Penny Widdison Stitchery & other stuff

Our Mousey Adventures: In this section we tell the stories of mousey adventures, and how the mouselets get in and out of mischief.

Some of our adventures include the Scotlandishland relatives Millie and Nibbles, they live with Mook 'the collector of things' in Edinburgh. Our mousies often travel to London and on holiday to see more of the Hoomin families where there are little hoomins to play with...

Quite often Lizzie and Julius go out and about for the day of abroad with the Hoomins.

Miss Lizzie and Professor Julius were beginning to enjoy their retirement. There are many places to go to. They enjoy visiting historic houses, and gardens as well as having lunch out... Aunty Brenda @beetee_handmade and Aunty Betti @bettis_stitches have made some super outdoor things for our couple. This hat and body warmer are so cozy. Our new coats are perfect, just the thing for a chilly August day Tch! British Summer indeed. This won't spoil a day's adventure to Belsay Hall and Gardens in Northumberland. Oh my! Julius, these cliffs are so steep!. Look at this wonderful vegetation. Cooo-eeee Julius, I'm up here. Oh be careful Lizzie, don't fall! Phew! she's OK, now for more adventures and wandering in this wonderful magical forest of giant ferns.

Well we all know that the dreaded Covid got in the way of all kinds of adventures for 2020 and lots of 2021. Poor old Hoomum not only had the Covid thing, but worse still Long Covid stayed on to slow Hoomum down. Everything was put on hold for such a long time... Miss Lizzie and Julius had hoped to visit the hoomin families in London and their relatives in Scotlandishland, but everything went so very quiet. Sorry Julius you'll have to put your tweeds and fishing rods away for the time being.

Lizzie spent her time in the sewing room stitching away, dreaming of times when adventures could being again. She found lovely fabrics and with the help of Hoomum set about making new outfits. Julius read his books, researching family history, ordering extra cheeses and wine to cheer everyone up.

But what is this? Restrictions are lifted! Quick jump into the car lets go to Scotlandishland. We can meet Millie and Nibble and Mook. We can dress up in our posh clothes. We can go to our favourite restaurant, Twenty Princes Street. Oh we can have such a wonderful party with lots of delicious cheeses... Lizzie and Julius have a wonderful few days visiting places of interest, shopping, lunching out, and Julius even manages to find time for a spot of fly fishing on the Tweed... All too soon it is time to wave the Scotlandishland relatives goodbye and head home.

Covid came back again, our mice pottered about indoors, looking after poorly hoomum, taking short walks around their home town and Staying Safe!

Changes of Plan The planned Chrissymouse 2021 celebrations with the London family had to be postponed...With sad face and heavy hearts there was hasty shopping and tidying up to try to make a good time at home... Never mind we'll get to London in January. Hoodad was also magnificent rushing out to get the supplies for a Chrissymouse Feast at home. Lizzie hummed a little tune to herself as she prepared breakfast. Perhaps things aren't quite so bad after all, just a bit different.

Later in the evening our mousies are wrapped up and huddled around the fire pit to enjoy gazing up at a winter's starry night; chatting away with their favourite tipple and snacks. Not all is lost! We can still go to Scotlandishland for the New Year... Get the car packed hoodad! And then, suddenly there was blue sky, and singing and dancing and family! Oh what happy mouselets...

And now it is 2022. What will this year bring? Will there be new adventures? What will happen in the wonderful world of Wooliamgangmice? But wait! Is that a certain retired mouse lady demanding a new frock just in case there is Burns Night Supper after all???? Oh Miss Lizzie you are so demanding. It's off to Penelope Creations for prosecco and chat.... Get your wallet ready Prof Julius, I just know this is going to be expensive...

Now that Miss Lizzie has her new ball gown, where will she go to wear it? Could it be a Burns' Night gathering after all?? Julius tells Miss Lizzie that she is so beautiful in her new gown. She must have a new necklace to match. What a kind and generous husband... Julius was clearly feeling a little bit hungry waiting for Lizzie to get ready for the ball, he's munched a whole teacayk!..

