tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4847096773107790722024-03-05T13:35:02.858+00:00Mama ChalkThe chronicles of one mother's attempts to create a simple, meaningful life with her family.Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-43808558528675026772012-01-21T15:29:00.002+00:002012-01-26T20:04:48.733+00:00a bump in the roadFriends, I have spent a long time away from this space. Increasingly busy family life (three children at school has greatly increased our commitments in that area), time spent working on Natural Mothers Network and a difficult-to-put-my-finger-on-it lethargy have stopped me from posting for some months.<br />
<br />
In December, I found a lump in my breast. This week, it was diagnosed as cancer. We are in a tailspin, as you can imagine. I don't have any obvious risk factors, breastfed all the children, eat well, and have no family history. "Why me?!" is the obvious, but unanswerable, question.<br />
<br />
I am going to try to start posting here more regularly again. It's such an important record for our family, and I originally started this blog as a focus for all the positives in our lives. Right now, positivity is more important than it's ever been. But I have also started another blog - <a href="http://www.mybadboob.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">My Bad Boob</a> - to chronicle my journey through breast cancer. <br />
<br />
I share the new blog with a disclaimer: it may not be a pretty space. <br />
<br />
If you are still visiting Mama Chalk, thank you for your patience. Blessings on you, and blessings on me.Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-8146032365878324262011-09-19T07:00:00.011+01:002011-09-19T07:00:08.755+01:00tuesday's child<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe8nMX_Ic4OSqlwn0yGrtn-Yvnh5mxUAtL8LB6H72rMmkctpbOLh88zWVh7yyauu9gPPWwFSDlHxAuXVItEAVjJAGytxEJtNhb4uEBmQQpl70w_w4lvsezPKdsHe0jH_FU4qNwTKhieQNq/s1600/Imogen+birth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe8nMX_Ic4OSqlwn0yGrtn-Yvnh5mxUAtL8LB6H72rMmkctpbOLh88zWVh7yyauu9gPPWwFSDlHxAuXVItEAVjJAGytxEJtNhb4uEBmQQpl70w_w4lvsezPKdsHe0jH_FU4qNwTKhieQNq/s400/Imogen+birth.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Born on a Tuesday in the early evening, on a beautiful Indian Summer's day, Imogen brought a bright vivacity and a tender heart into our family. My dark-haired, home-birthed vbac baby arrived a little late to her own party, but made sure we knew she had finally made it! Such a gentle little soul she has grown into...sometimes a dreamer, sometimes a scamp, but always - always - full of wonder and love for everything around her.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLDKINAMQztv-CGalGCynwAWupAE0lF15E0oF4LGtFpKlY9rRXCiuO-Gmq-DFSqwWZtlZaMBScHoMUDg_j024sKB0al2a6vRyacpihAnQxjjviL0CT70K6SpBJmamo68ONzhgxvLavLfcB/s1600/September+2011+039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLDKINAMQztv-CGalGCynwAWupAE0lF15E0oF4LGtFpKlY9rRXCiuO-Gmq-DFSqwWZtlZaMBScHoMUDg_j024sKB0al2a6vRyacpihAnQxjjviL0CT70K6SpBJmamo68ONzhgxvLavLfcB/s640/September+2011+039.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">We wish you a very happy fifth birthday,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">dear Imogen.</span></div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-77543668646459657382011-08-10T23:58:00.000+01:002011-08-10T23:58:02.692+01:0037 times around the sun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWsVJximj33OSDKWZGMX6z05fGIf46BgSDwHVCjibNIUFprIvXhi6wU1it5Dh7cHdFfYLKV0h6KWsJxK0i4MjYAu6o2b8e5fjdebVRFlwrUF2l-Gl7C5KcnkwYBnBtNGzrkMZIiTcvsu5/s1600/August+%252711+136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWsVJximj33OSDKWZGMX6z05fGIf46BgSDwHVCjibNIUFprIvXhi6wU1it5Dh7cHdFfYLKV0h6KWsJxK0i4MjYAu6o2b8e5fjdebVRFlwrUF2l-Gl7C5KcnkwYBnBtNGzrkMZIiTcvsu5/s640/August+%252711+136.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3h-qCQRQtYjvSYZCuSR7ApASNR3orP82dDwFpJ_GtiBfST2fQHu4o6RWlTjL5ExlvN57hFPgFY8cu8MoXnKJ_WrYrexU0InAa-gqDhOhlO2gccCtqKJMay9zlSWf3lTlujpt7ClA-ze9N/s1600/August+%252711+230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3h-qCQRQtYjvSYZCuSR7ApASNR3orP82dDwFpJ_GtiBfST2fQHu4o6RWlTjL5ExlvN57hFPgFY8cu8MoXnKJ_WrYrexU0InAa-gqDhOhlO2gccCtqKJMay9zlSWf3lTlujpt7ClA-ze9N/s640/August+%252711+230.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-8599640863255897492011-08-08T14:15:00.001+01:002011-08-08T14:26:27.924+01:00exciting newsI am thrilled to share some exciting news with you. I have had the great honour of being asked to join my dear friend in launching a <a href="http://www.naturalmothersnetwork.ning.com/">new online community space</a> for families interested in living more naturally. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHM-Gn7poo49W2STiOz3XOZFMeQQNvfjz1ip92OvMd6-_Jaj04vnKp6RMknLV9lS3AVej6RUjRq71EqPS2enOIdgVkofCVNJWUHPnToYSIRnVYl6ndvEHDti6i8i6xBee6ne80zxKELhC/s1600/August+%252710+323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHM-Gn7poo49W2STiOz3XOZFMeQQNvfjz1ip92OvMd6-_Jaj04vnKp6RMknLV9lS3AVej6RUjRq71EqPS2enOIdgVkofCVNJWUHPnToYSIRnVYl6ndvEHDti6i8i6xBee6ne80zxKELhC/s400/August+%252710+323.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Rebecca and me at the Staverton Fayre last summer.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Rebecca Watkins, who I have had the pleasure of knowing for the best part of 20 years, is the person who first introduced me to the ideas of living more simply, of taking greater care over the food I eat, and of parenting by instinct. We met when our eldest children were newborn babies (those 'babies' are now approaching adulthood!) and we now have seven children between us. Through our families' emigrations - us to America and them to France - and subsequent returns to England, our friendship has remained strong, and we have continued throughout the years to share a yearning for a simple, natural lifestyle.<br />
<br />
A few months ago, Rebecca and her husband John realised that whilst there are plenty of parenting websites and communities on the net, there was a definite lack of social networking geared towards families choosing to live gently and parent gently. A seed was germinating.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfcvncquehZ169wc1H05lgcVjM4gFN6CPDYMDkm2XFtr4qLP7fuTMzi7bHPigj8P4KooBLwx7JR6x8k9u8lgSt3AhCfU8tHIxvJavso7NHCuFHyjrDrePyGnXddMCWIFjlow9Qsiw9UzS/s1600/bank+statements+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfcvncquehZ169wc1H05lgcVjM4gFN6CPDYMDkm2XFtr4qLP7fuTMzi7bHPigj8P4KooBLwx7JR6x8k9u8lgSt3AhCfU8tHIxvJavso7NHCuFHyjrDrePyGnXddMCWIFjlow9Qsiw9UzS/s400/bank+statements+003.JPG" width="390" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>John, me and Rebecca at their wedding in 2001.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="http://www.naturalmothersnetwork.ning.com/">Natural Mothers Network</a> aims to provide a place where families can come together and share the parenting journey. You can start a blog (perhaps you already blog but would like a space where you can concentrate on another aspect of your family life - gardening, health or education for instance), there's a chat cafe, a webzine and the facility to network with like-minded families. For a lot of us, it's easy to feel a little isolated sometimes; I have friends who are the only person they know of in their local area using cloth nappies, for instance. The internet has provided the opportunity to connect with like-minded friends wherever we are in the world. We are hoping to create a space where you'll find lively debate and discussion about the topics that are important to families, whilst still being a supportive, friendly environment. <br />
<br />
Becoming a member of <a href="http://www.naturalmothersnetwork.ning.com/">Natural Mothers Network</a> is free, quick and easy. We also have a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Natural-Mothers-Network/222012751163710">Facebook page</a> and a <a href="http://www.twitter.com/">Twitter account</a> (naturalmothers) - we'd love it if you joined us over there (and bear with me while I get used to tweeting!).<br />
<br />
<br />
We have some big plans in the coming months...sponsored giveaways, guest writers, book reviews and more. Come check us out!Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-53620078996729960232011-08-05T16:31:00.000+01:002011-08-05T16:31:04.683+01:00technical difficulties<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMby1FdCWLqdt1-0laNK8MIi9gZfCpDJht6EvaamMei55iEomXnRToLKhynTrocCxN8vPl-XYWzN1pxJ0EFi4rzWudY3eCy_Uzd4SJ6kU47QRREPczpp3r8W8vgGq3bO3IiqIhDwE0P2Et/s1600/July+%252711+151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMby1FdCWLqdt1-0laNK8MIi9gZfCpDJht6EvaamMei55iEomXnRToLKhynTrocCxN8vPl-XYWzN1pxJ0EFi4rzWudY3eCy_Uzd4SJ6kU47QRREPczpp3r8W8vgGq3bO3IiqIhDwE0P2Et/s320/July+%252711+151.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div><em>For some reason, Blogger is not allowing me to post comments - on this blog or any other Blogger account. When I go to sign in, it just redirects me to my 'anonymous' comment and the whole process starts over again. So I am not ignoring you! And if anyone knows how I can fix this, I'd be grateful for advice.</em>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-26064931361357835762011-08-05T15:50:00.000+01:002011-08-05T15:50:02.899+01:00this moment: the s'more the merrier<div style="text-align: center;">A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2011/08/this-moment.html#comments">amanda soule</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvb3mXFFu3S_00EbAjFpGdmNJtjuEOhJJDphRHPtGNsf0hK78Fb9ESZMuxfaijcLxbLqrS6hBOb_k0ltG1ImayeUf8vCq5RxPmlDFmrScDiKfc401z7xebpsmdnGDwSVmyETPTfu3B1x0/s1600/July+%252711+190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvb3mXFFu3S_00EbAjFpGdmNJtjuEOhJJDphRHPtGNsf0hK78Fb9ESZMuxfaijcLxbLqrS6hBOb_k0ltG1ImayeUf8vCq5RxPmlDFmrScDiKfc401z7xebpsmdnGDwSVmyETPTfu3B1x0/s640/July+%252711+190.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></a></div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-4377131377079387132011-08-01T12:45:00.002+01:002011-08-01T15:07:55.116+01:00recipe: blueberry herman pancakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgC0JTqpBY1JKdyUb9pa8NZjTP9ONx6YhZJf0fokXqgsV_rHXFUO6H-IkQWM3ejc6KTJ4Knjt2wKVdksbJH0n5TTRr1prUf9aQeqqW49sYAUoSXyns2sfBn7gBVGDeW28mOIWkgpcstQy/s1600/July+%252711+049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgC0JTqpBY1JKdyUb9pa8NZjTP9ONx6YhZJf0fokXqgsV_rHXFUO6H-IkQWM3ejc6KTJ4Knjt2wKVdksbJH0n5TTRr1prUf9aQeqqW49sYAUoSXyns2sfBn7gBVGDeW28mOIWkgpcstQy/s640/July+%252711+049.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></a></div><br />
