tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84943921605609965722024-03-13T10:20:17.731-07:00Always Coming Homestumbling towards sustainabilityCurvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.comBlogger141125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-81211595795829630012018-06-11T04:48:00.000-07:002018-06-11T04:51:49.929-07:00Pantry Painting<div align="center">
And yet again, without meaning to, I have not been blogging.</div>
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Actually nothing much is going on here apart from the everyday, ordinary stuff and it can be hard to create a blog out 'oh I sat in the garden and what a beautiful day it was'.</div>
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However some things have happened.</div>
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I have refurbished the pantry. Well I call it the pantry; in fact it is a brick out building between the kitchen and what was the outside loo and is now our outside odds and ends shed and was probably originally a tool shed. It also has the entrance to the old coal hole which extends behind the ex loo.</div>
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Pantry on the left and ex loo on the right.</div>
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Internal entrance to the coal hole, where we keep bags of kindling, my treadle sewing machine which Jean-Luc is going to renovate at 'some point in the future' - ahem and the obligatory bag of coal.</div>
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This is where the external entrance to the coal hole would have been, you can see the old lintel just above the air brick. It's obviously been bricked up at some time but originally there would have been a wooden door here so the coal man could deliver his coal here without needing access to the shed interior. Cleaner, as any coal dust remained outside and more secure for the household.</div>
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So when we moved in we inherited this lovely space that I claimed as my pantry. After the first initial cleanout I've done little more with it than brush and sweep it out. It's been a plan of mine to paint it and give it a fresh start but somehow it's never quite reached the top of the list. It's dark and dingy but keeps a very good even temperature and has bags of potential.</div>
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Things came to a head this spring when after a very wet winter we noticed the door and front walls were rotting (a previous and in my opinion, idiotic, owner had replaced the original brick wall with wood) . Jean-Luc did his usual carpentry magic and replaced them both but that left the interior covered with dust and sawdust.</div>
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So faced with the need to drag everything out and clean it down it seemed an prime time to bite the bullet and paint the pantry.</div>
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I didn't touch anything above the beams or on the ceiling as they are covered by dubious wiring. Rewiring the place is another future project but that really has to wait.</div>
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The rest of it I painted in simple magnolia; mind you it took 2 coats of undercoat and two coats of emulsion and in total five - yes Five! days of painting to finish the place. Painting old brickwork is no fun and the quick coat of undercoat a previous owner has slapped on was no base for neat paintwork.</div>
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Had we limitless money I might have had it plastered or tiled in lovely old Victorian public toilet style tiles, but we don't so I didn't. I painted the shelves a lovely 'Putting Green' green and left the pine shelves alone - by that time I'd had my fill of wielding a brush.</div>
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Another couple of days of bottle and jar washing and everything was back in place.</div>
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The before and after photos were both taken in the same glorious light conditions we've been enjoying but the transformation is amazing. It looks clean!</div>
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I am ridiculously thrilled with it and keep popping in to look at it.</div>
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It holds all my bulk house hold cleaning buys like Ecover washing liquid and loo cleaner; my supplies for making soap, laundry liquid, balms and the finished products and all my preserves and jars. The big cupboard on the right is my store cupboard where I intend to store bulk buys of food staples. Gods forbid there is an apocalypse and I run out of coffee! No I'm not a prepper.</div>
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It also holds our overflow freezer and the lovely cheese safe Jean-Luc made me.</div>
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All I need now is to make some cheese.....</div>
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ps the reason I am so thrilled with my pantry is because this below was my pantry at the old house - some shelves crammed into the passage between the bedroom (left), spare room (right) and the bathroom (where the photo is taken from).<br />
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I love having a pantry. I love having somewhere I store the things I've made that benefit our household. I love looking at my shelf of jars and preserves and knowing that we have homemade, tasty yumminess over the winter and we have made the best of surplus fruit and veggies. I love the security and peace of mind it gives me and the pleasure I get from doing it.</div>
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On a cold, wet day when nothing seems to go right, I can step through the door look around and think I did this.</div>
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And it's a damned sight more fulfilling than filling in grant forms or writing reports.<br />
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Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-63248791446279634662018-04-29T09:11:00.002-07:002018-04-29T09:11:29.914-07:00A Miscellaney<div align="center">
Spring hasn't so much arrived as popping in for short visits; one minute glorious sunshine, the next biting winds and cold rain</div>
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However, in the midst of this climate confusion we have some small glories.....</div>
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The greenhouse is finally in production with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and masses of beans - borlotti, dwarf French beans, red and green broad beans; as well as the inevitable chard and beetroot.</div>
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The greenhouse now comes complete with its own fertility goddess.</div>
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This wonderfully booby and frankly cuddly lady is a copy of the famed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_of_Willendorf" target="_blank"><strong>Venus of Willendorf</strong></a> </div>
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It was immensely fun to crochet and just seemed perfect for overseeing the ongoing productiveness of the greenhouse - I expect truly magnificent seedlings and bumper crops this year!</div>
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Outside in the herb beds we have shades of green in as its fluorescent new growth. You can practically see the plants growing as you gaze into this gorgeous colour.</div>
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Clockwise from the east we have Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum), Salad Burnet (Sanguisorba minor), Lemon Balm (Melissa officianalis) and Golden Hop (Humulus lupulus).</div>
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I'm wandering up the garden several times a day just to stare at the colour. The woodruff only went in last summer and is already on it's way to taking over - it will need strict management and keeping firmly away from the salad burnet and hop but I'm hoping it and the lemon balm will cancel each other out; I have to say though it is gorgeous and perfect ground cover.</div>
