Squirrel Nutkin eat your heart out!

As promised yesterday -

Peanut Butter and Oat Cookies (US measurements)

• half a cup of brown sugar
• half a cup of crunchy peanut butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/4 cup oats
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Heat oven to 180 deg C
In a bowl mix the peanut butter and sugar until well blended.
Beat in the egg.
Add oats and baking powder.

Mix well then drop tablespoon sized pieces, pressing lightly down, on to a lined baking tray and just for good measure - with added hazel nut on each one.

Cook for 6 - 8 minutes - watch carefully they cook suddenly towards the end. Cool on a rack and store in an air tight container (if they get that far....)

Serve to friends and family and watch them vanish! (the biscuits not friends and family haha) 

It is just like magic :D

Nutty enough to to sate my inner squirrel - peanut butter and oat cookies 

Optional Extra:

whilst waiting for them to cool, sketch with a mug of tea. Bliss.

Sweet blue skies

Walking yesterday morning was glorious. We had bona fide sunshine with elongated shadows and it was warm enough to actually regret the layers of clothing we were both swaddled in.

Chilly last night though and there is still a nip in the air this morning. Best get on, things to do, treats to bake, posters to make, showers to take - running out of words now :)

Have a good Tuesday, I am off to knit and natter this afternoon, so I shall get some quality crochet time and not feel guilty!
xxxxxxxxxxx

edited to add: just made a small plate of peanut butter and oat cookies - ooh nom, nom, nom. Will share recipe tomorrow x

The lightness of being (a cat)

Our cats quietly stroll in and out of the back yard, pausing briefly at the yard gate - casting around the view and then slipping out and vanishing into our back lane and garden. One, Pepper, returning often between forays, standing at my side and 'meeiaoweeek'-ing (a small miaow that seems to tail off into a squeak). Sometimes I know what she is saying ... I am wet ... or I am cold.... or hungry. Often I wonder if she is just reporting back what she has seen - as she has just done now.

To explain ... the house is quiet apart from the radio broadcasting an interview where the unfortunate guests are having to sing on the spot while using the gripes and moans of some random caller -  bizarre entertainment.

Any hoo, in pods a cat on quiet feet. I can see her as she walks in a vague wave pattern along the yard, gently crossing over then back as she transverses the space.

Then the quick clack clack of the cat flap as she enters the kitchen. A momentary silence. Although I can't see her, I know she is casting around, checking on her surrounds and her territory. Then suddenly she is at my side, looking up. A chirrup - similar, I assume to a human clearing their throat to attract attention.

  I look down and say hello - she responds with a rather long sentence - a mixture of meeiaoweeeks and chirrups, brips and prrrrs. Out of part courtesy and part curiosity I always respond as if I know what she has said - this usually elicits a second singsong sentence and it is this one I usually understand as this often has body language as well as chitchat.  Her favourite conversation is usually related around food and if she has come in wet or cold, she will tell me by standing up and patting my arm or leg or if I appear to be ignoring her, a quick leap on to the desk and a swift but gentle patting of my face with a wet or cold paw.

I then respond -  as I should as a good owner/cat-mother - by following her to the kitchen to rub her dry or rub her warm and then as a reward - offer her a small but rather tasty cat treat. This is what it is all about.... the cat treat. A very small but obviously addictive and morish nibble not much bigger that my tip of my little finger.  Nibble urge sated, fur dried, the small but determined cat will slip back out of the cat flap and I will return to what ever I am working on knowing that in about twenty minutes the ritual will be repeated. Only this time I will put the kettle on while we are in the kitchen. Such are are the small but sweet interruptions during my working day at home :)

 And the photos? Taken last night after dropping Youngest off at Uni, using my camera I experimented with light and movement while Himself drove us home.

Ahh. The cat has returned - excuse me - I am off to the kitchen to ruffle fur, hand over a small treat and to put the kettle on.....

Happy Monday every one :)

A Friday cat related conundrum ....

Dare I say it (shh will whisper just in case) .....*the sky looks to have strange blue pieces between the clouds*.... and it is not raining? gasp!

Have a good weekend what ever the weather :)

And I shall leave you with this curiosity....

why - when I look at this bowl think it looks fine,  my cat insists that it is empty? 

frost moon

Still on with completing my walking challenge.

October and the rain have really set me back so in order to catch up we, Himself, Moss and I walk in the evenings.

We have been rained on (are you surprised??) and hailed on - we were lambasted one night with ice, chilling us and giving the dog a frosty white coating - we returned sharpish. Last night, although cold with a clear sky, was rather nice to walk out in. 

Not sure why the camera made the light from the 'glow-in-the-dark' dog collar into such lovely ziggerdy-zaggs but I like it.

I will go out shortly and get on with my latest work - good to be back painting again.

Have a lovely Thursday xx

Procrastinating

But using said procrastination as a warm up.

It is really chilly in the studio this morning - the convector heater has not quite hit the mark yet and the dog has registered her complaint by curling up in the tightest of balls with her back against it.

I am waiting to start a commission - just need confirmation for the size and there are half done feather paintings waiting for warmer fingers to do the fine detail. So until then - I sketch and drink tea.

So - what are you up to today? How are you keeping your fingers warm and your head happy?
Go on, spill the beans :D

until tomorrow xxx

Cold feet

I do find this time of the year hard. I find it difficult to resist the urge to hibernate - particularly when the weather is being unkind. Oh to curl up under a crochet blanket with a cat (or two) and feel my toes warm up.

