Part 2 of the year that was.......

.....by mid 2009,settled once more into our old home,complete with fully functioning workroom,I could begin the slow process of getting back to 'work' once more. Being without a workspace had not prevented the creative imaginings & there was (still is) a backlog of new projects waiting to be given form. Much like being on a diet & torturing oneself with fantasy food,my mind,had for many months been fixated on cloth & haberdashery,& the procuring of it-the growing hoard of fabric,buttons & trimmings,waiting & winking,like a guilty stash of chocolate! Where to start.....stitchers block loomed,my once nimble fingers awkward & unwieldy,afraid to make a snip or stitch-beautiful cloth had become the pristine first page of a new sketchbook, my fine spiky needle,a jumbo black marker pen! Help was at hand in the unlikely form of a JML mini sewing machine,those child-size portable '.....ideal for home or caravan (?)...'machines,as seen on TV & in those gadget catalogues for the over 60s,who on earth would buy one of those things?Someone with a fear of full sized sewing machines & a co-ordination defect,that's who! Yes my mama is a skilled seamstress,but I emerged from the gene pool at the-unable to follow instructions/patterns,hold things properly,operate machinery,catch a ball-end,so the mysteries of dressmaking have always eluded me! But in need of chintzy cushions for my chintzy sofa & with a stack of Cath Kidstons charming florals,I got my JML fired up-ok,revving,its a Metro not a Ferrari-no bells or whistles,just straight(ish) lines stitched at a snails pace (though it will do tortoise speed for the more advanced user!) & produced a pile of cushions of which I was inordinately proud. In the meantime my nimble fingers had,once more, become needy of needle & thread & I had conquered a small machine.....just don't ask me to play catch!

..... meanwhile, Mr M was making busy out of doors-2009 saw the return of the island allotments & ours (I use the term loosely) is conveniently placed right outside the workroom window,perfect for spectator gardening! This is the second coming of Mr's foray into gardeners world,the first time being 7 years ago,when he grew vegetables & became infamous for his abundant sweet peas & my mama has never forgotten his giant onions,that would have walked first prize in any horticultural show! Instead,this time,much to my delight he planted his plot with cut flowers-row upon row of rainbow flowers,Dahlias,Snap-Dragons,Lupins,Ranunculas,Painted Daisys,Gladiolis & Sweet Peas of course,all ripe for the picking! The miracle of a tiny seed becoming a glorious bloom is akin to magic-of course Mr M is no Mr Magica,but he is a natural born gardener,happy to tend,hoe,weed & water until the light has left the sky or rampant midges drive him in & woe betide the foolish slug hoping for a tasty midnight feast-Mr M is armed with a torch & he will seek you out! So all Summer long,the flowers kept coming-much like the magic porridge pot in the fairy tale,I shouted 'stop'when all possible receptacles were full! The allotment now lies dormant,all bare earth & stubble,sleeping just beneath its surface Tulip,Daffodil & Snowdrop bulbs,Mr M head in a book-plots & plans his Spring sowing scheme & I sit back & wait for the magic to begin.........

I can't be sure why,but the overriding theme for our year 2009 seems to be domesticity,I think it came with the move back home & the need to nest or maybe its an age thing! What is domestic bliss,different things to different people I know,does anyone ever attain it & if they do,do they even realise it? Not long after we had moved in,a neighbour happened to glance in our sitting room window one Sunday afternoon & catch the 4 of us in a snapshot moment,looking they said like a 1940s family-Daddy reading in the easy chair next to the fire,Mummy sitting sewing by the light of the standard lamp,children-one of each-sat on the floor playing quietly! As I said,this was a glimpse,from the outside looking in-it didn't sound like our life,more like an illustration from a vintage children's book,none the less I loved that,in that moment this was how we had appeared.....

