Hi everyone...I'm back! Hope you have all had a lovely week. I haven't had chance to catch up on what you are all doing, but I will be ploughing through the several hundred bloglines entries over the next few days.
Well, we had a lovely time away. It seems to have flown by. We went swimming several times, walking, playing games, visited Newark (where I had a minor strop at not having time to visit the Antiques centre due to very cold and tired children), lunches out, shopping etc etc. Some family friends visited us for the day and the men played golf several times. All in all a very successful trip. This is our fifth year of going and we are getting to know the area really well and which pubs to go to!
This is the view from our balcony. What a great sight to wake up to every day. 
This is Grace doing what she loves best. She is mad about birds of prey, and there was a demonstration in the hotel grounds. There were only us and one other family so we all had loads of goes at holding the birds. Grace also managed to fill in heaps of her bird book - we even saw Goldcrests which I had never heard of before. There were deer and pheasants roaming in front of our lodge too.
I did manage a trip to Decorative Country Living, which is great for inspiration. I bought a couple of things, but couldn't afford the rest! It is very pricey but lovely to look round. The fabric is actually a tea towel but I think I may make a cushion out of it. 
I also managed some shopping in the antiques centre in Grantham - some china, a wooden clothes horse, and the piece de resistance....
Isn't it fab?! (Sorry about the terrible picture - it was raining and I couldn't face taking it outside). It is cast iron and looks like it was from a stately home or some such place. There were 3 others - Swimming Pool, Duck Pond and The Maze, but they would have been a bit too much for my little garden. We are planning on having the garden altered next Spring so this will look great on the wall when it is finished.
I did manage to get some other bargains in Newark as it was the day of the bric a brac market. This tin has heaps of sewing bits and bobs - including some lovely threads. The colours are great, but haven't photographed brilliantly. It is so hard in dull rainy light.
I also got a pearl necklace and 3 vintage postcards. I'm planning to scan them in and use them for some new designs.
The other great thing about our holiday was that my Mum finally managed to teach me to knit. I haven't done much, but it is coming on, and I am getting better. I still can't do it in front of the telly though as I keep missing bits, but I will struggle on! I am hoping to make some of Dottycookie's puds for some Xmas cards, but think that may be a tad ambitious at the mo!
Bodie was very pleased to see us and has spent the whole time since his return curled up on the rosy rug in front of the fire with a blissed out look on his face. He is man of the house this week as Andy went off to the US this morning. Please can someone recommend some good mags for him to bring home for me? I already get the Country Living one, and am a bit off Martha Stewart at the mo (it is all a bit too glam and contrived for me). Any suggestions will be gratefully received.
Well, I'd better go and get some tea for the girls before bath time and an early night. I am looking forward to snuggling up in front of Cranford. Then back to the daily regime tomorrow. Still it was nice while it lasted....
Cathy XX