Legs and a wedding

In between Christmas and New Year we have been to a wedding. This involved a journey to the family homelands of Edinburgh. Sporrans were required. Despite my many married years I have never actually seen husband wearing a kilt. I did spot a grainy black and white photo in a family album of him aged thirteen wearing what could have been one and there was a story of four brothers at a birthday party.... who knows the truth of such rumours... So we dressed in our finery on the day and I found myself admiring a fine pair of legs in white socks. And so, dear reader,( as Jane Austen would write) I was rather pleased to find myself married to them already!  And there were also other legs, kilts, charming smiles  and beautiful girls to make a wonderful day altogether. 

A place to sit

I often like to sit in the garden. A cup of coffee, chocolate biscuit, the birdsong, it's all so enjoyable. I choose a comfy place, the swing seat or the picnic table, to watch the others who enjoy the garden too. And passing by are lots of birds, the occasional sparrow hawk and once, a little muntjac deer. But here is someone who didn't choose a comfy seat. Balanced with a wobble now and then, stolen peanut in hand, he perched for several minutes. For all the world as though he was a highly decorative hat for the stone mermaid who sits in the birdbath. Why? Only he  knows!

Sadness

It's only now that I can say that Barney has died. I'm so glad that he hasn't had to suffer in this dreadful cold snowy weather, but I miss him so much. He was the best dog and he went with dignity.  Such a sad day. This is photo shows how I will always remember him.

Snowing and still sewing

   Quilt making has to be the best job to have at present. Here we are in Lincolnshire with enormous amounts of snow, ice, freezing fog but my job involves snuggling under Deah's quilt as I add the hand sewing to the bindings. Its a tough job but it has to be done.  Husband meanwhile is installing a wood burning stove in the sitting room. This involves a Big Crane for getting the liner down the chimney. Could he use this crane for other seasonal purposes.... with a red suit and a white beard I think he could make a lot of friends.... But now our garden looks like the second photo and we are really looking forward to the log burner welcome party!

Wild weather

Last week the weather was wild here although the sun shone. Barney and I ventured onto the common, me with a woolly hat and him with his ears blown upright. The hawthorn berries were bright red and shone like jewels on their stiff twigs, breakfast for hungry blackbirds in the weeks to come. High in the sky a heron was struggling to make progress, but the wind blew him about. He looked like a kite without a string. Eventually he gave up, landed and perched near the fence in a grumpy manner, looking cold and fed up. Barney is so slow now, joints painful but still positive about exploring rabbit holes....

Owls

Three years ago we had two baby tawny owls in the garden. They stayed awake all day like toddlers who wouldn't go to sleep and their parents must have been exhausted. As they got bigger they hopped about in the upper branches of the willow tree and if I walked underneath  and looked up, there they would be looking down at me in astonishment. It was a magical summer that year but sadly it has never happened again even though we have a perfect owl box set at just the right angle in the pear tree. Recently Jo asked me if I had found the owls in the cathedral and showed me where they were. So here they are, identical twins, who have watched the congregation from high on a pillar for centuries.

Harvest

Now I don't want to appear smug and after commenting on the winter stash  tendencies of our squirrels, but I'm just going to swank about my jam jars. Which are full. All of them . Barney and I have been tottering around the blackberry bush on the common everyday for weeks. Me picking a small bag of berries daily and him lying in wait for any very slow rabbits who might pass by... Now the berries have been converted into jam. Not only blackberry, but balckcurrant, mulberry ( due to husband's scrumping efforts on the tree at work), and strawberry, due to a lucky buy in the local shop. The slugs have enjoyed my strawberries mightily! Lovely Jo sent me an appropriate postcard too which made me laugh, we both have favourite jam jars which have been reused over the seasons.

