Oast Farm

Love is everything....

2011-08-02T14:49:00.000-07:00

Hello again, so sorry its been so long. It seems blogging is something i sit down and do when i have a few minutes, and i seem to NEVER have a few minutes. However i do still love to catch up on your blogs for inspiration, and simply to see how other people live their lives.......because however different we are we all seem so very similar.

I have had some goodbyes in my life in the last six months which has been very sad, but also enlightening. My darling Grandma left us, and we said goodbye on the most gorgeous sunny day amongst the daffodils and giggled at how she would have enjoyed being very carefully lifted and carried by six young men. The greatest gift she gave me, and she gave me many, was being with her at the end of her life. After 98 healthy years she chose to move on, gradually, peacefully and with dignity. She knew there was a better place and i could see that. I am only sad because i won't see her again, i am happy that she knew where she was going and that i loved her so much. I had been scared, i have never witnessed anything like that before, I asked to nurses in her care home what the doctor had given her to keep her so peaceful but they said nothing, this was normal for those nearing death. She taught me to be strong and not be afraid, because there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of.

After a difficult few months, we had to say goodbye to our Mollie dog. She needed another home, she was a complex character, we loved her so much and tried so hard to make it work with lots of people to help us, harder than i have ever worked at something, but she wasnt happy and it showed. She would snarl and bite us every day, even if we walked past her in her bed which is very upsetting when you have children in the house. I still don't know why, she knew nothing but kindness but she couldnt relax unless she was in control of us all, she wanted to lead the pack at any cost. We have had lots of pet dogs and never met one quite like her but she is happy in a new home that can give her what she needs with other dogs to play with and i can't focus on the negative.

I was so down after her moving on that i said i wouldnt get another dog. The house was empty and felt less of a home, but i didnt have confidence in myself as a dog owner any more....what did i do to her? How could i have prevented it?......Then.....i fell in love....

I said no, we couldn't possibly, we didnt deserve her, we were obviously bad owners. But i couldnt sleep until she was ours. And five months on....

Meet Sooshi. Hobbies: cuddles, eating wasps, cuddles, stealing apples off the tree, tummy tickles, having her paws held, eating anything that is edible or not and cuddles.

Oh what fun we have had, what mischief. She has brought such love. Those soulful eyes have healed so much. She is off on her first holiday with us next week, to Long Melford in Suffolk, so hopefully lots of exploring. Any suggestions very welcome.

x

Mmmmmmm......

2011-01-05T09:32:00.000-08:00

In an attempt to post more often, i have decided to blog about every day stuff, what i spend my life doing, and the little things that make me happy. This is what i love reading about in all your lovely blogs...so....

This is what i made today - home made crumpets - seriously you have n't lived until you have tasted these. You will thank me for encouraging you i promise! Ok, so they went a bit wrong, it was more of a dough than a batter but i persevered and they were fine in the end. As my son decided - 6 out of 10 for presentation but 10 for taste!! I will never buy the rubbery sort again. If you have a go let me know how you get on, i want to know where i went wrong.

Happy New Year

2011-01-02T08:22:00.001-08:00

Well, it has come and gone and has been a lovely quiet family time for us with a chance to realise what a happy family we are. I am inspired by a new year, looking forward after a difficult six months if i'm honest and still not resolved but hopefully getting there. I find this time of the year a little easier than some, i think, as there are two birthdays to look forward to. I have truly felt that home is home this year, a real haven from the busy world.

Don't you find yourself longing for a bit of green though? I can't help flicking through magazine, book and blogs searching for inspiration - do gardens really transform themselves from this muddy mess? I have organised veg growing in anticipation and for once tried growing garlic and broccoli at this time of the year - it is supposed to be ready in a few months but it doesnt look promising.

