, but getting absorbed in an idyllic scene suddenly seemed like a lifeline.


Eldest likes to be busy, so was invaluable around the house. The "recycling cupboard" before...


And after...


I planted potatoes in old compost bags, along with carrots and lettuce in the big planter.


In England we were still allowed to drive a short distance for once daily exercise...but I stuck to walking from home, and that got less and less as the footpaths suddenly seemed busy with people.


I gave the kitchen a fresh coat of paint.


And looked at the pretty rubbish mileage I was managing in April. A was suddenly afraid to leave the house alone, so walks were mostly short evening wanders with hubby.


There's definitely a "sewing season" in this house...when the conservatory is not too cold or too hot, so I made the most of that by making myself a new apron. Drawing around my "messy job" apron...


And even making my own bias binding as the fabric I had was only just big enough.


I just love how  creative projects evolve as you go along, it's another fantastic news avoidance pastime..


I really took my time over this project and tried my hardest to make is as neat as I could...


To spend as much time as possible on this and not thinking about the virus.


Here I am, hiding in my own bubble of creativity...and the only outside space I felt safe in..


Of course there is always yarn to fall back on too, though the easy rhythm of the ripple didn't always fill my head enough...


I do love how this second temperature blanket is coming along...



I also  made the ubiquitous "banana bread"


And watched IG videos from one of my favourite gardens, which was closed to the public. These were honestly a highlight of my day.


In mid May restrictions were eased a little, and one early morning eldest and I drove to the woods.


we were too late for the bluebells, but it still felt like a magical place.


All the fresh green against the blue.


And frothy cow parsley....


Back at home I got out my pencils to make a birthday card for my niece...


I also made a second apron, this one was for my sister-in-law. Once again I only just had enough fabric...so this one also got contrasting ties, but I manged to make two pockets from the cut-outs...


At the end of the month my twins said goodbye to their teens , and I used up the last of my flour on a cake....what a strange way to turn twenty. No night out or meet up with friends and family. We had a barbecue and there was a video call with extended family, plus lots of messages from friends. I suppose it will be memorable, just not in the way you might hope at that age. 


In more sewing news, I took two patchwork cushion covers...


sewed them together


Cut them in half length ways and made two parasol covers...


Ta dah....all ready for when we can go on holiday...


Personally I'd be more than happy to stay home this year, but I will go with the majority family vote on that matter. I think I am writing this now because I am finally feeling a bit more like my old self

 I do love the idea of some coastal walking. This puzzle was also a joy to do...


 This is another Ravensburger puzzle. I love their quality and the additional info they give you...Sounds amazing....



Phew, almost up to date now. I'm sure you are glad!

I dug out these really old hexagon flowers with the intention of finally making something with them this year.


It's been fun playing with little bits of fabric again.


Just this week I was inspired to draw the most beautiful shop, Liberty of London,  which will now be reopened, as Lockdown eases further.


 I wont be rushing off to the shops myself just yet...but at least it seems like there will be a day....not sure when... that things will be normal again.


Eldest is now back at work too, and I'm so pleased for him. Mum has been a star, staying put and entertaining herself with her art. Just this week she visited the garden, it was short and sweet, but lovely to see her in person for more than a five minute doorstep chat when I deliver her shopping.
I hope things are gradually improving where you are? And if they are not, I hope this helps you to see there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Much love to you

Jacquie x

58 comments:

  1. Hi Jacquie, so good to see a post from you again :) I know exactly how you've been feeling during this strange time and I know a lot of people have been very badly affected by it emotionally. I personally feel that this 'getting back to normal' is being a bit rushed. In reality it's only been a few months and I think we need more time to adjust to a changed way of life as the 'new normal' Like you we've stayed home, only going out for exercise. We've managed to get a regular food delivery from Iceland. I too have found solace in crocheting and keeping occupied. Take good care of yourself. Best, Jane x

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  2. Thank you Jane, yes it will be a new normal you are right. I've been having food deliveries or click and collect. Both are good and I've been very grateful for them. I will keep using this option for the foreseeable future I think.
    Jacquie x

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  3. Nice to see you are blogging again. Hope you are feeling better. We too have been confined to our home, which is a 1 bedroom flat. ( me, over 70 and diabetic and my husband is a transplant patient) To be honest we haven't found it too bad as we don't really come into contact with many people
    anyway.We also have food delivered. I wish they could come in and carry it upstairs, haha. Like you , I have my knitting and crochet and my husband has his computer ( thank goodness!) We have a park across the road to walk round but also there are far more people than there used to be in it. We just steer clear of them. Still things seem to be looking up. My tip would be, stop watching the news.I haven't had a tv for 10 yrs now. I look at the news on my tablet, but selectively. You don't need it in your face.Anyway, love your drawings .You must take after your Mum.

