Button Heart

The last few days have been full of challenges and I must say I will be glad to see the back of January. We enjoyed a pleasant but muddy afternoon out watching the Wylam Whippett and Elswick Harrier friends compete in the Northern cross country championships. We met up with friends and enjoyed the spectacle of the norths best runners battling it out in the mud. 

On Sunday Robyn fell off her skateboard at speed and broke her arm, whilst giving her friend a skateboard lesson! She is now carrying her arm in a sling and its quite painful for her because no cast can be put on a break at the top of the arm.Its quite delicate and isnt to be bumped around so I'm not sure when she'll go back to school.

 Later that evening we narrowly escaped having what looked like a chimney fire. We have been running the stove at a minimum level ever since. The chimney sweep is coming tomorrow morning, thank goodness. Luckily the weather has been slightly milder today. We burnt some of the christmas tree in the stove yesterday and I think this may be to blame for the thousands of large sparks eminating from the chimney and the alarming bright orange glow around the cowl on the chimney pot. Our heating and hot water is soley wood powered from our Clear View 650 woodburner, so the sooner the chimney is swept the better. Hopefully there will have been no damage to the steel flexi flue we fitted several years ago when we installed the stove.

 These are the wood stores in our back garden, we will easily use all of this wood over one Winter. Touch wood it will get milder soon and we'll have enough to see us through. Last year we spent £120 total on winter fuel. (wood that wasnt split in to logs). Far less than anyone using gas would spend .

 

The woodstore In October

Not much has been going on on the crafting front, I was set to weld some steel hearts for wreaths on Sunday, but events took over. Nevermind. I have finished this little button heart and given it to Lee as an early Valentines present.