End of weekend waffling

Last year I entered the village garden festival and did surprisingly well but announced firmly that I would not enter this year.

Fast forward to present date: after much brow-beating by my Youngest I entered..... as did he and his brother.

So between us we have entered 4 classes - I don't hold much hope for myself as the garden has been bumbling along happily without much input from me as I seem to have been at work more than usual and the rain - oh the rain - there has been plenty of that..... But the boys have been working hard on their efforts - I will let you know how they do next week.

This weekend I took some photos of the garden and was alarmed at how little colour there is - plenty of promise, loads of tightly shut green buds but nothing really to show.

The photo of Eldest in the bottom left picture was not posed, he was there 'resting' after he'd been planting up his entry - an edible creative container.  It is the first time he has entered an adult class - fingers crossed!!

Youngest has decided to make a scarecrow rather than the usual mini-garden. He is making a certain Gallic dog from his favourite comic strip. He's not done this before and (apart from a parental finger to hold things or hand to cut something too hard) has made his entry on his own. This is also new territory so more fingers crossed!!

Well, was it just me or did this weekend whizzzzzzz by?

That's all for now my dears, hope you have a wonderful week filled with sunshine xxxxx

Holiday musings

It is nearly three weeks since our brief holiday romance with the Scottish Borders. My heart is still aching for the sense of liberation a coastal break can imbue. I know I am suffering from the usual PHD, but this time it seems to be lingering........ 

In a fit of longing I trawled through the photos this morning while I sipped a mug of tea and felt the need to share a few more holiday glimpses. 

One very hot day we wandered through the grounds of The Hirsel, where rhododendrons shuddered under the weight of their blooms. The gardens were filled with vibrant shades of vermilion, magenta, fuchsia, maroon, lilac, lavender as well as cheery splashes of yellow and elegant purple-flecked whites.  A heat haze shimmered on the sun baked ground and birds half heartedly chirped up in the lofty Scots pines.

We followed the grassy paths as they wound their way through the huge vegetation until we reached the welcome relief of the woodland. Cooler and damper where moss garlands languished on branches. The tactile  texture of the bark had me stroking each tree as I walked by. The deep strength and almost timeless quality of these huge plants was incredible.

On another, cooler day, we marooned ourselves on the island of Lindisfarne, where we walked around the coast, stopping to picnic or shelter against the rain. We watched seals as they watched us. We inhaled the salty air and collected smooth palm sized pebbles.  I fell in love with  the sea-scented lobster traps and the sturdy rough-touch ropes lying in wait for the next fishing trip.

The whole island seemed edged with a shimmering breeze-induced, dancing pink haze as the bobbing heads of Armeria maritima (sea thrift) nodded back and forth. I don't know how the bees managed to alight on their moving lunch, but they seemed to succeed.

********************

I am concerned.....I had hoped that reminiscing and sharing would sort out the dreaded post holiday depression but oh no! It has only made me worse!! I shall just have to go and put the kettle on, sooth my jangled heart and plan our next seaside sojourn!

That's all for now my dears, I will recover - do not fret :) Besides it's nearly FRIDAY! Woo hoo!

*******************

Thank you every one who showed concern about my rose vs skull action, just to let you know that I am happily getting all scabby (urgh!) and brushing and washing my hair has been, well, an interesting side effect to the bashed head!  

Yes I have forgiven the rose, yes I have forgiven Himself and yes he can sit on his favourite bench again.......just need it to stop raining.

*sigh*

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Summer (?) solstice...... oh and ouch!

Happy summer solstice! Yes, I know, I have also looked out my rain streaked window and wondered about using the word summer, but as I have only one fleece on instead of the customary two or three it must be summer......but just to be on the safe side, I have lit the fire.

************

Last weekend saw some sense knocked into (or possibly out of) me. Himself had been muttering dark sinister things about the rose at the end of the garden.

He was correct that it had taken over trifid-like and had smothered his favourite bench. He likes to sit there in the evening sunlight (when on the rare occasion we actually get some) on a weekend . But this particular rose had thwarted his plan and HE WAS GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!  

Himself 1 : Rose 0  

Next thing I know, he has rigged up a frame to force the rose up higher and away from it's original support so that there was now a space to allow pruning.

Look he says, I made it easier for you (me?) to sort that rose out - coz if I do it  - I'll just hack at it and kill the **** thing..............