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The apple is in blossom and looks just wonderful. I think this must be about the most perfect mixture of pink, white and green to ever occur and I cannot stop sighing over it.</div>
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I was wandering through the village the other day and I was taken with the texture and beauty of these wonderful lichens on a hawthorn hedge covered with rain drops.</div>
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More lovely lichen accompanied by deliciously delicate ivy leaves.</div>
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Now on a more serious note - would I be cynical in thinking North Korea's sudden rapprochement with South Korea has less to do with Trump's imagined diplomatic skills in peace brokering and more to do with the sudden geological instability of North Korea's primary nuclear testing side due to its missile testing programme?</div>
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I'm grateful for anything that stops nuclear testing programmes but frankly I'd rather it wasn't because radiation pollution and collapsing mountains had made the area unusable.</div>
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Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-4026210386604654442018-04-19T06:44:00.000-07:002018-04-19T06:44:18.593-07:00Blue skies smilin' at me. <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #6a6a6a;">Nothin</span>' <span style="color: #6a6a6a;">but blue skies</span> do I see.</div>
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Real tulips from Amsterdam.</div>
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The prison bars are rough horsetail, a native UK wild flower and cousin of the Equisetum that can be a real plague but this one isn't as prolific. This one has an exceptional ecobunny pedigree, having been given to me by the county ecologist years ago.</div>
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Lawn reclamation begins. We have raked, mown, hollow tined and brushed in sharp sand. </div>
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Now we wait for a bit and then the reseeding begins. </div>
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After some thought we're not sure if we will pave between the veggie beds - watch this space.....</div>
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There is a cat in this picture - honest.</div>
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<strong></strong> </div>
Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-71474559918780029392018-04-16T07:37:00.002-07:002018-04-16T07:37:33.516-07:00Finally...<div align="center">
Spring is here!</div>
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Dutch tulips are blooming.</div>
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Wild Garlic.</div>
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Heavenly snakeshead fritillary</div>
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The magnolia has flowered in anticipation of some bees or butterflies - fingers crossed.</div>
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Positively Japanese inspired blossom</div>
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Tomatoes and peppers planted up</div>
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Vegetable seeds planted</div>
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A beautiful relic of summer past</div>
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This is the sad state of the grass between the veggie beds after a winter of rain and snow so we have bitten the bullet and have plans involving bricks or pavers - cost will probably dictate which; the rest of the lawn will be hollow tined, scarified and dressed with loads of sharp sand and seeded. </div>
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We may even cut down the large yellow conifer just beyond the second bed on the right as it is getting far too big for the garden. We inherited it when we moved in and on reflection it was a mistake to keep it as it's slowly creeping across the lawn. I'm hoping to plant a flowering currant and a ceanothus in its place, under planted with spring bulbs - much better for the bees.</div>
Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-141674305776654582018-04-04T07:24:00.000-07:002018-04-04T07:24:52.841-07:00Raindrops keep falling ....<div align="center">
Well the weather is finally warming up but the rain continues unabated.</div>
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After two days of being stuck indoors I girded my loins and waterproof (ish) coat and went for a walk. Miraculously the rain stopped for a while and I took some photos to try and wring out some small moments of beauty amongst the dampness.</div>
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The picture sadly can't convey the gorgeous aroma of this blossom - delicious.</div>
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This handsome fellow was trotting around in the middle of the road, obviously realising we all needed the visual boost of his beautiful plumage on this rainy day.</div>
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The rain had started again but left a field of diamonds on this hedge.</div>
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It all helped distract from the fact that the garden is a swamp and nothing has been done in the greenhouse yet for fear of plummeting temperatures and trench foot from wading through aforesaid swamp.</div>
<br />Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-34211965950681346022018-03-17T11:58:00.000-07:002018-03-17T11:58:39.049-07:00Food God<div align="center">
As Winter makes yet another bid to return from it's temporal exile, the day saw blue skies interspersed with brass coloured clouds and hefty flurries of the white stuff which refused to settle; this was accompanied by freezing temperatures and Baltic winds just this side of gale strength. Brrr.</div>
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Jean-Luc decided this was perfect weather for staying inside and cooking - hooray!</div>
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And so we now have about 11 or 12 meals lodging in the fridge and freezer; including, shepherds pie, chicken, mushroom and leek pie, a quiche, fiery Goan curry, John Torrodes turkey meatballs with a lime pickle sauce (honestly it's delicious served with papardelle or tagliatelle), Bolognese sauce, Thai green curry and a Kerala coconut curry.</div>
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It's meal planning without having to be tied to a particular dish on a particular day and gives us loads of flexibility if plans change.</div>
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Convenience food at its best - homemade with fresh ingredients just waiting for us to eat it.</div>
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Delicious!</div>
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Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-595455653596101792018-03-16T08:26:00.000-07:002018-03-16T08:26:21.201-07:00The Garden<div align="center">
I long to write a post on the garden, about my endeavours out there and the joy it brings; alas the weather has been truly bloody awful for much of the winter and the only time the garden is remotely dry enough to work in is when it's frozen solid.</div>
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The lawn is so wet we have a transitory pond and I believe crocodiles once again inhabit the bamboo - makes a change from the cat ambushing me from it.</div>
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I have done some weeding, pruning of the fruit bed and tidied the greenhouse but none of these make pretty pictures; in fact the only pictures would be of empty pots on shelves and sad looking plants sticking up out of mud.</div>
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This year we will be mostly addressing the drainage issue or by all the small gods I will dig a pond in the middle of the lawn!</div>
