Wednesday 25 February 2015

Salt water, a quandary and some inherited clumsiness













There were huge tides on the River Severn this weekend, it was time for the Severn Bore, a big wave that runs up the upper reaches of the river.  At the wildfowl and wetlands place we go to the floodplain had been covered at high tide.  It's a rare Atlantic salt marsh habitat, and excellent for all sorts of wetlands birds.  The weather was hideous, and I hunkered down in the corner of a hide at the top of a tower while the real birders opened all the windows and let the rain and the force ten gale in.  I took a big flask of cocoa (unsweetened - Lent).  It was actually very peaceful up there, just gazing out at the river and the hills in the distance and thinking quiet thoughts.  One of my happy places.  Sometimes the proper birders find something wonderful with their telescopes and they let us have a look.  Say, a peregrine falcon or a marsh harrier, something like that.  If I have the binoculars I look at the little houses on the other side of the river and wonder if the grass is greener over there.

Back on the ground a squirrel was helping himself to the bird food from the feeder.  He hung upside down like that for ages.  If you look closely you can see two rats underneath, picking up anything that's dropped.  There are lots there at the moment, apparently it's a good year for rats.

My blog friend Teresa sent me a lovely crocheted heart and wrote me a sweet card in her beautiful calligraphy.  It's something I'd love to try one day when there's miraculously more time.  It made me happy when the postman dropped the envelope on the mat, all the way from Oregon.  So kind and thoughtful.

The first seedlings are up.  Apricot chillies, planted a couple of weeks ago.  I don't have a fancy heated thing to put them in, so I just kept them in the warm kitchen, next to the bread machine.  It worked a treat.  I bought the seeds on Ebay, and seven out of eight have germinated.  Apricot chillies are supposed to be really mild.  We shall see.

I went looking for snowdrops this afternoon.  The church is having a little roof repair at the moment.  The snowdrops are looking beautiful though, down at the other end of the churchyard.  I don't know what variety they are, but the ground is thick with them.

Oh the home front the littlest boy is needing eye drops.  Any tips for how this might possibly be accomplished gratefully received.  I did get one in his ear.  He can't even do it for chocolate buttons.  (Yes, I do employ bribery wherever possible.)

I'm in a quandary over whether to crochet a blanket or knit a cardigan.  A friend gave me a voucher for yarn, I need to spend it wisely.  Such a large project will probably last me for years, so I'm not rushing in to anything.  I'm still slowly sewing a quilt or two.  And I have a couple of little cross stitch projects knocking around.  Maybe I shouldn't start anything else just yet.  But then again, if the mood to knit strikes it would be terrible to be projectless.  The middle boy and I share a complete inability to make decisions.  We agonise over the smallest thing for days and days.  If I ask him what birthday cake he would like, two weeks before his birthday, I can guarantee that the day before no decision will still have been reached.  The littlest boy and I share a humongous clumsiness.  He came home from school with an injury note yesterday.  Then he fell off the bed and hurt himself.  Then two minutes later he fell of the bed again and hurt himself even more.  This evening he hit his face on the table.  I actually remember regularly running upstairs and hitting my shin really hard when I was little.  He does that all the time too.  I do hope they get some good stuff from me as well as the dodgy qualities.  Although I can't think of what that might be offhand.  If I come to a yarny decision I shall let you know.  Your thoughts on the subject, or in fact any subject, will be very welcome.

38 comments:

  1. My son used to walk into the door jam / frame of our living room all the time. (I hated having to say he walked into the door way to his teachers, it seemed so cliche ) He just cut his knee open on the coffee table this weekend. It can't be explained the "banged up" phases they go through.

    As for the eyedrops I used to have my son lay down on his back on the bed or couch and close his eyes then i would drop them in the corners and have him blink blink them in. not very scientific for dosages, but it seemed to work. Also if he's ready have someone stand behind you and point one way and he'll look in that direction. drop em' in tada!

    Good luck with all the dropping and healing. Always a lovely photo tour.

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  2. I just hope they all 3 get your wonderful sense of humor and then you'll have given them an amazing gift that will win them friends and admirers for their whole life. I'm glad my card reached you and hope my heart finds a fun place to hang in your home. What kind of ducks were those!? Love your castles and Snowdrops. Mine are all done for now. I'm at the beach! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  3. I agree with elns on the eyedrop method. I don't do well with drops, either, and the only way I can get them in is to close my eyes and then blink them in. Good luck deciding what to buy with your yarn voucher! The deciding part can be so fun--endless possibilities:)

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    1. Same. Drop them near the inner eye, blink them in. Works for me, works for my son.

