Scenes through my life and holiday hearts

Scene one Act one


me: I really really feel the need to walk on a rocky beach in a blustery day with a rough sea (wistful sigh)


Himself: Sounds nice


me: where's our nearest rocky beach? (hopeful note in voice)


Himself thinks, with a thoughtful face, thinks a bit more and then says.
On the east coast


me: Really? How long would it take me to get there? (getting rather excited)

(Thinking that as it is half term, I could chuck the dog and boys in the car, grab a flask and spend a blustery wet morning on a rocky beach with a rough sea)


Himself: Hmm about 3 hours drive


me: (hopes dashed ) so not really a quick fix, if I'm going to drive that far, I'd rather you were with us and we spent some time there, not just a day visit. (mental note to self - shelve that idea until we can all have some time off together)


Himself: We could go up for the weekend, after I finish work and camp for the weekend


me: Really? Could we? (ooh ooh getting hopes up again!)


Himself: I'll see, I'll ask at work and see if I can get off early on Friday


me: Please!! (heart happy skip skip, face smiley smiley and packing plans forming)

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Act two Scene One

Himself: I've got Friday off and.........

me: Yay!! and? and? and?

Himself: ...........and Thursday afternoon!

me: woooo hoooo!

boys and dog (in a chorus) Woo Hooooo!

Curtains close for intermission

ie - packing

Act Three Scene One

It is early Thursday morning, Himself has gone to work, boys are still sleeping and I, still dressed in jarmies and dressing gown, nursing the first coffee of the morning hear a tap at the window

Big J: Mornin', don't you answer your texts?

me: Uh oh, morning J, do you know how early this is! What you doing here at this time? - (knowing exactly why Big J is here)

Big J: I've got your order of wood chip as promised........... where can I tip it?

me: erm - on the lane, as near to the garage as possible please, then the neighbours can get passed as they go to work, thanks

Big J (more cheerfully than anyone has a right to be at this early hour!) right ho - just get me tipper truck   

As he disappears to get his truck, I race off-stage for a quick costume change - from sleepy ruffled haired baggy eyed slob to a (I hope) ready-to-work in jeans and boots labourer. All the time, at the back of my mind was the fact, at lunch time Himself was coming home from work, ready to set off for our holiday!

Act three Scene two - Scenery change

On stage right - the three of us - my boys and me, in boots and work clothes, clutching spades and pushing wheel barrows.

A constant flow of lifting wood chip, loading wheel barrows and delivering it to the hen pen, the vegetable garden paths, the front garden, the path to the compost heap, the woodland area at the wood shed and the wild jungle area around the pond, then bagging and storing the remaining chip for use through out the year.

.................FIVE HOURS LATER.............

Youngest: I am tired

Eldest:  me too

me: me three

Wood chip nearly all loaded away and the un-loaded caravan

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Act Four Scene One

Later, much much later, the four of us, are sitting around the table, in the caravan, nursing mugs of tea, musing at our heavy duty activities. Himself declares his admiration with our efforts, while us three, although feeling rather stiff are definitely chuffed with the fruits of our labours. 

Tomorrow, we go for our walk, 

on the rocky beach, 

next to the sea - just what I needed.

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 Hearts on gates found in villages and on walks

Hearts on doors and chocolate hearts on guitars (posed by Youngest moments before he scoffed his choc!)

Hearts drawn in the sand

Heart shaped cake boxes from a wickedly delicious chocolate shop 

with heavenly chocolaty treats inside

Hearts on a man hole cover - who'da thought it? workmen with a softer side :)

And my favourite?

Found on that rocky beach

on that blustery day

with a choppy grey sea

this 

carved in a rock

Bob loves Mabel 

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Well, as it is the last day of February  this collection ends this year's heartathon,

I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did,

 thank you as always for taking time to meander by and visit me,

and thank you so much  for all your wonderful comments

I love reading them :)

And just in case you still have the heart for more!! here are the links to last years heart-stoppers

• From Himself
• Heartfelt lunch and a hearty laugh
• Holiday hearts
• Hearty birthday plans

Heartfelt apologies!

