Ramblings of a Newbie Pagan

Whats Samhain?

2011-10-27T17:21:00.003+01:00

“So what do you do at Samhain, I mean it’s all just Hallowe’en isn’t it” asked a friend today. And you know what it took me a min to think about the answer. Because for us obviously it is about the turning of the wheel, the life continuing but with remembrance too. So I came up with the following. It’s a short answer, not as in depth as I might have given to someone who was interested in more than the passing and slightly “I don’t really care” comment that my friend had made.

Wonder what you think?:

What we do for celebrating our Samhain is rather similar to that of any new year, we eat and we drink.

But with the added part of including our ancestors and descendants. We will have a feast, mostly if possible made from food we have grown and home cooked. The table will be set for all attending, and an extra place for representing our ancestors who have passed. In this case this year will be for a few of my family in particular my grandfather who died in the summer. Then during the feast there will be speeches, recognising the wisdom of our ancestors, the comfort of our peers and the promise of our descendants. Finally everyone will write a memory, promise or wish onto some card which is then bound and given to the newest members of our family for them to have for guidance in the future, recognising that we cannot be who we are without the influence and love of those around us. That family and friends matter in this world. Often any new babies in the year will be Named, a ceremony for us where you take it in turn to name the ancestors from as far back as your line can remember welcoming in the newest additions by adding their name to the Tree of Life.

A celebration of old and new, reminding us of our place in the Circle whilst giving thanks for what we have.

By the way, Hello, Its been a while, this year has been one of ups and downs, but here is to many more ups in the new year to come.

Pardon?

2011-08-18T18:55:00.003+01:00

For years now I have had problems hearing properly. It has been a gradual decline but about 6 months ago it got noticably worse. Off I troted to the doctors for a referral and this monday gone it finally arrived.

Sadly it seems I am loosing my hearing, it isn't glue ear or excess wax but Otosclerosis. For now I am getting hearing aids for both ears but that doesn't stop the problem, just helps amplify the noise around me.

I've been a bit shaken by it. Not too sure why as being a bit on the deaf side is something that I was expecting. I decided though that wallowing wasn't going to help me (after about 2 large bags of coconut mushrooms) and that I should look into the silver lining side of it all.

As such I have today signed up for BSL1 course. I did a refreshers course throughout June which was a social course but the BSL1 is an exam course so a bit more study required. After this I am going to try and get through the next course stages so that I can qualify as a translator. It will be something I can do for a limited time as I will eventually not be able to hear enough to do so, but after that I can go and work with people who have deaf issues and other problems that means they require help, if that makes sense? Feeling much more positive about it all with a goal in sight.

Other upsides; I get discounted rail tickets, better seats in theatres and the ability to turn the aids off when it all gets too much!

Lammas Lughnasadh crown

2011-08-01T08:26:00.010+01:00

Happy Lammas to you all.

We are sat in the countryside, not 20 feet opposite a lovely large corn field which was harvested last night. The French it seems harvests at night all the time (we might too, it's just I've never seen it done then before) and the smell this morning is beautiful. The sun is shinning and the heat is high already (yeast out bubbling ready for the loaves in a moment).

So we asked if we could have a lttle of the corn, the farmer has left some in what appears to be no-man's land, amazing how far those seed throwers spread, and have started to make some dollies and a John Barleycorn crown for littleun.

All we did was plait 6 together for one side, six for the other and then with some course string tie them to form a round.

After that we weaved the remaining heads into the plaits and very quickly the crown formed. Littleun will wear it later when we have our meditation and give thanks. Later we are heading to a Dolmen, been there before and its lovely and peaceful, tucked away in a corn field we can connect with the earth so easily there.

Hope you all hve fantastic day, wherever you may be. BB

(ps sorry about the spacing on this post, blogger is being stubborn wth a mind of its own!)

Things change

2011-07-31T09:17:00.004+01:00

Well it finally happened. After all our years as and up and down relationship it's come to an end. My grandfather died this month after a short illness. We thought it was his usual problems but it was in fact cancer.

I never knew where I stood with him; he wasn't one for showing much affection and had a rather Victorian outlook on our lives. There were days of fun as a child, I can remember him making us mermaid princess' out of large flat seaweed we found when playing on the beach. I can remember his attempts to prove that everyone has the ability paint and draw if only they tried hard enough (really I can't paint, mine always end up looking like painting by numbers) and my efforts sit on the fire mantel, initially because my littleun liked them but now with new view to them as in clearing the house I have found a new man. One I didn't know but rather wish I had.

He didn't keep much in the way of possessions, given his age when he died you would expect a lot more than there was. But some of the things he did keep were the postcards we sent, pictures and photographs and when you look back you see a possible new meaning to the expressions on the faces in them. And it made me think. Did he really not love us or was it more a case of he had absolutely no idea how to show that he did.

I remember lecture after lecture on how we were all meant to behave in life, how some of us had been dissapointments to him and on how hot air doesn't rise, cold air sinks! Oh and prisms. With sadness I remember far more of these than of the cheerful fun.

Re-reading a lot of the emails that he sent, the ones that reading at the time felt like he was being cantankerous , I read a different plea, one that said "come visit". And now I wonder if I had whether we would have enjoyed each others company that bit better. Don't get me wrong I did visit, and often, but it felt like a chore not like fun. Strange then that when we did talk it was interesting to hear what he had to say. If you wanted to know how to maintain and strip any form of armoury or if you wanted to know about Tobruk he could tell you, he was after all in the thick of it.

I told Littleun that he had completed his Circle and I expected confusion and tantrums. Littleun is probably the only one in this family who loved him unconditionally, he can remember happy things, playing with the birds that granddad used to keep, watching tom and jerry, both laughing hard. But he didn't do that. Litteun understood and it is the matter of fact way that he has asked questions about granddad that has helped me.

Will I miss him? Yes, but not in the way that one would normally miss a grandparent who has died and certainly not with regret, that is after all pointless. But for not knowing him properly. If there is one thing that has come out of all of this it's that I will make sure that I never do that with any grandchildren I might be lucky enough to have.

My grandfather: Man of photos, magic lanterns, poems and lectures. Who might just possibly, be right about hot air. Returned to the earth, 2011.

So its the Solstice

2011-06-21T08:15:00.002+01:00

And although sunrise was technically 4.42am it has yet to appear here. One of the wettest and grayest solstices I have ever known. Even the wood for the fire is so damp I doubt it will light first go!

However dancing and music abound as Littleun has a new rhythm he wants to play for his drums and we have food on the go already.

I also have a new beginning today as I go for the first of my BSL course. I have started to accept that my hearing isn't getting better and at the rate the NHS works will be a very long time before they do anything to help so decided to take matters literally into my own hands and start a course to help refresh my sign language abilities.

Hope you all have a lovely day and that the Sun finally makes an appearance!

Litha Feasting: Lemon preserving and Lamb Recipes

2011-06-15T12:48:00.001+01:00

If you are like us any Sabbat requires celebrating the good fortune of food around us. For this Sabbat we are lucky to have some lamb from the nearby salt marshes and I thought as we are celebrating the longest day of sunshine we would go for a Moroccan dish as this has some lovely ingredients such as apricots and lemons, reminiscent of the sun in shape and colour. In searching for recipes I found that the one I wanted to use needed preserved lemons. Now I know you can buy these, but half the fun of this path is learning together with Littleun so we decided to make ours (plus it’s a lot cheaper!).

For the lemons we have the following recipe and all I’d say is if you have any cuts do put on some food gloves first!

Ingredients
8-10 Meyer lemons*, scrubbed very clean
1/2 cup salt, more if needed
Extra fresh squeezed lemon juice, if needed
Sterilized quart canning jar

* You don't need to use Meyer lemons, regular lemons will do, it's just that the milder Meyer lemons work very well for preserving in this way.

1 Place 2 Tbsp of salt in the bottom of a sterilized jar.
2 One by one, prepare the lemons in the following way. Cut off any protruding stems from the lemons, and cut 1/4 inch off the tip of each lemon. Cut the lemons as if you were going to cut them in half lengthwise, starting from the tip, but do not cut all the way. Keep the lemon attached at the base. Make another cut in a similar manner, so now the lemon is quartered, but again, attached at the base.
3 Pry the lemons open and generously sprinkle salt all over the insides and outsides of the lemons.
4 Pack the lemons in the jar, squishing them down so that juice is extracted and the lemon juice rises to the top of the jar. Fill up the jar with lemons; make sure the top is covered with lemon juice. Add more fresh squeezed lemon juice if necessary. Top with a couple tablespoons of salt.
5 Seal the jar and let sit at room temperature for a couple days. Turn the jar upside down occasionally. Put in refrigerator and let sit, again turning upside down occasionally, for at least 3 weeks, until lemon rinds soften.
6 To use, remove a lemon from the jar and rinse thoroughly in water to remove salt. Discard seeds before using. Discard the pulp before using, if desired.
7 Store in refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Now that we have done this we can use them on Litha to add to our Tagine recipe:

Moroccan Lamb Tagine

Ingredients
1.5kg shoulder of lamb
1tsp coriander seeds
1tsp cumin seeds
olive oil
2 or 3 preserved lemons, chopped
2 onions
1 good handful dried apricots, chopped
1 good handful sultanas
Black olives
Fresh mint, roughly chopped to serve

Instructions

In a non-stick fry pan gently toast the coriander and cumin seeds until they become fragrant but don't allow to burn.
Tip the seeds into a pestle and mortar and crush with a pinch of salt.
Add the ground seeds to the lamb with a good drizzle of olive oil, black pepper, and the preserved lemons. Work all the flavours into the meat and leave to marinate.
Roughly chop the onions and put in the base of your tagine.
Then add the apricots and the sultanas followed by the lamb.
Next add some black olives, mix well to distribute the flavours and put the lid on.
Cook for about 3-4 hours at 160°C.
When cooked, sprinkle with the chopped mint and serve.

Oh I can’t wait!

Litha soon, some some crafts we are doing

2011-06-14T11:05:00.002+01:00

Wanting to rearrange our altar with some new items this year we went on the search of things that Littleun and I could make and do together. One of our must haves is the smell of orange. Those big round juicy fruits which look so much like the burning Sun and smell of freshness and summer hope are important to us. We came across the stones below which we liked. It gives Littleun something he can make and he can craft with messages on the base, allowing him both his own special offerings and a chance to practice his runes or oghams. It’s an American recipe so uses cups but we just used English cups and added a little here and there to get the dough the right consistency.

Orange Fragrance Stones

1-1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup salt

1/4 tsp cornstarch

2/3 cup boiling water

1 tbls. Fragrance (orange in this case) oil

Colorant of your choice

Mix all dry ingredients. Heat water in a Pyrex cup in the microwave or on the stove. Add the f/o and the colour to the water. Stir water mixture into flour mixture. Mix as best you can and then knead the dough with your hands. At this point you just want it to look like pie or cookie dough. Roll it out about a quarter of an inch thick. Cut into shapes or use cookie cutters. Another option is to stamp the flat shapes. Let the dough stones dry. They get hard as rocks and will last for months.

We are looking forward to Litha, last year we spent it in France but this year it will be here in England on the beach with our friends.

Once again

2011-05-26T09:54:00.007+01:00

Once again it’s been ages since my last post. Seems this is the way this year will be I’m afraid. In this case its darn ear infections keeping me distracted, so bad I am now referred to the ENT so maybe they can come up with an answer!

I didn’t get around to posting any photos from our Beltane celebrations. A lovely weekend as ever filled with fun and friends, plus the Fella came over for it and we had a lovely few days for His first Beltane.

Am also sorting out a summer fayre for Littleuns School, the first it’s had for years. A few of the staff and other mums are helping too which is great, lots of ideas and fun but trying to get it all pulled together is taking time. Still think my favourite idea at the moment is the scarecrow corner: each class is to make a scarecrow and the best wins. We have also been up at the school showing the reception year how to grow and care for runner beans and sunflowers. Was lovely to see the enthusiasm for it from them, lots of questions and they look after them every day too. Fingers crossed that the flowers develop into beans for them.

So as you can tell its busy here, not having much chance to sit at desk and write blog posts, but as my old school teachers used to say, will try harder…

Blessed Beltane Everyone

2011-05-01T09:33:00.009+01:00

Littleun helped put together the altar this year

Well we lit the candles at Sunset and rose before Dawn to welcome in the Sunrise and what a beautiful one it was too. Last year was soaking wet, really really horrible so it was lovely this year to feel the warmth as we stepped out to join the others.

Met with friends old and new as the Morris sides danced in the dawn. Sadly not sure where the drummers were, maybe a pint too many at Sunset?! However we are off for some drumming this afternoon so no doubt will find out then.

Blessed Beltane to you all and hope you have as fantastic day as we are having.

Edinburgh Beltane Festival

2011-04-27T08:22:00.000+01:00

One day, if we loose our festival, I want to go to this one! Found this on Youtube, does contain nudity and things that you might not want littleuns to see though. Looking forward to our celebrations in the meanwhile, only 2 more sleeps to go as my littleun says, before the fun begins.

Our new visitors

2011-03-24T14:29:00.005Z

Well littleun wanted a pet and has a huge interest in the unusual so instead of going for a dog or cat he wanted Stick Insects. We have 4 at the moment but having had these as a child I am well aware how quickly this type, Indian Stick Insect - Carausius morosus, can breed. They seem to like the ivy but apparently will eat bramble too, which is just as well as that stuff is going mad on my allotment!

Earth Hour 26th March 2011 8.30pm (local time)

2011-03-21T13:57:00.002Z

Earth hour started in Australia in 2007 when 2.2 million individuals and over 2000 business turned off their lights for an hour to challenge the increasing problems of climate change.

Over the years more people, more countries and finally Governments started to join in with this. Though has it made a direct effect? If you listen to David Cameron he says he supports this and is intent upon becoming known as the Greenest Government this county has had to date. So why then does his government keep coming up with daft ideas? I know the forest sell-offs were reversed but “we” have just decided to go to war in Libya, supposedly to help with freedom but coincidently in a country that is oil rich. I am not a fan of this move as I am not convinced that the Government is being honest in its dealings with it. We need to hunt out renewable sources not kill people to retain old and non renewable methods. Ok an over simplistic view perhaps and I am sure that there can be debates on all sides forever about it being more than oil, but you get my point?

So rather than being a clone and just thinking “I know I’ll do my hours bit” on the 26th why not do what Earth hour are hoping for and make greater stands with more pronounced changes? In this house we try and turn lights off, things aren’t generally left on stand-by and we don’t use the car for just a five min trip. But how can we improve our impact on the world? We already recycle and try hard to eat within seasons so that the food we buy is only from local areas (max 30 miles) the exception to this is Littleuns bananas, a greedier monkey you’ll never meet!

Well we have decided that although the lamps use energy bulbs we don’t really need them, so have for the next month decided to pack away all lamps and see if we can live without that form of light. We have chosen to block the switch on the fridge to stop the small waste through that and instead of using ordinary torches we are starting to change them (as they break) into wind up torches. Lastly Littleun and I have agreed to cut back on the use of the TV and radios. Instead of just putting it on then wandering out of the room to switch the radio on in the one we end up in we are now going to choose one or the other and actually turn it off if not in the room as well as cutting out the dross which really is wasting an hour at least of our lives each day!

So what will you do? If not a lot then do at least do the hours switch off and make the lantern in support (follow link here). But if you can do more, then please do, little things will lead to bigger savings if we all do it.

Sundried Tomato Bread

2011-03-16T08:03:00.001Z

Last year some friends of ours gave me some jars of tomatoes they had dried. Yummy and tasty they were too. And gone in a flash. or so I thought until Sunday when in a bit of a need to cheer up mood I went hunting through the cupboard to try and track down a lost bar of chocolate. There in the back corner was one remaining jar. Problem was I had nothing except cheese to eat it with. So after hearing a certain Someone say how well their loaf had turned out I thought well that's what I'll do, use some in a loaf and scoff the rest with the cheese.

Rather nice with the chutney and cider it was too:

Sundried Tomato Bread Recipe

you will need;

425gms of strong white bread flour

1tsp salt

40gms Parmesan Cheese (though I used the strong cheddar and that worked fine)

50gms Sundried Tomatoes chopped and drained

3tbsp Sundried Tomato Paste

2tbsp Oregano or Rosemary finely chopped

7gms Yeast

225ml Warm Water

Method:

Put the flour, salt cheese, tomatoes and paste into a large bowl. Add the chopped herbs and yeast then pour in the warm water.

Mix together with your hands until mixture combines to make a rough dough ball.

Tip dough ball out onto a lightly floured surface and stretch and knead the dough four about 10 mins till smooth ad elastic.

Shape into greased tin press indentations and scatter the extra herbs, drizzle with some of the oil from the tomatoes and sprinkle with salt.

Cover loosely with clingfilm. Leave in a warm place until doubled in size (about 30-40 mins).

Preheat oven to 220c/gas 7. Remove clingfilm from dough and reduce temp to 200c/gas 6. Bake for 35mins till golden.

Scoff.

7 weeks to go

2011-03-14T07:56:00.000Z

Ok I know we have Ostara/Eostre first yet to come but for this house there are two main events in our nearby community in the year which are very important to us.

The first is Beltane/ Jack in the Green. In 7 weeks we will have the busiest weekend of fun, music and laughter. It’s a great time for friends to catch up, for new friends to join in and for the community as a whole.

The gowns and robes from last years have come back out and alterations are on the way. Littleun is prone to this irritating habit of growing out of things! I am on the hunt for new shoes (well perfect reason to buy some) but seem to be having no luck so far. They need to be green and suitable for dancing as well as long term wear. Fingers crossed something will pop up soon.

This year is promising to have a fantastic lineup with the programme to be found here. Looking forward to the Ceilidh and hoping to get the Fella along to it (He foolishly said He could dance!).

The ivy for our decorations has started is re-growth with vigour recently, so that is looking like a good crop can be had without damaging the main plant. We also planted some wild flowers in a section at the allotment so that I can use them in the head-dresses and there are shoots sprouting through the earth already.

