Red And Yellow And Pink And Green…

…orange and purple and blue

It seems that colouring-in, for grown-ups, is the popular pastime at the moment, with the non-fiction best-seller lists including dozens of titles. There was an article in the Guardian recently about it.

I have never had a problem admitting to my enjoyment of this activity – but then I have always had the excuse of preparing something for the children around me;

…my own children, my Sunday School Class, my Girls’ Brigade group, Holiday Club, school work… And now I am busy sorting out exemplars of some children’s resources, ready for WWDP Link Day next week.

I began on Saturday evening by sharpening all the crayons in my tin, using my little hand-wound gadget [£4.50 from Lidl, years ago] Just lining them all up in a rainbow pattern is so satisfying!

Then I coloured in my worksheets – Cuba Cubes, and fichas [Cuban Dominoes] It was a very relaxing way to spend my time. But I am wondering now – I enjoy working with colouring pencils, but always do it with an end purpose in view. For this to be truly relaxing, is one supposed to just colour in for the sake of it? [in one of these fancy books at £8 a time?]

Loads of you who read this blog are very creative and artistic – look at the way PomPom has drawn Mr Badger. Do you prefer to draw our own designs, or do you get pleasure from colouring in a pre-printed picture? And did you enjoy Spirograph in your youth? [not surprisingly, I loved it for the maths involved in the designs]

Mr Badger is leaving me sooner than I expected, he has an important date somewhere truly splendid at the end of the month. So he will miss coming with me to Link Day in London, the Kid’s Club here, and a trip to Norfolk. I don’t think he minds too much!

A Hymn Of Gratitude

We sang this hymn on Wednesday for Dawn – she loved God’s creation, and believed that pollution and our abuse of the environment lies behind so much of the sickness and disease in the world. We sang it to the ‘trad’ tune [not the newer one by John Rutter]– and for many of us, it was a reminder of school assemblies long ago. It is 150 years old – but the words are still lovely.

For the beauty of the earth,

for the beauty of the skies,

For the Love which from our birth,

over and around us lies:

Christ our Lord, to Thee we raise,

this our Sacrifice of Praise.

For the beauty of each hour,

of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale, and tree and flower,

sun and moon and stars of light:

For the joy of ear and eye,

for the heart and brain's delight,

For the mystic harmony

linking sense to sound and sight:

For the joy of human love,

brother, sister, parent, child,

Friends on earth, and friends above;

for all gentle thoughts and mild:

For each perfect Gift of Thine

to our race so freely given,

Graces human and Divine,

flowers of earth, and buds of Heaven:

Christ our Lord, to Thee we raise,

this our Sacrifice of Praise.

Midnight And Noon

Photographed from our bedroom window at midnight yesterday – the candles in the lanterns almost burned out. So very pretty! Then at midday today, I combined my two salads, sliced up the leftover cooked meats [2 sausages and a burger] and drizzled a simple dressing** over the top. A delicious summer lunch

**A spoonful each of honey, mustard and natural yogurt – quick and easy! I do love using up leftovers creatively, don’t you?

Badger And The BBQ

“This all looks very interesting” said Mr Badger, as he sat on his chair on the windowsill, watching Ang chop up peppers and tomatoes. “It’s the Connexion Summer BBQ” she told him “lots of ministers and spouses coming round for the evening”

Badger wasn’t altogether sure about some of the stuff Bob was cooking – “Will they eat Goat Koftas?” he asked.

“I suspect Bob may not tell them it is goat meat until after they have eaten it” Ang said. “Anyway there are vegetarian Rainbow Kebabs too, and some lovely bread rolls”

“Only two different salads, I notice – but not that delicious carrot and coriander one that Mags does – and what are those yellow slices next to the walnuts” 

Ang felt a little defensive “Those are Golden Kiwi Fruit. And anyway, Vanessa is bringing a couscous salad”

“And what about the Puddings???” “Penny and Jackie are bringing them, so they will be a surprise- but there is a tub of raspberry ripple ice cream in the freezer, just in case”

Bob had hung bunting outside, and lots of pretty lanterns with candles in. Mr Badger felt that it did appear to be under control  after all! Ang ignored him and continued her preparations.

