Author Archives: pennygj

I should have known better…

 

(I don't know who to credit for this, but it says it all!)

…than to try and tackle ANY TECHY STUFF AT ALL   and I WILL NEVER DO AGAIN!  Honest!  how mad I was to believe the thing that popped up in my blog Dashboard and said all I had to do was to ‘Click here’ and I could upgrade from 2.9 to 3.0.  It was a trap for the reckless and unwary.  For someone who had got TOO BIG FOR HER BOOTS!  Because I clicked ‘here’ and  I lost access to Planet Penny.  For FOUR WHOLE DAYS!

It’s hard to think that a couple of years ago I scarcely knew what a blog was, and now I was completely bereft because I had been cut off from my other little world. 

But, my knight in shining armour, AKA Craig, has just galloped to the rescue  and saved the day, AND did it all without making me feel a complete TWIT.  (Well, I already felt like a twit, but he didn’t rub it in)  So thank you, Craig, and I can  resume normal service.

Now, where was I…?

Back…

…but not on track yet…I get into a bit of a dooda when I haven’t blogged for a while and I know there is a backlog of photos in my camera and words in my head and I don’t know where to start so please forgive me if it all goes a bit jumbly as it’s very true to life!

Life has been extremely hectic but  Tim has gone back to work for a fortnight and I will be working to a different rhythm.  The only way to cope with this sort of routine is to divide life into two and look for the positive aspects of something potentially depressing, like being alone for two weeks while your other half is stuck in the middle of the North Sea. As in an empty space in the bed but no snoring!  Cooking for one, but fewer calories cos the one who wants roast potatoes and a pud has someone else to cook them! 

We all had a lovely few days away.  Higgins came home looking very trim after spending all his holidays dashing round after his whippet friends.  He obviously made himself completely at home because he stole underpants out of their laundry basket too!  We had a grandson fix to keep us going until they come to stay in August.  It was a little bittersweet as, after living in Normandy all their married life, our son and daughter-in-law are relocating to the south coast of England next month.  Rouen hasn’t seen the last of us though, as my fellow mother-in-law (together we are ‘The Belle-mere Mafia) has invited us back to stay and as you will later see, there is still shopping to be done!

I still haven’t told you about the Pick n’Mix Market, which seems a long time ago now.  Fortunately Teena and Lisa took lots of lovely photos as I was so excited I completely forgot!  So pop over to Kitschen Pink and Bobo Bun to get the full picture, both of their lovely stalls, and everyone else’s!   I was very drawn to Sasha’s stall with assorted stuffed toys made of such pretty fabrics. Do I need a flowery kitten?  Well no, but I couldn’t quite resist.   

 There were beautiful  dog collars and leads in Liberty fabrics, but Higgins is too much of a boy and I regretfully passed by (Also, I want Tim to be prepared to walk him, and I don’t think a flowery lead would pass, Tim’s too much of a boy too)  After refreshing ourselves with coffee and delicious Stilton and walnut scones at Daisy Boo’s Kitchen  (I also forgot to photograph the cupcakes, sorry) in the corner I crept back to see Emma, of Silver Pebble, because she also had something quite irresistible,  this gorgeous silver, pearl and mother-of-pearl button necklace.  Actually, most of it was irresistable but I couldn’t spend ALL of the housekeeping…

(Despite my best efforts I couldn’t get a photograph that did justice to the necklace’s prettiness so please visit Silver Pebble to see  Emma’s lovely jewelry at it’s best)

Back to our holiday and my first exciting shopping may seem inexplicable to some. We went to IKEA!  Well I do live in a very rural part of the country where the nearest Ikea is two and a half hours away in two different directions so it’s always a treat.  We actually went to look at useful but dull stuff, like kitchen cupboards but then I found some lovely colourful bits and pieces which made me very happy…

See how easily pleased I am?  I mean, washing up brushes!  But the little pots hang off a bar and will be a cheery and useful thing to have in the studio holding scissors and pencils and brushes and all the other bits and bobs I need to have close to hand.

I did find another shop, a little treasure on the coast which I will save for next time as I fear I have lingered too long over the keyboard. 

Meanwhile Higgins has been doing a little  work  on the side, helping out with another blog draw.  If you pop over to That Elusive Line you should see him in action with the hat. 

 (The hat survived, just)

Back soon…

Now we have sorted out Higgins’  holiday arrangements we can worry about our own!  I shall be back before long after a trip under the English Channel and hope to catch up with writing about all the things I have been photographing just lately and haven’t had time to process, including the beautiful necklace I bought at the Pick n’Mix Market, the presents I have made that I can’t show you until they have been handed over, the bag of pretty yarn I’m about to turn into a cosy little blanket ….