Sorry for my lack of comms these last few days, but I been away!! 

At short notice, in a fit of spontaneity , in a devil may care, almost rebel like move - we went away!

to a rocky coast line

we walked with dinosaurs

we flew with gulls

we wandered through fields of snowdrops

we relaxed

we breathed

But, now with only a few minutes to spare before I have to trudge my way to work, I can only leave this hint of our escape. Tonight, when I am home, I will share pictures, hearts and stories!! 

But until then my lovelies - be patient, xxxxxxxxxx 

Concrete slump heart

Today's heart 

was found by Youngest

whilst out walking

with friends yesterday.

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We went  walking yesterday as the cloud poured over our hill in a dramatic candy-floss waterfall. We were with friends and their dogs, so giddy dog was, well, extra giddy. The three of them ran around in ever increasingly muddy circles.

The rain held off although it did menace us all the way round. The mud glooped and squelched under our boots as we tramped along the moor bottom road.  A farmer, with a protective arm around his dog, trundled along on his ATV checking his in-lamb sheep. They  looked  'fit-to-burst' as they grazed the straggly winter grass only pausing briefly to watch us go by.  Highland cows and Belted Galloways, looking like they were wearing their heaviest winter coats, showed very little interest as they chewed the cud with their typical bovine myopic stare.

Youngest and his little friend kept up a constant chatter nearly all the way around whilst Eldest seemed to show a subtle but natural progression towards being adult, preferring to chat with the adults. He is growing up no matter how hard he denies it to himself. Part of me loves the maturity of discussion and rational that he shows while the rest of me is gently sad for the loss of his passing childhood as he reaches his 13th birthday.

Must stop now, I'm off now to bake a gluten free cake for a friend, we've got our knit and natter this evening and we all take turns to bring something rather yummy so I thought I'd try baking a cake with stone ground rice flour - fingers crossed!! Will let you know how it goes :)

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I keep forgetting to add the links for last year's hearticles, so in case you are interested they are here: -

 23rd Feb 2010 Ice Cold heart
22nd Feb 2010 Origami heart

Heart felt sorrow for New Zealand

Before I waffle on about today's heart,
I just want to say my heart has gone out to the people of
Christchurch, New Zealand
- my thoughts are with them
I am sure they are in your thoughts too.

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Today's hearts are really sweet

no - really,

they're sweets!

We'd popped down to our local village post office to buy some sugar and flour (yes our post office doubles up as a mini shop too) because the boys have got so into their baking that our supplies had run out.  Whilst queuing to pay we spotted a basket filled with valentine's sweets at half price and I - being ever ready for a bargain AND the sweets being heart shaped - bought a bag. 

The boys eyes lit up - they know I won't eat them.

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I mentioned baking, the boys had invited my Mom and Dad for afternoon tea so they could have a reason to take over the kitchen.  We discussed what we could make with the ingredients we had (which is when I discovered a distinct lack of flour and sugar) and the boys decided on some chocolate biscuits from Gwnïo's Adventures and some flapjacks from Bunny Mummy .

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Baking as seen through the eyes of Youngest.................... be careful, gentle reader, that you are not given palpitations and begin to feel faint at the zeal and flair this little chef exudes.....

1. Carefully weigh the sugar ...twice.... once when the sugar is first placed in the scale, the second time when too much is poured in. Chuck in the margarine and marvel at how the sugar flips out onto the counter.
2. Add the flour and cocoa mix - to be done at a GREAT HEIGHT to add air and drama to the baking session
3. knead gently - with both hands pummeling and kneading with gusto and enthusiasm, don't forget to taste at this point because you can't help it, the yummy mix is all over your fingers.....and your hands....up one arm....down your teeshirt....on the kitchen counter....
4. savagely stab a fork into each biscuit after you have carefully rolled them and splattered them into rounds (rounds? I say this lightly - lets just say - a flattened shape rather than "round")
5. bake on a greased tray and watch in impressed amazement at your biscuits gently melt into one HUGE biscuit that requires a pizza cutter.......... giggle at the crackly edges and marvel at the soft and gooey middle and deny that the oven was probably far too hot! It doesn't matter they still taste good!!

