Big School

First day at senior school for the 11 year old today. She seems to have coped well although our day did not start well. After driving 7 miles to drop the 10 year old off to join her school friends we set off back home to make the 8 mile journey from there to the new big school. All going well until we catch up with a huge lorry crawling along the winding country lanes. All the way to our destination. I could have screamed with frustration but what good would it do?  So we were late. On her very first day. Luckily no one minded and they were all very kind.

I joined the new parents, who were all having coffee, in a slightly dilapidated hall to hear about our little ones time here. This school invites all the year 6 primary school children, who are due to join the school in September, to experience a week at big school so they can gradually get used to the transition. This school is enjoying a transition of its own as there is a brand new school being finished for January 2016. The children are delighted to be having an extra 2 weeks holiday at Christmas as all the equipment is moved across.

The 11 year old is a feisty character so when an older boy made a sarcastic comment about her school uniform (she chose a bright yellow hoodie as her primary school leavers jumper and looks like a canary) she speedily put him in his place. I think she is going to be alright...

Michael Jackson doll

I was reading one of my favourite bloggers last night, (meanqueen). She was showing some of her handmade wares and ideas for presents and it reminded me of this chap who appeared last Christmas for the 11 year old.
 The 11 year old adores Michael Jackson and reminded me it is the anniversary of his death on Thursday. She was a bit taken aback when she saw the doll but I know she likes him as he is a permanent fixture in her room and is positioned where she can see him. Do you like him? He is about 18 inches tall and very flexible meaning he can Moon-dance whenever you ask him too.

I adapted a pattern from a lovely book by Jan Horrox (Jan Horrox). Her dolls are exquisite and her patterns are well constructed and easy to follow.  I straightened up the body shape to make a boy rather than the hourglass figure but more or less followed the instructions from there on. Both my girls laughed with an uneasy fascination when they first saw him although I'm quite proud that no-one has needed to ask who he is! They are at an age when the unusual tends to embarrass but hopefully one day they will appreciate the effort that Mum made...We'll see on that one...

I'm not especially skilled, nor am I incredibly patient so if I can do it so can you. There is something special about making a present for someone you really love even if it doesn't turn out exactly as you hope. And my 11 year old did tell me, offhandedly, that yeah,, she was keeping Michael forever as he is precious to her.

Peas and Beans

Just come inside after doing a late planting of peas. Next to our cottage is some waste land which once belonged to this place but during the sale of this and the farmland and some other cottages nearby, this land remained forgotten and neglected. It was all part of a large estate once upon a time before being taken over by the Co-op group. Most of the properties are very old and in need of love and repair work. Last year the nettles and thistles were chest high so this year I've started to clear it and plant some vegetables so the place is less of an eyesore. If I'd known just how much rubble, bricks and glass there was I might have left well alone! It's getting dark but you can see the beans I've planted for my neighbour. He's decided he is too old to bother growing them this year so I'm doing it for him.


Gardening is hard work and I'm no expert, nor am I that dedicated to it. When we came here we planted young fruit trees around the border so that everything here is both functional and pretty. Sometimes it feels as if I've taken on too much. (Thank heavens for my Mum who helps out and has done wonders with the flowers and lawn). Still when I see the children rushing out to nab the juiciest strawberries and pottering in their own flower patches I know it's probably worth it and it is satisfying when you get to harvest what the rabbits, pigeons and other creatures have missed...

Margaret's Damson Gin recipe

Margaret is a wonderful, kind and intelligent lady.  My mother helps her by doing some gardening and occasional decorating as Margaret is almost blind with a degenerative eye disease. This in no way impacts on her enjoyment of shopping and lunches out and no one would know how poor her eyesight really is as this lady is proudly independent and hides it well.

Anyway, she gave me a small bottle of her damson gin as a gift a while ago. I'm not a gin drinker or even a particularly big wine drinker either. I also hate the taste of beer and lager so I wasn't sure what to expect but one day I was tempted to try this gin. It was gorgeous. It was perfectly sweet but not too much and tasted like the delicious innards of one of those very expensive chocolates you sometimes get given at Christmas. My 11 year old sneaked a crafty swig and adored it too which was a bit of a worry! So Margaret gave us the recipe and a demijohn to get started and I've since collected 3 more jars through Freecycle.

