tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2972536321707191352024-03-16T11:52:45.445-07:00The Three R's Blogpinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-79677127270312556362010-03-02T02:40:00.001-08:002010-03-02T05:04:57.417-08:00After all the snow, the rain... time for some colour.Those of you who read my ramblings know that my blog isn't a fancy one.... I don't do clever things with the camera and photographs, it's not intellectually stimulating or challenging, it's not tales of daily life in our quiet little household, it's not showing off latest acquisitions after hours of trawling charity shops and boot sales. It's plain and straightforward, postings of things that please and displease, living up to it's Three R's... rants, raves and ramblings. So you won't read my waxing lyrically about blue skies and Spring, quoting this or that writer... just showing a picture of our silver birch against the glorious blue sky this morning, a very frosty day to begin with but now that the sun has come out fully, it is warming up, and I am off out into the garden for an hour before lunch. But before I do, I wanted to share some colour with you, something I am sure we are all pleased to have in our lives after what seems a long, long winter.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjfPvkgei2zYM-gn9sCdCmzmSaydSpQJQsvdOv3qoRVW8KUWPY1FPc6K8vjYyifuRo7fyKANbg_x4L42eS28Kie2VYYYfI45qCFjV5L7PDYrP7cjBtAw6ZtiArlarbIlDIjHhAMc2p2io/s1600-h/blluski.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443987645412692194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjfPvkgei2zYM-gn9sCdCmzmSaydSpQJQsvdOv3qoRVW8KUWPY1FPc6K8vjYyifuRo7fyKANbg_x4L42eS28Kie2VYYYfI45qCFjV5L7PDYrP7cjBtAw6ZtiArlarbIlDIjHhAMc2p2io/s400/blluski.jpg" border="0" /></a> If I could, I would ALWAYS buy British flowers, but round here, at this time of year, it's impossible, and for the rest of the year, sometimes they are out of my price range. So I buy a supermarket bunch of flowers for a few pounds, because I can afford them, because I love the colours.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI3WK5SwVSXe1bo7Nq1bO8z8NR3owss_Eh3WfxWoFNeLMoa_DPy9AxGmJoD_TxdJp0MxMD9IIE483vWKuPZewooAFJqNskqxsID9fkYWelrREsMMjUo2N9rNSWMKtFiBvz5PbIb3zb__rG/s1600-h/flrscol1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443987391837900450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI3WK5SwVSXe1bo7Nq1bO8z8NR3owss_Eh3WfxWoFNeLMoa_DPy9AxGmJoD_TxdJp0MxMD9IIE483vWKuPZewooAFJqNskqxsID9fkYWelrREsMMjUo2N9rNSWMKtFiBvz5PbIb3zb__rG/s400/flrscol1.jpg" border="0" /></a> Colourful crochet, a corner of a throw made from 25g balls of primary colours so I got lots of variety.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRY2sr2Zum_UFENYvbET9VTjTRsdjHzZmqevhGr30iLtD1ehpxE68YiP3i9Hvlt5e-Hf-mcnROnTosCvz3VqRQjOWc6TYaArjevOdLSldwKejQ4Bx0rVHOGf8vLIV-7EQwhhny-gBjXU6w/s1600-h/crochcol3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443987142555294434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRY2sr2Zum_UFENYvbET9VTjTRsdjHzZmqevhGr30iLtD1ehpxE68YiP3i9Hvlt5e-Hf-mcnROnTosCvz3VqRQjOWc6TYaArjevOdLSldwKejQ4Bx0rVHOGf8vLIV-7EQwhhny-gBjXU6w/s400/crochcol3.jpg" border="0" /></a> This photograph below shows an incredible piece of needlework. I can't claim the credit for it, it was made for me by a very special friend many, many years ago. It is some form of Japanese needlework, beginning with a polystyrene ball, which is then covered in a mesh of very fine yarn or thread...it's about the thickness of fine crochet thread. And then a pattern is woven in and out of this base mesh. It took hours and hours, and is incredibly beautiful, like the friend who made it.<br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJEbPJMEkIYU3HO5Fa6g2VRCOxK92QTMit8LPcxC33FOnz5GNw62n4X59b9aBZuHXVzMUuKpHf0daI9QanmU5CTx4XQH9Oa_pmvD_5wIj6PeJPQ3uzlN6Qoe2t4PwBxFHE9aMvRCyeLP_8/s1600-h/ball.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443986550877942594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJEbPJMEkIYU3HO5Fa6g2VRCOxK92QTMit8LPcxC33FOnz5GNw62n4X59b9aBZuHXVzMUuKpHf0daI9QanmU5CTx4XQH9Oa_pmvD_5wIj6PeJPQ3uzlN6Qoe2t4PwBxFHE9aMvRCyeLP_8/s400/ball.jpg" border="0" /></a> A little pot cover I made...<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAouZdpO8r-PZbvlheuO7A8lyn4YnXhIZvieQ9M4sRO_nGpx1jttyQD6GJC2SsCOKzOgh06K6Je2ZQ-nMtvafPXPTMETO-4zPnLxEpyaQK1-uQfRjHdyLMRJ9s00yrFQIqehlskCjhMbB/s1600-h/potcover.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443986326635730962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 306px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihAouZdpO8r-PZbvlheuO7A8lyn4YnXhIZvieQ9M4sRO_nGpx1jttyQD6GJC2SsCOKzOgh06K6Je2ZQ-nMtvafPXPTMETO-4zPnLxEpyaQK1-uQfRjHdyLMRJ9s00yrFQIqehlskCjhMbB/s400/potcover.jpg" border="0" /></a> A pair of socks to go inside my husband's gardening boots, in the making ...<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiv04Fb8LFZiGBG6HUsGsLsSFVBaIF45xX0n9RZPJXojkdrD_9OOJlnVkTtP4icz5rsgSvyZ7A8-BuQT2qZLZNCJknAe98JoYW4nWOjvSwDYPneCoBMBx8_CWX3OnQc2Pfr0pmgrNskbai/s1600-h/socks.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443986152672743906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiv04Fb8LFZiGBG6HUsGsLsSFVBaIF45xX0n9RZPJXojkdrD_9OOJlnVkTtP4icz5rsgSvyZ7A8-BuQT2qZLZNCJknAe98JoYW4nWOjvSwDYPneCoBMBx8_CWX3OnQc2Pfr0pmgrNskbai/s400/socks.jpg" border="0" /></a> Some crocheted bunting....<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_LmvOEI-z-MwpnRxu47xpoanGA_Y4AmFbdFIHWD_EiOHg_wgC-aMG3BuA7n_XSU0ddSBoTwhyLZYdx6YWnEOTPDAI5ssUQ9_bmaDrsoTYdRtISYGblbRsBBTyfHG9qX0UmdBML1pjtCq/s1600-h/bunting.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443985908071480578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_LmvOEI-z-MwpnRxu47xpoanGA_Y4AmFbdFIHWD_EiOHg_wgC-aMG3BuA7n_XSU0ddSBoTwhyLZYdx6YWnEOTPDAI5ssUQ9_bmaDrsoTYdRtISYGblbRsBBTyfHG9qX0UmdBML1pjtCq/s400/bunting.jpg" border="0" /></a> A pair of patchwork hearts ...<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-U9sYMT02QnBjnmP_sQqDS0pYHqCUquFJEaeMocOhu-ZMb2s785xDuoftcvA7KnC-BacZaZJiVFq2DexV9fVpB3oF-C9YYBsbZIKCZvKCFNmaAoCf8Jbpv4HXnuOeTZOkSnRTGGa6dZP/s1600-h/ptchhrts.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443985667089043842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-U9sYMT02QnBjnmP_sQqDS0pYHqCUquFJEaeMocOhu-ZMb2s785xDuoftcvA7KnC-BacZaZJiVFq2DexV9fVpB3oF-C9YYBsbZIKCZvKCFNmaAoCf8Jbpv4HXnuOeTZOkSnRTGGa6dZP/s400/ptchhrts.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />A pair of crocheted hearts,which I am going to attach to ribbon and hang, somewhere ....<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAAxxzEFaOZCibNB9TM2fFlsGn8UEr5H9raQIajeYP6cjKikKiCwPVa5OkPa_QCHbL0gqbnfB_5y__LhLDa6zEYCZ4i7-dF4oSyNRgOsW7tVg3VmgYNGv5HIiQoFiFFOoqYDLQPobRMHtm/s1600-h/crochhrts.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443985452088676642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAAxxzEFaOZCibNB9TM2fFlsGn8UEr5H9raQIajeYP6cjKikKiCwPVa5OkPa_QCHbL0gqbnfB_5y__LhLDa6zEYCZ4i7-dF4oSyNRgOsW7tVg3VmgYNGv5HIiQoFiFFOoqYDLQPobRMHtm/s400/crochhrts.jpg" border="0" /></a> Some gorgeous wool courtesy of Sue at the Old Piggery, to be used in a crochet throw as it is just so wonderfully cosy and cuddlesome when made up ...<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WnWgdwpNozdvAo2uFQSyPIo4-KjDf9CTMB931L5jg88tjIYHoLREpOQNhfQLKyXvzao8QY2AafV5lopPglRvMDOrrGu1Q5UBDvtX7_GysTfWFycE9Am8-7nz46gQBY7wYcazBTHNu7uo/s1600-h/pggerywoolos.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443985182360170210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WnWgdwpNozdvAo2uFQSyPIo4-KjDf9CTMB931L5jg88tjIYHoLREpOQNhfQLKyXvzao8QY2AafV5lopPglRvMDOrrGu1Q5UBDvtX7_GysTfWFycE9Am8-7nz46gQBY7wYcazBTHNu7uo/s400/pggerywoolos.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />And here endeth a brief display of colour.</div><div></div><div>Now a word about language before I go. Those of you who know me will know I hate the use of abbreviations like LOL, and BTW (which I thought was a sandwich!), and the use of text message language, which is fine if you are in a hurry, and that's about all. So I love to discover new words, even if they are not in our language. I am re-reading the Big Stone Gap trilogy of books by American writer Adriana Trigiani, set in Virginia, and some of the language is a bit strange, some of it, when thought about, quite apt. My latest discovery is the word LOLLYSWAGGLE, which means to laze about like a cat lying on a rug, you know the way they roll on their back and so on?</div><div></div><div>My next words are CHEERIO .... and thanks for dropping in. </div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com174tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-77542566465307860002010-02-15T01:58:00.001-08:002010-02-15T01:59:42.892-08:00And the winner is...Sumea at skippinginthemeadow.typepad.com. Parcel will be despatched this week, and thanks to all who joined in, it was really nice to see some new names!pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-77754587894741145362010-02-11T03:03:00.000-08:002010-02-11T03:52:13.502-08:00Our wonderful weather, some crafty bits and bobs, and thoughts on St. Valentine's Day.Moan about it we certainly do, but which would you rather live in... a place where every day was the same, be that snowy and little daylight, permanent sunshine and little rain, or more rain than sun? Or...somewhere you get variety, where you can tell the seasons (usually) by the weather outside your window. We complain about snow now... but it's winter, what do you expect? But how wonderful to go from sunny, cold, frosty wintry days which leave you with evening skies like these...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXyaJr5iarVwbNBvTPGXL7nN-yQzeO-f2rCR4ugp3XbtdQAag7gTV8WqEaP5YShH4jwBdH9FlMNj4Z-InQVzLWi6g1dC1xXIzKRzgf7pyNRkQx5W8CvOI8thmmR49diSi_s7Iov35R5T-3/s1600-h/nitesky2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436945186603641026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 303px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXyaJr5iarVwbNBvTPGXL7nN-yQzeO-f2rCR4ugp3XbtdQAag7gTV8WqEaP5YShH4jwBdH9FlMNj4Z-InQVzLWi6g1dC1xXIzKRzgf7pyNRkQx5W8CvOI8thmmR49diSi_s7Iov35R5T-3/s400/nitesky2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJ4Gxy098x2SPRQuQoAnMXlWfpQX0i4JVLnZ15VHayDtSlN6BlsTZK4ophbJEE3rWTLBO40J6A6HSyRv2goAXrdhZ-xLKK2oONkyxSrCGn-ONoNe2IGIk-JE5un5WHcJV4yRxnw8IzifD/s1600-h/niteskyjan.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436945004472575746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJ4Gxy098x2SPRQuQoAnMXlWfpQX0i4JVLnZ15VHayDtSlN6BlsTZK4ophbJEE3rWTLBO40J6A6HSyRv2goAXrdhZ-xLKK2oONkyxSrCGn-ONoNe2IGIk-JE5un5WHcJV4yRxnw8IzifD/s400/niteskyjan.jpg" border="0" /></a> to mornings when you wake up to this.....<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlAWQQdLO_92Zhu7ue8I2qx58h6xjQ69APvvM69ToyHLjQJc-l5mWzk6oAYA-IC2Fa_Uu6S0OhdHsZ0me9QY5ICukKaZx6HPecGyiGAa2Ao1RjL-0Xyt0q7o-XfmOqK4kvSYHqX0RzfYV/s1600-h/snowy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436944675662237746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlAWQQdLO_92Zhu7ue8I2qx58h6xjQ69APvvM69ToyHLjQJc-l5mWzk6oAYA-IC2Fa_Uu6S0OhdHsZ0me9QY5ICukKaZx6HPecGyiGAa2Ao1RjL-0Xyt0q7o-XfmOqK4kvSYHqX0RzfYV/s400/snowy.jpg" border="0" /></a> Very little snow really, and more what has been termed 'soft hail', which resembles those tiny polywhatsit granules they use in packing sometimes. When it hits cold ground, it freezes solid, and you find intriguing little clumps of perfect, pure white tiny balls that look like they fell off some giant cake decoration. But I love the changes in seasons, and all the delights, and negatives too, that they bring. But enough about the weather...</div><div> </div><div>Here are my two works in progress.... a pair of chunky cable socks for my husband, to wear inside his gardening boots, knitted on two needles using Sirdar Escape, which is a gorgeously soft, wool-rich doubleknit which changes colour as you go along. They feel so warm, my only concern is whether or not the seam under foot will be uncomfortable? Time will tell. The crochet is a throw for the new summerhouse seat and because I wanted a lot of different colours, not bothered whether they were strong or pale, just a good mix was my need, I bought one of those bags of 25g balls of doubleknit used for toy-making, as it gave me such a good variety. I shall also use up odds and ends from my basket, at the moment I am working my way through the small yarn stash, so it can be replaced with another!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG62a7VhwN3DG7KTKcB6j8bUGd23WSmtSjmH7yzjeFwDaLchgvI14Bx0chdLTRb6tpRRgKGIRjezdg9yMKfXHo5l3kJLej78meModXM1G_k3cSO-IAPzcfkP3IDn_-lTttOfqMVUfyQSrt/s1600-h/wipo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436944394057538850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG62a7VhwN3DG7KTKcB6j8bUGd23WSmtSjmH7yzjeFwDaLchgvI14Bx0chdLTRb6tpRRgKGIRjezdg9yMKfXHo5l3kJLej78meModXM1G_k3cSO-IAPzcfkP3IDn_-lTttOfqMVUfyQSrt/s400/wipo.jpg" border="0" /></a> Some of you will have been following Jill Taylor over at her third age musings blog, and seen the fabulous creative calendar she has been working on, amongst other things which frankly, make me a little envious of her skills. Well, as all who know me will testify, I am not really arty. I can make my own cards, but they are not free-flowing miniature works of art, though pleasing to the eye, and always well-received. In fact, several of my closest friends have been saving them for twenty odd years!! But I liked the idea of the calendar, so gave it a go. Now many people would perhaps have kept quiet about this, and certainly not exposed their lack of talent (and not looking here for any contradictions you understand) to all and sundry. But.... I am not so reticent at times, and wanted to show you it, just to make you realise that (a) perhaps you weren't as bad as you thought after all, (b) just how good others are in comparison and (c) it doesn't matter at all, what counts is that I tried something new, something different, something out of my comfort zone shall we say, which was one of my new year intentions after all. (One of the others was to get myself into print and that's come about as well... we'll gloss over the losing weight one!) So this was January...<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fYRhHEI6gDTTFfbSse6xO6Snsn78FHmw-kox8WoYR6QBbzXzK3B1BsBBwMVx11RHeInnvBI16dYQUwDPbiSVRtA4AwMepFFpzau32c9qWYFWc_RT109yx4w8UGiH-N-ntWopBYK4Kgzg/s1600-h/jan.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436944117227757346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 182px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fYRhHEI6gDTTFfbSse6xO6Snsn78FHmw-kox8WoYR6QBbzXzK3B1BsBBwMVx11RHeInnvBI16dYQUwDPbiSVRtA4AwMepFFpzau32c9qWYFWc_RT109yx4w8UGiH-N-ntWopBYK4Kgzg/s400/jan.jpg" border="0" /></a> And this is February, or half of it. On the right hand page will be scraps and photos of things that I love, such as my granddaughter Summer, my husband, pretty china, cats, my garden etc., etc. This page just has words and quotes to do with love.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gyP1gROuz5rRtxUQM-8axKGE6T7Xz3qZjJy9pO_KtV2_raIvn1gBlRzqYEF5tH7vTW0hvGkMe7mj3guos0NSF0E3JQ5RuNomUDFugmtbXqVz5siBrr6nE8CnVRx3Ej-pf5DmdjrIVbLX/s1600-h/feb.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436943932861839906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 338px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gyP1gROuz5rRtxUQM-8axKGE6T7Xz3qZjJy9pO_KtV2_raIvn1gBlRzqYEF5tH7vTW0hvGkMe7mj3guos0NSF0E3JQ5RuNomUDFugmtbXqVz5siBrr6nE8CnVRx3Ej-pf5DmdjrIVbLX/s400/feb.jpg" border="0" /></a> Now it isn't fabulous, but it pleases me, and that's important to me. But, I have decided to have a change of tack, and rather than make it a calendar, as you can see I am going down the scrapbook/journal route instead. From now on, one page will be painted, and the other will be covered in scrapbook paper, taken from the ones below, which I have just bought from Panduro, mostly at 60p or 75p a sheet, but there are SO many great designs, it was hard to limit myself. On the painted page will be notes, maybe calendar or diary type entries for the occasional day when something is worth mentioning, or maybe little labels stuck on the decorative papers. I haven't decided yet, but these papers are just so lovely, don't you think?<br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbk7jR-2FDo-reMQAYt0IEE0slB_qFgZXEHr3OV4ghUpeUoroDeHemsemVPtmhDKAqO2Yp5fCMYmS4eYsh266pv22Mjhb1yQBIwSQY1aUyj_2m9jfPc07ef0PxWgrnif16k4FW_Ejzd6oQ/s1600-h/papers6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436941872052021618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 304px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbk7jR-2FDo-reMQAYt0IEE0slB_qFgZXEHr3OV4ghUpeUoroDeHemsemVPtmhDKAqO2Yp5fCMYmS4eYsh266pv22Mjhb1yQBIwSQY1aUyj_2m9jfPc07ef0PxWgrnif16k4FW_Ejzd6oQ/s400/papers6.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4o5gMAbQ29M3thCB73eLkDlaJ9bIreP3rEX4IN2PBYYq2Y80-1nu_eekJqKXNKjCwt1zJh5-wBV3p_UAGVJpxHWVq6CPdnMHGIOCEoBXMTgY2QPdQr3bebxxw5h_lz3J6xsrX9n_SPDh/s1600-h/papers5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436941727497778290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4o5gMAbQ29M3thCB73eLkDlaJ9bIreP3rEX4IN2PBYYq2Y80-1nu_eekJqKXNKjCwt1zJh5-wBV3p_UAGVJpxHWVq6CPdnMHGIOCEoBXMTgY2QPdQr3bebxxw5h_lz3J6xsrX9n_SPDh/s400/papers5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazV9VxbBlbyDgj8Zg7f_KX3ZxKC3HR4lTahXsY-six9NZVevgkUsTWsjUp5uhyk3esjjiyEIuO7QYQIEHeSSlDqBDwm7PULR30xmyO0bLbT_1gTNyqGEphXqW6H2Eb-e3T3Y20IuES-7Y/s1600-h/papers4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436941490866727314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazV9VxbBlbyDgj8Zg7f_KX3ZxKC3HR4lTahXsY-six9NZVevgkUsTWsjUp5uhyk3esjjiyEIuO7QYQIEHeSSlDqBDwm7PULR30xmyO0bLbT_1gTNyqGEphXqW6H2Eb-e3T3Y20IuES-7Y/s400/papers4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOvMhEEjuEUthFtBlUKLwaCusJ5Fig83BqfrANgiFpehPYaB_YMAD4j7T3fbZTUXWAcvDZ75JzM4G73ZmDuosR_eiHdhkKVWhnb0C8UA3l9aPjPtNlDhLERfnfrUPFtHcGVoJXdEsQ4Yg/s1600-h/papers3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436940979404756002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOvMhEEjuEUthFtBlUKLwaCusJ5Fig83BqfrANgiFpehPYaB_YMAD4j7T3fbZTUXWAcvDZ75JzM4G73ZmDuosR_eiHdhkKVWhnb0C8UA3l9aPjPtNlDhLERfnfrUPFtHcGVoJXdEsQ4Yg/s400/papers3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRAvYndEpBQwBwR8JTy9V4xlkT_YBn1ZJkf2uZJL7OQ0kXPKiikB1YROuoe_q2_keri3wCqvjrjSAYNZgWVmReYifiiCG95IB529jSxC7UtVtbMguWnKuG6KPWykK3Nw0vL9ObGi7ImlBV/s1600-h/papers2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436940645117650658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRAvYndEpBQwBwR8JTy9V4xlkT_YBn1ZJkf2uZJL7OQ0kXPKiikB1YROuoe_q2_keri3wCqvjrjSAYNZgWVmReYifiiCG95IB529jSxC7UtVtbMguWnKuG6KPWykK3Nw0vL9ObGi7ImlBV/s400/papers2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIEHZZinsFfzNzxFl97Mdo6RHzPyzh38uhgp1JJ79sZUZN4eZVR4bFOKG0HU8L0Gl3W8ApdBX2eQAmhbha-UIFVQiTVfhTQemrKxdSUoTNTzHxohk1va_ZOmXlfq1jo8S-ktQ_nh9FpKK/s1600-h/papers1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436940392230345874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIEHZZinsFfzNzxFl97Mdo6RHzPyzh38uhgp1JJ79sZUZN4eZVR4bFOKG0HU8L0Gl3W8ApdBX2eQAmhbha-UIFVQiTVfhTQemrKxdSUoTNTzHxohk1va_ZOmXlfq1jo8S-ktQ_nh9FpKK/s400/papers1.jpg" border="0" /></a> This weekend is of course, St. Valentine's Day... heard being described by someone this morning on breakfast television, as 'a totally unnecessary stressful day'. It was a man, though maybe some of you would think that goes without saying? But what are your thoughts? Do you think it's important that there is one specific day set aside when people express their love for one another? Should you not need reminding that it's nice to be told, and to tell someone, how much they matter to you? Is it just a commercial rip-off? We all know about restaurants putting up prices, the ridiculous price of cards and teddy bears, of roses being hiked up in price, chocolates too. The television is full of adverts by various supermarkets all offering special Valentine's Day meal packages for a tenner or less, or more. To me, I think if someone sends you something on Valentine's Day, you might wonder if they had only done so because they couldn't escape the advertising and media hype about The Day, maybe not done for the right reason. Whereas, if they give you something out of the blue, when it's not Valentine's or your birthday, or an anniversary or Christmas, then it shows they were thinking of you especially, not prodded into it. That makes anywhen or unbirthday presents much more special to my mind, which is perhaps as well, because my husband, bless him, is not the most romantic of men shall we say, and so a bunch of flowers when I am not expecting them, when it's not reciprocal for a surprise pressie I gave him, means SO much more.</div><div> </div><div>But is Valentine's Day only for partners?No of course it's not. Several of my oldest, dearest, closest friends have received a little gift from me this year, for Valentine's Day, each with a heart-shaped gift tag, to thank them for being my friend and sending love on Valentine's Day for that reason. (Because believe me, being my friend ain't the easiest thing at times!) I used to send my sons a card, just to tell them I loved them... embarrassed they may have been, but I stopped doing it years ago anyway. My Valentine's gift from my husband this year is him doing the Sunday lunch whilst I just sit, enjoy copious cups of tea being made for me on demand (I don't drink alcohol any more) and reading my latest copy of Country Living. The day will have started with a lovely hot soak in a scented bath followed by breakfast, also prepared by him, in the conservatory, some letter-writing in the afternoon, and tea in front of the fire watching something on a DVD.... we are currently working our way through Monarch of the Glen and Friends. It will be a lovely relaxing weekend altogether, with no chores. And that, for me, is a perfick way of spending Valentine's Day weekend.</div><div> </div><div>Whatever you think about it all, however you will be spending it, enjoy your weekend, and thanks, as always, for dropping in.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-51678113318537647752010-01-30T03:12:00.000-08:002010-01-30T04:00:49.295-08:00A giveaway for my 100th post.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNtsjex6s9jlTBE1-Z1RyaoOSirJUwMD5xU0mUmKEVUKW3hYQ2rLg28S4CJMabcPTP-rCy3o8waRcw_bqJBFZ7oH34ippdRc4dzVGFInQpO9eTBDj9cg44De_mGK1ly5A64YoJnXE6IyQ/s1600-h/givea.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432491999374833762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNtsjex6s9jlTBE1-Z1RyaoOSirJUwMD5xU0mUmKEVUKW3hYQ2rLg28S4CJMabcPTP-rCy3o8waRcw_bqJBFZ7oH34ippdRc4dzVGFInQpO9eTBDj9cg44De_mGK1ly5A64YoJnXE6IyQ/s400/givea.jpg" border="0" /></a> Well, I've been blogging for over a year now, somehow the first year anniversary passed me by, so I decided to have a giveaway to celebrate 100 posts, and now is the time. As knitting is so in vogue at the moment, though I know for some of us it never went out, I decided to make it knitting-themed, and the above photo shows some of the goodies going in a box to be given away. As with the last time I did this, all names will be printed off, entered into a hat and one drawn at random. So email addresses would be helpful to inform the winner please.<br /><br /><br />It was September 2008 when I introduced myself to the world of blogging, to start putting down random thoughts and 'stuff' to anyone who would be mad (or desperate) enough to read. Only two did.... which I have to admit was a bit of a disappointment. Well, when I say 'bit of' you will know that for days I walked around in a blue funk, weeping and wailing that yet again, nobody liked me. I couldn't even make virtual friends. What was wrong with me. After much hair pulling out and gernashing of teeth, I decided to persevere though.<br /><br /><br />I have never attracted huge amounts of blogging groupies, of commentators (or commentors, whichever is correct). The most comments I have had left has been 17, the highest number of followers, 20. Small fry indeed compared to some with dozens or even hundreds of followers and comments left every time they post. They could post that they had cut their toe nails and doubtless there would be dozens of comments left. But, it's OK, small is good, small is beautiful, and in this case it's not size that matters, but the quality. So I like to think I have a small, but perfectly formed group of loyal followers.<br /><br /><br />I have learnt a lot along the way whilst walking the blogging path; new things to make, books to read that would otherwise have passed me by and denied me a real treat. I have found again my love of crochet and quilting. I have tried new things that haven't always worked out... needle felting for one. Creative journalling is another, though I've modified my interest in this to the creative calendars over at thirdagemusings (thanks Jill for the inspiration). Mine will never be as good, as arty, as free flowing as hers, but I am having fun, which is the main thing. At one point I was stuck though.. here I had this lovely new book (courtesy of The Pink Pig company), full of empty pages and promises/hopes to be fulfilled, of being arty and clever and have folk oohing and aahing over it, positively salivating at my wonderfully creative calendar. Well.. you gotta have hope!<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432497047176079554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zoxjGy_THb6P4SS-BG7hJMJwxJnCAuxtjyemDuPNBRzn2AVITfgUhbgwC7rEITpFmtB-T2NeXCeXOPPT_1lB9TKvV04kSrBt6PknVLb1_v4XdFvC9QlnLvoHFzN6kIaEYT-BgW_G4wC5/s400/ccal5.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />One thing I have decided about my calendar is that in future, after January, it will be different from Jill's and the normal calendar with a square per day and so on. I shall use wonderful scrap book papers and other embellishments, just have a square for a day when there is something I particularly want to say. Though it's difficult to find anything as I keep a daily journal, so all my thoughts and ideas go in there. But January was all about hope, it being the beginning of a new decade, and of being inspired. It seems many of you felt the same, something to do with the blue moon possibly? But I have been inspired to take up my creative writing again and so Wednesday is Writing Day when I do lessons and exercises, work on stories or pieces I want to submit to magazines, and have already submitted one to YOURS which is under consideration, and had a different version of my Norfolk Village blog published in our bi-monthly all colour village magazine. I am inspired to read more classic literature this year, and am reading (for the umpteenth time) Pride and Prejudice at present, a lovely cloth-covered old version with illustrations.