Ridgeway Cottage anyhow

My favourite place in the summer is my garden ( or allotment) so I thought I might post a few photos so I can look at them when the weather turns icy and its too cold to go outside. It would be the thing I'd miss most if I ever moved to a different country, the contrast between the sparse winter landscape and the riot of colour on display in the English summertime. My tiny fish pond   Bees on dahlias   Christmas cabbage and dwarf kale   Rows of salad veg The most delicious smelling sweet peas Rosy apples Cucumbers My tomato jungle Sunflowers   Posted with Blogsy

If you'd asked me 20 years ago when I graduated from University with my Creative Arts Honours Degree, " Where do you see yourself in 20 years ?" I would not have had a clue. If you'd asked me "Wh ere do see yourself next week?" the answer would have been the same. The summer of 1993 was a very chaotic time for me, my Dad died of cancer and I certainly didn't feel like applying to do a PGCE or even considering my future. I did know that I had made some good friends and that art / creativity would always be the main focus of my life. As with all arty types and quite a number of my fellow graduates making a living off your artistic talents is rather a challenge so at some point teaching comes to each of us or depression and poverty! I am lucky enough to still see some of my dear friends from University and without question, our children have inherited our arty ways or didn't really have a choice. Actually all children are naturally creative with...

I often consider my bike to be a work of art, I've pimped my ride, added crochet and fabric but it is nothing compared to the Art Bike Trail which is part of the Marcel Duchamp Festival in Herne Bay this August. We only managed to see a selection of the bikes today but we will be heading back to Herne Bay in the morning for more art and culture. Kent really does have a riot of seaside experiences: other fascinating events on our to do list for the summer holidays include Broadstairs Folk Week ,  What a Vintage Carry On in Margate  , and Ramsgate Summer Squall . Why would you want to spend hours and hours travelling when everything really is on our door step and we can be home in time for tea or have chips on the beach. Anyhow here are the fab art bikes we saw today. Hats off and moustaches on to all the brilliant creators. And once you have had enough of bikes (or your children have) there is still ... an enormous urinal sculpt...

Every year I plant purple sprouting broccoli and every winter whilst it's far too cold for me to be heading off to the allotment, great big fat pigeons eat it. I finally brave the bitter wind and try to net the plants with the shabby bits of net I've got and they sit on top of the net, which has usually collapsed under the weight of snow and eat the sprouts of broccoli again. Eventually I get the whole net thing sorted on a warm spring day and the sun causes the plants to go to seed. I have long been envious of all the fabulously sophisticated looking brassica protection that are pride of place on other plots at the allotment. Beautiful structures filled with perfect cabbages and untouched plants. I have dreamt of my own steel and net weapon against the greed of those birds. And now at last I have my own fruit cage to love and I have such plans for it. From now until late spring it will keep the pesky pigeons off the purple sprouting broccoli, as they can strip a plant of ...

If it were my choice, I would have plenty of pets: a dog, chickens, a pig, a goat, a sheep, perhaps a little wallaby but as this is very unlikely to happened, I am going to have to settle for the two guinea pigs that have come to stay for a couple of weeks. They are adorable and incredibly popular with Charlie, who woke me up early asking if he could get them out of their hutch. His little face says it all and he has been happily feeding them the contents of our fridge throughout the day.   He even got in the cage with them to play and waited very patiently for them to come out. He did of course allow them to escape but they are safely back in their cage again until tomorrow morning.       Posted with Blogsy

I have a feeling that as the summer holidays continue, our bucket list will get longer and longer. We did complete a number of fun things today and as we ticked them off, more and more exciting things were added. Today we... Picked and ate veg from our garden Hunted for caterpillar eggs for our butterfly farm We found a few different types  Whoever laid these, did so very neatly Made a nature museum And caught butterflies in nets My favourite moments from today were of Charlie standing in a small box full of water howling with laughter as he stuck the hose pipe down his shorts and Josie making her own Top Trumps. Josie's cards were based on characteristics of her friends and were really so funny. I loved seeing how she rated her friends in terms of smartness, cuteness, entertainment, mischief and strength, including Nibbles and Henry (two Guinea pigs who will be staying with us for a while in the holidays.) I would love it if ...

First thing this morning, we were all up early writing our summer holiday lists. We sat discussing things we want to do, places we want to go and the people we want to see. There was a flurry of scribbling and much excitement about what the next 6 weeks might hold. I love the start of the summer holidays, even as an adult, it feels like the summer might last forever. We haven't finished our lists yet but we have already completed number 1. on Charlie's list: buy new clothes. We spent the morning together in town and it was lovely. Isn't it amazing how well behaved and beautifully mannered children can be when you are buying them stuff? We even entered a draw to win a car that we signed. Charlie's plan is that if he wins, he will give it to daddy who can sell his car and give the money to Charlie. He can then spend the money on whatever he chooses.     Posted with Blogsy