So, armed with my secateurs I started to cut away. I have to admit to not feeling 100% safe beneath the frame so moved around to the back of the rose (which I have to say is an over 20 foot high rambling variety). Much pruning and trimming and pulling of dead stuff away later, I returned to to the front of the plant to see how things were shaping up. I stood and admired how much better the rose was looking then noticed a dead branch that I'd cut but not pulled out, leaned in and yanked....hard......

The frame collapsed. 

Fortunately my head and shoulder broke it's fall and it landed gently on the lawn. I on the other hand needed much mopping up and copious mugs of sweet tea. Ouch.

Rose 1 : Me 0

**********************

Sunday - feeling a little bruised but not defeated I was pottering out and about in the garden (avoiding the sniggering rose) and look what was watching................

Through out the day this little chappie popped around with it's mum until she was fed up with it. It then shivered and cheeped rather sadly and even tried following us. We felt that the fledgling had actually left the nest through greed rather than being ready. So, Himself (armed with his longest ladder and sweaty palms), returned the fledgling to it's nest. One happy fledgling later - it's mum started feeding again :)

And on another sweet note - doesn't this look super yummy!

Well, that was our weekend, it had it's highs and it had it's lows :) Here's to the next one! (where's my crash helmet??)

Lovely to chat to you my dears, I've missed you, hope your week will be filled with as much colour and love as you deserve xxxxxxxxxx

Put your sunnies on!

I feel absolutely brain dead today -  due to an accumulation of nearly two weeks of double shifts, dancing till dawn last weekend and then when I do eventually crash on the pillow finding that I can't switch off but am too tired to use that wakefulness productively! Never mind, nearly the weekend coz today is Friday eve!! (that's Thursday to everyone out there in blog-land) and tonight is knit and natter here which I am looking forward to.

I have been wanting to share with you some gorgeous zingy-full-of-colour photos with you for a little while but for reasons already mentioned I haven't had the brain power to do anything, but today I am in need of some bright colour therapy and want some sunshine even if only in digital format.


While we were away Himself spotted an open garden being advertised in the local paper. He knows I love visiting other gardens and he is right.  I can find inspiration, feel envy, notice weeds, admire planting schemes, dream and aspire or just simply escape and enjoy.

On a squint-making sunny day we rambled around a huge garden with only the flowers and insects for company. We had the entire place to ourselves. There was no pressure to move on, we I could stare at the long border and sigh in Victorian style rapture, we I could inhale the scent of this rose, which I have to say was so heady and so all encompassing in the heat of the day that afterwards when we climbed into the car, I could still smell a hint of it's perfume. 

The old moss roses, although not as scented were just as wonderful to see.

The long border, not yet at it's full splendour was still wonderful. Filled with lupins, iris, geraniums, alstroemeria, aquilegia, hemerocallis, peonies and sweet peas. There were many more plants just waiting to burst into bud, but I won't bore you with the list as there were a lot of them! We chatted with the head gardener and he said that they hadn't started putting out the summer bedding yet. So imagine how glorious it will look at it's peak. I loved the way fagus sylvatica (purple or copper beech) had been used as an alternative to yew as a formal back drop. Delicious!

Another intoxicating old rose.

The beauty of this place was the freedom to wander around a garden filled only with plants and history and us.  This garden** is open all summer and we just happened to arrive on the second day and only had to share it with the sun in the sky. We did go on to another gorgeous place but I will save that for another day when I am in need of some more exhilarating colour therapy!

*****************************

**Garden -  Bughtrig

'What's in a name?' Violet-White

Hello my dears, thought I would introduce you to another blogger with a tale to her blog's name. This particular person has been incredibly generous with helping us make granny squares for the Kyōyū kyōyū - share project I am running. She was incredibly quick off the mark and was one of the first contributors - She soon sent another parcel filled with yummy squares which 
were, equally as quickly, added to blankets and posted off to Japan.

But, I won't fill up my guest slot with my chat, 

so without further ado - 

I would like to present to you 

Penny from Violet-White

·  Please introduce yourself.

My name is Penny,  I'm a widow and I live in France

·  Your blog's name - why and how did you choose your blog title?

When I bought this house, after my husband died, there was nothing in the garden except some violets. So I called my blog violet-white, which was a direct translation from the French 'White Violet'.

·   Did you ever blog about your choice of title? 

No, I don't think so - it didn't seem relevant. It amuses me that some people think my real name is Violet!

·  Have you ever changed your blog's title name? And, if so, how often and why? And fancy revealing any of it's previous names ?