<br /><br />Next month the calendar pages will be pink, it will all be to do with LOVE of course, with hearts and pictures of things and people in my life which I love, which are important to me, and words of love too, from some of the romantic poets. I have lots of ideas, and thanks to the Panduro catalogue, lots of lovely scrapbooking papers to decorate future pages with, so it may not be as good as some, but I am enjoying playing and being creative in my own way.<br />And just a final note.... we went out yesterday, and drove along Sunny Hunny seafront towards a snow storm blowing in off The Wash. It looked much more exciting and dangerous than the pictures depict... a mobile camera is OK but not brilliant. A couple of hundred yards further along and it was like driving through thick grey fog along pristine sparkling white roads. The cliff top car park was almost devoid of cars, just one hardy couple battling the elements which hadn't been there when they set out probably. It was spectacular.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqS52DuBbbqxIwFhkG_PbpOT9Ubl2t5jE-f4drBVo8kzR1uwxKb9wlL2O88xkUbL-IPU4oOhqSNCtJMaLYCxKOtYzJ8wpNmVZu5jQ-zf9DdoqiA8QhtqYLjCEAIOPtZuqHvx7qjmg9Yp2Z/s1600-h/SNOW.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432491730717683154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqS52DuBbbqxIwFhkG_PbpOT9Ubl2t5jE-f4drBVo8kzR1uwxKb9wlL2O88xkUbL-IPU4oOhqSNCtJMaLYCxKOtYzJ8wpNmVZu5jQ-zf9DdoqiA8QhtqYLjCEAIOPtZuqHvx7qjmg9Yp2Z/s400/SNOW.jpg" border="0" /></a> And this shot of the lighthouse doesn't do justice to what it actually looked like either, but it will do! <div></div><div></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAyY_P0v479D4mXBU5xM7_4aTcIyNGqjE4fZY4riIh_bhsP36fbEMOFwMCK0-8OXDyFOaGfSBz0GwB29W8CWi8mqjKnqSllcsHPtPaGGklEpf6kzaxv-IbJHO1TX2rm0y0ar39p1U8mfhk/s1600-h/HUNNY.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432491570637448082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 288px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 208px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAyY_P0v479D4mXBU5xM7_4aTcIyNGqjE4fZY4riIh_bhsP36fbEMOFwMCK0-8OXDyFOaGfSBz0GwB29W8CWi8mqjKnqSllcsHPtPaGGklEpf6kzaxv-IbJHO1TX2rm0y0ar39p1U8mfhk/s400/HUNNY.jpg" border="0" /></a> So, those of you who want to be included in the knitting giveaway, just leave a comment with your email address please or some way of getting back to you if you don't want it displayed, BEFORE FEBRUARY 14TH, which is the cut-off date. And thanks for sticking with me, those of you who have.<br /><div></div></div>pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-10439023111669951482010-01-18T03:54:00.000-08:002010-01-18T04:31:26.360-08:00The joy of books and secondhand bookshops.Whilst there can be no doubt that the Internet has made it easy and cheaper to buy books, with the competition between the big book retailers bringing down the price of books to the advantage of us, the buyers, to my mind there is nothing like going into a proper bookshop. I use the internet for my new book purchases generally, and occasionally that hard to find secondhand one has been purchased online as well, but I have to say that when looking for old books to buy, I do have to feel them, smell them and just see them properly really.<br />So it has been sad to see so many of our favourite haunts closing down and changing to selling their books via their websites. We would eagerly look forward to an hours' drive and a morning spent in a favourite bookshop, but now there are so few to choose from, half of our favourites have closed down.<br />However some still remain, and one close to home being only ten minutes away. The shop has been run by the same lady for thirty years now, and is a real treasure trove. We used to visit regularly, but haven't been for years when suddenly, last Saturday on a wild, wet and windy morning, we decided to abandon the chores we had planned around the house, and visit this bookshop instead.<br />You walk in and are surrounded in the first room by fiction mainly, and lots of childrens books, plus cookery and craft. Into the next room where you find history and topography, gardening and wildlife. Out into the hall and there are some more special and specialised books, plus more gardening and nature and geography. Upstairs you will find classics and music and theatre in one room, together with old newspapers, old prints and musical scores. Another room houses more history and religion, and another has a miscellany of books, a real hotchpotch which haven't been able to find homes elsewhere. These are great shelves for browsing, you never know what you may find here.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUOjFKADzCtnDZ5U-OMlRoqMbD9V2isdZbxzskPEZCXpXuernuoyXNaElt2jt6K3mPQsn1vvpVOEeXySfYEPckc329Cfd3TA1XyahIsLRWyh1cPrhgRzVKiHfT1w9p5hOo11uoZWyGmH78/s1600-h/bks.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428050379595779938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 275px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUOjFKADzCtnDZ5U-OMlRoqMbD9V2isdZbxzskPEZCXpXuernuoyXNaElt2jt6K3mPQsn1vvpVOEeXySfYEPckc329Cfd3TA1XyahIsLRWyh1cPrhgRzVKiHfT1w9p5hOo11uoZWyGmH78/s400/bks.jpg" border="0" /></a> There are also modern books, secondhand, like the Kate Atkinson and Diana Athill above. The beautiful leatherbound copy of Rebecca, which is illustrated (see end of blog) cost me less than half the price of a new paperback of the story I bought at Christmas - it is in my mind to read more classics this year you see, at the moment it's an old favourite, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, a small, illustrated cloth bound copy which is old and well-loved, with a lovely smell and feel when it's in your hand, something modern books don't have. And the top book is another oldie with a beautiful cover, by ELIZABETH JANE HOWARD, published by the REPRINT SOCIETY in 1956.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6MHzjHuv0_sFG0-LOztKzQ_AR826JFTDeZ7HJEsDg4tzXpr51vO9zcvdccRLdxj9AZvzLUDK6-gYjLVFcvtKSJjRyhrcQwkDn4y1zmj66laycPozSsT0j5mqXKLMD7mcd8GP_EEaaduG/s1600-h/annbks.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428050195194438594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6MHzjHuv0_sFG0-LOztKzQ_AR826JFTDeZ7HJEsDg4tzXpr51vO9zcvdccRLdxj9AZvzLUDK6-gYjLVFcvtKSJjRyhrcQwkDn4y1zmj66laycPozSsT0j5mqXKLMD7mcd8GP_EEaaduG/s400/annbks.jpg" border="0" /></a> Then there were two more books to add to my ANNE OF GREEN GABLES collection. I never read these books by LUCY MAUD MONTGOMERY as a child, never even heard of them until I happened to see a Canadian television production of the first book on television, and I was hooked. I have all the stories in paperback, and am now collecting the hardback, but only with dustjackets, though I will buy a clothbound if I see one, to replace with a dustjacketed one likewise. The one on the left is from 1961 bearing the rubber stamping of DERBYSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL SCHOOL LIBRARIES and the one on the right is much earlier, being inscribed inside 'With love to Cecily, December 1941'. I do have a preference for books which have been inscribed.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0aKGzP5DdHIEGgyQJvA1-TIS-SUeVCPAVQK9PbHIZv9RL2iC_j6kwGZOT4ARizGg3Wy49bOrfJmK0w_OqXb7ETiIKastf2Y4gIuqKzfasK9Ypfe-vxWR4MvTzDXHd7Mt2CqG1LqniCwJp/s1600-h/birdbk.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428049965732934514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 392px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0aKGzP5DdHIEGgyQJvA1-TIS-SUeVCPAVQK9PbHIZv9RL2iC_j6kwGZOT4ARizGg3Wy49bOrfJmK0w_OqXb7ETiIKastf2Y4gIuqKzfasK9Ypfe-vxWR4MvTzDXHd7Mt2CqG1LqniCwJp/s400/birdbk.jpg" border="0" /></a> Now I know you can buy those lovely little Observer books on just about any subject, but I am so happy when I find one on a subject which interests me, but is something different, like the above. This has some lovely illustrations inside as you can see from the two examples below.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZjDqK18sZ-6o_XFDsZ3UWNTg3vE93IxXjc9_364ZDFE5pr8C-8BnpHvpWpdty4Yp_02cJO84M5x7UQgSYZCpV0JzcF0le4rwBf5_jVeeW5fll_emHzkZ50ywQ7EpfnwA4mbQMewF0MRwG/s1600-h/brdbk2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428048823422300338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZjDqK18sZ-6o_XFDsZ3UWNTg3vE93IxXjc9_364ZDFE5pr8C-8BnpHvpWpdty4Yp_02cJO84M5x7UQgSYZCpV0JzcF0le4rwBf5_jVeeW5fll_emHzkZ50ywQ7EpfnwA4mbQMewF0MRwG/s400/brdbk2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqi6_N0YxbMPIJZ26m8n6I_gUaSq6WSlfB1JCC5dB6ERzDN4PlNrX0Cz5j3QZ2cm_DVQ84_E0YA_Eg81FMwcWJduyyvfCl_utQgNpoxXS8GM5-u5eMTy-MR65-UMW_qIzOUwUI3IRBveZ/s1600-h/brdbk3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428048597363060818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqi6_N0YxbMPIJZ26m8n6I_gUaSq6WSlfB1JCC5dB6ERzDN4PlNrX0Cz5j3QZ2cm_DVQ84_E0YA_Eg81FMwcWJduyyvfCl_utQgNpoxXS8GM5-u5eMTy-MR65-UMW_qIzOUwUI3IRBveZ/s400/brdbk3.jpg" border="0" /></a> Plus it's a smallish book, and I like those very much. Fortunately the print in this particular instance is easy for me to read, it's not always the case of course, with small books.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZ7pwBq2YvQ5DfW91QpZ6t7YcZGdA2y7PCcQBzT7fbQD7xGexU1XAlUAH1uI2Tr4DPAqivKEdNkkMpTp0g0vjMrDM0gn_-gDCNmVgdMCfn55hlseS80aH9Lpd1B0DP3nAwMIRlYJG1x0c/s1600-h/flwrbk.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428048343511157458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 314px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZ7pwBq2YvQ5DfW91QpZ6t7YcZGdA2y7PCcQBzT7fbQD7xGexU1XAlUAH1uI2Tr4DPAqivKEdNkkMpTp0g0vjMrDM0gn_-gDCNmVgdMCfn55hlseS80aH9Lpd1B0DP3nAwMIRlYJG1x0c/s400/flwrbk.jpg" border="0" /></a> Along similar lines is this flower book, again a great handy size and lots of lovely illustrations.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhATpI7C1VMzkUbzGdj9T1xHpablmNMpH1b9guc3HsZdkzkvgBsisukYC8mXab1gaFLEVbd7WGrff7JOYpMrrLEndD_vsraJcfl9MegXC4UJNrgtKkWi77Hv7IpJjt0O8zFbxTF11KaW0iv/s1600-h/flrbk2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428048200309954482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhATpI7C1VMzkUbzGdj9T1xHpablmNMpH1b9guc3HsZdkzkvgBsisukYC8mXab1gaFLEVbd7WGrff7JOYpMrrLEndD_vsraJcfl9MegXC4UJNrgtKkWi77Hv7IpJjt0O8zFbxTF11KaW0iv/s400/flrbk2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Below is the book on the top of the pile..<br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOjL5y3gEjrGPRi-gakz-sRktaJLjRD0ug1pATNGm09lOn371SJR-1CLDQVSxXo_edeWUviIdowtLndykieIADwRe-_ULjs6OKRULWCuyWRmTnaGP0unstZiSx5Hzgwe0xGKYl5UduIC4/s1600-h/oldbk.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428047763751218578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOjL5y3gEjrGPRi-gakz-sRktaJLjRD0ug1pATNGm09lOn371SJR-1CLDQVSxXo_edeWUviIdowtLndykieIADwRe-_ULjs6OKRULWCuyWRmTnaGP0unstZiSx5Hzgwe0xGKYl5UduIC4/s400/oldbk.jpg" border="0" /></a> and this is one of the illustrations from the REBECCA book ...<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYiNt8WJGtX1FCW9WLcJu6Ugr5fK3v9Ja20NrmauDM15t6ZHQi8oBJxwCzLVy80_RHPTNt00eGPv5wwll8i4iU7e6XOozzi7HL2opPavOCT842Y5MoVhU_DzwEQh5mr0PGYT7ZQZVArGm3/s1600-h/rebec.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428047527457888930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYiNt8WJGtX1FCW9WLcJu6Ugr5fK3v9Ja20NrmauDM15t6ZHQi8oBJxwCzLVy80_RHPTNt00eGPv5wwll8i4iU7e6XOozzi7HL2opPavOCT842Y5MoVhU_DzwEQh5mr0PGYT7ZQZVArGm3/s400/rebec.jpg" border="0" /></a> So I got quite a nice selection, with change from twenty quid... can't be bad!</div><div></div><div>Just to say that the next posting will be my 100th, with a giveaway, more of which later. </div><div>Thanks for dropping by again.</div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-1346834285526584092010-01-08T04:05:00.000-08:002010-01-09T02:53:29.299-08:00Time for a rant... ranting space to rent... feel free to add a rant!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2Tqvdhy_dtbsdNzt9e96cwAJQsZ71B7V5fkBPSUsOTnHdzFiE5DBC_eAzz4GxBDKffxMS_dKCxfMn3FuDWzfb-csMroqCq7w71OXM7xI_Eh8KstAR9a3foI_7ShC6EMpz3ZDHDWoW6nD/s1600-h/noddog.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424339447408306994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 242px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2Tqvdhy_dtbsdNzt9e96cwAJQsZ71B7V5fkBPSUsOTnHdzFiE5DBC_eAzz4GxBDKffxMS_dKCxfMn3FuDWzfb-csMroqCq7w71OXM7xI_Eh8KstAR9a3foI_7ShC6EMpz3ZDHDWoW6nD/s400/noddog.jpg" border="0" /></a> Sorry, but this is my space, it IS the THREE R'S blog and one of the R's does stand for RANTS - the others being RAVES and RAMBLINGS for those of you who don't know - so here goes my rant(s).<br /><br />Recently we bought some roller blinds from a certain DIY store - I won't shame them by naming them - and had to take one back. Mr A, my other half, took the unwanted one back, looked at all the others, saw there was a space for the shorter width one we wanted in its place, but the space was empty. Went to the customer service desk to enquire when they would be getting one, to be told that this particular store wasn't designated to carry this particular size (even though there was space for it remember, and they had it in all the other colours!) and therefore couldn't order one for us. Mr A came home disgruntled, convinced that somehow we were going to have to cut it down to size, not easy as it had stitched edges and flattened pleats. Mrs A, that's me, yet more disgruntled (common occurrence) decided to go on the website of this company and speak to someone. I was told by a schoolboy (for that is what he sounded like, too young to be in charge of the 'customer-services-my-name-is-blank-can-I-help-you? telephone) that the staff member should have offered to have one transferred to the store from any other store in the region that had stock. Had they done so? No. He asked which store I was referring to, checked in his little machine and found that a couple of others in the region (an hour away) had stock and then just disconnected me. Next thing, the customer service desk at my local store was answering the phone... so we went through the whole rigmarole again. She checked, found there was stock of the blind at Peterborough (over an hour away) and that she would get one transferred. Which was OK, until she then said that she wasn't sure when it would be as they didn't have an inter-store delivery/collection service but relied on members of staff, in this case a man who lived in Peterborough but worked in my local store, going to the store to collect the item and bring it into work with him. Can you believe that? Surely they have large lorries going from one store to another, why not simply put the item on the lorry? Is that it, too simple? I shall be writing to head office of said DIY chain to see what they have to say about it all, but to me it seems crazy, and well worth a rant.<br /><br />Next.... no doubt many of you have been watching the news items on anti social behaviour on the main ITV news... the ASBO loutish family making life hell for two sisters in a cul-de-sac and so on. My old friend FYLDECOASTER on his blog has his own remedy for it, and whilst part of me believes that if you can't get mad you get even, I am not advocating violence. But somehow you think this might be the only language these people understand. They know that the police do nothing, or that when they do, the punishment is derisable (is that the right word, my brain has white out at present) and they laugh it off accordingly. They wear their tags like a badge of office, they flaunt their ASBOness as something to be proud of, they make life absolutely miserable to put it mildly, and think, somehow, this is funny, or clever, or makes them look big. Even their small child shouted foul-mouthed language. Hardly surprising you can see a mini-thug in the making, someone who is going to come to no good as they say, not living where he does. But whilst we all shout at the television screens in our anger and frustration and sympathy for the people who are subjected to this bullying, it may assuage our feelings, but does nothing to help the people suffering. What can be done? Well, it seems that persistence and not giving up even in the face of bullies and physical attacks might be the answer, as shown by the two ladies who stood up to them. In fact there were two lots of women in different areas who were making a difference to their neighbourhood.... what strikes me is.... why is it women? What's wrong with the men doing something? And more generally, what is the answer?<br /><br />Next... switched on to watch the Hairy Bikers and their Mother Knows Best cookery series which began last night, and absolutely loved it, love the idea of it and everything. But was gobsmacked and dismayed and angry, in about equal measures all three, when the opening titles revealed the word FAVOURITE spelled the American way... FAVORITE. I couldn't believe my eyes, am still not 100% convinced that I saw such a bastion of Britishness resorting to American spellings. Did anyone else spot it? Were you annoyed by it?<br />Next.... why can't our binmen replace the bins where they got them from? The council are quick to TELL us (not ask) the specific place we should leave our bins ready for collection. So is it too much to ask that they are put back in the same place? Apparently so, because there have been innumerable complaints to the council from myself and others, about bins left littering the pavement, all day in some cases, until the householder returns from work. The pavements are not the widest, we are on a busy main road through the village, there are a lot of elderly folk on mobility scooters and the like, mothers with buggies, who all have to walk into the road to get around the bins. When I complained last, I had a visit from the appropriate head of department who told me that the contractor would be warned about it, fined and if it continues, then his contract would not be renewed. That should be incentive enough you'd think, but not so. A man from the council sat in his car early one morning to watch them, highly visible (surely better to hide up a bit?) and lo and behold, all the bins were nicely put back in place. And for a couple of weeks after as well. But then they resorted to their old ways. There is one culprit in particular, a little runt of a man who wears completely black clothes, not even the regulation dayglow vest, and he has a hat pulled down to his eyebrows, and a scarf pulled up to his lower eyelashes. He scuttles about the place, looks weedy but can fling a bin with the best of them. Sometimes they end up roughly where you put them, but more often not... often not even near your own house. I'd like to go out and slap him... but I don't condone violence do I? Shame.....<br /><br />Well, the last one might seem a very minor rant... but when you have to look for your bin, drag it back through thick snow, take someone else's back to their own house, you get a bit cheesed off, to put it mildly. You want to jump up and down and ask why people can't do their jobs properly, surely it's not asking for much, it would take less effort to put the blessed bin back properly than simply swing it around. I'd like to swing him around...but I don't condone violence, did I say that?<br /><br />Of course, had we seen hide or hair of a council gritter, then the pavements might not be ankle deep in snow, or ice, or slush, and not as hazardous to walk on. But that's another rant, and I bet there are lots of you out there with a similar rant waiting to come out! So go on, let it out!<br /><br />I am coming up to my 100th posting soon, and will be having a GRAND KNITTING-THEMED GIVEAWAY, for those interested. But more of that later, meantime, take care when you go out and keep warm when you stay in.<br /><br />PS... A late rant. I should explain first of all that we never answer the phone, but leave it to the answering service to take the message. This is because (a) we hate using the phone and friends know that so don't bother calling unless in an emergency of some sort and (b) despite not wanting nuisance calls and taking appropriate steps, we still get them. So, there were a series of calls last November and when I did 1471 it said that someone had tried to make a reverse charge call. Now not anyone I knew, of that I was certain, but there seemed no way of finding out where they originated, since there was no call back number, no message about number withheld, just the reverse charge bit. So in desperation I wrote to OFCOM, and six weeks later a reply has been received, the upshot of which is they can't tell me who the 0800 Reverse calls were from due to the Date Protection Act, Freedom of Information.... the long and the short of that is they can't tell me where the calls originated, nor if there had been other complaints. Nor did they answer my question as to whether or not calls that just left a recorded message when you checked them, were illegal, as I had always thought they were. So writing to OFCOM was a waste of time.pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-9491013509216454292010-01-01T02:02:00.000-08:002010-01-01T02:46:44.799-08:00HAPPY NEW YEAR .. and may all yours be white!To all my blogging chums, fellow crafty folk, avid readers and hopeful wannabee writers... HAPPY NEW YEAR!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhauBunT9lnDMFLhr5BW80BjO5TktYcJEw3p5Qgi3ibViRzVZ1Vx5bFCXKFRWVZkFR_OPYxKSU6Apof3wv-E1sn7NKSDB8KPXxuEtprZW3hfcB2_EUkAqxcoOzarR_j3wk48o3VBLk5-v8/s1600-h/nyrsdy10.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421712074153679218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhauBunT9lnDMFLhr5BW80BjO5TktYcJEw3p5Qgi3ibViRzVZ1Vx5bFCXKFRWVZkFR_OPYxKSU6Apof3wv-E1sn7NKSDB8KPXxuEtprZW3hfcB2_EUkAqxcoOzarR_j3wk48o3VBLk5-v8/s400/nyrsdy10.jpg" border="0" /></a> This was what we woke up to this morning, an inch of fresh snow, broken only by the large footprints of the local pheasant and a young male black and white cat, who are regular visitors to the garden, though not at the same time obviously! Refreshingly cold, not that painful uncomfortable cold (apparently that's coming for us next week, something to look forward to then!) but the sort that revitalises you and fills your lungs with clean, fresh air. So peaceful too, but then, so was last night. If there were fireworks, we didn't hear them... but we are always fast asleep by midnight anyway!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEGWfKTyIYpLMdk7znxWIk2kMqMZ6DhyphenhyphenYc1-7TB4DR8wzkJcytjopRlQjEvkTobuMRUT2T9KCRlFoaU67idQ0ah1LAwLzdA5mKcbl8U3SQGIEOtX_A-n2r5AujI5gTFWKscBRvOQtzFxw/s1600-h/012.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421711691656029490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 374px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEGWfKTyIYpLMdk7znxWIk2kMqMZ6DhyphenhyphenYc1-7TB4DR8wzkJcytjopRlQjEvkTobuMRUT2T9KCRlFoaU67idQ0ah1LAwLzdA5mKcbl8U3SQGIEOtX_A-n2r5AujI5gTFWKscBRvOQtzFxw/s400/012.JPG" border="0" /></a> But it is at this time of year I always feel hopeful, positive, energised with new ideas for the decor of our little home (so we bought new blinds for the conservatory yesterday, taking advantage of bargains - we only went out for storage boxes!), for the garden, this year the summerhouse gets a revamp. I'd like to say, so do I.... and at this time of year I never make resolutions, for they put too much pressure on you I think. But I have good intentions... like losing weight is a given, I say it every new year, and the best I can hope for with my medication is to control it.. if I am lucky. I intend learning how to use my sewing machine for something other than everyday stuff.... taking up a subscription to my favourite writing magazine again, for a year, and to do some creative writing exercises for at least a couple of hours one day a week, probably Wednesday. Because it begins with W too (for Writing) and is easy to remember that way. I am not good at routine. Had years of it of course with young children growing up, then a part time job. But I think getting into some form of routine with my writing is the only way it will progress, but it will be hard sticking to this resolution I know. A bit like cleaning the oven, if it's something I tell myself needs to be done, I can prevaricate with the best of them and ALWAYS find something better/more useful/more interesting to do... even ironing has its appeal at times like this!</div><div>And the other thing I am doing is a creative calendar, which many of you will know about from jilltaylor-thirdagemusings.blogspot.com who has laid down a challenge. I had already started mine anyway, having been inspired by sights of her own calendar on previous postings on her blogspot.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOcQIleO9G9y7J66scZsgdMyQVesChAfJlJdW5d-dzJP-4qkzWgk8vZ3aPYLVbmTA05-dtvlQtVuViXNZxDYqVpm5iI9jpNn87jZvMORWMmSqfEPIb1MSLuD10uJL_XrCKF0C4yWGgiMC/s1600-h/journalbk.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421711383829087218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOcQIleO9G9y7J66scZsgdMyQVesChAfJlJdW5d-dzJP-4qkzWgk8vZ3aPYLVbmTA05-dtvlQtVuViXNZxDYqVpm5iI9jpNn87jZvMORWMmSqfEPIb1MSLuD10uJL_XrCKF0C4yWGgiMC/s400/journalbk.jpg" border="0" /></a> This book is my inspiration. It is so easy to read, gives you ideas aplenty, if you need a kickstart in the arty department. I just don't need a kickstart, I need to be pushed along as well, for I am not that good an artist. No, correction. I am a lousy artist. I can design abstract and other designed cards, can do freestyle tapestry, but when it comes to actual drawing... forget it. However, Violette in the above book tells you how to draw a face. I followed her instruction and voila, I had a face. So this has filled me with hope - and determination to try harder with this as well. So I am starting with the calendar, using bits from the JOURNAL BLISS book for inspiration.