Happy New Year!

Wishing you a Very Merry Christmas and a Lovely New Year!

The cake still isn't made but here it's still Friday ..so I have a day to get it done! Most of the pressies are safely purchased ..now just a couple of things to get and some wrapping to do.
The car decided to smoke this morning ...electrical fire anyone... and then the truck decided 5 degrees was too cold ..unfortunately it decided this right in the middle of an icy and busy intersection and had to be towed home .....my poor OH .... and as a finale I have poured rather hot water over my hand ..ouch...still we have a warm house, lots of nice yummy Christmas food and it's the start of the Christmas break. I think we shall have to watch A Christmas Carol and fight the cats and the dog for a place on the sofa.
Wishing you all a Warm, dry, safe and Happy Christmas !

Purrfect tree decoration

Eight lives left.....

You know that moment (well hopefully you don't) when you've turned the dryer on and the load of wet laundry makes a thumping sound as if a trainer was in there by mistake.
I stared at it for a second ..puzzled ..I surely didn't load anything that would thump...so still puzzled I stopped the dryer and opened the door..and I was very glad I did.

Out shot Tinker ...that was a close call..I normally check before I shut the door..

Anyway thankfully no harm done and she has been especially affectionate since ...so she either thinks I'm dangerous and she needs to keep om my good side or I'm her rescuer?

Anyway much relief that she's Ok ...Much checking every time I load the dryer and I'd say One life definitely

used up!

Cats and a Sock!

 Breakfast?.......Now please

 Wood stove appreciation

 Ditto

 18 ? Next Birthday..even my brain is cold this morning ...darn it.

 Daughter's  first sock ..clever lass...

 Cuddling across the generations

What do you do when it's really cold out and the whole family has colds and coughs?
You post photos of the cats enjoying the wood stove and the older daughters first sock ! clever girl ..the knitting skills comes from Granny Not Me (shame but there you go)

December the 1st

And it snowed last night....and as it is the 1st of December I'm beginning to feel Christmas'sy so that means Beatrix Potter and the Tailor of Gloucester...enjoy

Turkey Detective.....

We have a Turkey detective in the house.....

This way....

You just hook your paw round this door.....

But darn it they shut the door ..even when I mewed pitifully......all I was going to do was protect it ....

Lest we forget...

Photo from https://www.facebook.com/TheDonkeySanctuary/

Camping Read alouds

What would you read if you were camping in the Wilds for 2 or 3 weeks at a time?

So far we have read

The Hobbit J.R.R Tolkein   .....Popular with all
The Lord of the Rings J.R.R Tolkein .....Popular with all
Treasure Island R.L.Stevenson ....More popular with Adults
Swiss Family Robinson .....the start only.... failed the test (penguins and flamingos flying round their heads)
The Scarlet Pimpernel.... Baroness Orzcy
Robinson Crusoe....Daniel Defoe
Great Expectations...Charles Dickens
Journey to the Center of the Earth...Jules Verne (not finished yet ..due to running out of holiday)

Useful things I now know....Cleaning

You don't need many cleaning materials....
Ammonia....useful info here
Bicarbonate of soda (for coffee and tea stains in pottery)
White Vinegar,
Dish soap (Washing up liquid)
A spray bottle or 2
Clean rags or paper towels
Lemon Pledge (it works ..I like the scent..they sell it at costco)
Some good bouncy music ....I tend to go for 60's and 80's but that's just me ....

Catching up!

Where did the Summer go? and Now it's October... and getting a bit nippy.
Red Sky in the morning Shepherds warning....

The Wood stove is back in use after it's Summer rest and the Collie has discovered he can still wriggle beneath it, if he pushes the shovel and fire hoe out of the way.
There might have been Auroras overhead last night but my inability to persuade myself to emerge from under the blankets in the middle of the night reduced my chances of finding out to say zero.
17 years under the Northern skies and no decent Aurora viewed yet... how inexplicable...must do better (don't laugh).

This year was a prime year for fungi in the woods and by the trails ..a really brilliant showing and many people were spotted with buckets gathering the riches ...not me I'm afraid ..I'm not confident in my ability to distinguish the good from the rather poisonous. I do think they look attractive though and can quite see why Beatrix potter drew them ..that I can see myself trying.

A gentle sadness this Autumn as Banty the tiny bantam who has resided indoors (in the Laundry) for the last (can it be?) four years  died ..she wasn't unhappy or ill and seemed a happy little thing so I shouldn't be sad for her. After all when I first took her into the laundry it was just so she would not die in the cold ...and I never expected her to last the night ...never mind get a new lease on life and a new Winter residence...out all Summer...inside (in a Guinea pig cage on the dryer) all Winter for several more years. So I shouldn't have been surprised but... I still was RIP little hen.
So for a sturdy (look we taught banty to fly Mum) and good natured little hen ..who laid  nice eggs in her day and reared a large brood of chicks for us I can recommend Dutch Bantams wholeheartedly. Incidentally in her prime Banty looked exactly like the Pullet on the Wiki page I linked to.

We visited England  (Great fun was had) Kayaked and Walked and read this Summer ....played cards, crafted (The girls to a great degree I .....well I offered encouragement ....and wool!) and we even biked a bit especially enjoyable as I get the hang of mountain bike gears....Oh gosh are they lovely.

Now it's Autumn and I'm Autumn cleaning (I missed ...as normal..the Spring version ..so am trying for a much needed burst of Autumn cleaning ) whilst listening to audio books as I work ... I must try and share info on the ones I enjoy (and the odd awful warning)

Happy Easter!

Crafting Cats....

The Cats wish to help in their own unique way .....

finishing off a WIP  and starting a new project ....with help ....

 Senior Cat privileges..she is 17 in June? 

 Not yet 1 but still quite determined...

 Finally made it on the wall finished...

 Senior cat approves new project (I think?)

 Felt some dyed tops (combed wool) onto felt

 Change  mind about colours... and add a chain stitch outline.

Add strands of wool to couch in place....bit of work to go!

After all it has to pass the Supervisor !

Vintage Happy Valentine's day Greetings...

With Many Thanks to those who scanned and shared.