But first there is as said above Ostara/Eostre to come and as that is only around the corner I had better get going with those plans, egg blowing and chocolate making at the ready.

Has it really?

2011-03-12T18:20:00.005Z

Been over a month since my last post? Oh my how time has gone quickly.

Well a brief update then. We have been slogging away at the allotment getting it all ready for the planting out of things. The onions went in and the borders were made with some old wood from a builder friend. Trenches dug for the potatoes and the herb area cleared too.

We have managed to get a lot of daffodils from littleuns bulbs and the house is smelling fantastic with them all around the place. Bright and cheerful yellows peeking out from every corner.

We have also had a half term break and took the time to go visit friends up town and catch up. Visited the Greenwich Maritime and observatory. Which was lovely, the first warm day of the year and we were wandering about in just t-shirts, no need for jumpers or coats for us brave bunch.

The observatory was great as littleun is fascinated with the sky, stars, Moon and Sun as well as clocks so this was a good mix of things he could look at as well as some hands on fun. Ties in nicely with the steampunk that he has now discovered and got me making (Captain Nemo anyone?!).

We've also been making the new clothing needed for this years Beltane festival whilst at the the same time writing petitions and letters to stop the governments plans of scrapping May Day Bank Holiday. Somewhat nervous we will lose this one and that will have a huge impact on us both as Pagans and the local communities across the Counties here.

So as you can see not a lot of time for my ramblings. A balance which needs addressing!

Yay!

2011-02-02T18:12:00.002Z

So the best thing happened on Imbolc this year, the long awaited ickleun turned up. Many congratulations to my Cousin and his family for their new baby! Can't wait to see the new addition.

Creative Natives

2011-01-31T08:44:00.003Z

Littleun loves books and he has started to read fairly nicely coming home from school with prizes for getting better. As such having a few pence left on a book voucher card I got given at Yule I thought I would treat him to something from waterstones. His choice, anything he wanted (well excluding those blood thirsty things he seems intent on having nightmares with!). I do love wandering about the bookshops and as he does too was looking forward to a good hour or so browse. This time though Littleun surprised me and found something within only a few minutes.

Creative Natives is a book I’d recommend to anyone but those who already love nature will really enjoy it too. Written By Sam and Steve Sullivan and illustrated by Maggie Sam it is a short story following the day of a family and their friends. The story works through the woods and tells them about things they find, how to make a den, animals in the area and working together. In the margins of the pages are beautiful little drawings of all sorts ranging from different types of bark, leaves, berries, animals to help you teach the basics to your littleun. It also shows via the story how to make things like mobiles out of twigs, leaves and other similar debris and how to respect each other and nature as well as talking about the seasons.

Well worth the read and a good reference point with a fun story I was more than happy to get it for Littleun and will definitely be watching out for any more that might come this way.

Creative natives ISBN: 978-0-9558023-0-0

Imbolc: How to make a Priapic wand

2011-01-30T08:05:00.000Z

We, as I mentioned yesterday, make a new wand every year, taken from the strongest branches and scavenged from the offerings dropped to the ground, plus the odd bell or two! It’s an easy and fun thing to do with Littleuns and involves them in the process of the new growth for the new year.

(Last years, I have a broken camera so can't get a photo of this years!)

If you fancy making one this is how we did ours:

You will need
a good stick, strong and about 2/3rds inch in diameter
an acorn
some ribbon, any colour but we tend to use those of new growth, browns, greens and yellows
some bells
craft glue or hot glue gun (but if you are using that make sure Littleuns are safe!)

Strip the bark, sometimes people strip the bark all the way down before hand but we tend to only strip about 2 inches. Cut a notch into the tip of the stick, glue the acorn to the tip. Wrap the ribbon around the top and glue into place. Add bells either to the ends of the ribbons or like we did as the bells were already on a strip of wire we added it as one independent item.

Once the wand is made and dry take it and the children outside. I have explained to Littleun about the God of the forest in our case Cernunnos, and a little bit about things in the earth need to grow to the light in order to produce our flowers and food (waking the earth). Littleun then waves the wand and does his chant as we give thanks for the (hopefully) forthcoming shoots!

The allotment and with Imbolc around the corner

2011-01-29T15:42:00.005Z

Well just when I thought it was getting warmer the cold is back. Which is a bit frustrating as we have been preparing for the new season up at the allotment and now the ground has gone from soaking to frozen.

We celebrate Imbolc a little differently than some might. We tend to use it as a way to start new with the shoots of the bulbs we put in around Samhain time now showing. We have planned out what we want to do with the allotment and now is the time to start clearing greenhouses in readiness for the seeds to be sown.

It’s a lot of hard work and as I am still learning sometimes it can be frustrating. The ground has some sort of strange long grass which instead of a root mat structure seems to have bulbs and is a devil to get out. This all needs to be cleared before I can dig over and as I’m not that fit plus trying to get it done around work means that it is a lot slower going than I hoped it would be. But we are getting there. The diagram below shows what we are hoping to grow in the season and we are about half way across the potato patch (about 2½ metres). Little has a spade and fork just the right size and mixed in with playing with the toys comes and digs over for me. Though more often than not get sidetracked by the fascination of watching fat worms dig back into the earth!

Last year for Imbolc we made a Priapic wand and at Samhain burnt it as part of the turning from old to new by creating light for the forthcoming nights. So we have spent today making a new one. Which after a lot of thought and care Littleun took up with us to help the bulbs and we will be taking it with us to the green house in a few weeks when we start the seedlings. Littleun has already waved it several times over the potatoes out to chit and has made a chant of his own as he does this:

“Grow and grow and grow so I may grow and grow and grow. Thank you very much”

Which I was pleasantly surprised at, it would seem he does listen when I explain to him about Cernunnos. It’s a much simpler chant than the one I use but it sums it up, and the way he adds the thank you is very funny, in this little voice as if to say oops must not forget that bit!

Anyway that’s enough rambling for today, my bread is yet to be kneaded for the second round and there’s a toyroom to inspect!

Cherries Galore

2011-01-28T10:25:00.001Z

It’s that time where I start to bake again. Having dragged myself out from under the 31days of Hades (otherwise known as the Tax Return season) I am now free to do a bit more of my things. This is a recipe for a friend who only likes cherry cakes. Unlike most that seem to use glace cherries this one uses fresh so would be better for the summer months but I am splashing out (I know goes against my live within season thoughts but he is worth it) and getting them now.

Ingredients:
250g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
350g fresh cherries
8tbsp granulated sweetener
5 eggs, separated
1tsp almond extract
150g ground almonds
100g self-raising flour
You'll also need:
20cm loose-base cake tin or spring form tin

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Grease and line the base and sides of a loose-base cake tin or spring form tin. Grease the paper. Halve and stone the cherries.

2. Using a hand-held electric whisk, whisk together the butter and all but 2tbsp of the sweetener until pale, creamy and very soft. Whisk in the egg yolks, almond extract, ground almonds, flour and 1tbsp warm water.

3. Whisk the egg whites in a thoroughly clean bowl until they form soft peaks, then whisk in the remaining sweetener. Using a large metal spoon, gently fold a quarter of the egg whites into the almond mixture. Gently fold in the remainder with half the cherries.

4. Turn the mixture into the tin and spread it out in an even layer. Scatter the remaining cherries on top. Bake for about 50 mins until the cake has risen and firm to the touch. Test by piercing the centre of the cake with a skewer, it should come out fairly clean. Leave to cool in the tin then transfer to a serving plate. The cake can be stored for a couple of days without drying out.

Wassail Chant part two

2011-01-15T22:40:00.004Z

Well they sang it in rounds, not sure they meant too but it was fun. The film is wobbly sorry, difficult to keep a littleun away from the draw of flames whilst filming at the same time! But hopefully you'll like it.

Was a fantastic evening, catching up with friends, new and old. Celebrating the apple trees. Oh and the smell, of the hot ciders, the fire, the hog roasts just lovely. Littleun enjoyed it, dancing away to the drum beat, watching the Morris sides (only Borders though not sure why) singing the tunes. Beats Saturday tv anytime!

Wassail Chant

2011-01-15T21:58:00.005Z

Oh Apple Tree we honour thee,
In hope that you will bear
The Blessed fruit of Avalon,
At harvest time each year.

Each golden apple you bring forth,
A gift to Aphrodite,
Has at is heart a pentacle,
The symbol of her mystery.

Your blossom heralds Springtime,
Your leaf brings summer shade,
Let Samhain's harvest cup be filled,
With Cider freshly made.

When winters cold envelopes you,
In wind and rail and hail,
Then we'll return each year to bring,
Our grateful thanks,
WASSAIL!!

Guess where we have been tonight...

Winter Solstice - Total Lunar Eclipse 2010

2010-12-22T11:05:00.002Z

So did you get to see it? Sadly due to immense fog we didn’t . Shame given that the last time it fell on the winter Solstice was nearly 400 years ago. But not to worry the next one on the Solstice (oh ok a day before) will be in the comparatively short amount of time in 2029!

For those of you who might not quite know how a lunar eclipse works it’s where the Moon passes through the shadow created by the Earth blocking the Sun’s light. This creates an effect where the moon colour appears to be a shade of red/pink.

I found the above youtube clip and really liked it, clear and without newreporters adding their own comments you can sit back and watch the beauty.

Cernunnous and Winter Solstice

2010-12-19T08:39:00.000Z

I like reading up and learning about all sorts of things but find that in this day of technology books of old are suffering. I have to wait for days for a book I've ordered to come into the shop or from online suppliers. So often I find myself wandering the echoey halls of the web and trying to piece together fact from fiction. Now of course a lot of what we study and believe is called by lots fiction but the key word in what we do is faith. As such I take a lot of what I read with a pinch of faith and try and pass that on to others.

The recent study I wanted to read was about Cernunnous. I feel drawn to Him, in His many forms and am often hunting out writings, art, images etc of Him. I wanted to share some of my thoughts with you all but seem unable to put the words together in any fitting form today (a bit of a mental block with everyday madness filling the gaps). So I thought I'd post some information I found on Themystica.com and let you read it for yourselves.

Cernunnous was the Horned God of the Celts. He was associated with the hunt and fertility. Occasionally he was portrayed with serpent legs, torso of a man, a head of a bull or ram, or shown with stags wearing antlers. The name Cernunnous means horned.

He is the lord of life, death and the underworld. Being the Sun to the Goddess of the Moon as he alternates with her in ruling over life and death. With her he cooperates in continuing the cycle of life, death and rebirth, or reincarnation.

His own life is said to be circular. The Horned God is born at the winter solstice, marries with the Goddess at Beltane (May 1), and dies at the summer solstice. His death represents a sacrifice to life.

The Horned God's origin possibly dates back to Paleolithic times, as evidenced by a ritualistic cave drawing found in the Caverne des Trois Freres at Ariege, France. The picture is with one of a stag standing upright on its hind legs, or a man dressed in a stag costume performing a dance. The wearing animal clothes in rituals to secure game was practiced in Europe for thousands of years.

He was worshipped by the Romans and Gauls who portrayed him with a triple head. Sometimes the Romans depicted him with three cranes flying above his head.

Other deities associated with, or others have claimed them to be representative of, Cernunnous, the Horned God, are Herne the Hunter, a ghost of Britian; Pan, the Greek god of the woodlands; Janus, the Roman god of good beginnings with his two faces looking in opposite directions representing youth and age, and life and death; Tammuz and Damuzi, the son- lover-consorts of Ishtar and Inanna; Osiris, the Egyptian lord of the underworld; and Dionysus, the Greek god of vegetation and the vine, whose cult observed rites of dismemberment and resurrection."
The Celtic god Esus was analogous to Cernunnous. Similarly the animal of Esus was the bull. Esus was sometimes identified with Cernunnous who appears on the Gundestrup Cauldron. Supposedly Esus was also ruler of the underworld, but this did not keep his worshippers from considering him to be a god of plenty and portraying him holding a sack of coins.

Most frequently whenever Cernunnous was depicted or portrayed, he was shown as an animal, usually a stag, or surrounded by animals as he is depicted on the Gundestrup Cauldron seated in a lotus position. This was seen as appropriate as he was the god of the hunt and fertility. He was also the ruler and protector of the animal kingdom. He is often seen holding a ram-headed serpent.

In the Welsh tale "Owain" his role as a herdsman-god and a benign keeper of the forest is told. Here he summons all the animals to him through the belling of a stag. All the animals even serpents obediently came to him "as humble subjects would do to their lord."

Some feel that the honoring of Cernunnous even continued in the early Christian era. Many of the early ascetics still had pre-Christian longings for nature. To substantiate this there is the account of Saint Ciaran of Saighir. This humble man went into the wilderness to establish a cell that would eventually become a monastery. A boar came, seeing the man he was terrified, but later returned and was submissive to the man of God. Saint Ciaran considered the boar his first monk. The boar was later joined by a fox, a badger, a wolf and a stag. These animals left their liars to join the community.

There are other tales such as this one that give rise to suspicions they caused early Christian writers and artists to associate Cernunnous with Satan. Although some Christians never lost their love of nature. Saint Francis of Assisi is well known for his love of animals and birds.

Oh no!

2010-12-18T12:49:00.004Z

Is this a sign of how this week is going to be? Firstly the weather changes so I can't get together with Fella, far to much snow in between. Then the tumble dryer stops working so snow clothes taking an age to dry. The chimney is leaking so front room damp and then finally this morning my Goddess statue fell and broke into lots of bits. It was one of those slow motion things, you know the sort where you know perfectly well what is going to happen, you try to do your best to stop it but you just won't get to it in time.

So am now really sulking. Was my favorite statue of Her too.

Stomps off to strop in corner quietly...

Rocky Road in a Stocking

2010-12-17T18:34:00.008Z

Littleun has made quite a few new friends and he has found it difficult to choose who he would like to give gifts to this Yule. So we came up with an idea that meant he could give out a few without breaking the bank. Rocky Road in a bag. We were lucky as last year in the sales I managed to nab a brilliant deal on stockings (no not my leg coverings but the sort you hang up for Father Christmas). Lovely deep red velvets with fun appliquéd characters and just the right size. Well the idea is get all the ingredients (minus the butter) for the recipe, put them into the stocking with the printout on how to and tie the top with a ribbon. Hey presto, you have a gift which Littleun has helped put together and which his friends can make and do with their own families. If you fancy doing similar this is the recipe for Rocky Road (and yes couldn’t resist had to make some for ourselves, boy am I putting the weight on this year!).

Rocky Road Cake

400g bar milk chocolate
1 tin of condensed milk
100g butter
Bag of marshmallows
Tub of glace cherries
Packet of digestive biscuits
Raisins or sultanas

Put the digestive biscuits in a thick plastic bag and roughly crush so that you end up with nice chunky biscuit pieces, then set aside.
Melt the chocolate and the butter together on a low heat (or in the microwave), then once melted, add the condensed milk, mixing thoroughly.
Take the chocolate mixture off the heat and add in the digestive biscuit and all the other ingredients. Mix well. You can add as little or as much as you like of the other ingredients and vary it to suit your tastes.
Tip the mixture into a tin lined with cling film (this well help you later!), flatten out into the tin, and place in the fridge to set. When set, cut into pieces and turn out.

my camera has stopped working so photo credit is Tristan Tristan

"On the road to Beth Beth Beth"...

2010-12-15T16:20:00.005Z

Ah, it became clear after all. That annoying song that has sounded like a rapsters tune for the last 3 weeks suddenly made sense as I sat watching littleuns school nativity yesterday. My little darling was a star both in behaviour and as a character. In a bid to involve all the younger children in the nativity they added a few extras. Least of which was a side story of an angel who hadn't got her wings. On her way to Bethlehem she was always late in catching up the others, till it became obvious that she would get her wings after helping several animals with ailments. A fun afternoon of enthusiastic children who despite having rather short attention spans and waving madly at their parents, gave it their all. And yes, I did have a tear or two.

Now we are sitting here this afternoon, putting together our latest Yule gifts, Rocky road in a bag...

ps, the snow is apparently on the way back, argh.

A Turkish offering

2010-12-10T08:22:00.005Z

We all like a sweet or too, sticky indulgence that we know we really shouldn’t eat but oh just so have too. One of my dad’s favourites is Turkish delight. (Known as rahat lokum meaning giving rest to the throat). It’s pretty with its subtle soft colours and aromatic flavouring plus is a lovely thing to make at home and give out when our friends come and visit at Yule.

To make you will need:
3 tbs gelatine powder
400g sugar
1 tsp rosewater or to taste
2-3 drops of red food colouring
2 teaspoons cornflour
200g icing sugar
An 18 cm square cake tin wetted with water

Put 300ml water into a heavy based saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat then sprinkle in the gelatine and stir with metal spoon until melted. Add the sugar and stir continuously until dissolved

Return to the boil and continue boiling for 10 mins. Remove from the heat and stir in the rosewater and colouring.

Strain through sieve lined with muslin into the prepared cake tin and let cool. Leave to stand overnight to set.

Next day, sift the cornflour and icing sugar into a bowl, then sprinkle a thick layer onto a work surface. Transfer remaining powder mixture into a plastic bag.

Remove the Turkish Delight from the cake tin, loosening the edges if necessary with a wet knife and dipping the base of the tin into hot water for a few seconds. Turn out onto coated work surface and cut into 3cm squares.

Put the squares into the bag, together with any sugar mix left on the work surface, seal the bag and shake well until they are thick and evenly covered.

Pack into an airtight container and sprinkle over any remaining sugar mix.

Variations:
Orange Delight: Instead of the rosewater and red colouring add 1 tbs strained orange juice, 1 tsp orange flower water and 1 tbs ground crystallized orange rind at the same time as the sugar, prceed as above.

Lemon Nut Delight: Instead of the rosewater and red colouring stir through 1 tbs strained lemon juice. When mixture is beginning to set carefully stir through 40g blanched, chopped almonds or pistachios and proceed as main recipe.

