frayed at the edge

Cold porridge .......

.......... doesn't sound too appetising, but refrigerator oatmeal sounds a bit better.  As I resolutely avoid Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Pinterest, I am usually lagging behind the latest buzz, but thanks to Thimbleanna providing a link on her blog, I read this post and decided that it sounded quite tasty.  So I prepared some on Tuesday afternoon that we thoroughly enjoyed for breakfast yesterday ....... in fact we enjoyed it so much I made it again yesterday afternoon, with these ingredients

 

it should also have chia seeds in it - but I have no idea what they are (probably the latest superfood which cure all ills).  This is the oatmeal all shaken up and ready to go in the fridge overnight

 

I don't normally eat my breakfast from my footstool!  It was raining and the room was gloomy, so I took the jar over to the window to get better light for the photo.  As you can see, the breakfast is lovely and thick and creamy ....... and you can simply eat it from the jar, saving on washing up!

 

 

we had a cuppa in Cafe Crema in Berwick before we came home.  As this is a "fast" day, I had to watch Malcolm tuck into the most delicious cheese and pickle scone ...... he took pity on me and gave me a little bit!

 

Malcolm gave me a shout this afternoon to come and see what he had disvovered when he was deadheading the rose on the pergola.  A rather scary caterpillar

 

I would much rather see the resulting butterflies, which were enjoying the warm afternoon sunshine

 

I know we are still in August, but it won't be long until Christmas (!), so I thought I had better make a start to my Christmas sewing.  I looked out these three patterns

 

and made a start to stitching the first one last night

 

it's a special day for us tomorrow - but you will have to wait until then to find out why!

 

Morning, noon and night ......

...... or rather night, morning, noon and late afternoon!  We start with last night's sunset

 

then it's on to early this morning.  You know that summer is drawing to a close when the swallows start to congregate on the phone wires, getting ready to fly off south for the winter.  It has been a good breeding year - I counted sixty of them this morning!

later in the morning when we arrived in Berwick, the dock was a hive of activity, as the ship that came in on Sunday was still there ........

 

..... and had been joined by another one

 

when we were walking into town, we stopped to look in the other dock gate and could see this ship was being loaded .....

 

..... while this one was being unloaded

 

we had a stroll round town, deciding where to go for lunch.  Two places were ruled out as they were a bit pricey, and another one was ruled out before we even looked at the menu in the window - we could hear the customers' conversation out in the street - if they were talking so loudly, it would hardly be a quiet lunch!  We finally settled on this tiny coffee shop

 

where we shared a delicious "French platter".  We should have had a wooden board each with our bread and cheese, but as we were sitting at a small table, we had to share one

 

on Sunday I finished the stitcheries, and yesterday I pressed them and trimmed them

 

so after lunch we took the stitcheries to a picture framer, and had a long discussion on spacing, mounts and frames.  It will be some weeks before we get the resulting picture back, as the framer is very busy.  When we got back to the flat, the dock was still very busy, with two machines unloading the ship nearer to us

 

then, an extra flurry of activity, and the pilot boat appeared

 

the swans took off towards the opening

 

closely followed by one of the ships

 

then, late afternoon, there was a great burst of activity on the remaining ship

 

and the holds were closed

 

then we watched in amazement as the pilot boat pushed the ship round ......

 

........ and round

 

until it too headed out to sea

 

to finish - the swans really do get annoyed at all the activity, and every so often one will rise up out of the water and flap its wings in a very disapproving way ....... but usually not when I have the camera to hand.  So I was delighted when I captured not one, but two doing it!

This and that ......

........ sometimes I just can't think of a title, and despite seeking Malcolm's help, that's the best I could come up with for today's post!

On Saturday morning, we walked to the local DIY shop, to buy, amongst other things, a hook to hold back the new bedroom curtain.  On the way, we had a detour to the local church

 

it was hard to take photos of the church itself, as it is surrounded by very large trees

 

the church is surrounded by a large graveyard, with some very old headstones

 

 

 

if you can't read this one, do click on it to enlarge it, as it has a lovely sentiment

 

 

a lot of the headstones are well preserved, although sadly some of them can no longer be read

 

 

back at the flat with the new hook, we spent some time trying out various options for the new curtain - should it go to the left or the right, should it be fixed right across the top, or pulled to the side?  This is what we finally decided on

 

when I saw this man coming into the dock in a small rowing boat, of course I reached for the camera.  I didn't expect a bonus in the photo - the seal popped its head out of the water just as I snapped!

