The End Has Come.....praise be!!

Start date: 21st September 2009....

Since that day I have shopped.....





chopped.....sliced....carved...diced....grated...juilenned...



poached...boiled..roasted..sauted..fried...casseroles and sweated(vegetables!!)...



made pastry....cakes...biscuits....bread...tarts....brownies and ice-cream....



seasoned...stews...soups...vegetables....mashes....gravys...sauces and marinades



been happy...been tired...had fun....loads of laughs...



...thirty five shoot lunches....nine pre-shoot dinner parties.... countless lots of tea and cakes...people have come...been served....



...cleaned their plates and hopefully gone away happy....

Thank goodness it is over .....at least for eight months!!!

End 30th January 2010.

The last two photos are of the last pudding!!! Warm Chocolate Brownies with Hot Chocolate Sauce and Vanilla Ice-cream.....

Sir Josiah I presume!!!

Where I work we have a room which is a bit damp.....in fact since the snow melted its got worst.....we keep plants that have come in from the 'potting shed' in there....hyacinths nearly ready to bloom....jasmine just needing a bit of extra warmth to open those beautiful white stars of perfume to open....this morning this chap had appeared....to me he looks quite Dickensian....maybe a wig....slightly work hunched shoulders....a heavy frock coat.....split at the back...holding a cane...maybe he's old and needs support...an elegant roman nose....could he be Mr Natley Squeers...or Sir Josiah Flite.....I know.....




my father always said I had a wierd imagination!!!!

The simple things

The beautiful Christina over at Soul Aperture is asking for lists of the simple things that touch your life...
In these last dark few days of January..were everyone seems a bit gloomy....seems like a good ides to be grateful for what we have....

here goes!!!!

a warm towel
*
the scent of the sea
*
a new lipstick
*
olives & wine
*
the loyalty of a dog
*
the soft perfumed skin of my mother
*
standing out in the garden watching the stars on a frosty night
*
the smell of a tomato stalk
*
laughter...and more laughter
*
a perfectly ripe pear
*
the smell of old books
*
a flying swan...so beautiful..
*
blowing bubbles into the sky
*
sunset
*
sunrise
*
wandering with no purpose
*
a freshly ironed pile of linen
*
dinner in the oven
*
fresh flowers every week
*
walking...anywhere
*
the promise of a new book to read
*
having a job I love
*
verbena scented french soap..mmmm
*
gliding round the world via blogland!!
*
knowing I am loved
*
xxxxx
*

Thanks Christina for making me think...head over to soul aperture for more lists...

Red Sky at Night

Dusk tonight...the most amazing sky....lavender....to..pink....to orange....




birds on the lake.....crys....squeels......quacks.....splashes on touch down....wind on the wings on take off.....


...so cold...forgotten gloves.....frosty hands....crystal clear air...



the lodger darts and bounds from scent to scent....the cold hieghtens perfumes of fox and badger...deer and hare....doggy delights....he rolls...feet akimbo....



this was a good evening....

In Love...

Following a link from another blog.....look where it takes me...to the land of past lives.....how gorgeous is this outfit.....perfect for riding side saddle....if only I had a horse....handmade in Scotland....and availble from thistle & broom....I am in heaven!!

Green Day part one..

After all the white that we have been having lately the world looks oddly different now we are back to rain and mud....green is my favourite colour....i wear it a lot...my eyes are green.....and today the green shone through the mist and gloom...



..green ivy clinging onto a lichened rock...



...the lake seemed green....slightly rippled....reflected beauty....



..everywhere is the vibrant emerald of all the moss we have here.....



...creeping slowly up tree trunks....



..some plants never think its winter....



and some know that spring is round the corner.....pale lichens and snowdrops creeping through the forest floor.....
Whats your favourite colour??.....

Ice Flow

Greenham Common...the ice remains.....




...late afternoon....dull..grey...slip...slide...ice...creaks...dogs bark...



boots splattered with mud....wet dog shakes...light fading...home for tea...maybe cheese scones...mmmmm....

Goodbye Snow

...the snow is melting and the world is patchy with green and mud....



..a few days ago on our walk I caught some textures in the snow....



the last of the snow pictures for now.....unless the DHL man was right today and there will be more snow on Monday......you heard it here first.....

Seaside Snow

Yesterday when I arrived in Brighton to see my girls there was no snow......oh my...this morning all our plans were changed........

.....the promanade at Hove....I just love the colour of the beach huts against the snow grey leaden sky....

...stay warm...stay well...xx

That was yesterday...

Sunrise through the trees....a warming amber glow.....the promise of a good day..yesterday is done and gone.....that was then....all is well.





Thanks for stopping by....

Blue Sunday

Sometimes I feel a little blue...I'm coming thankfully to the end of a long...long season here...we started in September and we finish on the 30th January...we..are a team of four...we are all tired....irritable...and the sense of humour is wearing thin.....thankfully this sense of unrest doesn't seem to affect my cooking!!



...the cup seems empty...all the things that should be getting done through this time are put off...'til February' when things should get easier...in my mind there is an ever growing list of 'stuff' that needs doing....at the moment just getting the shopping and washing done is a challenge....



..at times I think I am a juggler....trying to keep all the cards in the air.....



.....i slept and dreamt that life was beauty and woke to find that life is duty....

A long walk with a cold dog.

Hurrah a day off!!!!

A much needed hike through the snow to blow away the last few days of work...



....almost as soon as we set out the snow began to fall again...



...we walked on virgin snow...deep and powdery...perhaps a few creatures had walked here before....



..eventually we ended up at our favourite place...the lake....grey and silent save the bird song....



....masses of wildlife floating by us...swans ...coots....ducks....and one canada goose....who has been here since last year....he sits on the jetty...i don't think he can fly....so sad to be alone and waiting for your mates to fly by again...



..a watery sun had appeared by the time we got home...

Cold,Cold!!!

No stir in the waters, no sound in the air,
The birds have found shelter, they only know where.
But cold is the comfort they own at best
When the icicle hangs where the swallow found rest,



And a few of earths wise things, when summer was gay;
Laid by something safe for a wintry day;
But while they are sheltering and sleeping and hiding,



We boys are snow-balling,and skating and sliding;
Nothing is left for us now but to play.-
Winter was made for a holiday!

Dora Greenwell.


The world is monochrome!!!

Whats down there then??

...hello whats there.....



....lets look this way...then that way....back there....down here.....



...inquisative scottie....looking for who knows what???