Come Winter

2010-12-07T10:15:00.008Z

There can be no doubt that we are firmly residing in Winter. Yule is here soon and the logs are already burning. But in amongst the cold and snow that blankets everything people bustle along, busy as ever, capable now of moving again and it seems to me that they have forgotten to look around them. To slow down and really notice the changes. Hard to you say? Well yes I suppose it is but it is also important too. Despite the modern day appliances and so called civilization Winter still levels the playing field. The elderly and young alike need more care. Jack Frost doesn’t mind their ages, only gleeful that they might not be able to keep him out. So some of us have agreed, we will take note of who our neighbours are. Remind ourselves of the community again and try and help. Even if it’s only to pick up a pint of milk or to bring some companionship to them for a while. So here’s the challenge, learn the name of your neighbour before Yule and offer a little bit of that most important thing you have to give; some time and friendship.

The following poem is from someone who falls into the above category yet stubbornly refuses help at times being mentally and almost completely physically independent still at the grand age of nearly 92. A cantankerous fellow, but always there in our hearts and in his own way a leveller too. Oh the fun I have had watching him with Littleun, 80+ years separating them, but both gleefully laughing as they watch “Tom and Jerry” together (“originals minds you, none of this newfangled rubbish”) or as they enjoyed the hotdogs and mince pies on fireworks night in the heated conservatory. Anyway, hope you like it:

COME WINTER

When the bold little robin sings his sweetest song,
And the lanes and meadows are cold and white:
When the nights that follow are dark and long,
Then nature sleeps through the winter’s night.

While, at the break of dawn, stillness keeps
Bar meadow pond where the waters slow,
And snug, the barren hedgerow sleeps
Beneath a mantle of drifting snow.

See how the winter spreads its snowy shield,
Blending church and cottage into one:
The snow-faced clock, its time concealed,
Save for the bell and the chimes that run.

Beside the stream, the mill in hoary mist
Is still, while nature sleeps in settled snow,
And ice bounds trees whose branches twist
In restless dreams, while northern breezes blow.

So softly tread this carpet white, hinder not
The fragile warmth the distant sun may bring:
For soon, there’ll be no rest in nature’s cot,
When dawn awakes and morning turns to spring.

Poem © PRISM

Photo mgk_online's

Stained Glass Ginger Biscuits

2010-12-05T16:12:00.006Z

Ok it’s still rubbish weather wise here so have warmed the house with the smell of ginger. We often make goodies as gifts for friends at Yule and this year is no different. We have hampers ready with yummy things like our chutney from the summer and the apple schnapps soon ready to be poured into individual bottles. But one of the other things we like making are decorations and if that can be combined with food all the better.

We have put together some bits and bobs that the Littleuns can make (with a bit of help from the adults) and our first foody one are these delicious biscuits. Make them, hang them or just eat them.

To make you will need:

Cookie/biscuit cutters, we used stars, bells and house. Two of each is helpful, one smaller than the other.
Baking sheet.
Greaseproof paper

For the biscuits:
350g/12oz plain flour, extra for dusting
1tsp Bicarbonate of soda
½tsp salt
2tsp ground ginger
100g/3½oz butter
175g/6oz soft brown sugar
1 free-range egg, beaten
4tbsp golden syrup
Packet of fruit flavoured boiled sweets, different colours.
To decorate:
Tube of readymade white icing
Narrow ribbon
Ice sugar/dust

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c/350f/Gas 4
For the biscuits mix the flour bicarbonate of soda salt and ginger together in a bowl.
Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, and then stir in the sugar.
In another bowl, beat together the egg and golden syrup, pour this mixture into the flour mixture and mix to make a smooth dough, kneading lightly with your hands.
Crush the sweets in a bag using a rolling pin.
Roll out the dough on a floured work top to about 5mm/¼inch thick, and then cut into the shapes chosen. Transfer the biscuits to the baking sheet lined with the paper.
Cut out the centre of each biscuit making sure you leave a good edge all around the biscuits, completely fill the hole in each biscuit with broken sweets.
Make a hole at the top of each biscuit so that you can later thread the ribbon through. Bake for 10-12 mins or until golden brown.
Remove biscuits from oven and whilst they are still warm check that the holes are still there if not gently re-make. Leave on tray until cooled. Once cooled pipe icing in patterns wanted around the biscuits, you can dip in the ice dust if you want a snow-ish feel to it. Thread ribbon and hang.

Snowflakes for littleuns

2010-12-04T17:43:00.007Z

Well our snow was there when we went to bed, all 1½foot deeps worth and when we woke up this morning it had all gone and was replaced with rain, lots of it. Littleun was a bit upset so we decided to make some of our Yule flakes ready to go on our tree and windows. If you would like to make some, this is how we did it.

You will need:

White paper or card,

Scissors,

Glitter,

Glue,

Sequins,

Coloured tissue paper,

anything pretty and sparkly basically

Draw around a circle object. Cut out the circle you have drawn, fold it in half, then half again. Using a pair of scissors cut out little shapes from the paper.

Cut out a circle of the tissue paper, putting dots of the glue onto the back of the snowflake push the tissue paper onto it.

Decorate the front of the snowflake as you wish, stick on sequins or use glitter etc.

When finished tape or white-tac it to your windows or hang on tree.

Sorry about the naff quality photos, am having problems with both the camera and uploading to blogger :o/

It's Snowing!!

2010-12-02T22:21:00.008Z

We don't get snow that often but in the last few years it seems to be happening more and more. In a way its lovely, pretty to look at but in another it brings home the needs of the community. It definitely makes you more aware of those in your neighbourhood as you work together to clear the pavements, to help older neighbours by getting their shopping and the fun had sharing the sledges with the local children on the nearby hill. So on that thought here are some of our photos of the town in the snow...

Boo!

2010-11-30T16:06:00.007Z

Bet that made you all jump! Yep we are still here, almost. It’s been a mad old month and what with one thing and another I just haven’t been able to get over here. Hope this finds you all well?

So, how are all the Winter preparations going? We got caught out and have snow, the earliest this area has seen for about 17 years (so the met office tells us). The heating bill would be rather high, if it were working that is! So we’ve gone back to good old fashioned water bottles and extra layers plus now have the excuse of snuggling up next to each other on the sofa. We are crossing our fingers that the snow doesn’t stop school as they have on 17 days to go and so much fun to cram into it all. This is Littleuns first Winter at the new school and they are teaching them some “lovely” songs to sing at the show (though if I hear the rap version one more time I might scream an ickle bit).

Well this month we have run about in all sorts of places, started it with the autumn turning out and mild days with wandering in Wisley admiring the colours and new displays. In particular the new children’s play area. A natural area made from fallen trees the children had many things to climb on, build and use. The tree trunks were carved with some interesting patterns too:

We’ve been to the theatre, Ice skating, sealife centres and oh so much more, plus have bulk brought glue, glitter and felty-fuzzy stuff for Littleun to make things over the next few weeks. So if you are interested take a look at our ideas in the coming month, I promise I’ll post, honest!

Remember 5th November

2010-11-05T13:08:00.028Z

Diwali diyas

For this year not only is it a celebration of one Christian political parties ideals against another in the UK it is also the celebration of Diwali. Both are celebrations using light and both celebrations of a King victorious over another political enemy.

Now I would have thought that most of you have heard at some point a bit about the gentleman named Guy Fawkes and his cohorts attempt to blow up our Houses of Parliament along with the then King James?

Well if not: On the 5th November 1605 Guy Fawkes was caught in the cellars of the Houses of Parliament with several dozen barrels of gunpowder. Guy Fawkes was subsequently tried as a traitor with his co-conspirators for plotting against the government. He was tried by Judge Popham who came to London specifically for the trial from his country manor Littlecote House in Hungerford, Gloucestershire. Fawkes was sentenced to death and the form of the execution was one of the most horrendous ever practised (hung, drawn and quartered) which reflected the serious nature of the crime of treason.

The following year in 1606 it became an annual custom for the King and Parliament to commission a sermon to commemorate the event. Lancelot Andrewes delivered the first of many Gunpowder Plot Sermons. This practice, together with the nursery rhyme, ensured that this crime would never be forgotten! Hence the words “Remember, remember the 5th of November" The poem is sometimes referred to as 'Please to remember the fifth of November'. It serves as a warning to each new generation that treason will never be forgotten.

Remember remember the fifth of November

Gunpowder, treason and plot.

I see no reason why gunpowder, treason

Should ever be forgot...

In England the 5th of November is still commemorated each year with fireworks and bonfires culminating with the burning of effigies of Guy Fawkes (the guy). The 'guys' are made by children by filling old clothes with crumpled newspapers to look like a man. Tradition allows British children to display their 'guys' to passers-by and asking for "A penny for the guy".

Although in this county of controversy you are much more likely to find an effigy of the Pope than Guy Fawkes being burned. And in our town we tend to burn effigies which are relating more to a political or social situation that is currently directly effecting the town’s population.

So on the week we had our towns bonfire this was the effigy:

(6166, number of pirates we had to beat the world record/ Carr Taylor, local wine grower who beat the French at their own game becoming the only English Sparkling wine to do so. Guinness pint, well again to do with Guinness world records/ lastly the emblem is for our branch of bonfire boyes)

But as I said today is also the Hindu celebration of Diwali. A festival of light it celebrates the victory of one King over another.

Hindu Mythology

The Story of Rama and Sita:

Lord Rama was a great warrior King who was exiled by his father Dashratha, the King of Ayodhya, along with his wife Sita and his younger brother Lakshman, on his wife's insistence. Lord Rama returned to his Kingdom Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, in which he put an end to the demon Ravana of Lanka, who was a great Pundit, highly learned but still evil dominated his mind. After this victory of Good over Evil, Rama returned to Ayodhya. In Ayodhya, the people welcomed them by lighting rows of clay lamps. So, it is an occasion in honour of Rama's victory over Ravana; of Truth's victory over Evil.

The Story of King Bali and Vamana Avatar (the Dwarf):

The other story concerns King Bali, who was a generous ruler. But he was also very ambitious. Some of the Gods pleaded Vishnu to check King Bali's power. Vishnu came to earth in the form of a Vamana (dwarf) dressed as priest. The dwarf approached King Bali and said "You are the ruler of the three worlds: the Earth, the world above the skies and the underworld. Would you give me the space that I could cover with three strides?" King Bali laughed. Surely a dwarf could not cover much ground, thought the King, who agreed to dwarf's request. At this point, the dwarf changed into Vishnu and his three strides covered the Earth, the Skies and the whole Universe! King Bali was send to the underworld. As part of Diwali celebrations, some Hindus remember King Bali.

The Defeat of Narkasur by Lord Krishna:

Lord Vishnu in his 8th incarnation as Krishna destroyed the demon Narkasura, who was causing great unhappiness amongst the people of the world. Narkasura was believed to be a demon of filth, covered in dirt. He used to kidnap beautiful young women and force them to live with him. Eventually, their cries for rescue were heard by Vishnu, who came in the form of Krishna. First, Krishna had to fight with a five-headed monster that guarded the demon's home. Narkasura hoped that his death might bring joy to others. Krishna granted his request and the women were freed. For Hindus, this story is a reminder that good can still come out of evil.

Krishna and The Mountain:

In the village of Gokula, many years ago, the people prayed to the God Indra. They believed that Indra sent the rains, which made their crops, grow. But Krishna came along and persuaded the people to worship the mountain Govardhan, because the mountain and the land around it were fertile. This did not please Indra. He sent thunder and torrential rain down on the village. The people cried to Krishna to help. Krishna saved the villagers by lifting the top of the mountain with his finger. The offering of food to God on this day of Diwali is a reminder to Hindus of the importance of food and it is a time for being thankful to God for the bounty of nature.

Sikh Festival Diwali In Sikh perspective, Diwali is celebrated as the return of the sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind Ji from the captivity of the city, Gwalior. To commemorate his undying love for Sikhism, the towns people lit the way to, Harmandhir Sahib (referred to as the Golden Temple), in his honour. Jain Festival Diwali Among the Jain festivals, Diwali is one of the most important one. For on this occasion we celebrate the Nirvana of Lord Mahavira who established the dharma as we follow it. Lord Mahavira was born as Vardhamana on Chaitra Shukla 13th in the Nata clan at Khattiya-kundapura, near Vaishali. He obtained Kevala Gyana on Vishakha Shukla 10 at the Jambhraka village on the banks of Rijukula river at the age of 42.

So for me whatever the reason for celebrating tonight, whether it’s the New moon, Diwali, the Protestant upholding over the Catholics, or just because we are entering a dark period and to be with family and friends united with light, I will spend some time thinking about what we have, how despite our little moans and groans we are on the whole lucky and will light that light for the forthcoming months….

Diwali information from http://www.diwalifestival.org/

Pumpkins and Witches

2010-11-01T09:26:00.011Z

Well Samhain was cut short, really couldn't make it past 8.30pm but we did have a go at giving out treats for the other kids in the area. Also managed to carve out some pumpkins, not nearly as many as last year but hopefully still good. Seems funny that we spent the whole summer growing them for this one evening only for them to go on the compost but then again, that's part of the circle. They will help next years grow and hopefully being back on form next year then we will have lots more. Our witch made another outing with her spells and potions and littleun changed his mind and wanted to be a pumpkin too as you can see above.

So there's some photos, sorry for the blurry fuzziness to them, the camera really isn't good enough for night time shots but hopefully you'll get the gist.

Happy Samhain and the Winner is...

2010-10-31T11:21:00.009Z

Well it's here and it has slid in without enough preparation from us. The bug we have had has still got its hold on us and the only positive effect it is having is that it gives such horrible aches and pains that I can save a fortune on any zombie costume whilst having the walk down pat!

Really has been a rotten few weeks sadly so haven't managed to post anything here as just getting ourselves up and about has proved to be a bit too hard at times. But we do need to do the announcement of the Bloggerversary winner. So this morning we have sat here, entered each name the appropriate amount of times into our very special sorting hat and here we are with the winner being (drum roll)..... Kally!

Kally is relatively new in the world of Blogging and is celebrating her first Samhain today with her littleuns. So if you can, do take a wander over to her blog, she has some lovely things to tell you all about.

Hope to be back next week with more of our ramblings, showing you hopefully how we managed to celebrate today. Am now off to make a brain jelly for my mums Hallowe'en party. Good Samhain blessings to you all.

Sniff Snuffle urgh

2010-10-15T13:42:00.003+01:00

Not well feeling awful, can't put a clear thought together let alone a post, so on the basis I haven't had much response am re-posting the link for the giveaway and will hopefully be back in a couple of days.

Off to climb back under the duvet....

Samhain/Hallowe’en Visit: Highgate Cemetery

2010-10-08T16:31:00.008+01:00

for more photos click here

Well this is the time of year to think about or ancestors. To remember them and where we have come from because of them. But I was thinking, not only should we remember those directly linked to us but how about those who through their existence have directly or indirectly affected us?

I have always been interested in the cemeteries, places of supposed haunting; I find them peaceful and intriguing. Whenever I am in a new area I visited the local cemetery. Not only is it normally a lovely place for a walk, most having beautiful gardens and tree areas, it is also a place where you can learn things.

Highgate cemetery is local to some of my family and one I have visited over the years quite often. They have in the past held “ghost visits” at Hallowe’en to those brave enough to try them.
Highgate cemetery is in London and has lots of “residents” from the inconsequential to the most revered. Open to visitors, although only when a funeral isn’t taking place, you can visit the graves of those who have had a touch of improvement (or maybe otherwise!) on our world. Whether it be the written influences of someone like Douglas Adams (author of Hitchhikers Guide..) or Farzad Bazoft a journalist, executed by Saddam Hussein's regime, or the work leading to the invention of electric dynamo by Michael Faraday, physicist, through to Karl Marx there is someone there who will make you stop and think. To be grateful of whom we are and how we got to be there. Not to mention it is just the most fantastic place of Victorian Gothic to study!

So next time you are passing one, have a look, the messages engraved on the stones should be enough to make you think, if not at least the surroundings are worth a visit.

Samhain/Hallowe’en Marzipan Canapés

2010-10-07T07:38:00.001+01:00

So your guests are turning up for your party and you want to have something for them as they come in, just a little something to make them HYPER!!!! Because what’s a party if it hasn’t got a load of kids bouncing of the walls? And these canapés are just the perfect start. Your Littleun can easily make them without much guidance earlier in the day as you get things ready.

You will need:

250g Gold Marzipan (makes approx 18)
200g White marzipan (makes approx 8)
Red or/and Black food paste dye
Orange paste dye
Green paste dye
Wooden spoon
Toothpick/cocktail sticks

Marzipan Skull Method:

Using a knife carefully cut the block of white marzipan into 8 equal sized squares.
Using your fingers shape each piece into a chunky rectangle. Then squeeze the lower part of each one to make a chin making the edges as smooth as you can.
Taking the handle of the spoon press two eye sockets into each skull. Then use a toothpick to press in a nose and mouth
Using the end of your tooth pick dip into the red or black dye pastes and infill carefully the eye, nose and mouth until really dark.

Marzipan pumpkin method:

Unwrap the block of gold marzipan cut of a corner and wrap and put aside. Place the rest onto a clear smooth surface, take the end of a pick and add some of the orange paste to the marzipan then kneed until all mixed in to dark enough colour (don’t forget some paste colours darken after sitting for a while).
Roll a piece of marzipan to make a small ball, flatten slightly on top. Make the rest into small balls of a size you prefer. Put on plate or tray and set aside
Taking the piece of uncoloured marzipan you had set aside at the beginning repeat colour action but this time with the green paste. When done take small bits and roll into stalk shape. Make a hole on the top of the pumpkin part with a stick and add stalk.
Use the end of the toothpick to press two eyes and a row of teeth into each pumpkin.

WARNING MARZIPAN CONTAINS NUTS SO BE AWARE FOR ANYONE WHO MIGHT SUFFER ALLERGIES

So the B******s Burnt it!

