That missing hour.....

Where did the weekend go? This week seemed to drag all the time I was at work, and then hurray the weekend was here, but blink and you could have missed it. I blame that missing hour! Went out with the girls on Friday night for a friends birthday, it was OK but I returned £25 lighter and probably 1/2 Stone heavier. Do you know it was £5.25 for a glass of dry white wine. I think that is a ridiculous price. When the waitress bought the drinks over I asked if my wine should be in a pint glass like my friends coke if it was costing that much. Needless to say I didn't have another glass of wine!

We had quite a productive day yesterday, but it did seem to fly by. We got out the front and weeded the border. The miniature fruit trees and blackberry bushes we put in have started to bud. Also managed to clear the pots out in the back garden and hubby mowed the lawn. We then did a bit of decorating in the dining room. He put on a new plug socket and rubbed the skirting down and I painted the coving. Still loads to do in there yet, but can't wait till its finished. Popped over mum and dads, and in laws as well, so busy day.

Still Raining....

As you can see Woody is a well and truly a part of the family. You can't even read the paper without him being included. He's such a daddy's boy!

I had another bash at making lemon curd today. This time it set quite quickly and is a lot thicker than the last batch, it tastes great too.

It's still raining here, so just spending the day pottering around the house.

Fridays Baking .....

Todays baking. Victoria sponge with lemon curd filling (home made of course) and coconut macaroons.

Rain, Rain, Go Away.....

I thought I'd put up a few pics of the bargain flowers I bought this week. They're very colourful and thought they would brighten up everyone's day. It's still bloomin raining here. Woody and I got a bit wet on our walk this morning, the little man looked like he'd had a perm. :o)

I've just discovered Etsy via blogging and it's great. Basically people put their handmade items up for sale on there, it's quite good. I found a lady in Yorkshire who makes the most amazing jumpers from recycled materials. They all have pixie hoods, which I love. Trouble is with postage will cost about £100, which i don't have at the moment sigh. I don't buy clothes very often, as trying them on depresses me and I come back feeling fatter than when i went. But this particular jumper was great. Worth slimming into if it didn't fit.
This is a pic of Woody with his Easter duck, it was only 99p and it quacks! He likes it anyway. He's just emptied the contents of his toy box all over the lounge floor. We have a pheasant, a frog, a puppy, and big fluffy ball, two tennis balls and his duck!
Think I might get in the kitchen in a minute and make a Victoria sponge and maybe some coconut macaroons. Got to cook hubby some dinner tonight, but I'm out with the girls for a meal as its T's birthday. But I might put a little bottle of wine in my handbag to save a few quid. :o)

1000 hits.....

Checked by blog tonight and I've achieved 1000 hits. I think that's amazing I've not even been blogging a month yet! Thanks to all me new friends who keep checking into Faerie Nuff and leaving comments. I get quite excited when I've got a few comments, my hubby's become a blogging widow!

Phases of the Moon....

I was reading the comments on Robyns blog a couple of days ago, about people being born on the full moon, due to her new grandson arriving on the full moon. I have just had a look on the Internet tonight to see what Moon my husband and I were born on. It seems hubby was born on a full moon, while I was born on a dark moon. I was wondering if anyone could shed any light as to what this means, or point me in the direction of a good book?

Bargain....

I managed to pick up some bargains at work tonight. I got four loaves of bread which were reduced to 31p. Perfect for freezing, as part of our being frugal drive. I also got two large bunches of yellow tulips, reduced to 50p a bunch from £6.99 a bunch, and two Easter bouquets reduced from £4.99 each to 50p a bunch. Once my staff discount was deducted I got the whole lot for £2.81. What a bargain! I'm going to give two bunches of flowers to mum in law. I would love to get some for my mum, but can't get over there until the weekend.

I'm also sticking to my plan of not buying lots of books, popped into the Library today and borrowed "Celtic Wisdom" by Vivianne Crowley and "The real witches garden" by Kate West, I'll let you know if they're any good or not.

A walk in the woods....

