Live Below the Line 2014

 

 

I'm wondering at the moment whether to sign up for this again.

 

I've done it a couple of times, each time slightly varying the way I approached it.  For instance one year I simply went with supermarket basics, another I carefully priced all the homegrown stuff that I had purposefully stored away in the freezer from the season before - that year I felt like a cheat, but my decision to do it that way was to highlight how cheaply you can feed yourself if you grow your own food.  I surprised even myself and I think it inspired me to carrying on growing our own food.

 

Last year I didn't take part myself but was asked for advice on how I would have done it if I had been taking part.  This was my response.  I was happy with that one, and for a brief moment I was so disappointed that I wasn't actually doing it myself as I thought it was a good plan.

 

 

So now as the press surrounding this wonderful Challenge steps up a gear and news begins to trickle around the internet I am tempted to do it again.  Of course I have lots of time to think about it, as this year the Live Below the Line Challenge runs from April 28th - May 2nd and they have a wonderful website up and running SEE HERE with lots of really helpful downloadable information and meal plans with shopping lists, including one rather ironically called 'The Lazy Sue' !!

 

Of course I would have the added dilemma of which Blog to use as my daily diary for the five days, either this one or my other 365 Days - £365 which I still update daily.  So I have quite a bit of thinking to do and of course if I do decide to go for it I also then have to choose who do I raise money for?  There are such good charities to choose from and each and everyone of them need money I think a cup of coffee is in order and a bit of quiet thinking time.

 

Are you tempted to do it this year?

 

How would you spend your five lonely pounds?

 

Which charity would you choose?

 

 ...... And finally if you were me which of my two Blogs would you put it on?

 

There now you've got some thinking to do, should we have a coffee :-)

 

Sue xx

 

 

 

Improving Things

This weekend we spent a lot of time improving things or tarting the place up a bit.

 

 

We decided the oil tank sat on the hill , completely visible from the main road is not a good thing so some trellis went up to disguise it a bit.

Lovely Hubby somehow managed to get the tank of creosote up there too and sat that on it's homemade tilted trestle next to the oil tank.  It did mean draining out many buckets full of the stuff and then pouring them back in once the barrel was in it's final resting place.  Good game, good game!!

 

 

We've planted a couple of Clematis and a Jasmine to grow up and around the trellis to give a bit of colour as well as screening to the area.  We are trying to put flowering shrubs and plants in wherever we can with the long term view that they will provide food for our bees in the future when we get the hives.

I think he's done a really neat job and it will look great once things start growing.

 

 

While he was working up there I managed to talk him into putting up a washing line for me, one hook on the side of the shed and the other on a post at the side of the oil tank.  I think it was me threatening to put a hook in the fascia board of the house that finally made him spring into action with this one.  As Lovely Hubby said it would most likely pull all the fascia boards down if I had towels flapping in the strong winds we get here. 

 

Time I think to get some washing on and go and try out the line for the first time, you just can't beat towels and bedding that have dried in the warmth of the lovely sunny days we have been getting recently.

 

Sue xx



Chicken at the Window, Spade in the Hand

There was a tap, tap tapping at the kitchen window this morning as we sat eating our poached eggs on toast.  As usual Angel was out and about and having a nosey.

 

 

With a flap of her wings she was away just after I had grabbed the camera and got a couple of shots of the cheeky little madam.  She's taken to flying over the fence to lay her eggs again.  I found a little clutch in a pile of leaves behind the plants I was transplanting yesterday.  As we were unsure of how old they were I threw them over the fence for the chickens to have a treat, Lovely Hubby was rather dismayed when they turned out to be perfectly fresh and beautifully formed ..... but the chickens were very grateful :-)

 

It's lovely to have the odd chicken roaming around the place again, even if they are supposed to be behind the fence, luckily they all take themselves back once the wanderlust has been fed.

 

There's lots of little but very effective jobs going on this weekend and hopefully there will be some more pictures to share with you by Monday.  Spades, trellis and new gorgeous plants are involved ....  and I may even have a washing line soon :-)

 

Sue xx

Chickens in the Spring

 

Bottoms up girls, there's new food in the feeder.

 

The girls, and Caldwell and Flash the cockerels, are really enjoying these gorgeous sunny days we've been having.  Chickens show us just how we should react to the warmer weather.  They seek out the sunshine and bask in it's warmth at every opportunity.  They get themselves up at first light and stay mooching about until the dusk falls, not wasting a single drop of wonderful daylight.

 

Oh to be a chicken :-)

 

 

Of course they do work that little bit harder too with so much daylight on their hands (wings) and they produce more eggs.  Their little bodies reacting instinctively with the longer days, knowing that if chicks were to be born now they would have a much better chance than if they were born in the depths of the Winter months.