2010-10-06T08:21:00.007+01:00

Sorry for the swearing but am so very very mad and saddened by the loss of the pier. Yesterday early morning at least two people decided the pier wasn’t needed anymore and they burnt it. The lovely ballroom is now a shell of twisted metal rising out of the sea. But sadly due to the controversy surrounding the pier I very much doubt that, phoenix style, any restorations will rise as well. It’s just far too much for them to do when they couldn’t even sort out the compulsory purchase order in the first place. So probably its either going to rot for many many years similar to the Brighton one along the coast or someone might actually get around to pulling it all down.

Photo credit : Owen Audious

Think this poem I found on You-tube sums up the Towns feelings rather well. It’s by a lad called Christian Watson:

"They Burned it Down"

They burned it,
They burned it down.
One of the best things about this town.
They burned it with inaction and excuses,
Time, lack of money, lack of care.
Don’t it make you feel useless?

If they had given me a hammer and a couple of nails,
If they had given me some glue and a bucket of paint.
If they had given into the peoples demands,
If they had given me permission
If they had given me a hand.

They leave this town rotting,
Observer building, The Ridge;
Moving the Soul of the College into an oversized fridge.
There’s no money in restoring.
It’s all in construction.
In whoring cheap materials cheap labour,
Under the table deals sold of Council favours.
Then give it a few years its up and its “Bye see you later”.

But we have to live here,
While you burn it down.
One building at a time,
Don’t it make you feel proud?

They burned it,
They burned it down.
Two teenagers bored and un-amused
A claim to fame,
Exploding into flames.
And come the morning the gray light smoke fades,
As the soot washes down the drain.

Those boys in a cell they’re just products, two sad little names.
That we can put on the rock that sees this town wither and wane.

Well I’m fed up the uming, the ahing, the handwriting, the handwringing, the sighing.
The filling out forms creating the contracts.
Watch the rats as they feed at the supports.

I’m fed up of waiting.
And when I can see what needs doing.
So grab a hammer, grab a box of nails.
Get some wood from Stamco, get some paint.
And what else?
We just need some people, each with a pair of hands.
Because if we move as one, we can make them give into our demands.

We need to reclaim our seafront, Our beaches, Our castle, Our bricks and mortar.
The town we call home.
Because we knew what needs doing, Where to put the love and care.
It’s time to claim what we own,
Before it’s burnt up and burnt away.
Like the Pier.
That we lost today.

Photo credit Simon Hookey

So what to do, for ages a lot of infighting no doubt. Indifference even maybe? I hope not. I really do. This town is slowly suffering and we need our history to move forward. I hope that it gets rebuilt or a brand new one in its place.
Grr, rant over.

Samhain/Hallowe’en Parties things to do

2010-10-05T08:04:00.000+01:00

For the first half of October I am mainly concentrating on the things we will be sorting for the Hallowe’en side of the 31st. And for the second half of October I’ll be posting a bit more about what we will be doing for our personal Samhain celebrations. The two in my mind at least being very different from each other.

As such here is something about one of the props we are going to be using; Wizard/Witches Brew.

It’s very simple for all to do though if very Littleuns are helping watch out for splash back as the vinegar can irritate eyes.
You will need:
A clean glass jar/bottle
Clear (distilled) vinegar
Food dyes
Glitter
Washing up liquid
Bicarbonate of soda

Half fill the jar/bottle with the clear vinegar. Add several drops of food dye, then sprinkle a little of the glitter over the top of the vinegar.
Add a good squeeze of washing up liquid to the mix. Gently stir with a metal spoon.
Put the jar/bottle onto a tray (which can be disguised as something else) and then add a heaped teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to the jar. Stand back slightly!

Anniversary Giveaway!!

2010-10-04T08:59:00.001+01:00

Ok to celebrate the fact that I have been here for a year and because when you add up the extra few friends I know who read my blog anonymously and the followers who publicly (mad lot of you that you are!) declare an interest there is 150 of you; I am having my second give away. As ever anyone anywhere can enter as long as you follow the usual bits below.

Because when I put 1st anniversary into the Google I got “paper” as the answer, I have gone for a few things that I thought you would find interesting made of paper.

So we have in this giveaway several books, Hallowe’en mobile to make (thought your Littleuns would like it), a diary and calendar with some beautiful faerie artwork and a dream catcher (because my Littleun wanted to add something into the mix and he is fascinated by them!).

There are three books, one on all the things you might ever want to make out of chocolate (got to say the Italian Truffles on page 174 look fantastic), a book on Alternative Therapies covering subjects from aromatherapy to yoga and lastly the 3rd book is called “the Essential Allotment Guide” one I found rather useful this year helping with the basics of starting up an allotment, involving the children in it and the ways to grow things organically.

To Enter the Giveaway:

• Anyone who is a follower of this blog can enter by commenting below! You must be a follower to enter (see sidebar).

• Receive 1 extra entry if have my button on your blog. Please include a link to your blog in your comment entry below.

• Receive another extra entry if you post about this giveaway in your blog and link it back to here. Please include a link to your post in your comment entry below.

You can leave all the links in one comment, no need for individual comments. Closing date is30th October with draw by random magic hat technical system on the 31st October. Good luck to you all!

The Ceremony of May at The Stables Theatre

2010-10-03T07:40:00.006+01:00

^click to enter The Ceremony of May^

Take this chance if you are in the area of popping over to Hastings, Sussex on the 6th October to see The Ceremony of May and Travels Through Time being performed at the Stables Theatre, The Bourne, TN34 3BD. Well worth the visit you’ll be tapping away and grinning before you know it.

Travels Through Time:

Dip into a dramatic exploration of episodes from local life. From Smugglers and witches, entertainers and poets to modern fishing quotas, the company weave a dramatic musical tale adding both verse and quotes from contempory sources.

Ceremony of May

The Ceremony of May was cited a “complete triumph” when premiered at the years Jack in The Green in Hastings and rapturously received at Rochester Sweeps Festival. Rose Blakeley’s expressive poetry on the mystical traditions of spring, adeptly set to music by Sussex violinist Garry Blakeley, becomes a fiery fusion, with Jane Downes’ redolent tones conveying the magic.

Tickets are available for The Stables Box Office on 01424 423221 or you can book online at www.stables-theatre.co.uk

Samhain/Hallowe’en Parties, What do you wear?

2010-10-02T10:27:00.004+01:00

Littleun has been invited to a friend’s birthday party and as it is the day before Samhain his friends mum has gone with Hallowe’en as a theme for it. Well looking at his fancy dress box and the fact he seems to have turned into a giant overnight none of it is going to fit him. Unfortunately having a few financial issues at the moment means that I am not capable of buying some of those fantastic outfits you see in the stores so together we are going to make one. And like a few years previous Littleun wants to be a skeleton.

from a couple of years ago

We used:
Some white clothing paint
Paintbrushes
Tape
Newspaper
Old Black long sleeved t-shirt, leggings, socks and gloves

Put clothing on Littleun so that you can mark the elbows and knees with tape and mark the middle of the t-shirt at the bottom vertically.
Take of the clothes and lay flat. Roll up the newspapers and stuff the arms and body of the t-shirt.
Using the paint on bones shapes, don’t worry too much about being symmetrical.
Stuff the leggings and repeat painting.
For the hands paint smaller little bones on each finger of the glove and a bigger filled semi-circle on the area which covers the top of the hand.
With the socks we found it easier to put a small food bag onto his feet first then put the sock on, stopped the foot getting covered in paint.

When all done follow paint instructions for curing the clothing.
Paint up face and have a fun time.

31 Days to go but a whole year has been

2010-10-01T13:23:00.000+01:00

Well as we all know its 31 days to go till Samhain and we are looking forward to it so much. We have so much to do this month. Our leaf scatter to make, Pumpkins to carve, the place mats, our gifts and things for the altar. But we also have our self reflection to happen too. For tomorrow we will have been on blogger and “out” for a whole year. So not only will we be remembering our ancestors on Samhain but we will be remembering our journey to this point. The ups and downs since opening up to those around us. The “ding” moments where it suddenly became clear, the path forward no longer as troubling as the path behind. A year of change for both of us indeed. We have been so lucky to have shared it with many kind faces, those we know and those perfect strangers all ready with words of encouragement and guidance and great big smiles.

This year: My life though stressful at times doesn’t get to me so much, having now found a way to channel the calm to over-ride the grumps. We have lost friends, sadly passed away. We have gained those friends at the school gates, the groups, Sabbats and meetings. Battles have been won health-wise, for the while at least. Littleun has started School. I have restarted full time work. We have made time for our laughs. Our cousin’s families have increased with new babies, now and soon. We have our allotment and the joy of sharing the tips and tricks with the neighbours on it, plus the fun of walking through the town, popping in to see people sharing the crops and bounty we have got. Our wealth has increased, not financially as you would think by that but the wealth of knowledge, of importance, of irrelevance, of knowing when it matters and when it doesn’t. And one of the best things I have learned this year is Time, find it, make it, enjoy it so that you can share it, share each other.

So here’s to the next year, may it be as interesting, challenging and fun as this one has been, with many more things to do, with friends and family, old and new.

What did you once do that you really miss?

2010-09-30T21:16:00.012+01:00

In my case its play the recorders. I know that sounds a bit geeky but it really was fun. Even managed to work with Sir Peter Maxwell Davis for a concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on Southbank once. And I miss it. Having recently found them again I thought I'd dust them off and bring them into our lives a bit more, well the neighbours dog barked everytine I have, Littleun has run for the hills and I have realised that just because once you were good at something doesn't mean you still are!

Being the stubborn sort I have not given up and am now practicing trying to get somewhere even half decent. It has however made quite a few folk I know go "oh I used too..." and start doing things they enjoyed once more.

So my question to you is, what did you do that you really liked and would you learn it or do it again now?

photo credit: Robert Stadler

Happy Awards & Sunshine Awards

2010-09-27T14:35:00.012+01:00

Well I have only just realised there were two awards given to me during the last month and I haven’t posted about them! Very sorry!

So here we go the first one is called the Happy Award, which is fun and makes you smile. It was kindly given to me by Avie at Hearthwitch Cottage. The idea is to list 10 things which make you happy. Now not too many years ago I would have found this tricky, everything was “going wrong” but after the recent years of new good friends and getting a grip well am much more content so here you are in no particular order:

Obviously Littleun, annoyingly bright in the morning that Smile is worth the glowing numbers on the clock saying 5.00am.

Sitting in the allotment, eating the lunch made with the things we have grown and not caring an apeth about the streaks of mud across my face from all that digging.

My friends, from the new ones in the school playground at collecting time to the long lost one who has returned after many years hiding away in a far corner of the country.

The smell of my chutney, jam and bakes which only a couple of years ago was tinged with that acrid burnt smell but now is wonderfully sweet as we learn more each time we do it.

Those height lines on the wall which started so small and now are so tall.

The buzz at the celebrations when we are gathering for the Sabbats, the hellos, the winks, the joyous laughter & the raucous shout when you see someone you haven’t seen since the previous year.

Watching the Winter waves reclaim the beach spraying wonderfully over the prom in a “its mine” sort of way and the smell of the sea as it does so.

Chocolate. Well I just had to add this one, I defy any woman to say it wouldn’t make her smile to have some given to her!

Music, the right piece for the right mood which will bring back memories of happy times.

My new sort “relationship”, which is neither conventional nor normal but is more going down the road of “let’s just have fun and enjoy ourselves”, without stress or dictations but with giggles and being there for each other when we need to cheer up or laugh or let loose.

Being typically lackadaisical I am saying that anyone who fancies doing so please tell us what makes you happy, you can link from here on the comments.

The other award has been given this time by Louise over at Wandering along Loopy’s Life Path and is that lovely bright Sunshine award. Lucky me now has been given this twice so thank you ever so and if anyone fancies reading my answers for it do click on the piccie.

Seed box gifts

2010-09-25T21:48:00.008+01:00

Over the last few weeks we have been gathering the seeds from our flowers and veg ready for use next year. This is something the gardeners used to do a lot but in this “must buy” society is something you don’t hear about that often any more. So far we have several packets drying out and apart from being in brown bags or envelopes haven’t done much with them. Cue the need for a box to put them in. Now we could have just got a box and that be that but Littleun said he fancied making one for his grandfather too so we have come up with an idea for cheep but meaningful gifts. A seed box with home-grown seeds.

You will need,

A shoe box
Pictures from mag’s, papers, seed envelopes etc of flowers, veg or anything you can think of that you would associate with gardens.
Glue
Scissors
Sticky backed plastic
Seeds, envelopes and pictures

Cut out the pictures in non-uniform shapes. Glue onto the lid and the base, cover with the plastic so all smooth and slightly water-drip proof. I have added a couple of recipes that we love doing jams and chutney.

With the seeds we have split them and decorated each envelope with pictures of the plants to show what is inside them ready to add to the box.

Simple but effective little gift for the Littleuns to make.

Busy busy times

2010-09-21T19:20:00.007+01:00

Well the last week has seen my littleuns birthday (party was noisy, Pirate themed) His first week at the new school and a whole lot of work at the allotment. And we have loved every minute of it. But it has meant that I haven't a clue what or where I am so you can imagine my surprise when I looked up the date today for some work, eek! where has it all gone? I thought I had days yet to get ready. So this year we are having a slightly scaled back Mabon and what with the Harvest moon to celebrate too the answer has yet again been bake.

Today we made some biscuits for littleun to take into school, the teacher there has read a little of his casefile and found the small word half way down the page that indicates we aren't quite like the others in his class. Fortunately she seems to be very positive and has asked us to provide some things that would show his class mates what we do. And for all my ramblings I found it very hard to do so. Opening up to her our rituals and patterns wasn't as easy as I thought it was going to be. Bizarre when you consider that I write it all here for anyone anywhere to see!

However fact sheet, photos and biscuits now done, littleun excited at sharing it all and to top it off a blog entry, finally!

Hope you all have a brilliant Mabon and Full Moon. We will be heading up the allotment for ours, hoping the weather holds, to sit in the glorious moonshine.

Samhain/Halloween Blog Party

2010-09-14T17:40:00.010+01:00

Ok its party time. As the countdown to Samhain starts for us soon we are joining the merry band in participating in Domestic Witches Blog party. Basically a great big way of linking lots of folks post regarding Samhain or Hallowe'en and a great way of learning things and having fun.

The following has been taken from Serenity Athenina's page to tell you a bit about how it all works but do trundle over to her blog yourself for more information and to sign up!

Who Can Participate?

Anyone with a blog and is planning on posting about Halloween/Samhain! I am not going require that anyone submit what they write, but I will require that you sign up using Mr. Linky and leave a comment sharing just how you plan on participating. There is no deadline for sign ups. I will check back periodically for new participants. Another requirement for participation is that you display the banner and link back to me on your blog.

What if I Don't Have a Blog?

While no one is required to submit any posts to me, if you have a great idea and want to share it I would be happy to post it on my blog for you. You can leave me a comment below, reach me at thedomesticwitch@yahoo.com or on my Facebook page. I will list you as a contributor on the sidebar and list any links you have (such as Facebook, Myspace, or Twitter) as well!When is the Blog Party?I will start the blog party on October 1st. On that day, I will post the links to all the participants in my sidebar. I encourage all the participants to blog throughout the month about the holiday but I know that's not possible for everyone. However, if all you plan to do is post the day of Halloween/Samhain your participation is strongly discouraged.

Where is the Blog Party?

Here and at all the participants blogs! How it will work is I will include the title of your latest post along with your blog link in the sidebar. Every time you share a new post, everyone will know about it! Some blog parties require that you submit the posts but this is automated so that means you don't have to rely on me to share your posts. Isn't that wonderful!

Why the whole month of October?

For many Pagans, Witches, and Wiccans, Halloween/Samhain is the most important holiday of the year! The biggest holiday of the year requires a lot of preparation. A blog party is a way to share all your celebration, ritual, decorating, craft, recipe, and costume ideas with each other!

Mabon making but Yule drinking...

2010-09-12T08:54:00.002+01:00

Apple Schnapps

YAY I hear you cry, not another cake or jam recipe phew. No its one for the adults. Recommended to me by a Scandinavian friend this recipe is for a knock your boots off apple schnapps. Make it now at Mabon with your apples harvested and store for the few months to drink in winter or give as gifts.

Use fresh, fully ripe and aromatic apples. Wild or cultivated. Organic if available. You can use almost any variety. So start with your favourite one, then try some other varieties.

Direction:

Wash and slice 1-2 apples. Leave the skin on.
Put them - and also the cores - in a clean glass jar with tight-fitting lid.
Cover with clear, unflavoured vodka - 40% alcohol content (80 proof).

Let steep for two months or more in a dark place at room temperature, 18-20°C (64-68°F).

Shake lightly and taste it from time to time.

Strain and filter your infusion into a clean glass bottle or jar with tight-fitting lid.

You can serve your apple schnapps after it has settled for a couple of days in a dark place at room temperature. But some storage (aging) will improve the flavours. Taste it from time to time to find out.

Mea'n Fo'mhair/Mabon: Crab Apple Jelly

2010-09-11T08:21:00.000+01:00

Ok, well you just knew with all the crops from our allotment/Dads garden this year was going to turn into recipe after recipe. And I hope you don't mind. We are also going to be trying out different crafts too so hopefully some variation for you!

For a recipe based on the crab apples we collected you will need:

Preserving sugar (see method)
1kg/2¼lb crab apples
3 cloves
water (see method)

Method

Preheat the oven to 120c/250f/gas½. Put the preserving sugar into the oven for 15 mins. Wash the apples and cut them in half but do not peel or core. Place the apples and cloves in a large saucepan.

Pour the water to cover. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer until soft. Strain the mixture into a bowl. Measure the juice and ass 450g/1lb/2 cups of sugar for each 600ml/1pint/2½ cups of juice. Pour into a pan and heat gently. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then boil rapidly until the setting point is reached. Pour into warm sterilized jars and seal.

