Sunday Walk- Autumn

This was a Sunday walk on a gloriously sunny day on 20 September. We went where we went in May see this post- : starting at Little Kimble and walking up the track signposted South Bucks Way.

Pretty soon we came to this tree and the girls HAD to have a go at climbing and swinging while I admired the view .What fun!

The dogs too were glad to lie down and wait a bit after the climb. Quite content to wait. Oooh can you see that ladybird over there?

LOOK UP and SMILE! Hi mum.

And on we went after the ladybird had been examined, pots counted and put safely on a leaf where it would not be trodden on.

AAAAAAAAH. The view. I could wax lyrically but shall refrain, just look!

And turn your head a bit.....

Now the other way... mu- um have you finished snapping away yet?!

Yep, but oooh look those orange- yellow leaves against the blue sky!!!

This appeared sparkling gold in the bright sunlight, honest!

That's how far we came, the girls by now are up a different tree but it's in the shade due to it's leaves so no more pictures.

Same path a moment later- something happened to the light!

Onwards when we've walked along the Ridgeway for a bit.

This is an inviting path- maybe next time?!!

Back down the hill so as not to exhaust the puppy: in May these sides were clothed in blue: Borage galore everywhere.

Much delay due to Pippa wanting to explore these: rabbit holes. We had to tug and tug and tug to convince her to come along home....

This one especially: can you see a rabbit? We thought we could.

Now THAT'S what a call a blast of autumnal colour!

Thankfulness, hope and a little break maybe.

Phew it's been such a busy busy week and I had soooo many lovely photos and words that have been waiting day by day to be blogged!!! But no blogetty blogetty time was not to be had this week or weekend either for that matter...
We've had Open Evenings and Guides and Piano and too many late nights and distractions, my patterns and samples were sent off last Tuesday but still there was soooo much to do for the family this week.....

And then...and then....
Friday 1.34 pm JJ was in a horrendous car crash. Yep bad but we give thanks to the Eternal One
as he's come out of it fairly unscathed...
Hence the THANKSGIVING.

His Guardian Angel has done a very good job! He's been checked out at hospital and given medications to cope with pain and whiplash and all the bruising, was very confused- gave the wrong date of birth!- as he's banged his head on the dashboard- so much for BMW airbags...!!!
Apparently it inflated and deflated simultaneously and there was ''airbag'' smoke???

The car is an ex car, it is no more, no boot, no back seats, nothing much left .
We are to go visit the remains tomorrow .
Not his fault , some white van braked suddenly and caused a 4 vehicle pile-up. Including a coach.

He's at home this week so the photos and words have to lie in wait for a while and I'll catch up as soon as I can.

Beware of motorways! Beware of other crazy drivers and keep safe!!!

Meanwhile be thankful for all the BLESSINGS OF LIFE.

Ravishing Ripple Blanket Bonanza

TAN TAN TARAAAH, TAN TAN TARAAAH: BOOM ZING BOOM ZING: TAN TAN TARAAH

IT IS FINALLY FINISHED!!! I PRESENT TO YOU: THE COLOUR-JOY RIPPLE BLANKET!!!

It was started in March and was finished just before 3pm on 19.9.2009 such a nice date I think.
I had such fun playing with all the various colour combinations and only some were repeated and only occasionally....FFZZZZZZZZ I'm fizzing with excitement and yet and yet: there's a sense of loss too, what shall I do next as a BIG project?!! I'll miss the glorious soft warm company of my deliriously stripey colourful ripple. It's become a dear friend and constant evening companion...

And here it is again from left to right now: starting at the far left.

The middle section...

The far right....

Then I did try to capture the ENTIRE length, but had to fold it over in half widthwise to do so:

107 STRIPES! It weighs 1715 grammes and is 125cm wide and 215cm long. There are 98 wide stripes and 9 narrow ones. Pure wool called MERINO SPORT DK was used from Yeoman Yarns and a 4mm hook.

Can you count the colours?

Oh no that's not a fair question as the colours change the way they look to us depending on which colour they are next to so it looks more than it actually is!

It fits perfectly on a single bed and has also found a resting place on our favourite daily

''rest and muse'' spot: the swing seat!!!!

There's 15 colours. And at £2 per 50 g ball should have cost a bit less than £70?!!!

Not bad eh?!!!

Now here's to thinking what the next one will be: Miss E wants me to ripple one in blues/greens and purple and Miss Y desires a pinks and reds with white one.....I fancy a change of stitch: will it be granny squares, hexagons or logcabin squares?

I'm off to snuggle under it and ponder and muse about that one, I'll be ordering the yarn on Monday!

Brownies and dogginess

This is the volcano batch of brownies with some icing sugar to entice the girls- not that they need enticing... These turned out thinner and wider and there were 12.( but not for long!)

Here is a little doggy-play of doggy interaction for you: I was entranced and amused and hope you will be too. Once upon a time there was a mat which Pippa often sunbathed on. This mat was chewed to near oblivion by puppy Lucy and this morning I was sweeping it all up to tidy the garden....

Pippa spots her fave mat in sunny position and takes ownership. ''Huh you woke me up!'' '' But mu-um I want to chew this corner a bit more, don't you see?''

Mum: yawning: '' come-on stop this now,look at the mess!'' ''mmm, me chew chew chew.''

