Holiday musings part 1

Meet some of the locals...................

top left - the welcoming committee - what a baaaa-gain
top right - help! they are going to EAT me! (this is in our awning!)
bottom left - late evening walk and vintage bus
bottom right - very proud, very gentle and very large mum with her very cute, very long legged and very whiskery-chinned babe - oooh I want one!!

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Himself gets his haversack ready, he puts in.......


Maps and GPS (need both of course)
Waterproofs - well you never know
Lunch - for all four of us
Flask and tea and milk and sugar - ditto
Water - ditto
Hats - ditto
Dog's lead
Dog's ball - for those 'lets play fetch' moments out on the hills
tissues - for noses
Coats - for all four of us again
'Bum mats' x 4 so we can sit in comfort when we munch


I get my hip pack ready, and I put in it....


Camera
two balls of wool
crochet hook (and a spare)
first aid kit
chewing gum
cell phone


errr - priorities! priorities!! 

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And to prove it - 
top left - on the road
middle left - over looking  Dufton Pike at lunch time, hot feet out of hot boots
bottom left - on the road
centre - sitting at the head of High Cup Nick, tea and crochet hook - what could be more glorious??!
top right - breakfast with crochet and coffee as blackthorn blossom is tossed gently on a warm breeze
bottom right - proof of priority packing - and yes I do crochet as I walk, I get some odd looks, mind, but I do get a lot done :) !

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Well, that was just a little taster of our delicious weekend - thank you for popping and sharing it with me....I love life....

Here's wishing you a wonderful day xxxxx

Hello

We've been away! And it was wonderful!

But, enough for now, 

the washing machine is waiting 

as is work

and school

and normality.

But,

I will share some of our wonderful weekend away with you soon, 

I promise :)

Just one of those wonderful weekends

I suppose we all measure our happiness differently, each person having their own determined zenith. These last couple of days certainly reached my standard for an all round really good weekend!

Saturday...............................

coffee in bed

breakfast in the sun

gardening all day

sandwiches on the lawn

packing a spontaneous picnic, heading for the hills

eating homity pie and flying kites in a glorious orange blue sky

watching the sun go down

lighting the fire and curling up on the settee and crocheting

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Sunday...............................

sleep in

woken with coffee

breakfast in the sun

packing sandwiches and a flask of tea

finding the dog lead and lacing on walking boots

heading for the hills

bouldering and caching

crochet on the move

Boys off to Granny and Bumpa for sleep-over

Us - a grown up meal in a pub

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Monday...............................

yawn 

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And you? Was your weekend wonderful? I truly hope so :)

Now, must stop waffling and procrastinating, with all our lovely weekend wanderings nothing sensible was done, off to do Monday mundane chores - *yay*

In which I get borderline emotional and start sounding like a minor film star who's just received their first film award...!

Last night was my turn to host our weekly knk (knit and [k]natter) group. I really enjoy our get-togethers, it's a time for nattering (most important) and we get to sample some rather delicious baking.  If we are lucky we may even get some knitting and crochet done! But last night was different, oh there was some nattering and sampling but there was a lot of sewing and concentrated silence too.

It really brought home how wonderful this group of ladies are when, as I was walking towards them I was greeted by this............................

Everyone was either making, sewing or crocheting together squares for Kyōyū kyōyū - share, 'Blankets for Japan'. I really felt an overwhelming gratitude for not only their generosity in time and patience but also gratitude to all the other bloggers and  woolly crafters who have created grannies and knitted squares which the long suffering postie brings to my front door on a daily basis. 

Each square stitched to it's neighbour represents a little bit of compassion and global care that we can share with so so many other people.

SO - (drum roll please and pass me the gold envelope)

Thank you 

 to the all ladies last night (ooh that sounds a little interesting!)

Thank you

to the postie who gives me a quizzical look 

as he passes me yet another soft and squishy parcel covered in interesting stamps

(that sounds odd too!)

