muddles & magic

New Year

2011-01-20T00:37:00.000-08:00

Hello lovely people! Happy new year!

My oh my, what a long and unscheduled absence. Like so many other bloggers it wasn't really planned, just the turmoil of the year past and the daunting view of the future made words disapear, well all the nice fun and interesting ones anyway.

I still have a huge sense of uncertainty, plenty of down right scary mountains to overcome but they are at least mixed with a lot of hope, some excitement and a glimmer of energy to hit this new year head on.

My lovely Rose Cottage has become a haven for folk looking for a short break or a long holiday. She is welcoming guests and getting oooodles of complimentary comments which I have to say makes me quite giddy and delighted. If you have a few dregs of tea left before leaving blogland pop over and see her in all her delights - I am the uneducated soul who is trying to keep her website looking OK, so any blips or disasters that you spot I would love to know (well in nice kind beautifully iced words please!).

I will try to put some photos of small delights that have crept into the last six months in a photo post, so you can have a little peak and I will be back soon with all the muddles and magic that I hope to find through this year.

New year hugs to you all!

Mr Marvel and the bog blog.......

2010-07-21T05:32:00.000-07:00

Still with me after that title???!!! Well I'm impressed so I will explain.

Remember when I took you on a little adventure to our wood? Well since moving back from Oxfordshire our little woodland is one thing that we are loving having access to again. We have always had big plans for our little haven, having bred pigs, sheep, chickens, camped, swung through the trees and enjoyed the peace and quiet for a pondering type moment. We are slowly putting all these things back into place.

We met a fantastic family in Oxforshire who have become firm friends which didn't make our move back easy but thankfully they (well nearly all of them!) share a passion for the outdoors and camping, they will be known as Mr & Mrs Marvel (payback for Mr Marvel for laughing at Mr Magic!!!) and of course there is Mini Marvel.

Mr Marvel has rather a talent for making incredible things with wood. Some time ago he was subjected to a rant of mine about what I wanted for our wood and without us Magics having any idea he went off and made the most perfect gift (if you're a little strange of course!)

Isn't it amazing! My very own toilet seat! I know it takes a certain type of person to get excited about this but I have long dreamed about having a compost loo at the wood. I have read so much about them and read up on all the ways of making one but it always seemed like a pipe dream - I confess to having squealed with delight on seeing this and even did a little dance in my clogs!

So a plan was hatched to spend a weekend at the wood to build the tree bog. We had a wonderful weekend full of laughter, food and conversation, occasionally interrupted by hard work. We also managed to discover a few additional uses for a brand new toilet seat......

Although I think this use is a one off!

All hands on deck!
Work is well underway for the grand unveiling of my woodland loo, with the site selected and digging already commenced

It will be our very own "Room with a View"! So now all we need are a few hours and we will be ready to hold a ribbon cutting ceremony!

I will pop back later to explain the dirty feet, it was a very busy weekend you know........

A huge TA DAH moment!

2010-07-07T15:08:00.000-07:00

Can another whole month have slipped past, incredible.

I just thought that I had better pop by and let you know that I am not sat idly twiddling my thumbs, neither have Dr Hook and I been spending endless hours together creating lovelies.

No this time I have been tearing around like a complete mad women, frantically gathering, decorating, sewing (a shock I know but the sewing machine and I are very nearly good friends), prettying (not sure that's a real word but I like it), to get Rose Cottage ready for holiday lets.

I am so very excited and incredibly nervous as our very first guests arrive this Saturday, OMG, really I am quite unnecessary, jittery and all over the place.

You have all been dragged along this roller coaster of a year with me, your kindness and unending support have really helped me through some lows, so now I would love to share this exciting moment with you all.

Here is my TA DAH! moment.

Rose Cottage is ready, we have reached the top of what seemed to be an insurmountable obstacle. And I am so very pleased and excited, she has become what I had dreamt of. It has been be no means a solo project, we would never be in a position to open her door to guests without huge amounts of help and support that we have received. But we are there - YIIIPPPEEEEE!!!!!!

So make a cuppa and take a look around and please let me know what you think. xx

Yummy Things

2010-06-11T09:40:00.000-07:00

Hello, I hope you're all having a fab week so far.

I feel quite chirpy today as the sun has come out from behind those grumpy grey clouds and made everything look quite delightful. So I thought I would share with you some things that have made me smile this past week.

Firstly is this special package

For whom? This little goody is for Flapjack, which is the name given to a dear friends "bump", this friend is looking far too lovely for a lady who is nearly two weeks late with her second baby, but clearly "Flapjack" is far too comfy and is showing little intention of making an appearance.

Finishing this tiny little blanket made me smile and smile, it was so much fun to make. The ripple pattern can be found over in the attic, it was lovely and rhythmic and the yarn was a joy. I used Sidar Baby Bamboo in cream and pale blue, it has a lovely sheen and feels so soft - perfect.

Then there are my thrifty finds at last weekends car boot sale. It was great fun and we spent lots of time catching up with Mrs Bun & Mr Bun.

This perfect portable picnic set was ideal for a spot of tea in the garden with Miss Magic! I am so excited with my stash of enamel bake ware ideal for camping which we plan to do much more of this year.

I have also finally finished this cushion cover, no longer sure where it is going due to house changes but I might use the colours as inspiration for the guest bedroom, another little project waiting in the wings.

And then there is my bunting! I had a few plates spinning this past week so I have needed my time with Mr Hook or Dr Hook as a friend referred to it, she sadly knows me far too well! When life gets a little wobbly I spend lots of time hooking and creating a storm in the kitchen which results in us drowning in a sea of cakes and other home baked treats - I'm sure there are worse ways of dealing with the odd blip of stress.....

Uummmmm, woodland hooky, the ultimate thearapy.

I had some baby bamboo yarn to use and was enjoying my memories of the seaside and bunting just seemed to fit the bill. It also took me on a lovely little outing to Frome where I spent a fab half hour in Millie Moon searching for the perfect buttons. I was not disappointed and now have lots more reasons to go back.

I have plenty of WIP's to keep the stress levels down, string is my choice of hooking material at the moment, I'm loving crocheted boxes and I'm particularly enjoying a cushion cover made with string, lots more to share soon. But right now I am supposed to be making blinds for the utility room at Rose Cottage as we are getting her ready for holiday lets....it's very exciting. You are all well aware of my sewing skills (or rather lack of them) so I must really stop procrastinating, but on a final note of things making me smile it has to be Bumble who wins hands down.

After our seaside visit I was so fed up trying to remove sand from her beautiful curls that I decided to give her a hair cut. I found Mr Magic's hair clippers and went about giving Bumble a new style.

As you can see she is not only unimpressed but so embarrassed by her lack of fur that she wouldn't even pose for a photo, Miss Magic was equally cross and I have been told to leave her alone in future!! I will keep trying to get a front end picture before all the curls grow back, have a great week. xx

Seaside Days

2010-06-10T13:50:00.000-07:00

It already feels like an age since half term and most of us in this house are now counting down to the summer hols - I'm sure that's not a good thing but back to routine can be a bit of an effort.

So I have been sifting back through the camera to remind myself of my lovely week by the sea. Not only was I by the sea but I got to spend time with Mr Magic and no mini magics! The mini magics had been whisked off to the seaside on the other side of the country with their lovely Grandma & Pop - we were redundant parents!

Broadstairs is still a new and exciting corner of the world to me, I am ashamed to say that for a born and bred Somerset girl, London is east and Birmingham is north, so by my standards Broadstairs is simply off the scale! But wow what a lovely learning curve.