Mea'n Fo'mhair

2010-09-08T08:58:00.000+01:00

So having been openly on my Path for almost a year I thought I would look a bit into the names for the various celebrations, find out some more as to how they have come about.

Mea'n Fo'mhair seems to be the Druid name for the Autumn Equinox but when I typed this into the search station I got a lot of hits for sites which all carried the same short explanation. Having trawled through many of them I have decided to cheat and give you the same answer!

The Druids call this celebration, Mea'n Fo'mhair, and honor the The Green Man, the God of the Forest, by offering libations to trees. Offerings of ciders, wines, herbs and fertilizer are appropriate at this time. Wiccans celebrate the aging Goddess as she passes from Mother to Crone, and her consort the God as he prepares for death and re-birth.

And being me, the type of person who never actually completes what I initially started, having wandered off side tracked by something else which caught my eye, I liked the idea of making an offering. We often leave small plant food cubes on our walks so this was something that littleun was used too. I gave him a choice of which areas he wanted to go to as we have many lovely woods nearby when he pointed out something I had overlooked. On our allotment we have a budding oak. It has decided to grow in a rather inconvenient area but all the same is doing well. This as littleun said would be a good tree to offer our thanks too. To protect it, nurture it, give the area around it the food it needs and to watch it grow hopefully for many years to come. So come the equinox you will know where we will be.

To the Rescue...

2010-09-06T19:31:00.010+01:00

What a week. September is always busy for us. We have Littleuns birthday, Littleuns Mad Aunt birthday, start of Littleuns new school, Holidays to enjoy oh and the Harvest to continue. Blimey exhausted just reading that little lot!

a few of our apples...

Well the Harvest is normally longer than now but this week we had to do a mad rescue as the allotment got blown down by a rather horrible turn in the weather. Sadly we have been forced to gather in the tomatoes before they have ripened as the wind and rain are starting to cause damage and rot. So look out for green tomato recipes soon as that is what I will have to do with the 3 large bag loads of them we managed to save. As for the cucumbers well they are fighting back, have found another 5 hiding in amongst the damage so more salad any one?! As for apples, well don't get me started, the whole of the kitchen has been covered by them as we have washed and now are drying them off. We have Bramleys, Coxes and Crabs, guess tomorrow includes sugar on the shopping list!

Birthday parties are being planned too, baking and cooking to happen. This year we have gone for a cinema type party, lots of Tom and Jerrys etc think it will be good but I can't believe how much Littleun has grown, seems like only yesterday I brought baby home from hospital. And not long before he starts school. Ooh do I cry now? boohoo!

So a busy month, with Mabon to enjoy as well, ahead.

Chocolate Cake (with a twist)

2010-08-30T16:47:00.012+01:00

Do you have kids who love the naughty foods but aren't so great with the good veg foods etc? Well a friend of mine did so when they came round we got her littleun and mine to do some baking. This recipe mixed the fun of chocolate with the goodness of the secret ingredient... Courgette/zucchini.

to make you will need

450g courgettes/zucchini, peeled

250g butter, softened

250g light brown soft sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

125ml milk

1tsp baking powder

350g self-raising flour

4tbsp cocoa powder

cake tin 30x20cm greased

Method:

Turn oven to 180c/350f/gas4.

Cut greaseproof paper to tin size to add extra protection.

Grate courgettes/zucchini finely.

Put softened butter, sugar and extract into bowl and beat with wooden spoon.

Crack eggs into a bowl and whisk with fork.

Gradually add eggs to the mixture, add the milk and whisk together.

Carefully sieve in the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder. Taking a metal spoon fold the mixture.

Spoon mix into the tin then bake for between 35 and 45 mins.

Test centre of cake with skewer and if right leave to cool.

Sit back and stuff yourself silly...

Mediaeval Fayres

2010-08-29T12:07:00.007+01:00

We spent yesterday at our local fayre, it’s held once a year in the grounds of a 15thc Home/Castle. “Herstmonceux is renowned for its magnificent moated castle, set in beautiful parkland and superb Elizabethan gardens. Built originally as a country home in the mid- 15th - century, Herstmonceux Castle embodies the history of Medieval England and the romance of Renaissance Europe.”

The Fayre is a 3 day event celebrating the life in mediaeval times. You can walk through the village shoppes; eat in the Buxom Wench enjoying vegetarian food as much as the smells of the hog roast. The camps are set up so you can wander about looking and chatting with the larp family. The re-enactments of battles and shows of strength for the armouries are mesmerising to watch. And the whoops of delight as you catch up with friends you haven’t seen for a while, exchanging ideas and gifts, fill every corner.

The owls and birds of prey were graceful and beautiful to watch, Littleun and his friend got to hold one. It was lovely to see the gentleness and awe with which Littleun interacted with the Owl. For a few minutes there was a calmness and quiet as they watched each other. Littleun is always eager to see the birds and learn about them so it’s great to get this chance every now and then.

There are always things for the children to learn, activities to play. Quite a few for the adults too. From weaving, brass rubbings, chicken catching (they got out again), how to fire guns, shoot arrows, skin rabbits the list is endless. The ability to buy the materials for next year’s gowns and clothes at reasonable prices, with good quality is great too. And finally I managed to get a set of Ogham staves, well made with care, far better use than the hodgepodge ones I made.

How airline announcements should be like...

2010-08-23T14:17:00.007+01:00

I got sent an email today by a friend who has a great sense of timing, she waits until I am stuffing myself with toast and homemade jam before letting me read what was the funniest set of airline announcement I have ever heard. Was a good way to start the day, with a smile. So I thought I'd share them with you too, hopefully you'll find them funny to and its not just me with my weird soh...

Kulula is an Airline with head office situated in Johannesburg ...

Kulula airline attendants make an effort to make the in-flight "safety lecture" and announcements a bit more entertaining. Here are some real examples that have been heard or reported:On a Kulula flight, (there is no assigned seating, you just sit where you want) passengers were apparently having a hard time choosing, when a flight attendant announced, "People, people we're not picking out furniture here, find a seat and get in it!"

On another flight with a very "senior" flight attendant crew, the pilot said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached cruising altitude and will be turning down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants."On landing, the stewardess said, "Please be sure to take all of your belongings.. If you're going to leave anything, please make sure it's something we'd like to have."

"There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane."

"Thank you for flying Kulula. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."

As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Durban Airport , a lone voice came over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella. WHOA!"

After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in the Karoo , a flight attendant on a flight announced, "Please take care when opening the overhead compartments because, after a landing like that, sure as hell everything has shifted."

From a Kulula employee: " Welcome aboard Kulula 271 to Port Elizabeth ... To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seat belt; and, if you don't know how to operate one, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised."

"In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child travelling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are travelling with more than one small child, pick your favourite."

"Your seats cushions can be used for flotation; and in the event of an emergency water landing, please paddle to shore and take them with our compliments."

"As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses.."

And from the pilot during his welcome message: "Kulula Airlines is pleased to announce that we have some of the best flight attendants in the industry. Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight!"

Heard on Kulula 255 just after a very hard landing in Cape Town : The flight attendant came on the intercom and said, "That was quite a bump and I know what y'all are thinking. I'm here to tell you it wasn't the airline's fault, it wasn't the pilot's fault, it wasn't the flight attendant's fault, it was the asphalt."

Overheard on a Kulula flight into Cape Town , on a particularly windy and bumpy day: During the final approach, the Captain really had to fight it. After an extremely hard landing, the Flight Attendant said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to The Mother City. Please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened while the Captain taxis what's left of our airplane to the gate!"

Another flight attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing: "We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal."

An airline pilot wrote that on this particular flight he had hammered his ship into the runway really hard. The airline had a policy which required the first officer to stand at the door while the passengers exited, smile, and give them a "Thanks for flying our airline. He said that, in light of his bad landing, he had a hard time looking the passengers in the eye, thinking that someone would have a smart comment. Finally everyone had gotten off except for a little old lady walking with a cane. She said, "Sir, do you mind if I ask you a question?", "Why, no Ma'am," said the pilot. "What is it?" The little old lady said, "Did we land, or were we shot down?"

After a real crusher of a landing in Johannesburg , the attendant came on with, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Captain Crash and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate. And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced, we will open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal.."

Heard on a Kulula flight. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to smoke, the smoking section on this airplane is on the wing.. If you can light 'em, you can smoke 'em."

A plane was taking off from Durban Airport . After it reached a comfortable cruising altitude, the captain made an announcement over the intercom, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Welcome to Flight Number 293, non-stop from Durban to Cape Town, The weather ahead is good and, therefore, we should have a smooth and uneventful flight.. Now sit back and relax... OH, MY GOODNESS!" Silence followed, and after a few minutes, the captain came back on the intercom and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am so sorry if I scared you earlier. While I was talking to you, the flight attendant accidentally spilled a cup of hot coffee in my lap. You should see the front of my pants!" A passenger then yelled, "That's nothing. You should see the back of mine!"

Yeah I know, not very PC.......

Meditation for Littleun

2010-08-16T20:11:00.001+01:00

We are half way through our Summer Break and the strain is starting to show. Littleun is getting more and more bored no matter what we do and it’s mainly because he wants to get to his new school. In despair I thought lets head to the allotment. He is normally a lot calmer there anyway. Once there looking over the wonderful views we have, the noise cut down and surrounded by plants grown with love and care He did indeed seem to calm, but not enough. Now at home during term time we have often headed out to the beach and held some meditation time so why not here on our patch of earth too.

I find a good way to start with the meditation is to sit him down in the open grass, give him something to hold that he can concentrate on, in this case a lovely set of red sunflowers given to us by our allotment neighbour, and to tell him to focus on the petals. For each petal he then calls out something which he finds happy, the love of playing on the beach or going for walks, seeing his Grandparents, collecting pine cones, making things with his meccano etc by the time he has finished his mind is normally starting to calm down. You can see in his body he is relaxing. When he has got to a certain stage I normally sit behind him and gently massage his shoulders whilst he sits in silence. Finally he drifts off so much that he is dozing lying against me in the sunshine.

Listening to the birds, watching the bees with a beautiful lad asleep, in peace and quiet. What a great way to meditate and spend the afternoon.

Scarecrow Poem...

2010-08-13T17:00:00.011+01:00

A Jolly Good Fellow

The scarecrow in the Farmer's field is spruce and nicely dressed,

With a pink and yellow neckerchief and a rose pinned to his chest.

I always give a smile to him on days when passing by,

And he will wave his glove to me then nod and wink his eye.

He's a very friendly fellow

with his tie of pink and yellow,

And in my heart I know

That he'd never hurt a fly.

He stands there all alone in the fields of corn and wheat;

with rooks , crows and magpies, pecking at his feet.

They make a merry party and he joins in with the fun,

Playing with the field mice that scamper in the sun

He's a very decent fellow

With his tie of pink and yellow,

And he'll wave his arms to warn them

Should the farmer raise his gun.

When the summer sun is shining and the hedgerows are in bloom,

I change his pretty rosebud for a spike of yellow broom:

Then brush his tweedy jacket and straighten his cravat,

And tidy up the head of straw that lies beneath his hat.

For he's quite a handsome fellow,

With his tie of pink and yellow,

And to any scarecrow lady

He would make a perfect match.

When the harvest in the farmer's field is reaped and stored away,

And the birds have fled the fallow where the field mice came to play.

When the yellow leaves of autumn are descending from the trees,

He'll wave goodbye to all of them while dancing on the breeze.

He's a very merry fellow

With his tie of pink and yellow,

And while he's warm and mellow,

You will never hear him sneeze.

©PRISM 2010

101 things to do with Blackberries

2010-08-10T08:30:00.000+01:00

Well three things for now actually and yes I mean those lovely gleaming dark purple berries, not the latest phone!

Up at the allotment we have had a lot of blackberries come out, so far several lb’s worth and as much as I love making jam I thought I would have a look at the ‘net and see what else I could do with them.

The following are recipes and ideas pinched from Delia Smith, Ehow and Cookuk. All of them are great fun and if you have, like me, been forced to stay indoors for the min (Littleun has chickenpox) then they are also fun things that don’t take too long to do.

This dye comes out wonderfully and I have made our new altar cloth with it ready for Mabon:

Prepare the fabric by pre-soaking it in the first pot, using a fixative solution for berry dyes. See the "Tips" section for details on making this solution.

Put on rubber gloves to avoid staining your skin.

Use a measuring cup to determine how many cups of berries are to be placed in the second pot. Crush them lightly with the back of the wooden spoon. Place the pot containing the berries onto the stove.

Measure 2 times the amount of water as berries. For example, if you used 3 cups of berries, pour in 6 cups of water. Pour this water over the berries in the pot. Bring the contents to a boil, then immediately lower the heat to simmer. Wait until the water has turned a deep shade of purple. Strain the berries and discard them.

Place the damp, pre-soaked, fixative-treated fabric to be dyed into the pot. Let the fabric simmer in the dye until the desired shade is attained. Leaving it to rest in the dye overnight yields darker results. The fabric will appear lighter than the colour of the dye in the pot. Squeeze out the fabric under cool, running water and let it dry.

Tips & Warnings
If you are dyeing fabric, remember that natural fibres (as opposed to synthetic or manmade) will absorb colour better. Wool, cotton and silk are all good candidates. It helps if the fabric is already a light or neutral colour. If you choose to collect plant material in the wild, always leave at least 1/3 of the plant untouched, so it can naturally replenish itself. Always prepare fabrics to be dyed by simmering them in a "fixative" solution. The material that will be dyed should be placed in the solution and simmered for 60 minutes. Rinse the fabric in cool water and squeeze the water out 2 or 3 times. After this has been done, the damp fabric can be placed into the dye. The fixative helps the coloured dye adhere better to the fabric. To make a fixative for berry-based coloured dyes, use ½ cup plain salt mixed with 8 cups cool water.

To make a fixative for plant/herbal-based dyes, use 4 cups water and 1 cup of vinegar.

Avoid mixing dyed fabrics with your other laundry. Dyed cloth should always be laundered alone (or with similar colours) in cold water

Jam, well, just had to sneak on into the mix, yummy:

Ingredients

yield 10 lb
6 lb. blackberries1/4 pint water

Rind and juice of 2 lemons

6 lb. sugar
method

1. Put the cleaned fruit, the water and lemon rind and juice in the pan.

2. Simmer until the fruit is soft.

3. Stir in the sugar and boil rapidly until setting point is reached.

4. Remove from the heat, skim, pot, cover, and label.

This is the recipe I used for our Lammas pie, tasted so good that I didn’t get any! By the time it had done the circle and got back to me it was all gone. Just the excuse to make another:

Ingredients

For the shortcrust pastry:
6 oz (175 g) plain flour
pinch salt
1½ oz (40 g) lard
1½ oz (40 g) butter

For the filling:
4 medium cooking apples, about 1 lb (450 g)
8 oz (225 g) brambles or fresh or frozen blackberries, defrosted if frozen, and washed
3 oz (75 g) sugar

To glaze:
milk and caster sugar
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 7, 425°F (220°C).

Equipment
You will also need a 1½ pint (850 ml) rimmed pie dish.

Method
Start by making the pastry : sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, holding the sieve up as high as possible to give the flour an airing. Then cut the fat into small cubes and add to the flour. Now, using your fingertips, lightly and gently rub the pieces of fat into the flour – lifting your hands up high as you do this (again to incorporate air) and being as quick as possible. When the mixture looks uniformly crumbly, start to sprinkle roughly 2 tablespoons of cold water all over. Use a round-bladed knife to start the mixing, cutting and bringing the mixture together. Carefully add more water if needed, a little at a time, then finally bring the mixture together with your hands to form a smooth ball of dough that will leave the bowl clean (if there are any bits that won't adhere to it, you need a spot more water).

Now rest the pastry, wrapped in foil or polythene, in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes while you peel, core and slice the apples straight into the pie dish. Then sprinkle in the brambles or blackberries and the sugar. Now roll out the pastry to about 1 in (2.5 cm) larger than the pie dish, then cut out a 1 in (2.5 cm) strip to fit the edge of the dish. Dampen the edge with water, then fit on the strip of pastry, pressing it firmly, and dampen that too. Then press the rest of the pastry over that to form a lid and, using a sharp knife, trim any excess pastry off. Use the blunt side of the knife and your thumb to press the two edges firmly together and knock the edges all round to give a layered effect. Then flute the edges by using your thumb to make an impression and the broad blade of the knife to draw in the edges of the pastry. Make a steam hole in the centre and, if you have time, make some decorative leaves with the pastry trimmings.
Now brush the pastry with milk and sprinkle on a light dusting of caster sugar. Place the pie on a baking sheet on a high shelf and bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to gas mark 5, 375°F (190°C), and continue baking for a further 30 minutes. Then, using a skewer, take out a piece of apple from the centre to test if it's cooked: if it still feels very firm, give it another 5 minutes. Serve hot with chilled pouring cream to mingle with the juices.

Urg..

2010-08-09T12:27:00.003+01:00

Still recovering from the wonderful fun last week. Though I think I am getting old, I am sure it never took this long to get over it before!

The carnival was great and our old nursery won a 1st so well done them, ever so proud. The had gone for a Bollywood style float, all hand made by them, and they looked great.

Anyway, will post again when I am capable of stringing more than a couple of sentences together. Off to find the paracetamol...

Pirates beware...

2010-08-07T00:38:00.012+01:00

Ok so by now you may have gathered we are a little mad in this corner of England. No? Oh. Well to demonstrate how bonkers we are let me tell you all about Pirates Day. Oh and our tiny ickle achievement of GETTING THE GUINNESS WORLD RECORD for the amount of pirates in one place. In case you didn’t get that I’ll say it again. WE GOT 6166 PIRATES for the record. That’s right we have beaten everyone else so far this year and not by a little bit but by a stonking 4300 people (give or take a few) and we would have had more, but those funny chaps otherwise known as the Police got a bit safety paranoid and stopped anyone else coming in.

