Calico Rabbit

Graduation Day

2009-07-02T11:29:00.008+01:00

I've been absent from here for some time due to a major computer failure (a word of advice to everyone who owns a computer and stores photos, documents, music etc - BACK UP EVERYTHING - regularly and often). Our hard drive failed and everything is gone, and the last time I did a back up was May 2007 so many photos and correspondence etc are lost for good. With a new hard drive in place I can now use the computer again but am so cross with myself for not being better at securing all our files. My son is devastated at the loss of many of his files and probably will never forgive me.

Meanwhile life went on without access to the internet, and when I finally got back I had over 600 favourite blog entries to read (still trying to catch up even now).

Since I last posted I have been on a short break to Helsinki with my daughter to celebrate her graduation. I will post about that separately. But more importantly, yesterday was Graduation Day and I was so proud (allow a mother to boast...) She received a First Class degree (BSc in Psychology), together with The Chancellors Award for the Best Student 2009, the British Psychological Society Undergraduate Award and the university's Department of Psychology Award.

A wonderful and truly well-deserved achievement.

Des Res

2009-05-22T12:22:00.007+01:00

It may say something about me, but one of the most exciting moments of my rather mundane life, was having bluetits take up residence in our garden this year. I won't win any awards as wildlife photographer of the year, but I managed to snap this picture this morning. There are six chicks in there, and they all look pretty healthy.

Their mum and dad are the hardest working parents imaginable - they're providing a constant supply of live insects for their babies as they fly back and forth throughout daylight hours. Occasionally they stop for a snack themselves, and I always try to keep a good supply of bird seed, peanuts, suet balls etc. I don't know how soon these little ones will leave the nest, but I would love to see them when they make their first flight.

We get plenty of birds in the garden, sparrows, blackbirds, starlings, collared doves, pigeons, robins, and even have occasional sightings of wrens and thrushes. We also see swallows and swifts overhead.

We've also seen a couple of hedgehogs over the past few weeks, and I have put food out for them occasionally, though I don't think there is any shortage of slugs and snails for them in my garden!

As part of my effort to reduce my impact on the environment was to replace my ancient Flymo with a human powered lawnmower. It's pretty good, quite lightweight and easy to use and it even has a grass box, which means I can either add the grass clippings to the compost bin, or allow it to dry and use it for the rabbits' litter trays.

Potholders and Teatowel Swap

2009-05-17T08:23:00.005+01:00

I recently joined in the latest swap organised by Rhonda, Sharon and Rose at Down_to_Earth, but have been so busy I haven't had time to put up photos of my efforts - and the lovely items I received from my swap partner Jo, so here goes:

These are the lovely patchwork potholders and teatowels Jo made. She said she learned how to make her own bias binding for this project. Thanks Jo - they are beautiful. We also exchanged recipes - Jo gave me her recipes for Stuffed Courgette Ring Crumble and Sweet Potato Burritos. I'm planning to try those burritos some time this week.

These are my finished items (sorry, not a very good photo).

The materials I used were a new piece of fabric I bought from a charity shop - about 2 metres long which means I have enough to make something else in the future, and the teapot and coffee pot were cut out from some calico offcuts I already had, and appliqued on by machine then chain stiched in contrasting brown thread. I got the template for the tea and coffee pots from Tipnut, where you can find loads of free resources for all sorts of crafts. I increased the size of the picture on a photocopier.

I think some of the great things about these blogs swaps is how we look for inspiration from other bloggers, learn new skills, brush up on old ones, find ways of using existing items from our stashes or find thrifting materials from various sources. And of course, get to meet new people too!

A new forest in Essex

2009-03-18T09:45:00.007Z

This may look like a field to you, but look closer - it's a baby forest.

This is at Elmstead Market (near Colchester) where I joined in a tree planting event on Saturday. It was organised by the Woodland Trust, and was part of a project to create a new forest. I went along with my spade and wellies and we were all shown how to dig a hole, pop in the sapling and firm it in, and put a cane and a plastic tube to protect the young tree. I was given holly, dogwood, hawthorn and dog rose saplings to plant, four at a time. Over a couple of hours I managed to plant 40 little saplings in the hedgerow area, but I think the goal for the day was to plant over 1,700 saplings, both hedgerow and the actual forest, though many hundreds had already been planted. It was a lovely sunny day, and quite a few people turned out to join in, including lots of families. Some even brought along a picnic and made a day out of it. The Woodland Trust people provided hot drinks and had a supply of spare spades of all sizes for people who didn't bring their own.

In a few years this area will be covered in lovely native trees, and the forest will be open to the public.

The Woodland Trust organise quite a few events around the country, so find out if there is one near you.

Rubbish Free Week 9-15 March 2009

2009-03-13T17:21:00.006Z

Here in Essex the County Council is promoting a Rubbish Free Week. I'm one of the approximately 600 people who signed up and am finding it a real struggle to be completely rubbish free.

Greengrocers in Chelmsford Market

(picture borrowed from Chelmsford Borough Council's website - I hope they don't mind)

However, I am making very conscious choices about how I deal with each item of rubbish and changing the way I shop to have less rubbish that will end up in landfill. For example, I didn't shop for fruit and veg in the supermarket as I didn't want to have bananas, cucumber etc encased in plastic. As I work in Chelmsford and there are two greengrocers in the market, I bought most of my fruit and vegetables "naked". Swede, broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes, bananas, apples and onions all loose and straight from the scale into my shopping bag (which I brought with me).

Essex County Council have a "Choose2Reuse Tuesday" event at County Hall every month, and this month's coincided with Rubbish Free Week. The idea is to take unwanted items in, take items that you want that other people have brought, and anything left over is donated to local charity shops. I took some paperbacks, a few kitchen items and couple of other odds and ends and came away with a CD, two books, and a cute toy rabbit which is sitting on my office desk. When I've read the books they'll go back again next month. The next event is on Tuesday 7th April.

In Essex we have a recycling rate of 38%, which is slightly better than the national average. We must all do better, but at the same time making better choices about what we buy, so that we have less non-recyclable packaging. If we are more conscious of what happens to all those plastic bags and wrappings when we've finished with them, we might shop differently.

How well am I doing with being Rubbish Free? Well if I'm honest, I do have some rubbish - pretty much all plastic food packaging, but a little less than usual. In a typical week there is one carrier bag in our dustbin and so far we have about half a carrier bag full. If we can be very careful over the weekend then we should have reduced our landfill waste by about a third.

Footnote: I am very sorry to hear about the decision in the High Court today to allow an additional 10 million passengers a year at Stansted Airport (and increase of about 30%). Stansted is in the middle of rural Essex and this must be a huge blow to local people. This will mean about 25,000 additional flights in and out of Stansted, which only has one runway, so this must have enormous implications for noise, air pollution, increase in road traffic etc.

Composting with rabbits!

2009-03-05T17:50:00.008Z

(Bramble)

As the owner of two rather large rabbits, I get quite a lot of rabbit droppings to dispose of. As rabbits are vegetarians their manure is perfect for making compost, and I thought I would show you what happens when you use rabbit droppings in your compost bin.

Rabbits should always have a ready supply of hay and/or straw as bedding, and if they are litter box trained the bedding materials stay clean and dry and although you could put that hay or straw straight into the compost bin, every week or so I clear out the used bedding, mix it up with shredded paper and use it to fill their litter trays. I can get unlimited shredded paper from my office, but I also shred the few bits of mail that I receive (I don't get much junk mail now as I always ask to be removed from mailing lists).
I make up about 10 litter trays, which usually lasts about a week, as I change at least one every day. Our rabbits have one litter tray inside their house, and two outside. Rabbits are actually very clean animals and in the wild would never urinate in the same area they sleep in. Unfortunately, many people keep rabbits in housing that is much too small, and they have no choice but to go in the area where their food or nest area is. If you've been here before you will know that I've gone to the other extreme and given them lots of room .

Anyway these are the litter trays all made up:

And when they're full, the whole lot gets emptied into the compost bin.

Give it a quick stir around... add a few kitchen scraps and garden waste

Keep adding to the bin until it is full right to the top, and then just leave it undisturbed for a while.

And in no time the worms will start doing their magic...

Then after a few months, it will look something like this....

Ready to dig into the garden.

Our compost bins never really get smelly; I have three of the heavy duty plastic bins, but even in really hot weather I never notice a bad smell. All my bins stand on the soil, which helps with draining away excess moisture and allows the worms to get in. I have a couple of old bits of carpet which I put over the top in very cold weather, just to make sure the worms don't freeze, and it's surprising how quickly it all turns into very nice compost.

I've just emptied out one of my bins and have spread the contents all around the garden, and used some to top up pots with perennials and shrubs in. All the rabbit droppings, paper, straw, waste vegetable matter etc have made a really lovely dark rich compost for improving the garden soil, and it's completely free!

Wiltshire weekend

2009-02-25T20:30:00.005Z

I had a lovely weekend in Wiltshire with my lovely daughter; we walked, talked, ate cakes and cream teas and had a really relaxing time.

We stayed here

We visited Avebury,

Salisbury,

and Lacock.

It was wonderful.

Easter Chicks

2009-02-17T10:50:00.003Z

I received an anonymous comment recently asking for a pattern to make the Easter Chicks I mentioned a long time ago, and couldn't reply direct as there were no contact details.

I've had this pattern for many years, just jotted on a scrap of paper, and have occasionally adapted it slightly, but to be honest, it's technically not mine. So I hope that by giving the pattern here I won't be contravening any copyright law!

