Greedy Nan ... because I am!

Sweater

2011-10-03T14:57:00.017+01:00

noun ... garment worn by child when its mother is feeling chilly.
Ambrose Bierce

I follow both Lucy and Pomona's blogs and they have both recently 'discovered' the Fly Lady so I considered my own disorderly conduct and decided it was time to have a go at FLYing myself.

I have signed up to the free emails as my house is always in a state of utter CHAOS [Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome] and have had my initial lesson which explains all about how to have a shiny sink. I have also shined my sink [in fact, I've done the kitchen and bathroom ones because I was so enthusiastic] and I still have a shiny sink but unfortunately, this is as far as it's gone.

Fly Lady sends out regular emails suggesting that you do various things around the house: there are tools, zones, books and forums to assist, buy and take part in. What she doesn't do is come round to your house and do the cleaning for you.

Any ideas how I can maintain that initial enthusiasm I felt when I first signed up?

Thanks for visiting ....

One never notices what has been done ...

2011-09-17T21:34:00.012+01:00

... one can only see what remains to be done. [Marie Curie]

I've been following Lucy's blog for a long time now and am always astounded that she does all that she does and STILL finds time to crochet b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l things. She's obviously an extremely generous lady too as she's put a link on her last post to Little Woollie so that we too get the chance to win this lovely, lovely cushion.

I think that the writer's name is Jules; she describes her page as crochet and hand made delights from a girl who is pretty new to the whole hooky thing! although I think she is being a little bit elasticated with the word 'new'.

I've put my comment in and although I don't particularly want YOU to win it, I get an extra chance if I tell you about it so that's the reasoning behind this particular blog post.

Thanks for visiting ....

Second chances ....

2011-09-15T11:03:00.007+01:00

You know that I have problems,usually internet-related problems. Well, today is no different.

I often read L is for Love blog. There's a giveaway on it and if I comment and also post a blog with this photo in it, I'll get a second go.

That's the idea in any case.

Unfortunately, I'm not able to comment as according to 'Big Blogger' I don't exist. I'm sure I was here this morning so am not entirely sure what's happened in the meantime. I don't even know that I'd find myself, the house is such a mess as usual so I wouldn't know where to start.

Anyway, generous soul that I am, I'm quite happy for you to share in the chance to win this wonderful gift. If of course, you are also a generous soul and are reading this [I would think that by now you may have given up somehow though] you might want to give me a little hint as to what I can do to get a 'go' too.

Thanks for visiting ....

... is Everybody Happy?

2011-08-22T18:46:00.017+01:00

... I had a bit of a surprise at the laundry bag when visiting a hotel recently. Here's a photo I took:

If you can't read the printing, it says "... it's like living with mum, let someone else do it!"

I'm not sure still whether it's funny or not; I realise it's meant to be a joke - I'm not that naive but as these hotels are probably more frequented by the male of the species, in my opinion, it doesn't put us ladies in a very good light.

A friend of mine told me her partner doesn't even know how the washing machine works - or is that what he wants her to believe?

Or does this mean that even after so many years of trying to become equal with men we have finally overtaken them as we have domesticated skills generally attributed to women but can also manage to do the more mechanical tasks and work full time too. I believe it's called multi-tasking.

It seems as that's what the logo is trying to tell us after all.

Thanks for visiting ....

Gimmee, gimmee, gimmee ...

2011-08-06T20:56:00.013+01:00

If you go down to the woods today, you'd better be in ... sorry, wrong brain inserted.

What I wanted to say is that if you go to Pomona's blog and look at her entry for 28 July, you'll see she is doing a very complicated [from my point of view] giveaway. However, I think I managed to do all the various little sections and am now in with a chance to win.

I also think that because I worked out how to put this photo and tell you about the giveaway, I will have even more chance of winning. Let's hope so because this hasn't been easy for me and I've not won anything in ages so it must be my turn by now.

You don't have a lot of time - story of my life so although I'd like to win, I'd like also to wish you the very best for you to be the recipient if I'm not the one on this occasions. I hope you will enjoy the very generous gifts.

I hope to be blogging properly again soon but quite honestly, not a lot's been happening that would be of much interest to anyone. I have been keeping my eye on what you're up to though so don't think I'm not looking in.

Thanks for visiting ...

Mud, mud, glorious mud ....

2011-04-30T20:55:00.013+01:00

... or not as the case may be. And in my case, certainly NOT. In fact, if there is no rain soon, I'm not all together certain what's going to happen to our vegetable plot.

So far, the slugs have managed to have a most wonderful feast from the pot-starts we had in the greenhouse and now the peas and beans in the beds are looking most unhappy because of their lack of the precipitation. Cat on the other hand thinks these are the ideal ablution areas!

I regret to say that I simply adore my cat [and any other that shows its face in my garden] and so I cannot get out my water gun or throw stones to make one disappear. In fact, I positively encourage them to come over and have long conversations so that I can have them stay as long as possible.

As I type this, I have one of the said felines on my lap, purring ferociously, chin on keyboard [cat not me] and I'm simply LOVING it.

My house would not be a home without one or two [or even more] cats and I imagine myself as a [more] elderly and [even more] eccentric old lady with knitting needles in my hair, sitting in a loft with a menage of the pushkins to keep me company. Can't wait.

Thanks for visiting ....

Dah-dah-di-daaaaaaah ...

2011-04-17T12:52:00.005+01:00

Of course you would have to know the tune but if I said wedding, you'd probably get the idea.

I picked up this video and laughed so-o-o much I thought you'd like to see it too; you will guffaw your galoshes off.

And if you really want to, here's a link for the book.

Thanks for visiting ...

Not a knot ...

2011-04-14T16:50:00.040+01:00

I've just bought a book. A crochet book. I'm hoping that it will give me the confidence to have a go since Mr Hook and I had our falling out as we've not really been close since but I'm willing to give it another go and hope he feels the same way.

The book is called Beyond the Square and you will probably realise from its title that there are other shapes than squares in it: circles, hexagons, triangles, and "other unexpected shapes" in fact.

You might know that I am more than extremely fond of Lucy's blog. She writes all about her life and I am probably over-envious of her skills as a hooker [I am allowed to say that because it's nicely meant]. She somehow makes it look so easy and beautiful. She has tutorials but more due to my hopelessness than her instruction, I'm not exactly at the stage where I can follow them yet. She also appears to fit such a lot into her days that I could also do with a tutorial from her on life-organisation too if such a thing was available.

I have found another blog which I quite enjoy too called Tangled Happy. Today's entry is on branch weaving and I've copied the photo across here:

I may even have a go at this myself, but just now I'm going to practice making a sliding loop from page 10 of my new book. I'll let you know how I get on.

Thanks for visiting ...

There is nothing like a Dame ...

2011-03-23T16:57:00.009Z

... just look at these pics and you'll understand:

Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, DBE [27 February 1932 – 23 March 2011]

No further explanation required.

Thanks for visiting ....

I am what I am ...

2011-03-16T12:09:00.023Z

The other evening I watched a programme on TV which was actually the 3rd in a series of three that was being aired by the BBC. It was probably one of the most inspiring and interesting programmes I've seen for a long while and called Hidden Treasures of ... Indian Art. If you go to the link before 18 March, you can pick this one up [until it's repeated at a future time]. I just wish now that I'd seen the other two which were based on African and Australian works.

Griff Rhys Jones presented the programme very well by introducing an amazing piece of floor textile, housed at Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire, and was actually hand-stitched in India about 300 years ago.

He travelled to India and went to a place called Kutch to learn more about the tradition that is still enjoyed today and visited with a tribe called the Rabari where the women sew their family dowry. They also show footage of a wedding that had been arranged many years before and the importance of textile in their lives right from before the wedding and into their futures.

Whilst in textiles mode, I must send you to look at this blog; Gina is a motivational teacher and maker of stunning embroidered works and posts regularly about this and her life. She is not only a textile artist but can also cook and the other day, quite independently of one another, we both made the very same cake! It must surely show what a fantastic recipe it is and I'd love to let you see the photos I took [because I did] but of course, I still haven't worked out how to download them so will just direct you to this link and you can make your own, or look at Delia's photo of what it looks like [and of course which mine was a TRUE replica].

Lastly, to the people who have left comments and welcomed me back into Blogland following my little sojourn - I too hope that I have returned.

Thanks for visiting ...

I remember you-oooo ...

2011-03-11T19:54:00.008Z

... but do you remember me?

I've been away for a long time and couldn't rightly say exactly where I've been -makes me sound like a spy.

If you regularly read you know how easily distracted I can be so it won't really surprise you if I have done absolutely NOTHING much since I last wrote.

I was actually in 3 minds as to whether to continue but the final decision is that I will and will a bit more oftener, and even if it's not that often, it will be more often than it has been.

I will also try and get to grips with the picture downloads from this new-fangled camera machine and the rebuilt 'puter. Perhaps 2011 will be MY YEAR.

Think of me and send fabulous vibes for all this to happen.

Thanks for visiting ....

And another thing ...

2010-12-16T05:17:00.040Z

I worry a lot and am having great trouble sleeping at the moment and I have lots of favourite blogs. I've been up since about 2 this morning as I can't sleep because I'm worrying, so am catching up on some of my favourite blogs.

I thought it might be a good idea on one of these occasions therefore [now for instance] to catch up on my own blog. Trouble is, if you read my previous entry, you'll know I've had a 'situation' with the camera and downloading pics to the computer. I am then, going to borrow photos from various other places to help fill some space and thanks in advance to the original contributors.

The first picture I'm adding is from Lucykate Crafts. She does the most wonderful tutorials and I have the Little Birds book in which she has featured. She was also the recommendee for the following book:

I so-o-o NEED to have this book! I follow Kajsa Wikman's blog; I went in for all the giveaways but didn't win; I have also tried [and tried a bit more] to get hold of a copy of the book. Unfortunately, all the outlets I've tried either are out of stock or think I'm mad [I sometimes think I might be out of stock myself actually]. I'm starting to think the book never existed but still wait for the postman to deliver me a different story.

I went to the library this week [I don't go out much so it was quite a big thing for me]. There seemed to be a huge amount of books there which I'd not seen before [no Scandinavian Stitches however] so have come home with lots of stuff to inspire me. I borrow children's books [because that's my mentality] and they explain things in a way that I can actually understand. The selection I chose includes a few by Usborne Books. I love the illustrations particularly in these.

I also thought that I would get on loan something to help me with the computer 'problems'. Unfortunately, most of the titles in my library are not of the Usborne-variety or they don't seem to be relevant to the computer I use. That's where YOU might be able to help me ... can you perhaps recommend a title to me that is generic and simple enough for me to actually follow? There are a couple of 'spare' days coming up towards the end of next week when it might be quiet enough to perhaps even concentrate [but don't want to appear over-confident] and come back in the New Year all super whizzy and clever [or perhaps it is a little over-confident].

Oh yes, whilst on the subject of those 'spare' days: nothing has been done in this house towards them apart from removing a rather moth-eaten tree from the attic. Pushkin seems VERY interested in this and is using it as a claw and tooth-sharpener so not sure it will even get decorated. Can they be recycled - cats that is?

I'm currently listening to Richard Allinson and he's talking about kitchen cupboards and 11 things we have in them but never use - one of which is cumin apparently. I found this string which relates to a similar subject. What's in your food cupboard that never gets used but you never tend to chuck out either?

Do go and have a look at this. It's all about Dottie Angel [another favourite blog]. At half five in the morning, I just think it might be wrong to be so excited about something.

And finally, do have a look at this video. The music's not really the type that I go in for but what a clever use of medium this is. I hope you like it.

Thanks for visiting ....

Oh Lucky Man ...

2010-11-27T21:55:00.010Z

... but in this case Oh Lucky Me. I WON a giveaway prize from Noodlebubble. It actually arrived last week and I've been very dilatory in letting you know. Here is a picture of my picture:

I had also taken part in a swap organised by Lisa at Noodlebubble and recently received my gift from Mitzi. It was a bird-related swap and from the varying crafters who participated, Lisa matched you with someone so that you wouldn't necessarily receive back a similar piece to that which you had sent yourself. I made a dangling bird a la Attic 24. In actuality, it was nothing like Lucy's bird [below]:

because mine was nowhere near near as nice as hers. Unfortunately though I can't show you what I did send because I photographed it onto the old camera card and don't know where I've put it because it's in a place so-o-o safe, nobody will ever find it. Also, although I have photographed what Mitzi sent in return, I have had a number of 'problems' [to me they're problems] with the 'puter and since they've been fixed, I no longer know how to download the photos to it because everything's changed - and "we" don't like change ...

This could make my future blogging quite complicated and go back to how it was when I first started , ie NO PHOTOS. I am a little more confident now though so am hoping that I'll be able to work it out and you will see some pictures at least this side of the Christmas season.

The corncrake picture is the same one from Lisa's blog and I copied it across as I also did with the crochet bird from Lucy's. So thanks be to them or there'd be no photos on this post at all.

Thanks for visiting ....

Not a dedicated follower of fashion ...

2010-10-19T14:31:00.036+01:00

I have just bought the most divine new book. It open the doors on Frida Kahlo's wardrobe and is called 'Self-portrait in a Velvet Dress'.

