Barefoot and soggy - 7 days gadding aboot in waterproofs....

How are you all today - I'm a bit wet and a bit soggy. But, I think I prefer soggy to snowy - but I can't be sure. I'm not really a fan of either - but being soggy rather than like last year trying to get back and forth to work in the snow - now thats not a great choice - but soggy doesn't scare me senseless when I drive. But windy/wet weather means even when doing my other 'indoor job' at our local college - wellies are needed - and salopets the greatest invention for wet windy places - cosy and waterproof! I can assure you though, I take them off before I start 'indoor' work.

I've been away on the plane again - I know, its all jet set and high living here - I had to go to a meeting doon sooth in the big toon of Inverness - and that meant flying - the local airport isn't huge, a bit peedie - but the trees up - not much chance of losing your baggage either......not a very big place!

When in Inverness I managed to meet up with a few other 'recycling' groups in northern Scotland - which was great - I also met this rather fine 'sock' recycled toy - OK he/she looks as if they've been murdered - all that's missing is the chalk line.........an excellent use of old socks though eh? And at home - the cellist's been busy with an audition, and cooking to keep her not thinking about it - she's really getting on well with her 'learn to cook' regime - this week there has been - sweet and sour........

Experimenting with gem cookies - they're not 'right' yet I've been told - but I think they already look great......

Not to be left out - the man child has been performing his normal miracles in the kitchen - on soggy days 'frog in the bog' (Toad in the Hole) - is a lovely warming tea - he's getting very good at this cooking malarkey and began learning to drive next week - regular updates on Radio Orkney for where to avoid in Kirkwall (!!!!), I joke I'm sure he's a fine enough driver, but I'd keep clear the now!  But, his cooking's great, so if you want any of his (!) recipes let me know.........although his last comment left me laughing - 'I think I prefer a dash of red wine when making my own gravy, Mum'. We've come on a bit from chicken nuggets and ketchup demanded with it, it would appear........that made me giggle.

The dog (in between snoozing under covers) has received his first xmas card, from some chums who have been on holiday here earlier in the year. Dogs get xmas cards, who would have known that - well he would if had got up, wouldn't he??

Aside gadding about flying, a lot of hard (!) working, eating my children's cooking, - you'd wonder what I've been up to - well clearly not cooking you think.........ah well, you'd be mislead there - I experimented with cooking local lamb steaks with local home made elderberry jelly and a red wine reduction, that was quite nice - we'll be doing that again!

Making winter soups...... 

debating about porridge .......

and trying out all kinds of cabbage recipes! And what did I find when I opened Country Living (Jan edition.....) - a whole section of recipes for the deligthful cabbage (pg 108-114) how topical given my cabbage situation! In between eating cabbage and lovely porridge and other delightful home made Orkney food - I do pause for breath - I've been doing a cheeky little book review........(and a giveaway)

Gadding about charity shops, sniffing out bargains - this weeks haul included a beautiful picnic basket......for £6 - I'm really chuffed with that!

And, during all of that womble land's keeping me busy - I've been working hard (!) at the local college by being a lovely quiet, calming influence on folk (I know hard to believe isn't it - me being quiet). I've also been trying to get our local Orkney slow food group off the ground a drum up a bit of membership.......you can find that group on facebook....... 

And, I'm beginning to tackle the mountain of xmas cards from last year - I'm cutting them up to make Christmas cards and labels/tags for pressies. I hadn't realised we had so many - oh well out the the scissors again. I have label cutter thumb.....!

I wonder what's been keeping you busy?

If you want to have a look at more 7 day adventuring pop over to the Barefoot Crofter for a look at her 7......

Barefoot and blustery - another seven days

 Been a while since I've done a wee blog - apologies for that its been a very busy seven days of new jobs, garden jobs, sunshine, showers, gales and hail! That being said it didn't stop us getting out for a yomp and a play up on the heather clad hill with the dog - he's very daft indeed - we had fun rolling down the heathery hills stopping for breath at the bottom.  

 First off last weekend, a peedie stop at the top of the hill on my way home, to gawp at the view...........I live down there - can't see our house, its to the right, but the general view always takes my breath away - scattered houses among the heather and the fields. That's my view most days too and from work...nice eh?

 Walking along peat tracks trying not to get soggy!

The week was filled with the handover of the keys at my work - new beginnings! Very exciting, I'm now officially employed for half the week as a professional womble*...........keys to womble HQ in my sticky hands! Exciting and very scary, new jobs are, aren't they?! (*ok, my official job title is not actually called a womble, its a Recycling site manager, for our local charity, but you get the idea!)

And being at a function (thankfully organised by someone else this time!) to attend promoting local food and reducing food waste - well attended that was pretty awesome, well done guys! (Find out how you might save almost £500 a year by purely loving food.......)