Easter Chicks

Using 4ply wool in lemon or yellow and using No 3(11) needles, cast on 26 stitches.

Row 1 - K

Row 2 - Inc, K10, inc, K2, inc, K10, inc

Row 3 and alt rows - K

Row 4 - Inc, K12, inc, K2, inc, K12, inc

Row 6 - Inc, K14, inc, K2, inc, K14, inc

Rows 7-14 - K

Row 15 - Inc, K to end, Inc

Row 16 - K

Row 17 - As row 15

Row 18 - K

Row 19 - As row 15 (44 sts)

Row 20 - Cast off 12, K20, cast off 12

Rejoin wool to remaining 20 sts

K 14 rows

Pull wool through remaining stitches and gather tightly.

Sew seam, stuff head with cotton wool or toy stuffing fibre, run a thread around the base of the neck and pull tight to shape and finish off loose ends.

Embroider eyes with black thread, or use felt dots

Cut beaks from orange felt and sew on, or knit from contrasting orange or dark yellow wool.

The beaks on mine are literally three stitches cast on and cast off again, but you can do anything you like.

You can use "fluffy" wools to give a different effect, especially some of the baby wools that have a fleecy feel. I've knitted the chicks in double knit and chunky wools too (you might want to adjust the pattern or your needles a bit if using chunky as they come up much bigger).

I've also knitted hens using beige or brown, and create a little comb from red wool.

These I knitted in stocking stitch instead of plain knitting but they don't look quite right somehow.

Basket making

2009-01-26T22:26:00.013Z

I had a wonderful Christmas present from my daughter - she paid for me to go on a two day basket weaving course. It was really enjoyable, and in the two days I learned how to make some willow baskets. Everyone on the course started from the same basis, with two hoops, and each of us ended with a very individual result.

This is called a God's eye. It holds the hoops together.

I managed to cut myself quite early on (with a Stanley knife) but I still remembered to take photos at each stage...

The final result was a neat little basket which would be perfect for collecting eggs in (if only I had a couple of chickens in my garden!).

Here are my three finished masterpieces (not too bad for a first try, if a bit rusic).

I really enjoyed the weekend - all the materials we needed were provided, and we had help at every stage. It would be fun to do more but there's a lot of advance preparation (the hoops were dried for weeks beforehand, and the other weaving materials had to be soaked to ensure they were flexible). I might have to scavenge in the hedgerows for materials to practice with.

2009-01-03T14:38:00.010Z

(picture is from a greeting card - I'd just love to be able to create this sort of thing myself)

Happy New Year to anyone who drops by here.

I hope everyone had a really nice Christmas. Our Christmas was good - my Mum came up on 23rd and my daughter and her boyfriend came up on Christmas Eve. I'd been quite under the weather with a bad cough and spent most of the weekend before Christmas in bed, and was at work on the Monday so it was quite a mad dash to get everything done. In the end everything was fine, though I didn't get to make my mince pies until Christmas Eve, which is very late indeed. The important thing is everyone arrived safely and we spent some good time together.

I did manage to find time decorate my new mantle shelf, but failed to find any decent materials in the hedgerows. It's basically a pine garland with a lovely piece of holly and gold coloured ribbon twined round, with some wooden letters and hearts and stars.

Here is another bit of my effort at Christmas decoration - I have quite a lot of these twiggy things which I put around the room in vases. I don't really like tinsel or garlands hanging from the ceiling, but I love lots of candles and silvery or sparkly stuff. The two little chickens were a present from my daughter - she knows I would like some real chickens, but these little metal ones are almost as lovely as the real thing.

While mum was here I took her out for a few day trips, but I am rubbish at taking photos. We walked along the beach on Mersea Island, and had lunch at a nice pub called the Victory. We visited some pretty Essex villages, Tiptree, Tolleshunt D'Arcy, Fingringhoe, Wivenhoe. We also walked along the Blackwater Estuary at Maldon - but I didn't have my camera with me so can't show you all the lovely views we saw!

I am not a big fan of shopping in the sales but I did buy a couple of these beautiful glass Christmas baubles which were on sale in BHS. We also went into one of the Woolworths shops that was closing down - I felt quite sad, to see the end of an era. We also visited a few charity shops in Billericay (one of the things Mum and I both enjoy is a good charity shop!!) and I got a couple of little bargains - this lovely wool for 89p a ball.

I drove mum and my daughter back to the West Country on Thursday and I went to work on Friday so life is now gradually going back to normal again. This morning my son and I took down our tree and decorations and stored everything away - it feels a bit sad that everything is over for another year.

We are quite pleased that we managed to really cut down on waste this Christmas. No food was wasted, and very little rubbish was created that couldn't be composted. I think next year I would like to see if we can do away completely with wrapping paper, and try to give each other more useful presents. I find the idea of making lots of handmade presents for everyone quite appealing - but I think I would need to start planning well in advance.

Decking the halls

2008-12-17T09:41:00.009Z

I picked up these lovely decorations yesterday from the Cancer Research shop - all of this for £1! There were lots more, but I thought I would leave some for the other bargain hunters. The decorations are all made of wood and metal, which matches my objective this year of not buying anything plastic. (Unfortunately the decorations came in plastic wrappers).

My other objective was to have some sort of mantlepiece - I've longed to have a proper fireplace since I moved to this house 18 years ago . We have an ugly old fashioned gas fire and a back boiler, which both need to be replaced but finances have not allowed - there are so many things that have taken priority over the years, but after seeing what wonderful decorations other people have blogged, I gave my self a kick up the proverbial and bought this beauty on EBay. Its basically just a wooden mantleshelf, purely cosmetic, but somewhere for me to put my candles and a bit of holly. (Yes I know that's not holly, it's laurel, but I will go out and see what I can pick at the weekend - maybe some berries too). When I have properly decorated my new mantlepiece I will proudly display a photo, watch this space.....

How's this for rustic decorations:

I made these from some twigs and scaps of knitting wool. I plan to make some more, maybe paint them or use gold paint.

Finally, here's a picture of our tree. Over the years we have had so many different colour schemes, but most of our favourite decorations are white, silver and gold, so the majority of the other colours I gave away on Freecycle. Many of these are wood, glass or metal (though I do still have some plastic ones). There are also a few hand knitted ones (stockings, candy canes and so on).

I'm off to do some Christmas shopping and to drive to the west country to deliver gifts and to pick up my daughter from University.

2008-12-13T20:38:00.011Z

I knitted this hot water bottle cover for my sister using some wool from my stash - it's a Christmas present, which I must post in the next couple of days.

This is just about the only preparation I have done for Christmas so far, other than put up the tree. I am so envious of The Nester and the 150+ bloggers who have posted pictures of their beautiful garlands. I don't have a fireplace, or anywhere to put up a garland, and have been searching EBay for a fire surround, but I might just resort to a shelf, so that I can put some candles and pine cones.

I've neglected my blog recently - here are a couple of recent highlights in my life:

A visit to the Country Living Christmas Fair in November - my daughter met me in London and we had a lovely afternoon...

My son and I had a short holiday in Herefordshire and stayed in a lovely barn conversion, and had a really enjoyable day Llama-trekking

Spring...

2008-06-05T19:44:00.006+01:00

I haven't been a very good blogger lately, though I have been keeping up with all the lovely blogs I regularly read. So many people manage to post every day, or at least a few times a week, but I never seem to have enough time lately.

These lovely poppies are growing in my garden - some of them are almost as big as peonies, and are a lovely range of colours. There are quite a few flowers in bud and it will be interesting to see if there are any other shades of mauve or pink.

I received this lovely bag from my Shopping Tote swap partner Sandra. It has lovely hand embroidered flowers on it. Thanks Sandra, I love it!

I have been avidly watching Springwatch and enjoying it so much. I don't know which birds are my favourite, but you've got to love Crane School! Brilliant.

Back after a long absence...

2008-04-30T21:21:00.005+01:00

My last post was over a month ago and there have been various illnesses in the family which I won't go into detail about, but things have settled down a bit now and I am catching up with myself and getting life back to normal. Sorry for the long absence ....

I finished the hot water bottle cover for my daughter I mentioned last time, and have started another one for my sister.

I knitted this without a pattern, just used a hot water bottle to judge the size. I made one of these once before using chunky wool and it turned out very well, but this wool was different as it has a varied texture which made for a lumpy finish. My daughter was happy with it, so that's the main thing!

My washing machine broke down a few weeks ago and I've been struggling without for a time, but had a new machine delivered today. I was very torn about buying a new appliance while trying hard to be more frugal, but the new machine has an "A" rating which means I will save both electricity and water so overall I don't feel quite so guilty. What I especially like about this new machine is that it has a 30 minute cycle which is so quick compared to my old one. The old machine had had its fair share of repairs and was not particularly energy efficient. Since the delivery men left the new machine has been put through its paces several times in an attempt to catch up with several weeks worth of accumulated laundry. I did as much as I could by hand, but wouldn't even try to wash jeans or towels by hand!

I finished my shopping tote for my swap partner... I posted it off to Australia a while back but I haven't heard from my swap partner yet so I hope she has received it by now. Here's a photo (which I hope won't spoil the surprise if it hasn't arrived yet!)

Sorry the photo is a bit dark, it's a cream linen fabric with blue and green pattern, lined in calico. I was going to have a go at making the bag that uses a normal plastic carrier as a template, but it looked a bit challenging. I might tackle it sometime soon and I'll show the results if its a success!

A Day in My Life - 14 March 2008

2008-03-14T19:28:00.008Z

Little Jenny Wren is going to write every month about her day to day life and has invited other bloggers to join in. I've signed up, at least to do one, as I am lazy about posting, though I always manage to read lots of other people's blogs and post a few comments.