An email relating to a comment I left on Gina Ferrari's blog helped me to know of this particular book originally, and I thought that I'd try and get it from my local library. I felt thwarted at every turn by library assistants who are so usually keen to help me with my sometimes unusual book requests, with the result being that I walked away quite disenchanted and very disappointed with the entire system on this occasion. On my return home I took a squizz at the Internet where I found the book at a reasonable price second-hand so placed my order.

I had recently watched the film about Frida's life, and it was just a really amazing story and let you see her from a very personal aspect. She was an extremely complicated person not only as if viewed from her surrealist art but also as a policital, sexual and sometimes tragic individual.

I love the unique style that Frida seems to have carved for herself, not only as an artist but from her unusual clothes sense. I've tentatively researched Mexican fashion as a result and rather enjoyed the writing on this particular website.

I think the following quote from Frida sums her work up entirely and so much better than I could even consider to try, "I didn't expect anything from my work but the satisfaction that I ganied from simply painting and expressing what I otherwise could not put into words".

Thanks for visiting ...

Let's get together ...

2010-10-07T19:22:00.013+01:00

... yeah! yeah! yeah!

Which has got nothing to do with my post but being so easily distracted, one thing lead to another and having decided on my title I got a bit carried away.

I think I've been doing a very tricky, cryptic, crossword, or perhaps it was a complicated jigsaw - no, I'm actually wrong on both counts because my hooky stick and wool were involved.

I have been putting together the squares that I've AT LAST managed to crochet for a blankie.

I was so-o-o inspired by Lucy at Attic 24 that I started way back earlier this year to make my own Granny squares. I didn't realise however, exactly how many I would need to make a blankie of a DECENT size and it never seemed to get any bigger no matter how many squares I made so I decided to stop at 60 and set them out carefully to see what they would look like if they were put together.

It's more difficult than it looks [or at least for me] to make it look like a RANDOM pattern, especially when you don't want to repeat a square in an adjacent or diagonal position. However, I managed eventually and returned to Lucy for a tutorial on how to put the squares together.

This has proved MOST problematic and the pieces went all twisty-turny and somehow developed a mind of their own. In fact, I very nearly gave up so drew a nice little diagram and thought I was almost there.

Trouble struck again when I was 'reading' [loose term] the design I'd done. I'd drawn it as left to right but realised that I was putting it together right to left. Aargh!

I know that as it's my first 'real' crochet project, having only ever made edgings and flowers before that, it's something that may just get better with practice but I'm so exhausted by the whole experience, am not sure I'll be making another crochet blankie too soon.

Thanks for visiting ...

Art and ab-art ...

2010-09-06T10:14:00.030+01:00

... gosh! Sometimes I surprise myself with my play on words ability.

At the weekend we went to the Artwave in Lewes exhibitions. Unfortunately, Percy came with us and he managed to open his mouth on at least one occasion when his pence came spilling out to make purchase of a very beautiful pottery-piece. I am totally unable to show this to you at the moment however because we also managed to leave said item behind. How did that happen? I lost my hankie too but that is a slightly more inexpensive folly and also probably more replaceable. Hopefully, my pottery will eventually make an appearance.

Whilst in the area, we went to Firle Village which is a quite lovely place and obviously full of arty-types with three exhibitions that we went to.

One of them was the Dutch House:

where there were a number of artists' works on display including some stunning jewellery by Nick Orsborn and glorious crystal lamps by Tom Palmer. I have to say however that the house is a perfect delight in itself as it's been decorated in the style of the Bloomsbury artists [Charleston Farmhouse is fairly closeby if you care to partake of the 'real' thing however].

A lady called Carola van Dyke lives there and is obviously a very talented person who not only has made her house beautiful but is also the maker of some beautiful things, including cushions, paintings and Dutch apple pie and there's even a Bakery in the garden!

Carola has her own business which you can find more details about from this link. To give an idea of what her paintings are like, look at this photo:

now look at this:

Clever or what? I think I'd like to live in Beanstalk Cottage although I'd probably also like to stay at the Dutch House. However, it would be more true to say that I'll be exactly where I am at least for the timebeing as I am actually more than happy here [apart from the clutter monkey].

Thanks for visiting ....

From one to another ...

2010-08-28T10:05:00.024+01:00

... thank you most greatly to Cathy of Menopausal Musing who has helped me out by explaining how to install 'Comment Moderation' to my blog.

If you look at my previous posting, you'll see that I wanted to know what others did when they received comments that they didn't really want or need to have. I'd had quite a lot of these and that type of thing is totally against what I would want to share with anyone reading my blog, and so I didn't want them to appear in the first place.

Thanks to Cathy, she has explained [in words less than one syllable which I can actually understand] how I can have control over what you see here.

Do you remember the bird swap I took part in a few weeks ago? Well, I wish I could have had this book at the time. I first saw it on Amy's blog and wanted it then but wasn't quite published so I've waited patiently and now IT'S MINE!

Perhaps Lisa will be able to arrange another similar swap because I'll have so many ideas literally flying around in my creative head.

Another bird-lady I love the work of is Abigail Brown:

Not only does she also have a project of hers in the 'Little Birds' book but there was an article about her in a recent edition of 'Selvedge' magazine to which I get a subscription - not only for the wonderful inspiration but also the smell of the pages as you flick through them. If you don't know what I mean, do get hold of one and have a big sniff!

Are you doing anything special over the Bank Holiday weekend? I'm hoping to go out and about where people won't be so could be quite difficult to achieve. Will however, take the camera and perhaps at a later date be able to share what I've seen with you. What ever you do, have a safe one.

Thanks for visiting ...

Techno-woman ...

2010-08-14T19:57:00.015+01:00

... is what I most certainly ain't!

I took some photos and was going to show them to you but the camera and computer are definitely NOT friends with one another and I'm having the most largest trouble in getting the two to talk to one another - just like children squabbling really. And, just like squabbling kids, I'm afraid that they will both have to go without as well and consequently, no pictures.

However, I'm going to show you something different instead. I had hoped to inert a photo of the little bird I made for Mitzi when we did the bird swap but because of the computer/camera difficulties now won't happen [unless Mitzi happens to show a photo she takes of said bird]. But to soften the blow I have another bird picture for you instead.

I know it is a duck - perhaps of Muscovy variety? Whatever it is I think it's really pretty and as I can't show you MY bird hope that this will be something you might enjoy instead.

The other thing I'm rather proud of it this:

Just a small selection of our home-growns this year; luckily, we are fiends when it comes to the courgettes and I can do many recipes using them. I have also recently found out you can grate them and use in cakes which I've never done but am most tempted to try.

The last thing in this particular post is a bit of advice please if you'd be so good as to give it. I don't get that many comments but some of the ones I do are in foreign, possibly an oriental language, which I don't understand. What do you do if you get this sort of comment, delete it out of hand, respond or leave it where it is? I don't want to be responsible for being some sort of "Viagra" supplier perhaps just because of my own naivety.

One last little picture to show to you which I think is rather special:

It's a lovely evening that I wanted to share with you. I wish they and the memories alongside could happen more but suppose then they wouldn't be quite so special if we had them all the time.

Thanks for visiting ....

English country garden ...

2010-07-26T18:31:00.018+01:00

In the garden is the sweetest little bird box. We bought it from the Hen on the Gate shop, when it was there, where they sold just the most wonderful things. You could get really tasty organic veg, fruit and foodstuffs as well as some delicious natural cosmetics and, if you were that way inclined, wines and spirits. They also had a tea room and it was almost a ritual that when we went to do our shopping, we'd also have a coffee and cake.

They had quite a lot of space at the back of the place too and sold books, cards and Arabian tents, later also branching into summer houses which were displayed by the pond.

That's where we bought our bird box. It went on the back fence in the garden and we waited, and waited.

One day, our patience was rewarded when we noticed somebirdy [note play on words ...] going in and out of the entrance. As the hole was only about 1" across, the bird was also destined to be quite wee and came from the tit variety. We got quite excited although we never disturbed it and if we were very quiet, we could hear their voices if we went close enough.

The cat was quite fascinated by it too and would spend many hours patiently waiting underneath to see if any goodies might fall that direction - luckily they didn't.

We eagerly anticipated the birds' return again this year and although I occasionally saw a passing visitor, no one ever took up residence - or did they?

I was up the garden path today and just happened to take a look at the bird box and thought, why, someone has covered the bird box with bubble wrap because that's exactly what it looked like. On closer inspection, the bird box was buzzing and was absolutely SMOTHERED in wasps! It was home again, but this year to a whole colony of the stripy-jumper buzzers.

They have been asked in no uncertain terms to vacate the property and it will sadly have to be demolished. There will be no replacement for the bird box as unfortunately the organic shop suddenly closed down and has remained up for sale ever since. They did in fact move to a smaller premises not too far from the original but with not such a wide choice.

I do miss the shop and tea rooms and I also miss the departed tit family but don't expect that I will ever miss the wasp nest.

Thank you for visiting ....

Get stuffing ...

2010-07-06T15:49:00.016+01:00

I'm taking part in a swap. It was mentioned on Noodle's blog, which I came across recently.

I'm still not really sure what made me sign up for this because I don't usually volunteer myself for anything but I just liked the idea at the time; now I'm a bit fearful however and hope that my swap partner, Mitzi, is relatively normal and won't send me some grotesque form of taxidermy or worser - that she'll send me an oven-ready turkey:

... that might be fine for you but I'm a vegetarian!

I've looked over at Mitzi's blog and actually feel slightly more ancient than usual too, because she's only 21 - I have children older than that! And of course, she might not like my attempt at bird-making either, although it's something that I would have quite liked to keep, and I always think that's the sort of present that's the best sort to give, precisely because you don't want to give it away.

The closing date for sending the birds is mid-July and so's not to spoil the surprise/shock to Mitzi I'm not going to put a picture of the bird on here until afterwards [and even then it will depend on her reaction I think].

I was going to add a couple of photos and also write a few more lines but have actually decided to quit whilst the going is still good. I thought I was slow but the 'puter is even more lethargic than I am and it's taken me a good half-hour to make this post and my tummy's telling me it's probably time for a[nother] snack.

Thanks for visiting ....

Sunshine came softly ....

2010-06-26T11:21:00.006+01:00

... at two-twenty-two this morning! It's becoming a bit of a habit unfortunately. It wasn't light then but it did start to dawn on me about 3.45. Of course, by 5.30 I was back in the Land of Nod and couldn't wake up properly and now feel tired.

But that's not what I was going to say.

How do you like the new colour-scheme? This window thing came up and said I could change my blog's look so I thought, why not and now I have. If you didn't see it before, you wouldn't know it was leary pink and I didn't really mean to do that but like most things, it happened when I was having a play and then I didn't know how to undo it. Who knows how long the lovely lilac will be with us.

I'm just loving this weather although I've developed the sneezies this year - not sure if it's hay-fever or just house dust [about which I wouldn't be surprised]. It won't deter me however and I'll continue to play out for the duration. I especially like it when you're sitting in that half-light - just sitting and absorbing all the outside senses.

Also loving all the sport that's on at the moment. I don't watch or participate in any so it's a good opportunity to leave the small screen and get on with a little crafting and when that's taking place in the garden, so much the better.

That's all for today. Thanks for visiting ....

If you're happy and you know it ...

2010-06-14T14:56:00.026+01:00

... because I have an increasingly forgetful memory, I can quite often be pleasantly surprised.

I sometimes place 'online' orders for clothing, music, books, craft items or magazine subscriptions.

In today's post was a sweet little airmail envelope.

Now, I never just open any post. I study it most carefully on both sides to try and discover what might be lurking on the inside first. On the back of this particular envelope was the clue:

... and I remembered.

I'd been looking at dottie angel's blog, and would like to recommend her to EVERYONE. Her writing style is quite inimitable and photos totally wonderful. What a perfect thing it would be to meet with Tif in the flesh so to speak - actually it is, but I won't be able to go to her homespun workshop due to the distance involved, so not possible for me.

Tif has an article in Issue 2 of Spoonful which is gives a little tutorial all about happy scraps with which you can enrich your very own rags.

Spoonful describes itself as a happiness companion and apart from having, in my case, a better operating brain I think all one really needs from life should be happiness and I am blessed that I have it - in spoonfuls!

Sorry about the blurry pictures but thanks for visiting ...

The Big Count ...

2010-05-07T09:17:00.011+01:00

... and nothing to do with any elections - just a ploy to make you read on - ha-ha!

So what's she on about now I hear you ask. Well, I've been given a natty little 'toy' by a friend of mine who goes to Weight-watchers. Actually, I also go but rather than watching my excess weight disappear, I find myself standing agape and aghast at the scales as the needle moves in an ever-upward direction. Why is food so nice, and why is nice food so much even nicer?

Anyway, back to the plot. My friend has this little clicker thing on which you press a button to increase in fractions of halves and you can then keep an eye on how much you're eating immediately. I saw it and was very taken with this toy but it wasn't cheap for what you were actually going to get [as well as greedy, I'm also extremely thrifty]. I didn't buy one [but perhaps I might have lost a bit of weight if I had as I would have gone without something else so that I could have it].

My friend didn't think much of it either but she is losing weight so well that she doesn't really need it now. Anyway, I thought this would be ideal for counting rows when knitting and she gave it me, as a gift, for the very purpose. It works very well as I can use the ring to attach it to my knitting and as it locks don't have to worry that the numbers might skew when I leave the work in my bag. The only thing against is that it does go up in halves rather than whole numbers but that's where my mathematical skill of being able to divide and multiply by two comes in extremely handy.

