Verdict: the dog likes

.
Lemon delicious pudding.

After licking the bowls across the floor, he licked the rims of the bowls. Then he licked the outsides of the bowls. Then he licked the floor around the b0wls for good measure.And you may ask why I'm washing part of the floor at 10:15 on a Friday night?

Do not....

My parcel for Do Not Leave Unattended arrived today. And like any kid at Christmas, I couldn't resist tearing into it right away, to see what everyone's been posting in this little art journal that's been around the world.

There are quotes and notes, drawings and portraits, a painting, a sweet story with kimono fabric and vintage envelopes and more. To see what's happening and read about the project, have a look at the Do Not Leave Unattended blog.

I did three rather serious pages. All the time, harassed by the cuddle monster, Mr. Toby. So my last page was dedicated to him. Fancy feeding that monster? I do!

My dog doesn't like it when...

Peppercorn
Originally uploaded by AMagill
I drop peppercorns on the floor.

He thinks they're food and he crunches them up, and then his ears go -- whoosh - flat back as the bite hits.

Sorry, dog.

PS: Flickr up to its old tricks: Photo originally uploaded by AMagill

When the going gets tough, the tough make....

Icecubes.

It's been pretty horrid around here recently, as evidenced by the chorus of flat sighs from Southern Girls. Hottest since 1908. But I can't even imagine how bad that must have been, with no cooling, no fridges, and no icecube trays in the shape of plastic penguins.

I came out of the (sweltering) bedroom into the (sweltering) living room this morning to find a listless dog lying on the floor, imploring me to make the heat go away.

He objected in principle to being dumped in the bath with the cold remains of my (cold) shower, but only for a moment.

'Oooh. Aaah. Mmmm, pleasantly interesting....'

And then the bucket of water was dashed over his head. Followed by wet dog racing through the house - oh well, it'll dry off in a jiffy. Like ten seconds.

So, that's why I was glad to have made Doggy-poles last night. Dogpops if you're Canadian. Dogsicles to the British, they are:
- dabs of vegemite
- scraps of ham
- slices of hot dog
Topped up with water and all frozen together in an ice-cube tray.

The little furry guy loves them.


PS - in case you don't consider this crafting news, the news is that the baby quilt is all finished and awaiting a photo shoot on the weekend before it's off in the post to Canada. We love the stripey binding!

The last photo taken; before the binding was on.

Away... and back again!

I hadn't intended to take a blog-break, but with the onslaught of Christmas I felt pulled apart. All I wanted for Christmas was to stay at home, nose stuck in a book.

I knew a break was coming, and when it finally did, I pulled in my horns, tucked the sheet up over my head, popped the 'Back in 5' sign on the door, and hibernated. (There's four metaphors for you. Want some more? No? OK.)

Lime baked cheesecake, mangoes and sparkling rose.

Wooowee....

So, we've had quiet days and a stack of books. Shortbread came... and went. A similar fate met the cheesecake. I spent a day with my best friend, and we scored booty on the side of the road in the form of an abandoned armchair. We went fabric shopping. I sewed, sketched, slept in, sorted out, dusted (my goodness), and slept some more. It's all very ordinary, but sometimes it's quiet everyday home life that you need.

Baby grow for the nephew whose arrival is anticipated any moment now.
Red fabric fused to light interfacing; satin-stitched to the grow. My drawing.

Here's a little something I made today, and I'll be back around the traps with comments and posts. I couldn't leave my little part of Blogland - but it's been nice to be away -- at home -- for a while.

toodle pip, back anon.

B.

Good things

I got up early this morning, needing to shake the sleep and some clingy bad dreams out of my mind. What better than an early-morning run with the dog?

It's a glorious day - 'Uno altro bello giornata!' calls my little old neighbour as Toby and I jog by. He's a keen gardener, and today he wants us to share some of his lettuces, fresh and smelling like pure green would smell, if it was a smell. 'Grazie tanto, e Toby ditto grazie anche' - we both thank you, in our dreadful Italian. We love garden presents!