So how and why? Well we are a bit different here and with the history of the area including Pirates/smugglers someone last year thought it would be good to add it to our week long Carnival celebrations during the summer. It went so well that the same bright fella said this year, “I know let’s do it again”. To which a drunken cheer went up with an unanimous aye! At some point it steamed into a Guinness World Record attempt. We have spent the last few weeks nervously watching as news rolled in from around the world where various folk were attempting to do it. “The Germans have it, 1600”, “The Americans have it, 2200” The rumours abounded. Ah, um will we get enough? Battle cry’s (well ok more drunken or eccentric ramblings) went on, the orders sent out “Be there or beware”.

And so to the day. My Aunt had kindly offered to have a pirate party for those of us who could come. Food aplenty with the odd bottle of ginger beer we gathered around, painting faces with ‘tashes or stubble. The transfer tattoos applied and the sweet treasure box eyed up by 10 kids and a couple of us adults.

My Grandfather even got into the swing of it, cheerfully going about town to get his outfit and the telescope made, complete with birdie on the end. Our Family Pirates ages ranged from the littlest at 22 months to Granddad in his 90’s. Soon it was time and we set of for the count. An area near the RNLI lifeboat house (whom, we mustn’t forget, we are raising all this money for) had been set up for the gathering. The long queues slowly marching towards it were full of colourful and cheerful folk. And eventually we got there. We had to stay in the arena for a while so they had laid on entertainment in the form of Jack Sparrow and the Caribbean crew. Now these guys are good, very good. They had sword fights and pyrotechnic cannon scenes.

Dead men walking and so much more. But soon it was over and we went back to the party. No-one knew how many of us there was but we knew it wouldn’t take long before the noise started: “6166” the Old Town whispered, “6166” they started to Rumble, “6166!”They all Shouted. Phew and wow. Now this is a town that can be proud of pulling together and being generally mad....

Ooh Yay, Blog awards...

2010-08-04T08:35:00.000+01:00

Woke up this morning to find the Sun shining, the world still spinning and the lovely thoughts of Rowan at Candles and Wicks who has so very kindly deemed me interesting enough (mad of her I know!) to give me an award.

As usual there are “rules” for the award and as usual I am going to be cheeky and only comply with 2 out of the 3!
The rules for the award are :

1. Thank the blogger that gave you the award – Well this one I always do, much easier in life to do thanks than be grumpy and unappreciative. Massive Thanks and acknowledgement for Rowan, hope you had a lovely Lughnasadh/Lammas.

2. Sum up your blogging philosophy, motivation, experience, using 10 words. So in no particular order:
· Light humoured
· Fun
· Crafty
· Food, yum...
· Littleun, joy that he is
· Community
· Learning
· More food...
· Contemplation
· My blogging Experiences: Generosity

3. Pass the award on to 10 other blogs you feel has substance.

Now this is the one that I always cheat with. I have a difficult time just choosing a few out of the many great blogs that I enjoy following, so as normal I am chickening out of being decisive and leaving it open. There are so many of you to enjoy...

Make yourself a ladybird hotel

2010-08-03T08:31:00.000+01:00

One of the things that I have had problems with in the allotment is aphids. By the bucket load they devour my runner beans. After doing research I knew I didn’t want to go down the pesticide route but rather encourage natural predators in the form of rather beautiful ladybirds. We have had a few and as I wanted them to stay, I looked about for a ladybird house to see if they would nest and hibernate nearby so that next year I would be onto a winner. But the prices of these houses were quite a way out of my reach so I thought I’d make one. It is something Littleun can join in with and I can use up all those broken canes at the same time.

To make you will need:
An old 2ltr bottle
Broken canes cut into short lengths
Dried grass stems
Rough string/thin rope
Glue gun

Cut the top of your bottle so that the bottom is the same-ish length as your shortened canes. Glue on the inside the grass stems creating a carpet appearance around the perimeter.

When dry fill the middle gap with lots of the canes so it is tight, if you have a wonky area then put a few more of the stems to fill it, but do remember to leave enough gaps for the bugs to crawl into.

When they are fixed tight, around the outside of the bottle glue more of the canes. This protects the bottle and also gives some extra hidey holes for the ladybirds. Finally tie your rough string/thin rope around the outside so you can hang at a slight downwards angle (don’t want water getting inside).

When the house is made hang near the vegetation that you have problems with and make sure you have sited it in a warm, sunny, sheltered position, out of prevailing winds and close to vegetation. The hanging bug house can be hung from trees, arches or pergolas. If you want to make it a wall house then the wall bug houses can be hung on a fence or wall.

Lammas/Lughnasadh, The weather held...

2010-08-02T09:04:00.006+01:00

Well despite having a sea fog roll in the day before and slight rain first thing in the morning by the afternoon the weather was bright and sunny, in fact rather hot!

At sunset on Saturday we held our small family ritual welcoming in Lammas, the bread just freshly finished and warm on our altar, we gave our thanks for our good harvest. We have had the allotment only a short while but we have been very blessed with the abundant crops we have had in such time.

On Sunday we had headed to Eastbourne and joined the crowds at celebrating Lammas. Sitting with my family and friends sharing the Dwarfs loaf/Lammas Loaf I had made (anyone who reads Discworld will know what I mean by that!) and realising that although it looked great it was in fact an ickle bit on the tough side, was good. Soon delving into the pies and quiches I had made from our home grown ingredients, we were surrounded by the lovely sound of music and sight of Morris Dancers.

The great thing about Morris is that they encourage anyone to have a go and I have to say those children really did show us adults’ sense of timing and rhythm up! Finishing our feast and wondering around we came across many a craft from Pottery to Ironwork, Painting to Carving. Stopping to say hello to folk we knew and to congratulate those we didn’t know on their hard efforts took us to the gentle point of needing a refreshing drink so off to the music/hop tent.

Eventually though it was time to go, a fair journey home and a sleepy child to contend with. Hoping you all enjoyed your celebrations.

John Barleycorn at Eastbourne Lammas Festival

2010-07-31T20:44:00.001+01:00

I have snuck out of the kitchen where I have been cooking all day (8 hours so far!) in preparation for our feast with our friends tomorrow. This is from 2008, hoping that this years is just as good! Blessed Lammas/Lughnasadh to you all.

Lammas/Lughnasadh: Courgette (Zucchini) Chutney Recipe

2010-07-27T20:53:00.007+01:00

Sorry it’s yet another recipe day...

I like to make things (just in case you hadn’t already noticed that!) and definitely enjoy cooking as it’s both a great thing to do for your health and for the family unit to be together. Apart from our crafty things food is a big part of our life, from the planting and growing to the wondering what on earth we will be doing with all the crops we have managed to get.

This year, as in previous, we have a mass of courgettes and tomatoes. So I have again decided to make a chutney, lasts a long time and is something most people like so makes great gifts. It will also go well for our Lammas feast as an alternative to the rhubarb relish for the cheeses.

To make the chutney you will need:
4 lb courgettes
2lb 8oz onions
2lb 8oz brown sugar
Large piece of fresh ginger
1/2 tspn pepper
2 pints malt vinegar
2 heads of garlic
2lb 8oz tomatoes
1 tspn cayenne pepper
2 tspn salt
6 1lb sterilised jars and vinegar proof lids or parfait/kilner

Chop all the vegetables, add vinegar, sugar and spices and bring slowly to the boil, stirring now and again. If the courgettes have a tough skin, you can peel them and compost the skins.
Simmer for about two hours (don't forget to stir as it will stick) until thick.
Pour into heated jars and seal.

Needs at least 3 months to mature, which is why I, Blue Peter style, am using one I made earlier!

4 days to go yippee...

Recipe from allotment.org.uk

Say hello, wave goodbye...

2010-07-23T09:54:00.001+01:00

Well it is Littleuns last day at his nursery and there is mixed emotions from us all. Mr & Mrs H and the Ladies who work at the nursery have always been fun and friendly, helping that extra bit when we have had a problem or two and we shall miss them all greatly. There will be many stories to remember, fun days that were had; The Summer fayres and the Christmas party, the child covered in paint running for a hug as you arrive, the carnival floats made in secret then revealed on the big day triumphing as usual and the general laughter and joy so loud that you hear it through the windows that is always coming from the nursery. Not to forget the massive hello’s said with genuine feeling every time Littleun rang the doorbell and now our sad goodbye as we leave for “big” school. Thank you all!

But the prospect of starting his new school is very exciting for Littleun.

He had what they call a taster day a couple of weeks ago. It’s where the kids go in for a couple of hours and get shown their new surroundings. Littleun was understandably nervous by this on the morning but by the time I came to pick him up he didn’t want to leave and had already made a new friend! The new school is a community school and takes aspects from its surroundings to help teach the children. One part that appealed to us is the nature section. The school has built a bird hide so the kids can sit and watch. They have a nature area with ponds and wildlife, allotments for growing things and despite being in the middle of the town lovely big playing fields for fun to be had. We can’t wait: We have 7 weeks until he can start and he is counting them down already...

Lammas Lughnasadh: Altar-gether

2010-07-22T09:22:00.008+01:00

He he please excuse the silly name for this post, just in one of those moods!

Right what I’m going to ramble on about in this post is our altar. I always try and involve Littleun in the making of our altar and we often start putting it together in the days leading up to the relevant celebration. Although it isn’t ever difficult to find something that Littleun wants to add, this particular celebration being for both Lammas and Lugh makes it easy for him to join in.

Last years small altar, got more space this year

There are so many little crafts that can be represented by him ranging from the corn dollies to drawings, berry bracelets, Apple candle holders or just candles made to look like apples, to name a few. This mixes both the arts and the harvest at the same time.

This year we have befriended a local famer who has been growing corn and wheat and has kindly given us some sheaths. We will start by making a horn for a cornucopia, then Littleun has said he would like to add the plastacine fruits we made (bunches of grapes) and some of the flowers from the allotment.

The colours for the altar are going to be golds, oranges, greens, representing the time of the year with the golden growth but that there is still more to come so the green for the continuous growing season.

If you would like to make your own apple candle holders it is very easy to do: (from about.com)

"Rinse and dry the fruit or vegetable thoroughly. Polish the outside with a soft cloth until the apple is shiny. Stand the apple up on its bottom, and use a knife or a corer to make a hole in the top where the stem is located. Go about halfway down into the apple so that the candle will have a sturdy base. Widen the hole until it’s the same diameter as your candle. Pour some lemon juice into the hole and allow it to sit for ten minutes. This will prevent the apple from browning and softening too quickly. Pour out the lemon juice, dry out the hole, and insert a sprig of rosemary, basil, or other fresh herb of your choice. Finally, add the taper candle. Use a little bit of dripped wax to secure the taper in place."

Right am off to find the maize maze with Littleun, more (if you aren’t bored yet) about our lammas celebrations later...

Lughnasadh/Lammas: How do you celebrate yours?

2010-07-20T16:15:00.009+01:00

Well we will be mixing with good company at Eastbourne’s Lammas Festival. In its 10th year they will be celebrating with good music, beer and lots of little craft and extras stalls. The best bit? Well all profit goes to the RNLI so a worthwhile event.

We went last year and apart from the horizontal rain (yes it was that bad) had a ball. The people were welcoming and willing to natter about anything. The music was great and Littleun loved dancing to it whilst taking lots of photos. This year we will be going with some family & friends and taking a picnic with us.

Food for celebrating this time of year is obviously important. Lammas is the first of the harvests and with that in mind we try to represent each part in our feast/picnic. We make our own bread and as we break the first loaf remember the hard work that has gone into the growing of the wheat, remembering also to keep some of the grain to sow in the New Year. This year we have been particularly lucky with the weather and we give thanks to our family deities. The other foods we take tend to be things like a jar of the strawberry jam, some of our first apples, this time abundant in the garden, quiches made with the veg and salads again grown by us. Oh and a jar of cidre made by a rather pickled but clever friend!

There are lots of things good about the Eastbourne celebration one of which is the ability to mingle with crafts and arty folk. You can sit and get shown how to make corn dolls, or see leather work going on. You can try your hand at wood turning, in my case making a rather wonky wood bowl, lovely to look at but useless as things will fall out of the side as I got the angles a bit wrong! I like to sew so it’s good to chat with the girls and find out how they did the turn that looks wonderful but impossible, or where to find the right material for the bodice I am making etc. And of course the music I mentioned earlier is an art too. We like music in this house, never far from the radio or instruments and Littleun is becoming rather good at drumming so a perfect excuse to get up and join in the ceilidh that will be going on.

Well that’s how we will be doing ours, how will you be doing yours, do leave a comment if you fancy sharing!

Strawberry Jam

2010-07-17T12:42:00.013+01:00

Oh where has this week gone? I turn around intending to keep up a regular post and oops suddenly the joys of being outside has meant a whole week has passed!

One of the things we have done a fair bit of this last couple of weeks is make jams. Littleun is a strawberry addict, he enjoys everything to do with them from picking to munching as long as there can be a bit of cooking in between with them then happy days. As such, with the strawberry season in full flow, we headed off to the local PYO which is nicely hidden away so always has lots of juicy red gems.

Having picked our fruits we headed back home to dig out the jam boiler. You will need 1kg of sugar to every kilo of strawberries, Lemons and butter.

First you need to wash the strawberries and hull them, cutting out any overripe or bad/bruised parts. Then I like to cut them in half or quarters, put them in the pan with about half the sugar and leave them overnight. this gives them chance to break down a bit and seems to work better for me when starting the boiling process the next day.

Now this is something that obviously gets hot so if like me you have a littleun keen to help but also on the clumsy side you can get them drawing the labels whilst the boiling happens. You also need to sort out your jars and sterilize them. This can be done by washing them in hot soapy water and then rinsing thoroughly before putting them into the oven on a low temp for about ½ hour. Wash lids and boil.

Slowly bring to the boil so the sugar dissolves, then add the rest. You will also need to add pectin if you aren't using the pectin-added sugars but are using ordinary granulated. Pectin is something you can buy in jars (normally made in that case from apples) or you can use lemon juice. Once the sugar is completely dissolved bring to a roiling boil and stir to stop the bottom burning out. You can add a knob of butter to help reduce the frothing. Boil rapidly for 10-15 mins and then test for setting.

To test for setting you need to have put a plate in the chiller. Take the cold plate out and drop a bit of the jam onto it, if after a min or so you run your finger through it and it is wrinkly like a jelly then it is set, if it doesn't do that then you need to return to the boil for a bit longer, testing every few mins until reached.

When set, leave to cool for a few mins, stir a bit to mix any fruits evenly. Pour into warm sterilized jars and the add the wax disks leaving to cool. When cool use cellophane disks to seal tops and the lids.

Of course once you get going if you are like us you'll end up with tons of jams from all fruits. Looking forward to making some with the blackberries we currently have growing on the allotment.

Tis a sad one this

2010-07-10T14:34:00.007+01:00

Ok will warn you, this isn't a happy post.

For the last 8 years, 11 months and 3½ weeks I have had the lovely company of Charlie. A moggie, re homed several times before joining us, with a skittish but loving disposition.

The sort that would know exactly when to leave you be or sneak in under the covers late at night to comfort after a long bad day. Who knew when you weren't looking to snatch that last bit of cheese or cake off your plate, who when Littleun came along didn't scratch or hurt him when over excited he grabbed too hard, who followed him around waiting for him to finally sit down so she could sit in his lap. Who didn't moan or question you when you were in a bad mood, but just sat there purring with the look on her face that says "I know, its a hard life but you should try catching mice some days..." Who sadly died this morning.

The following is a poem I found that kind of sums up how I am rather feeling now. So sorry for this depressing post, and yes I know she was "just" a cat, but she was my friend and comfort too.

I've changed my ways a little, I can no longer roam with you in the evenings along the shore, except in a kind of dream, and you, if you dream a little you see me there. So leave a while the paw marks on the front door, Where I used to scratch to come in or go out, and you'd soon answer, leave on the kitchen floor the marks of my drinking pan. I cannot lie by your fire all evening On the warm stone, nor yet at the foot of your bed no, all the night through, I lie alone. But your kind thought has laid me less than 6 feet outside your window, where firelight so often plays, and where you sit to read, and, I fear, often grieving for me--every night your lamplight lies on my place. You, Man and Woman, live so long, it is hard to think of you ever dying! A little cat would get tired, living so long. I hope that when you are lying under the ground like me, your lives will appear as good and joyful as mine. No, dears, that's too much hope...you have not been as well cared for as I have been, and never knew the passionate, undivided fidelities I knew. Your minds are perhaps too active, too many sided, but to me you were true. You were never Masters, but Friends. I was your Friend. Deep love endures to the end and long past the end...If this is my end, I am not lonely. I am not afraid.I am still yours. Anonymous

Boo!

2010-07-06T20:54:00.004+01:00

Bet that made you all jump, hehe.

Right I haven't been ignoring you, or worse without computer, I have just been on Holiday and then working like mad to catch up when I got back!

As soon as I unpack the camera I'll load some photos showing you what we have been up to and the fun we have had in Normandy.

Allotment update: I lost the shed but gained the ground, so fair enough trade off. Have currently got loads growing, several pumpkins now showing as are the cucumbers and beans;

Have also been strawberry picking and jam making plus tried my hand at making marmalade, though no idea if its any good as I really don't like the stuff.

My friend has had her baby, a lovely little girl, so welcome into the world littlelass.

And lastly littleun has his taster day at his new school this week so nerves on my side and excitement on his.

Promise to do a better post soon.

Allotment Update

2010-06-17T10:22:00.004+01:00

Well we have had our first couple of weeks there and apart from a couple of people who sadly are being a bit horrible (“we’ve been here 15 years you upstart...” you get the idea) we are having fun. Have managed to get some beans and pumpkins in which have been grown from seed at Dads. The ground turns out to be clay so a lot of work to be had turning that into useable ground, compost by the wheelbarrow load being added.

We have cleared the potatoes which were there already though I think they might not be any good, they weren’t planted properly and I think will be rotten but are trying our best to salvage the situation. We also have some tomato and cucumber plants to put in this afternoon.

