Long time since I blogged, big changes personally emotionally professionally going to be reflected in my musings - bit of a move away from previous twee cosiness to the organised chaos of a single 58 year old ageing hippy who finds it hard to settle in one place having moved ten times since 2000 - from the south to the outer hebrides via greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cumbria, Argyll - then Lewis and Harris, back to Yorkshire Wolds and now Wakefield.  Will natter on about daily life, my historical stuff, my fab kids, my lovely friends here and throughout the UK, the gorgeous man in my life, the knitting and yarnbombing - just all the stuff I do!  Encouraged by friends to write it all down - some names will have been changed to avoid embarrassment or 'exposure' but it will be evident to those who know me who's who!  Written with love and humour.

Me again!

Have been nagged that i haven't blogged for a while so here goes - life continues to be busy, fill my time with lots of different and diverse things. Life is settling down post divorce - strange being single again - think i must have been 19 when i was last living alone - but enjoying it (I think). Have been life laundrying - getting rid of lots of stuff that i don't want to trail around with me anymore - lots of stuff on e bay and car booting - and being amazingly controlled cos my usual car boot style is to bring back more stuff (things i have bought) than i take!
Had planned to get away to Harris but the central heating boiler was in need of intensive care - prioritised and the boiler got mended - the plan is to get to Harris in March or April 2012 - in time for the machair. Busy now with the Christmas things - as usual it is a home made christmas, making cards again this year, the needles and the sewing machine are out. Have found some more tweed stashed away so producing some tweedy things too.
Last weekend was spent on a retreat out on the north Yorks moors - very Kathy and Heathcliffe complete with swirling mist. Organised by pal Jane at the West End outdoor centre the emphasis was on Reiki, meditation, shamanic drumming and stick breaking meditation in the woods. Great weekend had by all although the journey home was pretty horrendous because of thick fog.
Slept in bunks - was in a room of 5 with buddies Angie, Emma and Kath and another. Food was hot filling and plentiful thanks to Jane's husband Paul and his colleague Sarah. Full programme of meditations and treatments - reiki, indian head massage, tarot and heroes journey card readings and lots of other things, a great time! All the pics relate to the retreat - we were in nidderdale.
So what else is happening - busy with community legal advice service undertaking more sessions. Hamish has mellowed - is now eating dog food - he comes to friend Angies - her dog eats dog food and Hamish sneakily eats it - bought him the same food and expect him to eat it but although it comes in an identical box to the food at Angies house, he refuses to eat it and lurks hoping for something else to appear.
In the garden the pond has gone - some hard landscaping going on - filling in the pond, the leeks are fattening out in one of the raised beds, pulled some runty ones last week - absolutely delicious very tender and flavoursome but they won't be ready full size until february, they are better once they have had a frost on them which i don't think will be long judging from the temperature outside! the greenhouse has been stripped out and cleaned, getting ready for some seeds. Will be putting some winter salad in the other raised bed. Have made some very interesting chilli/red tomato chutney, pickled some beetroot and the freezer is full of home made pasta sauce. Will be making christmas cakes this week.

Hamish is here snoring on the sofa alongside me reminding me it's bedtime! see ya x

Time flies!

wow nearly a year has passed since I last wrote on here! What a year it has been - the crafting has taken a big back seat! Have had a lot to deal with personally - got divorced and had a recurrence of the acoustic neuroma - the total excision of 2005 unfortunately was not quite as total as thought - and it grew again, just 1.2cms at discovery - wee compared to the whopper of 2005 at 4.2cms. This one treated by gamma knife at St James' Leeds in March. Gamma knife is a form of radiotherapy - so have had all the post radiotherapy type things - the main one being fatigue! All okay now - big neuro appointment day before my birthday in July. Weight loss has continued and is now about 6.5 st and still going down! Rachel is warning of lolly pop head - I don't think so!
Hamish is fine - having to get used to a changed lifestyle as there is just me now - means that sometimes he is left alone for short periods, try to take him with me everywhere but not always possible. Still fussy with his eating!
The back garden here has been turned over to veg growing, have a big greenhouse with toms, cues, courgettes, peppers and in the garden beans and broccoli - will get some pics done.
Have enjoyed the opening of the Hepworth gallery in Wakefield, love the spaces, the exhibits and the views of the river - a good place to be.
Plans to return to the Hebrides in September to stay with friend Jan at Drinishader - her ex was the bridge builder at Buna, hopefully by then the worst of the midge will have passed, also going to spend some time with Michelle who has moved upto Gravir on Lewis, looking forward to going back and plan to drift up to Skye and view the scenery over a couple of days rather than doing the dash it always was to get back to the island as soon as possible! More soon!

