Oh Sunny Days!

Oh what lovely sunny days we've been having - fair cheers a girl up!

All the little flowers dancing in the gentle breeze!

And its so nice to dry the washing outdoors in the warm fresh sunshine!

This was my 'find' at Tuesdays carboot sale.

We have needed a new Post/mail box for ages,the old wooden one was damp and falling to bits - bit of an embarrassment really. I had been looking at these American Mail boxes on ebay, but with postage costs they were quite expensive. My reasoning was that a metal box would last a bit longer - and I like the shape!

Anyway, as my Gran use to say ' Everything comes to She who waits'! and as sure as eggs is eggs - there sat an American style mail box at the carboot sale, mine for £5. Just the job!

It needed a coat of paint, and then armed with our new wizzy electric screwdriver thingy - I set it in place.




I found an old metal bread bin, gave it a lick of paint, and set that in place, outside the gate - all ready for Ken the milk man! I find I need a box like thing for the milk, then the empty bottles don't roll about the place.

All nice and spruce, ready for a long sunny summer! fingers crossed! xx

Ooooh Matron!

The sun is shining, I am feeling brighter - and just to speed my recovery, a nice little gifty parcel from Twiggy! How thoughtful is that, and the card is just so Me! I have been overwhelmed by all you nice get well comments, what have I done to be blessed by such kindly friends!

Such goodies from Twiggy - lots of crafting goodliness and sweeties - the sweeties didn't even make it onto the photo! they made me feel Loads! better!!!

I have decided I quite like yellow - its so fresh, bright and breezy! Lots of it about too at the moment.

Just look at these pretty nodding daffs making such a show of themselves!

First day out on Saturday ( feeling better, and a bit stir crazy!), Hubby P took me to an indoor carboot sale - just for a look you understand - silly man! I'm never too ill to spot a bargain, I can't pass an intriguing Vintage-y item!

Just look what we found! An original Red Cross Nursing screen - just like they have on The Royal, or Carry On Doctor!

Hubby P keeps leering round it crying 'Ooooh Matron!' Who remembers the delightful Hatti Jakes as Matron, and a delightful Barbara Winsor in the Carry On films.

A friend of ours had bought a Red Cross trailer (a kind of portable field hospital/assessment rooms - thingy!) and these screens were in it, plus all the old bandages and whatnot. I did buy it for a purpose - I have altered part of the house to make a kind of quiet corner, with an old metal framed bed and lots of comfy cushions - its an ideal restful/reading corner, plus its extra space for visitors to stay. Well I had planned to have a large curtain to draw to make it a more intimate space - then I saw the screen!

The screen came with very tatty fabric drapes, which I took off carefully and washed, it is a quite pretty, faded print - maybe I can do something with it - hate to waste anything!

I found this pretty orange floral fabric in one of my boxes, I think it as originally an old vintage sheet - pretty I thought! And vintage looking enough to suit me!

I have got one screen panel done - there are four in all, hopefully it will all look ok.

Richard and I curled up behind it the other night, chatting and being cosy - it reminded me of Story Corner at Playgroup, that same cosy safe little world. Hubby P said he thought we were being very silly - and up to no good!

We had a ride out on Sunday too - some exciting news - maybe about a new car! Wont say a lot yet - don't want to jinx it! Hubby P has been to have a test drive (that means him taking it round the corner and virtually taking it to bits/checking it over!) today.

Suffice to say - Its a good enough reason for a new hat - or two!

Just couldn't walk past these two little gems - from the 1930/40's, and in such good condition - wearable condition! Just need a nice car now to set them off!

Ta ta for now, take care xxx

My Closest Companions!!!

Oh Poorly Me!

Yes! I have been struck down by this awful virus thing! - these have indeed been my closest companions!

I wouldn't dream of drinking whisky in a social sense - (Brandy, Gin, Sherry or whatever - indeed - bring it on, but I'm not a Whisky drinker!) But as soon as I feel flu-ey I reach for the whisky, honey and lemon - hot toddies. They seem to work or me - either that or I am too 'tiddly' to much care!

So sorry for my absence - just haven't been up to it - think I am on the mend now.

I put my coat on and had a wander in the garden today - how things are coming on!

The front of the cottage is looking a bit brighter with the cheery daffodils.

