Lavender and Pearls

A Monthly Make for 2012: February

2012-02-10T11:54:00.000Z

Here it is, my loves, my February Monthly Make for 2012 :-)

Do you remember Beverly's Birthday Blanket and how I told you that when she opened it, Niamh (the little girl she looks after) thought it was for her? Well since I had plenty of yarn left I set-to and made this mini version of Beverly's blanket for Niamh! It didn't take long at all as it is so much smaller than the original version; it contains all the colours I used in Beverly's blanket though :-)

And here is a tiny bonus blanket especially for Niamh's little baby dolly :-)

Julia and Florence wanted to try out Niamh's blanket to see how cosy it was. I have an idea, sweetie~pies, that they would rather like me to make one for them ;-)

And here is little Violet, trying out the tiny blanket. I don't think that I have introduced you to Violet yet ~ I'm pretty sure that I didn't get round to taking her photograph when she arrived. She is another Rosebud dolly to add to my little family ~ I have such a soft spot for Rosebuds because my very first baby doll, Jane (who I have had since I was about two years old), is also that make. I find them very hard to resist LOL

Word of God Everyday...

2012-02-09T16:00:00.000Z

The Lord guards the souls of his saints

Psalm 97:10

The good God will give you grace and light
to know what is right at the needed time.

St. Julie Billiart, 18th century

Young Woman Reading by a Window by Delphin Enjolras

The Thursday Poem

2012-02-09T07:00:00.002Z

From: A Shropshire Lad

XXXII

From far, from eve and morning

And yon twelve-winded sky,

The stuff of life to knit me

Blew hither: here am I.

Now - for a breath I tarry

Nor yet disperse apart -

Take my hand quick and tell me,

What have you in your heart.

Speak now, and I will answer;

How shall I help you, say;

Ere to the wind's twelve quarters

I take my endless way.

A.E. Houseman

(26th March 1859 - 30th April 1936)

from the book: Poem for the Day One

A little bit of random and some faux flower love...

2012-02-08T17:58:00.000Z

Some days, my loves, Matty and Nikki like to share the same sleeping space :-)

And they both like to toast their furry little bottoms!

These blue tits were in our back garden for quite some time which, was so lovely as we don't usually see many out there these days.

The gave my butterfly bush a good doing over and were hanging off the side of the shed too ~ but I wasn't quick enough to capture a picture of that. They sure are little acrobats!

And this photo was taken through the living room window ~ which goes some way to explain why it is a little fuzzy. At first I thought this was a blackbird as we have one who regularly visits our front garden but on closer inspection I rather think it was a thrush. It sat in my holly bush, helping itself to the berries. It had quite a feast, I can tell you ~ the poor bush is now utterly bereft of berries!

I know some folk find them tacky and/or terribly twee and kitsch, sweetie~pies, but I confess that I rather like my faux flowers ;-)

I think these faux carnations look rather sweet in this pretty tin :-)

I have had a wee bit of a change-around with some of my houseplants and the camellias which were in the kitchen are now residing on the living room windowsill. I'm so happy to see that this one is coming into bloom again this year.

No, not faux flowers this time but real daffodils ~ this week's purchase with my Tesco shopping. I have some more on the living room windowsill and every time I look at the pretty yellow blooms it makes me smile :-)

Word of God Everyday...

2012-02-08T16:00:00.000Z

The Lord is my shepherd,

I shall not want

Psalm 23:1

Addressing the Lord in prayer
implies a radical act of confidence,
the awareness of entrusting oneself to God
Who is good.

His Holiness, Benedict XVI

Word of God Everyday...

2012-02-07T16:00:00.000Z

I have set my soul in silence and peace

Psalm 131:2

Blessed is the mind that, passing by all creatures,
constantly rejoices in God’s beauty.

St. Maximus of Turin, 5th century

Female Heart Attacks

2012-02-07T12:45:00.001Z

My sister sent this to me recently, sweetie~pies, and I thought it was well worth sharing here:

NURSE'S HEART ATTACK EXPERIENCE

I am an ER nurse and this is the best description of this event that I have ever heard. Please read, pay attention, and send it on!

FEMALE HEART ATTACKS

I was aware that female heart attacks are different, but this is the best description I've ever read.

Women and heart attacks (Myocardial infarction)

Did you know that women rarely have the same dramatic symptoms that men have when experiencing heart attack… you know, the sudden stabbing pain in the chest, the cold sweat, grabbing the chest and dropping to the floor that we see in the movies. Here is the story of one woman's experience with a heart attack.

I had a heart attack at about 10:30 pm with NO prior exertion and NO prior emotional trauma that one would suspect might have brought it on. I was sitting all snugly and warm on a cold evening, with my purring cat in my lap, reading an interesting story my friend had sent me and actually thinking “aah, this is the life, all cosy and warm in my soft, cushy Lazy Boy with my feet propped up”.

A moment later, I felt that awful sensation of indigestion, when you've been in a hurry and grabbed a bite of sandwich, washed it down with a dash of water, and that hurried bite seems to feel like you've swallowed a golf ball going down the oesophagus in slow motion and it is most uncomfortable. You realize you shouldn't have gulped it down so fast and needed to chew it more thoroughly and this time drink a glass of water to hasten its progress down to the stomach. This was my initial sensation ~ the only trouble was that I hadn't taken a bite of anything since about 5:00 p.m.

After it seemed to subside, the next sensation was like little squeezing motions that seemed to be racing up my SPINE (in hind-sight, it was probably my aorta spasms), gaining speed as they continued racing up and under my sternum (breast bone, where one presses rhythmically when administering CPR).

This fascinating process continued on into my throat and branched out into both jaws. AHA!! NOW I stopped puzzling about what was happening. We all have read and/or heard about pain in the jaws being one of the signals of an MI happening, haven't we? I said aloud to myself and the cat, Dear God, I think I'm having a heart attack!

I lowered the foot rest dumping the cat from my lap, started to take a step and fell on the floor instead. I thought to myself, if this is a heart attack I shouldn't be walking into the next room where the phone is or anywhere else.... but, on the other hand, if I don't nobody will know that I need help, and if I wait any longer I may not be able to get up.

I pulled myself up with the arms of the chair, walked slowly into the next room and dialled the Paramedics. I told her I thought I was having a heart attack due to the pressure building under the sternum and radiating into my jaws. I didn't feel hysterical or afraid, just stating the facts. She said she was sending the Paramedics over immediately, asked if the front door was near to me, and if so, to unbolt the door and then lie down on the floor where they could see me when they came in.