I've never changed the blog's name.

· How long have you been blogging?

Seems like forever, but I guess it's about 4 years...

·  Can you remember how you felt when you received your first comment or how you felt when you noticed your first follower? 

Not exactly, but I do love getting comments and I always look to see if the commentator (or follower) has a blog and I look at it if they have. The comments make me feel that someone cares, which is very important to me.

·  Did you initially keep your blog to yourself before sharing with friends and family?

No, it was always public, and I published the web address at the bottom of all my emails.

·  What was the original intention for starting your blog? Has it remained true to its primary reason or has it blossomed, altered or taken a completely different direction?

 I started blogging after Richard's death and my move to France - partly to give me a focal point in my day, and partly to let friends and family know what I was doing. I don't think that has changed.

·  What or who inspires you? 

I really enjoy reading other blogs and seeing that other people have the same pleasures, problems and interests as I do.  I live in an isolated area and this replaces that quick 'pop to the shops and have a coffee'.  I am frequently amazed and inspired by the sheer amount and quality of the creativity I see.


Thank you Penny for sharing with us all about your blog's name. I agree with you about all that incredible creativity out there in the blog-a-sphere! 

**********

Well my dears, another lovely interview. I hope you will pop over to Penny's blog and see what she gets up to. 


Welcome too to my newest followers :) Have yourselves a lovely rest of your week and remember that tomorrow is tipping day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! weeeeeeee!


Oh? tipping day - sorry - for those who have no idea what I am talking about, tipping day refers to the fact that, with Wednesday being in the middle of the week, it is tipping you towards the weekend and that can't be bad :)


xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx




Previous interviews :
Slightly Smaller Footprints
Apples and Pears

Rippling - again........ *sigh*

This is a second posting of my crochet waffle, the first lot just looked like techno-babble and try as I might I could not get it to return to it's original format, so with a bit of cussing and judicial deleting I have now fixed the post.

****

One of my holiday delights is being able to crochet without feeling guilty. I can reach for my hook and yarn more or less any where and any time - on the beach, in the morning sunlight,on the side of a hill, on a picnic or watching Himself doing the washing up......My kinda holiday.


I love that feeling of the sun on my back. I love the jewel colours gleaming. I love that movement and the rhythm, I move the hook across the top of the blanket. Did I mention I love crochet just in case you hadn't picked up the subtle hints........

Youngest had my camera on such a morning and took pictures of my shadow on the fridge and of me. (It's ok mum  I've chopped your head of in the photo he cheerfully tells me).

Early on in the week we went up into the Kyloe Hills also known as Kyloe in the woods. It is on the list for must do climbs with a reputation of being a lot harder than it looks. Although we are not rock climbers, we do go up crags, the easy way and not roped up (and togged out in stretchy Lycra) and explore the tops and the far distant views. This day was no  exception and it was a wonderfully warm and sunny day


We all took what we thought was necessary for the day -  the boys took swords and bubbling imaginations, I took yarn and hook and Himself carried everything else.............I must try and address this imbalance of responsibility, I must get the boys to carry more yarn for me...........

Any hoo - back to crochet waffle. We sat a-top of Shiellow Crags and while the boys were entranced by the busy microscope world of ants and Himself sat thoughtfully staring at the view as he drank tea, I crocheted, admired my crochet, photographed my crochet and generally felt all happy at the zingy colours glowing in the sunshine. My heart felt all skippy and giddy at the sunshine and huge sky and the cheerful colours in the blankie just gave me an enormous smile.

Even on dull cool days when I stayed snuggled up in the car as the boys and the dog ran silly on sand blown beaches, I would have the radio on and a mug of tea as my hook would fly across the blankie. Each colourful zig-zaggy stripe would fill my little world with a bit of sunshine.

One of our days out was super-hot. We decided to spend it by Harthope Burn. A lovely wild stream that when dry, just bubbles quietly over rocks and into deep pools and when after rain, turns into a raging roaring torrent. The boys dammed the stream to make the pool deeper and braved the icy mountain water. While I, more sensibly sat in the most glorious dappled shade in long insect filled tickly grass and crocheted. We picnicked and paddled all day and it was so restful and refreshing and I managed to complete the second colour band - now that the stripes are repeating themselves, a rhythm of greens and blues slipping into pinks and reds, is really delighting me. And as each colour is only per row then changed I don't get bored and almost feel surprised when I reach the last ripple before ending off and reaching for the next shade.




