the weekend starts here....

 

mm well it's not quite like that here today..but let's just ignore the crazy weather ie wild stormy bitterly cold sleeting and hailing not even snowing and grey and wet and dreach...and the weather forcast and all the weather news from around the country (and hope you are all keeping warm and safe.)...because hey, inside my head the sun is shining...and I still remain hopeful of better days ahead...

The Simple Things mag is an occasional simple pleasure...full of delicious photos and quirky and delightful items of interest beautifully presented... and the choc is just sheer indulgence...a couple of treats from a very quick shopping expedition into the wintry wildness earlier...

mm that's better...and I can't wait for family to be safe home and stoves to be lit and a warm glow to fill at least some of the big old stone walled quirky house we live in... and the weekend relaxing can begin...

in the meantime I have been busy sewing in the studio...made some scones for a teatime treat...put a chicken in the oven...so I think I've earned my treats...

and I thought I'd just share a couple of pics from yesterday when although cold, it was gloriously sunny...

the lambs along the road are getting bigger and enjoying the warm sun...

 

how to make a chicken happy? no it's not chocolate in there...just some out of date sesame seeds... they go wild for 'em!

and the simplest of wild spring flowers... the celandine...a most welcome bright yellow beacon of hope...

so do tell me....what makes your weekend special?

September sunshine...

I love September...after everyone's frenzied desire for summer...to relax into the start of autumnal hints is rather blissful...maybe too, it's something to do with schools going back and the return of a semblance of routine, however painful to teenage anti-earlyrisingness...

I do like a sense of order and at least the house stays the same all day now which gives me a small chance of restoring some sort of order after months of neglect...but I am heart gladdened when husband and daughter return home in the evening...and we can share our different days...but only after a whole day BY MYSELF with only my own thoughts for company...these days more and more I seem to need some solitude...tho' around here with chickens, ducks, donkeys, cats, geese and currently next door's dog staying I am never lonely!

It's been a blissful week of C-art Open Studios...we are open officially at the weekends with lots of delightful visitors calling in...some strays appear from time to time during the week and I rather like coming up from the veggie patch in the sunshine with grubby hands from digging up the garlic to greet strangers and welcome them to my life...to my studio...to our work...

I like to think people take away a sense of calm and tranquility from here, a sense of doing life a slightly different way maybe a more harmonious way (mind you I don't show them the house which currently is...well...in a BIT OF A STATE!!)

So lets take a little walk down the garden...it's such a gorgeous sunny day...quite hot in the sun...I haven't got a cardi, fleece or socks on!

Signage necessary to direct people to the studio and to give a subtle warning...

Gwendoline showing no interest at all in eating people's fingers...she's far too sensible!

ah...Neddy snoozling in the warm sunshine...cheek tickling = happy donkey and hasn't he got a beautiful soft nose and fabulous eyelashes!

and magnificent ears which swivel this way and that as he listens sometimes to you and sometimes to things behind him...carefully rotating one ear forward and one ear back...

Join me in sitting outside the studio for a moment to take in the view...and straightaway Basil take the chance to sit on your knee...

and Emilia hen comes to check out if you are by any chance  eating something...she nabbed a whole rice cake off my plate at the weekend!

and behind you can see the beautiful and rather sculptural seats which husband of patience has created...very patient!

down past the apple tree...apples ripening in the warm sun...and the chickens and ducklings...still together with their Mummy hen..and Basil like a sphinx in the grass...and a duckling apple bobbing...

and down the new path to the veg patch... where despite the somewhat rainy year we have some harvest...the pumpkins and squashes are magnificent...spreading like triffids...a forest of leaves and secret surprises...we love to wander round spotting hidden fruit and shouting 'here's another...and another!'

and here's the garlic I've been digging up...such a nice earthy job in the hot sunshine...it brings a great feeling of contentment...extra special this year as it shows how strong and improved my wrist is, I planted it when my hand was pretty weak in cold wintry weather and now here we have a harvest in the sun...

and help from our chickens...happy hens!
tho' I did have to keep hiding the worms from them as I dug...

