Afternoons Are Made For

Afternoons are made for appreciating your surroundings , I live in what was once a village but it's now got bigger. It is very much surburbia on the heels of the countryside it is stunning you just need to open your eyes. You've probably seen similar pictures before but in my mines eye they are different the season, the light the mood everything ! I'm never going to be able to get that particular again in my life. The picture below was taken on my walk home from my school where I work and I love this particular route I take.

Even though it is a little bit wet , well very wet I still see blue , a neighbouring village has flooded the fields and it looks very surreal. We've not been affected like other poor people but still fences are coming down and livestock is moved to higher ground.

Walking back from my school I spot blue again this time it's the barn door.

I feel blue but not in the sense of being down , I feel blue and it reminds me of Spring it's a hope it's a promise on the wind.

Le Chat It's The Cats Whiskers.

"Le Chat"

"Everything sounds such much more sexy in French, my human bean shouting cat just doesn't have the same ring about it .

I mean would it be So hard to announce Le Poussin is served ?

At the moment I'm feeling relaxed .

I relax on the bed .....

I relax at the top of the stairs, seems the human beantripped over me the other dayand I think they shouted "Zut Alor" so paws up fur that one <<<< see what I did there.

But it seems sitting on the human bean while they are watching the 'Muskabeards' is a no no or as I would like to say a non non.

Further more it seems sitting on the stairs through the banisters whilst recreating the barricade scene Les Miserables gets noticed ....

 

My name is Jack and I've been clean from catnip for trois weeks."

Machiavellian Morello Cherry Loaf

Ingredients

50g mixed fruit soaked in Brandy etc (if you want)

2 cups of self raising flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder.

50 g soft brown sugar

350 g Morello Cherries

I can of condensed milk or a pot of plain yogurt .

Method 

Preheat oven to 180c

You can soak the fruit overnight mine had been soaking from earlier that day from when I made Eccles  cakes , I know I'm a busy bee!

Mix the fruit with 2 cups of flour and baking powder.

Next add the sugar, cherries and condensed milk .

Stir with conviction.

Put the mixture into a 2lb loaf tin which is lightly greased .

Cook for 65-70 minutes or until a  skewer comes out clean. 

Wallowing In The Sun

Worried I was getting stale.

Worried my blog was getting stale.

My photography also.

Worried I was getting rusty.

I took steps.


And what amazing steps they were .


It is amazing how sunshine can lighten the mood and take the veil of moodiness that you perceive others to put upon you.

Shaking up your mood is good.


Wallowing never did any one anyone any good.


Unless it is wallow in the sun.

The Bad Tempered Ladybird Craft Activity

I love the bad tempered ladybird book children can learn so much from it and I think a few adults could do as well !

The bad-tempered ladybird picks fights with every animal he meets, but soon learns the importance of friends and turns into a far nicer, happier bug. The beautifully illustrated pages of this entertaining book demonstrate the sizes of the different animals and the sun’s path across the sky as time passes.


As well as being an entertaining book that teaches a important message of tolerance and understanding and ultimately not to be so bossy. It is a book that learns itself to arts and crafts activities. For example last week at school during our handwriting lesson in reception we finger painted ladybirds, this is superb activity for their fine motor skills. To do this activity you will need

•  pieces of paper
• red paint
• green paint
• black pen

Pour the red and green pain into shallow dishes.  Make sure the children have their sleeves rolled up and an apron or old clothes on and away they go. You might need to demonstrate at first by putting your fingers in the red paint and printing round the paper for the ladybirds and then green for the leaves.

You can either get the children to draw the ladybirds legs etc in black pen or you can further the fine motor skills activity by perhaps using a matchstick ( one that has been used) dipped in black paint.

I cut mine out and put them through my cuttlebug where I can use various templates to emboss paper etc.

Even without an embossing machine this is simple and enjoyable activity for children and adults to do.

For other Ladybird inspired craft activity why not try this from the lovely Daisies and pie