~*~ Is it going Pear-shaped ? ~*~

Alex arrived safely in Prague and says they are having a fantastic time, Doing What ???, I am not sure ? He has emailed a few times and "spoken " to Calum on MSN. They are staying in hostels and most of them offer online facilities.

I set about Alex's bedroom this morning, cleaning, tidying and packing up.

We have hit a glitch with the new house, the very expensive survey has revealed a few major problems so I am going to try and get the price reduced, to help towards the repairs.

Craft- wise, I am just finishing off a few things;
1. A needlepoint I bought at Harrogate in November and I am going to send it to the company "Jolly Red" to be professionally framed.( Finished )

2. Calum's fingerless gloves that were supposed to be in his Christmas stocking are just about finished.

3. January stitchery of " Ring in the New" by Kathy Schmidt. (finished ).

Calum and Verity are in London this weekend, visiting the Terracotta Warriors, due back tomorrow night and on Tuesday evening I am going to see " STRICTLY COME DANCING" at the Arena in Newcastle.

The photo is of a glorious tablecloth I bought from "Louise Loves ", before Christmas.

FQ's on Friday, in the morning I helped Kim load a quilt onto the Gammill and then I was late for the lunch we had arranged and then spent a couple of hours on the above projects. Well its back to the gloves...........

~*~ Romeo and Juliet ~*~

I love hand embroidered table linen, especially crinoline ladies, and just recently I bought this gorgeous cloth - Romeo and Juliet. It is beautifully worked by hand and the colours are clean and fresh.
The iris bulbs were planted up in a little Minton cup and a sugar bowl by Julie Oswald who always has a fantastic stall at Hexham's Antique Fair.

Calum has an AS English exam this morning on the Great Gatsby and requested a bacon sandwich for breakfast, isn't fish brain food!!

Anyway, the bacon was sizzling away nicely under the grill when there was a flash and all the lights went out. I checked the trip switches and nothing had flicked.
Calum and Verity ate their breakfasts by candle-light and I called in the electrician.

He pulled the gas cooker out, not a great idea at the best of times,and revealed the most diabolical wiring job done by the previous tenants - bare wires etc.
Cooker was safely rewired and a trip switch installed within an hour.
I put in my beloved Aga when we moved in and therefore use the gas cooker very rarely,thank heavens this wiring didnt start a fire when the kids were cooking or when I was at work.
I can't wait to get out of this house !!!!

~*~ Tuesday 15th January 2008 ~*~

Alex set off on the second stage of his gap year yesterday. The first stop being Prague (£15 by Easijet ) and then Warsaw and Krakov.

Alex and his friend Stephen have planned and saved hard for this trip and have done all the organisation, bookings, obtained the visas required (for later on )and the jabs and malaria meds themselves.

Yes, I admit there were a few tears at Newcastle Airport but the umbilical cord is very stretchy.
So for the next few months, Alex's progress around the world will be reported on here, and when he starts his own travel blog, I will post a link.