Rule, Britannia!

The garden table from the CB …

… has now been painted and a new top made by DH. (Boards were biscuit jointed and a circular saw and router used to make the circle and edges.) This video (6 minutes in) shows a table saw in action cutting a circle.

It looks much better now. The bench has had a makeover and I've just finished painting the other table base and the parasol base. They can just be seen in the first picture. The rectangular table needs another top making and then there will only be one more garden ornament to paint this year. The 'new' table is called a Britannia table. It is now our table of choice, at the moment, for the patio.

It's been another sunny, warm day here. The forecast was rain but not a drop fell. We can't rule the waves for Britannia today!

xx

PS Cat tree information.

We used 50 metres (about 50p a metre) of rope to cover two of the tree legs. (Screwfix)

The covering thin carpet cost £9.

The wood is re-cycled school library shelves.

The top basket was DD's cat basket and cost about £7.

The tubes were cardboard rolls from the carpet shop.

We used contact spray adhesive to stick the carpet and rope.

The labour was free.

:)

Pusscat pics

Here is the cat tree under construction. The cardboard tubes are from inside carpet rolls. The top is a plastic cat basket. The tubes were covered in very thin carpet from a carpet shop and rope - which we got from Screwfix. Homebase also sells rope but that was dearer.

Here it is finished and in use.

Hey - eyes open!

Whoops - eyes closing.

Eyes closed!

Night, night.

xx

PS - Guess how much rope was used on the 2 ropey tubes. The answer will be in the next post. :)

Questions

1. How is it that I have to clear my front garden of rubbish regularly?

Possible answers - 

a. You live in a rubbish dump.

b. You need to use your wheelie bin.

c. It blows in from the road, through and under the gate.

2. Why is there rubbish there in the first place?

Possible answers - 

a. You live in a rubbish dump.

b. People throw their rubbish onto the road instead of putting it in their pockets to take home.

c. It blows in from the road, through and under the gate.

3. What kind of rubbish is it?

Possible answers.

a. Sweetie wrappers and chocolate wrappers

b. Drinks cans, bottles and cigarette wrappers

c. Shopping receipts and shopping lists

d. Polystyrene bits, cellophane wrappers, plastic bags, string

e. Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all

4. Why do you clear the garden of rubbish if it keeps filling up again?

Possible answers - 

a. You're numb.

b. You know some people don't care but you do.

c. To keep the garden looking nice.

d. In the hope that one day people walking past will think twice about dropping their litter.

e. I live in hope.

5. What do you think of people who throw down litter in public places?

Possible answers - 

a. ****** *****!

b. *********!

c. ******!

d. ***** ***'* * **** ** ******** ****!

Thoughts

1. Oh I do like my 'bargain' new to me shoes.

I shall sit them on the dressing table and drool.

2. Aren't friends wonderful? A Traidcraft basket given to me - just because I like baskets.

3. I really shouldn't buy sweets - this jar was full yesterday!

4. At 5 foot 6 inches this will be the Rolls Royce of cat trees.

5. I've spent today tidying - it's surprising -

*how things move around rooms

*how dusty everything gets

*how much ironing we generate

*what's in the cupboards that I didn't know about (or have forgotten about - a trip to the CS is needed)

*how, whenever I sit down, a cat gets on my knee

6. Perhaps all the jobs that I've done today will count towards -

7. I think I shall list the blogs of new followers from now. Readers of this blog might like to go and visit, especially if they have the same interests. Hello new follower!

8. It's felt like Autumn today - I suppose it is now.

xx

It works

Here's the cat blanket in use.

Hey, it works...

and it's nearly the right colour!

xx

Here's ...

… the pusscat blanket for DD's new cat.

It's done in pusscat colours to match pusscat.

And here's babypuss. We are picking her up tonight.

I'm not sure whether she's a monkey, a pig or a cat!!! :)

Ahh!

xx

I win!

Yes, I did just that. First it was a pattern for this superb afghan from Apple Blossom Dreams.  I had to answer a question and I was correct. Lucky me.

Astri, I hope you don't mind but I pinched a picture ofyour beautiful afghan.

