Make hay while the sun shines

And that is just what all the farmers are doing, the weather here in England has been glorious for weeks, enabling the farmers to move their sheep around and make fields of hay, ready for the winter.

We have had hardly any rain now for weeks, the grass is dying all around, the water butts are empty, as yet there isn’t a hose pipe ban, but to be honest most people I know are so much more responsible with hose pipes these days.

A question, is there any quicker way to produce a blog post than how I do it : I take photographs, save them to my computer, then choose the ones I like and upload them to Photobucket, edit them (which seems to take ages), then write my post, sl*t in the photos and/or any links, I think will be useful?

Everyday I still write informative interesting posts but never get round to uploading them to this blog, I feel lazy, I want to blog but the whole process seems to take over an hour of fiddling, why?

I’ve been very busy; I have joined and been promoted in a local (but national) club, reappointed and promoted in Guiding. Work has been really busy and then not ... and stressful, really stressful. I have got myself another part time job so that all my eggs are not in one basket.

I hope to bring you back up to date, I have decided that writing the blog is more important than being a member of several forums, I am going to try it out and see if I really can keep this blog going. I always wanted to write a diary, I never really succeeded and it seems blogging is in the same box.

A new annoyance, the word sl-ot, I did no link what so ever, but published the post, this word got underlined in green and a hyperlink to a games place attached it's self to MY post, why? There was nothing in the html, it just did it, now I am cross. It must be a key word that blogger picks up and a small programme running in the back ground automatically puts a link to certain words - grumble.

A scarf or three

In the last few weeks I have been doing some simple knitting, with quite different yarns.

First up, having seen Anne M at our knitting circle with a ball of Rico Pompon yarn, I just knew that Poppy would love the scarf design. I suggested that the next time Noel and Poppy were in town together, that they have a look in Sewcraft, so that she could choose the colour she liked best.

I cast on as stated, but found it to tight when I had completed a few more rows, so I started again and did one cast on loop per cord/gap, and then the rest of the scarf, I knitted two stitches per cord/gap and cast off, one loop at a time, similar to the cast on.

Poppy loves this scarf and already wears it a lot.

As a treat for me, Noel went to Pack Lane Wool Shop in Basingstoke, very near to his new job, which he started in August. Just before Noel started at his new post, the company needed some urgent paper work, so Poppy and I volunteered to make the journey for him, it takes approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Slightly different to the 10-15 minute journey he was making. However, for him this is a dream job, he feels he is earning the correct amount for his skills (not many people can say that) and not only the money is right but it is also back in the field of work that he enjoys the most.

I have to say I was very concerned about the amount of travelling he had to do on the M4 however so far the journeys have been uneventful (touch wood). On the plus side, just 5 minutes drive from his office, is Pack Lane Wool Shop*, it is very well stocked with lots of lovely yarn. Picture Poppy, inwardly groaning that she just knew Mum would take a look, but being on the receiving side of this ‘yarny’ habit of Mum’s, she came in with me and gave it a good look around. I just happened to buy some Noro Yarn, but more about that in a minute.

Luckily for me, Noel is very well trained in the art of yarn shopping for his wife ;o) and as he knew, he was getting a scarf** and Poppy had got a new scarf, he wanted me to have one to and so went and choose Sirdar Snowball.

The technique is quite different from the Rico Pompon and for me it took 3 attempts to get the needle size correct. I also tried to get the snugness of the Pompon yarn, but due to the size of each of the Snowballs, it just wouldn’t work, so the finished product is this lose loopy look. On the positive side, I love the colour and the softness of this yarn but for me, I am not that keen on the open effect.

The most expensive scarf of all, as mentioned above* and having bought the Noro Silk Garden, to make a scarf for me, yes that’s right, ME ... I took ages choosing which colours I wanted to put together, I eventually decided on colours; 1 x 8, 1 x 84 and 2 x 236. For me, this was quite an expensive purchase and I was excited about knitting this scarf. You see, I don’t really do trends, but I had seen this scarf by Brooklyn Tweed about on the internet and then I read all about Yarn Harlot’s journey. I decided there and then I would knit this scarf and then it hit me, I hadn’t seen anybody else with this scarf at all, not at all, so even though there are thousands of knitters out there in the big wide world which have knitted this lovely scarf, in my little world, I am the first, the very first.