One of the sheds turns out might not be mine so am looking at the ramshackle one that is to see what we can do to make it into a storage area and potting shed. If we want to put other sheds up seems we have to get permission from the council so watch this space...

Am looking forward to getting some herbs in soon and some late crops, though not sure what yet, keep changing my mind. Littleun is insistent that I clear the ground as soon as possible so he can dig for treasure, has so far found a £1, not sure how that got there hehe.

And the best bit, have lost some weight and found some muscles, ouch!

The Race for Life...

2010-06-13T22:27:00.005+01:00

Today I ran the Race for Life. Well I say ran, walked is more like it, not because of any unfitness or injury but because I met a lovely lady and we got talking.

The area started filling up about an hour before it started, all shapes and sizes and shades of pink. Normal hair, pink mad wigs, no hair. Symmetrical and non symmetrical women though you couldn’t initially work out why, thinking perhaps funny costumes. And the signs. The ones on everyones backs. That tells you why. Why they were running, why they had funky hair, why it wasn’t in some cases cool costumes. It was a gathering of women, and their supporters who had one major thing in common, the desire to give to a charity the much needed funds to help the fight against cancer and whilst doing so, remembering those who had lost the fight, or because they were the ones still fighting or who had at least for the while won.

I had been warned by someone that it was a day I’d find very emotional. They weren’t wrong. As the atmosphere was charged with tears of excitement and happiness tinged with sadness I was pleased I came, the money I had raised ( thanks to those who sponsored me) wont on its own be much but with us all there today they hoped to raise over £150000 which will help. And in a personal selfish way this will help me, the research hopefully finding a cure for my problems as well as all the others.

The lady I mentioned above that I walked with is one of the brave fighting ladies, on her second fight with Breast cancer she has a chemo session tomorrow morning. She told me how she had been wanting to do this race, before maybe she couldn’t again. That in order to do the 5k she had to co-ordinate with her care team, to make sure her immune levels were good. To avoid the sniffs and sneezes of everyone here, and there was over 2500 of us running, so that she could have her chemo tomorrow. The grace and determination in her to win, not just today’s battles but the big one was very humbling for me.

So for those of you who haven’t ever done something like this, do try to next year. Its worth the couple of hours you will spend doing so. In our small individual ways we can help.

My memory list: Grandma A. Cousin Iris. Shelley.
Still Fighting: K and Rhonda

Versatile Blogger Award

2010-06-10T19:12:00.018+01:00

Wow well this year I have been lucky to be given a few awards and this last week Kathy over at http://jhemterriac.blogspot.com/has given me the Versatile Blogger award. And very kind of her it is too!

In her words there are these rules:

The rules for Versatile Blogger are:

1. Thank the person who gave you this award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers whom you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic.

4. Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.

(Rules are flexible in case you're not good with rules. Or you can look at them like the Pirate's Code...they're more like guidelines.)

Well I can do number one, in fact have, see up top. And number two, well see down bottom, but three and four, I'm rather useless with, find it difficult to choose from so many great blogs that I read so have decided to say if you fancy doing this then link back and let us know about yourself! (yeah cop out but in my defense I'm bogged down with work!!)

So as for the seven things well here goes:

1 I really hate peanut butter, I mean really hate it, would rather cover myself in marmite and lick it all off than eat peanut butter!

2 I hate Marmite.

3 I have decided that I am going back to college in September when Littleun starts school.

4 I am reading three books at once, but only because I cant find the first two.

5 I rather like sitting in my allotment looking down on the town and eating the cake that I can eat because I walked up the blooming steep hill to the allotment in the first place.

6 I dont like paaying £12 to see a film at the cinema as I think its too costly, but will drive 17 miles to the next town and pay £9, forgetting that the cost of fuel probably makes it even...

7 My Aunt became a grandma again this morning, congratulations all!

So over to you...

Alban Heruin/Litha: Sun cake recipe

2010-06-05T08:34:00.001+01:00

I’m always one looking for an excuse to eat cake and Lemon cake is a favourite too so thought why not make some with Littleun but instead of my usual loaf tin shape go for a round, that way when the icing is drizzled on it will look like a sunshine burst of colour. It will be a nice addition to our Litha/Midsummer picnic feast. Of course just to make sure it works we have to have a trial run so if you need to “test the waters” with me here is a scrummy recipe for you to try:

• 115g unsalted butter, softened

• 115g caster sugar

• 4 large eggs

• 180g ground almonds

• 30g poppy seeds

• zest and juice of 2 lemons

• 125g self-raising flour, sifted for the lemon syrup

• 100g caster sugar

• 90g lemon juicefor the lemon icing

• 225g icing sugar

• zest and juice of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Grease and line the bottom and sides of a 20cm springform cake tin with greaseproof paper.

Using an electric whisk, beat the butter with the caster sugar until light and creamy. Add the eggs one by one, beating each in well. Fold in your ground almonds, poppy seeds, the lemon zest and juice and the sifted flour. Spoon the mix into the prepared cake tin and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until lightly golden.You can check to see if the cake is cooked by poking a cocktail stick right into the sponge.

Remove it after 5 seconds and if it comes out clean the cake is cooked; if slightly sticky it needs a little longer, so put it back in the oven. Allow the cake to cool on a rack.

Make your lemon syrup by heating the sugar and lemon juice in a pan until the sugar has dissolved. While your cake is still warm, make lots of little holes in the top with a cocktail stick and pour your syrup over.

To make your icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the lemon zest and juice, stirring until smooth. When your cake is almost cool, put it on a serving plate and pour the icing carefully over the top. If you pour it on to the middle of the cake, then let gravity disperse the icing down the sides, you get the ‘drizzle’ effect.

Alban Heruin/Litha handprints and dials

2010-06-04T09:14:00.011+01:00

With the longest day coming soon I have been thinking of things that Littleun could do. One of the simplest was a handprint sun for Littleun to have in the window. We basically have yellow and orange paint, cover our hands and make a sun; it’s very simple but looks quite funky. Unfortunately this meant that not only the paper got covered as we turned it in to a fun game to try and print each other with it!

"human" sundial!

The other thing we are going to do now we have our patch is go for a walk along the beach, choose a few largish stones and then go up to the allotment, placing the stones out in a semi-circle we can make our own sundial so that we will always know the time without the need for a modern intrusive clock or alarm, plus it will be a gentle reminder of the turning year.

Keys to the Secret Garden

2010-06-02T19:16:00.009+01:00

Finally got the key to the allotment today so have been to see where I will be spending my time for the foreseeable future. Its right at the top by the water, so yippee no major treks there then! Five rods by five and slightly sloped, I have a small shed and a lean to shack and a load of potato plants left by the previous tenant. There is also an established Rosemary which is great as that was one of the plants I wanted to grow as I use it a lot in my cooking and infusions.

We met our neighbours-but-one who have two lovely little dogs for littleun to get used too. Seemed like nice folk who were brimming with advice, so much of it that to be fair the only bit that sunk in is "Don't grow Carrots!!!!" apparently the local badgers sit and wait until the beautiful tops show readiness and then trundle along to have a midnight feast nabbing the lot. Look forward to meeting the others who I hope will happily advise this green newbie.

Littleun danced happily about loving the thought that this was where he can play and grow things. We haven't had our own space before, have always had to borrow the garden at my parents or at friends in order to grow things, so for him its novel to be able to call something truly ours.

Can't wait to get there tomorrow to start clearing the space back...

More Album stuff!

2010-06-01T08:37:00.005+01:00

For fear of turning this month into the hunt for albums I am hoping to make this my last plead for help, plus have threatened mate that if he has cheated by taking the album out of the era again I wont play anymore (stamping my feet as I did!) so here we go, please anyone know this one?!? Again I need the band and album name.

now wandering of to look at my patch of grass and mud....

Got it!!!!

2010-05-28T20:13:00.004+01:00

The long list of waiting for Allotments has finally shortened. Came back to find a message on my answerphone telling me we have finally got our allotment, So come Tuesday (its a bank holiday weekend this week) I am heading down to the council, paying my huge amount of £14.95 for my years rent and going to start digging! Almost free diet aid and toning up too. So you can guess what the posts are going to be about for a while.

Think I might need one of these

Help!!!

2010-05-26T06:02:00.000+01:00

Ok a friend of mine likes to set me challenges, in the form of Album art covers, I have to find out the band and the album name. Normally I win... this time he has got me stumped so I'm asking for help here, anyone know the answer? Please leave a comment if you do!!!!

Burley and Sybil Leek

2010-05-25T07:53:00.009+01:00

Whilst wandering about the New Forest we came across a lovely little village called Burley. Stopping for a bit to stretch our legs we walked through the Mall which had the usual shop with incense and wind chimes. Not thinking much about it we turned the corner and were faced with 6 or 7 shops all selling Pagan and in particular Witch items. Pleasant surprise as where I am you’d be lucky to get two in the whole town that will have a corner on the subject. Still looking in all the shops I had no idea why there were so many until I got to A Coven of Witches, where they took the time to explain to me about Sybil Leek.

Sybil Leek (1923?–1983)

Sybil Leek was a witch, an astrologer, and a psychic who was born in England into a highly unusual family. Her maternal grandmother was a psychic lady and a follower of the Old Religion. Her father was an intellectual and well versed in metaphysics, but more inclined to a scientific investigation of a field of inquiry. Sybil's mother was a theosophist with an inborn affinity toward all children. Added to these were an assortment of aunts, cousins, and other extended family members.

Under the combined tutorial care of her family, Leek managed to escape the British public school system for many years. Each member of the family taught the child his or her particular specialty, as well as a diversity of other things. Leek learned about herbs, witchcraft, astrology, the general field of the occult, and the mystical Kabbalah. This unorthodox rearing was far from one-sided, however. Before the age of nine, young Sybil had "read through" the major classics. She had read the Bible, the works of Shakespeare, and many other volumes of Eastern religious and non-Western philosophies. Most of all, though, Leek learned from her grandmother, who taught her the Craft of the Wise. Once her preliminary instruction was completed, the young initiate journeyed to France, to the Gorge du Loup where Leek was initiated into the world's oldest religion.

In her book Diary of a Witch (1969), Leek described briefly the oath of fidelity that she gave on the night of her initiation:

"It is accepted as being binding forever, and no initiate can take it lightly. She accepts wholeheartedly all the tenets of witchcraft— the acceptance of the Supreme Being, the knowledge that good and evil are equal parts of a human being, and that she must personally strive to outbalance evil with good. She must not debase the arts which she has been taught, and at all times she must be conscious of the need to be discreet, not only in her own life but with regard to any other members of the coven."

Shortly after Leek returned to England the family moved to the New Forest, a large area that roughly extends from Southampton northward to the borders of Salisbury and nearby Stonehenge, and westward to Dorset. It was in this area that Leek widened her lore of herbs, nature, and human psychology.

Since the age of 15, Sybil Leek had been in and out of various media jobs, and when she began moonlighting as a roving reporter for Southern Television it was her task to provide material for a series using the magazine format of small documentaries, interviews, and highlights of the day. The show's producers were particularly interested in Leek's contacts with the Gypsies of the New Forest, and she was able to present several interesting and informative vignettes about her nomadic friends.

It was in December of 1963 that Sybil Leek's media relationship caused her to be, probably, the first person to be filmed in mediumistic trance. The incident began when parapsychologist Bennison Herbert, who wished her to accompany him to a twelfth-century mansion that was allegedly haunted, contacted Leek. Almost immediately after the group entered the old house, Leek began to feel herself slipping away from the laughing joviality of the others. The group reached an upstairs room of the old stone building and settled around a large table. Within moments Leek was in a deep trance. Sights and sounds beyond the normal senses surrounded the entranced psychic. She felt someone come in through the door, then felt seized from behind. Leek, enraged, shouted at the image of the ghostly woman standing in the doorway. The struggle ceased as the heavy table at which the group was seated suddenly rose into the air and traversed the room. Then, with vented fury, the table repeatedly threw itself at the heavy stone wall, chipping the surface. A door slammed and something was heard running down the steps. Leek came out of her trance and was told what had happened by Herbert, who had taken notes on all the strange happenings.

At this point the BBC crew could no longer contain themselves. They hastily set up their lights and cameras, hoping to catch more of the same phenomena. The crew was not disappointed. The table began to move once more, traveling across the room to fling itself with renewed vigour at the ancient stonework. An incredulous solid man, weighing 220 pounds, tried to sit on the airborne table, only to be tossed off as if he were a featherweight. The table assaulted the wall with such force that it chipped a two-inch hole through the surface. The footage received wide distribution throughout the south of England and generated tremendous interest. The tables were shown in almost complete levitation and the mark on the wall was quite visible.

After achieving a great deal of fame as the Witch of New Forest, Sybil Leek came to the United States, where she teamed up with psychic investigator Hans Holzer on a series of ghost-hunting expeditions. The two were often followed by an entourage of local, and sometimes international, media, eager to sniff out a good story. Frequently, movie cameras would roll while Leek was in a heavy trance state, but this never deterred the medium from obtaining solid material, which Holzer would then try to substantiate.

Leek never knew where their next jaunt was going to take them. Holzer usually investigated the cases brought to his attention, first affirming that the material represented a solid psychic case, worthy of being investigated. He would give Leek none of this information, to ensure that her trance information could never be accused of being the result of suggestion.

In addition to Leek's many talents as a psychic and her deep immersion in the Old Religion, she had yet another major field of interest that was with her all of her life. As she states in the opening lines of My Life in Astrology (1972): "Astrology is my science; Witchcraft is my religion." For Sybil Leek, astrology lessons began when she was eight years old. From her grandmother, she learned the basics of astrology, with personality traits and psychology stressed; from her father, she learned the painstaking technical aspect of casting a chart.

In her younger days the world of astrology was a glamorous one. Every summer the family would vacation in the Riviera, and Leek's skills were in great demand among the celebrities and nobility that would gather on the beaches. Among her notable clients were the elder Aga Khan, Queen Marie of Rumania, and author Somerset Maugham. Although Leek had nostalgic feelings for that particular time, her later life was to show her an even more exciting use for her astrological skills.

Sybil Leek was determined to aid in the understanding of witchcraft. Unfortunately, she found some of the gravest misunderstandings in her adopted country of the United States. The press persistently confused witchcraft with black magick and Satanism, but Sybil Leek was instrumental in bringing a greater awareness of witchcraft to those persons who wished to form traditional covens, and she never ceased using her wit and celebrity to advance the truth about Wicca, the craft of the wise. She became a major force on the psychic scene, and her rich and varied life consistently led her to prove the deeper meanings and interrelationships between all areas of metaphysics, and her vast experience prepared her admirably for the research and study to which she devoted herself.

So if you are in the area and can spare the time, take a stroll and have a look. An interesting and rather pretty place...

Sybil information: unexplainedstuff.com

Been Camping, New Forest Style

2010-05-18T07:48:00.014+01:00

Last week we headed of to the New forest for a weeks worth of camping. Lovely, no tv no radio, on a site run by the forestry commission so strict rules about behaviour, and lots of horses!

Shetlands and their Foals

I had been feeling run down for a while, busy all the time and without a lot of time to get back to nature and enjoy life without all the mod cons. So we had set aside this week (thinking May, weather will be nice) for some meditation, walks and fun with littleun and his aunt. Well we got it all except the weather, just happened to be camping when the coldest May nights for a long time happened. After the first night it was definitely a hunt for more blankets!

Our tent and Neighbors (yeah I know, really poor joke!)

If you have never camped in the New Forest before and you get a chance to then I really recommend it. Sitting by our tents the horses wander in front of you. The cows lazily move about, sheep bleating and the squirrels watching, and waiting... for the moment when you go out, having stupidly left the bread and crisps on the table. Came back to find they had raided the tent. Apparently not big fans of wholegrain bread, but they did love the packet of giant chocolate buttons my sister had been wanting all day!

"You cant find me..."

Littleun loved it, spent all his time playing around the trees, pointing out so many different things and for once actually managing to be quiet for more than a couple of seconds. He really is a lad who is most comfortable in the wild with nature. Even waited a day after getting home before finding the tv again!

Life is Good

2010-05-09T07:15:00.002+01:00

Debra over at http://shewhoseeks.blogspot.com/ has kindly given me a "Life is Good" award. Which is very nice of her but means I have to open up and answer some questions. Those of you who know me know I'm not normally great at answering questions, took an avoidance course once....

1. What's the best decision you ever made in your life?
Ok a soppy one this, but having my Littleun! Yeah I warned you, soppy...
2. What's the worst decision you ever made in your life?
Choosing number 34 instead of 35 of the Chinese menu, really hate peanuts.
3. What's your favourite body part?
Oh heck I’m like the Michelin tyre man, don’t like much about me! So um, I’d guess maybe my eyes, Always got me into trouble!
4. Whose ass would you most like to kick?
Ha Ha I have to choose just one?
5. What's the first thing you would buy with a million bucks?
Some peace and quiet! Then maybe a lot of terry’s chocolate oranges
6. Star Wars or Star Trek?
Yuck Neither! Hate them as I was force-fed them as a kid. Now Terry Pratchetts Discworld on the other hand...
7. If you could BE a movie star, who would you want to be?
Vanessa Paradis, Not because she’s a great actress or anything like that but because she’s with Johnny Depp.
8. If you could DO a movie star, who would you want to do?
Um, did you just read the previous question and answer?
9. If you were about to be executed, what would you want for your last meal?
All and everything ever available to eat, take such a long time they might just forget to do the execution.
10. Who's your favourite superhero?
Illyana Nikolievna Rasputin, and if you have to ask “who?” then you don’t deserve the answer, hehe!

So now I get to nominate and ask the questions!
In no particular order:
Carrie Mae at http://creepycupcakes.blogspot.com/
Maluszeq at http://maluszeq.blogspot.com/
SeaWitch at http://musingsofaseawitch.blogspot.com/
Nydia at http://bringingupsalamanders.blogspot.com/
D.Suplicki at http://thewhimsicalcottage.blogspot.com/
Crystal at http://crystalrainbow-sparkleandshine.blogspot.com/

1.Have you ever been skydiving?