I now expect that there will be a flurry of sales to Weight-watchers to purchase one for your very self as it's coming so HIGHLY recommended. And I'm not on any kind of commission either.

I suppose that at least if my hands are occupied with the knitting, I'm not eating, but don't know what I'll do when the battery wears out! Obviously something very critical and that I should start worrying about NOW.

Incidentally, are there any things that you have and use for a different purpose that were initially intended for? Decent comments only please.

Thanks for visiting ....

He satisfies my soul ...

2010-03-20T12:53:00.013Z

I am a very lucky Greedy because I was treated to the theatre, no less, last week. We went to see the super-talented and, I think, downright gorgeous Paul Carrack.

I'll tell you what I REALLY like: it's his amazing hats. He has the face for a hat I think. You either do or you don't and he just does. He didn't wear a hat last week which was a bit of a let down in the gawp department although he did wear his shades and looked really cool in his clobber. He did some songs from the new album I Know that Name then an array of the back catalogue stuff which got everyone up and boogying.

He doesn't have a support band so you get extra time seeing what you paid for and usually gets a couple of encores but I think due to the fact that Tunbridge Wells is a residential area, they have to finish pretty much to time.

If he's appearing near you I highly recommend you go and see him - even if it's only for the hat. If he's not appearing near you, go look at Weekend Wogan where the video of his performance on that programme is currently available [but not for much longer].

Thanks for visiting ...

Bye Baby Bunting ...

2010-03-09T18:32:00.021Z

... isn't this just delightful? Not my work yet again but that doesn't mean I can't show you and then you'll go and have a look at some other stuff that Marmalade Rose has achieved. I sent her a comment to let her know that I too can make crochet like this - but usually it's because I wanted a square not a triangle!

Marmalade is also doing a 20 minutes a day craft challenge whereby you 'pledge' to spend at least 20 minutes on some type of craft [pretty obvious really - the clue's in the title]. It is actually quite amazing how much you can get done in that length of time too.

I sometimes give myself a limited amount of time to see if I can achieve. I put the kitchen timer on and then whizz off [slowly] to do whatever it is. Because the time is confined, I seem to focus much better and manage to if not complete, at least make a big hole in a project.

I've also tried the kitchen timer idea when I'm doing my blog research [it's nothing of the sort - I just drift from site to site and consequently can waste a great deal of time]. Trouble is, the buzzer goes off and I think I'll just finish this last little bit and then the whole idea was yet another total WASTE of time.
But as I've said before, I do think a lot and have some very good ideas, it's just a matter of putting it all into practice.

Thanks for visiting ...

Night Swimming ...

2010-03-01T13:30:00.028Z

I have EXTREMELY vivid dreams - so much so that sometimes it's almost real! I can also return to a dream if I'm woken out of it and want to get back into it. I dream in colour and with sound but have never see myself in a dream - I suppose that's because I'm watching what's happening in there.

Last night's dream was rather disturbing. I had a dream that I was going away with friends but after we'd gotten off the coach which had taken us to our destination I got separated from them and so linked up with another group of people. We had to go into a building which had lots of corridors to go through before reaching a room where we might stop but each time the group disappeared and I was left alone. I knew I didn't want to be there and was trying desperately to get out but was getting lost in the ever-increasing maze of corridors. I know I was really upset and was getting quite hysterical whilst trying to escape.

Another part of the same dream was that I had to get something which I'd left in my [real-life] bedroom within that same building; when I went into the room I discovered that there was someone else in my bed, and I had to creep about so that they didn't wake up and find me there but as they were moving about in their sleep I worried that they were going to wake up, and as it was so important that I got what I'd left there, I went out until I could go back in but then was confronted by the corridors again.

I don't know what happened at the end but I didn't particularly like my dream and was quite relieved when I woke.

If you're a budding dream psychologist, or even if you're not, I'd be interested in your interpretation.

In the meantime, thanks for visiting ...

How time flies ....

2010-02-21T13:31:00.023Z

... and I suppose I have been enjoying myself but as you know, I'm very easily distracted and could win the Olympic platinum medal [if there were such a thing] for prevarication so can't actually say, well everyone, I've done x, y, or even z because there's nothing to show for all the time I've not blogged for.

The reason I'm doing this today is that I'd decided to take a look at my own blog and see if anything new had happened on it and was quite excited to see that I have had more comments. Unfortunately, the ones I have since last I looked weren't really worth having as one of them was in foreign and the other one looked a bit 'spammy'.

I have been keeping up with a fair few number of your blogs however and wishing I had that kind of conversation to make with you. I'm not bad when it comes to emailing and think if I could make blog entries in the same style and prolifically as I email may well have a few more readers, hence comments.

This picture above is absolutely not my work and if you look at other folks' blogs, you may well know this one. It's another one of my favourites, Attic 24 and I would strongly urge [fantastic word - can't you just feel me doing the strong urging?] you to go visit her. Lucy is a manic-crochet lady and this little bird [I can feel a recurring theme here] is one of 'hers'. But you could have one because she has done a tutorial on how to make your own. Trouble is, you need to be able to crochet.

Now, I'm not very good at crochet, so when a new serial magazine was advertised the other side of Christmas, I thought I'm going to have that and bought the first issue at the 'special' introductory price. I think that lots of other people probably had the same idea because it was actually quite difficult to find. However, here I am with my crochet stick and string all ready to make my very own "vintage" blankie from 100% acrylic yarn, specially made for the purpose - in China.

As you may expect, the whole of the "vintage" blankie pattern is not in the first issue so you need to subscribe to the series by the end of which you too can own your collection of magazines, plus if you have mastered it, the said blankie. If you go and look at frou-frou's blog she has done all the calculations which explains how costly this is going to be. Might it be easier and dare I say, cheaper, to go out and find someone kind to make for you?

Nevertheless, I still have that first issue, crochet stick and 100% acrylic yarn and, my gosh, isn't crochet difficult? I've actually become a complete genius on doing un-crochet. My square rectangle won't stay the shape it's meant to and either narrows down to a point or expands up to three times the size of my original chains, and even I know that's not right! I'm staying with it however and you may even see it here first when it does get finished - I'm still talking in terms of square not blankie - I'm not that confident in my craft yet.

PS I know that there are probably others of you who crochet very well and may be a bit miffed that I didn't mention you - for which I humbly apologise - but please do look at Lucy's blog even if you are super-crocheter because there's loads of other wonderful stuff on there - I think I might go and live with her - soon!

Thanks for visiting ....

Christmas comes this time each year ....

2009-12-19T17:10:00.011Z

... so why is it such a surprise to me?

As usual, I've been thinking about it but here we are at less than a week to go and it's snowing. There is absolutely no chance that I can drive or walk ANYWHERE in these conditions so will stay in until I can - I'm not that silly.

I also thought as I was marrooned indoors that I should wish anyone that bothers to look at my blog a very merry Christmas. The thought of Christmas also reminded me why I find it so difficult to shop and it's to do with this:

Looking at this I think that I'm not the only disorganised one then because you can see so many other people doing that last [or in my case first] minute shopping for the BIG DAY. I can also take no credit for the photograph - as I said I haven't gone anywhere. It actually came from this blog. If you take a look, it has some other good ideas on saving money and time used shopping during this particular season. It also probably has lots of other good stuff on it but it was that which caught my eye and I wanted to share.

So, even if I don't manage to get to the shops before Friday I expect that the day will still continue as most of them do except that on a 'normal' day, the Queen doesn't appear on my telly. And as that happens around lunch time, I suppose I really should give some thought to what we might eat this year assuming we're still snowed under.

Have a good time and be safe. Thanks for visiting ...

I don't know ...

2009-11-27T11:31:00.014Z

I'm taking a quick break from cutting out squares for patchwork. At the same as doing that [multi-tasker you see] I was listening to Woman's Hour. One of the people they talked to was Lisa Hannigan. The reason I decided to google her was because they discussed her album cover which was all in sewing! Here is a picture of the track list:

Isn't it just so-o-o indivudual? Her voice is also quite magic and you can listen [and see her] if you go to this link.

I hope you like it. I think I might just have to make a small purchase before going back to my rotary cutting - but will have a cuppa first to calm me down.

Thanks for visiting ....

I'll thcream and thcream until I'm thick ...

2009-10-19T15:15:00.011+01:00

... I get so-o-o frustrated sometimes with computy stuff. I thought I'd try and change the look of my blog to make it a little more interesting but am having the most dreadful problems [nothing new there then].

I thought [not even sure about this now because it keeps changing back] I have altered the look of the log in page but when it came to trying to sort out my background, I can't seem to get rid of my old one - and I really have tried [and I may be thick but might even really be sick if I keep on trying].

If anyone has any simple but effective tips and help for me - as ever - I'd love to hear it and probably so would other bloggers who might just be a little too proud to ask [but I'm not].

Thanks for visiting ...

And the answer is ...

2009-10-18T12:47:00.007+01:00

... Monk's House at Rodmell, Sussex. I took the picture [see previous post] from the allotment gardens which they've recently made there, and over the wall is a really pretty church. Bit of a cheat really because you'd more likely be looking at the house itself or the garden not over walls to see what's lurking on the other side, but it would prove [if you'd known where it was] that you were taking notice of your surroundings!

This is another picture taken at Monk's House but is actually the allotment gardens - I wonder what the gardener would think if he saw the resident cat sitting in the midst of his carefully tended veg!

Thanks for visiting ...

I'm late, I'm late ...

2009-10-13T14:48:00.036+01:00

... to say bloggiferous thanks to Victoria Plum for my generous and yummy gift which I won as a giveaway prize.

It actually arrived a week or so ago but the camera, computer and I have never been together in the same place at the same time in order to get the photographs downloaded and saved but now, we have been and are. This is what I got:

I know that there's fruit in there [lots] and it's really delicious [with or without butter] and it goes well with the Earl Grey tea which was also included with my prize. I have also discovered that Victoria is sharing the recipe, so if you go to her blog you can also make one although of course it will be nowhere near as delicious as the original as I have this [well nearly not any more]. I have therefore found out that there's no fat in it which makes it much less calorific than I thought so can now add a thicker layer of butter to it than I did to start which I didn't need in the first place as my body is already over-percentaged with fat in the first place.

Anyway, I made a comment on her blog to say what my favourite tipple is and you can never beat a cup of tea [unless of course you have two cups of tea and then it's twice as nice]. And that's all I had to do, and in return received the lovely gift.

Thank you so-o-o much Victoria Plum.

The other thing I want to tell you about so that you get the chance to share it before the end of the current season is the following picture:

You may recognise it? This is actually a view taken from where I'm trying to persuade you to go. Perhaps you might like to make a guess and I'll let you know if you were right or not?

Thanks for visiting ....

I'm there ...

2009-09-29T12:12:00.021+01:00

For years, out of necessity, having come from what would be called a poor family [but I thought everybody lived like this] I lived with the 'make-do-and-mend' lifestyle. When I left the family home, money was still an issue and so the need to watch the pennies was always upmost in my mind. Then of course, children came along and you're never rich in money when you go in for this kind of luxury as they will always come first - even when they grow up and leave home!

Necessity is the Mother of Invention and it's amazing what you can come up with when needs must.

It's funny therefore that buying second-hand is now known as being thrifty. To get that vintage look your things need to look aged. Hand-knitting and sewing are right up there in the fashion stakes and the more original the better. Cooking too is something that should be done from scratch [chuck the microwave and get out the pressure cooker] and of course, you'll grow your own veg and if fortunate to be able to do so, keep a few chicken. For new Bohemian, I read ex-hippy!

But on the other hand, this is a great way to be environmentally friendly and 'save the planet'. That can never be a bad idea. In that frame, I often look at Pomona's blog and would strongly urge you to do the same - it's really well-written, has fantastic photos and she has an ethical challenge for the next 365 days.

This idea has been taken via another blog, Dottie Angel - another place to go and see wonderful pictures and writing.

You will have to enlarge that [if you know how] to actually read what she says - sorry. If I were cleverer I would show you her logo via a sidebar [yeah, right - like I know what that means] and if anyone wants to enlighten me how, I could still try to do it.

I'm not going to challenge myself because I think I'm that way inclined anyway without having to declare it nationally but you might like to use some of the ideas - they're good ones.

If you'd like to make a comment on this post, I would be very keen to know what YOU do personally to live ethically and what your views are. Whatever you'd like to say about it really - I'd be interested.

Thanks for visiting ...

Billy Doo ...

2009-09-03T16:12:00.045+01:00

... that's meant to be a joke - billet doux you see - love note.

So, today I'm writing about notes. Do you make notes? I have had the most best, bad memory over the past few years and was given the advice that I should write things down relating to absolutely anything that I would want to remember. I started putting these little reminders on pieces of paper, but then I'd forget where I'd put them and consequently the jobs never got done. I don't live in a castle or even a large mansion, it's more of a doll's house - in fact, matchbox would be a better description actually but at least a matchbox might have some order in it whereas my house is a complete and utter disaster - obviously why I can't find the notes - it's tiny-wee but I'm extremely creative [read disorganised, untidy].

So, I was given further advice to get a notebook to put it in and so off I went and got myself a bargain pack of 4 notebooks [obviously expecting to write a lot of stuff down]. I've made a few entries but none of it seems really THAT important if I look at it later although it must have been important at the time I wrote it. However and I am slowly ticking things off as and when I do them; I'm also transferring stuff from the page I've come to the end of to the new one.