......so still in pursuit of domesticity,May 2009 saw the baking of my first cake!Pre-36,the baking had been confined to Home Economics lessons & some half-hearted attempts with mama. Always the perfectionist,I found the inconsistency of the resulting fare frustrating & disappointing & then there was the washing up! So I shelved any plans I had to become Delia, and was happy just to eat the cake of others,without envy. Then-It-happened,cake envy....at the birthday party of a child,how shameful....my friend had baked a delicious Devils Food cake,all dark & brooding-moist,shiny sponge topped with glossy chocolate buttercream,far too 'adult' for a kids party-an object of desire for young & old alike! Ruby carried home her slice of heaven with as much care,as if it had been a baby bird,then enjoyed every chocolatey mouthful-saying it was the best she had ever tasted....it was then I wanted a slice,not of the cake,but of the glory! So that weekend I took my first tentative steps,armed only with a baking tray & without a recipe book until I remembered that in my Ladybird book collection,I had a copy of Learning to Cook from the 70s, bought for 10p-purely for its retro photos of kids in flares & acrylic polo necks cooking with mum! Alas,no recipes for Devils Envy cake-a little ambitious for a first timer (or a freckled face boy in acrylic)-so I settled for flapjack & shortbread,revelling in the homely smell of my kitchen & the approval of my taste-testers! Humble beginnings,but I was hooked & set about acquiring the tins,spoons,sieves-I would need to bake a cake that would set hearts afire,Ruby's birthday was round the corner,imagine how delighted she would be to have 'that' cake & for it to have been made by her mother! I asked my friend for the recipe that would conjure up such a cake......'Oh,actually Its a Betty Crocker...packet mix!'.....bubble burst!.........

however.....I kept going & have progressed a little from Ladybird,though I still use the shortbread recipe,& I have a limited repertoire,choosing perfection over diversity (less chance of failure!),baking highlights,making my own Battenburg-well worth the effort & in July having a cake stall all of my own! As for the Devils own cake.....Betty Crocker got the better of me on that one.......

Amidst all these pastures new,rolling out over the past 12 months,there are times when,life at best can seem un-remarkable,at worst a little dull,as they say...thats life! But,looking back on our year through my photos,it was a memorable year,a year like no other.....& heres to the next one..........

That was the year that was.......

.....2009,is fast departing us,time to reflect maybe or even just sort out the photos on my computer,same thing really!Here's some of my 'best bits'.......
In February,we got what we like to call snow,sorry to be a killjoy-but really it was more like Slush Puppy or the ground ice made by a Mr Frosty machine!But it was enough to create a picturesque landscape & more importantly to make a mini snowman,Ruby's 3rd (in 10yrs),Georges 1st!

In May we lost a dear old friend,our tabby cat Mog-aged about 16.Mog came to live with us not long after we had left the mainland & moved to our island home,she had been living with an old lady & a blind Yorkie dog-Mr Magoo-having turned up on their doorstep one day,looking for a new start!So the 3 of us started our life together,all learning as we went along & readjusting with each new addition to our family,kittens & babies-Mog disliked both in equal measure!She was quite the celebrity,spending her days with the tourists,having her photo taken & even letting them pick her up,her daily diet was supplemented with titbit's & clotted cream! Each evening with the lowering of the castle flag she would return to us with a round belly,fur smelling of the perfume & cologne of her adoring public!At home,it was affection on her terms,she barely tolerated her 3 furry brothers,let alone her 2 legged siblings & was a very fussy eater,but how we loved her & we treated her like a little person.By May our elegant feline had become a little old lady,thin & bow legged,seeking out the sunny patches as always,but mostly spending her days in her igloo,head always poking out-keeping an eye on things!How enormous is the gap left in our lives when these little creatures leave our side.........