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTlCZdgKJrcdSOPfQUfJzlgnH_p724HZwwHnBYhE9Bjbj1FbaZVfp3E3mZCliAauPSJd-DoWz1tYhaZm61749RzgD1ckO-7mEs1GSDHhBpI2evrn3KqdAXh7qOIsLyEBCVmqr49rZquipt/s1600-h/pplepgs.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421711163803307730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTlCZdgKJrcdSOPfQUfJzlgnH_p724HZwwHnBYhE9Bjbj1FbaZVfp3E3mZCliAauPSJd-DoWz1tYhaZm61749RzgD1ckO-7mEs1GSDHhBpI2evrn3KqdAXh7qOIsLyEBCVmqr49rZquipt/s400/pplepgs.jpg" border="0" /></a> I love the colour purple... this has come out more virulent than it actually is I have to say, but I wanted to start the year with a colour I particularly liked, to inspire me to carry on, and because I love the colour. I have two inch squares of blue card cut out and a plethora of bits and bobs to play with to add texture and colour.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4c_ZDu6X-WhRzSFCwIBPyI8R0RXWLzMeMI8ygt_EKz3K_q1RWeI4DwFv3KwKlFQZrFQlppU01_aPQ6y743RwZEQETIkjU7b3rqOf46QHR1a9bmdmE_Kojcs5x5R3jf36cmT1-KcLhktR/s1600-h/colourbag.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421710888284205090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 307px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4c_ZDu6X-WhRzSFCwIBPyI8R0RXWLzMeMI8ygt_EKz3K_q1RWeI4DwFv3KwKlFQZrFQlppU01_aPQ6y743RwZEQETIkjU7b3rqOf46QHR1a9bmdmE_Kojcs5x5R3jf36cmT1-KcLhktR/s400/colourbag.jpg" border="0" /></a> I saw this carrying bag in a certain craft catalogue a couple of years ago, it comes in two different sizes. I loved it, wanted it, but couldn't justify the cost. Then sometime last year (nearly put 'this year' then!) it was on sale, so I could suddenly justify buying it.. to myself only you understand, my lovely husband never questions what I spend our money on. Then it sat in a cupboard, as I couldn't fill it, it didn't look right with needles and yarn, didn't seem designed for that, even though I had seen it so filled. Then I bought pots of paint, discoverd boxes of chalks, tins of watercolour pencils, glue sticks, felt tips, gel pens..... and all those little pocketses were about to be filled.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRR2dWntZot6rO_l-Z-17QtuNbg3xYu-WFuUjJ_EZXKHxUIp605hpw9P4diulBWpQx23HHjhPOTRkor2uKWqfZy1uCB71sb-c4ohFBFBGJ_Jy1_er4DRqkq5ZKkM9mCihqIe2-7AIUYJrP/s1600-h/paperbits.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421710412951920562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRR2dWntZot6rO_l-Z-17QtuNbg3xYu-WFuUjJ_EZXKHxUIp605hpw9P4diulBWpQx23HHjhPOTRkor2uKWqfZy1uCB71sb-c4ohFBFBGJ_Jy1_er4DRqkq5ZKkM9mCihqIe2-7AIUYJrP/s400/paperbits.jpg" border="0" /></a> Then there are packets of paper notions, different shapes and colours and designs.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLWvtOd8HfRhHr9g0uJSiQBWc9jrQhXw7m936_4vW6imOCFaEGaUZgh0wcSJp83Ifeg3TPckd7V24mJ7sanaEGkOJpyTonDi0t-076YI11mNj4Q6Awg1lgUoslcpHBlY10AkaJ_-dlJPy/s1600-h/stampybiuts.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421710177822956178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLWvtOd8HfRhHr9g0uJSiQBWc9jrQhXw7m936_4vW6imOCFaEGaUZgh0wcSJp83Ifeg3TPckd7V24mJ7sanaEGkOJpyTonDi0t-076YI11mNj4Q6Awg1lgUoslcpHBlY10AkaJ_-dlJPy/s400/stampybiuts.jpg" border="0" /></a> Then a box of rubber stamps and inkpads.</div><div>And suddenly I have enough crafty pieces to be going on with, though I still want some smaller pots of acrylics. And no doubt by the time I have finished looking at the craft catalogue again, there will be a few other little items I can't manage without!</div><div>I am also coming up to my one hundredth posting on this blog and plan a giveaway all to do with knitting. But more of that anon.</div><div>For now, let me wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR. I have so enjoyed this journey through blogland, read some fab blogs, some not so good so they were only read the once. There are some intersting, talented, funny bloggers out there, mainly women it has to be said.. or maybe it is only women mainly who follow me. I know there is the lovely Mark with his often thought-provoking postings from the bikeshed, and my old friend Fyldecoaster, who has finally got his blog up and running at fyldecoaster.blogspot.com if you fancy a bit of nostalgia, which is the theme of his first posting, and possibly future ones as well.</div><div>I look forward to reading more of your postings, all of you, and your comments on my own blogs.</div><div>Thanks for dropping by as ever.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div>pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-10288458071311064052009-12-18T02:34:00.000-08:002009-12-18T02:59:31.751-08:00It may be a cliche but........ when it snows, it really does turn the outside world into a 'winter wonderland'. Can you just make out the twinkly lights on the summerhouse? So pretty.... we had over four inches of snow, and incredibly strong winds last night, the latter disturbing all the twinkly lights strung around the garden, so that when the snow finally clears, we need to get out there and put them all back where they should be. Shrubs and so on are weighed down with snow, birds struggling to get on the feeders. But luckily for them I have a daft soft-hearted lovely husband who braved the falling snow to go and lay food under the holly tree, where the pigeons can't get it, where there is no snow, and within minutes robins were back to eat. They had been scrabbling around looking desperately for some food, which is what prompted the explorer like trudge across the garden!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggI5eUqXSQD83d1jcceXeRlr5zQTkai93ZqfNLPPjw142wYauYNKCKVsWH4xfBM8mOmwrFdYRr1evFOmWfw3CKyCLoVoG2Ns_cs3fAIGQVYp3g79zJIUJGwAfuC8gCD4vlCRDQ-glt1laN/s1600-h/shouse.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416524352023179746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggI5eUqXSQD83d1jcceXeRlr5zQTkai93ZqfNLPPjw142wYauYNKCKVsWH4xfBM8mOmwrFdYRr1evFOmWfw3CKyCLoVoG2Ns_cs3fAIGQVYp3g79zJIUJGwAfuC8gCD4vlCRDQ-glt1laN/s400/shouse.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDvo1CtsMs0ffcy7GGLXz_7IWBk7FZ0J_O9M-vms9zBd4SR70qKuk3sCzcVQJ2g7hJmvFS7gvdkuiQQM-aY76pPUQDu1-L6nAwMAJJw9Agr8WI7ZJQfQsvpZ-KxUHAZKoBQ3_y9Twj74G/s1600-h/fallingsnow.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416524120736467906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDvo1CtsMs0ffcy7GGLXz_7IWBk7FZ0J_O9M-vms9zBd4SR70qKuk3sCzcVQJ2g7hJmvFS7gvdkuiQQM-aY76pPUQDu1-L6nAwMAJJw9Agr8WI7ZJQfQsvpZ-KxUHAZKoBQ3_y9Twj74G/s400/fallingsnow.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAMtIzxVzkiVCZ0K1Q-amyHCCm6ldkVeewUrqWxvUomOPAkpTBKxfnwDJUbDGOrosuW3sBdkmCe4_67rUdLQWc25VGztSu1b3-p1GKOAPyKR1VqWwYYC0WDjyhPDv16N8sTsDySN8wPa2I/s1600-h/falsnow.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416523906453955682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAMtIzxVzkiVCZ0K1Q-amyHCCm6ldkVeewUrqWxvUomOPAkpTBKxfnwDJUbDGOrosuW3sBdkmCe4_67rUdLQWc25VGztSu1b3-p1GKOAPyKR1VqWwYYC0WDjyhPDv16N8sTsDySN8wPa2I/s400/falsnow.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTotOKbOywSuMnC5VL6sILwoW0DVKKUo7-9yPADKTWXcwWvNs9gYAVC0j9-a-Kxk93GdqNNbZ4A_lSVlEoLMNlr41NYA_OBm_zNbd6sS2U3wMAlFqKf9TRb-Ep_Dbm9wimccM1i8VWrLRN/s1600-h/snowseat.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416523642635366066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTotOKbOywSuMnC5VL6sILwoW0DVKKUo7-9yPADKTWXcwWvNs9gYAVC0j9-a-Kxk93GdqNNbZ4A_lSVlEoLMNlr41NYA_OBm_zNbd6sS2U3wMAlFqKf9TRb-Ep_Dbm9wimccM1i8VWrLRN/s400/snowseat.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSC6Xsn184NgBC5wPxC_I1FtTxfMuDMQ8_AuiW69o5IURnFqeLX0Y4gMGwgFGyzb0BjC-52UpSmeKC2DzbgNWzCwGC5XbQxfd7PXZAJVBIC9PTPO2vBbpptBWPRJXYvm2fkypyf46QEmr/s1600-h/spikysnow.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416523418964185202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSC6Xsn184NgBC5wPxC_I1FtTxfMuDMQ8_AuiW69o5IURnFqeLX0Y4gMGwgFGyzb0BjC-52UpSmeKC2DzbgNWzCwGC5XbQxfd7PXZAJVBIC9PTPO2vBbpptBWPRJXYvm2fkypyf46QEmr/s400/spikysnow.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpycoR8HckdK8nLxxL5rtJuuhgrOpkRGVLxs8SaZE70TnUjtX6PXR9awBxc1lwtC5r_LiP4OaU0VrVlA79Sd-kzouBHqcvrAvTeMRosPVZmAbDQs_9RN1fr3ubWEQ2W2fnHTGRbBPZtOE/s1600-h/snowwind.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416523135906202930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpycoR8HckdK8nLxxL5rtJuuhgrOpkRGVLxs8SaZE70TnUjtX6PXR9awBxc1lwtC5r_LiP4OaU0VrVlA79Sd-kzouBHqcvrAvTeMRosPVZmAbDQs_9RN1fr3ubWEQ2W2fnHTGRbBPZtOE/s400/snowwind.jpg" border="0" /></a> The lacy window is pretty don't you think? This is the north-facing window of the front porch first thing this morning. I just love snow, a big kid at heart I suppose, and so I was out in the garden taking the above photos whilst husband had breakfast, he being the more sensible of the two as you can see! Though would a sensible person go out in the heavy snowfall to feed small birds? Anyway, it looks beautiful from the inside, but venturing out brings a whole new different perspective to the lovely white stuff. </div><div></div><div>And be warned, here beginneth a small rant!</div><div></div><div>We had planned to go shopping this morning, though I was a tad worried at the lack of traffic through the village. Normally one hears the bread van delivering to the shop down the road, buses, and on Friday, the dustbinmen. Well, the latter made it at least. But the road was snow covered on our side, less so on the opposite, so not much was coming into the village, but the usual amount of people going to work etc., was leaving. So, rather than turn left out of the drive - once we got out of it that is because there is a slight dip just at the end then a slight rise onto the pavement - we turned right, going along towards the bypass. We would have been surprised, though pleased, had the gritters been out along the main road through the village, but felt sure they would have done the main A road, the bypass, the main arterial road linking the bigger towns. We were dismayed to see that NONE of the road had been done at all, traffic was crawling, and listening to the local radio station in the car when drivers were phoning in to report on the state of roads, one man who lives in our village and works on the same estate as my husband, had left home at the normal time of 7.15am, which would have got him to work by 7.40 at the latest.... two hours later he still hadn't got there, so that means that by the sound of it, absolutely no roads at all, not even one where there is a hospital, had been treated. It seemed to be the same across the whole of north Norfolk.</div><div></div><div>Speaking for our own area only since I know for a fact the road hasn't been treated, this is a disgrace. They can't pretend they didn't know about it, for we were told at the beginning of the week to expect 'significant snowfall late Thursday night, early hours Friday morning'. There have been severe weather warnings for the last twenty four hours, so why has nothing been done? As usual, the country grinds to a halt, even when we are prepared. Most of the schools around here are closed, buses are few and far between and taking hours to do relatively short journeys of twenty miles. Even when prepared and warned, it still causes chaos. </div><div></div><div>So, winter wonderland it may be, but only if you don't have to go out in it. We have abandoned plans for shopping, having enough food for a few days, and so I can just enjoy the sight of it falling, gently at the moment, in huge white flakes.</div><div></div><div>Wherever you are, I hope you have the weather you want, and none of the chaos you don't want!</div><div></div><div><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div>pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-63476104757047311942009-12-10T03:34:00.000-08:002009-12-10T05:26:58.586-08:00A bear, a book, baubles and beads and other stuff!When you stand in the window, look out at the clear, pale blue sky and feel the warmth of the sun on your face, it is hard to believe that Christmas is only two weeks away. However, there are predictions of wintry showers, possibly snow, and low temperatures next week, so maybe it will feel a bit more Christmassy then. Out in the garden there is still masses of colour from penstemon and snapdragons, marigolds and cranesbill all valiantly hanging on to their flowers, and this fatsia has produced masses of 'flowers', and I should think they would take to removing and spraying gold or silver for a wreath? I have loads of hollies and ivies in the garden too, which will be used with plain cream candles in the dining room, and this is all the decoration that room will get - anything more would be too much I think, and with its deep red walls, alcoves lined with books, large fireplace with mantlepiece and big mirror above it, I have always felt it needed just candles and natural foliage.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pCZXcLrnfRRtY0GgxuEvJKSncAruOKLfIRPU6Zd51b_muy2DbqmYy2JxUqyGFIN4kjXmTuad-xbsOnlWv1zRZs1aZlmvoZ5oBTjC6wnQZaFP2Xx2acbaEtTsIjnzwFYA9RpLEhDER7F4/s1600-h/fatsia.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413571761381847394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pCZXcLrnfRRtY0GgxuEvJKSncAruOKLfIRPU6Zd51b_muy2DbqmYy2JxUqyGFIN4kjXmTuad-xbsOnlWv1zRZs1aZlmvoZ5oBTjC6wnQZaFP2Xx2acbaEtTsIjnzwFYA9RpLEhDER7F4/s400/fatsia.jpg" border="0" /></a> And I know this pineapple sage should really be indoors now, but it seems happy still in its pot under the laburnum, and so I will leave it, until the predicted freeze arrives, and then put it in the summerhouse.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDtkrflRAebk02YUfYN8eqYJRSzDZjnQ7Gq3GKRE5wPCMtIT6NnqQJvcG-REoC7IfjJWQ_y69C56feWFdSFiobMgerUanrTmZXtmGc4a2L93sRyiS1nLF6EbJ3VwBHmuEuaTeqAqwqbBxa/s1600-h/psage.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413571548189481314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDtkrflRAebk02YUfYN8eqYJRSzDZjnQ7Gq3GKRE5wPCMtIT6NnqQJvcG-REoC7IfjJWQ_y69C56feWFdSFiobMgerUanrTmZXtmGc4a2L93sRyiS1nLF6EbJ3VwBHmuEuaTeqAqwqbBxa/s400/psage.jpg" border="0" /></a> This is Henry. I swore, years ago, when I gave away dozens of bears to the Children's Hospice in Milton, that I would stop buying them. But sometimes, just sometimes, one catches your eye, you know? Well, possibly you don't. A slight deviation from the theme of the blog, but did any of you see Kirstie making her little bear on C4 last night? Watching her, rather overly made up towards the end I thought, I couldn't help but notice how she has slimmed down, and how much she has possibly changed from those early days on C4 with the lovely Phil Spencer. At least on this latest show she only seems to be wearing three different outfits, unlike when she was doing out this cottage and seemed to wear a different outfit for every camera shot almost!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1C6saH1GZHILBKmP3oWyigCrfOmuuIWzbpdLGaTNrcCjuiVeW3oICRSz01wHKuR_1BH_SX57xlg15Jn3uOHa4CPlgFQ2GU7P6sfcDr9uocW60jisejeTFsVX8Kv123JxHL7a0Wh9zA0iy/s1600-h/henry.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413571326359637074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1C6saH1GZHILBKmP3oWyigCrfOmuuIWzbpdLGaTNrcCjuiVeW3oICRSz01wHKuR_1BH_SX57xlg15Jn3uOHa4CPlgFQ2GU7P6sfcDr9uocW60jisejeTFsVX8Kv123JxHL7a0Wh9zA0iy/s400/henry.jpg" border="0" /></a> I thought some of you might be interested in this book, one of our recent additions. It is divided into chapters, with headings such as 'Nothing like a bad start in life', which includes Isaac Newton and Salvador Dali; 'Happy-go-lucky' with Edward Jenner and Benjamin Franklin amongst those famous people mentioned; and 'Driven', Genghis Khan and Mary Kingsley feature in this group.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0pmkwqeSQzvMQ1a3TZZHvB3m6w2bjil00FRbZeV6rGgB-RWJ3AgpBGVGT_Su3BybA-ppM4h8u3yCjniHanCB137gLGhyUXvfhyphenhyphenUXgSf4rCuZLyE5fQWqX0V_57Rfy49uQXI9a2gl3rDp0/s1600-h/book.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413571112082439026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0pmkwqeSQzvMQ1a3TZZHvB3m6w2bjil00FRbZeV6rGgB-RWJ3AgpBGVGT_Su3BybA-ppM4h8u3yCjniHanCB137gLGhyUXvfhyphenhyphenUXgSf4rCuZLyE5fQWqX0V_57Rfy49uQXI9a2gl3rDp0/s400/book.jpg" border="0" /></a> Well, it may not look like Christmas, but there's no denying it is that time of year. Last year we had a beautiful Spruce, one of the no-drop variety, and once Christmas was over, outside in a pot it went. And to say it looks odd would be an understatement, since there is a bit of a pointy green bit of a stem at the top, then a gap of over a foot, some bald branches, and then full lush greenness. It won't be coming indoors, but inspired by a feature in COUNTRY LIVING I am going to hang bird treats off it.... I have done pine cones with seeds in before, so will do that again, as well as hang fat balls, peanuts, fruit rings off the branches.</div><div>So instead of the real tree indoors, I have opted for two small artificial ones instead.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4tBV_AdcjPdyXgNVCtJjw05NUl2A6-EExWdOEZu9nBgy36LKi7GIs6zTTtpKe4eXhLpKyG5K4_jN52Aa59_Hjwj97JzvUVhmacZX4HUYHS76EofgJ-J5nt373U082FJJ9mqriERgMt7f/s1600-h/xmas4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413570861012113170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 299px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4tBV_AdcjPdyXgNVCtJjw05NUl2A6-EExWdOEZu9nBgy36LKi7GIs6zTTtpKe4eXhLpKyG5K4_jN52Aa59_Hjwj97JzvUVhmacZX4HUYHS76EofgJ-J5nt373U082FJJ9mqriERgMt7f/s400/xmas4.jpg" border="0" /></a> The first is this white one, which will be decorated with small purple baubles and beads, and go in the sitting room, which has purple walls. (Not that I am alwayas fussed about colour co-ordination I have to say, sometimes the trees have been rather gaudy to say the least!) Then there is a little black one, slightly smaller than this, which will be decorated with red and silver. Which makes this little lot redundant this year....<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HHIfacb1uGiOLS6UYDMnSMXDhQOjm-oXqVjeh65x9g8LI_I-ht1Zk5pizONsX4P2z7Z34tsJa8ebewc5WBmXxEZ1TBiMpXN6bDA_kBS7mHj4uUr2D6GZhcLN7z2FkOjEvI53-XCmmMaH/s1600-h/xmas1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413570639803088034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HHIfacb1uGiOLS6UYDMnSMXDhQOjm-oXqVjeh65x9g8LI_I-ht1Zk5pizONsX4P2z7Z34tsJa8ebewc5WBmXxEZ1TBiMpXN6bDA_kBS7mHj4uUr2D6GZhcLN7z2FkOjEvI53-XCmmMaH/s400/xmas1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYpSbombVCYt4tUCA9XPlFqTYNEgFkiXoE1ANfmYwidaKjRpU6MNxEzwL1xa1YPTHeOvHDTMkjkz6q9cZ3AUIk_kG7ivLNrNp2t-kglgDhty2Ox88EmgpjgEHa11_J_1AQlmQ7PPDz0m0/s1600-h/xmas2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413570402192720738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYpSbombVCYt4tUCA9XPlFqTYNEgFkiXoE1ANfmYwidaKjRpU6MNxEzwL1xa1YPTHeOvHDTMkjkz6q9cZ3AUIk_kG7ivLNrNp2t-kglgDhty2Ox88EmgpjgEHa11_J_1AQlmQ7PPDz0m0/s400/xmas2.jpg" border="0" /></a> And finally, inspired by Jill over at jilltaylor-thirdagemusings.blogspot.com I have bought some lovely books of cartridge paper to have a go at one of her gorgeous calendars. I am not expecting to do anything as beautiful or arty to be honest, but I just loved hers so much I wanted to play too. These fab books are so incredibly reasonably priced, were delivered within 48 hours, and came from the pink pig over at <a href="http://www.tummybox.com/">http://www.tummybox.com/</a> for any of you similarly inclined to buy notebooks and journals like me.</div><div></div><div>So, all that remains is for me to wish you all a very happy Christmas, may it be just as you hope, just as you want, and that goes for the new year as well. Thank you all for following me, for your comments, and your kinship. </div><div><br /> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GmwwOPv7xmV8ZjCWA615OIBBivQSVlqZgvwraFPKm0QWgjLIE4SsY8QlJgxi6Cdim_E69eCDomgauBKtTZLA5-6JcSS5hD_5-kgUYcvqBIiTvD9LIA1VWMrq2aD0NVfOr34WP0sBTR_W/s1600-h/artbks.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413570099397368210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GmwwOPv7xmV8ZjCWA615OIBBivQSVlqZgvwraFPKm0QWgjLIE4SsY8QlJgxi6Cdim_E69eCDomgauBKtTZLA5-6JcSS5hD_5-kgUYcvqBIiTvD9LIA1VWMrq2aD0NVfOr34WP0sBTR_W/s400/artbks.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div>pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-59768306306201503112009-11-26T02:58:00.001-08:002009-11-26T03:35:54.679-08:00All heart.Hearts. Fabric hearts, knitted hearts, felt hearts, paper hearts. Hearts everywhere you go these days. I love the shape, and have used it in embroidery, crochet, tapestry, papier mache, and, as you can see, knitting. I don't normally bother with Christmas presents for friends, preferring to make more of their birthdays, which I see as being more personal to them, but this year I decided to send a knitted heart to a handful of my closest/oldest friends, and these are examples of them. Each one has had a few drops of scented oil added to the filling... I have used a warm-scented honey and vanilla, figuring it would make a change from the usual Christmassy scents. I'm quite pleased with them....<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu71xnSKmaozM-Du4d59WIR23ZzS7It0apKCLAugwxZGNraAZ_dupRM2j6BeM47DNrhiHFyHH54DvsDIS2c8PfNYyULRkSXGoVgVeNryyUM-EsrC1uQhpKxf7FDP_BdmvGhCAMphxkwNCo/s1600/hrts3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408365947807048002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 303px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu71xnSKmaozM-Du4d59WIR23ZzS7It0apKCLAugwxZGNraAZ_dupRM2j6BeM47DNrhiHFyHH54DvsDIS2c8PfNYyULRkSXGoVgVeNryyUM-EsrC1uQhpKxf7FDP_BdmvGhCAMphxkwNCo/s400/hrts3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmDfScRRN7SDOSas4GH9pHxYSz8B2mWg9pN4hGTT9xplyEcD4bQbfLdltH9ki3KJZJL8sKXwOu8lrJXf4JL1Qg6VKAh01MLEm0y4auMi8NDWHyL8EojbOJ2IVAWKafaw-ZtNgQPPYcmja/s1600/hrts1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408365782182062674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 282px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmDfScRRN7SDOSas4GH9pHxYSz8B2mWg9pN4hGTT9xplyEcD4bQbfLdltH9ki3KJZJL8sKXwOu8lrJXf4JL1Qg6VKAh01MLEm0y4auMi8NDWHyL8EojbOJ2IVAWKafaw-ZtNgQPPYcmja/s400/hrts1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDGdKrnKBdK0d2qujjDj6UncP38kZ3TWRhDTdaVL-oIk3dCoxw-Y1NdxzdZS7ZcQkhu-ZFdmwUlER_UtUXs44rUBF3TdWNT6YSzWj6rfYFlUcYpMgHH4pN3XQlM7If2VsUjSnydpvXvP0p/s1600/hrts2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408365579066579810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 348px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDGdKrnKBdK0d2qujjDj6UncP38kZ3TWRhDTdaVL-oIk3dCoxw-Y1NdxzdZS7ZcQkhu-ZFdmwUlER_UtUXs44rUBF3TdWNT6YSzWj6rfYFlUcYpMgHH4pN3XQlM7If2VsUjSnydpvXvP0p/s400/hrts2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqU5H24bDEVGQ1VwbtiqEUw3lrnlInHvM-h4GjEfO45_tDyl1NlMJ6KJ93g7KtwMTM2EA40FhqpQZZRFQ9ho7tGqIx5B9JesRkuxTZhNbR8nDBAbjETEPJRBfkbuo_OJ7xEzJ90EpqhQE/s1600/hrts4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408365399728936866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 306px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqU5H24bDEVGQ1VwbtiqEUw3lrnlInHvM-h4GjEfO45_tDyl1NlMJ6KJ93g7KtwMTM2EA40FhqpQZZRFQ9ho7tGqIx5B9JesRkuxTZhNbR8nDBAbjETEPJRBfkbuo_OJ7xEzJ90EpqhQE/s400/hrts4.jpg" border="0" /></a>I shall wrap them in pretty tissue, tie with flamboyant silky ribbon and make hand-made gift tags of the luggage label shape, just to make them a bit more special. </div><div>But there's no escaping the heart shape.... it is a very popular shape in crafts as most will know, but originally, according to Wikipedia, 'The heart has long been used as a symbol to refer to the spiritual, emotional, moral .... core of a human being.' It was widely believed to be 'the seat of the human mind', the word now being used to refer to the soul, the heart symbol representing romantic love, seen most frequently around the time of St Valentine's Day. </div><div>There are literally thousands of sayings to do with the heart - a few of my favourites are ...</div><div>'Train your head and hands to do, your head and heart to dare'. JOSEPH COTTER</div><div>'Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year'. RALPH WALDO EMERSON</div><div>'Within your heart, keep one still, small spot where dreams may go'. LOUISE DRISCOLL</div><div>And where would poets be without a heart? One of my favourite is 'i carry you in my heart' by e e cummings, which I have included in a past posting so won't repeat here. And of course Mr Wordsworth's heart filled with pleasure and danced with his daffodils. </div><div>Wendy Cope wrote a short poem entitled 'Valentine', which begins and ends with the lines ..'My heart has made its mind up, and I'm afraid it's you'. And Christina Rossetti in her poem 'A Birthday' wrote in the first verse of having a heart like 'a singing bird.... an apple tree.... a rainbow shell'.</div><div>Musicians and song-writers too, have the heart to thank for success. Where would Billy Ray Cyrus be without his 'Achey, breaky heart'? Bonnie Tyler without her 'Total Eclipse of the Heart'? McFly had 'The heart that never lies', whilst Michael Nyman had 'The heart seeks pleasure first'.</div><div>Writers of television series have made good use of the word heart too... HEARTBEAT, WILD AT HEART, WHERE THE HEART IS to name but three. (Actually they are the only three I can think of off the top of my head!)</div><div>There are many sayings associated with the heart.... 'Have a heart', having 'a heart of gold', then there's 'your hearts desire'.</div><div>Oh, and on a sweet note, who could forget LOVE HEARTS?</div><div>So, dear heart(s)... this is my daft little posting about hearts. Enjoy the rest of the week, and your weekend, and thanks for calling by again and leaving your comments.<br /><br /><br /></div><div></div></div></div>pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-1296936127621780632009-11-21T02:36:00.001-08:002009-11-21T03:42:43.109-08:00Presents and ponderings.Well, it's not my birthday for a couple of weeks yet, but you know what it's like on Amazon, sometimes the prices of books goes up as well as down, a bit like the value of investments if you have any, and so I tend to look at books I want, and then buy them, just in case. Hence the delicious mixed bag below. And, it goes without saying that there will be a few more treats on the day itself - this is a warning as much of a hint to Himself who will be reading this I know.