school's out...

so once again a week flies on by and i am looking back wondering where the days have gone...my yarn project has been stuffed back in the suitcase for another day, quite frankly i need to stick to rectangles and squares...circles are not my thing. i had planned to spend last thursday evening correcting my circular cushion disaster but as our #4 ended up requiring stitches to a wound he received running into his drum kit, it was not meant to be...

a few days on and his 'war wound' is looking just great, quite amazing to see how fast young skin heals...(i am still nursing a cut received on my shin by my platform bed several months ago which appears not to want to fade in any way at all)...i have also been wrapped up in end of school events...three of my 'dears' are changing schools next year so lots of goodbyes needed to be said, add to this 'the worst weather' since records began for spring, it's been a strange old week...

i did however on the morning of 'the last day' pull out Miss Ethel and give her a whirl, i have been motivated into this by our #1, she kindly pointed out that i was not unlike the Roman Empire...

"mother" she said "that would perfectly describe you and dottie angel, this time last year you were riding high on selling slips but a year on you have let it all go just like the Romans...you need to pull it together and before it is too late."...after making three slips i sat down with a cup of tea to watch the clock, counting the minutes and thought to myself, "i think i've still got it"...

and so as i pack my bags and head across the pond to rest awhile with my parents...i shall use the time wisely to work out a schedule that sees me finding a balance between...

1. motherhood

2. remodelling mossy shed

3. building a hen house

4. doing up Gladys

5. keeping a family of six fed from a veggie patch

6. dottie angel

7. etsy

8. baking edible treats

9. pulling it all off effortlessly

10. turning forty with style...

she's wishing you a lovely month and hope's to be back, in control at the end of july ~ Tif

a good yarn...

last night i hauled out my yarn stash...i realized that it has been forever and a day since i did anything with yarn. a bit of 'yarn therapy' was in order and all the more, since i happened upon this beautiful book in Borders a few weeks back...

the shelves in my local bookstore are heaving with knitting and crocheting books, they always look tempting and it seems each week new ones are published...but when my eyes lit upon 'Vintage Crochet' by Susan Cropper (she of the wonderful Loop store) my little heart skipped a beat...if you have a liking for all things retro and vintage mixed in with some yarn then this book is for you with it's wonderful inspiring images and lovely patterns...

my problem i realized when looking to see which project i wished to start was my yarn stash...an awful lot of 'one of everything' seemed to be in my suitcases. what does this say about me as a yarn shopper? so i narrowed it down to the fact i wished for a round cushion (what is it about me and knitted/crocheted cushions, none of them have ever come out right) to sit upon a little seat by my front door...

i was also very much taken with the lampshade and the colors used...as luck would have it i had very similar colors amongst my stash...

so i have set about crocheting a cushion cover loosely based upon this lovely book...i say loosely because i am making it up as i go along, so far it is resembling a beret and not a cushion cover, i am hoping that will sort it's self out when stretched over the cushion...we shall see. if i make it to the end then i shall reward myself with some proper yarn shopping of the appropriate yarn to follow one of the patterns precisely...

in the meantime i must tell you 'the diggers' and 'the men' are back right outside mossy shed, i have been told it won't be long before my contact with the outside world is taken away for a day or two...so i shall take the time to finish up my cushion cover, using 'therapy' time with my yarn to ponder on how i am going to get through ten weeks of summer with my 'lovelies' in a positive good parenting way...

she's noticed a small gap in the clouds, could there be sunshine coming her way ~ Tif

another day in paradise...

the last few days have passed in a blur of paint and rain...our #4's bedroom is finished apart from requiring a new floor covering and the platform for his bed (all in good time)...

i have now turned my attention to the landing and stairs, with the doors and frames finished it was down to covering up the dingy 'hasn't seen a lick of paint in years' knock down.

dear readers it was not unlike trying to paint a cliff face (not that i have ever tried to paint a cliff face, i am merely using my imagination here)...who ever used his talent to create the texture on my wall must have fallen asleep when waiting for the plaster to be 'just right' for knocking down...he missed his window of time and now i have been left 28 years later with an incredibly heavy surface to cover...however the good news is all the white is doing a marvelous job of making the hallway feel bright and cheery even on the dullest of days (and there's a lot of those at the moment)...i just have the stairwell bit left to do and quite frankly i am leaving it for my man, a little treat for the weekend...

Winston is not a happy bunny, i moved him down the yard as my man said it was all looking a little crowded...then the storm came through and appeared not to care about Winston in the least when it came to debris...

miss josephina lola has taken up residence in my flower bed...i am worrying as to how long she will survive our inclement weather

my veggie patch isn't looking very exciting either, unless we get a bit of sun soon i fear any seeds i have planted are no longer in my patch but washed down the hill residing at a neighbor's...i can see it now "honey, did you plant cauliflower and peas in my herbaceous border?". "why no Frank, i did not"..."mmm, well i'll be"...

and so you can be sure that the dreary (and cold, i might add) weather is slowly going to my head. that and the knowledge tomorrow is my last full day before school ends...enough to make a grown woman cry...

she's thinking there's nothing for it but to go and do a bit of thrifting to cheer the spirit ~ Tif