This morning hubby and I took woody for a walk in the Forest. It was very grey, overcast and cold, but the rain stayed away long enough for us to get him walked. Woody likes nothing better than a big stick or ball. We forgot to take his ball, so big stick it was.
I,m having fun playing with different settings on the camera since I've started blogging and took these two close ups of a primrose and Wood Anemones. Very seasonal pics methinks.

I think this stick is a bit too big, but Woody and his dad seem to be having fun with it anyway. Really feeling the urge today just to up sticks and move to the country. If only life was that simple. :o( To cheer myself up when we got home I put on my old tape of "its not easy being green" if I can't live in the country I'll watch people who are.

As part of our greener lifestyle I've ordered a kitchen caddy from Wiggly Wigglers (wigglywigglers.co.uk) for all the compostable scraps. I do try to put as much in the compost as possible, but when its persisting with rain it does sometimes end up in the bin. But no more! We're definitely on a mission that Dick Strawbridge would be proud of.

Sunday Musings......

I've had a day of pottering around in the kitchen. I've made a shepherds pie, which is the most tasty I've ever made, if I do say so myself. All the ingredients were from our organic box, except the mince of course. I also made a rice pudding, I haven't made one of these in years, but its a cheap and easy pudding, especially for a cold day.
Whilst eating our pudding tonight, we started to watch 'My life with animals' with Simon King. What an amazing programme, I haven't enjoyed a programme like that for a long time. I didn't realise quite how much this man has accomplished in his 30 year career. I only really new him from watching Spring watch. But he was a child actor, and predominantly a wildlife cameraman for most of his life before he began wildlife presenting. I struggled eating my pudding through some of the programme, as in places it was really sad and I'm such a blubber when it comes to animals. If you saw it, it was the bit the lion cub couldn't keep up with its mum and died, and the bit where the meercat got bitten by a puff adder. Anyway if you didn't see it, keep a look out for a repeat as it was fantastic. Its the last 'Larkrise to Candleford' tonight so I'm off now to watch it with a glass of wine.

Full Moon....

I took these last night, there not great pics, but I tried. It was a really cloudy night and a bit chilly, but I braved the garden (if you can call it that, it's more like a swamp at the moment).

I quite liked this pic of the moon peeping through the tree.

I would just like to say thanks to Fiona at Cottage Smallholder for saying such lovely things about my Blog. Cottage Smallholder is a fantastic site for inspiration on cooking, gardening and self sufficiency. Check out my blog link list at the side.

Home Baking

Thanks to MrsL from 21st Century Housewife for the Lemon Curd recipe. I made it last night and it tastes great. It's a little bit runny, so I guessed I should have cooked it a bit longer. But it was my first attempt so i was quite chuffed.
I also made Easter nests, which didn't last very long once hubby discovered them. I have to admit that i did eat the left over mini eggs. : . )
Yummy!

Ostara/Spring Equinox/Vernal Equinox March 21-2

A point of perfect balance on the journey through the wheel of the year. Night and day are of equal length and in perfect equilibrium - dark and light, masculine and feminine, inner and outer, in balance. But the year is now waxing and at this moment light defeats the dark. The natural world is coming alive, the sun is gaining in strength and the days are becoming longer and warmer. The gentle whispered promise of imbolc is fulfilled in the evident and abundant fertility of the Earth at Ostara. It is a time for the hopes of imbolc to become action. The energy is expansive and exuberant. It is the first day of Spring!

Ostara takes its name after the Germanic goddess Eostre/Ostara, who was traditionally honored in the month of April with festivals to celebrate fertility, renewal and re-birth. It was from Eostre that the Christian celebration of Easter evolved, and indeed the naming of the hormone Eostrogen, essential to womans fertility. The goddess Ostara has the shoulders and head of a hare.

This is a beautiful picture of a Spring alter I found.

I wish all my friends a Happy Ostara/Easter.

The Hare...

