Round and Round the Garden

Mr GBT is a mighty fine fellow and he spent a fair amount of time weeding our tiny little patch yesterday [I was ironing so no guilty conscience about not joining him]. He also took the opportunity to get a few snaps whilst the weather was dry.

Forget-me-not- the original clump came from a fellow freecycler but they've happily self seeded and made themselves at home.

Snake's Head Fritillary with its superb checkerboard pattern.

Snowflakes from my parents' garden.

And last but not least wild violets growing in a patch in the border where countless other plants I've tried have neither survived nor thrived. Mother Nature really does know best!

Arilx

It Truly Is A Hard Life!

Standards are deteriorating fast here at Gnat Bottomed Towers. I informed Her loudly and repeatedly that it was slatternly to leave the bed unmade - the fact that the "bedding needed washing" is a poor excuse indeed. She'd had all night to sort that one out. After raising my voice on several occasions [it appears She is more than a little slow on the up take at times] I found that after all my additional exertions I was beginning to feel a little weary....

So a small tortie snoozelet was in order........

Before I was rudely interrupted and evicted from my self styled bed [some five hours later - Aril] but at least the bedding is now where it should be...on the bed. Normal sleeping position has been resumed today!

Twittenx

Apres April Fool's Fairy Jape....

Possible photographic evidence of the little people perhaps? Article from here http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2596119/Away-fairies-University-lecturer-claims-photographed-real-life-tiny-tinkerbells-flying-air-British-countryside.html

They look more like flies to me but I secretly hope I am proved wrong!

Arilx

Friday Funding Fun

I am rather fond of this tiplet I gleaned elsewhere. I was highly sceptical but it works. If you have an electric oven fill a couple of trays with water and leave them in it once you've just switched it off. Hey presto hot water!

Arilx

Monthly Review

Just to check back in with myself really to make sure that I'm doing what I set out to do at the beginning of the year. If I change my mind I have also given myself permission to stop.

Lovely morris dancing chum has lent me another Ronald Hutton book to get my teeth into...well maybe not literally...he might be a little cheesed off with me if I return it to him with chewed edges! This time it's "Blood Mistletoe"- a biggish tome so that should keep me out of mischief for a wee while.

Online Book of the Face chum posted up the following veggie recipe. I have trialled it and it's delicious even if my naughty meat eating males did mutter something about bacon. Rest assured that they were severely scolded and sent to sit on the naughty step!

http://naturallyella.com/2013/04/12/smoked-paprika-red-potatoes-and-egg-bake/

Arilx

Honest Craftsmanship

I am rather a big fan of the Arts and Crafts movement. One aspect I particularly like was the return to honest, traditional workmanship- often the pieces were sophisticated but others were to say the least a little rustic...one reviewer in 1899 referred to it as " the work of a savage". I am surmising that possibly he wasn't overly keen then perhaps?!

This stool is a family piece. I remember it in my Nana's house as a child and now my parents own it. My Dad doesn't know a great deal about it except that it was made by a family member and it's cedar. The family story is that the wood originally came from a WWI plane's propeller. I can't authenticate it but it makes a good tale. I just love its simplicity.

Arilx

Unusual discovery

I've just been reading about this....it's absolutely fascinating. I like to keep an open mind about these matters. The apparent remains of a fairy type figure have been discovered by a dog walker at Firestone Hill in Derbyshire.

How amazing!

Arilx

PS Update- this is of course a rather old April Fools joke but I enjoyed it. The "fairy" was made by Dan Baines.