What Katie Did

'To Do' List

It is 6.00 am and I am getting ready for the day. Today is the start of the weaving exhibition in the Village Hall at Langley. Well, tomorrow is the opening, but it is all getting set up today. Jilly is coming to stay in our treehouse so I have been down there already to sweep it out and change the bedding, there are new night lights to take down and some flowers to pick.
Then I must organise the shopping and help the technician get the Hall set up.
John is going back to Norfolk after a brief visit, so he needs a good send off.
Some cooking and baking is in order later on. Owen is revising for exams and enjoys a bit of home baking.
I should try and get a walk in sometime - the new trainers I bought for the Moon Walk are still too shiny and white. If I wear them all day maybe I'll go a little bit faster?
And at some time soon I have to go and see Pirates of the Caribbean 3..... well somebody has to.
I would like an hour or two in the shed to get some more things ready for Art Tour, but I can't see that happening for a few days.
Tomorrow I have a wedding to go to. Very considerately the venue is the Garden Station, which is licensed for weddings and is opposite the Village Hall where I shall be 'meeting and greeting' visitors to the weaving gig. For the wedding, I am in charge of the Frisbee Golf. Every wedding has Frisbee Golf right? Well this one has. Geoff and I designed the course last night.
So I shall be referring back to this post today to check I am on track.
Lunch with Penny - don't forget lunch with Penny.

Northumberland?

You thought I lived in Northumberland didn't you? (I tell you so often enough) Well so did I until this afternoon.....

Seven Random Facts

I have been having such a problem with this post. Sooz tagged me and I have been thinking about it and reading others. Seems like I did the 'six weird things' - though I don't think any of my things were weird (and neither did my Mum, so I must be right) and now we have Random Facts. So here are seven absolute facts about me

1. I am an Aquarian
2. I live in Northumberland
3. I have three kids
4. I am a midwife
5. I have a dog called Poppy
6. I like making things
7. I like the music of Loudon Wainwright the Third

But that is all rather dull, so here is some explanation

1. Being an Aquarian means my birthday is in the middle of winter. So any celebrations involve me and my guests being inside by the fire or well wrapped up against the cold, or both.

Cala on my 50th birthday

Ula and Jimmy helping me celebrate in our cosy sitting room

2. I live in Northumberland which is the most beautiful place in the world

There are wonderful rolling hills and spectacular coasts. Above, the view over towards Haydon Bridge from the woods at Langley. Below  - the cliffs near Craster

3. I have three kids. The most important people in the world to me. Martha, John and Owen. Almost all grown up and gone now, but I remember them as babies and little children so vividly. That is one of the things I enjoy about Blogland. there are so many ages and stages of family life among the people I visit and each one has a unique and loving story to tell. It is very special!

4. And if you think I am getting too soppy - hang on because here I go again! Fact number four - I am a midwife. The NHS is a very strange place to work, but my job enabled me to meet  this amazing family and be midwife to these gorgeous little girls. (Lara came to knitting today with just Nancy, and although we all love Cala to bits, it was nice to get a lovely long cuddle with the baby without 'interruptions' !)

5. Poppy my Border Collie

She is such a sweet natured dog with a huge sense of fun and a great deal of intelligence. If I leave the crossword half finished I suspect she sometimes finishes it. Not the cryptic one of course.....

6. I like making things. This is a fact!

Making felt in the garden with my Mum

Making weird and wonderful mats (this one is still not finished!)

Knitting - of course!

and sewing in my wonderful shed.
There aren't enough hours in the day

and finally random fact number seven
7. I like listening to the music of Loudon Wainwright the Third.
This is the lyric to one of my favourites - 'Come a Long Way' from the album Attempted Moustache
We've come a long way since we last shook hands
Still got a long way to go
We couldn't see the flowers since we last shook hands
Couldn't see the flowers on account of the snow
What did you do with your burden and your cross
Did you carry it yourself or did you crack
You and I know that a burden and a cross
Can only be carried on one man's back
All my life I wanted to roam
To go to the ends of the earth
But the earth really ends where you started to roam
You and I know what a circle is worth
Let's drink a cup to what went down
There's not much left to reveal
I think I changed my mind after what went down
As to who in the end got the better deal
Give me your hand for the parting touch
Fare thee well and thanks a lot
I know that we promised we would keep in touch
But you and I know that we both forgot
We've come a long way since we last shook hands
Still got a long way to go
Couldn't see the flowers when we last shook hands
Couldn't see the flowers on account of the snow

What a long self indulgent post - and to think I was having difficulty thinking what to write!
Well - if I have got any readers left after that - I thank you from my heart for your continuing support!
Anyone who wants to have a go at this tag - just go ahead!

