Lots going on here.

I have been very distracted for the last week. A combination of family demands, garden pressures and writers block have kept me away. I have been dropping in to leave the odd comment here and there. I have managed to keep up with my blog reading, but no travels around the world, and almost keep up with emails. 
No sewing apart from the Tee Pee, no crochet, no Knitting and sadly no EPP stitching.

However, a trumpet fanfare here.......

I have booked my tickets for the NEC Quilt Show, and a hotel for 3 nights. Francesca is joining me and we are turning it into a mini break. We will get to the hotel just after lunch on Friday and then have a scoot round the shops and sights bsfore finding somewhere to have a delicious dinner. We have tickets for Saturday and Sunday, it will take both days to see some of what I want to see.
We will check out on Monday morning and head off in our diverse ways after a light lunch. It is just under 3 hours for me and there is free car parking. The NEC is a short taxi ride away but we plan to walk there and ride back, weather permitting, not unduly laden down with goodies, well maybe just a bag or 3.....each.

The wind has been tempestuous here but my only victim was a courgette plant that lost a few leaves. My fault entirely as I forgot to move it into shelter. The squashes are in their stations and although small look very healthy. Most of the tomatoes are in their final pots or beds, I just have 3 to plant in the greenhouse. The cucumbers will be sited by the weekend and then I can relax and take a few breaths.

We are having some resurfacing work done to the main road through the village over the next week, starting today, yesterday I braved the elements and went to Lidl to stock up with perishables, the work can take it's time now as I  will  not need to drive for at least 2 weeks.

The trip out on Friday went well, the Dinosaur Park is absolutely perfect for 3 to 8 year olds, most of the attractions are free, some require a 2p piece and there is one remote controlled car game that takes 50p and a spectacularly hopeless pair of JCB style diggers that cost £1. If you go there keep well away from those. 
The entrance fee is just under £10, I got a princely reduction of 70p as an OAP, but it is very good value for money.

BTW guess who forgot to put batteries in her camera, the ones that she charged up ready for the day.

The cafe serves a small menu of something with chips, or jacket potatoes with a selection of fillings. The portions are quite generous and nothing was more than £5. There are pic nic tables available but the weather report was not fantastic so we decided against taking food.
There were 3 littlies with us and the staff were happy to serve 1 child meal with 2 extra plates, we knew that the cousins would be too excited to do more than pick at some food. Mamgu did bring some of her brownies and I took some rice crispy cakes and 3 bags of quavers. Between us we also took bottles of blackcurrant squash and water, this kept us all going happily. We did a lot of walking and needed the sugar and drinks to keep up with the littlies.

These comments are my own, I am not being rewarded, I am pleased to share them, if you are in, or going to be in, the area it is well worth a visit.

Our 3 had to be peeled away because they were so tired they were visibly drooping, all were asleep withing minutes of leaving and all slept late the next morning.

Now I am off to hang washing out, the sun is shining and the air is balmy.

                  TTFN                                                              Pam