Tuesday 22 September 2009

Soctopuses, sausage fruits and sagacity

Life is a series of moments and now is now, while the last now is gone. If that makes no sense then welcome to my world.

The cough survived the antibiotics, laughed at them in fact and grew stronger. So I have been for an xray and tomorrow am off to discuss the result and to ascertain what I can take that will kick the damn cough into touch.

Meanwhile the garden has gone loopy: I have carrots that weigh 450 grams each ... are they edible that size? Also, I have the weirdest sausage tree, look:-

It's akebia quintata (5 leaves chocolate vine) in fruit ... honestly this odd plant has produced slightly unusual, somewhat disturbingly shaped and coloured fruit. However, it has been ripening in the sun (hah! what I would give to be a plant or a cat!) and today just split that teensy bit that showed it was perfectly ripe.



Edible, apparently, so I tried it ...
and actually, it's rather lovely! It's slightly sweet and elegant, rather like a non cold sorbet. It reminds me of passion fruit, except way less the colour of frog spawn! Although way more disturbing in terms of shape and colour.



Meanwhile, on another planet, MadMother has been driving me demented -- however, the nurse for Geriatric Mental Health has proposed a visit by the Consultant for Geriatric Mental Health and, fingers crossed, I am hoping that there may be a recommendation for anti-dementia drugs, within UK NICE guidelines, that may just aid my sanity and slow my mother's deterioration. More updates to follow after visit on Thursday 24th.

Finally, the most amazing news ... in the midst of mayhem and madness ... I entered Alice from Soctopus's competition www.socktopus.co.uk/blog/ . I want, I want, I WANT! subscription to KnitLoveSock Club 2010 so put my name down for the ballot. There was a twitter competition ... I entered and

TADA .... WON ... woo woo wooo hoo.

So!!! I now have a year's free membership - yep patterns, yarn and Socks!! Way to go and thank you so much Alice!

There is more to tell, like the madness of making kilos of damson jam (even though I don't eat jam) just to be productive and not to waste a crop the likes of which have not been seen before in this garden; the making of twin "pretty in pink" cardi's - so good I knitted them twice; the traumas of hubby's hopes to buy a small home from home in Spain; the pain of the fear that comes with SD's decision to continue her pregnancy despite her alcoholism; my pride in my DD for her hardwork and progress with the able and less able in her teaching career ...

But I have to blog more often or I have to choose how long these notes can be - so, for now, I shall send love, hugs and soft warm beautiful yarn hugs to you all. Silk, alpaca, qiviut and baby merino to you all and a small kiss on the cheek too. Whatever you are doing, here's a small spoonful of love to stir into the mix
xxx

Monday 7 September 2009

And the beat goes on ....

... Although the pressure required to make the beat is way higher than it should be!

After another bad MM day on Friday, when she shouted at me, at the GP and the social worker, I left her, distressed and coughing, exhausted and all but beaten. I booked a late appointment at my GP and, despite my fears I would be dismissed with "post viral, take paracetamol and live with it" I went in and explained the nearly 5 week long cough, headache and fatigue.
The cough is a crackle in my lungs ... hopefully some antibiotics will clear it. The headache may be tension, or it may be sky-high blood pressure! I never have high blood pressure, low blood pressure is my body norm, but no ... stratospheric it was.
So, I am attempting relaxation techniques.
Attempting though as DH's DD remains a problem, I still worry about MM and now I worry about my blood pressure ... arrrgh.
Altogether now close eyes, think beach, hear the waves, breath in deeply through the nose ..............

....

and out!

Tuesday 25 August 2009

Sometimes, just sometimes, hubby gets it right

I am all but dead ... being a zombie would be so much easier. I am tired, exhausted, fatigued and falling down drop dead bloody worn out. I am run ragged and on reactive respond mode.

MadMother has become so difficult I am thinking of moving away, for ever, with no forwarding address. So, when I got home on Friday and hubby told me he had a plan, I just nodded, cooked, ate, had glass of wine, went to bed.

When I got home on Saturday he had built a masterpiece. I now have a yarn room. A YARN ROOM! Not just stuff squeezed in a wardrobe, not just a cupboard ... but this ....