I so love reading everyone's blogs and feel a bit of an amateur when it comes to keeping up mine, i need to improve, and my photography skills leave a little to be desired!!!!! Here's to another 12 months of happy home-making, may we continue to inspire each other. I don't set myself New Years Resolutions, to my undisciplined mind they are made to be broken, but i look back and see what i have achieved and what i could have done better.

Well, its time to take the tree down, cards down, hoover up pine needles and pack away. Lets hope before very long we will be spring cleaning!
xx

Did a whirlwind just visit?

2010-07-17T13:31:00.001-07:00

Ok ok, we did it. After saying we didn't want another four-legged one we found we couldn't do without. Introducing Mollie. Or Mollie Bianca Snowdrop to give her full name. The last few weeks have been completely chaotic - the garden and house have been neglected, chewed and peed on. My vegetables have suffered from a lack of attention and i haven't had one home grown tomato yet, i haven't been able to potter and enjoy. BUT my time is taken up with cuddles, puppy kisses and someone who is very clever and very very cute.

Unfortunately our visit for lots of cuddles at school was cut short yesterday by a bee sting, which left us both in shock - and Mollie very very sad in her bed trying to keep her very sore poorly paw out of the way. Thankfully she is back to her old happy self today:

Apart from the last very windy week thank goodness we have enjoyed some sunny weather in the garden. We are off for Mollie's first picnic tomorrow, fingers crossed this wind dies down and we get some blue skies....happy holidays everyone.
x

2010-04-25T14:28:00.000-07:00

Not something i every imagined myself saying, but thanks to volcanic ash i have been stranded in Switzerland for two weeks. Not a bad place to be. Beautiful views and chocolate, what more could you want? I spent the time walking, checking out people's gardens and missing mine. I could not have come back to a more beautiful sight - I had left a messy mudbath and came back to this sight - how amazing the Spring is? Two hours in the rain last November, water trickling down my back and digging through gritted teeth and a very bad mood - so worth it to see the beautiful tulips coming up! Ignore the washing - I have two weeks worth to catch up on now!!!
Enjoy the sunshine, and long may it last. x

Who Needs Sugar to Get High?

2010-02-21T11:51:00.000-08:00

We have just waved goodbye to our last guest - a small get together of family and friends to celebrate our gorgeous boy's 10th - yes 10th - birthday! What a lovely afternoon, good company, good friends. I was so nervous at the thought of feeding so many people but managed two shifts - one kids party feast and something a little more sophisticated for the adults. They came, they ate, they stayed, they didnt want to go...that surely means they enjoyed it? What a complete difference to the sadness and tears of last weekend, and how we needed it. I am on a massive high this evening and i wasnt the one who consumed half my weight in choccy birthday cake......

However now i am ready for this........

Can't wait to snuggle down for a couple of hours with this..........

Its a lovely lovely book and perfect for this time of the year - it has some beautiful photographs, and proves that you don't have to be an expert to enjoy your garden. Bring on the sunshine....

Now, did someone mention chocolate cake?

Weathering The Storm

2010-02-20T08:14:00.000-08:00

How appropriate. A much loved Christmas present from DH has once again become a comfort. It depicts what we are and what we will always be - a couple loving each other in the midst of domestic chaos and home and all the ups and downs that brings. The little fox terrier will always be a part of our life too, which is why this Nicola Slattery print is special to me.

Thank goodness for a touch of sunshine this week pouring in the windows and making the house seem brighter and lighter at last - I spied some tulips appearing at last. I had planted them in a torrential shower last year and refused to come in till i had finished all 100 of them - by then the soil had turned to mud and I was covered from head to toe with rivulets running down the waist of my jeans and into my knickers - nice!. DH had given up after the first dozen and watched with concern from the warmth with a cup of coffee in hand, occasionally opening the window and shouting "Oy, you'll catch pneumonia you know!!!" Every gorgeous bloom will be enjoyed with a real sense of satisfaction.....every single one had better raise its head or there will be trouble!!!

Thank you so much for your kind comments about our Lucy-dog. They really helped me to accept what happened and remember her how she used to be.