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmACFo_f5Pfa44IaU-oIl7E46by9e2ixoXpjxzckMs0wSELTMy9V7PeyxMZq6mduNQZp_pyfKd649TXrl9D0Q7ZaZVxH6AK8VxfNv8Ma1S6cjLeWtK20w0DkSLsxDV1JpAE2kXVgqPoh8/s1600/bdbks.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406505266299235298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 308px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmACFo_f5Pfa44IaU-oIl7E46by9e2ixoXpjxzckMs0wSELTMy9V7PeyxMZq6mduNQZp_pyfKd649TXrl9D0Q7ZaZVxH6AK8VxfNv8Ma1S6cjLeWtK20w0DkSLsxDV1JpAE2kXVgqPoh8/s400/bdbks.jpg" border="0" /></a> Now for a closer look at some of them, well most of them really, I've left the ordinary modern fiction out of the closer look.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKhcM0v4v5sgTQ-cJpOQr9f7s5VjF3yOLiWEFwJui5IoeVqLGhTAndW41YxCema8cgWlcDGeRwVao4CFGk5kgZ1lzpbRv-EfLz24hKvH6o_lZpuSaIvR7npgeVPCBbxa8jG0t_rMeBv3Q/s1600/bdbks1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406505123656301650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKhcM0v4v5sgTQ-cJpOQr9f7s5VjF3yOLiWEFwJui5IoeVqLGhTAndW41YxCema8cgWlcDGeRwVao4CFGk5kgZ1lzpbRv-EfLz24hKvH6o_lZpuSaIvR7npgeVPCBbxa8jG0t_rMeBv3Q/s400/bdbks1.jpg" border="0" /></a>I loved the film '84 Charing Cross Road' with Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins, and after seeing the film got the book, which led me to more books by Helene Hanff. But as someone who has been penpalling for decades, I am attracted to books like the Helene Hanff, and the above, 'Dear Mr Bigelow' by Frances Woodford. This latter is a selection of penpal letters written in the years 1949 to 1961, between Frances, an unmarried woman living and working in Bournemouth, and a wealthy widower living on Long Island, an unlikely couple on the face of it.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5BWp4jCzqYynVXaACaYbvezXV1jdOIwWFnDCfFjivppOMRChJBnQh_WbksHqnnvvaiTT_HjxuF7oGRNkPYHUD1C6HrW4g1I2ShRQf72GKiFGZ17ACRg76PtfQjIBSY4xIOZLaFdiLQ96/s1600/bdbks2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406504896606637586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5BWp4jCzqYynVXaACaYbvezXV1jdOIwWFnDCfFjivppOMRChJBnQh_WbksHqnnvvaiTT_HjxuF7oGRNkPYHUD1C6HrW4g1I2ShRQf72GKiFGZ17ACRg76PtfQjIBSY4xIOZLaFdiLQ96/s400/bdbks2.jpg" border="0" /></a> And isn't the cover of this book just gorgeous? I know a lot of you are attracted to books by their covers initially, and had I seen this on a shelf in a bookshop, it would have caught my attention, for the cover and the author. One day Susan Hill was looking on her landing bookshelves, for a book to read, when she discovered quite a number of books she had either read and forgotten, or not read at all, and that was the prompt for this book. I did think it would be an interesting exercise to do the same myself in a journal; then I realised that I do keep notes of the books I have read in my daily journal, as I have read them, a brief resume of the book, and what I thought of it, not going into too much detail or writing an in-depth critique you understand, just enough to act as a reminder.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKB3Dj-HCatsnxh9IS6uPtFeyVskavY4pOodRXjqeEuL2ifDCK6dKtlVgYZRl6V9qk8svDGpztiPuaqKn8B23ABIYsK49a-XeipYZDmHDsATyz3CYOZjyUyR9Hyg261ynWyU-ImU-aSzmH/s1600/bdbks3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406504677540774242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKB3Dj-HCatsnxh9IS6uPtFeyVskavY4pOodRXjqeEuL2ifDCK6dKtlVgYZRl6V9qk8svDGpztiPuaqKn8B23ABIYsK49a-XeipYZDmHDsATyz3CYOZjyUyR9Hyg261ynWyU-ImU-aSzmH/s400/bdbks3.jpg" border="0" /></a> One day I will get an old copy of REBECCA, I know they are available from various online sellers, but I prefer, when buying old books, to look at, to handle them, rather than just going by a small thumbnail on a bookseller's site. I have a few old Daphne du Maurier books, 'Rebecca' is the one I want next, but for now, as I didn't have a copy of it, this new imprint will suffice. The Virginia Woolf diaries I filched from another blog, someone else I had been meaning to read for years and yet never got around to, now I have no excuse. The print is very small though, so it will be slow going...<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SQMx42GClHSXmRtCmNn-oaTx_xG6PDQ28_RxlIMoN7VHJlwPCUwmqbZjqpgQSUQkVJVmVsmySKsv27lduuJ5yFWyOqd1dBOPFPyA48-nFgjWqShmygAOPXvOV8iQBuNWw_d8d20d6c-c/s1600/bdbks4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406504442936562018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9SQMx42GClHSXmRtCmNn-oaTx_xG6PDQ28_RxlIMoN7VHJlwPCUwmqbZjqpgQSUQkVJVmVsmySKsv27lduuJ5yFWyOqd1dBOPFPyA48-nFgjWqShmygAOPXvOV8iQBuNWw_d8d20d6c-c/s400/bdbks4.jpg" border="0" /></a> A couple of new craft books caught my eye... actually about half a dozen caught my eye but I restricted myself to these two, for now. Looking forward to sitting snuggled in my chair with a mug of tea and a piece of home made cake to browse through these, leisurely.</div><div></div><div>And there you have it, my birthday books. Now for the pondering.</div><div></div><div>I was prompted into a train of thought on this subject after reading Mark's latest posting over at viewsfromthebikeshed.blogspot.com and the subject is FRIENDSHIP, or more to the point, FRIENDS, or even more to the point, what makes a FRIEND?</div><div></div><div>Youngsters these days seem to have friends by the score, people they meet on Twitter and Facebook apparently. Whatever these two are I have no idea, having only just come to terms with how to use a mobile telephone that has now been discarded, sits on a shelf, only to be used in times of emergency, when I may well discover the battery is flat, which won't be as much of a surprise as it might have been, as the thought it used batteries never entered my mind until my other half pointed it out to me. Anyway my mind is so full of STUFF that there's hardly room for anything that isn't absolutely Essential.</div><div></div><div>Right, off the rambling track and back onto the original ponder. These youngsters all consider these people, many of whom they have never met, and may never ever meet, as friends, people they know personally. Now had these inventions been around in my teenage years I doubt I would have had the same take on what makes a personal friend. I had penfriends, one a DJ on a pirate radio station and one a girl my age in California, but although the term used for them was 'penfriends' I am not sure I would class them as friends in the same way I use the word these days.</div><div></div><div>People I meet via blogging, people who leave comments on mine and who visit regularly, those who visit occasionally; people who write blogs I follow or visit occasionally; I don't actually consider them 'friends'. More acquaintances. How can they be real friends when I don't actually know them, don't know anything more than that they reveal via blogs and comments? Plus there is a certain amount of anonymity isn't there? Whilst we may know where each other lives roughly speaking, we don't share addresses for the most part, and if they were real friends, then you'd have addresses, birthdays, swap cards at Christmas and so on, wouldn't you?</div><div>Surely a REAL FRIEND is someone you know quite well? Your BEST FRIEND is someone you know intimately, someone who knows you inside and out, loves you warts and all, is there through the bad times and the good, always there when needed, and not there when you want to be left alone. A blogging acquaintance doesn't fall into that category, that's for sure... well, not in my case anyway, but as close friends will tell you, I am not the easiest person to get along with. (I can see you all now with a wry smile... and you know who you are!) So maybe I don't get as close to blogging companions/acquaintances as others?If they all stopped writing, I would miss them, but maybe I would miss them more for the approbation, admiration, support that their comments have brought, still bring, than for the person behind the blogging. Because do I really know the person behind the blog? In most cases, no.</div><div></div><div>There are exceptions, and I won't name them. But a few are actually what I would call close friends, either through longevity, or because somehow we just clicked and the blogging is only a small part of our friendship, certainly not the main part. But the majority I only know basic, surface stuff about them. And that's fine by me. But does that make them friends in the real sense of the word? And what is the real sense of the word, for you?</div><div></div><div>OK, end of rambling ponder. Enjoy your week, and thanks for dropping by, and a big Hello to the new followers, thank you for joining me!<br /></div><div></div></div></div></div>pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-44246768441603235362009-11-19T03:29:00.001-08:002009-11-19T03:56:54.855-08:00A touch of the blues, with some purples too.Well, this opening picture may not be exactly blue, or purple (though there are some dark purply bits there) but I couldn't resist using it. Taken from my workroom window at seven thirty this morning, quite spectacular. At the back of the house, which I couldn't quite capture, it was dusky bluey grey with deep rosy pink brushstrokes of colour splashed across it. But the colours were glorious, whichever way I looked. What you can't see is the way the smaller clouds are scudding across the sky at a fast rate of knots, for it is windy here. Or was... it seems to have abated, after having sent a garden chair across the garden yesterday, and the mini plastic greenhouse upended. Today less windy, but even so, I gave up rescuing washing when pegs gave up the struggle and things were left hanging, well...not by a thread, but a single peg. Our postie declared it not as 'knackering' as it was yesterday, cycling head-on into the wind, but added that compared to some, we were very lucky. I know this from friends in the north-west who have told me of swollen rivers, flooded roads, and with more rain to come, a desperate time of worry over the next 48 hours or so for them.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20HtU3JYznh54FogD6o5LpU941l2CZvbyeb9wbVUfDGJDFkMwitfXJbuaTkBN5RC6F34oYuyrCh-bVkUhD8Cbdg7mH1zvYpO5efS6EI_0xZqLkqlJ_dBqDx15KuQmo71qRAsyp8kKDF5b/s1600/sky1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405777812608659858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 201px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20HtU3JYznh54FogD6o5LpU941l2CZvbyeb9wbVUfDGJDFkMwitfXJbuaTkBN5RC6F34oYuyrCh-bVkUhD8Cbdg7mH1zvYpO5efS6EI_0xZqLkqlJ_dBqDx15KuQmo71qRAsyp8kKDF5b/s400/sky1.jpg" border="0" /></a> And no, this isn't a blue movie, but the DVD is a rather fetching shade of blue, don't you think? This is one of my favourite old movies of all time, and so I couldn't resist getting it, along with another Julia Roberts for the collection, ERIN BROCKOVITCH, though as she's in a bright hot pink case, wouldn't quite fit here. Do you think that Cary Grant would have resorted to Botox, had it been around, to fill in the chin dimple as a certain celebrity chef is said to have had done recently?<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Z3PME6-V4e2MM0BJvwDHjto0j6Ze21aMjZGLefbnmEdDyLV_TA0bjxYmxjB-nJcXlXhKhfSVoivnhyePA8l1_80x_LkunRUOGnBmTunewFAZqT9_VAp3TXemKS6UozVpi2CXTFEGTKqZ/s1600/dvd.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405777682430603810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Z3PME6-V4e2MM0BJvwDHjto0j6Ze21aMjZGLefbnmEdDyLV_TA0bjxYmxjB-nJcXlXhKhfSVoivnhyePA8l1_80x_LkunRUOGnBmTunewFAZqT9_VAp3TXemKS6UozVpi2CXTFEGTKqZ/s400/dvd.jpg" border="0" /></a> Well, this definitely falls into the blue and purple category. A throw recently finished. I had the idea for the colours in my head, and so made up this design, with a separate flower attached to the central square, as you will see from the photo beneath this one. It is done in quite a thick DK wool, lovely and soft, and somehow looks a bit Red Indian-ish to me... maybe the colours? Maybe just my weird imagination. Whatever.... I had originally thought to try and sell it, but now think I might just keep it.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFC3su-0ro-ad0XkK5l7qeTVULyQNB_BUBc5DJqkDDRW5wlMxPR4LxoAzdJMQb45eZ0cis3t2NxJe4Vf-KSyYcqGea9yuVisR9RPQDKE6PY1wwGXc64otRkczZuC9WyKlvW903PyGt2nbK/s1600/throw1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405777259249661042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFC3su-0ro-ad0XkK5l7qeTVULyQNB_BUBc5DJqkDDRW5wlMxPR4LxoAzdJMQb45eZ0cis3t2NxJe4Vf-KSyYcqGea9yuVisR9RPQDKE6PY1wwGXc64otRkczZuC9WyKlvW903PyGt2nbK/s400/throw1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6C-kS3NN_LbNc3K79UW07M1bivIqh9P-hxKulHgaH8IgJZO1Xyu7wuBwIpFVtn3ugMFWfg11XslZoKI_r1onmyYKHM3EFjnkgGoTDejZ2Ehk0B_imSnpYnXuW-xNfFmyTVo5UPtdArAHv/s1600/throw2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405777049836140194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6C-kS3NN_LbNc3K79UW07M1bivIqh9P-hxKulHgaH8IgJZO1Xyu7wuBwIpFVtn3ugMFWfg11XslZoKI_r1onmyYKHM3EFjnkgGoTDejZ2Ehk0B_imSnpYnXuW-xNfFmyTVo5UPtdArAHv/s400/throw2.jpg" border="0" /></a> Some of you will have seen this fluffy, heart-shaped cushion before... it fitted the theme of the posting so I have included it again. I made a few of these, was going to make one in a rose pink shade for my granddaughter, but those of you who know me will know why I decided not to bother.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrUgD3KvG2PtGmy0Z6p7CvoelZjpDRLvtji92-OMxij8ElfJP3K1kQ6RpMyxzwlUa91CsbUbhVu9icrhObNMebo_ZqeHtnwk4H3OsWcWE0Az1q6l9PhcdWZcFj79ZDH7Ew7CCoXFtHV1e/s1600/flufcush.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405776696779571042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrUgD3KvG2PtGmy0Z6p7CvoelZjpDRLvtji92-OMxij8ElfJP3K1kQ6RpMyxzwlUa91CsbUbhVu9icrhObNMebo_ZqeHtnwk4H3OsWcWE0Az1q6l9PhcdWZcFj79ZDH7Ew7CCoXFtHV1e/s400/flufcush.jpg" border="0" /></a> The pudding was more purply than it looks here, honest....<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7Ao89b5cDRAHSw8HxQp1X-PtLJz8VW06LCC0489yyYACAugltWZAruFnFfpQcZHZ7wQCfwN1GvONZtEBy20BQGa6iW2XR9l-crF_LbCn6kIgrIP6dC7Pw0CPVuJGBfjnr-GbwF5xX0lf/s1600/pud.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405776327165214930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7Ao89b5cDRAHSw8HxQp1X-PtLJz8VW06LCC0489yyYACAugltWZAruFnFfpQcZHZ7wQCfwN1GvONZtEBy20BQGa6iW2XR9l-crF_LbCn6kIgrIP6dC7Pw0CPVuJGBfjnr-GbwF5xX0lf/s400/pud.jpg" border="0" /></a> I have got back into the baking habit lately. I used to bake cakes and so on when the children were small, but when it was just down to us two old fogeys, I stopped. But now I am back into it again and happily spend time on a Saturday morning, whilst himself is out in the garden usually. I am tucked away in my lovely snug kitchen, making a mess, happily baking away. But I do like my short cuts too, and this pud was one of them, since the spongey bit was from an old Yorkshire Farmhouse Kitchen recipe book (is there anyone out there who also used to watch this I wonder, back in the seventies?). It involves one egg, two ounces of butter, three of sugar, four of flour, all chucked in a bowl and mixed up, with a little milk added if it needs it. Hence it's called 1-2-3-4 sponge!!! I also use cake liners courtesy of a certain company in the North West, so I have no tins to grease, or greaseproof to cut. I simply put a layer of blackcurrant jam on the base, then added cooked plums, pears and apples, tipped the sponge on the top, smoothed it out, and baked. Delish served warm with custard, or cream, or ice cream, though it's not really the weather for that, more a comfort food time of year.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAvB939_u5HMS7WtRtcZXIf6RMCLTQ38Q0vXmCXDcZ_NLW8wDQ_zYNHEyf0tH9bgsv_KuWD-CCHwAzy70TkjbWrDxQFIwSSvHKSllr34Cvq96hBudFVnX1LYLL2_DipxHvE_FYdnGLQjR/s1600/tree2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405776115921899282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAvB939_u5HMS7WtRtcZXIf6RMCLTQ38Q0vXmCXDcZ_NLW8wDQ_zYNHEyf0tH9bgsv_KuWD-CCHwAzy70TkjbWrDxQFIwSSvHKSllr34Cvq96hBudFVnX1LYLL2_DipxHvE_FYdnGLQjR/s400/tree2.jpg" border="0" /></a> Now this is definitely blue, and shows how changeable the weather is. These were taken a week ago, when we had days of glorious sunshine, which had been preceded by misty grey and damp days, and were then followed by this wet and windy stuff. But the leaves of the birch are still hanging on, despite the strong winds.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JC0RRcQU-D4rnOft3-XzDqq2ySzCyXM2AXuJ8Nc8VGdXR_w8hAXAK_lNNvOSYIDfOJcSB6w77Fc4-0JU0Htl69shMBh83RAoqcwiJMvRcol_lMbiX344ztrZYIRJWNVkmGAYN1ikGHXO/s1600/tree.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405775895199318498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JC0RRcQU-D4rnOft3-XzDqq2ySzCyXM2AXuJ8Nc8VGdXR_w8hAXAK_lNNvOSYIDfOJcSB6w77Fc4-0JU0Htl69shMBh83RAoqcwiJMvRcol_lMbiX344ztrZYIRJWNVkmGAYN1ikGHXO/s400/tree.jpg" border="0" /></a> Well, this is me for now, hoping you are all safe from floods, not losing your electricity or roof, and thanks for popping in, as usual. <div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-76185288416799321362009-11-03T02:17:00.000-08:002009-11-03T02:45:09.493-08:00Talking music.... does any of this strike a chord with you? (Sorry!)These days I rarely listen to music. At one time it was there most of the morning whilst I worked at whatever I was doing, and always, always out in my little Mini I would have music playing, usually something with a good beat, deep bass notes... that would get me dancing on my bum, tapping the steering wheel with my hands, singing - badly and loudly. Yes, I was one of those annoying people I now berate who seem to find it necessary to have loud music in their cars, windows open, destroying the peace for old fogeys like the person I have now become!! Now all I listen to in the car is the strange noises it seems to make... 'What's that knocking sound?', 'Did you hear that?' etc., etc.<br />Of course, there is an exception to my preference for silence... it's coming up to that time of year when I like to have something a little seasonal, these are just a few of my current favourites which will be played as background to my baking days in the kitchen, to my addressing and writing Christmas cards in the conservatory, blog writing and reading in my workroom. Ah yes, she who must be obeyed shall have music wherever she goes!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZ1jSm5IIl4A_AxavzuyVg-JJf7qrpS9-yWMl7ZyHottQDwQMbmm0CcKXVw5LyMSh5E4FzYQXcchRqyGs2a_2qJr6QbdMp7zuUdjvv2fn5c6SKR79_acGKcFiCGD0RJMSzHczR_Uy7pFk/s1600-h/xmscd.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399823578680174850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 321px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZ1jSm5IIl4A_AxavzuyVg-JJf7qrpS9-yWMl7ZyHottQDwQMbmm0CcKXVw5LyMSh5E4FzYQXcchRqyGs2a_2qJr6QbdMp7zuUdjvv2fn5c6SKR79_acGKcFiCGD0RJMSzHczR_Uy7pFk/s400/xmscd.jpg" border="0" /></a> My husband's music collection includes everything by The Moody Blues (some of which I love to play loudly on a summer's day with the windows open!), George Benson, he even has a couple of ZZ Top albums. Ah, ALBUMS.... there must be some of you old enough to remember buying them?????<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRsKrpmYuhsVHEQNmHo8TIQRayQViKM13Saeu-95jkplhnT2Xy9GtXsTb6I5Yo7t8DPv68F9-_NqlU0Dyaq0yiaMIaYAKfKwqxFnVS9AAa7DMze-CZXojD1pbruqkB0ZCBjlWGgLAhpkrQ/s1600-h/lps.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399820986411979954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRsKrpmYuhsVHEQNmHo8TIQRayQViKM13Saeu-95jkplhnT2Xy9GtXsTb6I5Yo7t8DPv68F9-_NqlU0Dyaq0yiaMIaYAKfKwqxFnVS9AAa7DMze-CZXojD1pbruqkB0ZCBjlWGgLAhpkrQ/s400/lps.jpg" border="0" /></a> How about this little group, anything you had in your collection, still have maybe?<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7n_7ptlsmsTv6mwFhGy7YuH7nxYjL-zzQ3tHuijCnQWugp9zg-gNBZnxccBVz_KVvajQZNEJfpSAacxzhbuiiK9kf8PNf1GhfYP61plb3hM2yhGy_sCFcPONMzx6fwI_dDQZt3QNtMEeI/s1600-h/cd1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399820758010810626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 294px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7n_7ptlsmsTv6mwFhGy7YuH7nxYjL-zzQ3tHuijCnQWugp9zg-gNBZnxccBVz_KVvajQZNEJfpSAacxzhbuiiK9kf8PNf1GhfYP61plb3hM2yhGy_sCFcPONMzx6fwI_dDQZt3QNtMEeI/s400/cd1.jpg" border="0" /></a> Then of course CDs came along, and the advantage to them is that they are small and take less room, but somehow lack the romance of vinyl. But shown here are some of my favourites, and you can see, I have a wide range of tastes!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87ZFXq8l5oC8DVtcl5EFZguVv3kZX3Nm_Bb8hBj6jTxFQrWNdDA_al4kTjVC22lLtd4OG6ixeKSMRbUlQtq-W203Sd7CnXyRKrspYhhNINp0VEs_YMk5vXzEHPO6xmacpZRelRKwoFHuP/s1600-h/cd2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399820542234509970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 330px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87ZFXq8l5oC8DVtcl5EFZguVv3kZX3Nm_Bb8hBj6jTxFQrWNdDA_al4kTjVC22lLtd4OG6ixeKSMRbUlQtq-W203Sd7CnXyRKrspYhhNINp0VEs_YMk5vXzEHPO6xmacpZRelRKwoFHuP/s400/cd2.jpg" border="0" /></a> Some is for bopping about to, some for exercising to...</div><div>And then there are those you just play when you want to sit and be quiet and relax, nothing with words that can distract you, just gentle music to wrap itself around you like a comforter. It could be classical like these...<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEgYTpI1dMSbskIpKWw-dWWkwrf4sdU8dZT0HjeSwlA4Wb5jNcOe3w5Hzof7CtBuOfHvJ7Z0lkZJl8qJtj7QYJTISqgLeK3TTHiiY_LNK7uspPcI7lnMBZrLAPFYE-nl3GOL2XoDZ43ad/s1600-h/cd3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399820377177209330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEgYTpI1dMSbskIpKWw-dWWkwrf4sdU8dZT0HjeSwlA4Wb5jNcOe3w5Hzof7CtBuOfHvJ7Z0lkZJl8qJtj7QYJTISqgLeK3TTHiiY_LNK7uspPcI7lnMBZrLAPFYE-nl3GOL2XoDZ43ad/s400/cd3.jpg" border="0" /></a> Or not....<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXLFlqEoukuKuafI9PFEmypJfVsyURLwcK-8ICOtRr03cjgtMqPXupEy3dancAap4Z0bW5XQrJYslQwpgCQpi_OI-Hcs-mqd0pEybyoiVu-9WFLYg8p4giVTvnlm77bGs-8QLAVqevHIIt/s1600-h/cd4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399820148623483266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXLFlqEoukuKuafI9PFEmypJfVsyURLwcK-8ICOtRr03cjgtMqPXupEy3dancAap4Z0bW5XQrJYslQwpgCQpi_OI-Hcs-mqd0pEybyoiVu-9WFLYg8p4giVTvnlm77bGs-8QLAVqevHIIt/s400/cd4.jpg" border="0" /></a> And then there is my collection of spiritual music, music as a background to meditation...<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_SHeGhw3Z6l2m5MtrS9EwUkZVl6HUz6p0sWBVFBTKtnCWDvL9xigne1RSjKnU1RR12a-3kc8J6bMx9hnaDu5KmPL9fIVRl2LW57myGaA9sUymSPKP5LatpqzbdfCqJRPrygmSKlxDsJ3/s1600-h/cd5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399819908940009346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_SHeGhw3Z6l2m5MtrS9EwUkZVl6HUz6p0sWBVFBTKtnCWDvL9xigne1RSjKnU1RR12a-3kc8J6bMx9hnaDu5KmPL9fIVRl2LW57myGaA9sUymSPKP5LatpqzbdfCqJRPrygmSKlxDsJ3/s400/cd5.jpg" border="0" /></a> Music for whatever mood I am in. When I am in the mood for music that is.</div><div></div><div>Just a short one this week, to maybe jog a few memories? Have a good week and thanks for popping by again.<br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-285780910302203142009-10-29T03:46:00.001-07:002009-10-29T04:19:34.412-07:00Talking books.And that's talking about books, as opposed to talking books on disc. I know books are important to many of you, as they are to me, and so I thought I would share some of my favourites, just a few otherwise we'd be here all day! And tomorrow probably....<br />I enjoy reading about 'famous people' but mostly I prefer an autobiography to a biography, though if the latter has been authorised, that makes it all right. But I feel that if it is actually written by the person, then you are closer to the truth. So in here there are two that fall into the latter category, those of Katherine Hepburn and Dusty Springfield. I wonder if there is anyone else reading this who remembers Dusty Springfield, and whose name conjures up happy memories of teenage years? I once 'played' Dusty in a school concert, the one and only time I ever appeared in one, when I was fourteen, complete with back-combed hair, lots of black eye make up, and miming to 'I Only Want To Be With You'.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2y-erkzdtu7hsQ1xksxLYNfUGbNYL_kWXeBJp7gkwfMGqCky1Tk-QlK3an23hGcFODeR7aIEEgzN8QX2-Y6qUiSWnwwk6N-KFgYMRF5TfjBdDJbdzozeRGA05jm-_nOSXCO81b9In2Xv/s1600-h/bx9.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397974272846978242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2y-erkzdtu7hsQ1xksxLYNfUGbNYL_kWXeBJp7gkwfMGqCky1Tk-QlK3an23hGcFODeR7aIEEgzN8QX2-Y6qUiSWnwwk6N-KFgYMRF5TfjBdDJbdzozeRGA05jm-_nOSXCO81b9In2Xv/s400/bx9.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBx9YkE67i5p5lltABDFa8rOaooJH8Y2-5xde8j1Mcr7yTUSf8KRijsIEaGN4hokECWOchOxXvAi490aWjWdaQXtLlOuHttpfLXAcwAFDetyaF1mn-0GOIKpaxTtdBEhQ966ONEVkBqpJ/s1600-h/bx8.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397974052701527250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBx9YkE67i5p5lltABDFa8rOaooJH8Y2-5xde8j1Mcr7yTUSf8KRijsIEaGN4hokECWOchOxXvAi490aWjWdaQXtLlOuHttpfLXAcwAFDetyaF1mn-0GOIKpaxTtdBEhQ966ONEVkBqpJ/s400/bx8.jpg" border="0" /></a> The book above by Imogen Smallwood is about life with her mother, Enid Blyton... cost me 35p from the library, and the one about Gertrude Jekyll a princely 50p from another sale at the local library... aren't library book sales marvellous? The Monty Don book was the first of his I ever bought, whilst on a visit to Hay-on-Wye, and a happy hour spent in a shop specialising in garden and nature books.... don't you love the fact it's by MONTAGU DON?<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3K07QSrqnWELXd-U0IFyk5JgcGyJVvlgyM-CkeC8sAOxm8LWh55-fccxNla1Two1WLAWyQLuJ0_IQIkrtM1ero1YJVElrRQvKAPmZYap0FG6oHM3TxiA1T6ICJVUYWR7A0pbXfuyeLyW/s1600-h/bx7.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397973837036814962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3K07QSrqnWELXd-U0IFyk5JgcGyJVvlgyM-CkeC8sAOxm8LWh55-fccxNla1Two1WLAWyQLuJ0_IQIkrtM1ero1YJVElrRQvKAPmZYap0FG6oHM3TxiA1T6ICJVUYWR7A0pbXfuyeLyW/s400/bx7.jpg" border="0" /></a> These are just some of my favourite authors, and I have all the books written by most of them, having just treated myself to Elizabeth Jane Howards' 'Cazalet' series of books, my winter reading project.