The little seaside towns are beautifully traditional and the beaches are just gorgeous. The only down side that I have found is that when the wind blows by golly take shelter, it reaches parts you didn't know you had and it's soooo very chilly.

These wonderful pictures are of a lovely shop in Margate. In fact there was a cluster of stunning vintage shops which had me oooooing and ahhhhing. Although Mr Magic had been very careful in his planning and we had arrived just after closing time, gggrrrrr - but I will go back!

This yummy green and white dress has my name on it, I just need the wasp waist, can you buy those here too??!!

Then I found this picnic hamper, oh the dreaming and "I needs", I can't wait to go back and I haven't even got close to talking about the yarn shop that I found in Broadstairs......

Although this did turn out to be an adventure of the most yummy kind, it wasn't all rosy. Mr Magic and his little brother had decided that we should cycle to Margate as the weather was lovely. Now not to put too fine a point on things but I DON'T cycle. Yuck awful past time, I have never got the hang of it. My bike is a lovely black, shiny (due to lack of use), sit up and beg bike with a basket on the front for my crochet and a cake or two. It has 3 gears which as far as I am concerned is two too many.

So I borrowed little brother's girlfriends bike, which not only had too many gears to count but also had a saddle that resembled an implement of torture and off we went. I don't want you to think that I am ungrateful, I know they showed me the most lovely of shops and I should have been very happy, but we must also remember that they only took me to this fab spot AFTER they had CLOSED and my derriere was not happy after riding this implement of torture so I had a mini hissy fit (no where near as good as Miss Magic, Nb. I must practice more) and absolutely refused to cycle back until I had a much needed chilled glass of wine and food.

They didn't let me down! Are they lovely - well most of the time! Sitting out in the evening sunshine with our bottle of wine and our fish and chips was quite perfect.

And on the cycle back I was distracted by this beautiful sunset. Maybe cycling isn't so bad, but don't tell anyone I said that.

The beginning, the middle & almost the end!

2010-06-05T01:06:00.000-07:00

Are you sitting comfortably? I feel compelled to warn you that this is a lengthy blog, but make a cup of tea, grab a biscuit and you'll be just fine, I promise not to waffle and use lots of pictures!

Way back last May I went to view Rose Cottage and there is no doubt that I fell in love instantly, there was no question about it, this had to be our home in Oxfordshire. It was not in the most perfect of states and had a terrifying colour scheme which included vast amounts of this blue.

And a slightly lighter version!

Then there was this red, which would be wonderful in a high ceiling dining room in an elegant georgian house not my dream little cottage in the Cotswolds.

But it gave us time to plan and dream

To take in what we had purchased and try to comprehend the enormous task that lay ahead.

Not even the garden had escaped the blue and this old lean to shed hid a large wall with windows! So many quirky nooks and crannies, and although we were a little daunted the mass operation began.

Then February arrived. Not a good month for us Magics, the news of Mr Magic's redundancy which was very closely followed by the tragic loss of Mr Magic's younger brother. Our house in Wiltshire was just about to exchange contracts and we had huge decisions to make - rock bottom sums up life in the Magic household.

Big decisions were made, we pulled out of the sale of our home in Wilts and decided that although we loved our little cottage we needed to move back to Wilts as Rose Cottage was just unaffordable as our family home. It was heartbreaking, friendships had been forged and our dream home was slipping away.

And to top it all off Rose Cottage was in no fit state for sale, so the troops were mobilised, some how we mustered energy and determination and Rose Cottage was turned around. Friends and family were invaluable, we only got through this because of their unending support.

Slowly, slowly the old colours were disappearing. Spanish villa tiles were removed.

And our dream for Rose Cottage started to become a reality.

A real Cotswold cottage with an inviting door, come inside and have a look around.

A quiet corner

A sitting room to relax in, cosied up in front of the fire with a good book and a cup of tea (or glass of sloe gin!)

My favourite room - the utility/boot room, I know it's not the most romantic
of rooms but it has my dream sink and the most beautiful york stone work surfaces.
The work surfaces were a bit of a curse, as they very nearly finished poor Mr Magic off! But a true friend appeared to help raise them into place, believe me this was not for the faint hearted!

My adored sink looks just perfect now!

And a kitchen! Wooohoooo, this was sooo very exciting 8 months with no kitchen,
then to have running water inside, I was very happy!

And instead of a dingy dining room we gained a bright and airy Kitchen/breakfast room

A comfy bedroom, uncluttered and clean - my dream!!!

A scrummy bathroom to soak away the day's stress

Finally we spent time on the garden, the old lean to's vanished and a pretty space
ready for coffee and croissants appeared.

Even the wisteria decided to make an appearance!

So we did it, the reason I was away from blogland for so very long, seemingly endless
days of lifting and shifting, sanding and painting and pruning and strimming!
Now my beloved Rose Cottage is for sale, ready for someone else to be enchanted
by her and enjoy her charms.

(although should the ideal person for my dream cottage
not appear then a holiday home she will become and I know I shouldn't hope that this
might happen, but.........)

Light Relief

2010-05-22T13:34:00.000-07:00

Would you like to come a a little adventure? It's such a beautiful day, come and see a little piece of my world that keeps me sane, makes me smile, sorts out the muddles in my head and a place where much laughter and merriment takes place? I thought you might, okay let's go....

It's not far away really, you see that little bundle of trees, beyond of the sea of yellow? That's where we're heading, we off to our woods!

Doesn't it all look beautiful in the sunshine, so jolly, the most perfect sky with just a few fluffs of white scudding across the blue.

You're nearly there now, come on don't dilly dally. I promise tea and cake along the way.

Come in! I hope you enjoy your visit, I can only apologise for taking so long to invite you all, but as you know it's been a little wonky around here, but now we're here lets go in and take a peak.

I'm not sure how to type "takes a huge breath, lets out a contented sigh & smiles" but that's what I do every time I am greeted with this scene!

Ahhh! now we're getting somewhere - this is what we call the enchanted wood, predictable I know, but these trees really whisper all their secrets to each other - it's mesmerising.

Here we are at our little camp, time to put the kettle on for a brew do cut the cake while I light the fire then we can sit and ponder while rope swings are swung, zip wires are sent whizzing, calling, laughing and squealing fills the air. Bumble flies between the trees at high speed, displacing pheasants and sending all rabbits deep beneath the ground. Yet there is always an air of calm here, under the trees.

Views to take your mind away from all the normal things that seem to buzz around your head. Distractions of the most delightful kind, the kind that create daydreams and far fetched plans. Making you feel quite dizzy with excitement and anticipation.

Den building and fire making, crochet and cooking, chatting and laughing, piglets being born and egg collecting - this little woodland holds so many life altering memories along with scraped knees and tears, camping under canvas while listening to the animals go about their night life, woodsmoke still littering the summer air.

Time spent here is always to short and sadly it's time to go home, school pick is approaching and all this daydreaming didn't include the menu for supper! I hope you had fun, I enjoyed your company and our little light refreshment!

Thank you so much for all your kind words and emails asking after us Magics, we are slowly finding our sparkles and I will show you what we've been up to very soon. xx

P.S. I have just been re-reading my first post for soooo long and am quite horrified at the many typos! I am clearly out of practice. xx

Lost......

2010-03-05T05:56:00.000-08:00

I have started to write my blog so many times these last few weeks but muddles keep meddling with my thoughts and nothing, just nothing happens. So I just flit around blog land searching for your updates, cheerful snippets of your lives as a diversion from my own.

All of your wonderful messages lifted me up and carried me through the news of Mr Magic's redundancy when I thought we had hit an all time low. That would seem to have been just the first test of our strength.

The Magic household seems to have been rocked at it's foundation.

