text: Just-Jake (keeping all my balls in the air): January 2010
  Posted by jakey at 4:20 pm No comments: Links to this post
  ....or that is the joke in the house today, anyway.
  The reason for this uncommon mirth is that the boys are off to an event in London shortly and I, being left behind on my own, will have no idea how to operate the TV. Vin has offered to write me a detailed guide - with diagrams if necessary - so that should I decide to settle down later with the pup on my knee I will at least be able to turn the damned thing on, if not find something worth watching. Unbelievably, I haven't always been this useless. Once I could flippantly flick between channels like the best of them (when we only had four, admittedly), I could turn on and off... well it was manual those days, see? I could even switch to aux and insert, play and watch a video. Probably even a DVD! But all that was before we had 77 handsets which all look the same, but apparently operate any number of functions and aspects on a television set, and the peripherals which go with it.
  We go down my Dad's quite often to re-acquant him with the buttons and whatnots on his own handsets. He forgets what does what and thinks things are broken, and last time I found him sitting with a whole draw full of batteries, sadly trying one after the other - all to no avail, before we realised he'd actually unplugged the blooming thing before he went to bed the night before, and somehow it had slipped his mind. I did ask why he had so many batteries, and did any of them actually work, but got no satifactory answer and to be honest I was so grateful we'd got it going again without WW3 erupting that I decided not to pursue it... if he's happy to have more batteries than Wilko's in his drawer who am I to argue?
  Anyway - you can see why they think I'm turning into my Dad, can't you? I can't work the telly it's true. And most of the time I don't want to, but tonight...? Yeah, maybe I will.
  So, i'm off for a crash course in domestic technology. Just hope we've got a few spent batteries kicking around in case I can't work it. It'll give me something to do trying them all out til the menfolks get home to save me from dying of boredom.
  Couple of things today: My first card for Card Patterns . It's a great template so I thought i'd have a go :-). And a layout of the boy with the pup. That dog is spoiled rotten, and very very much loved!
  Posted by jakey at 11:56 am 7 comments: Links to this post
  I've got the card-making bug...there's a lot of it about.
  Checked out the Daring 'schooldays' challenge this morning and couldn't resist. Also made another valentiney type card.. God knows what I'm going to do with them all - it's not like I have that many sweethearts!
  On the home front all is well. I've done a few extra hours at work in an attempt to limit the financial damage the snow days (weeks...) wreaked on my pocket. My menfolk are off to TNA in London tomorrow so i'll be hey there lonely girl I guess. Oh well, at least I have the pup... that's a good thing... right?
  I love her really, just wish she wasn't such a little mare all the time!
  have a great weekend all, more soon.
  Posted by jakey at 5:20 pm 5 comments: Links to this post
  The (daytime) Burns night celebrations went down well at work yesterday :-) My oldies obviously can't stay up late partying, so I threw them a bit of a do in the afternoon instead. We had Haggis with tatties and neeps which I addressed of course ;-) That came in to the sound of bagpipes...and the chef also made a fantastic Raspberry Cranachan all steeped in scotch whiskey.
  We followed this with a few of Rabbie's poems, a fun Scottish quiz, and a good sing-a-long of all the old faves to round it off. Great fun!
  I popped over to Daring Cardmakers earlier and was inspired to join in their latest 'What's the Point?' challenge. I made a valentine's card, tho I won't be able to give it to Carl now as he's blooming well seen it! Doh!
  It's my intention to make ALL my cards this year... One, in an attempt to use up some of this mountain of stash which is threatening to engulf me if I'm not careful, and two, because the car payments are gonna cripple me and I won't be able to afford to buy any !
  I've also been trying to organise my 365 pics today on Deb's advice – crikey, what a pickle I'm in already! Methinks that advice came just in time. I aim to be fully sorted by the end of the week - and have caught up on my weekly pages before the begining of Feb.
  Posted by jakey at 12:52 am 5 comments: Links to this post
  My holiday's looming... less than 7 weeks now - and the diet's gone to pot. I don't know why. I have good intentions every day, but somehow, somehow, I never quite manage to get by on a leaf and a sliver of steamed chicken. I seem to have a built in self sabotage button. If it's not wine and nibbles, it's something else.
  Today it was the choc chip cookies. Now, I made those for the boys.... I made myself a sugar free jelly which I was of course, happy to share. Unfortunately for me - and my diet - the boys generously offered to share their warm, crumbly and moist confections too, and I very nearly succumbed! Which is quite mad as I'm not even a sweet eater!
