gift from france 

A birthday gift from France:)

A wonderful gift arrived for my birthday from Maylin in France:) pictures in a moment with Hello as blogger isn't playing:(
Maylin have to say you made me smile yesterday when these arrived:)) The cats are gorgeous , look just like me:)
Maylin sent me 2 balls of Colinette which will make me a gorgeous soft floaty shawl, 2 fridge magnets a la moggie, Koolaid, a beautiful wrap in tie dyed silk and a card. What a way to brighten a dull Saturday thank you so much:)
This was so welcome, yesterday was sad for us all because where we live now there are 5 cats, 4 owned by one of our friends and the 5th by another friend. One of the young ginger cats was found dead on the road yesterday:( He is only around 6 months old and his picture adorns my blog with his lovely smile . Someone had put him into the side of the road and my friends daughter in law and grandson found him as they went for a walk. The only good thing if anything good can be said to come out of this is that his death was instant.
Makes this mog more determined not to have furry friends living with me again. If you knew how quiet a place this was and yet animals STILL get killed.
RIP my amber friend

Sydney spent his life in and around the Aloe Vera. It's health giving properties were well known. He is sure his fleece is looking much better since he moved here, although the ietary change took some getting used to 

more destashing and of sheep namely Sydney:)

Still on with the destashing for the toilet project:) We have now got lots of stamp pads, beads and buttons to put on ebay.Oh and Debbie Mumm, Laurel Burch fabric you name it and it may be there:) Do you ever wonder where stuff accumulates? Its years since we did any beading and I honestly thought all beads were long gone, not so as I found out today. I think if all stuff sells we may get the downstairs loo done yet. Still a few things to put on and if you are looking for anything specific email me I may have just the thing:))
On sheep. As we all know Woolly wormhead issued a challenge regarding sheep. Well the mog has taken up that challenge and look what I found:)
oops, Sydney' monologue should read dietary change:))
url for beads, yarn, fabric and more is
http://tinyurl.co.uk/p1el

Selling lots of craft items for toilet project

We have put on ebay and are in the process of putting on many more items to fund a new downstairs toilet for me:) This is to help with the difficulty on stairs and to be honest most of this stuff hasn't been out of the craft cupboard in many moons apart from the move. The items include Laurel Burch fabric, halloween fabric, yarn(of course) beading stuff, scrim tie dyed and plain, barbie dolls, stamp pads patchwork stuff. You name it it may be on ebay. Url for toilet project(VBG) is http://tinyurl.co.uk/p1el
DD has priced everything very cheaply to help sell and of course bonus will be more space for me to get around in:)

one day to birthday

Well tomorrow is my ??th birthday and I don't feel quite as gloomy about it. We had a joint housewarming birthday party last night which was fun. Lots of good food, drinks, lovely people and to top it all drumming and singing:))
I adore drumming especially now that I'm managing to lose my self consiousness about making a fool of myself. There were 6 drumming, several rattles and other instruments and boy did the house resound with the noise we made:) It was after 2 am when the last person left and the moggie felt her age this morning:) I've done some knitting on another noro bag in moss stitch, pics probably Tuesday. I'm currently searching for a shawl pattern to do with assorted colinette yarns, one not too complicated so I can read while knitting as its my evenings project:) Tomorrow I don't know what is planned, have received some lovely gifts already so my birthday seems to be spreading to more than one day.
On another note my skeinpal gift for last month seems to have been lost in the post:( I feel dreadful for my pal after all the thought put into the present. Do you think that someone somewhere is knitting with my gift?
Anyhoo folks its off to bed to catch up on my beauty sleep, more tomorrow but a year older

MY SP parcel 

MY SPparcel is here :)) and thoughts on birthdays:(

here you see the wonderful parcel that arrived today from my SP:))) Aren't I the lucky one? You see before you:-
a fabulous multi coloured sheep card:) A bar of blackcurrant choc from the Chocolate Alchemist(none left now of this as I shared it with friends who came round to celebrate Mr Mogs birthday)
A large bag of Morrocan rose/mint herbal tea. I have never tried this one before and I adore herbal teas:)
A cute moggie tape measure:)
A skein of Colinette Isis in Earth, this is so soft and feely and I've never tried Isis before:))
A skein of Noro Iro that tones fabulously with the Isis:)
and 2skeins of Knitpicks gossamer in sweet peas colourway:)
THank you so much SP I love everything you sent. I'll really enjoy playing with all these, you are extremely thoughtful and I count myself lucky to have been given you as my SP

