Posy

Smeaton's Tower

The other night Anth and I took Tom and a friend to a concert in Plymouth. As we had a few hours to fill before we picked them up we thought we would go for dinner somewhere. We used to live in Plymouth and couldn't believe that 15 years had passed since we did. It was lovely to get reacquainted with familiar places - we didn't have long as the sun was going down so we headed to the Hoe as I wanted to photograph the lighthouse er.. tower. I love this lighthouse/tower. It is called Smeaton's Tower and you can read all about it's history here and here if you are interested.

Looking towards Sutton Harbour.

I just loved the light of the setting sun bouncing off the red and white paintwork and the cute little windows. I hardly took any photos of anything else! Shame.. but so understandable!

Mary

"Did you have a good weekend, Jane?"

"Morning Jane, do anything nice over the weekend?"

These were just some of the questions put to me this morning when I arrived at school. And my answer?

"Absolutely wonderful, thank you! I did many, many hours of gardening, (got through 320 litres of compost and I'm still yet to plant up my second lot of sweet peas in my 'new' enamel tin bath,) wasn't the weather lovely?  I went to 3 car boot sales as well which was pure bliss!"

(...and I spent my Saturday night scraping paint off of Mary and Baby Jesus...you know.. like you do on an average Saturday night...!)  I didn't actually say that but it was true and was one of the best parts of the weekend. I'm very excited about my new find at Saturday morning's car boot sale.  (Incidentally, for those of you who are wondering and have asked, a car boot sale is when a large group of people meet in a field, car park, race course etc and sell their unwanted items, usually from the back (boot) of their car.)  I nearly didn't buy it as I thought the family might really think that I had lost my marbles this time, but I did buy it and I'm so glad I did. So glad, and for £2 as well.

Brace yourselves...

...meet Mary and Baby Jesus

They are a bit damaged and have had paint flicked all over them, but I just love, love their faces, especially Mary's who looks so incredibly sad.

 

These are the before pictures. Who would let paint splatter all over such a beautiful chalkware statue? I'm afraid the 'after' pictures don't look that much better. I'm not sure if I should try and touch up the blue splotches or just leave it.

Recently I have become quite a fan of what I call 'flea market style.'  A eclectic mix of styles that seem to be quite fashionable at the moment (just take a peep at 'Flea Market Style' and 'Cheap Chic' by Emily Chalmers.)  I don't have a problem recognising pieces that fit that look but I do have a huge problem with cowardliness! Yes, I'm struggling big time in letting go of my safe colour co-ordinated schemes. I'm just not brave enough.  So when I saw the statue I thought how 'flea market' and then, how will I get this past the rest of the family! But I have and as soon as I placed her on the mantlepiece it just looked right. So good in fact. Good enough to take anyone who visited on Saturday to see her, including Tom's 19 year old friend Richard, who kindly indulged me and didn't visibly flinch.

So my transition to flea market style has begun...if I'm brave enough!

On my mantelpiece # 7

I was about to tell you that all the flowers on my mantlepiece were fake but then realised that the fabulous 'drum-stick' primulas (in the middle) are real.

But these are definitely not real and I love them -

my new knitted flowers.  Ooh, I feel a new project coming on..

Reasons to be cheerful - Little Embellishments

Duh...! I know I'm probably the last person (as usual!) to do this, but this weekend I did a spot of embellishing with lace - and this time it was not on my tea towels but my cheap supermarket T shirts. This simple act (why haven't I thought to do this sooner?  And it only cost a few pence.) has brought me great satisfaction, especially as I used the stretch stitch facility on my machine for the first time) and I proudly wore the first of 2 customized T shirts yesterday.

And did anyone notice? Er, no! But that hasn't stopped me now checking all my T shirts for lace or ribbon potential.  Now, a little ruffle here and there does wonders for one's cheerfulness

Clandestine Meetings

It was my habit of chatting to strangers that brought about a unique event for me during our stay in Ludlow.  I chat. A lot. To everyone and anyone but especially to old ladies. I like old ladies.  I was in an antique/junk shop in Leominster; a shop that went on for floors and floors and rooms and rooms and found a sweet vintage pillowcase for sale. When paying, sensing my pleasure at finding it, the lady who served me asked me if I 'liked that sort of thing and if I used them?'  Do I like that sort of thing??? I then gave her the full answer complete with descriptions of my linen cupboard and how long it took me to change our bedlinen (including the deliberations of whether it should be stripy, plain or floral topped with an eiderdown or crochet blanket. Embroidered pillowcases, or a lace trimmed bedspread or vintage blankets etc) and how I adore embroidered tablecloths and vintage hankies and that I think I was born in the wrong era. When her eyes finished glazing over she mentioned to me that she had 3 boxes of linens...would I be interested in them? Uh no! Of course I would! So that's how I found myself meeting an elderly lady in a Ludlow car park the next day for an 'exchange of goods!'

