Thursday, April 14, 2016

To Mums & Back Again ...................

Greetings dear friends & readers
I had a good trip to Mums although my visits are never long enough now to achieve all that I would hope to.

Mums beautiful cat - formerly Marley, now named Bubby - has been with her just over a year now.
They have a bit of a love/hate relationship to tell the truth ... but Bubby is good company for Mum.
I just adore her & could easily have sneaked to into my car when I left.


Mum turned 87 while I was there & I cooked a family dinner for all of us.
To be honest, whenever I leave Mums I usually spend the 4 hour trip home worrying & fretting over her & wishing I lived closer.
I often feel quite anxious ....   so I was lucky enough to be able to call to see my lovely friend Claire on my way home.
Claires gorgeous home has featured often in my blog & a visit with her is always such a tonic & a "pick-me-up" 
 We chatted, ate slices & drank coffee & suddenly .... well over 2 hours had gone by !!!!

I clicked away & put together a few little collages of Claires home to share with you

Her Mum crocheted her the beautiful ripple blanket above on Claires spare bed

Besides being just "one of lifes nice people" Claire is especially kind & generous & always happy to show me her new creations & share her inspiration
This is one of the things I love about visiting her as - on my drive home, instead of worrying & fretting over Mum for 4 hours, my mind spins with all sorts of creative pursuits & things I would wish to make !!!!!
In her spare room, Claire pulled out a big old vintage suitcase & begun showing me some christmas makes she had completed last holiday season
Her beautiful Easter Table .  .  .

I tried really hard to sneak this next little vignette into my car ... but alas I was not successful

Claires new vintage table in her lounge room
And lastly, Claire had just made her bed up with quilts & cushions in warmer tonings ready for the cooler months ahead .... just stunning
 I hope you enjoyed your little peek into my friends gorgeous home.

Mum informed me quite bluntly upon my arrival, she was NOT sitting waiting while I "trawled endlessly around the Op Shops" this visit !!!
Who ?????   Moir ?????
But while Mum was having her hair done on her birthday, I managed to have a quick squizzy around 3 of them.
These little treasures below were rather quickly hidden in the car 

We went to the Garden Centre to buy vege plants so I could plant Mums raised garden up for winter.
While there she secretly bought me this cute little planter as a "thank you" for all my work .  .  .
Since my arrival home I have planted the pots with Mint & Parsley.

I am most happy to report that as I type this .... the Plasterer is currently beginning our lounge room plastering
Oh yes ...... at long, long, looonnnng last !!!!!!!
I was also happy to see that Madam Pippi was checking he did bring all the correct tools he might need in his wagon !!!!

However, there are two things I am not quite so happy to report upon my return home .  .  .
(1) The cat baskets on the table appear to have multiplied & now the little sods have one each !!!!!!!!

(2) The Mr appears to have broken his leg the very day I returned home !!!!
Knocked over by a cow who then stood on him no less !!!
Right in the middle of autumn calving !!!!
Oh the absolute joys of it all !!!!
I shall get around to visiting you all at your blogs as soon as I manage to stop grinding my teeth !!!

Have a wonderful weekend dear readers ... thanks so very much for your visits today
with much love & friendship,
Julie & the (spoilt) furry ones
x0x0x0x

19 comments:

  1. Many happy returns to your mum! Your friend has a wonderful creative style very similar to yours, her home looks cosy and welcoming with all her lovely crafts. I am so glad for you that the plastering is about to commence! soon you will be able to pretty things up and it will feel like yours again. Sorry to see your hubby's broken leg - get well soon! Betty x

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  2. Gosh hope that leg mends soon! What a nightmare! I love seeing pics of your friend Claire's house, she has soooo many pretty things - love how her little egg shelf has one missing lol - if it was my house there'd be no eggs left on that shelf!!!!
    Have a good week,,
    Jillxxx

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    1. Hello Jill, thank you ...I totally agree about the egg shelf ... it would have none left if it was a my house too ...& I would be the culprit !!!!

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  3. Pleased to see you have arrived home safe and sound after a nice week with your Mum and a quick visit with Claire! 2 hours is not enough time to spend there is it?
    Sorry to hear about the Mr, not good timing at all... do you have to go to work as his replacement?
    You sure are going to be busy once the plasterer has finished... can't wait to see it finished:O)
    Blessings
    Michelle

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  4. Whey~Hey! Nice to see you back Julie...
    Pussy~cats and all. Pleased you had a good
    time with Mum, and, Bubby looks lovely!
    I expect there good for each other! And, what
    better company can one have, other than a
    pussy~cat! Bless!
    And, Pippi checking things out....Bit of a bossy
    boots. I did say in a previous post when l saw
    the second basket...that now they'll have one
    each! HeHe! :).

    Must say...Claire's things look lovely, can't
    blame you for wanting to slip something away!
    The vintage table in her lounge, looks rather
    nice...!