I unlocked the door and then laid down on the floor as instructed and lost consciousness, as I don't remember the medics coming in, their examination, lifting me onto a gurney or getting me into their ambulance, or hearing the call they made to St. Jude ER on the way. I did briefly awaken when we arrived and saw that the radiologist was already there in his surgical blues and cap, helping the medics pull my stretcher out of the ambulance. He was bending over me asking questions (probably something like 'Have you taken any medications?') but I couldn't make my mind interpret what he was saying or form an answer, and nodded off again, not waking up until the Cardiologist and partner had already threaded the teeny angiogram balloon up my femoral artery into the aorta and into my heart where they installed two side by side stents to hold open my right coronary artery.

I know it sounds like all my thinking and actions at home must have taken at least 20-30 minutes before calling the paramedics, but actually it took perhaps 4-5 minutes before the call, both the fire station and St Jude are only minutes away from my home, and my Cardiologist was already to go to the OR in his scrubs and get going on restarting my heart (which had stopped somewhere between my arrival and the procedure) and installing the stents.

Why have I written all of this to you with so much detail? Because I want all of you who are so important in my life to know what I learned first hand.

1 Be aware that something very different is happening in your body, not the usual men's symptoms but inexplicable things happening (until my sternum and jaws got into the act). It is said that many more women than men die of their first (and last) MI because they didn't know they were having one and commonly mistake it as indigestion, take some Maalox or other anti-heartburn preparation and go to bed, hoping they'll feel better in the morning when they wake up...which doesn't happen. My female friends, your symptoms might not be exactly like mine, so I advise you to call the Paramedics if ANYTHING unpleasant is happening that you've not felt before. It is better to have a 'false alarm' visitation than to risk your life guessing what it might be!

2. Note that I said 'Call the Paramedics.' And if you can take an aspirin. Ladies, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!

Do NOT try to drive yourself to the ER - you are a hazard to others on the road.

Do NOT have your panicked husband drive you either; he will be speeding and looking anxiously at what's happening with you instead of the road.

Do NOT call your doctor - he doesn't know where you live, if it's at night you won't reach him anyway, and if it's daytime his assistants (or answering service) will tell you to call the Paramedics. He doesn't carry the equipment in his car that you need to be saved! The Paramedics do, principally OXYGEN that you need ASAP. Your doctor will be notified later.

3. Don't assume it couldn't be a heart attack because you have a normal cholesterol count. Research has discovered that a cholesterol elevated reading is rarely the cause of an MI (unless it's unbelievably high and/or accompanied by high blood pressure). MIs are usually caused by long-term stress and inflammation in the body, which dumps all sorts of deadly hormones into your system to sludge things up in there. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this mail sends it to 10 people, you can be sure that we'll save at least one life.

*Please be a true friend and send this article to all your friends (male and female) who you care about!*

Word of God Everyday...

2012-02-06T16:00:00.001Z

The Lord is just in all His ways,

and loving in all His deeds

Psalm 145:1

Accept all things, whatever their cause,
silently and with a tranquil mind,
as coming to you from the fatherly hand
of divine providence.

St. Albert the Great, 13th century

Start the week with a quote...

2012-02-06T07:00:00.001Z

image from The Graphics Fairy

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times,
always with the same person.

Prayer for World Peace

2012-02-05T07:00:00.001Z

On the move...

2012-02-04T07:32:00.000Z

Some of the dollies have found themselves a new comfy home of the sofa ;-)

I think this should be called "Rosebud Corner", sweetie~pies!

Julia and Florence are so happy to have a place on the sofa once more :-)

Poor Florence is still waiting for me to re-string her ~ and she still hasn't had a session in the dolly spa either!

Bunty has the armchair all to herself ~ which pleases her very much indeed. She just spends the day resting against the cushions, watching the world go by outside the living room window :-)

Not a dolly, I know, my loves ~ but I just couldn't resist taking a photo of my lovely jade plant. I've had her for many years ~ she had previously been subjected to my Mum's drought-or-flood houseplant-keeping regime, poor thing! She lives very happily in the corner of the living room windowsill :-)

Word of God Everyday...

2012-02-03T16:00:00.002Z

What have you that you did not receive?

1 Corinthians 4:7

Whatever wisdom,
whatever virtue you believe yourselves to possess,
attribute it all to Christ,
who is the Wisdom and the Knowledge of God.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux, 12th century

image from Kiddicare.com

All change!

2012-02-03T12:05:00.000Z

When we adopted Matty and Nikki, sweetie~pies, we decided that it would be a jolly good idea to fit child safety gates (we chose the style in the photo above) across various doorways downstairs (which don't have actual doors), namely the living room and the kitchen ~ the former because this enables us to keep them shut in when we answer the front door, and the latter for obvious reasons LOL Although Amber slept on the landing at night, we didn't want to start this with Matty and Nikki ~ can you imagine two not-exactly-small dogs sprawled out on our tiny little landing *eeeek*

To prevent them from going upstairs, we fitted another gate at the bottom of the staircase as well. This, however, caused something of a problem my loves because the dresser in the photo below was too close to the stairs to enable the gate to be opened properly! So a change around of the furniture was called for ~ oh what joy!

Said dresser is now in the living room, along with the unfinished dolls' house (Westbrooke Manor) which my parents gave me. As you can see, sweetie~pies, everywhere does still need to be decorated but I decided not to let this fact get in the way of displaying and enjoying all my pretty little bits 'n' bobs :-)

Like a lot of the furniture in our house, this mahogany-coloured shelf unit was a cast-off from my Mum ;-) The two cloths on these shelves are in fact a pair of antimacassars ~ who says they have to be used as chair-backs, eh ;-)

Most of my little pretties have either been given to me or are what I have been bought in charity shops. Very little has been bought "new".

Having said that, this little wire hen was indeed bought new LOL I loved her as soon as I saw her and she makes a very good container for pot pourri :-)

I am sure that you have already guessed that the plant on the corner shelf is faux, my loves! Sadly this corner really is too dark for a live plant but I did so want some greenery here ~ my Mum gave me this faux plant ages ago and this is the ideal spot for it.

Shock, horror ~ I have brought some of my beloved blue and white china out of its prison...aka the display cabinet in the dining room!

When we moved the dresser in from the hall, I at first set it out solely with blue and white china. It looked nice but to be honest I wasn't quite satisfied ~ there was something missing, somehow. After all the Christmas decorations had been put away, I decided to try adding in some of my other bits and pieces ~ most of which seem to have a pink theme going on!

I'm really happy with it now ~ it's much more cosy looking :-)

I put this nest of tables in front of the dresser as a sort of buffer to stop the dogs from knocking into it so much. So far it seems to be working well!

Oh how I do love my eclectic blue and white collection ~ and since I keep finding more lovely little pieces, I still have a cabinet full in the dining room LOL

A closer view, my loves...