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Until summer arrives I will leave you with pictures of past glories we can only now dream about.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73OuyckX5V8naG3Rz43XPyCXHpovQ5ulJTm6RAlRwh910HOroc_0mLD0xrSiQA_0228Oilaz5LnsVhn4JoL0oxUlOE0yHDm6RggrpWWHS4LV1eC9RouC3NJYUPs9ciOPyBorGRyx3trme/s1600/Picture2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73OuyckX5V8naG3Rz43XPyCXHpovQ5ulJTm6RAlRwh910HOroc_0mLD0xrSiQA_0228Oilaz5LnsVhn4JoL0oxUlOE0yHDm6RggrpWWHS4LV1eC9RouC3NJYUPs9ciOPyBorGRyx3trme/s400/Picture2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Look colour!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pqzrAdc8C1njCqj3VPpEIz8pPM-qZm5J5Qt4hjMWhcvaPwHExjcdEsVbTpnz9pEoWAXsJ0gFeOkYu7Q6cBRwVbMzXeIndGX7LSy99XbyOaP4WruZI-E4lKma9-Qa9knwtDYrOIC98k1K/s1600/Picture1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pqzrAdc8C1njCqj3VPpEIz8pPM-qZm5J5Qt4hjMWhcvaPwHExjcdEsVbTpnz9pEoWAXsJ0gFeOkYu7Q6cBRwVbMzXeIndGX7LSy99XbyOaP4WruZI-E4lKma9-Qa9knwtDYrOIC98k1K/s400/Picture1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-87924340302877189362018-03-15T02:15:00.001-07:002018-03-15T02:15:35.189-07:00Domestic Goddess<div align="center">
It's cold and wet (again) outside so I have channelled my own and Nigella's domestic goddesshood and ta da!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zawN_DJi57Eebf2yDiLDb-5C0ShyphenhyphensIj95-dcPGdDP1l80iV6CPd_FjmRRRX96eAhZpUd9X4uT28T4PDL21NHkp6TaORbpM4pWEToQyDqSXTs8tsxy7bmtE3NEIkIfpPxxCaWa-dLGA1w/s1600/IMG_1126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zawN_DJi57Eebf2yDiLDb-5C0ShyphenhyphensIj95-dcPGdDP1l80iV6CPd_FjmRRRX96eAhZpUd9X4uT28T4PDL21NHkp6TaORbpM4pWEToQyDqSXTs8tsxy7bmtE3NEIkIfpPxxCaWa-dLGA1w/s320/IMG_1126.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Stilton cheese scones...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHM9xWhsx6Fx5WmMHwB2Wshb2rGYLN4wTbV7DUfIsYR2Aa8CX3FBR_D7nnfTAlmh6MzXFinLUHeKHJxr1RIJ-Ds92R7PxCDjlkBGwAi58U753HcgOW9lCXIzVzq8Qsl2lwVyTFxK2RUBbz/s1600/IMG_1127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHM9xWhsx6Fx5WmMHwB2Wshb2rGYLN4wTbV7DUfIsYR2Aa8CX3FBR_D7nnfTAlmh6MzXFinLUHeKHJxr1RIJ-Ds92R7PxCDjlkBGwAi58U753HcgOW9lCXIzVzq8Qsl2lwVyTFxK2RUBbz/s320/IMG_1127.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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..... Limoncello</div>
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Both homemade and both delicious.</div>
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Sadly exhausted by all this smiling domestic loveliness, my goddess ness has baulked at the idea of scrubbing out the shower and I am taking my coffee to curl up with the cat and do some quilting.</div>
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Well the doctors do say too much of a good thing is bad for us.....</div>
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Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-14405133218449938062018-03-09T05:12:00.001-08:002018-03-09T05:12:15.123-08:00Obsession<div align="center">
When does a hobby become an obsession?</div>
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Possibly when you start to take your secret crochet project down the pub but still refuse to tell people what you're making......</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQZufSvqDUwpaCJ77aMufehMmBYlEcQFKJ3a2jSeeTXX7FsCjgWAiNEAd7UZYC3UeHiXTcdqn3Rh_7Rinm8UtCKtTk47hzNB5PPRjvrvQMUAyBmmxVlEckXPf1pbAB2nrOPyEfUUGvqIv/s1600/IMG_1110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQZufSvqDUwpaCJ77aMufehMmBYlEcQFKJ3a2jSeeTXX7FsCjgWAiNEAd7UZYC3UeHiXTcdqn3Rh_7Rinm8UtCKtTk47hzNB5PPRjvrvQMUAyBmmxVlEckXPf1pbAB2nrOPyEfUUGvqIv/s400/IMG_1110.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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...or when you are inspired to have a clothes clear out so you can start making t-shirt yarn.....</div>
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...or when you look back over the last month and realise just how many days you decided 'oh it's much too miserable to go out/ garden/ do housework; I'll just stoke the fire up and do some crochet/ quilting'.</div>
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Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-64178251356071072532018-03-01T05:20:00.003-08:002018-03-01T05:20:42.144-08:00Spring Cleaning<div align="center">
Taking advantage of the cold weather, Jean-Luc and I have been spring-cleaning.</div>
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This has involved many trips up and down the stairs as I ferry things up to the attic for storage or the craft room to Put Things Away. In truth these are both the same room but we designate the dark, crouchy, can't stand up in it storage area as 'the Attic' and the oh look I can stand up, what lovely light main part of the room as 'the craft room'. </div>
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All this activity has meant one rather scary thing - UFO's!</div>
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I now have a list of UFO's and Things That Need To Be Made.</div>
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The Pastel Quilt needs to be finished.</div>
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The Japanese influenced Blue & White Quilt needs to be backed and quilted.</div>
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An Autumn quilt for a friend needs to be backed and quilted.</div>
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I need to finally bite the bullet and decide on a pattern for Jean-Luc's quilt and make it.</div>
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I need to decide on a pattern for my Attic 24 Autumn Woodland blanket (with extra colours) and crochet it.</div>
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Ditto for the Attic 24 Cosy Summer blanket - which I rediscovered on a shelf - whoops!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqkL6Mp3-fnUJAblmK1q1Yu9Ud03Na8JCYCgdCHBedIDTr8gDPpZKzF9o4ccxkCFMcEo9QAVsBktnTeIf8y_WSx-Yt2GxsEH4dVEUldC5rAIv-tGzl8a9B6Uh4kK-d2q8Ll0MghYszbDYk/s1600/Picture1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqkL6Mp3-fnUJAblmK1q1Yu9Ud03Na8JCYCgdCHBedIDTr8gDPpZKzF9o4ccxkCFMcEo9QAVsBktnTeIf8y_WSx-Yt2GxsEH4dVEUldC5rAIv-tGzl8a9B6Uh4kK-d2q8Ll0MghYszbDYk/s400/Picture1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Chinese Whispers picture quilt from my quilting group.</div>
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A Japanese Lantern quilt for my quilting group show.</div>
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A banner for my knit and natter yarnbombing group for a village parade this summer.</div>
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Granny squares for a yarnbombing project this summer.</div>
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101 other quilts I have ideas for!</div>
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Well at least I won't be bored!</div>
Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-72450884970815919682018-02-28T15:52:00.000-08:002018-02-28T15:52:20.485-08:00Behold the Beast<div align="center">
Well there's been a whole heap of hyperbole in the media about the 'Beast from the East' or rather warmer than usual air over the Arctic driving changes in the Jet Stream mean that the UK is getting cold weather systems from the east resulting in colder temperatures than we'd normally expect for this time of year. It has resulted in the usual shutdown of British public transport systems, some schools closing and dire warnings of 'stay indoors', 'check on your elderly neighbours' and 'the end of the world is nigh!' Oops sorry that last one just slipped in.</div>
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Back in the real world, Britain has been experienced snow across most of the island, unsurprisingly, some areas have had more snow than others.</div>
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We had this, despite the warnings we have not seen any sight of polar bears, zombies or armies of orcs on wargs. We did see some very fat pigeons hogging the bird table and some long tailed tits holding a choir practice around the suet balls but that was all.</div>
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We lit the fire.</div>
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We stared at the fire</div>
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We tested out the quilt.</div>
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Some of us got really close, just in case those polar bears tried to move in.</div>
