Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Another Sad Day


Today was another sad one here, our remaining cat Billy went to the vet for treatment for a sore on his back that would not heal any other way than surgery. Sadly he had blood work done and was found to have feline aids, so went to sleep.

Sleep well Billy, see you at the Rainbow Bridge.

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Neeps and Beeps


Mr Tesco has a LOT to answer for!

The other day we were there for the clothes sale, I didn't get much in the way of clothes, but did get three trays of reduced price beetroots. Now I do like, beetroot, don't get me wrong, but three trays? What was I thinking of? So it was off to my trusty preserves book to see what was in there. Well lo and behold, there was a recipe for pickled turnip with beetroot, so this morning like the domestic goddess that I like to delude myself that I am, a pickling I decided to go (having acquired baby turnips yesterday).

I will report next week as to the success or failure of this project, if I don't get arrested for suspected mass murder in the meantime. Beetroot stained hands will be hidden in pockets in public for the next few days!

Oh, the title of this post? I was telling Dolly Traybake about this enterprise, and she misheard me!

Monday, March 07, 2011

Sleep well Jones.


Sad day today, after 14 years we had to have poor Jones put to sleep today. The list of what was wrong with her was longer than the list of what was right.

She came to us as a bedraggled scrap of nothing one day when M was at an auction in Belfast. Considering where this auction is, and her love of climbing into vans to be nosey, we were sure that if she could speak, she would have spoken with a Scottish accent. She had to have a lot of help from the vet to become a happier cat, and it took a long time for her to settle down, losing her family must have been a trauma for her and we didn't expect to have her for long, but eventually, settle in she did.

She was a funny animal, with believe it or not a sense of humour, she could be typically aloof one minute and your best friend the next, and of course as I was the one who was allergic to her, it was always me she chose to try to sit on!

Sleep well puddy cat, see you at the Rainbow Bridge.

Friday, March 04, 2011

Late WOYWW!


Not like me at all is it? Hey ho! Better later than never :)

This week I was not at home at all! In ever sense, I have been out in the glorious weather we have been having. Who knows how long it will last so best to make the most of it. Now anyone who knows me even slightly will know that my sewing skills are legendary, for their absence, so I went on an Introduction to Textiles workshop last Saturday and had a ball! Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks? I got a basic grounding in embroidery stitches, discovered the joys of dissolvable fabric, made Suffolk Puffs and watched some very talented ladies work on Crazy Patchwork style wall hangings. I have had a veil lifted from my eyes! So much so that I have been buying fabric and I even purchased an embroidery hoop, I didn't need to get embroidery thread as I have a lot of that already, (I use it for crocheting flowers with) so please feel free to be amazed. Now all I have to do is remember the things I learned and go from there :)
This is what I came home with. Not easy to see on this small picture, but the velvet ribbon is held in place with a variety of stitches, and the Suffolk Puff flower has been beaded in places.

So back to WOYWW. This week we were at a friends house where we swapped twinchies, papers, spiders web (?) not sure if that is the right name, and I was on the receiving end of a crochet gift set and some knitting that had been started but never finished :) We did actually make a project too, which of course I have not photographed as yet, but I will. Sort of serendipity with tissue and mulberry papers on a clear pyrex style plate, I even used pink and purple papers! Amazed? I am!