Winter larder

In Lincolnshire our Horse Chestnut trees are stricken with two problems. One makes them ooze a sticky tar like substance and the other makes the leaves die. In our garden the  tree near the house looks very sick. Never the less there is an annual replanting process going on. People with  bushy tails  are very busy, rushing about, burying conkers... anywhere will do....flowerpots, the middle of the vegetable patch, in the lawn.... What few conkers we have are being distributed around the garden in a random fashion which denotes  a short memory span by our population of grey squirrels. They also steal peanuts and bury those. And walnuts and bury those too. And my tulip bulbs have disappeared, the alium bulbs never got chance to appear at all, and I can guess who dug them up! And I won't  mention the hazelnuts, but I can hear  the squirrels as they run along the sewing room roof, between the hazel tree and the  back garden, so I know what they are up to!

Winter larder

Now I don't want to appear smug and after commenting on the winter stash  tendencies of our squirrels, but I'm just going to swank about my jam jars. Which are full. All of them . Barney and I have been tottering around the blackberry bush on the common everyday for weeks. Me picking a small bag of berries daily and him lying in wait for any very slow rabbits who might pass by... Now the berries have been converted into jam. Not only blackberry, but balckcurrant, mulberry ( due to husband's scrumping efforts on the tree at work), and strawberry, due to a lucky buy in the local shop. The slugs have enjoyed my strawberries mightily! Lovely Jo sent me an appropriate postcard too which made me laugh, we both have favourite jam jars which have been reused over the seasons.

The Humber Estuary

The Humber Estuary is in North Lincolnshire. It is very wide and spanned by the Humber Bridge which I think is very beautiful. Over the weekend we visited  The Ropewalk Gallery at Barton on Humber for the first day of the Max and Jill Marschner exhibition called 'Sights: Sites'. They are amazing artists and I am so lucky to be living next door to them. After seeing the gallery display we walked out along the Humber estuary bank path. It was a hot sunny day and the tide was out. Wading birds looked for afternoon tea in the mud and the light shone in pearly pinks and blues across towards the bridge. It's a marvellous place to visit and we can recommend the cafe too.

Work ethics

This weekend it was cold on our beaches in Lincolnshire. The wind whistled across from the north sea and we wore jumpers and jackets as we strolled along looking at the beach hut exhibition. But some of us were carrying on with their jobs stoically. Giving delight and raising a smile on the faces of small children. Carrying on  work with a long tradition; a job description  little changed for fifty years. At the end of the summer season there is a  prize for the best turned out employee, maybe with the most  professional attitude to their work.... and then there is a long holiday, a chance to relax, run round a field, eat lots and reflect on a job well done... So here they are Buzz and Bart , two chaps from a team of seven, cheerful, brushed, saddled, and waiting to be ridden....

Hidden talents

We  have been  in the middle of a major redecoration of our dining room for some time. Well actually it feels like years... woodchip wallpaper has been scrapped off and Mr Johnson the plasterer has magically made the walls smooth and mended 100 year old surfaces. Its all white, wonderful and I know ever inch of the terracotta floor tiles personally... they have been pressure washed, scrapped, scrubbed, oiled, beeswaxed, polished....and now they shine. But best of all is the new dresser. I showed husband a picture and he went into the garage and five days later look what he had made! And painted it too when I thought my arms would fall off from all the polishing... and its got lovely big wooden handles too... I'm very pleased and I promise never tease him about his garden gnome again...

South Common summer fete

At the end of July local people organised a summer day fete on our common. It wasn't a commercial affair, no burgers or ice creams, nothing to buy really, but lots to do for families. There was pond dipping with the conservation students, archery, guided walks, willow weaving, wood carving, just country things.... Best of all were the three teams of heavy horses, who turned the cut grass, stood to receive all compliments so graciously, and were the stars of the day. Eight legs completely in harmony as they cornered at the end of each row without any tangles too!

 












It was a lovely day, so good to see people just sitting under the trees, watching, chatting to their neighbours, playing with the children and remembering childhood memories of the common. Max and Jill ran a children's art competition and pictures were drawn of the things they could see. It was simple celebration of our wonderful common.

