Rose?

I am not sure as to what this Rose is really called.

But they are always found in towns

planted on fences or empty ground.

A Day Trip to Taunton!

We went to Taunton today. It must have been one of the hottest days of the year! As the day went on the hotter it got! Don't get me wrong I am definitely not complaining but we could have had more days like this! Today was a day for spotting things - like - these ducks basking in the morning sun, then driving along the high street was 'Car 58' well and English version of "Herby", and as we were walking back to the car a man in a kilt! Something that isn't often seen in these parts! Oh and a girl dressed in black with bright pink hair and stiletto shoes to match! We only went for a change of scenery!

Watercolour painting II

This is my very first attempt at serious watercolour painting.

I haven't picked up a brush since my childhood well over forty years ago

when I had painting books to paint in!

It is suppose to be 'Red Hot Pokers'

as per the first patch of my crazy quilt!

Watercolour painting..........

I thought I might as well have a go!
My mother was the watercolour painter -
this paintbox belonged to her.
It was given to her when she was six, 15 May, 1939!

Tomatoes

Despite my efforts of forgetting to water them,

I managed to grow some tomatoes!

Went down the garden.............

............and saw this huge hairy caterpillar!

I shouldn't have gone ..............II

My second patch for the crazy quilt.

Old Fashioned Bread Pudding.

Not to be confused with Bread and Butter Pudding. I make this bread pudding with wholemeal/granary bread, the other with white. I buy a “in-house baked” loaves from Tesco and get Tesco to slice them, then freeze the bread when I get home so I usually end up with crusts or broken slices where someone has tried to prize the slices off without taking the bread from the freezer properly!
Work on about one pound of bread to 1 pint of milk. Soak the bread in the milk for about an hour, then beat well, add one/two eggs, 2 tablespoons of sugar and about half pound of dried fruit, two good teaspoons of mix spice. The mixture is quite sloppy at this point. Grease a large tin, this where you have to judge for yourself how much mixture you have! Pour mixture into the tin and cook about and hour on 180 degrees gas 4 until cooked, test with a skewer, if it comes out clean it is cooked. Leave to cool. Eat warm with custard, or cold for lunch boxes/snacks.

How difficult can it be.............

to fix a valve record player, especially for an "expert" like my Husband? Well, judging by the ********* coming from him , damn near impossible! It got so bad at one stage he asked me to consider getting someone in to exorcise it as he was convinced it was cursed! As you see it, it works, but my Husband has had to go and lie down in a darkened room until the pain goes away!

(for the technically minded the aggro was caused by lots of loud hum (louder than the record it was playing) complete silence (apart from the hum), the player refusing to play any records and the top panel coming away in his hand (not to mention the lid falling down narrowly missing his fingers!) I'm off to sooth his fevered brow and tell him it will be alright. (well hopefully!!)

Carnations!

They come in so many different and pretty colours.

These ones I bought three weeks ago!

Lavandula angustifolia

English Lavender

I shouldn't have gone.............

A week ago I was taken to an exhibition given by a local artist who teaches Textiles. Anyone needing inspiration or just needing a kick start back into action this was it! I haven't stitched or done anything craftwise for ages, but after going to this exhibition I was inspired! The subject was the "Seasons". Julia had transformed four A3 art books into scrapbooks one for each season. What she had done I couldn't begin to describe.

I have always wanted to make a "Crazy Quilt" (8th January and 7th February) and had started it, but I could only proceed with it if there was no-one in the house. Then a few months back I went to the local library and found a book entitled 'Recipes and Quilts from Provence'. In the book there was a quilt based on the rooftops of Provence. Now I am taking my effort to pieces and starting again, and whilst doing that I shall be making a scrapbook too! I will eventually publish the scrapbook pages as and when I think the pages are completed so you will see both the quilt and book.

As you see from the first piece I have even started embelishing the quilt. I will finish the quilt but I am not hurrying with it.

Play continued!

We now have a new shed roof!

Elderberrries

Autumn is coming, not that we have had much of a summer with all the rain.

Perhaps we just remember the long hot summers of childhood,

but sure it must have rained!

Victoria Sandwich

I haven't made a cake like this for a few years! I usually use the mixture for small cakes which usually get eaten before they are iced. If I make small cakes I prefer to use a Paper Muffin Case instead of ordinary Cake Cases, but for very small children try using the Sweet Cases which are quite tiny (they might even get iced!).

This recipe was used by my grandmother and mother, and I have always had success with the result! It is great for people who have their own Chickens, works with Duck eggs too!

Recipe

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, gas 4

Weigh 2 or 3 eggs in their shells,

then weigh the Butter, Flour and Sugar to the same weight.

Beat the Butter and Sugar together until pale in colour

Beat the eggs then add slowly to the butter and sugar mixture

Gently fold in the flour.