  It's the word diet that does it I reckon... as soon as I say i'm on a diet, I just wanna scoff! Anyone else find that?
  Anyway, I DIDN'T eat them. Didn't even taste them... so while the rest of the day might have been a disaster, at least I resisted the treats. :-) But boy, did they smell good!
  1. Preheat the oven to 175 C / Gas mark 4 and grease a baking tray. I'm thinking of buying some of those non stick liners you can get which you just wash and use again. If anyone spots any in Lime green please let me know where!
  2. Sift together flour, bicarb and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar and caster sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough onto the prepared baking trays, with each cookie around 4 tablespoons of dough. Do not flatten the dough. Cookies should be about 8cm apart.
  ENJOY! ( or not, if you're on a diet! lol!)
  Posted by jakey at 1:46 am 3 comments: Links to this post
  Took the pup for a lovely long walk today. Long walk for her anyway. Someone said they thought Chi's got enough exercise just running round the garden. All I can say is, they've clearly never owned one! We walked right along the old railway, past Sewell turn, and down towards the abandoned quarry at the lower end of Totternhoe - a good few miles, there and back. Think she was tired? Nah.... I mean,I was.... but her? No chance!!
  I'm still trying to find time to do a bit of crafting, but my free hours just run away from me. I have a new crochet set( xmas pressie) and I really really want to learn. Anyone been buying the new Art of Crochet Partworks on sale now? I was tempted but being skint had to say no. I think i'll try google and youtube instead, never know what you might find there. And I also found this place - which might be good too - need to check it out.
  In the meantime, I made a LO - I have so few pics of me and Carl and all the kids together, seemed a shame not to :-)
  anyway - gotta run, got a roast on and i'm starving... it's all that exercise see... just makes you hungry! :-)
  Posted by jakey at 6:34 pm 1 comment: Links to this post
  I'm going to do something tomorrow that i've never done before.... and that's no small feat for a scaredy cat old bird like me who resists change at all costs.
  I'm going to pick up a brand new car.
  That's a 'New' car...
  I know....Don't really go together those words, do they?
  Everyone knows I'm the original banger queen... never had a decent car in my life as i've never really been that bothered what I drive as long as it gets me there, and hopefully back again in one piece. But the time has come - and with the gov't scrappage scheme, it'd be mad not to - so I'm finally saying farewell to my ancient fiesta - which I love... but with luck, also waving goodbye to all the horrendous garage bills she constantly saddles me with.
  In honour of this momentous event, I made a LO to mark the occasion.
  I'm sure photo's of the sparkly machine will grace this blog before very long - well, assuming I manage to make it home from the other end of town behind the wheel of something which actually goes, without mishap....
  So! Stay tuned!
  Posted by jakey at 9:28 pm 2 comments: Links to this post
  Posted by jakey at 8:31 am 4 comments: Links to this post
  Hysterical - Who doesn't love General Larry!
  And in a bid to bring some summery cheer back into my snow filled, windy, rainy, cold and miserable old january life - I made a layout - Hope it cheers you up too, if only coz it reminds that summer WILL come again soon... we have to have hope!
  Posted by jakey at 11:15 am 3 comments: Links to this post
  With cold on the brain - it's absolutely bitter here, and no let up in sight - I decided to scrap the picture I took this morning as today's 365 photo. I was feeling a bit down. The snow's been a nightmare and I was again unable to get into work. I don't have the luxury of being paid when I'm not there so obviously I was thinking about losing money again, and feeling a bit sorry for myself.
  Just after Carl left (he walks) I looked out of the window to see how bad it was and check on state of the road outside. Looking down, I spotted a message on my windscreen... 'I love you' scrawled in the snow :-) Now, anyone will tell you, Carlo's not the most romantic man... but c'mon... how sweet is that? I just had to take a snap, and then I thought "why not scrap it too?"
  It's not hybrid, though it looks it. It's not rocket science either... nor cutting edge. But it's done - and as it's the first i've done in months, I'm happy. I'm back!
  Posted by jakey at 10:22 pm 3 comments: Links to this post
  After a four month break, i'm back.
  Life's been manic to say the least, I don't know how I've got through it all, or where the time's gone but after a four month break I've realised miss my blog and really miss crafting, so for now, it's back to both of them :-)
  NOT that anyone will notice, so it's really just for me, but then what does it matter who sees/reads/responds anyway? It's just somewhere to put my pretties and hopefully motivate me to make some more.