He knows that the OCD in me gets very anxious when I have no control over things in my life. He knows that the thing that soothes me is organising and controlling.

I had the best weekend for ages ... even though the weekend was only Saturday evening and Sunday morning.

I sorted; I organised; I labelled and I printed lists (not least the stash list from Ravelry). It was the best time I have had for at least six weeks.


My books are organised, my yarn is organised, my needles are organised and even my buttons are organised ....










Look .....

I have control, I have power. I don't have total control but I have some ... and do you know some is better than none.

Do you know what else ...

Sometimes, just sometimes, hubby gets it REALLY right! Thank you.

Thursday 6 August 2009

Interesting times

So where have I been I hear the clamouring voices (ok 10 words in and I have already admitted to hearing voices, whoops!) ...

Well, the old chinese curse is may you live in interesting times. Now all I have to do is find and kill the old chinese person who cursed me - interesting times indeed!

Life has become a soap opera. My husband's daughter announced she was an alcoholic (here I should say we had already noticed), announced that she was going to go to AA meetings (but didn't) then a couple of weeks later announced she was pregnant. He now has a daughter whose drinking binges lasts for days, a potential grandchild being drowned in copious, regular drinking bouts also being subject to 30 cigarettes a day, and he is distraut. Meanwhile his daughter's drinking has been so out of control she has been arrested and held overnight in the local police station ... what hope for the child? Having searched out Fetal Alcohol Syndrome I am crushed with despair for the future of this tiny abused foetus.

My mother has been having her own soap opera ... I have taken her to dermatology appointments (pre cancerous cells caught in time and zapped with liquid nitrogen); audiology - her hearing is no worse but she still keeps murdering hearing aids; the "eye" clinic - not only does she have glaucoma but is developing cataracts; and to the GP for her short term memory issues and habit of falling over (no alcohol involved).

However 3+ weeks ago she fell and broke her hip; so I have spent 21 days, £55 on parking, about £90 on fuel and visited her 3 times a day in hospital. I've done her washing, and written her notes about her exercises (referring to her notes helps her memory issues), I've chased the physios to push her, the Occupational Therapists to supply her with aids and I've kept her chin up. One sister has been supportive by cleaning her house, clearing paths and complementing my visits. The sister in Oz has sent love and fruit. Another sister has come and spent the past few days staying in her house after MMs discharge. Meanwhile I have been rounding up home aids, like carers, extra equipment, district nurse, physios etc. Happy Days!

My dearest Daughter's BF's grandfather has had a chest infection whilst in Austria, which led to a stroke and DD's BF's Dad has flown out there to be with him, missing family celebrations for his 50th birthday.

My DIL's favourite aunt has just discovered a lymph cancer at the distressingly young age of 52 and is waiting for a full body scan tomorrow to ascertain whether it is contained or is migrating.

Hold on there is more ... I have 4 sisters and a brother and there has been some falling out over the approach to adopt with my mother. I have a husband with whom I am perpetually arguing .. my problems or his both being too heavy to carry without rancour.

However ... I am knitting like my life depends on it (which it probably does) so sometime will upload the squillions and trillions of knitted things that I have cast on, knitted, cast off and sewn up ....

Meanwhile ... thanks for letting me take the load off and if you do have any spare fingers please keep them crossed for me, I could really do with a lightening of the load.

Love hugs and hoping for kisses back
xxx

Friday 15 May 2009

Who is mad?

MM broke her hearing aid, whether wilfully or accidentally I know not.  But I do know it was murdered and, without it in she is murder!  

So, today, I took it along to the local hospital where there is a "drop in" repair session every afternoon between 2 and 4 pm. I sat there, along with the cast of Cocoon.  You come in, take a ticket - rather like those at the deli counter in the supermarket, and wait your turn.  My number was 70.

"70" was called by a pleasant looking attendant, "Booth 3" she said loudly, followed by "What's the problem?"  "My mother's hearing aid is broken" I replied.  "Sorry, about that" she replied "many of our clients can't hear and we have to shout!"