The journey home after our week away only added to the rows as the miles rumbled beneath us. Each moment that took us away from our holiday was a moment more on the blanket. I know when this ever widening strip of colour is finished I will associate our lovely break with making this blanket. I love that. The connection to the good+times, the sad times, the laughter, the tears, the sun and the showers with every stitch of the blankets I make.


Well my dears, all for now, but before I sign  off, I just want to share something with you, I have a second blog which logs the making and sending off of blankets to Japan. We send our blankies to Japan-Alive a charitable organisation on the ground in Sendai.


Well, after the tsunami and earthquake an increased number of suicides are occurring and an initiative to teach knitting and crochet and having Yarn-Alive sessions are keeping women alive - now that can't be bad.


Follow the links for the full story - thank you xxx

Apologies

Something happened to my last post and I am unable to repair the utter rubbish blogger has converted my waffling into - so in lieu and as a replacement to that gobbledy gook here is a photo!

Hopefully normal transmission will return shortly....................................

Holiday musings ..........2

It was my birthday while we were away (yes - I kept that one under my hat) but when you keep celebrating your 21st birthday over and over and over again - you become rather blasé !  I want to share with you the wonderful 'gifts' our holiday gave us........

Glorious big skies that went on forever, 

filling us with a lightness and airiness that we find so refreshing.

Evening walks through fields of barley, oat and wheat. Scented by the warm earthy smells of growing.

Shared games and happy laughter next to a gently lapping sea.

A delicious little find, a stone built shelter high up on a rocky beach, and inside a water-tight box containing two books, one for writing thoughts and visitor's comments and the other encouraging you to sketch -  I chose the latter. We sat here for a while, soaking in the solitude, loving the solidity and protective nature of this little stone hut.

All for now, thank you for popping by and sharing some of my memories and I promise to post some holiday crochet next time. But before I go, I just want to thank you  for the lovely responses to my most recent 'What's in a name?' post, my feelings are you get as much out of them as I do! Thank you so much!

Speak soon my dears xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

What's in a name? - Slightly Smaller Footprints

I started this series originally to satisfy my own curiosity and have been pleasantly surprised how many of you out there responded so positively! Thank you for some lovely comments so I thought I'd share a little more with you before I go on to my next 'guest'.  


 Jacquie  said ..

Great idea ...love this strand :0)
Did you manage to fit the woodburner yourselves ?
Jacquie x

We did thanks Jacquie, but like all our escapades it was like a comedy of errors! At one point I was so worried about Himself being on our roof manhandling 10 meters (approx 30 foot) of extremely heavy fire proof flue lining that I begged our neighbour to watch over him. I must admit to noticing but ignoring an extreme look of alarm on said neighbour's face but he agreed and carefully climbed up our ladder. Bless him, he stayed and watched over and helped Himself all that day and the next as they fought and wrestled to lower the flue lining down the chimney. The men then fixed it to the top of the chimney and again to the woodburning stove in our lounge.

It was only afterwards that I discovered that our neighbour has a terror of heights and being asked to climb up onto a slippery 30 foot high slate roof was almost a step too far! 

Anyway enough of us, 

I'm delighted to 

present to you 

my next 'guest'...................

Julia from Slightly Smaller Footprints

·  Please introduce yourself.

Hello!  I’m Julia (ju24).  I live on Teesside with my husband, daughter, son, dog and tortoise.  After recently downsizing on the job front, I’m now a part-time teaching assistant.

·  Your blog's name - why and how did you choose your blog title?

My blog is called Slightly Smaller Footprints.  Normally, I would agonise for days over choosing a name for something like this, but this time it just came to me in a flash.   I’d been toying with the idea of starting a blog, and knew I wanted it to be a record of our family’s efforts to live a greener lifestyle.  One day, I was tentatively exploring the Blogger website when I found myself impulsively setting up an account.  Of course, I needed a name there and then, and SSF popped into my head, with the smaller footprint part obviously referring to our ecological/carbon footprint.

My favourite bit, though, is that the name is a bit of private joke (or maybe not so private now, I guess!)  We are a family of tall people – I’m the only one under 6’ – with correspondingly large feet.  Small footprints?  I don’t think so!

·   Did you ever blog about your choice of title? 

No, I didn’t.  It didn’t occur to me to do so as I thought people would realise where the title had come from once they read my profile.  I hoped close family might enjoy the irony.