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15hmDU84myWrRUmuxPnFAdT1cdSdjXB3EcyXZMGuuaE4Ko-NeZI6WR7ds_nPTr0VkA70tmg6iSPbDoT7iFBd2ifO_YpYvIgtibttKBkOKHwsIO7-FJdiFp8uIKLR7nMyzheSy3-sXb1bK/s1600-h/bx6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397973609885465154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15hmDU84myWrRUmuxPnFAdT1cdSdjXB3EcyXZMGuuaE4Ko-NeZI6WR7ds_nPTr0VkA70tmg6iSPbDoT7iFBd2ifO_YpYvIgtibttKBkOKHwsIO7-FJdiFp8uIKLR7nMyzheSy3-sXb1bK/s400/bx6.jpg" border="0" /></a> I'm a bit picky when it comes to Alexander McCall Smith, as I only like his Edinburgh novels, I don't read crime fiction and in any case, would find the time it took to get the pronunciation of his African ladies correct, too testing for a woman of little patience! I have all Maeve Binchy's books, but this is another of those 20p bargains from the library.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQX4CjNmGR2XSRiYj1yKzqjFBSQVcgGkyihir9HtPLupWpDtNnrqlIPZwekvAoqudebyYMg7JdXtt1AVX1JFWDlw6rW_9JHvQoxBLCWqzO5o3c0XCO-o_mB0CnbLo6Pp82zPSLJ5vMBcDw/s1600-h/bx5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397973402552956882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQX4CjNmGR2XSRiYj1yKzqjFBSQVcgGkyihir9HtPLupWpDtNnrqlIPZwekvAoqudebyYMg7JdXtt1AVX1JFWDlw6rW_9JHvQoxBLCWqzO5o3c0XCO-o_mB0CnbLo6Pp82zPSLJ5vMBcDw/s400/bx5.jpg" border="0" /></a> There are also books about travel, people's lives and so on, and these are just a sample of my favourites. 'Mrs. P's Journey' by Sarah Hartley is a fascinating read, being about Phyllis Pearsall, the lady who created the London A-Z. A slightly eccentric lady, she was increasingly fed up with the lack of proper street maps of London, making journeys within the city longer than necessary, so she single-handedly set out to change all that and in so doing created 'a publishing phenomenon'. During the course of one year she covered the entire 23,000 streets on foot and mapped it all out, as the author says, thus disproving the theory (by men of course) that women can't read maps.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhk1BoiT5paReKGmvyeBep1vWfgyGRiuA_Yyc72ri65I5RmYK4NehrdXvlkVyYkjhFRCB7Yw3rR3MXxKG-boPbg96xJmmbo4YPIBk5idFYxoL7FI3Vkn4E3QRu3iatpGknCXeWq6xzkWn/s1600-h/bx4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397973093169138066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhk1BoiT5paReKGmvyeBep1vWfgyGRiuA_Yyc72ri65I5RmYK4NehrdXvlkVyYkjhFRCB7Yw3rR3MXxKG-boPbg96xJmmbo4YPIBk5idFYxoL7FI3Vkn4E3QRu3iatpGknCXeWq6xzkWn/s400/bx4.jpg" border="0" /></a> These are some of my spiritual books. I have some self-help books, just a handful I kept out of my collection. The top one is WISDOM OF THE TAO, since you can't read the title properly, and all of them are books I dip into now and then.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyXphIjFYfLA4GMt2-wr5ypDJagmNHCzFaK9dKODe4uqPO2GB96-Z2QkoD2u3zQaj8q46NXb-XHokdgx194huJzOekKE8kehPisvOm6nuSiSDoVt_ml6Dhk0IXEfZen6hldovEhKsxid9/s1600-h/bx3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397972840902246290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyXphIjFYfLA4GMt2-wr5ypDJagmNHCzFaK9dKODe4uqPO2GB96-Z2QkoD2u3zQaj8q46NXb-XHokdgx194huJzOekKE8kehPisvOm6nuSiSDoVt_ml6Dhk0IXEfZen6hldovEhKsxid9/s400/bx3.jpg" border="0" /></a> Some of my favouritest books are old ones with faded dust jackets or cloth covers, and again, this is just a handful of the collection. I am looking for REBECCA, since I have a few of Daphne du Maurier's with faded, intersting dustjackets, and somehow they suit the book better than a modern paperback reprint. 'Blandings Way' is the book following 'Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House' one of my favourite old movies.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJvB79boQPVHvcBanmGCpttfHYt9O3VrlO0GIatE5svCyEostFRUbwr33vocfqx_PzW7R_h2LxJ2-3NbDM2N2ak4ic8xdmK7LDnhyphenhyphenEy0XIqDRxNdyfNJs-lYO0CcYVS3NqbGNR4pDNnvP/s1600-h/bx2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397972629751355186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJvB79boQPVHvcBanmGCpttfHYt9O3VrlO0GIatE5svCyEostFRUbwr33vocfqx_PzW7R_h2LxJ2-3NbDM2N2ak4ic8xdmK7LDnhyphenhyphenEy0XIqDRxNdyfNJs-lYO0CcYVS3NqbGNR4pDNnvP/s400/bx2.jpg" border="0" /></a> Well, crafts are always on the go here, and these are some of the books I dip into for inspiration. I love making papier mache, but haven't done any for years, bowls being my favourite item to make, so tactile and such fun getting all dirty-handed (I use newspaper) and sticky-handed (wallpaper paste). Mind you, if the telephone rings, you're in trouble!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFSdL0ApLoh5-pccRz2To11CH1pNWgu031U4S18-x5KNb9miwOk3bAP44QOcIHsByTyv-iS_v28Z1a9gjD4E1WtnSNaVVhTCPDYiX6Pros295Jp1aG56vE4b7ff5g2Rzahi04QVM7XWNo/s1600-h/bx1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397971915037009650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFSdL0ApLoh5-pccRz2To11CH1pNWgu031U4S18-x5KNb9miwOk3bAP44QOcIHsByTyv-iS_v28Z1a9gjD4E1WtnSNaVVhTCPDYiX6Pros295Jp1aG56vE4b7ff5g2Rzahi04QVM7XWNo/s320/bx1.jpg" border="0" /></a> And I love what are called 'coffee table books', again for dipping in and out of as the mood takes me... though they should be called 'weekend books' since this seems to be when I do most of my dipping! The top one is THE BOOK OF IDLE PLEASURES.... and certainly reading books would fall into that category.</div><div> </div><div>Oh and one final thing, a message for 'Sherlock' if he's dropped by again, skipping to the end... you might like to look at the end of your last blogs, as I left a comment for you there!!</div><div> </div><div>Happy weekend everyone, be it idle or otherwise.</div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-71657450059988228902009-10-27T06:54:00.001-07:002009-10-27T08:26:20.016-07:00A rambling we will go....For the first time in a couple of days, it was dry enough to go for a ramble around the garden. I'd gone out quickly yesterday to pull up a few carrots, heard this rustling noise and out from my little would-be (or should that be 'wood'-be) woodland area (under a laburnum and a HUGE hebe which measures about ten foot across and high) scuttled a young black and white cat. You get used to rustlings in this garden, hedgehogs, birds of all sorts, the occasional cat, and often you walk out there when it's quiet, half-listening out for any surprise noises. (There was an interesting debate on LOOSE WOMEN today about 'listening', how much we actually listen. There is a subtle difference between hearing and listening, isn't there?) Today when I went out, the same scuttling and half expecting a small black and white furry creature to emerge at a fast rate of knots, instead out dashed a pheasant. He ran down the path and stopped. Not sure if I had seen a pheasant or not, it happened so fast and I had the wrong glasses on, I stopped too, and then slowly edged my way along the path. But it's hard to be quiet on shingle paths, and with a whoosh of his wings, he was off, startling the wood pigeons as well as me. I did try shouting that he'd be safer in our garden than out in the open, with all these trigger happy hunters and poachers about the place. My lovely friend Grace used to have a tame pheasant came to her cottage garden, and she would leave food out for him... he seemed to have quite an appetite for things out of the ordinary, and would have made a tasty roast one day perhaps. Grace should have been known as 'the bird lady' for she had blackbirds and a robin who used to hop onto the bottom half of her stable back door, when the top was open, and chirrup or whistle for food! The blackbird even had the nerve to wander onto the worktop, to the corner where she kept a container of cheese and dried fruit specially for the tamer birds.<br />Anyway, I took some photos of the autumn foliage, just before the skies went slightly greyer and the mizzle began again. There are some lovely colours, from the maple and mixed hedging below, to the cherry tree and dying peonies, and still so many flowers in bloom.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGAU_G7qTBDQye1sCxhIJ2gUhvBnxXPZ6wcHhooTHca3y3SS7WKR07pKNRhO7b15_sK-FbA-9nh_xAnJywuUpdEb0qPlBKA4-EE4tGbuBPvJMNLv2PGO43Th5ZWyv8RhA213fs2RTK4WfJ/s1600-h/autrcol3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397280415110473442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 239px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGAU_G7qTBDQye1sCxhIJ2gUhvBnxXPZ6wcHhooTHca3y3SS7WKR07pKNRhO7b15_sK-FbA-9nh_xAnJywuUpdEb0qPlBKA4-EE4tGbuBPvJMNLv2PGO43Th5ZWyv8RhA213fs2RTK4WfJ/s320/autrcol3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FuwVMVmlNNFI0dfSmJsrGFSNAOeUYNIF4FdF5Jg1tG_VqE_y0qPD1Bij3qWLM9yBwdUcEezW6G9_76hbXX-1Jg-p9jIHrQsXXSGQHjX7XAOlMlZBEeY6lP6t3CFqNHNJkmM68kAFUyCX/s1600-h/autcol2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397280235848066434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 231px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FuwVMVmlNNFI0dfSmJsrGFSNAOeUYNIF4FdF5Jg1tG_VqE_y0qPD1Bij3qWLM9yBwdUcEezW6G9_76hbXX-1Jg-p9jIHrQsXXSGQHjX7XAOlMlZBEeY6lP6t3CFqNHNJkmM68kAFUyCX/s320/autcol2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9pDON6UwsR81yg7mAOy-Cl6hMsj1uJ6hJRlbLb6OnlfJVYG01gcvRRgroTCCU2I9mzzmo0YIzJfwP6CNYhrCJnTlG0zd1EGs6cqVHOU51EYseVUQ5GMmYuCAX118_HVxy6PT8ApONqet/s1600-h/autcol4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397280038186935522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9pDON6UwsR81yg7mAOy-Cl6hMsj1uJ6hJRlbLb6OnlfJVYG01gcvRRgroTCCU2I9mzzmo0YIzJfwP6CNYhrCJnTlG0zd1EGs6cqVHOU51EYseVUQ5GMmYuCAX118_HVxy6PT8ApONqet/s320/autcol4.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUnLlTVuC0dRAaZLyfMvntXYYlGGwJZNuPb1D7qq9IDyIKaipFKYVwY0w6Dhx7ByQt5_nY7lo_Jzj5fIX_xYIZzHD0In0OaAv3zyYN3L_KcE_9uZ0FS7dN7cux8kQO_CW1Mx3UYMkZ1jV/s1600-h/autcol1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397279789409685938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 314px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUnLlTVuC0dRAaZLyfMvntXYYlGGwJZNuPb1D7qq9IDyIKaipFKYVwY0w6Dhx7ByQt5_nY7lo_Jzj5fIX_xYIZzHD0In0OaAv3zyYN3L_KcE_9uZ0FS7dN7cux8kQO_CW1Mx3UYMkZ1jV/s320/autcol1.jpg" border="0" /></a> I've found myself in a funny old mood this past week or two, which has culminated in my leaving the only forum I belonged to, and I won't bother naming it, those female friends who know me, will know the name anyway. I had never been happy, never felt I belonged, to this forum. I felt a bit like the new kid on the block, despite having been in it for over a year. Like being at a new school, being a bit too needy trying to fit in, please people, make all the right noises, compliment them on something just to be nice. Agreeing sometimes with things because I wanted to fit in. This happened with the forum, with every other forum I have looked at over the last couple of years, which only amounts to about four. It never happened at school, I went to one school from aged four and three quarters to fifteen and three quarters, and never tried to fit in there anyway, happy with my little group of two close friends. It was all I needed and wanted.</div><div>As an adult, I still couldn't get on with women en masse, or en group of more than three! And I am annoyed at myself for trying to fit in with the rest on this forum. For projecting an image of someone who wasn't really me, partly because I wanted some semblance of anonymity, but also because I thought it might make me more interesting, more acceptable. But as others have said, if you don't fit, you don't fit and why bother trying? And to be honest, it's not like me to be anything other than who/what I am, so why did I stray from this I wonder? Many times comments or threads I made were ignored, and it felt like I was banging my head on a brick wall, wasting my time. In the end, I just left, told the people who ran it I was going, changed the email contact address I had used on there, and that's it. No more forums, no more trying to get on with women in a group like that. Just as I can't get on with women in a group in real life, so that also applies to the virtual world it seems. I don't feel any sense of loss, in fact, in some respects, it's a relief.</div><div>But the antsy mood which I have been in still hasn't lifted properly. I feel as if I want to do something, but don't know what. It's like when you want to read and can't settle into a book... do any of you readers know that feeling? You pick up book after book, nothing holds or even grabs your attention for more than a few pages. So you discard it and turn to the next on your pile, and the same thing happens. In the end, in situations like this, I often find myself returning to old favourites, classics often, or earlier novels by favourite writers, whose earlier works might not be their best, several of them taking a few novels and years to really hit their writing stride.</div><div>Crafts which I was enjoying now seem to be dragging on, taking forever to finish. Knitting a scarf using just three balls of wool, which are only 50g balls but which seem to be neverending. I am knitting until the wool runs out, but it's taking longer than expected and I am now fed up with the pattern and the knitting and want to move onto something else.</div><div>A time for regretting, to a degree, some decisions made in the past. A very introspective time, is it to do with the seasons, the shortening days? I don't think so, because I am not someone who is depressed by lack of natural daylight, or who hates this time of year because of the dark dreariness often associated with it, the long winter with the light of spring at the end of a very long tunnel, so long you can't even begin to think about seeing the end of it for many a month yet.</div><div>A time for planning as well, not just the new layout of a small organic vegetable garden, but thoughts too, about extending the kitchen. When we bought this house there was a small back room extension, which had been the original kitchen when the house was built in the early 1930s, the huge fireplace, minus range, was still there. The previous owner of the house was an acupuncturist, and this small room was his surgery. For years we would find little needles in the oddest of places, whilst we had it as a small office/craft room. Then one boozy Christmas I drew up plans for extending the space into two brick outhouses at the back of it, and turning it into a kitchen, which is about sixteen feet long by nine across. I designed it with units down the two long sides, the original back door then leading into a lean to, now into the conservatory, one window already looked over the the paved area, and I added another at the far end to overlook the garden, which is where I like to lean on the sill and look out at the pond, the birds on the feeders in the trees, the geese flying over... not to mention the odd pheasant! The plans were drawn for my own amusement, I love drawing room layouts, houses and so on. But we decided to go ahead, and so I got a new kitchen and the rest of the downstairs rooms were changed in their purpose, to suit our needs.... a cosy sitting room was made out of the old dining/kitchen at the back of the house away from the road at the front and overlooking our lovely back garden, and at the front, where we had the original sitting room, a dining room cum library.</div><div>Now I am thinking I would like to extend the kitchen again.... Himself has always regretted that we didn't double the size of the original extension, but knowing me, I would still probably be thinking about extending again! I want a bigger, lower window with a table and chairs in front of it, a door to the back garden to save walking through the conservatory, a larder cupboard to save my back and neck as I scrabble about on my knees looking for something in the cupboard under the worktop. And even as I carry on with my ruler and pencils, coloured pencils too, graph paper, tape measure, I know this will remain a pipe dream, unlike the last time I dreamt up an extension.</div><div>Still, it pleases me to play around like this, and what does it matter if the drawings get used as fodder for lighting the fire? My mind is wandering, drifting from one scheme, one idea, one plan to another, not settling for long on anything, like a nervous butterfly flittering and fluttering about. If any of you stayed with me this long, and this won't include The Crap Blog Detective I know, thank you. Oh, and before I go... the <a href="mailto:pinkfairygran@yahoo.co.uk">pinkfairygran@yahoo.co.uk</a> email address no longer exists; it is now <a href="mailto:maggiegray59@yahoo.com">maggiegray59@yahoo.com</a> just in case any of you had tried emailing me.</div></div></div>pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-18842478426769814232009-10-19T02:46:00.001-07:002009-10-19T03:21:44.674-07:00PC-ness strikes again, the latest MUST HAVE pet and just a bit of this and that.It seems the world is still going mad with Political Correctness, especially in the world of childhood. As if it wasn't bad enough that someone decided conkers had to be banned because of health and safety, now they're mucking around with nursery rhymes. Humpty Dumpty, poor old soul wasn't he? Remember how all the King's horses and so on couldn't fix him? Well, it has been decided that is too downbeat and negative, so now they can and the ending has been altered to say they could make him happy again! Well, that's nice for old Humpty of course, but whatever next? Jack and Jill will no longer be able to go up the hill together, who knows what they might get up to? Little Jack Horner can't go sticking his digits in his food, health reasons obviously. Little Bo Peep will now employ a well-trained collie to round up those lost sheep. The old woman in the shoe would have been reported to social services for whipping her children. The rock a bye baby rhyme would be banned as being too depressing and sad, or perhaps for putting ideas into jealous elder siblings' heads. And Contrary Mary, in the reasons of equal sex rights and all that, will have to have pretty maids and men all in a row!<br />Coming up to Christmas and pretty soon the ads will start trying to dissuade parents from giving in to their children who want a puppy for Christmas. The usual 'A dog is for life, not just Christmas' signs will appear, and rightly so. However, this may soon have to be changed to either 'A pig is for life...' or 'A hedgehog is for life...' Yes, I really did say 'pig' and 'hedgehog'. Local news items in the last week have featured mini versions of these animals, which are, if the news is to be believed, THE pet to have, big business... especially for the breeders of course. At £750 for a mini pig, which grows no bigger than an average, adult cat, and looks ever so cute (especially the mini Gloucester Old Spot with it's little pink nose) you can see why it's big business! Not many chops for that outlay I can tell you! As for the hedgehogs, well they are special African pygmy hedgehogs, and they have the advantage over our wild native version of not having fleas. Now that really must be a plus sign, because one of these little fellows, who can sit inside a mug when fully grown, will set you back £150. For something that can get into the smallest of spaces your house would need to be as secure as Alcatraz to make sure it didn't escape, or get behind the fridge, under the cushions on the sofa... the list of possibilities is endless.<br />Had a bit of a day out last week, visiting a favourite small, independent booksellers in the lovely town of Holt. We normally visit at Christmastime, my birthday treat, but decided it would be Himself's treat instead. I normally buy my books online, shopping around for the best bargains, but needless to say they are nearly always found on Amazon. But the one thing you don't get is the discovery of little gems that you can't resist, so whilst Himself bought a couple of the latest offerings from two of his favourite authors, I came home with reprints of old novels. Not shown here is IN A SUMMER SEASON by Elizabeth Taylor, and that's not the Cleopatra Liz Taylor, but the Elizabeth Taylor, authoress, born 1912, and whose works are now being reprinted by Virago. I haven't read any of hers, but have had them recommended by several friends, so I am looking forward to reading this, once I have worked my way through the library-ordered books that is!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Pj1G8NK2-TFltEtH4FRLqAcmOfpsHGFbPmDwjSQg60puFSsA1bXc15bw2ye6OK5K6Wvj7G8rrbOrKfBad4hhmVKZ5g7WifK3X_id-bPlFjkOSKVFkftCtbbi5UkDMdgIYVwjCUn4J_Lu/s1600-h/bloobx.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394245852561281266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Pj1G8NK2-TFltEtH4FRLqAcmOfpsHGFbPmDwjSQg60puFSsA1bXc15bw2ye6OK5K6Wvj7G8rrbOrKfBad4hhmVKZ5g7WifK3X_id-bPlFjkOSKVFkftCtbbi5UkDMdgIYVwjCUn4J_Lu/s320/bloobx.jpg" border="0" /></a> But I couldn't resist these two paperbacks either, the title of the one on the right especially caught my eye, and they just looked so 'take me home-able'. I have this thing at the moment about women writers from the late 1800s to around the mid-1900s and that era... Rachel Ferguson, who wrote the wonderfully titled THE BRONTES WENT TO WOOLWORTHS, was born in 1893, and Joyce Dennys, who wrote HENRIETTA'S WAR in 1883. Both books have been reproduced from the originals by Bloomsbury, and are part of a set of five. I also got THE IVINGTON DIARIES, the latest by Monty Don, but bought on line as it is an expensive book. But gorgeous, so readable, lovely photos of the garden, and already after only a couple of days, I am in July.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqetAUB-1mfzOmObnKEfpdGOAz7DQBvjXMgP5nsJ_XGnoIL56jXolTZO4dk_bahwljlJx3GzZqDd04KZ4FhQh_rWUwnh0baXbwtEsV4mF57n-loB1FcAPouvvGMGaqWU0fZaWAb_VqkAKa/s1600-h/barfab.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394245608540684354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqetAUB-1mfzOmObnKEfpdGOAz7DQBvjXMgP5nsJ_XGnoIL56jXolTZO4dk_bahwljlJx3GzZqDd04KZ4FhQh_rWUwnh0baXbwtEsV4mF57n-loB1FcAPouvvGMGaqWU0fZaWAb_VqkAKa/s320/barfab.jpg" border="0" /></a> Needless to say there has to be some crafty bit in here, and this is a parcel of fabric received from Barbara in France, who responded to my 'Books for Fabric' swap posting on the PC forum. I want to make a quilt, six inch squares, which will go on a simple wooden bench seat in the summerhouse, next year. It will be quilted, though I am not yet sure if I shall quilt each square, or just tie the layers together with fancy little bows using contrasting coloured embroidery silk. I shall take photos, but don't hold your breath! There is, as usual, a long list of things to make and do, but isn't that the way it should be?</div><div>Enjoy your week ladies and gent(s), and thanks for popping by.<br /><br /><div></div></div>pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-27692891270519901012009-10-16T06:23:00.000-07:002009-10-16T06:31:38.838-07:00An incredible piece of natural home-building<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO4nFLWNX08BWF5mG_hDqCU4-xhtNE3i_XaC5XlzOjZ4CCGV2GTbQ0GktbBZ_RFGvqmo-ucYJj1Nx8IxjpTU0vsjmQ9Xqg6Y5IDcGJIX_XfMI8usOjLYXiogZkgDVXQpL2hMeTv78U4x2c/s1600-h/wasp1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393189606317526082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO4nFLWNX08BWF5mG_hDqCU4-xhtNE3i_XaC5XlzOjZ4CCGV2GTbQ0GktbBZ_RFGvqmo-ucYJj1Nx8IxjpTU0vsjmQ9Xqg6Y5IDcGJIX_XfMI8usOjLYXiogZkgDVXQpL2hMeTv78U4x2c/s320/wasp1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehyphenhyphenoJ-3Xn4LYFUlQwcxLDNaXnVWetpQ7aCoR-km6eSk55ToZ_rsd41Fyqu_yjPlpI0h6U0k8RhaT37Sms8uw0i8M8lGHWGcSVsFjvxSelp2O0_q9xXH4TZFEqyvkdPz82BILUWTNiRIuW/s1600-h/wasp2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393189378294948674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhehyphenhyphenoJ-3Xn4LYFUlQwcxLDNaXnVWetpQ7aCoR-km6eSk55ToZ_rsd41Fyqu_yjPlpI0h6U0k8RhaT37Sms8uw0i8M8lGHWGcSVsFjvxSelp2O0_q9xXH4TZFEqyvkdPz82BILUWTNiRIuW/s320/wasp2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZv041dKAxP-9QA60QxFo9JnzZAYVky8q8QESvYTvkWqZpf8DY0P7wsZ0HIGkpw1DhGcvF7230wCkKtVwFuALUeF3ak_-mVPZCq-EUWtGBFdF7j0U1B3J30NAdmkmwheQNEN_ziycEkKHY/s1600-h/wasp3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393189138132882210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZv041dKAxP-9QA60QxFo9JnzZAYVky8q8QESvYTvkWqZpf8DY0P7wsZ0HIGkpw1DhGcvF7230wCkKtVwFuALUeF3ak_-mVPZCq-EUWtGBFdF7j0U1B3J30NAdmkmwheQNEN_ziycEkKHY/s320/wasp3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI5kILXbIeummrLsCDZDu1kYV38yTNfDYcL7y0JInK9TTjOEdhrjTB7Gd1kOrmNnMQ74nKu1p-Qv-tZxP3F9aZgJbU6c4njNpsdoorHm-4oD9oVvJp9c9WtSE0oaBEXsSanYptKFYuOvbJ/s1600-h/wasp4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393188925856419138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI5kILXbIeummrLsCDZDu1kYV38yTNfDYcL7y0JInK9TTjOEdhrjTB7Gd1kOrmNnMQ74nKu1p-Qv-tZxP3F9aZgJbU6c4njNpsdoorHm-4oD9oVvJp9c9WtSE0oaBEXsSanYptKFYuOvbJ/s320/wasp4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Pii4HqLRXS4ev5ozcGZnDWnpK0mobHty2irfuhIpMjgaKn4KvyA_tiW5Ghsw7Z_LSUd9TxbF8wU_EcAFj1LEJh10SOgb__um2r8-fRv9YYeghMgnK157xo40hrDYAI_J6QuDBjJbTELO/s1600-h/wasp5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393188680521115298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Pii4HqLRXS4ev5ozcGZnDWnpK0mobHty2irfuhIpMjgaKn4KvyA_tiW5Ghsw7Z_LSUd9TxbF8wU_EcAFj1LEJh10SOgb__um2r8-fRv9YYeghMgnK157xo40hrDYAI_J6QuDBjJbTELO/s320/wasp5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDk7OLShh0iArrijeGjrIw9pJCRro7I_cj7iGjuXaMTg3t3SDT3IV3hzf5d1xKcSzACNl6LXNu3c2aeLyOFERdLtXCbu71PM6ouTMXEvqcnnQKQkKazJssrM9DL-5P0dW2I-Ivs4Dsa1h/s1600-h/wasp6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393188465141512722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDk7OLShh0iArrijeGjrIw9pJCRro7I_cj7iGjuXaMTg3t3SDT3IV3hzf5d1xKcSzACNl6LXNu3c2aeLyOFERdLtXCbu71PM6ouTMXEvqcnnQKQkKazJssrM9DL-5P0dW2I-Ivs4Dsa1h/s320/wasp6.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>We just discovered this beautiful home, or what was once home, in the beech hedging, and it is so incredibly intricate, so beautiful and fragile, that I had to photograph it and share it with you. It measures about twelve inches from top to bottom, probably fifteen around at the widest point. Empty now of course, and since wasps never return to the nest, we have taken it down and been able to look at it closely inside. Amazing the amount of work, effort that has gone into it, for just temporary accommodation.