Celebrations

  It seems more important  than ever that we should celebrate the things we are good at. Last weekend the Impish Quilters held an exhibition of quilts they have made in the last few years. The display was the village hall at Hackthorn, a beautiful setting with a duckpond, stables and and pony gymkarna going on in the next field. The sun shone, the cakes were amazing and we had 150 visitors . Outside the quilts fluttered in the breeze and inside they hung from the big quilt stands made by Geoff. The skill and talent of the makers was very apparent, quilts, cushions and Amish dolls filled the hall in a riot of colour. Watch out for any local quilt shows near you - they are always worth a visit! This a photo of my friend Jill's quilt.

Families

Families are things to be treasured. But sometimes they get forgotten and time goes by. Then maybe by chance you find them again. Everyone is  looking a little older and some are not always in the best of health. But they are still loved, deserve care and attention, they may become good friends with new children one day... So in the next few days I will be attempting the first total body transplant for a member of our monkey family..... he has a nasty case of stuffing disease! So now and again look in your attic and just check that your own families of treasured teddies are ok!

Families

Families are things to be treasured. But sometimes they get forgotten and time goes by. Then maybe by chance you find them again. Everyone is  looking a little older and some are not always in the best of health. But they are still loved, deserve care and attention, they may become good friends with new children one day... So in the next few days I will be attempting the first total body transplant for a member of our monkey family..... he has a nasty case of stuffing disease! So now and again look in your attic and just check that your own families of treasured teddies are ok!

Admirers

Janet has had a spam e mail. It says she has 'numerous authentic admirers available' and to send a cheque to get their addresses. But  Janet says she bets they won't be any good at doing the ironing, so doesn't think she will bother. We wondered what they might look like, these admirers... tall, dark haired, with a twinkling eye and a pencil line moustache, would they Sweep Her Away on a cruise? We are sure they wouldn't be safe in taxis, as granny used to say...So here is a vintage paper pattern for a silk dressing gown for just such a man, so you will be able to spot an admirer if you get a message like Janet...

Support your local shop

Its good to support your local shop. In Lincolnshire we have lots of farm shops. This week I bought asparagus from a outside a backdoor, putting the money in the honesty box, so much easier than the serve yourself machine in the supermarket... no bossy voice... no unexpected item in the bagging area either! Soon it will be strawberries  in lovely recyclable cardboard punnets, black currants, raspberries, and the jam cupboard will be full. But recently I found a new place to buy eggs. From very happy hens. Whose business was doing very well, earning lots of money for new furnishings in the nest box.....Well you'd buy from them too wouldn't you!

Hippo and quilt exhibition

At the weekend we went to Uppingham. For the quilt exhibition and the real ale, not both at once... The quilts were displayed in the church and each pew had a least three beautiful quilts draped on it. The colours were fantastic. The level of skill was huge. I had a lovely time looking round. But someone was outside, not invited in, but with a rainbow quilt to snuggle under..... I thought you might like to see him... he was standing outside the Goldmark gallery.

Another Mary moment

Mary Newcomb was a rural artist who painted pictures of the strange and wonderful things we see in everyday life. Jill and I have started to collect 'Mary Moments' which  we happen upon during the week. They may be  very simple things, or quirky, or funny, but they add delight to our days. So when I was in Southwell on a very rainy day I spotted this Mary Moment outside the bank. I wish I knew what the dogs were called but for now I think it was something oldfashioned like Sid and Mabel. They look as though they are waiting for the bus to come...

Needles, pins and thimbles

Recently I went to an exhibition of vintage sewing equipment. Just the sort of thing I loved in my mother's wicker sewing basket as a little girl. Cards of white calico covered buttons  named 'The Imperial' and 'The Night Owl'. Cardboard reels of waxed linen  thread called 'The Sentry', used for sewing buttons on to my dad's army uniform. A wooden darning mushroom I remember her using to darn her stockings...The packet of needles with Flora Macdonald on the front. These are all displayed in deep picture frames in my sewing room now, along with a button hook  and a treasured set of Braeloo ribbons for replacing the straps on ones petticoat.... But here is one of the things from the exhibition which I so wish I owned.....and you never know what will turn up in all the charity shops I visit...

