Cat politics

With the election coming up I thought I'd tell you about our local cat politics as it's a far more interesting tale than the broken promises and hollow policies splashed all over the news at the moment. Here four cats are involved in a daily saga of friendship, food and fighting at Oakbank. Let me explain...

Here's our cat, Joey, soaking up some sun on the front room window sill, isn't he a handsome mogg? He's still the new kit on the block as he's only been here a year.

This is Robert (from next door but one) soaking up some sun on our kitchen window sill, he loves company so is often hanging around the garden letting out one of his prolonged meows, boy he can hold a note!

Joey and Robert get on ok, they are very similar in temperament, though Joey is probably a bit more of a mummys boy. Since the weather's been nicer they have been seeing a bit more of each other and this weekend had two kisses and a nice fur shedding roll together. Ahhh.

This is Tilly, she lives next door and is a really old, croaky, friendly girl. Tilly and Robert have been friends for years and they often have tea at each others houses.

Joey doesn't like Tilly much, I think he's more a 'one friend' kind of cat and also prefers being around other boys to girls. It's a shame because she is lovely and it could all be so harmonious in cat land if he'd just stop hissing at her. Here is Joey stalking her behind a pile of dead grass, he thinks no one can see him.

There it is in a nutshell, the cats of Oakbank. Oh no wait I forgot, there is a really nasty fluffy cat next door but one (the other way) called Ginge who beats the other cats up, especially Joey. No pictures of him though, apart from on the mogs noticeboard, on a wanted poster. I think they are slowly forming an alliance against Ginge. I'll keep you posted.

Moominbaba

Mr B and I have made a good start on the baby, or 'the bean' as it's also known, room. It's our smaller bedroom, which had been my sewing room so firstly we'd had to get shelves up in the larger spare room for all my fabrics, trims and threads to live on. Done. So beans room is now stripped of it's woodchip (that stuff should be banned) filled, sanded and ready to paper.

My mum had kept my cot, now 33 years old, so we spent some time sanding, washing and priming it ready to paint. Here it is, isn't it wonderful!

I fancy painting it in something vibrant and retro, perhaps tomatoey orange or leafy green? I'll keep you posted. Myrtle watched on, assuming this is all being done for her benefit no doubt.

Youngsters rooms should be fun and expressive, rather than passive cocoons of beigeness.With this in mind we are painting Moomin designs on the walls. We both love the colours used in Tove Janssons illustrations and her references to nature, her stories are so creative. I like the fact that she was an artist who wrote. It gives a unique edge to her story telling where she ultimately demonstrates how the fear of the unknown (floods, comets and frosts) is conquered by the love and support of the Moomin family and their friends.

Some may see the tales as dark but I see them as real and reassuring.

Neat neat stitches

You may remember me showing you what Karen made me for Christmas? Well she has now joined the world of blogging so as to keep us up to speed on what her little fingers have been crafting. Follow her neat neat stitches at My Mum Taught Me to Sew.

I wonder what's in this cute gift box she's holding? Probably lots of incredibly tiny things.

Butties up!

I went to Knit Natter Stitch Chatter last night for the first time in about 3 weeks, I've been feeling so tired by about 6pm it's been very difficult to do anything in the evenings, especially thinking creatively. However I think the light nights are already having a positive effect and I'm so glad that I went.

It was a reasonable turn out considering it's our Easter holidays. Sharon had already made up lots of crochet sections out of the wools I'd picked out, she's experimenting with a hexagonal sections as opposed to her usual squares and having played around on the computer with the various pattern options had come up with a whole host of exciting baby blanket designs. I've left it to her to decide which one she makes them up into, they all looked great to me.

Frances was on with a roman blind for her bedroom, made from this lovely Harlequin fabric. I have a real thing about greens so might have to get some of this myself.

Other members were knitting away- Mitzy was using some super soft wool, which Ann so aptly described as being 'really sheepy' as it was the exact colour and texture of one, from a gigantic ball which she was using as a cushion at the same time, how resourceful!

Than at about 9.30 the landlady kindly made us a big plate of sandwiches! Here they are, as you can see we were quick to tuck in.

What a nice gesture. It's such a lovely friendly pub, I'm so glad I chose it as our venue and must remember not to have such a big tea before going next week in case the butties are a regular :)

All in an hour!

I've had one of the most productive lunch hours in a long time today. Not only did I have a delicious lunch with two of my work friends at Baba Ganoush (sorry no link to provide you with) who cook up the most fabulous soups, potato dishes, salads, sandwiches and cakes in the whole town! I had goats cheese, cauliflower and potato soup with croutons and a chunk of deli rye bread followed by a chocolate and walnut brownie.

Then I rolled on with my errands which included finding some 100% cotton crochet wool for fellow Knit Natterer Sharon to turn into a gorgeous baby blanket (she is a real wizz with the crochet needles) for little bean. How kind of her. I managed to track down a lovely range of colours in the Wendy Supreme collection and decided on the combination below of Sunflower (more yellow in real life) and Soft Jade (more grey in real life). I'm sure you'll agree they look great together.

Then I stopped off for a look in Oxfam and picked up these great vintage travel patches. Aren't they just the best find ever, especially the Switzerland one. I may have not mentioned this before but I have an obsession with all things which tick the following boxes in one fell swoop Swiss, vintage and souvenir. Yum!

I also got this vintage glitzy hand stitched flower applique, it's very old and will look great adorning a bag or plain top this summer. 99p, now that's a bargain.