Have a happy weekend x

Unbearable Sadness

2010-02-14T11:05:00.000-08:00

I know life has its up and downs and we must bear them all and carry on, but we lost a dear member of our little family yesterday and her death has left a big hole that we will never fill. Lucy was a real lady, our gorgeous girl and a complete mischief-maker. The last couple of years have been difficult as she reached the age of sixteen and was simply wasting away, but once she began to look sad and never complete contentment in life we had to do the kindest thing for her, and the most difficult thing for us.

I thought we had come to terms with it, that it was the right thing to do, but since it happened i felt like part of our home has been torn out. I knew we would never have another summer together, walking through the fields, watching the birds, snoozing in the sun. I will miss her.

Thank you so much, our darling girl, you were so special. Please forgive us, we hope we gave you a happy life - we loved you so. Rest in Peace.xxxxxxxxxxxx

2010-01-03T09:26:00.000-08:00

Ooops.......New Year's Resolution No.1 : Don't leave 9 months between each blog and make more of an effort!!!!! Happy New Year xxx

Inspiration...

2009-04-21T07:27:00.000-07:00

The sunny days have meant more time outside but it hasnt stopped me wanting to continue my quest to transform my home into somewhere that reflects more of "me". I find my greatest satisfaction in banishing any evidence of previous occupants and making the place mine. With the current financial situation this is taking longer than I would have liked but you have to start with the basics don't you, and my hard work has paid off so far. I have a dilemma though. Its nice to know exactly what i want to achieve when i start a room, which is to ban the purples, oranges and yellows of the previous owners and replace them with neutral calm, but i have a passion for pretty things! No sooner do i clear out my clutter to make room for new decor, I find girlie stuff creeping back! My bedroom is my haven at the moment as the room i have finished, it all just seemed to fall into place...

I am trying to find some inspiration for my lounge now as i would dearly love to have somewhere to curl up next winter without despairing at the current bright yellow curtains, green walls and dark varnished woodwork. I don't know where to start really.

Why is it that our darling men aren't happy unless there are large televisions, plenty of new technology and wires trailing around, or is that must mine? I have metres of wires to hide so need to find a chest to put the tv on. He is happy to curl up and watch the footy in near darkness with curtains falling off the rails, wonky pictures on make do hooks, and wires to trip you up wherever you walk. I can't walk into the room without agonising how to improve it.....I have already installed a fire into what was an empty hole in the wall....

I am now on a quest for the perfect stone coloured paint colour - not too yellow, not too grey! An impossible task it seems, and i am getting bogged down in it now! I know i should go for plain linen curtains but my sofa is plain linen, and i love crewelwork fabric.....and there are so many linens!!!!aaaaaaahhhh! I am not a natural interior designer, so all advice gratefully received ladies!

Before i started on my quest for interior perfection, I had a lovely little something in the post this morning from a new friend Caroline from Patchwork Harmony. I had won a "pay it forward" gift from her and she sent me a little prize, my first, how exciting (and i was!)

A lovely fridge magnet - perfect timing as my fridge is groaning under the weight of all the new term school letters!

Thank you so much, and so as i have received such a lovely gift i am going to pay if forward and spread a little happiness....the first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a surprise gift from me, and all you have to do is then do your own 'pay it forward' post and give a gift to your some of your readers!

Finally, it has always moved me that all your lovely blogs are so cheerful and happy and really do celebrate the little things in life, which is so important, as life isnt always as perfect as we would want. I am always inspired by what you write and the things you all get up to, thank you so much for welcoming me to blogging I really appreciate it. x

Back to school....

2009-04-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

Well, Tuesday morning dawned and that was it, all out in a rush and then back to the school routine. I secretly looked forward to having some time to myself and catching up with house stuff but also secretly dreaded it. Wandering round the empty house picking up pyjamas, I spotted a poor discarded teddy and a football that has been attached to his feet for the last 3 weeks, inside and out. I miss him already. I savour every minute of his company, his funny ways, his gentle nature and his sense of fun. I am so proud of him as he grows up and the last 9 years have gone in a flash.

