Lilys House

the daily drag

is what it seems like sometimes. The walk, I mean. I know I’m always saying how wonderful it is but, you know, there are days.

This morning in particular was painful.  Maddie is just getting over a nasty cold virus.  She’s been pretty poorly actually and it’s taken it’s toll.  Although recovered now, she is still not quite her usual exuberant self.

But dog walking we must go.  I’m a great believer in a bit of fresh air doing the world of good (ask Nick about the open bedroom windows in the middle of winter….bracing, aaahhhh..). I was determined to tune out the moans and enjoy.  As hoped, the little one couldn’t resist the restorative qualities of the beautiful morning and actually found herself enjoying it (much to her disgust).

 

who could not ?

colouring in

and he’s not happy about it…………oh, the joys…..

the morning so far

 

the shop

the delights awaiting me on the doorstep when I returned

the pleading ‘please put my bed in the sunniest spot’ look

the garden beginning to bloom

the mess that’s taken over the whole house

times this by 100.

Suddenly the garden, coffee and a sneaky almond croissant seems overwhelmingly appealing………………

bits and bobs

Well, this week has rushed by.  The weather has been quite good on the whole and has seen a little flurry of ‘round the house’ jobs.  I don’t know what’s come over me !

I think writing an essay for work has had a lot to do with it.  It’s amazing how having an essay looming over you can prompt the need to do anything but. 

Such as..

(check the quality of that brush….must invest in some more…and the paint lid – you can see how long the paint had been sitting patienty in the shed)

Our downstairs loo now has two coats of paint, a rather fetching soft green.  It’s only taken two years to get around to it.  Amazing what an essay can do.

I stopped procrastinating and got on with it like a big girl, enjoying the sunshine as I worked.  Couldn’t see the screen very well but there was no way I was going to sit inside in the gloom and make it seem more of a chore..

What else has been going on ?  Well, I finished some spinning at long last..

The Bluefaced Leicester on the left will probably become socks and the thick and thin angora/extra fine merino blend has been claimed by Lily (when in the shape of a nice snuggly winter scarf).  These are my hand dyed fibres.  I wanted to get more practice with the angora especially.  It’s one of my favourite fibres.  I spun it quick and carefree, which was the effect I was going for, with the added benefit of being quicker!

******

It’s nice and early here, 7am.  I can hear the little one chatting to Nick upstairs, so I know the peace will be shattered shortly.  Yep, here she is.  (Break for a big cuddle….)..

Right I’m off to hang the washing out, make porridge and to straighten this place up before my Dad gets here.  It’s barbeque day!  And I have the makings of Mojitos in the fridge. Fingers crossed the weather holds.

Have a super weekend !

 

blue eyes

My SOS mission for this morning….

This dear young jackdaw had been found in the courtyard  last night.  After I removed my cats from the vicinity – no mean feat, he  disappeared into a tiny gap between the garden wall and the house.  Poor little fledgling had no chance now he was on the ground.  I couldn’t retrieve him and knew that when he emerged the cats would be waiting. It’s a very cat heavy street.

After midnight I had a call out to a patient and whilst on the phone I could hear all this flapping outside. As predicted he had ventured out and was being watched with deadly intent.  I scooped him up into a box and into a nice quiet room overnight.

This morning we took him to Devon Wildlife Hospital which we are lucky enough to have on our doorstep (amazing, hardworking people).  He was one of many young jackdaws and magpies to have been rescued, all to be fed up and made strong for release as soon as possible.  I know that you should really leave young birds and that they will find their way back to the mother, but to do so would have meant certain death in his case, he wouldn’t even have made it over the wall.  I felt a bit better about interfering when I was told that he was very underweight and probably hadn’t been looked after properly.  Other than that there were no injuries apart from a couple of scuffs and some missing feathers. 

Hopefully he will be flying free in no time.

rested

Sigh………….nice to be back. Rested and ready to start again :)

peeking above the parapet…and disappearing again

Well hello !  ‘Tis an age since I have been here.  It seems as if I have entered into an unscheduled blog break, one that will carry on for just that little bit longer. Just thought I’d touch base :)

Everything is fine here by the way.  Things just got a little busy for a while and something had to give.  Once I’d not posted for a while the easier it was not to, if you know what I mean. (wow, that was a good sentence..;) 

We have a holiday coming up soon and are off to sunnier climes from 19th May for a couple of weeks.  I think I’ll extend my blog break until we return, refreshed and rested I hope.  I only found out about the holiday about a month ago.  Nick and Lily  secretly booked it back in September (no doubt because I would have said ‘absolutely not!’ to the suggestion of a holiday, especially in the current financial climate).  Well, they did it and were then terrified to tell me! I’m just such a dragon – more like the sensible one if you ask me.

Anyhow, I am thrilled really of course, got no idea how they managed it but I’m not asking questions.  Everything had been thought out.  Dogs booked in kennels, my time booked off work, kids booked off school, car parks – check, insurance – check, all inclusive – check, flights from local airport – check, nothing to stress Mum out – check !  Basically they had covered any possible moaning/anxiety risk.  And since I’m usually the control freak around here, I was impressed.

I’m still plugging away over at the Etsy store.  Got loads of stuff dyed up and ready to put up.  I have some really nice luxury fibres to spin and of course the sock yarn. This Alpaca and silk for instance, not in the store yet but I’m working on it….