I had to smile at the craziness of it all and relished the look on Anth's face when I told him what I had arranged, though he says nothing surprises him anymore.  I spent hours before the meeting driving everyone crazy with my fretting at what would happen if I didn't like what she brought (and she'd gone to all that trouble) should I go through every item, how much she would she charge me, should I barter or would that be terribly rude.

So the next day I drove to the car park and looked out for a blue Nissan Micra.  I'm not sure if Ludlow has a drug problem but it could have the beginnings of a 'vintage linen' problem because if you look carefully on the car park CCTV I'm sure you will see 2 strange ladies exchanging money and 3 boxes being carried from one car to another.

This could be the start of a new habit!

My Kit

Can you guess what 'kit' this is for? The wellington boots are for the long wet grass and my new, funky, groovy, incredibly wonderful shopping trolley is for my treasures.  Yes, it's my new 'Car Boot Survival Kit' and I'm hoping to put it to good use tomorrow morning (please God let there be no snow storms this week!)  I'm thrilled with my shopping trolley.  I found it at Gazebo in Totnes on Friday - it was expensive but hopefully I will be using it a lot and not just for car boot sales.  The children think it's totally hideous and are refusing to go out with me if I have it; they think they now have proof that I'm officially 'an old lady.'  Well, I could go the whole hog and carry my crochet around in it and really embarrass them!

Tomorrow we are going to Ludlow for a few days so I'll be having a little blog break.  I have been particularly busy recently and apologise for not answering my emails - I will as soon as we return. And yes, my trolley will be going with me!

Crochet Afternoon

The scene was set for my friend Lisa to come over, at long last, for our 'crochet session'.  This is something we've tried to organise for sometime and I was really looking forward to it.  The children laughed, well scoffed would be more accurate, at me as I decided to set up a little tea table which looking at it now, looks barely worth it!  Why didn't I go the whole hog and arrange it with a cake stand and a vase of flowers - it looks quite ridiculous and (horror of horrors)...dull..a word that strikes fear into my heart!  It really does make me smile when I think back to Lucy's reaction when I asked her if she would, at some point in the afternoon, take a photo of the scenario for the blog....as she looked up at me from her studies, her face incredulous.."What do you want me to do? Are you joking? Take a photo of you two with the tea things in front of you? No, you are crazy!"

So I took the photos myself but it wasn't long before our quiet, girlie afternoon was interrupted - just as I had made the tea. Did I tell you weeks ago that our fridge had broken? Well, Anth had arranged for our friendly 'odd-job' man to come and remove the old fridge freezer before the new one (which has just arrived today) could be installed. So, there was banging, sighing, requests for screwdrivers, light switches having to be removed, the very loud whizzing of an electric saw, (tiny kitchen = tiny space = cutting off a cm of work top = every little helps!) sawdust flying everywhere and cats running around covered in cobwebs as they found a way behind the kitchen cupboards due to the removal of the fridge/freezer. Lisa and I sat with all this commotion going on but dissolved into giggles when every now and then a now separated fridge or freezer would pass by!

And just look at the filthy state of it - I was horrified (though it was between cupboards for 15 years, I hasten to add!)

Now that wasn't the afternoon I had been expecting but did we manage to do much crochet? Well let's say that a repeat of the afternoon is necessary minus household appliances passing before our eyes!

A Weekend of Firsts

Last weekend was a weekend of 'firsts' for 2008 - first car boot,  first time I sat behind my sewing machine and made something, first time in the garden and first time I have ever driven in a snow storm!

Right, let's start at the beginning and that was Saturday morning's car boot. Oh, it was so wonderful.  I've missed it so much...too much.

I also found a chimney pot which is awaiting a plant on our patio. I didn't find alot but I love what I did find. And it looks like I'll have all the answers to the questions of the universe to as I found God's answer book!