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And then we went to bed.</div>
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After much suspicious sniffing of the snow on the doorstep the Nu ventured out into the garden and has now got a new nickname - Wencescat - as she carefully and with great deliberation stepped in my footsteps to avoid that horror of horrors, a wet belly.</div>
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To be fair this is probably only the second time in her life she's seen snow settle and quite rightly she decided that the fire was a much better option.</div>
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Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-50172626640066540362018-02-19T11:09:00.000-08:002018-02-19T11:09:03.182-08:00Cleaning<div align="center">
I spent yesterday with my quilting group, most of the ladies decorated tins and flowerpots with decoupage and damned fine they looked too. Haunted by our individual guilts I and a friend used the uninterrupted time to work on our respective quilts and progress was made - hooray.</div>
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Jean-Luc was due to meet up with friends for his weekly Sunday evening of music and beer. This meant our paths would barely cross all day.</div>
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The result of all this social activity was that I returned home to a note pinned on the kitchen door with 'Wet Floor' and a 27 point list of Jean-Luc's mammoth kitchen cleaning spree.</div>
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Today I retaliated with a purge on the bathroom.</div>
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We are talking tea tree oil and bicarb cream cleaner, vinegar sprays and Dettol.</div>
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War has been declared in the 2018 Spring Cleaning Olympics!</div>
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Let the frolics begin.</div>
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Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-85026885394040228232018-02-17T11:55:00.000-08:002018-02-17T11:55:35.046-08:00New Years Resolutions<div align="center">
I don't do New Year Resolutions but I have realised that about January each year I have an unconscious personal ritual I carry out.</div>
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Every year I reread Rhonda Hetzels' book Down to Earth.</div>
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It's a guide to simple living. It's not preachy, it doesn't assume everyone can or wants to live the same life; but what it does do is have some solid advice broken down into sections that you can use and adapt to help live a simpler life.</div>
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I guess by rereading it, I am reconnecting with the principles that I want to be part of my life. </div>
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Although I live in a rural area, we will never have a small holding, orchard and probably no chickens or bees (the garden is just too small). I can however budget, grow as many veggies as I can fit in, and make as much as I can. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_FWIfnvFJ9MBxpB9JBENiiAu4FR5YcmB3O-A7kzvBuhJYg-0rLUfnX2Do5RsoRDE1hzfSDpJyrExgmD3B-205PjU-VJWT0gZfTqWESWKEBa_1sUsnSZh_gevLjZE_2BazGaTGfAcXef-/s1600/Picture7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_FWIfnvFJ9MBxpB9JBENiiAu4FR5YcmB3O-A7kzvBuhJYg-0rLUfnX2Do5RsoRDE1hzfSDpJyrExgmD3B-205PjU-VJWT0gZfTqWESWKEBa_1sUsnSZh_gevLjZE_2BazGaTGfAcXef-/s400/Picture7.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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Jean-Luc cooks wonderful meals from scratch and he makes enough meals to freeze for future meals, we buy in bulk when things are cheap and have a store cupboard and freezer to store it. I preserve as much of our excess veggies as I can - (go courgettes and tomatoes!) and haunt hedgerows and supermarket isles for cheap fruit and herbs for preserving. </div>
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I make soap and laundry liquid, we haven't bought soap for over seven years and we only use shop bought laundry pods once every two months for white linens. I'm learning to make my own clothes and try to buy good quality that will last when I do buy clothes - I'm lucky enough to have a sister who could be in the GB Olympic knitting team and who makes me gorgeous jumpers and dresses. </div>
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We are not perfect; on the non-frugal side Jean-Luc loves holidays in hot climes, loves his car and, as an IT specialist, loves high quality techy stuff.</div>
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I love good wine, good coffee and good cheese. I have a Doc Marten boot fetish and love books. And of course I have a deep need to stash yarn and material.</div>
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Both Jean-Luc and I agree on the basics though - pay your bills first, save before you spend and wait until you have the money before you buy luxuries.</div>
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Why all this info - well it's just my way of saying very few of us are going to be able to live the perfect sustainable lifestyle with a small holding and eco house and we all have different ideas about what are necessities and what are luxuries; about what makes life bearable and what we want rather than need in our lives. </div>
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The important thing is if you want to live simply, start with things you can change in your present lifestyle, develop a plan you and your family feel comfortable with and implement that plan; you can always change it later. Life can change and unexpected things happen so be flexible and have some wiggle room but figure out what it is you can and want to change and do it.</div>
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Living simply can be challenging but rewarding, but if something isn't working for you don't feel pressured into continuing with it; some things that seemed a good idea prove to be just the opposite; so either try tweaking it to suit you or try something else completely.</div>
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But if you fancy trying living simply - good luck and enjoy it.</div>
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Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-50845542426452241312018-02-08T09:36:00.000-08:002018-02-08T09:36:46.093-08:00Pfeh!<div align="center">
Jean-Luc and I have now recovered from the village lurgy that we have been suffering from for over a month. Until last week we'd barely been out except for shopping trips; notable exceptions where a trip to a local antiques warehouse, an evening out at the pub (we were in bed by 9.30) and today, when we went for a short walk at a local nature reserve. We ended up with Jean-Luc napping on the sofa and me snuggled up in a shawl nursing a cup of mint tea - both knackered by a 45 minute walk. Ridiculous. </div>
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Opinion around the village is that this bug hangs around for at least 4 weeks and wends its way through your system in series of ups and downs - you think it's gone, you do some light physical activity and woomp! back down you go into aching limbs and sore throat territory.</div>
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The bells have been rung, crosses painted on doors and the parish council are mustering volunteers to stand at the entrances to the village intoning 'Unclean!' in sepulchral tones.</div>
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In an effort not to be drawn into the horrors of daytime TV, I spent the time crocheting socks. </div>
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Snuggly and cheerful rainbow socks.</div>
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Considering the weather - beautifully warm.</div>
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I've also finally got to grips with quilting this quilt.<br />
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I sort of like this pastel quilt; it's not in my usual colour range and is made from a load of fat quarters I had bought on a whim. It's been hanging around for a while now as a UFO and I've finally bitten the bullet and started finishing it - with help of course!</div>