......so,in July we decided our 3 furry boys needed a new mistress,enter a scrawny little tortoiseshell cat called Honey age 2!We all know the Internet can be dangerous,in this case it was fatal-do not google your local re homing centres unless you are prepared to have your heartstrings tugged at most severely!The animal equivalent of an NSPCC advert,these websites are not for the feint hearted or recently bereaved!So it was that Honey found her way into our hearts & our well used cat basket one rainy afternoon this Summer.She had been brought to the RSPCA,a stray with newborn kittens,long gone by the time we met-thank goodness-else we would've come home with 3,no doubt!The little scrap of tortoiseshell has blossomed into a rotund ball of fur,despite her idyllic surroundings she prefers to stay at home & eat,like the previous mistress she dislikes the fur boys & is not keen on our 2 legged rogue & his noisy,light sabre wielding ways!We are honoured with the odd knee sitting session usually as a means to getting fed,yet how grateful we are for these moments,on any terms!

Sometime in Spring,I finally sorted out my workroom.....

We moved back into the fully restored lodge house,that is our home,in the run-up to Christmas 2008,this was the 2nd time in 3 years.....since we had first moved in we had aquired a boy child,boy toys & a mountain of-stuff!I hold my hands up,mostly,my stuff-mama,I place the blame for this firmly at your door-brought up as I was amid the glory days of the jumble sale,village bazaar & best of all,flea market-where mama often had a stall!So the seed was sown,fed & watered,until a bumper crop of stuff had been harvested,packed in boxes & moved from house to house,loft to loft!This time however I was determined it was not going back in the loft,it had to be sorted-by me-& so,as it had its own room,I shut the door & left it!However the room it was occupying was also to be my workroom/studio & I had ambitious plans for it,having bought 2 lovely old shop counters-crying out to be filled with haberdashery & well,stuff!The room was originally used as a Parish Room,for parish meetings & social gatherings & is full of character,granite windows & an enormous fireplace,oak beams & an original parquet floor,in the half of the house that is in the castle grounds,it looks out on the gardens-away from the tourists!Like a scaled down version of rooms in the castle,it is at the same time filled with light & best of all,birdsong-perfect as a studio.So having ignored the skyscraper boxes for months & being without a workspace,I took courage & locked myself away ....several weeks,several trips to the charity shop,recycling bank & skip later,I realised my dreams & my drapers shop-workroom was born!Here I am surrounded by my treasures,one counter is used for storage (it holds lots of-stuff!),the other for displaying my collection of vintage haberdashery-gorgeous lace,ribbon,buttons,so many buttons,sylko threads,doilies,table linens,more buttons-all the lovely materials for my work.It is a very inspiring space,for which I am eternally grateful....& no more boxes.......well,just small ones.....

Frosty Fancies.......

.....I could'nt let these delights pass through my-hands-without giving them blog space,so at least their short,sticky lives will not have been in vain!Tunnocks tea cakes,dare I say it,but Im really not that interested in whats on the inside,yes I know its shallow,but for me its all about good looks!They are so very handsome,the tea cake box is a triumph of colour & graphic design,some Christmases ago I found this big box on sale in Sainsburys,complete with the cheeky Tunnocks boy picture & choc full of mallows-cue,much excitement from me & some very bemused Sainsburys shoppers!For as long as I can remember,I have bought a box of these at Christmas,& every year they sit on the sideboard-shiny,stripey,star topped foil intact-resplendant in their box,waiting to be unwrapped,for someone to delight in their perfect brown shell & soft fluffy mallow,& in a final act of worship,to carefully smoothe every crease out of the foil wrapper....& still they wait!But just like Roses lime cordial (I miss the lovely old glass bottle!) & Maraschino cherries (still in the cupboard!)-it would'nt be Christmas without them!
.....as for these,Frosty Fancies from the house of Kipling-the minimalist cousins of those kitsch French ones!A triumph Mr K-just made for my new spotty plate (thankyou mama) & unlike the teacakes,not around for long.....well,'Mr Kipling does make exceedingly good cakes!'.

.....old dog,new tricks!

My lovely lil' sis was home for Christmas & was trying to teach bis sis how to hone her blog skills,I really am trying.....very!Here is a (rare) picture of me,trying to look serene-mid the festive pre-amble,mmmm!