 

we went to Bamburgh Castle yesterday, but I have so many photos, that I will keep them for a separate post tomorrow ......... but I will show you what we had for lunch.  As we had tucked into kippers and soda bread for breakfast, we shared a sandwich ........ delicious brie and onion chutney

 

late on Saturday afternoon, we saw a ship anchor offshore, waiting for high tide to come into the dock.  They obviously had decided not to use the high tide in the middle of the night, so when we got back yesterday, we were just in time to see the ship coming round the final bend of the deep water channel ........

 

....... while the pilot boat waited to usher it in through the opening to the dock

 

this ship was nowhere as big as the previous ones we have seen, and it had room to spare as it came in

 

this photo of it passing a lorry parked on the dockside shows the size of the ship (as an aside, Stuart was at school with, I think, three of the Stevenson famiy, owners of the haulage firm)

 

as usual the swans went off in a huff

 

supervised by that cheeky seal!

 

later on, there were two more arrivals

 

the swans didn't like that one either - off in another huff!

 

to finish, a little taste of tomorrow's post

A high score at Scrabble

Yes, I had an appointment with my Polish dentist this morning, the one whose name I can't spell, but I'm sure would give me a winning score at Scrabble!  It was just for my routine annual checkup - you have to imagine his saying in his James Bond film Villain's voice ...... is good, no cavities, no decay, just need scrape and polish.  That was soon done, with only slight discomfort ....... I was very brave and didn't cry!  There was no patch'n'chat today, as there was a group visiting the shop, so Malcolm had come to the dentist with me, and as soon as I had paid the bill (that's the biggest ouch!) we headed for Berwick.  We stopped just over the border for lunch at Cornhill Village shop

 

it just looks like a little place from the outside, but inside there is a food shop, a gift shop and a small coffee shop

 

the lady who took our order was delightful, and soon we were tucking into a delicious lunch.  Malcolm had a haggis, beans and tatties pie (the tomato is from my salad, you know that I don't like it) 

 

I had a roll stuffed full with chicken tikka

 

when we got to the flat, as soon as we had unpacked, we headed out for a walk to the lighthouse, but got sidetracked by this ship being loaded in the dock

 

then as we walked across the old bridge there was another pause as we saw the seal in the river.  As Stuart still has my long lens, you will just have to trust me that the little dark blob is indeed the seal

 

finally, the lighthouse was in sight

 

but there were still distractions.  This Edward VII postbox is from the early 1900s (he was Queen Victoria's son)

 

in the distance we coud see (just) Bamburgh Castle

 

and Holy Island

 

and of course I had to stop to admire some swans

 

but at last we reached the lighthouse.  Would you like it on the left of the photo

 

or on the right

 

the clouds started to build up, giving us dramatic skies

 

it would never do if I had to do without my Friday cake, so on our way back to the flat we bought two slices of a rather delicious lemon cheesecake

 

the ship was still being loaded

 

with a constant  stream of large lorries

 

there was a scary moment when these two got a bit close to each other

 

I haven't forgotten about the sewing - the cloth is on the table

 

the cushion is on the bed

 

and the curtain is up, with Malcolm acting as a temporary hook to hold the tieback in place!

 

we plan to be out and about over the weekend - whether you are at home or away, I hope you have a good weekend, love Anne

The three bridges

The tide was up yesterday morning, so instead of going for a walk on the beach, we decided to walk along the river.  This meant we had excellent views of all three bridges over the Tweed.  First is the oldest bridge, Berwick Bridge, which was built between 1611 and 1624

 

the second bridge is the Royal Tweed Bridge, which was built in the 1920s

 

then the third bridge is the biggest, the Royal Border Bridge, a magnificent Victorian construction.  It is so long that I couldn't quite get it all in one photo

 

on beyond the railway bridge, I stopped to take a photo of this unusual railing ......