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Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-84803797470420645372018-01-11T11:29:00.001-08:002018-01-11T11:46:05.750-08:00Hidden Gems<div align="center">
I was thinking about jobs the other day. At present I am passing time as a part-time receptionist at one of the village doctors but am not convinced that it is 'really me'; so in an attempt to figure out what I might want to do with this phase of my life I started to think about my old jobs and what I'd most enjoyed. </div>
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To my surprise, the one thing that stood out, enjoyment wise, was working as a Countryside Officer for Cambridgeshire County Council. It was a great job, I got to drive around the county, dispensing grants and words of wisdom about habitat management, conservation and meeting lots of really nice people, their dogs and often sampling delicious cake... more of that later.<br />
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The thing that really stood out for me though was one tiny little linear site that I was responsible for. It was a gorgeous little gem of mesotrophic grassland and scalloped woodland edge that had formed part of an old railway line and was full of little surprises, such as perforated St. John's Wort. </div>
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Part of my job was to keep an eye on the site which I used as an excuse to pop into the site whenever my schedule and weather permitted to eat my packed lunch.</div>
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This was because nestled in this gem was an even more delightful treasure.</div>
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Araneus quadratus.</div>
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This amazingly beautiful spider is identified by the four white spots on its body; it comes in an amazing variety of colours from leaf green to brick red with black and white zebra striped legs.</div>
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They spin webs and then lurk under tall grasses, soft rushes or umbillifers awaiting their lunch.</div>
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They confirmed a life long love of spiders!</div>
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As to the cake, many of the farms and community groups I and my colleagues visited often used to ply us with coffee and delicious homemade cakes - so much so that it became an on going joke that we should include cake quality as part of project appraisals. Thank goodness my journey to work was a 45 minute walk each way - otherwise I'd have been bursting out of my trousers within a few weeks.</div>
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Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-4884132966831998152018-01-06T10:41:00.001-08:002018-01-06T14:03:20.008-08:00Domestic comforts<div align="center">
It's been cold, wet, windy, stormy and the village is full of colds, coughs and general winter bleurgghness to which Jean-Luc and I have succumbed.</div>
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It was a hard autumn with Jean-Luc's father sadly dying after a long hospital stay and frankly neither of us have been at our best either physically or mentally.<br />
So this winter we closed the doors, pulled the curtains, snuggled down and embraced some home comforts.</div>
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Friends were met and good company enjoyed.<br />
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My sister, brother in law and niece visited en route to spend Christmas in Scotland.<br />
It was lovely to see them however briefly.<br />
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I can't believe how much she's grown.<br />
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Blankets have been finished.<br />
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Books bought.<br />
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New challenges embraced.</div>
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Fires and passive solar heating enjoyed.<br />
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Homemade sashimi devoured.<br />
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Art appreciated.</div>
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A beautiful oil painting by a local artist - <a href="http://gopaddy.webs.com/" target="_blank">Paddy Campbell</a></div>
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Jean-Luc gave me this picture for Christmas, we'd seen it at a local open art exhibition. I'd spent weeks raving about it to friends, one of whom sat next to me at the pub and listened to me witter on, entered into a deep discussion on art and artists and the beauty of the palette work in this painting; all the while not giving away one iota that she knew Jean-Luc had purchased the painting. She really lived up to her nickname of Bletchley!</div>
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Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-35360005733957081042018-01-06T10:10:00.000-08:002018-01-06T10:10:21.174-08:00White Wool Mystery Mission<div align="center">
It's out there now. I've been part of a secret mission.</div>
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This winter I met up with my fellow agents and we planned and plotted, we reconnoitred and mapped, sought out allies and got our supplies and weapons of choice prepared.</div>
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And then we put our plan into action....</div>
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Yes - we yarnbombed our local church to celebrate its reopening after major repair works.</div>
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It was a real secret project; although we postered the village asking for wool and volunteers to knit and crochet in white wool, the volunteers weren't told what they were working for until a month before the event and were then sworn to secrecy.</div>
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The parish council and vicar knew we were up to something as we had to have their permission, but in a huge act of generosity and trust they didn't ask too many questions; indeed the vicar didn't know what we were planning until it was unveiled just before the celebrations to reopen the church. He was surprised, charmed and very pleased at what we'd done.</div>
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I had a huge amount of joy playing with new patterns including...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpu23z8Q2TAas6UpzCVfld22TQa-GFvEerf8RB3LlvPFr038rqMXNaZlwwJgba510Zu9gGWroUX9krAWULFM_VAeEUCQxmTKrD93hKw_EeU7i9LAD46bEh5E21nvuvCma0Kfv5kWtVmeZ/s1600/IMG_0895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpu23z8Q2TAas6UpzCVfld22TQa-GFvEerf8RB3LlvPFr038rqMXNaZlwwJgba510Zu9gGWroUX9krAWULFM_VAeEUCQxmTKrD93hKw_EeU7i9LAD46bEh5E21nvuvCma0Kfv5kWtVmeZ/s400/IMG_0895.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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this spider..</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7H8ur8OwQClqerKEuxibDmIMejyWYDIeRjDYUV1eZdrWHbrlWKtrUzJ9lmZxINqagS4610TahM5vDoLVF4G9VwLxTVa_SZEugov6Z_iVnquvRRQKAKehMvdUao4w-klitTNJfBUHsgcgc/s1600/IMG_0911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7H8ur8OwQClqerKEuxibDmIMejyWYDIeRjDYUV1eZdrWHbrlWKtrUzJ9lmZxINqagS4610TahM5vDoLVF4G9VwLxTVa_SZEugov6Z_iVnquvRRQKAKehMvdUao4w-klitTNJfBUHsgcgc/s400/IMG_0911.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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...this angel - St. Michael's and All Angels....</div>
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... this poppy wreath</div>
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I absolutely loved being part of this project. I was overwhelmed by the talent of the ladies I worked with and the huge amount of community spirit. Most of us who were involved in both the steering group and the larger group aren't churchgoers but we recognise and appreciate the importance of all our community assets and organisations. </div>