And here are my pots of Christmas marmalade,made under tuition from my dear friend Mary Brigid,a septiginarian (sp?) who is as I type winging her way to New Zealand-an inspiration & a marvellous teacher.I have been given custody of the jam pan for the duration of her trip,ooh heck hope I don't burn it.....!
So,this 30+ dog is learning new tricks from young & old,& crashing towards 2010 full of hope & intent....next stop,online typing school!

Tis 'the season to be jolly.......

....deck the halls with boughs of holly.....

Its nearly here,how the days have flown in a flurry of preparation for those two special days!But they really are special,& yes we all know about the awful bits of Christmas;Slade,DFS adverts (no,you don't need a new sofa in time for Christmas!),queues-for everything,'novelty'gifts,I could go on.Mostly it is special because we spend time with those we love,we send cards to those we have'nt seen for years,but remember fondly,we pop in to see friends for a cuppa,lovingly choose & wrap gifts.We all love to moan about Christmas too,its part of the annual ritual,but how we would miss it!Making merry & making memories,like most,the smell of the Christmas tree or a satsuma are the smells of my nostalgia,conjuring a jumble of festive images,taking me on a sentimental journey!So here it comes again,faster than Santas sleigh,leaving chaos in its wake,robbing us of money,robbing the supermarket of parking bays,stripping the shelves of bread,sprouts,everything,taking with it charitable thoughts & a sense of humour & leaving us on the 27th of December dazed & confused!And here I am midst my own yearly sprint to Christmas Eve,wondering if I will reach the finish line-where new pyjamas & bed before midnight,are my dangling carrot-presents still to wrap,mince pies to make,washing,ironing......and I am tapping away at my laptop with my solitary finger (new years res'-learn to type!) blogging,like I have all the time in the world!But I have missed my blog & my finger was bored of sticking sellotape & I know this time tommorrow night I will be puffing & panting the last few metres of the mad dash & telling myself I'll make better time next year,but at least I will get my pyjamas & I will sleep the sweetest sleep of the year! x

Beautiful day.......

......today was heralded with the most glorious sunrise,the kind that makes getting out of a warm blankety bed,bearable! After the battle that is the school-run,I got to take a solitary stroll on the beach with a joy that never ceases! Then driving home at dusk we caught the full heavenly glory of a perfect sunset with its rainbow sky! Tonight as my weary head hits the pillow, my heart is smiling........

Bye bye baby........

On Monday my darling boy started full time school.I am lost........

Nightmare before Christmas..........

.........scary Santa time is upon us!!
Is it me or Father Christmas looking a bit ropey these days? Look,I realise hes a busy chap,certainly its all go for him from now til'Dec 25th & he is carrying a bit of extra weight,ditto,but.....Santa, the image is slipping! Festive events in church halls & schools across the country are not complete without an appearance of the big man,so obviously Im not expecting the real one to put in a show,but surely being asked to be his stand in is an honour & hey its a chance to wear red velvet, fake fur and a cinch belt-in public,boys! So,come on guys,make an effort! Being a mummy means you get to rub shoulders with a fair few of these rotund imposters in the early years,before little boys & girls see through the disguise & become as discerning as their jaded mothers!So,today saw said mother taking her 10 year old cynic & 4 year old believer to a local craft show,on offer-a sleigh ride with Mr Claus-dashing through a muddy,waterlogged field on a tinsel decked 'sleigh'drawn by 2horses in felt antlers!We gamely hopped on,surely £2 would be a small price to pay for a magic moment that my boy would always remember.I plonked George down next to santa & took my pew opposite,so as to capture the full glory of the moment in my heart & on my camera,we set off with a jolt which threw me forward towards a big red tummy which had no need for padding! Looking up at that big 'jolly' face,surely 'twas not a leer I saw,but a merry grin!"If I'm lucky the pretty mums land on my knee!",ho,ho,hold-up Santa,we are making memories here!As for the apparel,since when did Father Christmas sport a dreadlocked toupee & a matted yellowing beard & what was that sticking through the old fellas whiskers but a label'Adult Size-made by Smithys-England'-shattered dreams!Look,I know not all these old boys can look as fluffy,velvety & twinkly as Dickie in Miracle on 34th street but,if only for the sake of the mummys,try a little harder & lay off the chat up lines!As for George,he was blissfully unaware of this sartorial blunder & had that wonderous look on his face that melted mummys' icy heart.......