My grandparents had a little cabin in the North Woods of Minnesota. As a child, I did not realise how lucky I was to have the experience of spending long, lazy days on an unspoiled lake at the edge of an endless forest. It wasn't fancy. 'Having a shower' meant slinging your towel around your neck and descending the hill to the lake, where you'd hang your head over the edge of the dock, counting to ten before plunging it into the icy water. 'Using the facilities' meant picking your way through brambles to the little leaning-over outhouse, praying that you would niether collect splinters in your bumcheeks nor become the victim of a marauding bottom-biting spider.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDAyk6USGPZlYT-qp8HJvTZqTXaQCLKop5eshYY4DQICglk1E3pON_uO_vTAld6V3oRRnZqOOjvDwx6mNpfoCJoZjb2uTKW3J3rQSRz9N5M0YHteEbSK04CknvT3JTMPhI41cNCPXX4W8b/s1600/July+%252711+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDAyk6USGPZlYT-qp8HJvTZqTXaQCLKop5eshYY4DQICglk1E3pON_uO_vTAld6V3oRRnZqOOjvDwx6mNpfoCJoZjb2uTKW3J3rQSRz9N5M0YHteEbSK04CknvT3JTMPhI41cNCPXX4W8b/s640/July+%252711+024.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></a></div><br />
But it was the stuff memories were made of: learning to play gin rummy, baking <a href="http://www.bakingchristmascookies.com/rec/recipe9,230.html">kolaczki</a> with Grandma, canoeing out to the island and toasting s'mores on the campfire. And there was a special treat for a child growing up in the tropical heat of Florida - blueberry-picking. Those dusky, purplish marbles we plucked from scratchy bushes seemed so exotic to me. I savoured every berry, popping each one into my mouth and rolling it around on my tongue before squishing the juice out sharply between my teeth.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfBK_gsLjjJ3A61H-8tuUO0FqemjyCxKTBLHOqeTv9La57KiWZyQRKpXi8ZZnC4EwueEunBD-dcaRkofQ_oibGJ8ciyC1kPhO-bGEEvuxwXQDe4OhFQNU1dB3P4sXN0PRnzFlPtlGRsBH/s1600/July+%252711+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfBK_gsLjjJ3A61H-8tuUO0FqemjyCxKTBLHOqeTv9La57KiWZyQRKpXi8ZZnC4EwueEunBD-dcaRkofQ_oibGJ8ciyC1kPhO-bGEEvuxwXQDe4OhFQNU1dB3P4sXN0PRnzFlPtlGRsBH/s640/July+%252711+028.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></a></div><br />
When I first came to England, blueberries were hard to find. But now, like most things, they are readily available in the supermarket (during the summer months, at least). I bought two punnets the other day. When the impatient children had given up on begging to eat them right away, I sneaked a round little berry into my mouth. Pop! Not quite as sweet and juicy as I remembered. But close.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zyE9Wr8OlgN20j76VH_VdSMX2f-859NB0VvEZM-9lAKqzIk_cEU3AjCpO6wA2EDMbqPpBQfksm6G45kF3NXzryOnW-wxd_OiIqympZIhLRqQrH68TghpmY0EPXv5VHmW0zBzXr0IDAJo/s1600/July+%252711+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zyE9Wr8OlgN20j76VH_VdSMX2f-859NB0VvEZM-9lAKqzIk_cEU3AjCpO6wA2EDMbqPpBQfksm6G45kF3NXzryOnW-wxd_OiIqympZIhLRqQrH68TghpmY0EPXv5VHmW0zBzXr0IDAJo/s640/July+%252711+001.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Blueberry Herman Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup</span></strong><br />
<strong>The sour Herman starter, buttermilk or plain yoghurt balances the sweetness of the syrup and the sharpness of the blueberries.</strong><br />
<em>makes about 16 4-inch pancakes</em><br />
<br />
<em><strong>for the pancakes</strong></em><br />
2 C plain/all-purpose flour<br />
1 1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
2 tsp baking powder<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1 tbsp white sugar/honey/barley malt syrup/sweetener of your choice<br />
1 C <a href="http://www.recipes4cakes.com/herman/sour_recipe.htm">Herman starter</a> (if you don't have any starter, you may substitute buttermilk or live yoghurt)<br />
2/3 C vegetable oil<br />
4 eggs<br />
1 C milk<br />
1 C blueberries<br />
<br />
Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Mix the wet ingredients, including the Herman starter, in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Stir dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing well - don't worry if your batter is lumpy. The batter may be used right away, but it improves if left for at least half an hour and can be kept, covered, in the fridge for a couple of days.<br />
<br />
Preheat your pan (I like to use a well-seasoned cast iron skillet) to a medium heat. You should not need to oil your pan because there is oil in the batter. Drop 1/3 of a cup of batter into the centre of the hot pan. Right away, drop 6-10 blueberries into the batter in the pan. When the top of the pancake is full of little bubble holes, use a spatula to turn it over and cook on the other side for 30 seconds or so. Pour syrup over and eat immediately, or keep warm in the oven until all your pancakes are ready.<br />
<br />
<em><strong>for the blueberry syrup</strong></em><br />
1/2 C blueberries<br />
1C golden syrup (or maple syrup if you're feeling indulgent)<br />
1/8 C water<br />
<br />
Place the water and the berries into a small saucepan on a medium heat. Cook until the berries begin to break down. Reduce heat to lowest setting and add the syrup. Stir and keep warm until needed.Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-59134810725469282192011-07-29T15:44:00.001+01:002011-07-29T15:46:13.152+01:00this moment: farewell babyhood<div style="text-align: center;">A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2011/07/this-moment-3.html">amanda soule</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgFEQJNb5tdi5Jqykfv_cGp4Uinzru_MfUOGSTgJu49TvjBefkSep-i7n_MMdnHtfm8djSeNiAnQmC_HtP715SBVSZYhSRMSsYFbzfgodu89EJYU8sJ46mMceHNj06dGN5pFIPJKESlw9/s1600/July+%252711+054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgFEQJNb5tdi5Jqykfv_cGp4Uinzru_MfUOGSTgJu49TvjBefkSep-i7n_MMdnHtfm8djSeNiAnQmC_HtP715SBVSZYhSRMSsYFbzfgodu89EJYU8sJ46mMceHNj06dGN5pFIPJKESlw9/s640/July+%252711+054.JPG" t$="true" width="480" /></a></div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-64092672279360050042011-07-29T00:04:00.005+01:002011-07-29T00:37:49.295+01:00on the allotment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJHWsEV30jaStTFRDCwV6GfL5SP-XVKNo7ha4dJVcuyrufe-5jJH3yGdfpjTJ3Tc0lb_cLlF2zwiYB29CN5Kq8IYwBK0DwlxcNdLW5tWCheN9S9WN86a2FnjlPgLuUa42tSkD-1M-tVHt/s1600/July+%252711+075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJHWsEV30jaStTFRDCwV6GfL5SP-XVKNo7ha4dJVcuyrufe-5jJH3yGdfpjTJ3Tc0lb_cLlF2zwiYB29CN5Kq8IYwBK0DwlxcNdLW5tWCheN9S9WN86a2FnjlPgLuUa42tSkD-1M-tVHt/s640/July+%252711+075.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In England, most people's homes don't sit on enough land to support a large fruit and vegetable garden. As early as 1000 years ago, people were clearing and cultivating pieces of land held in common: these were the first allotments - land that is owned by the government, local authority or parish and is rented to individuals who wish to grow food upon it. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, allotments were provided for the landless poor who might otherwise die of starvation. Food shortages during the First and Second World Wars once again proved the importance of these parcels of earth - an estimated 1.3 million tonnes of food were produced on allotments during the 'Dig for Victory' campaign of WWII. Through the 1980s and '90s, high housing and land costs led to a decline in the number of plots available, and 'growing your own' fell out of fashion. However, recent concern about genetically modified produce, a desire to eat more organic, locally-produced food and a yearning for the simple life have all led to an upsurge in the provision and use of allotments.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAuLvhKswKJ29uoY_01rNxyOO4yLZxeseNVPbQdxTms1Y7JOQrdTn54LcLuXUAqw88FhCkx0acBSIUvgIzykveiprXYlwwcWOtZkWMmdIIv_-2SreFcOXjkfoGLVVANZh7RhrnvmddhfTB/s1600/July+%252711+171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAuLvhKswKJ29uoY_01rNxyOO4yLZxeseNVPbQdxTms1Y7JOQrdTn54LcLuXUAqw88FhCkx0acBSIUvgIzykveiprXYlwwcWOtZkWMmdIIv_-2SreFcOXjkfoGLVVANZh7RhrnvmddhfTB/s640/July+%252711+171.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We took on our first (and second!) allotment plots last March. Our two plots sit alongside each other at the bottom of the hill. We had a choice of plots throughout the field, but I chose these because they get little passing traffic; I didn't want to become famous in the village for my inability to build a bean wigwam or grow onions in straight lines! Back in wet, gray March, I had visions of the whole family, elbow-deep in soil, munching our way through various heritage varieties of fruit and veg that are normally too expensive for us to buy in the shops. I envisaged row upon row of Kilner jars, full of home-canned produce. Yes. Then I came to my senses and realised I would be happy to just produce <em>something</em>! Somethat that lived and that we could eat.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASCSwx8D1F4WP8s-m9vOs7MF2-Y8Jnf8_r3VIvq43ZqSpqgJ9Xqqhb7N8V0qengcRls5VGe8nNdDmmo6ixa4rqttlppJ6vNQohG6nRadib0ttgO-dZWqZ2N2taH7X4FT8eIpZ5K18X2PC/s1600/July+%252711+042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASCSwx8D1F4WP8s-m9vOs7MF2-Y8Jnf8_r3VIvq43ZqSpqgJ9Xqqhb7N8V0qengcRls5VGe8nNdDmmo6ixa4rqttlppJ6vNQohG6nRadib0ttgO-dZWqZ2N2taH7X4FT8eIpZ5K18X2PC/s640/July+%252711+042.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well. Call it beginner's luck, but we haven't done too badly so far. We started with the leeks we inherited from the former allotmenteer. We've savoured the sweetest, juiciest, reddest strawberries; picked blackcurrants till our fingernails were permanently stained purple; pulled more radishes than one family could possibly eat; popped pod after pea pod in our mouths and freshened our breath with tickly fronds of fennel (or, as the girls call it, 'children's chewing gum'). In short, we done good.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuxqkywND_lluB7kuxxqDbZS4PznWZofVS7NTIBKCBIHwfwMxQReAWkpqD7SD1lrfyAWDOW-vZdWahBwQnrIDMlwV42hOxr7L4LKZx1ppSzAcFtBPYYkZh-sAGLOOaKK3B6iiYhjLjKsSZ/s1600/July+%252711+079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuxqkywND_lluB7kuxxqDbZS4PznWZofVS7NTIBKCBIHwfwMxQReAWkpqD7SD1lrfyAWDOW-vZdWahBwQnrIDMlwV42hOxr7L4LKZx1ppSzAcFtBPYYkZh-sAGLOOaKK3B6iiYhjLjKsSZ/s640/July+%252711+079.