...and another :-)

Word of God Everyday...

2012-02-02T16:00:00.001Z

God has delivered us from the dominion of darkness

Colossians 1:13

Do not forget that you have been rescued
from the power of darkness
and brought in to the light of God’s kingdom.

St. Leo the Great, 5th century

Young Woman Reading by a Window by Delphin Enjolras

The Thursday Poem

2012-02-02T07:00:00.000Z

The Destruction of Sennacherib

The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold,

And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;

And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea,

When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.

Like the leaves of the forest when Summer is green,

That host with their banners at sunset were seen;

Like the leaves of the forest when Autumn hath blown,

That host on the morrow lay withered and strown.

For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast,

And breathed in the face of the foe as he pass'd;

And the eyes of the sleepers wax'd deadly and chill,

And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!

And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide;

But through it there roll'd not the breath of his pride:

And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf,

And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf.

And there lay the rider, distorted and pale,

With the dew on his brow and the rust on his mail;

And the tents were all silent, the banners alone,

The lances uplifted, the trumpet unblown.

And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail;

And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal;

And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword,

Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord!

George Gordon, Lord Byron

(22nd January 1788 - 19th April 1824)

from the book: Poem for the Day One

Word of God Everyday...

2012-02-01T16:00:00.001Z

Rejoice in the Lord always

Philippians 4:4

Leave sadness to those in the world.

We who work for God should be lighthearted.

St. Leonard of Port Maurice, 18th century

Word of God Everyday...

2012-01-31T16:00:00.001Z

As the Father has loved me,

so I have loved you;

abide in my love.

Jesus; John 15:9

God loves us.
This is the great truth of our life;
it is what makes everything else meaningful.

His Holiness, Benedict XVI

Word of God Everyday...

2012-01-30T16:00:00.000Z

Love hopes all things

1 Corinthians 13:7

Be patient, and you shall see great things.

Ven. Jeanne Chézard, 17th century

Start the week with a quote...

2012-01-30T07:00:00.002Z

image from The Graphics Fairy

When people are free to do as they please,
they usually imitate each other

Prayer for World Peace

2012-01-29T07:00:00.001Z

Ta~Dah ~ and A Monthly Make for 2012: January

2012-01-28T10:49:00.000Z

The BBB ~ aka Beverly's Birthday Blanket ~ was finished in time for her birthday, sweetie~pies ~ yay!

I followed the Art Deco crochet blanket pattern in The Gentle Art of Knitting by Jane Brocket. I substituted a double-knit yarn instead of the Aran-weight used in the pattern. I made it using a 4.5mm crochet hook, and fairly closely followed the colours Jane used. When it was done I edged it with one row of half-treble all round the blanket and then finished off with a bobble-shell edging, which I found on Lucy's blog (attic24.typepad.com/).

I must confess, my loves, that I was a wee bit concerned that it might be a tad too colourful but Beverly assures me that she absolutely loves it ~ thank goodness!

Although it took me quite a while to get it done ~ through a combination of procrastination and working on Christmas projects LOL ~ I am extremely happy with how it has turned out. Once the foundation and pattern rows are in place it is a very simple blanket to crochet; one soon gets into a lovely gently rhythm which is really quite relaxing :-)

Since I have plenty of yarn left, I have now started a mini blanket for the little girl that Beverly looks after (she is a live-in child-minder) as apparently Niamh thought that Beverly's blanket was for her, bless her! I have also started another large blanket which will be a Christmas gift, so I am able to take my time with it. This is a much more subdued affair using only three different shades of yarn and I am liking it so much that it may be a teensy wee bit difficult to let it go to the intended recipients ;-)

As an added bonus, I had just enough time to make this rather spiffing tissue-box cover to go with the BBB ~ so my Monthly Make for 2012: January project is complete, sweetie~pies :-)

The tissue-box pattern is on The Royal Sisters blog (http://theroyalsisters.blogspot.com/) and is very easy to make. I did alter it slightly in that I had to add a couple of rows to make the cover large enough to fit my particular box of tissues. I am going to make a couple of these for myself as well as some for Christmas gifts!

Now that the BBB is finally finished I have started some more projects ~ please note the plural there, my loves LOL Not only have I started another two ripple blankets, albeit one is only a mini version ;-), I also have a knitted clothes-hanger cover on the go (which is a test-run trying out the best number of stitches and rows, ready for a clothes-hanger-making bonanza!) and a little making-it-up-as-I-go-along knitted bag in moss stitch which is to be a birthday (or perhaps Christmas, depending on when I get her little blankie finished!) gift for Niamh :-D

Plenty there to keep me out of mischief, methinks, not to mention lots of candidates for future Monthly Makes for 2012!

How can it be.....

2012-01-28T07:00:00.002Z

a few days before they were born by elective c-section

...that my babies are 21 years old today! The years have just flown by so quickly, sweetie~pies, and now here they are, all grown up!

with my parents last year

"helping" Grandad!

in Mummy and Daddy's bed

peeking over the child safety gate with Daddy

fun in the snow

Sam does love his sister really LOL

a school prom photo

is it really only three years since they turned 18???

another school prom photo

the four of us, with Amber too

striding out ahead on a family walk

Happy 21st Birthday my darlings! Hoping you both have the most fantastic day ~ so sorry we can't all be together to celebrate but I'm sure you will both have lots of fun with your friends ;-)

Sending you lots and lots of (((hugs))) ~ Dad and I are so proud of you and we love you both so very much!

Word of God Everyday...

2012-01-27T16:00:00.000Z

Make me know your ways,

O Lord

Psalm 25:4

He who has the love of Christ
sometimes causes pain, even to someone he loves,
for that person's good.

St. Basil the Great, 4th century

Word of God Everyday...

2012-01-26T16:00:00.000Z

My cup overflows

Psalm 23:5

Whoever has God finds he lacks nothing.

St. Teresa of Avila, 16th century

Young Woman Reading by a Window by Delphin Enjolras

The Thursday Poem

2012-01-26T07:00:00.001Z

What The Dog Perhaps Hears

If an inaudible whistle
blown between our lips
can send him home to us,
then silence is perhaps
the sound of spiders breathing
and roots mining the earth;
it may be asparagus heaving,
headfirst, into the light
and the long brown sound
of cracked cups, when it happens.
We would like to ask the dog
if there is a continuous whir
because the child in the house
keeps growing, if the snake
really stretches full length
without a click and the sun
breaks through clouds without
a decibel of effort,
whether in autumn, when the trees
dry up their wells, there isn't a shudder
too high for us to hear.