She then told me that my mother had inflicted a cruel and unusual torture on the poor implement - she had virtually ripped the battery holder, hinge and connections from their socket.  The technician was bemused that an 80yr old had the strength to inflict such carnage.  She obviously has never met MM.  So she went off, got a new hearing aid to attach to the ear piece - then with the most amazing computer interface aligned the hearing aid to the computer diagnostic of MM's hearing - amazing.  She gave me new batteries and suggested it might be best if I hide these from MM and in future I replace them.  OK.  So now I have a new job every week - replace batteries, instruct MM against wanton and cruel torture of her hearing aid, and check the damn thing is clean.

On the way back on what was a sunny May afternoon, I realised that I had spent it inside ... waiting on (excellent) repairs to MM's hearing aid.  Where was she, you may ask?  At the blooming seaside on a jolly with her geriatric and some friends, having fish and chips and a "small" glass of wine ...

Tell me ... who's mad??

Wednesday 13 May 2009

Over 80 support group

There are days, and this is one of them, when you know your purpose in life is to be a supporting player. 

Today, on my way to meet MM, I met my 84.5 year old neighbour.  He's selling up and moving south, to be in a secure gated community some 3 miles from his only son.  The neighbour, Peter, is an ex WW2 fighter pilot, widowed some 7 years ago, who keeps a very neat and tidy house, who paints amazing water colours and some less than perfect oils; who makes me smile, but who is throwing in the towel on independance.  He also shared the awkward news that another neighbour has major kidney failure and requires regular dialysis - the poor wife is struggling, herself aging and trying to be 100% perfect in a carer's role.

MM, when I met her, was struggling and therefore, by association, so was I.  She perhaps had forgotten her tablets, so her grasp on life was slippy, but she was pleased to see me; as I was her. Still, the letters she sent me when I was young, the words she sang to console me, the times she hugged me and hummed my name ... all those things are out there binding me to her and giving me the encouragement to support her.  I took her home, hugged her, chatted to her cat, and drove home in tears.

Later I had a phone call from my late Dad's sister, who is now 83.  Jacqueline is well and fairly chirpy but begging me to visit her before she dies.  I don't know how I quite answered that plea ... but still, tonight, I've been checking the cost of flights from here in the UK to Washington where she lives.  How can I refuse her?

Thank goodness for the numbing mindlessness of daft online games like Zuma .. my current highest score 111,076, and for a lovely glass of wine.  Thank goodness for online friends who don't know me, so the guilt associated with remarks such as this is less ... I don't know you for real, so this isn't wholly disloyal.  Thank goodness for earphones and music, and indeed for ITunes Genius which does actually provide some pretty amazing playlists based on one song.

Haven't had the stamina to ring friends, haven't had the enthusiasm to pick up the knitting ... but hey dear blog still have the hope that lets me post the words and cast them out to the world.

Whatever you are doing and whomever you are doing it with have fun and have a little bit extra for me ...

Sending hugs




Tuesday 12 May 2009

Phone calls from the hedge

So, this is MM (Mad Mother) who has had a great 80th birthday week-long celebration.  However, just to make things a little more interesting for me she has stopped taking her tablets.  

The tablets are to allieviate mood swings and depression; so today she telephoned her surgery to cancel a prebooked appointment at the hospital (for a hearing aid check up) - she told them she didn't want it, couldn't make it and they needn't ring me because I had dashed back to Australia.

Of course they did ring me, and I said I would sort it.  MM has denied the whole thing. Then she told me she wants to go to the bank to check it hasn't been losing her money, and she wants to do that with me tomorrow.  (The bank is as sound and honourable as it is possible for a UK bank to be).  I am really looking forward to the cringe factor.

She asked me to feed a cat balloon a tin of sardines - I thought she was joking so laughed.  She wasnt and became very annoyed.  

This is all succinct, but the whole rambling conversations went round and round and round and round.  Tomorrow I will go and check her tablets and if she has forgotten to take tomorrow's I may
 just use them as a suppository for her!


Meanwhile this is DGD no1, Ellie, in her favourite cardigan :) playing cricket ...  in the garden when my DS, DIL, 2 DGDs, DD & BF, 2 cats, my DH, MM and I had Mum's fourth 80th birthday party!