Saying yes to folk and getting out and about is like pushing against the tide and I am having to learn to simply say no and go with how I feel.

And, this is also the time that shops, the internet and television start thrusting out festive adverts, chrimbly makes and bakes and it just feels too soon and too 'desperate' - is it just me or do you feel the same? I find am still mourning the loss of summer - albeit a bit of an insipid one this year.

Time to get myself back to full on 'arting and crafting' again - I usually feel a whole lot better when I am out in the studio making things - it is where I feel happiest - slipping into my own world, leaving the rest behind.

So, with coffee in hand, dog on feet and paints at the ready I find that this is the best cure-all for me :) Enjoy your day xxx

Just time for a quick cuppa

Rain, again, has dominated most of our weekend - not to the point that South Yorkshire is having to deal with and my heart goes out to those who have been affected by the flooding.

the view from my studio window

As a dear friend has noticed, I have managed to get back to my walking and have actually also got round to updating my mileage records. For those who are a little befuddled - in January I started a challenge - to walk 1000 miles during 2019. Not by counting my daily steps but by getting out and walking through out the year.

Dressed for the weather

Yeah - I thought - I can do that! Pah - easy...... then 'this' happened....'that' happened... and 'the other' happened.....it rained... and rained .... and rained.... any hoo - I am at 815 miles at the moment so need to get my yomping boots on to complete my challenge.

ice on the playing fields

 the village cenotaph 

And the cat? He was found to have severe ear mites, a sore mouth and face and was malnourished with possibly damaged kidneys. Fortunately, not only was the poorly fellow id chipped but his owner had current details on it. He was from a large town nearly ten miles away and he'd been missing since August. The veterinary surgery rang Eldest to say that the owner was 'really chuffed' that his cat had been found.  

Right - kettle on, quick brew before I get on with things that need doing - thank you for all your lovely comments, have a good Monday x

Music always sounds better on a Friday

Friday - Friday - used to be a favourite day of mine when I worked full time - the week was something to endure and then .... it was Friday!
Now that I work from home - I forget what day it is and suddenly when it is Friday - it is almost a surprise....

A lot has happened this morning - our final wrap up meeting from the art event. Sharing out of monies to the charities we had chosen,  lattes to be drunk, stories to be shared and friends to meet.

I am not going to miss our art event - it ate me, it ate my friend who organised with me. It ate in to family life, creative life and despite most of the artists involved pleading with us to continue it - we are not going to - we want to spend our time on our art and with our families - I think know we have made the right decision.

On a slightly sadder note - while I was at the meeting, Eldest rang to say he'd found an injured cat at our back door,  he has taken it to our local vets and hopefully the owner will be traced soon. I will let you know what happens. Not going to show photos - too sad :(

Once Himself is home, lunch eaten we will be going to a walk - because finally finally finally the rain has stopped and both the dog and I have cabin fever!

Have a lovely weekend and speak next week xxxxx

In which crochet and art are mentioned (and the rain ...)

I am rather enjoying blogging bite sized posts - feels like catching up with old friends :) Makes me realise how much I have missed it.

I had, prior to the madness leading up to the art event, completed my Seaside Stash CAL in my favourite colours. I'd a couple of those oversized yarn cakes of a lovely soft grey yarn loitering for a year or so and with the oddments of blue I had or were given made this blanket. It squishy and soft and we all love it.

  The size is a little small for a double bed, which is what I had in mind for it, so I decided to use the stitches I'd learnt in the first blanket and finish off the stash yarn with a wider - longer 'make-it-up-as-you-go-along' version. This has meant erhmm... acquiring a little more yarn - but in my defence it is gifted yarns, charity shop wools and end of line stuff with the occasional reasonably priced ball here and there....

The second blanket is darker in colour but lighter in weight - the first one with it's heavy grey yarn drapes well and feels very comforting. This one will sit lightly and warm gently - a perfect combination on a bed. 

Funnily enough - folded here they look of a similar size. But don't be fooled, the top dark blanket is only as wide as you can see - so still a long way to go. The grey Seaside stash has been folded several times to match.
 

In case you are interested ... it is raining ... again....

I have a rather special piece of work I am on with at present - my entry to an exhibition at the I.O.M.A (Institute of Miniature Art) - I am preparing a series of entries which will tie in to each on the theme of motherhood.

Any hoo - up periscope and pass me my waders - I need to go out to the studio ...... and the weather is still rubbish!

Toffee

Remember Remember the fifth of November, 

Gunpowder treason and plot.

We see no reason 

Why gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot!

Strange thing to celebrate - but yes, outside was a cacophony of explosions and screams. The cats and dog sat close, with watchful eyes as we talked to them, over them and continued as normally as possible.

Jules from A Hidden JEM wrote a lovely autumnal post and included a recipe for Bonfire Toffee, so yesterday evening, while I cooked - Eldest took over and created a wicked dark and moreish (you were right!!) toffee.

Ooh so wicked and dark - perfect for these damp dank evenings while the fire crackles away.

A dark and glossy slab of yum

They won't last long.............

And that list from yesterday?

I have quietly trickled my way through it - but it does seem we all suffer from some degree of procrastination and avoidance!

Today I get to go back out to my studio and paint - for the first time in what feels like weeks, but first I need to finish my coffee and wash up (procrastinating again??)