So here goes, this was my day today...

Woke up at around 5.50am, my alarm is set for 6.00am but I usually wake up before it turns on. The radio comes on rather than an buzzer (though I do have a back up alarm clock that goes off at 6.27 (don't ask why 6.27 rather than 6.30! Just one of those things) but rarely need it. The radio station I mainly listen to is Radio 4 but in the morning from 6-9 its the Today programme, which is a really smug, self congratulatory news programme. The women presenters particularly annoy me (Sarah Montague and Carolyn Quinn) and I frequently get so irritated with the programme's style and content that I turn the radio off. Depending on how early I wake up, I sometimes read for a while, but this morning the house felt cold and I just stayed snuggled under the covers until about 6.15 then went to investigate why it was so cold. The heating was on, but for some reason the hot water tank and some of the radiators were luke warm rather than hot. I switched the hot water tank over to the immersion heater so that there would be hot water for a shower and while I waited for it to warm up I went down to put the kettle on for tea and to let the rabbits out and to feed them. This morning they had a big handful of hay, a big scoop of dry food, a carrot and half an apple chopped up. I changed their three litter trays (one inside their house and two outside). The litter trays are such an easy way to keep them clean, I just empty the used ones in the compost bin as I just use newspaper for a liner and straw and it all composts really easily.

After a cup of tea it was back upstairs into the shower and get dressed. Today I wore a navy blouse and navy trousers and a cream cardigan. I wash my hair everyday, so I had a quick blow dry then back downstairs. My son goes to college and he'd already got up and got ready so he was just about to leave though he said he didn't feel very well. Both my children hardly missed any school through illness, and would never take a day off school/college/university/work unless genuinely too ill to work.

I then made myself some lunch (today was a cheese and tomato roll, banana and pear) to take to work. I quickly ate some plain Greek yogurt with a sprinkle of nuts and dried fruit then suddenly remembered I had to feed the tortoises. We are looking after two tortoises for a week or so while their owner is away. I felt a bit panicked because I remembered how cold the house was, and these are tropical tortoises that need warm temperatures, but fortunately I've got an electric heater set up on a timer so they weren't cold! Today's food was a few cape gooseberries (physalis) and some strawberries.

Then I set off - today I had to go to Witham, which is about 10 miles away from my house, to carry out a risk assessment of a school crossing patrol site. Today's site was one that has not been manned for a long time, so I needed to count traffic and pedestrian movements at the busiest time of the day (in this case from 8.30 - 9.00) to see if it is worth keeping the site. In half an hour a couple of hundred cars passed the site, but only two people crossed the road. We will probably abandon this site.

I then headed to my office. I don't have an allocated parking space, but my line manager lets me use his sometimes as he often catches the train to work. It sounds lazy, but it takes me about 15 minutes to walk from the car park to the office and this is just too far to walk there and back. I'm not a fast walker, and I'm usually carrying a briefcase, as well as a handbag, my lunch, knitting or a book etc, so most days after I've done a site visit I will drive home and cycle into the office - it takes me less than 15 minutes and it's a much pleasanter journey, and I can put all my bags in my bike basket. Today, as I had to go out on site again in the afternoon, I drove into town and parked and walked to the office. I spent a couple of hours writing up notes of site visits, dealing with emails and phone messages, then had to complete my staff appraisal form with my manager. We have to do this every year in order to get our pay progression. I think the less I say about this the better as I feel it is just a paper exercise....

Lunch time, I whizzed out for a few minutes to get a bunch of daffodils (my favourite flowers and the local market sells 5 bunches for £2.00) and to have a poke around in the Oxfam shop. I picked up a nice piece of material for .99p which I may use for the shopping tote swap I've signed up for at down-to-earth.

This afternoon's site visit was in Billericay, which is only about 12 miles away. Some days I have to drive 30 or 40 miles each way to get to a site, but this only took me half an hour. Our crossing patrol ladies and men are great - they do a very difficult job and they are really special people. I do hate to see inconsiderate drivers and the way they behave to our patrols. People parking on the school keep clear markings, speeding, failing to stop even though they've been signalled to do so... There are a lot of selfish people out there, but the patrols take it all in their stride and are out there whatever the weather.

I drove back towards home, but the traffic was horrendous, so I decided instead of sitting in a queue of traffic I would pop into Lidl. It's not a shop I generally go to, but I got some real bargains from the fruit and vegetable section - red onions for 20p, 1 kg carrots for 55p and a mango for 23p. Amazing! I must go there more often. The carrots will be great for the rabbits, and for us too, and the mango will be great for the tortoises (if I don't eat it all myself!). I usually only shop for food once a week at the most, so this was not a big shopping trip, and I didn't really need much. I could have got quite a few more things, but I resisted the temptation!

When I got home it was about 5.50pm so I turned on the computer to catch up with emails and reading blogs. I usually listen to music when I have the computer on. This week I've had a few new CDs arrive that I'd bought either on EBay or from Amazon. I do like a bargain and the CDs I bought this week each cost less than £4 (one was only .75p) though of course there is also the cost of postage, but even so none came to more than £6.00. I drive a lot for work and find music more relaxing when driving than radio but I do get bored listening to the same stuff over and over. I probably won't buy any more CDs for a few months, and these should keep me going for a while. While catching up with my favourite blogs I saw a post at Belinda's place about Earth Hour and have signed up for it, and I will see if I can get the County Council to join up too. As they employ over 20,000 people it might make all the difference.

I fed the rabbits - fresh water, a scoop of dry food and some greens and then shut them up for the night. Then I phoned my mum for a chat. She's hoping to come up for a visit Easter weekend so we were arranging that.

When my son got home from college he still wasn't feeling well and went straight up to bed. He's got a sore throat and feels achy. He didn't even feel like eating any dinner, so I won't bother to cook tonight. I've just been snacking on yogurt and nuts, and might have some salsa and tortilla chips. Not very healthy I know, but I don't really like cooking for one.

________________________

I had that salsa, and a cup of tea, then my younger sister phoned and we chatted for about an hour (maybe longer).

_______________________

So here we are at the end of the day. It's now just after 10 and I think I might turn on the TV to watch the news and do a bit of knitting - my daughter wanted me to make her a hot water bottle cover and I've nearly finished it. I'd better hurry up, it's nearly spring!

I'll probably go to bed around midnight, maybe read for a while before I go to sleep.

Not a particularly exciting day, but doing this has been fun. I've visited a couple of the other blogs that signed up for this. It's interesting to get a little window into other people's day; we all have such different lives and experiences. This has been a typical day for me, the way I currently live, but one day I'd like to be able to record a day filled with gardening, growing my own vegetables, baking bread and finding time to be creative.

If you got this far, thanks for reading! I'm posting this now, but I do have a couple of photos to add and will do that tomorrow, but it's been a long day!

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Saturday Morning Note: I've added a few photos to make this post more interesting (not so sure that a shot of the inside of my compost bin is all that special but you know what I mean!).

Valentine Swap

2008-02-09T23:34:00.000Z

The doorbell rang this morning and look what I got:

A lovely selection of goodies from my swap partner Blossom in Lucy's Valentine Swap - after I'd take a photo of this pretty bag, the gorgeous knitting wool, a lovely green FQ and of course some delicious chocs, I discovered these hidden in the pocket of the bag...

two cute little buttons, a little wooden koala and a tiny golden angel. Thank you Leigh - everything is wonderful. I hope your parcel arrives soon (and that you enjoy opening my swap items as much as I enjoyed yours and that the Aussie customs don't have a problem with anything I sent!).

I knitted this Autobot design facecloth for my son - he's a big Transformers fan. I found the pattern here (thanks Enid). Now he wants a Decepticon one to match. I may have to work out a pattern for myself as I can't find one anywhere on the internet.

Bramble and Clover

2008-01-13T00:00:00.000Z

Here's a photo I took today of my two beautiful rabbits - aren't they lovely? That's Bramble on the left and Clover on the right.

Happy New Year

2008-01-05T12:01:00.000Z

Happy New Year to anyone who drops by here. I don't know if I have many readers, (probably not) but apologies for the long silence. I find December a bit stressful with family birthdays and Christmas preparations, but that's all behind us now (though the credit card bills will be rolling in shortly!).

My main aim for 2008 is to declutter and simplify both my home and my life. I have made a really good start - in fact I started before Christmas. While we were putting up the Christmas tree and a few other decorations I was amazed at how much Christmas stuff we have accumulated over the years. I'm not particularly fashion conscious about colours etc, but our excess was mainly due to the transition over the years from Christmas decorations for young children (the unbreakable type) to more fragile items. I sorted out everything that I couldn't bear to part with (some things have a sentimental value, such as some pieces my Dad bought us the year before he died). The rest I boxed up and posted on Freecycle and I am happy to say everything found a new home.

That got me started and over the past couple of weeks I have been Freecycling and Charity Shopping everything in sight! I even put up some old games and toys etc on EBay and amazingly almost everything sold. I am in the process of clearing out my attic and hope to have everything organised and sorted by next weekend. It's cold up there and space is limited so I can only manage brief sessions, but I have been bringing down assorted boxes of accumulated junk and finding new homes for most of it. I am trying really hard not to send anything to landfill and equally resisting the urge to keep things for sentimental reasons, but it's very difficult. I used to watch the TV series "The Life Laundry" and although I'm not as obsessive as most of the people they helped, I do have a problem with throwing things away. I always think "someone else could use this" but invariably it gets stuffed in a cupboard, in the attic or out in the shed and gets forgotten about until things are rediscovered when I'm looking for something else.

