My Bauble

Slightly off-focus but the baubles arrived......so pleased with mine.
I think I will be doing some more over the next few days/weeks. I loved the atmosphere of the pottery where I collected the baubles - so many opportunities and creative ways to idle away the odd hour!

Watch this space!

Christmas Baubles

Yesterday we had a workshop in our village hall. The potter provided bisque baubles which we painted with ceramic paints and glazes.

As we speak they are being fired - I am so excited!

Can you guess which is mine?

Saturday...a week to go.

The past few days have been quiet - a good rest has been on the cards for a while - and I have made the most of it.

Like other hen owners our four are in restricted conditions. We have rigged up a run from the hen house and will attach some netting tomorrow.

I lift up their hatch which leads into the temporary run and hang the day's treat for them - whilst they are busy eating the treats, in this case noodles, I shut the hatch and use the main henhouse door to go in, clean the henhouse, put fresh wood shavings in, wash their feeding bowls and fill the water bowl. Once all this is done I lock the main door shut and lift up the hatch. The hens then make their way into the henhouse, when they are all in I close the hatch.
They are currently eating corn mix, mealworms and sunflower seeds - all high protein to help them keep warm.

Our visiting birds are making the most of the treats we leave out for them - woodpecker back again.

Tide times allowing we get out most days with Bing and Sadie - whilst the sky looks blue it is very cold.

Bought the Christmas Radio Times so the holiday season approaches. A quiet time for us, just what we need after a hectic few weeks. Must get the tree up tomorrow and sort out the Christmas cards......

Watch this space!

Where was I?

Oh yes........
November 26th we held our Christmas Coffee Morning - Santa was calling!

Santa came and brought presents!

Our local Co-op donated some items which I made up into a hamper which we raffled.

Thursday December 8th - Village Christmas Dinner which myself and Karen organised and cooked for.

Last weekend I was involved with the very first local Beer Festival.

Our youngest nephew, Richard came along to help.

We had a great weekend.

Last night, Tuesday 13th the village crowd went out for a Christmas meal - spot the difference in my hair!

Phew! 

Nearly there!

S is for seasonal.

I go to a pottery class every Tuesday - a few weeks ago I started preparing my Christmas project - tree decorations. I am selling these at our Christmas Coffee Morningon 28th November. As I was making them yesterday my friends in the pottery group were buying them. I have another batch which I have glazed waiting to be fired, ready for next Tuesday's class when I will add decorations and embellishments. Planning in advance is the key - so in January I will be planning for February - a Valentine theme I think.

Like any crafter I have a stash of bits and bobs. I have piles of blank labels so I am making gift tags, again to be sold next Saturday.

Busy all the way - I have a supply of card & paper arriving today for a wedding commission I want to deliver before the end of November, so a quiet day should see me get this underway, then it will be a case of clearing the decks and having a day with the picallili, pickled onions and pickled egg preparation for 28th.

We are kicking off the weekend with a wreath making session on 27th in our village hall. I think about 20 are coming - lunch (my home made soup) afresh bun from our local baker and all materials provided £10 per person - a good price I think. This is the wreath we will be making....

So......back to the grindstone next time it ill be T for Treats...watch this space.

S - my ABC Wednesday contribution - floow the link in the right column to see more fun posts.

R is for Rudolph!

Hello, Rudolph here,

Santa and the elves are very busy in the workshop getting ready for Christmas. He has heard there are some really good boys and girls in and around Liverton Village so he has decided to come and visit. He has a new reindeer who could do with some

practice night riding so this would be helpful.

If you or any of your friends would like to meet Father Christmas he will be at Liverton Village Hall on Saturday 28th November, at about 12 noon.

If you or any of your friends would like to write to Father

Christmas I know he has some elves in your village—drop your letter off at Waterside House, Scotsfield or The Police House—they will get to Santa in time for his visit.

See you soon—don’t forget to leave me some nibbles

on Christmas Eve.

Y is for Yule...Jonathan Yule

I came across a new artist - well new to me. Jonathan Yule
The paintings of the farming subjects are so vivid and real. We live opposite a sheep farmer and these scenes could be Ronnie himself.