Mud, baths and life

Barney's legs don't all work together any more. Sometimes the back ones get in a tangle. Often the front ones trip over themselves. Most of the time I pretend I haven't noticed... its a question of his dignity and doggy pride. He doesn't know he's getting old. In his mind he is still chasing those rabbits at full belt, tail waving like a big flag... But today was different. Today he took himself off to the bog when I wasn't looking. And got in. And couldn't get out. So after a struggle to get him out and me not in, if you see what I mean, we tottered home. For a bath. Not a popular move with someone... but hey, there are fish skins for tea and life is not so bad...

Important recycling

Today I have been doing important recycling. At my local charity shop. I am aware its an addiction, I can't walk by without going in. And I know that lots of you have the same urge. Its next to the level crossing in Lincoln and when the barrier is down I could wait patiently for the train to come. But also I could do some recycling....all those lovely things which have been donated by kind people...So here is my gorgeous new (to me) skirt... its saving the earth too...

In love

He follows her everywhere, they are often found in our garden. Clearly he adores her. He invites her for long walks through the daffodils and occasionally they go swimming together. He wears his best jacket with a green hood and a very dashing pair of yellow socks, all to impress her. But she flirts , pretends she can't see him, walks off in a huff, looking for someone better....Maybe they will settle down in the end and have a family. After all, he is a fine handsome chap, a girl could do worse.....

Mothers' Day

Bunches of daffodils, lunching out, chocolates? No, the best pressie is tickets to Crufts best in show day. So daughter and I set off for Birmingham NEC for a day with hundreds of dogs. They come in all sizes and colours. One reminded me so much of our previous spaniel...we spent a long time chatting to her...

Business opportunities sprang to mind. Should I make quilted coats for chilly terriers or stylish bibs for munching St Bernards? There were crystal studded collars and tartan leads, beds which looked so comfy...after a long day being on best behaviour some people got so tired they went to sleep...

We had such a lovely day and everyone seemed so happy. Even the dogs who didn't win. So if you have a St Bernard who would like a bib, just let me know!

Stripes

During the cold weather we all need woolly jumpers. These come in lots of colours and patterns. Some of us are tall and slim, but those of us who are  smaller and curvy know that horizontal stripes may be not such a good choice. But when the stripes are in lovely pinks and the jumper is a perfect fit, then we should just enjoy being cheerful and warm.... at the Unravelled Knitting Day, Farnham Maltings.....

Illusions

A lady called 'Mouse' is worried that her blog http://mousenotebook.blogspot.com/ gives the impression that she lives a perfect life. and her life is not perfect, it has up and down days just like the rest of us. But she takes beautiful pictures and makes lovely things and likes to write about them and her blog is full of interesting thoughts. Now I wonder any of you think I live the perfect country living life here in muddy Lincolnshire?  Is my house a spotless haven of calm and order? Well I'm just going to show you two things. My ironing pile and the piano lid.
















Because its important not to give a false impression, to create an illusion...   And yes I did buy a Country Living magazine today and drifted off to a sunny, dust free place over my lunch time soup. Because we all need a rest from reality now and again.

Spring colour

Today I was feeling very tired of these  oh so cold, grey days. Our walk this morning was very muddy and the mud was very cold. Action was needed. Where could bright colours, warmth and cheerfulness be found?  I required a change of scene. To a very welcoming place. So this is where I went.... my local shop for essentials....Wisteria Patchwork....and here is lovely Joy holding up a Project Linus quilt in Lynne's wonderful wooden building, full of delights for the addicted quilter. And what's more, they're having a sale next week!!  This is the link for Project Linus if you would like to know more. http://www.projectlinusuk.org.uk

Yellows

This morning as Barney and I ambled across the common the sun came out. It shone warm on our faces, a pale lemon yellow ball in a soft blue sky. We were delighted. Its been so long since we had a sunny walk. Barney was looking for rabbits and I started to look for other yellow things, leaves, stalks, no daffodils yet. This is what I found, tiny gold and yellow lichens encrusting the hawthorn twigs. Just like the most  expensive jewellery. Lovely to have a small glimpse of the spring to come.