On another note birthdays. Do you find that some birthdays you look forward to and some you hate? This one next Monday I am dreading for some reason. Could it be the health stuff? Could it be the fact I'm farther from my children and grandchildren and they won't just be popping round? Who knows but I know I'll be glad after 21st August has come and gone.
My 50th which was a couple or so years ago I was convinced I wouldn't be here for. Some of that was the fact I had recently lost my mum but some I couldn't explain. I just had this dreadful thought I woul;dn't see my birthday.
Goddess willing that isn't going to happen this time but I've no enthusiasm for the event. Mr Mogs day was yesterday and we had celebrations the two of us. We are having a combined birthday party for us both and housewarming on Saturday. Just a few friends and our new neighbours who are friends anyways. House is 2/3rds done now but main room to do is our bedroom next. Trouble is that here all the upstairs rooms have sloping roofs which makes for a lot of cutting in when you are painting. So unless you do all room same colour it is slow. However:)) I've decided to keep my bedroom white all of it so easy peasy for whoever does it. Mr Mog??? This way I can display artwork I've made and artwork received from other artist friends. It will show well on white
Well off to doctor now I have a dreadful throat that came on suddenly and it appears it may be a sting or bite???
Hopefully not

calendula 

kitchen garden 

kitchen gardens 

kitchen garden samye ling 

temple 

lake 

clootie tree 

Samye ling 

silk garden shawl 

shawl finished, tours and trips

Finished a shawl in Noro silk garden today unblocked as yet but a pic to show as is. Just plain garter stitch with occasional ywfd k2tog to add interest. Something to play with while watching lovejoy:)
Have had a dear friend staying so we visited Samye Ling buddhist monastery in Eskdalemuir yesterday as she hadn't been for many years and we haven't been there for over 2 years. Wonderful day and so much colour. Have uploaded pictures of the gardens as well as some of the temple and statuary. A peaceful place to visit with a marvellous tearooms. The gardens grow most of their needs in vegetables and even saw peaches ripening in one of the greenhouses. They also have excess veg for sale so we came home with redskin potatoes, courgettes, golden turnips and tomatoes. All delicious:) Well worth a visit if you are ever in the area. Helped distract from the health stuff going on which was much needed.

greens 

green 

 

 

A little drive through green

Just a couple of photos of the area I promised to upload. Been for a drive today soaking up the sunshine and the green:) Trying to plan what to do for mine and mr mog's birthday as they are week after each other. Yes we are Leos,well we would have to be with a name like moggie:)) I fancy a trip to Colinette to top up on yarns for the winter months while I can still get there. We could combine that with a trip on or to the Llangollen canal which both of us would adore. We used to live on a narrowboat on the canal and still miss the cut(as the canal is known) Today has been glorious sunshine and it helps when every bone aches. I can't move my neck at all and knitting today was a definate no no:( Always makes it harder if I can't distract myself with yarn and pins.

Lammas greetings and Lammas celebrations

Lammas greetings everyone at this most special time of the pagan year. A time to honour the harvest of gold and green. One of my favourite times of year yet one of my saddest in some ways. We can soon see the leaves start to turn colour and the nights to draw in after lammas has been and gone. We celebrated at Oakleaf camp over the weekend and it was truly magical. The rain was mainly in the evening and night, the days were long and hot. The people came together to celebrate and have fun. 400 people with nary a worry, what bliss:) Many workshops and talks and you know what I didn't attend any. I did want to go to the beekeeping one but sadly missed it due to chatting. I chilled out all weekend and it was divine. We had been loaned a VW camper(my first time in a camper van) and had a pretty hair raising journey there and back. The exhaust came loose going over Shap and Mr Moggie plus friend were under the van trying to tie it up with very little material. Plus massive lorries flying past trying to see how near us they could get. On the way back over Shap and Bowes moor the wind was horrendous and the sttering ropey, we were all over the place. I was so glad to reach home. I have lost my dream of having a camper after this weekend. It was way too small for this moggie, very claustrophobic when sleeping and no room inside for sitting hardly. However it got us there and back so not bad for an oldie.
I've arrived home full of inspiration after seeing all the stalls and costumes of people. I am fired up to do more of my book on working and crafting with the elements.

I had wanted to post pictures but I've lost them all:( The shawls I made are long gone, given to good homes and well loved. I must begin on more. I am looking to work in fire and water still so yarns of those colours are on my to find list.