I have always liked Hares in art and for my Christmas present Jon chose one I had admired at a nearby gallery in Thornton-le-Dale. Once the Christmas tree has been taken down and put away I have the perfect spot ready!

Watch this space!

X marks the spot!

Food shopping all done...presents bought....cards...ahem as I speak!
As you can see Bing likes the tree! Enjoying a spiced rum & coke.
This time tomorrow I'll be sorted - just my lists to do now.....and a surprise to orchestrate!

Watch this space!

Christmas Preparations 1 Wreath!

Today I made the wreath for our gate. Looking at it I can see I need to add some more greenery at 5 o'clock.
Christmas card photographs have been chosen and I have had notification that they have been despatched.
We will be getting the tree down from the loft during the coming week.........meanwhile I have a stag's head idea!

Watch this space!

Autumn

 

The view from the snug window from my previous post remains the same.

We have had a drizzly foggy week.

We go to the beach every morning and give the dogs a good hours run.

Bing loves the sea and Sadie is gaining more confidence paddling in the water.

 

Yesterday I set to and organised our wardrobe -

 the summer clothes are now moved and the warmer jumpers etc. are now in their place.

 

Today, returning from the beach I have begun to sort out the second bedroom

 ready for our next project.

 

The room needs to be cleared, stripped, plastered and decorated.

Whilst it will double up as a spare bedroom it will have a multi-task as it will be where I

store my craft and sewing materials - it will be an interesting project.

 

It would be sensible to prepare the 3rd bedroom at the same time.

These are the only remaining rooms which have not been re-plastered since we moved here -

23 years ago, so we haven't rushed into it by any means.

 

I already have the curtains for both rooms, underlay for the second bedroom so the colours are already sorted.

I just need to get on with the de-cluttering.

 

I am making up a lovely box of all crafty oddments for a friends daughter who loves to make things.

 

Looking forward - it will be nice for everything to be done by Christmas.

I will see the plasterer and get an idea of timing - then I will work out a timetable.

 

Like all projects we put off there comes a time when it's so right to do it -

Today was such a time - I am on it! Like a car bonnet so the saying goes!

 

Watch this space!

Yule time - Family event 2.

Having had our Christmas Day at my sister in law's house it was my turn for a buffet. To be honest the buffet idea was my own suggestion as I didn't want to have a sit down meal after the lovely time spent on Christmas Day. Maureen had told me how stressed she had been about the whole Christmas Dinner as she has such a small kitchen (due to be revamped/extended in 2014) and felt it was her turn to do the dinner. Last year Maureen  had some family business to attend to following the death of her partner's mother resulting in them not being with our family on Christmas Day and Maureen had really missed our traditional get together hence her wanting us round at their house.

A buffet sounds so innocently simple yet I could hear the stress in my voice every time I complained to long suffering Jon about the kitchen. At one point I apologised to him for being so unreasonable - it was all so disorganised for me, despite my lists and plans. Another reason for doing my own buffet was because I wanted to make sure the food was decent - ie alternatives to pastry and fatty foods which we tend to get if we buy prepared buffet food - no, mine would be healthy yet tasty.

I made some potato scones

which I then filled with cream cheese and smoked salmon, quiche without pastry,

good old egg sandwiches, pork sausages and scotch eggs. At one point I had thought about making something along the lines of an M&S product which was fish, on a potato  with mushy peas, but came to my senses when I pictured the obscurity of such an operation with an hour to go before the family arrived.

Deserts - thank you Asda!

Next get together is Friday - at the other Mrs Nesbitt's!

Watch this space.

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Christmas EXcellence!

X as in EXcellence!

We had Christmas Dinner with the family at Jon's sister's. I was too busy sampling the champagne to take many photographs but here are a couple taken by our nephew2/godson Andrew. (Front row from left - Andrew, Steve, (Maureen's boyfriend). Second row from left Ben, (Nephew 1) Richard (Nephew 3) and Jon (husband 1) holding Bing.

We had a wonderful meal, great fun and lovely champagne. Tomorrow we are having friends over for a supper buffet and another family get together here on Sunday. We will all be going to Jon's mum's for another get together on 3rd January and that will conclude our planned events as yet...oh and neighbours in for New Year's Eve.

How was your day?

Merry Christmas.