And we had a wonderful evening. The goat koftas went down surprisingly well, as did all the other meats.  Vanessa brought two different couscous dishes. The puddings were superb – a chocolate and raspberry torte and raspberry puff pastry hearts went brilliantly with the raspberry ripple ice cream. And we chatted till late into the evening – even though we’d started the evening as comparative strangers, we finished it as good friends. Poor Mr Badger stayed inside on his chair. I don’t think he likes couscous or koftas!

There's Boys An’ Gels, An’ Wimmin An’ Blokes…

…so runs a line in an old Cockney monologue. My grandmother, with her East End roots, often referred to girls as ‘gels’. She pronounced gel as if it ended with a ‘w’. Bizarrely, in the Upper class homes where she was a lady’s maid, ‘gels’ were the daughters of the household, pronounced in a much posher voice. But now if you see the word gel in print, you probably think jell.

I had gel applied to my nails on June 17th – just over 3 weeks ago, so that my hands looked decent on the wedding photos. I don’t think my hands show on any of the pictures!
The treatment has lasted fairly well- although over the weekend some of the tips chipped a bit [and of course, as your nail grows, you get a clear space at the cuticle] But unlike regular varnish, you cannot just clean it off with acetone, it has to be properly softened and soaked off. So I bought a cheap bottle of Maybelline, to touch up the chips before I conducted Dawn’s funeral, so it didn’t look too scruffy. The cost of treatment includes removal, so yesterday I went back to Cloud Nine for the clean-up.
No thank you, I didn’t want the gel replaced immediately. It is Kids’ Club soon - I am anticipating being busy, which would mean gels would look tatty quickly. I want my good old working hands back.

“What have you been doing with your hands, Scarlett?"
"Oh nothing, It's just that I went riding last week without my gloves" "These don't belong to a lady, You've been working with them like a field hand”
Yes I was pleased with the way they looked at The Wedding, and yes, I think that the gel protected my nails so that they have all grown into a good, even shape [my nails are not strong, and never grow particularly long] Will I do it again? At just under £25, it has worked out at £1 a day. So on my budget…I cannot see it likely. Maybe for Liz’s wedding, or when hell freezes over- whichever of these events comes first!

Shepherd’s Delight

Here’s Alan Bates, plus lamb, playing the part of Gabriel Oak, a Dorset Shepherd, in the 1967 film of “Far From The Madding Crowd” You may remember that at the beginning of the film, Oak loses all his sheep. So here is a recipe for a meatless shepherd’s pie!

I wanted to use up some potatoes – they don’t keep well in this heat. I’ve adapted this from a Waitrose recipe. It uses Soup Mix [that colourful selection of pearl barley, dried beans, peas and lentils – available from most supermarkets] a can of tomatoes, and a few fresh things you probably have lurking in the fridge. The pie takes 40 minutes to make and the original recipe said ‘serves 4’ – I made individual pies using my Mason Cash Oval dishes – and would say it serves six and is quite economical

250g Soup Mix
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
2 sticks celery, diced, I carrot diced
1 vegetable stock cube, I tsp dried herbs
400g can chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
800g potatoes, cut into chunks
150ml skimmed milk 

1. Soak the soup mix in cold water overnight.

2. Drain and rinse.

3. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion, celery and carrot for 3-4 minutes.

4. Add the soup mix, stock cube, herbs, tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce. Rinse out the tomato can, filling it about 1/3rd full of cold water, and add that to the pan too. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. It sticks if you don’t stir it!

5. Place in a heatproof serving dish.

6. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in boiling water for 10-12 minutes or until tender, drain and mash with the milk and seasoning.

7. Spoon on top of the bean mixture [optional; top with some grated cheese]

8. Place under a preheated grill for 4-5 minutes until golden.

OR Freeze after stage 7 – cook in the oven from frozen at 170º for 40 minutes

We thought it tasted good, and was very filling. I served it with a green vegetable alongside. Without the cheese, it has about 300 calories per portion, is low in fat, and counts as 1 of your 5 a day.

