Is it time yet?

The weather today was milder and warmer than it has been in a while. The sun shone and the honey bees were out foraging on the Viburnum. The snowdrops are beginning to flower and the birds are practicing their spring songs.

The wind has been blowing rather a lot lately, so my mind has turned to getting the washing out on the line to dry. Because let's face it, wind dried washing is the best! That lovely scent of clean, freshly laundered sheets is unbeatable.

Berthe Morisot - Peasant hanging out the washing

And on this note, one of my many unfinished projects beckoned. Some years ago I bought a peg bag on a holiday trip to the coast from a RNLI shop. I like sea-related items, and as I was supporting a worthy cause, I was happy to buy it. But days, weeks, months and even a few years of flitting between the garden and kitchen cupboard meant it was now looking rather tired and holey. However, the wooden frame work is still in good order, and the style has a simple envelope shape so would be easy to replace.

So time for another raid of my fabric stash, and a quick cut using the old bag as a template. A few minutes on the sewing machine, and a new peg bag is ready for use. I added a few buttons for embellishment.

 

Another great thrifty make for just a few pennies! However, with the weather forecast promising rain and storm the next few days, my new peg bag may have to wait a few days yet to be put to good service.

Of boats, boys and bonfires

The good thing about living close to a showground is that you can, at short notice, decide to visit an event held there. And so today we found ourselves at the Boat Jumble. And very interesting it was too. It started out with a walk with Zaf and ended up with a nose around the varied stalls at the Boat fair.

We were a tad naughty and didn't come home empty handed. In fact it felt rather a long trip back carrying these heavy items that took our fancy!

These two corner lanterns on shelves caught our eyes. They were from a trawler, and are marked 'Port' and 'Starboard'. They need a little attention to make them glow again, but it shouldn't be a big job.

And everybody needs a bright red Fire bucket, don't they?

 Of course, a pair of oars always come in handy when one heads off for Henley!

A lovely wooden pulley, not sure what that's for yet, but Steve has plans I know!

We decided that it was a good afternoon to get out in the garden for a few hours to clear away, ready for spring growth.

Meanwhile BB joined us for some fresh air, and found a stick to whittle!

And at the end the afternoon a little bonfire which is an activity my boys (big and small) do love...

Hope you all have a lovely week

And so it snowed...

Yeay, the snow finally came, to the delight of all the small people of the village. The schools closed, the traffic slowed, and apart from children's laughter, the silence grew. The look on BB's face when he came running down the road was a picture; a grin from ear to ear. Snow-  finally!

This was also Zaf's first experience of snow, and he really enjoyed bouncing around in the powdery snow.

With friends in the the park

Dad got a bit of a snow-kicking too

The bees at home happily sit on the stand Steve and BB built for me.

Boys making angels

Have you made any angels lately?

Will there be snow?

Photo by K G. Libbrecht

Everywhere else in the UK seems to already have had snow this winter. However, not us here in the South of England...but this may well soon change! Nearly every day this week the forecast has promised snow but so far, not a flake! But tomorrow, we've be warned of a heavy downfall...the excitement and tension is building in this house and elsewhere in the village....The food shops have been raided, and we patiently wait to see those big fat flakes...

By the way, did you know it usually takes about 15 to 45 minutes for a snowflake to form and fall to the ground? Snowflakes form in a wide variety of intricate shapes, leading to the popular expression that "no two are alike". Although statistically possible, it is very unlikely for any two snowflakes to appear exactly alike due to the many changes in temperature and humidity the crystal experiences during its fall to Earth.

Here's how to make your own snowflake:

All you've ever wanted to know about snowflakes can be found on the Snow Crystals website

 Here's our snow in 2009!

Toxic wrapping paper

Did you know that the amount of wrapping paper estimated to be thrown away in the UK at Christmas could stretch around the equator nine times or to the moon if each sheet was laid end to end (based on WRAP research from 2007)?

The Washington Post states that wrapping paper, from an ecological point of view, is a pretty worthless use of trees. Each year in the United States, 4 million tons go from logs to landfills to make wrapping paper and holiday shopping bags, according to the Clean Air Council, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization.

 

And about burning it in the fireplace: Don't! Decorative wrapping paper, much of which is made in countries such as China that have looser environmental regulations, can contain lead, synthetic inks, plastic film, chlorine or metal-based foils, which release toxic and carcinogenic compounds into the air when burned. Metallic paper may or may not have a greater environmental footprint than other types, but it's certainly not meant to be inhaled. And children are particularly vulnerable to this indoor pollution!

To top it all off, much gift wrap can’t even be recycled after use, especially if it contains metal foil.

There is even scientific research to support the toxicity of wrapping paper, for instance:

Int J Environ Analytical Chem. 1979;6(4):321-5.

Colored gift wrapping papers as a potential source of toxic metals.

Bertagnolli JF, Katz SA.

Abstract

Sanitary land fills are the alternate to waste incineration in New Jersey. While industrial waste disposal is controlled, few restrictions apply to the disposal of domestic solid waste. Among the materials of concern from domestic sources are colored gift wrapping papers. Cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, lead and zinc were determined in some dozen and a half samples of gift wrapping paper by atomic absorption spectrometry after wet ashing and after simulated leaching. High levels of lead and chromium were found in many of the papers. The leachates showed correspondingly high levels of lead.

And yet here in the UK, the Guardian reports that one of the biggest sources of waste each Christmas is still wrapping paper, with more than 8,000 tonnes being used each year - the equivalent of approximately 50,000 trees.

Can we really afford to continue to be so nonchalant about our use of wrapping paper, and why have we no legislation against this chemical paper?!

You can always re-use your paper, but more importantly, there are many other ways to wrap your presents, for instance, using newspapers, cloth bags, maps, etc. See here for more alternatives.

I decided to wrap my presents in brown paper and decorate with stamps and re-usable ribbons and strings.

And then kept the paper once the presents had been opened on Christmas day, and made a new batch of paper with that!

BB helped prepare the paper pulp and with a deckle we pulled sheets of paper, which we decorated with various natural items and also one sheet with small lego pieces.

It was then left to dry (be patient at this stage!) - overseen by lego Legolas!!

And there you go, some rather special home-made paper ready to use for cards or crafting or whatever you fancy.

Hope you are having a lovely crafty week....