Ever wondered what living in a cloud is like?

It is damp

and grey

with limited visibility.

Dear Sunshine, two days wasn't enough. Please come back soon. Love, trash

Alone. All alone.

So here I am, the day before the end of January and I have been kicked out of my home.

I shouldn't complain really I suppose.

The sun is shining. The sky is blue and finally the temperature has risen into positive numbers. That and the fact that my banishment is only temporary. As I wait for the ping of the text message to say I am allowed back I am sitting ina flash chain coffe shop at a table with comfy seats. I have an uber-trashy newspaper, CK's baby laptop, my knitting plus a MAHOOSIVE hot chocolate has been consumed.

One can only imagine the things that are taking place back at Trash Towers.

Last year during my exclusion they were designing and decorating the '40' magnet that now adorns my fridge. The year before I walked the dogs in the bitter cold and dark while they secretly baked a cake. Apparently it was CK's determination to keep it secret that stopped him washing the dishes that were already waiting to be done. You see, he didn't want me becoming suspicious so he only did the implements of baking. He was corrected of this misapprehension very swiftly.

Tomorrow will show the results of today's adventures.

So anyway this past week up at Trash Towers we have

- had the architect visit and been extremely excited to think we wouldn't need planning permission but reality soon intruded. (I know I have posted this already but I did say the ecitement was extreme!!!)

- had words with destructoBoy's teacher bc I am sending him to school in tears as he is so bored. Was very restrained about the whole thing and tried to work w her (trust me it isn't easy) but think the older, v . experienced teacher sidling into room on a pretext during meeting AND then contributing more than a little rude and quite odd.

- been pondering the balance of letting daughter attend much desired sleepover vs not wishing her to watch 'Zombieland' movie OR 'Sun, sea & sex' tv programme.

- been gobsmacked at friend thinking it funny to point out on Facebook that she thinks I talk to much. Perhaps I do love but there is a time and place is all I am saying.

- watched OMD become increasingly wobbly-headed and unsteady. Think he may have had another episode. Current in-house theory is extreme cold exacerbates his condition.

- found job to apply for. Right field, close-by, not ridiculous hours. All this adds up to me being unlikely to get it! Never mind, shall send in application anyway.

- have given into the frigging headcold that has been visiting. Am so completely over having to exist on lipbalm and water. Promise that one day my lips will be uncracked?

- made one of Jodie's softies. OK so his head is a little skewiff and I didn't put on the seperate face bit that actually makes him a monkey but d/Boy and I were pleased.

- made a fairy skirt for god-daughter bc it is really only 4yo who will wear the things I make (see note about 'skewiff' above).

- tried to knit lace patterns. With each attempt I manage several rows correctly and then BAM! the whole thing goes wrong. Do you think it is personal?

- had a pedicure AND an eyelash tint. Beautician lady is also teaching assistant at d/Boy's school so indulged in good gossip. Plus tint was free as she was practising for her course. Noice!

- planned day out to Southampton with CK tomorrow. John Lewis, Ikea, Waterstones and as many other nice shops as I can fit into the available time there. Damn you school pick-up necessity!

- made biscuits AND cake for school cake stall.

- had lunch with lovely friends in gorgeous cottage. Some people just have the magic touch with design and acessories.

- been with a friend when she received horrible news.

- , as always, taken time to be grateful and appreciative of the small things that make up life.

Wishing you all a fabulous February.

What is THAT thing?

Up there! In the sky.

It is becoming shinier and shinier!

Huh!

Turns out the world ISN'T monochromatic!





(We had a not-quite-as-heavy frost this morning when we got up which is good. Unfortunately it is sitting on top of yesterday's extremely heavy hoar frost so everything is still extremely icy.)

The literal mind of the nine year old boy

This morning as I turned off the television I went into Saturday morning 'Sgt Majr Mama mode'.

"Both of you go and strip your beds please." issued forth alongside a whole load of instructions. You know the kind - brush your hair, get dressed, brush your teeth, have breakfast, tidy up, etc, etc. While they finished following orders I started the wash of the bed linen.

Later that morning I turned to d/Boy and said "Boyer, when you take that stack of folded undies and socks (that have been festering for several days on the end of the couch) up to your room will you take your sheet up and put it on your bed please."

I have just been up to his room. There on his bed amid the detritus of a stripped bed is his sheet, all freshly laundered and still folded. *le sigh*

Just a short note.

Trash Towers

On Top of The Hill

UK

22/09/10

The Rat Family

By the Compost Bin

Lower 40

On Top of The Hill

UK

Dear Rat Family,

thank you so much for your polite greeting the other week. It is always sociable when newcomers to the neighbourhood introduce themselves.CK was stunned to hear your dwelling had been constructed so quickly. In his experience building work doesn't seem to get past the planning stage very often but let's not focus on kitchens.


Hopefully you noticed the few care packages we placed on your doorstep as gestures of goodwill and will, by now, have consumed the deliciousness hidden inside them.