 And the other part of my paid work, gardening! I also managed to get a bit proper gardening and a bit of tidy up, done for a local lady I help - introduced myself to her garden and  have spent many an hour talking to her blackbird too. Cute or what? I like working in other peoples gardens, they are so interesting!

Wandering around on blustery days looking at various local Laburnum trees asking them why on earth they are flowering in NOVEMBER??????? What a very daft plant, its certainly NOT spring when its supposed to flower. 

I've also been madly wrapping up plants, in recycled material, for mailing to folk who've bought a few peedie ones (rooted in jiffy 7 plug) I sell quite a few online.I love putting parcels to the post office and thinking of where my plants will end up for customers or for lovely friends! I've a UK map here at home and I put a tiny dot for each plant that leaves here going to its destination. Its quite fun thinking about the various places they end up! The main thing I've been mailing at the moment is Tolmeia menziesii - the piggy back plant (my mother plant is in the picture - she's brilliant!), a fabulous little plant. I've been popping her well rooted little plantlets in the post all week, such fun. And, I must 'do an Alistair' and blog about it properly. I love it a brilliant plant and I love his blog about plants!

  And by the end of the week, I like being safely inside, listening to the wind and the hail and the rain hitting the windows, glad I'm finally inside - a really mixed week of weather from warm sunshine, blustery days and finally hail and gales. YUK, the view from the window tonight before it got dark! Bleurgh. 

Thankfully we've got out a lot before the weather got bad! Hope your week has been fun filled, interesting and not as windy and hail filled as here!

Join Jacqui, The Barefoot Crofter for her seven days..... and a happy birthday to her too!

7 days - barefoot again

Our past seven days, a walk again through the last week - see the link below for how you can join in with Jacqui at the Barefoot Crofter... A week full of adventuring - we began with lunchtime - between work walks on beaches covered in seaweed...............beside the office at home.

 Trying not to fall over squishy rocks and seaweed, loving the colour.........autumn colour under my feet? I've been looking in the wrong place!

 Trying to keep up with the dog, and failing!

 And remembering to breathe - slow down and take stock of life........I've got a new job, I'm now ending an old one, and beginning a whole new chapter in my life. And I know I'm needing to take time to look, to think and breathe! I want to make a real great go at the new job and enjoy a good balance of life too!

Inbetween thinking and breathing, cooking for visitors and finding unexpected 'B's in home made pancakes ......... can you see it too?

 Hopping on airplanes to get to Glasgow 350 miles from home, for family adventures..............

 Finding autumn colour in airport carparks..............

 Gawping at bridges, river, traffic and trees and autumn colour all the things I can't see at home!

 Charging towards botanic garden Kibble Palace glasshouses at speed - desperate to get in there and see tree ferns!

 Meeting squirrels with unknown names...... I don't know any squirrels names at Glasgow botanics, (but I ensure the children I know them all in Edinburgh at that botanic garden, my old home)! Don't tell them anything but that!

 Popping into the national tree fern collection, oohing and ahhing, beautiful they are - well worth a look! (And free!)

 Loving the purple of flowers in glasshouses which just don't seem real!

 Meeting mice, who really don't seem to mind being photographed before they nip up a tree fern......

 The fern crozier is something that always takes my breath away.......

 Learning about tree ferns.........and how endangered they are.

 Making up names for 'carnivorous' plants which make us giggle - this one is a 'doyouthinkhe'lleatus'

 Fast food, unusual in our life - and chats and laughing and tasty snacks with chopsticks

 Enjoying a bit of fast lane life - we managed cinema, eating and contemplated getting a bit of snow but had to get off to the concert! Maybe next time......

 A night at Mr F's flat in Fife and finding raspberries in the garden overloaded with fruit - ready to pick and take for an adventure up north in the car.

 Leaves scrunching below my feet........

 Walking with giants in big tree country!

 Admiring beech leaves in full flow

 Watching my daughter contemplate life over a waterfall whilst no one was watching

 Goggling more colour!

 Finding the ideal house, for when we move to the mainland? Nice view, compact property.....running water.....!

 Walking with toddlers in Moray, an overnight on the way home - finding new delights in dandielion clocks and releasing the 'faeries' which each head has held captive

 Watching the sunset over the bridges up the A9 enroute to the ferry home -meandering home.

Home again, life back to normal, like making buns from neeps (swedish turnip) for a laugh with LinneW, just to see if we could - and making people guess the magic ingredient! (they all thought banana!) but they ate them all, until I told them what the magic ingredient was, that is! Then I got a bit of weird commenting from the family.

We've had a bit of a busy fun filled 7 days here - between walking and eating and laughing and adventures! I hope you're weeks been good too! Pop over the 'The Barefoot Crofter' if you want to see her last 7 days too!

Ps - Don't tell the dog we've been away, he's only just forgiven us! Wonder how your week ended up?