How did it get to be November?

Misty November mornings - clearing into. sunny days

Thank you so much to all of you who commented or emailed your good wishes for our new grand-daughter.  She is one month old today and is growing and starting to focus and smile.  We've had a few ups and downs - a virus infection which was very worrying and some problems with feeding - but progress is now being made. Daughter is now much better and the days when one of us had to spend part of each day with her to fetch and carry whilst she got over the caesarian have now passed, and she is enjoying going out with the baby in the pram even if she can't yet drive.

During all this M was at her worst - she can't bear not to be the centre of attention and is currently trying to tie me down to being at home at everyday at 4 p.m. to put her pyjamas on (don't ask why she has to do this at 4p.m. when she doesn't go to bed until 10p.m., I don't know)  as well as showering her and dressing her each morning, so my day will be condensed into the hours between 10.00 a.m. and 4 p.m. - difficult enough  to fit in everything around 11.00 a.m honey and lemon drink, 12.30, orange juice, 1.00.pm. lunch, 1.30 after lunch drink and 4.00 p.m hot chocolate - all things have to have a strictly adhered to time, which H can at least deal with. Visits to daughter, food shopping, seeing friends etc all have to be done with one eye on the clock and sometimes there just isn't enough time. So the choices are to be 'late' and suffer the temper tantrum, or leave early and miss out.  H feels badly about this but he can't really deal with her in the shower or naked and waiting for pyjamas.  She has long tried to make it impossible for him to be out during the day so we shouldn't be surprised that she's started on me too, I suppose.  I'm sure she regards us as the downstairs staff and she sack us if she thought she'd find some other mugs to do the work or some other place to live where they'd adhere to her silly schedule. I now know what it feels like to be part of the 'Sandwich' generation! I do feel though that Daughter has more right to my time at the moment -

H's flu has gone, and I didn't get it, thank goodness.  He's managed to see quite a lot of grand-daughter since, but as she goes to sleep as soon as he picks her up, he rarely sees her with her eyes open!

Our favourite eating place from Worcester, Mac & Jac's, has opened a branch in Great Malvern, so I've managed a few quiet early-morning coffees and the odd bacon sandwich en-route to the bank or the post office - well even this life has to have some upsides.  I've also managed to get through quite a lot of knitting, and finished several UFOs.  A trip to the Malvern Quilt Show with a friend provided some inspiration - not yet acted upon!  A quilting fabric shop has just opened in Great Malvern and was busy with two classes when I visited this week, so hopefully it will thrive like our excellent wool shop. 

 I've started on knitting for Christmas - all the small people I knit for are getting sweaters or cardigans knitted in Aran weight wool for speed!  Whether I also get round to sewing is debateable but I've got some great doll and rabbit patterns that would fit the bill.  At the last Antique Fair at Three Counties I managed to find a terrific (and v large) print of Worcester cathedral for H who is notoriously difficult to buy presents for, and I've already ordered Christmas food from Abel & Cole.  I'm not usually this organised, it's a bit spooky!

Weather today is beautiful at the moment and I'm off to have my hair cut - as soon as H returns from an organ lesson.  Box and Cox have nothing on us...