However while knitting this scarf, (please note that I started with the colours 236 and 84), while sitting on the sofa, my husband, you know that man called Noel** kept touching MY scarf and kept saying how nice the colours were, every time we were sat in the same room and I started knitting My scarf, I would hear the same comments. Eventually like a good wife I am, I said “would you wear this scarf, if I gave it to you”, “yes” was the reply, me; “but it has pink bits in!” “I know” said Noel “but I would still wear it, it is lovely.” I slowly gave in and decided that I would love him to have ‘my’ scarf; he loves and raves about the socks that I have knitted him, so Mr Smith you may have the scarf (that I was knitting for 'me'), with lots of love. (As I see it, it is a good excuse to go back to the shop and buy some more lovely colours for me!) In between the conversation on who’s scarf it was going to be, when I came to change to the 3rd colour, colour number 8, it just didn’t work, I didn’t like it and Noel wasn’t so keen either, so I suggested that he went back to Pack Lane, with the number 84 ball band and see if he could get another ball. He did, and I continued, assured that my husband really did like this scarf.

I finished sewing in the ends last night and Noel promptly tried it on (sorry to dark for modelled photo’s).

(Flash lighting has made the colours even more pink, true colours are far more red!)

My only issue with my knitting, is; I believe the cast on is a bit lose which means it slightly flares at the beginning, so me being me; I matched the cast off to the cast on!

My next project is a hat for a Christmas present; just need some 5.5mm circular needles ... Noelllll, would you mind just going ? ....

Bonus

My very first Christmas at my job, I got a bonus, we all did. I got the impression it was done every year as a ‘thank you’. The following year the company moved premises and money has been short ever since. So I have not received any more bonuses. However, all employees and their partners are taken out to dinner on the last working day of the year. The three course dinner and wine on the table is all paid for. I now organise this dinner every year and everybody goes unless they have already left to go on holiday. This year; Gilberto and his family are returning home to Brazil for 6 weeks, Salvatore and his girlfriend will be returning to their home island of Sardinia for the festive season and Courtney, who is Jamaican but whose family mostly live in Canada, is going to see them.

Not sure Jon will be there either, as any day now his other half will be giving birth to their first child and I know they will be going to his partners, home town of Manchester, at Christmas time to show everybody the baby.

I love the cosmopolitan feel at work; language is never a problem when you have lots of skilled men working with their tools on wood. Woodwork /carpentry / joinery / cabinet making are the same where you come from / go to. My father and his father were both boat builders, so I have grown up with the smell of fresh timber or wood in the boat shed and surrounded by the most beautiful tools.

In those days, you would buy the metal part of the tool and hand work the handles, so everybody’s tools were unique to them. As part of your apprenticeship you would make your tool box. Here at work, everybody who is my age or older has a proper tool box but like everything about apprenticeships, it all changed in my generation (late 1970’s early 80’s) because parents wanted all their children to go to college. It didn’t work and now 30 years on there is a shortage of tradesmen. However, the guys who put up with the ridicule of doing a apprenticeship back then, are now doing well and tend to earn a more than decent wage.

I wanted to follow my Grandfather’s foot steps and become a boat builder ... but I was before my time and was not taken seriously, not by my family but by the boat building manufacturers. A GIRL wanting to be a boat builder, don’t be silly, we don’t take on girls!

However, I have practically always worked in the Marine Industry one way or another, I don’t now, Wiltshire being some way from the sea ... but I do work in a building, with lots of timber and just sometimes, when I leave my desk and go on the workshop floor, I help out with small jobs, which I love. To touch the rough or smoothness of timber and see it being worked into a beautiful 3-D object is still breathe taking for me.

Probably why I do the same thing with fabric, my bosses use to be at a loss with my skills at understanding, cutting lists, how to know all the requirements before setting a job. Until I explained that the only difference between woodwork and dressmaking, is the material i.e. wood or fabric and the tools to make ‘said item’.