I don't have a list of new year resolutions as resolutions are notoriously hard to keep but these are the main issues I want to concentrate on in 2008:

- Finish clearing all the junk out of the attic.

- Dejunk the shed and the garage.

- Reorganise the way I clean my house so I spend less time doing housework and more time relaxing.

- I want to change the way I shop for food so as to reduce the amount of unnecessary packaging and also buying only the amount of food we need so I never end up throwing away any food at all. I'd also like to change the way I cook to include making extra portions that can be frozen or refridgerated to be eaten on another day so I use less fuel for cooking.

Speaking of extra portions, I have used this recipe for Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagne several times, but I have adapted it by using fresh spinach (stirfried for a minute in a little olive oil) and topped it with bechamel sauce with a little strong flavoured grated cheese stirred in instead of the parmesan. I also substituted pine nuts for the walnuts. When I made this recipe I found I had too much to fill our dish and made two individual portions as well which were popped in the freezer for another day.

I didn't take a photo of the lasagne, but I did take some of my mincemeat and mince pies. I used Delia Smith's recipe for mincemeat that I cut out of a magazine about 15 years ago, but I split it into two batches. One has suet in (I use the vegetarian sort) and one has no suet. The suet batch keeps for a few months but the non suet batch was used straight away (and has slightly fewer calories!). A couple of extra tablespoons of brandy in the no-suet batch made up for the lack of maturing time! I haven't given the recipe for the mincemeat as it's really a Christmas thing, but if anyone reading this wants the recipe I could type it up for you. PS: For any non-UK readers, mincemeat doesn't contain meat, it's just dried fruit, apples, sugar and spices - though originally the recipes did contain ground up meat and animal fat.

This is how the mincemeat looks before it goes into the oven for three hours

If you look closely you can see the suet mincemeat at the back and the "fat free" version at the front.

Here's the first batch just out of the oven - I think I made about 5 dozen all together, some with "open" lids cut out with different shaped cookie cutters; we had stars and Christmas trees as well as these playing card cut outs. There's nothing like a homemade mince pie!

About work and cycling

2007-12-07T20:04:00.000Z

I recently changed my job - although I am still based in the same office and surrounded by the same people, I now work with a different manager with different responsibilities and a different role. I am really enjoying my new job - though I had quite a steep learning curve as my new boss went on holiday two weeks after I started (it had been arranged long ago so I didn't take it personally!).

I work in local government and everything is driven it seems by the ubiquitous "target". Some targets are good - to achieve more or to get better are good goals to strive for. However, we have been working towards a really unpleasant and negative target that makes me feel quite uncomfortable. We have been counting down to the end of the year the numbers of people killed and seriously injured on the roads of Essex. The aim was for the number to be lower than last year - and although we did manage to reduce the overall numbers from last year, unfortunately we didn't quite achieve the figure set for us by central government. It's been horrible to see the number posted on the office wall, gradually rising every day. Christmas and New Year are both very bad times for road casualties, and the most dreadful ones are those that involve young people or children. I have always loved that song by Chris Rea, "Driving Home for Christmas" but it is always tinged with a horrible thought that nowadays we make so many more car journeys at this time of the year, and at at the same time there will be lots of people on the roads who are on the way home from a drinks party or a night out. The floral tributes that you see on the roadsides are a dreadful reminder of the lives that have been wrecked and so often drink driving is responsible. I personally believe we should adopt a zero tolerance to drink driving in this country as they do in some other European countries.

I'm also very conscious of safety as a cyclist. I always wear a cycle helmet, reflective/fluorescent gear and have lights front and back (as well as assorted reflectors). You wouldn't believe the number of drivers who still don't see me (or perhaps choose not to!). I don't cycle on the pavement, and always stop at traffic lights, yet the number of times I get abuse, both from pedestrians and drivers, is unbelievable. My worst problem is with the dog walkers. Part of my route to work is along a shared cycle/footpath which is wide enough to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists but the problem is the dogs - I don't dislike dogs, but the dog owners who walk on one side of the footpath with their dog on the other side with the lead across the width of the footpath really take the biscuit. Oops this has turned into a rant - sorry! Pedestrians who step into the road just because they haven't heard a car coming are also a real hazard. I don't set out on my journey to mow anyone down, but pedestrians are always astonished that cyclists can't stop dead. In the Highway Code they give the stopping times for cars travelling at different speeds, and most people are aware that the faster you are going the longer it takes to stop but a cyclist travelling even at 3 or 4 miles an hour (which is slow) will need a few yards of stopping distance.

This is one of the government's Think campaign posters - it is aimed at drivers to make them more aware of motorcyclists, but cyclists are also very vulnerable. I have only been involved in one accident as a cyclist when a driver opened their car door as I drew alongside - I was very bruised and shaken but it was lucky that it was on a quiet road as I was thrown across the road - if anything had been travelling in the other direction it would have been much worse.

PS - the posting date for this is showing as 7 December - I started it then, but didn't get round to posting until today - 5 January 2008!

Jumble sale bargains

2007-11-17T12:05:00.000Z

Here are the things I bought at the jumble sale last week - total expenditure £4!

A pine beveled mirror, three books, a ball of wool - and for the rabbits, a blanket and a wicker basket to play with.

The blanket will be something to keep the bunnies warm in the winter - and I've painted the frame of the mirror and hope to hang it up later this weekend.

...~~~...

Autumn

2007-11-17T10:33:00.000Z

I love this time of year, leaves falling from trees, crisp frosty mornings, and lovely early sunsets. For some reason, I manage to find more time for crafty activities in the autumn and winter. I've just finished my apron for Rhonda Jean's apron swap and hope to post it shortly. This is another work in progress:

a knitted patchwork blanket from Woman's Weekly's Knitting & Cross Stitch Special magazine 2000. In fact it is the simplest idea - 4 inch squares knitting on the diagonal with a single bold unifying colour - the rest of the colour scheme can be pot luck (like mine) or you could plan it geometrically to create a repeating pattern. My main colour (as in the original pattern) is dark blue/navy, but I bet it would look lovely in pastel colours too. I've knitted about 30 squares so far - the pattern suggests 9 squares for a cushion cover, 24 for a cot blanket, 36 for a throw, but I'm aiming for 60 to make it single bedspread size (though I may keep going for the double!). I keep a few scraps of wool and needles with me wherever I go and can dash off a few rows if I've got a few minutes to fill.

For the first time yesterday I tried knitting using dpns but I was an utter failure and had to give up after about two hours. My daughter wants some fingerless gloves but I can't get the hang of the technique. I will try again, but I think I'll start on something simpler first.

Bargain buys

2007-11-10T13:30:00.000Z

On my way home from the hairdresser this morning, I paid a visit to the Salvation Army shop - principally to drop off a bag of shoes and clothes - and found myself a couple of bargains.

First was this butter dish for £1. I've been wanting to get a butter dish for a while as I've felt guilty about buying butter or margarine in plastic tubs for a long time as we have no recycling for any plastics other than plastic bottles (shampoo, milk etc). I have returned to buying block butter which is only wrapped in paper - and this can be folded very small before throwing away. I'm trying to reduce our household waste, and part of the exercise is to reduce the volume as well as the weight, so everything that can't be recycled or composted is squashed flat, folded down or crushed. In an average week, we don't have more than two carrier bags full of rubbish, in good weeks only one. OK, you spotted the immediate problem - carrier bags. I won't buy black sacks for rubbish and never get supermarket carrier bags as I always take plenty of shopping bags with me - but occasionally we do end up with bags from other types of shopping and these do get used for rubbish. I am sure the day will come when there are no carrier bags at all in our house, and I'm not sure I like the idea of putting loose household rubbish in the dustbin as this will mean more frequent dustbin cleaning. While I have carrier bags I will continue to use them to throw away rubbish, but eventually I'll need to find a hygenic solution - wrapping in newspaper maybe? Hmm; I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

See how small a butter wrapper is when it's folded up!

My other bargains were these two plates at 15p each. I love topiary (a long time ago I trained a bay tree into a lollipop shape, and it lasted for about 6 years, but sadly it died a couple of years back due to an infestation of some kind) and I just liked these plates. I don't really need plates, but these would be nice as cake plates don't you think?

I also got a couple of other items which might be suitable as Christmas gifts (so I won't post photos here).

There's a jumble sale at the local scout hall this week end. I may take a stroll round there this afternoon and see what I can find.

Blog Action Day - 15 October 2007

2007-10-15T22:42:00.000+01:00

This post is part of Blog Action Day : thousands of blogs talking about the environment on 15 October.

I am trying to do my little bit to make a difference. Every year on World Environment Day I struggle to find a new pledge to agree to as I do everything I can to reduce, reduce, recycle, etc. We have facilities locally to recycle paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, metals, wood, textiles. I compost vegetable and garden waste, I cycle to work and have replaced light bulbs with energy savings bulbs. I try to dispose of unwanted items to charity shops or through Freecycle rather than sending them to landfill.

But having read so many amazing blogs by people who are really making big changes in their lives, I realise that I have a long way to go. I so admire those who spin and weave, keep chickens and have allotments, growing a wide range of fruit and vegetables. I can't do all of these things (at least not while I have to work full time to keep up the mortgage payments), but I am going to keep on trying to do more.

Let's hope that Blog Action Day increases awareness of environmental concerns.

What did I just say????

2007-10-04T18:54:00.000+01:00

Exactly this (only not quite so eloquently perhaps).