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  4. Thank you for the lovely message Caz. I know I am very fortunate to have a garden. Limiting news exposure is certainly essential for my mental health.
    Stay safe xx

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  5. We too are confined to home our first walk out today, it was like all our Birthdays had come at once but with a little panic at the same time. You have certainly managed to fill your days well.

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    1. Thank you. Yes being out is what we need but what we fear too. I hope it gets easier for you soon.
      Jacquie x

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  6. Love the cute aprons you made. Glad you were able to draw on your creative skills and your family hikes to make it through this stressful time. Glad your Mom is well and you get to see her a bit. I always look forward to your posts and you never disappoint! Thanks so much!

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    1. Thank you for the kind comment Ellen. I'm glad you enjoyed the read.
      Jacquie x

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  7. Lovely to see you here Jacquie šŸ˜€šŸ˜€ My you have been good doing so much and beautiful making of aprons and cake. Struggle it is but thankful for life and slowly seeing my adult children and grandies safely šŸ˜€šŸ˜€

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    1. Thank you Wendy. I'm so glad to hear you are seeing family again...and being cautious.
      Jacquie x

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  8. Welcome back, Jacquie! I can totally relate to your feelings during this time. I worry a lot. About all of those who are suffering and dying from this virus. How our country has a lunatic at the helm. Our black citizens are being shot and killed for no good reason. I sure hope things smooth out sooner than later. Good job on keeping occupied. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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    1. You are the kindest person Teresa. Thank you so much. Yes the suffering is hard to process. Maybe if we had female leaders...like New Zealand's...things would be better?
      Hugs to you too
      Jacquie xx

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  9. Hello Jacquie, you have told your story well. Everyone has managed or not managed in different ways. It is good that you have kept busy but also I can hear that you are still disorientated. Here is to a few more steps in the months to come. Jo xx

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    1. Thank you Jo. So many emotions to deal with this year for everyone I'm sure. I'm full of admiration for you.
      Jacquie x

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  10. Lovely to see your post and read how you have coped so far, it certainly is a very strange time and there seems to be more and more to cope with as the year goes on, 2020 will never be forgotten that's for sure. My crochet and embroidery have kept me sane. I love all your makes and your drawing is amazing you have so much talent.

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    1. Thank you so much Linda. I'm glad you are finding solace in creativity too.
      I was so happy to enter 2020...what a great date I thought! Well I'm not so keen on it now but I am still feeling very fortunate and I do love being at home.
      Jacquie x

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  11. Wow, you certainly have made the most of this lockdown, Jacquie! I'm really impressed at your creativity and positive attitude in difficult times. Well done! What a great example and inspiration you are! xx

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    1. That's too kind Vesna. I hope you are well, I see Haworth is opening up again now.
      Jacquie x

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  12. Hi Jacquie, I am so glad to see you back in action! Lovely aprons. I recently recycled a pair of old jeans to make an apron and made bias binding and ruffles with a flowered cotton fabric. It was an adventure with mistakes, but plenty of fun, nevertheless. Once again, so happy to know that you are ok. Wish you and your family the best of health and spirits.

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    1. Thank you so much. I'm sure your apron is lovely. The process is very therapeutic...when it goes ok šŸ˜Š
      Jacquie x

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  13. Hi Jacquie, big hugs to you and I am so happy to read your blog again. I have felt exactly the same as you and feel that sharing too much in a public space is too much for me, I am happy to share my makes and my garden, but not much else. How I wish I lived next door and we could chat over the garden fence and support each other. Everything you didn't say in your post, is everything I feel too - does that make sense? Enjoy your walks - I am averaging 50 miles a month in lockdown, but that does include an awful lot on the rusty old treadmill in the garage, love ambling along suzie (IG) xxx

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    1. Oh thank you for the lovely Comment Suzie. A chat over the garden fence sounds wonderful. I hate being cryptic, but at the same time I want to be open...tricky. Just hope it helps to see others are struggling too.
      Love
      Jacquie x

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  14. I love your hexagons, making them is addicting. Have you made fabric yoyos? They're fun to do too. As for stress relief, I've found it helpful to go back in history and read how people coped during tough times. I'm reading about the dust bowl years (1930s) and compared to what those people dealt with, we have it easy. We have abundant clean air to breathe and they didn't have it for years.