''Look mum this bit smells grrreat: sniff, sniff, chew chew.''

''It's too hot in the sun, let me tug it to the shade?'' This is with mum weighing about 15 kg still sitting ON the mat and a slight 9kg Lucy doing all the pulling... ''I'm not moving: I LOVE the sun.'' '' If I get hold of it over here I can pull better...''

'' GRRRRR , you just remember who's pack leader!'' Pippa gives Lucy a quick nip on the ear.

And sits back in the sunshine.

Lucy, undeterred, carries on with the underside of the mat.

Rolls over to lie underneath it. Pippa stays grumpily in her sunny spot.

Peace restored both dogs enjoy different parts and aspects of the old mat. Sunbathing vs Chewing.

I was fascinated to watch this doggie interaction, I just love the way they behave with each other, sometimes gentle- like licking each others noses or inside the ears- and sometimes friendly ( curling up on the sofa together) but also occasional disagreements.

Time for elevenses and cutting the other batch of BROWNIES!!! Yummeeeeee!

Oh look! Lucy appeared within seconds as if by magic: butter wouldn't melt....

She's got her paws on the chair and that: ''ple-ease can I have one?'' look.

LOOK, SEE?! I'm a really really REALLY long dog: I CAN reach the TABLE!!!

This was Lucy at full stretch: standing tip-toe on her hind legs and trying oooh so very hard to reeeeeach.

EEEEK ! Yes she really DID almost make it to pinch one. It was a matter of a few inches.

Aaaah she had a dog-chew toy instead.

These brownies are strictly for humans only.

Brownie baking and puppy joy.

Today is Thame Show Day and all local children have a day off school: so I had Miss Y with me all day and we have had a wonderful day together. Miss E was taken to the bus by dad because as her school is not in Thame she did not have a day off: much to her chagrin!

This is also a quick last look at my beloved sunflowers as they have lasted oh soo well I think they may drop their petals very soon. I think sunflowers=happy and today I have been so very very happy. There is indeed much to be said for being a stay at home mum!!!!!BLISS!!!!

Though I have a feeling that work will be coming my way very soon so I am really cherishing these days day by day. I have had e-mails and phonecalls from ex-colleagues who can't imagine what I do all day, but the funny thing is I can't see how I fitted work into my day as I'm so very busy!

We have played the piano and the cello, we have walked the dogs for an hour, we have cylced into town for the ingredients to bake brownies, we went to the library to choose new books, we watched ''How a choir works''on i-player and I learned about polyphony amongst other things.

Then of course we had to have a jolly sing-song together.We had a lovely hot lunch and sat chatting on the swingseat in the garden, played with the dog and the puppy, practiced a bit of maths, went to painolessons - Miss E and myself started to learn in January this year - and then it was high time to cook dinner! Alas JJ who had quoted- this always amuses me as in so very many years I know it won't happen as stated- I'll be home by 6.30 pm .... missed our meal and had his at 9 pm. Yesterday he said: home by 4.30 pm and after 8.30pm the kids had given up on him. I do say: don't give them a time as you can't guarantee it, but there you go..... This is my own spag bol by the way, it has evolved over the decades from a recipe handed down to me by my mum when I went to University. We do mushrooms separately now as Miss Y doesn't like them. Quick see? Lovely sunflower: now STAY happy even when you scroll down and see THIS! That's what puppy Lucy did to my very old and cherished '' tomato pincushion''...And there was more mess all around on the floor and all the cushions too!!! What happened? I was first worried that the pins had hurt her- but no she was absolutely fine. Then a bit cross but I'm reading this book and it had stated: try to see the opportunity in every mishap/challenge soooooooo....

I laughed, cleared up the mess and these were the 3 positive outcomes of this event:

1. I have always wanted to know what's inside these bought pincushions because pins go in much easier than when you use toy stuffing or wadding. IT'S SAWDUST!!!!

2. I had realised that I had ''lost'' my sewing needles recently and was about to buy some .

On clearing up the mess I found 26 HAND SEWING NEEDLES among the pins. They must have sunk into the middle of the pincushion.

3. I get to make a new CROCHETED pincushion and I will fill it with sawdust!

Now all of these made me feel happy , you see?

After dinner it was time to bake: WEIGHT WATCHERS Brownies!!! I have been making these for 8 years now and they are very popular at home and bake sales and school and coffee mornings and and and! I guess I can't divulge the recipe due to copyright but I CAN say they have peculiar ingredients: like it's mostly stewed apple and cocoa / sugar with just a dash of flour and eggs. In fact here are the egg yolks which are given to the dogs as a treat later.
You mix the dry ingredients- on left- and whisk the wet ones and then combine the 2 and pop into the oven.
The book shows them on the cover second from left but they are covered in nuts which I exclude due to allergies. I made 2 batches as I know they hardly last a day...
All in one bowl now. First batch came out all cracked but glossy- it was on the top oven shelf- could that be the reason? Second batch looks more ''volcanic'' : with tiny craters and no gloss?

The first batch made 12 brownie ''fingers'' and the second 18 so I had 30 but guess what: within 2 minutes we were down to 28 already.

Will try to capture some shots of the brownies as cut if I can catch them before being eaten.

They contain no butter or margarine either( sunflower oil) and are fabulously moist and chocolatey!!!