Archive for the ‘General’ Category

Anns Hallway

I want to tell you a story about a friend of mine.  A friend who worked and saved hard for her dream home, and had that dream shattered.

Many of you may have seen that show “Cowboy Builders” on five, whenever I have seen it I have sat aghast at the sheer devastation these unscrupulous people leave in their wake. It’s not only the buildings they destroy but very clearly the lives of the people/families who they prey upon.

Sadly, a friend and designer-maker Ann of handmade eco homewares Snowdrops and Daisies and The Tea Cosy Shop and her family have fallen prey to just such an unscrupulous builder. The house, which was meant to benefit from a beautiful new extension, now lies in a total shambles: no electrics in the kitchen, wonky floors, windows that open inwards instead of outwards, in some areas no protective material on the outer skin of the extension, exposed gas pipes and electrical wires in outside walls, garden used as a building materials dumping ground….I could go on. You can read the whole nightmarish ordeal here on Ann’s blog.

What WE can do to help Ann and her family:

1. Spread the word!! Obviously Ann cannot name the builders in question for legal reasons but by telling Ann’s story and raising the profile of this all too common issue we can help! So, get blogging, twittering and facebooking about this.
2. Subscribe to Ann’s blog, just click the “subscribe” button;
3. If you live nearby (South Lanarkshire, Scotland) donate your time to help them out. If you have specialist skills (electrician, plumber, carpenter, plasterer etc) even better! Ann says there is room to camp if anyone is willing;
4. Donate something: If you are an artist, designer-maker, crafter Ann and her family would welcome donations of your work to make their house feel like a home again. They won’t have any funds left for little luxuries like these as their funds will be wiped out with trying to fix the botch job they have been left with;
5. Buy something from Ann’s shops: Snowdrops and Daisies and The Tea Cosy Shop.

Read more details of how to help here.

Ann's Cup Cosy

Lorrie 1997, aged 35.

Those who knew me more than fifteen years ago, or even ten or so will remember I was a pretty girl. I wasn’t terribly vein I don’t think. In fact, until I was about 30, I really didn’t think I was anything special at all. But, I was slim, had long silky hair, pale with green eyes that held a somewhat steely glint at times, and…I was pretty. I took it for granted, and at times enjoyed it. It was not the most important thing to me certainly, and why I didn’t spend too much time on it.

I held my looks I think until I was about 40. Certainly when I look at my wedding photos I look good, and definitely not 40, lucky me. Sadly, with the birth of Orla, recovering from a traumatic and gruesome delivery, her colic, sleepless nights without end, her illnesses, and nary a full nights sleep in five years etc, have taken their toll.

I don’t know when it was exactly that I suddenly looked old and tired, and most definitely not young and pretty any more. I also can’t seem to remember when it was that I lost interest. I was photogenic when I was young, and loved having my picture taken. Now, I avoid the camera at all times, and stay behind the lens if I can rather than in front. These days, unless carefully composed, it’s almost impossible for me to get a good shot of myself without looking old, tired drawn, exhausted and a face that looks positively sagging. Being overweight doesn’t help I know. I look in the mirror now, with the knowledge that on this day, this is as good as it gets, and this premise will apply for every day here after.

This is not a whine tough, it really isn’t. For after all, what can I do? Starve myself and end up looking like an old chicken, fill my face with poison and look like a piece of sweaty playdo?  And indeed, what I got in exchange was infinitely more wonderful than looks. I got my little girl, who I could not live without. The most amazing, vibrant, exciting, loving, funny, clever and adorable little creature that brings utter  joy to my life.

No, one must accept it, and I do. Beauty is purely subjective anyway, and being a middle aged woman is now become quite trendy and cool, but, I do sometimes miss being young and pretty.

Recently I got my eyes retested, and this time instead of going to Specsavers (which my husband describes as the’ fastfood’ of the optometry world), I went to the optician that tested my daughters eyes. I had the most thorough eye test of my life, which lasted nearly an hour, and having discussed what my needs were (glasses for close work) I went to choose my frames.

Let’s just say I got a little carried away. Normally in Specsavers I would point at a rack and say ‘how much are these’ etc. This time I just started grabbing frames and trying them on, accompanied by ‘oohhs’ and ‘ahhhs’ and, ‘aren’t these pretty’. I found a pair I liked and that felt comfortable. ‘How much are these’  I asked, ‘£180′ was the reply, which meant added to the cost of my eye test, I would be paying over £210. ‘They are made of  Titanium’ was the response to my silence, ‘not gold then?’ I replied.

So, given they are important for my work, I accepted with good grace, and paid the deposit, rang my husband and gave him the happy news. A week later we went and got my new glasses.  When they handed me the glasses in their case, my first thought was that the case had probably cost as much as the glasses.

Oh well. They do look nice, and I got a free makeup mirror as well.

Chevrolet

A few weeks ago whilst it was still sunny, myself, Luke and Orla went to see the Southern Classics car show that was taking place at Chichester College.

Unfortunately, the times on the website weren’t accurate. It stated that the show was ending at 4.00 pm,  and in fact ended at 3.00. So, by the time we got there, some cars were already leaving, including a Pontiac Transam, which I watched drive past me *boo*.

However, there were some beauties on show, and I got some good shots, plus which Orla got some new toy cars (and me too) to add to her collection from the stalls that were there too.

The owners were friendly and informative, and clearly had enormous passion for their cars and the club.  One owner told how his Armstrong Siddeley (see pic below)  had been in a barn for years and years on end, and showed me photographs of how it had looked when he got hold of it, which was little more than a wreck. The time (and money) he had invested in restoring the car to it’s former glory was immense.

I should at this point mention that my husband is a petrol head (mostly for old classic cars etc, and 70′s classics). There is no car that exists that he does not know something about, and even when looking at a small section of a car in a photo, he will be able to tell you what it is. So, over the years, I have gathered some knowledge myself from the subsequent fall out, and am able to recognise most classic cars. Our time together and trips to Festival of Speed, Revival etc, has given me an appreciation of the beauty and elegance of old cars.

Sunbeam

Riley

Old boots and blossom

We have a Cherry tree in our garden. It’s a ‘Non Fruiting Cherry’ tree. Yes, such a thing can exist and I don’t get it either. It’s a strange old thing, and in fact has a preservation order on it, much to the chagrin of the neighbour whose garden backs on to our, and who would love to see it gone. He prunes diligently any branches that over hang his garden.

It’s gnarly and has big leaves, that over the course of the summer become splotchy and not that pretty. But, we love the tree, and in fact when we moved in, our little girl who was two years old at the time, called it ‘Lizzie tree’.  However, for about two weeks out of the year during my favourite time of the year, it is in blossom, and  GLORIOUS. Big fat white Sakura blossom, and the Bees love it. When it is in full blossom, if you stand underneath it, the buzzing is intense, as there are probably about thirty bees in there, I kid you not.  We have been in the house for nearly three years now, seen three Springs, and every Spring I take pictures of the blossom, and try very hard to get a decent picture of a Bee. Have I ever succeeded in getting a good capture of one of these wonderful mini beasts?  Have I bugger! You  would think with the amount of bees in this tree at any one time I would, but no.

Suffice to say I shall keep trying, and while we are on the subject of Bees, there are some things I should mention. The British Bee is in decline. Three species are extinct already, and more are under threat. This is due to pesticides, and the erosion of their natural habitat. But there are things we can do to help. Because Bees are CRUCIAL. No Bees, no food. Check out this website about how to help Bees. It’s excellent. It’s not overlong, over wordy or too heavy, but carries some very pertinent and important content.

Now for some blossom pics from this years batch.