The Perfect Little 'Pick Me Up'

I have found it easier the last few months to just focus on my own 'Little World'.  It has been a challenge to look on the bright side.  I am lucky to have friends and family who listen and put up with me.  Today I had the pleasure of meeting this little man for the first time.  The perfect 'Pick me up'.  He is just two days old and is my friend Sarah's first child.  Sarah and I have been friends now for over 16 yrs.  We met each other at work, when we both worked with adults with Learning Disabilities and Challenging Behaviour and we have been buddies ever since.  Sarah is a great friend to my boys too and I know she will be an absolutely fantastic Mom.  I have called Sarah in 'emergencies' and she has always been there for me.  This little boy has been long awaited.  Haydn.  I think he is adorable.  My friend Sue came with me to the hospital, sue and I have been friends for 30+ years.  Sue, Sarah and I have got together the last couple of Friday nights and put the world to rights and laughed a lot.  We tried not to make Sarah laugh too much though as neither Sue nor I have natural midwifery skills.  We have watched the bump grow and sympathised with the swollen ankles and the almost constant need for antacid.  It has been an exciting build up waiting for this little fella.  Isn't life amazing?  Change...endings...new beginnings and we never know what is around the corner.  Seeing this precious little boy has made me so happy and a tad bit weepy!  Ah come on this is me we are talking about!   I wish this little fella a happy, healthy life and I look forward to all the snuggles in the future.
xxx

RIP My Little Flock...

This post is too sad.  This morning I woke up to an empty coop and a lot of feathers.  Not a single 'girl' is left.  We are very sad and have cried a lot.  I feel like I have completed a chicken keepers rite of passage.  I have suffered a loss to a predator.  We are in shock.  Not good.   I had to confess to Euan I did not lock up the coop last night.  I thought they would be fine, they have been fine before.  I did not think foxes could get in our garden since the fences were repaired, but there is a gap and one of the neighbours fences is down that I did not know about.  My poor girls and poor Euan.  The garden seems awful without our bundles of fun.  Euan has not been backward in coming forward and telling me exactly what he thinks of me and my chicken keeping skills.  He was very angry and upset with me, but he has cooled off now.  This Winter the weather and the chickens have trashed the garden, I mean mud bath.  A house move is not out of the question and I had been vaguely thinking there would/could come a time when rehousing the chickens would be necessary.  I have never 'given up' a pet, I am always a 'hang on to them at all cost' kind of person.  I love 'rescue' pets not abandoning pets.  I have been spared any more worry about chickens.  Of course we want more, Euan has already picked names for three white ones...but I know it is no longer practical for us at the moment.  Another 'Era' is over.  What a happy little episode it was too.  Those girls were really loved and made us very happy.
XXX

Chickens In The Snow!

Here is 'The Lovely Lavender' wading her way through the snow.  The Chickens do not think much of this weather, now neither do I.  I have to keep making sure their water has not frozen over and 'cooping' them up to stop them from freezing.  Their little feet go all pink and they sit in the snow all puffed up together.  Silly Billies!  I find them something nice to eat and preferably warm to lure them to their coop and shut them in.  They have a little grumble as I stop them from escaping and shut the door.

Chickens do not like the snow, but mine have not read that page.  They are quite happy to come out and sit in it.  Freedom obviously means more to them than getting cold.  They are fiercely protecting their food and scraps from the garden birds, chasing off magpies, pigeons and blackbirds.  This morning they ate left over 'Sticky Toffee Pudding' complete with Caramel Sauce.  My sons are very strange and are both not big on sweets.  I am but I thought it would be better to feed it to the chooks.  I have a figure to maintain don't ya know.

These photographs were taken a couple of days ago.  Last night it snowed again all night and for most of the morning.  My car is stuck on the drive as the roads are not clear, the footpaths are worse.  It is making the school run a nuisance.  Euan's school has a flexible start and finish time in place for this week and Lacey is getting walked during the school runs, which she thinks is great although she does not much like being tied up to the fence and barks like a guard dog until I am back!  I wish I had a dog that would sit quietly.  She will do though she is a good girl.  Lacey is the only one for whom the novelty of the snow has not worn off.  She loves it and gets very silly outside jumping and playing.
       Hey guess what?  I had my first 'Tea Swap Parcel' arrive today.  It really cheered me up.  How exciting is that?   It will give me something to 'Blog' about tomorrow when I share it with you.  It had Tea and more... I have crochet lovliness to share.  Thank you all so much for your lovely, honest, funny, supportive comments regarding my last couple of posts.  I can't pretend anything is Hunky Dory.  However I will get there and adjust.  I still have not managed any crafting, I really must shift my butt into gear as crafting always makes me feel better.  I am just having trouble sitting in one place and concentrating for too long.  I am like a wanderer!  If I started to run I may end up like Forrest Gump and never stop!
Lova All Yall!  XXX

According To Matt

I know many of you already visit and follow this Blog:

According To Matt

Just in case you don't follow the link and take a look.  Prepare to be amazed!  I really want Matt to compile the best 'Coffee Table Book' in the world.  Amazing talent in terms of colour design, crochet and blogging.  Take some time to browse through some of the older posts too.  It will be time well spent!  

The Grand Tea Swap - Update

(Image is from Graphics Fairy a great Blog for beautiful Vintage Graphics)

Sign ups for 'The Grand Tea Swap' are going rather well there are enough participants to make it fun.  The more the merrier though of course.  If you would like to join in please get in touch and leave me a comment.  I think it is going to be quite a 'Cyber Tea Party'.  I can see the scones and jam, cup cakes, and cake now.  

How about a 'Grand Tea Swap' ?

Happy New Year!  I am a bit late but the year is still 'new'.  I have been basking in the afterglow of all the festive hoohaa.  I am rather glad the Glinsel and titter has been packed away for another year.  It is lovely but there is a certain ahhhhh to be had when it is packed away again.  I have been very quiet 'for me' on the blogging front and I must get back into the swing of it!  I am sitting like a startled rabbit in the headlights at the prospect of returning to work next week.  Work. . . it rather spoils my fun!   So the challenge is to make work fun!
            Now I have just read a blog Happy Angel it is singing the virtues of a simple cup of tea.  Oooooh yes for I am a 'tea belly'.  I love me a nice cuppa char!   My Dad used to make me a cup of tea in my bottle and I can actually remember that far back, swigging my tea out of a bottle.  Regardless of 'Health Visitors' advice both of my boys loved tea in their bottles too and they still drink a lot of tea.  Happy Angel's blog post and my love of tea got me thinking. . . oh good grief we know what happens when I get thinking. . . but I wondered if anyone would be up for a 'Grand Tea Swap'?  I am not really sure how this will work but I am thinking that if you let me know if you are interested leave me a comment and a way to contact you via email.  I will collate a list of addresses and and pass on a list of addresses to each person taking part.   Everyone taking part will have everyone else's address.  Then we could randomly start swapping a couple of Teabags of the fanciest kind.   There are no time limits for sending out tea, so we could be swapping and receiving surprise teas for quite a while.  I don't think you can have too much tea.  What do you think?  Is any body in?  I am off to make meself a cuppa right now.

Rules For The Grand Tea Swap
1) Must like tea.
2) Leave a comment and a way for me to contact you via e-mail by the 11.1.13
3) When you receive the list of fellow Tea Swappers just send what you can to whoever you choose when you can.
4) Remember to blog about 'The Grand Tea Swap' and any tea you receive.