My Allotment Plot

Last August I made my annual call to the local council to check on the status of my now 8 year wait for an allotment plot. I was told that the list had been handed over to the allotment society. After a few more conversations it transpires that for years my name has had 'OUT OF AREA' attached to it and I've been bypassed whenever a plot has become free. In my town the allotments are given to those people who live within the old town boundary (hundreds of years old) first which makes no sense anymore as the town has clearly expanded. Furthermore, I actually was within the town boundary and should have been offered a plot years ago! Days later I got my plot..... not ideal timing as I had a cranky colicky 9 month old baby in tow.

This is what we got. A heap of weeds such as Fat Hen, Shaggy Soldier & Couch grass;

a Crown Prince pumpkin - found after some clearing and duly eaten in honour of previous tennant

two rhubarb crowns, Chives, Oregano and Sage (see baby having a very rare quiet moment).

I won't bore you at once with where we are up to today and I'm giving myself chance to get to grips with blogging again whilst having a now 16 month toddler zipping around the house.

Snow Baby

In the last week my Little Bird is trying his hardest to crawl, now army crawling across the room so I'm sure by Christmas he'll be everywhere!

Fairy lights have been hung in all places and gradually all my old Christmas friends are appearing, namely Mr Nutcracker. Last year, me, Mr Bird and then bump went to see the Nutcracker ballet and I was spellbound.

The book pictured has gorgeous paper cut silhouettes and Little Bird will not be getting his mitts on this for a good few years.



Here in Mid Cheshire we do not get a lot of snow which is disheartening for a snow loon like me. How I long to be snowed in, for the shops to run out of bread and to have to rally round and help each other out. I'm the sort of person that gets a thrill from power cuts. However, it is boring here with a pityful amount of the gorgeous white stuff and I really wanted Little Bird to experience it properly. If it weren't for Mr Bird's work and grandparents then I would move somewhere far more exciting.

Instead, to cheer myself up I have been baking amongst my fairy lit kitchen and enjoying Advent calendar chocolate ( I have two calendars). One is lovely and traditional and the other is one of those cartoon horrible types but the chocolates ok. Tradition type was a bargain 86p from Lidl. I love European Christmas goods, I find it less commercial and tacky. Having said that, I do love a bit of gaudiness - pink flocked deers are just wonderful.

Christmas tree weekend is on it's way..........

It's getting cold

It was a lovely frosty morning and I wanted to take some photos but we were all rushing around and I just didn't get chance so will try again in the morning as it's going to be a chilly night again. There's something magical about the stillness of a cold morning, puffs of hot air churning out from the neighbours house and a fuzzy glowing moon still hanging about. Jack Frost was an image that scared me as a child, blue and prickly and creeping about at your window pane even if he was making pretty patterns. A bit like the Judder Man and Spring Heeled Jack. Brrrr.

Charity shop find of the week....another tray, perfect for a Happy Home Bird. Nearly a tug of war and a bash over the head with a nappy sack with another shopper for this beauty. It has lovely long tailed tits around the edge - my favourite bird; pinky, twittery, family loving friendly, cheeky little birdies. £3 = much happiness

Look out ! Look out ! Jack Frost is about ! He's after our fingers and toes; And, all throught the night, The gay little sprite Is working where nobody knows. He'll climb each tree, So nimble is he, His silvery powder he'll shake; To windows he'll creep, And while we're asleep, Such wonderful pictures he'll make. Across the grass He'll merrily pass, And change all its greenness to white; Then home he will go, And laugh, "Ho ! ho ! ho ! What fun I have had in the night !"

Cecily E. Pike

Union Jack Obsession

Union Jack Obsession 

♥

5 months later

Little Bird is now nearly 11 months old and I'm still busy. I have a very moany baby, that's the truth! I love him to bits but he is grumpy and yummy mummy I am not. Did I brush my hair today? Nope. Do I look like a slob in my old maternity joggers? Yep! Vanity comes bottom of the list. In the brief moments I have spare I'm enjoying baking and cooking tea or having a bit of a read to keep my brain going. Everything is against the clock. Put Little Bird in his walker and I know I have about 30 mins of doing something whilst of course making sure that all the sudden hazards in my house aren't leaping out. Yikes is the radiator on that his little paw is reaching out for, is he going to ram into the dresser and knock everything off, is the dog about to get run over, etc.. Then it's crying time. He's not yet crawling, well he shuffles backwards on his tum but can't go forwards so he is totally frustrated with it all. As am I. He'll get there in his own time and I try to help him as much as possible.

Today I baked black bottomed cupcakes. Yummy chocolate base and then cream cheese with choc chips blobbed on top creates this yummy marbly gorgeousness. Mine sunk a bit but tasted lovely.

The poor dog had a sprinkling. He, he, he...

Each week I go to the charity shops to look for goodies. The best is Age Concern and my latest was a gorgeous tray for £3 which will do for serving cakes on.

I'm off there tomorrow to see if I can find any vintage Christmas tree decorations as I'm already getting a bit giddy.

The baubles were from Past Times and are too delicate for the tree with a toddler in the house and clumsy Daddy Bird.

Hooray!!!