Makeovers

When its so gloomy and wet a makeover and new hair cut is just the thing to cheer you up. A shampoo and new style makes you feel a new person, lighter of step, energetic and full of enthusiasm for new challenges.... Sometimes a style makeover takes a whole day and you get very tired. You may even go to sleep at the hairdressers.


















But its all worth it when people say such complimentary things and you look years younger too.

Kindness

The postman has knocked with a parcel. Inside, a lovely surprise. Louise has sent me a little hessian bag and on it is printed a picture of her girls tucked up in one of the quilts I made for them. Such a clever idea to print  photos onto canvas which gives texture to the print. And such kindness to send me a permanent reminder of her family and the quilts I made for them. It will be a treasure to me and the quilts will be treasured by them and so I feel very happy this morning.

Kindness

Bathing beauty

She had been in the garden for some time, but husband found  her one sunny afternoon. Her swimsuit needed some attention, but her figure was still shapely. How had she got there and where she had come from is a mystery, her name a secret still.... but the least I could do was find her a New Man with a sports car in racing green.  He looks keen but his legs are a bit stiff, he's more used to driving a tractor, but I hope they will be very happy together....

Happy Memories

Dani has asked me to make her a memory quilt from Matthew's  outgrown clothes. Matthew is nearly two years old, blond and very smiley. Of course his clothes are very small, with lots of poppers, but when its finished Dani will have something to remind her of when he was newly born and worn tiny babygros. Which will be lovely when he is six feet tall and keen on rugby. I was reminded of such a quilt made for Nicola by Helen. It used all her little dresses and summer shorts. We used it for many years. Now it is faded and worn but still loved and treasured by me. So here it is and so much better than a suitcase full of  little  clothes in the attic.

Foxes

Yesterday in the late afternoon I saw  a dog fox near the pond. He ran so swiftly, tail outstretched, following the line of the fence. Ginger fur, bushy brush and a black strip to his face, just like the gentleman in the Beatrice Potter story. Today as Barney and I were nearly home I heard the vixen bark. As we neared the gate she came down the hill, really close, and with her were two of last year's cubs. I was absolutely delighted. I have never seen them before. But Jane won't be pleased. The pheasants she feeds every morning are so tame now. And the foxes are clearly very hungry.

A helping hand

I found him at the bottom of the garden.Tired, cold and muddy. And still carrying those heavy buckets. Only three buttons to do up his yellow jacket and a red hat to keep his ears warm....The snow covering his boots and the wind whistling around him. He arrived in the summer as a surprise helper for someone in the garden ( you know who you are...) and now he struggles on alone and forgotten. Please everyone, check your gardens in case you have someone who could do with a helping hand in the cold weather.

Epiphany

Yesterday I packed away the Christmas decorations for another year. Over coffee with my dear friend Jill, she told me how she had looked out over the snow and seen the full moon. It hung in the night sky but seemed to be exactly at the top of her Christmas tree. Like the most beautiful decoration. We agreed this was a Mary Moment ( if you don't know what a MM is, scroll down to 21st July 2009) .So, a moon not a star and not in the east but something to be  marvelled at and looked on with wonder. a good beginning for the New Year.

Happy New Year

A very Happy New Year to all of you who log onto this page. Do leave a message so I know I'm not talking to myself!  Here in Lincolnshire we have a winter wonderland and Barney our Springer dog is fed up getting snow bobbles stuck between his toes. Glum is a word which certainly could be applied to him at present! 

Right now everyone is chilly  including the teapot. So this is what I have designed for cold spouts and handles... and then there are also the egg cups which you can see on the gifts page, now they're feeling really cosy... ( sorry, couldn't resist that!)