Divide the mixture equally between two sandwich tin, or cake cases and cook.

Test to see if cooked with a skewer.

Sandwich together with jam.

(should be Raspberry, but any jam that happens to be opened at the time!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My son rang me at work the other day to ask if the eggs were alright for eating, I knew they were! This is how I was taught to test to see if they were OK. Fill the large jug/bowl with cold water and drop the eggs in their shells into the water if they float do not attempt to use them, throw them away. But if they sink and they lay on there sides they are perfectly are OK to eat! If they stand on their end, beware and crack the eggs into to a cup before use, if they look and smell OK they are OK. The whites of the Duck Eggs go green if they are going off.

If still not sure at all, always break into a cup before use.

How difficult can it be.............

I only wanted to top-up my phone! The last time I saw my top-up card was when I asked my son if he would be so kind to assist and gave him the money and card. When said phone needing topping up again last week I asked for the card back. Ooops! came the reply, I thought it was somebody else's and chucked it! I managed to track down another swipe card, and proceeded to follow the instructions. Rang the number from the landline and tapped in my mobile number and was then asked for my four digit number - er......."what four digit number"! I have had my phone since the "brick" days, so no four digit number! Things have come a long way! This morning I rang from my mobile as I had a couple of quid left, only to get someone in a country far far away but half-way through I managed to go out of signal so that was the end of that. Went and did the usual weekly shop, and while in the large carpark facing more or less out to sea I tried again. Back to the land of far far away but this time someone who spoke remarkably good english and understood every word. Went through the rigmarole of giving details only to be told this was not my phone, remembered it used to be my Husbands so I passed the phone to him, he went through the usual ID palaver, got the four digit number and got the phone topped-up. It only took a week to get this far! But now at least I can top-up with relative ease...... I hope!!!

Heracleum spohondylium II

This is the seed head of the Hogweed

Rain Stopped Play!

We were going to have a new shed roof.

Either we have run out of roofing

or

Rain Stopped Play!

Biscornu

Biscornu is a French adjective that means "that which has an irregular form, with projections" or "complicated and bizarre."

It was quite easy to make though and can be made in various sizes too

as long at the pattern is symmetrical.

Fancy...........

..............a night out................?

Ballerinas...........?

The Hedge Fushia

Drying out after the rain!

I thought it was going to be dry and sunny today!
It has been very showery all day!

Sent with love.................

Two years ago on Valentines Day, my husband gave me a surprise bunch of red roses. One of the stalks had a side shoot and over the couple of weeks I had the roses in the vase, the little shoot got bigger! When the flowers died I cut the rose head off and put the stalk in water. Over the weeks and months the little shoot grew, occaisonally the watering was forgotten, but the shoot survived! Eventually we planted the stalk into a pot of soil and more leaves grew but it was forgotten in a very hot conservatoryand nearly died. We caught it just in time and I decided to put in the garden, in March, on the basis that at least if it was forgotten, the rain would water it! Then a few weeks ago, I noticed a bud, and thought with a bit of luck we should have a nice red rose.......... and here it is!

Pararge aegeria

Speckled Wood Butterfly

67 Years ago.............

....................Britain was two years into the war with Germany

This is the Radio Times for this day 67 years ago

Dragonfly........

I have never seen one of these......
well actually I have, but only a carcass of one!
This one was flying around our outbuilding!

A wet day............

.......cheered up by this beautiful Lily

Cards!

More cards for shop display!

I start a few ideas for others to adapt!

Decoupage - instead of using all the layers together

make two cards from each design

Peel Offs that can be embroidered.

First of all stick onto card/paper, these are on dark blue

Instead of embroidery, I added beads and layered as decoupage.

Teabread

Start this either the night before or at least four hours before.

Make a pot of tea using two tea bags with half pint (300ml) Water
(ordinary tea or try Earl Grey or Lapsang Souchong any sort of tea really)!
Leave for about five minutes.

Pour the tea over 4 ozs (125grms) Sugar and 8 ozs (205 grms) Dried Fruit
and leave for minimum of four hours

When ready to cook preheat oven on 180 degrees - gas 4 and line loaf tin
Add 2 beaten eggs and 8 ozs (225grms) Self Raisin Flour
to the tea, fruit, sugar mixture and beat well.

Pour into the lined tin and cook for about an hour.
Test with a skewer and if it comes out clean it is cooked
Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before removing from tin

When cold cut into thin slices and serve with or without butter

Will keep well for about a week in an airtight container

Down by the shed!

I just love terracotta pots!

Restoration..........

A rather cross lady came into where I worked the other day asking if we knew anybody who crocheted? I said I did and could I help?

Yes she said, someone had had an accident with a candle on a best tablecloth and could I repair

it.

from this to................

......................this

The cotton and colour were difficult to match, and the texture is wrong but it is repaired

I do hope she is happy with it!