Then feeling justly satisfied with yourself, retire to the lounge with a rather fetching pizza triangle shaped delish biscuit, a cup of tea and your grandparents and spend a happy afternoon telling long and winding shaggy dog stories..........I want to be 10 years old again

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Biscuit making as seen through the eyes of Eldest.

1. Spoon out syrup, lick spoon...put it to the wash, spoon out butter, check syrup (by tasting it) get told to wash your hands by your mom, measure out sugar and pop all three into the microwave to gently melt, quickly sneak teaspoon into syrup tin before your mom notices and puts the tin away.
2. weigh out oats and stir into the now melted and incredibly tasty (you should know, a finger was used to test) buttery/syrupy/sugar mix.
3. turn biscuit mix into the silicone tray, lick out bowl, first by spoon then by finger, then lick the spoon, have to put that one to the wash too, get another one out, flatten the biscuit mix firmly into the tray, lick that spoon for good measure.
4. bake for suitable length of time and place next to younger brother's HUGE biscuit and feel suitably chuffed with one's 12 year old self as you sample the bits that fall when you break the flapjack mix into bite size pieces, and you know that they are bite sized, coz they just popped into your mouth and what do you know ...they fitted perfectly!!!

Then retire, with a mug of tea, sit next to your Granddad and chat about flying aeroplanes - a good afternoon's baking!

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Holiday traditions and a surprise heart

Today's heart

was discovered unexpectedly 

during an essential holiday ritual...........

the visit to the village tearooms

We'd planned a day out but with the weather being as fickle and cold as she is

 we decided to have a 'do-things-at-home' day 

which usually includes visiting our local tearoom

So we wrapped up and ran out in between the snow showers,

over the bridge being rebuilt,

passed the ducks as they sheltered under the hedge,

up the lane

and into a kettle-steamy,

teacup-clinking little room,

filled with murmuring folk,

filling their tums.

We managed to find a table

and ordered

ginger parkin,

chocolate cake

and tea for three

and, 

when I lifted my cup, 

look what I saw.........................

How delightful!

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And if you are still following in last year's hearticles - follow this link 

Funny little found hearts

Today's hearts

are 

'treasure' 

'found' by the boys while we have been out caching

We love walking, it is something we have always done. When the boys were still tiny they 'rode' on Himself's back and as soon as they could toddle - we got little boots for them and they 'walked' with us. In those days, even the shortest of walks seemed to last for ever as they wandered around and inspected stones and trees, now we can all go for miles and miles. The muddier, the wetter, the better. It is not a good walk if we have come back clean, some days not only the dog gets hosed down, the boys do too!

Himself and I had originally loved 'Letterboxing', a form of orienteering which initially was only played in the South West of England although it seems to be spreading further north and is now gaining a foothold in the  States.  Then in October 2007 we discovered Geo-caching which with modern technology has been made accessible and popular worldwide.

Anyhoo - we were out today and despite being a damp grey day with a chilly wind, we had a good 'play' out. We had wrapped up warmly but our noses, fingers and toes still felt like ice-blocks! The tracks we walked were rather claggy with clay-mud and in places we slipped and slid down the hills. Giddy dog ran around chasing after sniffs and hints of rabbits long gone. The boys re-enacted many scenes from *Starwars*, *Lord of the Rings* or the *Knights of the Round Table*. Fallen sticks transformed into swords or lances and twisted branches off dead ivy became wands. We were surrounded by magical beasts, wolves and padawans. The game lasted the entire walk, then suddenly just as we reached the outskirts of the village we had parked in, the magic stopped, Youngest was suddenly tired, his whole body drooped and he needed a hand to hold to give him the energy to get back to the car.