– But I digress.

When I arrived at work this morning, this was waiting for me on the front door.

Not every secretary comes to work, and waiting for her are a brace of pheasants hanging on the door handle.

One of my bosses went to Scotland last week, shooting and as he had done very well, with enough birds to spare, he brought me two in, to take home for the family.

They are now wrapped up and in the boot of my car, ready to take home pluck, clean and freeze; I think they will be kept for Christmas time, what a treat.

And finally;

Please may I ask the person that has inadvertently borrowed my husband’s very special, extra large NASA mug. Which he has owned for 13 years, and left on the kitchen draining board at work, while he nipped to the ‘Gents’, that they put it back, where they found it because he is extremely upset and hacked off. I know; he rang me, to ‘moan’ at me, (we know this is not personal but just sometimes needs to be done in a safe environment) as soon as I got to my desk at work. I suggested that he wrote a group email, saying that who ever has taken it, must be a very brave person because this mug has never been washed properly in the 13 years of ownership and the wife now bands the mug from home!

3 July 2009

Ridgeway School 2009 Prom, held at the DeVere Hotel.

I just needed to share these photographs of Poppy and Kaan.

They had always promised each other that what ever happened at school, they would go to the Prom together. They were not actually going out with each other and hadn't been for quite some time however they both kept their promise to each other.

Kaan arrived with a beautiful red rose for Poppy.

Kaan's mum bought him a fantastic suit for the occasion and Poppy and Kaan went shopping at Swindon's Designer Outlet for the red shirt.

Our beautiful daughter : Poppy

Above, the back of the size 4 dress!

The front of the dress, and just peeping out the bottom a pair of saturn red shoes, that matched exactly.

Poppy, has a love for Ford Mustang’s, (just like her Daddy, who has owned two), so for her, there was no other car to go to the Prom in (and included in the price, was a drive around for Kaan on his own, picking Poppy up and a photo session, they were also picked up from the hotel after the prom and delivered home, and an added bonus; Daddy got a ride home to!)

Arriving at the hotel and the driver talking to the official photographer

Now do not get me wrong, there was lots of beautiful girls all dressed in stunning outfits, but I am proud as punch to say as Poppy stepped out of the car, the response was amazing. It was while we were all watching and listening to the recording, Noel had made, did we really hear all that was being said. Noel had said it was a great response but to hear all the ooh's and argh’s – well what can I say (picture a beaming smile).

The official photographer:

And the picture in the newspaper

And finally a bit of knitting ...

Last year a friend was selling some of her red lace yarn stash, I bought it all up, on the gamble that Poppy’s prom dress was going to be red. When the dress got bought just before last Christmas, Poppy and I matched up the ‘pillar box’ red lace weight cashmere yarn as the best match. Poppy picked the Forest Canopy Shawl, partially because she knew that I had knitted this particular pattern several times before and the betting was ... I would probably finish it in time!! However to make this shawl unique to Poppy, I used the crochet method and attached nearly 1000 beads, defiantly a labour of love and yes it was finished in plenty of time. However the UK was having its own little heat wave and evening temperatures were Mediterranean like and the shawl was not needed.

Not the most flattering of shawl photo's, however it shows the pattern off to a treat.

The Happy Ending : Kaan and Poppy have been going back out with each other for a couple of months now and are extremely happy with each other. As a family we are very comfortable with Kaan at home, he is a nice lad, with a good sense of humour and now at nearly 17, holds a very decent conversation, which is so important when your girlfriend's mum is a complete chatter box!!

A Duck Story

What do I say ...

I have written hundred of blogs, all with amazing photographs, keeping you up to date with my life. However these fantastic brain blogs, never ever make it to the real blog. I get frustrated, cross and even very upset with myself and then sulk and don’t bother – what am I like.

But I thought I would have a go today ...

I have so much to share, lots to share, but please do not hold you breathe, you all now know what I am like, a pretty crappy blog poster –opps.