Even one or two tulips are beginning to show themselves.

I just love these tiny dainty little daffs - you can almost see the little fairies dancing amongst them!

Even the newly emerged rhubarb looked quietly stunning, showing off its bright scarlet stems!

I have had lots of time to sit - huddled over a hot toddy! watching the birds.

This one's a cheeky monkey, well - Starling really. He pinches all the little ones feed if we don't watch him!

We call this little one Hector - its a long story!

He seems to be more or less a permanent guest.

These little Long Tailed Tits flew in the other day - they remain in family groups, there are 6 of them, but of course trying to get a photo of all six on the feeder - neigh on impossible! Although Hubby P did try - he has so much more patience than me!

Time for another hot toddy! Bye for now xxxx

Two New Flighty Little Girls!

No sooner had I hinted on the last post that maybe we could do with some 'new blood' amongst our 'raggle tag' of chickens, than Hubby P suggested we went to 'go see' if the Feed Merchant has any for sale.

And look what we came home with!

Apparently, or so Barry - the Feed Merchant says, there is a real shortage of chickens across the country - must be the 'Green' effect, all this Hugh Fernley Ate-it-all, Jamie and whatnot! -Everyone wants chickens!

Barry usually has a few breeds to choose from, but at the moment all he could get hold of were fairly ordinary Warrens - but I don't mind - we can't all be gorgeously glamorous! the world would be a dull place!

They are fitting in quite nicely - its always a bit hard to watch them being bullied at first, by the older Matrons of the flock, but eventually they all settle down together.

And look what they produced on the second day!

How clever is that - laying their little legs off straight away!

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And how's Your garden growing? I found this heart warming sight this morning!




Pretty little daffs pushing their way through the cold dark earth - surely Spring must be on its way!

This is the last of the leeks - looking very battered ans sorry for themselves!

I must pull them this week and perhaps make some nice warming soup! Although its nice and mild here today - a bit damp but nice. Its so mild I am sat with the windows and door open - no fire lit yet, thought I would air the house - get some nice fresh air in!

Yesterday I spent potting on this years leeks - can you see them? Just like tiny wisps of grass - isn't nature wonderful - to think this Autumn they will be nice fat juicy leeks all ready for a nice cheese sauce!

As you can see there are also tomatoes and peppers there too. I have tried to get an early start with them - just hope they do ok.

Having a wander outside I see the few little cloves of garlic I just pushed into the soil have done really well.

I have put some shallots in the other half of the tin bath, but no signs of life there yet.

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Not a great deal of crafting being done - I am trying to do some decorating, as and when my arms are up to it - its a slow process!

I have been doing a bit of crochet at night, watching the TV or listening to our gramophone - Hubby P is gathering together a great collection of old vinyl. Last night we listened to 'That'll Be The Day' lots of great Rock'n Roll! -Everly Brothers, Little Richard, The Platters,Billy Fury etc. Hubby P had a nostalgic evening, regaling me of tales of the days when he was a Teddy Boy!

Just getting back into crochet - so the little squares - made from scraps of wool , I have put together to make a nice warm blanket for our bed.

Its very colourful - I am using all the tiny bits of wool, the one's that we keep - too much to throw away, but really not enough to make anything! So Thrift, Thrift!!!

I embroidered and made the knitting bag when I was expecting my eldest - I spent some time in hospital - I remember sitting in the hospital bed sewing away, kept the boredom at bay! I gave the completed bag to my Mum as a Christmas present, Mum is no longer with us, so its back with me. Isn't it funny how everyday utility items can have a story all of their own!


Bye for now! xxxxx

Jolly Well Done!!

Celebration!! Spring has arrived!!

Well at least 'Our Girls' seem to think so! One of them has a spring in her step this morning, and produced this! Our first egg this year.

Of course they were all too modest to let on who had produced the first 'Herald' of Spring.

Whichever brave soul, did very well - they are all in their dotage really, I think we may add a couple of youngsters to their merry band this year.

Anyway the little egg is very welcome, just the thing for Hubby P's tea, with a rasher of bacon!

Tis' his'One Weakness' !

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Whats New! Lots of Pic's today!

Well! Whats New!

This is in disgrace! Dryer Thou is't Bad!!!

As you can see I have banished it to the naughty corner and covered it with a cloth.