Remembering Dawn

Today, Bob and I will be travelling back to Kirby Muxloe to conduct the funeral service together, for our friend Dawn. These are lyrics from one of her favourite songs* –  full of love and joy and enthusiasm for living, just as she was

…Went face to face with all our fears
Learned our lessons through the tears
Made memories we knew would never fade
One day my father—he told me,
"Son, don't let it slip away."
He took me in his arms, I heard him say,
"When you get older
Your wild heart will live for younger days
Think of me if ever you're afraid."
He said, "One day you'll leave this world behind
So live a life you will remember."
My father told me when I was just a child
These are the nights that never die
My father told me…

We will always remember you Dawn

[* by Avicii watch the video here]

Have You Heard Of Hygge?

Hygge is a Danish word [it is pronounced hu-guh, rhyming with sugar] and it means “creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people. The warm glow of candlelight is hygge” My mate PomPom, over in Colorado, came across this word, and decided she wanted to spread hygge among her blogfriends. So she’s repeating something she did back in 2012. PP is a fantastically gifted artist, teacher, grandma, and lover of classic children’s literature. Especially Wind In The Willows. So back in 2012, she made Mr Toad, Ratty, and Mole, and sent them round the world [literally] with their passports, and a copy of WITW.

Those of us who hosted them on the 2012 Willows Tour [Betty, Mags etc] were required to show them the sights and blog about it. Ok, maybe it might seem a little childish – but it was great fun, and I know adults and children enjoyed following the travels of the trio.

And now, in celebration of hygge, PP has sent another WITW character, Mr Badger, on his tour. You can read about it here. He’s visited Ireland and Sussex already [here and here] and clearly been well looked after. He has just arrived in Dorset, so expect a few special WITW posts in coming days. It is a shame he missed the Tea Party on Saturday, that was a good example of English Hygge.

Bob looked at the parcel, and said [a tiny bit pompously, imho] that he felt I had entered into the whole Willows Tour rather too enthusiastically last time. I admit, I did take them to 2 castles, New Scotland Yard, the Houses of Parliament, and more [not to mention the Gin Palace] But then he completely ruined his “I am a grown up, and cannot be bothered with such juvenile pursuits” demeanour by announcing …

“Personally, I think this is all wrong. Mr Badger is an elderly gentleman, who should be left sitting quietly by his fireside, in his carpet slippers, not sent round the world, all alone, in a Jiffy Bag!”

Watch this space..

Tea Party Tips

On Saturday afternoon Bob invited round a crowd of musicians from the church. We are blessed with a diverse group of people who both sing, and play various instruments- and a congregation spanning more than 90 years in age. Bob wanted to establish with them exactly which songs and hymns should form our ‘basic core repertoire’ for Sunday worship services. My job was to organise the tea. [I have no musical skills whatsoever] I decided on ‘small and dainty’ finger foods, as we would not be sitting round a table.

I’d spent all of Friday back up in Leicester, and knew my baking time on Saturday might be limited, so gratefully accepted offers of help from two friends, who brought pretty little scones and delicious fairy cakes.That proved a wise move – the thunderstorm kept me awake and I was not up particularly early.

Here are my tips for producing a load of sandwiches that look more Vicarage Tea Party and less Builder’s Packed Lunch! Choose a variety of fillings [mine all came from Aldi] Four sandwich fillings – cucumber, ham [with a smidgeon of mustard], paté&tomato, and cheese. I wanted to serve two shapes -triangles, and rectangles.

Stack an even number of slices of bread [6 0r 8] and cut off the crusts with a sharp bread knife before you make the sandwiches. Put the crusts in a box and freeze them immediately.

That way you can use the crusts to make croutons, bread pudding, breadcrumbs etc. If you cut them off afterwards, they will have butter, cheese, ham etc stuck to them! Make sure your butter is soft, spread thinly,make sure you go right to the edges of the slices. Buy a white loaf and a brown loaf, to get colour contrast. Cheese slices are a great time saver [the thicker ones - not those dreadful plastic wrapped things]

If your cold meat is in circular slices, cut  in quarters- arrange on the bread with right angles at the corners. I use scissors for speed and convenience. Cut into triangles .

Spread the paté thinly on to top and bottom pieces of bread. Arrange the thinly sliced tomatoes across the middle of one piece and put the other on top. Now slice lengthways into thirds

Each little rectangle has a pop of colour in the centre.

Leave the skin on the cucumber, but use a potato peeler to cut it into very fine slices. Cut these sandwiches into triangles.

