For those in peril on the ( bathroom ) sea

Being as it is Holy Week and the wild daffodils are bobbing about  jauntily on the banks in the lane,  I was determined this morning to drag myself out of the pit of despondency into which I seem to have fallen this  long and drab winter,  heft myself out of the treacle well where I seemed to have become mired and engage myself in the spirit of Easter with all the promise of new life and new beginnings it brings.

I had been out and cut a branches for the Easter tree,collected snow white duck feathers to cover up the rocks and old iron weights that are holding them in place in fine and jolly yellow tin bucket and ferreted about the house to retrieve the Easter decorations. My spirits if not lifting were at least getting a bit of an airing and the  chilly breeze was doing its bit to blow away a few cobwebs in my head.

 I unearthed the Easter box with its assortment of ceramic rabbits, wooden decorations and  eggs decorated by the children over the years and all was going splendidly, after a fashion, (despite two bunnies needing their ears glued back on and a rabbit missing his carrot ) until I went over to  check my secret chocolate supply to make sure I have enough to do a two Easter egg hunts for mine and the neighbours little ones.  It was then that I found myself standing in a puddle with on the kitchen floor. Having first glared daggers at the cat suspecting him of  anti-social toilet habits, I ,  upon looking up, saw a wet patch on the ceiling from the bathroom above. 

 I stumbled upstairs to the kids bathroom ( it is hard to do anything more elegant than stumble when you are wearing soggy slippers and the stairs are winding ) to find we have a small pond growing in there with an attractive water fall  feature, beauteous  and unexpected, splashes its way downstairs. I am normally rather fond of water features  but seaside themed as the bathroom is I had rather hoped I wouldn't be forced to retreat every time there is a high tide.

 Sadly the plumber is not free until tomorrow evening always proving it does not slip his mind ( "give me a call in case I forget" he told me, which is  hardly encouraging advise   is it  when one is paddling  ) so the seaside theme in the bathroom  is now enhanced by a rather colourful tin bucket  .

 Ah well I suppose it means I shall not have to wash the floor this week. One must always look on the bright side, and who knows if the tide rises any higher we may have fresh lobster for lunch if I am nippy enough to turn the wicker laundry basket into a lobster trap! 

Sunday catch up

It is Sunday morning and I have retreated to bed with a mug of tea and my laptop after an early and industrious start to my day.  The animals are fed and let out, a soul warming beef stew is cooking slowly in the oven and the clay bunnies drying on the kitchen table have had a once over and a tidy and touch up ready to be fired in the kiln later this week.

Outside the day is cold and grey, but I don't mind, I am enjoying  my early morning indulgence and if I can attract the attention of one of my sons before they disappear outside I may even get another  mug of tea made for me if I am lucky. So far the only one who has tracked me down is one of the cats who is trying valiantly to sit on my chest chatting away to me as I type.


We have been busy preparing a new paddock with what feels like miles of sturdy fencing and a new hen run for the chickens.The place is beginning to look like a prison camp! Yesterday was busy , wielding the chain saw to cut back the primeval forest that was once many years ago, I  am sure. a modest privet hedge but now stretched its branches high up towards the horizon blocking the  sun from the garden. Our goats love privet so they are happy to munch and cavort their way through the piles of twigs and greenery deposited in their run.

 Youngest is eagerly awaiting the arrival of his  Breton sheep, The Ouessant is one of the smallest sheep breeds in the world. They originated on Ile d'Ouessant and he is breeding them for the freezer. Meanwhile he  is  using the tall straight privet branches to make them a wattle and daub shelter in their run. His sister is horrified, not at the wattle and daub but the eating part, I am however thrilled the price of lamb being so high as it is!

It seems winter is not keen to leave us and let spring in . We are still threatened with further snow and the remnants from last weeks blizzards rest in the gullies and ditches. Despite all that I was out planting the earth banks that surround the garden with minature daffodils that I have had flowering in the house and are now past their best so that next year they will come up again.




Aha  as hoped a fresh  mug of tea has arrived along with both my boys, the cat has shot off to avoid the commotion of their arrival and I am signing off  as there is no way I can type when they are making me laugh so much with their silly voices and jokes adn tickling each other!!

Happy Sunday to you all!!