I wonder what fantastic frocks it's belonged to? How many dances it saw? How many suitors eyes it's caught over the years? What a treasure!

Wombles of Oakbank

Well today was yet nother totally neat Sunday as Mr B and I helped out with other local residents tackling the litter which had accumulated in our hedgerows and road sides over the winter months. Sadly no Wombles attended, though it is a long journey from Wimbledon to Oakbank on a Sunday.

Our local parish councillor organises the pick twice yearly (Autumn and Spring), though this was the first we'd taken part in. Only the other day I'd commented to Mr B on the number of crisp packets and food cartons drivers had thoughtlessly cast from their car windows en route home so it was perfect timing for lending a hand.

Here's Mr B donning some high vis for the pick as it was a misty morning and some cars take the bends far too fast. I bet people driving past thought we were on community service sporting these beauties!

Other Oakbank residents looked on in intrigue with their young. The litter pick really benefits the animals too as litter which blows into the fields could end up eaten by them.

It was very tiring work, lots of bending and crouching over a substantial stretch of road. I had to come home early as it was a bit too much for my bump to manage but I did a good hour and a half and Mr B was even longer. He reported that 15 bags of rubbish were collected as well as some old signage and car parts. What a good total for two hours work. Makes you think about how much litter is actually out there doesn't it?

It felt really good to be doing something that made an instant impact on our environment. As we drive past tomorrow instead of tutting at the mess others have made we can admire the litter free hedges and know that we played a part in shaping our surroundings for the better.

In a spin!

I must tell you about the fantastic present Mr B got me for Mothers (to be) Day. It was a handy bit of kitchen equipment I'd been after for ages, since I was a child in fact. A salad spinner.

Such a simple thing can bring so much pleasure. I first encountered this marvelous machine when I was 9 and was playing at Mrs Bonds house (a neighbour of my Grannys) with her grandaughter. Mrs Bond was preparing a 'summer tea' for us girls to eat on trays in the garden, which consisted of salad, new potatos and chicken. Oh how she span that salad! I was amazed, even at such an early age I knew it was the machine for me.

These days, more than ever, it's so important to wash fresh foods before we eat them to get rid of those nasty pesticides, even more important during pregnacy. But sometimes certain things just aren't nice eaten wet, salad and herbs especially. Who wants a soggy sandwich or a wet plate? So there lies the temptation not to wash. That's why I am such a  big fan of this machine, not least it's 1960's 'housewifes dream' appeal.

So here it is the Oxo little salad and herb spinner in all it's labour saving glory. Wash your greens pop em in, on with the lid and then away you go with just two presses on the pump top. No electricity, no batteries just good old kinetic design.

All this water came off just one bunch of basil, imagine that in your salad!

...and hey presto lovely spray free basil dry and ready to chop without sticking to the knife.

Once washed the greens can be stored in the dried out spinner in the fridge for extra crispness. Thank you Mr B for a lovely day and a lovely present x

Totally neat.

Spring is in the air at Oakbank. Whilst out walking with Mr B and Myrtle we spotted the following neat and tidy things...

Growing beds raiked and ready for planting.

Possibly the neatest stack of wood ever!

Bee Keeping clobber washed and drying on the line. I was very tempted to try it on.

A smart new gate to the Bee Keeping area, made from locally sourced wood, I like the way it's a bit wiggly.

A fantastic repair to a wall in the field opposite, unfortunately I don't have a picture of when it was down but it was a real mess as the tree had made it belly over the years and then it all gave way a few months back. You'd never guess to look at it now. What skill!

 

Right we'd better get cracking on our own list of spring tidying and cleaning then!

Her mum taught her to sew.

A week or so ago my friend Karen gave me this very interesting little origami parcel as a late Christmas present....

 

...inside was a lovely little lady....

 

...and inside her was a little lady baby! I pointed to it as a scale reference.

 

Karen is one of the neatest sewers I know and it's great that her little creations are now on sale in her etsy shop.

What a mess!

Now that the sickly stage of pregnancy has passed I'm really into my food again, which is great. There's nothing worse than being off even your favourite ever foods. I decided to celebrate this change by making two of my all time favourites this weekend.

Sunday night I made my mums delicious pie. It's just known as 'the pie' and it's really quite a fitting title. You make it by layering up thin slices of potato (King Edwards make it best) with thin slices of red onion, wilted spinach and sprinkles of a goats cheese/cheddar cheese mix. Placing layer upon layer (in a deep lidded dish) with small knobs of butter in between, and a teensy bit of salt and pepper, it creates a massive stack of thin slices which all cook in the butter and moisture from the taties in the oven for 90 mins. Heaven.

It's so good and was eaten so fast that I don't have any pictures to show you except this one of my tummy, rather full after eating the left overs today, Mr B didn't even get a look in!

For pudding I made Eton Mess, which along with Mr B's trifle and a really well thought out fruit salad, is one of the best puds on earth.

I make this in a similar way to how Nigella Lawson does, though at this time of year the strawberries aren't worth bothering with so they were out the picture replaced with raspberries. Dead simple pud made by whipping up a pot of double cream with some caster sugar, adding the seeds from two pomegranates (I just love the rich colour from these strange, complex fruits. Considered throughout history to be a symbol of fertility)

...a punnet of raspberries and then, just before serving, a load of crunched up meringue, as much as you can mix in. As you can see by the photo, no matter how nicely presented, it is as described, a mess, a very very yummy one!