Thank you 

to YOU lovely bloggers 

and 

ALL 

the lovely knittys and granny-makers out there who have contributed

***THANK     YOU***

**THANK YOU**

*THANKYOU!*

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For updates on progress and photos of the finished blankets and piles of delightful squares, just pop over to  Kyōyū kyōyū - share, and if you have time please visit the wonderful contributors page and follow the links to their blogs.

Oh, and before I forget - yes please to any more squares! **thank you** :)

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Operation Duck Watch - update

It is amazing how the sight of a mongrel duck** on a nest of eggs reduce people to a state of 'aaww' and 'aaah' with a lot of 'bless her' and 'that's lovely' but the most often repeated question is..............

'Have you given her a name yet?
Err - no.

Suggestions to date have been:

• Bill (strangely by more than one person)
• Daffy
• Ducky

Do you have any suggestions? I throw it open to you!

Nine beautifully 'duck egg' blue....errr......duck eggs 

(erhem - so that's where that particular shade of blue comes from ooOOoooh!!!)

doh

And, just a final sharing of a moment from yesterday. 

In between the showers and before having to go into work ,  the boys and I took giddy dog for a walk. When I took this picture, it really brought it home how lucky we are to live in a village with fields and farms immediately out our doorstep. 

Then my  blissfully smug feeling at our surroundings was rudely shattered when we were 'Oiyed' at by a grumpy farmer who thought we were a bunch of oikes off to terrorise his sheep and then moments later another dog decided to mug giddy dog with ensuring vicious growls and flying fur lumps - well really!! 

Ah, village life - love it....................


** Mongrel duck  is a mallard x 'something' with a white bib, our village seems to have a fair few of this particular 'unique' variety.

And...did you see it??

My front garden............what do you see?  

Weeds? Yes, weeds -  in particular those two dandelions bottom left?  

Look again....what else do you see? 

The distinct lack of colour but the beginnings of life. (That was a hint...)

See what I am trying to show you? 

Yes - well done you!! 

oh - sorry was that a no? 

Ok, more help needed.

See it now?

Need another and better visual clue?

How about this one.................

Aah, village life.

Just must remember to ask the window cleaner to leave the front of the house this week, don't want to disturb  progress! Hope I am around when they hatch, **thinks against a 24 hour vigil with camera** It's lovely to see the double take on people's faces as they walk by :)

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Me - a featured maker!

A little while ago, I've was asked by Tracy from narkeymarkey if I would like to be interviewed for her 'Feature Maker' post, wow!  Thank you Tracy! It feels really grown up :)


When, feeling rather chuffed and pleased at being asked, I told Himself about the interview for the feature maker, my dear other half muttered

..... feature MESS maker more like it....... 

Bless, trust him to get right to the nub of the matter! But, hey I don't see a mess, I see creativity!!

I just suspect he wishes a little less creativity and a little more order........

Do chickens snore?

I walk down to the hens. Time to close them up for the night. It's dusk and the bats are out. Next door's barbecue has fizzled out, all that remains is a lingering hint of scorched sausages and charcoaled burgers.

I pass by my kitchen garden where I have worked all day. The pricked out spinach seedlings, still a bit sorry for their move are beginning to perk up while the onion sets look like they have been in situ all their little lives.

I look up into the darkening sky as a bat flits on silent wings above my head, twisting and turning around the greenhouse then disappearing over the hedge. I turn and follow the path along the lawn. Toys nestle amongst the columbine and carex grasses where they were abandoned during an earlier game. I must remember to tell the boys to collect them in. I stop briefly to look at the borders, and sigh at the thought of the enthusiasm of the weeds and the slothfulness of the perennials.  A day like today induces a wonderful surge of springlike growth - but it seems the nettles and the dandelions are quicker to capitalise on the warmth and light than the plants.


I duck my head under the tree who's branches reaches across the path as I enter the next part of the garden. I can feel a slightly furrowing of my forehead, this area is in desperate need of rejuvenation. Perennial mounds of various shades and shapes are growing, threatening to take more than their allotted space. Here the weeds struggle to find elbow room between the heavy weights such as the rudbeckia and giant scabious. I stop to muse the annual angst I have of which part of the garden to tackle first, when I hear a strange sound.