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taking care of a patch of dirt has proved much harder work than I - who have only ever grown food in boxes, pots and bags on concrete patios - ever imagined. Digging through wet clay for ten inches' worth of dandelion root is not exactly <em>fun</em>. But this little rectangle of earth has also proved to be very good for the soul. I have spiked my anger and hurt into icy mud after a particularly unpleasant conversation. I have wondered at the tenacity of pigeons and spent weeks trying to outsmart the crows, who seemed to beat me to every ripening strawberry in the early days of June. I have observed a four-year-old struggle, heave and eventually conquer the weight and sloshingness of a full watering can. I have chuckled at the suprised delight on the face of my littlest as she pulled her first radish from the dirt. I have sighed, knowing childhood is dancing away before my very eyes, as I watched my eldest daughter carefully plant her own tiny seeds, tucking them into their earthy beds and whispering prayers for growth. I have loved my husband more fully, knowing that as he dug potatoes from the soil, he was recollecting a time when he followed at the heels of his grandfather, himself a potato farmer. I have swelled with the pride of a new mother as I've harvested peas, beans, chard and beets: <em>I made you. I grew you.</em></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMM-2vjp8DDV4DL50jn7WWMLi3lOCi57vMZ7-DdTKZO_1OW7Wv2in-NXqRP8yJjiJFQh_cOAbRqkiQPqHDpE_1TzMFKbYmFK8f07c4awr8cH3y6apUm7YZdHo0mXwzFajfB4xXQ0-pFcv/s1600/July+%252711+083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMM-2vjp8DDV4DL50jn7WWMLi3lOCi57vMZ7-DdTKZO_1OW7Wv2in-NXqRP8yJjiJFQh_cOAbRqkiQPqHDpE_1TzMFKbYmFK8f07c4awr8cH3y6apUm7YZdHo0mXwzFajfB4xXQ0-pFcv/s400/July+%252711+083.JPG" t$="true" width="300" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXwQeSs1sKGYLMPXrZLmxGb-61dtMDqgEZytGjkCjvV0XuTquMvbQqd3AKCyg7bjtx6K5kKBg6CguBwIaAD5mWvfwNnfB6HNbL9vaodSeXCji2sFkKYq7culhmUUdapwIPfiMod5ExVZf/s1600/July+%252711+085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXwQeSs1sKGYLMPXrZLmxGb-61dtMDqgEZytGjkCjvV0XuTquMvbQqd3AKCyg7bjtx6K5kKBg6CguBwIaAD5mWvfwNnfB6HNbL9vaodSeXCji2sFkKYq7culhmUUdapwIPfiMod5ExVZf/s400/July+%252711+085.JPG" t$="true" width="300" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many months ago, I declared that my word of this year would be <em>'grow'</em>. We are indeed growing so very much in this rectangle at the bottom of the field on a hill.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWmqC6PVa9a7kiJX1qLLGqhtoqDnc9IrhZUWGv9VYXcFyMTlhEc4lZBtEF1wpa62L09V35Mw9WQ1MmTE2mRf7oPBhYfwwHRgchAqj6JSY9rFrongbD_phMX3-hiJvrLV1N_YUrps-bD6vP/s1600/July+%252711+066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWmqC6PVa9a7kiJX1qLLGqhtoqDnc9IrhZUWGv9VYXcFyMTlhEc4lZBtEF1wpa62L09V35Mw9WQ1MmTE2mRf7oPBhYfwwHRgchAqj6JSY9rFrongbD_phMX3-hiJvrLV1N_YUrps-bD6vP/s640/July+%252711+066.JPG" t$="true" width="483" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGZfbp_Xi992SfmLjhEnZsNMjXx-DwB7J3YoCk3Ehoeftt6DId8H-7pt7hMZMP_N64mijIsk2RQ0fe7C0Eqoi7GKskCtIj6g4xsoP4v9_rM9DUgNG6JvR1Tyq0rSMIZ4RotkXrHpsRmI0E/s1600/July+%252711+101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGZfbp_Xi992SfmLjhEnZsNMjXx-DwB7J3YoCk3Ehoeftt6DId8H-7pt7hMZMP_N64mijIsk2RQ0fe7C0Eqoi7GKskCtIj6g4xsoP4v9_rM9DUgNG6JvR1Tyq0rSMIZ4RotkXrHpsRmI0E/s640/July+%252711+101.JPG" t$="true" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigNoLzMaThzbBtWdilRcIIcf6ExjhWARjlqFVpiRRQ5wmIlvaqT0-wfhMtvwnBKtOuaA9nF_CXsD8fiM8rPgBHhV8Y1SiNrdv2G9s4yD0rwJAkbwdpm-Ud-O_fdm9bTjiQ_nTkPQ_bp_D/s1600/July+%252711+140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigNoLzMaThzbBtWdilRcIIcf6ExjhWARjlqFVpiRRQ5wmIlvaqT0-wfhMtvwnBKtOuaA9nF_CXsD8fiM8rPgBHhV8Y1SiNrdv2G9s4yD0rwJAkbwdpm-Ud-O_fdm9bTjiQ_nTkPQ_bp_D/s640/July+%252711+140.JPG" t$="true" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9W6covvI4JXbL5iZhO8Di2UJj1jDvBr9Z9eO-4BMUAJtWl3tws9GC_CiLCRkCS_YawFBjkWfJwd2pCIq53ISIbBPLf_SUWSzR60Ek4M6W2LWwkor48xJRc-DyfaV_k9yQfH6suqz5LxoB/s1600/July+%252711+125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9W6covvI4JXbL5iZhO8Di2UJj1jDvBr9Z9eO-4BMUAJtWl3tws9GC_CiLCRkCS_YawFBjkWfJwd2pCIq53ISIbBPLf_SUWSzR60Ek4M6W2LWwkor48xJRc-DyfaV_k9yQfH6suqz5LxoB/s640/July+%252711+125.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgc7xL8tiD-bAq-vda4GhFhAorF2qHvdoOxwHPDky459keo69Dvp8V5mBEPPXqp0ETR3fnmKeZ7pKPr__jqCSDq3A_VxFRs8NJoJ6YBGZfXg8YgOxkkisbB21u2vknZt2p6mmZWSBwcEYc/s1600/July+%252711+200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgc7xL8tiD-bAq-vda4GhFhAorF2qHvdoOxwHPDky459keo69Dvp8V5mBEPPXqp0ETR3fnmKeZ7pKPr__jqCSDq3A_VxFRs8NJoJ6YBGZfXg8YgOxkkisbB21u2vknZt2p6mmZWSBwcEYc/s640/July+%252711+200.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qWcbpWyoBjsm4zY-n73UOxTOMViyXxQuFBdiRNpEpDb4BRhPG0I1zP1s8EKZ0Oz52F6LEoAl6LbqL7bjBmmwuegHy9XdJJjMp1aYUT-xUVH8dQBgdn9CDgvcEqafdPIczTk8HdSVlPSS/s1600/July+%252711+196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qWcbpWyoBjsm4zY-n73UOxTOMViyXxQuFBdiRNpEpDb4BRhPG0I1zP1s8EKZ0Oz52F6LEoAl6LbqL7bjBmmwuegHy9XdJJjMp1aYUT-xUVH8dQBgdn9CDgvcEqafdPIczTk8HdSVlPSS/s640/July+%252711+196.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-3136461874618776982011-07-25T22:44:00.006+01:002011-07-26T09:24:09.655+01:00on a serious note: child marriagePerhaps not a subject I would normally discuss in this space. But, having learned a little about it, I cannot <em>not </em>talk about it.<br />
<br />
I know a woman who has spent many years of her life documenting child marriage, a practice which takes place in at least 50 countries around the world. Photojournalist <a href="http://pulitzercenter.org/people/stephanie-sinclair">Stephanie Sinclair</a>, whose work is regularly published in National Geographic, Newsweek and Marie Claire, has now distilled eight years of her work into a film that - beautifully, hauntingly, frighteningly, shockingly - reveals the human face of this tradition. <br />
<br />
I encourage you to watch the film (scroll down to find it at the end of this post). The images and words of young girls who have been given, traded and sold into marriage do not make for easy viewing. As a mother of three little girls myself, I was <em>deeply</em> moved.<br />
<br />
As a result of her work on this issue (which <a href="http://pulitzercenter.org/articles/child-marriage-afghanistan-yemen-nepal-ethiopia-india">she writes about here</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-942lFBQNHg&feature=youtu.be">discusses on the PBS Newshour here</a>), Stephanie and her friend Susanne Kreig set up <a href="http://www.viiassociation.org/">The Elsa, Sifirash & Friends Soap Cooperative</a>. This small-scale vocational training program is empowering young women to build safer, more stable lives for themselves and their children. If you feel moved to help, there is a donation facility via Paypal or Amazon Payments. You may also wish to share a link to <a href="http://pulitzercenter.org/articles/child-marriage-brides-too-young-to-wed-afghanistan-ethiopia-india-yemen">Stephanie's film</a> about child brides. <br />
<br />
Theirs is a story that deserves to be heard.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qYleXcpbzKY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-15947881565139565292011-07-22T16:40:00.000+01:002011-07-22T16:40:27.106+01:00this moment: summertime<div style="text-align: center;">A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week a couple of weeks ago. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2011/07/this-moment-2.html">amanda soule</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv6sQ1P__fraV1floNU6nW1ezFvbBcu-Fw9s1J-To1plJhVTA-PrS0xkTlThQ6H7rFh9zec77tF7CHTvELdmeLwdBJZ2p7cwhkkxVvWH1xFvvWgrnrU7A8T8AhVKyerFKqhFqi_zXH_P8s/s1600/July+%252711+048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv6sQ1P__fraV1floNU6nW1ezFvbBcu-Fw9s1J-To1plJhVTA-PrS0xkTlThQ6H7rFh9zec77tF7CHTvELdmeLwdBJZ2p7cwhkkxVvWH1xFvvWgrnrU7A8T8AhVKyerFKqhFqi_zXH_P8s/s640/July+%252711+048.JPG" t$="true" width="488" /></a></div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-6141622919492187502011-05-26T18:58:00.001+01:002011-05-26T19:02:29.805+01:00crafty swapsA few months back, when it was still cold and grey outside, I spied <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/emmalamb/5452661715/in/faves-42948092@N05/">this sweeeeeeet little crocheted flower garland</a>. Swoon! It had me dreaming of Spring when the weather was still quite frightful. Sadly, I don't know how to crochet (other than a simple chain stitch). Fortunately for me, my friend <a href="http://trulyscrumdiddlyumptious.blogspot.com/">Kate</a> does. And very well! So I proposed a swap. Here's what I got:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmxDvQcxKNS7IKodrgPM4smS3YE_2BxGwi0P7VkuA0S3J_wta7CA9o9CfAPsJT_y6tQrQvJ4lap84ETBZtXEC2fHrlMaiCmh2LrG9uEaoxIHbNZIc6pBn51EP4C_DsaiTKjOz1pQx9KTzB/s1600/May+%252711+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmxDvQcxKNS7IKodrgPM4smS3YE_2BxGwi0P7VkuA0S3J_wta7CA9o9CfAPsJT_y6tQrQvJ4lap84ETBZtXEC2fHrlMaiCmh2LrG9uEaoxIHbNZIc6pBn51EP4C_DsaiTKjOz1pQx9KTzB/s400/May+%252711+024.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">That's a heart in the background.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8r62r6A2lpIV-OrKl2QYwWW3N9tKJmliHqTAaj6ZtyNMYb576qEKuzY6H8UURjzGLBU78D5IRJ17VAm67-iEhSdVaLN76uyUDTHsdaXO39BDglJW-Uug1tuJjIVaqGYb1_ov9dWuoGBz/s1600/May+%252711+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8r62r6A2lpIV-OrKl2QYwWW3N9tKJmliHqTAaj6ZtyNMYb576qEKuzY6H8UURjzGLBU78D5IRJ17VAm67-iEhSdVaLN76uyUDTHsdaXO39BDglJW-Uug1tuJjIVaqGYb1_ov9dWuoGBz/s400/May+%252711+025.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The orange flower makes me think of my home state's flower - the orange blossom.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmLAth_AHCOObp4hOJBXanC5io9LD94AeGEJU6nMbN0Ydk3ACxquoW4AaCBJTmWbyvT9-WdY6lSUd3gslS-hpN58RGRMEYRVvY-iGjrqKrvqL011dRlctsX23ojuDk_yIpwduVS6a7K5r/s1600/May+%252711+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmLAth_AHCOObp4hOJBXanC5io9LD94AeGEJU6nMbN0Ydk3ACxquoW4AaCBJTmWbyvT9-WdY6lSUd3gslS-hpN58RGRMEYRVvY-iGjrqKrvqL011dRlctsX23ojuDk_yIpwduVS6a7K5r/s400/May+%252711+021.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></div>But my absolute favourite is the rainbow! Kate had remembered that I had once said I heart all things rainbow-ish, and she searched out a pattern just so she could include one in this garland. I am totally head over heels in love with this garland, and it has been hanging across our back door ever since it arrived.<br />
<br />
I was a bit stumped as to what to make Kate in return. She had asked for something 'housey'. I know how important food and mealtimes are in her family, and I considered making a table runner and napkins. Union Jack bunting? Luckily, she had a request. A peg bag. I had to laugh, because a peg bag has been on my own list for about two years, but for one reason or another I have never made a start on one. To be honest, I've been a little daunted for some unknown reason. But now I had to just get on with it. <br />
<br />