The Lovely World of Blogging

2007-10-04T11:12:00.000+01:00

Or not so lovely it seems...

I read a broad range of (what I think are) very interesting blogs - my favourites are crafty and creative like Julie and Simmy or "green" and frugal living like Rhonda Jean, Meredith and Willow. I'm not religious, but I do read a lot of Christian blogs (because they have interesting things to say or are just very nice people) such as Marie and Jess. I like knitters, weavers and spinners, people who make bags and embroider, people who bake from scratch (is there any other way?) and I love to read foodie blogs such as Tea and get lots of ideas and recipes from so many different places. I like to hear about the ups and downs of people's lives and family situations, marvel at their creativity and learn so very many useful things. I even recently discovered Google Reader and saved myself hours (I know, I'm a bit slow on the uptake...), and I'm adding new feeds every day.

BUT, I feel so sad that people feel they have the right to criticise other bloggers. I have seen some very hurt feelings being expressed following some nasty comments and sadly some wonderful people have stopped blogging altogether (Natalie at Isabella in the 21st Century for one - and missed so very much).

I've seen some unbelievably evil comments made to people who've expressed horror at the war in Iraq (by Americans who presumably believe it is patriotic to send young men and women away to die for a conflict none of us should be involved in). If people want to "home-school" or be a stay at home mum, or make jam or conserve energy or buy exclusively from charity shops and boot sales (and blog about it) they should be allowed to do so.

It isn't the criticism itself that is the issue, but the sheer unpleasantness. I have been lucky and not received any negative comments (maybe because I don't say much and hardly anyone reads my little blog!) - but some people out there are making extremely hurtful comments, and causing a great deal of unhappiness. All I want to say to them is IF YOU DON'T AGREE WITH IT, DON'T READ IT. Just as you can turn off your television or radio if you don't like what you hear or see, you can also turn off your computer (or do something else like play online games or shop on EBay).

On the positive side of blogging, it warmed my heart to see how much support Jane received from her readers after the vitriolic article in the Telegraph, and the enormous outpouring of sympathy when Alicia's dog died (and the hundreds of welcome comments when her new puppy arrived) was truly amazing and the unbelievable generosity towards Rachael when her cat Digit came back from the dead!

So it's not all bad...

If people do feel motivated to make critical comments, they should first consider what damage they might be inflicting. Here is an interesting item about how to give kind criticism - I also love all the useful tips I can pick up here about how to declutter and simplify my life (though I don't know if I can manage this , only 100 personal possessions? - I could manage to get down to 1,000 maybe!).

On a happy note - it was my birthday on Monday and these are just some of the lovely presents I received from my two wonderful, generous and amazing children:

But best of all was a lovely day out with my daughter - we went to the RSPB reserve on the Stour Estuary near Wrabness, followed by a lovely pub lunch. I love autumn, and crunching through the leaves underfoot was just heavenly.

What I've been up to lately

2007-09-16T12:36:00.000+01:00

I haven't been near my home computer much lately. I have missed reading all the lovely blogs I usually visit and hope to catch up in the next couple of days.

Meanwhile, here are some of the things I've been doing:

Making jam - for my friend who is fund raising for the hospice

Lovely Victoria Plum Jam

Blackberry Jam and Apple & Blackberry Jam (my favourite). These are the few I kept for me - about 20 pots of jam went off for the sale.

Spare blackberries were used to make crumble and stewed apple and blackberries - haven't the blackberries been amazing this year?

Making lavender bags - another fund raising idea

Taking two very cross rabbits to the vet for their Myxamatosis jabs. No photos of them I'm afraid - since their visit to the vet they are staying very firmly out of my way. Little do they know they're going back in two weeks for their VHD jabs. I expect after that I won't see them again till spring!

Making Bunny Manor fox proof in preparation for the long dark nights - it's turning into Colditz - photos to follow when all is complete.

Covering old box files to store magazines and knitting patterns in:

Before

After

Painting my newly acquired EBay bargain - I got two of these basket stacks for a very reasonable £13. The other one has two drawers and they will be very useful for storing sewing, knitting and other such crafty things, plus all those odds and ends that we all have lurking in drawers! Also I've got a few charity shop bargains. I want to paint or decorate this little jug but need some inspiration first - any ideas?

Yesterday I had a flying visit to my mum and sister in Bristol - and to collect all the stuff my daughter left behind at the end of last term. When she came home from university in May the car was absolutely packed to the gills and we had to leave bulky things like her bike, bookcase, duvet and pillows behind. Now she's going to be at Cambridge for the next year doing a placement with the Autism Research Centre she will definitely be needing the bike! What a wonderful bike-friendly place Cambridge is (and much nearer home so we will be able to see her more often than when she was at Bath). I'm really looking forward to visiting lots of interesting places in and around Cambridge.

Cake sale

2007-08-19T09:32:00.000+01:00

Once a month in my office we hold a cake sale in aid of a friend at work's fund raising for a local hospice. Her husband was diagnosed with cancer shortly after they got married and he died not long after. She is going on a 10 day trek to South Africa in memory of her husband - it will involve walking for up to eight hours a day across rough terrain, in 30+ degree heat, camping with very basic facilities and finishing with a white water raft ride on the Orange river on the last day. She is trying to raise £3,000 for the hospice. She's very brave - in more ways than one, and I like to contribute to her sale by rolling up my sleeves and getting the mixing bowl out. The only down side is the amount of washing up!

This month's cakes were Banana Nut Loaf (my old standby), Spiced Apple Cake which was delicious but a bit crumbly, Jam and Coconut Sponge, Coffee and Walnut Squares, Anzac Biscuits and Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Next month, instead of the cake sale, there will be a stall at the hospice and I've volunteered to make jam. I'm going to pick blackberries and crab apples and another work colleague has offered to bring in plums. The only problem is where to get enough jars! I've put up a post on Freecycle and hope I get some responses (hopefully before the blackberries are all gone).

I may also knit some items for sale - I don't know what to make though. I thought hot water bottle covers, cotton dishclothes, or little toys. Maybe some of these little animals from this month's Simply Knitting. I'd welcome any suggestions... I have quite a large stash of knitting wool, and it would help to make a dent. Looking back on my blog, I realise I haven't really shown much of my knitting - when I see what other bloggers do, my attempts look feeble. This is a knitted Arnold the Pig I made a few years ago for my daughter. I wonder if it's the sort of thing that would sell at the fundraising day?

I've never been fond of knitting complicated lacy patterns - I prefer patterns that I can unpick when I make a mistake! I used to knit all the time when my children were young, school jumpers and cardigans, toys for school fetes, but I very rarely knit things for myself. I don't often wear knitted things, though when I see some of the knitted socks other knitters are turning out I'm tempted to try my hand at a pair - these look very cosy.

Finding new homes for things

2007-08-13T20:04:00.000+01:00

I was busy over the weekend having a big sort out and found lots of things that are no longer of any use to me , but I thought someone out there might find them useful so I listed quite a few things on Freecycle - buckets and spades and sand toys, an inflatable shark (yes a shark!) and fun tyre, bats and balls, a child's bike seat, a couple of hideous brass plant pots, etc etc, as well as a lawnmower and garden roller for my next door neighbour.

Our local Freecycle has lots of members and most things were snapped up very quickly. I'm always in a quandry who to give things to, though I prefer to give things to people who are friendly and polite. If I list an item and get two replies, and one says "Yes please, when would be convenient for you, here is my phone number", and one just says "I'll take it" I have no problem choosing. Some of the replies do make you laugh - sometimes you get a long sob story, other times people email with their complicated reasons why they want it badly but can't pick up for a week, and others are just plain rude. I usually pick the one that causes the least amount of hassle. My daughter answered the door to one man who came to collect a stack of children's videos and he asked her out. We hadn't bargained for that! (In case you're wondering, she turned him down, very tactfully).

I still have a nightmare garage that needs to be sorted out and I can't imagine what is lurking in my attic. Rest assured, as little as possible will end up in landfill! If it can't be Freecycled, recycled, sent to the jumble sale, charity shop or sold on EBay (if I'm very lucky) only then will it end up being thrown away.

The important thing is, I have made some space in my shed and cupboards and even helped my neighbour shift a few items too. However, I have a confession, I took a bag of things to the local RSPCA shop today, and came away with a couple of little baskets and some holiday reading!

Living with Autism

2007-08-11T20:43:00.000+01:00

I have mentioned before that my son is autistic. He's now 18 and attends a foundation course at a local college. He has very long hair, dresses like a goth, enjoys heavy metal and power metal music, adores Transformers and Japanese anime. He doesn't think he has autism - he thinks he is perfectly normal. In fact he thinks everyone is trying to pigeonhole him into being a person with special needs when he feels he is just fine. This can be a problem as he shrugs off help of any kind and will not accept that he is a bit different.

I knew before he was two that something wasn't quite right but I didn't know exactly what was wrong, it just seemed strange that he didn't have any interest in talking. I actually thought he might be deaf but he was checked and found to have normal hearing at around 20 months. It was a real struggle to get anyone to take any notice - the health visitor said he was "a late developer" and the GP wasn't really interested.

Sadly, worry about my son's development took a back seat as just before his 2nd birthday he was scalded on his chest and upper arm which involved weeks in hospital and months of dressings and eventually pressure garments. In addition, around the same time my 4 year old daughter was diagnosed with a blood disorder that we battled with for the next 7 or 8 years. On top of everything, we also moved house, but at last I found a new health visitor who was more inclined to listen to my concerns about my son's development, and we were referred to a paediatric consultant who tried in vain to assess him. My son either couldn't or wouldn't co-operate, but finally there was recognition that something was not right. He was referred to a children's centre where he had weekly speech therapy sessions; there was very limited progress, and eventually at age 4 he was referred to an educational psychologist. She told me then that he had an Autistic Spectrum Disorder and decided that he would need to go to a special school where they would be able to carry out further assessment.