Meet Tilly

What's in here then?

Ahhhhh! Tilly! She came bearing chocolate - my kind of rabbit!

She wants to assure Julie that she is OK after her long journey. She says she doesn't much like all the mess in the shed though

some nice sock wool in here......

and some new friends to meet - this is Kitty from Hanna

this one is a bit scary, might have to give her a wide berth

mind you - this one is scary too - and that's before he has his eyes and mouth sewn on, a bit too friendly for my liking.
But Julie, don't worry about me - I think I'm going to like it here.

Oh - and I've been tagged by Sooz to tell you seven random facts about me. Next post if you're interested.

Mice

We have been setting the humane mouse traps as we have a bit of unnerving scratching in the odd corner. I use chocolate as it works every time. This morning Owen said

if you put down caviare  would the mice eat it, or take it to their King?

Reluctant Page Three Girls

Our local paper loves a good story and even better - a good photo opportunity. How could they resist the chance to publish a load of middle aged women wearing pink fluffy bras in aid of the Moon Walk? The photographer - Tony - has been taking photos for the Hexham Courant for as long as we have lived here and that is 22 years. So he must have seen it all in his time.  I wonder if it was his idea of a joke to put us on page three of this weeks Courant?

The Art Tour is getting nearer. I feel like there is so little time to get ready for the Open Studios, to promote the weaving exhibition and train for the Walk. And my neighbour, Jane, at the Garden Station has opened up for the summer season with her cafe and plant sales and courses. She has some of my things for sale in the Beano Shelves

I think they look good! Inside are some of the things I make - I'll be showing you more of these I as I get ready for Art Tour, but here is a little taster.....

Jane has sold a few already! I am really excited, but I won't be giving up the day job just yet!

Nancy!

 
 

It should be time to stop postnatal visits now. Nancy is over three months old but we still haven't discharged her. Why would you!

Warning - long post - lots of photos

Another week zooms by with so much to say.
I'll do it in photos with captions!

First then

this is my first attempt at log cabin - the cushion from the Crafter's Companion with piping! Never done that before either!

Next - a fund raising coffee morning for the Moon Walk - arranged by Dorothy at her local community centre, we made over £100 in two hours with some exceptionally good cakes. I was too busy selling them to take pictures, but I managed this one of Jenny's Delia Smith marble slice.

Now that you're all hungry, some exercise - there has been hardly a minute to draw breath this weekend.... gardening - here is Geoff making this years compost and using last years

and a shed to build to keep the logs and bikes under cover - excellent help from Dad, with a lovely visit from him and Mum

(do you see where it is now Martha?)

Here is a photo for Alan and Sheila - ice creams at the Garden Station having just been eaten

And what joy - a Bank Holiday! Time for a 'training walk' in fact that time is well overdue. Today I clocked up a very sedate four miles and met this chap

that very thin strand of electric fence was all that stood between us. I think he looks meaner than he really is, but I didn't hang around to find out.

And I've left myself with no time to tell you about this wonderful find at the Oxfam shop.... but this one deserves a whole post of its own!
I hope you all enjoyed your weekend. Take care

One Happy Boy

Pauline asked Owen a few months ago what sort of knitted thing he would wear and without much thought he said 'a big coat'. This arrived on Friday and he is thrilled with it

What an amazing gift! Pauline doesn't use patterns or worry about knitting tension swatches. She is a very intuitive knitter and one of the loveliest people I know.

Training walk at Craster at the weekend. These are the tulips at Howick Gardens which are well worth a visit and not just for the afternoon tea

The Northumberland coast is one of the best places to walk - the smell of the gorse was intoxicating

the company was good too

but that one next to Sue didn't walk as far as us.....