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  4. Your pictures are beautiful. The one with the duck is my absolute favorite.

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  5. I always enjoy your posts, especially the photos. They only fuel my several decades' desire to visit England. I WILL make that happen within the next two years!

    As for the yarn, pick two projects that have similar yardage requirements, then pick the yarn. Once you have the time to knit, one of the projects will motivate you more than the other.

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  6. Well, I'm working on a cross-stitch sampler and enjoying it very much but I don't have a crochet project on the go at the moment and I'm feeling this keenly. I need something I can easily pick up and do a few rows without any superfluous equipment or needing the light to be just right or needing to count anything. It's definitely a quandary and I wish I had advice for you. I'm fairly clumsy myself and I wish I had a solution for that as well. Sometimes I think I need all my rooms to be padded and to wear a helmet at all times.

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  7. Gosh those tide photos look like our place after the cyclone last weekend. I'm with you on the decision making dilemma, I'm terrible, then get annoyed at myself for such procrastination. I'm sure when you're out and about you will see the perfect yarn and it will all come together then. Crochet tends to be quicker than knitting though ;)

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  8. I hope he feels better friend! And as far as the eye drops....ugh....we literally had to pin my daughter down to get the drops in so unfortunately I am no help there! I really enjoyed seeing the marsh! Stunning shots of the birds and the snowdrops!!! And your sprout!!!! YAY! A sign of newness and hope to come!!!! Wishing you a lovely Thursday CJ! Do let us know what you decide for your project! Nicole xo

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  9. We had part of our honeymoon at Thornbury :o)

    Bird watching lookout places can feel a bit wild and windswept even in good weather I find, but also cosy in bad- perhaps it's all the shared activity, folks interested in birds braving the elements that makes it so,

    Hope the eye improves, and the clumsiness. I expect they'll inherit your thoughtfulness - that will stand them in very good stead indeed xx

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  10. Beautiful photos! I've always wanted to see the Severn bore! I feel that watching videos of it just doesn't do it justice, and it's something you should experience first hand!
    Ellie xx

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  11. Just trying to leave a comment, it hasn't worked up until now. (I'm not anonymous i'm Sandra from www.daffodilwild.wordpress.com)

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  12. As always a fabulous realistic post with humour added! I really laughed out loud at the idea of you trying to get drops into your son's eye! I notice that the opthalmologist never has any problems and he does it without any leaning back looking at the ceiling just with me sitting upright he pulls the lower lid slightly to form a little pocket into which a drop is inserted without any problem at all and I am like your son and can never manage to keep my eye open whilst trying to do it myself! Good luck - I hope the prescription gave you enough to allow for the drops that go anywhere but in the eye?!! I am sure your sons will also inherit some of your wonderful warm, sunny nature and your ability to see the funny side of life - hope so as the world can do with more people like you! Good luck with the knitting.

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  13. Had to scroll back to see the rats - obviously I wouldn't make a very good bird watcher as I pay no attention to detail and like you I'd be looking at the houses. My children often complain that it feels as though they've just inherited the bad traits from each parent. On the plus side, I suppose that means they think we have some good ones too.

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  14. Ooh definitely start a new project - it gives you such a lift. For me it would have to be a blanket - enjoy the yarn shopping !
    Have a lovely weekend CJ,
    Kate xx

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  15. I can sympathise with the littlest boy as I've got conjunctivitis at the moment. Get him to lie down and then put the drops in to the corner of his eye, as he blinks it will swish around his eye. I'd say go for the blanket, but then blankets are the only large item I make, they're just so easy to pick up and put down again. I love the photo of the squirrel, they'll go to extraordinary lengths to steal bird food. Eeek, I never noticed the rats on the ground.

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  16. I'm clumsy. Always bashing my arms and legs off door frames and handles and table edges. In too much of a rush you see.
    As for the quandary (and what a FAB word), I can't help as crochet of any sort would obviously win the argument for me every time for me:) Have fun planning though :)
    Jillxo

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  17. There's something about churchyards and snowdrops... the church up the road from here has great drifts of them and I keep meaning to go along with my camera.
    Inherited traits? Maybe Joe's a bit young - oh, I know. He's a serious carnivore. Like his dad. On the odd occasion we get the takeaway menu out he rushes over and shouts 'MEAT! BUY MEAT!'
    And for the project: the blanket. I can't crochet, wish I could, and admire those who can. Plus it'll never go out of style and will probably need washing less often. Always a bonus :)
    S x

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  18. A most enjoyable read with lovely pictures, and as always you had me smiling.
    The carpet of snowdrops in the churchyard look wonderful. Flighty xx