Today's page is a beautiful shade of pink - it wasn't meant to be, but the beetroot attacked me when it fell out of the fridge and as it isn't a colour I ever wear I had to fight it off and beat it to the table, whereupon was my book - hence the pink tinge. I also have a pink tea-towel too now because I used that to mop up the seepage [now that's a good word even if it's not a real one] and that's OK being pink because I don't actually wear tea-towels. Possible idea for future fashion designers who might be reading.

Less of tea-towels and beetroot, and more of notes: I found one of the pieces of paper in the night [because I didn't sleep well so got up and found it where it shouldn't have been] and wondered what I'd originally meant when I wrote it, so looked it up on the internet to find another type of note.

I don't remember why I wrote it down it the first place now but am glad I did because it was all about this young lady and her fairly unusual choice of instrument. I hope that you enjoy it.

Thanks for visiting ...

The postman always rings twice ...

2009-08-14T18:49:00.058+01:00

... but I can't say for certain that's this is what happened today, because I wasn't here when he came. However, the lovely man was, and took delivery of TWO parcels for ME. One from Amazon - a book I've been wanting; it's called Stones Spells for Magic Feasts which is the second book by the people who founded the Stones Restaurant in Avebury many years ago.

The original 'Stones' people gave up the business eventually and went back to their former professions [I believe one was an archaeologist]. The recipes they produced were fabulous and very special, as is the area of Avebury.

Anyway, I'm prevaricating, because that's not the whole point of the entry. I wanted to show you this:

and this:

and this:

and this:

and this:

and this:

which all fits very nicely in here:

What a GIFT! I'm just so delighted with it all! It was a bit like Christmas on a Summer's day. Lovely man had some VERY worrying thoughts about my sanity [he once thought I'd got some] - I was oooh-ing and aaah-ing and taking photos and then taking more things out of the parcel with yet more oooh-s and aaaah-s! I'm very fortunate that I know Donna [that it itself is a brilliant gift] because she put in lots of things that seem to be particularly for ME - there's purple, and cats and knitting and buttons and fabric and boxes and thread and oooh and aaah ....

Thank you GREAT BIG to Donna for my lovely giveaway gifts and also thank you to the postman for delivering it,

oh yes, and thank YOU for visiting! ...

Are you knits ...

2009-08-05T10:19:00.028+01:00

OK - it probably might not be that special to you, but you try and get hold of one! I've been searching for this Rowan pattern book for years since borrowing it from a friend and it's only just proved possible. I got it from e-bay. I'd already decided that no way did I want to spend more than £7.50 on it and also didn't want the postage to be extortionate. I do find that postage, whether it be e-bay, Amazon, or anywhere else is much too expensive for what you get in return. And having said that, my 'own' postie is fabulous and I think deserves a lot more money than he probably earns.

This is one of the inside pages from the book [sorry it's a bit blurry - not that clever at taking 'close-up' pics yet - any advice?]. There are a number of patterns I'd like to make and some extremely good articles - one in particular relating to Brandon Mably - might make his sweater for the lovely man.

In case you're expecting me to post about the lovely Donna, the p-r-i-z-e hasn't arrived yet but I went over to get her address for you to visit and see she's had a haircut - doesn't it suit her? I am not brave when I do go to the hairdresser and will not allow her ever to do anything that vaguely smacks of different with her scissors - although I did have it traffic-light red once for a dare [and not that long ago either].

Must get on - I have a Rowan book to read from cover to cover, again and again before I get the needles and wool out.

Thanks for visiting ...

Do you know what it is yet ...?

2009-08-02T13:57:00.024+01:00

... and the answer is no, I don't. But I know it will be wonderful and I'm just so-o-o excited.

In case you are wondering [and I'm sure you were] I've just won a giveaway from lovely Donna whose blog you can find here. I've known Donna, in real life, for a few years so was all the more astonished to see my name below her header when I looked at the blog today - shows that it wasn't a fix because I was more surprised than anyone. I had the lovely man rushing to my aid because he thought I was hurt, I just screamed out so loud when I read it!

The pic above is the kind of thing that Donna shares with anyone who reads her blog. I'm sure you'll enjoy it if you go and take a look, so please spare a few mins to do that thing.

Otherwise, things for me in my life have been much the same as before although I'm not quite as miserable. I don't want to burden you with my problems but I suppose they're much the same as everyone else's really and sometimes they just get too heavy to carry. I'll get through it - I usually do but it's nice to think that there are other people who care enough to say so. Thank you to everyone who has commented or maybe just thought about it. I'm sure it all makes a difference.

I've found a few new blogs lately and one I'd like to share is Jenny's. She has beautiful things to show, including the following photo:

and this, which is not only part of a Block of the Month series she's doing but also something I'd wish you all before saying, thanks for visiting:

Poo-day ...

2009-07-07T14:04:00.018+01:00

I thought I'd make a quick entry based on my latest moan. I wasn't going to write about lightning at all but suddenly the room went really dark and when I looked out could see nothing because it was so dull. Then there was a tremendous crash of thunder followed by a lightning strike [that's not my picture by the way I would be too worried I'd be electrocuted mid-snap].

Anyway, on the pretext of 'I told you so', well I did; I said the weather wouldn't last - what a pity. I'm sure that already some people are complaining now about the rain and how lovely it was last week - those same people who were moaning about the 'damn heat Carruthers' last week in fact. I think really that if you live in England you expect the weather to be temperamental - very much like the people who live here.

Back to the plot, Nan. I was feeling quite depressed and low and think it's mainly because of the blogs I look at. I feel as if I will never get there. I can do things but I just take so stupidly long and am never truly happy with the results. How do these 'other people' do it? I am very easily distracted - as you realise from the above which isn't what I came in for - and it does take me a long while to get around to doing things. Then of course there's the guilt. There are plenty of really important things to do and it seems to be so self-indulgent to spend time 'playing about' when I could be tidying up [who knows there's enough of it here for a couple of [dozen of] you to help me with it]. I also take quite a lot of time working out what we'll eat and then preparing it with love - because that's something I CAN do.

I get like this every so often. This particular moment is one of them. I probably need a good kick up the bum but then would get upset as I've let other people down too because they've bothered to say in the first place.

If you can cheer me up without making me cry, that would be so nice and I thank you for it in advance.

Thank you for visiting my miserable post...

PS It's taken me simply AGES to do this - I'm blaming the electricity which is concentrating of making a storm rather than energising the computer which kept saying 'not responding' - know exactly where it's coming from ... [that was a joke - not a good one but almost].

Home Produce ...

2009-07-01T16:33:00.023+01:00

The good thing about having the lovely man bored at Christmas-time means that he decided to plant veggie seeds extremely early - it was a bit annoying because everywhere I went indoors, there was another pot to avoid. However, it now means that we have had beautiful vegetables from early in the year.

And of course, when they're all out in our minuscule garden and being looked after by himself, they suddenly become 'our' and not 'his' any more, especially when there so many wonderful things you can do with them.

Here is one of 'our' courgettes:

Probably one of my favourite 'Delia' recipes is for Courgette and Potato Cakes with Mint and Feta Cheese

When it first came out, I really didn't want to want Delia's Vegetarian Cookery book because you somehow just know how good the recipes will be and that unless you do something really stupid, they will work out exactly as she promised. I borrowed it first and kept trying to talk myself out of it. I do a lot of cooking and already have loads of cookery books, so did I really need yet another book? In the end, I decided that yes I did want it, although I didn't buy it myself because I was taking yet another look at it in a shop and again, thought that I didn't need it so returned it to the shelf. Lovely man was watching however, and surprise presented me with said book a short time after. So, he does notice things after all ...

I am currently waiting for the timer to go off just now as I'm cooking beetroot to pickle. There aren't that many things to do with a beetroot [not as versatile as a courgette then] but I adore the colour [except for when it gets up your fingernails] and adding a bit of chilli to the pickling vinegar does take them slightly out of the ordinary, so that's what I do. I have also in the past made soup with them but it wasn't that popular, and have roasted them which was. I have tried to freeze them too but they somehow took on a strawberry-esque texture and went all mushy when defrosted. Won't do that again then.

Sorry if I've been quiet for a while but summer really isn't the time when one should be sitting indoors cuddling the computer, so I've been very conscientious watching the lovely man working hard in the garden and giving him lots of encouragement at the same time. However, I do like it when you leave a comment and unless I post, that's not going to happen.

Hope you too are enjoying this terrific weather [if not, it probably won't last that long - this is England after all]. Thanks for visiting.

Have a gander at this ...

2009-06-02T19:40:00.005+01:00

I meant to show you this photo before but was having trouble downloading when I first got the new camera. I think I've got the hang of it now although you may think otherwise.

This pic is of a brood [hope that's the right terminology] of goslings at almost a week old. I actually held one when it was only 2 days old and it fitted in my hand. They are just the cutest things.

At the time, they were living at the Vicarage where they arrived at only a day old [apparently this is the essential time for them to be transported as they won't need feeding because they still have the sac from the egg to nourish them] and they are going to go on to their eventual home when they become big enough to be independent. I am also happy to say that they will not be gracing anyone's Christmas table when that time of year comes and are never destined to be eaten!

It seemed at the time I originally took this picture as though I was becoming 'bird-woman' as my life was very much revolving around bird-like thoughts and ideas. I think I'm all right now!

Thanks for visiting ...

My new playmate ...

2009-05-31T19:15:00.030+01:00

... I think I mentioned previously that the camera had broke? Well, now I have a new one. I have often looked at Jane Brocket's blog and very much admired the pictures she takes so guided by this, I have purchased a Fuji Finepix [although it's not quite the same model that she uses]. It is a bit heavier than the one which 'died' and in some ways easier to use although I'm still getting used to it. However, I thought you might like to see some of the pictures I've taken and at the same time, guess where I might have been today.

These are of the absolutely glorious garden at Charleston which is near Firle, Lewes. Charleston was the home of the Bloomsbury Group and found for the artists that lived there during and after the First World War by Virginia Woolf who was Vanessa Bell's sister. She is reputed to have said to Bell "If you were to come to Charleston, you could make it absolutely divine". She wasn't wrong! The walls, doors and furniture have all been decorated by the artists and although because of the fragility of the collection, you are unable to take photographs inside the house you can go on a tour around it with any of the extremely knowledgeable guides, or if you go on a Sunday, walk around and be amazed all by yourself [when they have stewards]. The shop attached to the grounds is wonderful and you could very easily spend much, much money.

This year they are also selling fabric which is based on some of those you can see in the house itself. This is similar to one which you can buy:
and it's called 'West Wind' by Duncan Grant. There is also one by Grant called 'Grapes' in a vivid yellow, as well as two by Cressida Bell [one of Bell's grand-daughters].

If you've never been to Charleston, it is in my opinion well worth a visit and from there you can also go on to St Michael and All Angels Church at Berwick and Monk's House which are both fairly close by.

Thanks for looking in.

Good night, sleep tight ...

2009-05-21T06:16:00.012+01:00

My sleeping pattern is rubbish! So much so in fact that it actually has no right to even think of itself as any kind of pattern expect for the irregularity in which I sleep.

At these times, I don't tend to turn on the light to read, or to get up. I think that if I do this, I could actually miss that vital 'dropping off' moment by getting involved in some other task and if I should be fully awake might not be able to go back to sleep at all, leaving hours folding out before me to be sleepy-wakeful ones. And of course, I share my bed - not only with the lovely man but also at least two pusses - sometimes more. How mean would it be of me that they are so comfortable beside me, either purring or snoring and I'm wide awake doing sudoku, catching up on correspondence or knitting a sweater, surrounded by all the necessary paraphernalia [what a terrific word that is] that these things entail.

I do think however, that this is probably also my most creative time and when I am often super-inspired. If I could just remember the wonderful symphonies I have composed, the unique design I've created or the piece of writing fit to win the next Booker prize, or even the answer to an insolvable problem [during the 'real' daytime] I would not only surprise myself but everyone around me. But of course, daytime comes eventually and I have nodded back off, albeit into a fitful and disturbed sleep to wake up late and whilst not exactly bad-tempered, because of what if probably a lack of 'quality time in Nodland' unable to fulfill the everyday, seemingly normal tasks of my life let alone remember those most intelligent moments I had during the night.

Unfortunately, this is also a time with dark thoughts - the bleak, morbid moments where I have the most terrible imagination and everyone I know and love has died in truly tragic circumstances witnessed by me.

I lay there for what seems ages and because I can't always see the clock have no idea what the time actually is before I hear the beginning of a dawn chorus when I may get up. I am now in the kitchen with a hot drink and have been followed out by a cat. She can't tell the time either but because I'm no longer in bed it must be time for something to eat. The kitchen clock shows 410. There are actually lots of things I could do but would be too disturbing and noisy for both the lovely man, cats and neighbours who would not appreciate my exuberance at this particular time of day. Also, my eyes are not 100% focusing yet because this really isn't an hour when I should 'normally' be awake and somehow my vision is always the last thing to come to.

Sometimes, I can get really upset and frustrated at my lack of sleep, especially when all around me is quiet and obviously at peace but because I am not, I could quite cheerfully strangle the quiet and peaceful people and animals beside me; after all, why do they manage a blessed night until the alarm goes off whilst I lay listening to all those creaks, hums and bumps that only appear to happen during non-waking hours.