I stand statue like, straining to hear a warbling, rattly sound. All  I can hear is the distant sounds of a dog barking and a car driving.
Nothing.
I turn back towards the hens. That sound - I hear it again............ a rattly, short snorty sound, then a whistle, not a human tune but a reedy bird sound.

Rattle, whistle, silence, rattle, whistle, silence.

I stop again, to concentrate on the sound.

Rattle, whistle, silence, rattle, whistle, silence.

The sound appears to be emanating from the hen pen. I walk a little quicker, but as silently as possible. As I reach their shed the sound stops briefly. I hear a hen-grumble, a rustle of bedding and then it all settles down. Then as I open and step into the pen, that sounds starts again.

Rattle, whistle, silence, rattle, whistle, silence.

By now I am at the door, carefully as I can, I open it, and peer in..........there in the gloom 4 pairs of little beady eyes stare back at me. One of the hens gives a little chicken-chuckle, a bit more settling down then silence. Nothing. They stare at me as I stare at them.

Still nothing.

I begin to feel silly, they begin to feel uncomfortable. I shrug, wish them a good night, switch on their light, lock their door and leave. As I close the pen gate.........................


Rattle, whistle, silence, rattle, whistle, silence..................


Which begs the question................do chickens snore?

Things that make me smile

After a week of long hours at work and short hours at home with my boys I have finally finally reached Friday and I am so ready for weekend.


So, I thought in celebration of the fact it is Friday and I made it through the week I thought I'd share with you some happy things that have made me smile.

Vivid red primula, secretly purchased with pocket money for Mother's day

Walking with furry friends and yes that pink lead does look like it goes right through giddy dog's ears, 

but no, 

despite all rumours, 

despite the vacant look, 

the lead is behind her head..... besides her head is too full of fluff!

Celindine, primula, and hellebore in the garden 

 

Giddy dog, foot long tongue, strawberry flavoured icing and lots of saliva

 And, 

I entered my first 'Pay it Forward' on Stuff'n'Bits 

and now am now 'paying it forward to you' :)

So, the first lovely 5  folk to comment on this post will receive something handmade by me in the post. 

All I ask you to do in return is to 're-post' the 'Pay it Forward' on your blog and do the same for 5 more lovely bloggers. 

What a wonderful way to meet your fellow bloggers and receive a handmade gift in the post.

I am always delighted to find comments waiting for me and appreciate my followers 

some of which have become good friends.

This is a lovely way of giving something back.

xxx

These are things that have made me smile this week, hope I've made you smile too -    Have yourselves a lovely, smiley, sunshine-happy weekend xxx

Sowing and Growing, Cooking and Eating, Walking and Breathing

Growing and Sowing

I have to admit to a feeling optimistic delight every time I go into my glasshouse. Daily, no - hourly, the seedlings seem to grow, transforming the pots of dark soil into mounds of verdant micro jungles all jostling for space. Some of the larger seedlings have been pricked out and potted on and they need even more elbow room. Outside I've got a large cloche type cold frame covering my square foot garden where beans, garlic, black kale and spring onions grow on, it won't be long before I fill that too. 

Oh yes,  there's still the potatoes to plant (soil is a bit cold), the spinach and onions to go out, the parsley and leeks, the garlic chives and ....................hmmmm my garden isn't small but it is too small for my enthusiastic seed sowing! (And I've not even started to take into account all the ornamental seeds I've sown too)

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Cooking and Eating

Ages ago I made 'veggie Cornish pasties' which is a bit of an oxymoron and is a recipe that needs a name of it's own, but it was rather tasty and I promised to share the nuts and bolts of it (not to worry they are not ingredients!).

The original recipe came from here but I did my usual and fiddled with the recipe to make it our own.