As well as all the sandwiches, I put out little dishes of cherry toms, olives, Stackers crisps and grapes [pre-cut these into bunches of 4 or 5] Small sandwiches dry out quickly in hot weather – so wrap them well in cling film if there is to be a delay in serving.

As well as regular tea and coffee, I also provided a flask of hot water and selection of ‘fancy’ tea bags. And just to be different, instead serving the scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream, I had some dark blue lingonberry conserve from Ikea – and half-fat crème fraiche. Less sugar and less fat! [sorry, forgot to photograph the cakes and scones – but thank you Sue and Jenny for making them]

The afternoon went well – Bob was happy with the progress made with the music, and people certainly tucked into the tea!

Amazing! Just Five Black Notes

I received this video on Saturday – American Independence Day. It was sent by my friend Robert Mandell [who is definitely an expert in musical matters, so I trust his judgment on the accuracy] This story is quite fascinating! The clip lasts 8 minutes – even if you don’t watch it all, at least listen to the first half, to get the history…

Wintley Phipps Sings Amazing Grace at Carnegie Hall - YouTube from CMI on Vimeo.

thanks Robert M and Carole V for alerting me to this one

Third [And Final] Wedding Hymn

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! - who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe.
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand:
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

That’s it now – I have posted almost all the photos I took over the wedding weekend. But when Steph and Mark return and we have the ‘official’ ones, there may be a few more on the blog. This coming week will be a busy one, so I may not get round to posting regularly.

We have seen some amazing weather down here in Dorset this past week – the thunderstorm and lightning on Friday night was truly awesome. We have also been with friends going through personal storms – at moments like this, the words of this hymn chosen by Steph and Mark really resonate.

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

[Pictures of Bournemouth, Poole, and Ferndown, from the Bournemouth Echo]

What A Wonderful Name For A Village!

• do they have a Summer Ball?
• is the village Post Office called the Wool Shop?
• are the locals called ‘great knits’?
• is there a long and winding road?
• do Robin, Rico, Rowan or Wendy live here? [or even Hank]

But they clearly take a very dim view of vandalism, if the sign on the bridge is to be believed! This is the burial place of the Turberville family – believed to have inspired Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbevilles
On the subject of wool, I have just finished knitting a tiny little jacket for a prem baby, using a pattern which Fishcake kindly sent me. This was an interesting project – not least because the instructions didn’t say how many stitches to cast on. I worked it out by calculating backwards from Row 13! The other challenge was that it is knitted all in one piece, and you suddenly realise you have made the armholes. It was very quick to do. The little lacy pattern round the yoke is so sweet.

But it is July – absolutely no more knitting for a while now, my hands are way too hot and sweaty. And I still have wedding things to sort and put away. Steph has been brilliant at emailing us from Thailand with details of their honeymoon adventures [elephant riding, a Thai cookery lesson, sightseeing, swimming…]

He Would Always Walk Tall!

The death was announced of Val Doonican, the Irish singer, who passed away yesterday at the age of 88. My parents really enjoyed listening to this gentle, humble man, whose charming voice brought laughter and smiles into many homes with his TV show [it ran from 1965 – 1986] We even had the LP! My Mum particularly loved his jumpers – and his rocking chair.

I suppose my own two favourite songs were Walk Tall [I have tried,despite my diminutive stature] and Paddy McGinty’s Goat. But Mysterious People [and also The Special Years] were two that my Dad liked – celebrating the joys of childhood innocence.

Children are people who live in a land

Made of raindrops and puddles and pebbles and streams

Silently watching a twig as it sails

On a clear crystal pool to an island of dreams

There go a pair who have just built a city of mud,

And it's real

They know that mud doesn't look very pretty,

But ooh, how it feels!

This little boy greets the snow with a smile

That little girl has discovered an isle made out of pillows

One little fellow is friends with the wind in the willows

All of them children and all are mysterious people

I can remember when I was a boy

That my bed was a ship that I sailed through the night

And I remember the world as a place

That was eager and loving and shiny and bright

Where is the boy who was friends with the rainbow

And once rode a pawn?

Where is that shy and mysterious person?

Oh where have I gone?