I would like to apologise for the raucous greeting of my assistant last week. We do not get to meet many from other lands and cultures in our little rural setting; this Hilltop is a long way from anywhere but then its peace and tranquility is why we all come here, yes? I was glad to see you remained quite unperturbed by my assistant's joyous shouts and dancing. It gave me real hope for how our future relationship will develop.

Yours sincerely,

trash.

Theoretically I am going home .... at least once.

If not up to five times. You see that is how many times this morning I have typed the required details of my flight times and airline, my address, my names and my bank details into the blurry STA website and each time it says

'processing your request'

we hit a wall and I am met with

'Error, you have timed out of this window, we cannot proceed.'

So on the off chance I do get 6 e-tickets into my inbox next time I log into my email who fancies changing their name by deedpoll and coming with me?

Day Three - one reason I love the UK cold weather.

First fire of the season.

A collage of life in a week.

I have been footling around this week and stuff has happened. Most of it good. So I thought perhaps a little collage of loveliness might be in order.

reading left to right

1. this is the 6' square quilt top I have been putting together since before the grand Blogger Meet up in Oxford. The middle section is another tranche of the gorgeous squares sent to me by Kylie flanked on all sides by soft green drill with corners of 'Travels with my Aunt' by Woodrow Studio of London. I love it soooooooooo much!

While piecing the outer section CK asked me whether I had included my 'Shaker element' so I blame him for the horrible mistake I noticed when I lay it out to size the batting. Despite having spent many minutes ensuring the corners all went in the same direction I sewed one side down the wrong way!!!!!!!! So I tonight I have a date with a pair of thread scissors, a pin and quite some patience.

2. Princess C-W attended a birthday party this weekend for the Whiny Daughter of Mrs. Bit Tired. They are midst mahoosive house extension and Whiny Daughter's new room is going to be lilac. I was quite pleased with this cushion because I am not so good at the whole edging with zigzag.

3. This is the gorgeous, hand embroidered old linen tea towel sent to me as part of my fabulous prize from the very lovely Comfy & Cosy. I am extremely harsh on tea towels and frequently get through double figures in a day so there was no way this was going anywhere near my kitchen.
Currently it is sitting in the dining room waiting for something exciting to happen.

4. A button purchased on my birthday excursion to Millie Moon. Tis pretty, non?

5. What happens when you leave the seven year old in charge of washing up.

6. Another shot of the picnic quilt. Unfortunately the elf in charge of collage cut off the lower corner which shows the old man grey dog lying down mirroring the black dog.

7. A packet of old, brand new cot sheets I bought at a flea market a few weeks ago. These are magnificent. Two, bright white, crisp, 100% cotton sheets now in my possession. I am off hunting for more next time we go back there.

8. A smackerel sample of the fabric sent by Comfy&Cosy in my parcel of loveliness. (I think this deserves a post all of its own so y'all can appreciate the generosity of this parcel.)

9. A close up of the fabric used in the cushion. This metre and a half of high quality cotton came from a different jumbley in a squaddie town not far from here. This paisley is exactly like 1970s pyjamas and the more I look at it the more I love it.

Weekend work (fabric has been claimed :-)

It rained here this weekend.



And it was cold.



It was also extremely windy, especially just in front of the main door.



The childer were recovering from all the attendant excesses of a Halloween sleepover.



So CK made us all do boring old house stuff.



The airing cupboard has been begging for a sortout for some many months now. Once our guest had left on Saturday morning CK pulled everything out onto the floor with great relish then came downstairs and said I would have to go sort it all!



Poor old Princess C-W's bedroom was several metres under towels, bed linen, cot sheets, ancient cloth nappies, table linen and fabric. Lots of fabric.



For someone who doesn't sew it seems I have quite a stockpile of fabric - just in case.

Just in case I work out how to use my sewing machine.
Just in case there is ever a worldwide fabric shortage.
Just in case I ever have a need for some wide strips of plum coloured cord.


We bought 10 storage bins - 2x75 litre, 2x40 litre, 6x15 litre. The littles are fabulous for table linens, single duvet covers, 'in-case of'* duvet covers and pillowcases - one for them and one for us, everything all paired up and easy to hand.


The medium ones fit sheets and our duvet covers (kingsize so they needed some space) and then the big ones. One has a couple of duvets and the other? All 75 litres? Is full to the brim of fabric. All kinds, all sizes, all weights and colours. Among all the exciting stuff was a 2 metre piece of dove, grey heavy, slubby linen. How fantastic is that!


However I didn't keep all of it. A few scraps got thrown into the bin and then I put some into a bag because I thought you folks on the innernets may like to have a little nosey too.

There is just about everything in there - from cotton to fleece, fake fur to silk. Some bits are scrappy and others are over a metre long. If you are interested in a bag of scraps leave your name and you may join in the benificence of CK's weekend work :-)

*skanky old ones but good enough to keep 'in-case of' sicky bugs