What is it like up there
above the shut-off level
of our simple ears?
For us there was no birth cry,
the newborn bird is suddenly here,
the egg broken, the nest alive,
and we heard nothing when the world changed.

Lisel Mueller

(8th February 1924 - )

Word of God Everyday...

2012-01-25T16:00:00.001Z

God has made the whole world prisoner of unbelief

that He may have mercy on all

Romans 11:32

Disobedient to God and cast off from immortality,
we have found mercy,
receiving through the Son of God

the adoption he brings.

cf St. Irenaeus, 2nd century

Little splashes of sunshine...

2012-01-24T16:06:00.000Z

At long last, my loves, we have got ourselves a fire surround ~ now we just need to get the chimney-breast decorated ;-)

Who would've thought that it would be such a difficult job finding a surround that I really liked! It was quite hard to find one that was a suitable fit for the hearth and opening and I also didn't want anything "fancy". I was so pleased when I finally found this simple oak surround on ebay :-)

And we now have a little door on our chimney-breast too, sweetie~pies! I expect you already know that it is a soot door LOL Our very nice chimney-sweep, Mr Fisher, fitted it for us last week. Now he will find it so much easier each time he comes to clean our chimney!

A little splash of sunshine in the corner of the living room windowsill ~ aren't the flowers on this cactus pretty, sweetie~pies? It really must like living on this windowsill, even though it faces more or less north and doesn't exactly get much sunshine during the winter. Mind you, it does get lots of daylight so I guess that helps.

It was a gift from my Mum quite some time ago and when she bought it, it had little orange dried flowers glued to the spines! I really didn't like them at all, they looked so unnatural, so I very carefully pulled them off. I was so pleased when it flowered, it was almost as if the cactus was saying thank you for removing those nasty 'ole dried flowers!

A closer view of the pretty yellow cactus flowers :-) Why anyone would glue dried flowers to a cactus when it has its own perfectly lovely blooms beats me!

Hip, hip, hooray ~ Tesco are doing the bunches of daffodils in their online grocery shopping once more, my loves! I always buy some when I do my shopping, they are just so cheerful. I put these in this pretty blue jug to brighten up our somewhat dark hall :-)

Word of God Everyday...

2012-01-24T16:00:00.003Z

I will bless the Lord at all times

Psalm 34:1

Say alleluia always, no matter the time of day,
no matter the season of life.

St. Benedict, 6th century

Word of God Everyday...

2012-01-23T16:00:00.000Z

Have a tender heart and a humble mind

1 Peter 3:8

It is to the humble that Christ belongs.

St. Clement of Rome, 1st century

Start the week with a quote...

2012-01-23T07:00:00.001Z

image from The Graphics Fairy

The right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins

Prayer for World Peace

2012-01-22T07:00:00.001Z

Word of God Everyday...

2012-01-20T16:00:00.000Z

The word of God is living and active

Hebrews 2:12

The word of God consumes vices
and promotes virtue.

St. Norbert, 12th century

Word of God Everyday...

2012-01-19T16:00:00.001Z

Pray at all times in the Spirit

Ephesians 6:18

Prayer is the one thing that can conquer God.
Christ has willed that it should work no evil,
and has given it all power over good.

Tertullian, 2nd century

Young Woman Reading by a Window by Delphin Enjolras

The Thursday Poem

2012-01-19T07:00:00.002Z

Sea Fever

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

John Masefield

(1st June 1878 - 12th May 1967)

Word of God Everyday...

2012-01-18T16:00:00.001Z

In the Lord

my soul shall make its boast

Psalm 34:3

Let us despise what is earthly;
let us leave behind what is temporal
and purchase what is eternal.

St. Gregory the Great, 6th century

Word of God Everyday...

2012-01-17T16:00:00.000Z

Give, and it will be given to you

Jesus; Luke 6:38

As believers, we must be open to a life marked
by the giving of ourselves to God and neighbor.

Bl. John Paul II, 20th century

Word of God Everyday...

2012-01-16T16:00:00.001Z

Blessed are the pure in heart,

they shall see God

Jesus; Matthew 5:8

One must see God in everyone

St. Catherine Laboure, 19th century

Baby, it's cold outside!

2012-01-16T12:16:00.000Z

image by Simon Howden

Okay, sweetie~pies, so the photo I chose above is a slight exaggeration ~ it's not snowing, granted, but it is jolly cold nevertheless! I just can't seem to get warm today; mind you, I am feeling a touch under the weather with a little flare-up of the 'ole IBS so perhaps that's why. And, of course, it is still only mid-January so we really shouldn't be expecting anything other than cold weather should we, my loves :-)

I do hope we don't get any snow this winter as taking the dogs out in it really won't be my idea of fun ~ nor their's either I suspect! I will also be worrying about slipping over ~ like I did yesterday, although that was on mud rather than ice or snow. I felt such a fool but luckily only Adrian was there to see me go down. My, but I landed heavily *sigh* It really knocked the wind out of my sails and I had to just sit there for a moment or two to catch my breath. The daft thing is that I did actually see the flippin' muddy patch and just as the thought was going through my mind that I must take care, down I went! I had stepped to the side but obviously not quite far enough and my foot just went out from under me. It sounds daft I know, my loves, but I must confess that I felt a little unwell for much of the remainder of the day, and today my leg muscles and left foot feel somewhat sore and achey. Oh well, I must just ensure that I take more care in future ;-)

So apart from falling over what else have I been up to? Well, to be honest not a great deal! I am still beavering away on Beverly's birthday blanket but thankfully it is nearing completion now. Which is just as well, since the gruesome-twosome will be celebrating their 21st birthdays on the 28th January ~ and I have to get said blanket posted up to Beverly in Orkney in time! I only have about 6 or 8 rows left to crochet then it will just be the edging to do to finish it off. I have to say that I am very pleased with my efforts ~ I just hope that my little girl will like it too. I wasn't really sure about all the different colours at first but now that it is almost finished I like the way they look together. Once Beverly has received it, sweetie~pies, I will be able to show you all some photos :-)

There will be plenty of yarn leftover from the project so I will probably make Beverly some little bits and pieces to go with the blanket. I would quite like to make a cover for a large cushion and have been mulling over in my mind how to approach it. And if there is still yarn left after that, then I think some crocheted clothes-hanger covers may well be on the agenda. Hey, methinks that solves some of my Monthly Make for 2012 projects ~ with Beverly's blanket being the January offering LOL

Start the week with a quote...

2012-01-16T07:00:00.002Z

image from The Graphics Fairy

Courage is the power to let go of the familiar

Prayer for World Peace

2012-01-15T07:00:00.001Z

Word of God Everyday...