I can remember I once said my prayers

But now I stand by while my children say theirs

Watching them kneeling

And I could cry

That one day they'll forget all that they're feeling

Oh, what a shame that our children should grow into people

I was never quite sure about Elusive Butterfly – the first time I heard it on the radio, it was a Mondegreen Moment – I thought “The bright elusive butterfly of love” was “The bride, a loose-leaf butterfly of love”!

RIP Val, thank you for all the melodies you shared – and in this day and age, a happy ‘showbiz’ marriage lasting over 50 years is something to be celebrated. May God comfort your widow Lynnette, your daughters and their families.

An Interesting Looking Cove

definition COVE [noun]

1. a small bay or inlet, usually between rocky headlands
2. old fashioned term for a fellow; chap

Here’s my own favourite cove, paddling at Lulworth Cove on Tuesday. We enjoyed the most gloriously sunny day off together. We arrived in time for breakfast and went to Brody’s Cafe

Bob declared sausages excellent. I had a bacon and mushroom roll. After eating we wandered down to the beach and walked along the shingle, paddled, and sat on a rock to rest for a bit. Then we climbed the cliffs to see even more of the natural beauty. Our day out also took us to Winfrith, Wool and Wareham. On the way back, we drove round the Cordite Factory Site at Holton Heath, so Bob could look at the WW2 buildings. Home via Lidl to buy cheap ice lollies! then to friends in the evening for a BBQ. A Very Good Day Off!

Family Trees

After the speeches at the wedding, Bob and I, plus Martin and Elaine [Mark’s parents] received gifts from the Bride and Groom. Lovely floral arrangements for the Mums [which Steph had arranged for my SIL Marion to collect from the village florists earlier in the afternoon] bottles of something tasty for the Dads - and these necklaces and cufflinks following the woodland theme.

I love the little footpaths round the fir trees! Each gift bag also contained a beautifully worded thank you card from Mark.

25 years ago, Steph’s teacher called me into the classroom one afternoon. She said they had been trying to think of words beginning with ‘gr’. The children had offered grow, green, and grass- but Steph’s hand shot up, and she suggested gratitude. I am very pleased that our children have remembered the importance of saying ‘Thank you’ even though they are now an old married couple!

Sew Long Ago!

Someone at Saturday’s Craft Event asked me how long I had been doing crafts.

I said I couldn't remember I time when I hadn’t made things. I was sewing and knitting before my brother was born [he arrived when I was 7½] and I loved doing the origami models from my Rupert Annual [which came every Christmas]

Then I wondered what was the oldest piece of my own craftwork which I still have. I think it must be this little fabric box, which I made at school in 1967. It is about 6” across and 2” high.

We had to design a box in two colours [many of my friends opted for the yellow/green colourway, because they were supporters of Norwich City FC] and we were allowed a third thread colour. I chose red/blue, with black. I had been to a few theatres, and was very taken with the tragedy/comedy masks, so based my design on that. We had stitch the lid, make the box, line it with cream fabric, make a tassel and then put everything together. I gave the finished box to my Mum, and it was on her dressing table for the next 34 years, she kept her necklaces in it. After she died, Dad gave it back to me. Looking at it now, I cannot believe how neat my blanket stitching was back then, or how straight that central seam.

What is the oldest piece of craftwork you still have? Is it from your school days? Do you still practise that particular craft?

Our Crafty Coffee Morning

One weekend I am busy with bunting and cakes …and the next, I am busy with bunting and cakes…[next weekend may be different, who knows?] Our Crafty Coffee Morning for Christian Aid went incredibly well – over £200 raised, and great fun had by all. The crafts included cake decorating, card making, parchment craft, crochet, nylon flowers, box-making, kusudama flowers, knitting, punching, stamping…and we had good tea, coffee and cakes to fortify us through the morning [thank you Steve and others in the kitchen] Well done Alison for being the Chief Organiser behind this worthwhile event. The Hall was absolutely buzzing with people enjoying themselves creating lovely little things. We charged £5 a head entry fee – all craft materials and refreshments were donated. People could visit as many different craft tables as they wanted.

As well as demonstrating the kusudama flowers, I made a Pergamano Parchment Owl card and a little nylon flower [notice my amazing pink gel thumbnail – special treat for MOB last week! Thank you to Heather and Luise for teaching me two new crafts today!