Woman of Mighty Chores!

Is it just my house or do other people have VERY industrious spiders?

This morning I hoovered the ceiling of the back kitchen and it took me for ever to get all the cobwebs...I didn't take a photo as I was mortified at the state of it. When I told my Mom she asked if that was the first time I'd ever cleaned it- the cheek! I clean the ceiling about every few months (since it doesn't generally get walked on).

Then I cleared and cleaned the counter:
As you can see, even the Hallowe'en decorations needed to be put away. I also rearranged it so that snacks can be had back there instead of endless trails of crumbs to the kitchen table and back. I tell you Hansel and Gretel would have had a field day in this house with all the breadcrumbs!

Then I put together a casserole for tonight and put it in the Rayburn on 'low' to slow-cook and heat the kitchen... Then I cleared the counter top on the dresser, cleaned and waxed it, and put all my cookery books there instead of on the window ledge.
I know one shouldn't be obsessed with 'things' but I do so like my kitchen dresser.

I was outside washing the windows when the farmer from below walked past with a bundle of hay on his back. When he saw me he laughed; 'Is this the day to be doing that, Missus?'

I said that since there was no wind, no sleet, rain, hail or snow falling and the sun was shining out of a blue sky, what better day? The temperature was sub-zero, but so? He is now convinced (as if he needed it) that I'm barmy!

The hall is warm as anything with the sun streaming through the windows, it really is a beautiful day even though the frost hasn't yet melted (4 pm).So now,with a beautifully clean and tidy kitchen and back kitchen...I will propound my philosophy on household chores:

'Why waste time cleaning when you can hardly see the dirt?'

I'll leave you to mull over that nugget of wisdom.

Thankful Thursday

Well I missed the last two Thankful Thursdays, not because there was a lack of things to be thankful for, but because during the school holidays I never know what day it is! Sonja hosts this meme so if you want to read more head on over...
Well this week's Thankfuls:

1. Thankful Dilly is home from College in Dublin for a whole month; a chance for her to relax and get her health back on track, also to spend time with her sisters. (and her parents?)

2. Thankful that the snow and frost is so pretty to look at, and that we've had many gloriously beautiful days. If we have to be cut off, get stuck, crunch the car, walk on ice because the car won't get through to the house, etc, at least its good to look at!

3. Thankful to Jane for writing a wonderfully kind post about a doll I made...everyone appreciates kindness, but mothers most of all I guess. Thank you for making my day, Jumpin' Jungle Mama!

4. Thankful Sos was given a job as Night House-Mistress at school. She can live-in, walk to College and still have time for her studies, and when needed, her part-time job at the florist; 'practically perfect in every way...' (to quote Mary Poppins!)

5. Thankful my sister took long holidays this Christmas and is with the folks as I haven't had the courage to drive in the snow so haven't been able to get over to them. She is 'minding' them very well I know, because she is like that.

And there you have it!

Of gardening, teachers, saints and old bags!

I did some gardening this morning ha! ha! Of the cross stitch variety!
I just love Jeremiah Junction's designs; I subscribed to their Magazine for several years, so have plenty of back issues to draw upon when the muse hits!

Did you notice the 'Consider this...' button in my sidebar? And the Raggedy Anne? If you haven't yet found this blog go Check it out!

I spent a very contented few hours this morning writing a new post for my blog 'Our Inheritance'. It's about St Columba .

I realised awhile back that in primary school I was very lucky in my teachers. It was a four teacher school, two year groups per teacher, in a very old, beautiful, historic building. My teachers were old-fashioned, conscientious, disciplinarians who were firmly rooted in the community and dedicated to doing their utmost to educate the unruly bunch of rural children delivered to them each day! I doubt the school, curriculum or equipment had changed much since the 1890's, and while it didn't suit some I guess it was just grand for me.

Past and present, stories of Saints, poets, eccentrics, forebears, Vikings, local landmarks, geography, history, they came alive then, and have remained so. Our teachers spoke as though the heroes of legend lived and died last week, and were equally important as local people and their doings. They blurred the lines between past and present, life and death, reality and imagination, the seen and the unseen, saints and wicked, and it was such an amazing gift.

The school where I now teach is the same one re-located to a new building in the 1970's. The Principal is a previous classmate, and many of the parents of the children I now teach attended school with me- they know all my sins and I theirs!

Here are the items for Etsy I was working on yesterday, and this afternoon. The labels are redwork on a sort of hessian fabric I found in the scrap trunk. The lovely flowery fabric was an old sleeveless summer shirt which I never wore, beautiful cotton though.I still have to thread drawstrings through the tops, and the third one isn't cut out yet! I thought they would be useful for holidays and weekends away. My Mum uses a plastic bag for her slippers and small things so I thought these might be useful?

