Setting the Fairy free :)

So Saturday starts with a smile, the black cloud that hangs over me has lifted :) its so nice to see the world with open eyes and lots of colour! After a cuppa and a read of the papers in the comfort of a warm duvet breakfast was decided on.....Lightly boiled eggs with soldiers, for any of you who don't know they are not real soldiers, just sliced and buttered slices of toast, that you dip in the egg! A childhood memory indeed for many of us.

Breakfast was treated like a feast, with flowers on the table, napkins and as you can see an unexpected guest! The bear in the background is called Oddment, I knitted him at Christmas as a pressie for a family member, after opening he was sat on the chair and there he has stayed, watching all the family comings and goings. 
Our kitchen is the most important room in our house. My children have grown up eating countless meals sitting around our large table. Its a place for laughter, sometimes tears, a table to chat around and discuss current affairs. So many happy memories of Christmas's, Birthday parties, celebrations, entertaining friends, and of course its where my Nutty Knitters group knit, chat, drink tea, and eat cake every other Wednesday.

So back to breakfast....dipping all my toasted soldiers into the soft egg, and washing it all down with hot tea, the time had come to turn the egg upside down in the egg cup, crack a hole in the shell to let the fairy out! My mother used to say by letting the fairy have her freedom she would bring good luck and grant a wish! My family think I am bonkers to still be  cracking the empty shell at my age. And like one of my sons says, if the fairy is silly enough to live inside an egg then she deserves to stay in there, besides he adds,if I had of thought about it logically I must of killed her anyway during the boiling.....he has a point but I still continue to let her out anyway..just in case :)

Seems one wish was granted this morning.....having lost the dark cloud for a while I have been able to function a little better and creativity overflows...I am off to my studio now to draw and stitch....watch this space for a new creation :)


I still have one wish that I would so love to have granted, one that is in my heart and soul and been there for a very long time. So while I wait I will continue to eat eggs and let the fairy out......one day someday, who knows that is the future when it comes. xxx

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.Henry David Thoreau

Legends and folklore about eggs.


When you have finished your boiled egg, crush the shell or push the spoon through the bottom to avoid bad luck. This stems from the belief that witches collect up the empty shells and use them to go to sea and work spells against hapless mariners. 


The giving of Easter eggs and the use of eggs in all sorts of other festivities, both 


Painting eggs red at Easter is seen as good luck, as it is the colour of blood and life.

German and Slav peasants rubbed a mixture of eggs, bread and flour on their plows hoping to improve the harvest. 

To ensure a big family, a 17th-century French bride would crack an egg on her new home's doorstep before entering.

In the 19th century, builders in Bombay, India, put an egg and milk into the foundations of new structures to protect them from harm. 

Even before Christian times people colored, blessed or exchanged eggs as part of the rites of spring to welcome the sun's awakening from its long winter sleep. Early Christians adopted the egg, which represented the renewal of life, as a symbol of Christ's resurrection from the grave.

Several folk tales explain the origin of dyeing Easter eggs. One legend from Poland recounts how the Virgin Mary herself painted boiled eggs in bright colors to please the infant Jesus.

Eastern Europeans may exchange eggs bearing the letters "XB" for :Christ is Risen". Russians exchange a decorated egg and three kisses.

Chips and friends and smiles!

Mary Janes....best fish and chip shop in Cromer North Norfolk.

Chips.....few people can resist the smell of hot chips sprinkled with salt and vinegar, a comfort food for me and always evokes a memory. Mary Janes fish and chip shop in Cromer holds many fond memories. Norfolk has become a second home for us over the past 25 years and many a lunch has been eaten by  my children, their friends, us as a family and of course some of my special friends have all enjoyed a slap up meal here. Of course no seaside holiday would be the same without chips, best way to eat them is straight out of the paper sitting on the prom or better still on the beach. mmmmmmmm

A few facts about fish and chips

During World War II, ministers bent over backwards to make sure fish and chips were one of the few foods that were never rationed.

The potato is thought to have been brought to England from the New World in the 17th century by Sir Walter Raleigh although it is believed that the French invented the fried potato chip.

Both Lancashire and London stake a claim to being the first to invent this famous meal - chips were a cheap, staple food of the industrial north whilst fried fish was introduced in London’s East End. In 1839 Charles Dickens referred to a “fried fish warehouse” in his novel, 'Oliver Twist'. The populace soon decided that putting fried fish and chips together was a very tasty combination and so was born our national dish of fish and chips!

Fish and chips became so essential to the diet of the ordinary man and woman that one shop in Bradford had to employ a doorman to control the queue at busy times during 1933.

You may wonder why I am nattering on about chips? Well last week was a bit of a flat one for me. My work seems to be going no where right now, which is very frustrating, and Thursday was the 3rd anniversary of our house fire. And even now the trauma and flashbacks disturb me on a daily basis. Thursday was no exception. I found myself feeling sorry for myself and lonely....But a surprise knock on the back door lifted my mood completely.

Two of my lovely friends....you know who you are....had dropped by to share a cuppa, and had brought with them bags of chips.....how nice it as to sip tea, chat and eat, yes out of the paper and with our fingers, lovely hot chips. It certainly made for smiles all round :)  

I found this quote and and it made me smile too....