He was so difficult in those years, constant tantrums, impossible to communicate with, but so beautiful he could make your heart melt. He spoke in "echolalia", repeating parrot fashion whole episodes of Thomas the Tank Engine, but couldn't ask for food or drink, he had to be buttoned up tight and covered from neck to toe, couldn't bear to wear a tshirt or shorts in the summer and never went anywhere without a hat on. He would never try anything new - food, games, TV programmes, activities - even hated wearing new clothes. He lived in a little world of his own, almost as if he was a cartoon character - I'm sure he wished he was Toby the Tram.

To cut a long story short, I never imagined the little boy who lived entirely in the world of Thomas, Toby and James, would ever grow up to have any kind of independent life. It may be some years yet before he'll be able to live on his own, but he can travel to Colchester on the train by himself, can cook his own meals (a limited menu at the moment, but he's learning) and shops for his own clothes and music. Admittedly, he doesn't have good social skills but he has lots of online friends that share the same interests as him and most of the time he's happy. He loves shopping but is absolutely hopeless with understanding money though he functions well enough with a bit of help (he can always phone me on his mobile to ask if a £10 note is enough to buy something for £7.50!). And he is now one of the most talkative people you can imagine (admittedly, he loves to talk almost exclusively about things that interest him) but what an enormous change from that silent little 2 year old.

We didn't have a great experience with education; the local provision didn't really meet my son's needs at the time, but I'd like to hope things are improving. The National Autistic Society's campaign Make School Make Sense asks for improved training for teachers and better provision of schools. I hope that in time there will be more support for people with autism and their families. As the song goes: things can only get better!

Happy Bunnies

2007-08-03T21:08:00.000+01:00

The rabbits have settled in really well to their new home, though I constantly confuse them by moving things around inside their little house. I have tried to create lots of dark nooks and crannies for them and the last few weekends I have tried various arrangements to find the most suitable. I have finally come to the conclusion that they actually like the excitement of new places to explore so every week when I give their house a clean I'm going to shift their "furniture".

They have their original rabbit hutch (which I am horrified to think pet shops sell as adequate homes for rabbits to live in - there isn't enough room to stand up, or stretch out). I have removed one door so they can hop in and out, and they can hide underneath or stretch out on the roof. Clover has eaten her way through all four legs, but is keeping her teeth nice and short in the process. They have a "sheepy" footstool (originally from Ikea, which I got very cheap off EBay) with Clover's habit of demolishing everything she can get her teeth in to, she's had a really good chunk out of it. They also have the little table and chairs that came with the wendy house when I bought it. With an assortment of old towels and blankets for them to dig into (and for Clover to nibble on) or draped over, they've got lots of hidey holes to play in.

I go out early most mornings and to gather a few fresh leaves and twigs for them to nibble on, hazel and beech are very popular, as well as dandelion leaves - Bramble likes to eat the flowers too. They also get a little cabbage, carrots, broccoli and an occasional apple or pear and Excel for dry food). All this love and care, but they are still totally terrified by the sight of a human. I did mention before that we got these two from the RSPCA, but I don't think they were handled much so they are very shy and Clover really hates to be picked up. Bramble tolerates it, but as soon as he is back in his own space he's out of sight, back legs thumping in a very cross way!

As much as I would love to have two cuddly rabbits, I don't mind too much, as I could just watch them for hours, particularly when they groom themselves or each other. There is no cuter sight than a rabbit washing its face and ears!

Where did July go?

2007-08-02T22:13:00.000+01:00

What a horrible month July was. I'm not a huge fan of hot sunny weather, but July was so wet, cold and miserable that even I was longing for a change.

I had planted tomatoes, courgettes, broccoli, cabbages and pumpkins and a few assorted herbs in the garden, but the wet conditions have meant that I have very little to show for my efforts - the slugs and snails just love the wet, and mildew seems to be spreading everywhere.

Work has been horrible, which I won't elaborate on but things have been so bad I even applied for another job and although I got an interview, I wasn't successful. I'm keeping my eyes open for other opportunities, but I'm the wrong side of 50 and it isn't easy.

Among my few entertainments this month, I decided to read all the Harry Potter books - well the first 6 at least. The final instalment still awaits me. I know, they are children's books, but I've enjoyed reading them, and it's been a bit of escapism. I loved fantasy books as a child/teenager, all the C S Lewis books, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, but I haven't really read much fantasy as an adult. I mainly read crime novels, psychological thrillers and modern and classic fiction. Maybe I'll dip into some adult fantasy fiction, and see it they are as much fun as HP!

Banana Nut Loaf Recipe

2007-07-01T10:35:00.000+01:00

As promised, here is the recipe for the Banana Nut Loaf

Heat oven to Gas Mark 4 350F 180C

Grease and line a 2lb (large) loaf tin

Mix together thoroughly

4oz (100g) soft margarine

4oz (100g) soft brown sugar

2 eggs

8oz (200g)self raising flour

1 level tsp mixed spice (or more if you like it spicy!)

1tbsp golden syrup

1 large ripe mashed banana

4oz (100g) sultanas

Finally add 2oz (50g) chopped walnuts and mix well

Bake for one hour, then reduce the oven temperature slightly for another 20-30 minutes until golden. To check the cake is done, insert a skewer into the centre - if it comes out clean the cake is done!

When the diet goes out the window

2007-06-28T20:31:00.000+01:00

I'd been very good for the past few weeks, trying to eat sensibly and hoping to lose a bit of weight. But I was tempted by the Strawberry Cheesecake Muffins I saw on Pink Purl's blog. My amazing daughter, now back from Romania, loves banana nut loaf, and so Sunday became a baking day.

Trying to multi-task I managed to make a mistake with the muffins - I omitted the egg and the first six were already in the oven before I realised (I only have one muffin tin). The recipe called for one egg, so I beat up an egg and put half of it into the remaining mixture. The two batches looked similar, but as it turned out I actually preferred the mixture without the egg - it was more like a scone, and you can't beat a good scone.

The banana nut loaf is always popular round here (I regret to say I like mine with butter on!). I've been using the same recipe, cut from the back of a flour bag, for many many years. Unlike most recipes, I've never seen any need to change it at all as it is easy, it works every time and I've never known it to go wrong (other than the time I didn't have any greaseproof paper to line the tin and couldn't get it out without breaking it).

So easy - if anyone actually reads this and would like the recipe I am happy to put it up - though I can't give credit to the originator as I can't remember which brand of flour I was using that long ago!

Be careful what you wish for

2007-06-24T09:26:00.000+01:00

I've lived in the same house for over 15 years. All that time, there has been a copper beech tree growing in the garden next door. Although I adore trees, this particular tree has been a problem for my garden, casting very dark shade for half the day and shedding leaves everywhere. Our gardens are very small and not really suitable for trees that potentially can grow to over 100 feet. In the past 15 years it has been "pruned" by previous owners on 4 different occasions and but every time it has grown back even more vigorously. This spring I've been complaining bitterly about it and wishing it gone.

I came home from work on Thursday and was startled by the amount of daylight in my kitchen and discovered that the tree has been lopped off three feet from the ground. I should be happy - but sitting on the fence were the pair of wood pigeons who had been nesting in the tree. I've watched them building their nest for the past few weeks and now they sit forlornly wondering what has happened to their hard work and their babies. Laying on the path I found two broken eggs - I feel so sad for them. I hope there is enough of the summer left for them to find a new tree, build another nest and lay more eggs.

On a more selfish note, whoever cut down the tree trampled all over my garden and broke off my two sunflowers - and this all happened without my neighbours even mentioning they would be cutting down the tree and would need access to my garden. I imagine my poor rabbits were very stressed by the entire experience too!

Fathers Day

2007-06-17T21:22:00.001+01:00

Remembering my lovely Dad, Ray, who died 27 May 1993.

Your three daughters are all thinking of you today.

Thanks for being a wonderful Dad, we all miss you.

Time away from the computer

2007-06-17T19:25:00.001+01:00

I wish I could say that I had done something constructive in the past few weeks, but other than suffering from a cold that completely wiped me out, and then two migraines that each lasted several days, the past three weeks have not been very productive. I have done very little gardening (other than tending the few vegetable seeds I've sown), only read one book and my whole house is a bit of a disaster area.

My amazing daughter finished her exams on the last Friday in May and I drove up on the Sunday to collect her from university and empty her room in her shared house - she won't be returning to university for her third year as she has a placement in Cambridge. I should have taken a photo of my car filled with (almost) all her possessions (we had to leave her bike, a bookcase, and a few other bulky items in my mum's shed in Bristol for collection at a later date). It was a frightening sight!

AD had only two brief days to sort everything out, pack and get ready for her trip to Romania. On the Wednesday, I drove her to Luton Airport for her flight and then straight back to work for a tedious finance meeting. What an exciting life I lead.

I'm going to try to grow a few vegetables in the garden this year. Years ago (when my children were at school and I only worked part time) I used to have an allotment and would love to have one again, but know that I can't dedicate enough time at the moment. But I miss the satisfaction that comes from growing and harvesting your own food. I'm just going to grow tomatoes, courgettes, some salad vegetables and a couple of pumpkins (they make wonderful soup!).