Worked to the Bone!

We all achieved a lot today: I dyed...

Dilly de-decorated the tree...

B folded the dry clothes, then hung up the wet laundry...

Sos checked on all her Facebook contacts- does that count as work? Ah hae me doots......and the Hub entertained Ben and Bertie!

It snowed on and off all day, and since the Hub left his car into the Garage to get a quote for repairs, he ended up cycling the six+ miles home through a snowstorm. Still he made it ok and didn't fall off.

I worked on some items for my Etsy shop which I'll show you tomorrow. Tomorrow is the last day of the school holidays and we are still having problems driving with all the ice. Mom suggested that B went to stay with them in town until the end of the week so she could walk to school. It sounds so old-fashioned! Until the 1960's, unless they were school boarders, children had to board in town either with family or in boarding houses during the winter just so as they could attend school. Now that we have decent roads and access to all rural areas I don't expect to have to board out my daughters!

Challenges Report #1.

Regarding Dottie Angel's Challenge to be creative instead of buying new, I decided I should repair my driving gloves, which had become very breezy. I rummaged in my mending supplies and found some darning wool...

...and my mushroom, and set to. Now I would just like to say that I KNOW green wool doesn't exactly blend with black but heck! if I've gone to the trouble of darning gloves I want people to notice!

Have you any notion of what a fiddly job it is? (And by the way when were men's socks last referred to as 'hose', Shakespeare's day??)

Regarding the Creative Every Day Challenge January's suggested theme is 'Body'. I thought I would do the five senses, something to please each during the week gone.

Sight: hoar frost on grass and buttercup leaves.

Sound: the song 'Love Changes Everything' by Michael Ball has some very inspiring words...

....Love, Love changes everything:

How you live and

How you die....

....Love will turn your world around....

...Off into the world we go,

Planning futures,

Shaping years.

Love,

Bursts in, and suddenly

All our wisdom

Disappears.....

Love makes fools of everyone:

All the rules

We make are broken...

Love will never,

Never let you

Be the same.

For me it means the love for my God, my children, extended family, friends, not just romantic love. Love is a gift and it shapes much of who we grow to be I think.



Touch: knitting with this bobbly wool! It was meant to be a cowl, but since it turned out too close Nifty Thrifty here turned it into a beanie hat for Dilly!

Taste: curry and chapatis for supper on Friday eaten with fingers, the African way, very tactile and requiring a certain amount of dexterity....and mopping up...

Smell: scented candles! Love 'em!
A week's worth of creativity from 'Nifty Thrifty' Heckety.

Due to the weather Dilly had to spend the night in Enniskillen with friends since the bus company couldn't guarantee to deliver it's passengers all the way to Sligo. She's due on the midday bus today. B is having noodles for breakfast- NOODLES! I ask you! It's snowed again all morning...

Wham! Doink!

I had a blinder in Church this morning, although the idea has been bubbling since the beginning of Advent. Please visit? I tell you what though, if the Lord wants this new blog to be updated regularly He'd better wangle me some extra time in the day!

The Hub was taking the Service in another Church in the Parish, so after attending Communion in the Cathedral we headed out to Morning Service! The roads were fierce icy this morning, we slithered from place to place, and when he was walking out to the car the Hub did a glorious cartoon-style slide down the drive onto the road! It certainly would not have been amusing if it had happened to one of our elderly congregation. Also, on the way to Church we were stopped by the Guards and he was breathalysed, which everyone found uproariously funny. Needless to say the insults were fairly flying and if there's one thing the Irish do well it's creative insults!

Have you heard Rhydian's new album 'O Fortuna'? It has a very rich sound, and Kiri Te Kanewa sings on it too and I just adore her voice. At the moment it is drowning out 'The Mask of Zorro'- I don't need to be distracted by Antonio Banderas when I'm trying to think!

Thrifty! and another of Colletta's Giveaways!

This morning I cut up various old cards, Christmas and other, punched a hole in a corner and tied a short bit of sparkly crochet thread through. I had quite a production line going! Right so! Gift tags for the coming year sorted!
I even stored them in a re-cycled ziplock bag, howzat! One job done off the list...

Colletta is having another giveaway!
In honour of her 100th post (some people are organised and get their act together for these things)...and since I won one of her Christmas giveaway books I really am being greedy entering this but...well...go see for yourself because it's a really great idea she's had!

I also finished the cowl I was knitting but it's quite tight, not drapey, so I'll give it to my sister! She likes things close round her neck, I hate it. Or I might rip it out. Guess my tension was off.

I've just been designing a Calendar online for my Dad's Christmas present, using his own photos, which are on our computer. I use some of his amazing photography here. I'll let you know how the Calendar turns out.

My toolbar has disappeared...how peculiar...