I don't catch up on my lost sleep during the day either so where does it actually go? I understand that the super-intelligent people can survive on very little sleep but then there is also a torture process when you're prevented from getting to sleep at all - which of these is the happy medium?

The day has now come and the sky is clear and bright. If you see me looking washed out and tired, please take pity on me because I am.

Thanks for visiting.

F-f-f-freezing ...

2009-05-08T22:09:00.011+01:00

I'm so cold today. I am wearing many, many layers so look a bit like a roly-poly together with my coat [and I'm indoors] but still so incredibly cold for some reason. I have also been trying [and mainly failing] for a long time to lose weight so why is it that being so cold, I want to eat? And what do I want to eat? Not a nice heart-warming stew or soup; oh, no. I want crunchy-nut cornflakes!

And of course, just as in the adverts, one bowl will NEVER do - I've just finished bowl two and am considering bowl three even though tomorrow I know I will regret ever having bought them as a 'treat' for the lovely man who isn't even here at the moment. I may have to replace them before his return at this rate.

I sometimes wonder when I get like this what makes it happen. I have an objective, that is to lose some weight and so why do I automatically feel deprived, despite the fact that I can eat anything [provided I count it and don't go above my 'daily points allowance']. Sounds good so far but I've already had my 'daily points allowance' and just want M-O-R-E! Come to the day when I have to get on the scales, I know that the needle will be hovering upwards rather than down and I know exactly why this has happened, so why the feeling of guilt and disgust?

I'm doing it for me and not for anyone else. I don't fit into any of my clothes and the ones I just about fit into look awful. I feel uncomfortable and have trouble cutting my toenails as I can't reach them properly because I have to fight my way round my ever-expanding crunchy-nut filled tummy to get to them.

If you have success with your own weight-loss regime where you may have previously struggled, what is it that made this one, the ONE and why? Of course, if you are one of the naturally slim people who doesn't know what I'm talking about and can easily eat a couple of pies, with chips followed by a treacle sponge with full-fat cream and half a box of chocolates - lucky you and make the most of it. One day you might wake up to find you're also like me - I did...

Thanks for looking in.

... and by the way, I did have that third bowl at the same time as typing the treacle sponge paragraph ...

But first, catch your cat ...

2009-04-29T10:53:00.012+01:00

Another link for you to find. It's a video this time [I hope]. I am a member of the Vegetarian Society and there's a special week coming between Monday 18 and Sunday 24 May when I would encourage you to go veggie, even if only for one day at a time leading to your possible lifelong conversion. You can find lots of readymade veg meals all over the place now, numerous ideas in books and on the web and if you're into cooking you could also convert a host of your previously favourite meaty recipes to suit.

Here's the video link. I was a little worried what the content might be but makes me realise more why I don't actually eat my friends.

I don't mean to offend anyone with this entry but it's something that's important to me and I wanted to share.

Thanks for visiting.

Something new ...

2009-04-26T22:04:00.011+01:00

... I've added a counter today because I want to see if anyone's actually visiting. I quite often look in on other people's blogs but don't always comment which may mean that I could be getting more than between the 1 and 5 visitors that my comments tell me. Here's hoping. However it could always mean that I'm singing solos from my song sheet, in which case I'll be ...reviewing the situation.

All the same, thanks for looking.

It's a bird Jim, but ....

2009-04-23T18:24:00.031+01:00

... not always a chicken!

I feel as thought I am advertising a lot when I make a blog entry because I've been on t'internet again this week and bought a little bag - well at least it will be a little bag once I've made it.

In the last issue of Selvedge magazine was an offer relating to a purchase from Sparrowkids. Unfortunately, my camera went phut last week and I am now picture-less so you'll have to use your imagination which is very annoying for me too as I had other stuff to show and this is the best I can do:
I got this photo from their website, which is somewhere I hope you might also like.

I received my kit today - it's in a shiny silver envelope and inside is all packaged in pink tissue. You will see [if you look] it's meant for children but aren't we all that only just grown a bit? I'm so excited that I have this [because after all, I'm a very big kid - not small goat].

They also put in a beautiful postcard with a sparrow on it [there's a sort of theme running through my last two posts] which I've put on the notice board to inspire me in my craft-life.

The other thing I wanted to show you which is totally not related to birds or animals as it's a lovely brooch. I won it in a giveaway from Verbena Nested Treasures - she has a wonderful track by Eartha Kitt on her music thing and it's worth looking at with speakers on just to hear it. What is it about Eartha Kitt that makes me shiver like that? I've copied this picture from her blog so you can see what arrived:

Isn't it just gorgeous?

Laura had a few problems with this actually getting to me [probably because she's all the way away in Florida and I'm not]. However, it's now here. The brooch itself is all nested [see her name for why I used that word] in green stuff much as a bird would use to build it's nest. That's inside a little hessian bag with a bird on it [not sure what variety it is] and that's tied together with lace. Just stunning - what a fortunate Nan I be!

The last and final thing that I can't show you is the superb knitting pattern from Little Cotton Rabbits. She also has a fab blog [why can't I blog like these people?] and makes the most loveliest animals [usually rabbits but also other types]. For Easter [but also for other times of year for those of us who are slow] there is a rabbit egg cosy, thus:

You can buy in on t'internet but I think you need to be a bit technically clever. I had 'normous problems in downloading it. First the site you buy from, which is called Lulu, didn't like my card details [twice] then when it did like them I really didn't understand what I had to do next to get the pattern. You'll probably find it a complete doddle and whilst I'm typing this you will have downloaded, printed, bought the wool and knitted it too.

Looking back on my blog entries, you will see that I have knit a rabbit before but that one didn't have an egg hiding in its knickers which of course mine doesn't either - yet.

Thanks for looking.

In your Clucking Dreams ...

2009-04-07T17:33:00.016+01:00

I would like to have a chicken, or two, mainly for the eggs I suppose, but they also look as if they'd be terrific fun with their intriguing personalities and be good company. There is a house round the corner from here which keeps two, and the other day on the way back from church I saw them wandering about in the street, so I went and knocked the door and they were shooed back to whence they came.

Lovely man thinks our garden is too small [which it probably is] and that it would annoy our neighbours which would definitely NOT be a sensible plan as we live next door to them.

Sometimes, it is better to dream about things rather than carry them out and at least that way, they always end up the way you imagine they will because it's all your own invention.

In my fanciful chicken-inspired world however, I also like chicken-related stuff and there is a web site called Count your Chickens which I like; as well as all sorts of extremely useful things connected with taking care of pukka chicken, they also have some jolly unusual items with a chickenesque theme.

I just got this fabulous egg cosy from them:

It's actually made by Poppy Treffry but I don't know if you'd get the same brilliant service, the darling packaging inside the envelope for instance with feathers, straw and three choccy eggs, even a hand-written note of thanks.

I don't, as a matter of fact, even like boiled eggs but with something this adorable, who cares?!

Happy Easter!

Now performing on your blog ...

2009-03-13T17:21:00.031Z

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you will know that I can't resist a quiz. I was looking around, and on A Thrifty Mrs' blog, she had tried an 'analysis' on what your blog name means and according to Typealyzer, my name tells us that I am:

ESFP - The Performer

The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead - they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.

They enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation - qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions.

The footnote to this quiz says that 'Writing style on a blog may have little or nothing to do with a person´s self-perceived personality'.

It does seem like quite a reasonable analysis apart that I don't like bright colours [I am incredibly dull in fact]. And no, I don't like confrontation or conflict but then does anyone actually go out on purpose to put themselves in that kind of position? And having said that linked with what I know about some people, I would probably agree that actually, yes, they do ...

There was also a 'button' on this quiz which you can put it on your sidebar and it will change according to your mood. Well I know I've come on slowly in small leaps and bounds where my blogging is concerned [mainly thanks to Kitty to whom I am infernally grateful] but I don't think I can manage to do a 'button' today. I get very nervous with new stuff and worry in case it goes wrong - probably the very reason I don't start things in the first place, because that way I can't spoil them ...

Thanks to everyone who puts comments on my blogs; I try and reply to you but sometimes, things don't always go according to plan - that's life I guess.

Thanks for reading and I hope you have a good weekend - anything special planned? Can I come? [That's meant to be a joke by the way].

Is it 'eck as like ...

2009-03-08T19:23:00.038Z

We went out yesterday - to Tunbridge Wells. Lovely man said he'd take me for a coffee and I fancied looking [not buying] in the CK shop there, as upstairs they have furniture and patchwork and knitted blankets which I covet but won't buy because it's so-o-o expensive.

We stay down the Pantiles end apart from going up the High Street to where CK's shop is but kept well away from the Victoria and Albert Centre which is like so many other shopping malls that you really could be ANYWHERE in the world. When we'd finished looking at the shop we limped our way back to the Pantiles to have a well-earned coffee, and go to a place we usually go to and if you like you can sit outside and watch the pigeons or the world go by. As it was a bit chilly we thought we'd sit in and were quite prepared with what we wanted but were told in no uncertain terms that we had to, "Take a seat and a waitress would come and take your order".

E-v-e-n-t-u-a-l-l-y, someone did come and we ordered: "Two coffees [one decaf] and an Eccles cake". Not difficult. Except if you'd gone into this particular coffee shop on this particular day. After another extremely long wait, by which time we'd rearranged the salt and pepper a few times and made origami animals with the napkins, having almost forgotten that we'd ordered anyway, the waitress reappears with "Two coffees [one decaf] and an Eccles cake". Well, I don't know about you, but I've always been under the impression that an Eccles cake will be oozing with a sticky, fruity, mess and be inside a light, flaky sugar-coated pastry. Except if you'd gone into this particular coffee shop on this particular day. What actually was in front of the lovely man [although I would have a 'taste'] was a round pastry-type object that needed a chisel and hammer to break through it, and filled with fresh air!

Lovely man looks at me, I look at lovely man. "Should I complain"? he says. He doesn't often complain about food [he lives with me, and I cook for him daily so I know these things]. I agree that it's really not satisfactory and so he walks down the stairs back to the counter [where ordinary folk aren't supposed to go] and then [after another long wait] comes back to sit with me. Another wait ... I wished I brought my book ... and waitress comes to the table with - another Eccles cake. She says that everything's fine but she'll wait whilst he makes sure this one is up to his standard.
Hammer and chisel required again to find that there was fractionally more filling in this one but really, only fractionally. "Don't you want it then"? she says. Lovely man agrees that it's not an Eccles cake as he knows it, so could it be taken back again. "I'll get another", she says. "No, it's ok", says lovely man, "I'll try a Belgium bun". Belgium bun arrives in time for the lunchtime rush to start and thankfully it's ok. We finish up our coffees [one decaf] and prepare to leave.

Not known for my speed, I'm putting on my coat, gloves and scarf whilst lovely man is downstairs paying the bill. "I'm going to have to charge you for one of the Eccles cakes", she says. Lovely man says, "But I never ate it, it wasn't up to standard". "That's not my fault, they come from the bakers. I'm charging you for it". "I'm sorry", says lovely man "But I'm not paying for something that I never had". "But we can't resell them now", says waitress. "They weren't edible anyway", says lovely man. After what seemed like another age of waiting about, they agree to disagree, and lovely man pays for "Two coffees [one decaf] and a Belgium bun". Needless to say, we will NOT be frequenting that particular coffee shop on any particular day in future.

Rest of day spent in garden where my coffee is eminently drinkable but the Eccles cakes are still non-existent.

Wrap up warm ...

2009-02-24T16:59:00.013Z

If you've been looking in on me occasionally, you will realize that one thing I rarely do [and when I do, I don't enjoy] is SHOPPING. It's why, if I do make the occasional purchase, it will probably be 'on line' so that I don't even have to leave the house to get whatever it is.

I have been using a local company for knitting yarns and patterns called Kangaroo. The latest yarns I bought were from a company called Mission Falls - stunning colours in fabulous cotton - and I made a wrap.

It's slightly different to the pattern [surprise] but even so, there were lots of ends to darn in. By the time I'd added the cross-stitch and French knots I'd almost lost the will to knit so added a fleece lining which has made it even warmer. I'm slightly proud of the results and wanted to share this with you.

You will notice that my photography, or the placement of said photographed article, is not really that brilliant. What any photos I take do tell me though is to get off the 'puter and do a bit of tidying up...

I'm now off to make pancakes - apparently I need to be shriven ...

Thanks for reading ... any comments ... etc.

Are you sure ...?

2009-02-21T09:33:00.018Z

Some of what follows might be like me but I suppose with most of these quizzes, we read into them what we actually want to see. Add the fact that different people know me by different names - nickname, given name, blogname, etc. I put in 'Greedynan' [and the description follows] because it's what YOU know me as ... I also did it with one of my aliases and of course it was completely changed. All depends on HOW you are on the actual day.

You Are Intelligent and Contemplative

You are deeply philosophical and thoughtful. You tend to analyze every aspect of your life.

You are intuitive, brilliant, and quite introverted. You value your time alone.

Often times, you are grumpy with other people. You don't appreciate them trying to interfere in your affairs.

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.

You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.

You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.

You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.

At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.

You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row.

You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace.

People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality.

You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in.

You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising.

You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people.

You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts.

You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.

You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.

You have the classic "Type A" personality.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

I didn't find it that easy [surprise] to actually put it up as a post either because you have to go into a Facebook to get it. I don't think my face is normally much like a book really, but today does feel a little faded, crumpled, and generally turned down at the edges.