2012-01-13T16:00:00.001Z

In the midst of the congregation

I will praise you

Psalm 22:2

Heaven consists in perfect praise

St. Thomas Aquinas, 13th century

Word of God Everyday...

2012-01-12T16:00:00.001Z

The Lord adorns the humble with victory

Psalm 149:4

The humble are those who hide in their own nothingness
and know how to abandon themselves to God.

St. John of the Cross, 16th century

Young Woman Reading by a Window by Delphin Enjolras

The Thursday Poem

2012-01-12T07:00:00.001Z

absinthe and stained glass

(i)
absinthe makes the hurt grow fonder
the green fairy burbles what's this 'ere
when vincent (sozzled) knifes his lug off
all spirits then succumb to fear
depression takes the gloss off wonder
and people (lost) tell god to bug off
the twentieth century drowns in sheer
excuse that life is comic blunder
temporality dons its gear
forbidden thought soon rips its gag off

stained glass (you think) must be bystander
its leaded eyes seek far not near
the day's bleak dirt it learns to shrug off

(ii)
the history of the race confuses
heady spirit with bloody need
nothing can stop the sky from tingling
intrinsic hope rewords its screed
assumes it must outlive its bruises

stained glass deigns to face the mingling
of atavistic search for creed
with each desire gets what it chooses
it tries to suck out truth from greed
and calmly pacifies the wrangling

lasting spirit allows no ruses
what's bottled dreads to pay much heed
between the two meek life is dangling

(from le trianon - stained glass window by berge)

Rg Gregory

(January 1928 - )

Word of God Everyday...

2012-01-11T16:00:00.000Z

That word is the good news

which was preached to you

1 Peter 1:25

We must not be afraid to proclaim Christ's love

and to love as he has loved us

Bl. Teresa of Calcutta, 20th century

The "Art" of Procrastination

2012-01-10T16:26:00.001Z

There are only two of us, sweetie~pies, but my word there sure is an awful lot of stuff in my basket waiting to be ironed! You see, I am a master of the art of procrastination and the Merriam-Webster definition describes yours truly with frightening accuracy:

"to put off intentionally the doing of something which should be done"

I am ashamed to admit that my procrastination skills are not just confined to ironing. Oh no indeed, I employ this "art" in many other areas of my life too ~ which rather goes to explain why the house is in such a dire mess, not to mention many other aspects of my life.....

The silly thing is that in the case of ironing, for instance, the thought of doing it is far worse than the actual doing. In fact, I would go so far as to say that once I get started I really do rather enjoy the task! Of course, the way I go about it probably seems rather peculiar, even a bit daft and time-consuming, but it makes me feel very efficient and well organised ;-) First off, I unload the laundry in the ironing basket, putting things into various piles: long-sleeved shirts; short-sleeved shirts (see I said I was waaaaay behind, didn't I my loves!); tee shirts; pillowcases; hankies; etc. At the moment, because I have so much ironing to catch up with, I am setting myself the task of filling no more than six clothes-hangers at each session, with two shirts on each hanger. So I iron a shirt, then do something like a tee shirt and say three hankies, then another shirt ~ and so it goes on LOL I've been following this ironing pattern for years now sweetie~pies! I expect some of you do all the shirts first, or all the tee shirts or pillowcases, and others just do each piece as it comes up in the pile.

I do like my method of tackling my ironing though; it is soothing to have a familiar, well-trodden, routine. Ironing, like so many of the other household chores, doesn't really require much thinking about does it? So my mind is free to wander in many different directions and I can get a great deal of thinking/daydreaming/planning done during an ironing session ~ multi-tasking, my loves ;-)

So whilst I haven't made any New Year resolutions as such, I do have a list of goals I would like to achieve this year. And right at the very top of that list is to eliminate my tendency to procrastinate ~ after that, many of my other goals should simply drop into place!

Word of God Everyday...

2012-01-10T16:00:00.001Z

Jesus Christ is in you

2 Corinthians 15:5

Lord, your glory is in our hearts

and shines in the deep places of our spirit.

St. Ambrose, 4th century

Word of God Everyday...

2012-01-09T16:00:00.001Z

The child grew and became strong,

filled with wisdom

Luke 2:40

Whatever wisdom,

whatever virtue you believe yourselves to possess;

attribute it all to Christ,

who is the wisdom and the knowledge of God

St Bernard of Clairvaux, 12th century

Start the week with a quote...

2012-01-09T07:00:00.001Z

image from The Graphics Fairy

Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you'd have preferred to talk

Prayer for World Peace

2012-01-08T07:00:00.000Z

Young Woman Reading by a Window by Delphin Enjolras

Red sky in the morning.....and I think I'm in love!

2012-01-05T15:27:00.000Z

Oh yes indeedy, my loves, I think I may be in love with my new vacuum cleaner! I was getting pretty frustrated with my Dyson as it simply wasn't picking up the animal hairs very well at all. The final straw was when I took a close-up photo of Nikki's mouth and was absolutely horrified to see a thick layer of black hair all over the carpet *eeeeek*

So I went online and searched for reviews on vacuums suitable for households with pets. The Miele Cat & Dog came out very favourably indeed plus Beverly had recommended it as well, since they have the same model. As luck would have it John Lewis had it in their sale, so we bought one for £199 instead of the usual price of £249. It arrived on Tuesday and I used it for the first time yesterday. Sweetie~pies, I was totally amazed at how much dirt and gunk it slurped up ~ I just keep looking at the floor because the carpets look so much cleaner, it's as if they have been shampooed! I was also quite shocked at how much of my hair ended up wound round the roller ~ pieces of my long hair, from before I had it cut short. The Dyson hadn't been picking that up either. The other thing which was very noticeable was that the air actually smelt fresher, which I guess is due to the charcoal filter in the machine.

Beverly thinks it's rather sad to be so excited about a vacuum cleaner LOL But I am not in the least bit embarrassed to admit that I am very happy indeed with my new jolly red household helper :-)

And talking of red, just look at this photo of the sky I took first thing yesterday morning. Isn't it beautiful, my loves, a real "Bob Ross" sky!

Mind you, we have had the weather to go with the red-sky-in-the-morning warning here in good 'ole Blighty. Gale-force winds, rain and we even had a little sleet thrown into the mix yesterday as well *sigh* 'Tis still pretty windy today but at least the sun has been shining at times and it hasn't been so wet.