This is DGD no 2 (some 10 mins younger) Beth, in her favourite cardigan cat sitting (it was YoYo's first wander around my garden).









This is son and SIL, taken by one of the DGDs








This is DD and BF taking the cat for a
 wander ...









The game of cricket ...









and she's out!







Fantastic day ... nice enough to smooth over bad memories ... nice enough to remember for a long while!

Meanwhile, wherever you are and whatever you are doing, keep the good memories on file and bin the rest.
Sending hugs

Tuesday 5 May 2009

Say hi to the pretty things


Well, not difficult to tell where I was when I found this pair ... but they hadn't seen any yarn  shops and despite a perfect place to stash a project, they didn't seem to have any work in progress ...






And although hard to see, Koala is there, sleeping in the tree, so no socks or sweaters there either ...







The ibis were happy
 playing and paddling ... no knitting ...








The lizard was just catching the rays ...









The brush turkey (AKA bush turkey) was very happy ... a protected species and allowed to wander without fear of cranberry sauce ... but definitely not a yarn addict







 And a pair of homo barbequiens laetus maritum novitor (thank god there are no romans around to criticise my awful latin!) ... who were so busy with each other, being married and cooking breakfast that they had no time for knitting and are now convinced knitting is something you do when deprived of a partner and conjugal rights .. (actually let's not even go there!).



So that left me ... knitting and photographing all the amazing wild life that just wanders ... no zoo just out there.  Of course I did do a little surfing (yay dude get me!!) and sailing, swimming and walking .... but when I got a little bit in need of something to be nice to me I got out my silk and merino!

I'd go back in a heartbeat ... but the knitting comes too!

Monday 4 May 2009

A wedding, an 80th, a 60th and an honorable mention!

Well, this is the wedding I nearly never made.  I live about 60 miles from Heathrow airport, so in good faith and anticipation I left home 5 hours before my flight was due ... yes 5 hours!  That was to allow 2 hours to get there (no seriously, even at 30 miles an hour ...) and 3 hours to check in.


Of course I travelled via the road from hell, aka M25 - London's orbital ring road - DO NOT USE THIS ROAD ever.  Motorway my arse ... it's a carpark.  On the day in question some fool had decided to trash his car at the M25 junction with Heathrow.  There was a 30+ mile traffic jam ... with 4 hour delays reported.  Arrrrrrgh.  After racing up and down tiny roads, along with every other car who wanted off the road from hell, I arrived at Heathrow with 25 minutes before the flight was due to take off.  The desk was shut, but a hugely kind Malaysian Airline check in girl took one look at my red face and sobs and took my bags ... she got 2 burly security guys to rush me through security and race for the gate .. of course it was the gate 43 - the furthest from the terminal!  I made it but only because of the kindness of the check in staff.

This is my little bride and groom gift ... not quite Karen and Andrew, but much loved all the same, as was the gift of funds from the family that I took out with me.  

The day was gorgeous - the preceding 7 had been torrential rain, so someone somewhere heard a prayer!



And this is the result of much hard work, I was out there to help my sister get married and  to cater!  She's a veggie, so I did the boned and stuffed turkey and, with less than an hour to spare was still de-shelling 2 kg of prawns - I was aromatic!  It was accompanied by all manner of delicious salads and veggie dishes ... as well as intoxicated fruit salad which was happy to the tune of half a bottle of rum - yum!




At the end of the evening, I got rather carried away .. perhaps I should have been carried off!  But I did my "I'm here  to stand beside my sister as she gets married, and represent all her family" speech with enthusiasm, passion (and probably several glasses of  champagne inside me).








After the wedding I took time out to do some traditional Aussie things, we BBQ'd on the pristine and free outdoor barbies; we sailed on Drew's boat; I attempted surfing without too much bodily damage and, of course, the knitting and Ravelry bag came too.

Do you know ... the UK weather just sucks after sub tropical Queensland, although we do have yarn shops to compensate - they seem to be missing over there!

On Wednesday it will be my mother's 80th birthday ... do feel free to shout out "Happy 80th Joan" if you should see her on 6th May.