One breath taking moment when you watch a loved one go from happily living his life with the love of his life, to being within a breath of life and there is nothing that can be done.

Shock, anger and a void of emptiness that creeps up on you no matter how hard you are trying not to think.

But one thing he wasn't was gloomy. He was caring, loving and fun.

Taken too soon, with no warning, we are left reeling. But the world keeps turning, days keeping starting and we must also keep time.

Now we are left to find him in spring flowers, feel him in the first warm rays of the sun and in the star studded sky at night. When we hope that the aching will subside and the memories will make us smile again.

2010-02-05T01:16:00.001-08:00

The mantra I am adopting, along side the one that goes "chocolate is the answer.....".

Things are certainly upside down at the moment but we all remain healthy. The only thing I would really like (besides a bar of sweet goodness or a jolly good baking session) is some sleep. Both Mr Magic and myself appear to be very good at getting "brain whirrrr" as soon as our heads hit the pillow.

But little magics are skipping along taking everything in their stride, they always make us so very proud of them.

All your thoughts, prayers, words and rays of sunshine that are being sent are heartfelt and so very much appreciated - thank you, I will be back soon with hopefully a less gloomy post full of hope and plans for our future.

Life's Pendulum

2010-02-01T13:43:00.000-08:00

Hi Peeps, I hope you haven't got too bored of popping by, waiting for me to finally write something.

Our holiday was wonderful, we enjoyed laughter filled days as a family with dear friends. Disney has a unique (!) way of ensuring that you are unable to think of anything outside, which meant a complete break away from reality.

Mr Magic and I both finished our runs, a half for me and a full marathon for him, the mini Magics where do I begin? Their holiday was non stop, so much fun they still struggle to remember which bit was best, how many times they went on favourite rides and who got which bits for their Mr Potato Heads......!!!!

We left lots of things simmering on life's stove when we popped across the pond back in January and on our return a few pots seem to have boiled over, so please bear with me while I am slightly distracted, mopping up muddles here and there.

I fear blogging could be somewhat sporadic as I struggle to find words at the moment, as well as that little thing called time. Happy February all. xx

We're Off.....

2010-01-06T02:15:00.000-08:00

We are going on our holidays, no really, WE ARE GOING!!!

It's been booked for nearly a year. Mickey Mouse and the sunshine state are beckoning, 10 fun filled days with friends, maybe be a little run or two just to pass the time.

We don't care that we have over a foot of snow, it is not important that Mr Magic's car had to be abandoned 5 miles from home last night and do we care that the airport is currently closed??

NO!

We are about to slowly, carefully, with much merriment and hot chocolate in flasks, begin the journey to Uncle Andy & Auntie Paula's - Bumble is spending her holiday there as they are so close to the airport. Then a short slide to our flight whenever it takes off!

So have fun in the snow! Hugs Debs xx

It's a dog's life.........

2010-01-02T01:12:00.001-08:00

I thought I would show you how tough it is being a dog around here at Christmas time! Firstly leading up the Christmas Bumble spent days running around snow covered fields, sliding over icing pools of water and collecting balls of snow on all her legs, which she would nibble off when she was inside the cottage - leaving us to find mini puddles of water everywhere! It is safe to say she did not care in the slightest that this white stuff stopped all our Christmas visiting in it's tracks, that just meant more walks!

Then she was bundled up with dog bed, food and chews as we made our journey to quite wonderful friends, who had so generously invited us to stay for Christmas. I think the sight of Rose Cottage at the moment beggars belief that we can achieve a standard day, Christmas would have been a huge challenge. So we invaded their home where we spent the most lovely of times, the company was just superb, the food incredible and their friendship, kindness and generosity made our Christmas just perfect.

Needless to say Bumble makes herself perfectly at home in their house. They not only have a log burner, but also a young lady who is terribly generous with tummy rubs and she has pet rabbits! Thankfully Miffy & Cocoa have got used to Bumble running up and down the length of their run for hours on end and pay her little attention, but for Bumble it is just the hightlight of her visit.

The Christmas tree was groaning with gifts and much to Bumble's delight there were several with her name attached.

Much spoiling followed, a Christmas stocking full of doggy treats, a new squeaky Christmas pudding ball and then the gift from her tummy rubbing host that made Bumble's Christmas ........

...Phil the Pheasant!!! She could not wait for anyone to remove the tags and once she had hold of him no one was likely to get anywhere close! This toy makes a fantastic quack/honk type squeak which makes her go quite mad - it's very entertaining. This is not the first Phil that Bumble has owned, so we knew the pattern of events that would follow.

Glee and happiness as she parades around the house with him for several hours. Then a little light tossing of him into the air so that she can pounce! Next the intense look as she begins the work of exposing his squeaker - this is by far her most favourite part! Once the squeaker has been removed the general unstuffing of her beloved toy commences. This takes weeks and slowly, slowly the toy changes shape.

So now contented with a saggy toy Bumble is preparing to enjoy her next gift.........a bottle of dog beer!

New beginnings

2009-12-31T12:27:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a healthy, happy and fun filled 2010 - See you next year!
Debs xx

Eureka!

2009-12-10T02:53:00.000-08:00

Is it really Thursday?! December always gallops along but hec this one is the speediest yet. As usual Christmas is gaining pace on me and sending me into a whirl wind, now is when I start to panic slightly and begin my compulsive list writing.

But forget all the chaos (although I am sure that you are all terribly organised and serene) and help me enjoy my EUREKA moment.

Since our move last year I have been a full time stay at home Mum, which is a privilege. I have been able to settle Mstr B & Miss A after all the upheavel of relocating, be here for all their disasters, all their achievements and all the taxi requirements 8 & 10yr olds need! So finding my creative side has been a real adventure which has had many ups and downs in itself. I am yet to find a great love for my sewing machine but we are now friends, which is a major accomplishment but crochet has been a different matter, my hook and I now share a very special bond.

I have followed blogs avidly finding new things to crochet, new stitches and designs, I have gazed longingly at others talents, their impeccable creations which look so perfect, not a stitch out of place, colours that compliment and speed that I could only dream of.

But my dear friends today was the day that I sat back and looked at one of my creations and thought WOW. The feeling is immense, quite overwhelming and very unexpected. One would think that I have created something gigantic but it is only small and I have only actually finished one, not the two that are needed, yet I am still all unnecessary, twitchy and excitable.

Let me start with the yarn, the colours are delicious, it is a Rowan Kid Classic Yarn, so it feels just lovely to play with. I love standing in the needlecraft shop drinking in the rows of yarn, they look just like sweeties. These colours jumped out and begged to be brought home - so I obliged!

In just a short amount of time yesterday evening, hooking away I made one wrist warmer in this lovely yarn. I know I said my speed was improving too so just to let you all know I also finished a pair for a dear friend but I can't show you those or it will spoil her opening her pressie!

This single wrist warmer has made me soooooo happy, strange isn't it?! The small things really can make a big difference. Thank you so much for allowing me to wallow in my eureka moment, I can't wait for this evening to arrive so I can pick up my hook and finish my project, but for now the other side of a stay at home Mum is needing attention, the ironing is calling, supper must be prepared and the vacuum cleaner is getting such little use that it is trying to get out of the cupboard by itself, not to mention a furry ball of discontentment who is following me around with her nose at my ankles!

Going to a Party......

2009-12-07T04:31:00.000-08:00

That's right, tomorrow is party morning. A very dear friend, Rox and the one and only Mrs Bun need to celebrate. Of course I muscled my way in because I simply love birthday parties, they really are the best kind of party.

So with great excitement and enthusiasm this morning saw the start of my party preparations - do you want to see??