Off we trot, to pass the next Italian garden. Now, this is one I've got my eye on. I am trying to work out how, in Italian, to ask about the multi-grafted tree in the front yard. It has lemons (citrone), grapefruit (that's pompelmo, right?), and at least 2 other citron fruit all grafted onto and happily growing on one tree. And once a year it gets all of its branches lopped off -- ohh, ouch, it looks awful -- but sproing, it comes back again and fruiting like mad. I want to know if I could do this to my lemon tree.

When we first moved in, I seem to remember telling Mr Tacc. about the 'scary' old man who stands on the street every morning, watching people walking past. Then we got a dog. Now, every morning, they have an open-armed reception, a big Italian-dog cuddle and lots of 'Ay!' hellos. My dog adores this man. Even when accidentally broad-sided by the hose (now, that was funny!) Soaking wet, Toby leapt over the wall, tail wagging furiously, he barked once at his friend as if to say - 'Hey! Look what you did to me! I'm all wet! Want to play again?!'

On Friday, a leaflet for classes at the Centre for Italian Studies arrived in the post. I'm pretty tempted. Not because I want to learn holiday Italian but for the gardening goss. I want to know how these guys get such amazing gardens with artichokes, aubergines, zucchini, and of course, rows and rows of tomatoes in the front garden. There's only so much you can say with words like 'bella verdure' and 'grazie'. And 15th century art history terminology. They didn't talk much about grafting in my textbooks....

I'm off to enjoy my cafe, panettone, e la bella giornata.

B

Barking at Frogs.... the chronicles of grumpy

I missed the last day of Blogtoberfest: will you ever forgive me? Yesterday was a wonderful, jam-packed race-around crafty day of fun, and yet at the back of my mind, I kept thinking "Oh, will I get five minutes at the computer to wish all my best to all of the Blogtoberfesters?"

Well done you lot. Three cheers, fireworks and a fly-past by the Queen for Big Cat, who deserves lots of kudos for coming up with the idea and infecting everyone with her enthusiasm! What a community of super-stars you've woken up, and how everyone has run and run with Cat's idea. zzzooom, there goes the Queen in her jetplane; you're all heros!

Last night I went to an all-night craft-a-thon, pyjama party food and Halloween stitchery. It was great! Seven lovely crafters and one baby all piled into the house of Jo and her truly generously accommodating family, for a delicious meal and craft chatter.

We kicked the boys out of the lounge (thank you boys!), and took over..... There were needles clacking as socks got made, crochet-borders of lovely cream on a blue and green alphabet knitted blanket, beautiful cross-stiched versions of night-time photographs of the city, the bright stripes of more knitted goodness, baby bibs, christmas decorations, and more, as the night got later and everyone gradually slid down into the cushions on the sofa. Life, not wine, was the cause! (So we say)

I managed to quilt at least four squares - miniscule progress, but there was a lot of chatting and chocolate going on as well. And then a snuggly snooze on the mattress in the playroom, half under my mostly-finished quilt (I say it's good luck to sleep under it when you're quilting it!), and pancakes for breakfast, before a trip to Amitie. What more could a girl ask for?

Apparently I am grumpy today, to which I replied - I am NOT! - hm. Despite a Nana-nap and tea, I feel like this dog at the farm, cross and hot and bothered and barking at the frogs.

Wrarf! Wrarf! Grump, grump. I'm sorry I missed Blogoberfestivities and the end of the month - I hope you will understand that it was all in the name of terribly important craft activity!

I am now going to roast a chicken, and as we all know, a good dinner makes everything better....

B

Something that makes me smile ...

I saw this post over at Curlypops and Nomies, and I had to join in.

This is something that I look at everyday that makes me smile. It's a big doggy smile!


I start the morning with a W-A-L-K with this little guy, and no matter how groggy I feel, I always smile at his sheer delight in being out and about in the morning. "Good morning sunshine! Good morning sky!" Sniff-sniff-sniff-sniff - trot, trot, trot - wag-wag-wag, bounce.