Another of my sisters (I have so many it is embarrassing and don't blame me it's all my mother's fault) put on a birthday lunch yesterday (Sunday).  Thank you Jacqueline who hosted family and friends to a rather yummy lunch - and this is my mother ... happy and enjoying the company (and possibly a small glass of sweet wine!).


I shall be taking her to lunch on Wednesday, the actual day, and then hosting another get togetheron Saturday for my kids and their families, who couldn't make Sunday.  

Tomorrow, however, I'm cooking lunch (do I ever have a social occasion without food?)(yes, but never without wine!!) for my friend's 60th and I'm expecting that Hilary will get giggly, Treez will be droll and I shall be snapping a photo or two!

Finally an acceptance speech - thank you - to Sheila and to Suse-the-slow for their kind remarks, and to SMP for making me say "holy crap".

oh, and by the way, the project count is now up to 6 on the go (not counting those that have gone into hiding) and I have to finish one for my mother by Wednesday, so why am I still blogging ?????

Love and hugs and sunshine
xxx

Tuesday 31 March 2009

14 hours 45 minutes and counting!

Am off to Oz from the UK, seriously 1st April no joke, and cannot imagine the torture of not being able to knit during the most tedious of flights … so I have packed wooden needles, bamboo needles, yarn and the teensiest DPNs I can find along with some pencils which have a gauge of about 7mm - I am going to knit!!

Here’s the irony … Australia supplies one quarter of the world’s yarn .. but is the most stringent in banning needles … doh!

I am hoping to knit:






a garter






some socks























a Debbie Bliss cardigan



FLsweater





Depending on what knitting implements I am left with!
I have 1000 yards of Sundara Fingering silky merino in wine, 100 grams of Loutrais Mohair fingering in baby blue, some pale blue fine ribbon and a whole heap of patience (just not enough patience to see me through a 25 hour flight with just bubble gum tv and crap food).
When I will next blog I don't know .. but hopefully soon I will have photos of a real bride and a real groom in a lovely garden in Oz ...
Love and hugs
xxx
xxx
(and thanks for all the suggestions on what I should knit and how I get passed over-officious security folk; will pass on the smuggling DPNs in underwear!)

Saturday 28 March 2009

Bride Groom and Bat-eared Bunny

So, at last, the groom is sewn and stuffed.  He has a goatee, like the real groom and the hair colour match is pretty realistic! 

He has a teeny tiny cravat pin, wing collar on his shirt and a flower matching the ones in the brides bouquet ... aren't they dapper!

 I just hope the real groom will be as protective of my sister, the bride, as this groom is of his.




Meanwhile, I have been celebrating my birthday, perhaps with a little more fervour and champagne than government guidelines suggest is good for me; but hey it was good quality champagne, it lasted all day and it made me happy.  And, lovely as it was, it's not going to be repeated for a bit of a while :(

One special gift was from a dear friend, who crocheted me a lovely hug ...

 a warm snuggly, merino cosy, beautifully made, with love, care and thought ... how nice is that!


























Meanwhile, my first ever spinning to knitting project was a success ... ok only rabbit size ... but the sweater looks good.  Next time I may try for something larger than hand sized!























And here is chocolate bunny wearing the sweater ... it's not the best photo ever, but sadly I didn't check before BatBunny went to live with DD ...
























Finally it's only 3 days until I fly out to Oz ... I haven't packed, or made a list.  I haven't decided what I'll wear ... but I did finish my knitting!!

Keep safe
xx

Tuesday 17 March 2009

And top of the evening to you ...




So here I am with my camera, trying to get hat and head in focus. However, I'm really no good at it so you will have to make do with hat and eyes.

I should be off sewing up groom, but am still in a quandary about bride. Bride is knitted with body and arms incorporating the colour for the dress, so I couldn't just knit a new dress to match the colour of my dear sister's dress ... I would have to knit a whole new bride and arms and legs ... I think tomorrow I may search for some burgundy silk ... and sew a weeny overdress and corset .. so she can be a mix and match bride - traditional vs dreamy, floaty and midsummery in burgundy.

So, whilst in my quandary, I have taken heart; I have said naughty words to the sewing up and am sipping a wee glass of wine instead.