In Celtic tradition, the Hare is sacred to the Goddess and is the totem animal of many lunar Goddesses, such as Hecate, Freja and Holda - the hare is a symbol of the moon. The Goddess most closely associated with the Hare is Eostre, or Ostara. The date of the Christian Easter is determined by the phase of the moon. The nocturnal hare, so closely associated with the moon which dies every morning and is resurrected every evening, also represents the rebirth of nature in spring. Both the moon and the hare were believed to die daily in order to be reborn - therefore the hare is a symbol of immortality. It is also a major symbol for fertility and abundance as the hare can conceive while pregnant. Over the centuries the symbol of the hare at Ostara has become the Easter Bunny who brings eggs to children on Easter morning, the Christian day of rebirth and resurrection. Hare hunting was taboo but because the date of Easter is determined by the moon together with the Hare's strong lunar associations, hare-hunting was a common Easter activity in England (and also at Beltane).

Simply remember your favourite things.......

This is my lovely Goddess that I purchased in Glastonbury some years ago. I had to save up for this one!

My books. I would be lost without my beautiful books. I don't mind lending them to good friends, provided they come back the same way they went out. (Can you spot my Stonewylde books?) I have more books than this, they're my one weakness!

My Goddess Necklace. I wear this most days, but now and then swap with my Chalice Well Pendant.
My Wedding ring, that I had made. I wanted something different, and this was very LOTR inspired.
Nightfall by Norman Parker. I bought this with birthday money I had last year. It hangs on my bedroom wall. So I can wake up to Glastonbury each day.

Mondays Ramblings...

Well for the past two weeks, I've managed to shave £20 off the weekly shopping bill. I'm quite chuffed with myself. If i can keep this up that's saving £80 a month, that's what we were almost spending a week. I've been busy trying to cook a lot from scratch and only using the oven when I can fill it right up, saving on gas.

Looking forward to Ostara weekend, hopefully we can get some more decorating done, that's if hubby isn't playing down the shed on his landrover. Apparently we're waiting for a diesel pump to be delivered this week that he's bought on e-bay.

Happy St Patricks Day!

Bored...

I thought I'd post again today, as I'm feeling bored and unsettled this evening. I haven't watched TV in over a week. It doesn't seem to do anything for me at the moment, I can't concentrate, not even on dancing on ice the final.

Had a trip to B&Q today to get bits for decorating our dining room. It's getting there now, that's the trouble when you have a handyman husband, everyone else wants a bit of him. We had a load of vouchers from our wedding last year that we've been spending on decorating, which is great as it doesn't feel like we're actually spending money. Got radiator cover and shelves, paint, sockets and switches. I can't wait to be in there making it just how i want it. Saw a great table on e-bay last night but hubby said it's too soon to be getting that yet. That told me then!

Been busy baking again today, made a Victoria sponge cake and coconut muffins, lovely.

A Poem I found.....

I found this poem whilst trawling the net, but loved it. It's a bit long though..

Jasmin's Birthday

Thank you for the party mum, my birthday was such fun, I know my friends will all come back when I have another one.

The cake you baked was special, I never would have thought mum, that a no-egg, no-milk, no-butter, chocolate-free, fat-free, sugar-free, date and pumpkin cake, would taste just like a bought one.

Pink icing made from Beetroot-coloured Tofu on the top, and beeswax smokeless candles, that you made at a workshop.

I'm glad you made the fairy bread, from organic, yeast free rye, and sprinkled it with poppy seeds, sesame and sunflower... to fortify.

The chickpea dip, falafal balls, the celery sticks with hummus, and what about the babaganouse, that was real adventurous.

Mum, i do appreciate all the hot food you prepared, from non-genetic-engineered soy, it shows you really care.

Like the not-dogs and not-sausage rolls, with not tomato sauce, and i loved the home-grown veggie pizza with soy cheese of course.

I'm forgetting the most fun part was the games we got to play, they took you ages to prepare, but they really made the day.

Like bob for locally-grown organic apples. bought from a neighbour down the street, and pin the tail on the dog (that had it cut off in a laboratory experiment) was really neat.

Sight-impaired person's bluff and the free range egg and spoon race, musical chairs played to Tony O'Connor and my favourite...tug of peace.

Pass the parcel wrapped with unbleached recycled paper, grown on the west side of a hill by a tree released from its vertical home to serve humanity by a group of land care volunteers who formed a circle around the tree, meditated and chanted for four days before placing it gently, back onto the earth from which it had first sprung as a sapling and from where its mother and father had gone on before to serve as recycled toilet paper and toothpicks respectively.