The pooches and I timed it right for our morning walk ~ we got back just before it rained! We didn't go as far as we usually do, though, as both Matty and Nikki seemed very keen to get back home again once they had provided me with a little something to poop-scoop ;-) Poor Matty in particular really isn't keen on wet and/or windy weather, bless him. Nikki, though, is much more stoic and will plod on beside me ~ but it has to be said that she doesn't protest when I turn for home LOL

If you are having a bout of bad weather, my loves, do take care and keep safe (((hugs)))

The Thursday Poem

2012-01-05T07:00:00.001Z

The Garden in Winter

Frosty-white and cold it lies
Underneath the fretful skies;
Snowflakes flutter where the red
Banners of the poppies spread,
And the drifts are wide and deep
Where the lilies fell asleep.

But the sunsets o'er it throw
Flame-like splendor, lucent glow,
And the moonshine makes it gleam
Like a wonderland of dream,
And the sharp winds all the day
Pipe and whistle shrilly gay.

Safe beneath the snowdrifts lie
Rainbow buds of by-and-by;
In the long, sweet days of spring
Music of bluebells shall ring,
And its faintly golden cup
Many a primrose will hold up.

Though the winds are keen and chill
Roses' hearts are beating still,
And the garden tranquilly
Dreams of happy hours to be
In the summer days of blue
All its dreamings will come true.

Lucy Maud Montgomery

(30th November 1874 – 24th April 1942)

Start the week with a quote...

2012-01-02T07:00:00.001Z

We will open the book. Its pages are blank.

We are going to put words on them ourselves.

The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.

Edith Lovejoy Pierce

It's 2012!

2012-01-01T07:00:00.004Z

image from The Graphics Fairy

Happy New Year, sweetie~pies!

May 2012 bring you peace, joy, health and happiness

Sharon
xxx

Prayer for World Peace

2012-01-01T07:00:00.002Z

Young Woman Reading by a Window by Delphin Enjolras

Changes...

2011-12-31T14:08:00.000Z

image from The Graphics Fairy

So, my loves, 2012 is almost upon us. Where on earth has 2011 gone?? The days/weeks/months just flew by so quickly! Sam and Beverly will be 21 at the end of January and it simply doesn't seem possible; it only seems like such a short time since they were newborns and here they both are, all grown up already. And as for me ~ well I turned 50 back in June, six whole months ago, and I still can't quite believe how old I now am!

In some ways I shall be happy to see the end of 2011. It has been a funny sort of year for me ~ a kind of transition period really. In many ways, on the surface at least, my life has just been plodding on much the same as it always did. Inside, though, cogs have been turning; thoughts, ideas and plans have been whirling in my mind, leading to decisions being made.

None of these decision are particularly big, gasp-inducing or of earth-shattering importance but each one, whether it be teeny-weeny, small or smallish, will mean lots of changes to my life and the way I have been living it. Some of the changes have already taken place over the past couple of months or so: adopting Nikki and Matty and the subsequent exercise involved in living with a couple of doggies, joining a gym and taking a long, hard look at my "image".

2012 will be a year of building on the little changes already made, putting some more into practice and no doubt rethinking others. So, my loves, you can look forward (???) to reading many of my little ramblings and I am hoping that there will be many more "ups" to share with you than "downs"!

A Monthly Make for 2012

2011-12-30T07:39:00.072Z

Well, my loves, your's truly has decided to join Annie's (The Felt Fairy) Monthly Make for 2012 *eeeeek* I'm hoping that it will give me the impetus to actually get some of these ideas out of my head and into the real world ~ and in the process, make more space in my poor 'ole bonce for normal, everyday thinking *hehehehe* I would also like to start making as many birthday, Christmas, etc, gifts as I can for folk.

Oh sweetie~pies, I have SO many plans for this coming year ~ I just hope that I don't crash and burn before I've even gotten started!

Do you remember that I joined in with Angie's (Le monde de Sucrette) Giant Granny Square Challenge? Well, I managed to complete my giant granny (which was to be a Christmas gift lap-blanket) with about a week to spare, my loves! The recipient was so thrilled with her gift, which made me very happy indeed :-) I was really pleased with how it turned out and love the pretty colours ~ all the yarn came from my humungous stash.....which is still pretty humungous LOL I finished it off with a row of half trebles, followed by a bobble-shell edging which I discovered on Lucy's (Attic 24) delightful blog.

Beverly concentrating on some last minute pressie-wrapping!

And talking of lap-blankets, the one I'm making for Beverly's birthday has been put on hold whilst she has been home for Christmas ~ I sure do hope that I get it finished in time for the 28th January! I wonder if I can pass it off as my January Monthly Make for 2012 ;-)

Doggie deluge!

2011-12-29T07:33:00.001Z

Well okay, my loves, no doggies in this photo but they were with Adrian and myself when I took the photo ;-) We often take the mutts for a walk along the Purwell Valley River Walk, which is on our doorstep as it were.

A view along the river. Beverly and I took Matty and Nikki along here yesterday and I was quite shocked by the amount of litter everywhere :-(

I must confess that I am pretty selective about the photos I take, trying to avoid all the "nasty" bits, but perhaps I should have an exercise in photographing all the rubbish folk dump. I just don't understand why people think it is perfectly okay to simply drop their beer cans, cigarette packets/stubs, bottles, etc, wherever they go. Do they do this in their own homes for goodness sake!

The water runs very quickly beneath the road and is surprisingly noisy!

Hubby and the "kids" at the end of our walk :-)

I often find Mr Matty laying like this, sweetie~pies! His eyes gradually close and then his head starts to droop LOL

My beautiful little girlie :-)

We took Nikki and Matty along to a little dog show the other week, just over on Walsworth Common. We were "persuaded" to enter them both into the best rescue dog category and Nikki won second place! Oh no my loves, she isn't sleeping ~ just being suitably modest about her success ;-)

Nikki finds that Matty makes a very nice footstool, thank you very much LOL Matty is very laid back and doesn't seem to be in the least bit bothered when Nikki rests her head or feet on him, but she isn't quite so accommodating when he does the same!

Snoozing back-to-back :-)

Nap time! Beverly had to move in the end as she was getting so hot LOL

My two gorgeous girlies :-)

The Thursday Poem

2011-12-29T07:00:00.001Z

Our Christmas Tree

Our Christmas tree, stood straight and tall,
We had it standing in the hall,
With decorations, sparkling bright,
And baubles, glittering in the light,
Rich tinsel laced around branches wide,
With bells and bows, that could be spied
Hiding among the dark green pine,
In silver and gold, boldly they did shine,
And at the very top, such a wondrous sight,
A star was placed there, which gave delight.
The whole effect so pleasured the eye.
We planted it outside, now it's 18 feet high.
This year it will once again, be a thrill,
Hung with big coloured lights, in the crisp winter chill.

Ernestine Northover

Nikki and the doggie dentist

2011-12-28T06:54:00.001Z

Nikki went to the vet for her dental work on the 9th December. This treatment was funded by the GRWE as it was work which needed to be done in any event, whether Nikki had been rehomed or not.

