Cooling off

Last weekend we took ourselves out in the glorious sunshine for a wander round one of the nearby villages.  It was a glorious day, thankfully we set of nice and early so we wern't walking in the heat of the day.

We found some beautiful bluebells just starting to show their glorious colours under the trees.

Someone had a particularly good time trotting backwards and forwards along the paths.  Typical Collie, likes to be in front and up ahead but also likes to keep coming back to check up on us, so consequently walks twice as far as anyone else!  Also found a great pub at the end of the walk for a welcome cooling drink and some lunch.

George, however, waiting until we got home before he had his cooling drink.

Woohoo!  Garden hose, moving water (that isn't a river or the sea) my favourite!

Just have a little drink

And cool my face down 

Phpweergh!

How do I look?  Soggy?  Let me just shake............

Right, now I am off to go and figure out what I am doing over the next couple of days and maybe get another jumper on, its gone cold all of a sudden!

Take care all

Sarah x

Making Home

I am very lucky because my workshop is built underneath this tree.  I have just watched a blue tit organising some soft furnishings for the birdhouse, looked like he had raided my bag of wadding!

My worry is that the birdhouse is very very rickety and only hanging onto the tree by, well hardly hanging onto the tree at all really!  Now I can't go up the ladder and do anything about it because I would disturb them, I just hope that they don't put too much in or have too many heavy chicks!

Don't know too much about blue tits but I thought we were supposed to clean out the nest boxes each year, we havn't done so, yet for the past 2 years and now this one we have had a family of blue tits nesting so I figure to leave well alone.  Although once the little ones have flown this year I think there will be some necessary maintenance to be carried out on this little home.

Missy was thoroughly enjoying the sunshine yesterday, she does the same as the chickens - sits in full sun and cooks then moves into the shade for a half hour before going back out for another baking session.

George came out for a break from building work, he has been 'helping' plumb in the new downstairs loo and sink!

Just a few more minutes in the sun............

Take care all, til tomorrow

Sarah x



Hang out the bunting

Haven't really got anything to say today, well, that isn't strictly true!  I have lots to say, just can't remember what it was I was planning on saying!

I've had a good tidy and sort out in the workshop.  I can see the table again!  Although I have now filled it back up with piles of fabric ready to make into 'stuff'

I can't decide which way to to with the decoration in the house.  It's the Queen's birthday tomorrow so I'll be needing to hang out the flags

Then it is Easter so out come the eggs and all things springlike and pretty

Then the wedding, so back to the flags and buntings!

Going to be busy!

First things first though, I can't actually see my dining room table for pots of paint and signs being stencilled so maybe I need to take a little step back and start small!!  Back to the tidying up I guess!

Take care all, hope you are having the same wonderful sunshine we are, makes such a difference to everything doesn't it.

Sarah x

Working Dog Tails

My name is George and this is my working dog story from this weekend.

On Saturday morning I got up very very early and went out with Mum for my walk.  All the boxes for market were in the hall ready for loading into the car so when we got back I went and sat down to watch Mum put them in the car like a big jigsaw puzzle.  Funny how the 2 legged ones hold onto their heads when they are thinking, Mum seemed to be doing a lot of head holding but it was because she was making sure all the stock fitted in whilst leaving enough space for me to sit too.

On the way there I took the opportunity to go back to sleep for a while because I never know where I might end up when I go out in the car and I might need lots of energy for running on beaches and things.  Didn't need running energy this time, I had my bed all laid out and I watch Mum unpack the jigsaw puzzle and set up her stall.

My lead was tied onto the middle gazebo leg so I could go and see 3 different stallholders whenever I wanted to.  I went and got cuddles with Jean and she even found some dog biscuits in her pocket!

I did sit behind our own stall sometimes, when I wasn't busy socialising with everyone else.

We had some nice red white and blue stuff on the stall this week

and some new cushions too. 

I had a lovely time catching up with everyone, it has been quite a while since I went to market.  At the end of the day I hopped back in the car and watched Mum re-do the jigsaw puzzle ready for us to go home, fortunately it was much easier to pack up as we had sold stuff to people. 

I wasn't needed for market on Sunday which was good because I did not want to get up at all!

Right now I am off to watch Dad cut up the wood for kindling.

Love from George xx

Little rant

I am starting to get quite cross with buying fabrics only to find when I go to use them that they have dirty marks on them that have not got anything to do with me.  Fabric is not cheap and if it is marked then I clearly cannot use it in products I sell either.  Note to oneself - check check and double check as fabric is being cut in the shop because it is too late once you are at home and have cut it up yourself too.

Ggggrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!
Rant over
Thank you
x

The organist plays

Took a picture of the church at the top of the lane when I was out for my walk with George yesterday because the organist was inside practicing.  It sounded really lovely with the music, muffled but recognisable, coming from the building.  It felt like one of those miniature village scenes you see in the shops at Christmas time with miniature people and lights twinkling in the houses.  I don't know why it reminds me of a pretend church in a pretend village when it is quite clearly real but that's just the way it is!  I am also quite sure that the organist was not playing Zippididoo dah zippidy day either but for the life of me I cannot think of the name of the song, although very familiar from childhood!

Not such good news for dog walking is that the cows are back in the cow field, still giving the death stare at anyone who even contemplates climbing the style and invading their lush meadow!

So Goerge and I stick to the spinney and the fields, still measuring the vegetation!

Continuing along the church theme - our pew, from the afore mentioned church has been relocated to cover up the dead trees on our side of the driveway!  Yet to be painted, we need to get a wriggle on so as not to damage it any further from the elements.  We have at least agreed on the colour!  Potted up some little plants to add to the jepordy of reversing and turning vehicles round on the drive, well why not!!

