Deblyn

That's good Dee. I'll show the children that tomorrow, they'll enjoy that. I did manage to read straight through the message, so what they say about the first and last letters must be true, and that you read the word not the individual letters. Must try it out on hubby - I wonder if men and women would react differently? If he cant read it, he'll probably say it's a woman thing. I can't win!

Hahahahahahahaha. Ha. I like those - very clever!

..share lemonade and brownies - sounds alright to me. Anyone else care to join me? I'm off in a minute to bake some shortbread - we have a busload of dgnitories visiting our newly re-furnished village hall this morning, so I'd better change my clothes as well! Hope everyone has a good day - the weather is lovely here - crisp and bright at the moment but will turn hotter later on. See you all later!

Thanks, will do. Although my little angels would probably prefer the frog spawn.................................!!

I had to show some decorum and make it 6 o'clock in the photo - would hate to offend anyone! Joan - the real thing is a huge figure cut into the hillside, about 100ft or so ling. This guy just pictured him on a clock face for a laugh. I think you can also get the giant on t-shirts, etc as well as postcards. To help you get pregnant, you have to actually go out and sit on the appropriate part of the real figure on the hillside. The clock is just a bit of fun, although I think the guy who makes them is the one laughing all the way to the bank, judging by what he charges! Mr Lowie paid, though, so that's alright. I want to hang the clock in our hallway so everyone who comes in can see it. It will go beside my little sampler that says: Dull women have immaculate houses.

I enjoyed that little glimpse into your life there Cat. Shame about the relatives; I suspect most families have them, but you seem to have more than your fair share there, girl! I read today that one good friend can be worth 50 relatives - maybe that is right in a way. I didn't know about the no photographs of people with the Amish, so I've learnt that today. Many thanks again. Sarah

Yes, it's wooden, and I'm hoping the colour will mellow a little - it's quite bright just now and can be seen some distance away, I've been told! Mr Lowie put it together, it came as a flat pack. I supervised hahahaha! And held the beers! The rocking chair is still in the kitchen; the shed is now so full of stuff (!) that I'll have to wait until it is sorted out before I move in permanently (me and my clock!)

..............so I made it look like 6 o'clock in the photo!! Can't wait to get the batteries in it!

About three days in total; it's machine pieced, and machine quilted in the ditch around the dark purple borders. It is hand tied with yellow, red and pink embroidery silks at the corners of the main patches. It is actually still too warm at nights to have it on top of the bed, but we will need it soon I think!

Stuff the politically correct - you could put virtually any politician's name in there!!!

Hi Auntmeanie, Sorry for the delay, but I've just caught up with this one! No other birds, either ducks or chickens have been affected, so it is a one off, thank goodness. I have lost a couple of hens since then, but just through old age; a lot of our hens come to us from other people who get fed up with them, and don't even know how old they are! Having said that, some of them are still going strong and must be nearly six years old! I see them all at least three or four times a day as a rule, so I always keep a close eye on what is going on, and know them so well that I can easily spot if one is out of sorts, and take action then. We have had no disease in the six years we have been here, thank goodness; we only have a few hens and ducks and they are convenient to visit at the top of the garden!

That sounds like a good idea - I will have to try it with ordinary tapioca as we don't get the instant here. Will let you know how it goes. Thanks.

This sounds a good one! I think I saw the film a few years ago, but I may be wrong, and would like to read the book anyway. The mobile library comes tomorrow, so I will either pick it up then or put in a request for it. I will read it anyway, even if it is not chosen for the book circle. Thanks for that one. By the way, my film review book lists the film as a "barren feminist fantasy"...................!

There seems to be a little confusion here! It is not the clock that you sit on - the figure is a giant figure (not sure of exact size, maybe 100ft or so, and he is certainly visible for miles around) actually carved into the chalk hillside. Women who wish to conceive actually go and sit on the giant himself at the appropriate part of the hillside. Every few years a team of volunteers goes and cleans him up to keep his edges white! If I sat on the clock, there wouldn't be much clock left............. Hope this clears it up!

Glad you like where I live! Yes that is the church at the top; the building on the very left of the picture is the pub, and in between is the "big house" - the village mansion! It is quite old, and a firm of brewers bought it back in the 1940's for the brewery owners to live in. For their staff, they built two cottages just a bit down the road, one for the cook and one for the groom. I now live in what was the cook's house. My friend lives across the road in what was the gardener's cottage. All very typically English and feudal sounding. Anyone welcome to visit if you want to!

Sorry to bore you all to tears, but here is my new shed!!

This is the view out of my bedroom windw - hope you like it!

Sorry Nana, I'm afraid it is - it goes around with the hands!!!

This is a photo of the quilt I made with most of the squares from the Mrs S exchange; the rest are saved towards the next one. It's a small top quilt for on top of the bed to get extra warmth on cold nights. The next one I want to do will be a full size cover for the bed.

This is (hopefully) a picture of the new clock we have bought for our hallway. The figure is a pre-Roman (although some say 18thc) fertility symbol, and is a huge figure cut into the chalk hillside of a village about 8 miles away from where I live. The village is called Cerne Abbas, and the figure is known as the Cerne Abbas Giant (b. says ".....and here, you can see why!) - she is 12..............!). If you type that name into Google I'm sure you will find some more info so you know I am not making this up. There is an annual ceremony still held today where couples hoping to conceive go along and the woman sits on the appropriate part of the giant's anatomy. I kid you not, I have seen them there for the ritual. This is not a wind-up, but a real piece of very ancient Dorset folklore. Hope you enjoy the picture!

I was ONLY 42!! The clock is ruder than a Scotsman in or out of a kilt, and certainly not a chicken! I will however, put in the historical notes to go with it which may explain it all!! I'm about to try and see if I can get the picture posted now.

Who is your favourite cookery writer, and why?

I have no idea what it is called, but I have a little contraption for making little baskets out of mashed potato! It consists of a small mesh basket (like a sieve) that fits inside a slightly larger one, and they are joind at the end of a long handle. I have never used it, but it is quite old and I bought it because it was unusaul - so unusual I don't think I will ever actually use it! I'm sure in the depths of my dresser there must be more gadgets, so I may be posting again on this one!

Oh goody! Looks like the interest is till here, so who is going to choose? (Not that I need anything else to read at the moment!!!!)

Thankyou to everyone who posted lovely birthday wishes for me; we went out in the vening to a really nice pub (quite posh) and had the best meal I've had when eating out - this from a professional chef! We bought a clock too; they had them for sale behind the bar. You will have top wait until I get a picture up of that, so I won't spoil the giggle here - let's just say I think it's right up Debbielee and Brigid's street! I will need to wait until my little genius is around to help with the pictures. Many thanks again. By the way I don't look a day over 43! (I was 42 on Thursday............