And instead of taking their prizes, mum, my friends and I agree that we'd donate to a charity for children who're in need.

And I'm glad you said 'no presents' , i really have so much, just you and dad as parents is birthday present enough.

My friends went home exhausted from all the fun they'd had. With their little calico bags full of gelatin-free sweets you made.

So thank you for the party mum, my birthday was such fun, i know I'll always remember it, the day that i turned ONE!

Arcadia Flynn

A bit of a kitchen witch day..

Today's Baking. Coconut Macaroons and Butterscotch Biscuits. Hubby wants me to keep up this cooking from scratch enthusiasm. He says it tastes much better and if it can save us money so much the better.
I've also got some bread in the bread maker and about to finish my sweet mama squash soup, made with, yes you guessed it, home made chicken stock.

Woody said can I have some mum please, you can have my paw!

Saturday's Enchantment

That blessed mood

In which the burden of the mystery,

In which the heavy and the weary weight

Of all this unintelligible world

is lightened

William Wordsworth

It will make you smile.

To all my new blogging friends. I found the attached link on Sue's Blog. (I hope you don't mind me using it Sue) click on it, it's lovely and will make you smile. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4

The link works this end, but if it's not working for you go into you tube and type in Free Hugs!

Whats in the box????

My Veg box arrived yesterday. I only have one, once every two weeks at the moment, but if I can get more organised with recipes and making stuff from scratch to freeze etc, we will have a box a week and have no convenience food at all. That's the plan anyway. This weeks box contains:-

Sante Potatoes Parsnips Cauliflower
Carrots Celeriac Purple Sprouting Broccoli
Onions Sweet Mama Squash Jerusalem Artichokes (free)
Leeks Green Cabbage

Any Recipe ideas would be most appreciated. Sometimes I haven't got a clue what to do with it all. I would love to get hubby and myself eating less meat and more veg, saying that I'm not a vegetarian so recipes containing meat are still welcome.


Last nights dinner was lasagne yummy. I froze the two remaining portions for a meal in the week. This is so handy as i work three evenings and one day a week, so when i get home at 8.15 i can just reheat something.

It's still raining here, so the mission for today is to get a load of housework and washing done. I'm so addicted to blogging at the moment that my house is getting neglected. xx

Friday's Funny Quote

If at first you don't succeed, sky diving is not for you.

Look What I Made....

I made this little bear a little while ago now, but was so pleased with her, I thought I'd put a picture on my blog. I've only made about 4 bears, but I collect artist bears. The other bear pics on my blog aren't made by me unfortunately.

I'm now a member of the Stonewylde forum, so look out for Pixiedust. I've already spotted Somerset Seasons and Solstice Dreamer on there. I finished Solstice at Stonewylde yesterday, it was fantastic. I found myself shouting at the pages (like they can here me). We need book four, what am I going to do now? If you haven't already read the Stonewylde series, go out and buy it, you won't regret it, and your helping Kit to be able to publish the next two books. As Kit Say's ''five, always five''.

Thursday's Enchantment

Nobody has any conscience about adding to the improbabilities of a marvelous tale.

Nataniel Hawthorne

Baking..

I've had many attempts at a banana loaf, and they've always been stodgy and un-appetizing. Till Now. I had another go yesterday with thanks to my ''Good Housekeeping'' cookbook and a bit of tweaking from me, it turned out lovely. It got hubby's approval and is sitting in his packed lunch today. My first step towards the money saving plan.

Wednesday's Enchantment

There she weaves by night and day

A magic web with colours gay.

She has heard a whisper say,

A curse is on her if she stay

To look down to Camelot.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 'The Lady of Shalott'

Tuesday Ranting Part Two - Pollution

Look at this! I was appalled to see this on my morning walk with the dog. We were strolling down the footpath headed for home when the bright blue caught my eyes. It smelt of chemicals too. As luck would have it I had my camera with with me, to take a picture of the storm damaged willow.