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    1. That's great advice Susan. We are fortunate in so many ways, like communicating via the internet for one.Thank you for the kind comment.
      Jacquie x

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  15. So glad you are back Jacquie you have been greatly missed but understand time and space is sometimes needed along lifes journey. Ravensberg puzzles are such good quality and the pictures always lovely detail.
    Your kitchen garden looks great,it is so nice to grow your own fresh fruit and veg. Sending love and happy thoughts x

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    1. Thank you, sorry about the lack of reply to your kind comment. Sending love to you too x

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  16. You have been missed Jacquie.
    I've been shielding at home for 97 days now due to rare disease and weekly chemo. It's been ok for the most part but with other things happening and the cancellation of DD's wedding that should have been today, a heart stent for hubby and other stuff my mental health too has taken a tumble. Anxiety levels are at a high for many and like a lot of people I think some are just not taking enough care.
    Warmest wishes to you and the family as we leave spring and enter into summer, your veggies and garden will be a welcome place to find solace and enjoy. Take care.

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    1. Thank you Julie. I do hope things are going ok with you after all this time xxx

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  17. Lovely to hear from you again. My but you have eben so busy. Love the pinnies!

    We are still in isolation and to be honest I don't miss the shopping at all Tesco has been great and it's a shop I had never used before. I do miss the coffee mornings with my sister & friends at Costa, evening meals with other friends and my friends on our Beamish quilting days. I am just counting my blessings & not what I am missing.

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    1. Thank you Winifred. I'm still using Tesco for delivery, it's been a godsend xx

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  18. Great to see that you are blogging again with lots of lovely photos. The two aprons show your eye for colour and for neatness. Your niece will probably treasure the personalised card much more than a shop bought one! I understand your reluctance to walk in unfamiliar territory at the moment but find that if I take responsibility for social distancing, I can cope with my daily walk - I always carry a mask, always cross the road, always take evasive action on a path, even if it means standing in the undergrowth with my back to other walkers! I must have developed a thicker skin as I no longer care if people think I'm mad!! Harder to deal with is being separated from our 'boys' who are both living alone hundreds of miles away. Let's hope the situation improves over the summer. Vicki in the East Riding p.s. how are the veg doing? We have never had such prolific or early crops!

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    1. Thank You Vicki, I have got braver over the summer, but I'm still pretty cautious about social distancing. Just hope these vaccines are the solution we all need xxx

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  19. So happy to see your lovely post.

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  20. So happy to see your lovely post.

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  21. What a beautiful post. I love the aprons and the Liberty shop drawing, you are very artistic.

    And WOW ... there was a lot crammed in that shed in the first photo of it :-)

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    1. Thank you ...the shed is back to messy again now :0)

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  22. Wonderful post and all your projects are beautiful. I think no matter where we are there is the same feeling as we have never had this experience. In the US we are starting to open up a little but I'm still very cautious and wear my mask and use wipes. I now order my groceries online and pick them up. I don't have to get out of the car but just pop the trunk open. I'm going to continue to do this as it saves so much time. Glad you're well and I always love reading your blog. I picked green beans out of my garden today!!

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    1. Hi Judy, hope you are still well. I love click and collect too :0) x

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  23. I found you at last Jacquie!! Lots of wonderful eye candy here...a marvelous post. I like those aprons very smart. It has been awhile...10 months away from blogging to be exact ...far too long...sigh!! Life does get in the way sometimes. I am at present contacting all my blogfriends on my blog list to invite everyone to enter my Fresh Start giveaway on my blog. I thought that it would "lift our spirits a bit" in these troubled times. keep well Amanda :-)

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    1. Hi Amanda, thanks for the kind message. Think I'm a bit late for the giveaway :0)

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  24. It has been so stressful hasn't it. I worked in school throughout the lockdown and up to last Friday I felt nervous about going in but it soon became another bubble for me. I have not been supermarket shopping except our local co-op and I am sure I don't miss it! We are taking tentative steps back out into the world but our garden has been our sanctuary these past months. I am glad you are feeling better about the situation, I loved catching up with you and your family. Take carde
    love Lyn xx

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  25. Hello, Jacquie...I have missed your lovely blog and am happy to see that you have returned...smile! Can you explain how you are doing your temperature blanket using the ripple stitch? Are you doing one row for EVERY day, or are you combining them somehow to keep the blanket at a manageable length? Whatever recommendations that you would be willing to share would be most appreciated...thank you very much!!

