Minxxys World

Birds eye view of the garden

Jack left me a comment on facebook saying she can't post a comment on here. I was going to ask if anyone else had problems but then thought you might have difficulty in posting an answer!

Not to worry. Jack,  this photo is just for you.

So long, farewell

It's the time of year I dread the most. After two years nurture, ALL my group leave to go to school. There will be tears, there will be cards and there has been the most amazing hand made cards. I am going to miss them terribly.

Hand made, you cannot beat it and here's why.

 

 

It completely blows me away how powerful talking and listening is, especially when two 5 year olds produce cards like this, both of me, at home, festooned in my favourite colours. We talked about our favourite colours months ago.

 Children are our future, listen to them!

Jack's card to Geoff

Pissed myself laughing!!!!! This is the BEST card I have ever seen.

Jack, you are genius! Xx

Wine bottle edging - Part 2

Just a quick photo blog so I can show  Mum and Dad the results of our work... on my way over to theirs right now. I'll add words at a later date. I ache from being in the garden for the last 7 hours and our house is like a tip but not to worry. The summer holidays start on Friday!

 

 

 

Glass garden edging

 I love the internet!

It is such a wealth of inspiraion and fantastic ideas. You all know how with 10 clicks and 2 lost hours, you find yourself a million cyber miles away from where you began and your head is bursting with thee most wonderful ideas ever?

That's what happened to me. I started somewhere and ended up at Vert via  Posie's. I decided then and there that I needed to have a wine bottle edging to my veg + flower beds. The only technical hitch was I can't really stand drinking wine. I am one of these lightweight "I'll have mines with lemonade and ice" characters. A solution instantly flew into my mind... ask the staff at the school where I work to collect for me. They did, big style!

A huge thanks goes out to them all, especially Pauline who knows someone who owns a restuarant and she has carted over 150 bottles into work for me. You are a star and I am forever grateful because it means the project can steam ahead a lot faster than I ever imagined!

Next I cleaned all the bottles of their surplus drips of wine, neck collars and labels. I know the neck collars were going to be buried under ground but I didn't want to know that they would be there, rusting away, perhaps contaminating the soil.

Some labels came off better than others, some needed relieved of the platisic coating covering the paper label first, some just floated off in the warm soapy water and some were just a nightmare (Echo Falls, Boomerang Bay and Dos Santos red) and needed soaking, scrapping and scrubbing with a metal scrubby pad.

Once washed, I had green, clear, dark brown and brown bottles. Scores of them, all lying in the garden.Worried about the potential smashing hazard, I started the project yesterday, laid 5 bottles and MaDge commented on how squint they were. I pulled them all out and I BEGGED him to help me, I'd dig the trench and he would lay them. He is so much better at constructing things like that so off we went.

 

So I dug the trench

 

MaDge set the bottles

and before we knew it, the little plot was finished.

 

MaDge moaned for the last 20 or so bottles that he was a scooter fixer not a gardener so I chanced my luck, ignored him and suggested we plough on with the bigger bed. I began to dig the trench, got about 20 inches when my trowel clanged on something hard. Thinking it was another of the huge rocks that are buried in the garden, I set about trying to dig around it until MaDge identified it as the old foundations for the clothes poles. And mighty fine foundations they were!!!!

 

After much huffing ,puffing and sweating from my gorgeous fella, the concrete/brick foundations were dug out. Thank you my darling, you really are amazing xx

Just as we were about to get stuck into phase 2 the heavens opened, MaDge dashed for cover, I dashed for the washing and after 5 minutes, we decided to call it a day.

I don't think much will be done tomorrow as it's Scooter Sunday for MaDge and I want to finish the baby blanket I'm knitting. It need to be done asap though, I have all these to plant.

BBQ rock godz

Last night, we had a barbeque. Not only didn't we eat until gone nine, the gas ran out mid cookup and it was baltic! We retired indoors to eat our pudding of melted chocolate accompanied by a selection of fruit and treats. Delish!

I had a mad moment when I suggested a game of Guitar Hero. It brought out the rock Godz in these scooter boys.....

 

 

 

MaDge, Titch and Al................ Falkirk's very own Mutley Crue!

A new obsession?

As the summer holidays draw nearer and nearer, I am finding my mind wandering to my summer project. I seem to have developed a habit of having a large work-in-progress, knitted in small sections i.e. blanket, on the go which I can pick up and throw down when required.

2008 ,  2007,   2006   Can you see the pattern? I omitted 2005 because that's when it all started. I dragged the flower power out of the loft.

Pretty aint she?

I was stumbling about in cyberland, like you do, and I dropped into Attic24. I was instantly stunned by her gorgeous colourwork and decided I needed some more crochet in my life. I mean, ever since I have watched Nanny McPhee ( after years of avoiding it because I thought it would be rubbish )and being forced to put down my needles to observe the gorgeous handknits and crochet blankets the children were wearing and snuggling under I made the decision I wanted a granny square blanket. Not a 'I'll use anything from my stash and it'll look like poo' version. I want a well planned out, colour rich one.

So.... to date, it's all planning away in my head. Anyone got any suggestions how to put those plans down either on paper or by recommending an electronic programme which will allow me to do it? I would be most greatful.

While the planning goes on, I have been practising my skills by whipping up a little crocheted pot cover thingy. I am sure I got the instructions over at Attic24 but I can't find them, sorry!

 

The left hand image is taken without the flash. I am well pleased with the finished product even though it could have been doing with a tighetr gauge. Not to worry, that's learning for you and I am a novice hooker!

Back later with some more updates, I have a few more things to share.

Kelso Scooter Rally 2009

 We've been, we've drunk, we've survived!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

And we'll be back next year to do it all again!!!