Kindness in abundance - Thank you

Have you ever seen 

as many or as beautiful flowers

as all the ones I received for my birthday

I’ve had a wonderful week of it.

Outings galore

With more to come

I’ve had some super presents and cards that made me laugh and cry

And some that were totally unexpected

Now I’m packing my bag ready for a trip down to stay with my sister

in Witney, Oxford.  Fingers crossed we will get to stop off at friends Vix & Jon

on the way back

VIX BLOG

Thank you for all your lovely birthday wishes.

The pension party week has been wonderful

Take care and see you soon 

Lynn 

X

Ps. No desk Julia, I’ve been far to busy, sorry heehee

Linking up with 

WHATS ON YOUR WORKDESK WEDNESDAY

From 16-66 in the blink of an eye

Happy 66th birthday to me.

I’m now officially a pensioner.

From 16 - 66 in the blink of an eye

At 16 I started work in an accounts office at Rediffusion television services.

Then I had a spell as a nanny. While the children were at school I had a job

making fire engines.

Next up came a spell behind the counter in a credit drapers before moving a few

doors up to a family run chemist. In the evenings I worked behind several bars

including a nightclub while two in the morning and on Wednesday evenings drove a taxi.

Here I am at my 21st birthday party.

All I’d ever wanted to do was drive, so when a vacancy at Davam Motor Parts

came up I mithered them to death every day until they gave me the job.

and that’s where at the age of 23 I met the love of our

adventures began.

Ten years later on a beach in Miami I said ‘You’ll do’

When the best job in the world ended I moved back into admin work and became a secretary

working with these lovelies and lots of others who are still friends and who have given me

the honour of being godmother to their gorgeous children.

For 30 plus years I’ve worked with the wandering welder

keeping our company on the straight and narrow.  Our accountant

wasn’t to know that his secretary would become one of my lifelong

best friends and give me another goddaughter.

At the age of 45, I spent an intense two years on a full time degree course

in textile design and loved it and opened up our world even more.

And now here I am at the end of my official working life and crikey

does it feel good. 50 years gone in the blink of an eye.

Bring on the next 50, there’s still lots to go at, lots to learn

and plenty of adventures to be had.

Happy pension day to me.

She said dashing off to open her cards and presents

and to get ready for another outing.

Lynn

x

Feeling so grateful for having such lovely friends and family

and for our lovely Angela who keeps my hair looking good.

There’s always lots of love, laughter, banter and cups of tea when

she is around.

Linking up with

ANNIE’S FRIDAY SMILES

Cranking up ready for the big day

Did I mention it’s my birthday this week.

It’s not while Friday but it’s already started.

Did I also mention I’m getting my pension at last.

I’ve waited till I’m 66 and now I’m going to blow the lot.

Well, the first month payment at least.

The first outing was lunch with my friend Beverley on Monday

and I’m wearing a birthday cardigan off my Mum.

The beautiful Papillon lavender plant is a gift from Bev and hubby Brian.

I share the same birth date as Instagram chum Sarah Maguire who

has a stunningly colourful cheery home in Cleckheaton.

Happy birthday Sarah for Friday.

MORE PICTURES OF SARAH’S HOME

The only bit of crafting I’ve got to show this week for What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday

is 45 rows of knitting. I only know that because I’ve got a stitch counter on the end of the needle.

So back to the birthday week

After my zoom Pilates on Tuesday morning and a visit from crafting pal Suzy Woosey

I did a quick change into this frock, made from a charity shop find barkcloth curtain,

and was off out on a trip to the cinema with my bestie and Mum.

It’s the first time we’ve been in 18 months.

We went to watch The Last Letter From Your Lover,

an adaptation from a book written by Jojo Moyes.

Great film, gorgeous outfits and fabulous 60’s/70’s music.

It was back home then after picking up fish and chips for tea.

The evening was spent testing Alexa out on the soundtrack from the film

and then we disappeared down a rabbit hole of listening to Stax soul.