“If the soup had been as warm as the wine, and the wine as old as the fish, and the fish as young as the maid, and the maid as willing as the hostess, it would have been a very good meal.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/deepfriedfishinbeerb_67776

http://www.farndales.co.uk/4.html

http://www.foodndrink.co.uk/british-food/history-of-fish-and-chips/

A goat, 2 estate agents and a silly woman!!!

Alby Newbian Goat

Once upon a time I acquired 2 goats, a white Toggenburg called Daisy and an Alby Newbian whose name was Biggles. I had not given enough thought to goat keeping and it was not long before they produced 2 kids, things then got very complicated , they could be very entertaining and very naughty, and we seemed to spend much of our time searching for runaway goats. Eventually they became such a handful I had to get rid of Daisy and her babies, but that's another story!       

Toggenburg goat

Biggles continued to live with us for many  more colourful, and being a billy goat, very smelly years.

We live in an old farmhouse that has needed lots of renovation, which is not easy when you have 3 children, 8 cats, 2 dogs, chickens, ducks, geese, an assortment of small furry creatures  and of course goats! I would get fed up with the slow progression of building work and quite often would want to sell up. So off to the estate agents I went, and made appointments with 2 companies to come and value our property. Needless to say nobody dare make a mess or move anything , and kept out of my way over the weekend, as I cleaned, hoovered, dusted and shoved things in cupboards so the house looked suitably tidy for the first estate agent to drop by on the Monday morning.


Monday arrived and a lovely man in a suit arrived, defiantly the wrong attire for an old farmhouse which was surrounded by animals,a  building site and lots of mud! Anyway I made the chap a nice cup of tea gave him a slice of cake, made small talk for a bit, then he went of to nosey around and measure up, all the while making suitable ohhhh  arrrrr sounds. I was not sure if they were complimentary ohhh arrrrrr sounds as he looked round our home, or coming into a little farmyard he took on the persona of a farmer. 


After collecting all the details he went into the gardens to measure and admire....his shoes were now very muddy as I met him outside our barns, and there was worse to come. Entering the barns and looking around he then wanted to know what was through a door at the back. 'well' I said 'that takes us into my goats living quarters, and you have seen them from the outside when you measured the paddock'. But he was adamant he wanted to go in!


'Ok, but he is a billy goat, and smells bad, hopefully he wont come rushing up to you and make you smell just like he does'. So I fetched a bucket, filled it with food , hoping when I opened the door, Biggles would be more interested in another unexpected breakfast, rather than the said agent.


I unlocked and pushed he door open slowly....so unusual no rush of goat. Stepping inside I looked around then saw Biggles laying on his back amongst the hay! 


'Oh.....I think Biggles is asleep' I said, panicking a little as he looked a little unwell!
'My dear, I think your goat is dead' the estate agent relied
'Well he was Ok this morning when I gave him his breakfast' 
The friendly estate agent went on his merry way.....


I had intended to cover Biggles over with hay, as we could not dispose of his body immediatly. The following  morning another chap came over to value our house...guess what? I forgotten to put the hay over the goat.


Well here comes the silly woman part...the estate agent had a cuppa, a piece of cake, went round my house measuring up and making ohhhhh arrrrrr sounds, measured and admired the gardens, then stood outside my barns with muddy shoes..... realisation dawned on me....Instead of telling him to look out and not tread on my dead goat, I told him Biggles was very smelly, would rush towards him, and I had to get a bucket of food....I opened the door looked around...and exclaimed 'My goat is asleep'.....he replied 'I think your goats dead'.awwwwwwwww how silly I felt. As you can imagine I did not hear from either agent for a while. Their premises were next door to each other, so no doubt they compare details the they can come up  with similar valuations....Imagine their conversation....'Oh when I visited Hillcote Farm the lady there had a goat in her barn  that had died that morning'....'Funny enough when I went the next day she had another goat that had died that morning too'


To top the lot, my father in law would drop by most days, visit Biggles and give him some scraps. He came indoors for his daily cuppa and said 'I don't think Biggles is very well today, as he is not interested in the food I have brought him'. Laughing I then told him he had been trying to feed a dead goat!!!!! Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Happy Tuesday to you all...x
                                                                                                                                    

Living in a bucket

We of the craft are all crazy. - LORD BYRON (1788-1824)

Hiya everyone hope all is happy and bright?
My get up and go has got up and gone again, I feel like I am inside a bucket looking up and waving but no one sees me....its a case of "no one likes me, everyone hates me so I am off in to the garden to eat worms", not literately of course. I may serve up dandelions, but worms I think not!


I would so love to return to days 4 years ago when I had the freedom and confidence to go out and about, but I am trapped like a bird in a cage, scared of the world outside. Sometimes I wish I could run away from myself...lol. Each day I live in hope that this is the day I will see the colours more clearly and find "me" again.


Well enough of a moan, I know I am blessed with my family and of course my art, so on that note I am off to my studio to be creative. Have a good Saturday.....