Now you mustn't forget that Rose Cottage is rather muddled at the moment so first things first were to clear the decks!

A good rummage through many boxes unearthed muffin pans and cupcake cases.........

To go to a party without sparkle would just be terribly rude - so sparkly sprinkles made an appearance............

And as if by magic - cupcakes!! So now time for a little wrapping, dusting off the party shoes and then I think a cup of tea with a tiniest sample of the offerings might be in order - well it wouldn't do if they hadn't been tested!

First's

2009-12-04T04:47:00.000-08:00

Hello! Happy new month to you all! The 1st December, the most exciting first day of the month in the entire year. Mstr B & Miss A were so excited that Miss A found it hard to get to sleep and there are still 24 nights to go!!!! She is so funny, although the not quite so amusing at 6am when she is dancing around our bedroom unable to contain the excitement any longer - when do they grow out of that???

As you can tell December is a big thing for us here, real magic, a wonderful month and it all starts with the advent calendars. One year, some years ago, we got Mstr B a lego advent calendar and can I just offer one small piece of advice to any parent, don't start anything with children that you are not prepared to continue for much longer than you anticipate!! I am not entirely sure he will ever out grow lego, so it has become a ritual. Miss A is never quite so straight forward (!), her fabric calendar that she has had for some years now is looking very tired so I promised I would make her calendar from a jumbled up mish mash of ideas floating around in my head. What a promise to make, my brain resembles a crows nest at the moment, so it was right to the wire creating this Chrismas tree from match boxes and lovingly covered. So to the wire that I couldn't get craft match boxes anywhere so I bumbled into our local Co op and brought 24 boxes of matches - we wont need to buy matches for years!! We got there and Miss A is delighted, her own countdown which gives her, her own Chrismas decoration at the same time - Phew!

Blogland has turned into a place of such busy creativity that I can't keep up, my poor hook is exhausted! Sparkly stars and flurries of snowflakes have been appearing everywhere, my cosy corner is now the messy corner! But I love it, so busy with so many Christmas goodies slowly coming together.

Mr H is concerned that he will be sat quietly watching a film and by the end will be knee high in a snow drift!!! I really should stop but they are so addictive and so many uses, not that I have come up with many yet.....!!

I have also been busy making these lovely wrist warmers that came from a brief visit to the Attic.

Now as many of you will know there is still no kitchen here at Rose Cottage and cooking is one of my great loves. Baking has seen me through many a stressful time and I am really feeling the lack of a kitchen as we approach Christmas and as for stress........we'll talk of that another time.

So maybe you could cast your mind back to the autumn, full of wonderful sunlight for photos of autumnal colour. I spent many a day with Bumble gathering sloes and rose hips. Much rose hip syrup has been guzzled and the joy of straining our first jar of sloes was so exciting. Never before made so the first sip was divine. As the excitement changed into a mellow mood sat by the fire my thoughts drifted to the huge pile of sloes, somewhat drunken, not like me, sat in a colander - what do you do with those??? Throwing them in the bin seemed such a waste so I googled my dilemma and the results are yummy!

Sloes have a rather annoying stone in their middle so I sat with small paring knife, wet wipes for sticky fingers and a couple of bowls, one for fruit and one for stones. The fire was roaring and with The Good Life and Tom & Barbara with all their smallholding antics keeping me company I removed the fruit from the blessed stones - it is a slow, boring and tedious job, but the end result is worth it.

The next job is to melt plenty of dark, cocoa rich, chocolate, then dip each fruit into the chocolate and leave to set - delicious and well worth the effort. Also particularly good for Christmas gifts along with some home made truffles (I got the recipe for the truffles from Country Living's December issue) decorated with some gold leaf.

Then you have the perfect excuse to sit and play with paper! Making your own boxes so that you have a reason for buying these...

OOOOOhh I love December! xxx

Remembrance

2009-11-16T03:54:00.000-08:00

While I was flying around blogland a couple of weeks ago I stopped by at the Fairyglade and found the most beautiful crocheted poppies. Remembrance Day for me is always special. I was always part of a Remberance Parade as a child with Brownies then as a Guide and it is also the date of my late, much loved, Gramp's birthday.

So with Dev's call to pick up our hooks, I made a cup of tea at high speed while rummaging through my yarn stash to find a good red yarn.

It was lovely to sit hooking while allowing my mind to drift through the memories of years past, the traditions and rituals, my pride in being the flag bearer, the inevitable goose bumps from hearing the last post and the chill as the roll call is read, mingled with the delight of sitting with my Gramps, eating winkles from a brown paper bag and traumatising my cousins with talk of rabbit stew, his huge hands which in a hug could make you feel so safe, his glass of scrumpy and polly-just a walking stick.........simply remembering.

Speedy update!

2009-11-05T06:04:00.000-08:00

Such a long time since my last post so I thought I would bring you up to date through a few pictures of what happened in October!

We used lots of these

consumed masses of these......feeling much better now

when the sun shone we made very good use of these.....

Bumble got a new toy after Mstr B & Miss A went
exploring in Grandma and Pop's attic....

My hook got some exercise.......

Party time took up lots of time!

But the most exciting part of October was getting a sink and taps

oooooohhhh, they are the most lovely taps over the most
fabulous sink you have ever seen
and they work, yes, really they do, water inside Rose Cotage
BLISSS!!!!
(we wont mention the pain that Mr H went through, still going through, trying to move the
stone worksurface, but we will mention the fabulous friend who
helped move the ******* stone worksurface when Mr H could hardly
stand up straight - thank you!)

You see October was quietly busy!

Cosy Corner

2009-10-01T02:20:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share my corner with you today, Rose Cottage is so full of muddles, mess and dust that cosy corner is worth soooo much to me at the moment. This is where I enjoy the silence during the school day, where I crochet and knit, where I write my blog, where I sit and read stories with Miss A after school, where Mstr H tells me of his day and where Mr H and I curl up when the day is nearly done - a very important little corner of our cottage!

I have my eye on a corner that I plan to make my own one day when there is no plasterboard littering the hall and when the unpacked boxes find a home, but that is a long way off just now so this little corner has to be many things. Today it's a special corner because the sun has just sunk low enough to bathe my spot in lovely light and warmth, perfect for sitting here typing and occasionally sharing!

I did promise to share some yarn with you last week and very yummy yarn it is too. It's a pure luxury merino, very soft and lovely to work with. Now I can't show you exactly what I am doing yet because this yummy yarn is being made into a birthday present for a dear friend who is celebrating a rather special birthday this month! So you can only see little teeny tiny snippets of what's happening until the special day. If you look closely at my cosy corner you will see some hooking well underway! The colours are Mulberry, Flint and Slate - they sound very autumnal and look fantastic together. I think more will be needed as I am sure it is time to hook something for myself!

I will pop back later with the rosehip syrup recipe as my batch is underway as I type, so I will infuse, boil and bottle and bring you some pictures later!

Berries and Stone

2009-09-25T03:09:00.000-07:00

Phew it's been a busy week! I have been enjoying the dry fine weather and spent much of Monday and Tuesday gleaning the hedgerows of their bounty. Very well we did too! Sloe gin is now hidden away under the stairs working it's magic, alongside a generous jar of blackberry brandy - just the tonic for a cold night in around the fire. Then it was time for some slightly more vitamin packed syrups so I busied myself stripping elderberries from their stems and gathering rose hips. I gathered rather more than just rose hips during my outing and spent an evening removing thorns from my fingers, nature does find some fantastic ways of preventing you from stealing all her goodies.

The elderberry syrup that I made is great for coughs, colds and sore throats, it's very yummy and should the lack of alcohol disappoint it really is quite delicious topped up with champagne! An autumnal Kir Royale!!!