Knitting wise, I’m still working slowly on my Shipwreck.  I wanted to get it done before the holiday but I’m not sure I will now.  I’m on the easy bit but those 500 plus stitch rounds are lonnng and I’m just not devoting enough time to it.  I’m lucky if I work on it every few days. It’s coming out beautifully though and I’m so looking forward to dyeing it up and wearing it.

The little garden is looking pretty, with colour appearing all over.  I got a lot of tubs and hanging baskets done last weekend.  Loads of my favourite trailing nasturtiums (to hell with the caterpillars that will cause absolute devastation at some stage) and the ever present, easy going geraniums.

  So, that’s the news, not a lot really, just life :)

Just wanted to say thankyou to all my blog visitors, I appreciate it so much and have made lots of lovely ‘virtual’ friends. I look forward to starting back here again with new found vigour, in early June.  Bye for now and see  you all soon  xx

bar-be-cube

Got to love the funny words of a 4 yr old !  The weekend was beautiful and perfect for the first outdoor eat of the season. We descended on our friends by the sea and had a wonderful time chilling in the garden, drinking apple jack cocktails, surrounded by a beautiful garden.

 

Sadly I didn’t even think to take a picture of the chocolate and raspberry tarts :)  Thankyou guys – it was lovely.

This morning the weather is still divine but we spent our time in a less relaxing manner, trawling round M&S for summer school uniform.  I had to get Maddie a dress too as she starts in September and it will likely still be warm (please, lets hope so…).  It is so tiny and cute compared to her sisters.  I can’t believe the time has come already to start thinking about these things.

All back to school tomorrow, so we are having a last burst of energy  to straighten up the house and unearth uniform and lunch boxes.  It’s all fun, fun, fun…….x

glorious

It is the most beautiful Spring day here.  We have just come back from a long walk in the woods.  It was balmy, breezy and full of life and promise.

The poor hounds didn’t get out yesterday for various reasons and were going a bit stir crazy and manic this morning.  They pelted round, enjoying the warmth and will no doubt not shift from the sofa all day now.

It rained recently and everything was covered with little shimmering droplets.

green, green all around…go on, let me share some more ;)

and despite looking half dead……a rare one of yours truly…

in my uniform.  I think every photo of me I’ve posted shows me wearing the same clothes.  What can I say, I love my green cords and cardy.  Soon I’ll move into the summer uniform of black linen baggies, black vest top and black cardy if needed !  Live life on the edge, that’s what I say ;)

The rest of the day will be quiet hopefully.  I’m working tonight and have got a lot of odd jobs to do this afternoon.  I’ve had a massive wool order arrive so I’m busy splitting  roving into 100g lots ready for dyeing.  Any spinners out there, be sure to check the shop soon.  There will be luxury fibres in there by the end of next week hopefully with some beautiful, soft, silky blends.  Baby alpaca, extra fine merino, soybean fibre, baby camel, angora, tussah silk…you name it.  When the box arrived I squealed, seriously.

I’ll also be adding some alpaca / merino and some merino / silk lace weight yarn. So – lots to do…better get off and get motivated.

Have a marvellous and sunny weekend !

are you rested ?

 

Well here we are on the other side of Easter, still in the middle of the school holidays. I was lucky enough to have time off work from Thursday to Sunday but was back with a bump last night.

I’m sitting here after not enough sleep, trying to amuse Maddie (and keep her quiet), at this end of the house.  The front room contains two sleeping eleven year olds who although in bed, were still in a very excitable, sugared up state at 0130 when I got in this morning.  I turned their light off and hoped for the best.  Fingers crossed they went to sleep.  But I think not somehow.

On the rare occasions that I went on a sleepover or had someone over as a child, it was all we could do to stay up for a ‘midnight feast’ of marmite sandwiches. In fact, I can remember setting the alarm for midnight !

With all of us tired, apart from Maddie, it has the makings of a fun day ;)

Back to Easter. We were blessed with beautiful weather.  Dad came up for the day and we all went over to Mama and Papas for lemon drizzle cake and endless  cups of tea. Maddie flashed her new swimming costume, basically refusing to take it off all day………

We had great fun making hot cross buns…..

which sadly I left out to ‘cool’ on top of a cupboard (everything edible in this house has to go on top of a cupboard) and came down the next morning to find them still there , hard as a rock.  I could have kicked myself.  They were the best hot cross buns I’ve ever tasted, if I do say so myself. Luckily a few secs in the microwave restored some of their former glory.

I’ve been doing some spinning too.  I’ve had the same stuff on the go for an age.  It’s slow going spinning finer. I just need to get it finished really but it’s easy to get distracted with all the lovely fibre around here ! 

This is some Bluefaced Leicester and tussah silk top that I dyed. I love, love, love this combo…

Shortly after taking these pics, I changed bobbins and started spinning some straight BFL – a bit thicker for a quick fix.  If it turns out well I may even pop it in the shop.

Knitting wise, I am really enjoying  Shipwreck from Knitty, using some of my undyed Buffy sock yarn.  I’m almost halfway through the Madeira chart.  I’ve made a couple of teeny mistakes but nothing too bad (famous last words).  I’m not even going to go there with the beads.  I’m not really a beady sort of gal – that and the fact that threading 5000 seed beads would drive me insane !

I will get pics but I’m at the point of needing to change to a longer cable and it just looks like a scrunched mess, impossible to stretch out without the risk of lost stitches.

So, that’s my news.  I’d better get off here whilst the goings good.  Maddie has been very patient but I don’t wish to push my luck.  There is porridge to be made !

Hope you all had a lovely Easter and that the transition back to normal life and work is not too harsh …….