easily distracted

I am so easily distracted these days and i have so much on my to do list, like...

*redesign our website in time for book launch, including taking and cropping new photographs

*buy eldest daughter's new school shoes and other extra bits of school stuff

*make youngest a P.E. bag for her new school

*tidy up house and prepare for a special visitor on Thursday

*make some stock for the Vintage and Handmade Fair

*not to mention the general household, wifely, motherly duties... and numerous other itty bits of paperwork etc...


So what have i been doing? ... well i have been learning to crochet... like you do when you have nothing more pressing to do!

I love learning new skills...
this weekend my sister in law retaught me a few basic stitches (forgot what she had previously shown me) and now i am making at least 2 basic grannie squares a day as i am determined to get the processes involved to sink in.
I had bought some yarn earlier in the year in the sale when i caught the knitting bug so had some to nice colours to practice with.




I am now addicted but boy do my fingers ache. i think i need to relax my hands more and slow down a bit.


I have now completed 10 squares, so nearly a cushion cover. i am hoping to try and change the colours and try some variations when i get more proficient.
I'd be interested in hearing what new skills you are hoping to learn before the year is out and of course any crocheting advice for an enthusiastic beginner.

Hope your bank holidays were good.
ginny x

Cat update and an award

Thank you to everyone for your cat advice and stories as a response to my last two posts. Happily, although a little sad for us, our pretty feline visitor has now been reunited with her family.

On Saturday the cat protection lady finally arrived at 12 ish apologising that she has been held up at the cattery. Luckily for us but unluckily for her, my friend who was due to arrive any minute had been delayed too due to traffic held ups on the A3 so didn't arrive to find us now with resident house cat (she is very allergic to cats).

Whilst my friend was stuck in traffic the cat protection lady was 'scanning' the cat to check for a microchip. She didn't find one but did remember that she had heard of an all black cat who was missing. She said she would try to locate the family but in the meantime take the cat so that we could hoover etc prior to my guest arriving. We were very sad to see her go as she was such a sweet cat but asked if they could let us know what happened. We also offered to look after her ourselves should she not have a family.
About an hour later a car pulled up outside. It was the cats protection lady with a young woman and a 6 year old girl. The cat belonged to them, was called Fizz and had been missing for over a week. They had been so worried. The woman was overwhelmed with gratitude and really very emotional. The little girl was so sweet and really pleased to have her cat back. So a happy ending which was great. The family, unexpectedly popped by today with flowers for me and gifts for the girls along with a sweet card which the little girl had drawn to say thank you... i was so touched.(even the dad came too.. they were obviously so relieved).






So my sofa has an empty spot for a cat or a dog... it really feels the right time for us to have a family pet as we have lots of love to give. Maybe me turning 40 is an added reason ... and that i am having no more babies...?!


Now on to the award...



Lovely Sal at Sal's Snippets has passed on to me this blog award. Thank you so much Sal... i am so pleased you enjoy visiting here. Sal lives in a beautiful part of Devon and her blog is full of lovely images of her surroundings, her vintage thrifted treasures and her creative projects. I have just noticed that she also has an etsy shop... you might like to take a look.

Now the deal is that i now nominate 7 blogs that i love. This is so hard as i love so many and also i have done a similar award before. I have tried to pick blogs that i believe have not received this award yet and ones that i am enjoying at the moment...some old friends and some new.
So here goes.. my nominations are...

1. pipany for a sensory delight as she writes so descriptively and i often feel i am in cornwall there with her.

2. diana at pebbledash who takes stunning photographs and who has a love of the colour blue which i am increasingly drawn to. I always love to pop over and visit her.

3. louise at This is my patch whose observations on plants, and wildlife are so inspiring and always informative.

4. caireen at the patchwork dress who is 'blog resting' just now although is very busy with her work. i find her posts somehow refreshing and love her observations and photographs.

5. michele at cowboys and custard who i will finally get to meet in November. Lots of interesting vintage and reflective posts and her shadow boxes are charming.

6. florence at flossie teacakes as i adore her writing style, love her long posts and she always manages to make me laugh.

and finally

7. raina at raining sheep. I met raina through her visual ephipany blog where she posts the most exquisite images. Her beautiful photography and amazing sense of colour shines through in her blogs and i now enjoy visiting both.

