Double trouble

We are into double figures. 10 December and my special seasonal spidey-sense of being one step behind has finally arrived. The diary is filling up (tragically more with carpet fitters, electricians and house movers than parties, though these are starting to sneak in too and there is also a cultural trip to the ballet toContinue reading “Double trouble”

Nine but no whine (this time…)

A very quick and scratchy one today as it is prodigiously late. The weather has been foul. We walked poor Lyra in siling rain this morning. To the floofster’s credit she sallied forth without excessive dragging and limited her expression of disapproval to shaking the water from her coat the back seat of the car,Continue reading “Nine but no whine (this time…)”

Day four: a leap forward in Christmas stockings.

After a series of dire nights, I actually slept reasonably well yesterday and trotted down to the kitchen feeling quite bobbish, only to find Keith and Mum, having heard the hacking and coughing in the bathroom, making plans for my funeral eulogy. Frankly it sounded a bit disappointing – I’m not sure I’ll hang aroundContinue reading “Day four: a leap forward in Christmas stockings.”

Digging Diversion

Day 2 was hijacked. I started off tremendously, getting up fairly early even though I had sat up late appliquéing legs onto an embroidered sheep (and, with hindsight I should have banked another half hour’s sleep and stopped at two rather than going for the full four as it now looks like a cross betweenContinue reading “Digging Diversion”

Slip sliding away

We are in welly season. We celebrated Lyra’s 6th birthday with a sunny walk along the river in Norham only to find that the “low road” had been converted into a foot deep duck superhighway. Choosing the better part of valour, for once, Mum and I took the high road rather than wade through. EvenContinue reading “Slip sliding away”

from dreaming spires to forest pyres

The beginning of the month brought a spectacular downpour. Lyra was all for waiting it out and retreated to the spot under the table that is just out of easy reach for a woman with a lead. However, when faced with the smell of a venison twisty bar found herself unable to resist. We thenContinue reading “from dreaming spires to forest pyres”

A conflagration of leaves

My tale commences on a wet and windy trip to Norham a couple of weeks ago for essential bacon supplies. Lyra expressed the view that she was happy just to stay in the car and listen to the radio whilst I stocked up, with a view to heading straight back to the fire and theContinue reading “A conflagration of leaves”

Lazarus speaks…

I have had this godawful cold/virus for over a fortnight now and only in the last couple of days have I felt even borderline human (as opposed to the land based kin of a race of spluttering green slime monsters from the depths of the Mindanao trench). Keith’s been fairly poorly as well and betweenContinue reading “Lazarus speaks…”

From the sublime…….

We scuttled off to Corfu at the end of September in hope of sun. It was a different side of the island this time, just across from Albania, and we arrived to blue cloudless skies and a dazzling display of bougainvillea in the hotel gardens. I had no idea there were so many colour optionsContinue reading “From the sublime…….”

Into the woods

We’ve had a well nigh perfect few weeks. Mostly it’s been lovely and sunny, but with enough dreary/wet days that I’ve actually managed to get a few indoors things done as well. A couple of damson deliveries from Judy have been turned to jam and curd (and in Keith’s case, vodka). The colour was soContinue reading “Into the woods”