Random End of Week Ramblings

2007-05-25T20:41:00.000+01:00

It's been a very busy week work wise. One of the pleasant elements of my job involves writing a newsletter twice a year, which is great fun and a lovely change from the day to day routine. However, it's been tough to fit it in to the normal week and I've ended up staying late and even bringing work home in order to get it done. But my articles are all finished, and the draft has gone to the design and print company, who do a great job on the layout. I do feel a little bit of satisfaction when it is all finished.

We have had no hot water all week - amazing son discovered the problem on Sunday night - while in the shower - ouch! Cold water is far from ideal for washing hair that is almost elbow length (AS likes the goth look and hasn't had his hair cut for a couple of years!). However, we were able to get someone in to fix the immersion heater, and I had a lovely long shower this morning (as opposed to juggling with kettles and jugs of water every morning). Being a person who washes their hair every day, I read this with interest. I don't know if this is something I could try. I do try to cut down on blow drying my hair. When I was much younger I had waistlength hair, and I didn't even own a hairdryer, so it is possible to manage without. But the washing.... somehow I can't contemplate this at the moment.

AS is suffering with a very bad cold and sore throat and quite a few people at work have similar symptoms. Amazing daughter is in the middle of her university exams and has been struck down by a horrible bug too, though of the stomach variety. In addition this is the worst time of the year for hayfever, which another cross she has to bear. She has worked so hard, but is very worried that she will do badly this year (this is her second year).

Thanks to Willow for your comments on our rabbits' window box - the wendy house was bought from EBay, and had been built by a dad as a play house for his daughters, but they had outgrown it. It was originally painted blue, and the window box was already attached to one end and a trellis to the other. To me, it looks a bit like a prairie log cabin, you could just picture an old woman in a rocking chair on the porch shelling peas, or darning socks! It is just over 5ft high inside (I can just stand up in it as I am just under 5ft tall) but AS keeps banging his head! I liked the light colours - most wood preservatives and stains are quite dark, but having painted my fence the lovely light green, I thought the cream and more of the green as a contrast would look nice. I like the beach hut look too, so my poor old shed had better look out or it might get a lick of paint next!

I'm currently reading my way through the Rebus novels by Ian Rankin - 6 down, quite a few to go. I think I'll take a break when I finish the current one and try something a bit different. When I find a writer I like, I then try to read their entire output, but that doesn't always have good results. I'd read a couple of Joanne Harris's novels that I really enjoyed, but when I read a couple of later books I found them disappointing. I started reading the Ian Rankin books because I got a bargain paperback of his from a charity shop, but when I started reading found that I needed to know what had happened in the previous novels. I've gradually got through the earlier Rebus novels, and haven't been disappointed yet, but I do feel the need for a change of style for a while.

Bunny House

2007-05-24T22:02:00.000+01:00

Our rabbits have at long last moved into their new home, though there is still some work to be done. As mentioned in an earlier post, we really wanted to give our rabbits a secure home where they would be safe from extremes of weather, and most of all be protected from foxes, kestrels etc.

Anyone reading this who doesn't have rabbits might think this is rather excessive - you are probably right, (my daughter has begun to refer to me as the mad rabbit woman!) but if you are a rabbit, you like to have some private space as well as lots of room to move around, and space to stand on your hind legs and stretch out to your full length. Inside we have provided different levels, dark cubby holes and cosy places filled with hay to snuggle up. We have fixed wire mesh around the "verandah" but this weekend I hope to put the finishing touches, which will include fencing off a small area of lawn to the front for them to use. Another photo will follow when everything is done.

A couple of random photos of the two lucky rabbits - here is Bramble

and here is Clover washing her face. They come into the house sometimes for a few hours at a time, but are very shy and usually like to burrow out of sight!

We are very lucky that these two are very well litter trained, and cleaning up after them is so easy. I am looking forward to some excellent compost in a few months time!

My Journey to Work

2007-05-12T14:34:00.000+01:00

Although I am not originally from Essex, since I've lived here for over 15 years I have come to love many things about this county. I'm originally from the West Country, and much appreciate the drier climate here, and the distinct lack of hills (which as a cyclist I do prefer!).

One of the things I like about living in mid Essex is the proximity to the countryside. On my short journey to work each day, I am fortunate enough to travel along a very attractive path, which is surrounded by trees, with the River Chelmer running alongside.

Most days I cycle to the office along this path and cross over the river via a footbridge. It's very pleasant, and as the seasons change there are so many lovely things to see. I actually took these photos about two weeks ago, and in just that short time everything has become even more lush, there are even flowers opening on the water lilies in the river (the variety is Brandy Bottle - though I've never got near enough to catch a whiff of the scent that gives it it's name!).

Recently, one bank of the river was banked up with willow, which is a natural means of reducing erosion. It is quite attractive, and apparently in a couple of years there will be a lovely willow hedge holding everything firmly in place.

A busy couple of days

2007-04-29T09:37:00.000+01:00

The last couple of days have been a rush. I had planned to leave work early on Thursday, to get organised and away early on Friday for the drive up to the West Country, but typical of things in local government (which for my sins, I have the privilege to work in) I was called upon at the last minute to produce a pointless paper exercise. This meant that when I got home from work at nearly 7pm, I had the start of a headache and a total loss of energy. So I ate a big bowl of my patent homemade vegetable soup and went to bed early.

Up at the crack of dawn on Friday morning (thankfully without the headache), I cleaned out the rabbit hutch and run (doesn't need much cleaning - our two bunnies are quite the cleanest rabbits you could wish for - they are perfectly litter trained, and no trouble at all), did washing, ironing, cleaned the house from top to bottom and shopped for favourite and manageable meals for AS who has college on Friday and didn't want to make the journey to Bath and Bristol. I am learning to give him a bit more freedom and let him stay home if I go away overnight. As big as he is, it is very hard to leave him on his own, particularly knowing that I am a three hour drive away. It is amazing to me that I can do this at all, when he was a toddler and didn't (or couldn't speak) I never knew that he could be as independent as he is. Being autistic is not something you can measure, and some people might not even notice that he is different. He doesn't have any "Rain Man" skills (unless you count encyclopaedic knowledge of Transformers!) and he struggles with the concept that he has any kind of special needs. He daily claims his right to self-determination and it gets easier every time to give him the chance to prove that he can look after himself. His most enormous step was taking the train to Colchester - alone! Now it is a daily journey for him - including the long walk to the station (although he can catch a train the bus is out of the question - there are too many pitfalls and he doesn't want to even try).

So with my amazing son taken care of, I set off for Bath to see my amazing daughter. I picked her up from the University, we grabbed a bite to eat and I left her at the stage door where she has a chorus part in an amateur production of Hello Dolly. She loves musical theatre so much, and has been involved with a local group at home since she was about 10. During her first year at university, she missed it so much she just had to find a group in Bath to join and so she auditioned with Bath Operatic and Dramatic Society and was really thrilled to join the chorus. She loves dancing (she is in the Latin and Ballroom Club at University) and music, particularly from the shows. Although she loves the theatre, she is also very conscious of exams rapidly approaching, so next week she'll be back with the books!

I paid a flying visit to my sister in Bristol (at 6.00am Saturday!). We went to walk her dogs in the local park - but found a rave still in full swing. Neither the police or the local council were particularly interested when she phoned them, and the drum and bass line could still be heard at 9.00am when I left. I am SO glad I don't live in a city any more....

Mum and I then went to have lunch with AD in Bath and then to the theatre for the matinee. It was a lovely show (though if I am honest, I am not a huge fan of musicals, despite supporting my offspring on many occasions, and even taking her to the odd West End production - I did fall asleep once in Les Miserables to her everlasting embarrassment!). The costumes were lovely, and the dance routines were spectacular. I actually had a hard time recognising my own daughter what with the big Edwardian hats, wigs and stage makeup!

Then back to Mum's (with Mum singing Hello Dolly the whole way home) to load up my car with half the contents of her shed - we are giving away all her old garden tools, a manual typewriter and assorted other items on Freecycle and to a charity that takes tools to Africa. Then I drove home and was back around 10.30pm to find amazing son was absolutely relaxed about being alone for 36 hours. I shouldn't have worried. He'd baked himself a batch of cookies (from a packet mix - I am working on teaching him how to follow a recipe and this is the first step - following the instructions on the box) and even washed up some the dishes! (The slightly burnt baking tray was left for me).

Today, I plan to put my feet up for a couple of hours and finish my current read, Mr Golightly's Holiday by Salley Vickers, before I mow the lawn and tidy up the front garden.

Reduce Reuse Recycle

2007-04-25T19:20:00.000+01:00

Like a lot of other people, I am trying really hard to reduce my "carbon footprint". I do all the usual recycling - paper, glass, cans etc. Most vegetable waste and peelings goes straight into the compost bin, or if suitable we feed them to the rabbits (though they are quite picky eaters!). All our lightbulbs are low energy (except the ones that operate on a dimmer switch). I'm lucky enough to be able to cycle to my office (though I do have to drive all round the county for meetings and am really conscious of those miles - Essex is a big county). I always take my own shopping bags with me - I used to use the "Bag for Life" type all the time, but am moving towards non plastic - I have about 8 calico bags, but am planning to make some more heavy duty ones out of remnants of upholstery fabric for heavier items. I try to buy food with less packaging. I'm the annoying person in the office who goes round other people's desks turning off their fans, lights, printers etc when they've gone home. Sad - I know.