My duck story,

Once upon a time, in Hamble-le-Rice, the village, where I was born and I have returned to several times in the past, for the first 40 years of my life. The last time of living there, I got some ducks, Poppy was just 2, she loved those ducks and would sit with them and cuddle them and they would sit between her chubby legs and be stroked and chatted too by this little girl who was struggling with severe epilepsy.

However one summer night, a fox, came and killed our ducks. They all had puncture marks in their necks, oh those poor ducks. Now these ducks did not go to waste, I tied and boxed them up and promptly took them to our local butcher, who plucked, prepared and sold them. I later heard that they were extremely succulent and had been enjoyed by other villagers. All I asked was for the feathers. I still have those feathers in my loft; they may just come in useful for something, sometime.

This was all 14 years ago, now bringing the story up to date ...

Approximately a month ago, I went on my first Gardeners Club coach trip, to the Malvern Autumn Show. The weather was superb, the right sort of warm, the ground was dry and this all helped to make everybody relaxed.

I spent a lovely day, looking round the large livestock, which included two Bearded Collies (same breed as my Hannah, but from a different part of the country). There was the biggest vegetable show/competition marquee I have ever seen. A big shed with beautiful flower arrangements and more vegetables. Craft tents by the dozen, flower sellers, clothes sellers, you name it for a country fair it was all there.

Including ducks, beautiful ducks and especially two Indian Runner ducks (1 x drake and 1x female), I bought them, £50.00 for the pair. I bought them at the end of the day, and then slowly walked back to my coach.

The coach driver, looked at me, looked at my box and at first said “they will have to go in the hold”, “ok, I said as long as they are boxed in and breathe, this is not a problem”, but he then changed his mind and said “do you have a spare seat next to you? “I said I can move and then I will”. So that is what I did, I sat the box on my jumper (you know just in case, didn’t want the seat to get damp!)

The ducks were beautifully behaved and sat quiet for the whole journey home. My friends and other members of the club thought I was barmy and laughed but all agreed they were lovely ducks.

Now the next bit, Noel and I had talked about getting ducks this decision took a few years (Noel takes his time over this sort of thing, I did not bring the subject up again. He would do, every now and again and then out of the blue, he said "do you want to get some ducks then"?

Noel did not know I was going for ducks, to be honest, it never occurred to me to buy ducks; I just saw them, fell in love with them and bought them. Now picture this, I am stood at the front door, knocking, my hands laden with ducks and other goodies. Noel opens the door, proceeds to ask all about my day, as I am walking through the house, to the garden. I am now stood by the conservatory door, as Noel then asks “what is in the box?” and by magic a ‘bill’ pops out of the hole. Noel, “that will be a duck then”, me “two actually”.

As it was chicken bed time, we took the ducks out to the chicken house and put them to bed, stood around for quite a while, but everything was very quiet and stayed quiet.

Noel, “I have always wanted a pond, so I had better dig one, now.”

With Noel being away every other weekend, it has taken a little while to finish. In the mean time, while visiting Libby (a friend who I was brave enough to meet from one of the forums I visit.); we have a really good relationship. An added bonus is, she lives in the country, surrounded by farms. The nearest farm to her house just happen to be selling ducks, I felt I needed two more; a young lad called ‘Charlie Brown’ (honest), was selling the ducks (1 x drake and 1 x duck) but I explained that I already have a drake so please may I have 2 x ducks, he agreed. I said I would come back the next day as I didn’t expect to be buying ducks and had not got any money with me. So Noel and I returned the next afternoon (this time no surprises for Noel) and I bought two Cross (X) Call Ducks, they are so pretty, nosier than the Indian Runners but great personalities.

All four ducks get on really well, and 8/9 chickens do too, we just have one chicken, hatched on St. Valentine’s Day, who we call the sister, she will not let one of the little ducks to bed until she is ready. However the drake is very good and just waits with this little duck until the ‘sister’ settles down and then he escorts her in to the house, how sweet is that.

This weekend saw the completion of the duck pond; we bought a plastic mould for the shape. Noel dug the hole, layered it with 5cm of fine sand, trapping a layer of woven webbing round the outside of the pond, so that we could place large pebbles around the pond, without the pebbles disappearing into mud over time.