It's very easy to make you just need to strip elderberries from their stems (I had a kilo), put them in a large saucepan with a few chunks of fresh ginger and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 25/30mins until the berries are soft. Strain the liquid through a plastic sieve, squeezing/pressing the berries to get as much as you can. At this point remember that whatever this liquid touches it will stain, it's very purple! Then add 1lb of sugar and 10 cloves for every pint of liquid. Bring this to the boil, stiring to disolve the sugar and boil hard for 10mins. Remove from the heat and remove the cloves. Your syrup is ready to bottle and can be enjoyed in hot or cold water as you would a cordial - yum!

I will post the rosehip syrup recipe over the weekend.

Wednesday was the day I was most looking forward to as I was to meet two great friends in Tetbury, much tea, cake and chatter had been planned, alas many plans do not quite go as planned and Wednesday was no exception. We have been waiting for wooden floor boards for our bathroom and some work surface for our utility room to be delivered - it has taken weeks and weeks so of course a phone call Tuesday confirmed that they would deliver on Wednesday - ARRRRAAGGGHHH, I couldn't say no so, tea, cake and chatter disappeared and I sat and waited and waited and finally they arrived...........

The floor boards were as expected - wooden! But the worksurface WOW, I am sooooo very excited. We have planned the utility to look rather rustic with the stone trough as the sink, so we found a salvage yard who would cut some HUGE pieces of york stone for the work surface, this will sit on some red brick piers - ambitious I agree but if it works it will be just fab. To finally see the work top was like the missing piece of the puzzle I could finally visualise our room -now it was time for Mr H to work some magic and get them in situe......this could take a little while so watch this space!

Mstr B and Miss A decided that they make the perfect outside workspace for all their autumn collections.

Of course this was all too much excitement for Bumble, who dug a perfect Bumble shaped hole and snuggled down in it, a perfect spot for a tummy rub....!

Thursday brought with it my dose of tea, cake and chatter, just one special friend could make this outing so there is still one to be planned! Exploring Tetbury is always fun and on this day the yarn shop was open! Oh it was fantastic, I confess that I did not leave empty handed but you will have to wait to see my goodies, they are already being admired, bundled up and snuggled, the ideas are running wild, once I have tamed them slightly I promise to share!

Have a wonderful weekend xxx

Silence & Sinks!

2009-09-05T02:19:00.000-07:00

Our summer has been full of unsilence! Rose Cottage turned into a vibrant hub of activity, the school holidays has, as always raced past in a blink. The two young dependent children I started the holidays with have grown so much in so many ways, shooting skywards (not surprising judging by the volume of food consumed - I was seriously worried at points that their jaws would need oiling because of over use). Our new village has given them wings, they are able to tentatively explore independence, playing at the park without me sitting on the park bench. They take Bumble for walks across the fields and cycle to the post box, small steps that left me pacing around like a cat on a hot tin roof to begin with and now they feel suprisingly normal.

Mr H has spent hours sawing, drilling, hammering and cursing as the utility room and little loo is well underway. Laying a reclaimed clay tile floor in the utility room was such a huge step forward although it's so effective that to the untrained eye it looks like we really need to replace the floor!!!! Mr H spent some father and son time sulking around the reclamation yard to return home with the most perfect sink imaginable. So now this old stone trough has become the centre of the design. Easy to achieve it has not been, but we are edging closer.........

And me, what have I achieved, well thankfully I haven't grown too much! Order is appearing in tiny corners of our cottage, hooks and yarn have been unpacked and a few crocheted cloths are appearing. I have a new love of string, the texture it creates when you crochet with it is incredible, I love it and can't wait to do more with it, but the creative brain needs some time to find it's voice, it's been quiet most of the summer and now it needs some silence to find strength and allow the ideas to flow.

School is back and the cottage is changing. The light is different, sloes are ripening, hedgerows groaning with their delicious bounty and there is that autumnal feel to the morning air as we scurry to school.

I love the change of summer to autumn, the colours that I am using to crochet with have changed, my clothes are changing, layering with cosy wraps and sweaters, snuggly socks, wellies and boots are making an appearance and soon so soon the crackle of the logs in the hearth - well that is if I ever find a chimney sweep, they are like hens teeth!

So with school back I have my silence, after a summer of noise and excitement I find the silence comforting, restoring, a wonderful place to allow my mind to speak. Time then to make a brew and sit in the slowly sinking sun light and hope that something comes to mind.......

EEEEK no broadband!

2009-07-20T05:54:00.000-07:00

Well that's it, broadband at cold comfort farm is being disconnected later today and reconnection will take at least a week - quite terrifying to think that my link to the world beyond the rubble will be out of reach for a week!

No sneaky cups of tea while I catch up on all your gossip, no new hooky techniques to try, fabric to swoon over, photos to brighten a dull day. I will just have to be strong and wait patiently and set aside a whole day to blog surf when I am reconnected!!!!

I hope you have fun with all that you do and I should be back just before my post date for my first swap. I will tell you all about it when I'm back but you could always take a look over at justbehappy. Chocolate and new yarn - sounds perfect to me!

Have fun, see you in a week! xxx

Rose Cottage

2009-07-16T23:58:00.000-07:00

These are the better bits..........dreamy wisteria, inglenook and lovely old range....

Then there's the bit we have destroyed........

Kitchen and Bathroom - well it was......

I think that's a smile, but it could be a grimace!!
We are rather pooped this week and I fear we are just beginning. The aim is to move in........well one day!

Mini update.......

2009-07-16T01:30:00.000-07:00

We got those keys, we went inside and pretty much destroyed the kitchen and bathroom!!!!

I left two lovely, capable men unsupervised for the day yesterday and by the late afternoon there was nothing to distinguish where the kitchen ended and the upstairs bathroom began - yikes.

But I am suitably reassured that all is well and this is for the best, rotten beams are not good. So much chocolate later we are off again today to try and put some more beams in place......watch this space!

Keys

2009-07-14T01:43:00.001-07:00

I am so very very very excited, I have hardly slept a wink last night, my tummy is in permanent somersault mode and trying to sit still to write this is particularly difficult.

Today is the day we complete on our purchase of Rose Cottage. It will be just two months tomorrow that I first walked into Rose Cottage, but the last few weeks since we exchanged contracts has been sooooo long.

We will have our home again. Somewhere we love, somewhere we want to invite friends and family, somewhere to build magical family memories, somewhere to put our mark, make it our own and feel at ease in it's embrace. I can't quite explain why renting cold comfort farm has been so wrong, not quite complete, very strange.

Life has been full of things for the last two months, I'm not really sure what things, but lots of things. Now it is time to try and find some order in the chaos, maybe get to show you what I have been doing in my free minutes - I have been hooking, sewing, felting and baking!!! The baking did get a little out of hand a couple of weeks ago with friends groaning under the constant supply, but the stress has eased a little and excitement has taken over.

So now I must dash, wrap more crockery, watch my phone intently and wait for those keys!

Ta Dah!!!!

2009-06-26T04:33:00.000-07:00

Although the ice cream cupcakes were a wonderful distraction and greatly appreciated by many (due to the vast quantity that I made) I did finally get on with the job in hand and clear the study furniture into the landy.

This was no mean feat, bookcases are awkward and desks heavy but with constant encouragement from Bumble (!) and a rather impressive stubborn streak I did it!

Best not to mention the odd expletive that escaped my lips, but there were no children present.

As you can see it was all quite exhausting - even from an observers point of view!!!

