TLBG Wednesday

I have decided that we throw away far too many plastic milk bottles...
so I am returning to the old fashioned glass milk bottle that will be re-used
you can order all your milk online, and they even tell you your milkman's name...
You give them you card details and they invoice you once a month and take the payment from your account 3 days later....
I will give it a go and see how it works out financially, plus they do all manner of food items

I realise that we will end up drinking less milk, and perhaps we all need to cut back on our excessive consumption and enjoy eating and drinking less....

savour our meals and eat healthily is something that I am aiming for in this household

gotta go, its unusual for me to keep it short and sweet!
but I have an appointment with the accountant! ouch!

x Alex

Its my birthday....
as a rule my birthdays are flat and a little boring.... that's nothing to do with Mr P and the children its just that I haven't found a nice way that I would like to spend it....

until this year!

I ordered a cake from Emily at the cake house, she has just started doing cakes to order and she made and decorated a beautiful cake for my mum and dads golden wedding, as her mum runs a little cake stall at the village cafe my mum paid for thecake on Thursday as part of my birthday present, thank you mum!

I asked for a daisy cake and its a vanilla cake with jam and butter cream icing...
it will be cut later when Mr P's mum and dad get here for afternoon tea...

On Friday I received a parcel in the post from Denise (a bun can dance) we have become good friends since the Seaside swap and have a chat every now and again...
I decided (after a lot of humming and haring) to take my surprise parcel to the beach hut today....
so you can see its contents later in this post....

Welcome to our beach hut holiday, this is the hut I have rented for 2 weeks, unfortunately I don't think I will be able to use it very much after the bank holiday as Jamie didn't get a place on the school bus and I will have to drive her to and from school from Wednesday 2nd September onwards... there was only 1 place available on the bus and the other lady in the village works and would have really struggled to get her daughter the 11 miles to school so I asked the County council to give the place to her... maybe one will become available eventually...

anyway back to birthday fun...
We took the cake down to the beach hut this morning, thinking that we would have a slice with a cuppa, but as we had to be home in time to let the dog out and be here for the in laws we ended up settling in having some dinner and coming home again...

This is the view towards the Cobb.... apparently as its quite a rocky beach not many people come down this end.... which is absolutely perfect as far as I am concerned... very peaceful

This is the view from inside the hut...

My darling (long term) fiancee bought me a fantastic card and Jamie chose two matching cards from her and Daniel....

and Denise's fantastic gift was this beautiful bag.... isn't it amazing.... I have filled it with my Cotton yarn all ready for making more Regis dogs...

Sat next to the bag is a "Boofle" bear, he's a little knitted bear that is the same character as on the cards... I am so chuffed as its really connected to my love of yarn and its the first cuddly anything that Mr P has ever bought me....
Jamie gave me a necklace with a Peridot heart pendant, and Daniel gave me a pair of matching earings.... I love the green of Peridot... One day I will commission a ring with all our birthstones.. perhaps it will be my wedding ring ;D

Denise's fab bag!

Jamie and Danny watching the sea go out...

Looking to the right from the beach hut deck...

All next weeks projects ready to go...

We had to pack up and come home at 1pm, it takes about 55 minutes to get there tomorrow we are taking the dog down as its a fairly quiet beach and Smudge will love watching the world go by from the deck.... and we aim to go rock pooling as well...

When I got home there was a note from the postman saying there was a parcel in the shed... ooohhh how exciting another gift!

It was from Nicola (smilernpb) I got to know Nicola when I did the freestyle swap, and I had already received a lovely birthday text message while I was at the beach... we often chat via email too.... I am so amazed that you can really make such good friends via the Internet...

Look at this selection of lovelies... back along I saw her lovely owls on her blog and I secretly wished she'd make me one and she has... and a fab badge to match it... I think I will pop the badge onto my lovely bag from Denise... the owl is so cute I think he will live with Boofle to remind me of my best birthday in longer than I can remember...
Nicola made me a beautiful card, and sent a notebook, yummy chocolates and a cross stitch bookmark...

Her lovely children sent me their own birthday wishes too...

Thank you so much...

Its 4pm and Mum and Dad P will be here soon.... Mr P is clearing up the yard so that we can sit outside, and I had better get the tea things ready....