Lost and Found.....

........found,one blue coathanger,in a puddle outside Wimpy,downtown Penzance!
What can match the simple joy of finding something & bringing it home. Today me & mama made a quick trip to town to indulge in the guilty pleasure that is 'Poundland'....come on admit it,you love it too! And for those of you who are unfamiliar with this fledgling emporium,yes,everything IS a pound....my mama made me ask! Our 'pound of pleasure' arrived back in the Summer & jumped in the grave of dear old Woolies,R.I.P. Its arrival was heralded with guest star Anthony Cotton,{the gay one,from Coronation Street!} manning the tills & laughing in the face of Swine Flu as he kissed his adoring {misguided} female fans! Now it is an old friend,the mourning for Woolies is over,& we wonder what we did before it came along.However did we manage without all those things we never knew we needed.....?Woolworths may be gone but in my home town we still have a Wimpy,the fast-food king of my childhood,where burgers and chips {not fries} are served on china plates & eaten with knives & forks!My granny,Blessed,had a penchant for their knickerbocker glorys'back then,& many are the times I sat with her in the Crewe Wimpy,which was gloriously retro, & watched her enjoy every mouthful. I was, in teenage years always slightly embarassed by it & her deft scrapings with the long spoon,right to the bottom of the glass, especially if we sat in the window.Now she is gone,possibly Crewe Wimpy is gone too,I would give anything to go there with her again-knickerbockers'for two,window seat please.......
...........so how did this dear little childs wooden hanger,with chipped china blue paint,come to end up in a puddle outside Wimpy?It will remain a mystery,one thing was for sure,I was not going to leave it there to take its chances against roadsweepers,merrymakers & passing dogs!So with a deftness of hand {inherited from Granny Blessed} it was in my Poundland carrier bag,my mama said 'thats my girl!.......

Baking Day

Yesterday was mainly spent in my dinky kitchen,looking like a farmers wife,with my rosy cheeks and a floury pinny...........baking cakes, for a coffee morning at my mamas today, what a wonderful way to spend a cold,wet December afternoon.My love affair with cake making began back in the Spring,the coveting & eating of cake has been a lifelong,passionate romance!Even the word, cake,conjures up the most wonderful images & memories of childhood....butterfly buns,the pale yellow buttercream under their cake wings-hiding a dot of strawberry jam.....the understated perfection of a glossy red cherry,atop snowy white icing......a plump, eggy, sponge cake with a dusting of icing sugar......church hall favourite,coffee & walnut.....all made by a loving hand & gone in an instant! My adoration is not confined to the homemade cake,I have a very special friend in Mr Kipling ,the Willy Wonka of the 'bought' variety......French Fancies are,in my opinion, his most perfect creation,the matt pink and lemon glace icing,the brown stripes,the sponge inside-dry and slightly salty,topped with a spot of synthetic cream,I am ashamed to say I shun their brown brothers,though my friend Emily likes these best......Angel Slices,a slice of heaven & my lads favourite......Mini Battenburgs,genius,though Lyons make the best big ones....these cakes were made to be shown on pretty cake stands and rosie teaplates,& always make a show at my childrens partys & even at afternoon tea on my wedding day!But of course you cannot match the smell of a homemade treat in a warm kitchen,I remember coming home from school to the cheery sight of a wire rack proudly displaying my mamas own buns,sure signs of a mothers love,or the seemingly endless wait for a bubbling jam tart to cool!Now it is my turn to be the hot,flustered mummy,creaming,whisking,folding,little people at my elbow,eagerly awaiting the bowl & spoon! Rolling out cool pastry and saving the trimmings for little hands to make into grey shapes! So the love of cake is passed down to my children and adoring children make for very proud mummys!