1. I used onions, courgette, carrot, potatoes and mushrooms.
2. As per the instructions I chopped, sliced and diced.
3. The vegetables were cooked over a medium heat and
4. The grated cheese and stock was added.
5. I cheated and used ready made short crust pastry and instead of making Cornish-pasty rounds I made a single large pie. The veg mix is lovely and moist and the pastry collapsed last time so this time, I lined a dish (not necessary could just grease instead) and made a double crust pie.
6. So, a quick photo before it was guzzled, with home grown salad (first decent crop of this year!) chips as a concession to  Youngest and who proclaimed himself most-starving-one and garlic bread - discovered hiding in the freezer. Yum.

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Walking and Breathing

Youngest has been away for a week at an outdoor activity centre in the Lakes, so he has had less energy than his usual firecracker self and our regular weekend yomp seemed to fizzle away. By Sunday evening I was pacing the floor feeling quite out of sorts. I kinda threw a wobbler and insisted we went out for a walk as soon as we had finished eating. Strangely all my normal walking conspirators were reluctant, preferring to podge out.

 It took a fair bit of firm talking to, to get the boys (all 3) to move but once they did, their dour moods lifted and the walk took on a refreshing cleansing feel to it. 

The evening sunlight gave everything a warm golden glow and the sky was full of dramatic flame coloured cloud. There were lambs everywhere, frolicking in the gentle warmth.

It was like meditation, my breathing connected with my footsteps and my feet connecting with the earth - wonderful.

As usual, our weekend was over in a flash. 

Here's wishing you a magnificent Monday (in the words of my fav sis in law) and a wonderful week xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Old fashioned brownies or 'cheerio hips' as my Gran would say

For artteachergirl at More Powerful Beyond Measure: - the recipe I mentioned yesterday..........

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As I type this, Himself has snuck (yes in our house snuck is a word) I repeat - snuck into the kitchen for another piece of brownie. Last night after quite a long day at work, then an evening of shopping  (I live life in the fast lane.....not) I suddenly and inexplicably got an urge to bake. Not surprisingly Himself stepped aside and helpfully ushered me into the kitchen!


So, I now present to you a very nom nom recipe :-

Old fashioned brownies (16/52)

100gm / 3 1/2oz chopped nuts (or as I used - dry toasted sunflower seeds)
4 large eggs
300gm / 10oz caster sugar  (I must admit thinking as I weighed this out that, this was a lot of sugar, but the recipe was not sweet in any way)
140gm / 5oz  melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
140gm / 5oz  plain flour
75gm / 2 1/2oz cocoa powder


a baking tin - 20 x 25 cm / 8 x10 ", greased and preferably lined with baking paper


pre heat the oven to 170 deg C (325 deg F) gas mark 3

• Lightly toast the chopped nuts/sunflower seeds in an oven proof dish for about 10 minutes. take out and cool (do not at this point try to chuck a handful of volcanically hot sunflowers seeds into your mouth - I will not be responsible for your third degree burns as well as my own....despite the absolutely yumshishness of them once I got over the searing heat......)
• Don't turn off the oven. 
• Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk until frothy then while still whisking - add the sugar. Keep on whisking for about a minute or so then add the melted butter in a steady pour. 
• Whisk for another minute or so then finally add the vanilla extract
• Sift the flour and cocoa into the egg and sugar mix and stir with a wooden spoon
• When completely combined add the now cooled nuts/sunflower seeds and give a final stir.
• pour mix into a prepared tin and spread evenly.
• bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes until a skewer comes out just clean.
• remove from heat and allow to cool completely before taking out of the tin

It is at this point you have to arm yourself with a wooden spoon and a stern voice to keep any marauding brownie thieves from trying to steal pieces as you cut them. 

The recipe book does the usual thing about saying will keep for about 5 days but hey - fat chance!

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There are some updates on my Kyōyū kyōyū  blog - and it's all good news :)

Right ho, just enough time to

finish my brew as I do the final

tidy up just prior to setting off

to work....

Thanks ju24!!