2lbs Damsons
2lbs Sugar
1 bottle of gin 70cl

Remove any leaves or stems from the damsons but do not wash them. Place all ingredients in the airtight glass jar and leave in a dark corner. (Ours is out to be photographed). Shake the jar 2 or 3 times a week and leave for about 3 months. Do an occasional taste and add any one of the 3 ingredients to suit your taste buds. This is a bit of a hit or miss affair says Margaret. After 3 months sieve through a muslin cloth and bottle it. Give as gifts or drink and enjoy it.

Our first try at this will be ready in July. In the meantime I'd better find a use for the other demijohns.
Strawberry picking season starts this week, I wonder what strawberry gin or vodka would be like?
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Fathers Day

 As tomorrow is Father's day I am going to share a post I made on Facebook yesterday. It's not for sympathy or out of self pity but just to express that there are many stories to be told within families, some good, some not so. Wishing you a happy day tomorrow.
Much Love XXX

Wendy Johnson

22 hrs ·

Father's Day.
I read your posts of missing your father, how great he was, loving and supportive. How sad you are and how you wish he were still here. Then I wonder what it could have been like, to have a father like yours. You see I didn't. Mine was vicious, mean, cruel and incredibly emotionally abusive. I don't remember a single cuddle, kiss or a kind word. Not once. He died a while back. I don't even remember the date or the year. Only 2 of his 4 children went to his funeral and in truth I only went to support my brother. So now my grieving is over. I did that while he was alive. For the father I never had. And I read your posts and am sorry for your pain as mine is over now but I remember it well. So celebrate your good fortune if your dad was and is wonderful and if he is no longer here then be grateful for what you had.
Love to you all X

Oh She Glows

Funnily enough I first heard about this book when reading through some reviews about the Deliciously Ella book. Some claimed the Oh She Glows book was far superior and one review accuses Ella of plagiarism. Well that's enough to pique interest isn't it?

 So I logged onto Angela's blog and here is another story of a beautiful young woman healing herself through food choices and making the decision to become vegan. But Angela's story somehow seems more authentic (sorry Ella). There is a real sense of the dedication, trial and error and sheer effort that Angela has put into her work.
 And that reviewer was right, some of the recipes are amazingly similar, almost exact but with the omission of maybe one ingredient. I started working through and comparing the books and until page 39 of Ella's Gnocchi (which was a massive fail in our household) the recipes are more or less the same. Even the blenders they use!  Both books cover the making of almond milk, banana ice-cream, granola, overnight oats with chia seeds...you get the picture. After that I got bored and will admit to disappointment with the Ella book. I bought it in high hopes of changing our diet in healthy ways that the girls and I would enjoy. Some of the recipes worked but some were really awful and I don't think it was me. Now looking at Angela's book which is the real deal and comparing it to Ella's  I feel a bit cheated, a bit suckered in by clever, expensive marketing. Angela doesn't have fabulously wealthy parents or well placed contacts, she's done it by hard work, and reading through the recipes, well they look flawless. I've only had time to do one and had to substitute a couple of ingredients as the cupboard was a little empty but even then it worked and was really tasty.
One recipe is not enough for a fair review but so far it's thumbs up to Angela and a little scowl at Ella, which is a shame, as she seems a lovely person. Only my opinion of course and as ever it's up to you to decide for yourself but I'd be interested in your views.

On that note, goodnight!

Oh She Glows

Deliciously Ella

Little lost doll

We found this little lady in Ellesmere by the lakes looking very sad and bedraggled and probably in imminent danger of being hurled into the water. So we brought her home, washed her and made a few minor repairs and now I will post her picture on Facebook to see if we can trace her owner. A long shot as we don't know anyone from that part of Shropshire but it's worth a try.

My eldest has always been incredibly attached to Teddy, who is actually a cat from The Little White Company and funnily enough was originally white. Not now. He is grey, no longer fluffy, has been re-stuffed twice and his eyes are dull. No matter. If ever we were so unfortunate to have a house fire and need to escape fast, well he is on the list. Two daughters, the dog and teddy. Pretty much all we'd take although with an extra five minutes maybe some spare pants for us all!

I remember a black and white plastic horse that I loved. Don't know whatever happened to him, I must remember to ask my mum! My brother had a toy monkey that he adored and slept with until quite old, I think about 18, before his girlfriend laughed at him. Poor monkey was banished to the loft. I think he is still around.

What do you remember loving as a small child? and have you still got it?