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    1. Hi Corinne, my blanket this year just uses the weekly high and low temperatures....very manageable :0)

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  26. I loved your catch-up, Jacquie! I was thrilled to see all of your handiwork; I have been unable to access mine since early March as we've been packing, setting things in storage, and working to list the house for sale. We are now at that limbo stage where we wait for the house to sell so we can move on and resume our lovely little home life. Oh, the projects I have in mind! New kitchen aprons are at the top of my list, so I loved seeing yours. Well done!

    It is good visiting like this again; I have even dusted off my old blog and am getting back into the swing of things. Maybe you remember my old name from a decade and a half ago? It was Celtic Mom. It's so lovely to reconnect with old friends. :)

    I hope all is still going well.
    Shani (Happiest at Home)

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    1. Sorry I didn't see your lovely kind message at the time Shani. Hope you are still well x

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  27. Hi Jackie. My first time posting on your blog. I used to follow your blog and others years ago. Happy to see you are okay. Love your blog. Please continue soon as it helps to keep many of us inspired.

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    1. I'm back eventually. As somebody said the other day...we are all in survival mode at the moment...so go easy on yourself x

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  28. Hello Jacquie I have been away from blog land for quite sometime ...almost a year. I am finally back and trying to renew contact with all blogfriends . I am so pleased to see you are back blogging again too. I see you have kept yourself very busy throughout these difficult times probably the best way to cope during our enforced isolation. Here in Spain we were not allowed to leave the house /home at all not even to get daily exercise except shopping for supplies. The situation has improved now of course but I feel until we have a valid vaccination we will not be getting back to a normal life any time soon. keep well Amanda x

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    1. Hi Amanda. Here's hoping we get that vaccination ASAP xx

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  29. so lovely to see you blogging ...i often see your lovely posts on instagram, but i miss everyones blogs in blogland, always seemed more meaningful in a lot of ways...I know its been such a worry this Covid-19 pandemic i just have felt uneasy and on edge thinking about it. Its the what ifs mainly and with parents going through cancer its even more highlighted the vulnerable. But like you I like to escape into the joys and try and keep my mind positive...Ive decided to do a lot more walking these next months...we love exploring the area around devon and cornwall where we are...lovely to see your makes and country and home life, stay cosy , kazzy ;) x

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    1. So sorry about the super late reply Kazzy. Yes blogland is special. I need to remember that. Well done on the walking xx

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  30. Hope you are OK Jacqui, haven't 'seen' you around in a while. Sending kind thoughts. Jo xxx

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    1. So sorry I missed your message Jo. Off to look at your posts now xx

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  31. Hi Jacquie
    Just checking in with you that you are well and staying that way. I love this post but sense a bit of sadness. Know this : there are a lot of people who care about you and have enjoyed your posts for a very long time. XXXX
    Here in my part of Australia, we have gone from matching the UK for cases back in July to now having only 1 a day, with about 105 active cases. The state of Victoria in Australia has been locked down since we had in the mid 700s, with restrictions on movement (no more than 5km unless you held a permit), one person to do the shopping and restrictions on visiting family and friends (don't). The country areas, where I live, came out of the heavy lockdown earlier when we had no active cases in our communities, but we were discouraged from travelling to the city which was still bubbling away. Everyone was encouraged to work from home unless the job couldn't be done from home. That still stands to a large degree. Children have only just started going back to school. Our school year runs from February to December, with our year 12 students entering the exam period at the moment. They've had an awful year with about a fortnight of attending physical school. Special dispensation is being given to all of them for the stress of what they've been through.
    We expect that our state will be cautiously open by the beginning of November, but masks and social distancing measures will still be in place. Restaurants will be operating under different models and large gatherings will still be discouraged. We know that there is still virus out there, undiagnosed in some areas, so caution reigns.
    These are tough times, but we have to remember that our grandparents and great grandparents went through five years of hell, plus all the economic hardship that went with it.
    At sometime this will pass and we will be able to look back on these times with a sense of accomplishment that we have pulled together, while staying apart, to ensure that harm has been minimised.
    Take care XXXXX

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    1. Hi Robyn, thank you so much for your lovely comment. So much wisdom in what you shared xxx

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