Sunset

The sunset was spectaular last night. We hung out of the window watching it go down and I tried for a few photos.
It looks so peaceful and rural. You wouldn't think that those trees are hiding the ringroad and Waitrose.

I've been gardening

We've been tackling the mess that is our top garden. To be honest it looks a lot worse than when we started but the broken arch has been dismantled and lots of dead stuff collected up and put ready for a bonfire. Digging out all the dandelions has been killing my back though. I'm finding excuses not to bend over now.

As well as a ton of frog-spawn in the pond there were four big frogs and a teeny-tiny little one. There are three hiding out in the kingcup. (Click for a bigger picture.)

While we cleaned out the mice they were put in the old fish tank. I thought this would give me a better chance of photographing them. Out of about 400 pictures I think 10 actually had mice in them and about 5 of them were almost in focus.

This is Charliemouse.

Sprite (and Bandit in the food bowl)

Sasha

and Bandit again.

Teazle was fascinated by them.

Joy!

The sun is shining and I feel ludicrously and ridiculously happy today. Must be spring.

Busy, busy, busy

I've been really busy this week. I've picked up a few days work because one of the kitchen staff has a badly broken toe and I've been helping Ally redecorate her office so there's not been a lot of time for internetting.

I've been working on a cozy dog coat for Sophie in my free time and it's just waiting for it's binding. There will be photos later but needless to say it is scrappy and very, very bright. She's going to get laughed at!

We've also become the proud owners of four very cute baby mice. Y bought them their cage with the pocket money he'd saved, E bought some additional tubing and stuff for it, Granny bought them a mouse each and we bought the other two. They are adorable and far too much time is being spent standing in the kitchen watching them run around their tubes and wheel. They are proving very hard to photograph but there will be some pictures of the extremely funky cage coming soon.

My Birthday

Yesterday was my 44th birthday. We have less than no money at the moment and Phill was away working so I didn't expect it to be much of a day.


I was completely wrong. My Mum baked me an awesome cake,

and invited me to spend the day with them. They provided me with a four course lunch and a glass of wine and wouldn't even let me do the washing up.

My brother used his culinary skill and made me some amazing coconut biscuits and a couple of jars of the most divine coconut and cashew curry paste. He had also turned the coconut shells into bird feeders, so the coal tits are going to be very happy.

Ally gave me some money so I can continue to indulge my obsession with Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Perfume Oils. She also bought me this book.

Out of the 101 recipies I think there were only about 3 that we didn't fancy. I'm pretty sure some major cooking will be happening very soon.

The ever lovely Dotty sent me a surprise birthday parcel, which contained some beautifully coordinated fabric, a pin cushion like the ones I'd admired on her blog, four green buttons with white polka dots and a pack of pencils with a sharpener and rubber. These are particularly useful because the boys ALWAYS steal mine and never give them back.

Check out the patterned fabric. Cooking, gardening and quilting fairies! The quilting fairy looks a lot like a slimmer version of me.

My parents bought me wine, chocolates, a set of large ramekins and then there was this interesting box from Goldsmiths.

It turned out to contain a really beautiful necklace. It proved almost impossible to photograph it as it has alternate polished and brushed links and the camera seemed to get confused. Here is the best shot I could get. I love it to bits, it's nice and unfussy without being plain or old fashioned looking. I think I'll be wearing this an awful lot.

MIL had forgotten my birthday as usual so she took me out for lunch at Wagamama's today.

Hubby and the boys are going to give me breakfast in bed on Saturday and pander to my every whim all day (allegedly!!!).

All in all a wonderful day, even if the weather was horrendous.