</div></div></div></div></div></div>pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-64752457978850040742009-10-13T07:34:00.000-07:002009-10-13T08:15:03.966-07:00Some things pretty, some things colourful, some things useful.Just as I will complain about bad service, so I also give praise where it's due. I recently ordered some fabric from <a href="http://www.donnaflower.com/">http://www.donnaflower.com/</a> who has some beautiful vintage pieces. It's not often I order, but now and then I see something that takes my fancy, often not knowing what I will do with it, but just knowing I would like to have it! Just in case... you know?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2sGROc1ZlvPvkdzQaEQM-AE7t6eq4wPRolCAfh9sGlife-j40smBPcTQEz1v-yXsoqONksw1BkbgjXgjv_Tn-nLcClHBbm8HXImglq5amAOhXS_j_3KJkpUTYnCNZTw-HnZx05XNezV8/s1600-h/package.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392097614225825586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2sGROc1ZlvPvkdzQaEQM-AE7t6eq4wPRolCAfh9sGlife-j40smBPcTQEz1v-yXsoqONksw1BkbgjXgjv_Tn-nLcClHBbm8HXImglq5amAOhXS_j_3KJkpUTYnCNZTw-HnZx05XNezV8/s320/package.jpg" border="0" /></a> So when the parcel came, in a pink plastic mailing bag, and I opened it to discover this lovely dotty paper and stripey string, I was delighted, and wanted to share my pleasure. I did email her and thank her... the reasoning behind the pretty packaging is that it's nice to receive something packaged nicely, even if it's just a gift from yourself to yourself. I agree wholeheartedly. And just in case you are curious about the two pieces of material, here they are.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8ZGEcYTKbWv07ptL3jic6JgnQTzeKUQLZSeuCzVVOxAv3WsImi6zQHpDBZeCSsW5Vai99fRbGOgXxGxJejyLG8fBFT3RQaqy3iiPR7How5iqkzW3Bo_cPZmg86kHmbiKycAUJzghIVWw/s1600-h/countryfab.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392097381480914002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8ZGEcYTKbWv07ptL3jic6JgnQTzeKUQLZSeuCzVVOxAv3WsImi6zQHpDBZeCSsW5Vai99fRbGOgXxGxJejyLG8fBFT3RQaqy3iiPR7How5iqkzW3Bo_cPZmg86kHmbiKycAUJzghIVWw/s320/countryfab.jpg" border="0" /></a> This is a village scene, and I haven't a use for it yet, though bag/cushion cover came to mind.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNu4U65IhOwwsB1G2YzJM0X8nJCttIgFITyEd3YXxlJ7icGRMYNkYjLwyedJUwLhYdCOdOlfxCfFONnJ6Ow4VfYjuaPxm1fcV0HfiFtmr0g3Djlk5pIMRnLqaJy2diCnlIrrs94SGErV5h/s1600-h/nursfab.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392097165993815010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNu4U65IhOwwsB1G2YzJM0X8nJCttIgFITyEd3YXxlJ7icGRMYNkYjLwyedJUwLhYdCOdOlfxCfFONnJ6Ow4VfYjuaPxm1fcV0HfiFtmr0g3Djlk5pIMRnLqaJy2diCnlIrrs94SGErV5h/s320/nursfab.jpg" border="0" /></a> And this is a glazed cotton children's fabric, which I am going to make into a bag, and line it with red gingham fabric. Sometime.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Pbg8S4LB7f2EG7a2FgQ_zjWlFKMtvowcnbepdy9OCQLbfv4UXSxCTIbm_e0QnGQpPL0lOBct3lZh87VGDV_0ZvSNoozD_lZHQIfKquS5TYQwlL26By0JwJRcAKM_eShx-q2qEdmUPXT3/s1600-h/dadscka.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392094914106999490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Pbg8S4LB7f2EG7a2FgQ_zjWlFKMtvowcnbepdy9OCQLbfv4UXSxCTIbm_e0QnGQpPL0lOBct3lZh87VGDV_0ZvSNoozD_lZHQIfKquS5TYQwlL26By0JwJRcAKM_eShx-q2qEdmUPXT3/s320/dadscka.jpg" border="0" /></a> This may not be pretty in the eyes of some beholders, and you will see my icing was a wee bit runny (but it did make a tasty bottom as well as top!). This is obviously perhaps, a birthday cake, Victoria sponge, strawberry jam filled, iced, sugar stranded and candled. And the number of candles is of no significance... I couldn't get fifty nine on the cake! It's my bit of madness for my husband's birthday.. luckily he's a bit mad too!</div><div></div><div>The garden is still being so colourful, here is a small posy of clove pink, dahlia, chocolate cosmos and a marigold gone over tucked in between. The pink still has that gorgeous smell, though perhaps not quite as heady.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8AjosB_0njZPAqRk94jFQIBntTuVUdAxZ5PLXAxv7kXEoDxzGCVFrktVmyvEFTVnsyRFbloqI50Awf-pOusQlR7jHzTYeBrAQdD1ixlg13TTOtd8mbbjoGDfgv8JFUkeSPvSaWlv0-h_h/s1600-h/autbouq.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392094695998130274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8AjosB_0njZPAqRk94jFQIBntTuVUdAxZ5PLXAxv7kXEoDxzGCVFrktVmyvEFTVnsyRFbloqI50Awf-pOusQlR7jHzTYeBrAQdD1ixlg13TTOtd8mbbjoGDfgv8JFUkeSPvSaWlv0-h_h/s320/autbouq.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkgzITgXHVdoxcDA1iKd2ALA58fSx6zTEh4ychi2LRpnXQeC3Ytt3d4L-ilZWMx36w3AgtJpDYk1s3pea_BwpBDBHMFvOy2mJDYRdmv6sFztw1dMzfUP0f1wzzGBj8I9MCubxtZH69xk-/s1600-h/croclob.jpg"></a>The penstemons are still going strong.. next year I hope to be able to stop myself pulling up the seedlings mistaking them for weeds, as I have done for the past two years! But there are several small plants near the summerhouse, this has the most stems and flowers at present, and isn't it lovely?<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTBbdCII1Oz7NfpmjYxexkSVBidt57OJaviJ3iozH7yLtjZdnUHDziH0lBvZF3D7VHku8SCoZram6bEs2J6m4PQ0_VcRQuUNOr35duw5drYDSkZencEtBS-EarijsHxbEklrLOmHu7a14/s1600-h/penst.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392094204570296546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTBbdCII1Oz7NfpmjYxexkSVBidt57OJaviJ3iozH7yLtjZdnUHDziH0lBvZF3D7VHku8SCoZram6bEs2J6m4PQ0_VcRQuUNOr35duw5drYDSkZencEtBS-EarijsHxbEklrLOmHu7a14/s320/penst.jpg" border="0" /></a> My transplanted snapdragons look happy too, flowering for the third time now.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aRY_r05XGvsfXv2yIuQF5EALAt_aAjMRpKmlCu1Du43ujFz6ilyNr2sg26ruYMwr3ZgOBU-aFF_onREiYy0R197j19gfemJZ5_UBeQOUvlFXuDjXdnZ2dv97S8bckL4CaTEJAJdY1MKe/s1600-h/snaps.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392093968828340418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 289px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aRY_r05XGvsfXv2yIuQF5EALAt_aAjMRpKmlCu1Du43ujFz6ilyNr2sg26ruYMwr3ZgOBU-aFF_onREiYy0R197j19gfemJZ5_UBeQOUvlFXuDjXdnZ2dv97S8bckL4CaTEJAJdY1MKe/s320/snaps.jpg" border="0" /></a>On to something really useful, something bought with a project in mind, just for once. This is Rowan four ply, gorgeously soft wool, in a shade of earthy brown, mossy green and tea rose pink. I am knitting a chevron scarf in these colours, in that order, reminiscent to me of brown earth, the green foliage of the plant, and then the pretty pink flower. I've photographed them in the wrong order here.... but perhaps you see my thinking?<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEEzXPV90T7-3ojR5bxVe5CIS3Yt5JozOVnSfo7BZNq-cKJoWouzUYnsBmPVLE1WtrDN9V6vEUMzzYf3WtaBW7XuX2li0c5eRpBhn5OIcnpYDBZVvHtn-7EixLa1oxksys8STzRKZiqoE3/s1600-h/ripple.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392093745256692082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEEzXPV90T7-3ojR5bxVe5CIS3Yt5JozOVnSfo7BZNq-cKJoWouzUYnsBmPVLE1WtrDN9V6vEUMzzYf3WtaBW7XuX2li0c5eRpBhn5OIcnpYDBZVvHtn-7EixLa1oxksys8STzRKZiqoE3/s320/ripple.jpg" border="0" /></a>And the other really useful thing is my raised vegetable bed. It still has one or two lettuces for me to eat, some carrots nearly ready to pick, garlic planted not long ago, and giant leaved parsley, all looking healthy, but I will pick them this week as it can't stay this mild forever. We have had one or two really cold nights, one even left us with a hint of frost one morning, so best to make the most of all this colour and usefulness while we can.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OIOMnkMBXgp6gWJnrTWvzzylwm02a9u54aEKWS0gRnNz5rzymifco6RHIiW7sUytDA4cpV30Nkm75qYhRfa5jCbDSfsmiYyQgKNVnPLQ9zw655XnW8UUmygGhNJeP0qitMjcQ5LH-QLX/s1600-h/carlet.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392093479101456562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OIOMnkMBXgp6gWJnrTWvzzylwm02a9u54aEKWS0gRnNz5rzymifco6RHIiW7sUytDA4cpV30Nkm75qYhRfa5jCbDSfsmiYyQgKNVnPLQ9zw655XnW8UUmygGhNJeP0qitMjcQ5LH-QLX/s320/carlet.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Enjoy the changing colours as autumn begins to really make itself at home for a while before winter comes along to take over. We are now getting the early arrivals of pink-footed and Brent geese which travel here every winter, in their thousands. Small skeins are now to be seen first thing in the morning and in the evening around tea time, and I am so glad we had the glass roof on the conservatory as I can see them clearly, they are often quite low down. I love to open the door and hear them too. We know autumn has arrived and winter is on it's tail when we see these lovely birds, and that spring can't be far away by the time they leave us next year. But that's a long way ahead yet. Still to come are more delights of changing colours, and hopefully gathering sweet chestnuts this week, roasting them on the open fire, cooking them in boiling water for a few minutes, then removing the skins, with much hopping about, blowing on fingers and cursing my love for these nuts! But I then freeze them, and they are ready to take out and add to stews, or be fried with parsnips, apples, pancetta and lentils. Yum! <div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-723657120742614432009-10-05T02:35:00.000-07:002009-10-05T03:51:41.034-07:00Autumnal colours and comforts, some a bit racy, be warned!!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUdcry3IuclYMHm_AZ0UxTSMfQAcru3Q64JwyoSU270wDO6wCoUBh0GjhPCFLaQH3_yoLnVqnbxJK8sUxK-iAhuBw_XPlIeWSrAwHdW5KWKPasVngWPPF8oLqWGrvCloaX91WZyi2323d/s1600-h/autcol3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389049766647213090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 302px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUdcry3IuclYMHm_AZ0UxTSMfQAcru3Q64JwyoSU270wDO6wCoUBh0GjhPCFLaQH3_yoLnVqnbxJK8sUxK-iAhuBw_XPlIeWSrAwHdW5KWKPasVngWPPF8oLqWGrvCloaX91WZyi2323d/s320/autcol3.jpg" border="0" /></a> Despite the leaves falling from the trees, the distinct chill in the air early mornings and late evenings, still the passion flower blooms. I am mesmerised when I look at it closely, by the fine eyelashes that start out as almost black, then there is a stripe of white, then lilacy blue, perfect all the way around, another reminder of how clever is Mother Nature.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2b4o6A0tx367aVj4-7iPrX5YE4Znf5cMDbBKjbkND-qEVWRXBYGZObZ8k78XlmQvLka8_4a168q-DLyU-1j_jI_56UUkK-xXczZyyPEB8sz0XijQdJAwWFPaEiJreIsk8rexNVcxvjWj/s1600-h/autpeony.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389049637763218642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 238px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2b4o6A0tx367aVj4-7iPrX5YE4Znf5cMDbBKjbkND-qEVWRXBYGZObZ8k78XlmQvLka8_4a168q-DLyU-1j_jI_56UUkK-xXczZyyPEB8sz0XijQdJAwWFPaEiJreIsk8rexNVcxvjWj/s320/autpeony.jpg" border="0" /></a> Elsewhere in the garden, the changing of the seasons is more evident, such as with the peony above, and the climber over the arch below.<br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8qfrQCKil9i8cL08q21WwPUhPbHSVYuj1eH0DldfuI_mkdRuUGKf2xjfoVionDCb_2VqPIrIz9u7z7KZfPWVS_a2ONaZaOrbnp0qa8H9w082unn_3EC1vH5Rl0LBbhWXNekqe7ENG315/s1600-h/autcol1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389049064309900098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 221px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8qfrQCKil9i8cL08q21WwPUhPbHSVYuj1eH0DldfuI_mkdRuUGKf2xjfoVionDCb_2VqPIrIz9u7z7KZfPWVS_a2ONaZaOrbnp0qa8H9w082unn_3EC1vH5Rl0LBbhWXNekqe7ENG315/s320/autcol1.jpg" border="0" /></a> Definitely a time for snugglies, like this hand-knitted one I made years ago, heavily fringed at either end, just right for grabbing and wrapping around myself as I sit in the summerhouse on a very slightly chilly morning with a cup of cappucino. Soon it will be too cold to sit out there, so on a morning when the sun is out, even with that nip in the air, I like to spend ten minutes or so just sitting quietly and letting my mind wander from one thing to another.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4b463ZDh_T9K5RU2bHrkvoUsqaZUGouNLJVnr8qbP1g1uoIUO7SMOLil9FFN5UPNB7U3FNsVWLfO-NGDwXrRQ3Eatf4v7kqdNAjtzPjBk74aULwgTVaq_a-KIc_4dJDS7u1ptQ4BFiXcP/s1600-h/handknitsnug.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389048722585719186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 255px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4b463ZDh_T9K5RU2bHrkvoUsqaZUGouNLJVnr8qbP1g1uoIUO7SMOLil9FFN5UPNB7U3FNsVWLfO-NGDwXrRQ3Eatf4v7kqdNAjtzPjBk74aULwgTVaq_a-KIc_4dJDS7u1ptQ4BFiXcP/s320/handknitsnug.jpg" border="0" /></a> Below, a beautifully soft angora scarf which when wrapped around the neck helps keep the chill out when in the garden, doing some deadheading, and it will soon be time for the hottie cover to come into its own, another very soft and cuddlesome thing, adding to the comfort that a warm hot water bottle brings, whether it's to ease an upset tum, or just because you feel in the need of a warm cuddle.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtv2zKsbETu1tuGwVREEIqf4nx9vWNtRoO34NnzINUWD4Bk5K6vJ_xWeKxmWJlXaCa3NrQf_obwpcdTuc5Y-90N1CY2o8UyhRyjlPdpJXCzuAeIErZB_sY5hce125zmipV8uvjxeHVEpsJ/s1600-h/hotyscf.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389048552249645106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtv2zKsbETu1tuGwVREEIqf4nx9vWNtRoO34NnzINUWD4Bk5K6vJ_xWeKxmWJlXaCa3NrQf_obwpcdTuc5Y-90N1CY2o8UyhRyjlPdpJXCzuAeIErZB_sY5hce125zmipV8uvjxeHVEpsJ/s320/hotyscf.jpg" border="0" /></a> Ah, now we come to the racy bit.... I know a certain gentleman who might need to take a cold shower when he sees these, be still my beating heart he will be saying, hunched over his computer at his desk in the middle of a governmental department office, populated by others in similar position, all 'working' of course.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsKzylT2Y7d_mlBeGKf7ooA0M7BnUthbRrJQpHJd0AgXcdmbMhzbKVBio6nKkEAzwygZ2EfWyBHAifdqWmT9OAOsdAja_0PByIdkZxmRIKP-HQma3Kxxvp23vHMQiPZc4ZBo4O2HBaKGi/s1600-h/madsox.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389048324827359538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsKzylT2Y7d_mlBeGKf7ooA0M7BnUthbRrJQpHJd0AgXcdmbMhzbKVBio6nKkEAzwygZ2EfWyBHAifdqWmT9OAOsdAja_0PByIdkZxmRIKP-HQma3Kxxvp23vHMQiPZc4ZBo4O2HBaKGi/s320/madsox.jpg" border="0" /></a> These, in case you can't tell, are 'over the knee socks'. I am not a tights woman, hate them and find them uncomfortable and unhygienic in hot weather, when I go bare legged at home all the time. Not an option in winter, to go bare legged, and so I wear posh lacy topped hold-ups in sheer black or the usual tannish colour (told you this bit was a bit racy) when I go out, but at home... well, I wanted something more FUN than knee length socks. And I GOOGLED the words 'knee high socks' and got this fab site with loads of them, all reasonably priced, so I could get four pairs at once. Two 'Winnie the Pooh' characters, a stripy pair with a mad cat and some more sensible (?) tartany ones. I love them, though goodness knows what Himself will say when he sees them. Actually, I DO know what he will say... he will shake his head and say 'There's no hope', which is what he ALWAYS says when I revert to ditziness.</div><div></div><div>Of course, books aren't just an autumn comfort, though is there anything better than sitting in front of a fire snuggled in a comfy chair with a good book, or wrapped in a soft throw whilst you read? Lately I have been revisiting some of my favourite books on the shelves.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4OUp-Aobdgm3CzZ7zWF7E6Us7QwpwtWu2YnljvI1z_HiHl68NPT0MKBUouU1Sa2eao0zKCLwi_tlx67gFvXt4IfJMOuQMyzqu_OhJ1D-mhNN2cd4Fm27Lr4qOqx2UMcps9r31ubYDVVl/s1600-h/bks1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389047930738963650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4OUp-Aobdgm3CzZ7zWF7E6Us7QwpwtWu2YnljvI1z_HiHl68NPT0MKBUouU1Sa2eao0zKCLwi_tlx67gFvXt4IfJMOuQMyzqu_OhJ1D-mhNN2cd4Fm27Lr4qOqx2UMcps9r31ubYDVVl/s320/bks1.jpg" border="0" /></a> I have read these two twice, and know I will read them again. The ANNE FINE one is a story of four sisters, and when three discover something unpleasant, a rumour about the man the fourth one is about to marry, they have the dilemma of not knowing whether to tell her or not, and if so, who does the telling? The ANNE BARTLETT book is about Sandra, an academic whose husband dies suddenly. To cope, she throws herself into her work and never grieves properly. But as many will know, grief will find a way out in time; sometimes it needs help, and help for Sandra comes in the form of Martha, a talented knitter, who she meets by accident. Both were really good reads for me.. obviously, otherwise I wouldn't have read them twice!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4TBpPSzya-KIi4AG79wnVWH6JZXnQ326CahEka6fYue2q310ycigzDMK8wVYLBjsth2tHD3RNwjs_aIfj-32SxgtNKVacnHUQwRZRITZqGKENYg1cubVHoh5J8DrsQnVKzV7NL_HR8WJ/s1600-h/002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389047650644487570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4TBpPSzya-KIi4AG79wnVWH6JZXnQ326CahEka6fYue2q310ycigzDMK8wVYLBjsth2tHD3RNwjs_aIfj-32SxgtNKVacnHUQwRZRITZqGKENYg1cubVHoh5J8DrsQnVKzV7NL_HR8WJ/s320/002.JPG" border="0" /></a>The above are two books waiting to be read. The Barbara Taylor Bradford was won in a giveaway after I took part in a survey by the publishers. I used to read her a lot when she first did her WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE books, but sort of lost the taste for her style of writing, so it will be interesting to see if I enjoy her still, decades down the line. Mr T isn't to everyone's taste I know, but I have all his books, fiction and otherwise. When he was writing his first novel, I was in the throes of writing mine, and there the similarity ends! As many will know, he went on to write seven novels, and I am lucky that three of mine have personal letters from him inside. When I have read a brilliant book I make a point, usually, of writing to the author, c/o the publishers, to tell them so and thank them for it. Loosely calling myself a 'writer' I know the hours of work it takes to write, and the discipline needed to do so, which I sadly lack nowadays which is why I don't do much of it any more, apart from blogs, journals and the odd foray into short story competitions. And I know from my limited experience, ie winning a national short story competition, how gratifying it is when someone writes and tells you how much they enjoyed reading your work. That is why I write to authors sometimes, and why I have three letters from Mr. Titchmarsh. (It's not that I didn't enjoy the four next ones, but I ran out of things to say and didn't want to be one of these people who continually write to 'someone famous' for whatever reasons they do so.) I have to say he was very encouraging about my own writing, and I appreciated the time he took to write a proper letter, as opposed to a pre-printed one. When Colin Dexter announced the last Morse book, I found out how to get in touch with him direct as opposed to via his publisher, and wrote asking him if he would send me a card signed by him, so I could put it in a copy of the book to give Himself, who has all of them. Mr Dexter actually wrote a letter addressed to Alvin, which is now tucked inside the book. I have all Maeve Binchy books with cards from her, and many others too. They won't mean anything to whoever gets them when I am no longer here, but they mean something to me, which is what counts.</div><div>A bit like my blogs... not everyone will enjoy them or find anything of interest in them, but for the few who do and who leave comments, well... as I said to someone else on their blog comments, I enjoy the writing of the blog and the comments are the icing on the cake.. but I can eat plain cake too, it's just not as nice!</div><div>Enjoy your week, and thanks, as ever, for dropping in.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-6505585684956526962009-09-29T03:01:00.000-07:002009-09-29T03:29:25.101-07:00A brief crafty blog, with a bit of a rant thrown in!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyIxSllBuWkegssPXRkZTXvpgCnkH4ndvFahHWfOahO2xd_2vCiTel2e60mxG8iJd2CQMKzyr1ELP01GEGArf-6y-OYe3GXL6ucnn9HEZW91b2V805HTp7aJfYuMPK8oiVRl4iQ3R5GaEt/s1600-h/group.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386830432439887282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyIxSllBuWkegssPXRkZTXvpgCnkH4ndvFahHWfOahO2xd_2vCiTel2e60mxG8iJd2CQMKzyr1ELP01GEGArf-6y-OYe3GXL6ucnn9HEZW91b2V805HTp7aJfYuMPK8oiVRl4iQ3R5GaEt/s320/group.jpg" border="0" /></a> It's funny how you get fads isn't it? How, once you start doing something crafty, it's the only crafty thing you want to do? Or is that just me? I have always meant to crochet flowers, never got around to it. Got books of designs for knitted and crocheted flowers, all of which terrified me slightly with their diagrams of stitches (I prefer the written word to a diagram), and their complexity of pattern. I am a basic person in most things I do... I have basic cookery/gardening/knitting/sewing/crochet skills, and they suit me just fine. I have neither the patience nor the time really for extending the skills, and as long as they satisfy my crafty needs, then that's fine by me. But at last I found a flower pattern.... and since then, every odd bit of suitable wool has been turned into either a small granny square, or a flower. As you can see... and several of you will already have seen the large orange on in the front of the above group. I made it into a brooch, and sent it to a dear friend, Katiemac, aka Calico Kate, and she made a blog post of it, which elicited many compliments, for which I thank you.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21ycKdS3wxZBkYSxxI6kVfqExQcJKyy-0hK2U0e8baJaaYt8JL7igM7vnWGWfkHsL7tMR7v0Cksu4T2Uif7Xe3t_gCzwz9roCczUYHom2JGnGj4bH1khJV4a-6gnS0kCaQd3VQlz8kF_g/s1600-h/sprklybut.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386830212167606930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21ycKdS3wxZBkYSxxI6kVfqExQcJKyy-0hK2U0e8baJaaYt8JL7igM7vnWGWfkHsL7tMR7v0Cksu4T2Uif7Xe3t_gCzwz9roCczUYHom2JGnGj4bH1khJV4a-6gnS0kCaQd3VQlz8kF_g/s320/sprklybut.jpg" border="0" /></a> Does the 'I LOVE YOU' button remind you of the love hearts sweets?<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhemVv5ojwPGLBbsVo8TUhnpfQLpGRM_QMKgv-GyDXZb5Ui34Gq6a5JKRIITjCE6gDFLc6kcfYJrdttzEeLAWWzxdVaw3wA1OhwYvTXPNIPT0wtJOUHFf454zBmjW26Z30wt-ZL_WzaQ3te/s1600-h/luvflwr.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386829947109721282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhemVv5ojwPGLBbsVo8TUhnpfQLpGRM_QMKgv-GyDXZb5Ui34Gq6a5JKRIITjCE6gDFLc6kcfYJrdttzEeLAWWzxdVaw3wA1OhwYvTXPNIPT0wtJOUHFf454zBmjW26Z30wt-ZL_WzaQ3te/s320/luvflwr.jpg" border="0" /></a> This is the result of the crochet squares from a previous blog, turned into a cushion, same front and back.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUbbymihBV-f1_5wZ32Rts8oPlOhyphenhyphenNeRu8tNMUiaZV0-ZJJD3LViVNMUyEmPTiR1Bu-FhdnXlJDHun7xWsAh0g3AIgeFB1olhyn8-IVmOqHHQn1muHOzjfLksN43QKUhq0ppWj02Bbh1r/s1600-h/cush.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386829651028006450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUbbymihBV-f1_5wZ32Rts8oPlOhyphenhyphenNeRu8tNMUiaZV0-ZJJD3LViVNMUyEmPTiR1Bu-FhdnXlJDHun7xWsAh0g3AIgeFB1olhyn8-IVmOqHHQn1muHOzjfLksN43QKUhq0ppWj02Bbh1r/s320/cush.jpg" border="0" /></a> And this is a tapestry cushion I just unearthed. I made it many, many years ago, on ten count, with two ply wool, two strands together from cones, to give it a tweedy effect. It was looking a bit sad and squashed and dusty, so into the washer it went, and out it came, all plumptious and pretty again.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68QVlyguF7PhzRupa71IArt3lJVagecLIagLQmgLQU2KeE1Th9ECQML-0yaY-eF4i0RUSZk9Nry59RnGgFFwz46huy1ik4FQa7TpCOJQas1QUltCNNFqDgZG6KYQhcrJlqroiRqrTCJ3K/s1600-h/patchcush.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386829242393693906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68QVlyguF7PhzRupa71IArt3lJVagecLIagLQmgLQU2KeE1Th9ECQML-0yaY-eF4i0RUSZk9Nry59RnGgFFwz46huy1ik4FQa7TpCOJQas1QUltCNNFqDgZG6KYQhcrJlqroiRqrTCJ3K/s320/patchcush.jpg" border="0" /></a> Cushions feature a lot at the moment... the picture below is of a cushion that Katiemac sent me, posted the day she received my brooch coincidentally... doesn't it look at home on my chair?<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ws0KFToFH8NSJbGtQL2sep3Jhq3wjbwubUd3rVtVsY8pNhJPQltTQZvwGKCbNtF26ptQwJd9kmL9LluTN1dzGZ85SxFoDTDPr5dLjMwCt69M_Rx7s8MHRVp5elUK-bYcJV3_Ws4VK7h0/s1600-h/kscush2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386828792380813234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ws0KFToFH8NSJbGtQL2sep3Jhq3wjbwubUd3rVtVsY8pNhJPQltTQZvwGKCbNtF26ptQwJd9kmL9LluTN1dzGZ85SxFoDTDPr5dLjMwCt69M_Rx7s8MHRVp5elUK-bYcJV3_Ws4VK7h0/s320/kscush2.jpg" border="0" /></a> And this is it, closer.... she used her shirt front idea as the cushion back, which is so brilliant I am now hovering around my husband's wardrobe waiting for a shirt to be considered past it enough to be ditched. Trouble is, when they get soft and worn, that's when they are at their most comfy isn't it, so I may have a long wait! But to have that ready made opening with buttons and buttonholes already made is just such a good idea isn't it?<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1EfJ3S2Kdi2KLwVZ_X8XkLeyJHlWWIM4JT-GYPwN0HPdjvRAwkvUV4ti46C96loGwBiJ-GkQX-Ai6W0yUD7tCjhwUED6ol-R-b2WpVdmI5JQsTkpWy0m6O-D1Nfq37Fq0ApoakLIIIlX/s1600-h/kscush.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386828572114823634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1EfJ3S2Kdi2KLwVZ_X8XkLeyJHlWWIM4JT-GYPwN0HPdjvRAwkvUV4ti46C96loGwBiJ-GkQX-Ai6W0yUD7tCjhwUED6ol-R-b2WpVdmI5JQsTkpWy0m6O-D1Nfq37Fq0ApoakLIIIlX/s320/kscush.jpg" border="0" /></a> And this is my opal fruits ripple cushion...<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Iw0HBSW2qolQfudSRhxIP0OaqLjruXuhSmR4O9_va_uhTPC_OGDf9cLIQaHZRD-0f5ecJVl89cb_lpItvhrySeFXy5_ws0-rAa0bUekFgqH5NaBRI3VTal5e0nabBGnW2v-qd7hoRA5z/s1600-h/opalfrts.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386828304311892354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Iw0HBSW2qolQfudSRhxIP0OaqLjruXuhSmR4O9_va_uhTPC_OGDf9cLIQaHZRD-0f5ecJVl89cb_lpItvhrySeFXy5_ws0-rAa0bUekFgqH5NaBRI3VTal5e0nabBGnW2v-qd7hoRA5z/s320/opalfrts.jpg" border="0" /></a>But if this is a bit too loud for you, then maybe you'd prefer the back...