I will, hopefully, be posting again over the weekend as I have something to show you ...

As always, any comments welcomed and thanks for reading ...

Oh Chit ...

2009-02-19T15:44:00.026Z

Monty says that:
seed potatoes appear for sale early in the New Year so that they might be 'chitted'. This involves laying them out in egg boxes, seed trays or some such container in a cool, light place that is protected from frost. Slowly, they develop sprouts. The reason you chit them is to make the growing process much faster once they are planted. This can be important in cold areas because potatoes, coming as they do from the Andes, are not hardy, so the quicker they start growing, the better the crop will be before frost comes along and kills the leaves. Once the leaves are dead, the potatoes cannot grow, so they wither in size or number.

So that's what we've done and said egg boxes are sitting in the porch with dead-looking [but really over-wintering] geraniums, having a chit.

We've grown veg for a few years now in our little garden and are still eating last year's homegrown produce from the freezer which shows that if we can do it, probably anyone can.

The other thing I wanted to tell you about is knitting and how good it appears to be for the very soul. I read an article which explains how the rhythmic action of knitting takes your mind off any pain you might have as you can relax and get lost in your thoughts. It also helps with confidence-building as it gives a positive outlook that you know you can do something and usually for a purpose.

The scientific bit is that people with long-term pain easily become isolated and unhappy and being part of a knitting group makes them feel they have a place in the world, as the action of knitting has a neurochemical effect on the brain changing brain chemistry for the better, decreasing stress hormones and increasing the feel-good serotonin and dopamine. So, you can get your needles and wool out without feeling any guilt and join that group because it seems that it really does do you good.

As always, any comment you want to leave on either of these items would be welcome.

Thanks for reading ...

Do you think an ironing board cover can have a comely sex appeal?

2009-02-08T21:29:00.026Z

A bun can dance blog sent me to How about Orange to see how creative I am. It was quite interesting and as you know, I do like the quizzes. Trouble is, I can't quite see how I can let you read my results [because I am a fool] but it was quite kind as it said I was creative and willing to look at new things.

Go see for yourself - it's a bit different. And it was also good to go back to a bun can dance as I hadn't looked there for quite a while.

The other thing I wanted to tell you about, 'specially as I'm prepared to look at new things was Lisa Stickley. This is a website I found the address of in this Sunday's 'Style' magazine which I think comes with the Telegraph [obviously I don't read the Telegraph myself - it's much too big] but it was in a coffee shop and I do like coffee [and lemon drizzle cake].

Anyway, this Lisa-person is [according to the blurb in the article] going to be the new Cath Kidston and sends a warning that: "in a pink, spotty caravan somewhere, Cath Kidston is - presumably - shaking in her floral wellies".
You may have views on this yourself but if you are near to 74 Landor Road [which is in Brixton, London] you might want to pay her a visit rather than looking at her site.
PS The title of today's blog entry was from the article in afore-mentioned magazine and nothing to do with me.

I don't think - therefore I am ...

2009-01-29T16:10:00.008Z

I was in three minds about this because I'm not certain about tarot and other superstitious things related to it but can never resist a quiz and after all it's only a bit of fun.

You are The Empress

Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.

The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents,
beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home
decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.

The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

I've been having a strange week and this certainly is strange!

And if that's not enough ...

2009-01-28T10:07:00.009Z

... I am now distressed!

With thanks to Background Fairy for the backing to my posts and to Hensteeth as that's where I got the idea.

I think I'm 'getting there' Kitty!

Just practicing my links ...

2009-01-27T14:52:00.015Z

... thank you loads - once again - to lovely
Kitty who helps me NO END with my blog by giving me all sorts of tips.

If you go back to my previous blog, you will see that I was bemoaning how I couldn't make a link from the name Eva Cassidy so that you could hear her singing 'My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose' but now thanks to Kitty, the name is highlighted and you can go have a listen.

In case you're wondering what's with the elephant - although I wouldn't actually want to eat one, I suppose this is exactly how Kitty would explain how I should go about it - little by little.

Thanks for dropping by but I've got a headache now ...

All Hail Robbie ...

2009-01-25T12:37:00.015Z

... not Williams, but Burns who's anniversary is celebrated by all/most Scots round about now, although the actual day is today.

In commemoration of that, I've copied out my favourite of his poems, not less than because it was read to me at a Burns' Supper a few years ago, when I realised just how lovely my lovely man really was:

My love is like a red, red rose
That's newly sprung in June:
My love is like the melodie
That's sweetly play'd in tune.
So fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in love am I,
And I will love thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.
Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun:
And I will love thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.
And fare thee weel, my only love,
And fare thee weel awhile!
And I will come again, my love,
Tho, it were ten thousand mile.

Isn't it wonderful? By the way, Wogan has played on a few occasions, to my knowledge, the Eva Cassidy version of this and it is very evocative. If I was computer-clever you'd be able to click on her name which would take you to listen to it; as you know, however, I'm not clever at much at all, so you'll have to look it up for yourself and if you do, I hope you enjoy it. Love's great when you're both in it together ...

Thanks for reading.

Well, Tag Me ...

2009-01-16T19:25:00.013Z

I've been tagged! I'm so excited because this is a first by lovely Sara who has the Flossie and Tom blog. As this is a relatively new thing for me [rewind - actually very new because as I said, it's not happened before] I may very well get it wrong but with apologies for that, before I start [and I know you should never apologise but that's just the way I am], here is the stuff you need to know:
1. Link to who tags you;
2. Post the rules;
3. Write 6 random things about yourself;
4. Tag 6 people at the end and link to them;
5. Let each person know;
6. Here are my 6 things:

a. I'm calling them a to f because of the 1 - 6 I've already put and don't want to confuse it too much;
b. If someone is using a mobile in public and says "hello" into it whilst they're near me, I'll say "hello" back as if they were speaking to me;
c. I don't eat bananas;
d. I hate shopping;
e. I am always the hero in the book that I am currently reading otherwise the story won't work for me;
f. I give too much information, way too soon and it can scare people.

Right, hope that's all ok then and for the next bit, the six blogs I'm tagging are:

u. Lavenderhouse;
v. Kitty;
w. Sea Angels;
x. Hensteeth;
y. Katherine's Dream;
z. Victoria Plum.

I hope that you'll be able to take part - it does take quite a long time - and thank you to Sara for thinking of me in the first place.

Thanks for reading.

Welcome Warren Wabbit ...

2009-01-13T21:07:00.016Z

Please make the pleasurable acquaintance of Warren Wabbit; he is quite new and was thought up originally by a lovely lady called Lynne Seaton who is in Scotland. She has a blog called My Baboo. I found her blog quite by chance and was truly tempted by her lovely knitting patterns and kits. I originally only wanted the pattern for the bunny but the colours that Lynne supplies in the complete kit called to me and I listened very carefully! If you feel that you would like to have your own Warren Wabbit [but of course you wouldn't have to call him that] do go and have a look at her site because you can order fairly easily via Pay-pal and if I can do it, it really can't be that difficult. Neither is he difficult to knit - probably the most complicated thing was sewing in all the ends which is always tedious. Also on Lynne's blog, if you are still in Christmas mode or one of those people who start early for the next one are some lovely ideas for decorations.

I have managed also to get my 15 seconds of fame because I looked at Lynne's blog today and who should be there but Warren sat-seated by the fire because he was a bit chilly despite his warm, cosy sweater. He has told me that Lynne has been in telepathic mode and asked if I could also knit him a little scarf. There is enough wool so I probably will.
Oh yes, last thing about the bunny lady: she sends them out in boxes [in fact mine was a box in a box]; because I was deprived as a child and feel as though I lived in a box I don't even have to have anything inside it to be completely overwrought! Unwrap it all very carefully and everything inside is beautifully packaged with instructions, photo, yarn and stuffing so all I needed to supply were the needles and a little bit of knitting.
From Snapdragon's Garden blog [where I go quite a lot to drool over the fabulous machine embroidery and which I am trying to learn myself, but have many miles to go so will continue to buy from Jane in the meantime] you can also make your way to the Patchwork Dress. It's another delightful blog to look at and has some of Lynne's knitted reindeer on it which is how I originally fell into My Baboo. Deep breath...
In case you thought I might have forgotten [as if] please let me be amongst the last to wish you a very Happy New Year unless like me yours hasn't arrived. What with the general madness and flu-y symptoms, etc I feel as thought mine is still hiding round the corner. Just wish it might get a move on.
Finally, this is a time of year when we can get a bit low ['specially if our own New Year is yet to make an appearance]. Do you have any nice jokes to pass on? I particularly like easy to remember ones without bad language, etc [sorry, it's just the way I am]. No prizes - just the mere joy of knowing you might cheer me and others up...
Thanks for reading ...

He's behind you ...

2008-12-21T14:00:00.020Z

We're going to the panto this afternoon and then out for 'tea'.

Although the children are all 'growed up and gorn' we still like to do things where they become like the babies they'll always be to us and we just so-o-o enjoy it ourselves too; because it's not a 'cheap' outing we make it an early part of their pressie and it seems to be something they remember long into the New Year.

At Church today [fourth of Advent] we saw a very good video as the 'short thought'. It might be something I'd like to share with you as it certainly made me think a little deeper - especially at this time of year.

I mentioned as a comment last week about Woolies and if, perchance, you have recently arrived from another planet, of course this will probably mean nothing, but I'm very sad about its demise as Woolies is something I cannot remember never having. All my pots come from there so I don't know what I'm going to do when this lot have had it. Incidentally, I am reading a fantastic book which just happens to be called 'Our Spoons Came from Woolworths'; it's by a lady called Barbara Comyns. The precis of the book is as follows:

Marry in haste, repent at leisure. Sophia is twenty-one years old, carries a newt - Great Warty - around in her pocket and hastily marries a young artist called Charles. Swept into bohemian London of the thirties, Sophia is ill-equipped to cope. Poverty, babies [however much loved] and her husband conspire to torment her. Hoping to add some spice to her life, Sophia takes up with the dismal, ageing art critic, Peregrine, and learns to repent her marriage - and her affair - at leisure. But in this case virtue is more than its own reward, for repentance brings an abrupt end to a life of unpaid bills, unsold pictures and unwashed crockery ...

Reading the summary back, it sounds like a really miserable tale but I have laughed [out loud] on a number of occasions. It's an easy-read [it has to be with me] and if you are stuck for a book choice, this could be the one.

I have found a link which relates to both this writer and others of her 'ilk' in case you'd like to know more.

I think I'll leave you with that for now and go to see what you might have written on your blog.

Thanks for looking and if I don't return before the 'big day' have a wonderful time.

... baked in a pie

2008-12-03T14:37:00.017Z

I'm in cooking mode today as we have some people coming for tea tonight. I've done a cowboy pie [they are young people coming after all]. They were right out of cowboys in the Co-op so I substituted baked beans and Quorn. So far, it's looking good. I'm not doing pudding as they don't tend to eat sweet things [strange as well as young].

I am lucky enough to have a puss on my lap at the moment and either she's ignoring the 'puter or not wanting to play, otherwise I don't think I would have got this far. She was a right pain the other day when I was trying to type and decided what she wanted to put was a lot more interesting [but must have been in cat language because it didn't make sense to me although we usually understand each other perfectly].

I've just found another new blog: it's called Flossie and Tom. Sara is really creative and she has 'followers' - notice how I don't! I went to her via my lovely friend Donna as she'd put a comment on hers. Donna is decorating as you'll see if you look at her blog. I wouldn't like to have that job I can tell you. My house would fit twice into her lounge with room to spare. And she's stripping it all back to do it properly too. Actually, I must go and have a look at her blog as she said she's going to be doing a daily photo log of the progress.

The cat has now taken up residence right alongside the 'puter and it purring so loudly I'm having trouble hearing the radio - I think I'll invite her to sit when Mo Dutta is on - have you listened to him at the weekend? I'm glad to be out and about without the radio to be honest.

Thank you to everyone whose given me their help about the applique question I put. It's not completely solved yet and I'm still practicing but hope to give you good news about my progress soon.

I'd better get on, or those cowboys will need entertaining.

Update on cat behaviour: I have 'lost' the 'Y' key - she clawed it off and took it with her a minute ago when she left the room. Explain that ...

Sewing

2008-11-26T14:03:00.008Z

Would anyone reading this be able to give me some tips on machine applique please? I don't have a super-modern sewing machine [it just about manages to do zig-zag] but I'd like to machine embroider letters and shapes onto fabric and get a professional finish. I'm obviously getting something very wrong and would really appreciate advice from someone who knows so that I can make cushions as Christmas presents.

Fishers of Men

2008-11-13T23:13:00.004Z

or Followers of Blog ...

I added this in a fit of popularness which I haven't got at the moment. I'd like it if you wanted to be my blog friend though.

Back So Soon ...

2008-10-31T21:57:00.011Z

... otherwise known as Thanks to Kitty!

I'd never been to any of the places you suggested before so it was just a little scary for me to be seen there alone. However, my button had been enabled to change my titles into Hindi although my language was still in English. I'm very grateful to you - you are obviously 'one of those people' and I'm extremely glad of it.

Also, see how I am now able to do links and stuff - all because you have shown me how. I am very pleased and proud to 'know' you - if that's all right by you?