 

....... when Malcolm pointed out this gate, which was just a few steps further on.  It is a musical gate - the wind blowing through it plays tunes

 

we meandered on along the riverside path to Berwick Castle - or rather its remains

 

we stepped from the path down on to the riverbank, where I found the shell of a tiny green crab

 

usually I would call these brambles, but as they are English ones, they are blackberries!

 

we turned off the path to head back to town, passing first a wonderful old fence post complete with moss and rusty wire

 

then in contrast, a smart new fence

 

there is always time for an arty seedhead photo!

 

this padlock is so rusted, its insides have fallen out

 

all together now ....... aaaaaahh

 

we decided to try somewhere new for our lunchtime sconnage, and popped in here

 

we were very glad that we did.  The cheese scone was delicious, with lots of sharp cheese

 

and as for the fruit scone - it was very, very, yummy, rich with the taste of vanilla

 

I'll be back tomorrow with a sewing update, including the dreaded satin stitch polka dots!

 

You know how it is .......

........ you've tried self-help, you have taken however many steps on the programme, you have listened to peer pressure, you have promised your husband you will never do it again ......... and then, one of those emails from Amazon pops up in your inbox

Dear Anne, as you have shown an interest in similar books, we think you might like these.  

You look at one of them, and underneath it says, people who bought this book also bought these books.

Before you know it, you have clicked on the dreaded buy-with-one-click-button, and three days later a parcel arrives in the post.  Your husband is there when the post arrives, so you can't slip the books on to the bookshelves and  claim you have had them for ages (I have a friend who hides away new clothes, then when she wears them says "oh, I've had this for ages, I've just not worn it for a while").  

So, my name is Anne, I'm addicted to books, and these are my latest acquisitions

 

what was I doing this morning with this little dish and a tube of toothpaste?  

 

this was a tip I was given when we were living in Indonesia.  If your pewter or Bangka tin is looking dull, clean it with toothpaste!

 

this has been another good summer for orchids, with lots of colour on the kitchen windowsill

 

we had our favourite cake this afternoon at patch'n'chat, the wonderful apple and sultana one

 

no doubt over the weekend we will be walking on the beach and eating scones - whatever you are doing I hope you have a good weekend, love Anne

 

 

 

So, going back to yesterday .....

......... the post would have started with this photo.  Malcolm had fetched this little table from the loft to take over to the flat, and I had asked him to bring down my batik holdall, as I thought it would be handy for taking clothes to and from the flat

 

I bought it years ago when we were living in Indonesia, from my favourite batik shop

 

when I was checking what was in the side pockets, I discovered my gym membership card - I was a member before we moved here almost eight years ago

 

when I travelled back and forward to Indonesia, I used the bag as my carry-on luggage, and it still has two of my "frequent-flyer" tags on it

 

so what was the special thing that I bought yesterday?  We have having a browse round this establishment

 

when I spotted this little beauty, which promptly went back to the flat with us

 

it has been shabby chic-ed,  but that doesn't matter, it looks good

 

included in the (very reasonable) price were lots of goodies

 

the pin cushion has seen better days!  Most of the pins are rusty, and some of them are more like carpet tacks than pins

 

but it didn't take long for a certain other person in the flat to appropriate the sewing box as a side table!

 

normally when we stay at the flat on Wednesdays, we come home first thing on Thursdays, but I had a hairdressing appointment in Kelso this afternoon, so we spent the morning in Berwick, as there was no point driving through Kelso on the way home, only to drive back later.  We went to Cafe Crema for a cuppa and a scone.  As always I had a pot of tea, and Malcolm had a large Americano with hot milk on the side

 

there was a slight delay before the scone appeared, as it had just come out of the oven

 

cheese and red onion - absolutely delicious!!

 

as it was a lovely morning, we decided to go for a walk on the beach.  I changed the camera to take B&W photos

 

 

for some reason this one came out in colour!

 

then it was back to B&W for this tiny dead starfish

 

but perhaps it looks better in colour?

 

we had spent a long time walking on the beach, picking up driftwood and seaglass, so we decided it was time for lunch.  And what better thing to have than some delicious golden chips!