Distractions and Divations

2009-06-18T06:52:00.000-07:00

As you will see from the picture our house is rather overloaded with stuff, I have spent weeks de-stuffing cold comfort farm ready to move yet there is still more!

Today was supposed to be spent dropping off admission forms for A&B at their prospective school followed by clearing bookcases and the study desk ready for them to go to their new home at Grandma and Pop's. The dropping off bits I achieved but the clearing, yuck!

Just looking at the desk is enough to send shivers down my spine and even inspire me to go and do the ironing, it really is that bad just look...

However, the real horror is that all that "STUFF" needs to fit neatly in here.......

So I wandered around the place trying to find something to take my mind of the task in hand. Sadly there wasn't any ironing as I attacked that yesterday so as to avoid going to the gym, A&B are desperate to earn pocket money because of an imminant holiday with Grandma and Pop so their bedrooms are unusually tidy. Mr H is away tonight so I can't even pretend to be cooking a sophisticated dinner as "cottage pie" has been requested.

Ggggrrrrrr - there must be something to do.........

well in the end I resulted to another batch of cupcakes! Rather snazzy I think. The batch I made earlier in the week (no doubt to avoid some hidious household chore) were quote grown up so I decided this time it was time for little people cupcakes. As we are getting ready for the school fete I thought I would try out cooking chocolate cupcakes in ice cream cones!!!!

Although intended for little people I'm sure I could squeeze in one with a cup of tea, it might just give me the energy to attack the study!!!

Home

2009-05-27T03:47:00.000-07:00

Firstly I wanted to thank all the lovely people who have enquired about my wellbeing - I am here!!! I am very well, a little frazzled, very busy and incredibly excited, but thank you all for your concern and kind comments.

So what has caused so much mayhem in this area of the world?
Home!
Such a small word but a word which evokes so much emotion, positive and negative, creates soooooo much work!!!

Our move last year saw us renting what we call "cold comfort farm". Not a pretty bungalow but an idyllic setting in a lovely village in North Oxfordshire. We really thought that renting was the way to go, no commitment, no hassle and a home that given the land with it we may not be able to afford if we were to try and buy it. Sounds great doesn't it?!

It has been a journey that has made us realise that where we live is so much more than just the outside space or the four walls that surround us. It's about making it our own, putting our own stamp on it. A space where we can relax and feel comfortable, somewhere that you can sit and enjoy a meal with friends and family without being embarrassed or mortified if they ask to use the bathroom - honestly they are that bad! It needs to reflect the people in it and we are four, a dog, three sheep and chickens, so things aren't always neat or tidy, our taste is not always conventional but much of what we have holds memories of previous journeys or of a moment in time. In a nutshell "cold comfort farm" isn't right for us long term.

At this turning point we are mid recession - as always our timing is immaculate! Undeterred we continued searching and a few heartaches later we have found, what we hope will be, our home.

Rose Cottage is in a small, goes nowhere village in the middle of the cotswolds. Surrounding the village is the most beautiful countryside. The cottage is just big enough, full of nooks and crannies and quirky enough to represent us all. It's also close enough to "cold comfort farm" to carry on enjoying the friends we have made.

So if my posting is erratic, I apologise, but I promise to pop back and fill you in as things progress.

Lastly before I sign off, look! I have been given an award! I am soooo excited I wanted to say a huge thank you to Julia for this splendid award. I know I have not been a good blogger this last month and I will try harder but to receive this was just fantastic - thank you Julia it is truly appreciated!

I promise to pop by and see what you are all doing in the sunshine and as soon as I have hassled solicitors into complete submission and the keys are in my paws I will take you on a trip to our new home.

Hugs xxxxx

Kicking the habit

2009-04-28T08:21:00.001-07:00

I have fallen off the wagon and I had been so good for so long.

Let me explain. I love magazines, country living, country life, country homes and interiors the list is endless. It's probably fair to say that almost any magazine can sway me with a beautiful front cover. It needs to have the lure of an hour of pure day dream escapism.

I get swept along with the colours, tempting me ever closer to those bright sunny days, meadows of of swaying grasses, dotted with wild flowers. Perfect vegetable plots filling the family table through the year. Spurred on to turn the pages with the promise of vintage discoveries which have been lovingly restored, carefully painted, then placed in the best corner for that dreamy effect.

Delightful recipes which encapsulate the essensence of an english afternoon tea, delicate china or the excitement of a new artist with their stunning pottery.

They beckon you to live your dreams as you skip through the glossy pages imagining the fun you'll be having while you camp in the meadow, next to the stream, in the Romany Caravan, while your scrummy man collects firewood and your angelic children roast marshmallows just before you drift off to sleep under the stars........

You see I am a hopeless case. But I have been so so good because now I can get all these wonderful daydreams and inspirational visions while reading your delightful blogs. I was kicking the habit.

That was until the very naughty Joules sent me their magazine, FREE, through the post. Well it would have been quite rude and very churlish to have committed it to the recycle pile before I stole a tiny glimpse inside, wouldn't it?!!

Oh the complete joy, vintage caravans, yummy fabrics, scrummy firewood collecting man, angelic children (in clean, beautiful clothes) and me sat reading my book while stealing glances at the free range children dancing around the fields (still in clean clothes!). Chickens in the garden, a vegetable patch to be proud of, really very unfair to put so much in just one magazine, don't they know I am trying soooooo hard?

The deal was done, I had sealed my fate, I know full well that one is just never enough, one bite of the cherry will never surfice.

So as with all addictions, one just leads to another..........!!!

Easter Reflections

2009-04-22T02:13:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been nearly a month since my last post, it's lovely to be back.

We had a wonderful Easter I hope you have all enjoyed yours. We spent our time in Wiltshire in our old home, which is now a haven of tranquility and a magical place to catch up with much loved friends and family. Which is exactly how we spent our time.

Lots of tea, many many cakes and lots of fun and laughter. Just the tonic, it really did symbolize the end of a long winter for us.

I had quite a creative surge, for me, leading up to Easter. I made bunnies and little knitted bags to hold sweet delights for our spring celebrations. Hens, filled with lavender and crocheting flowers for garlands, it really was such fun.

My birthday just before Easter brought so many goodies. I had some lovely Emma Bridgwater goodness to add to a dwindling collection, due to my appalling clumsiness. Two of the most lovely knitted blankets to add to my collection of yummy things. Then there was the money from my grandparents which sent me on a mission! In our home in Wiltshire I have used my Nannie's old singer sewing machine on it's trestle stand in the small study as a desk, I had already found a lovely old folding chair to sit on when pondering over a pretty notebook, but it needed something more....... a Lloyd Loom to sit in the corner for those contemplative moments!

Well after much searching I found one in a local antique centre. It was a strange green which had to go, cream was the answer. I suddenly found I had lots of willing helpers to transform my lovely new chair - and a pretty good job they did too!! When I have covered the seat, I will show you photos in all it's glory, it will be worth the wait!

How can my angelic looking son, look like a demon with that spray paint in his hand? Please don't let this be a peek into the future!!!

We have spent the last month or two falling back in love with our home in Wiltshire, it had become bogged down with life and when we left it behind last October we were quite relieved. Then months on the market we found we were left with few options, it wouldn't sell or rent, really bad timing on our part or maybe a little bit of fate dipping her hand in. So the decision to keep it and play the economy at it's own game was a huge leap of faith (don't even mention the other "f" word, we have developed perfect ostrich syndrome when it comes to finance!).

