29th feb Leap year 2012

So its Leap years day, an additional day in the calendar that only occurs every four years.
I hear you ask with baited breath ............why ...............listen carefully, we go by the Gregorian calendar that gives us 365 days a year, but  we take 365days, 5hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds for the earth to circle the sun, we are almost 6 hours over the time of the calendar.
So to put this right every four years, these 6 hours add up to 24 and we add on an extra day that year on the 29th of february to use up the time, otherwise in 100 year our calendar would be 28 days off.
Weren't you just desperate to learn this, well I was, because it now makes sense to me.
So what did we do on this extra day.
Let me show you.

 Empty cups that were full of hot chocolate with marshmallow on top and chocolate sprinkles,and a slice of rocky road cake, where I went with my daughter for my first ever crochet meetup at The Queen of cupcakes cafe .

Inside it was full of delicious goodies like these on the shelves, plus bunting and embroidered and felted pictures. Very Kath Kidston in style, right up my street. A great leap years morning.

Day out in Shrewbury

Yesterday was a day off for G and so we decided to visit Shrewsbury as we hadn't been there in many years. We did the touristy thing rather than the shops, although we did have a look around the Darwin Shopping centre, and have tea and sandwiches.
We started off here, by the banks of the river Severn, a converted warehouse into apartments, they looked really nice, overlooking the boats and the river.

 We followed the river and turned uphill into the grounds where the Shrewbury flower show is usually held in August. Here is the lovely garden called The Dingle, designed by Percy Thrower the gardener, who for a time was also the gardener on the tv programme Gardeners world, and the childrens programme Blue Peter.

This beautiful flower clock was made up in true garden park design, very victorian and pretty with all of its spring flowers.

Another lovely view of The Dingle

This is Shrewsbury castle, made out of red sandstone, it was an early Norman castle overlooking the river severn. It now houses a military regimental museum.

View along the river from Lauras Tower

Lauras Tower is so called because when Thomas Telford remodelled the castle in the eighteenth century, Sir William Pountney who lived as a private resident in the castle, had a daughter called Laura.
When you climb to the top of the castle here you are standing on one of the oldest Norman Castles in England.

Charles Darwin, founder of the book Origin of species

The lady chapel inside Shrewsbury Abbey

The Abbey of St Peter and St Paul known as Shrewsbury Abbey was a former Benedictine Abbey, it was founded in 1083 by Sir Richard Montgomery. After the dissolution of the monasteries, the Abbey fell into disrepair and now it is only half its actual length , with the high altar remodelled . However it is still in use, and was the setting for the Brother Cadfael books by Ellis Peters set in Medaeval times.

There is a stained glass window dedicated to her.

A lovely day out, walking along the banks of the river severn and seeing all the crocus in bloom was particularly lovely, as was the Dingle garden.

flowers and family.

Family photos and a bunch of lovely roses and mixed flowers from my son upon my little table make me very happy.
Life is all about looking for the joy in the little things, especially as we go through trying times in our lives. Otherwise they go unoticed, and lifes little joys pass by and all we notice are the bad moments, and miss the joys.

So here is a picture of my joy today, my flowers and my family photos.

Craft page a month february

 Time for another craft page, starting with the above baby pram blanket destined to be a present for Zoe to put up for the future.The pattern is called daisy.

Followed by a hairband with a flower for my daughter Jenny, I also did her one in white plain crochet.

 This was a little messing about moment with oddments of wool, creating a large brooch for a pashmina or handbag.

 This cuckoo clock is my own design, I sketched it on paper first then set about creating it. I used all my skills I have learned and was really pleased with the wall hanging  crocheted clock.

This pattern is called happy flower, and it was so interesting to do that I have done two like this and one shorter version with a heart attached and beads also.

We did have a cake and create this week, Katie was recovering after her op so couldnt come, but we did have zoes mum Melanie , me and Laura. Laura is on her sixth round of crochet on her blanket , zoe and I worked on the above happy flower pattern and produced two pretty flowers to add to our creativities.

February blue skies

                                                             Theres a song thats lyrics are these ...

                                                          Blue skies, smiling at me

                                                           Nothing but blue skies do I see



Well ok a few clouds, but Oh it was warm on my face in the garden today, first day of planting anything in the garden, a rose to climb over the archway. Coffee sitting on the bench down the garden too, nice for this time of year.

Valentines day

This little funny valentine was in my inbox from my friend Donna in Canada, who always knows how to brighten a day. I shared this on fb on the kettleheads group for valentines day too.
Tonight it is  a valentines meal of steak and chips and a bottle of wine with the dear Husband, just us TWO.

Snowdrop walk

What a lovely walk in the fresh air, the frost had gone and the snowdrops were out waiting for our appreciation at Sugnall Hall woods. Gary, Martin and I ventured out on a misty morning to Sugnall, it had been on my calendar for months that this snowdrop walk was coming up, but after the weeks severe frost and snow, today we had a thaw, so were able to go out and about.

 The walled garden at Sugnall Hall which is currently being restored to its former glory, with new planting , lots of apple trees, vegetables etc, today it had a bit of frost still on it, and the mist was down.

 Aren't these snowdrops just lovely, so pure and white. It is a sure sign that spring is on its way when we see these peeping through the ground.

 Again another nice picture of the snowdrops surrounding a holly tree in the woodland, sooo nice to see.

Me and my son Martin

       Nice to go out on a family walk, me and my son pose for a photo together.

snowdrops again

                                             

After a nice cup of tea after our walk, and the purchase of a pot of sugnalls own snowdrops, we made our way back to the car only to see these beautiful double Galanthus snowdrops blooming beautifully under this wall.

waiting for snow

First there was the waiting, inside it was all snug and warm, outside, stillness.

 Snowflakes began to fall around lunchtime, just small light stuff, blowing in the wind , just settling around.

Now it is beginning to cover the garden.

 By eight o clock it is sooooooo pretty outside, so nice we felt it was time to take a photo or two.

This is the view up the road from where we live, taken at eight o clock from the warmth of the bedroom.It was so cold out, the camera pictures were showing up red!

A few veg and a sprained ankle

What a funny day, I got up full of go and got cracking on, found out a few staples from the veg cupboard and began to make some tasty recipes from carrot, cabbage, onion and potatoes.

 So what to make from leftover vegetables. Well quite a few items, not much cost and just adding a tin of tomatoes, herbs mayonnaise and cheese.

Carrot onion and tomato soup

A huge bowl of coleslaw, these are just for show

Cheesy Jacket potatoes

Then when i thought I had done so well in the cooking department, I got up off the settee, twirled and lost my balance and sprained my ankle. Am sitting here with an ice pack wrapped in a teatowel...out of action.

Candlemass february 2nd

February 2nd Candlemass day, many churches light their candles to decorate the church to celebrate this day, for it is the purification day of the Virgin Mary after the birth of Christ.
Candles are lit to give to the congregation and carried in procession around the church, a blessing of Candles.
There is a rhyme associated with the weather at this time of year, that is either good weather a sign of a good omen that winter is over, or bad weather a continuation of winter yet to come.
                                                If Candlemass day be dry and  fair,
                                                The half of winters to come no mair,
                                                If Candlemass day be wet and foul
                                                The half of winter's gave at yule,
 The snowdrop is the flower associated with Candlemass for its white purity, and the flower that is blooming at this time of year.                                           
Lets hope for good weather and an early spring to go on our Snowdrop walk at Sugnall hall this February.