This is what greeted me this morning....loads of snow.  It looks so pretty but it does cause so much chaos in this country!! Traffic at a standstill and the usual spate of accidents.  Never mind...Spring is surely on its way.  I haven't blogged for the last couple of days because stress levels have been running at full speed.  Basically I was being blackmailed over the weekend by my purchaser who was going to knock off large sums of money daily unless we exchanged.....so to cut a very long story short we exchanged on the sale yesterday without the security of a house to move into.  So ... now Emma and Jack are also about to be made homeless.  We are still hopeful that our vendors mortgage offer will come through soon...but are now looking at alternatives.  We simply can't afford to wait around for ever.  What a nightmare it's all been.  NEVER again!!!!

How I love the Fluf- a -torium in Dorking.  It feels like heaven walking around the shop and imbibing the atmosphere and colour.  I treated myself to some more fibres for felting and spinning, and also a new book on felting.  It has given me inspiration already...my head is now a-buzzing with ideas.  I'm off to meet a friend in Brighton today.  I love a good old chat over coffee and (you've guessed it!) cake.   Yesterday I thought we were ready to exchange on properties only to discover that the vendors' mortgage has not come through.  I had to tell my solicitors as they didn't know.  In fact I now have two letters from my soliticors saying all parties are ready to exchange and complete!!  Maybe I know their job better than they do?????

I got slightly carried away yesterday when I  brought out some fleece for spinning......I have found that spinning is good for stress - as you can imagine I need to be spinning constantly at the moment!!  I always vowed I would never get stressed out with moving house (I have in fact done it so many times before I have lost count) - but this time the frustration has been no communication, and  then .when there is communication there have been more and more queries by our purchaser's solicitor.  So.......another day of hoping and wondering.....although I shan't be sitting around as I have promised myself a trip to Fluffatorium! Have a good day x

This is my new shed....small but perfectly formed.  Actually, it isn't pretty but it will be so practical.....particularly because of the light.  The large amount of glass window means that I shan't need electric lights....and the work surface is such a good size, with plenty of storage underneath for bowls and buckets.  The shed is only 6ft x 6ft but this will be fine for my messy work, dyeing, painting etc.  The cleaner stuff - i.e. sewing, spinning. felting etc. will be done inside the house (when we get it!!)  Still news, so I have been busy doing other things.  I'm off to line dancing this morning.  Last night we had an amazing choir practice and next week we sing with the orchestra for the first time.  Baby Olivia is still in hospital with jaundice but is gradually improving...

I enjoyed an early Mother's Day lunch on the bank of the River Thames, which was great....and then....joy of joys....the sun peeped out!  I rushed outside to take a photograph!  And then again in the early evening the sun shone over the Oxfordshire countryside.  The light was fantastic - so again another photograph to capture the moment.  Yesterday's blog must have worked because the sun is shining again this morning. I really understand the phrase "my spirit soars..." because that's what mine does when the sun shines.   Hopefully my spirit will soar once again this week if we can possibly manage to exchange contracts.  It's all become a bit of a fantasy now....in other  words I shall believe it when it actually happens!! (needless to say I am talking about the house move).  I must try and   She has a bit of jaundice but mother and baby progressing well!  

Wow!  What a day yesterday.......I have just woken from the most marvellous sleep - and boy, did I need it!!  Jack enjoyed his birthday and is looking forward to building his latest Lego.....it seemed rather appropriate therefore to add these pictures of a builder's yard in Hastings...isn't the old wood beautiful?  Thinks......maybe it would be quicker to build myself a house!!!  It's actually been good to have something else to think about...and today I'm off to Oxford to see family....I'm going to let mother and baby have time to recover from a rather traumatic birth before heading further north...so am happily having time with another granddaughter today.  Hopefully some creative thoughts will start pouring into my head...but yet another grey day isn't desperately inspiring.  How we all need the sun......come on Spring....do your stuff!  For all those of you who live in exotic places like Italy (!)...count your blessings.... x

SHE'S ARRIVED111  A baby girl born 2 hours ago....on Jack's 10th birthday!  What a lovely birthday present for him.....and what are the odds on that?  My two youngest  grandchildren sharing a birthday....that will be one less date to remember!!! She (nameless at the moment) is 8 lb 3 oz so a good size.....parents are exhausted, so more news later.  I shall get my camera ready to start clicking.....I'm sooooooo excited.  Can't wait to cuddle her.  Today I shall concentrate on the big birthday boy.......and then concentrate on the little girl! Have a good day.......