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This is intended to be mainly about my crafting stories, as a personal record of what I do. However, I interpret crafting quite widely, not just paper crafting but other things too. I have a butterfly mind and like to change from one thing to another depending on what I feel like on a given day - knitting, crochet, cross-stitch, cards, baking and several others, including my favourite right now, parchment, both traditional skills and Groovi, very relaxing and calming to do.

I have decided to put some structure into my blog so that each day will have something of a theme.
Monday- for Mindfulness; Tuesday - Tidy Up Day; Wednesday - What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday; Thursday - Technique and Tips; Friday - Finish Off Day; Saturday - Start Something New; Sunday - Anything Goes
These themes are not hard and fast and will be changed if I feel the need.

Wednesday 30 May 2012

WOYWW - 156 Back from holiday

Thank you to those who emailed me to see if I was well, because I had been missing in action for a couple of weeks.  Your thoughts are so welcome and appreciated.  I am absolutely fine.  My reasons for being missing were holiday, a week in Norfolk.  Whoever decided we should travel on a Friday wanted shooting - I am sure it was not me.  The traffic was dreadful, especially around Norwich, with so many changes of lane and islands to negotiate, especially with a caravan on the back.  Our longest delay, though, was for the apparently notorious Elveden crossroads and traffic lights - we queued for over half an hour before we even got to them. 

We arrived on site around 3.30pm in brilliant sunshine, to be met with a very welcome cup of tea from the site wardens, before being shown to our pitch, just next to the dog walk - ideal for first thing in the morning and last thing at night.  We just had time to set up and put the awning up before the rain set in.  For the next three days, we did not turn the heating off in the caravan, and if you poked your nose out of the car at the sea, you risked having it blown off.

Then on Tuesday, we woke to brilliant, wall to wall sunshine and heat, and spent the rest of the week dodging from shade to shade to avoid sunstroke.  We had a great trip on the Broads from Wroxham, round a couple of the closer Broads, and the dogs were totally exhausted by having to be good and quiet and still for so long, tucked under the table between us.

Wednesday was harder, a walk round the grounds of Sheringham Park.  It would have been fine if we had not taken the signposted"short cut" back to the car park - BIG mistake, hard walking and in full sun (the moral was don't take short cuts - they take longer with much harder walking, and mobility scooters don't work on them).  On the positive side, the azaleas were glorious and beautifully perfumed, well worth seeing .

Our last day was spent on the Bure Valley Narrow Gauge Railway.  Again, very tired dogs, having to be so good for so long, again tucked under our feet in the shade.

My only crafting for the week was crocheting Jozarty's shawl/scarf, and I now need to find a charity shop with necklaces to take apart for the beads I need for the finishing touches.  Since getting home, I have spent a fortune online.  I needed some batteries for the smoke alarms and a few other bits of equipment, a Tilley Hat to protect me from the sun (have you noticed the change in weather already) and a batch of Aran wool to knit a sweater for my husband, the same as the one he used to have - that will keep me going for a while.

Sorry if this has been a little longer than ideal, Julia, but I have missed two weeks, so I hope you can forgive me.  Our internet connection while we were away was dreadfully slow and unreliable, so I soon gave that one up.  I hope you will find lots more desks to wander round if you just call in at Julia's Place.  If you are kind enough to visit me and leave a comment, I will do my best to get back to you asap.

22 comments:

Jacqui's little piece of England said...

Welcome back Maggie, your photo's are lovely, glad you had a good time, I have just arrived home from Suffolk after a week with my daughter and Barbara Gray :) now to get back to my own style of crafting slow time :)

ScrappnBee said...

Welcome back from holiday! Glad that the rain did not keep you down! Those doggies must have been saints to kep kept in the carivan so long! Thanks for sharing! Happy WOYWW Birthday!!! -Amanda x113

Shaz in Oz.CalligraphyCards said...

Hi there Maggie, well what do you know - you had it hot and I had it cold - or cool anyway!! had to smile at your heatstroke issues when mine was almost chillblain-like at the beginning! Not an idea what I am rambling on about - it is your UK weather of course!! I am back blogging and my post will explain more in full! and I am taking from your comment at the end we have been asked to keep our WOYWW post brief, well did not know and so mine was not...happy 3rd WOYWW Shaz in oz.x #35

sandra de said...