I trawled through Flickr. I Googled. I searched Cath Kidston's site. Finally, I found <a href="http://madewithlovebyhannah.com/WordPress/?p=136">this tutorial</a>. Just kitsch enough to be cool. And for modern homemakers like Kate and me, just ironic enough to inject joy into the task of pegging out of wet washing. (I know that pegging out washing is enjoying something of a revival in America. Here in England, where tumble driers are less common, smaller and inefficient compared to their Yankee cousins, hanging out the laundry is, for most homemakers, a necessary task. And it's often a thankless one, thanks to the fickle nature of the weather here. I can't count the times I've hung the washing in bright sunshine, only to look out the window half an hour later to see rain re-dampening everything!)<br />
<br />
So here's what I made:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFsn-v2VZtzXNyIHRS3CQ5qlbt51unZZ01yUuHHL6W8yIfKXUw4PIzEcp2mHzMr_B8lhdE0YAEt89WG0sED0dGoQz0J-K_RA8lfjytNLoL-_c1QGmwDSe_WvvtTp1FRk5yIbwj3KkPOLT/s1600/peg+bag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFsn-v2VZtzXNyIHRS3CQ5qlbt51unZZ01yUuHHL6W8yIfKXUw4PIzEcp2mHzMr_B8lhdE0YAEt89WG0sED0dGoQz0J-K_RA8lfjytNLoL-_c1QGmwDSe_WvvtTp1FRk5yIbwj3KkPOLT/s400/peg+bag.jpg" t8="true" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I altered the pattern slightly in that I lined the bag with muslin. I think she's quite cute. Needless to say, I still haven't made myself one.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Swaps rule.</div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-20484290186615894122011-05-19T16:21:00.001+01:002011-05-19T18:11:19.700+01:00recipe: elderflower cordial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30Pfdq_TbxrC48he2y1jBicgDVXu7IoA926qNToFY3F64svGYo_7autsdMbZWusEQ9VlcnMA-ebWHMLfk6ekZlTnZO3AmtbFLjha4kdSWzeMJKpL07UEey8EqZcTWOlY639OMQY9KtnV_/s1600/May+%252711+051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="489" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30Pfdq_TbxrC48he2y1jBicgDVXu7IoA926qNToFY3F64svGYo_7autsdMbZWusEQ9VlcnMA-ebWHMLfk6ekZlTnZO3AmtbFLjha4kdSWzeMJKpL07UEey8EqZcTWOlY639OMQY9KtnV_/s640/May+%252711+051.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>It's funny. I hated Chemistry when I was at school (except for the teacher - he was newly qualified, only a few years older than us and quite dishy, heehee), but I am absolutely fascinated by it now. If only we had studied the chemistry of fermentation, of baking and of getting the right pH levels to grow blue hydrangea instead of pink, I'd have been hooked.<br />
<br />
This week, in preparation for making the first batch of elderflower cordial of the season, I read up a bit on the process, and I'm happy to say I finally understand the role of citric acid in the recipe. If you have a look at the comments on <a href="http://amerrierworld.com/2009/06/10/elderflower-cordial/">this very informative blog post</a>, 'The Elderflower Man' explains exactly why it is so important. The other thing I hadn't realised is that it can be difficult to find citric acid. I buy mine from an independent grocery shop in Totnes called The Happy Apple, but I understand it is often available in chemists, and sometimes from larger chain grocery stores. I have made elderflower cordial without citric acid, and I wouldn't recommend it. The resulting cordial is not only far too sweet, but it lacks that refreshing tartness that enhances the elderflower flavour so beautifully.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7tdoWE6pin9RnDDW50SPtQ8sKBSTQqNw95t8OMKhJqF2sdkQk3uGkKRUSqX6W_eErQJW125cM3_Dly7qyhbdFS15V-iuhZxjFPmRCDJZWWijWjPK5pfHYCB_qsfu3WAGYJK5l61fpJXj/s1600/May+%252711+042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7tdoWE6pin9RnDDW50SPtQ8sKBSTQqNw95t8OMKhJqF2sdkQk3uGkKRUSqX6W_eErQJW125cM3_Dly7qyhbdFS15V-iuhZxjFPmRCDJZWWijWjPK5pfHYCB_qsfu3WAGYJK5l61fpJXj/s640/May+%252711+042.JPG" width="640" /></a></div> As always, if you are foraging, look for elders that are unsprayed and are away from pollutants such as busy roads. We try to collect on a dry day, picking the flowers with about four inches of stem left on them, and using them within 24 hours (though they should keep for a couple of days in the fridge).<br />
<br />
Here's the recipe I use (no idea where it came from, as I first used it about 16 years ago!):<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Elderflower Cordial</strong></span><br />
<em>yield: approximately 3 70cL wine bottles</em><br />
100g elderflowers<br />
1.8kg sugar<br />
75g citric acid<br />
1 orange, zested and sliced<br />
1 lemon, zested and sliced<br />
1.2 litres water<br />
<br />
When I am ready to make the cordial, I prepare my flowers by snipping off as much of the stem as possible and giving them a quick sluice in a bowl of water to remove any bugs. The Elderflower Man says you shouldn't wash them because it is the pollen that imparts the most flavour, but unless you are picking flowers from your own garden you might be happier giving yours a quick dip. I certainly haven't noticed the flavour to be any less full than commercially prepared cordial.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLrG2NjkXO3_dHcUAg5KEvekj2eVmPj2afFiLoUAo3vK01zl1rdpWUxDTedB7KoW1kjeyigY1_Q9PkxC8dkrzYeHXyjqNg64_k0rWVcZ92T3XXruQ7Yju7msng66sJOWKK0Jelq9jDF29/s1600/May+%252711+060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLrG2NjkXO3_dHcUAg5KEvekj2eVmPj2afFiLoUAo3vK01zl1rdpWUxDTedB7KoW1kjeyigY1_Q9PkxC8dkrzYeHXyjqNg64_k0rWVcZ92T3XXruQ7Yju7msng66sJOWKK0Jelq9jDF29/s640/May+%252711+060.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Put the water in a saucepan on a low heat and pour in the sugar. Turn off the heat and gently stir until all the sugar has dissolved. Place the elderflower heads, the sliced lemon and orange and the zest into a large glass bowl and pour your sugar syrup over it all. Stir in citric acid. At this point, I use a very clean wooden spoon to press all the flowers and fruit under the syrup. Cover the bowl loosely and leave to infuse overnight or up to two days.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JvvWMQrhmupJuPLhfAGw3cQ8B_IAasKENmNKl3ykA5bY0WVRfGDmZqNZSaUWeROc-HHmbVlEWQ-mkadfYHluoqiR0-t3f87b5Iazij1lMx4vnnv0y7lOiJdDdNFve4553LKQcyzdpSd6/s1600/May+%252711+068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JvvWMQrhmupJuPLhfAGw3cQ8B_IAasKENmNKl3ykA5bY0WVRfGDmZqNZSaUWeROc-HHmbVlEWQ-mkadfYHluoqiR0-t3f87b5Iazij1lMx4vnnv0y7lOiJdDdNFve4553LKQcyzdpSd6/s640/May+%252711+068.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Strain the mixture through muslin (I boil the muslin for a few minutes before this step to ensure it is very clean, though this is probably not necessary). Pour strained cordial into sterilised bottles. Again, you don't *have* to sterilise them, but it never hurts to be scrupulously clean when preserving anything. I save screw top wine bottles for this, as I think the green glass helps to prolong the life of the cordial and both the bottles and the screw tops can be sterilised and re-used again and again. My hubby certainly doesn't mind helping me to procure bottles! Label with the contents and the date. Try not to give too many bottles away as presents, which is what I did last year. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqUPIK3j0fzqYaLl-r-9_GPWXGNYGkMqzwxO0pg2tB1eW6xnmufnabo5WXF64XKvBj0zA5ngQxjznJvGqv7tCJltSgZhH8-cQpq_KtChsw9sDvuCFJoLcfW9tzI6lYwP_bUJXxEOaBO62/s1600/May+%252711+069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqUPIK3j0fzqYaLl-r-9_GPWXGNYGkMqzwxO0pg2tB1eW6xnmufnabo5WXF64XKvBj0zA5ngQxjznJvGqv7tCJltSgZhH8-cQpq_KtChsw9sDvuCFJoLcfW9tzI6lYwP_bUJXxEOaBO62/s640/May+%252711+069.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw86kaLSdDgQX83xFfoqx2h5tk3gkwbJYU0XOWvOQorBoypyXYMrgkDp6k0wyHSHuJ5HBn6mmPn0nQAl2Qr6Sv3DNLUmqIyeORl2RN8r3iVnfYjzz9Nbj1InfAaPCiBcSgJ2u3wACeV6O3/s1600/May+%252711+084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw86kaLSdDgQX83xFfoqx2h5tk3gkwbJYU0XOWvOQorBoypyXYMrgkDp6k0wyHSHuJ5HBn6mmPn0nQAl2Qr6Sv3DNLUmqIyeORl2RN8r3iVnfYjzz9Nbj1InfAaPCiBcSgJ2u3wACeV6O3/s640/May+%252711+084.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>For a refreshing, summery drink, add 1 part cordial to 8 parts still or sparkling water, or to taste. Drizzle cordial over ice cream. Whisk cordial into salad dressing or marinade. Add cordial to vodka, gin or champagne. Just try to restrain yourself from swigging it straight from the bottle!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBSzLNn9cvHrgl1mPKiMYR6JWkOlxprP1V9NF_ICra1FjDoz7M66JDJLnHkCOizTbU0AC3IZWb-_YIzSLtdLkhxHVyRKp6DS2s-FBQCPrj6oa1VxHBzE6ToYZDmSPnBfS7N8cnvBPt2CYY/s1600/May+%252711+098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBSzLNn9cvHrgl1mPKiMYR6JWkOlxprP1V9NF_ICra1FjDoz7M66JDJLnHkCOizTbU0AC3IZWb-_YIzSLtdLkhxHVyRKp6DS2s-FBQCPrj6oa1VxHBzE6ToYZDmSPnBfS7N8cnvBPt2CYY/s640/May+%252711+098.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(gratuitous, self-indulgent, arty-farty photo)</span></em></div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-68941211198274992852011-05-13T19:19:00.004+01:002011-05-13T19:26:06.405+01:00this moment: mummy's helper<div style="text-align: center;">A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week a couple of weeks ago. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2011/05/this-moment-1.html">amanda soule</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9b_Q7tn-YVKLBXctvHZw-C0D6of1n1e2WmjD6ll9AN3-FGPVpNlx1RjjfGds50qsqPLVpX1cR-8JDUTMwGSdngJ7IdPcf7jL7MX-HJT__Ci62iL3FM6jVDb8usfOi34NsK2_ACkzeP-6v/s1600/May+%252711+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9b_Q7tn-YVKLBXctvHZw-C0D6of1n1e2WmjD6ll9AN3-FGPVpNlx1RjjfGds50qsqPLVpX1cR-8JDUTMwGSdngJ7IdPcf7jL7MX-HJT__Ci62iL3FM6jVDb8usfOi34NsK2_ACkzeP-6v/s640/May+%252711+010.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-90558826530490092252011-05-07T13:08:00.000+01:002011-05-07T13:08:07.205+01:00this moment: problem solver<div style="text-align: center;">A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week a couple of weeks ago. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2011/05/this-moment.html">amanda soule</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSbDFaQiT5n18E480GNSoCEn46XmBZj8kIJhU5_mDMQWmV091VA6BoxX2igpIf1LzXM2djEebk2a4Jh_W2ce_OMGFYhtKuSnve8GAsb5Ae_RHz55Yp23i8HJ3su9sCL_GVa86_XkuJjF-G/s1600/May+%252711+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSbDFaQiT5n18E480GNSoCEn46XmBZj8kIJhU5_mDMQWmV091VA6BoxX2igpIf1LzXM2djEebk2a4Jh_W2ce_OMGFYhtKuSnve8GAsb5Ae_RHz55Yp23i8HJ3su9sCL_GVa86_XkuJjF-G/s640/May+%252711+019.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-82891512617789503942011-04-29T13:56:00.000+01:002011-04-29T13:56:46.873+01:00this moment: wedding day<div style="text-align: center;">A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week a couple of weeks ago. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2011/04/this-moment-3.html">amanda soule</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZw4GcXD8b6O4qLORDi12Ujme4BUgTybbC25AE9-iexjhZpgE8GrxwqxVkH_AWoiceIjzZAbSOj4bt9pl0RQPXIxCiOnZ5i7grWuuv9vrTb3eNs5cx03sRCeiapZAxGeV5c3ZaDVdNfTL2/s1600/April+%252711+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZw4GcXD8b6O4qLORDi12Ujme4BUgTybbC25AE9-iexjhZpgE8GrxwqxVkH_AWoiceIjzZAbSOj4bt9pl0RQPXIxCiOnZ5i7grWuuv9vrTb3eNs5cx03sRCeiapZAxGeV5c3ZaDVdNfTL2/s400/April+%252711+007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHJmS6KRMFVz4YFA0QEmKvwFA5fbzbrn8sVBieS35efYZO9AXD5jZNmk0J0-LAE9LszRPsEmbuxp2cvVVVk11PXC8qXrQdwAMq2BU6Txuy_pFP2KnC3PH3oilq78k1CHAk8RARQlsP9f_/s1600/April+%252711+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHJmS6KRMFVz4YFA0QEmKvwFA5fbzbrn8sVBieS35efYZO9AXD5jZNmk0J0-LAE9LszRPsEmbuxp2cvVVVk11PXC8qXrQdwAMq2BU6Txuy_pFP2KnC3PH3oilq78k1CHAk8RARQlsP9f_/s400/April+%252711+013.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><em>Congratulations, Wills and Kate!</em></div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-22787010384666861352011-04-28T22:18:00.001+01:002011-05-19T19:27:04.447+01:00sunshine aplenty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIyg6XaCS19oDvOnq7fJHblmgJsOQYQC4tgFPLxAUDRoyoavFa_LZvBP3vve8QB21oqEpWW0aOlTOXCJNnY3DVEUY4AaaJrCqACddDorfgD4CdCR-Ay-kJR5-eK9DRFjdS38TV1pRr2_3/s1600/April+%252711+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIyg6XaCS19oDvOnq7fJHblmgJsOQYQC4tgFPLxAUDRoyoavFa_LZvBP3vve8QB21oqEpWW0aOlTOXCJNnY3DVEUY4AaaJrCqACddDorfgD4CdCR-Ay-kJR5-eK9DRFjdS38TV1pRr2_3/s400/April+%252711+010.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Bad blogger! I've been neglecting this space again. But on a positive note, we've had twelve straight days of sunshine - a run not to be sniffed at in this part of the world. We took advantage of the long Easter weekend and went camping with a group of friends at <a href="http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/details.asp?revid=4476">this campsite</a>. What a fantastic time we had! Campfires, sing-songs, a hike up <a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-chl/w-countryside_environment/w-archaeology/w-archaeology-places_to_visit/w-archaeology-uffington_white_horse.htm">White Horse Hill</a> to admire the breathtaking view and plenty of good eating. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3o8yYNpC3AGy-KmzcjR-gYMK6J1ilS37R6MC7AiaFKbN1hMcYwWJDZDqXtbliF955PXo7cxdm1j5LmufawX4NYKK2OsTBuk9h-C0SvIveE8G0YBZ5rRDT6NESsmoDSvVAnEsGnfMf3pHO/s1600/iphone+403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3o8yYNpC3AGy-KmzcjR-gYMK6J1ilS37R6MC7AiaFKbN1hMcYwWJDZDqXtbliF955PXo7cxdm1j5LmufawX4NYKK2OsTBuk9h-C0SvIveE8G0YBZ5rRDT6NESsmoDSvVAnEsGnfMf3pHO/s400/iphone+403.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>We were blessed with the hottest April weather any of us could remember, and laughed about being woken by the crowing cockerel and singing birds every morning. The ten children in our camp took turns whacking homemade pinatas full of Easter treats, and on Sunday we had a field-sized Easter egg hunt. Truly a magical weekend.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6PALgwW46e96FuHGThPQjc0TuJdSxUy9XQo4K4EXulgPtYbRWOT2YuvrVfwXCUzB_1_P3tMNEJarD3l0zaVSZdsQg9M9eelMGKfSxYSvIuBZloXikmmLLPXcz0sKjhO9bbigEhWBPtS6/s1600/iphone+383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6PALgwW46e96FuHGThPQjc0TuJdSxUy9XQo4K4EXulgPtYbRWOT2YuvrVfwXCUzB_1_P3tMNEJarD3l0zaVSZdsQg9M9eelMGKfSxYSvIuBZloXikmmLLPXcz0sKjhO9bbigEhWBPtS6/s400/iphone+383.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>We did miss out on some of our usual Easter traditions, though, being away from home. So we are planning another small family celebration of the season this weekend. We will be dying eggs (naturally, with turmeric, beets, blueberries, onion skins and dandelions), and I'm sure the little ones' Easter baskets - filled with little treasures - will be making an appearance. There won't be as many handmade goodies as <a href="http://mamachalk.blogspot.com/2010/04/easter-joys.html">last year</a>, but thanks to my <a href="http://www.andrejamesarec.com/">Four Seasons Exchange partner</a>, these delightful bunnies will be in the baskets.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrBvjnzqDN-kAmT4VL-I2oecpANat6G5-FYTu7rqf9Qna7ZclbmSeZdwD8SknfM1Kz-wVxQODTyejmHndk93I63ogq5Ktikdgvx4ckgkKZBdEiq_DuQSwwrBeQCmo8Xh6RErVMsLxd6Xq/s1600/April+%252711+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrBvjnzqDN-kAmT4VL-I2oecpANat6G5-FYTu7rqf9Qna7ZclbmSeZdwD8SknfM1Kz-wVxQODTyejmHndk93I63ogq5Ktikdgvx4ckgkKZBdEiq_DuQSwwrBeQCmo8Xh6RErVMsLxd6Xq/s320/April+%252711+032.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm66rrzyjb7zkkvYfXMD-nEDJmalLm4W1IJTSE9tWTroVZM3tsp4ynTRlzIL1It6vcuXxUZ2J-9wIQzIojQcox4xtGdEKZB7gnk9ndymrxBEn4rFfWThbMDh27tp56a2dpgq8Pby3qJ6b-/s1600/April+%252711+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm66rrzyjb7zkkvYfXMD-nEDJmalLm4W1IJTSE9tWTroVZM3tsp4ynTRlzIL1It6vcuXxUZ2J-9wIQzIojQcox4xtGdEKZB7gnk9ndymrxBEn4rFfWThbMDh27tp56a2dpgq8Pby3qJ6b-/s320/April+%252711+031.JPG" width="320" /></a>Thank you very much, Andreja! </div>Here is the Spring package we sent Andreja:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-zaFvBPyJy1ahHMAx__mhyphenhyphenlSQBP7NMFIXqKVEEn3xAIan8TYWGPo6VhpaVKjZI_5cPAqWrz9HX3uQuY1QK_Bi7sFewVY6EbZeKX1HSpkuLxQvhfiXpTgO9l85SZ48hynB2y7mPzpbyBQ/s1600/March+%252711+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-zaFvBPyJy1ahHMAx__mhyphenhyphenlSQBP7NMFIXqKVEEn3xAIan8TYWGPo6VhpaVKjZI_5cPAqWrz9HX3uQuY1QK_Bi7sFewVY6EbZeKX1HSpkuLxQvhfiXpTgO9l85SZ48hynB2y7mPzpbyBQ/s400/March+%252711+005.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>A needlefelted bumblebee, knitted eggs and nest from <a href="http://www.purlbee.com/sparrows-nest/">The Purl Bee</a>, a birch card-holder, postcard and a dandelion-dyed playsilk. We really hope she liked it! <br />
Well, the sun is gloriously shining again, this morning, so I need to get out and make the most of it - I have a backlog of seedlings that need attention. Happy day to you!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCCQeyg6v6nxnRAgMzgmbawmLrxc6FeKa9EhUVeThOq3PSDFW4sOkVlHInLUg2_IiVf2x_TxdcFVXGLH8ivE7n-s6UbUjKk_4WkQQkbcEQ4pfvzQFGKyYiit7NJxeipiU8PTRC-VuLCFK/s1600/April+%252711+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCCQeyg6v6nxnRAgMzgmbawmLrxc6FeKa9EhUVeThOq3PSDFW4sOkVlHInLUg2_IiVf2x_TxdcFVXGLH8ivE7n-s6UbUjKk_4WkQQkbcEQ4pfvzQFGKyYiit7NJxeipiU8PTRC-VuLCFK/s640/April+%252711+020.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-17881183033252252792011-04-16T09:46:00.000+01:002011-04-16T09:46:26.753+01:00this moment: detour<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week a couple of weeks ago. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. </div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2011/04/this-moment-2.html">amanda soule</a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2011/04/this-moment-2.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiY3u-bk_-FiHdsJXQGIfykrvgaGhLI98Fr2U1i6J17a5RwB9gyD-64xqTrSYpbWzYVXqJEEX1uEL5B4gytqjoMRxx1eBklCJ9NPD_BCvC_YAHhXqY8tFgWY-L1JTb4uRksfFTWN9HxfUf/s640/April+%252711+078.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-8858466054255508102011-04-12T21:08:00.003+01:002011-04-12T22:10:36.132+01:00a little sewingI love to sew, but I wouldn't claim to be very good at it. <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #00ffff; color: black;">My</span> mother <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #ffff00; color: black;">let</span> <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #0000ff; color: white;">me</span> use her machine when I was quite small, and certainly that is how I learned to thread a machine and do basic stitching. She was a very handy sewist, herself, but must have stopped sewing at some point, as I don't remember her doing any as I grew older. Like all middle-schoolers at the time, I took a semester <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #008000; color: white;">of</span> home economics. I made an apron. The only real skill I picked up (and still use today) is taking two or three tiny stitches to anchor <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #00ffff; color: black;">my</span> thread at the beginning and end <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #008000; color: white;">of</span> a piece <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #008000; color: white;">of</span> hand sewing. <br />
<br />
A few years ago, full <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #008000; color: white;">of</span> the feeling that I wanted to sew, I finally took the plunge and bought myself a sewing machine. It was cheap and cheerful, from an ebay seller who proudly displayed photos <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #008000; color: white;">of</span> the amazing Japanese factory in which her machines were manufactured. It worked, and I found that I do actually enjoy sewing. I made bunting flags, some minor (albeit fairly unsuccessful) garment alterations, lots <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #008000; color: white;">of</span> pouch slings for <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #00ffff; color: black;">my</span> own babies and for other people's, and took a stab at small-scale patchwork quilting. What I didn't do was get any real instruction on how to make the most <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #008000; color: white;">of</span> <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #00ffff; color: black;">my</span> basic machine or indeed any <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #008000; color: white;">of</span> <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #00ffff; color: black;">my</span> other tools.<br />
<br />
A couple <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #008000; color: white;">of</span> years ago I decided to invest in a better quality sewing machine, a <a href="http://www.janome.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13:model-dc3050&catid=1:sewing-machines&Itemid=25">Janome DC 3050</a>. It's still a fairly low to middle range machine, but the difference between <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #00ffff; color: black;">my</span> inexpensive, clunky thread-grinder and this purring, whirring beauty was instantly apparent. Rather than fighting with tangled thread, intense tensions and broken needles, I was able to just sew.<br />
<br />
And so.<br />
<br />
