frayed at the edge

Out to lunch

It's Wednesday, so that must mean we went out for lunch!  This morning we had headed up the A7 to Galashiels, to do the boring food shopping thing in Tesco.  Then on the way home we stopped in Selkirk at Lochcarron.  It's not the sort of place to take photos in, so please do have a look at the website.  The coffee shop is warm and inviting and I can recommend the soup.  Malcolm had cream of wild mushroom and I had tomato and basil.  They were both delicious.  My pot of tea was good and I thought Malcolm's cup of coffee was enormous - until he said that was their small size!  After lunch we had a browse round the shop.  They sell the most wonderful things - cashmere sweaters to die for - but I can't wear them as they would make me itch (which is probably just as well considering the price tags).

On the road back to Hawick, we stopped in the carpark of Homebase, so that I could take this photo ...

   

looking over the valley to where we live, although our house isn't in the photo - I would have had to looked more to the right to include us, but the view is much more interesting of the hill,  called Ruberslaw, which is an extinct volcano.  As you can see, we still have rather a lot of snow.

Thanks to everyone who has left a comment, it's nice to know that you are enjoying my meanderings!  Another item has been plucked from the studio to be added to the gieaway - an appropriate item for this time of  year - a handbag tissue holder (complete with tissues) for those winter sniffles ...

A nice cup of tea

It hardly seems two minutes since they were last here, but it is two weeks, so this morning saw me getting organised for Kist.  Of course, you can't have a bunch of ladies without providing refreshments, so the first job is to get the coffee on and lay the tea-table.

 

I hope you like the tablecloth - I bought it when we were living in Indonesia (but like New Zealand, that's a story for another day).  I am well known for the amount of tea I drink, so when I had to part company with Greenpark Quilters in Polmont (which is near Falkirk ... and if that doesn't help it's in Stirlingshire) when we moved to Indonesia, they all made me a block with a mug on it.  I used them to make this wallhanging, which appropiately is called ' a nice cup of tea'.

 

In the first photo, you can see the painted cupboard that the kettle and coffee machine stand on.  I did that way back in the mid-90s, when paint effects and stencilling were all the rage.  It has moved house several times now (and even had a spell under a dust cover in the garage) and I wouldn't part with it.  On the wall above the cupboard are family memories ...

 

In the middle is the sampler that I did for my Mum and Dad's Ruby Wedding in 1986.  Sadly they never got to celebrate their Golden Wedding, as my Mum died in 1995.  The photo above it is my grandparents in their shop in Glasgow.  I don't know exactly when the photo was taken, but I think it was before the War.  I embroidered the 'R' for my Mum one Christmas - can you just see it has roses twined round it?  I also did one for my Mum-in-law - her name was Doreen, so was her picture perhaps a lovely dahlia?  No, it was a dandelion!  The drawn-thread picture is my first and last attempt (again it was a present for my Mum) - not a method of working I wanted to do again!

I couldn't finish without a wee mention of the giveaway ....

 

Another little thing has been added - this time a lavender bag.  Now, it's not filled with namby-pamby French lavender - this is the real stuff, grown right here in my garden, good Borders lavender!  So leave a comment and it could all be yours.

It must be love!

 

Malcolm and I are both lovers of routine and one of those routines is doing the housework on a Friday morning.  But a sub-routine is stopping in the middle of all that hoovering and dusting for a cuppa.  As we are nearing Valentine's Day, this morning's was a little special.  A mug of ginger hot chocolate for me (real, proper chocolate, none of that low-calorie nonsense) and a mug of frothy coffee for Malcolm.  Don't you just love his heart-shaped mug, with the little hearts on it (bought for him by his loving wife) ... and I put a heart-shaped dusting of chocolate on the top!  Now I could lie cheat pretend say that I made the delicious strawberry shortbread hearts, but I shall tell the truth - I bought them in Morrisons!

Have a lovely weekend!

Welcome to my world

   

I've spent most of today in the studio, so I thought you might like to visit.  Obviously, this photo was taken last summer, when we actually had a sunny day!  Why don't you come inside....

 

First, we step into the 'office' area, although as you can see from the rail on the left, my quilts get everywhere!

 

This is my knitting and general craft fabric stash.  The studio is on two levels - you can just see the steps on the left.

 

The French doors on the upper level also have outer storm doors.  I didn't open them today as it was a bit miserable.  You may notice I have one or two books and magazines!

 

This is the patchwork stash, which I am gradually using up (honest, I haven't bought any fabric for weeks ... well maybe just a little bit!).  You might notice at the top of the storage unit is the Patons logo - that's because I bought the units from Fiona, when she closed Woolly Ewe.  They are fabulous units and I was very fortunate to get them.

 

And now for the final report on the 2-at-a-time socks.  I finished the second 'pair' last night, so I now have two matching pairs - they are just toddler size, really cute.  I enjoyed knitting them and once I got the hang of the method, found it quite easy.  I will certainly have a go at a pair of socks for myself - at least I know they will turn out the same size, unlike most of my socks!

Wrapping up

 

This morning I had to put on my serious winter jacket to venture out in the snow ....

 

and battle bravely against the elements ...

 

... for a whole 7 yards ..... to put food on the bird table.

 

But it was worth it to see the birds tucking in.

 

Here's one satisfied diner having a post-dinner nap!

 

I'm just cheering myself up with this photo from last year's holiday in Portugal!

Split personality

 

Why am I standing in front of a big stone? 

 

If you look at this side, you are facing England .....

 

..... and on this side you are facing Scotland.  I was born in Scotland, have lived there for most of my life and have always thought of myself as Scottish. But.... my Dad was Scottish and my Mum was English, so I suppose I should feel at home south of the border too, but during the five years I lived in England, I always felt 'foreign'!  Malcolm was born in England, but has lived most of his adult life in Scotland.  If you ask us our nationality, I say I'm Scottish, Malcolm says he's British.  Hmmm - is this significant?  Probably not, but I just thought I would share it with you.  And one last thought - if the sun always shines on the righteous, I think you'll find in the photos that it's shining on this side of the border!