On Sunday, I was up very early to do my most favourite of car boot sales.  The neighbours that usually take me couldn't go so I decided I would go myself. Bad move.  I ended up taking a wrong turn and it suddenly started to snow heavily. Yes snow! I found myself trying to drive with huge flakes hurtling at the windscreen it got a bit icy and the car even skidded at one point. I have never driven in snow and I didn't like it. So, after driving for over an hour I headed back home, very disappointed, where there was bright sun. Crazy British weather.

I spent the afternoon at my sewing machine.  I have been suffering with a bad case of sewing-block but I ended up making..

..a new pair of kitchen curtains (not working curtains)

..a 'bed pouch' for my ever growing pile of books and magazines by my bed..

..and 2 tablecloths made from some Cath and Green Gate fabric and I also sewed 2 pairs of single sheets (lilac ones)together to make them fit our king size bed. It felt good to be at my machine again.

And today (Monday) I spent some time in the garden tidying up before my annual trip to Hill House Nursery hopefully sometime this week.

And tomorrow?  I finally have my crochet-date with lovely Lisa, so it will be a 'chatting over a pot of tea, maybe in front of the fire, crochet' afternoon...and I can't wait.

Tea Anyone?

Look what I found in a lovely shop in Shaftesbury called 'The Little Red Hen.'  It's a badge made by Poppy Treffry .  Now I'm probably the last to discover her but I just fell in love with this little badge - you know the scenario - wander around the small shop, spot the badge, pick it up, exclaim "Ah, how sweet!" really loudly, turn it over, see the price, quickly put it down, carry on browsing, find myself infront of the basket of badges again, pick it up, turn it over and read the back,

appreciate the little message, stare at the badge, want the badge, can't justify the cost of the badge, put it down, move on, find myself picking up the badge again...etc. My mother bought it for me in the end. I think her words were, "I'll buy it for you if we can leave right now!"

I'm so glad she did. Do take a look at Poppy's website if you haven't clicked the above link (you will find another on my sidebar).

I would like to thank you all for your kind words and encouragement. Tom has read all your comments (he never reads my blog usually) and is most touched by your concern. I was grateful for the balance it hopefully will bring him - for every nasty person there will be at least 20 lovely people!  Mmm I'm not sure of the true ratio but I truly believe that most people are kind and decent and the best of them read this blog!

The Good and Bad

The Bad ~ Oh dear friends, I have just experienced one of my 'Top 10 of Worst Days.' On Monday afternoon Tom was mugged on his way home from town. He had gone to buy Alice a birthday present and was followed and cornered. The culprit demanded his beloved ipod, mobile phone, wallet (complete with our front door key and address.) Thankfully he wasn't hurt but he thought the thief had a knife and was told that he would be shot or stabbed if he told the police.  He duly handed everything over and came back home very shaken, shocked and angry.

For the next 36 hours we have had numerous phone calls and visits to the police station. Incredibly, the culprit was identified, caught, and is still being held in custody. Tom's belongings haven't been found (I'm sure we will never see them again) and he is devastated to lose his ipod which he had worked hard for and saved to buy.  As his mother my emotions are all over the place. I feel incredible anger, not only with the culprit but with his parents for whatever is lacking in their child's life that made him think that this was acceptable behaviour. I'm also angry with society that makes it unsafe in a sleepy seaside town to walk home at 4.30 pm in the bright sunlight. But mostly I am grateful. Grateful that my beautiful boy is safe and that the police found the perpetrator. I'm trying to stay positive and think about what he will learn from this horrid experience but I feel I could cry as I re-live the scenerio everytime I close my eyes.  My peace of mind has been temporarily damaged and I feel my family is vunerable.

Now to the good ~

Alice's 13th birthday was slightly overshadowed with the previous afternoon's events but she was very understanding. We all went out for dinner but were a subdued group sitting around the table.

She's 13 now, and how my baby has grown and she is turning into such a lovely young woman with a kind heart, and a ready smile from a sweet mouth that is rarely quiet (so like her Mother - the noise, not the sweetness!)

She's also very keen at singing, which the neighbours could probably confirm, and unbeknown to them they will probably be hearing her more clearly as she got High School Musical Sing Star for her birthday, complete with 2 microphones. Mmm..well a star has to start somewhere doesn't she?