On receiving this award it is customary to spread the love further if you wish by
a) posting the logo on your blog. b) Linking back to the award giver c) nominate at least 7 other blogs and add their links to your post and d) post a comment onto their blogs to let them know they have an award.

Now i am off to do just that...
ginny x

fancy that we have a cat!

Yes our black feline friend came back again last night...

She turned up at the back door just before 11pm. I rang our Cats protection lady who said to keep her in and she would come this morning with a scanner?! to check and she if she is microchipped. She cannot be here until 10 though so we are having to keep her in. At the moment she is curled up asleep on the sofa, although earlier she wanted to go out. Roll on 10 oclock as i am slightly concerned as a good friend is coming down to stay with us this weekend who is allergic to cats, so i will need to hoover and air the house before she gets here.

The girls are enjoying this whole experience and it really has made us realise that we would love to give a home to our friends kittens when they are old enough to leave their mother. R really loves cats and they always purr the loudest for him. Our recent concern has been that he seems to have developed an allergy in recent years although our feline guest has not affected him as yet.

Cute as this cat is i am certain that she has a home somewhere. She is very glossy and looks well cared for. Cats are fickle and there is a lovely story of a cat who has 6 homes on one street in a row of terraces where the neighbours don't speak to each other and each family thinks that the cat is theirs. It is called 'six dinner Sid' and is written by Inga Moore and i have found a lovely review of it here. The thing is .... the cat in our house looks a bit like six dinner Sid... i wonder?!!!

g x

Summer fun

Despite the weather being pretty crappy we do have some summer fun to report.
Our little camping trip went well and most importantly the tent went up on a sunny day and thankfully was packed up on a dry day too. So no tedious airing it in the back garden when we got home!



We stayed on the east coast of the Isle of Wight this year and explored from there. We didn't plan each day rigidly but rather let them unfold gently. This worked so well and kept everyone happy. The girls were a delight and we all enjoyed this holiday and easily adopted a much slower pace.

The first day was a scorching beach day, with deckchairs, picnic, warm sand, swimming and ice cream.

We also made it to the garlic farm this year and the lavender farm.



Elephant garlic flowers.


lavender farm

A fantastic time was shared with friends here at a fabulous Medieval day. There were demonstrations and activities for the whole family. We all had a go at archery, watched some Medieval dancing and talked to the costumed exhibiters about Medieval life from herbs and food to dress and latrine pits. The company who run these events have a website which has some great links on and this event is planned at the end of August too. Looks great!? I was particularly drawn to these as you would imagine...

Medieval poppet dolls made from wool and linen and stuffed with moss.

Many hours also were spent looking out to see and waiting to catch the waves as they crashed over the rocks. So exhilerating!

waiting to get wet!

and finally here is a photo of a friendly tiny rabbit who with it's friend were seen nibbling leaves just 50 yards from our tent. The girls were over the moon to see wild bunnies so close.



They are so desperate for a pet and now that i am going to be at home more we are looking...
there is a possibility of a friends kittens (they are sooo sweet!) but we think R is allergic to cats. We have arranged to borrow one when they are a bit bigger (only 4 weeks old now) to check. Although we may not need to as black cat appeared on our doorstep last week wanting to get in... it has been back a few times and when i got home at 12.30 the other evening there was a loud miowing ... we are so soft that we let her come in. She (we think it's a girl ) had a look around, brushed up against our legs in that affectionate moggy kind of way and went upstairs and curled up on the end of the girls bed and settled down. It was like she had always done that. We both think that she is here for a reason.. maybe she is a magic cat says my eldest, come to test daddy's allergy. I have always loved black cats.

We made her a bed and let her sleep downstairs. She went off a little reluctantly in the day and appeared back last night and appeared hungry. We fed her outside the back door and then another black cat appeared! almost identical. Our feeling is that some folks may be on holiday and that she is being fed but wants some petting (although she did seem hungry). She is very friendly. She has no collar but i understand that cats can be microchipped nowadays. I have a contact of a local cat protection lady and i hope to talk to her today. I would be gratefully if anyone has any advice on this and on cat allergies too. I will let you know what happens.

Nearly the weekend. Hope yours are good.

Will be back soon with book news... very exciting as it is nearly September!
ginny x