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The village really enjoyed our work too; I don't think we had one negative comment and although we had planned to take it down after the village Christmas fair, due to popular demand we left it up until after Christmas.</div>
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Three very sneaky women finally blowing their cover.</div>
Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-71094296702430790452017-05-29T09:05:00.000-07:002017-05-29T09:05:13.666-07:00Garden Glories<div align="center">
It's that time of year when warm and (finally) wet weather sends the garden into an orgy of growing and flowering. By all rights my flower border should be a developing riot of, often clashing, colours.</div>
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But not this year. Oh no, this year my flower border seems to be entirely populated by a pink cranesbill; while my attention was caught up with the armies of lysimachia and fox and cubs, the cranesbill has sent out secret guerrilla units to set up remote outposts across the whole bloody border. I now have pink followed by pink, followed by another sort of pink, followed by even more pink.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7wcykOFx63Dln9teXSb5jP4plBWjMVXyFY_AZoIbcvTKOVxpXNQ2pXWi4huUt7kXZwIuPhwLCmgKKWOIN-5Je2DwSzjhYsq9Ghehhcc2Xdij7EnRb_QoGspTUULlRzQAa3BeSRBgx7bu/s1600/Geranium-Pink-Carpet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7wcykOFx63Dln9teXSb5jP4plBWjMVXyFY_AZoIbcvTKOVxpXNQ2pXWi4huUt7kXZwIuPhwLCmgKKWOIN-5Je2DwSzjhYsq9Ghehhcc2Xdij7EnRb_QoGspTUULlRzQAa3BeSRBgx7bu/s400/Geranium-Pink-Carpet.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I don't mind some pink plants as pink cranesbills in particular are quite lovely, but not a whole border and especially when they've ousted the lovely soft velvety leaved lychnis and my stately verbena bonariensis but are in danger of overwhelming my much loved woodland cranesbill, bequeathed to me by an ecology work colleague when she moved south and couldn't take them with her.<br />
It's time for some drastic action and nine plants have been marked for removal, I will leave some behind as I like the way they give a sense of flow along the border but I have a long and serious chat with them and will be adding them to my list for surveillance and extreme vetting.<br />
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Thankfully not all is tales of woe.<br />
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The Nu's fernery and woodland border is growing nicely, providing secure camouflage for a whole host of neighbourhood cats, much to her disgust.<br />
Strangely the edible end of the garden seems to be doing even better - although slugs may eat my words and crops for me later.<br />
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Two years on and the fruit beds are in full production, with a new piece of ironmongery to try and deter the wood pigeons from scrumping the berries. Honestly if they could speak they'd sound like Cockney urchins as they lurk around the bushes.<br />
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My thyme has the most beautiful star like flowers and looks like a miniature constellation and the bees are loving it.<br />
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The exotics in the greenhouse have survived and the Oca (at the back) are growing well, while the physalis or Cape Gooseberries have germinated so well I am now the proud owner of 33 physalis plants.<br />
Is that too many I ask myself?<br />
Probably yes as they will soon need to be transplanted into much larger pots and I am already running out of room in the greenhouse.<br />
I may be forced to generously donate some to the village open garden plant stall.....maybe they'll want some pink cranesbills; I can vouch for the fact they are excellent for ground cover.......😈<br />
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The Jerusalem artichokes are also doing well after a slow start thanks to our cold spring and only one has not grown; probably due to being sat upon by some self seeded borage seedlings.<br />
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And lastly, just look at these gorgeous, smile inducing poppies, they are just shouting 'Happy'.</div>
Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-13656878865545583522017-05-12T05:40:00.000-07:002017-05-12T05:40:18.902-07:00Madness by way of Mendelson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Alas dear reader, </div>
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'In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed.'</div>
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After months of eking it out, a portion at a time, I have finished Charlotte Mendelson's 'Rhapsody in Green'.</div>
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Cue big sigh.</div>
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I loved it. It spoke to my inner mad woman who cherishes strange small seedlings that then grow into glorious Field Maples; who wanders down hedgerows counting and sampling the edible plants she comes across (much to the embarrassment of my husband); who greets the spread of wild garlic into the lawn as a thing to be celebrated and not a reason to get the lawn mower out.</div>
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She writes well; crisply yet with deeply evocative prose, you can smell those apples and feel the sharp tang of a mulberry on your tongue.</div>
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It also spoke to my inner fantasist which insists that the long thin garden we have and which already houses said Field Maple, an apple, a cherry, a conifer, magnolia and three holly trees; veggie beds, greenhouse, summer house, man shed and borders should also be able to fit in an orchard, bee hive, chicken coop and wildflower meadow.</div>
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And if I had my way the lawn would already be seeded with yellow rattle and I would have purchased a scythe!</div>
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So imagine my joy when I came across this bizarre little seedling that had appeared in the herb bed. Intrigued by its strangely fuzzy stems and incipient buds I carefully extracted it and potted it up, only to be overjoyed when the leaves started to unfurl; for yes......</div>
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....it is a baby fig tree!</div>
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Many years ago when I worked in archaeology in Essex we were lucky enough to have a site that was being excavated in an old walled garden that contained a fig tree, it became a bit of a habit that whoever was visiting the site would bring back ripe figs to the office and so I encountered my first fresh figs; to this day I have dreamed of having a fig tree in my garden - and then I moved to a county not known for its Mediterranean climes.</div>
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<em>The first taste of </em><a href="https://thefriendsofcressingtemplegardens.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><strong><em>figs</em></strong></a><em>.</em></div>
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However one in depth conversation with a neighbour of our sick friend later, accompanied by a visit to his fig tree and I have been convinced that figs can indeed grow on a sunny southern wall in Lancashire.</div>
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Of course every house is different and while this aforesaid gentleman's south facing wall is in his back garden alongside the garage, our southern wall is at the front of the house; an unprepossessing paved area bounded by lacklustre conifers inherited from the previous owners and depressed pots that I shoved out last summer in a quick attempt to brighten it up. Jean-Luc is deeply unconcerned about improvements as he parks his much beloved car on this area but I have a 'cunning plan'.</div>
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The village is launching an open garden scheme and with it a Doorstep Challenge. I'm sure it's only a matter of time until I can persuade Jean-Luc that in return for <u>not</u> entering our garden into the open garden scheme, we should seriously improve this area and what could be a better start than a lovely fig tree trained over the front of the house!</div>