Lots to say and no time, but I’ll see you all soon.

Have a good week…

Sssh…I have a confession…

…I’m Turning into Mrs Pumphrey

When the entire family used to sit down to watch ‘All Creatures Great and Small’  (longer ago than I care to think now) one of the characters which raised the most laughs was Mrs Pumphrey and her small spoilt little dog, Tricky Woo. I mean, she was so  besotted with this silly little dog, made daft demands on it’s behalf and generally treated it like a human child.  Honestly, how ridiculous!

But I find I’m turning into Mrs Pumphrey!!! And Higgins is Tricky Woo!!!  It’s apalling, and I’m ashamed…

We’ve beem agonising for sometime over holiday arrangements for Higgins.  Our last dog, Spike, was so upset after his one stay in kennels I vowed not to do it again, and the plans made when we decided to have Higgins meant he wouldn’t need to go.  But circumstances change, and we had to find alternative arrangements.  A chance sighting from the Park and Ride bus of a logo on a car led us to Barking Mad, a countrywide franchise of doggy holiday homes, where your pooch can go and stay with a family, with all his toys and bed everything to make him feel secure and at home. 

And yesterday was Higgins’ trial sleepover.  The lovely Sharon (whom I had bombarded with emails and instructions about how Higgins likes his blankets arranged and which was his favourite teddy) arrived to screams of delight (and peeing, when will he grow out of that?) from Higgins who had found out about the pocket of treats on her first visit.  He went off happily in the car to spend the night with a nice lady and her two whippets and I imagine is having a wonderful time. 

I on the other hand have been moping about, worrying, while my nearest and dearest say, ‘But he’s a dog…’

‘No, it’s Higgins!’

He’s home this evening , around five, and I imagine will tell me as much about his stay as any small boy just home from camp.  And, all being well, will go off there again at the weekend to stay while we go to visit the grandsons in Rouen for a few days.  During that stay he will be sending me a postcard and there will be holiday snaps which I’m sure he’ll like sharing with you…

See, I told you…I am turning into Mrs P…

Woopee! A Market!

 

Looking forward to a Girls’ Day Out on Saturday, off to Holt in North Norfolk for the Pick n’Mix Makers’ Market.  This market is the brainchild of Teena of Kitschen Pink and Lisa of Bobobunand is SO worth a visit.  For every one who has gone to a craft fair and come away despondent at  the  lack of innovation or worse, acres of bought in poor quality tat, THIS is the place to go.  Teena and Lisa hand pick their artisans to provide an eclectic mix of  beautiful and unique crafts.  I know I’m going to spend too much, because I went to the first one last year and broke the bank!  I will have to bear in mind my ’25th of the month’ pledge  to excuse any extravagance.

Going a bit Cuckoo.

Last year I didn’t hear a cuckoo at all.  It felt a bit like the beginning of the end of the world, there’s ALWAYS a cuckoo.  I know they are anti social bullies, parasites on birdy society, but they are part of the fabric of an English spring in the country, and last year I really missed that distinctive, distant call.

Not this year. Someone told the Cuckoo he (or it she?  I’m no ornithologist) had been missed.  I’m being treated to a fly past.  Every morning. At full volume. At 5 am…lovely.   But then the blackbird sits in the cherry tree and sings me back to sleep again so it’s not too bad…not really.

But I’m going to blame the Cuckoo anyway for missing my deadline.  The trouble with blogging is that you either have time to write and nothing to write about, or you are busy, busy, busy in the studio, the garden, the house (notice the order of my priorities there) and there’s not a minute to collect your thoughts and write about what’s gong on. 

So I’m really sorry that I haven’t done my 100th post draw yet. I hope you haven’t all been waiting with bated breath, but here we go.  I’ve given everyone who sent me kind words about my bloggy anniversary a number, and I hope the Amazing Random Number Generator will come up with a result.


Actually, scrap that idea…I’ve been defeated by living at the end of the line,  internet wise and instead of the ARNG I’m getting the ‘Ooops’ notice so, Plan B, little bits of paper…and someone to pick a ticket…

Hmmm…the tasty basket is probably a bit of a distraction…


Not much help from Henry, although to be fair it’s not easy to get a look in once Higgins gets his teeth into something…

So, we’ll remove the basket…

And eventually, deprived of the nice crunchy basket a ticket is picked…

Now if I can just rescue the ticket before the ink runs…

The winner is…

…Teena!  Congratulations Teena, of Kitschen Pink, I will get your parcel to you very soon. 

Thank you again to everyone who has called in and left a comment on any of my posts.  I really like to hear from you all, if I’m actually talking to myself then it will be true, I really am going a bit cuckoo!

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