2.What's the worst excuse you have ever made to get out of work?

3.Skyclad or Clothed?

4.How many pairs of shoes do you own?

5.What's your favourite drink?

6.Name the title of the book nearest to you.

7.What was your favourite toy as a child?

8.Would you ever ride a mechanical bull?

9.What was your favourite subject in senior/high school?

10.Have you ever gone to the store in your pajamas?

Rhubarb Relish

2010-05-08T11:49:00.006+01:00

The first of the Rhubarb is growing well and as it needs pulling I thought I'd make a relish. Lovely with cheese or a pork dish this is the best way for us to enjoy the abundance we have. The relish has a shortish life of about 2 months but if you are like us, that wont be a problem as we will have run out well before then!

To make you will need:

900gm Rhubarb, trimmed, washed and cut into equal small ish size

450gm Onions, peeled and chopped (I prefer red though either will do)

225gm Sultanas

340gm Soft Light Brown Sugar

2 lvl tsp Ground Ginger

1 lvl tsp Mustard Seeds

2 lvl tsp Salt

¼ lvl tsp Cayenne Pepper

570ml Distilled Malt Vinegar

Put all ingredients into a pot simmer for about 1½ hours stirring frequently, until relish is thick and leaves a clear trail when wooden spoon is pulled across base. Don't cook it too quickly as it will stick to the pan.

Spoon into clean warm jars and cover immediately with vinegar proof lids. Store in dark cool place and enjoy.

Jack is Slain! (and we're exhausted)

2010-05-04T09:00:00.011+01:00

The Spirit of Summer has been released for another year. And the Gods and Goddesses must have been hearing our hopes as the weather although not a scorcher was an awful lot dryer than the previous two days.

(hello from littleun and me!)

An early start to the day as we got ready in our outfits watching the Sun shining, music playing and last year’s film showing on you-tube, before heading down to the meeting area for 9ish. You can feel the atmosphere as you get closer. The excitement as the people walking with you turn from ordinary folk out for an early morning wander to those wearing bright wonderful colours, rags and tatters fluttering in the sea breeze. You get the smiles from those who don’t quite know why you are dressed like this in the beginning but by the time you get nearer and nearer you get the hollers of “bogie” and bright welcomes from those who understand. It’s like a cheerful secret about to be shared, for a day, with the rest of our town.

Whilst waiting for our friends to join us, some from London some from nearer, we wandered around the crowd looking, congratulating and oohing over the wonderful outfits, giants and escorts that are gathering. Ourselves managing to hide at times from long time friends who didn’t recognise us under our masks, making them guess, till Littleun jumped out in playful moods announcing in his way who we were.

Before long we heard the cry, Jack was coming. The procession had started. Friends take their places and on the sides we take our photos, recording for another year the fun. The procession takes several hours to reach the last point. Not because its miles away but to give everyone chance to watch, join in, sup a pint or two. To have impromptu dancing and music, gather and swell the group. Eventually though He gets there. More dancing more music and suddenly He is slain. The crowd rushes to get a bit, to have the luck for the following year. The rest of us, in peaceful contemplation give thought to the Summer now coming, before heading off through the thousands of bikers who hold their May Day rally on the same day, for the round of crazy golf that the kids have been asking to play for several days! (to see more photos click here)

Still Raining, Still Pouring...

2010-05-02T22:34:00.013+01:00

But the Old Man? He gave up snoring. Had too with this lot around!

Today was again blooming wet. So much so that the May Queen ceremony and May Pole dancing had to be moved indoors. Still a great time had and a lovely set of children entertaining with their routines.

For the afternoon the brave (mad?) drummers came out for their drum-off and the three sides gave a great, toe tapping, body jiggling set of rhythms for us to enjoy.

PS Would highly recommend not redying hair red when later heading out in the rain, doesn't matter how hard I tried, still got it streaking down my face!

Beltane and Hills and Rain

2010-05-01T04:47:00.010+01:00

We should have been sitting on the Hill with friends watching the Dawn's rise, dancing with lovely music and in general having fun. Instead it is raining and I don't have the heart to make Littleun who is so very tired after last nights ceilidh go. He's in bed and I'm sat here having had time for reflection and some meditation with last nights candles lit around me. Hope your celebrations were dryer.

Some of our Beltane Decoration

Last nights Ceilidh

Blessed Beltane.

Not forgotten and YAY!!!!

2010-04-30T07:18:00.005+01:00

Hello, I've not forgotten the blog just been absolutely mental getting the last bits and bobs (cloak finally finished last night) sorted out for the weekend. Which finally starts today, yippee!!!! Well it'll start after one last bit of client visits. But the main thing is the weather, despite rotten forecasts the Sun is shining, so fingers crossed it stays that way for the whole weekend.

I'll be poping back every now and then this weekend to share the photos but not promising much written content until I recover (which has got to be Wednesday at the earliest, hehe)!

Blessed Beltane for everyone tomorrow, we will be on the hill welcoming in the new days Sun, hope you all have a great weekend, toodlepips for now...............

A simple Beltane explanation

2010-04-25T11:22:00.005+01:00

I bought a lovely jacket from SuSu MaMa last year and ever since have subscribed to her newsletter. Today's one turned up with this lovely simple explanation of what Beltane is. I was going to write a post on it in more detail after a friend asked me about it but thought I'd post this instead as it works much better!

"Spring has now properly sprung and on the 1st of May we celebrate Beltane, one of the great Celtic fire festivals. The word ‘Beltane’ comes from the Gaelic for the month of May. In Irish mythology, the beginning of the summer season started at Beltane when the herds were driven into the open pastures. Great bonfires would mark a time of purification and transition, heralding in the season in the hope of a good harvest later in the year, and were accompanied with ritual acts to protect the people from any harm by Otherworldly spirits. Like its seasonal opposite, the festival of Samhain, Beltane was also a time when the Otherworld was seen as particularly close at hand. Sources from around the 10th century state that the Druids of the community would create need-fires on top of a hill and drive the village's cattle through the fires to purify them and bring luck. Boughs of juniper were sometimes thrown on the fires to add an additional element of purification and blessing to the smoke. People would also pass between the two fires to purify themselves. If a man was planning a long journey or dangerous undertaking, he would leap backwards and forwards trice through the fire for luck. As the fire sunk low, girls would jump across it to procure good husbands; pregnant women would step through it to ensure an easy birth, and children were also carried across the smoldering ashes. When the fire died down, the embers were thrown among the sprouting crops to protect them. Each household would carry some embers back to kindle a new fire in their hearth. Beltane was a time of fertility and unbridled merrymaking, when young and old would spend the night making love in the Greenwood. In the morning, they would return to the village bearing huge budding boughs of hawthorn (the may-tree) and other spring flowers with which to bedeck themselves, their families, and their houses. They would process back home, stopping at each house to leave flowers, and enjoy the best of food and drink that the home had to offer. In every village, the maypole—usually a birch or ash pole—was raised, and dancing and feasting began. Festivities were led by the May Queen and her consort, the King who was sometimes Jack-in-the-Green, or the Green Man, the old god of the wildwood. They were borne in state through the village in a cart covered with flowers and enthroned in a leafy arbour as the divine couple whose unity symbolized the sacred marriage of earth and sun."

Stained glass Greenman

2010-04-22T13:40:00.005+01:00

I love the way light plays on glass but am incapable of making stained glass as its such a tricky thing for a beginner like me. So baring that in mind and knowing Littleuns joy of all things Greenman I set of to come up with an alternative. This is it: A tissue paper “glass” which has a similar affect but is so much safer to do and Littleun can join in.

If you want to do one then you will need:

A2 size white card
Craft knife
Green tissues or cellophanes
Glue
Marker pen

Cut the card into 2 equal halves. Draw your Greenman design on one. Attach with clips the second bit of card behind the first.

Using the craft knife cut out areas inside the marked lines so that you can still see the lines clearly (will look a bit like the lead in a window after).

Remove second card when all cut out, turn the marked one over and start to glue the different bits of tissue/cellophane in place. When finished glue the backing card on.

Turn it over and trace the lines so that when you look at the Greenman from either side you will see the pattern. Hang where you will catch the light.

Birthday cake, with Love

2010-04-21T07:31:00.001+01:00

So this week it is Littleun's Dads birthday and although he isn’t here Littleun and I thought we’d celebrate it yesterday by making a cake for him, just a big excuse to have some yummy cake all to ourselves.

The following recipe is all Littleun’s.

2 Eggs, including bits of shell,
Equal weights of butter, dropped on counter and spread about a bit first,
Equal weight of flour; don’t forget to tip bag on Cat below, no longer a Tabby but now a Pure White,
Equal weight of caster sugar; don’t even ask what happened with that, still finding bits in corners.

Get Mum to mix butter and sugar together, tickle her and laugh when mess ends up in her hair. Add eggs and flour dump some in the tin and hope that Mum doesn’t notice me taking the spoon, tastes nice. Whisper a wish over cake and get Mum to put it into oven. Turn oven up when Mum isn’t looking, much prefer crunchy cake.

Wait for “a while Littleun”, keep waiting and waiting and waiting, “isn’t it done yet Mum?”

Finally, get Mum to take cake out of oven, “What we can’t eat it yet?!”

Wait lots more time for it to get cold, even though I want warm cake. Mum cuts it in half, apparently knives are dangerous. Ask Mum to make something called frosting, not sure what that is but it is hard to lick off my nose, though Mum tells me to do this, think she’s winding me up.

Oooh Jam!! One spoon for cake, one for me. And so on. Stick top of cake on. Chuck the sticky stuff on the top.

Eat cake, yay. Give some to Cat when Mum isn’t looking, oops she’s coming back in, better put her piece back on the plate, tell her I love her…..

Happy Birthday Daddy.

Making your own Greenman

2010-04-18T17:58:00.004+01:00

Littleun loves images of the Greenman and as Beltane isn’t far off we thought we give a go at making our own. All we used was some air drying clay, strong florist wire, leaf-shape cutter and different paints.

Roll out a circle of clay, press down to form base, leaving it to look like a mini hill. Pinch middle into a nose shape and eyebrows. With pencil make two small holes for the eyes, a mouth and nostrils.

Push the small bit of wire into the back to form a hoop which, when dry, you can hang the Greenman with.

Take leaf cutter and cut out leaves. Place leaves around the face in a pattern you like, attach using water and pressure.

When happy leave to dry for at least 48 hours.

Mix paints to form the shades of green you like and paint. Again leave to dry. When finished hang where-ever you like.

Littleun Beltane Outfit

2010-04-13T08:43:00.000+01:00

Ok so I've finally finished Littleuns outfit and with just 3 weeks to go I'm desperately getting on with my own. I have had a lot of friends say thay will be coming to this years Jack in The Green and that it is their first time ever, so fingers crossed the Sun will be shining and everyone has a great time, although where I am going to put them all up I'm not sure!

Maypoles, Weaving & Beltane

2010-04-12T10:49:00.008+01:00

What connection is there with maypoles in the UK and Beltane? Well that depends on your point of view. The idea of a maypole is to have ribbons attached to the top and children holding them at the bottom dance in a pattern that weaves the ribbons around the pole. So is this pagan? The symbolism is certainly phallic and as we all know Beltane is the celebration of fertility.

Over the years they have been banned as "a Heathenish vanity, generally abused to superstition and wickedness." by those lovely puritans (they really didn’t know how to have fun!). In the countryside, may dances and maypoles appeared sporadically even during the Interregnum, but the practice was revived substantially and joyously after the Restoration. By the 19th century, the maypole had been subsumed into the symbols of "Merry England". The addition of intertwining ribbons seems to have been influenced by a combination of 19th century theatrical fashion and visionary individuals such as John Ruskin in the 19th century. Pairs of boys and girls stand alternately around the base of the pole, each holding the end of a ribbon. They weave in and around each other, boys going one way and girls going the other and the ribbons are woven together around the pole until the merry-makers meet at the base.

The weaving is also something some pagans do in order to bind male and female as fertility ideals or as meditation process, it’s very calming! So are the ribbons just pretty Italianise symbols the Victorians added or is there another meaning?

Regardless of whether it is Pagan the maypole is an important part of the celebrations for many villages and towns. Ours will be on the Sunday together with the crowning of the May Queen and Garland competition. And if like me you haven’t got a garden that’ll take your own maypole you could always make a small version for your altar:

For this simple craft project, you'll need the following:
· A 1" thick dowel rod, about a foot long
· A wooden circle, about 4" in diameter
· Pieces of ribbon in various colours, about 2 feet long each
· A hot glue gun
Use the hot glue gun to attach the dowel rod to the centre of the wooden circle. Once the glue has dried, you can stain or paint the wood if you choose. Attach the centre of each ribbon to the top of the dowel rod, as shown in Figure 1. Weave as desired. (about.com)

Use the Maypole as a centrepiece on your altar. You can braid the ribbons as a meditation tool, or include it in ritual. Optional: add a small floral crown around the bottom to represent the feminine fertility of the Sabbat.

Blimey its Friday already!

2010-04-09T20:36:00.027+01:00

This week has just gone by so fast. We have had some lovely weather which has meant that we have been out all week.

Tuesday was yet more Jack-ing, hundreds of green bits everywhere the over jacket is now coming to completion (will post photos when done). Wednesday was spent in the park with some friends. A great day playing around looking at the flowers and blossom whilst having a good old natter.

Yesterday was a family day to Portsmouth, We visited the Historic Docks though not the Mary Rose as the exhibit is closed till 2012 or sometime like that. Littleun really enjoyed himself and had great fun playing treasure hunt on the HMS Victory and looking at the HMS Warrior.

The HMS Victory was Nelsons Flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar. Completed in 1765 but reserved until 1778 and costing £63,176, she was used steadily until her repairs in 1800.

Three years later she set sail as Nelson's flagship. Leaving Portsmouth at 227ft long and with 821 officers and men she was a sight to see.

Nowadays resting in dry docks at Portsmouth she has had many visitors admire her and we definitely appreciated the work that must have gone into her construction as well as the lives of the men who called her home for many months at a time.

The HMS Warrior completed almost a hundred years after the HMS Victory was at her time the largest, fastest and most heavily armed/armoured warship going.

At 418ft long she had 705 crew and cost a staggering £332,000 almost bankrupting the shipyard before the Admiralty stepped in. She is a mix of sail and steam with an iron hull, a fierce combination which allowed her to out-run and out-gun any and all her foes. Built with efficiency and attention to detail she really is my favorite of the two. The transition of technology at the time is clearly shown in her with the massive engine room just fascinating (well for a geek like me!) with the older style of fitting showing on some of the upper decks.

Littleun loved the messes and decided that the officer rooms were just what he wanted for his bedroom!

Today was spent swimming with my aunt. Littleun loves the water but at 4 still hasn't learnt to swim. Something that I am really keen on him to do as living by water I think for safety he should. However today he did his first proper moves, legs kicking arms desperately holding onto the tubular float he proudly started to move about. So many thanks R, glad you managed to get him going!

Been Drum Decorating

2010-04-05T09:40:00.011+01:00

As the countdown continues, Littleun decided he wanted his Tambo/drum decorated. So after trying to work out what would go well on the skin we came up with this:

First we drew Cernunnos

Littleun wanted it bigger but as I had done it in ink we couldn't change it so have added a celtic knot

You can use inks, paints or in this case pencils to colour

Now he is digging out all the others he owns and wants them done too. I can see its going to be a task getting him to choose just one when Beltane arrives!

The pattern comes from a site I saw once, though I haven't ever managed to find it again so sadly can't give credit. If anyone knows can you tell me, I'll gladly add the original name.

oooh ouch.....

2010-04-03T13:16:00.010+01:00

Last night I caught up with an old friend who is back in town for a bit. It was great to chat and have an evening out where I could let my hair down. The part I forgot about going out (it's been a while!) is the horrendous hangover the next day. Normal painkillers just haven't made a dent so I've headed over to the old faithful books of Kate West and found the following:

"The Morning after the Night before"
3 Drops Rosemary
3 Drops Rosewood
3 Drops Rose

Add to bath and relax

Now feeling almost human again I look at my texts and find that I have an invite for a night out next week, think a trip to the shop for more oils might be needed in the next few days..

The Countdown has begun

2010-04-01T09:23:00.026+01:00

I promise I'll not mention it too often but I am getting a little bit excited as its not long now till the best weekend of the year for this little household. The Jack in the Green weekend was revived in its current format 27 years ago and is a weekend of Morris Dance, music and fun before on the Monday the main event of Jack being released.

There are various characters in the parade:

The Jack; the centrepiece of the celebrations Jack-in-the-green is a traditional May Day figure. He may be a garland that has expanded in size dating from the 17th century but to others He is also a representation of The Green Man in his various forms.

The Bogies and Black Sal; The bogies are Jacks protectors, staying with him till the end ensuring his safety and "greening" anyone on the way. Sal is Jacks consort and also stays with Him till the end.

The Sweeps; Possibly the reason that the Jack started as he currently looks, the sweeps made the garland that eventually grew in size to cover a whole man.

The Giants; They have become part of the festival over the years celebrating a history of gianting through out Europe and representing various characters such as Herne and Andred.

Morris sides; Mad Jacks (responsible for this revival), Hannah's Cat and visiting sides show off their talents throughout the weekend before joining in the parade.

Rhythm Sections: And lastly the Drummers. Different groups, Section5, Pentacle Drummers, Rumpledrumskin and Sambalanco add the toe taping, body moving beats that will rumble throughout the town for the weekend. Various drummers have in past years helped welcome in the Dawn on Beltane plus a Drum Off on the Sunday.

Throughout the weekend there is a lot of music and dance. If anyone is interested in seeing the programme then visit the Jack-in-the-Green site for the list.

30 days to go! yippee, now best get on with finishing the costumes...