Lizzie and Julius do look such a dashing pair on the dance floor. It was a very late night at the ceilidh for a certain pair of dancing meeces. So much yummy food and so much Prosecco and whisky was consumed. No wonder they are still in bed... They were delighted to have been awarded the special *teacayk* prize for best effort at strip the willow. Lizzie was giggling all the way home. So nice to celebrate their Scotlandishland connections. Our couple are feeling a little jaded this morning. They waited until hoomum turned away for a moment before grabbing a sneaky taste of her porridge. Yum, Yum, they said, this is good on a cold and frosty morning, can we have some more please?

Mummy (Philly McSqueak) is at last, home from her latest tour of duty on a top secret RMN Submarine. Come on, Covid restrictions are lifted! We should all have a family holiday. After a delicious breakfast of porridge, Granny and Pappy make sure everyone has packed their bags ready for a grand adventure at Center Parcs. Our mouselings meet up with Mook, Millie and Nibbles, then it is off to explore and have fun in the woods. The twins find an old bird feeder which makes for a perfect swing; they enjoy clambering over huge obstacles; climbing and swinging in the trees, all carefully supervised by the grown ups. The twins tell their mummy what they have learned about caring for the forest. Apparently the hoomins enjoyed meeting up with all the grandchildren too. What a verrrrrry happy #wooliamgangfamily. What a verrrrrry happy hoomin family too.

Hoodad had missed travelling to exciting places for his holidays. He was bored sitting at home. He wanted to start being adventurous again! Hoodad booked a cruise on the River Seine, just what Hoomum needed even though she was still quite poorly with Long Covid. Now that the twins are reunited with their mummy and daddy, Hoodad said it would be alright for Lizzie and Julius to come along too. Our couple quickly packed their bags. Lizzie was so excited with the prospect of seeing Paris, Giverny, the Bayeux tapestry and so many other wonderful sights.

Every day was an exciting excursion, every evening was feasting in style (so many wonderful cheeses and wine), then relaxing watching the scenery float by, or were we floating past the scenery. Who knows it was all just so wonderful...

Sadly we all caught Covid on the way home and then spent the next two weeks feeling verrrrry unwell.... Thank goodness Philly and Peter were on hand to make sure we were all OK.

The whole family travelled to London for a special little hoomin's 6th birthday, but it also happened to be Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee weekend celebrations... A full set of special clothes for all the family arrived - Don't they look spiffing in their jubilicious outfits at their party before they left home. The letter boxes also seem to be having a party. All the luggage and everyone was packed into the car as they set off on their latest adventure. The Mouse Family obviously have verrrrry good connections with a certain family so they had a specially grand day out in London before joining in with hoomum's family celebrations.

Peter and Philly spent some well earned holiday time away with all the children. While Lizzie and Julius did what retired couples do... Reading quietly, going out for lunch, just generally pottering about. Lizzie has been busy in the sewing room with Hoomum. She has honed her skills as snoopervisor extrodinaire; giving hoomum the *hard stare* and wielding her perfectly pointy prodding stick to make sure hoomum got on with her stitchery projects. There a Hardanger square to be finished, much more to do on the second Methodist Tapestry Project panel, and getting in with the 100 day blackwork in colour project.

After all that hard work, there was a special reward for Lizzie and Julius. Hoomum and Hoodad went travelling way down south for a family wedding. L&J were invited, and they had a wonderful time as well as a bit of sightseeing at Stonehenge.. On the way home Hoomum & Hoodad stopped for a few days sightseeing around Lincoln. They thought the Cathedral was magnificent, although the walk up the Steep Hill was verrrrrry steep. The ice cream reward made it worthwhile though.

At the end of the year the family get together again for ChrissyMouse celebrations, and look it has snooooowed. The mouselets are soooo excited they put on their warm clothes and rush outside to have some fun. They especially like climbing the trees, and sliding down the greenhouse roof. The family have put up a small ChrissyMouse tree in the sitting room and there are lots of presents. It's going to be a lovely celebration with us all together this year. Miss Lizzie secretly wishes the renovations of her kitchen and dining room were finished...

While the Mouselets were having fun in the garden. Hoomum and Lizzie were busy planning a new kitchen. There was such a lot of noise and biffing and banging to knock wall downs, repair the ceiling, build new units and lots of other horrible jobs. Eventually the job was done and Hoomum has her new kitchen and celebrates with a dinner party.

Hoomum is absolutely delighted the kitchen is finished, she and Lizzie sit back thinking "What a lot of mess we lived through". Lizzie thinks perhaps I'll wait a little bit longer before asking Hoomum to do our kitchen and dining room. Lizzie and Hoomum are so worn out they are pleased they could get back to stitching.