Sandcastles, buckets and spades

She used to sit long hours on the beach gazing intently at the waves as they chafed with perpetual motion against the pebbly shore....Elizabeth Gaskell

For over 20 years during school holidays I have sat on the beaches of North Norfolk and Elizabeth's quote sums it up so well. Watching my three children on the unspoilt beaches playing their imaginary games, building sandcastles knowing they will crumble when a wave laps over them as the tide comes in. Spending lazy days picnicking on cheese rolls with a nice crunch of sand, paddling in the warm surf of the waves, digging moats and catching crabs, then releasing them at the end of the day and watching them scurry back to their watery home. Collecting shells, eating up ice creams before they melt...oh and fish and chips eaten out of the paper on the beach.... idyllic bucket and spade holidays, but I was always watchful, so had little time to myself. Although I did get to sail some paper boats.....I do like to think they reached their destination.

You know sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for....now they are grown up I have so much time to myself  its difficult to adjust. I do miss the hustle and bustle of our life with a house full of children. But time I am sure will help, time for changes and time for me after 27 years of watching and protecting them. I still have that protective instinct, but watching them step out as young people their lives ahead of them, makes me feel proud, knowing I have helped them on their way :)

 

Do you build sandcastles in the air, or on the beach?

I build them in the air, and no one else can see them. It's like my secret little castle that I like to run around in while people around look at me strangely.

Happy days love M x

New Green Leaves and Dandelions

  Walking along the whisper wood

Hand in hand 

Sharing words and promises 

Of new green leaves and dandelions.

Saturday has brought us another beautiful sunny day and it seems spring has sprung! he buds on the trees are starting to burst with new green leaves and there are yellow splashes of dandelions everywhere. People see them as annoying weeds, me well I love the beauty of the flowers and the magical dandelion clock of seeds. As kids we would blow the seeds away, counting how many it took for all the little to float off in the air. The amount of puffs determined the hour of the day!
We also believed if we picked them we would wet the bed.This phrase originated in Western Europe where dandelion leaves were traditionally used as a diuretic. However, for the diuretic to take effect, the dandelion has to be consumed; smelling or picking a dandelion won’t do it! Dandelion’s diuretic effects were so well known that other names for this plant have included pissinbed (English) and pissinlet (French)

You can send a message to a distant friend or lover by visualising your words and blowing the seeds on the dandelion clock, as they escape into the sky they will take your message with them and deliver them to that special person....A bit like my paper boats that I let sail away across the miles, maybe I will try a dandelion clock next time!


In some places, Dandelions have served as weather forecasters. If they do not open in the morning, it will rain. Or, if down flies off the seed heads though there is no wind, it will rain.


If you wanted to find out if its true love, place the dandelion under your nose and lightly smell it, if love is in the air then the tip of our nose will be yellow. If the relationship is not meant to be then the dandelion leaves no mark.

Dandelions can be used as herbal remedies and they are also good to eat. How about this for supper tonight?

Starter

Dandelion soup

Main

Battered fried dandelion flowers

with a dandelion leaf and bacon salad

Dessert

Dandelion cookies and ice cream

All washed down with dandelion wine or dandelion tea

I made the dandelion main this afternoon, it had mixed reviews with my family, I think it was the idea of eating flowers.....lol 

Pick and wash flower heads, discarding the stalks.

Dry and dip in your favourite batter recipe.

cook for a few minutes in hot oil

serve with a dandelion salad!

Dandelions are in abundance now so you can have your supper for almost free....give it a try you may surprise yourself!

"The miracles of nature do not seem miracles because they are so common. If no one had ever seen a flower, even a dandelion would be the most startling event in the world."


http://www.mountain-breeze.com/kitchen/dandelions/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frDYIg_-RaI

Healthy eating and handbags!

Happy Wednesday to you all, and I hope the day has been bright and happy :) 

This is day 6 of a healthy eating plan....I have been making my own fruit and veg juices, and already my eyes are brighter and my skin is clearer, what is going on inside though I have no idea, my tummy does grumble a bit when it receives yet another glass of  mixed vegetables, it prefers the fruit juices and smoothies...

Some of the veggie ones have been a disaster, and many of them you have to shut your eyes to drink them as the green/grey sludge lacks appeal, but hey ho I figure its doing me good! 

 

Take 1 apple, 1 lemon, half a cucumber, 1stick of celery, 1 carrot and whizz through your juicer. Pour over ice into a tall glass and decorate with greenery and a slice of orange....shut eyes and drink!

Actually this one was really nice despite the lovely mud colour!

If you are going on a juice detox restrict your carrot intake as apparently your skin can turn a nice shade of orange! Good colour for Halloween! 

So now we come to handbags! As you al know I am an Artist, and most of my work involves recycling techniques where ever possible. The last time I did a juice detox I brought commercial brands. I cleaned and stored the empty cartons knowing that one day I would find a use for the unwanted rubbish.

I had one of those bright idea moments and a bag was born. The waxed cartons were harder to stitch together that I had envisaged, so my patience was stretched to the limit at times. Anyway perseverance paid off and the bag was finished.

 I have since had 3 commissions to make these little gems...who says there is no money in rubbish!

hugs for smiles M x