it'sMonday morning and I'm loving...

that hooray!!! we have internet connection and a working landline again after 3 days...sorry if you've tried to ring...we weren't ignoring you! actually it was weird without it..but so peaceful and you have loads of time for other things...

that daughter mine has enjoyed her birthday and her party ...and now she's fourteen and feisty... and we can move into Christmas mode...

that Grandma and Grandad made it here safely on the train on Thursday despite the awesome windy weather... I was glad of the extra weight (heavy suitcases full of all those birthday presents...) in the car on my way home from work after I picked them up at the station!

that we've all shared a lovely birthday weekend together....

that I put lots of dried fruit in  bowl last week and sloshed quantities of sherry over it( someone has drunk the brandy...) and one day soon it will magically transform itself into a cake, ready to ice somewhere around Christmas Day...

that I have actually MADE a lot of my Christmas presents...been knitting and sewing quite gently...trying not to panic...and I might even be ready...in some small way

that we had a fantastic Christmassy Open Studio evening party at Phil's with friends...here's a taste...sorry we ate all the mince pies...

 

that we had an email this week from the rehoming Hens lady...and we're off on Saturday to get some more battery rescue hens which would otherwise simply be surplus to requirement which really doesn't bear thinking about ...if YOU think you would like to help too then read the message below...the best Christmas Present you could give a battery hen...

that it's not snowing or blowing a gale out there, cold and clear, the stove is lit and I'm off to the gorgeously warm studio (air source heat pump and underfloor heating soo worth all the chaos and confusion earlier in the year)... to do a little light stitching and making....and playing with fabrics... bliss!

that my studio is nice and tidy...cos Steph was in on Saturday with a wonderful workshop with lovely people and I HAD to make it tidy for her!! there are lots of advantages to 'Making in The Studio' being in MY studio...

that we are going to get some Christmas lights and decorations up tonight to start getting in the mood...now where did we put the living Christmas tree...somewhere out in the garden...or veggie patch...orchard...or...hope the donkeys haven't eaten it!

and it's sooo verry nearly the holidays...huzzah!

Have a lovely Monday....

Hen Rescue... CAN YOU HELP to re-home some?

As you may be aware - the regulations for caged hens are changing in January 2012.  All battery hens who are currently sitting in barren cages will be send to slaughter - with the new enriched cage system coming in the new year.

We  have  hens available on SATURDAY 17th DECEMBER - to be collected from STOCKSFIELD   NE433 7SB

   

All desperately wanting a new home for new year.  If you feel you have room to offer some lucky hens a happy retirement, please give the re-homing team a call on 01769 580310  Mon to Fri 9am - 4.30pm, or respond to this email.

 

Please be aware though, you would need to keep any new hens separate from your existing hens for the first week or so - ideally so they can see each other, but not actually get at one another.  We will be happy to offer any merging advice you may need.

Many thanks

Wendy

Wendy Reynolds
Tel: 01769 580310 / E: wendy.reynolds@bhwt.org.uk / www.bhwt.org.uk
British Hen Welfare Trust, North Parks, Chulmleigh, Devon EX18 7EJ

• Careline:            bhwtcareline@smallholderfeed.co.uk / 01362 822904
• Charity Shop:    www.bhwt.org.uk/shop/index.php
• Facebook:          www.facebook.com/BritishHenWelfareTrust
• Twitter:              @BHWTOfficial

The British Hen Welfare Trust is a national charity that re-homes commercial laying hens, educates the public about how they can make a difference to hen welfare, and encourages support for the British egg industry. Its ultimate aim is to see consumers and food manufacturers buying only UK produced free-range eggs, resulting in a strong British egg industry where all commercial laying hens enjoy a good quality life.

jams, jellies and poorly hens

heavens to Betsy...where is the year going...already there are people and blogs out there mentioning the 'C' word...not round here mate! Just trying to get back to 'normal' chez nous after the open studio event...the house is somewhere under all this stuff and dust and confusion.... the nights are drawing in certainly as we put the hens and ducks away earlier and earlier... there is a coolness in the air today and the smell of wet leaves and grass after the rain... tho' I did manage breakfast 'al fresco' in PJ's and a fleece...

autumn is here and I  am settling in to the new job, tho yet to have my proper days as we are covering holidays so I am a wee bit tired after doing 4 days instead of 3...have to travel further to get to it and working a Saturday is strange, but it's OK, just need to work out what day it is and all will be well...

got a poorly chicken in the kitchen ...Emily again...'off her legs' and I thought she was going to be no more when I picked her up to bring her in...bless her, she seemed so small and feeble. But 5 days on she is recovering from whatever it was...and eating and drinking...tho' there is a strange smell lingering in the kitchen...time for a mucking out methinks, so we'll maybe let her out for a bit and see what she does...it does add to the general kitchen confusion having a large box with a hen in!

came home from work yesterday to daughter in full making mood ...producing fabulous homemade crab apple jelly...last week she made bullace jelly (kind of small sloe/wild damsony things)...wow, she's amazing and so is the jelly....she's off doing a 'bird race' with friends today so will be having a grand time...autumn migration should provide a good number of interesting birds...she's at one of her other 'homes' ...we are so lucky that all her friends' parents are our friends too so there's always somewhere to go if she has had enough of us! 

  
...and husband mine has been making amazing gorgeous coloured fermenting concoctions to sit next to the Aga which bubble away...using up apples which otherwise the geese would eat and hedgerow sloes and bullaces and damsons...to make alcoholic beverages for the depths of winter...and today in the lovely autumn sunshine is heroically painting the new window in the studio...and then mucking out and then...

so I am catching up with an overdue blog...sorry, just been so much else to sort out to make life manageable...


and here's a few tweedy autumn thoughts...I just love the feel and warmth and woven texture of tweed and even just a simple ball of wool... off to the studio next to rummage though my textile stash and get in the making mood...need to get some goodies into local gallery and get ready for a craft fair and plan some workshops...exiting times as we three artistes go live with 'Making at The Studio'...starting small and simple but building up into a thriving interesting workshop space-cum studio cum gallery...

I love autumn...full of texture and colour...lots to inspire me...it's just deciding what to do first...tidy up everything and enjoy pottering around making order and loving the feel and look of all my lovely fabrics and yarns and books and bits and bobs....or set to with making something delicious to entice a purchaser...what a choice to have, how lucky I am...

and here's a little piece of history to finish with... my grandpa worked for many years as Manager of the Sunderland Blind Institute and I found this today in my stash of Granny's treasures...

 

it brings back happy memories of my dear grandparents and may inspire something special ...hope you too are similarly inspired this glorious autumn weekend...