The twins and baby Cam are verrrrry excited that ChrissyMouse has arrived. There's lots of preparation to be done, so everyone has a job to do. The mouselets managed to stay out of mischief but didn't really want to go to bed. Can't we stay up a bit longer pleeeeeaaaaassssse. Daddy said no, you must go to bed now. Eventually they did fall asleep but only after sending a verrrrrry long ChrissyMouse Eve letter to SantaMouse.

Lizzie asked Hoomum to make everyone a coordinated outfit for the day, and she has managed to do it. Don't they all look spiffing! Julius has a pocket for his key to the study, He doesn't want to lose it. But he doesn't need it for the festive season this year. The Mouse House has walls that move and the wall between his study and the sitting room has been moved to make sure there is plenty of space for everyone to share. Good job too! Now there is space for that verrrrry large ChrissyMouse Tree and all the presents under it. Look, Penny Mouse has joined the family for the festivities so it is a verrrrry large family gathering.

Our young mouselets are up bright and early. What are they up to? We hope they are behaving like sensible young mouselets, while the parents or grandparents get everything ready for sssshhhhh you know what. LOOOOOK SantaMouse has been, they all squeak together. and look the Festive Friends are guarding the little Hoomins' presents too. Peter and Julius are busy in the kitchen making breakfast for everyone. Then Lizzie, Penny Mouse and Philly make sure all is ready for the magnificent ChrissyMouse feast. Lizzie is soooo pleased that the decorators managed to finish the dining room work in time for today. After ChrissyMouse lunch it's time for our family to play some games. Shall it be MouseCharades? or MouseTwister? or how about Mouseopoly... The older generation have decided to go out for a walk to help settle their tummies after such a feast. Later in the evening. All is quiet, three little mousies are fast asleep in bed, and the grown ups sit quietly, enjoying a little bit of cheese and wine, chatting about the wonderful year they have had this year. We wonder what it will be like in 2024.

New Year Celebrations

The Mousies are getting ready to travel to Scotlandishland for New Year celebrations with Mook, Millie and Nibbles. But first the ladies reminded Hoomum they must all have new frocks for the posh dinner in Edinburgh. Penelope Creations came up trumps again! Don't they look spiffing. Good job the chaps have their kilts to wear.

Off they all went packed tightly into the MUV (Mousie Utility Vehicle). There were hoots of delight when they crossed the border into Scotlandishland. Our family are ready to into town, and are giving the mouselets their instructions on how to behave for the evening. Mook was supposed to be in charge of baby-sitting, but Millie and Nibbles seemed to be encouraging a bit of mischief with 'sticks' of a verrrry dangerous sort. Phew! no severed limbs or broken bones. Mook is verrry relieved. Then it was supposed to be a good night's sleep for everyone. But someone started telling stories of the Wild Teacayks of Scotlandishland. The mouselets decided it would be a good idea to go looking for the Wild Teacayks, and is that a field of Wild Teacayks.... and look out mouselets.... it's behind you... the Giant Wild Teacayk..... help....hel.... he....h... ....... Happily the magnificent ArchieWonderDog called out to them "Fear not, mouselets, Wild Teacayks is shy and retiring creatures who is much more afeared of you than you is of them so I finks it must have beed a dream". Oh thank goodness. We thought our mouselets were in deep trouble. But they slumber on, dreaming the sweetest of mousy dreams. Meanwhile the grown-ups were having fun at Twenty Princes Street, and celebrating the bells and fireworks at Midnight. Farewell 2023, and welcome 2024. What are you hoping for Miss Lizzie?

Sadly the visit to Scotlandishland was over all to soon and it was time to bid farewell to the relatives. Happy New Year everyone. We hope you will all come back again soon.

Come back again soon to follow our further adventures and catch up on extra stories. In the meantime Hoomum has listened to Lizzie and is so sorry that she's upset the builders and decorators haven't finished all the renovations. But you know how it is, builders sometimes let customers down. Hoomum will give the decorators another prod to come back to continuing working in the Mouse House so the family can have more comfort.

Come back soon to read more adventures of Lizzie, Julius, Philly & Peter, the Mouselets and Penny Mouse.

But please remember this is a story, it's not really real and does not represent any hoomin families you may know!