It wasn't until we moved the pew we noticed that we have some grafiti - proper grafiti too, 200 years old!  I wonder who IS was and what they were doing clearly sitting on the floor as this is written on the shelf under the seat!  Will have to devise a way of preserving this when we paint it.

Must get on and make some more stuff, a full weekend of markets this week, Welwyn Garden tomorrow followed by Duck Pond in Ruislip on Sunday.

Take care all

Sarah x

Growing up

Its getting longer!

The cow parsley in the spinney is George height now, soon the flowers will be out and we will return from our walk covered in the blossom, with soggy legs on the days that we have rain! 

This was only a week or so ago

This weekend I was at Bedford market.  I haven't had a stall here for a few years now but was looking forward to getting back into it.  My spot outside Bhs was lovely in the sunshine.  There were hundreds of folk out and about at the shops.  I was really pleased because I sold one of my new chairs.  Well I say new, they are old ones revamped!

Am just off into the garden to take pictures of various bits for the website, so lovely in the sunshine, even my messy garden looks inviting!

Take care, til tomorrow

Sarah x

Aromatherapy

I survived the excercise!

It was actually great fun, we went to Zumba, which seems to be the latest aerobic class to be the 'in thing' to do at present.  Ooo that last sentence makes me sound so old!  Whatever it sounds like, we had a great time at the Zumba class, it is based on dance moves and is more like being at a party with a lot of other people who are not thinking about what they look like (sweaty and very red faced in an oversized t-shirt, leggins and thankfully matching shoes on my part!) but instead we are all just dancing our little hearts out to good loud music and excercising the face muscles with grinning into the bargin as well! 

This morning I feel perfectly good with no aches either so I am booking my night out dancing again next week.

As I write I am sitting in the workshop with the smell of freshly painted creosote (or the new modern 'safe' equivalent) from my neighbours shed.  Reminds me of summer from my childhood when my Dad used to paint the fence and gate, I love this smell!!

Closely followed by the earlier aroma in the house of my freshly baked bread.  So pleased that we had run out of fresh bread or I might have taken the easy option of just having the shop bought variety, but not having a shop within walking distance and discovering some flour in the cupboard I decided to make my own.  All kneaded by hand, not a machine in sight!  Tasted good!

The animals are loving the sunshine too.  George likes to use the little edge around the flower bed as his chin rest!  Had to take this through the shrubbery picture because he would have moved if he heard me!

Even Missy is taking to the garden for her busy sleeping schedule.

I am unfortunately not getting out in the sunshine other than the dog walking and hanging out the washing, got a painting schedule to keep up for a pair of chairs and some more signs.

Hope you are all enjoying this weather if it is as good with you

Take care

Til tomorrow

Sarah x

Spring in my step

You know it has been too long since you last did any serious excercise when you can only find one and a half pairs of trainers and you can't remember which ones are the 'workout ones' and which are the 'general wearing' ones!

You can't really see the blossom on the tree but it is such an odd but beautiful looking tree I had to take a picture in the sunshine earlier.  It is just one single branch which comes from the trunk at right angles and branches out, well it would if there were any other branches there, into a burst of bright pink blossom!

Just a few weeks ago the fields were ploughed, great big clods of turned soil, still freezing cold and not looking as if anything would ever be able to grow in it.

Now in the sunshine the paddocks have been ploughed again ready for sowing.  This day had a real proper spring scent about it, I was reading someone elses blog who was talking about the scent of the air at this time of year and it was very much happening the day I took this picture.

This is the 'before' shot of George in the spinny before the  cow parsley grows further, will try to remember to take another when it is in full bloom in a few weeks time.

Well I am off to raid the larder in preparation for excercising later - ha!  Will let you know how that goes!!

Take care

Sarah x

Is it Tuesday already?

Ooops, what happened to Friday and Monday?  Anyone know?

Hope you all had a good weekend.  I have been off to market and have been finishing off a few new products for Land Cuckoo.  Just because this is the order in which the pictures have uploaded on blogger here, I am going to start with the new things made.

These are my wooden blocks, at present I have just got these two options but will be making up more in due course.

I am thinking at some point I may get the whole alphabet so you can make up your own initials or names.

Now back to present time, or in actual fact, past times as this was taken at Welwyn Garden City market at the weekend.  As you can tell, it was a little blustery!

Most of the stock stayed put most of the time!  I didn't get out to take any pictures until I had sold quite a few items!  Showing off my new (old) suitcase here, another treasure find from my favourite shop.  It is a proper, made in England wooden suitcase and all the catches still work.  Plus it is a really good size for transporting my cushions safely to market! 

A little corner of lavender. 

Last night was the monthly Crafty Night In at my house.  This is a little gathering of like minded folk that I have started to keep us all enthusiastic and keen to try new projects as well as encourage eachother to finish off those longstanding projects we have all been holding onto!!  We have been meeting up once a month and so far have been working on our own projects but last night we made chocolates, and a whole lot of mess!

The first choccies coming out of the mould successfully.  We experimented with different chocolate, fillings and flavours.  My favourite was the chocolate orange with dark chocolate, although the white chocolate cherry was rather scrummy too.

As most of the ladies all live in the village, we left some in the fridge to finish setting overnight.  What a great fridge to find in the morning - full of wine and chocolate!

This is the ever diminishing selection of chocolate which has yet to be wrapped and packaged, although I suspect that there wont be that many to give away!

I'm off to get some more paint on the new signs, a few more to still add to the collection yet.

Take care all, til tomorrow

Sarah x