Dog days
I reckon that there must be a few dogs in my ancestry as most dogs get along with me, even the difficult ones with a history of biting tradesmen. Dashit had made an impression on the inspection visit. His owner holding him firmly by the collar as he roared and growled at me. After a vociferous struggle he was closeted in a separate room. It was clear from the thumps on the door that he didn’t like it. The job looked fine, wallpapering a hunting scene in a mirrored bedroom. I wasn’t so sure about Dashit. “Dashit, might growl...
read moreIt’s awards day at Cottage Smallholder
Over the past month I’ve been delighted to receive some blogging awards. I had wondered how bloggers got awards and discovered that they are given by other bloggers. If you are lucky to receive an award you are then able to pass the award on to others. Each of the awards came at just the right moment for me. We have been going through a pretty difficult phase, just wall to wall work and stress with very little time for fun. So each of the awards was a wonderful surprise that buoyed me up enormously. Now it is time to pass these awards...
read moreMonsoon
This monsoon weather is finally getting me down. I am beginning to feel like a character from a W. Somerset Maughan short story that one knows will be slowly driven mad by the rain the moment they clap their hands and order another G and T. The cottage is pretty damp in places and usually dries out in the summer. This morning, I was gloomily dressing downstairs in our musty sitting room and by chance looked up. This sunflower, in a vase in the kitchen was facing me. Vibrant, sunny and so full of hope that I had to smile. So many fruit trees in...
read moreThe swing seat
Several years ago I decided to tempt Danny to spend more time in the garden. He wasn’t turning brown the way the rest of us do as the summer progresses. The face that smiled from behind the computer screen in The Rat Room was pale and pinched. He needed fresh air and a dose of vitamin D. I decided to buy him a swing seat for his birthday. I knew that he wouldn’t want a flimsy two-seater. It had to be long enough for D and the Min Pins to stretch out on. With a decent frame, soft cushions and the promise of many lolling years. I had...
read moreThe Fantastic Four Meme
I’ve been tagged for The Fantastic Four Meme by Richard at Superfood. A great blog, well worth bookmarking. I have tried some of his recipes and they work well. Inventive recipes created by someone who loves food – what could be better. The Meme is simple. 5 areas of interest, four points in each. Happy to jump through hoops this evening. 4 jobs I’ve had in my life: Instructor at a day centre for mentally ill adults: (painting, photography and dance). Computer animator: Great job, massive 14 hour days. No social life. But...
read moreHappy Birthday Cottage Smallholder
I wasn’t planning a party for the Cottage Smallholder’s first birthday but I did poke my nose into the barn and discovered a bottle of champagne lurking on the shelves. Hidden away in balmier times. So I slipped it into the fridge. My mum also asked me to choose a present for the blog when I was doing her weekly shop. The blog chose a carton of mixed olives from the olive bar. Champagne and really good olives are perfect presents for this one year old. It has been an amazing year. We are interested in self sufficiency in the...
read moreDream build
Living under six foot ceilings in our sixteenth century cottage sometimes gets to us. In summertime, we repair to the table beside the pond where the sky is as open as our dreams. We have a lean-to barn at the south side of the cottage. We plan to knock through from the house and convert it to a decent sized kitchen, some day. Aga, atrium ceiling, the lot. We know where we will buy our kitchen units, we have chosen the taps. We even know what we will do with the space that housed the old kitchen – (it’s so small that it could only...
read moreBob amongst the Aardvarks
Yesterday Jalopy and I were tootling down to Saffron Walden when I spotted a friend walking her dog. The family used to live next door, moved away about six years ago and we gradually lost touch. Alice is now married and expecting her first baby in three weeks time. When I first met her she was 14. Brilliant with horses and highly intelligent. Our households were close, often eating together and playing games. Not Hunt the Thimble or Monopoly. We played Bob amongst the Aardvarks. Initially we played charades. The game where one person chooses...
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