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Cue manic laughter and much rubbing together of hands.</div>
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I shall not mention the mulberry tree that used to grow in the derelict garden of the archaeological hostel just yet.... softly, softly the path to gardening madness.</div>
Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-8415543461741517452017-05-10T06:50:00.000-07:002017-05-10T06:50:57.033-07:00Hamsterjam<div align="center">
We went to Amsterdam and in five wonderful, relaxed days we fell in love with the city.</div>
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Canals, a tram and bus system that the whole world could learn lessons from, candlelight bruin cafes, poffertjes, houseboats, coffee that even a registered coffee addict could find no fault with, amazing architecture - both modern and traditional and a people that were unceasingly warm and friendly.</div>
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We were lucky enough to be staying in a hotel about ten minutes walk from the Central Station. It was a fairly new build lodged just behind the Ministry of Justice building and boy was it fun. I felt as though I'd walked into the set of a 1970's sci-fi series; a sort of Captain Scarlet, Logan's Run and Space 1999 all rolled into one. It wasn't dystopic but lightheartedly joyful instead. Colour coded floors, huge white bathrooms and bedrooms, quirky 60's inspired furnishings and amazing views gave it a lovely feeling of light and airiness.</div>
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Our space capsule bedroom.</div>
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I can see for miles and miles and miles.....</div>
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We....</div>
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<span style="color: black;">...ate breakfast in fern covered cafes....</span></div>
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...visited the sublimely hilarious sex museum....</div>
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...and the strangely moving and inspirational Bodyworlds.</div>
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We admired bikes and architecture.</div>
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(zoom into the top floor and yes! those are cheeses stacked in the window)</div>
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We ate Poffertjes, little pancakes served with icing sugar and brandied butter. Oh what fresh heaven is this?!.....</div>
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....and drank local beers in cosy, candlelight bruin cafes.</div>
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We queued at the Van Gogh museum and then after being informed that the expected time of arrival at the ticket office would be an hour and a half later! we let serendipity guide us.</div>
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Around the corner I stopped to take a photo of a building that I liked the look of only to discover it was the Moco Museum, which was hosting a Banksy and Dali exhibition.</div>
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Two minutes of queueing later and we were in.</div>
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The house itself was lovely, a sort of arts and crafts building housing ... well arts.</div>
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Apologies to Banksy and you, Blogger seems to be cropping my photos inappropriately. :-(</div>
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Having gorged ourselves on some brilliant art we popped into the garden of the Rijksmuseum for a quick sit down, only to become engrossed in this game of chess.</div>
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We dined at the seriously upmarket and ridiculously expensive Momo restaurant and had a fabulous meal.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdj-JfBtxB2DLqqzM8j_z7vwtonyvBCDRU-FRcpSaiFfxEtWOtAZNJxhuXdTbJH4fH6lV7eG5iYiP8Ld2K-lSaqNQyHYw81FEodxAZzh42Fz3UlzN2PLTcAR78i6zi-I2tn5gbPU1t7Vx9/s1600/Picture37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdj-JfBtxB2DLqqzM8j_z7vwtonyvBCDRU-FRcpSaiFfxEtWOtAZNJxhuXdTbJH4fH6lV7eG5iYiP8Ld2K-lSaqNQyHYw81FEodxAZzh42Fz3UlzN2PLTcAR78i6zi-I2tn5gbPU1t7Vx9/s400/Picture37.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We visited Edam....</div>
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...and the beautiful fishing village of Marken....</div>
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...and found their citizens to be both beautiful and friendly.</div>
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And then, dear reader, we visited Keukenhof Gardens for the Tulip Festival.</div>
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Oh Wow!</div>
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Just beautiful.</div>
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Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-89266045448535890972017-05-10T05:15:00.001-07:002017-05-10T05:15:41.606-07:00Hereagain, goneagain, backagain<div align="center">
We have been cursed and are living in interesting times.</div>
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One of Jean-Luc's oldest and closest friends has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and we are devastated. We are doing our best to support her and Jean-Luc is taking her to the weekly chemo sessions but loving smiles are being delivered through veils of tears on both sides.</div>
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I'm not going to dwell on this as much of it is private to Jean-Luc and our friend; instead I will talk of May and the garden and our recent trip to Amsterdam (a delayed birthday present from Jean-Luc to me).</div>
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Over the five days we were away something wonderful happened - early summer arrived!</div>
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It is that perfect time of year; the sky is blue, the trees are that exquisite shade of spring green that positively screams 'LIFE' and the trees and hedges are full of blossom.</div>
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I lean over the back fence, stare into the green and breathe deep, scented breaths.</div>
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The garden has come alive and colour is creeping into the borders.</div>
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More subtle blossom is gracing our hedge. I spent about five minutes just staring and sniffing these beautiful flowers.</div>
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My much loved field maple; when we moved in three and a half years ago, it was in a stray volunteer sapling that I had rescued and it barely reached shoulder height. It's obviously loved being able to spread its roots and has shot up.</div>
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It's repaid the care with beautiful spring and autumn colour and forms the shade backbone of my rather pretentiously named 'woodland border'. The ferns and wild garlic that grow underneath are ever grateful for its shade.</div>
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In the greenhouse miracles have happened and the Oca has grown! This is one of this years experiments in exotica and I can't wait to see what sort of (small) harvest we might get.</div>
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This gorgeous spider has been patrolling the blackcurrant bush and eating its fill of aphids, sadly it needs a larger appetite or some friends to dine with. But how lovely to see it.</div>
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It's not been all good news. When you catch one of your own household (she shall remain nameless) squatting over your newly sprouted Jerusalem artichokes Something has to be done and so we now have a bed of sticks. </div>
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Pfeh!</div>
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And I've been enjoying the sun and catching up on quilting my patchwork, which is meant to be based on the nasturtium flowers that grew all along the fruit bed last year.</div>