I am ready to learn. I have sewed enough now to know that there are ways <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #008000; color: white;">of</span> doing things, and then there are better ways. I've picked up a few skills from reading through tutorials, but I would love to take a class, particularly in dressmaking and quilting. <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #00ffff; color: black;">My</span> big handwork goal for this year is to make a patchwork quilt; I'd like to make one for each <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #008000; color: white;">of</span> <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #00ffff; color: black;">my</span> girls, but the idea <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #008000; color: white;">of</span> making THREE quilts in a year is rather overwhelming. I've done some patchwork and even some basic, amateurish quilting in the past, but <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #00ffff; color: black;">my</span> perfectionist tendencies - as well as <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #00ffff; color: black;">my</span> intended material - suggest that I will be happier with the final product if I take the time to learn the 'right' way <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #008000; color: white;">of</span> doing things. (I plan to use the girls' outgrown baby and toddler clothes for this project, so don't want to make too many mistakes as there is so little fabric.)<br />
<br />
As practice, I've been working on a number <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #008000; color: white;">of</span> little projects, each one hopefully building on <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #00ffff; color: black;">my</span> abilities. Bias binding holds a pretty impressive fear factor quotient, so I've been working on projects that use binding. I've tried using readymade bias tape and I've made some <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #008000; color: white;">of</span> <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #00ffff; color: black;">my</span> own. I picked this little top from the Japanese pattern book <em>Girly Style Wardrobe</em> (pattern B) because of the bound neckline/tie. It's so darling! (Though <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #00ffff; color: black;">my</span> own went a little wrong somewhere along the line - I cut what I thought was Eva's size, but it ended up fitting Esme! And even then, I had to <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #ffff00; color: black;">let</span> the pleat <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #ff0000; color: white;">out</span> to get it to fit across her chest.) I machine-stitched the binding to the front <span id="copernic-hl" style="background: #008000; color: white;">of</span> the garment, then hand sewed it on the inside. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uueixrqFGkRHQxc-KkluN1PbyjFk7qNEW8vZy-r3cQBa44btb700PZpj1fpOTFEpBavrIVXiH_rlOCXOYFB7VF1eBgiXAAuyjPOH0kFdLa9_eHrgxWbNSY0o_ucOm9Ix_wI8AYioJMCi/s1600/April+%252711+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uueixrqFGkRHQxc-KkluN1PbyjFk7qNEW8vZy-r3cQBa44btb700PZpj1fpOTFEpBavrIVXiH_rlOCXOYFB7VF1eBgiXAAuyjPOH0kFdLa9_eHrgxWbNSY0o_ucOm9Ix_wI8AYioJMCi/s400/April+%252711+001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm quite proud of this little top - I have very little garment-making experience, and the book from which this pattern comes is written in Japanese! <a href="http://mamachalk.blogspot.com/2010/10/this-weeks-makes.html">I have sewn</a> from <span id="goog_1061783005"></span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1590307178/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mamcha-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1590307178">another Japanese pattern book</a> <span id="goog_1061783006"></span>- though that one is translated into English - so I was familiar with the way the patterns work and sew up. But still!</div><br />
Next, I made round patchwork hotpads from <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/">Amanda Soule's</a> lovely book <em><a href="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=mamcha-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=1590305957&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr">Handmade Home</a></em>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_1ln1o5Mfa0aRWumemawBD8YtKFOyoo5k8Ozde6pNas7huy18kR9GDQmYYAREb-w1wuY7p97-NOpGhtJ1Vrlo-XEvRjUm9OuR3q1Jwsc9fdKMa1M5l3qRVGB-LBeKEtDIIBay1_Ftm4a/s400/April+%252711+018.JPG" width="400" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(Special thanks to my Freecycle friend, Lorraine, who gave me another big bag of pretty fabrics, along with all sorts of other notions.) I made six of these in a row, and it was amazing how each one was better-constructed than the last. At first, I couldn't even make a circle, but the last one (the one closest to us in the above photo) was quite good! These gave me the chance to try for tiny, even stitches on the back; I love the way those tiny stitches look.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEvTdZAN0Gdn_uu0uKJM5jYwbji05AOdLvWVYeo5-0uZCvm5ZzFRbCrPUVD6tgc6aM_fVVntqq8yJcKH0do3vRK4A2suEr7Vy2IabZAHo0nxai71NkYEF46OdO-yOAKMsimjV37aW4qEA/s1600/April+%252711+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJEvTdZAN0Gdn_uu0uKJM5jYwbji05AOdLvWVYeo5-0uZCvm5ZzFRbCrPUVD6tgc6aM_fVVntqq8yJcKH0do3vRK4A2suEr7Vy2IabZAHo0nxai71NkYEF46OdO-yOAKMsimjV37aW4qEA/s400/April+%252711+020.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And just for fun, I made Esme a pair of summer trousers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1JSu2UhumfgDrGUc9GsV1timBA7aNbskCMfBB6ZXi_QOfgfXiQlepLL7sHqtofMfOmfIBw9dFSU72JQfQO-E4htAfWPx5ljFjTz3CeDCTvU8x5f9j6LDfERaR_uZ1Pvxx6A4NaUJMAKA/s1600/March+%252711+034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1JSu2UhumfgDrGUc9GsV1timBA7aNbskCMfBB6ZXi_QOfgfXiQlepLL7sHqtofMfOmfIBw9dFSU72JQfQO-E4htAfWPx5ljFjTz3CeDCTvU8x5f9j6LDfERaR_uZ1Pvxx6A4NaUJMAKA/s400/March+%252711+034.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These came from <em><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1590307178/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mamcha-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1590307178">Carefree Clothes for Girls</a></em>. I added some lace around the cuffs and a little bow at the front of the waistband so Esme would know which way to put them on.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2F4B55SqDKFh_OVc3NaMn_wX6piH2fSodW6NJ_-zlVlIA4LB6vNeuwuGUUOSKcxbygqqSNbbDp6vXFsYzBRprl3z-PyKjx-cykxAETs37c6BNJEYdocMGYAjD3uo6cRjpT6lluVLcr1x/s1600/March+%252711+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2F4B55SqDKFh_OVc3NaMn_wX6piH2fSodW6NJ_-zlVlIA4LB6vNeuwuGUUOSKcxbygqqSNbbDp6vXFsYzBRprl3z-PyKjx-cykxAETs37c6BNJEYdocMGYAjD3uo6cRjpT6lluVLcr1x/s400/March+%252711+032.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, there you have it. My attempts to teach myself how to sew. After 36 years of pushing thread through the eyes of needles, it is only in the last couple of weeks that I have begun to think of myself as someone who sews.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-31035436556286619282011-04-01T12:22:00.001+01:002011-04-01T12:34:37.047+01:00recipe: wild garlic pesto<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcUrPOQrohbl4dQ807KKuArBjoOpAXCbXbJnmotBe1tVUlRnRarjgOA9dN6fLPSCpmqsdZFjDLgw65QhQOGpsz8ibxs3ITdF3Sn4Ky-tJ1fRqkDMRGcY9RLGc_GO-eoV8tXcmp94aFYB06/s1600/iphone+652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcUrPOQrohbl4dQ807KKuArBjoOpAXCbXbJnmotBe1tVUlRnRarjgOA9dN6fLPSCpmqsdZFjDLgw65QhQOGpsz8ibxs3ITdF3Sn4Ky-tJ1fRqkDMRGcY9RLGc_GO-eoV8tXcmp94aFYB06/s400/iphone+652.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Things have been a little quiet around here as we have navigated our way through a sea of illness. A very nasty headcold has worked through the children and me, and has resulted in a chesty cough that has kept us from work and school for a few days. We've had an amazingly healthy winter season, so this first-week-of-Spring sickness caught us by surprise.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZsujLcff06ayXVhdtkx7VMWvq-mYVMdWdWqh04puVQmH-h_RoCWzAyC1DCUTj6weU0i_qGPdJl4mm0XHtdN6UxJCqvs1os0E-BmfRi5vJPN4VhDhGS35F0EfFgR_mlxdzLT7Bna-4vT6/s1600/iphone+629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZsujLcff06ayXVhdtkx7VMWvq-mYVMdWdWqh04puVQmH-h_RoCWzAyC1DCUTj6weU0i_qGPdJl4mm0XHtdN6UxJCqvs1os0E-BmfRi5vJPN4VhDhGS35F0EfFgR_mlxdzLT7Bna-4vT6/s400/iphone+629.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Last week, though, just before we started dropping like flies, we went on our first foraging adventure of the new season. Wild garlic grows abundantly across Devon - our wet, warm climate and forested areas create ideal conditions for this pungent relative of cultivated garlic to thrive. For the next month or so, wherever you go in our area you will be overwhelmed by the heady scent. Towards the end of the garlic season, forest floors will be carpeted in the spangled white flowers that dance above the long green leaves. <a href="http://www.alive.com/3971a2a2.php?subject_bread_cramb=194">Wild greens</a> are packed full of vitamins and minerals - they are generally even more healthy for us than cultivated greens.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zQr1PRE7vUkBVwj5xnv1xTNQHhEVE5habYqO9BzvKNB6123krNLuPKGu7BmgXA5H1r2PkHEOs3OFvCyan0qgqjvvWN7diOcS5_bGNwxwfW8wIxOBvLB9SeF9u5oCbheB70YRAYr1VmbS/s1600/iphone+641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zQr1PRE7vUkBVwj5xnv1xTNQHhEVE5habYqO9BzvKNB6123krNLuPKGu7BmgXA5H1r2PkHEOs3OFvCyan0qgqjvvWN7diOcS5_bGNwxwfW8wIxOBvLB9SeF9u5oCbheB70YRAYr1VmbS/s400/iphone+641.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>We took a bag to a local spot away from roads to collect the first fresh garlic leaves to make pesto.<br />
<br />
If you don't have access to wild garlic, you could substitute rocket, chard, dandelion or any other green...just add more garlic cloves to the mix. I use a hand blender to make mine, but you could just as easily use a food processor or a standard blender, or, if you have the time and the muscle, you could make an even more flavoursome version using a pestle and mortar.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1pk-7XIKieTXPlpJCHLv-X8VP-RCUB4ZmqcGzT3KvPjWVluFl0CCb7YI_Iv-sPJmb3DKznRk4kN3irau_x8xoWuimdxJSVOQS2wbATsfC32HILhD7ndzF_aYsbN7zJb79nbnU-CjmVXAd/s1600/March+%252711+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1pk-7XIKieTXPlpJCHLv-X8VP-RCUB4ZmqcGzT3KvPjWVluFl0CCb7YI_Iv-sPJmb3DKznRk4kN3irau_x8xoWuimdxJSVOQS2wbATsfC32HILhD7ndzF_aYsbN7zJb79nbnU-CjmVXAd/s400/March+%252711+016.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Wild Garlic Pesto</span></strong><br />