बिग फट रेनबो

2008-10-31T17:44:00.032Z

... now this is interesting ... or not.
Just to show that I do read my comments, I tried the thing that Lavender Hearts said might be wrong with my Title box and look what happened - exactly the same thing that was happening before regardless of if I was in the edit HTML or compose view. I thought I'd show you what it does if I carry on regardless [sing along with me]. Not sure what language the font is but its translation is Big Fat Rainbow about which more later.
I'm leaving it for the timebeing though and see what happens because it's starting to get on my nervies and that's not good.

I was on my way home this afternoon and it was spit-spotting with rain and I wondered if I might see a rainbow because the sun was also shining. I have seen quantities of them lately and they are all quite different. One was a double rainbow, and today, it was a b-i-g, f-a-t rainbow as I mentioned above. It looked really strange particularly as I'd not seen one like that before.

Also on the weather-front, [sort of] there is a book which is all about cloud spotting; it's called "The Cloudspotter's Guide" by Gavin Pretor-Pinney. He is the founder member of The Cloud Appreciation Society which fights 'blue-sky thinking' and teaches us to enjoy the contemplation of clouds - nature's poetry. No really it does. I know he's done a follow-up book, again about clouds, but there could be a valuable spin-off for him here - to write about rainbows, the different shapes and sizes they are available in and their meanings. How about it Mr P-Pinney?

Also on the subject of books, Melmel made a comment on Lavender Heart's blog [which also seems to be Diary of a Tinyholder] about someone called Posy, or it might have been Niki, and a book they've written because Tinyholder is also writing a book. This is doing nothing except getting confusing I feel, so apologies if you're not on this wavelength with me. Anyway, I did some detective work and found that the Posy/Niki person is actually Nostalgia at the Stone House from where Niki Fretwell has written a book called "Living with Nostalgia". Now, if I was more clever-er, I'd add a link to it from here but you're bound to be even more clever-er so you can find it yourself probably by going to her blog/website. It looks beautifully, beautiful but is shedsloadsamoney - well, it is for my inadequate purse. If anyone has it and wants to do 1. a giveaway [but only to me] or 2. a review, I'd be interested to see before I dive into the housekeeping.

Thanks for keeping up - if you have ....

Have a good weekend - I'm going to hug the fire.

ItEvenSmellsNovemberish

2008-10-28T14:45:00.008Z

Before I start can anyone help me please? As you see I'm still not able to get spaces between the words in the Title section as if I press the spacing bar a long list of numbers replaces what I'd already put. It's been happening for a while now and I don't know what to do - it wasn't a trick to see if you could read it in this strange code I've developed.

I have plenty of things I should be doing but thought I'd take the time out for the blog as it's been such a long time since I added to it. So I have Radio 2 and a hot chocolate beside me to write a little about, what else, the weather. It's really autumn now isn't it? I love this time of year - you know where you are with autumn as you expect it to be cold, perhaps rainy, even a bit winter-ish.

Any sunny days, even the crispy ones are welcome and if you're indoors, you can look at the changing colours outside - so much the better. I even think it might be nice to go for a walk all cuddled up in warm scarf, hat and gloves with a scatty dog to accompany me. On our return home, my dog [with magically non-mud producing paws] would settle down by the pre-lit fire and we could be all cosy and warm for the whole evening. Crumbs, I nearly believed myself then, - it all sounded so possible ...

I recently read one of those 'thoughts for the day' which could probably apply to me and wanted to share:
Until you try, you don't know what you can't do.
I know - it's obvious really but I can worry about absolutely anything, even what I might need to worry about in the future which hasn't even happened and may not ever happen anyway. I know I do it and it's just 'slightly' odd to look at life in that way, but I also believe that the differences between us all is what makes us special in the first place and from this, it means I must be particularly special ...

NoBatteryPower

2008-09-21T15:13:00.026+01:00

Sorry about the title being all joined up but if I use my space bar whilst typing in the title space I get a load of jumbled up stuff which, to me, means absolutely nothing although to a computer-type it's probably very significant! Still, I expect you can understand what it's meant to say?

Today, Perch Hill had an Open Garden as part of the NGS and all the money taken was for the Macmillan Nurses Fund so obviously, very worth it. To park in a field: £4 each. It was packed to bursting there today, and I'm afraid we left because I just cannot stand crowds of people - it makes me extremely nervous. Add to that, one particularly noisy child who was in in the greenhouse-cum-coffee-shop in 'I want' mode and screaming loudly to get 'it'. Why didn't the parents just remove the child so he wasn't intruding on everyone else's peace and quiet, when trying to decide what to buy from the catalogue and drink the lovely coffee? We didn't look at the catalogue or drink the lovely coffee however, because of the crowds, and there were just so many in the coffee queue which was being made in ordinary family pots by just one girl. We also wanted to get some seeds, but I came out because of the noise and the huge numbers inside so the lovely man went to pay. There was unfortunately, only one girl at that till too and the people in front wanted a very complicated refund so we also came away 'sans' seeds.

Back to the battery, I turned on the camera when we arrived because Ms Raven herself was taking our £4 each entrance fee, and I thought I'd get a sneaky shot to show you. The first thing the camera did was spit and whirr a little before showing me a screen which said 'no battery power'. I did my female impression of Victor Meldrew which my lovely man found extremely funny for some reason, so I had to beat him hard with an imaginary stick to teach him a lesson!! The people in front of us in the queue must have thought we were [and of course we are] totally mad and pretended that we didn't exist at all. Funny thing was, we saw them again later and were quite chatty the second time around!

The result is, of course, no photos to show you. Shame...
I wasn't untruthing then, and this is a picture taken at Perch Hill, but it was the last time we were there. Isn't it pretty? It's a ladybird poppy and although it was pouring with rain on that day [hence the water drops on the screen] I think you can still make out how lovely it is. Unfortunately, they didn't have any of this particular plant for sale but I'm living in hope that I will be able to get some eventually.

PublicThanks

2008-09-15T13:30:00.011+01:00

I wanted to say a big bloggy thank you to tagalongteddies who has very kindly sent me some of the Noah's Ark Stitchery BoMs from Lynette Anderson's blog.

Unfortunately, my budget doesn't run to luxuries such as printers and for that reason, I have been copying them freehand from the screen as they appear. Not as easy as it seems although the patterns are reasonably simple. I was looking at the other work that people have done following Lynette's BoM and Kris was one of them. I really liked her blog so decided to email her and ask about how her work was progressing, etc. She offered to send me the print outs and in today's post, there they were.

Thank you so-o-o much Kris. It was a long way from Australia for them to come but they are here and so much better than I could do.

May be able to show these off when I've actually completed them. If you haven't already been to Lynette's blog, do have a look. She is another lovely lady. Perhaps you need a blog to become one.

Thanks for reading ...

I don't think I am ...

2008-09-12T00:22:00.000+01:00

... but according to the quiz I've just done:

I am a
Snapdragon

What Flower
Are You?

"Mischief is your middle name, but your first is friend. You are quite the prankster that loves to make other people laugh."

In fact, I don't make mischief or play jokes, but I do make people laugh - not on purpose. However, I can be a lifelong and trustworthy friend. Think I might have to do this one again when it's not quite so late.

Speaking of snapdragons, if you have time, do take a look at Snapdragon's Garden blog - I hope you'll enjoy it.

Time for bed says Zebedee ...

Spelling Bee ...

2008-09-09T11:15:00.000+01:00

There was a piece in today's Mail whose main thrust was 'email language and textspeak is the way forward'. This made me quite angry because the English language is such an interesting thing and although I'm not an academic [who suggested it in the first place], I do love the quirkiness that English has and the different ways it can be used.

I enjoy working out where apostrophes should go and how meanings can be totally changed by varying the spelling.

Proposals given here include:

*Their, there and they're should all be spelled 'there' as they sound the same;
*Get rid of the 2 types of its as it confuses the meaning;
*Embrace Americanisms; drop the final 'e' from words if the preceding vowel sound is short, ie 'give' becomes 'giv' although 'love' remains 'love';
*Allow double consonants when the preceding vowel sound is short, so 'river' becomes 'rivver' and 'model' becomes 'moddel';
*Replace the soft 'g' with a 'j' so 'danger' becomes 'danjer' and use a double 'g' if the sound is hard, so 'anger' becomes 'angger'.

I don't know about you but I find this ridiculous. Just because other countries spell phonetically, doesn't mean that we have to follow. The uniqueness that is Britain is what makes it Great.

Steps down from soap box ... apologies for rant.

Back Already ...

2008-09-07T19:48:00.000+01:00

Didn't really mean to be with you again so soon but I have been looking at other blogs and found Just Another Row with a little quiz, and I can't resist them so these were my results. I thought it was quite a difficult quiz really because it was like multiple choice and I didn't like the answers I was given to choose from so had to go for the nearest instead.

Despite all that, I think the results were very close to what I'm really like.

You Are Mayonnaise

You tend to be a very quiet, introverted person.

You're happy to sit back and let stronger personalities shine.

You value loyalty and harmony. You try to bring people together.

Your taste in food leans toward simple comfort foods.

You love holiday meals as well as old school favorites like mac and cheese.

You get along with mustard and ketchup personalities. You have an unlikely alliance with hot sauce personalities.

What Condiment Are You?

Up the pictures ...

2008-09-07T12:59:00.000+01:00

Last night we went to see 'Miss Pettigrew Lives for a day' and although it wasn't particularly well attended - possibly under 20 people there - I really enjoyed it. 'The Duchess' and 'Mama Mia' were on in other parts of the cinema but I think [even though I haven't seen the other two] we got the best film. It was one of those 1930s stories where the older, slightly dippy woman suddenly finds herself in a situation where she seems to shine and the sweet girl [who wants fame, fortune and love] for whom she's working, helps her without realising exactly what she's doing.

I think that's about right and enough information if you're thinking of seeing it, because I wouldn't want to spoil the story for you. It was my sort of film however, particularly because there was no bad language and although there was a fight, it was needed to properly depict the people involved in their true colours.

The costumes and surroundings were perfect and I just loved Miss Pettigrew. Go and see it yourself, or perhaps read the book. It's by an author called Winifred Watson and published by Persephone Books. Here is some stuff I found out about her:

WINIFRED WATSON was brought up in Newcastle, where her father owned three shops. Educated at St Ronan's School, Berwick-on-Tweed, she was a secretary until, in 1935, aged 28, she married Leslie Pickering, the manager of a timber firm. She wrote Fell Top in 1935 and Odd Shoes a year later, 'two rather strong dramas...but when they received a book that was fun - Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day [1938] - they would not accept it...I can remember to this day looking up at the publisher and saying, ''You are wrong, Miss Pettigrew is a winner.'' But he just looked stubborn. I wrote another straight novel [Upyonder, 1938] and, when they did publish Miss Pettigrew, I was proved right... France published it, Australia, and even Germany was about to only the war came.' Winifred Watson published two more novels, but stopped writing not long after the birth of her son in 1941. She lived in Newcastle for the rest of her life and died there in 2002.

To me she seems quite an 'ordinary' person really and I suppose if you have talent as a writer this could be any one of you.

The rest of the weekend I intend to go through the stack of papers and magazines that are mounting up and I never have the chance to read. The paper recycling bin is going to be heaving.

Until the next time ...

Just making conversation ...

2008-09-05T12:54:00.000+01:00

... people don't to do this any more. I went shopping this morning [seldom do but have to occasionally] and was in the kitchen shop and bought a delicious candle. When I went to pay I said how lovely the candle smelled. The girl had a sniff and said "Oh yes, delightful". [Think that means she didn't like it somehow]. I went on to say how I like some words better than others and delightful is one of those. What did she think of terrific - good word, difficult to spell. She just stared at me so I asked "What about embarrassed? "No", she says, "I'm not". I couldn't be bothered after that and don't think she was at all on the same planet as I am as she couldn't wait to have me leave the shop. I will probably go back to annoy them another time but did apologise that I hadn't seen anyone all day so just wanted to have a chat. I got that blank look again.

Is it me? Yes, I think it probably is ...

I should be so lucky ...

2008-09-01T23:01:00.001+01:00

... and I was! I won a prize. Lavenderhouse had a competition thingy on her blog for a Cath Kidston bag and I was one of the pickees. I am really excited about this and can't wait for it to arrive. Will show you as soon as it does.

I wasn't really having much of a lucky day up till then really. I put my trousers on back to front and although they felt strange didn't realise until I was looking for the pockets that I'd done it. Then I went out and forgot I'd not got my specs on, so had to come back because it wouldn't be very safe for me [or you] to be driving without them. And I hadn't done my hair and couldn't find a pony band to put in it either. I also forgot to change out of my slippers, so must have looked more than a little strange - stranger than usual in fact. Your imaginings of what I might have looked like are probably too kind ...

We went for a coffee later, but I'd changed out of my 'mad' clothes and into something a little more suitable by then - and I'd also taken off my socks as they really didn't go with the sandals and skirt I was wearing. My lovely man doesn't seem to mind - I wonder sometimes what/who it was that he fell in love with because I can't see anything particularly lovable.

Later on I was taking 'the tablets' and went for a glass of water and quite forgot I had 'the tablets' and dropped them down the sink. How's that for a day?

Hope you had a good day but things can only get better - cue for another song.

Oh yes, just remembered that the little cardi I've been knitting is now finished but has gone to its new home, and I didn't take a photo so sorry, and you can't see it. It was successful however and provided washing instructions are followed, will last for a couple of months.