And now it’s Wednesday and after Angela has done my hair we are booked in at our favourite

pub for lunch with her Mum and my hubby Philip, better known as the Wandering Welder.

To end the day there’s a zoom meeting at 7pm with the No Rules Textile Society ladies.

So I will be at my desk for a little while.

I do love a good birthday week and I’m glad that Lunch Lady Jan enjoyed her 60th

birthday celebrations. You are catching me up now Jan heehee and thank

you for the pretty card. I’m glad you liked the vintage jigsaw.

I’d like to say normal service will be resumed next week but it won’t

because I like to stretch it out as long as possible.

Stay tuned for more pension party events

Loving this retirement malarkey.

Lynn

x

Linking up with

WHATS ON YOUR WORKDESK WEDNESDAY

Soggy days and a packed week ahead

The weather has matched our mood of late, gloomy.

There’s been things thrown at us recently that have left us very sad.

Flipping it around, it’s an opportunity for us to show our metal as friends.

So here we are Saturday and it’s tipping down in Todmorden but we had a planned

visit to the new premises of  BEYOND MEASURE in Walsden, so there was no

keeping us in.

We might have had a little spend. Philip is hoping to get a cap made with the tweed pieces.

It matches his jacket perfectly. I treated myself to a desk stand, among other things,

to hold thread bobbins.

VIDEO OF SHOP

We had lunch in The Boardroom directly opposite CREATIVE WITH NATURE

a fantastic place to visit and take part in different craft workshops.

A lady in a car waved like mad at me as she passed the window seats we were sat in having lunch.

Waving back like a loony and mouthing are you okay, Philip said who was that. No idea I said,

but I think I should know. I’m hoping it’s one of my Instagram chums.

Back home and out of the rain we settled down with a cuppa and watched some old movies on the

telly. High Society with Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby & Fran Sinatra. Meet me in St. Louisa followed

with Judy Garland. We had a real chuckle but both said what brilliant films they were.

Sunday morning and it’s still dull and lashing with rain. We’ve even had the heating on.

A cup of tea and the start of my latest read before my daily Pilates practise and a shower.

After a trip out to do a couple of errands and pop in at Mum’s we rushed back home for a

late lunch. I’ve recently discovered we have Sky Arts on our telly even though we haven’t

got a Sky subscription. As far as the telly technology goes we are a right pair of Luddites.

I flicked it on and came across a brilliant programme about the late singer Joe Cocker.

As a child I remember being on a school holiday to Holland and chatting to his backing singers

while making the overnight ferry crossing. They just have found us amusing as they kept putting

money in the jukebox and letting us select the records.

At the end of the programme we said what a voice he had even in later life and smoking 40

cigarettes a day he never lost it.  

The new week is ram jam packed with my birthday activities.

I’m never one for a big party but I do love lots of get togethers with family and friends.

I’m kick starting it tomorrow with lunch with good friend Bev, mother to goddaughter Amy.

As Bev is the same age as me she’s helping me spend my first pension payment.

I keep giggling every time I say I’ll be a pensioner on Friday. Better get my bus pass ordered.

Sunshine and tears

July you have been a month of flowers, happiness

and smiles tinged with sadness.

I’ve hand stitched and machine sewn

and learnt new things along the way 

Sketching, printing, flower pressing, different techniques

for making textile samples, free machine embroidery and

patchwork.  

The sun has had his hat on so there’s been time spent

in the garden

There’s been a return to the caravan and a catch up

with friends and for Mum to have a little holiday in her favourite

place Grange Over Sands.

A chance to see the Grayson Perry tapestries

It’s been a month for the country to open its doors

again and for us to take the masks off if we want to

in public places 

It’s been lovely to see goddaughter Sofia graduate

after all her hard work and for her to be starting her

career in September 

And our beautiful niece leaves school to move on

to college and a future in teaching like her Mum.

July you’ve given us some lovely memories.

My final one is tinged with sadness as we remember

our friend Sandy.  We have hearts full of the times 

we spent together. So we will smile as we think of

you.

ANNIES FRIDAY SMILES