She was kept in overnight as more surgery was done than had originally been anticipated. When the vet examined Nikki's mouth it was apparent that there was a lot more damage than had been realised previously. As well as having teeth extracted, the poor little girl also had to have part of her jaw removed and it was discovered that at some point she had lost part of her tongue :-(

Nikki came through the surgery okay but the vet wanted to keep her in overnight so that she could see how she coped with eating the following day. We knew that Nikki would need teeth removing simply because of the damage to her jaw from the presumed badger-baiting; as you know, she lost her lower lip as well. The damage was worse than had been thought though when she was first examined on arriving here from Ireland. Sadly, it didn't really come as a surprise when I was told that she had had to have more extensive surgery. When you see her close up and see all the scars she has, it's a miracle that she has survived to be frank ~ let alone sustain a pregnancy and give birth to eight puppies. She is a little fighter!

My little girl came home the following morning :-) She was pretty subdued at the vet's and snuggled up against me whilst we waited for Kelli (the GRWE area co-ordinator, who was coming to pick us up) to arrive. Nikki had all four canines removed, along with an incisor which was sticking straight out of her mouth. She has also had part of her jaw removed at the front and her lip "tidied up". I have to say that the vet at the Boness Vetinary Hospital (in Barton-Le-Clay, Bedfordshire) did a wonderful job; looking at Nikki now, she just looks as if she has an undershot jaw ~ it's quite amazing!

Here is a closer photo of Nikki's jaw, although it's not that easy to see what has been done I must admit! She has had a couple of check-ups and is due to go back to the vet next week for another. They are pleased with her progress but the healing process is taking some time, which is hardly surprising when you consider what has been done. The canine teeth were pretty large and consequently left big holes in her jaws which had to be sutured. She has just finished her antibiotics and is doing very well. She has been eating well since virtually straight after the operation and is now back to playing with her toys ~ a good sign, methinks :-)

Here she is before her big op, cuddled up with her Dad :-)

Our beautiful little Nikki deserves to live a happy, contented life, free from fear ~ and Adrian and I will do all we can to ensure that she does just that for the rest of her doggy days :-)

And about time too!

2011-12-27T23:22:00.000Z

Naughty Child by Edwin Henry Landseer

Yes, my loves, once more I have been a very "bad blogger" ~ no posts of much substance for days on end! I have given myself a good talking to, a little slap on the wrist and have promised myself to try harder during 2012 ;-)

Start the week with a quote...

2011-12-26T07:00:00.002Z

I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month.

Harlan Miller

On this Christmas Day...

2011-12-25T07:00:00.002Z

I wish you all a happy, peaceful and joyful day, my loves

Sharon

xxx

Prayer for World Peace

2011-12-25T06:45:00.000Z

Young Woman Reading by a Window by Delphin Enjolras

2011-12-23T16:43:00.002Z

The Thursday Poem

2011-12-22T07:00:00.002Z

The Christmas Tree

In the dark and damp of the alley cold,
Lay the Christmas tree that hadn't been sold;
By a shopman dourly thrown outside;
With the ruck and rubble of Christmas-tide;
Trodden deep in the muck and mire,
Unworthy even to feed a fire...
So I stopped and salvaged that tarnished tree,
And thus is the story it told to me:

"My Mother was Queen of the forest glade,
And proudly I prospered in her shade;
For she said to me: 'When I am dead,
You will be monarch in my stead,
And reign, as I, for a hundred years,
A tower of triumph amid your peers,
When I crash in storm I will yield you space;
Son, you will worthily take my place.'

"So I grew in grace like a happy child,
In the heart of the forest free and wild;
And the moss and the ferns were all about,
And the craintive mice crept in and out;
And a wood-dove swung on my highest twig,
And a chipmunk chattered: 'So big! So big!'
And a shy fawn nibbled a tender shoot,
And a rabbit nibbled under my root...
Oh, I was happy in rain and shine
As I thought of the destiny that was mine!
Then a man with an axe came cruising by
And I knew that my fate was to fall and die.

"With a hundred others he packed me tight,
And we drove to a magic city of light,
To an avenue lined with Christmas trees,
And I thought: may be I'll be one of these,
Tinselled with silver and tricked with gold,
A lovely sight for a child to behold;
A-glitter with lights of every hue,
Ruby and emerald, orange and blue,
And kiddies dancing, with shrieks of glee -
One might fare worse than a Christmas tree.

"So they stood me up with a hundred more
In the blaze of a big department store;
But I thought of the forest dark and still,
And the dew and the snow and the heat and the chill,
And the soft chinook and the summer breeze,
And the dappled deer and the birds and the bees...
I was so homesick I wanted to cry,
But patient I waited for someone to buy.
And some said 'Too big,' and some 'Too small,'
And some passed on saying nothing at all.
Then a little boy cried: Ma, buy that one,'
But she shook her head: 'Too dear, my son."
So the evening came, when they closed the store,
And I was left on the littered floor,
A tree unwanted, despised, unsold,
Thrown out at last in the alley cold."

Then I said: "Don't sorrow; at least you'll be
A bright and beautiful New Year's tree,
All shimmer and glimmer and glow and gleam,
A radiant sight like a fairy dream.
For there is a little child I know,
Who lives in poverty, want and woe;
Who lies abed from morn to night,
And never has known an hour's delight..."

So I stood the tree at the foot of her bed:
"Santa's a little late," I said.
"Poor old chap! Snowbound on the way,
But he's here at last, so let's be gay."
Then she woke from sleep and she saw you there,
And her eyes were love and her lips were prayer.
And her thin little arms were stretched to you
With a yearning joy that they never knew.
She woke from the darkest dark to see
Like a heavenly vision, that Christmas Tree.

Her mother despaired and feared the end,
But from that day she began to mend,
To play, to sing, to laugh with glee...
Bless you, O little Christmas Tree!
You died, but your life was not in vain:
You helped a child to forget her pain,
And let hope live in our hearts again.

Robert William Service

(January 16, 1874 – September 11, 1958)

Start the week with a quote...

2011-12-19T07:00:00.002Z

When it is dark enough,

you can see the stars

Prayer for World Peace

2011-12-18T07:00:00.001Z

The Thursday Poem

2011-12-16T07:00:00.001Z

Young Woman Reading by a Window by Delphin Enjolras

The Foolish Fir-Tree

A tale that the poet Rückert told
To German children, in days of old;
Disguised in a random, rollicking rhyme
Like a merry mummer of ancient time,
And sent, in its English dress, to please
The little folk of the Christmas trees.

