RIP Jesus

My last little call duck died last night  :(   When we lived at our last house I had several Call ducks, and the girl who lived over the road took a fancy to keeping ducks, so plunged headlong into it, as she was wont to do with a lot of things, and got some for her garden. Upshot was that by the time we moved in the August of that year, she's had enough of them, so brought them up to me to have.That was 1997, so Jesus was 15 years old - a HUGE age for a wee duck.He was named before I took him on by the way. He was a wonderful wee character - would never win any Call duck prizes, he was pure white but was very long-legged and looked more like a seagull really :lol:  He got on with every other duck that was ever intorduced up there even the huge Runner drakes I have now, and the big Rouen drake I inherited year back - joined in everything, was part of the general duck group. His great friend was Gracie, my lovely Khaki Campbell duck, but he outlived her. He survived one fox attack (possibly more that we don't know about) and the horrendous badger attack too. He was a survivor  :D Will miss him. I think there is a wee apple tree in a pot somewhere to bury him under  - if any duck deserves an apple tree, he does. What a duck. (the pic isn't of him but quite similar - think longer legs lol)

Cards

Spent a pleasant couple of hours this afternoon making some cards for the online shop*. I'm aiming to make each one unique, so only one of each. Makes it more interesting for me too! * Pocaid,  my online shop will be back  online next week once I get home from holiday, watch this space :)

Food in England - the lost world of Dorothy Hartley

I have just watched the above programme on the computer; not often I'm so effusive about TV, but this is an excellent programme - informative, funny, evocative, thought-provoking, inspiring, excellent presenter, jsut everything about it was right. The very best bit for me was right at the end where there wa a short clip of Dorthy herself digging potatoes. What a woman. BBC 4, 9pm 6th November - give it a watch, it's not all about food, more about the woman herself and how she came to do what she did - make one of the most important contributions to British food history.

The lovely, wonderful Jon Bon Jovi.............

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204618704576643420175842668.html If only there were more like him around - maybe he'll inspire some of the rich and famous to follow suit. Good on you Jon  x

Hurricane hats

I can't do a lot to help the victims of hurricane Sandy, but I have nitted three good warm hat which are now ready for sending over, via a group on Ravelry. I feel I've done a little to help which might be appreciated :)

A world upside down............

I spent half an hour this morning looking through ( would hesitate to call it reading, so many pictures against little text) a back copy of the Sunday Telegraph magaine. A friend had kinly posted it to me, as there was a short article that I wanted to read in it, and I only foun dout about it after the event. Teh article was good, so I got that read, then had a look at the rest. Astounded and disbelieving that people pay ove r£700 for a pair of trousers/£57 for a tube of foundation make-up/£199.99 or a toothbrush/£80 for a secondhand 'vintage' bag. Fast frward to this afternoon where I spent a distresing hour on the computer watchig a programme about the rise inuse of food banks and the people how ue them and why. Some of these people are below the poverty line below the breadline below any line you could possibly think to mention. I cried throughout most of it and felt sick to my stomach to compare what I had been rading this mornig to what I had watched. deeply affected by this these people hav no food to feed themselves and their children, and can get little help to get the leg up they deperately need. Sometimes I'm ashamed to be part of the human race, I really am. What went wrong? How can we fix it properly so that everyone everywhere has at least enough to eat and not starve? I don't know the answer, and that worries and upsets me too. There but for the grace of  God go I.

Nutbloom days

I have been here at Nutbloom cottage for eactly a fortnight, with stil 9 days to go. Had a wonderful time so far, total peace and quiet for the most part. I've got on with a lot of making for my online shop, which will be re-stocked when I get home I've done a lot of reading of all sorts of things - sailing off the west coast of Scotland with the wonderful Nhairi Hedderwick books, Baker Creek heritage vegetable book knitting books and spinning magazines, dyeing books, gardening and cookery magazines. I've caught up on a wonderful series on the i-Player with Nigel Slater using up leftovers and watched an excellent couple of hours of Paul Weller music. I've been cooking just for me and eating when I want - Frosties at 3pm - why not?  I've made curries and omelettes, had good breakfasts, wine in the evenings, some interesting beers and ciders too.  I've snoozed by the woodburner with and without knitting, and the cat has decided he likes me after all, bless him I've had cards made for the shop too, and have been making individual ones I hope to fit in a bit of writing too this coming week working on a couple of projects; I have so any ideas I want and need to get down on paper. The bedroom upstairs is tiny, the cottage itself dating back to the 18thC  J thinks, reached by a treacherous tiny staircase which is a bit of a trial at the end of the day when I'm tired lol.It's a comfortable bedroom though and one window looks out across the road to her neighbour's smallholding, where I can see pigs and pigets going about their early morning whatever pigs do :) Although on a corner close to a road, there is good, new double glazing , so it is quiet. Although there are things I miss from home, I love house sitting here, it has been and continues to be very good for me. My own time and space is very important to me.