<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbWxdvRquuxj6bF67ibOmI_jTNaCq-4bHao5Bz3xAr9CGVJ75wyent41QTP4kbUG8-ZCExx_4T9T5DGJJTj0RswOKOR0zOpAjTM1PZxYe2fEXCxteijekrUJ-GFaTqtZjTPzzUS39e6F_E/s1600-h/plnside.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386828116980320594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbWxdvRquuxj6bF67ibOmI_jTNaCq-4bHao5Bz3xAr9CGVJ75wyent41QTP4kbUG8-ZCExx_4T9T5DGJJTj0RswOKOR0zOpAjTM1PZxYe2fEXCxteijekrUJ-GFaTqtZjTPzzUS39e6F_E/s320/plnside.jpg" border="0" /></a>Here are some more flowers just made... I really must try doing something else now.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8m60xHQj-VXdj8fPIeYAz4NHy5cumo5jnQkC8NG-pFYyqXVOGHBle9-Kml8-zUtszztnqriF1DOs8f3OPSP_9ey0ZGumd1gfxG2ZNZ2Z7-fxk4B3viCGcsuTX4TAkePdJU8Pq5G-fIn4/s1600-h/flrs.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386827801988665378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8m60xHQj-VXdj8fPIeYAz4NHy5cumo5jnQkC8NG-pFYyqXVOGHBle9-Kml8-zUtszztnqriF1DOs8f3OPSP_9ey0ZGumd1gfxG2ZNZ2Z7-fxk4B3viCGcsuTX4TAkePdJU8Pq5G-fIn4/s320/flrs.jpg" border="0" /></a> And finally, a little rant... and a question about saving/wasting money in the NHS. Yesterday evening, my husband received a text from our local surgery, reminding him he had an appointment this evening. To me, this seems a gross waste of money... I have no idea how much a text costs; I do have a mobile, but haven't switched it on for months since nobody knows the number and it is only there for emergencies (like the landline is only there so I can use the computer!). But my pragmatic husband, if that is the right word (pragmatic that is, not husband!) says that it is probably seen as a saving, since they lose so much each year in missed or cancelled appointments. What say you all... a waste of money, or a saving?</div><div>Right, this is my little posting for this week... off to net the pond now, birch leaves blowing about the place now, yet it doesn't seem a year since we were doing it last. How time flies when you're having fun....<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-59427136951414161282009-09-23T07:09:00.001-07:002009-09-23T07:48:19.494-07:00'A fallen leaf is nothing more than summers' wave goodbye'.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh27in5wMC2wVL4Xg4IVPy2-fpx-m4FgSs8e8hmWkmvOggDgZg3nVLz1rgq9Vpk6xrjxLtCyi0ifZlGXK-4Wfi5LbMXpremjFxo5UI4dye3uQ0TWrIkXgcaxPBDq0XyyG21ORcJ2b72h2vy/s1600-h/Autumn+Leaves.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384667607652907378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh27in5wMC2wVL4Xg4IVPy2-fpx-m4FgSs8e8hmWkmvOggDgZg3nVLz1rgq9Vpk6xrjxLtCyi0ifZlGXK-4Wfi5LbMXpremjFxo5UI4dye3uQ0TWrIkXgcaxPBDq0XyyG21ORcJ2b72h2vy/s320/Autumn+Leaves.jpg" border="0" /></a>I don't know where the above line comes from, it's just something I read once that stuck in my mind, the way these things sometimes do. Why can you never remember something important when you need to, yet silly bits of daft poetry - 'beans, beans, are good for the heart, the more you eat the more.... ' well, you probably all know the end to that one, but it illustrates the mess my head is in, holding lines like that, which are absolutely no use to anyone, and yet the number I need for the cash machine is nowhere to be found. Ah well, must be because I am in the autumn of my life maybe?<br />No matter which school of thought you follow, we are now in autumn having passed the equinox at a quarter past nine last night, give or take a few minutes. The season of mists and so on, fabulous colours on trees, which should be extra good for many of us this year as there has been less than average rainfall, which does something chemical to the leaves and means there will be even better foliage colours for us to enjoy. But for some people it's a depressing time of year, it means summer is gone, and it's all downhill to winter/Christmas... but then dear miseryguts, Spring must surely follow, so not all bad news then?<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rEBR7Z3-g8amwfI0RzQUvFXYEYdpEovS75lnEcfNmMlfPe-7hkQ4GwoiXdLecSdH42hTk0KWyjK1RixFAHE0k-y_w7CBG9iIV7z5n4bc09lH4g8Z_jmcWpLYz46rmq9LCT-wUM-X1jxu/s1600-h/chsnts.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384667402291235650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 272px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rEBR7Z3-g8amwfI0RzQUvFXYEYdpEovS75lnEcfNmMlfPe-7hkQ4GwoiXdLecSdH42hTk0KWyjK1RixFAHE0k-y_w7CBG9iIV7z5n4bc09lH4g8Z_jmcWpLYz46rmq9LCT-wUM-X1jxu/s320/chsnts.jpg" border="0" /></a> We were delighted to discover a group of about four sweet chestnut trees recently. Well, we weren't sure that's what they were, and were rather hoping we'd be proved wrong as they are on a narrow, open country lane between two little hamlets, which we travel along many times during the year, and have never noticed these trees before. Instead, being lovers of chestnuts, we have spent lots of money on imports from Spain which are OK, better than the vacuum-packed chestnuts any day in my book. And what we don't munch roasted, or use in casseroles and so on, go into the freezer to be used later in the season when they are no longer around. Because like many good things, their season is short, and unlike strawberries and so on which people can grow all year round, to the detriment of the fruit many say, nuts are there that one time aren't they? Make the most of them... so we bought the above prickly offering home, and looked in our BOOK OF THE COUNTRYSIDE, and had it confirmed that yes, they were indeed sweet chestnut trees. Since then, of course, on other ramblings about the place, we have noticed others, and kicked ourselves again for lack of observancy.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKw61TxVz2bdwBc6vwWErNSjVimGldqHHNpUHwc34hO4u6vJUpdkeSrbJ8xG3aOfYF0ldde6Aq4lPGBavbSrYROp9-SZrRbOloCABw1X5UA6sP9bU47BanlelCjvBh792rf8kUZ0cRxruf/s1600-h/heuchera.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384667248518436194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKw61TxVz2bdwBc6vwWErNSjVimGldqHHNpUHwc34hO4u6vJUpdkeSrbJ8xG3aOfYF0ldde6Aq4lPGBavbSrYROp9-SZrRbOloCABw1X5UA6sP9bU47BanlelCjvBh792rf8kUZ0cRxruf/s320/heuchera.jpg" border="0" /></a> My favourite garden centre is a riot of colour at the moment, having had a new delivery of plants when we visited last week. We didn't go for plants but for jigsaws... I know that seems strange, but there is nowhere else that sells them, and in the now obligatory (so it seems) gifty area you find in most large garden centres these days, there is a fabulous selection of Gibson's puzzles. We usually buy a few during winter, and always a couple of special Christmassy ones. However, when you visit a garden centre it would be churlish not to buy a plant, don't you think? Or two even? Maybe three? The heucheras above were so gorgeous, everyone was stopping to comment, and as we have a couple of them already, I decided to buy another, PEACH FLAMBE it's called, in autumnal leaf shades. I also bought a pennisetum, black stems and narrow leaves, with wonderful, fluffy, cat's tail-shaped furry flowers, which I can't resist stroking as I pass. I used to do it to our old Rosie cat, even though she sometimes objected! And we bought a crocosmia, in flower. The other two we have, the rather common (in that most gardeners who have crocosmia seem to have it) LUCIFER, and a smaller orange one. Both are well over now, just the interesting flower heads left, and we wanted another one to follow on.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUF38o0suQ3IkCeqch_wkGr7NbLXn8GXmMh76BVCJn5NVaAk6byJMJzSBC2hxWdQixaFZdvwiSigyKMuWqiBv-opAMQu6K6NYTExr30qDNGcGCPoYqy9ZaystVBHgj75o6SIFWpZngbXK4/s1600-h/spiky1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384667027986676818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUF38o0suQ3IkCeqch_wkGr7NbLXn8GXmMh76BVCJn5NVaAk6byJMJzSBC2hxWdQixaFZdvwiSigyKMuWqiBv-opAMQu6K6NYTExr30qDNGcGCPoYqy9ZaystVBHgj75o6SIFWpZngbXK4/s320/spiky1.jpg" border="0" /></a> But I resisted the mophead hydrangeas, such great fat cushions of flowers they had....<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ6geva9oO_YKI0oz69LjEaUoMxxcCiD90QG16uG2Kwx9PLSEms_kOg2OaBOG4VPT7CbHanXL8N9SqhgROxVdp9tJuo6OFnhrjG-rcyjeGY5gYxHWI_3ZAbqKmGVuGbPXXHp8LklMb_LxH/s1600-h/spky2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384666811199811746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ6geva9oO_YKI0oz69LjEaUoMxxcCiD90QG16uG2Kwx9PLSEms_kOg2OaBOG4VPT7CbHanXL8N9SqhgROxVdp9tJuo6OFnhrjG-rcyjeGY5gYxHWI_3ZAbqKmGVuGbPXXHp8LklMb_LxH/s320/spky2.jpg" border="0" /></a> and this pinky spikey plant, and the conifer behind it. But couldn't resist getting out the camera.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiraNSrQJyeHZ11-8XkW-d2M3Oc9yr53Rpcr0fIJpjj5guOkRxIZ12HeME3CeLMZT-HIZS9Q63veMHrcIOnYa2hCvAop2-2rYR9XeHUMub8M5cy_JQQwl4ZCjlvOSZWLj0YWF10m20gffoU/s1600-h/autveg.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384666538356336210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiraNSrQJyeHZ11-8XkW-d2M3Oc9yr53Rpcr0fIJpjj5guOkRxIZ12HeME3CeLMZT-HIZS9Q63veMHrcIOnYa2hCvAop2-2rYR9XeHUMub8M5cy_JQQwl4ZCjlvOSZWLj0YWF10m20gffoU/s320/autveg.jpg" border="0" /></a> Of course, there are many reasons why I love autumn. It's not just the colours, or the drawing in of the evenings, when you can close the curtains, shut out the world and snuggle down in front of the fire with a good book, or watching the telly with a bar of Green and Black's chocolate - one of the very small ones for me, thanks. Nor is it all down to spending time with gardening books, seed catalogues and Gardener's World magazine, looking at what to grow next year - and did you know Monty Don has just won a prestigious award for Columnist of the Year, something like that? So WELL DONE MONTY, and well-deserved too.</div><div>But I digress.... I also love the crisp, frosty mornings, with pearl necklaces strung across the plants, a white sparkliness covering everything, and that particular smell you get at this time of year, redolent of woodsmoke and compost, even though there's not a bonfire in sight usually. And I also love the foodie side of the season..... lots of appley puds, brambly puds too. Sponge pud and custard, with golden syrup. Heart-warming soups and rib-sticking casseroles... the former with garlicky croutons and the latter with herby dumplings. Lots of lovely meals made with lots of lovely root veggies like those above... I couldn't resist buying the squash... must grow some next year.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSluFnjWFcq-jOEsiA77k8KJdMo38yTZXkmW9-vnRfwABtdJ2L0zpSVIQBUq7LAA0SjCS7GESum-LYNN0bK4tnCF4O_sq0gHT6TAlYl9hBLa8OsXt1Kdc8UU2oQ6A4jeQ-xUG8EXonVOz1/s1600-h/foliage.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384666312323786658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSluFnjWFcq-jOEsiA77k8KJdMo38yTZXkmW9-vnRfwABtdJ2L0zpSVIQBUq7LAA0SjCS7GESum-LYNN0bK4tnCF4O_sq0gHT6TAlYl9hBLa8OsXt1Kdc8UU2oQ6A4jeQ-xUG8EXonVOz1/s320/foliage.jpg" border="0" /></a>There is still a lot of colour in the garden to be enjoyed. The grasses down the bottom of the garden with their huge feathery plumes look beautiful against the blue of the sky, as does the holly tree below. But some of the foliage in the garden is slowly changing colour, this photograph shows a climber over one of the arches leading to the lawned area. Pretty soon it will all be in varying shades of this red, and then not long after, they will all fall to the ground and the bare bones of the arch on show again, revealing the fact that it's a bit out of shape. Leaves do the wonderful job that clothes do for us humans, hiding the imperfections.<br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nGT-bN6BsCuO_Nn79q2ocL9T_7Jv3rLQ_YNTffU1awgAPBOx-dAI0ZpeSzH31a829PW9EaaQqdvDVsQyeWk9fx8If_idsZnJYidedxgDYRyowkhK_KuPXNfzTSP47WvW3orZAAz5-doS/s1600-h/holly.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384665779503149154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 209px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nGT-bN6BsCuO_Nn79q2ocL9T_7Jv3rLQ_YNTffU1awgAPBOx-dAI0ZpeSzH31a829PW9EaaQqdvDVsQyeWk9fx8If_idsZnJYidedxgDYRyowkhK_KuPXNfzTSP47WvW3orZAAz5-doS/s320/holly.jpg" border="0" /></a> And amongst the hundreds of holly berries, a honeysuckle still flowers, but you can't get close enough to smell it.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiL8tSlqVKd_OMDyan3IyDFWEyVtojKYCg7IMsTB2PlMV4BtwAWomo6CXFHEQtBexQfzOiF7rhmURpxGi2PsxYIo6jcuL303EHLgQAYfyXfRAaq-PSXPn_H-abx41lMnKnbQq3yk5maov/s1600-h/hol&hon.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384665430996375890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiL8tSlqVKd_OMDyan3IyDFWEyVtojKYCg7IMsTB2PlMV4BtwAWomo6CXFHEQtBexQfzOiF7rhmURpxGi2PsxYIo6jcuL303EHLgQAYfyXfRAaq-PSXPn_H-abx41lMnKnbQq3yk5maov/s320/hol&hon.jpg" border="0" /></a> There are marigolds, small wild poppies of all colours, chocolate crocosmia still flowering like mad, as is the white cosmos, penstemmons, wallflowers opening now too, and lots of foliage from the many grasses we have dotted around. The peonies dying, have a wonderful deep red colour to the leaves, the hostas are dying too, their leaves going a bright, bitter lemon colour, some a deeper shade almost buttery, and others still vibrant and green. In the raised bed my carrots are still growing, as is the garlic and giant Italian parsley, and there are still a couple of lettuces to be cut. Tomatoes ripening like mad, but I am not happy with this particular variety, which are small, but with very tough skins, large seeds and little flesh between the two. I shall maybe roast them and make roast tomato soup at the weekend. That's a good autumny flavour, don't you think?</div><div>Enjoy your autumn, and thanks, as ever, for dropping by.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com113tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-75384628636748349282009-09-15T04:03:00.000-07:002009-09-15T04:28:40.377-07:00A happy, smiley, thankful sort of blog post.Although the skies are grey and heavy, my mood is golden and light. Well, that may be stretching it a little, but you get my drift. So even though I still can't put weight on my left ankle, and now the right one has produced a small bright red itchy patch so as not to be left out of the attention stakes, I am in one of those moods when it's good to reflect on the positives. My friend below says it all... the GOOD bit at the bottom can be turned to show BAD, but of course, that rarely happens!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRVDxL99gKYl95sKouG82bXcFVV0F_DISsaCJCgjoj1uwwjB2qbuiSVrxHSjftfp73FQhT8ueFRfwdBhNLOBuOHO021hF5wyDuzIJQvdBbncMcETP5er9QrVG5Q-6Fkp9WjMH2fX_QJZP/s1600-h/good.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381651345490903394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 218px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRVDxL99gKYl95sKouG82bXcFVV0F_DISsaCJCgjoj1uwwjB2qbuiSVrxHSjftfp73FQhT8ueFRfwdBhNLOBuOHO021hF5wyDuzIJQvdBbncMcETP5er9QrVG5Q-6Fkp9WjMH2fX_QJZP/s320/good.jpg" border="0" /></a> And the main reason I am in a happy sort of mood is due in part to the box of goodies that arrived from the lovely, clever Alex yesterday. If you remember I won her giveaway, news of which came on a rather grey and heavy day, mood-wise.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbOI03biXPvZb_8T2ui0MjhAOhfyQQxMPLVrjyZD1fnDNxCdZSsnEN2Pz56b6DdxtTdnP4LjbI2zzJMe9-_5tN58746FuqQro5_Obgu9brfAorFnEpKS80O7Ad16y6IwYF-C3TTvWnogr/s1600-h/box1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381651006027718402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbOI03biXPvZb_8T2ui0MjhAOhfyQQxMPLVrjyZD1fnDNxCdZSsnEN2Pz56b6DdxtTdnP4LjbI2zzJMe9-_5tN58746FuqQro5_Obgu9brfAorFnEpKS80O7Ad16y6IwYF-C3TTvWnogr/s320/box1.jpg" border="0" /></a> This was the box, revealed when I had opened it, complete with prettily-wrapped goodies.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pTFf3ePJW6Bup1YJc78lHKtZEdlgMxbNfymS0pKprxmP9exFPnb1t0fAdgAPa9uzqqQ9QamufkwXqpPFghLmNyiUZ9c-MZzDBY56O1n3dIPSwt-Uxgo_2mPdLhiadnvHWDeqK5WeTCXE/s1600-h/goodies.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381650662925527954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pTFf3ePJW6Bup1YJc78lHKtZEdlgMxbNfymS0pKprxmP9exFPnb1t0fAdgAPa9uzqqQ9QamufkwXqpPFghLmNyiUZ9c-MZzDBY56O1n3dIPSwt-Uxgo_2mPdLhiadnvHWDeqK5WeTCXE/s320/goodies.jpg" border="0" /></a> And here they are, revealed. A warm woolly hat, a green swirly brooch, a lovely beaded and embroidered heart sitting in a fabric box, a photo album with a crocheted cover, the mad loveable dog and gorgeous rabbit complete the contents. Here's a close-up...<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjXH6GpuQqLhEf6DKX1H8QO0xdc0UacKPvmvxl2wo_fcG4R-PG7sOyRHv6lr_2YA4s0_FNXZ0HSxG7V8nuE9zQPMRJCXSAPrsll1CHMhObKTRYvEAGAuOI5OoKzax1-UO7ZQc-k5-JIvqz/s1600-h/dgbch.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381650434084495138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjXH6GpuQqLhEf6DKX1H8QO0xdc0UacKPvmvxl2wo_fcG4R-PG7sOyRHv6lr_2YA4s0_FNXZ0HSxG7V8nuE9zQPMRJCXSAPrsll1CHMhObKTRYvEAGAuOI5OoKzax1-UO7ZQc-k5-JIvqz/s320/dgbch.jpg" border="0" /></a> And this is where rabbit and box ended up... the box is holding small crocheted squares, plus a large fancy one I don't know what to do with yet!<br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLuIP41bSvG2bgtRbAwFqCbdeVV_M32ApPuGaHOmPAQ7bS0c9cRH3XNJN3UpuiAzBOHE_HjLEOQHw7H84hUCicQiy8Tj6tWVXXax3NGloB3qIeAsVPPnpQDDFfN6vHKChB2oUYhS9P36Za/s1600-h/shlf1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381649766340457122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLuIP41bSvG2bgtRbAwFqCbdeVV_M32ApPuGaHOmPAQ7bS0c9cRH3XNJN3UpuiAzBOHE_HjLEOQHw7H84hUCicQiy8Tj6tWVXXax3NGloB3qIeAsVPPnpQDDFfN6vHKChB2oUYhS9P36Za/s320/shlf1.jpg" border="0" /></a> And dawg is in my cupboard looking after Yvette, the french knitting dolly and keeping company with the rocking horse etc. He hasn't stopped smiling, so I guess he's all right with being in a cupboard, and I am definitely all right with it as I get to see him every day, several times, same for rabbit of course.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7zPWGTttBw20OT0G-RUtfx14bboNTB8wZ12VpFAaJdkRXQTN0RgIErsfpm4RqD7fWBI8IKSR2Bdog9E1NoIDKbph_nstxxZFw1ocqdvFfbR0NTiWj3DpCh4rkZ0le8dbBY3KUWJH50T3i/s1600-h/shlf2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381649482646910834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7zPWGTttBw20OT0G-RUtfx14bboNTB8wZ12VpFAaJdkRXQTN0RgIErsfpm4RqD7fWBI8IKSR2Bdog9E1NoIDKbph_nstxxZFw1ocqdvFfbR0NTiWj3DpCh4rkZ0le8dbBY3KUWJH50T3i/s320/shlf2.jpg" border="0" /></a> And this is an overall view of one of the craft shelf units, so you get a bigger picture of rabbit and gorgeous fabric box.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh503stNbs3Vrb094yroH7ORegKofEkB3h3Mm454VVT0jmNAfZy14Z7roAGjUlfHByl8yBab2nFd_Px2Vh4IcbVWUK1dU97F8CNRfeYQuWyrb_2pMcXYp-vj435mJTGqJjsKwMhAeKVRzGU/s1600-h/wooly.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381649248435134562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh503stNbs3Vrb094yroH7ORegKofEkB3h3Mm454VVT0jmNAfZy14Z7roAGjUlfHByl8yBab2nFd_Px2Vh4IcbVWUK1dU97F8CNRfeYQuWyrb_2pMcXYp-vj435mJTGqJjsKwMhAeKVRzGU/s320/wooly.jpg" border="0" /></a> Thank you Alex, so much... I love them all.<br /><br />Other things which made me smile today.... almost-finished crochet project, smiling because it means I can soon choose what I want to do next as well as the satisfaction of seeing a project from start to finish in one fell swoop. Often they go in a cupboard, where they are forgotten until the next time I decide to have a blitz on clearing out cupboards.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzvBnfKOkFkEzmFPpdMKbp3TkDWytngy64XTucYwiyk78qKZaMBTaDnAKVrOcPiqslN0AcYpdjUoRZQM3zt9IXrNJLvuXcdiPHPLr1Ve_mZU6bi2bGUuKPnNb-ji177suPeGOSAoQicnG/s1600-h/croch.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381649015519337282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzvBnfKOkFkEzmFPpdMKbp3TkDWytngy64XTucYwiyk78qKZaMBTaDnAKVrOcPiqslN0AcYpdjUoRZQM3zt9IXrNJLvuXcdiPHPLr1Ve_mZU6bi2bGUuKPnNb-ji177suPeGOSAoQicnG/s320/croch.jpg" border="0" /></a> Then when I was dusting the dresser in the hall, there was this photo of Simon, my eldest son when he was a year old - and now he's almost forty!!! I just love this, taken at a boat yard where my late mother worked at the time - would they could stay like this, I sometimes think! Then I hobble around the house on my poorly ankle and thank my lucky stars I don't have a toddler to chase after of course! But still, there is something sweet about that innocence.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaecDXDPmwJHKA68KXRWS5wVkrA4w8fCZUEKNNiOQTOeZL9fVTbdc8eEbbmvCYR0xrnBBiaWKIkl8DfYV3b6KH9n0hLg95vd-yVPAWrVZzSDtSDkE_D62_OkHyjKOChUbB4jloka3gOM3V/s1600-h/sim.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381648802184511954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaecDXDPmwJHKA68KXRWS5wVkrA4w8fCZUEKNNiOQTOeZL9fVTbdc8eEbbmvCYR0xrnBBiaWKIkl8DfYV3b6KH9n0hLg95vd-yVPAWrVZzSDtSDkE_D62_OkHyjKOChUbB4jloka3gOM3V/s320/sim.jpg" border="0" /></a> A couple of new magazines to read, this always makes me smile, and thankful I can afford them when there are many people who struggle to feed themselves, let alone have the luxury of expensive magazines.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpUqx9jHGRFPSE9GJ-Kr0FgK-sinOVhqlnu8_VskWDzJTEia_4I6RiuMOEiS4E8P9_OlkylkPV5qc91av8fbMhO9-ofQQ4OMl5gqRp6HCyHyTLWR2lxu6M8rjVZQnzeQwv8Wc-s0rpUCL_/s1600-h/mags.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381648637944154050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpUqx9jHGRFPSE9GJ-Kr0FgK-sinOVhqlnu8_VskWDzJTEia_4I6RiuMOEiS4E8P9_OlkylkPV5qc91av8fbMhO9-ofQQ4OMl5gqRp6HCyHyTLWR2lxu6M8rjVZQnzeQwv8Wc-s0rpUCL_/s320/mags.jpg" border="0" /></a> And I am thankful the forecasted rain didn't happen and I was able to enjoy pegging out and bringing in fresh-smelling clean washing.. pegging out being one of those simple pleasures, as we have talked about before.</div><div> </div><div>And I am thankful for the friends I have made via the blogosphere, and look forward to reading comments, and more blog posts from you. Enjoy your week!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com189tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-29533014225914873492009-09-10T02:18:00.001-07:002009-09-10T03:19:49.038-07:00Thoughts of finding fame, having a close relationship with a bag of frozen peas, plus the usual ramblings.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiByXc4pce6LZrVIG1BvOtv7JfwbNKgx29z2ge3tCxLbIaDaQrYnBpXBXz49B9d0WT2CGfdyUunTZfyNgozinecNg6ihUsI0_rbXcohrhJuXvbqC4-6o08tmaR0OLaUz7310JMIoTqWG-H-/s1600-h/blusky.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379772726825231138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 242px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiByXc4pce6LZrVIG1BvOtv7JfwbNKgx29z2ge3tCxLbIaDaQrYnBpXBXz49B9d0WT2CGfdyUunTZfyNgozinecNg6ihUsI0_rbXcohrhJuXvbqC4-6o08tmaR0OLaUz7310JMIoTqWG-H-/s320/blusky.jpg" border="0" /></a> Well, I wouldn't say that this sudden fame has put me on cloud nine, or even has me with my head in the clouds. It came as a surprise, and still has me a little perplexed. So what is this fame... well... you might need to be sitting down for this but I was nominated for the POTD on authorblog. YES, I KNOW!!! Heady stuff indeed. Well, when I found a strange comment on my last blog, strange in that it was from a stranger not that it was weird you understand, and she was congratulating me on this POTD thingy, I had not a clue what she was talking about. Nor did I know what authorblog was, and I was beginning to think I had missed something, but then another fellow blogger assured me she had never heard of it either until she was nominated. I felt less dinosaurus-ish then let me tell you!<br />And for those other dinosaurs of the blogosphere among you who don't know what this is, let me direct you to a blog ... <a href="http://david-mcmahon.blogspot.com/">http://david-mcmahon.blogspot.com</a> This man has over NINE HUNDRED followers would you believe!!!!! Any road up, he has this POST OF THE DAY 'award' for want of a better word, and mine was a runner-up. Personally I didn't think the posting was one of my best, but somebody obviously did, sent the suggestion in to him (which seems to be how it works) and so there I was, Honoured indeed. I have to also admit that most of the winners and other runners up over the last month or so are people who I have never heard of. I did go and look at a few, but then got bored, as I usually do. Of course, the lovely Maddie Grigg was there amongst those Honoured, and Mrs Jones too, she with the fab coloured hair... oh that I had the nerve!!! And the face under it to carry it off. Anyway, there you have it, fame at last. I would like to think fortune would surely follow, but somehow I doubt it.<br />Before I go any further, I should perhaps mention my reference to frozen peas. Occasionally you will now find me sitting with said bag of frozen peas on my left ankle. Not the most comfortable of things to do, but needs must. I seem to have strained/sprained the ligaments in my left ankle, no wonder it hurt for the past ten days when I put weight on it! I am terrible about going to the doctors, maybe it's because most of the time I have no say in the matter and it's just routine, so that when it comes to going to the GP about matters other than renal, I am reluctant, to put it mildly. I will put up with something for ages, but always know, from this inner voice of mine, when I really should just go and get it over with. Yesterday was one such occasion, when within minutes of getting out of bed I was hobbling around like a little old lady, minus walking stick - though that will definitely be employed come shopping day! I decided enough was enough, that this latest niggle wasn't going to go away by itself as they usually do, and that as it seemed to be worsening, perhaps seeing the GP was the sensible thing to do. (Not known for my sensibleness, when it does appear, it is ALWAYS commented on by Himself!) Anyway, that is how I know I have done this thing to the ligaments, and the only treatment is good painkillers when it's bad, getting up close and personal with the frozen peas, and resting it as much as possible.. which is the really easy-peasy bit of the whole treatment. Now I have legit reasons for watching recorded LAND GIRLS, reading for hours on end, doing my crafts likewise. And so I am especially looking forward to the weekend, when I can do the resting bit properly, having Himself here to make me a cuppa, fetch me a biccie, peel me a grape and so on.