A little fir grew in the midst of the wood
Contented and happy, as young trees should.
His body was straight and his boughs were clean;
And summer and winter the bountiful sheen
Of his needles bedecked him, from top to root,
In a beautiful, all-the-year, evergreen suit.

But a trouble came into his heart one day,
When he saw that the other trees were gay
In the wonderful raiment that summer weaves
Of manifold shapes and kinds of leaves:
He looked at his needles so stiff and small,
And thought that his dress was the poorest of all.
Then jealousy clouded the little tree's mind,
And he said to himself, "It was not very kind
"To give such an ugly old dress to a tree!
"If the fays of the forest would only ask me,
"I'd tell them how I should like to be dressed,—
"In a garment of gold, to bedazzle the rest!"
So he fell asleep, but his dreams were bad.
When he woke in the morning, his heart was glad;
For every leaf that his boughs could hold
Was made of the brightest beaten gold.
I tell you, children, the tree was proud;
He was something above the common crowd;
And he tinkled his leaves, as if he would say
To a pedlar who happened to pass that way,
"Just look at me! don't you think I am fine?
"And wouldn't you like such a dress as mine?"
"Oh, yes!" said the man, "and I really guess
I must fill my pack with your beautiful dress."
So he picked the golden leaves with care,
And left the little tree shivering there.

"Oh, why did I wish for golden leaves?"
The fir-tree said, "I forgot that thieves
"Would be sure to rob me in passing by.
"If the fairies would give me another try,
"I'd wish for something that cost much less,
"And be satisfied with glass for my dress!"
Then he fell asleep; and, just as before,
The fairies granted his wish once more.
When the night was gone, and the sun rose clear,
The tree was a crystal chandelier;
And it seemed, as he stood in the morning light,
That his branches were covered with jewels bright.
"Aha!" said the tree. "This is something great!"
And he held himself up, very proud and straight;
But a rude young wind through the forest dashed,
In a reckless temper, and quickly smashed
The delicate leaves. With a clashing sound
They broke into pieces and fell on the ground,
Like a silvery, shimmering shower of hail,
And the tree stood naked and bare to the gale.

Then his heart was sad; and he cried, "Alas
"For my beautiful leaves of shining glass!
"Perhaps I have made another mistake
"In choosing a dress so easy to break.
"If the fairies only would hear me again
"I'd ask them for something both pretty and plain:
"It wouldn't cost much to grant my request,—
"In leaves of green lettuce I'd like to be dressed!"
By this time the fairies were laughing, I know;
But they gave him his wish in a second; and so
With leaves of green lettuce, all tender and sweet,
The tree was arrayed, from his head to his feet.
"I knew it!" he cried, "I was sure I could find
"The sort of a suit that would be to my mind.
"There's none of the trees has a prettier dress,
"And none as attractive as I am, I guess."
But a goat, who was taking an afternoon walk,
By chance overheard the fir-tree's talk.
So he came up close for a nearer view;—
"My salad!" he bleated, "I think so too!
"You're the most attractive kind of a tree,
"And I want your leaves for my five-o'clock tea."
So he ate them all without saying grace,
And walked away with a grin on his face;
While the little tree stood in the twilight dim,
With never a leaf on a single limb.

Then he sighed and groaned; but his voice was weak—
He was so ashamed that he could not speak.
He knew at last that he had been a fool,
To think of breaking the forest rule,
And choosing a dress himself to please,
Because he envied the other trees.
But it couldn't be helped, it was now too late,
He must make up his mind to a leafless fate!
So he let himself sink in a slumber deep,
But he moaned and he tossed in his troubled sleep,
Till the morning touched him with joyful beam,
And he woke to find it was all a dream.
For there in his evergreen dress he stood,
A pointed fir in the midst of the wood!
His branches were sweet with the balsam smell,
His needles were green when the white snow fell.
And always contented and happy was he,—
The very best kind of a Christmas tree.

Henry Van Dyke
(10th November 1852 – 10th April 1933)

Start the week with a quote...

2011-12-12T07:00:00.001Z

You can't test courage cautiously

Prayer for World Peace

2011-12-11T07:00:00.001Z

The Thursday Poem

2011-12-08T07:00:00.000Z

Young Woman Reading by a Window by Delphin Enjolras

My Dog

'Twas in a pub just off the Strand
When I was in my cups,
There passed a bloke with in his hand
Two tiny puling pups;
And one was on me with a bound,
Seeking to lick my face,
And so I bought him for a pound
And took him to my place.

Three acres by the shore I own,
A hut, a pint wood;
And there for fifteen years alone
He shared my solitude.
It was his own, his only world,
And when with hunting spent,
Each night beside my bed he curled,
And slept in sheer content.

My dog is dead. Though lone I be
I'll never have another;
For with his master-worship he
Was closer than a brother.
My foot is frail and I am old,
Yet how my heart can pity
Pups straining on a short leash-hold
And pent up in the city.

From all thought of self above,
And purged of sex emotion,
I know no form of living love
So deep as dogs devotion.
I have no hope at all of heaven,
I've lived in sin and strife;
But thank God! I at least have given
One dog a happy life.

Robert William Service

(16th January 1874 – 11th September 1958)

A tad late...

2011-12-06T13:10:00.000Z

...but the Christmas puddings are all done now, sweetie~pies :-)

It doesn't look like much at the moment, does it my loves? But it smelt wonderful with the spices and alcohol before it even started cooking. I always mix the pudding ingredients in my preserving pan as my largest mixing bowl isn't man enough for the job. This year was a close call for the preserving pan, though, as I made double what I usually do!

Seven of the eight pudding awaiting their turn to be steamed. Four were for friends/neighbours, three for family and one for us :-)

My old steamer, teamed with my Grandma's even older saucepan. Hours and hours of steaming ensued ~ the biggest puddings took 7 hours, the smaller ones 6 and the smallest one of all took 5 hours. The house was filled with the most glorious aroma whilst all that steaming was going on!

The first pudding (for a friend), gently steaming away on top of the hob :-) The recipe for The Larkin Family Christmas Pudding is here.

Matty and Nikki were totally oblivious to all the kitchen activity, much preferring to have a snooze LOL

Start the week with a quote...

2011-12-05T07:00:00.002Z

image from The Graphics Fairy

In every real man, a child is hidden that wants to play

Unconscious Mutterings...

2011-12-04T12:42:00.000Z

This week's words from LunaNina:

Flannel :: face

Chairs :: table

Sporadic :: infrequet

Difficult :: hard

Amusing :: funny

Collapse :: drop

Hurtful:: nasty

Thump :: hit

Frugal :: careful

Collectibles :: collections

Prayer for World Peace

2011-12-04T07:00:00.001Z