We are still very much living our life in "cold comfort farm" here in our little corner of Oxfordshire, meeting lovely new friends, tentatively putting down roots. Life seems full of so many decisions to buy or not to buy. Such relief when we reached the conclusion we wont buy we will sit it out. Just to see that our dream cottage appeared on the market, why does that always happen? Thankfully there were so many people interested in this little shack of a place in a wonderful blank canvass garden, we knew our decision had been made, it would become a bidding war, not fun, it wasn't meant to be. So onwards we go, never quite knowing what will happen over the next months or years or quite where we will end up, here or there.

But for now the journey is enough. The excitement of what next month will bring, life has never been dull and I guess now is no exception. Enjoy the sunshine! hugs xxx

Yipppeeee!

2009-03-25T04:48:00.001-07:00

I am soooooo excited, I have been a busy bee making crochet flowers for a spring garland, just like the one you can see over at the fairyglade.

Now this has taken much concentration, patience (not always in abundance here) and endless trips to the wool shop for the next colour - well you can't have all the flowers looking the same can you?! Also, not one to try keeping up with the Jones' but Miss A has studied Dev's garland so if it doesn't come up to scratch I will never hear the end of it.

I have now made all 11 flowers (the number was specified by Miss A - she very carefully counted the flowers on Dev's garland!) and now I just need to make the long greeny bit - but here in lies the problem.

So Dev if your reading please can you tell me how you made the green bit - I am ready and waiting with hook and yarn but not a clue - help!!

Sheep Poo and things....

2009-03-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

I had hoped I would have time to tell you about lovely things I have been making, but the camera is not playing nicely, blogger keeps up loading photos around the wrong way and I am getting quite cross.

Oh, and the sheep poo thing, that adorable scrap of fluff, Bumble, sneakily ate vast quantities of the stuff yesterday afternoon, when I was distracted by new mugs, yarn and the delight of finishing a crochet flower. She then spent from 2.25am - 5.30am getting rid of the entire contents of her stomach, not in one almighty whoosh, but nicely and carefully spread out so as to ensure I got no sleep what so ever, ggrrrrrrr! I also suspect that just like humans and alcohol, in a few days time she will have completely forgotten just how awful she felt and go and do it all over again, double ggrrrrrr!

Enjoy the one photo I managed to load and have a wonderful weekend!

Red Sky at night....

2009-03-19T14:36:00.000-07:00

After supper we were treated to the most beautiful sky - just stunning......

And the morning really did bring Shepherd's Delight, or in our case Sheep's Delight and morning worship commenced!!

Rest & Recuperation

2009-03-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

Miss A hadn't been well on Monday so by Tuesday morning with no improvement it was decided that a day at home was needed. Hugs, cuddles, crafting and story reading was the order of the day, so wasting no time Miss A was straight into all the cupboards finding lovely things that could be transformed into a suitable craft for a poorly day with Mum.

In no time at all large areas of the living room floor were strewn with books, felted sweaters, bits of scrap fabric and a sewing box, not to mention an ever hopeful Bumble, who believes that if there's an extra pair of hands around the place that surely means more tummy tickles.....

Miss A had other ideas - so many of them! So we narrowed the ideas list down to one - an egg cosie with an Easter theme. Pinking shears were clutched and an old woolen coat began it's transformation. Now there was to be no help required, my presence was purely companionship! Gradually things started to take shape......

Which required intense concentration.....By this time Bumble had quite given up any idea of the tummy tickle she had been expecting.....

And voila!! A splendid egg cosie, with a very Eastery theme! Miss A is known for her persistence (!) so a further 3 cosies were produced (Bumble gave up all hope after number 2 and sulked under the desk in the study). One was lovingly wrapped and sent to Grandma, who had hinted that an egg cosie was just what she needed.

Then finally a sleepy expression crept in. And what is the answer for a poorly girl who has been so creative? Well of course it is to find a much loved story (one which is so well known it can almost be recited without the book open), find a snuggly spot on the sofa with Mummy to allow soft words and warm cuddles soothe away any poorliness that might still be lurking.

Noses

2009-03-13T05:14:00.000-07:00

Did you pick your nose this morning??!!

Well we did!
Actually that is not strictly true, I blew my nose, as the migraine that rudely interrupted last weekend was clearly a precursor of the cold type thing I now have. And for the first time in a long time I feel quite awful. Achy, hot, cold, hungry, not hungry, happy, tearful, grumpy, fidgety - it's probably safe to say that I am quite possibly being a real pain, but I am not good at unwell. It ruins plans and gets in the way. Oh dear, grumpy again.

But I did manage to make rather a lot of red nose cakes for school. I offered to make one for every child and of course every member of staff. They are having a pyjama day today which has caused so much excitement. So whatever you are doing to be funny for money, have a wonderful time!

A parcel for Miss A

2009-03-06T07:48:00.000-08:00

The walk home from school across the fields was more than idyllic today, with the sun shining down on two very happy children and a very happy dog! Chatting and munching on tiffin we ambled along making plans for the weekend ahead.

I had quite forgotten that a parcel had been delivered for Miss A, until I heard a squeal of delight when she found it on the kitchen table.

Not much time was wasted in opening the box and squirreling away it's contents with a huge grin on her face.

A few minutes later we were presented with a Victorian maid! Miss A's project this term has been the Victorians and there is a planned trip to visit a museum at Woodstock. During the visit they get to experience life in a real Victorian Classroom and are all invited to come in costume. I am ashamed to admit that the mop cap is about all my sewing skills are up to so I temporarily removed my super mum title and ordered something fitting from the web! Rather a good result I think.

Happy Friday!

2009-03-06T02:32:00.000-08:00

It's been a strange week, not feeling quite right and lacking motivation and enthusiasm which is not like me. But today the sun is shining, there are tiny puffs of white scudding across the sky which is such a pretty blue. The girls are laying in the paddock, all facing the sun as though they are mid worship, they are so entertaining.

I have had a wonderful rummage at one of my local charity shops this morning where I unearthed some great fun knitting patterns, an enormous bundle of sock needles, a collection of crochet hooks and some fab buttons - I love those finds. My washing machine is whizzing away felting a couple of rather splendid jumpers which will become bunnies and hares.......next week will be very busy.

My other charity shop find was this beautiful soup bowl and saucer which I found a few days ago, I couldn't walk past it. Then as I was going back to the landy the florist had rows and rows of daffodils and hyacinths outside which gave me a use for my new found treasure.

No Friday is complete without a good baking session so the kitchen has been a hive of activity a lemon drizzle cake as requested by Miss A, gingerbread loaves for Mstr B and Mr H and a huge pile of tiffin. The tiffin is a hit with everyone but Miss A wont let me make tiffin unless she is able to deliver a box of the yummy stuff to Lu and Roger. So as we are bimbling off to Wiltshire for the weekend we will be able to make a delivery, which allows me to make tiffin!! So Lu if you read this make sure you get to the front door before Monty Dog over the weeknd, otherwise there might not be any left!

And what to do until my house is invaded by excited Friday children? There is always ironing but I would feel terrible giving treats to friends if I hadn't first tested that they were yummy......!!

Cupcake Day

2009-02-26T06:32:00.000-08:00

Sometimes cupcakes are the answer, now don't get me wrong chocolate is always the answer that could never change. But today it was the turn of the cupcake.

Cupcakes to say "thank you" to Mrs Kean, who so thoughtfully made Mstr B a tudor house while we were away in Finland so he didn't feel left out - I was only slightly embarrassed when he politely refused, wanting to make his own!

The other box is for our poor suffering piano teacher to say "sorry". With a head full of logistics relating to sheep collection and concerns as to why Miss A was so emotional over half term we forgot to turn up for our lesson. So chocolate cupcakes will hopefully make a mends.

Miss A is now much better and we will assume a growth spurt was playing with her equilibrium!