****Please note: no knights, have-a-go-heroes, children or jedi 

were injured during these battles, 

although there were serious amounts of giggling 

which was rather infectious!

Now that everyone has been fed, tea has been drunk and the energy levels topped back up - the boys are planning tomorrow's jollies-out. They are on half term and I have taken the week off to be with them!! With that in mind, I have been presented with a list as long as my arm of things my boys want to do......having read it, I think I better take a fortnight off to complete it!!

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***Later: - Well, Sunday is all but finished, the boys are in bed, the radio on, the fire crackling away, I think I can here the kettle calling me, enticing me to make a mug of tea........ think I will listen, so I will stop meandering and wish you a very good week and hope you all have as much fun and nonsense as I suspect we three will get up to! 

And to see what hearty happenings happened last year - just pop over on this link xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Looky Looky!

Today's heart 

was brought to me 

by 

the postman!

This sweet little coin purse has been made by Gwnïo from Gwnïo's Adventures.

 I saw it on her blog and fell in love with it!

We'd got chatting via email and blog-chat and it appears we had a very similar upbringing in the same far away countries! What a coincidence - finding an ex-Rhodie who also loves funny little cars with character, making things in wool, sewing, growing things, chickens, cats and cooking!

ddiolch 'ch!

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I've been crocheting - doing my first CAL following a list suggested by Gwnïo and have to admit the first square has turned out to be a whopping big one!

Now to start the next one!

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It is a Saturday - so guess what? Yes you guessed correctly - the weather was once again less than perfect, actually it snowed overnight! The boys needed entertaining so I set them baking, Eldest made some rather delicious shortbread biscuits (another one for the 52) and Youngest tackled making scones, complete with jam and cream. 

Suffice to say, Himself and I feel absolutely stuffed! Yum yum 

Eldest sprinkled golden caster sugar on the still warm shortbread biscuits

They were absolutely delish! (I may have already mentioned that, once or twice) We ate far too many...... then came back and had some more!

Youngest's scones - still warm and slightly soft in the centre - I can just feel the calories piling on!

Then, as the evening began to draw in, the weather felt more benign, so we donned boots and coats and set off for a short walk - to blow away any cobwebs and hopefully to burn off some calories, suspect we needed to go on a lot longer walk!!

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You can find the shortbread biscuit recipe here - thanks Mon from Holistic Mama

And if you are interested, follow this link to see what hearty happenings I got up to last year.

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Heart-felt and happy happy

Today's hearts 

are brought to you 

by crafters and felters 

of all abilities and all ages

Hand-pummled felt heart 

made for me

one mother's day

by a dedicate cub

A blue bead-embellished felted broach 

A birthday gift from a work colleague

Fav-sis-in-law's little memento 

from a happy shopping trip

 to our beloved Hebden Bridge - think it might be time to go again!

A tiny stitched heart, 

painstakingly made by a concentrating Youngest

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Isn't this just such a happy happy image?!?

A bit of spring inside when outside it is dull, damp and grey, and what's that I hear you ask?

  What is that yarn behind that bowl of delicious cheerfulness?

Yarn? 

Oh that yarn, well, seeing you asked so nicely!

 Gwnïo from Gwnïo's Adventures is doing a CAL 

(Crochet ALong for the uninitiated) 

and I have joined her, read her post here to see what it is all about!

And, just one last look at a splash of springtime-sunshine in a vase

Best stop waffling, although it is something I excel at! 

Oh before I forget - 

it's FRIDAY! Woo-hoo!

Bring on the weekend :)

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Look look look!!... or as my hens would say... clook clook clook!! A Henny-How-To and a clutch of tiny Hearts

But first......................................................................

Today's hearts 

are brought to you 

by my work colleague

 ... tiny tiny little wooden hearts

obrigado!

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As you know, last weekend we were busy building Chickenham Palace, but due to the weather and the fact the weekend suddenly ended (they do that you know, end suddenly.. anyway I digress),  by Monday we still needed to sort out a suitable nesting spot when gz from "ook?!"  suggested I had a look at this link for bucket nests and I am so, so glad I did !

