Things I am Thankful for no.5

There is no picture today. Just words. Today I am thankful for having my basic human needs fulfilled. I have a roof over my head, warm clothes, food, heating, lighting and I know that I am loved. I never take these things for granted and I never want to forget how lucky I am.

Country Living?

I thought it was timely to think about 'Country Living' as the Country Living Fair is currently taking place in Islington, North London.

I was born and brought up in an inner London borough. In the window of our kitchen over the roof tops and chimney pots, St Paul's Cathedral could be seen quite clearly in the distance. Looking out over foggy old London I often yearned to escape to the country. I got my chance occasionally when the family went off for a country jaunt. I would dress in 'country clothes' and take my child sized willow basket for collecting wild berries. We would catch a train to Kent and pick up my Nan and Grandad on route. I always had a box of fruit gums to eat on a journey like this and would suck them until they were paper thin.

My countryside memories are of family members enjoying each others company, getting stung by nettles and brambles and picking the juiciest, biggest blackberries EVER!!! We would sit down by a stream or visit a traditional pub where I would have a cooling glass of lemonade after all that busy foraging. I would return home, tired with aching joints and rosy cheeks and sleep very soundly.

Throughout my life I have always tried to get away from London and live my country dream. I now live in an outer London borough and I guess this is the closest to the country I will ever get. When I think of the Country Living magazine it doesn't reflect what I believe country living to be about. It is more about Londoners upping sticks and moving out to the country to live in a 'designer' home. It seems that many of the people featured in the magazine are displaying a 'country living' home style rather than a lifestyle. We rarely see pictures of muddy floors, or old country people, poverty and dilapidated homes, or people that live near motorways and run down villages.

Now and then a property may come on the market in a beautiful rural location. 'Needs complete modernisation. Original features. Investment opportunity.' A house that was once a home to a person that really lived a country life now becomes a show home and photo opportunity to people who want to emulate a country way of life.

I feel sad because I am a fraud. I will probably attend the Country Living fair. I will still buy the magazine each month and drool over a 'lifestyle' that doesn't exist. I will cover my laminate floor with raggy rugs and pretend that flagstones lay beneath. My stainless steel sink can pretend to be a butlers sink if I narrow my eyes ever so slightly. It has the depth of a butlers sink if not the colour. My 'Aga' is a fitted oven but I can drape my carefully folded tea towel over the handle and imagine otherwise.

Real country living? I don't think it is for me after all. I think I will return to my town bubble and play at a country life from the confines of my home.

Things I am Thankful for no.4

When I am feeling low and need a kick start in positivity, I am thankful for inspiring quotes such as this one by Louisa May Alcott:

'Far away in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see the beauty, believe in them and try to follow where they lead.'

Things I am Thankful for no.2 and 3

No. 2. I am thankful for my Tiffany style lamp and for the warm glow it creates.

The skill in the craftsmanship of the tiny pieces of glass soldered together.

The ripples in the glass.

The accent of the rounded glass beads that allow the light to shine through so beautifully.

No 3. Receiving the morsbag from Ginny in her giveaway and being reminded of the plight of wildlife who end up dying from swallowing plastic bags in the water. I am thankful that I can reduce my negative environmental impact by using reusable fabric bags.

Things I am Thankful for - no.1

Ginny over at Sweet Myrtle thought it would be a good idea to look at the things in life we are grateful for during this dark month of November. Today I am grateful for a bowl of steaming hot porridge topped with local pears and berries.

What are you grateful for? Click on the button on the top right of the sidebar if you would like to join Ginny in her month of thankfulness.

Something Fishy Going On

It was early Thursday evening and Gizmo (my cat for those not in the know) was still out. I like him to be in before dark otherwise he will stay out all night. My husband was going out but went to look for Gizmo once more before locking up the back door.

He came in a few minutes later with Gizmo. Gizmo had been found with a fish on the pathway. The fish was still alive. My husband put the fish into the nearest container which contained rainwater, informed me about what had happened and then went out. By this time it was quite dark outside.

The next morning I prepared myself to find a dead fish floating on the water. To my surprise the fish was very much alive. I put some water into a bucket and poured the fish along with the rainwater into it. Later that day my son and I went out in search of fish food.

I have no idea where the fish came from. We do not have a pond and neither do our closest neighbours. If Gizmo had taken the fish from a pond (which is probably the case) how did he get it back to our garden without harming it? How could the fish have survived so long out of water? Why didn't it die of shock?

I have had such a dilemma. Do I knock on the doors in the neighbourhood asking if any one has lost a fish?!!! What if they accuse Gizmo of stealing more than one? What if they think I am a crazy woman?!!! I decided against this cause of action.

So it seems the fish is here to stay. I will have to find a permanent solution for its habitat as it cannot stay in a tin bucket. So there it is. I have gained a fish. It is as though it fell from the sky. I feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility for its welfare. My son has named it Albert. Albert the fish. The name makes as much sense as the method in which it arrived.

Hitting the Spot

I haven't been able to hit the spot with my usual readers recently. Comments have dropped off and I sometimes wonder if anyone is reading my blog. Anyway I will not be defeated!!! Hopefully there is something in this post to appeal to most readers.

I thought I would have a go at making some vintage or 'prim' coffee stained tags. There are many ways of doing this to be found on the Internet. My way was as follows:

• Put a couple of teaspoons of instant coffee in a small cereal sized bowl.
• Pour on a little boiling water to dissolve the coffee. Add some vanilla essence if you wish to do so.
• When the mixture has cooled slightly, dip some cotton wool into liquid and then rub over tags and string.
• Heat in a low oven for about 5 minutes and then repeat the process several times until you get the desired effect.
  

I left mine to dry overnight. The next day I stamped a greeting onto the tags.

I then stuck on some scaled down reproduction postcards. These tags could be further embellished with lace, buttons etc. Use your imagination! They smell yummy too!!!

A few years back I was lucky enough to be given my Nan's 'button boxes'.

I remember going through this tin as as a child. The contents are decades old as my Nan is in her late 90's.

As you can see, the tin doesn't only contain buttons!

Such an assortment of colours.

This is one of the smaller tins.

The contents inside are just as precious to me.

Look at all these fancy buckles.

All sorts of buttons from plastic to mother of pearl, leather to hand painted.

This mother of pearl button is a real beauty. Look at the size of it in my hand!

And if you thought that was big look at these ones!!!

I still have remnants of summer in my garden. The climbing rose continues to bloom.

This rose is called Compassion and it has a fresh lemony scent.

It has had a growth spurt this year and doubled in height climbing over the top of the arbour.

The violas have had a new lease of life too and are rapidly taking over the flowerbed.

The strongest autumn colour in the garden at the moment is Gizmo with his autumn coloured coat.