The stores

The kitchen stores I think always look lovely displayed in jars. And, on a shelf of their own, all the better. We inherited a dresser in the new house, it fits the jars beautifully.

Over the years, each jar or measure or timer has its own story. Why shouldn't all these lovely keepsakes and everyday things like sugar and flour not brighten up my day.

Cards from chums and store cupboard essentials all sit nicely together. These shelves make me smile everyday as I notice something I've not looked at for a while.

Each wee bit tells its own wee tale. The birthday mug from a lovely chum, the ridiculus teapot made on a windy island in a night class. The piggy timer for sharing the games for the kids when they were wee. The roof slates, lovingly recycled into table matts for our wedding, now used for dinners.

I love my wee stores. At night time its got a lovely wee light and they take on an ethereal existence. What about yours? Is it as dusty as ours, as cluttered and clamoured full of family life? Is it hidden or out for all to see?

So, we moved the shed. And other gardening adventures.

So, the weathers been kind and we've been beseiged (in a good way) with visitors and family and folks popping by, often with their pj's in their sticky wee mitts. All great fun aside twisting my back and leaving me just sitting here 'looking' rather than doing. So I thought I'd do a bit of reflecting before a proper update later on the garden. Today I can only look and fondly ponder things to do 'out there' rather than have a garden adventure of my own. Folks often ask how often 'to' garden, I think that however long suits you. OK so 15-24 hours a day suits me grand, its not for everyone. Just please yourself! 

This weeks star in the garden has to be Crocrosmia (Monbretia) 'Lucifer' one day a mere bud opened, the next FIREWORKS. Even Haggis, who's not much of a fan of herbaceous borders, was impressed. He's more of a 'arboretum' kinda dog (more squirrels to chase) and we all know you don't get many squirrels in your average herbaceous border.

And speaking of impressed. The foray into 'fishbox madness' seems to be working well. The mixture of perennials and edibles, annuals and climbers all rampaging together appeals to my entrophic nature. The sun has shone and shone so that's helped too.  As these tubs and pots are largely the veg plot for the summer, there's not much in the way of weeding either. All good.

Sweetcorn alley, has been a grand wee experiment. Can you grow corn outside here, it seems so. Whether or not it will actually fruit is another thing. 

But it's big and beefy and seems to be putting on a fair flower or two. The chilli's, peppers, bush tomatoes and salad leaves look on in awe at its gigantic form. They can only dream of reaching such giddy heights. As, dear hearts, do I.

I happen to think green toenails suit the colours of the garden too. One of my favourites (lets be clear I have quite a few favourites) is the Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis) and that's favourite flower not toe-nail colour although Calendula Orange should be a toe nail polish colour*. Should be so garish in colour but its sunny nature wins out and it can be, as those clever Romans who named it thought, be in flower every day of the year if you're lucky. Fingers crossed.  I could so do with a bit of its cheerful colour everyday of the year. 

Oh we also splurged all of the remaining wedding money on a garden table for scoffing on. Scoffing is big in our family, so a table to do it outside seems to be a grand idea. OK, we have limited funds for grub but hey we'll be able to share it outside. Peedie of course, supervises from the shade. He is not sure of the ecclectic mix of window boxes, fish boxes, annuals, herbs, flowers, vegetables and general horticultural chaos which eschews. But, he'll give his opinion when it suits him, in good time. Being head horticultural hound, he tells, means he has great responsibility. However, he is, he tells me NOT a fan of the chooks. Even if they are prolific in egg laying and are gaining more feathers by the day.

He likes that they're rescued and happy. Unfortunately, they now get any scraps and treats, previously often destined for the mutts. Therefore, he's thinking of plans for their escape and talking to the unions. Not a happy [starved] canine.

The house has been a busy one with birthdays for Rock Gods and the steady stream of fans (erm sorry I mean FAMILY). The terrace art has been well blessed with many talented up and coming artists.

More on that another day. So its been a busy wee hoosey for the last wee blink (while) and its been grand to see folks. Next time though, if you've a mind to come and ask what needs done, fear not, we moved the shed.

When an unexpected call and 6 end up at the dinner table, life's always fun. Nicely they asked if they can help with anything, I pondered and counted. One, two, three, four, five, six pairs of arms. How many folks do you think it takes to lift a shed on a late Saturday afternoon....one, two, three, four, five, six. Six I was informed was perfect. So guess what we did?

OK, so the quick clearing of the bed was a challenge, but who's going to miss an opportunity to move a shed to a prime location when it presents itself. I'm afraid (she giggles) that awful Senecio got axed but various shrubs and climbers got moved nicely out of the way of an impending shed rehoming. Its far better up there under the honeysuckle and hiding by the fushia than plonked on the terrace. We all agreed and retreated for a cold glass of something in front of the fire, chores done a bit of Grannies Chicken roasting in the oven, just the thing for the hungry workers.

Visitors here are ALWAYS welcome. We'll feed you well, but if you've a mind for a quiet sit, there'll probably be a wee job first if you don't mind! I've a wee idea to make an orchard at the back where the chicken coup will move into......busy?