And this could have upset my equilibrium had Bumble managed to go undetected until only crumbs were left.........

The girls have arrived.....

2009-02-25T05:18:00.000-08:00

After much sledging and juggling of travel arrangements we finally got to Finland and enjoyed adventures across the frozen lake, skiing and evenings spent alternating between the wood burning sauna and sitting watching the star filled skies.
Then our return brought more adventures. Snow had postponed the collection of our 3 Wiltshire Horn ewes. We had spent time walking our paddock checking fencing as losing sheep is an experience we have under our belt and one that doesn't need repeating anytime soon!

Our journey was surprisingly uneventful, the girls we ready and waiting so were quite happy to get in the back of the landy to go to their new home.
So we are now the proud owners of Rosie (the tiny one), Posie (the one who looks rather like a goat!) and Flossie, the only one who really looks like a Wiltshire Horn! Flossie is very friendly and likes to come over and be nosy as feeding time. Posie is less sure but she is very keen to find sheep nuts in the trough, but Rosie will only eat grass, she wont touch the hay and doesn't go anywhere near her sheep nuts. They are a delightful waste of time, I can spend far too long gazing at them wandering around the paddock pondering which clump of grass to nibble next. A&B love them, as soon as we are home from school they are out feeding and chatting to them, we are gradually getting our Harvey Herd status back!

The next project is chickens so watch this space.........

I had a very creative time in January and then everything seemed to grind to a halt. My travels have obviously worked wonders because the knitting needles are clicking again and Easter goodie bags are being made, cashmere jumpers from the charity shops have been felted and shapes cut to make bunnies and little knitted flowers seem to be springing up all over the place! Although my battle with the crochet hook is ongoing.

The arrival of the girls has seen me cutting out terry cloth to make my own indoor flock and hares are an endless inspiration, new mugs before our holiday have given me plenty of ideas. So it's time to lock the door and work on my friendship with the sewing machine - it's been a rocky relationship but we're working at it!

White Muddles

2009-02-04T06:59:00.001-08:00

Major muddles have struck....

No sheep (yet), one car in a ditch, one replacement car squashed on the drive(!), no trip to Finland.
But.....

We are all happy!

Why?

We are in the most beautiful place, covered with snow, we are fit and well so now there is much sledging, snow ball battles, igloo building, bread baking, cake making, hot chocolate drinking and general merriment. How could we be anything but happy.

I hope you're enjoying your wintery magic.

Hugs xxx

White Magic

2009-02-04T06:24:00.000-08:00

As I am sitting thinking about my past week white seems to crop up time and time again. Monday morning arrived with the prettiest dusting of white over fields and trees. Little did we know that by lunch time it would be a thick duvet of white everywhere. B&A were delighted that by midday school had called time and two very excited children and a very excited dog were let loose to run through the magic carpet that had appeared. Me? Well you have to join in with the odd snowball and snow angel don't you - it would be rude not to!The afternoon passed with shrieks of laughter and hours of freezing cold fun out in the orchard building snowmen, sledging down over the paddock and attacking Bumble with an endless stream of snowballs, poor thing still hasn't quite worked out why these balls just seem to disappear when they hit the ground which had us rolling with laughter.
The paddock is now a perfect sledging slope but when we arrived at the Bungalow the paddock was shouting out for a few sheep to munch away at it's long grass and although it seems to have taken forever we have finally found some sheep and are planning to collect them on Wednesday. The three girls are Wiltshire Horn ewes which look great and they don't need shearing, all they need is a good scratching post to rub off the old fleece which the children will love collecting. These girls are last years lambs who were the smallest or the last born of triplets so they have had lots of hand rearing but they are still small. So Abi will be in charge of giving them endless attention and petting and lots of sheep nuts - just up her street. The girls have all be given names, Flossie, Goaty and Runty, however Abi is far from impressed with Runty so she has renamed her "Baby" - very PC!!So snow, sheep and then my landy which got a good wash last week for me to discover that it really is white. Although washing it wasn't the best idea as I managed to flood the garage at the same time, gosh I am getting good at this multitasking!! The result of my endeavors was the discovery that no drains around here seem to work as I frantically grabbed a broom and tried brushing the water away from the garage door. My actions were fruitless no amount of brushing was going to disperse the volume of water I had used so we had a garage under an inch of water with Christmas decorations floating around it and now we have our very own ice rink - splendid.The only other white I came across is really quite distressing, let me explain. Friday we are supposed to fly to Finland for a snowy holiday on a frozen lake - weather permitting of course! Our holidays here are just magical, Finland is so beautiful. We stay in an idylic log cabin with a log fire and wood burning sauna, it's so relaxing and we have so much time just being together as a family, hiking across the frozen lake, cross country skiing and watching for reindeer - quite perfect. But there is a down side, the time had come to venture into the loft and retrieve the ski wear. I hate this part of the preparations, jackets, gloves and the worst one of all, the trousers. Now my dread is because no matter how much running or how little I eat I am just not the right shape for this unfair item of clothing. So year after year I drag the blessed things out of the loft and transform myself into a walking, talking michelin woman! With a white jacket, greyish trousers and fuddubadas a plenty the cursed character appears.
So with this in mind I heave a sigh, flick on the kettle and open another bar of chocolate.....well it's too late for this year and brown is the new white!

In the beginning.....

2009-02-04T06:21:00.000-08:00

Welcome! I have been pondering blogging since we moved last October, from just outside of Bath to a tiny village in North Oxfordshire. With some gentle encouragement from a dear friend who has the most wonderful blog and all the beautiful blogs I have visited since our move I have been inspired to write my own.

So who am I and why am I here? Well Mr H's job moved to Oxfordshire, and as a family we just can't function when he works away all week so we decided that we would join him. After much searching we were delighted to find a very 1970's style bungalow set along a farm track with it's own orchard for a back garden and a paddock just crying out for sheep, chickens and ducks - our idea of pure heaven. The village has a tiny school just a few minutes walk from the Bungalow and Mr H's work just a 20 minute drive, all quite perfect. We were leaving behind family, great friends and a small woodland so the spot we choose had much to live up to.
As I sit and write this post I am looking out at B&A at the bottom of the paddock in the stream with Bumble creating a tidal wave of mud having a marvelous time - just one of those magical moments. Although there is a high price to pay for free range children,fun resulting in hours of hosing, moping and laundering things that used to look like children and clothes!We were so privileged to arrive at the Bungalow during a spectacular autumn. We had plenty of time to enjoy the colours, apples on the trees and the stunning views. Then the frosty cold days of a true winter with a magical fog that often clung to the trees at the bottom of the paddock giving a truly Christmassy feel to the whole place. Now we are into a new year which will bring us so many more wonderful times here. When we return from a peaceful escape to Finland we will collect sheep and settle them into their new paddock. Scrub chicken coups and find some plump, comfy residents, with the promise of fresh eggs and the sound of contented clucking to keep me and Bumble company as we march through the spring months.
It all sounds very idyllic and is, although we are no strangers to the learning curve of being more rural. Dragging the wheelie bin for what feels like eternity to get it emptied. Septic tanks are a whole new ball game, one which we don't understand the rules. Blocked drains are frequent and drain rods one of our new best friends. Oil tanks are also a great mystery which I am reliably informed will all become clear with time. But there is a nagging sense of dread that one day we will wake up with no heating or hot water, not something to look forward to as believe me it is two coats colder up here.

B&A continue to enjoy the freedom of the outdoors and the prospect of longer warmer days are very inviting. New friends are being made and there is always the thrill of seeing old ones. My hopes and dreams for 2009 is a year where we can enjoy all the wonders of where we have set up our new home and welcome all the muddles & magic to come.