<br />
large bunch of wild garlic leaves<br />
1 cup nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pinenuts or any combination of nuts you like)<br />
3 cloves of cultivated garlic<br />
3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil<br />
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt (taste as you season; you will need more or less depending on how salty your cheese is)<br />
1 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese (pecorino works fine, and is a little less expensive)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVvr9__De9JhkPxpc0TAGONdl32SnTrBoIEWBBei-1-mkPLsB2GEhZb8Do3wv4uARr04dDpMfx2yt3qQ_5a_CXxGRkl7z7k-v_GmZKZen6ujD0pA3Gs3frpbrEocisw-1gsk-2duV2eR0/s1600/March+%252711+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVvr9__De9JhkPxpc0TAGONdl32SnTrBoIEWBBei-1-mkPLsB2GEhZb8Do3wv4uARr04dDpMfx2yt3qQ_5a_CXxGRkl7z7k-v_GmZKZen6ujD0pA3Gs3frpbrEocisw-1gsk-2duV2eR0/s400/March+%252711+019.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Wash the garlic well and pat dry - I put all the leaves in a big bowl of water, agitate, drain and repeat. Don't collect garlic leaves near roads or other sources of pollution and look for patches that are away from the edges of paths (you don't want leaves that have been urinated on by passing dogs!). Put the nuts on a baking tray and place in a medium oven for 5-10 minutes, or until they just start to colour (watch them - the moment you look away they will burn!). Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Meanwhile, put garlic leaves and garlic cloves in your blender jug with 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/4 cup olive oil. Blend for a few seconds to begin breaking leaves down. Add nuts and another 1/4 cup oil and blend to a smooth paste. Add more olive oil as you blend to keep a loose paste consistency. When evenly blended, stir in the grated cheese. Add more salt if necessary. Makes approximately two cups.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-P3GZileLgkHYoMe2TbNyEmJjTjAbdSxojgAjCMSJ0bV2ONtW5GmZOivZgWFS5PVJTHXEfwWVnuhdD3ucluEJ08NoWgrmlH_CuTgOlnwKhpLWlZ3oLG8tgCoALiK1OObNtXKUHY0dbi-p/s1600/March+%252711+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-P3GZileLgkHYoMe2TbNyEmJjTjAbdSxojgAjCMSJ0bV2ONtW5GmZOivZgWFS5PVJTHXEfwWVnuhdD3ucluEJ08NoWgrmlH_CuTgOlnwKhpLWlZ3oLG8tgCoALiK1OObNtXKUHY0dbi-p/s400/March+%252711+025.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>You can now either decant into a very clean jar, pressing pesto down to remove any air pockets, and top with one centimeter of olive oil (the oil will exclude oxygen from the pesto, preserving it longer), or spoon into an ice cube tray and freeze. The fresh pesto will keep for up to three weeks in the fridge (perhaps longer if you ensure it has a layer of olive oil) or 6 months in the freezer (heck, it'll probably keep forever in the freezer!). Freezing it in cubes means you can just take out what you need.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvBbeMBWVc10fsGWT4nD3i6THQ4FnmvvKG8ovxz1_o1GKYSK-7veIwMyx4sLuybaGpnraSauuchjRe6UYYRIsb5YWoq2Nm0YI5EeeufmZmQbBwyykDZmN4Dk3v54Jwlk-mFZ19aLN5xDQ/s1600/March+%252711+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvBbeMBWVc10fsGWT4nD3i6THQ4FnmvvKG8ovxz1_o1GKYSK-7veIwMyx4sLuybaGpnraSauuchjRe6UYYRIsb5YWoq2Nm0YI5EeeufmZmQbBwyykDZmN4Dk3v54Jwlk-mFZ19aLN5xDQ/s400/March+%252711+030.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>We like our pesto on hot pasta with chopped tomatoes and white beans or smeared over pizza bases and topped with goats cheese. The fresh, uncooked pesto is quite spicy, but once cooked through becomes mild. Leftover fresh leaves can go into your salad to be eaten raw (the flowers look and taste beautiful, too), can be wilted through hot pasta or chopped and sprinkled over scrambled eggs.<br />
<br />
Just make sure you're not planning any passionate kisses after eating this!Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-11164955763609559512011-03-25T20:45:00.001+00:002011-03-25T20:46:55.939+00:00this moment: primrose<div style="text-align: center;">A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week a couple of weeks ago. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2011/03/this-moment-3.html">amanda soule</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrknKFVR7QilYZo_KLJkFJg5oyaWO8nXSyqmzJv0GTPd1nv4pLiRDF6tsMtj5RSnNe2BQmlw32IkpxbiLQPXE3MuaTu_1nMBX7rpvBpA6m_swJuKoMS3zMRGhfvLrGdrRyapc8ypVItf-z/s1600/iphone+679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrknKFVR7QilYZo_KLJkFJg5oyaWO8nXSyqmzJv0GTPd1nv4pLiRDF6tsMtj5RSnNe2BQmlw32IkpxbiLQPXE3MuaTu_1nMBX7rpvBpA6m_swJuKoMS3zMRGhfvLrGdrRyapc8ypVItf-z/s640/iphone+679.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-90508552482689407532011-03-20T23:44:00.001+00:002011-03-20T23:48:19.996+00:00vernal equinox<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">:: a new log cabin cushion</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyms7j9XM2-4Rv7XDGpRV1JgS9S_-1u8r1B2RocRjj6TPoyGs4Bs22m6gZHCP-a13CUnniMIrzJYUXeh7RnV_YLSBNBsfZ2OhyBVdLpuXn8pcUQR2e7A_XQzscYuAyG8EeLYtksv5N1xV3/s1600/March+%252711+069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyms7j9XM2-4Rv7XDGpRV1JgS9S_-1u8r1B2RocRjj6TPoyGs4Bs22m6gZHCP-a13CUnniMIrzJYUXeh7RnV_YLSBNBsfZ2OhyBVdLpuXn8pcUQR2e7A_XQzscYuAyG8EeLYtksv5N1xV3/s640/March+%252711+069.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">:: the promise of summer crumble</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy8urVSWTJ45iEbNUZ-dWdex01tuDBJYtxY5dv7Ql4ib2LonVmo37yyC7DNNidaZkg-TBBszn6xdqJfc2CEiMfZOeI098z-4Y222pE2wxW4cmxdKmZHts7pUGdKjf2vn0HjmovNdHmI9nX/s1600/March+%252711+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy8urVSWTJ45iEbNUZ-dWdex01tuDBJYtxY5dv7Ql4ib2LonVmo37yyC7DNNidaZkg-TBBszn6xdqJfc2CEiMfZOeI098z-4Y222pE2wxW4cmxdKmZHts7pUGdKjf2vn0HjmovNdHmI9nX/s640/March+%252711+004.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">:: new life</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7OInyPDTkVBRm1ir-5hBruRNfbTsNZx73_c9PrwaosFu-RJ1uPjWx8xHWLyaCirO5f7gPpcSySgGSgb3B9fJVEO4fd0V37TRKkmgmoSbga9eBWHM_Mo8_6t3Hy6HemVWA9wL1Qc2VIgU/s1600/March+%252711+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7OInyPDTkVBRm1ir-5hBruRNfbTsNZx73_c9PrwaosFu-RJ1uPjWx8xHWLyaCirO5f7gPpcSySgGSgb3B9fJVEO4fd0V37TRKkmgmoSbga9eBWHM_Mo8_6t3Hy6HemVWA9wL1Qc2VIgU/s640/March+%252711+023.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">:: the promise of autumn crumble</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIeMFo9d5Ne3Uc8Iw7LijDlN7UjQiczqoeCDdot-GEKXmWCx4_8BT5Mxgg3-m3fqKSCmm7Aso3nvFkmVRRC6LAkkMDAUBra8oToGZTcr0TJnwsmWboDNDQa781q9uIQNjq25dFD2Oa1ER/s1600/March+%252711+057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIeMFo9d5Ne3Uc8Iw7LijDlN7UjQiczqoeCDdot-GEKXmWCx4_8BT5Mxgg3-m3fqKSCmm7Aso3nvFkmVRRC6LAkkMDAUBra8oToGZTcr0TJnwsmWboDNDQa781q9uIQNjq25dFD2Oa1ER/s640/March+%252711+057.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">:: a <a href="http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/16mar_supermoon/">big moon</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhLYv4EL9YC3oknHbitOBz3tBS6Yr3CWnYktCm5xZ2q5DfFMpmN-fWGuS95zI4cp9Q9Z3FwakyfG4htfcclV3hoXaCl87v__7xGYXLjdZkzOfrPWXzEkFnmvSfp851Er5luOjeeUbDYd3/s1600/March+%252711+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhLYv4EL9YC3oknHbitOBz3tBS6Yr3CWnYktCm5xZ2q5DfFMpmN-fWGuS95zI4cp9Q9Z3FwakyfG4htfcclV3hoXaCl87v__7xGYXLjdZkzOfrPWXzEkFnmvSfp851Er5luOjeeUbDYd3/s640/March+%252711+036.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">:: my mother's birthday (happy birthday, Mom!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBTkpR0j-h4AMppEYnLyMLpgQR-_qS6saDj0zBaaxbYGbaBKrOiptLg2p13lSEDEC9fvIBeTthEv-Mca8Fb74l2fth1nEiP_VQnCu6bH5UYVzD9YCjMIrbwO0-g4uBXiVFp_9vmC5dYIC/s1600/bday+073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBTkpR0j-h4AMppEYnLyMLpgQR-_qS6saDj0zBaaxbYGbaBKrOiptLg2p13lSEDEC9fvIBeTthEv-Mca8Fb74l2fth1nEiP_VQnCu6bH5UYVzD9YCjMIrbwO0-g4uBXiVFp_9vmC5dYIC/s640/bday+073.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-89937035656525861332011-03-12T20:11:00.003+00:002011-03-12T20:12:40.934+00:00thank youOooh! That was the most comments any of my blog posts has ever received! Thank you, lovely readers, for taking the time to read and respond with your ideas about what I should do with the dresser. (And thank you for forgiving all the typos in my last post...proofreading becomes tricky when the little ones wake from naptime.)<br />
<br />
I think you were all right - painting the dresser would be a shame. So I've taken your advice and I've left it with the woodgrain showing. Today I began the intricate and time-consuming task of sanding the dark stain out of all the decorative grooves and the door panels. I'm considering investing in a little hobby sander - I've just about removed all my fingerprints trying to get into the tiny corners! (Hmmm. Maybe a bank job could be on the cards now.) At any rate, there is still a fair bit of work needed to chase away all traces of that dark woodstain and finish the beeswaxing. But it can wait.<br />
<br />
I also made a decision to put the dresser in the living room; our flooring, bookcases and side tables are oak veneered, so the dresser complements them very nicely. Also, it is ever-so-slightly too wide for the kitchen space in which I intended it to live. I am undecided on what to do with the top half of the dresser. It was intended to display plates, and so only has very shallow shelves. For now it is safe and dry in our coal shed. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgawcUwMiwSk3S7ouZRfvlxTPbl6mziOR5NC_TfRsEn-DfrEnf2gYMsshocBIPWFErWKzGqBU8af-1I0Xf9hjoqrtYp7X6i4ApkODnu7LVtfvMvAVJlL-LilgsbSAqlx60GkLjJAX4h6bFo/s1600/March+%252711+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgawcUwMiwSk3S7ouZRfvlxTPbl6mziOR5NC_TfRsEn-DfrEnf2gYMsshocBIPWFErWKzGqBU8af-1I0Xf9hjoqrtYp7X6i4ApkODnu7LVtfvMvAVJlL-LilgsbSAqlx60GkLjJAX4h6bFo/s400/March+%252711+006.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>We have gained some much-needed storage in the living room. I was able to unpack a box that has been sealed for two and a half years (since we moved to America) - our board games! And the girls' puzzles, wooden train track, Lincoln Logs and Matchbox car collection are now all neatly housed in an easy-to-access but hidden-from-view place.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5pqCJTWE0MHGCYbSryXnaxqQEtVrVcJHcMdtpQybGtWcb5_B88oK5qp5jk7kyXCF8wU2UIG4ZPR8FeuOBUVvml8c8BQvOHpkHTz9K-Jd_n4TS2lYgc1fPBP-TgOZarkkqHQpY_n6lg0qQ/s1600/March+%252711+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5pqCJTWE0MHGCYbSryXnaxqQEtVrVcJHcMdtpQybGtWcb5_B88oK5qp5jk7kyXCF8wU2UIG4ZPR8FeuOBUVvml8c8BQvOHpkHTz9K-Jd_n4TS2lYgc1fPBP-TgOZarkkqHQpY_n6lg0qQ/s400/March+%252711+010.