Bit's and doing's

Judging by everybody's posts over the last couple of days, I think I've been shortchanged regarding this decidedly wintry weather most of the country seems to be experiencing. Here in Lincolnshire we had a nice dusting, not unlike a powdery coating of icing sugar!

(edited Thursday...we're making up for it today!! This is the scene first thing this morning)




The next day, it was if it had never happened. The sun's shining though and Aconites are poking through the earth with their cheerful yellow heads so Spring can't be too far away, can it?

Oh,when I think how much there is to do in the garden...but it's far too cold for all that. I do love my garden and enjoy working in it but I just can't get enthusiastic about being out there when my fingers are so numb from the cold they're no use anyway! So, I'm staying in and keeping cosy. The heating's been on all day for so long, I'm afraid to look at the oil tank in case it needs topping up again.

I found this little embroidery at the weekend and spent a while painting the frame black as it was an unattractive dark brown, very scratched. The dealer was having a half price, closing down sale so it only cost £1.50!

It's marked on the back Mrs. A. B 1956. I think Mrs. A. B must have been very proud of her handiwork...probably executed whilst listening to the wireless of an evening, don't you think? Enough to have it professionally framed anyway. Now, with a bit of paint and a couple of blobs of glue, it can be enjoyed for many more years. Don't you just love vintage!!

I couldn't believe my luck when I found this coffee table so snapped it up at the same time. Now, I've never owned a coffee table...I've always considered our living rooms to be too much on the snug side. But this one is just the right size, quite narrow. There's nothing more frustrating than having nowhere to put your remote control/cross stitch/book/newspaper etc...apart from the floor and that's not a good idea when you've got a cat and dog wandering about especially if it happens to be a glass of water/wine/cuppa.

It's wasn't expensive and it's nothing special but it's changed my life! Honestly! Nice and chippy too...uber-distressed!
The only downside is it's not as comfy as my squashy footstool for popping my feet on of an evening. But at last I have somewhere to park my library books rather than having them cluttering up the dining table or floating about the house until the time comes to return them and I have to rush around trying to locate them all. The library...now there's a nice, warm place to while away a few hours and be surrounded by books...heaven!

A snowy Sunday

Well, any plans I had for spending yesterday doing a bit of light gardening went out the window as you can see! I get very excited at snow as we don't tend to get much here on the east coast. By mid morning the sky had cleared, the sun was shining and we were left with quite a good covering.







Betty doesn't quite know what to do when it snows as her pecking and scratching activities are put on hold while the ground is covered up. In fact she spent a good part of the morning sitting in the utility room and/or kitchen, drinking out of Jacks bowl, dropping the odd little 'walnut whip' and chatting to us.

Outside her footprints told us where she'd ventured....not far!

She also decided she was going to choose yesterday as the day to start moulting...you're only a month late Betty! I really thought she wasn't bothering this year. I keep all the little fluffy ones and put them in an old chemists bottle.

There was plenty of evidence in the garden of other visitors....

...and a certain husband came running in saying he'd made me a present...don't give up the day job dear; it was a sweet thought though!

After being cooped up in the house all morning, we decided to chance a drive across the wolds to Horncastle for a spot of 'antiquing'. It was wild and woolly up there!

I was very restrained and just bought a vintage tree fairy and this great advertising sign. Hilarious! I'm now going to make it my mission to find a 'sporty'.

I have another fairy identical to this that I bought for 30p in a charity shop. They're going for about £20 - £25 on ebay at the mo. She was a bit more than that (30p I mean!) but still a good buy.

Well, in a couple of hours I'm off out for the evening to see Steve Coogan in Nottingham. A four hour round trip which I wouldn't do to see many people but Alan Partridge is one of them. I'm a huge Alan fan.

Then A has to get up at the crack of dawn to drive to Kent, poor thing.

I'll leave you with a bit of Alan to amuse you...if he's half as good as this on stage I'll be very happy and will consider that nightmare journey a mere inconvenience! It was a very difficult choice choosing a clip but this is a definite favourite...so many great lines!

"spinal column in a bap"

Priceless!

**SHOP UPDATE** A few more Christmas goodies have been added!