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vnsWxUmy9qTQQC0u3NEw_qWXILII6TCnKsVrJSr65Y1iJ9dkxaQJNtKnCaP6eR-nkdqz3wRMV2RvFLegBAS55PSk-1uq609v7VBIg9CTdOQKqTt-4iXWsqlVkqxVb0Nli4PRjEO6xNui/s1600-h/bol1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379772589511718898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vnsWxUmy9qTQQC0u3NEw_qWXILII6TCnKsVrJSr65Y1iJ9dkxaQJNtKnCaP6eR-nkdqz3wRMV2RvFLegBAS55PSk-1uq609v7VBIg9CTdOQKqTt-4iXWsqlVkqxVb0Nli4PRjEO6xNui/s320/bol1.jpg" border="0" /></a>And speaking of crafts, as I just did briefly, did I mention that I love getting my hands all sticky with papier mache? I do it the really dirty way, with strips of newspaper and wallpaper paste... can you imagine the colour of my fingers with all that newsprint? I never use coloured bits of the paper, since this can sometimes leach through, and it is so difficult these days to find a newspaper without lots of colour. So it's not something I do that often, and indeed, these two examples are years old. The above bowl, was painted with a matchpot of this glorious pale purple paint which has a slight silvery sheen to it. I then added glitter whilst the paint was wet, and now it sits on the landing windowsill, filled with rose pot pourri, and because of the deliberate ripples left in the paper, once painted it took on the look of something covered in pale purple silk fabric.<br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGcHJmu6vRaB3x7btIahIJjaGAQ-vQwV0-9RF2SkAeYJzsj-8aattDkalEx4hiYI4Z5s-XWe2sXj8uEF8Q9ionykQOkFt27Oo8ngsrB5rcR_eAnsEzBIlzR2e40XfCkDNL-E_rg4CSiiT/s1600-h/hen1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379772356278902498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGcHJmu6vRaB3x7btIahIJjaGAQ-vQwV0-9RF2SkAeYJzsj-8aattDkalEx4hiYI4Z5s-XWe2sXj8uEF8Q9ionykQOkFt27Oo8ngsrB5rcR_eAnsEzBIlzR2e40XfCkDNL-E_rg4CSiiT/s320/hen1.jpg" border="0" /></a> And this is Henny... I made her about ten years ago possibly, no frame or anything, just scrunched up newspaper made roughly into the shape I wanted, of a fat, sitting hen, and then I added the strips and paste. She is a bit battered, normally sitting on the outside of the kitchen window ledge, which is actually in the conservatory, so that when I open the window, she invariably falls off. But I rather like her, for some strange reason.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8aqDrEZWccze52gOoYEJBwyxw2hUOLt4M2781fLUIHtlQcUu74m-26zmqaCSF4oESj-Pob6sfQfHbc6KsJlcofFgnncQiPKOH5VtGaK7Ako_iWej3DEC2yN1MKim13kErRRd5loCCgevM/s1600-h/beds.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379772033315274754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8aqDrEZWccze52gOoYEJBwyxw2hUOLt4M2781fLUIHtlQcUu74m-26zmqaCSF4oESj-Pob6sfQfHbc6KsJlcofFgnncQiPKOH5VtGaK7Ako_iWej3DEC2yN1MKim13kErRRd5loCCgevM/s320/beds.jpg" border="0" /></a> Most of you who regularly read this rambling will know of my glamorous raised bed, kindly built by Himself earlier this year, and in which I grew carrots, spring onions, lettuce, beetroot and so on, quite successfully if I do say so myself. Well, we are having more raised beds next year, only not as high. And this is the proposed first row of them, three feet away from hedging on the left and at the back, and this taken at nine in the morning, when there is some shade cast by the birch tree off to the left, but during the day, in full sun until later when it has begun to sink and has moved to the right. The one furthest away will be for leeks, then the middle one for broad beans, and the one nearest the camera will actually be built up another couple of layers, and I plan to sink a pot of mint, as well as growing garlic chives and chervil. Each bed is about a metre long by just under that in width, a lovely, easily-manageable size I think.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dFLuNl7Qpwy-OFpGLxu6Y0YWDzsvNBRPG3ZDUDzbsAZMimiJW_GnPw4GdV0RB51OYZPTdROZFG8F6VrsjIPg2qbVjJv5jHKX1onr32fJDq3uGyHCeeYrXkKjpDPYL4rthoA45pSShmVA/s1600-h/crocsal.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379771149921143922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 298px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dFLuNl7Qpwy-OFpGLxu6Y0YWDzsvNBRPG3ZDUDzbsAZMimiJW_GnPw4GdV0RB51OYZPTdROZFG8F6VrsjIPg2qbVjJv5jHKX1onr32fJDq3uGyHCeeYrXkKjpDPYL4rthoA45pSShmVA/s320/crocsal.jpg" border="0" /></a> There is a lot of colour in the garden at the moment.. this white crocosmia has been flowering its little socks off for months now, and the pink-flowered salvia something-or-other which you can just see a little of, has been going even longer, and improved greatly since we moved larger plants out of the way. I love geraniums, have a large blue pot full of them on the terrace/patio (terrace always sounds too grand, patio too common somehow but don't know another word for the paved area which wraps around the house on two sides!), plus other pots scattered around the place, dotted in amongst other things or standing alone, and then these on the kitchen wall, where I can see them from the conservatory. A bit slow to do anything, they are at last looking pretty. I also have lemon scented ones which are just lovely, delicate pink flowers and the most heady lemony scent comes off the foliage when you brush past.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCcjGl_BYFIp3gdonm9y1j0djO1m9N3HUEzS8ZwNbnrGCZy2pzZ6CUbvLg127UmpfczHBsrk0meNR7fW20_RUqBtymQDMlmGUvGF0AgHADk8Dv-R_YdXludCUEkm2YpLCMyeU3qSmZ7vU/s1600-h/gerswall.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379770941982412370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCcjGl_BYFIp3gdonm9y1j0djO1m9N3HUEzS8ZwNbnrGCZy2pzZ6CUbvLg127UmpfczHBsrk0meNR7fW20_RUqBtymQDMlmGUvGF0AgHADk8Dv-R_YdXludCUEkm2YpLCMyeU3qSmZ7vU/s320/gerswall.jpg" border="0" /></a> Reading has to feature in my ramblings doesn't it? These are the books I have read in the last week. The one by Louise Candlish is absolutely brilliant, I couldn't put it down, a real page turner if ever there was and definitely one of the top five books I have read so far this year. It's about Olivia, happily married with two young sons, whose mother dies and leaves her the address of her first boyfriend. Olivia and Richie met at University, he was from California and she was madly in love with him. For her, it was the Real Thing, but he left, went back home and that was it. It felt like unfinished business for her, but what about him? When Olivia goes to find him, she tells her husband she needs a break after nursing her mother and will be away for the weekend. That turns into the whole summer and what will she do at the end of it, for there has to be an end to it all, again. Great read.<br /></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi74s94n_Ulm2G-UICKPlOyzq6FzhdCkCPm0HNWlDo-zJfwFiGTf5HUZrQSH5w6EmE7evyfz40ksMbSVF_IEIAMSpx0F7l0ukVQYtx3t74vsTKkUu36u_YsWh-DLm2ewcwnnUWKbdt3Nk7-/s1600-h/bux.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379770709340272306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi74s94n_Ulm2G-UICKPlOyzq6FzhdCkCPm0HNWlDo-zJfwFiGTf5HUZrQSH5w6EmE7evyfz40ksMbSVF_IEIAMSpx0F7l0ukVQYtx3t74vsTKkUu36u_YsWh-DLm2ewcwnnUWKbdt3Nk7-/s320/bux.jpg" border="0" /></a> My reading of Patrick Gale, great author though he undoubtedly is, has been very hit and miss. Some of his writing I have loved, and then gone and chosen another to read, and been disappointed. Some I can't put down, others I can't even get started with. This was somewhere in between really, and again is about a couple who meet up after having broken up twenty years previously. Life has changed a lot for both of them, but have their feelings? Interesting read at the end, not what I expected and felt a little flat in a way, maybe because of that. But a good read nonetheless.<br />And so this brings me to the end of another rambling, with no rants, and just a little bit of a rave. Thanks to everyone who popped in again, and for your comments, and especially whoever it was who recommended me for the POTD. <div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div>pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-71933555562724160302009-09-02T02:53:00.000-07:002009-09-02T03:42:47.663-07:00How a little ray of sunshine lifted my mood and a bit of retro this and that.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWEOhlC9i20gSg0yLfZekxM1BBrPzza5Fag-AgGDSLmkKnRMjYo-Hl3R_Av_s20X8S9tgv0UB35acz02qmlWJhQ3cL62otMdEo3Zlg2IEJ1pDSPlvcXLsQQMuM5I6mmBfNtO0k4vwo-4a/s1600-h/049.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376808885527656514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWEOhlC9i20gSg0yLfZekxM1BBrPzza5Fag-AgGDSLmkKnRMjYo-Hl3R_Av_s20X8S9tgv0UB35acz02qmlWJhQ3cL62otMdEo3Zlg2IEJ1pDSPlvcXLsQQMuM5I6mmBfNtO0k4vwo-4a/s320/049.jpg" border="0" /></a> As someone who is no stranger to depression and who used to counsel women with depression brought on by low self esteem, I know the difference between feeling a bit low and being depressed, and today I am feeling a bit low. Or I was, until a ray of metaphorical sunshine came my way. It came via Alex at pinkfeatherparadise.blogspot.com and her recent giveaway, consisting of lots of lovely handmade goodies. I never win anything, but put my name forward and as she said, everything happens for a reason (something I firmly believe in) and I read the message from her today, on my blue day, saying I had WON!! It may seem such a little thing, but it has really lifted my mood. I won't bore you with the whys and wherefores of The Mood. Suffice to say that some childhood habits are hard to leave behind it seems, for I used to build up my hopes and expectations out of all proportion to reality sometimes, and was always let down. Like a pin stuck in a balloon, the hopes and optimism would leave me, I would be left deflated and empty and sort of sad. The Mood will pass, in time. Thankfully I don't often feel this low and empty. And if truth be told, the reason for my feeling this way is silly and would cause some to raise eyebrows quizzically and wonder at my sanity... much like I do myself sometimes. It should have been a cause to rejoice and sigh with relief, but other options had presented themselves which I sort of built my hopes upon, now they are being shelved for the sake of being wise, acting wisely and grown up and sensibly. For now, I hope. Maybe they will be realised in the not too distant future, those dreams and expectations and hopes of mine. But thank you Alex... and Jamie, who drew my name out of the hat - such an intuitive child don't you think?<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltnDXUcrARCbQSijskzgPKClr3bdy8Z5jUAneESR_TXRP5SBB2zBfU6zzsTSlrpW7j08ERbTlJoNJu3Uxk24FUpGLIiqcYj5olnDrmA6KI81rsWd-9ExQjityifgZDobtkBxw_RGerVJu/s1600-h/ret4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376808496386733058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhltnDXUcrARCbQSijskzgPKClr3bdy8Z5jUAneESR_TXRP5SBB2zBfU6zzsTSlrpW7j08ERbTlJoNJu3Uxk24FUpGLIiqcYj5olnDrmA6KI81rsWd-9ExQjityifgZDobtkBxw_RGerVJu/s320/ret4.jpg" border="0" /></a> I like retro stuff... and think these book covers fall into that category. Those of you who know me, will know that books form an integral part of my life, and many of the books from the forties and fifties in our collection, have been bought as much for their wonderful jackets as for the content. The contents have all been read though, black and white photographs evoking a sense of the romantic to travel books as well as nostalgia for a more gentle, slower and less stressful life. In the ENGLAND'S PLEASANCE book for example, there is a photograph taken in Derbyshire of a popular walking trail near Raven's Tor, and there is only one couple walking, whereas often these days a similar photograph would show many groups of walkers. There is a photograph taken in Ramsbury in Wiltshire, on what was obviously a sunny summer's day, showing thatched cottages lining the street, overhanging eaves giving some shade to the upper rooms from the glare of the black and white sun, and a mother pushing a large cumbersome pram, a toddler by her side. Are those thatched houses still there? Would a similar scene today show people hurrying by, ears plugged with music cutting them off from the rest of the world and prohibiting conversation (is that the idea?), mothers pushing these ugly three wheeled contraptions instead of the stately Silver Cross prams of this bygone era shown in the book?</div><div>And THE ENGLISH INN, what a lovely notion that is, where it still exists. We have heard that there are hundreds of pubs going out of business in the recession, so the days of an Inn in most villages are long gone - though most of the inns in this book seem to be on a rather grand scale, no little village inn with it's skittles alley, sawdust on the floor in these photographs.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIU5ladXuSmDCCIGZZpK019ZwNlZJF9kjUC7BOQBgKMhMfVx-7XchR6zm7uTwUse_VuMMTQi8LBb9fGjIH1suy0OWBzz06RxHcTPkwIX0jTrYdzzNdUDiDc5nHRDGabMngwYkIzNfA6M-p/s1600-h/ret3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376808276465567010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIU5ladXuSmDCCIGZZpK019ZwNlZJF9kjUC7BOQBgKMhMfVx-7XchR6zm7uTwUse_VuMMTQi8LBb9fGjIH1suy0OWBzz06RxHcTPkwIX0jTrYdzzNdUDiDc5nHRDGabMngwYkIzNfA6M-p/s320/ret3.jpg" border="0" /></a> I am not a fan of Dennis Wheatley, though his KA OF GIFFORD HILLARY was one of the first grown up books I read in my teens, and to this day I haven't a clue what a KA is or was, and nor can I remember what the book was about! I do remember the Mazo de la Roche books though.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0OHfz1gmPGb4P2Jol4klV6ToopjbMNCbLaLtbZAFyxkruib7QYNjruU81YatLUsoc1RlRoPyTxe83VBl1hU8jCrT2B8i_7MM_-sQNc7Xxk5tnIa9c_mS_f5YiD5FaximLBlsD3nqGF1hY/s1600-h/ret2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376808063059817906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0OHfz1gmPGb4P2Jol4klV6ToopjbMNCbLaLtbZAFyxkruib7QYNjruU81YatLUsoc1RlRoPyTxe83VBl1hU8jCrT2B8i_7MM_-sQNc7Xxk5tnIa9c_mS_f5YiD5FaximLBlsD3nqGF1hY/s320/ret2.jpg" border="0" /></a> My mother was a great fan of this series of books about a plantation called JALNA, and again, these were amongst the first adult books I read, along with Georgette Heyer and Elizabeth Goudge. Later I read Nevil Shute's 'A Town Like Alice', and John Braine's 'Room at the Top' as well as the above title.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClT0XxlntcBOW-Fkvjx5Vrxta4a4h18mGPRF1IaPX7OZBAaD7ME8rxoIPzkkwRB7aee6ygxK_xZYrHHXB7tP-9hUYIVQ4-MC80_AFXds5-tvBrg1FTPKyLgrMIqc_ztQDhKWrn4O7YNVi/s1600-h/ret1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376807846771310786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClT0XxlntcBOW-Fkvjx5Vrxta4a4h18mGPRF1IaPX7OZBAaD7ME8rxoIPzkkwRB7aee6ygxK_xZYrHHXB7tP-9hUYIVQ4-MC80_AFXds5-tvBrg1FTPKyLgrMIqc_ztQDhKWrn4O7YNVi/s320/ret1.jpg" border="0" /></a> H. E.Bates's stories of the Larkin family are well-known of course, and this book, 'When the Green Woods Laugh' (taken from William Blake's <em>Laughing Song) </em>is the third and final book about Pop Larkin and his lively, colourful lot, following on from 'The Darling Buds of May' and 'A Breath of French Air'. This one is set in the long, hot summer of 1959... when I was almost eight, and amongst life's greatest pleasures for me were taking my dolls for walks in their pram in the Marine Gardens, paddling in the edge of the sea across the road from where we lived, watching the marionettes show and eating an ice cream. Would it have had sprinkles on I wonder?<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7GCeipQq8RWYT3KTXXQ4y26ixYwCmbjzehd6hwKsDl9o_4qSE0gfkDXY3jhDQ9PV6O3umRXMNOd6JIlh06Ki9VKepqH90SWkY0H7HwBfShapNK4FsSuUybWMWwpUNRHY7_eUfKSykOkE/s1600-h/retrofood.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376807119525085378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7GCeipQq8RWYT3KTXXQ4y26ixYwCmbjzehd6hwKsDl9o_4qSE0gfkDXY3jhDQ9PV6O3umRXMNOd6JIlh06Ki9VKepqH90SWkY0H7HwBfShapNK4FsSuUybWMWwpUNRHY7_eUfKSykOkE/s320/retrofood.jpg" border="0" /></a>Because obviously this has!! I know that a 'proper' English trifle doesn't have them. Nor does it have jelly apparently, so this is very common possibly, and no, it didn't come out of a packet with BIRD'S written on it! It has sherry-soaked sponge fingers in the bottom, a thick layer of fresh raspberries and peaches covered in raspberry jelly, then a layer of custard, finally cream and of course, SPRINKLES. It may not be posh or proper, but boy was it good or what? My husband has a way of telling if it is a particularly good one or not, and it is all to do with the sucking, wobbly noise made by the jelly when you remove the first spoonful. If it doesn't make the right sort of sucking, squishy, squelchy sound, then he gets a look of abject disappointment - after all, he only gets trifle a couple of times a year, maybe three at most, so like me, builds up his hopes and expectations from the time the sponge fingers go in the bowl. I am pleased to say his hopes are rarely dashed. </div><div> </div><div>And finally... is this a bit retro do you think? A crocheted cushion just finished, two sides of it, this can be the front...<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdoCJhUipi08v8xcAnuHyQ5Bg9YuNxTVETrrQC7ztQJM7kD1roSNhhrwcMe83u2sLm5FCJXFGRoi6MPxrgx-MZsMtpRiQ7AfXP973BwYI7o63FopAMEq0lzoSqs-DFURZCVtbIYC2HhamZ/s1600-h/totherside.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376806886396518546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdoCJhUipi08v8xcAnuHyQ5Bg9YuNxTVETrrQC7ztQJM7kD1roSNhhrwcMe83u2sLm5FCJXFGRoi6MPxrgx-MZsMtpRiQ7AfXP973BwYI7o63FopAMEq0lzoSqs-DFURZCVtbIYC2HhamZ/s320/totherside.jpg" border="0" /></a> and this the back...<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPskhIl0VepqwNXhDNt11hOa2dToyBwMDrdSnxjJ47P0OFLXotukx875z7GOAyc35HNU9n-lFnfna8SR7j6t3uGzuoAug6lvMczN6z1Bmz1uVlVQEQRlVZhxovDIj8spVlF89ZRWGUDsU/s1600-h/crochptch.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376806664377077266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPskhIl0VepqwNXhDNt11hOa2dToyBwMDrdSnxjJ47P0OFLXotukx875z7GOAyc35HNU9n-lFnfna8SR7j6t3uGzuoAug6lvMczN6z1Bmz1uVlVQEQRlVZhxovDIj8spVlF89ZRWGUDsU/s320/crochptch.jpg" border="0" /></a> or it could be the other way around of course. But I am grateful to Vanessa (doyoumindifiknit) for reminding me about the pleasures of crocheting little squares, which had been long forgotten. Then I sort of got hooked on it, and made a couple of things, this is the one I kept.</div><div>Thank you for dropping by again.. feel free to leave comments, but only if they are positive, for despite the lifting of the mood, I am still feeling just a tad fragile in The Mood department!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297253632170719135.post-22720081466480418112009-08-27T03:41:00.000-07:002009-08-27T04:21:34.109-07:00Childhood memories...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTyW19j3vwwEfEkZs6iLdmExFTN0HYec0qBoFn-h-2XVRSgy_Dxo2yYl6R8DPpTojih2KHpDtzWqMEvgr1CBTm3HdMQYyvJZVgkD6Jos5eF41wtoFdqWYXhAZwF53QnPq_Pp-oLNtx7uG/s1600-h/004.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374594324081150274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 295px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTyW19j3vwwEfEkZs6iLdmExFTN0HYec0qBoFn-h-2XVRSgy_Dxo2yYl6R8DPpTojih2KHpDtzWqMEvgr1CBTm3HdMQYyvJZVgkD6Jos5eF41wtoFdqWYXhAZwF53QnPq_Pp-oLNtx7uG/s320/004.JPG" border="0" /></a> Unusual for me to do another blog so soon, but one posted by my dear friend Rachel about her childhood prompted me to do something similar, and invite my faithful few followers, a small but perfectly formed, though slightly motley crew, to reveal their own memories. Rachel did it perfectly, with sound bites as it were, just a few words of this and that to convey a memory.. doubt I can be so economical, but this is more of a Rambling of a Three R's posting. Just to see where it takes us...<br /><br />I grew up across the road from the sea... first memories of sharing a tall, Edwardian terraced house include the annoying little boy who lived downstairs, called Peter, a rather soppy blond child who insisted on holding my hand as we walked to school, aged five. Of the smell of home made lemon curd; and although I don't remember much about the furniture and so on, I do remember a pale blue Eastham kitchen cabinet - an all in one sort of thing with shelves behind glass doors at the top, a pull down worktop bit and cupboards below. I remember sitting in a huge window, on a window seat, watching all the holidaymakers in the summer, coaches arriving from all different parts of the country; the smell of the sea; the sound of the gulls; watching the model yacht races; standing by the lighthouse waving goodbye/hello to my father as he left for the fishing waters off Iceland with the fishing fleet - the banana boats as I called them because of their colour not exotic cargoes.<br /><br />The smell of fresh fish is an integral part of my childhood as my father brought home his choice pickings of the catch, and eating out from an early age too, being propped on several cushions and treated like a little princess. How I hate being the centre of attention now!<br /><br />Feeling above all, loved and safe, and happy, no fears, no worries about predators or nasty things happening... apart from my doctor's boxer dog which was exuberant to say the least, and was meant to be kept in the back garden, but somehow often managed to escape into the basement where the surgery and waiting room were.<br /><br />School days? Loved the work, the sisters who taught us (for the most part, there were one or two harridans though!), but wasn't Miss Popular. I had one friend, and was never invited to any other parties, always the last one to be picked for team sports. Teacher's pet when it came to spelling and composition writing... her whipping boy when it came to maths and history! Nature walks along the beach which had an added frisson after the day the flasher appeared from behind a sand dune! Climbing to the top of a local landmark called The Mount, and then rolling down the other side on the grass, and not sure now, which left me more breathless! Going to play tennis in the park, more for the attractions of the junior park-keeper for many of us teenage girls, some with handkerchiefs stuffed inside their bras to make themselves more alluring, so they thought. Some of us unfortunately were blessed with the real thing.. though not sure 'blessed' is the right word to use to be honest. And I remember too, the way it was seen as 'normal' for a man from the school uniform company to come and measure us girls, always with a nun in the room, but even so, it wouldn't be allowed today. Music lessons in the music room of the convent, a small waterfall feature outside running into a pond, the playing of The Trout on the piano, girly voices practising carols at Christmas.<br /><br />Away from school my memories are all tied up with my mother, who was such fun to be with, and who more than made up for the lack of a father's presence. She and I had great times... picnics on the beach where she would smoke one of her three or four menthol cigarettes a month, disapproving of women who smoked in public, but this was to keep the sandflies away, she said. Going to work with her during the school holidays when I was thirteen and she had gone back to work after being a stay at home mum all my life to that point. She worked for a tea and coffee importer, and I can't smell freshly ground beans now, without thinking back fifty years almost. Going on day trips, Belle Vue Zoo, Southport Flower Show, the Dales, we loved these coach trips. As we did our weekly visits to the library, a lovely Gothic building, all wood inside, the smell of polish, old books, the squeak of the librarians shoes as she moved around the shelves, the thrill when I was able to go into the adults section at last, choosing books by Frances Parkinson Keyes, Elizabeth Goudge, Mazo de la Roche....<br /><br />Food memories are rather strange... flat bowls of oxtail soup with chips in... Liverpudlian Scouse... chips with curry sauce.. branston pickle sandwiches... chips with scraps and mushy peas and lots of salt and vinegar... school dinners of meatballs, leftover Sunday roast (from the convent), sponge pudding with jam and coconut on the top, tapioca which most of us hated, but the meals all freshly cooked in the convent kitchen next door and mostly delicious. Posh nosh when my father took us out for a meal, lobster, steak, prawns... watered down wine, just a little at first, but more as I got older, and then of course came the days when it wasn't watered down any more!<br /><br />But overall, despite the lack of popularity at school, still feeling loved and cherished, happy and safe.<br /><br />Then into the world of work, and apart from one horrendous memory here, where the feeling of being safe was taken away temporarily, this was a happy, happy time. Fun to be 16, 17 and so on, childhood left behind, but the rest of my life ahead to be filled and enjoyed. Of course, real life doesn't always work out as planned or dreamed of does it? But on the whole I have felt as I did as a little girl all those years ago... loved and safe and happy, and I hope I have made my own children feel the same, and that they in turn pass it on to their children, and that all their memories will be as happy as mine.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFieiUwjif9zx_LGbeVJR6pjuI0ee2xLH9lc-mwXFki-fTAda_wl-UEEcd4d8dqwSBAXnZUmZ-658oxbnFR27Gt-3L7qFgOTOCwgOCD6UzTJceZLHfxUE2G9Zz4QlBv83vN8B-Zr06Py1/s1600-h/005.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374594158285566258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFieiUwjif9zx_LGbeVJR6pjuI0ee2xLH9lc-mwXFki-fTAda_wl-UEEcd4d8dqwSBAXnZUmZ-658oxbnFR27Gt-3L7qFgOTOCwgOCD6UzTJceZLHfxUE2G9Zz4QlBv83vN8B-Zr06Py1/s320/005.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div>pinkfairygranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09497901949136714254noreply@blogger.com34