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Next stop Amsterdam!</div>
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Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-46361692968950022932017-04-15T05:55:00.001-07:002017-04-15T05:55:50.425-07:00House and Garden<div align="center">
It's been a quiet but industrious week at home, getting into the garden when it's sunny and sorting stuff out around the house when that cold wind starts blowing.</div>
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The veggie beds have been manured and one bed has been planted up with 25 Jerusalem artichoke tubers. Yes, I hadn't realised exactly how much space they'd take up but I'll be planting up between the lines with chard and kale, while the other bed will hold the broad beans, beetroot, courgettes, gherkins and everything else I get round to planting.</div>
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The fruit bushes are flowering and seem to be benefitting from the new sense of order that the trellis has imposed - at least they can now breath without the loganberry trying to smother them all.</div>
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Beautiful broad beans, both red and green varieties. I'm so looking forward to risotto primavera later in the year.</div>
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Mixed salad including the intriguing 'Wasabi Rocket', I'm thinking peppery and fresh salad all summer long - or maybe blow your head off salad all summer long. Time will tell.</div>
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Jean-Luc has been busy cooking up two weeks worth of meals for the freezer including steak & kidney pies, lasagne, chilli and fish pie. Cooking from scratch saves us money and means we know exactly what's in our food and we get easy, frozen meals that taste great. </div>
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And, finally, I made some soap. I've been making soap now for about 8 years and I've written about making it here before, but I realised that I've never posted a picture of the finished article - so here it is. 20 bars of lime scented soap, curing in the pantry. </div>
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Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-34076469451128460692017-04-10T05:45:00.000-07:002017-04-10T05:45:30.726-07:00Hinterland 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatKhVKPhkMnQg-RNNZi7Zy9sD6zhLjvb6MuM5YiutG6CDbYlxAGn5DbATDcns5NMhtUE9cpuqvI4ek-Z_e7tXPCHhhou70WQ74lO9cw884b9FQOHbSnFLKeDIWvcSLVfH3zGVo53FfHV1/s1600/Hinterland_-_season_1_DVD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatKhVKPhkMnQg-RNNZi7Zy9sD6zhLjvb6MuM5YiutG6CDbYlxAGn5DbATDcns5NMhtUE9cpuqvI4ek-Z_e7tXPCHhhou70WQ74lO9cw884b9FQOHbSnFLKeDIWvcSLVfH3zGVo53FfHV1/s320/Hinterland_-_season_1_DVD.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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Oh Frabjous Joy! I've just discovered Hinterland is back for series 3.</div>
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I've written about this series before and never mind Broadchurch; this is the series to be watching.</div>
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It's not Agatha Christie or Midsummer Murders - it's much darker than that.</div>
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Filmed in a mix of claustrophobic detail and agrophobia inducing cinematographic landscapes;</div>
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the vast bleakness of the land is matched by the bleakness of the lead character who lours over the production like the dark clouds of retribution. He is ably assisted by another detective whose glossy black hair hints at one of Morrigan's ravens urging on the warrior in his battles against the evil that humans do.</div>
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If that sounds a bit over the top that is because this series totally draws you in, the plotting is strong and the storylines never fail to show the darkness and despair that surrounds murder and its effects on the local communities.</div>
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It's filmed twice; once in Welsh and again in English and the English version is peppered with sub-titles, enhancing the fact you are in a foreign land, forcing you to pay attention and focus on the dialogue and characters. The acting style is pared down and wardrobe muted and sometimes it feels as though you are looking into the very bones of peoples lives.</div>
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It's not comfortable viewing but it is bloody good and if you like Scandi-Noir, you'll love this.</div>
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Watch it and rediscover fantastic drama on the BBC.</div>
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Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-81499623111517109212017-04-03T08:18:00.000-07:002017-04-03T08:18:19.105-07:00I think this says it all<div align="center">
<span id="goog_846625425"><img src="https://www.garybarker.co.uk/files/obedience-theresa-may-cartoon.jpg" /></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.garybarker.co.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Gary Barker</strong></a></div>
Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8494392160560996572.post-9893578342105872452017-03-28T05:42:00.002-07:002017-03-28T11:38:25.969-07:00Working Weather<div align="center">
We've been blessed these last few days with glorious weather; so glorious I've been able to sit in the garden with a cup of coffee in .... a t-shirt!</div>
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So of course I've been gardening, while Jean-Luc has been wood working.</div>
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He has built and put up the trellis on the back of the fruit bed. </div>
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This is essential as the loganberry (like so many other plants in this garden) likes to roam; last year it roamed all over the fruit bed and totally obscured the gooseberries and went on to explore next doors garden. Why do I favour plants with a wanderlust, plants whose main aim in life is to emulate the Roman army or British empire; colonising and conquering the garden, subjugating lesser plants as they go. I shall have to retire to my secret volcano base to think this through.</div>
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We did look at pre-made trellis but they came in at 4 times the price of this made to measure one that Jean-Luc built.</div>
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I was thrilled to spot one of my favourite plants had bloomed.</div>
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I love Snakeheads Fritillary. Subtle, elegant with a touch of the assassin about them.</div>
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So while the trellis was being built, I was weeding, digging and composting the herb bed and manuring the greenhouse. In about three weeks it'll be full of tomatoes and peppers. We're still eating tomatoes, chutney and passata from last summer. At least the smell will mean the cat no longer takes naps in there so I might get some planting done.</div>
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I planted up a whole load of seeds including red and green broad beans, courgettes, rainbow chard and cucumbers. I'm also experimenting with growing Physalis, or Cape Gooseberries, I hope they grow as they are delicious but I know that Lancashire will be a challenge for them, even in the greenhouse. Green fingers crossed.</div>
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The next task is to order in some 'exotic slips' such as sweet potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes and possibly some Oca.<br />
This year I am mainly experimenting.</div>
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I couldn't resist taking some pictures of these lovely plants.</div>
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The charismatic yellow chard...</div>
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...and the sublime freshness of the new hawthorn leaves. For me this is the very essence of spring colour.</div>
Curvywitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14352226602384896843noreply@blogger.com0