Deciding to get on with things i was glad of the sunshine at last - hope you had some where you were. So nice to have the doors open all day, birds singing, washing on the line and an excuse to go outside and wander and watch. Its very nice having sheep in the field behind our house to watch, very amusing when they escape and jump over the fence so we have to clap our hands and send them back, but so noisy! The lambs are just so cute, and it feels so bizarre to be standing in my garden listening to them baa baa baa-ing when in the last house i would stand and listen to lorries trundling past. Their calling is so child-like my sub-conscious makes me want to drop my washing and run and see whats wrong. Mad? or just hormones....

I havent done anything in my garden yet except throw in a few bulbs last year and hope for the best, and its amazing that they have rewarded me months later by looking beautiful! So, a few shots of what's looking pretty so i can look back in the dead of winter and remember why its worth planting more...

Spring Green tulips with their lime stripe.

A magnolia tree past its best but still looking pretty.

My new herb garden - i hope they grow bigger!

A perfect den at the bottom of the garden for a little boy, complete with stools and a table, which Daddy spent ages carrying from the neighbours garden last year - they are heavier than they look! The tin contains sweets and, for some reason, Jacobs cream crackers nicked from the kitchen!

And finally...

My rusty woodpecker - a present from W, and it makes me a laugh because he went to so much trouble to get it, so makes him cross when he sees it!

So, before i knew it it was time to collect. The house was clean and shiny with everything in its place for once, washing taken in, beds changed and dinner in the oven. Everything came together today. Doesnt happen often does it? A lovely spring evening, homework done, knife and fork dropped to fly out and play football before bed. Just an ordinary day, but a nice one to remember.

Aren't holidays great?

2009-04-12T12:26:00.001-07:00

How to lift your spirits when the sun doesn't come out....

Well, i don't know about you but the weather here has been awful - grey and dull, so what is there to do on a day like that? We made the effort and had a trip to London to Borough Market - somewhere i have wanted to go for ages and i am so glad we made the effort. Knowing we were entertaining family for Easter we made a foody shopping list and came away with some amazing goodies - and for the first time in ages were pleasantly surprised by the prices! It was very crowded but a great day out. Even my son loved being handed free samples everywhere he went !

I treated myself to a lovely bouquet of my favourite flowers which now sits on my Easter table and was amazed to have plenty of change from my £20 note. Have you seen these roses - they are incredible. I don't know how to describe the colour, kind of dirty pink tinged with green. Real vintage roses and absolutely beautful, i think they are called Amnesia but feel free to correct me if i am wrong. Since blogging is a new delight for me i couldnt help take pictures of some of the lovely things I saw to help me remember my day. It was a bit tricky as i only took my phone and tried not to get any bystanders in the shot as they may not have appreciated that. Anyway, see what you think, and i recommend it to any foodies for a great day out. I then came home and had fun playing with my dining room table (yes thats very sad isnt it and sounds a bit suspect but you know what i mean). My husband thinks i am nuts, but it meant he could watch the football in peace.

Maybe next time i write i will have worked out how to upload photos within the text - they all seem to jump to the beginning of the blog how frustrating aaaaah i need a gin and tonic now. Hope you all have a lovely Bank Holiday Monday!

Easter Weekend 2009

2009-04-10T17:31:00.000-07:00

Well, this is my first blog so i hope i can get it to work! I have enjoyed so many of your blogs over the past few months i have decided to start my own in the hope that it will be half as good as many of my favourites.

I am not very artistic but having been inspired by the Easter trees I saw while away in Switzerland recently i decided to have a go at creating one, and i am so pleased with the result. I am a terrible perfectionist, but this actually turned out exactly as i saw it in my head, so i am proud of it. Maybe they will catch on and next year we'll all have one.....