and Nellie nextdoor's dog..best girl!

so here's to another weekend of lovely visitors to see all our beautiful artwork...and sunshine...hope you have a great one too...don't forget to love what you do!xx

a hint of summer in Cumbria...

hope springs eternal and while others in the UK are basking in hot sunshine... things oop north have been a trifle more challenging...rain and some more rain...but we have had some lovely sunny days and today has been one such...so musn't grumble...bless the rain...must be washing the countryside squeaky clean!

had to have along lie down after the exitement of staying up well past my bed time to view the amazing opening ceremnony of ye London 2012 Olympics ...wow! that drumming was something else ...and didn't you just love the Queen's awesome entry ...and Mr Bean's musical interlude...it was all pretty stunning... tho' I rather gave up the will to live when the countries trooping in got to about G...what a fantastic event with some truly memorable and moving moments...a feeling of community spirit and the possibility of nations truly sharing an experience in a peaceful and loving way...

so here we have some brave summer flowering...and even some peas... not as many as usual tho they taste pretty good...a combination of breaking my wrist in January (still improving thank you!) and the less than clement weatheriness...

and for sure the hot bed system of donkey muck, cardboard and grass clippings under a black membrane blanket has kept the courgettes snug and warm...you really wanted to know that! the donkeys are wonderful recyclers!

handsome Ned

beautiful Gwendoline...

we are entertaining high hopes of a hot sunny week...sometime...anytime...when we can harvest the garlic...

  
love that it's the holidays and we're all at home together...and we have even been able to eat lunches outside...much to the delight of the chickens...those girls can suss people eating from miles away and they come running... necks extended to see what they can get...half a sandwich the other day was snatched from husband of patience's careless hand...

and what of the hencklings I hear you cry...here they are out with their mum and aunties...looking to all intents and purposes...like ducks! it is strange to see them in water while their mum looks on...

here's a rare photo of an awake Bethany cat..she's so beautiful just had to share this with you...normally she's snoozing in the kitchen or in the lounge..happy cat! lkes nothing beter than a cuddle or a  knee to snooze on and a little food now and then...way to live!

leave you with a pic of my tranquil Buddha...I'm having a wee break...family stuff n visits...going to see the 62 Textile Group in Manchester a 50th Anniversary exhibition...whooppee! excuse is that daughter mine is doing textiles next year ...not that I need an excuse...see you in a while...have a peaceful summery week...I'll be back soon to tell you about my visit to the lovely gallery Hestascene? full of lovely contemporary art n craft in Caldbeck xx

making....a difference

to two battery hens has been a joy...think they were one of our best Christmas presents ever...such asmall thing to do but such a big effect to them...here they are after we went to pick them up...sad and scrawny...

and now...feathered up...plump...fluffy bottoms...smart tails...happy pecking about just like the other girls...so friendly they love nothing better than pecking your feet and chatting to you...its amazing how they just know how to be proper hens! tho' friend Phil's girls had to be taught how to go up a ramp to bed!

...just little brown hens but they give us such pleasure...and delicious eggs...here's Isabella

 and Emilia..she's the chatty one

making a difference...doesn't the lovely weather do just that? sun still bright and sunny here...but colder...got my socks and woolly hat back on...the garden looking more green with each passing day...with flowers to delight and cheer...bit of a yellow theme...spring seems to be mainly yellow and blue to entice the insects I guess...I love bulbs...they're always a surprise because I forget what and where I've planted them!

  
making a difference...DON'T FORGET we can all make a difference to the earth by turning out our lights tonight at 8.30pm if you're in the UK...get the candles out and snuggle up on the sofa...support WWF's Earth Hour tonight...

and I'll be making a difference to my studio this weekend...workshops starting again verry soon so I need to get ORGANISED...hip hooray for making and creating and getting other people to get in touch with their creativity too! lots of lovely NEW workshops to tempt...come and get creative in a beautiful Cumbrian village! for more info go to Making at The Studio...and in the meantime have a wonderful weekend xx

 

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