    And, the poor Mr...Oh! Dear! A broken leg!
    Sounds as though the cows over there, are
    just as 'daft' as they are over here! :).
    Made me chuckle though...I bet Pippi and Blackie
    are thinking...Oh! Look! A mobile scratching board! :).
    Hope it mends soon! Bless!x

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  5. How you feel when you visit Claire is just how I feel when I visit you! I'm sure glad she is happy for you to share her lovely home with us too! Yippie the plaster is finially there!

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  6. Oh my goodness...it never rains, it pours, doesn't it. Your poor husband. Such a terrible thing to happen in the middle of calving season. Yay for the plasterer.......I can predict a new and beautiful loungeroom on the horizon. Your mum reminds me so much of my darling mum. She always cross at me for dragging some treasure from op shops. She would never darken the threshold of one neither. Happy birthday to your mum. Oh how beautiful are those vignettes of Claire's home. Soooooo many pretties to salivate over. Love that tiny square patchwork quilt and that crochet beauty.....oh my! I love those two suitcases resting on the table trestles.....are they tin?? I hope those itty bitty calves will enter your happy place okay. Xx

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  7. ohhh HAPPY BIRTHDAY to your mum!
    thanx for the lovely tour of your friends home
    & poor hubby, broken leg, bugga! hope he gets well soon!
    love that Pippi! cheeky cats but i think it's nice they each have their own baskets!
    thanx for sharing

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  8. Hi Julie,a big happy birthday to your mum,,I really enjoyed your post,I love your friends home so much to see ,such inspiration,and it was nice you got to spend time with your mum xx

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  9. Hi Julie Goodness, this post is full of ups and downs. But, saying that, is there anything better than popping in on a good friend for some heart-lifting moments. Yes, she is a creative lady, indeed. I loved her Easter table. I know it is hard and you do worry about loved ones when there is a distance between you but you do what you have to do. And how sweet that kitties have their own baskets to stretch out in. Audrey needs her own basket to stretch and heal these days. Loved cats do have the good life. Sending a hug from Canada. Deb

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  10. Hi Julie!
    Your friend Claire is so clever just like you!
    I wish I lived closer to my mom, too.
    Your kitties are such snuggle bugs.
    Finally, POOR HUBBY!

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  11. Nice to see you back again and good to hear you had a good stay with your Mum! What no time for you to check out the op shops?? Yur Mum needs some knitting or a good book!! Lol!! Your friends house is beautiful!! Hee hee, cats know the best don't they!! Two baskets now!! Oh I hope hubby is ok, not the best time of the year for this to happen....bad cow!!!

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  12. LOVED you return to home blog post, Julie, and laughed as you described time with your mum. What a wonderful character she must be. :-)
    Swooning, absolutely swooning over Claire's home. Sigh.

    Hope the Mister recovers swiftly. I'm sure the cow didn't mean him any harm. I adore cows...perhaps I should adopt her?? :-)

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  13. Your mum is doing well at 87 Julie, she is still quite independent isn't she? Your friends house is gorgeous,no wonder you snap away with your camera, lots of inspiration for you there. Love the little basket, we would have had our elbows out over that one!! Poor Mr, does this mean he will be housebound and under your feet for a while? Twin baskets for sleeping in, that is very funny.

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  14. I'm sorry....but the cats basket multiplying is just too funny. lol!! They appear to be
    very happy with themselves. They don't rule the house. Hope the leg gets better. Claire's
    house would be uplifting for anyone, what a beautiful and warm home. I love the Christmas
    quilt, that's very inspiring.

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  15. The cat boxes multiplied! ha! ha! this really had me laughing - one each is only fair! I see the Mr might be a bit of a softie regarding those cats! Claire's house is simply gorgeous! No wonder you love going there. Such inspiration and beautiful things. So good to see the plasters vechicle there - of course inspection is needed - after all got to make sure he brought all the right stuff and doesn't have an excuse to drive away again! Your Mum certainly has your number about op shops - what a character, bet she knew where you had snuck away to! Wonder how your dear hubby is gonna find a gum boot that fits over his cast - I'll be betting he doesn't want to sit around all day!

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  16. Cant believe I missed this post! As usual Claires home is looking gorgeous! I am guessing since the Mr is out of action you will be in action??? How is the building going-almost finished??

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  17. I hope you aren't called in to help chase cows while the Mr mends, Julie... with all that inspiration buzzing around in your head, who would know how creatively the calf eartagging would go...or worse! Good that you had a nice visit at your Mum's, I worry being so far from my Mum too. Yaay for the plasterer's arrival!

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  18. Hello dear Julie, oh dearie me...the broken leg! What tricky timing. Does that mean you'll be called upon to help out with the calves? I guess it would have been even worse a month or two ago in the middle of the renovation....imagine him tripping over plaster board in the night.
    Claire's place was a delightful distraction on your journey home. Always much creative goings on at her house. What a sweetie your mum's cat is. I rather like the short haired tabby's. Well at least it's still quite mild so not too much firewood lugging yet. I'll pop on through & chat some more on your next post. Much love Catherine x0x0x

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