Hello Maggie, lovely to see you are back in woyww. I have a little atc that I am sending to lovely woyww who have always made helpful and supportive comments on my blog. If you would like to give me you addie please email me on desand@optusnet.com.au
Sandra de

Twiglet said...

Looks like a fab holiday.
Happy WOYWW 3rd anniversary.
We have made some fab blogging friends through our mad blog hop haven't we!!
Have a great week. x Jo

Victoria said...

Looks like a fab holiday email me on angeldrummer@hotmail.co.uk for your atc x

Sarn said...

Hi Maggie . . . Happy WOYWW to you. Sounds like you had a pretty good break after the lousy weather at the start.

Hugs
Sarn xxx

Elizabeth said...

Hi Maggie, welcome back! Love the photos taken on your holiday, especially that first one - very atmospheric. I think we've all been trying to keep to the shade these last few days. Today it's wall-to-wall shade here in Ayrshire and threatening to rain ... I hope it's just temporary :) I'm planning to take my crochet away on holiday too and, as we will be on the move a lot, I don't expect to be able to blog much then either. Happy WOYWW and enjoy what's left of the day. Elizabeth x #96

SandeeNC said...

Sounds like you had a good time on your vacation, love the pictures! Weird how the weather can be during spring, warm, hot, cold...never know what to wear! I hope you are having a great WOYWW day and hopefully you will show a picture of all the ATC's, that would be great fun to see! waving hi from the hills of North Carolina :)

Helen said...

Happy WOYWW and glad you had a lovely holiday - I love Norfolk but haven't visited for some time. Helen, 8

Princess Judy Palmer said...

I love the photo of the stormy pier. I would have loved to have been there for the storms as gray, rainy days are few and far between here. Your other pictures are fab too, looks like good times were had by all. And tired puppies are always good, keeps 'em out of mischief.

Lunch Lady Jan said...

Lovely to see you back, Maggie - glad you had a wonderful holiday - you sure picked the right week to go!!
Happy 3rd WOYWW
HUgs, LLJ #65 xx

Emma Williams said...

Lovely to see you back...I was wondering where you were and hoping all was ok!!
Thank you for sharing all your lovely photos and I'm glad that you had a wonderful time.
Hope you are well...
Love Emma xxx

Anne said...

Glad you enjoyed your holiday. I've never been to Norfolk its on my list of 'things to do' My Son and family going next week - camping! hope weather won't be too bad. Belated Happy 3rd WOYWW Anniversary. Anne x

Angie said...

So glad you had a good holiday ...I too enjoyed my break. Your post brought back wonderful memories of two wonderful holidays on the broads when the kids were in their early teens. We started at Wroxham.
The best thing I took on holiday this time was my knitted 'jo's Scarf'.Even though we had a heat wave it was chilly on a tour bus and on a boat on the loch and it was easy to pop on and off.
.Happy 3rd woyww birthday

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

Maggie, I swear it sounds like you ran into my kind of weather I had yesterday. Glad the sun came out, but hope you didn't get a sunburn. I missed you. Happy day after WOYWW from #2.

Linda Simpson said...

Lovely to see you back Maggie and thank you for sharing your photos of your holiday. I am looking forward to seeing more of your work soon.

Hugs
Linda xxx

Eliza said...

Sounds like you had a wonderful holiday welcome back, sad you had to use the heater for a few days, we are using it all the time here now in Australia as it is now winter here.

Happy 3rd Anniversary WOYWW
Eliza #140
http://queenartoypia.blogspot.com.au/

Bernie said...

Glad you had a lovely holiday and you're home safe. Thank you for sharing all your lovely photos.
Hugs

Ali said...

Oooh your holiday sounds lovely. Welcome back and happy WOYWW anniversary! :)

Ali #86

Hettie said...

Welcome back Maggie. Glad you had some good weather. Not looking like we are going to see good weather for a week or so now!
Happy Crafting and Dobby sends a licks to your 4 legged friends!
Hugs
Hettie xx

ScrappnBee said...

Hi Maggie! Sorry I missed you somehow! (*blush*) I will definately e-mail you at scrappnbee@yahoo.com and will send you an ATC too if you send me your address! Love the post! (never trust a shortcut! LOL) -Amanda