I am having a fabulous day....
and we will have a full day at the beach tomorrow!

It is indeed a Happy Birthday!

take care
Alex
x

Its Giveaway Time......

Hello guys and gals, I am ready to do my 107th post giveaway
(was suppose to be 100th, but hey who's counting! ;D)

Now I am giving away 7 items to represent every swap I have been involved in....
now the hawked eyed among you will notice only 6 things in the picture....
aha... I am still making the cosy crochet swap item so one item will be a surprise should you be the lucky winner.....

Now whats in the picture I hear you ask....
1. well the Rabbit represents the first swap I did which was an Easter swap...
(be kind, I don't do much sewing and I made this one up, not good with patterns!)

2.The fabric box represents the freestyle swap I did
(also be kind, I did follow a Tilda pattern but I don't think its Tilda standard!)

3. The heart cushion, hangy thing is not embroidered by me... but an embroidered pillow case I re purposed, the back is the pink and white polka dot fabric that the rabbit's trousers and box are made from...

Now back into my comfort zone... crocheted items!

4. The dog represents my Seaside swap and he's a cute little Sea dog!

5. And the stripey covered photo album is to represent my Friends Swap... so that you can keep lovely pictures of all your loved ones inside some lovely pure wool stripes... I was going to felt it but I haven't played with felting yet and I have no idea how much it shrinks...

6. The crochet swirly rose is to obviously represent my rose swap, it has a broach pin on the back , so you can pop it on a bag or on yourself!

7. Cosy Crochet is still in progress...

I hope you like my bits and bobs, and I will leave the giveaway open till Tuesday 1st of September....Leave a comment and I will get Jamie to pull the winning name from a hat .. all 7 prizes will go to one lucky winner, I am happy for anyone to join in and I don't mind posting abroad....

Good luck
Alex
x

Sailing the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

I popped over to a new blog I have been reading at Simple, Green, Frugal Co-op as suggested to me by Jenn and while I was reading through the comments for her fabulous crust less quiche recipe a fellow commenter mentioned the Pacific garbage patch.... Ii was intrigued and plopped it into google to take a look.... our planet is so much more messed up than any of us could possibly believe...
Captain Charles Moore has been sailing through this plastic waste and is trying to raise peoples awareness to the problems... I know that this ocean is not on our doorstep here in England but perhaps this is one of those things that will stick in the back of your mind the next time you pick up a plastic item... and perhaps pick the planet friendlier option, if one exists.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrAShtolieg

Please watch this, the planets well being relies on us trying harder, voting harder and perhaps turning our backs on being a throw away society..

I am not perfect, I buy as much rubbish as everyone else but I see the need to change and I hope this is the first step in a better direction

x Alex

That little bit Greener

I have joined Rachel and Emma in a new blog adventure... They have joined together and have started "That little bit greener" every other Wednesday I will do a post to share something I have hopefully done that makes me a little greener or share a tip or fact that will help us all live on this planet in a simpler friendlier way...

Today's post is to lay the foundation stone of how we try to live greener at the moment...
We do all the usual things we just bought a trailer and we do a monthly run to the recycling center with paper, card, plastics, garden waste, wood and appliances etc we usually call around to my parents and mums friends and collect any large items or recycling that they may have about the place at the time... which is no mean feat as they live in Yeovil and the speed bumps and road system is not the easiest with a trailer... the previous owners had a key meter and we never had it removed, we use about £30 of electric a month and have energy saving bulbs everywhere... I know we pay a premium for a key meter but EDF are quite good, plus as there is no gas in the village we use electric for everything...

Tins and bottles are collected from the curb, I have to admit I have not been to good at recycling food wastes... but I have just cleared a corner of my kitchen to accommodate a food waste bin so I will endeavour to retrain the family to scrape wastes into the food waste bin...

Our village is not large enough to warrant green garden waste bins so we bag up our grass and hedge cuttings and take them to the recycling center... I do have a compost heap but the grass cuttings have been over running the heap a little...

A local villager had a trailer and put a flyer through doors offering a recycling pick up for locals for 50p to a £1 per load and we have a lot of elderly people who just can't get travel the 5 and a half miles to the recycling center in Yeovil, unfortunately a neighbour has reported him for it and he has been given a fine of £152 for not having a waste carriers license..