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcO9w07OtTBPSt5V4UTgpUftwLv2d-0yv63VypB5v_JdiqyvKxlV8rMLElVt9jtELVJq3je3yoF6RjKFG2p_pyFPOmYwoWvUU2KBQ87n_VzuDKfLtyZHmrr2aYp9fU4ioLJwNPPzbGP-8h/s1600/March+%252711+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcO9w07OtTBPSt5V4UTgpUftwLv2d-0yv63VypB5v_JdiqyvKxlV8rMLElVt9jtELVJq3je3yoF6RjKFG2p_pyFPOmYwoWvUU2KBQ87n_VzuDKfLtyZHmrr2aYp9fU4ioLJwNPPzbGP-8h/s400/March+%252711+008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>I am in love.</em></div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-32117576220794547792011-03-11T15:08:00.000+00:002011-03-11T15:08:12.853+00:00this moment: meeting the neighbours<div style="text-align: center;">A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week a couple of weeks ago. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">inspired by <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2011/03/this-moment-1.html">amanda soule</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2vfTvWp-si7wbb5GC6tYdoqgD-ZTUokcWQB6whHW1bowQA2NG2VCdZoITFdHQq8NfJZCKZKoZGkvtijaipTIaMFP6w4gMJtU35QsznTtT90Z6oEz2UY3FM2L_6fOFQB-GqdWFLlOFaiT/s1600/March+%252711+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2vfTvWp-si7wbb5GC6tYdoqgD-ZTUokcWQB6whHW1bowQA2NG2VCdZoITFdHQq8NfJZCKZKoZGkvtijaipTIaMFP6w4gMJtU35QsznTtT90Z6oEz2UY3FM2L_6fOFQB-GqdWFLlOFaiT/s640/March+%252711+010.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-484709677310779072.post-23825618579135661192011-03-10T14:41:00.001+00:002011-03-10T22:35:43.538+00:00these hands canThis morning, my hands ache, my triceps ache, my shoulders ache and those little muscles between the backs of my ribs - are they called intercostals? - well, whatever they're called, they ache, too. Yesterday, I spent about four hours working on this beauty.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-LVDMn4c8ZIfYH-bojPI-C0jkO_Ppt5sAY27hvhuP1NQsVItwiXwSjipf6UOvUS2oZicJGdmaotUcmhI5u2OT9xhX9wSJommdBBroNn9gtgxPBGoVLubOPi1G84oyC14KtANf8-xFn3k/s1600/March+%252711+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-LVDMn4c8ZIfYH-bojPI-C0jkO_Ppt5sAY27hvhuP1NQsVItwiXwSjipf6UOvUS2oZicJGdmaotUcmhI5u2OT9xhX9wSJommdBBroNn9gtgxPBGoVLubOPi1G84oyC14KtANf8-xFn3k/s400/March+%252711+020.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>This gorgeous Welsh dresser is the most fabulous thing of many fabulous things I've received from fellow Freecyclers. <a href="http://www.freecycle.org/">Freecycle</a>? If you're not already a member, check it out! There are local groups all over the place, and once you've joined you can offer or ask for all kinds of things. I've given away things like baby stuff, sporting equipment, empty jars and bottles and a portable CD player; I've received a tent, raspberry canes, fabric remnants and this dresser. The aim of Freecycle is to keep goods from ending up in our ever-growing mountain of rubbish. I've even seen cars on offer!<br />
<br />
Anyway, so I picked up this dresser on Tuesday. I couldn't believe my eyes! I was just hoping for something with a few shelves I could use for extra storage...I never imagined the guy would open his garage to reveal a fifty year old solidly-built oak dresser with pretty detailing. I stupidly asked if he was sure he wanted to give it away! Luckily for me, he did. <br />
<br />
So yesterday I set to work on bringing it back to life. But before I started, I tucked into one of these babies:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglv7ZhR_bDXYvpiupcwlfACLPiDV78BQgF7I-8gbfan1cgGjRKpm6K-Et-s6mNXogpQXkWBmtI_sWwhDxpkOv8mFIveUZ6S5DUgmwwd5VF2Yvp1Y98C7VzhNx8zGJ-vvXE9EVxbjJeeDcr/s1600/March+%252711+046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglv7ZhR_bDXYvpiupcwlfACLPiDV78BQgF7I-8gbfan1cgGjRKpm6K-Et-s6mNXogpQXkWBmtI_sWwhDxpkOv8mFIveUZ6S5DUgmwwd5VF2Yvp1Y98C7VzhNx8zGJ-vvXE9EVxbjJeeDcr/s400/March+%252711+046.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Okay. Truth be told, I might have eaten three of these gooey, pillowy cinnamon rolls. My lovely friend who keeps <a href="http://www.trulyscrumdiddlyumptious.blogspot.com/">this blog</a> sent me <a href="http://steamykitchen.com/248-caramelroll.html">the recipe</a> and it is the bomb (by the way. check out Kate's blog - she's a fabulous cook.). I did find the caramel a little salty, so if you make them, reduce the salt to half a teaspoon.<br />
<br />
After I recovered from my self-induced sugar coma, I set to work. Out came the power tools. Oh yes. I love my power sander. Two things: power tools are great for perfectly flat pieces of wood, but when it comes to old stuff, nothing beats good old glasspaper and a whole lot of elbow grease; secondly, when you're sanding fifty years of woodstain, wax, grime and dust off of secondhand furniture, wear a face mask. I didn't, and I won't tell you how I know, but I inhaled <em>a lot</em> of dust.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOukaagSLPZvpFkxumne8m7P5xXrF7TJN1klrAgscsqalCTdx29clcOhJeXTyXssxFcVpKY4HcxzO65Pax9FX_30Xel1CEKQne6SHkUEFACcxcezYnHQRjQ4SuBqV60tLGHp6olwAVq5My/s1600/March+%252711+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOukaagSLPZvpFkxumne8m7P5xXrF7TJN1klrAgscsqalCTdx29clcOhJeXTyXssxFcVpKY4HcxzO65Pax9FX_30Xel1CEKQne6SHkUEFACcxcezYnHQRjQ4SuBqV60tLGHp6olwAVq5My/s400/March+%252711+018.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAITB5dZR7MQpn3JmIdtJ7GrcuKFMmHLsqoPt5DeOyo1jwWC-k7VpoP5c8TfV5l7bqWyPlQS_RBfGEjCdImvzFlCTFHKNVWijLwHGJhdlj3-9SKJ6oCJHIK5hhqqf1G_-l6ZtzZm7BVGRY/s1600/March+%252711+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAITB5dZR7MQpn3JmIdtJ7GrcuKFMmHLsqoPt5DeOyo1jwWC-k7VpoP5c8TfV5l7bqWyPlQS_RBfGEjCdImvzFlCTFHKNVWijLwHGJhdlj3-9SKJ6oCJHIK5hhqqf1G_-l6ZtzZm7BVGRY/s400/March+%252711+026.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh99iG2-avylXjG-4FVCHOsMOU41UthEOX_j0YEsPT8TYMeG3kJEXoaHmtsRZV8njLNEA4VZSSMQTYUraR69cchz58Cj5sJei4G6BB8Z7oxA2w5eu04MIN2AHSTNpCvb0aZdmpiGCq3Jytc/s1600/March+%252711+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh99iG2-avylXjG-4FVCHOsMOU41UthEOX_j0YEsPT8TYMeG3kJEXoaHmtsRZV8njLNEA4VZSSMQTYUraR69cchz58Cj5sJei4G6BB8Z7oxA2w5eu04MIN2AHSTNpCvb0aZdmpiGCq3Jytc/s400/March+%252711+025.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>It was round about at this point in the sanding when the postman knocked with a sweet little parcel sent by my friend Kate of the afore-mentioned food blog. Like everything she does, it was wrapped with such care. What a joy in my day to recieve a package wrapped in brown paper and string! Inside was <a href="http://www.worldbooknight.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=35%3Athe-books&id=96%3Arachels-holiday&Itemid=103">this book</a>, one of many which was specially printed and distributed throughout the UK in celebration of <a href="http://www.worldbooknight.org/">World Book Night</a>. I was lucky enough to also be given a copy of <a href="http://www.worldbooknight.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=35%3Athe-books&id=101%3Athe-reluctant-fundamentalist&Itemid=105">this book</a> by another Bood Giver - we're reading that one for Book Club this month. What a great initiative to get people reading again.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZCQQzGQorCZWzcLGDO3wjui6QG5IiGAE0RCPRZNO1RTCDP6Ntj_Y-xGPZCDSGRlx3MY7HfEbz0H26_y7f-qfFEOjqhBuMktIFo9loeF74WDp7xk2H5JAqEbPTILNtrqMAmLI-vjSqhR0/s1600/March+%252711+044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZCQQzGQorCZWzcLGDO3wjui6QG5IiGAE0RCPRZNO1RTCDP6Ntj_Y-xGPZCDSGRlx3MY7HfEbz0H26_y7f-qfFEOjqhBuMktIFo9loeF74WDp7xk2H5JAqEbPTILNtrqMAmLI-vjSqhR0/s400/March+%252711+044.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>After opening my parcel (and possibly having another sneaky cinnamon bun), I got back to work. Sanding the top of the dresser was hard work. It probably took two hours. But, oh, how I was rewarded!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9AGPgCg8I3iEvoV9_N8mk1LFyAAhcMcAGj3qC1rRYjb9_Xc0d-WI3ri4Q5dNKIi135GdfIbORYMvllGN87uF0mZ_vl5VlSjbfvrIwEZS5cE6F4BQ0dFadcPwaNIgUjPucokTXRFdVxErN/s1600/March+%252711+057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9AGPgCg8I3iEvoV9_N8mk1LFyAAhcMcAGj3qC1rRYjb9_Xc0d-WI3ri4Q5dNKIi135GdfIbORYMvllGN87uF0mZ_vl5VlSjbfvrIwEZS5cE6F4BQ0dFadcPwaNIgUjPucokTXRFdVxErN/s400/March+%252711+057.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJiZOW5uxHxiMutF4r7mjxbiuTMM0eQfMpTezW3tTr5dvQSLNaGKh3LXYXm-88f2NdJ9fGvpjYWHfHkNTHNTmj4YCpUeyEUeW8pdXj8qzY1zU_BzWHJEOwh0IdE_SzpDLhkl5T0z4Tda9i/s1600/March+%252711+054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJiZOW5uxHxiMutF4r7mjxbiuTMM0eQfMpTezW3tTr5dvQSLNaGKh3LXYXm-88f2NdJ9fGvpjYWHfHkNTHNTmj4YCpUeyEUeW8pdXj8qzY1zU_BzWHJEOwh0IdE_SzpDLhkl5T0z4Tda9i/s400/March+%252711+054.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>It came up so beautifully. The woodgrain just sings. I can't wait to massage a few coats of beeswax polish into it. I'm in a quandry now, though. I had planned to paint the dresser and the hutch (which I did not have time to make a start on yesterday), possibly <a href="http://www.farrow-ball.com/tunsgate-green/colours//fcp-product/100250">this colour</a>. But the oak is so pretty I am now wondering if I should just wax the whole thing and leave it. What do you think?<br />
<br />
As an aside, I spent an hour playing with fabric scraps yesterday morning while the little ones built dens. I used the tiniest scraps of fabric left over from a log cabin cushion cover I'm working on to create a secret something that may find its way into a package for my lovely <a href="http://exchange4seasons.blogspot.com/">4 Seasons Exchange</a> <a href="http://www.andrejamesarec.com/">partner</a>. I may not send it, because it's not really Spring colours, but just in case I do, I won't give too much away here now. Rosie sure liked it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwB7q-6q0rv_a6xnvUGz0LyXeaR887APoSWElupSykYdCgs5p-IqMw4e8vntf4HBTzbKPGUMdkwO525Jr91cWu81BD46za9w6z1Sd0uQ2Qxb-EK-vgBUDe14_Cb-UTNQFti4ipelCNKWL/s1600/March+%252711+063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwB7q-6q0rv_a6xnvUGz0LyXeaR887APoSWElupSykYdCgs5p-IqMw4e8vntf4HBTzbKPGUMdkwO525Jr91cWu81BD46za9w6z1Sd0uQ2Qxb-EK-vgBUDe14_Cb-UTNQFti4ipelCNKWL/s400/March+%252711+063.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Well, that's it for this novel of a blog post. I'll share more pictures as I progress on the dresser. Do give me your opinion on whether I should paint it or simply wax it.<br />
<br />
And then go have a look at what's going on in other folks' creative spaces at <a href="http://www.kootoyoo.com/2011/03/my-creative-space-7.html">kootoyou</a>.Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03683526974922132123noreply@blogger.com7