More than half of the pebbles were reclaimed from our neighbour’s garden, when they had their whole garden turned over to a play area for their (then) 18 month old twins. This saved us so much money, not that I know what I was going to use the stones for when I did reclaim them. We also bought a small bag of Cotswold chips at less than £3.00 a bag, to fill in the gaps.

Above : My husband in the pond! Below : The start of the water!

On Sunday afternoon, which was dry and very sunny, I dragged my very embarrassed husband and daughter to a posh, tree lined street in Old Town, where we gathered, Poppy sweeping and Noel and I picking up, a large estate car’s. Now imagine trying to shut the boot and car doors with huge bags of leaves popping out all over the place, we had fits of giggles while trying to do this. The whole process took just 7 minutes of sweeping/collecting leaves; I have never seen my family work so fast, I must remember ‘embarrassment’ works a treat. We then managed to lift the bags above our heads to wobble through the over packed garage, to get the leaves into the back garden, we then used the dry leaves to spread all over the chicken/duck area of the garden as it was becoming very thick with sloppy mud. It has worked a treat and we were all really pleased with the effort.

After a week the leaves have now bedded down, so I really need to go and collect another layer, which will then last for most of the winter.

We filled the pond from the water butt, we didn’t have quite enough to fill it to the top, but this has also given the chickens, including the younger ones time to get use to having the pond in their area. It took the ducks 48 hours before they used it and when they were brave enough to get in, the racket of excitement was just thrilling to listen to, worth all the hard work, especially Noel’s. This week it has rained some more, so hopefully, even with Noel away, we can find the time to attach the hose and fill the pond to the top.

Happy ducks, swimming and drinking from their new pond.

Wishing them a very happy ending!

Birthday Blessings

Yes it's my birthday; in fact it is my 46th birthday...

- My hair is defiantly getting greyer
+ My hair is still soft and shinny

- My toes nails are getting misshapen
+ I can still cut my own toe nails

- My face has slightly more wrinkles
+ I still can choose not to wear make-up

- I am no longer a size 10
+ I can still buy clothes in M&S, if I want to!

I look at photographs of times gone pass, where being 46 was a million miles away, I have nearly always had to live my life in the here and now but the now is actually very loving and peaceful and I can sit down and either choose to look back on what I have accomplished or look forward to what I would like to achieve.

The forward list is very small. My past life I worked hard and played hard, doing as much as I could possibly cope with, never thinking that life could go on for quite a while. Therefore there is not much more I would like to do, a few more countries to travel to, a goat or two in my back garden, to work from home.

You see I have achieved far more by having an amazing husband and two loving children, which if I am brutally honest I never ever thought I would have. Not to say I couldn't have children, getting pregnant was not a problem but being a good mother - whatever-that-means was the hard target, not having any skills passed on to me but you know what, I think I have done it.

Even when my son, calls, at 10:00 am, asking "why does it hurt to have teeth out?"

Yesterday he had a wisdom tooth out and it had 4 roots, 3 came out with the tooth but the 4th had to be dug out, so now he has stitches and is feeling sorry for himself.

Answering in my most sympathetic and appropriate mummy’s voice, I then asked "are you calling to say anything else?" Slight silence, while this bit of what I had asked was sinking in and all the time trying to think of an answer.. you can hear the clogs going round, this must be a trick question, why is Mum asking this? His tablet induced thick groggy brain trying to work it all out in a nanosecond; the answer "no" was what I got.

Oh, so you are not ringing me to say "Happy Birthday Mum" ...


"Bollocks"


This reply has made me chuckle all day, the first time he has forgotten in his 24 years of being my son.

I will forgive him having wisdom teeth out at the dentist, is painful very painful and I forgot to telephone him yesterday and ask how he was ....

...What a dreadful mother!

Clean Sweep

Hello everybody, I am having a good clean sweep, so bare with me while I do this and then I have so much to say about what we have been up to over the summer. Partly to keep track of my life for my own slightly degenerating memory and more importantly because Toby asked, "Mum why haven't you updated your thingy lately?" No proper answer son, apart from I know how important this site is going to be over the next year for you.