So my first tip is if you do collect waste for friends, family and neighbours don't charge them for it.... get them to buy you a gift or do something for you that you will find useful, barter a service for a service... you take their waste they give you some home grown veg or fruit etc

I have 2 young apple trees and a Victoria plum tree and to be honest I am usually at a loss for what to do with them... My neighbours either side have plum and apple trees and I watch the fruit rot on the branches... its such a shame... mind you we have very happy birds and wasps in this neck of the woods! ;D

We are in the process of removing an old asbestos garage and taking up the previous owners tons of concrete that he poured all over the top end of our garden, the lower end of our garden that is suppose to be lawn is full predominantly with buttercups, moss and Mares tail... which I have read is practically impossible to get rid of as the roots go many feet down... so I am now wondering whether to start my veg patch nearer the house on the soon to be reclaimed land...

I also have to get through the mental barrier of the picking fruit and veg and preparing it and eating it... it seems very strange to grow food and eat rather than pick it up of a shelf and bring it home... I am getting there but it has been a very weird experience so far...

I think it would be good for my children to see fruit and veg being grown and I am looking forward to the challenge of adding another job to my busy schedule... but if I can go out and pick some salad and beans and have a meal from my garden that has to be worth the effort... surely!

I would love some recipes though and techniques on how to pickle and bottle fruit and veg so that we can still enjoy them during the winter, I am also putting a freezer on my wish list ( we still haven't bought one since we moved in 3 years ago..!) so that I can blanch and freeze veg for later use...

I look forward to reading any hints and tips you might have

Take care
Alex
x

Lost ......

Hi guys and gals....
Sorry for disappearing for a while, but I got a little lost in my stressed out mixed up world, but with assistance from a new friend I think I have been handed a much needed internal compass and I am on my way again...
I know most of my acquaintances family and friends think my blogger world a little weird but I have to say that I love the fact that none of you judge me or make assumptions about my choices and aspirations, you listen, you freely give advice and you accept my chosen direction... even if it was wrong...
and I know that when I come back and fess up to a mistake or poor choice or jump around like a lunatic because something has happened that is so fantastic I could burst you will all be there to join in the sorrow or the joy...
and I really appreciate you all for being there, a few words from you guys makes my world a little easier to traverse...
Thank you

Now after a good and yet bad weekend I had something at home on Sunday that had a very strange, but positive effect on my tired and fed up mind....
let me briefly fill you in with the weekend... I will try not to bore you to death...
This weekend gone was my Mum and Dads 50th wedding Anniversary, now let me set the scene and I realise that this is only my perspective of events and others namely my siblings would see it all differently... but this is my blog and I don't think they visit anyway...

Tuesday - felt awful, chest pains really tired and fed up
Wednesday - more of the same
Thursday - Village cafe, picked up golden wedding cake
Friday - raced around town picked up balloons, table cloths, confetti, wrapping paper and cards, picked up keys to hall
Saturday - spent 3 hours decorating hall, Mr P, lovely cousin and 2 brothers helped
1:30 raced home got Jamie, Danny and myself ready, Mr P went back down the hall to meet caterer at 2pm and stayed until I got back down there at 2:45, Mr P went home to get showered and changed came back at about 3:30...... spent the afternoon talking to family and friends and making sure everyone was fed and watered.... cleared up hall home by 7:30
children fed watered and in bed by 9pm
Had a fantastic Chinese take away and crashed out in front of the telly
crawled up to bed.....
Sunday - informed of "family dinner" at pub in my village.... Mr P informed me he was not going... he'd rather clean the kitchen
Got children ready went to pub, chose a bad seat, was penned in no means of escape
endured 3 hours of older brother preaching why fat people are fat... apparently we eat too much! duh!
he then went on to explain all about carbohydrates and proteins and basically berated fat people for being lazy and taking the easy option of taking the car to the supermarket and buying convenience food.... then proceeded to tell mum that she ate all the wrong food, mum trying to be polite ( a skill my brother gave up when he got his Doctorate) asked which documentary this was that he had garnered all of this fascinating information was given the "it was probably on the opposite channel to the soaps"
now I am sorry but how rude is that... he thought it humorous....
Apparently we should all have veg patches and tend their every need, talk to them and water them, peel them and lovingly prepare them and eat healthily....
This from a man that lives in France in a farmhouse that he is renovating with his own land and not one child, just a poor wife that talks to her veg...