 

 

 

Of course a lot of modern Hybrid birds lay all year round, virtually every day some of them.  But I always enjoy watching for the first of my little Lavender Pekin Bantam eggs to appear, then I know that Spring is truly here and the promise of the hot Summer days is not that far away.

 

We had the first one this week, it's the one in the bottom left corner :-)

 

Sue xx

Frank is Found

 

For all those of you who have been asking about Frank the Pug and unable to follow the Facebook group, a message.

 

Frank is home with Phil, his Dad.

 Together again where they belong.

 

FRANK IS FOUND

*** *** *** *** ***

The Story taken from 'Salford Online' this afternoon

Joy for Salford family as missing Frank the Pug found

A prized family pet stolen from a supermarket car park in Trafford has been returned, to the delight of his owners.

Phil Ludlam, from Winton was distraught when Frank, an 18-month old black pug, went missing as he shopped in Asda in Trafford Park.

At around 3.30pm on Friday 21 February Phil returned to his Mercedes van after half and hour away to find his beloved Frank missing, presumed stolen.
Pedigree puppies of the same breed can be sold for hundreds of pounds.
He was especially worried as the young pup needs regular medication

There started a huge social media campaign to get Frank back home. A Facebook page called Help Find Frank the Pug has almost 2,000 likes and the story quickly went viral.

Family and friends shared the story, scouring local selling websites, while Coronation Street stars including Beverley Callard tweeted to thousands of followers.

The family were even invited national dog show Crufts, handing out leaflets and meeting top TV stars.

Today SalfordOnline.com can report that Frank has been returned safe and well.

After two weeks of investigation, Phil traced his missing dog to a woman in Accrington. With his van liveried up and plastered in 'Help Find Frank' posters, he was able to get her to admit that she had bought Frank for a minimal sum, thought to be in the region of £300.

"I scanned him, and showed her Frank's doggie passport, and she was distraught because she'd fallen in love with him."

Now the pup is back home safe, "he won't leave me alone, he's sitting here in the sun with his eyes shut like he's never been away," says Phil.

"The last 16 days have felt like 16 months," he said. 
"I didn't know if he was hurt or lost or anything.

"Now I just want my experience to help others - people need to be aware that there are people deliberately targeting these dogs."

Next week, 14-21 March is Pet Theft Awareness Week, and Phil wants insurance companies and vets to make it a priority to make owners aware.

"I want these people found and charged, because thieves will not stop thieving.
"It's no fault of owners, but we need the awareness out there that this is going on."

*** *** *** *** ***

 

So happy, happy, happy.

Thank you to all of you who joined in with the Facebook and Twitter campaigns to help get Frank back to his Dad.  The power of the social networking sites can sometimes work miracles.

(Original story HERE )

 

Sue xx

 

 

 

A Little Bit More Pattern

 

We decided when we moved here to continue with our white theme, with all walls and woodwork, except the doors, being painted white.  It's a pretty light house and this simple 'non-colour' scheme helps bounce the light around even more.  But after living with our 'blank canvas' for a while we spotted places where a splash of colour and pattern would be very welcome.

 

 

The chimney breast in the living room was a case in point.

 

The pattern in this room was all on the curtains and once we were sat down for the evening, either with a good book or to watch television in front of the roaring wood burner everything in front of us was white even though behind us was a glorious riot of our favourite colours.

 

So a couple of hours work and one more £1 roll of wallpaper later and we now have a lovely splash of colour and pattern that is very like the curtains, but just different enough to compliment them nicely.

 

I have one more wallpapering plan up my sleeves ..... or maybe two I can't quite make up my mind :-)

 

Sue xx



Another Book ......

 

Highly appropriate that on World Book Day yesterday I should get another new book!!

 

I had pre-ordered this last August and for some reason known only to themselves Amazon had decided to send it to our old address even though they know my new address and have been using it quite happily for the last three months.  But it doesn't matter now I have at last got my hands on this lovely new book written by fellow Blogger Jack Monroe.

 

And I have to say it was well worth waiting for !!

 

There are lots of lovely recipes, some brilliant photos, including some absolutely delightful ones of her son 'Small Boy'.

 

I'm only about half way through up to now and am thoroughly enjoying saying 'must give that a try', 'ooh must have a go at that', etc etc.  I've put a direct link to the Amazon page at the top of the sidebar if anyone else is tempted to get their hands on a copy.  It's at a really good price at the moment.

 

It's already on my bedside table ready for a spot more reading tonight and I notice from the comments yesterday that I am not the only one that reads cookery books in bed :-)

 

Sue xx