Keeping Busy

There was a sprinkling of snow overnight leaving a white carpet of white over the ground.  There is a little sparkle here and there and a twinkle as the sun catches some ice that has formed over the wet ground.  Jack Frost has spread his fingers and left quite the trail behind him.

As the day continues there has been a few more flakes of snow added here and there.  The temperatures have plummeted leaving a crunchy ice, making the roads quite treacherous.  We are blessed that the gritters have been out along the main road in front of our little cottage.  However we are thankful that we don't need to go anywhere.

I have filled my day sharpening my coloured pencils and working on my Bible.  I Have an Inspire Bible for Creative Journaling which I enjoy.

More pages of my Christmas scrapbook have been worked on and finally both Gerard and I worked together on a jigsaw puzzle.  The stove has been blazing all day so it does feel quite warm in here.  I will be working on the border of Bertie's blanket so that will keep my warm this evening.  Sadly, the film night that we planned to attend this evening has been cancelled due to the inclement weather  and road conditions. 

We have a beautiful bunch of tulips on the dining table to brighten our day.  A gentle reminder that Spring is on the way and very soon there will be a wondrous array of colour as the moor once more comes to life.  There are signs here and there already of the promise to come with daffodils starting to emerge through the frozen ground.

We have already sorted through the seeds that we have available and started to plan and extend the herb garden.  There are more tyres in the outbuilding that we can use it is nice to have a few plans and I must admit half the fun is in the planning.  Have you started planning the garden and browsing seed catalogues yet?

See you soon.

Weekend

What a mix in the weather.  It went from snow and ice to a couple of days of raining.  Raining hard with a horrible wind.  Once again the wind was howling around our little cottage so the decision was made to stay in and not go out for the Burns night.  For those that asked Burns Night is a celebration of the life and poetry of the poet Robert Burns.  His best know work is Auld Lang Syne, so popular for new years eve.  Once again the Ferries had cancellations on Saturday although not all.  The freight ferry was OK so there will be plenty of stock in the supermarkets.

The rain fell endlessly for two days creating quite a few issues in the garden, not least the overflow of the soak away at the side of our garden.

The ground just couldn't cope with the amount of rain falling and the water very quickly started to pool.

Thankfully the wind helped and dried up the overflow of water quite quickly so once again it is dry. 

Another questions asked on my last post was which pattern I used for the shawls.

I used the West Yorkshire Spinners Crochet Winter Warmers book, I am not sure if it is available on line.  The pattern is Called Bryony triangular wrap.  The two that I made were gifted to a friend and her daughter.  I used to do the craft fairs before our move but since moving haven't.  I always have enough to do for our home and family but I am not going to rule it out for the future, not yet.

I have worked on Bertie's blanket and am now starting on the border.  Honeys will be a mirror image but a different colour.

My grab and go project is going to be slippers and then I want to get going on some flowers for a wreath.

Hope that helped with all your queries.

We have woke to a rather grey and dismal day but I am going to tear myself from the stove.  Aerobics here I come...

See you soon.

Finally A Finish for 2019

The two shawls are finished, they were a lovely make using colours that evoked visions of the Isle of Lewis.  One using shades of green and blue showing the magnificent waters that surround us.  The other a wide mixture alluding more to the moor and the wonderful array of colours in the living moor.  Certainly a pattern that I will be using again.  The body of the shawl is an easy grab and go project for the hospital/doctors waiting room and travelling on the Ferry.  The border need more concentration and became an evening project.

Sadly the light in the cottage is not good so the stunning colours are not reflected in the photos.  Hangers were also painted and stamped to go with them.

A ribbon tied into a bow added for a little glamour.

I am back to working on Bertie's blanket and have sourced the yarn for one for Honey.   I have had so much fun browsing books and patterns for my next grab and go project.  I have also been gifted some beautiful yarn in some warm and vibrant colours so I am going to start on a cowl.

The weather has certainly been changeable with some snow showers and  icy roads making driving quite slow getting across the moor.  The Ferries have been cancelled on and off all week, there are more cancellations tomorrow.  I am always thankful for my large store cupboard which I will restock once the Ferries are back to normal.

I am having fun working on my Christmas scrapbook and have finished about 15 pages so far.  The photos I had printed at a shop in town, the more that were printed the less the cost per print.  As I wanted them quickly so that I could make a start I did the 1 hour service.

Its like going on holiday again, I am enjoying reliving some wonderful moments of our time away.

We have been invited to a few Burn's Nights events over the weekend but no definite plans have been made as yet.  What are your plans for the weekend?  Whatever it is, I hope you all enjoy it and have a great weekend.

See you soon.

Winter

It is Winter on the Outer Hebrides and many say it is the most challenging time for the Islanders.  It is also said that if you survive the first Winter here on the Island it is a true test if you stay or not.  This is our second Winter so I guess we are staying.  The weather forecast has not been good for the next few days and we noticed the road been gritted earlier.  There were cancellations once again of the ferry today and I just heard on the news that some flights were cancelled today also.

On a more positive note I thought I would share some of the things that I love about Winter here on my Island paradise.

- Beautiful sunrises and sunsets

- Winter walks watching the waves thrashing against the shoreline

- Hand knitted hats, scarves and gloves that have been gifted

- Soft, chunky jumpers

- Cosy afternoons by the stove

- Hot chocolate

- Warming soups/stews

What do you like about Winter where you live?

The darkest month here in the Hebrides is February, it can be wild but always dark.  So it as a delight to read in the An Lanntair programme that there will be a festival to celebrate and take us out stargazing and aurora hunting.  I was fascinated to read that you can see the Orion Nebula from here, over 1,500 light years away.  These Islands are also one of the best spots for watching the incredible Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis).  What an education I am getting since our arrival to this amazing Island off the West Coast of Scotland.

See you soon.

H.M.Y. Iolaire

It is the centenary of the Iolaire which I have spoke about on this blog a few times.  Men returning from the war safe and sound only to die in the sea as the ship hit the rocks so close to the shore.  There were and still are many stories abound about the heroism and  the following years hardship of the families who had lost men in this tragedy.   There have been many services and exhibitions to honour all those who were lost.  At An Lanntair there is a display from the artist Margaret Ferguson who was commissioned to paint those lost from old photographs.

  It was heart wrenching to see these paintings, it certainly made it real and highlighted how young these men were.

Each loss of life represented by a stone around the cart.

The library also have a display, which makes for some interesting reading.

There is also a wonderful display in the Chemist window to honour and to remember this disaster.

The most striking is the memorial that has now been built .  A slate engraving and stone cairn at Carn Gardens.  

The stone cairn included stones to represent each man lost and were collected from the home villages of each of the 201 sailors lost.

What a beautiful place to sit and remember the bravery and heroism of these young men.

On a lighter note the chickens are doing really well and all are now laying.  We are getting six eggs a day which delights the neighbours as I pass them around.  They are such fun and we spend many a happy hour watching their antics from the window.

My daughter treated us to a plant depicting the talking tree from Efteling on our recent trip, it survived two ferry trips and the long drive home.

My plan for today is to now make a start on the my Christmas scrapbook before some of the little details are forgotten.  A walk also seems a possibility as the sun is shining down and enticing us outside.  What have you got planned?

As always I thank you for your visit to my humble blog and for your uplifting comments.