I like my hat ... but I'm not sure it's the right look for the wedding.

Happy St Patricks day ... sending hugs
xxx

Monday 16 March 2009

Arggh ... now what do I do




This is what my dear sister has decided to wear for her wedding - now there is no doubt that she will look lovely and it will suit her. There is absolutely no doubt that it is perfect for the "midsummer, dreamy, fantasy" type wedding theme she has as her goal.

Question is fans ... Do I remake bride's dress in burgundy????

Or, perhaps, I could just buy some burgundy satin and make an overdress ...

help!!!

Meanwhile, I now have to find something floaty and dreamy to wear to wedding. Actually make that floaty, dreamy and happy. Well, when texting her she said she was going with the dreamy fantasy idea and would be barefoot. When she wanted to know what I was wearing I replied "would find something from the closet that was dreamy and happy
to go barefoot." Texting being what it is ... she thought the outfit would be dreamy and happy, which it will of course!
Less than 15 days and counting ... and woo my birthday in 11 days and Suse's in less than 14!!! Actually is Sis's in 5 days on 21st ... so lovely trifecta!

Advice on bride outfit welcomed!!!!!
xxx

Sunday 15 March 2009

Not a bad weekend really

Well, the title of my blog is clear ... not a huge sports fan then! However, the weekend has passed like an oval between the England front line ... pretty smoothly actually, despite the sport.

On Saturday the Pool made a challenge for the League title and rattled purple nose's cage. In case that sounds cryptic I'm quoting words from those in the know. Basically it means Liverpool stuffed Manchester United at home, in front of the home crowd, 1-4. Purple nose, rather aptly, is Ferguson's nickname. Made me smile.
Arsenal won and Chelsea won, so purple nose is apparently also turning into Captain Scarlet.

Meanwhile, DD took her lovely BF to Twickenham for his 25th birthday ... today. Wonderful England managed to etofe a lot of scores against France into 80 minutes, and gave the birthday boy a victory to watch.

The strange lump on my leg is down but not defeated by the ABs; it's now only 15 days before I fly to Oz; the bride is sewn the groom is not ... and we had slow roasted 5 spice chinese pork for dinner. The garden calls and I must sew more veg seeds before I fly. Meanwhile, a return trip to the GP is called for if my leg falls off or the ABs haven't cured the ickiness after 7 days (whichever comes first). Next weekend is Mother's day and the Friday after that is my birthday. Don't you love spring, everything happens at once.

Keep well and sending hugs
xxx

Thursday 12 March 2009

The groom is late ....

Well, just in case you are the only people on the planet I have not yet told, my sister in Oz is getting married!!!!! And because Oz is sort of humid and warm and lovely and sunny but never cold, knitting my sister a bridal shawl or sweater would be very very silly.

So, I thought a little bride and groom doll. Jean Greenhowe, had a lovely (plainish) pattern, which I have adopted and tweaked.



Now the bride has a lacy dress and headdress, edged with blue sequins, a real (well almost) pearl necklace, a bouquet of pink roses ..

she has ribbons and bows, as a girl should have, a low top with some sexy edging to bring the grooms eyes to her (ok in this instance rather flat) cleavage .....











And she has white silky knit knickers, and a gorgeous garter, which matches the sequins on her dress!


I think she is a dish!




Meanwhile groom is beside himself (literally - he's in pieces!), like all nearly finished things (and don't you think that's such an apt description of a groom) he needs pulling together. Of course, being a man, he is looking forward to being stuffed :)

Bride has blond hair like my sister, and so the groom must have a salt and pepper beard like the groom ... I'm still working on that!


Meanwhile in a blog far far away ... well actually rather near ... I got tagged by Suse-the-slow-knitta
... like this ...