·  Have you ever changed your blog's title name? And, if so, how often and why? And fancy revealing any of it's previous names ?

It’s always been SSF, and I’ll probably keep it as long as it’s appropriate to what I blog about.

· How long have you been blogging?

I started writing in December 2010, so about 5 months.  At that point, I’d been reading blogs for a couple of years, ever since I tripped over Colour it Green’s during some Internet research (can’t remember what on – wool, or sheep most likely.) 

·  Can you remember how you felt when you received your first comment or how you felt when you noticed your first follower?

I can remember my first comment – you wrote it, and it was very supportive!!  I was thrilled and scared in equal measure.  Thrilled because someone was interested in what I had written, but scared in case other posts didn’t come up to scratch.  My reaction was probably due to the way I was feeling about a lot of things at the time.

·  Did you initially keep your blog to yourself before sharing with friends and family?

Actually, it’s still only been shared with limited people, and most of them only know about it because my OH sent them a link!  Funnily enough, I was reading back over some of my posts the other night and came to the conclusion I was ready to share it with more people.

·  What was the original intention for starting your blog? Has it remained true to its primary reason or has it blossomed, altered or taken a completely different direction?

I gave up my previous job last December, which meant we had the time to do our little bit towards living more sustainably.  It seemed the perfect time to share what we do, plus it was an opportunity for me to pick up some new computer skills.

I think the blog is still true to my primary intent, although the sustainability angle is often less explicit than I originally thought it would be, and tends to be wrapped up in our day to day comings and goings.  Oh, and crochet gets mentioned far more than I ever expected, but probably not as much as I would like!

·  What or who inspires you?

Oh, well, I think of inspiration and creativity as being linked, and I’m not creative in the true sense of the word.  I’m a copier – I take other people’s ideas and then make or do the same thing.  So, I reckon I am influenced rather than inspired……….. but by whom?

Ben Law springs to mind, as my interest in being green all started when I watched him build his house on Grand Designs.  Then there’s Geoff Hamilton, who was a bit before his time when it came to sustainable gardening, and because of his Cottage Garden series, which I adored.  Fellow bloggers are always influential, of course, each for different reasons.  Oh, and Trevor Hawes, an education expert who delivered a seminar many years ago, and whose ideas on effective learning really resonated with me – I still apply them on a day to day basis.   Finally, I must acknowledge my mum and dad, who taught me the basics of all the making and doing I love to do every day.

************************

Thank you so much  Julia, that was lovely - it's funny that we both hold Colouritgreen 'responsible' for our fall into blogging, for me it was she and Thursday's Child  who have a lot to answer for! 

And as for my all time hero - Geoff Hamilton - sigh, so glad to see he gets a mention here!

That, my dears is this week's 'What's in a name?' slot, hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. I will be posting holiday waffle some time soon, but the next two weeks I will be at work far more than usual so - don't think I am neglecting you!

Sunshine and shivers - holiday musings part 1

An evening on an expansive beach beneath a never-ending sky. The tide whispering outwards as bubbles and creaking sounds gently crackle across the sands. 

There go my three, running around in the late dusk orangey glow. Their bare feet making salty water filled prints on the sea washed sand.

Do not be fooled into thinking how gloriously glowingly warm these images appear -

for 

'eee by 'eck it were cold!'

****************************

Thank you for all your lovely comments regarding my new slot of 'What's in a Name?', I am really touched that you thought it was worth saying something - thank you so much!

I will shortly send off the interrogations gently phrased questions to those of you who have very kindly agreed to be interviewed and welcome to my new followers - it is so lovely to see you!

That's about it for now, as I have So SO SO much sorting out still to do. Youngest still has one more day off school and is trying to finish his homework. He has insisted on staying in his PJs - saying something like it's to do with still being on holiday and Eldest is languishing upstairs in bed with some sort stomach bug......and I have to get ready for work - argh!

Is this why is reality so less appealing than holiday escapism??  *sigh* 

Helloooo!

Back! Did you miss me?? I certainly missed you :)

Any hoo - off again - but not too far this time, the washing machine is churning it's way through yet another pile of post holiday washing and I think it needs a gentle and encouraging pat to continue.

There's lots to tell and share, so, hold your horses or your husband/children/favourite glass of wine or what ever comes to hand, will speak soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

PS - will reply to everyone who's commented or emailed me as soon as I possibly can, just got to get over this HUGE pile of holiday stuff that needs putting away.