boxing day boys

Can you see the cobwebs blowing away? A wild and windy walk on Burgh Marsh this afternoon was just the tonic we needed after yesterday's feasting. And yes you can pig out on nut roast with divinely roasted potatoes (even if I do say so myself).

knitted booties

These were made for a friend's baby this week. They are really cute and have the advantage of laces so they can be fastened securely to chubby legs. 

another picture of our house

Unfortunately no real progress since last time I posted but I thought you might like to see a picture of the extension and the back of our house in its winter coat.A dusting of snow early on Friday morning which lasted all weekend but has now melted. If you look at the bottom right hand panel in the back door you can see Mouser's catflap. It is made of a piece of denim cut out of some old jeans, so the wind has cheekily been whistling through the flap. We now have a big warm cosy curtain hanging up in the kitchen - so yah boo to the wind!

living with the amish

Call me old-fashioned, but I just loved watching Living with the Amish on Channel 4 on Thursday night. It was a delight to peer into the simple life of the Pennsylvania Dutch as it is today. Visually charming, brightly coloured but plain long dresses; strong men working together to raise the timber barn surrounded by leafy woodland; the contented smiles of a community at peace with itself and harmonious hymn-singing. 



Barn-raising, Amish style







 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The  British girls visiting the Amish community this week had some difficulty with the very different role of their American counterparts. Amish women look after the home and raise their families. They cook, wash, sew, clean, polish and home-school their children. All day, every day. But all the women are doing the same thing, and their doors are open, so they are able to share these tasks with felllowship and probably banish the tedium that seemed to worry the teen guests.

 

 

 

The Amish live a life apart. They are a humble, ordered people who put their own community at the hearty of everything they do and try to avoid glorifying the individual. There are four more episodes to come, Thursdays 9pm on Channel 4. My Thursday night treat!

we love our new floor!

Despite a change for the worse in the weather we have concrete floors laid and looking very neat and tidy. There is supposed to be a touch of frost tonight but Mally reckons the concrete should have gone off and not be adversely affected by it. Fingers crossed! And cat footprints have already been added.



2 pm and still a lot to do.



4 pm and looking good.

Our next job is to dig trenches for the drains and then get the pipes laid. I think this will make a huge difference to the amount of clart (to use a good Cumbrian word) outside. And we will also be able to pile up all the blocks and other building materials that have been gathering on the drive so that Cath has access to her garage when the really cold weather starts.