..It is, of course,the prestigious world renowned Honest Scrap award



The rules are :
1. Pick 7 or so blogs that make you happy
2. Let them know and post their names on your blog.
3. List at least 10 honest things about yourself.so here we aresome great blogs, which also win the Honest Scrap award!
1. Yarn Harlot - I'm not unique, nor especially gifted in recognising SPmP's ability to make blogging fun. I'm also honest enough to say that on the day's she doesn't blog, I read her Tweets over and over!
2. Suse, personna who nominated me for this award. Things I should have asked my Gran, makes me smile ...
3. Here I have to confess to being somewhat of a short lived blog tart. I dip in and out of blogs, I follow links from people I like to people they like ... I read a lot of interesting stuff and have a lot of fun. However, it makes me fall short on my list of subscriptions.
Well, that's 1 and 2 taken care of ... so for 3 ... here goes
10 true things:
1. I am so small you wouldn't believe it. My feet are just under 8 ins long, that's a size 32 continental shoe.
2. I own over 100 pairs of very expensive imported, mostly Italian shoes. I found a source for gorgeous feminine but teeny tiny shoes and have subscribed faithfully every season.
3. All my shoes are boxed, with photos on the front and stored in order in true OCD style in my cupboards.
4. 99% of the time I walk around bare foot!
5. I love making costumes for fancy dress. I have recently made cowboy\girl outfits for DD and partner, Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter, for DH and myself, and lastly dread Pirate outfits for nephew's 18th birthday party I have also been known to make a prom dress with just 2 days notice.
6. I adore cooking - absolutely love real fresh food, and am totally happy when cooking for visitors.
7. If I fall in love with a film I remember the words ... I become word perfect on second watch and can quote from my favorites ... not just Casablanca!!
8. I have parachuted, glided, been the first passenger in a newly qualified pilot's first flight, I have sailed in dinghies and vast ocean liners, I have been on trains and chunnels. I have never ridden on a tandem, skateboarded or skied.
9. I've been mistaken for someone I'm not and been treated as a vip!
10. I have steel blue eyes and long blond hair (the latter completely courtesy of my hairdresser Julie).
So now I am supposed to tag someone else .. but sadly, because of the licentiousness of my blog habits, I am tagless .....
Win some ...... winsome Oh well back to trawling other people's blogs!







Wednesday 25 February 2009

Emerging from winter

It's been a hard day and a long day.  I've coped with fire and I've coped with rain ... whoops sorry that's some song from my childhood ... but still it's been a difficult day.
I don't want to have to tell my mother ever again that her last cat was put to sleep; I don't want to watch her grieve afresh again.
I don't want to stop her from buying a 5 lb (2.5kg) of minced beef again, because she bought it previously on Monday and the Saturday before that, and the Wednesday before that and the Wednesday before that.
I don't want to worry that she is going to be robbed, again, because she will insist on carrying large amounts of cash she forgets she has; and I don't want to contemplate sneaking it out of her bag and paying it back into her bank.
But hey, today I brought some seeds and some plants and here we are at the end of February and the vegetable growing season starts here.
I have my tickets to Oz, so I shall be counting down the days in Lent, I bought the tickets on Shrove Tuesday and will be there before my sister's wedding on Good Friday.  Gave up the pancakes (no hardship don't have a sweet tooth).
And tomorrow someone comes to replace my windscreen for the second time - a crack appeared (sans chip - allegedly caused by cold weather) so it was replaced.  The second I hit the windscreen wipers a noise louder than you can visualise( without being at a gig standing next to the largest speaker) punctured my ears and a large scratch gouged itself into the glass - apparently the windscreen has a blemish (don't we all) and the wipers are catching.  So tomorrow, as I said, it gets replaced for the second time.  So, whilst I am waiting in for the windscreen fixer I shall plant my onions (red, brown and white) and my garlic.  I may plant into seed trays some herbs and lettuce; my potatoes are, as I type, chittering (isn't that a lovely word?).  Spring is now declared officially on its way.
Whatever you are doing, and however you choose to do it, have a great day
xxx