Summer Bank Holiday

2008-08-28T15:16:00.000+01:00

Ha-ha! The photos were there all the time - just hiding from me. This is where we managed to go over the weekend. It was very wet here and cold too and having arrived we discovered that the umbrella in the boot wasn't there so we just had to brave it and get wet.

I always like it here although our garden is nothing like it think it's something we should aspire to. There's usually a nice cup of coffee [or two] in the greenhouse too which encourages you to climb that slope to get it.

Oh. Didn't I say? We were at Perch Hill which is near Brightling. It's where the lovely Sarah Raven lives and works. What a fantastic outlook it is. The view is free.

Turning Japanese ...

2008-08-25T15:49:00.000+01:00

My two plum trees are
So gracious ...
See how they flower -
One now. One later.

I recently borrowed from the library the Rumer Godden book, Miss Happiness and Miss Flower. Lavenderhouse had managed to buy a copy and spoke about it on her blog which reminded me that I had this book as a child, so decided to re-read it.

It was just as magical as I remember it to be and although a slow reader, I have finished it already - shame because it could have gone on a lot longer; still, there is always Little Plum. I'll put my library order in I think.

The verse at the top of this entry is called a Haiku. This is something that Japanese poets have been working with for hundreds of years and as they only have 17 syllables they are very hard to both write and translate.

I had a little Japanese doll at the same time as the book which was bought from the Ideal Home Exhibition. I seem to remember that I gave her a wash because she'd got a bit grubby and she disintegrated completely - obviously not washable.

I did have another post to make about my weekend. It's been a bit of a wash-out here weather-wise but things could be worse. I'll try and get the photos together to show you where I went.

Until then ...

Jane Austen Heroine

2008-08-10T21:30:00.000+01:00

Take the Quiz here!

I was just looking at a blog called Pea Soup and there was a link to this quiz. I think it might be good to be Elizabeth Bennet. Have you looked at this one and who were you?

I'm so tired today. I've been thinking about doing lots of things and have done a little bit of knitting but feel so exhausted think I might go off to bed and try to do better tomorrow.

Back soon.

Don't look back ...

2008-08-04T18:33:00.000+01:00

... that's usually the right thing not to do but in this case, please do because the missing blog is found but has put itself where it would have been had it gone there in the first place. It's called 'the Cleverest Person has returned' because at the time, I thought they had.

Can't stop now as I'm having a fit of sneezing and must fetch a hankie.

See you soon.

Rolling Like Thunder ...

2008-07-29T05:15:00.000+01:00

... I thought it was raining a bit a while ago and have just heard a rumble of thunder; well I suppose it has been expected and, as 'they' say, it's good for the garden, and as we're on a meter it will save some money and time from using the hose.

I have been making some seat cushions today using some old samples of patchwork I'd made years ago but didn't know how to use. It's quite a surprise that they look as nice as they do, considering some of the awful fabrics I'd used. I thought that patchwork using materials I didn't particularly like in the first place all those years ago would make them look better - wrong! Not sure yet if they'll be deserving of a photo but in the meantime ...

This is a picture I took at the weekend whilst at Monk's House. It's [obviously] an artichoke and there was a hole in the fencing so I had a good opportunity. Are they easy to grow as I'd love to have some next year?

I think I may know where to look for that 'lost' post and if I find it, you'll know all about it...

Until then.

Pride Comes Before ...

2008-07-27T12:45:00.000+01:00

... yes, a fall. And it was quite a big one too. I thought I'd just been that clever person again and not one, not two but three pictures were there after following Kitty's marvellous instructions written particularly for woman of no brain. I did it! ... and a really nifty post to go with them ... and I saved it so who only knows where it is now. That's what you get for showing off. It may still resurface, so watch this space. In the meantime, make do with this [which I did take on the camera myself and uploaded for you] ...

It was where we went this weekend but it actually applies to my mind too I think because that's not open for business all the time either. Do you know where it is yet?

The Cleverest Person has Returned ...

2008-07-27T12:32:00.000+01:00

... and has managed to do ...

... photographs!! This is just wild! Thank you so much to Kitty particularly, who knows exactly it seems how my daft mind works and I was able to understand the instructions. So especially for you Kitty ...
... and just to prove there were two of them and it wasn't just 2 photos of the same cat ...

[Kitty, if you're watching - how do you put the photos so it looks a bit better than I've put them - they just decided for themselves that they'd go in these strange positions and took me ages - there are three of them after all].

In case you are wondering and have come in halfway through, this is a 'lost' post and I found it and I'm just dead pleased about that and still wanted you to see it. This was when we visited Monk's House last weekend and the weather was just so fab. There are other photos I took but I like the cats best. Unfortunately, the word's got round about the good weather and this weekend's been miserable weather-wise. Not really suitable for visiting gardens unless you have galoshes and sou'wester.

I finished the seat cushions but am still deliberating if to show you or not. Someone [remains nameless and wasn't me] spilled red wine on one which I am calling a feature. Next to do is the garden quilt which again, I began a long time ago but I started something else before finishing it and that, I'm afraid, is a failure of mine. However, I am trying to finish these things this year because as it's probably all going to end up in the bin one day, I want the bin man to think I was slightly creative rather than slightly mad.

See you next time.

And then there were none ...

2008-07-25T18:54:00.000+01:00

I thought I'd been the cleverest person and for a while I really was but there was nobody else there to see it and tell me. I actually managed not only to find the photo manual CD but also to get the thing you attach from the camera to the computer and locate the pictures [look at me using big words like locate]. Trouble is, I have no idea where they now are so please believe me - they were really there and some of them were even good. Good enough I thought to show off to you but now they're not there any more so you can't see them till I find them again. I just wanted you to know that I'd done it ...
Hunca Munca may have swept them up in her dustpan.

Hello again !

2008-07-22T13:13:00.000+01:00

I've been busy [doing nothing of note] so haven't added to this for a while. I didn't know when I started how addictive it would be. Do you do this? Just sit down for a minute at the computer then click on this which leads you to that and you have to check on something else in case you missed the other one ... Anyway, here I am again.

I was really good and read the camera manual - not from cover to cover because a lot of it was in foreign and I can't understand that, so I just read the bits I could understand and found that they were the bits I already did understand so am no further forward really. Apparently, there is a CD with the camera [where would that be then?] and it will give me advanced tuition. Not sure I want to find it if it's going to advance me. I'm advancing quite fast enough in the first place age-wise and don't wish for life to go any faster thank you. Perhaps an evening class would be an idea but as they're on holiday it means I wouldn't do anything about it till September, perhaps even October. How will you live without seeing any of my photos till then?

I did also try and add a witty picture to illustrate this but what exactly is a URL? Didn't really want to add it that much after all ...

Ah well. I'll think on all that for a while and be back soon.

Thanks for reading.

My Personality Type

2008-07-06T21:50:00.001+01:00

Sorry, I'm back more suddenly than I thought I would be as I was looking at other blogs and did another quiz.

My responses resulted in the following:

You Are An ISFJ

The Nurturer

You have a strong need to belong, and you very loyal.

A good listener, you excel at helping others in practical ways.

In your spare time, you enjoy engaging your senses through art, cooking, and music.

You find it easy to be devoted to one person, who you do special things for.

In love, you express your emotions through actions.

Taking care of someone is how you love them. And you do it well!

At work, you do well in a structured environment. You complete tasks well and on time.

You would make a good interior designer, chef, or child psychologist.

How you see yourself: Competent, dependable, and detail oriented

When other people don't get you, they see you as: Boring, dominant, and stuck in a rut

What's Your Personality Type?

I thought this was quite complimentary to me until you read that other people might think I'm boring, dominant and stuck in a rut. Does the fact that I like stability and to know where I'm going necessarily mean that?

Flowers

2008-07-06T19:08:00.000+01:00

I've now completed knitting the flowers parts. The finishing off was the most tedious part as there seemed to be so many ends to sew in. I'd also made a little shawl and am using the bunch of flowers [corsage seems a bit too grand] to fasten it with. I must say I'm rather chuffed. It goes lovely with the pinnie which I bought from Donna at Country House Antique Textiles. Please go and see her webshop because it's so wonderful as is Donna.

I also managed to find the manual book on how the camera works so once I get the opportunity to read it [and understand it] I'm going to try and put photos on the blog and you'll be able to see the flowers too.

As my cousin would have said we have a 'surfeit' of cauliflowers in the garden which is good because we like cauliflower. We ate a wonderful curry today using one - so tasty we usually have it at least once a week - and I made sloshy burgers with some the other day. They would have been fine if I'd deep-fried them like it said in the recipe but I don't have a fryer so tried to cook them in the oven and they just went splat - tasted OK though. I also made a Italian-style sauce at the beginning of the week [again using cauliflower] - unusual idea. Any other suggestions [veggie only] for using up the remaining few in the garden gratefully received [especially if I can freeze the results].

Must go as lovely man needs tending to - he's becoming over-excited by the men's tennis final on telly.

Teenagers' Guide

2008-07-03T11:45:00.000+01:00

Thank you to my lovely new blog friends who have given me some hints on how to add pictures - I managed this one! This is not me, but I wouldn't mind - apart from she's probably dead.
Also, bouyed up by the comments I've had, I thought I'd share with you part of an article I found in the Mail yesterday. Basically, it was Bill Gates advice to our offsprings. There were 11 'Rules' but I did like this one:
TV is not real life. In real life, people have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
I may pass on a few others over the next couple of days if you're interested and didn't get the paper. On the other hand, you may have got the paper and want to comment on the others anyway.
I'm in knitted flowers mode at the moment and I'm going to make the stems using 'Knitting Nancy'. If anyone has other ideas for using knitted cords, I'd love to know.
Looks like a better day weather-wise today - more washing is on the line and Andy Murray is out of Wimbledon. There's a lot of 'told-you-sos' around today too.
Thanks for reading.

Thank you so much ...

2008-07-02T15:29:00.000+01:00

... to the people who have put comments on the blog. I'm really touched and excited about it. I'd like to do the photo thing but really don't think I'm technically-minded enough. I was looking at someone's blog which was mainly photos and that wasn't really that interesting so I suppose a medium between the two would be best. Perhaps I could get lessons. We'll see.

I'm currently watching it rain. There are two loads of washing on the line so not happy about the weather situation. I did four loads for my darling daughter the other day [she would have done it in one and wondered why it wasn't clean]. It looks so nice when it is hanging on the line and swaying gently in the breeze. Not so nice when it's in the spare room vying for space with the tumbly drier, one of the cats and some of number 1 daughter's furniture which I'm taking care of at the moment.

I may do a bit of sewing this afternoon. I'm currently working on a quilt for the garden [dark colours - won't show the grass stains]. I usually get to the 'jam sandwich' part and lose interest but love all the piecing stage. Lack of space prevents me getting too excited about making them up.

Thanks for reading if you managed to get this far. Will continue in due course.

30s wife

2008-06-29T21:47:00.000+01:00

I was hoping to put a really clever link on this post to say that I was a 'superior' housewife; I did a little quiz and it works out all the answers and tells you what sort of wife you would have been in the 30s. I was impressed that I was superior but then I'm certainly not super anything when it comes to the computer because the link wouldn't work. Take my word for it though - it really did say I was.
I have been a bit fed up with the blogs at the moment because they're all closing down - Yarnstorm, Gigibird for two. I'm looking for some that are just as good but not sure how to find them. I do like the Tinyholder and I want to live in a lighthouse.
If you want to comment and give me some other ideas, I'd appreciate that.
PS - the cats are all still alive - one is sitting right beside me at the moment and purring like anything.

2008-04-01T19:15:00.000+01:00

And still no one has read me. I am seriously considering making comments to myself just so that it looks as if someone has read it. I expect it may have something to do with having no photos but I'm not that clever yet and why bother if no one's actually looking anyway.
Hasn't the weather today been just glorious? I sat out for a while with my eyes closed taking in the vitamin D.
Cat keeps being sick today and I wonder if she's not long for this world - she's very old now and spends most of the time sleeping. When she's not sleeping she's probably thinking about it. She's looking really peaceful at the moment in the late sunshine - sleeping. I've had her since she was a rescued kitten along with two of her siblings who are now buried at the end of the garden. I think that if I ever come back [afterwards] I'd like to be one of my cats except that cats can't be vegetarian so probably not after all.
Won't say any more now - just in case I'm not being read after all.

Carry on regardless ...

2008-03-12T21:04:00.001Z

I'm not taking no for an answer and even if I'm the only person to read this, it's still being read I suppose. I'd love it if I had a few readers/comments though, just to prove that it works so I won't give up just yet.

Been very busy as usual probably doing very little of note to others although I believe will make a difference to my life. Have had some very spiritual thoughts which make me feel happy inside and am lucky to have good friends around me.

That's about it for now - just in case you're not reading after all ...

3 March 2008

2008-03-03T10:24:00.000Z

I see that no one's had a look so I'm a bit sad but I won't give up just yet. How have you been? I'm so glad that the weather seems to be on the change, it makes me feel more able to get through the day when there's a bit of sunshine. Trouble is though it also highlights the dust and then there's choices - do I clean or do I play? Difficult decision to make ... what would your's be? Till next time.

This is a first ...

2008-02-26T21:28:00.000Z

I think I need to make a wish as it's the first time I've ever done this. Ever so exciting. Especially if someone's reading it - you for instance. Think I'll keep it short just in case there is nobody reading in which case I'm talking to myself - no change there then. If you are looking in, hello and welcome to my blog.