We have to take drastic action - we are on power cutting/cost cutting exercise. Hubby P - Bless him, likes to know what he is spending and thus we have always had a pre-pay meter for the electricity. It works well - no big quarterly bills etc. But just recently - I'm sure I can see steam coming out of his ears when he looks at the meter - it just has such an enormous appetite, it eats money!

So the Big Clampdown - the dryer ( a real lazy option - we have a wood burner with hanging space for washing to dry!) - well the dryer was just too handy - next to the washer, to just throw wet washing into. So now it has been banished to the conservatory - to be used only in emergencies!

I'm keeping an eagle eye on the switching off of lights and 'standbys', and I even managed to cook a whole dinner in the oven last night, cooked potatoes in their jackets, braised veg in a covered dish - they filled the oven alongside the chicken and stuffing!

What a job this Thrifting is! - I suppose its just a case of a lot more planning. I have put my big freezer on Freecycle, I will manage with the smaller one - and make sure I use the food in there in rotation (as you should, rather than being lazy and grabbing the first thing that comes to hand!). Looking in the larger one earlier in the week, it was running away ( with Hubby P's precious electricity!) and not even half full.

'Needs Must' as they say, and I can't see the cost of fuel coming down very much in the near future - so there we have it. I haven't got the candles out just yet!

Emptying the larger freezer left me with lot of apples to use, so I made a batch of Apple Chilly Jelly - well I eat it by the bucket full! It is rather scrummy!

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Car Boot Sale finds!
Had a nice day yesterday at the Car Boot Sale, the sun was out, so there were a few more stalls browse.






A new little hat for summer! only 50p!

This little picture of a pretty lady - rather battered and without a frame, but she's too pretty to end up in the landfill.

I might kind of scrap book her -sort of, find some nice decoupage flowers and things to frame her.

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A nice little parcel came earlier in the week.

I had bought some little badges from a Etsy shop - Deb, who came to visit a while ago, is a illustrator, she has such a wonderful imagination! Check out her Blog - theimaginationofladysnail.blogspot.com/ (The imagination of lady snail)

She sent me a darling little notelet.

And the cute little badges!

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Hubby P - on one of his Lunchtime ramblings found me this little display shelf - thingy!

He tours all the Charity shops (I say all - I think there are two in the small town in which he works!). He is such a regular the old Ladies look for him coming - and its a case of - 'could you just fix the pricing gun, toaster, reach something down off the high shelf, carry these heavy boxes out side' etc!

I have used it to display all my vintage perfume bottles and what not.

They are things I use everyday - I wear the old perfume, well it will only gradually evaporate over time, I have it to enjoy it!

So I put the little shelf thing just under my makeup mirror, just where its handy.

I have a collection of vintage lipsticks too - I don't wear them - the colours are a bit too outrageous - even for me. And they taste awful, what was it they use to make them from - whale blubber - Yuk!

Ta Ta for now xx Take care xx

Snowdrops! So Pretty!!

The hedge across from our little cottage has produced the most wonderful show of snowdrops, turning the brown dull barren looking hedge into a feast of fresh green, their little nodding white heads stirring in the breeze!

Such a cheery little sight! Hopefully the hedge will start showing some leaf and blossom buds soon.

Have I mentioned - I just love snowdrops!
I think it partly stems from my childhood, when my favorite book was this little book of Poems. I think it came from school - we had a wonderful Headmaster - very forward thinking for his day, and he encouraged all the Arts, introduced us to all sorts of music, poetry and drama. We went Youth Hosteling, and made a hot air balloon! Mr Nutter - that was his name (Yes! I know - but Honestly - that was his name!)

The book is very battered now, but still I like to look at it - nice memories!

This is the little poem - The Snowdrops

Look how muddy it is in the field - just over the hedge from the snowdrops. Still at least we are not experiencing Flooding like some people in the South of the country.

These little Guys came over to say Hello and have a nosey at what I was doing.

And a little fresh greenness in the house. I treated myself to a couple of Hyacinths at the weekend. I always think its a nice surprise when they bloom - I wonder what colour they will be. I just potted them in some old jugs, gives a bit of colour to brighten the place.

Roll on Spring - I have had enough of this cold damp weather!

Ta Ta for now xx