ladies that lunch

Had a lovely day at Yorkshire Sculpture Park with my friend Moira. We met for lunch and a natter. The Park was quite busy as it was the first week of the summer hols - we had a great lunch and wander around the walled garden and viewed the David Nash exhibition in the Bothy and the underground gallery - all very woody and a lot of it very charred, not allowed to take pics but have taken some of the espaliered apples in the walled garden. Lovely place to sit and watch the world go by.
I haven't been very creative of late - I have been undertaking training for CAB which has been quite intensive and time consuming however I have now been turned loose on the public - enjoying it! I will be getting back to crafting very soon - more bags to make and I am going to Fabworks - a fabric/trimmings/beads warehouse in Dewsbury on Thursday with my friend Lynne. Lynne makes bags in Sanderson and Liberty fabrics. Anyway we are off for a bit of Fabworks therapy! Will take some pictures if allowed.
Daughter Lizzie runs, with her partner, a catering company - I make the cakes! The favourite dessert is Choccy fridge cake - made 280 portions for a function today - so delivered it yesterday to Leicester. My position within the company is chief cake maker! Suppose we all have our uses!

49 years is a long time ......

Met up with my cousin Paula whom I haven't seen for 49 years and in my excitement I forgot to take pictures as did she! We had quite a lot to talk about and wished we had allowed more time or perhaps spent a holiday together! Still we won't leave so long next time and I will remember the camera!
Tony has been experimenting with bread - it is the standard loaf from the recipe I developed with additions. The honey and olive oil in the bread make it keep well. Here is the basic recipe for a 2lb loaf. 1.5 lbs of wholemeal bread flour, 1 sachet of easy yeast, 1tblsp good quality olive oil, 1tblsp runny hunny, water is dependent on the absorption capabilities of the flour but a guide is 15fl ozs of finger hot water, for onion bread add about 4 ozs of fried dried onion in with the flour and yeast. I don't use salt. Can be shaped into a cob but Tony uses a 2lb loaf tin. As this is made using easy yeast it requires just one proving so when mixed to a smooth non sticky dough (takes about 10 mins in kitchenaid) shape it, into the lightly oiled tin, leave to prove in a warm place, inside a plastic carrier bag tie the handles, until doubled in size - probably about 25 mins. Another variation of this is to divide the mixture at the dough stage into two and shape into 2 cobs, onto a baking sheet, using the handle end or your forefinger poke 'holes' over the top of the loaves, pour a little olive oil into the holes with sprigs of fresh rosemary, grind of sea salt over the top, leave to prove (for a baking tray either use the carrier bag as above or use a clean bin bag) and bake for about 40 mins. Now Tony puts the dough into a cold oven - not preheated as he finds this gives a softer crust, set the oven to 160c that's for a fan oven. Turn the bread out of the tin or if cobs turn them over on the baking sheets, knock the bottoms - should sound hollow, return to the oven for another 5 mins just to ensure cooked through. Try to resist cutting chunks off and spreading with cold butter - sooo yummy! I love making bread and enjoyed developing this recipe, it also good with 2 ozs oats in with the flour - remember to take out 2 ozs of flour to accommodate the oats or you will end up with a very dry crumbly loaf. When shaping the loaf - use some oats mixed in with the flour and sprinkle over the top. Enjoy!

birthday flowers, rainbow bracelet and birdie brooches

As promised here are some pics of my birthday flowers - a beautiful handtied bunch presented in a boxy carrier bag from flowerbox in leicester. The lovely bracelet was made for me - handblown glass beads in rainbow colours with a ladybird and a bumblebee!
Here are some of the things I have made for sale - birdie brooches and corsage in welsh tweed, will put up some pics of the bags and knitted things - sheep tea cosies, socks and other bits.
I enjoyed making the birdie brooches the tweed was lovely to work with and I think the little birdies are quite sweet, people seem to like them!

happy birthday to me!

Good day today although it rained and that is the first time it has rained in my part of the country on July 12th for 56 years! Some record. Had a good day - went to Yorkshire Sculpture Park - membership there was one of my birthday pressies. Also had a pastel portrait of Hamish - the westie, taken from a photograph of him looking appealing, that was from Rachel. Lizzie and Ramadan gave me a lovely bracelet - hand blown glass beads in rainbow colours, the last one being coated in 24ct gold - the pot at the end of the rainbow - two of the beads have little friends on them - a ladybird on the the red and a bee on the yellow - made by an artist who exhibited at New Designers - one year on. Will take a pic and also put her name on my next blog. Also had lovely flowers from flowerbox in Leicester - peonies, stocks, green chrysanths, sweet william, canterbury bells, roses and rainbow roses (each petal sprayed!) delightful and beautiful - also from Lizzie and Ramadan
Part of my birthday celebrations was to have my eyebrows threaded - strange experience but very effective and a good shape. Have also had eyelashes dyed so feeling beautiful!
Busy trying to get a pair of socks finished for my uncle who is visiting on Thursday with my cousing Paula - she and I haven't seen each other for 49 years! Lots to say I am sure as our paths took very different routes! Will let you know what happens!