So what else can I do to make a difference? I have registered with the mail preference service, stuck a sticker on my letter box saying no junk mail, told the post office to stop delivering leaflets (they make a lot of money out of getting the postman to deliver leaflets with the post - but that means it takes him longer to do his rounds!). I've told my credit card companies not to keep sending me credit card cheques (I hate them - it's such a worry that someone could intercept your post and use those cheques and you wouldn't know until your statement arrives). But I still receive lots of mail I don't want. So I have started returning junk mail to the companies that send it to me. You know the type of thing - somehow they know when your car insurance is due for renewal and you get six brochures offering you a "deal"; your credit card company sends you a letter reminding you that you can transfer a balance; your bank or building society writes to offer you a loan at a preferential rate... Everything I get that I don't want I put a sticker on that says "Return to Sender - Junk Mail - Sender: Please remove me from your mailing list - Save Money Reduce Waste Save Trees" and put it back in the letter box.

Gosh - that was a bit "Grumpy Old Women". I'm not normally so grouchy, but I do feel quite strongly about these issues. Other ways I am trying to make a difference: I use Freecycle (local groups can be found at www.Freecycle.org ) to give things away - the idea is to save putting so much stuff into landfill and this helps match up people who have something to give away with people who want it. So far I've given away 5 bikes, a sofa, an artificial Christmas Tree, lots of childrens games and videos, a big mirror, and lots of old garden stuff (plant pots, seed trays etc). I really want to have less stuff so although I read the local notice boards regularly, I don't often ask for anything. I also release books into the wild with Book Crossing www.bookcrossing.com.

I've been listening to Prof Jeffrey Sachs giving the Reith lectures on Radio 4 http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith2007/ but find the scale of the problems he outlines quite terrifying. I feel that all the little things I'm doing to reduce my impact on the environment can't have any effect on all the huge problems the planet is facing - but I can't stand by and do nothing. How can I expect the people in positions of power to take action if I don't do something myself? When I read blogs by other people around the world who are also trying to do their bit, I feel there is some hope for the future. I like this quote attributed to the anthropologist Margaret Mead "Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has". The great thing is that due to the availability of information via the internet, people don't need to even meet each other to get ideas across.

Unrelated comment:
I'm new at this blogging game so I don't know if the etiquette is to reply to comments but I wanted to say thanks for the couple of nice comments I have received. I rarely comment on other people's blogs; though most people seem so nice and friendly, I feel a bit like a person who's gatecrashed a party and tries to join in established conversations between friends. I feel comfortable with continuing to "lurk" but may eventually build up enough confidence to comment and let other people know what I think!

Keeping busy

2007-04-24T21:38:00.000+01:00

The work on the garden hasn't been progressing as well as I hoped. After putting up the fence, the next part of the plan was to remove the ugly crazy paved path. Unfortunately, when lifting the slabs I found another (very solid) concrete path underneath. This means a lot more work than I had bargained for; it will involve either breaking it up - which will be very difficult, or altering my plans and paving over the path. My garden is very small, and this will mean a rethink about where the main elements (hard surfaces, planted areas etc) will be. So, it's back to the drawing board.

Not much knitting got done over the past week, but I did get in plenty of reading. This week I have read Small Island by Andrea Levy, The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly, Promise Me by Harlan Coben and have nearly finished Coastliners by Joanne Harris. I have a lot of books on the shelf waiting for their turn, maybe something by Minette Walters or Anita Shreve next. I need a gadget that turns pages so that I can read and knit at the same time....

My daughter is in an amateur production of Hello Dolly at the Theatre Royal in Bath this week - I'm planning to drive up on Friday and to take my mum to see the matinee performance on Saturday, so very little hope of doing anything to the garden this week. I'll have to take a few days off work and make some progress or before you know it the summer will have gone.

Currently knitting...

2007-03-31T20:53:00.000+01:00

My daughter is going to Romania soon to help in an orphanage for a few weeks, and I have started knitting things for her to take with her. Mittens (which are quicker to make than gloves and more practical for small children), hats, scarves and little knitted toys. The toys will be useful straightaway, the warm weather gear will come in useful when winter comes around again. A couple of years ago, she went to the Dominican Republic to spend a few weeks helping at a home for children with HIV and she took a huge suitcase full of clothes, toys etc, and in fact ended up leaving most of her own clothes, towels, toiletries etc for the children and staff at the home. I expect the same thing will happen in Romania but we can make sure this time to pack her suitcase to the gills with extra things like bars of soap, tubes of toothpaste, crayons, etc.

My mum had a second cataract operation a few days ago, which thankfully went well (better than her first op which had some minor complications and left her in pain for quite a time). I'm going to spend a few days with her, to do some shopping, vacuuming, general housework etc. I'll also get to see my sister - we talk on the phone all the time, but only see each other a few times a year as I live in Essex and mum and my younger sister both live in Bristol (which is where I'm originally from). The problem with a journey from one side of the country to another is that there really isn't efficient public transport available - it would take three times as long to make the journey on the train or by bus and it would cost three times more than the cost of petrol. I really try hard to use my car as little as possible - I cycle to work every day, though when I have to go to meetings around Essex I have to use my car. About a year ago, when my car was off the road for a couple of weeks, I tried using public transport to travel around the county but it was not a success. For example, the twenty or so miles between Canvey Island and Chelmsford turned into a major obstacle course. The journey took nearly three hours as the bus times didn't connect with the train times (there is now a regular bus service so it is not so difficult). To drive there and back takes much less time! The one real advantage of trains and buses over driving is the amount of knitting you can get done (or reading, or doing crosswords, or whatever passes the time best)!

The fence is almost finished

2007-03-28T20:39:00.000+01:00

The work on the garden fence went well - I now have a lovely light green fence which I am very proud of. It was very hard work, but definitely worth it. This is the beginning of my 2007 garden makeover project, and a new fence is the first part of making a safer home for our rabbits.

It actually started because we had a tragic accident. We had two beautiful rabbits, Shadow and Boxer, but on 30 December there was a huge storm which blew the rabbit hutch over, the roof split open and they escaped. My son likes to believe they got away, but they are more likely to have met a worse fate (foxes probably). We decided to give a home to two rescue rabbits from the RSPCA, and in January we adopted Bramble and Clover, a pretty brother and sister (he is "Calico" - fawn with dark patches and she is black).

Sorry - the photo is taken through the wire mesh of their run - they rarely sit still long enough together to get them in the same photo.

Since the previous accident I really wanted to make the garden more secure, and also to provide a better storm-proof home. We bought a second hand wendy house - when it is painted and cleaned up, it will make a fantastic spacious home for them, which will not only give them plenty of space but will be totally fox proof. We may even adopt more rabbits... I hope to post photos as my project progresses. As I can't afford to pay someone to come and do all the hard landscaping, I will be doing it all myself; I built the fence myself, and the next step will be to lay a new base to stand the wendy house on, and lay a path, etc. It's a bit of a learning curve but I'm very pleased with what I've achieved so far. The only real disadvantage is that my hands are in a bit of a mess (cuts and splinters and very rough skin) so knitting is a bit difficult!

I like the colour of this fence so much - I can't stop looking at it!

Easter Chicks

2007-03-26T10:11:00.000+01:00

When my children were at primary school I used to knit little toys for Christmas bazaars, summer fetes etc. At Easter we used to knit dozens of these little chicks to put Cadbury's Creme Eggs in.

I was surprised to find knitted chicks on sale on EBay - so I knitted a few and advertised them - and what do you know, people are buying them. Wouldn't it be nice if more people could knit things like this for themselves? I know that there are lots of knitting groups and people giving lessons - but I'd really like to see children being taught crafts at school. I learned to knit and sew when I was quite small - I think the first thing I knitted was a dishcloth which was probably full of dropped stitches and unravelled on first use, but went on to knitting whole garments. I remember knitting my dad a hideous jumper using horrible blue bri-nylon which must have been a nightmare to wear; it was a bit on the small side and the static must have been terrible when taking it off but he stoically wore it on a few occasions. There is a lot of satisfaction to be had from finishing a project, however small it is. I lurk here a lot, and Julie talks about knitting as therapy. But it's not just knitting or other creative crafts that can help - growing flowers or vegetables, even weeding the garden or tending a window box can provide relaxation, and bring a feeling of relief from everyday stresses. I have a day off work and am going to use the day to complete my latest garden project. I've been replacing my fences - one was an ancient chainlink fence the other other was a crumbling wooden panel fence - both about 40 years old and beyond saving. It's been hard work but the job is nearing completion. Today I will be staining my new featheredge board fence a lovely light green. Photos to follow....

You have to start somewhere

2007-03-25T20:08:00.000+01:00

I have wanted to start a blog for a long time, but keep hesitating; who would be interested in my ramblings and opinions? I lurk around in the blogsphere, reading blogs by knitters, crafters, recyclers, mothers, gardeners - people like me. Although I almost never post a comment I feel I am getting to know many of the bloggers I visit regularly and I really like the way people are getting together with people around the world, sharing their views, their achievements, their tragedies. I don't know yet how this will develop, but you have to start somewhere.

I'm a 50+ woman, living in Essex, UK, and mother of two adult children; (AD) my amazing daughter is 20 and away at University and (AS) my amazing son is 18, autistic and lives at home with me, and we have two beautiful rabbits, Bramble and Clover. I like reading, knitting, sewing, gardening and diy. I once imagined my life would be filled with these things, but bringing up children and working didn't allow enough time for these hobbies, but now I am making more time for myself. I am also interested in environmental issues, and wish I had more time for walking and looking at trees and birds.

I hope this blog will be a place I can talk about the things that I enjoy and what I am doing at the moment. I'm going to pick up my knitting now and watch Medium. See you soon.