Whilst its not how I hurt my poor back, I'm appreciative of being able to move freely and get jobs done with friends to hand.

Thanks guys. Pop back anytime always jobs to do and always an empty table to fill with grub and chums! And there are of course two gates to put up lovlies, when are you coming......

*I seriously think that nail polish manufacturers are missing a trick by not thinking of botanical colours for their horticultural audience. Just saying. Cerinthe purple, Cosmos pink, Lucifer red, Courgette yellow and Calendula orange - would so work.

Come awa' ben the hoose - she's plotting and planning

'Come awa, ben the hoose' is a traditional Scots welcome phrase meaning 'Welcome! Please come into the house'.

Wellies by the door means she's awa' ben the hoose, plotting and planning some sort of haivers. 

She haivers a lot tae the kitchen sink too, mostly, it talks a lot of sense.

She also haivers to the stove asking it to be kind whilst she's learning its tricks and winsome ways. [She learnt to cook on a solid fuel stove she assures it too.]

She'll often haiver to flowers and lemons on the side, living in bottles. But, you'd likely expect that she likes her flowers.

She haivers often, to the hounds, sleeping or not. Each time, without fail, she strokes Grannies auld sofa as she passes by it. Her Grannie always grinned when she rattled the closey door and always greeted her with the same words. Come awa' ben the hoose bairn. She still hears those words and the stories telt hunkered on that wee sofa.

She tells the new kitchen, soon the unpacking will finish and the fussing and the pondering and the plotting and the planning will go and things will just become a home again. She likes the reminders of Orkney on her walls. 

She haivers to the dresser telling it she likes where it is now. Her friend had the vision to see how fine it would look here, and it does. It holds the stores and messages quite bonnie.

Almost a home again. The old and the new life melting into one. Sometimes it just happens.

She touches the new bag with a smile and a sigh, missing her special friends in the north. A very beautiful practical gift she uses most days in her new life.

Supping from the birthday mug, smiling at cards of good wishes, the Northern Lights dance in her new home. 

At last, she's plotting and planning her new life, ben the hoose. 

She's so pleased you came awa' ben the hoose tae find her.

Bonnie things - Quirky's Happy Hoose Sampler

A wee while ago I came across a clever lass who seems to make the most bonnie cheerful things out of almost nowt. I've been following her on  Facebook for a while and spying the fine things she makes. When I saw her Sunny House Sampler I just couldn't resist. So a bit of the Wellyfest money was used to treat ourselves to this for our new wee cottage. She's included our chooks, puddles, wellies, Mr McB's bike, veggie gardens, hounds and everything. What a clever, talented and very helpful lass. If you like her bonnie cheerful colourful style, you can visit the very cheerful Quirky House on her blog.

The neglection of the Peedie dog

A hearty hello to anyone out there reading. I'm guitly as charged of neglection of both the Peedie dog, the family, the blog, infact aside work (which I've been wholeheartedly slogging away at) I've neglected everything. Even the bread bin is feeling neglected and unloved sitting patiently in the winter sunshine.  Poor show really. Excuses, hmm what can I come up with, I caught something nasty whilst gadding about in Glasgow, nuff said. Mainland delights, adventures and catching something nasty really do go hand in hand for me it would appear. So, aside work, work, sleep, sleep, work, work to the melody of a fine waltz, I've not really achieved anything, nor even really walked the dog. The joys of juggling self-employment hours on an Island are (like anyone self employed) you make hours when you have to make them and allow yourself the luxury of getting sick when you're quiet, to allow you fall in a heap. Hey ho, its not like I died or anything, not even remotely close. Thankfully I love my new job (its a self-employed post) so much, even when sick its a joy to get stuck in to it all and I'm thoroughly grateful for the opportunity to work hard I've been given! (Still be nice to have a womble suit though.......I think I'd like to be Orinoco)

Anyway, enough of my pleeping (moaning) today the sun is shining, the chooks are a clucking and I'm feeling betterm Despite the busy work/life balance I managed to sneak in a really lovely walk doon the track fae the hoose tae the beach with the Peedie dog this afternoon. This pleased him as he gallopped down the track, well as galloppy as that little dog can be! I honestly couldn't remember of the last time we'd managed to have a walk together over the passed few weeks, he's been sorely neglected by me, thankfully the family have stepped in and taken him out. Today, the air was fresh, sunlight glinting through the thunderous looking sky, geese chattering away in the field by our house, its nice to be able to enjoy a walk after work again. Twilight sets in at gone 5pm the sky colours up and soon the moon will be out to cheerfully light the way. No light polution here, just the dots of houses lights across the field and the bay towards Stromness. We're very lucky, I know, its hard to remind yourself of that during the shreeking of gales and unsympathic sideways rain. Sitting here - ambly gazing out of the window, family pottering about the homestead, a Peedie dog at my ankles, I know I'm lucky in lots of ways even without the womble suit.