March 2012

Time is still flying.....
The kittens are doing really well and we have narrowly avoided them having kittens of their own over the last couple of weeks so they have been to the vets and won't be adding more kittenage to the world, there are more than enough unwanted cats as it is.
My feelings towards home ed spin around constantly, never truly happy with the all or nothing nature of home ed OR school. The current school system is proven wrong on so many levels but they are just stuck in the 'must tick boxes' mentality. Not sure if the antagonistic behaviour between the boys is exaggerated due to them being in each others company all of the time.
I'm halving my time spent working for someone else so I now have more time to work for me doing something I love rather than dread. Hopefully it won't be long before I can say goodbye all together.
I've started the mammoth blanket that is the Beekeepers Quilt http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-beekeepers-quilt  only a few hundred to go :)

Winter has been weird, the weather not really cold enough, we've only had a couple of frosts and no snow this year, boys very disappointed.
We've been to Eden a couple of times, skating which was hysterical, I was sure I could skate but apparently my legs failed to remember! The chocolate trail was fun as well.

We need to move fruit trees from the field to the front garden, have already got spuds and broad beans in.
Lots of gardening needed over the next few weeks, spring is peeking her eyes open but it's flipped to being bitterly cold.
Edan's birthday was a trip out to Paradise Park, we loved the otters and they loved the soft play, it never ceases to amaze me that Edan will just throw himself off sheer drops.

We've decided that we have to repair the house, we have to basically destroy the front room and re build it! Then there is upstairs, there may be chimney issues there will need to be re plastering, also the roof and knocking down the studio entirely and then re building it as a summer house with a roof that doesn't leak woohoo! It will be a usable space at last! We haven't yet finalised who is going to do the work but I am already picking paint, carpets and A NEW SOFA! This sofa is about 15 years old now and it shows, I am so looking forward to a new sofa, I may have to put little mittens on the kittens though!

 

Storm in morning frost, I was out photographing the full moon just after dawn

We have new kittens

Our home was most definately missing something not having resident cats so when these were found abandoned on a busy road I knew they had to come and live with us :) They were poorly with runny eyes and sneezing drippy noses. They have in the last week and a half put on some weight and the eye goop is gone and the noses are clearing up. Not sure of names currently, they are trying on Mab (Mabon approximately when they would have been born) and Luna (craziest one)

Catch up picture of our Samhain pumpkins.

We've also rescued a couple more chickens who needed a new home they are Pumpkin and Ghost

and we just rescued an unused chicken house this weekend, needs a few repairs but will be much better than the current house.

Dinosaur KAL

On a forum I'm on we are doing this http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring09/PATTsteggie.php as  Knit A Long, I am using the softest squidgy BFL and merino and I need to dye it up over the weekend/next week  hopefully, http://www.woollywumpkins/ has some wool especially for this KAL or you can use your own. Anyone fancy joining in? (or has anyone I know made it already and have any tips?!)

Catch up in pictures what we did over the summer

No budget for festivals or fancy holidays but we did manage a couple of days in Dartmouth for a friends handfasting, we had a lovely time.

Kings Troop

Joust at Pendennis

Squash Box @ Minack

Greebo, no longer with us, just vanished. Tam also died yesterday. We now have Elf who passes through here once in a while but no resident cats :(

Full Moon in September

Truck hitched up to ancient mower, they loved it.

One of Petunias piglets

Buzzard mid call, they are supposed to be solitary animals only coming togetehr to breed but we regularly see 2 or 3 together and 3 times this year have seen 6 flying together.

Mammoth granny stripes, big enough to warm a mammoth, ripples have now been started.

Positivity

"Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behaviors. Keep your behaviors positive because your behaviors become your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny."


By Gandhi


I came across this elsewhere so quickly popping it on here for my benefit but hopefully it will resonate with others.

Spinning!

 So today I had an unexpected chance to go to the Guilds Saturday meet. I never realised they had added a Saturday meet up so have been missing out for months! Obviously I can't do the weekday one as I have the boys and they would be to a room full of spinning wheels what the four horsemen are to the apocolypse. So at long last no children and no other to do list jobs to get in the way as I was no where near any of them. The Babylonglegs Rainbow Falkland that has been languishing on bobbins finally got a ply with some black merino, well one did at least. Not perfect by a long shot but I kind of like the rustic vibe. One of the ladies who runs it went through everything with the Learners corner and gave me some good pointers. Also found out I can hire a drum carder when I become a member but no meetings now til Spetember as they miss August out. I shall just have to get all the fleece washed and ready for an Autumn of carding.
I think this may become a winter scarf.......

Wednesday

Sunset this evening providing a much needed lift to the spirits.

Lava lamp fun - well it is fun until they start fighting over who still has the most alka seltzers and 'he's got two more than me' whine whine whine. The unfairness of life certainly rears it's head early for the average 5 year old.

Water, food colouring, oil and alka seltzers broken into quarters. Ones stamped on by stroppy 3 year olds also work you'll be pleased to know.
Forest School today as well, Kailen doesn't seem to be that bothered by it and wandered off a few times, teachers not happy about that but really these are home ed children with no concept of sit still and pay attention plus they are boys in the woods. I think he *should* sit and participate but he wants to wander, I did say if he didn't want to go and try and focus on what they were offering we could give the place up to someone else but he was adamant he wanted to go again, we'll see how next week goes I guess.