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  19. It is interesting that you have seen the qualities that you have passed on to your sons and how alike you are! I am sure that good things have been passed on too!! Watching the birds sounds fascinating and a very peaceful way to spend some time. xx

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  20. I am sure you have passed down plenty of fantastic qualities down to your boys! Bruises and bumps and undecisiveness are quite noticeable, maybe more so than the good stuff. I am knitting this: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lady-kina. It is straightforward and it is always useful to have a cardigan to wrap around you in the summer. I am making mine with long sleeves. Less yarn needed for a cardigan, if that helps you decide. You can spend your voucher on lush yarn if you need less. Have a lovely day. Cx

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  21. Hey CJ,
    I suspect that one or all have inherited your sense of humour. And your modesty. Your curly hair?
    Sam has my sense of humour. Alfie has the look of my family. Olly.....not sure. He is creative, although we neither of us can knit or make a quilt. None of them have inherited my hair, of which I give thanks every day.
    Knit a cardi. Cardis rock. You always have need of a cardi. Especially in a hide.
    Leanne xx

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  22. That poor duck looks a bit resigned to the rain. Maybe the saying 'nice weather for ducks' doesn't apply to all of them! Lovely to see the first seeds coming through. I am always amazed when they actually germinate :)

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  23. I vote knitting a cardigan. And that graveyard is so creepy and old!

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  24. A great way to get eye drops in is to have your little boy lay on his back and close his eyes. Gently tilt his head so the angle is right for getting the drops in the corner of his eye, doing one side at a time. Put a drop into the corner, and have him open his eyes. The fluid will go into his eye, and you can gently turn his head until the surface of the eyeball is covered. Repeat for the other eye. This way he has his eyes closed when that little bottle of drops is coming at him!

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  25. I love hearing about the tidal bore, any surfers out this year? I am sure that along with the funny quirks, your boys have inherited quite a few of your wonderful qualities too :)

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  26. First - what a great duck photo that is! You are such a good Mum to go out and sit in dreary weather (without sweets!) so that your children can enjoy nature. Second - rats! Wow, I have never actually seen a rat. And then third - those snowdrops in the churchyard are so simply beautiful - just like a photo in County Living magazine!

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  27. Seeing the Severn Bore is on our list of things to do. x

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  28. ouch, poor little one. bumps always come in threes's or four's or fives.....

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  29. I can't advise on the eye-drops because I'm taking some at the moment and often manage to miss my own eye! I'm currently finishing a long overdue blanket and have sworn to start only small projects after it's done as I just don't have the sticking power. Having said that, I'd love to knit myself a cardi one day. How about buying a lovely selection of yarn to make little things with?
    Cathy x

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  30. Wow so many snowdrops, how pretty. I do love it when they appear at this time of year. Oh eye drops are so tricky. I used to have to put them in Archie. Like others have said, I would get him to lay down and put the drops in the corners. It did get easier as he get used to it. Have a good weekend CJ. xx

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  31. The snowdrops are amazing! I keep thinking about starting a cardigan. Its taken me about 6 weeks to unravel a skein of wool so goodness knows how long a cardi would take! Hope your boy's eyes are better x

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  32. Look at that squirrel! Amazing photo. I have a theory about kids and clumsiness. My elder two have both had episodes like this and I think it's because their bodies are growing so fast that the spatial part of their brains can't keep up. Oh go for a blanket CJ! Make a heirloom family blanket! xx

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  33. I had opened your blog as I thought the end of the month was the color collaborative. Instead, there are all of these lovely pictures of England and your life and what you are doing with your family. Thank you. I think you should always have some yarny project going and blankets are wonderful because you can always add a few rows when you have a short amount of time and then when finished you have this beautiful creation that will bring back all kinds of memories of what was going on in your life while making it!

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  34. I had opened your blog as I thought the end of the month was the color collaborative. Instead, there are all of these lovely pictures of England and your life and what you are doing with your family. Thank you. I think you should always have some yarny project going and blankets are wonderful because you can always add a few rows when you have a short amount of time and then when finished you have this beautiful creation that will bring back all kinds of memories of what was going on in your life while making it!

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  35. You know I'm going to say knit a cardigan, dont you ... ;o)

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  36. It must have been wonderful just looking out at that peaceful scene. Those snowdrops are a fantastic display. Sarah x

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  37. Crochet a blanket!

    Good luck with the eye drops. While we've been staying with my parents, my mum is "rewarding" (bribing) Angus with a chocolate button for every time he hangs up the hand towel in the downstairs loo rather than throwing it on the floor. It's worked incredibly well and I suspect many unnecessary loo trips have been made. xx

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