I know I am fat, I know I need to exercise, I know I need to grow or buy and prepare healthy meals, I know I have to keep house run here and there and bring up 2 wonderful children that sometimes drive me nuts with their constant niggling at each other, but this proctotomist's dream is delusional if he thinks we all live like he does

Well after 3 hours of trying to ignore him, at a family meal where I couldn't finish a beautiful roast chicken dinner for guilt and denying myself a pudding because I was fat, I politely kissed everyone goodbye and wandered back up the hill to my little home, I informed Mr P of the dire state of my fragile mind and set my eyes upon the wonderfully clean and clear kitchen that he had so thoroughly cleaned...

I decided that I would clear my head and unwrap my seaside swap parcel that had arrived amidst the turmoil on Saturday.... thank you to Rachel at Contented for organising this swap and partnering me with such a lovely lady

This is where the compass and clearing of my mind occurred and I cannot thank Denise at a bun can dance for being my angel in my time of need....

Beautifully wrapped... as you can see....

and inside a superb array of goodies...

This "all at sea" fabric art is on my lounge wall and reminds me to keep calm and let it all float away...

the little pouch has pockets inside and I think I may fill it with a few of my calming herbal teas so that I am always equipped with a refreshing brew... the post cards are pictures that she has taken herself...

These 2 postcard lavender filled cushions are being regularly inhaled...

The windmills are popped into my aloe vera plant on the window sill to remind me of bright and cheerful times.. and the book... to be honest was just a book.... when you look at the cover its a book that you would not necessarily pick up, but as it sat on the kitchen counter I kept picking it up and looking at it and eventually I read a few lines.... then a paragraph.... then I took it to bed and read some more.... its all about how an American lady (the author) went to a little island to attempt to relax and the dawning realisation that woman are the hub in the wheel that is family, and that a woman only has so much to give before then run dry and that we need time and space to recharge and refill so that we can keep giving.... and this got me thinking....

For a while I have been hankering to have some me time, alone ...
away from everyone...
I just wanted to sit on a cliff top and feel the breeze (and probably the rain) on my face and forget about everything and just breath...
I think I knew I was running on empty and I don't mean fuel (food) but emotionally and deep within my being I am empty... I have been stripped bare by family, friends and school and I need to be quiet and calm and creative....
Being creative apparently feeds the soul and that is why I think I love to create and give things away, I knew it made me feel good but until I read this book I thought it was just me being daft... but just reading the words that have been thoughts fleeting through my own muddled head at times almost gave me permission to be selfish and do something to help myself....

So I have....


it will be my 38th birthday at the end of the month and I have booked a beech hut at Lyme Regis for a week.... I am going to take the children down but I am also having a couple of days when I don't.... and as Mr P is a contractor and the best I can do is to get him to finish work early on a Friday I have asked mum to have the children Friday and we can sit in our beach hut and watch the sun set and have a candle lit fish supper...

I haven't finished the book yet, but I am so grateful to Denise for somehow seeing the need in me and sending me such a saving grace and helping me see that the center of the wheel needs some attention and love and then the life and lives at the ends of the spokes will be happier for it...

Now if you have made it to the end of my ramblings I applaud you, and I apologise for it being so long but to be honest I needed to vent otherwise it would sour and take me with it... I realise all and sundry can read this and to be honest I don't mind because we all have problems and issues and to share them makes them seem less, plus if one of my siblings should read this perhaps they will listen long enough to realise that I am not so much in control as my exterior would lead people to believe, and that perhaps they can understand my resentment to attend family gatherings... if something makes you feel so low why would you willingly want to put yourself through it?

I am who I am, I use to like myself, and I will like myself again

Take care everyone
stay safe and well

and now that I have sent my parcel to Denise I have a couple more bits to make and I will do my give away... I think I will give all 7 items to one lucky winner as it is simple and clean

hugs to you all
Alex

PS Little louie kitten is a girl!

x