Fired up with enthusiasm and then soon after being offered three buckets, I couldn't wait to get started.

1. My three glorious buckets just prior to their bath

2. The now clean lid, divided into three segments (drawn in pencil)

3. The lid segments now cut (I used a hacksaw and the recycling green bin as a workbench...!)

4. Segments on the buckets to make a threshold (to prevent the nesting material falling out) but the cut edge is a bit sharp for henny-feet so I followed the instructions to add wooden battens.

5. Measuring and marking the wood

6. Cut and ready to attach to the  lid segments (I used a wood saw this time to cut the battens and the buckets as my workbench)

7. I attached the wooden battens to the back of the segments with roofing tacks (recycled from a previous shed) 

8. In situ to see how they fit and look

Step further back to look again (see the mini solar panel top left corner? It powers a gentle light inside of Chickenham Palace all through the night) I am feeling distinctly pleased with myself.......

........All the time, I was being watched through the pop hole.

Suddenly I noticed the time, the boys would be finishing school soon, I quickly downed tools,  reluctantly abandoning  the project. But first I had to make sure the buckets would not roll around and frighten the birds then a quick tidy up before jumping in the car and heading off for the boys. 

Happy hennies checking out their new nesting boxes and looky looky what was in the middle bucket after I returned from collecting the boys from school!! Yay!

And I wasn't the only one who made their girls nesting boxes - Gwnïo from Gwnïo's Adventures also make bucket nest boxes for her birds!




Girl power!

Happy memories heart

Today's heart

is

a small crocodile clip photo holder

It holds a photograph from about 5 years ago and is of my boys laughing in mock terror as they clasp each others hands while they ford a small but swiftly flowing stream. Small enough to just step over, deep enough to walk in, so guess what they chose...... The shrieks of delighted alarm as ice-cold water splashed around the tops of their wellies soaking their feet and socks. Oh the naughtiness of it all! 

Youngest holds his bigger brother's hand tightly, his right fist is clenched shut as he feels the sheer iciness of the water as it drenches his shorts, all the while he sports a cheeky grin. 

Eldest - more cautious is holding his little brother's hand high - protectively as he too tentatively wades into the water, his shorts are also dripping and although his face is down hidden by his hair -  he watches the water swirl and sparkle around his boots,  his left hand is relaxed - he is in control.

A second step by each boy and they have crossed 'the raging torrent' so they turn and repeat the expedition to return to the other side. Where.... yes you guessed it, they repeated the crossing....again...and again...and again - oh the laughter, the giggles and the fun of being 5 and 7 and camping in a field up in the Southern Lakes. 

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Well, it's been fun sharing this wonderful memory with you today, I had originally planned just to show the heart and leave it at that, but once I started writing, it all came out - and it is as fresh as if it was this last weekend.......how I love memories :)  

Well, have yourself a lovely Wednesday - I am about to go out quickly and give the dog a walk before I go to work - the sun is actually shining and it would be silly to waste it - xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

What a statement!

Today's heart

is brought to you

by a wrought iron artist

Isn't it lovely - with all the scrolls and beautifully 'joined-up-writing'

I wonder how long that took to make,

each letter fired then thumped and hammered to make

the delightful school-boy writing.

Every time I see it, it makes me smile

and what a wonderful sign

proclaiming the names

of the  farms and cottage

just down the lane.

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I went for a walk today with a friend and a combined pack of three dilly border collies

Talk about blowing away the cobwebs!

Suffice to say, dog and I needed to be hosed down

we were that muddy!!

Now, two mugs of tea, two hot cross buns and a handful of dog biscuits later, **

I am ready (well -readyish) to go to work!

**tea and hot cross buns for me, and dog biscuits for umm - the dog, 

in case I didn't make it that clear!!

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Now, must fly, you have yourselves a lovely day, 

I'm looking forward to this evening as I am off to knit and natter - whoopee - I do love going :)