 

we still had time after lunch before we had to head to Kelso, so we went for another walk.  The tide was right out, so we were able to walk out on the sandbanks to the deep channel where the boats/ships come in

 

and finally, as promised, some sewing!  The first stitchery is finished apart from the satin stitch polka dots and the french knots to dot the i and the j

 

the second one is finshed apart from the (even more) satin stitch polka dots and the french knots to dot the i's

 

the third one is coming along nicely (and yes, there are more of those satin stitch polka dots!)

A very busy weekend - part 2

As there was no sign of the remnants of Hurricane Bertha on Sunday morning, we set off up the coast to St Abbs.  As it started to rain just as we got there, we decided to go for a cuppa first.  The last time we were in St Abbs, this place was rather run down, but it has all been renovated and redecorated

 

and now houses a smart cafe

 

where we shared a tasty toasted teacake

 

when we came out of the cafe, the rain had gone, and we were able to go for a walk round the village.  We stopped to look at this sad memorial to the East Cast fishing disaster of 1881

 

 

from the top of the village, there is a good view down to the harbour

 

but I decided I would rather walk round the road than go down these steep wooden steps

 

on the way I stopped to admire these plump rosehips

 

down at the harbour there were ramshackle buildings

 

old lobster pots

 

a collection of ropes and floats

 

the tide was out, and it was a long way down into the harbour, so I was not the happiest of bunnies walking round 

 

perhaps I should buy this boat for Stuart ........ 

 

........ but then again maybe not - I think he would want something a bit more stylish!

 

there were lots of people about, doing all sorts of things - taking photos, diving (yes to the first, a decided no to the second!)

 

the sea was much rougher outside the harbour

 

this house up on the cliffs reminded us of Bates Motel (from the film Psycho)

 

and of course there is a silly photo to finish - I love this prow, which was on a  little boat!

 

My new best friend!

I have to admit that for some time I wan't getting on very well with Mrs Billings, but now she is definitely my new best friend!  I was going to work on Stuart and Alison's blind yesterday, but I decided instead to get out Mrs Billings and organise what I have done so far.  You know that I have been working away on the hexagons for the outer border - this may look like a lot, but it's only enought to do one edge!

 

I laid out the various pieces for the centre and the first border

 

the pattern suggested adding the border before stitching to centre medallion, so that is what I did.  The first two sides stitched 

 

then the other two added

 

I then pinned the centre in place ready for stitching

 

I have also stitched the hexie flowers for Border 9

 

I have lots more hexies prepped for the outer border, some on my tray

 

and the rest in my box

 

we had a special visitor at patch'n'chat this afternoon - little Barley, who belongs to Annette and her husband Norrie.  Annette is away at the Festival of Quilts, so Norrie was minding the shop today and had brought Barley with him.  We had a violent thunderstorm during the afternoon, and poor Barley got in quite a state.  But when not barking at the thunder, his tail wagged constantly

 

 

as Annette is away, there was no home-baked cake, but Margaret brought in this delicious bought one

 

it is still very wet this evening, and I know the south is threatened by the remnants of Hurricane Bertha, but hopefully the weather will improve.  I hope you have a good weekend, love Anne

A walk on the beach

We had mixed weather on Saturday, with some heavy showers, so we were delighted to wake up yesterday to bright sunshine, which the swans were enjoying too

 

we decided to head along the coast a bit, having read this small article in a magazine

 

by the time we got to Cocklawburn beach, it had got somewhat cloudy, but it didn't stop us from having a good long walk.  The views were stunning

 

there were lots of interesting shells

 

fortunately there was only one dead monster green crab

 

there were all sorts of wonderful rock formations

 

there were interesting things to see

a feather on the sand

 

a minute mussel

 

tiny stones in a hollow in the rock

 

a pretty shell

 

we could have continued our walk to the next beach, but by then our legs were weary - and we still had to walk all the way back to the car!

 

after all that walking, of course we had to be revived with some excellent sconnage

cheese

 

apple and cinnamon

 

while we were on the beach, we picked up lots of seaglass, but back at the flat we weren't tempted to drink this bottle of wine, which we are keeping for a special occasion

 

I was quite happy to put my feet up on my stool, and spend the afternoon reading the papers, then working on a stitchery

 

to finish, one last look at the swans as they came back into the dock on the rising tide