All the local dogs quite often jump in here on their walks (I don't let the little man it upsets his tummy) not to mention all the local wildlife, and further down stream the aquatic life. I got home and contacted the E A, and forwarded the photo's to them. They were quite concerned and said they would send the local pollution team down there today to take water samples. The Environment man seems to think someone has emptied a chemical toilet into the stream. They are keeping me posted

This is the storm damaged willow.

Desperately Seeking Something...

Old Winchester Hill

I'm been feeling unsettled and in limbo at the moment. I've been unhappy in my job for a long while now and need a change. I've been hanging on in there, partly down to the fact that we are trying for a family, and if i left I'd lose my maternity pay. But in saying that i only work part time for a well known supermarket, so the pays rubbish anyway. Not to mention the fact that working for a supermarket is against my principles and I hate everything it stands for. I spent my whole shift yesterday planning my escape route. OK rant over, whats the solution?

Everything unfortunately seems to revolve around money, so here are my first baby steps to life improvement:-

1. Get the weekly food bill down to £50 or less, there are only two of us and the animals and we waste far too much. First I need to make a shopping list and stick to it, and start planning meals, cooking more in one go and freezing it. (Already have an organic box)
2. Don't buy anything unless it is an absolute necessity. My one weakness is books, but as i keep telling myself, that's what library's were invented for.
3. Get planting, we don't have much space, but i can get on and get the basil and lettuce growing in the conservatory, with the pea's and beans to follow later on, and might have a go at courgettes or squashes in pots.
4. Buy in bulk

If i can get the household outgoings down, I can find myself a job that I want to do, rather than something I can't stand. I want to do something that counts, instead of just muddling through. Any money saving ideas and green living tips would be welcome. I'll stop ranting now.

Tuesday's Quotes

Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

Very Wet Dog & Owner, Need Towel....

Phoebe's got the right idea!

Woody getting dried off!

It stopped raining and a bit of sun peeped through the clouds so I finally braved the weather this morning to take Woody for his walk, THAT WAS A MISTAKE! No sooner had I got as far as the park the heavens opened. We were wet by then so i thought we might as well carry on. All the lamp posts in the park were half over with the tops all smashed, so I had to watch Woody's paws. We got a bit further on and the lovely Willow had taken a real beating, I guess this is a not so Whomping Willow. I took some photo's on my camera phone, but can't work out how to get them on the lap top.

Monday's Enchantment....

Lost, yesterday, somewhere between Sunrise and Sunset, two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes. No reward is offered, for they are gone forever.

Horace Mann, Lost, Two Golden Hours

The March Winds

The March winds are scurrying from the Southwest, to chase the old winter away. And buckets and tubs that are standing around jump quickly and shout ''Hip Hooray!''
And zig zag away here and there, in the yard. And the shingles, if loose, start to fly, And the waste-basket papers left outside the door, make a bee-line, then shoot for the sky!
Mrs. Biddy, the hen, tries again and again To visit her usual places
In her casual way, but the wind, on its way, commands, and she right about faces.
The cat curls up, near where the pup is asleep back under the porch, near the wall,
For outside where things act so crazy today, There's no chance to slumber at all.
The March winds are just one big boisterous show. With lions and clowns in the ring
And when the shows over we turn to behold the first blooming flowers of Spring!

Ed Blair

Three More Truths....

• Reading when your drunk is horrible
• Nobody ever dares make a cup-a-soup in a bowl
• Everyone always remembers the day a dog ran into your school

Rainbow...

''Though they seldom come together the sun and rain sometimes are one, and when they join they form a rainbow, gaze in wonder if you ever see one''.

Not a particularly good picture of today's rainbow but i tried. The weather was strange this afternoon, sun one minute, then rain and then hail. Tonight's moon looks just like the Cheshire cat out of Alice in Wonderland, but I expect it will be covered in clouds soon.

Funny Quote...

Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

The Drains Before The Rains...

My poor little man!

