I’m short of time this week, as we all are, I’ve no doubt. But I’m full of the desire to make a stash of cards, so am flitting in and out, using basic stamped images and then using scrapbook paper scraps for backgrounds. I have it lurking somewhere in the back of my mind that I need to use and not store scraps. Funny, huh, but not intentionally so! Can you see there are two pairs of glasses at the right…it seems that one room in my house is missing a pair of readers. I’ll find out which room very soon, because I shall look for them and realise they were magically transported to the workroom. I am in the habit of wearing them like a hairband and only remembering when I put another pair on! 
It wasn’t difficult, I mean, it’s just cutting and sticking isn’t it, but it helped that I didn’t stray far from my usual one photo and cluster formula, just had very loud backgrounds to try to cope with. I also used a few old photos…but not many, I’m still very much into scrapping the more current stuff. Although by current, I increasingly seem to mean within my memory span, and that’s not necessarily even my lifetime! 
So did I learn anything useful? I did actually. I learned that actually, I don’t have to stray far from the box to challenge myself, I’m not sure if that proves how set in my ways I am or not! It also shows me that actually, just adjusting one thing really changes the way you do things. This might be a life lesson that you have experience of and I’ve been slow to catch on. Or, and I think this is more like it….I’m overthinking this scrapbooking lark. Cutting and sticking is fun, full stop!
And directly under Penny’s influence, there are a couple of things that won’t be on my Christmas lunch menu. Turns out it’s controversial, but I never do Yorkshire Puddings with any roast other than Beef, so they won’t be there. I don’t know why, it’s entirely a matter of choice isn’t it, but I can’t break the habit/tradition/Mum rule. Can’t say that the people around my table don’t comment on it, because they do, but it hasn’t stopped them coming for Christmas, so it’s obviously not too important! And here’s where Penny's influence is merely a memory: Bread Sauce. I don’t get it, never liked it and do not make it. And when I don't do it, Mama is front and centre of my mind, because to this day I’m not convinced that she liked it! So this Christmas I will be safely gathered in and surrounded by people I love, I’m a very lucky woman. And anyone that wants to can stop by and visit; sample the hospitality that I now realise is a part of my legacy.
It’s all a bit of a shambles. I took these pictures yesterday. Because things are relatively calm on the Christmas front, I felt I might sit at my desk and do something fun. I’ve got a couple of big birthdays in the early part of January, so I thought about getting a march on those. But of course, absolutely nothing is possible in this chaos. So, I turned the heater on, shut the door and walked away. Until the room was a bit warmer that is! And so, ta na, this morning, I have a room I can actually face!
My Scan n Cut is not in its usual place because I’ve broken it. I know. I picked it off the shelf over the dies where it lives and turned around too quickly…lost my balance, dropped it as I fell over. Ages ago, actually. But it’s now back from the dining room where Mr Dunnit and a computer friend have tried to fix it. Still doesn’t work. Brother want to charge as much as I paid for it, so am just at the stage of getting over it before having to let it go! 
So now the space is useable and I intend to do just that. After a few chores and usual stuff. So please make the chores bearable my showing and telling..what are you up to in terms of desk and preparations and making stuff. Even if it’s not Christmas related, we wanna see it!
I was bundled up…puffa coat, gloves, scarf and walking at what I consider a reasonably brisk pace towards the post office. My husband would tell you that I was strolling. I always, always end up doing a double step to keep up with him…even if we hold hands I can tell that he’s deliberately slowed his pace. It’s maddening for both of us, I mean, sometimes I end up out of breath and can’t talk! Gosh, revelation….perhaps that’s why he walks fast! 
Well I didn’t get the chance. The engineer rang to say the part he needed hadn’t arrived and so he’d make me wait in on Thursday instead. Cue my bottom lip sticking out because I’d arranged a nice morning out for myself. But I need the oven to work, particularly this month! Anyway, as you can see, I’m making a few tags, squirting and spraying. Squirting because the sprays block up so easily don’t they? Still, it was never an exact art. In all the mess you can barely tell that the blob of yellow at the front of my desk is an edit to hide a Christmas gift that I can’t yet reveal! It just looks like more messy paper! The paper cup at the back holds the cut up foam tape and very useful it is too, although the next pot will have some more weight to it, I can’t see that one staying upright when the pushback really starts, it’s not heavy enough! You can just see the green cards in front of the pen holder, they are the Rudolph cards I had started last week. Close up? Here:
A bit fuzzy, but hey, that at least fulfils my two photo intention for this post! Whatever you’re doing, I know time at your desk and to read blogs is at a premium this month, but join in if you can, we do want to see your desks. Ironing, cooking, catching up, relaxing…whatever you’re doing, tell us about it please!
We walked, and gawped. It was difficult not to. Starting by going round the city walls, up and down staircases at the gates, getting some unexpected and marvellous views. Even those hundreds of years ago, it was a big city and a lot of buildings were squashed in within the safety of those walls. It puts Victorian cheek by jowl with Medieval and older, and newer. Every now and then there were modern extensions on buildings that made me question the sanity of planning officers. But, things have to evolve and buildings particularly have always been adapted to accommodate needs and lifestyles. Some of the gardens, especially behind the Minster, seen from the height of the walls were just wonderful in their autumn glory. 
You can see the Minster from almost everywhere within the city and on any approach to it, just with other cathedrals in Britain, it’s beautiful and huge, and deeply impressive. The life, faith and religious leadership of our late Queen has been immortalised in stone on the front of the cathedral. Whatever you think of the art of the statue, it’s marvellous to think that it will be there for hundreds and hundreds of years to come, and is not only a great tribute to Queen Elizabeth II but also a spine tingling continuation of the way our forbears have paid tribute to our Queens Kings and Statesmen.
We weren’t able to go inside York Minster, it was graduation week and there were ceremonies and services every day; no matter, we’ll be going again! It was lovely to walk around the town watching graduates and graduands in their billowing gowns with their families. 
This 14th century house over three floors is a tea shop. The ground floor is a kitchen, narrow stairs lead to space for four tables, and another set of very narrow stairs leads to another space with four tables. It originally housed three families!