And next I won a giveaway from the Vintage Knitter. It arrived today and I'm 'well pleased'. It will prove a very interesting read.

Thank you so much, my bloggy pals and thank you to all the new commenters. I will have a great time visiting your blogs.

xx

It's a lovely day,

the sun is shining, the flowers are sill blooming.

and I may have a little sit outside for a while.

What a wonderful late summer we're having.

xx

Love is ...

… sharing the one plum that grew on the plum tree.

xx

Opposite the Kitchen Window - September 2014

Quite busy here today.

Soup has been rescued from the freezer for our lunch, the tomatoes were a gift from a friend and I'm baking a cake.

I had some pears which were going a bit soft and I wasn't likely to eat them so I thought I'd make a pear cake using a sponge mixture with the pears in the middle.

I still have a pile of satsumas to eat up. The whiskey's doing OK!

I 2 loaves this morning and the flour is still out. An acquaintance gave us a quick demonstration on how to play the spoons so I've chosen 2 suitable ones to practise with! I've just about got the 'hold'. Now for the rhythms.

The cake turned out pretty well and some of the slices are going to the freezer for another day.

Hello and welcome to 2 new followers. I hope you enjoy your visits.

xx

From my seat

Late afternoon with the sun shining and time for a sit - or rather a snooze! The doors of the garden room are open but pusscats don't want to go for a walk, preferring a warm knee. To my right is DH zzzedding - it was a hard morning walking round the Car Boot Sale.

I'm busy crocheting a pusscat blanket for DD's new kitten.

In front of me is one of the purchases from the CB - a Britannia pub table, minus top. It will soon be painted green to match the other garden furniture and DH will make a new top. (Not today!)

To my left there is a recipe in a magazine for marinaded chops with rice that I fancy making for tea.

Looking up there is the collection of stones and a pusscat hiding basket. They can't fit in underneath now so DH can have the basket if she wants for the new kitten.

To my left is a view of the old school table again with my Singer hand sewing machine proudly on display. My 2012 blue blanket is on the sofa.

Above are the orchids in baskets and pots.

xx

PS The tea was awful. I'll be making up my own concoctions in future!

The edible back garden

I have to reach up quite high to pick our runner beans. Not to worry if I leave some to mature as I use the seed for next year.

The asparagus ferns and leeks can just be
seen on the right.

This basket full is for sharing - one portion for me for the freezer, 2 portions for colleagues and the fourth for me for eating for my tea.

Here is the last bunch of grapes from over 50 that have grown on the vine in the greenhouse. The variety is Muscat of Alexandria and it is a sweet dessert grape which is also used for making wine. I just eat the grapes which are delicious. Unfortunately the grapes grow too big to fit on the bunch so some go bad and I have to pick off the best grapes. DH has bought me some grape scissors so that I can thin the bunches out next year.

The leaves on the vine will now die back and fall to the ground and I'll prune the vine branches back ready for next year.

PS A warm welcome to two new followers. It would be nice to know how you came across this blog and why you started following. :)

xx

Around the world?

To the tune - I am Sailing

I am sailing, I am sailing,

far across the sinky sea.

I am sailing my last courgette (pronounce - courgette-er)

To use you, to be free.

I have used up, all your brethren,

soups and pastas, curries too,

so prolific, so much chopping,

I am glad to be free of you.

May I thank you, my bloggy sisters,

your ideas all unfurled,

stuffed and jammy, chocolate cakey

But I chose to - sail the world.

My first sail was a little too small for the great task ahead. It's only a small pink, crocheted square.

Astri,  do you recognise it?

I've made a few now from wool that was in my stash. I'm living dangerously and am tackling the La Vie en Rose blanket using as much wool from my stash as possible.

My other sail was a little larger but not complete so it was as useless as the first for sailing around the world.

It's another dishcloth with again, more wool from the stash. Pam, your white dishcloth is still going strong and now I'm branching out with other colours of cotton. (Spot the purple creation!)



So, sailing round the world in my Very Large Courgette was not an option so I've made more soup with one half using veggie leftovers - peppers, carrot, tomatoes and the other half I'm going to stuff.

Same old, same old but I've had a little sailing adventure on the way.

xx