I was really looking forward to today, as hubby and I were heading off to the farmers market. I haven't been for ages and was looking forward to getting some lemon curd and strawberry jam. We woke about 9.15 this morning with the sun streaming in through the window, it looked like it was going to be a nice day. The universe though had other plans. On stepping outside the front door this morning to take the dog for his walk we noticed that the drains were blocked in the drive. Had to wait until next door had risen before hubby knocked on the door to see if theirs were blocked too, and yep they were, blooming marvelous, probably the main sewer then. Phoned the water company, who on this occasion were quite helpful and said they'd send someone out right away (on previous experience with our drainage system and the water company this hasn't been the case) The man with the van is in the main road and is trying to unblock it now. It is the main sewer, which in some ways is a relief as it won't cost us anything. Fingers crossed it gets fixed today, before the stormy weather begins, we don't wont sewage coming up the toilet!


The dog is also under the weather today. He has a rather delicate tummy and is feeling down in the dumps, he's off his food and just wants to sit quietly. I hope he perks up and doesn't need to go to the vets as last time he was ill he had campila bacta and it cost over £400 in vets bills.

Three Truths....

• You're never quite sure whether to eat green crisps


• Everyone who grew up in the 80's has entered 55378008 into a calculator


• It's impossible to describe the smell of a wet cat

Funny Quote

Always remember that you're unique. Just like everyone else.

Neighbour's

I'm all ears. (This is my dog Woody)

We've lived in our house now for about 9.5 years, and like a typical town in the south, you don't know or see your neighbours. My friend lives across the road and the couple that live under her have been in our close for about 3 years now, and I've never really spoke to them, until recently. C's been coming in the shop and invited my friend and I over for a drink last night, my friend was feeling ill though and left after half and hour, but I stayed and chatted to C and her friend for hours, we had so much in common and it felt like I'd known them for years. I didn't get home till 12.30 but had a lovely evening and made some new friends. I've got a bit of a sore head this morning but nothing a few good cups of tea won't sort out. We don't seem to make the effort with people these days and it's such a shame. I think we're all caught up in our own lives to see what's right in front of our noses.

Saturday's Enchantment

In an ancient meadow,

by the twilight's glow,

You might see a fairy,

Just where the bluebell's grow.

And you may try and catch one,

If you take your time. Hold it gently on a twig,

Until the bluebell's chime.

Alas you cannot keep one,

Though you wish you could,

For when you hear the bluebell's chime,

There'll be nothing where they stood.

Jean Henry, Twilight

WANTED

......JOB VACANCY......

A vacancy has arisen for a cleaning faerie, at our house in Hampshire. Your duties will be Bathroom Cleaning, Dusting and General Household chores with particular attention to be paid to cleaning the oven. Bijou cottage accommodation included. Please apply with references to Faerie Nuff.

If only i had a bathroom cleaning faerie. Unfortunately i received no applicants and had to clean the bathroom myself this morning. This has to be one of my pet hates, but i do feel a sense of achievement once it's done. I don't intend to do any more housework today. I think i shall go and read my final Stonewylde book - Solstice and have a nice cup of tea!

Friday's Enchantment

In fairy-tales, witches always wear silly black hats and black cloaks, and they ride on broomsticks.
But this is not a fairy-tale. This is about REAL WITCHES. The most important thing you should know about real witches is this. Listen very carefully. Never forget what is coming next.
REAL WITCHES dress in ordinary clothes and look very much like ordinary woman. They live in ordinary houses and they work in ORDINARY JOBS.
That is why they are so hard to catch.

Roald Dahl, The Witches

Glastonbury Here I Come!

Do you ever get withdrawal symptoms from a place, and feel fidgety and in limbo until you've been? Glastonbury does this to me. I first visited this special place about 7 years ago and immediately felt like i was home. I don't know what it is about this place but i feel a strong pull towards it. On Saturday i finally jumped in the car and took myself off to the west, accompanied by my muggle friend. We visited all my favourite haunts, The Witchcraft shop, The Goddess and the Green Man, Star Child and discovered some new shops in the form of the gauntlet incorporating The Witchcraft Emporium. Lunch was an extremely tasty golden vegetable and butter bean soup with granary bread and a big lump of carrot cake from Rainbows End Cafe.

The day was finished off with a stroll around the Chalice Well, where we sat on the swing seat at the top of the gardens and looked up at the Tor, too tired to hike up there on this occasion. This is my idea of a perfect day.