Tuesday 24 February 2009

Still falls the silence

So, quiet as a snowfall, the house settles down.  The raucus rumpus rumbustuousness of twins is now an echo between quiet walls, the maniacal madness of madcap kittens now just a ghost and life reverts to a spin cycle of washing and a turning-over tumble of housework and cooking.
I can have a glass of wine, without worrying I might sleep through a call in the night; I can knit with complete freedom from the fear that the kitties might drag my soft luxurious yarn around the kitchen like kill being dragged behind a chariot.  Should be peaceful and tranquil, sadly it just seems lonely and boring.
Meanwhile on an up up and away note, I have booked myself flight tickets to go see my lovely sister get married in oz.  She is now 55, never been married, and has no giver away to stand up for her ... my dear Dad long departed to visit other worlds, missed desperately since 1984.  So, in one of those linking moments I depart to visit her on 1st April - DearDad's birthday.  I'll fly and stand beside her, I'll knit her a keepsake or two and I'll be sending virtual postcards via the vibrant Aussie blue sky - however, I shall also take my camera and lap top, so I can sit in the long blue-green grass and send email postcards from the sedge.  ( I liked that pun :0 )

Off to listen to haunting poignant music ... and I may just have that glass of wine.  Keep well
xxx

Sunday 22 February 2009

Trouble comes in two by two

So the snow stayed ... 15 days in all.  



The twins
 came and stayed and played, on the bridge,






in the veg garden, with tigger








in the woodland











and they had snowball fights and





they built a snowman (with tigger) ... then they went home ..........



 
Then the kitties came to stay



The kitties are lovely ... also twins ... also a handful.  DDaughter and OH went to Oslo (more snow!)



And we kittie sat.  But the kitties were bad little kitties and ran and jumped in my den









which used to look like this ... but they jumped on the shelf and sat on the books ... and the whole lot came tumbling down:-  Kitties, books, miscellany, not only that, but my glass pen holder was shattered, and we were very lucky that kitties weren't hurt and no poo hit the fan or the floor.



So, once kitties went home, I swept and picked up, replastered the wall, oh yes!, then repainted (because plaster is pink and the walls were blue).  Now that corner is all neat and efficient and looks like this. :-


So neat .. so tidy ... such a lot of knitting time spent organising!!!


Meanwhile (and this bit is a secret) my sister in Oz is getting married ... 

YESSSSSSS!

I have been looking into flights, and I may just be in the land downunder in April, woohoo and no blooming snow!!

Enjoy the first inklings of spring sunshine!
x

Sunday 8 February 2009

Cables and florals

The snow fell heavily for 5 days, this is rural England, not Canada, not Norway, not Finland, nor Russia.  England does rain (often), from damp drizzle to lashing stinging wet stuff.  It does winds, and mists, sunshine (very occasionally) and even sleet.  We don't get persistant, long lasting, lingering white stuff!  But we did ...




 The wildlife could not understand what was going on, the pheasants came in greater numbers; at one time we had about 10 desperately scratching and calling to the birds on the bird table above "Hey buddy, throw us a crumb".

We had deer, timid and scared during the day ... but hey they ran around like it was a school play yard at night ...

 
 Can you see the hoof prints ... that's the same snow today, 6 days.  Is the Gulf stream still there just off our shores?

I have taken heaps of photos, cooked warming, comforting dishes and had the heating on during the day!  I've stoked up a large log fire and it has all been rather lovely - unless of course I want to drive anywhere.

Still it's been great weather for sitting in and knitting.  There is something almost zen like about knitting while white stuff swirls and billows around the windows.  Very soothing.  I shall worry about my waistline any second now!
 

 
 Meanwhile, DD finally managed to get me a photo of the DB cable cap cardi (Alexa) I knitted for her in Stella.  As you can see, she is freezing her bits off in a car park ... but she and it look lovely (IMHO)
 
 She actually has her car keys in her hand, ready to spring into her car once the photo shoot was done!
 
 
 When I've not been knitting I've been tweeting ... it's just a touch quicker than blogging, and the limited character spaces make the comments sharper and shorter!
 
 
  
Finally I am making two of these ... one with ladybug\ladybird buttons and one with bumble bee buttons.  This one is just drying after a wash ... I will block it out when it is a bit dryer.  It's a sirdar pattern and it's turned out quite well.  I thought they would make lovely spring time gifts - I wasn't expecting an ice age!

Of course they are for the lovely E&B, who will be coming for a couple of days at the end of the week!




The good news is ... more snow is on its way!  

Wherever you are and whatever your weather .. keep warm and happy
x







 
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