A Simples life

It would be a good thought that life is as simple.


Sitting in the cottage window reading all day, life probably is.


We have started work in our kitchen.
I never knew there was so much "stuff".
It took a whole day to clear as much out as we could.
At times like this, it's always great to have a cheery little guy around with power tools.


Not much point in showing you the amount of damage the water has done.
There are so many people around the world that know water can travel along way.


Tools all ready.


The most important things near to hand. Kettle and cookies.


Sad to say there was a slight accident this morning as the floor was being lifted.
Amie Soto Blossom's teddy cookie jar.



Poor old ted is now headless, not something that could be repaired..


Have to make do with the Frank and Mew's catty one Ames.
At least until we are all sorted out again.

Beans or Stewpot ?

This little dog is called Beans. The latest little guy to join the family. Sorry about the clarity of pics but Skype and my downsizing skills don't mix well. This little fellow (no, ignore the big guy that is Steve my son beside him) is in Cambodia.....


Brought for £4. He was ill and heading for the stew pot... I kid you not !

The reason why I would look like a pied piper if I ever went there. Rescued by my son.
Well done Steve................................
Steven did tell me how much visits to the vet have since cost him. HE IS ALSO NOW JABBED..~(Beans, not Steve), and bless his paws, is the proud owner of a collar and lead. No.... Beans not Steve.....


This is chops, ah, you all know little Chops....
Two new pups in the family now...
Both working dogs, looking after my kids... Ah, bless, give those young paws a medal.


Beans..... you are going to be a labour of love.


Keeping my kid company....


You even have that certain look that reminds me of Ames when her teeth get stuck on her chops.. ( you figure that one out).............
So, water forgotten.
I am slightly behind with emails... forgive me !

Anyone want to help me catch ducks and goldfish... or rescue a dog...... ?

Or dogs... I wish... I could go into a whole way of life in Cambodia here, but I won't....

I would however like to mention my friend Melanie...
Melanie and one of her very best friends... I would like to think, our bridge is the rainbow bridge..... this post is for Angel, Melanie and her family.

Young Chops, who makes me smile instantly.
Little Beans, who has a way to go before he goes home......

You can't help every one who needs help. One is better than none....
Who wants to help me, catch ducks and fish .............. you know I joke, but the cottage is going to be busy . REALLY BUSY.... over the next few weeks... Time out.. See you all soon...

Just like to add. HI MARK... Mark has gone walk about in Thailand... I know he will click here at some point and look for Amie... She is fine, asleep and snoring, dreaming of a day on the beach, playing with young pups ........ see you all later.....................

Knights in shining armour

Here are our knights in shining armour, who arrived in a white van this morning.

We are leak less.... no more water rushing around under our kitchen floor. No more hissing of escaping water. They estimated water was escaping at 3 liters per minute.

Thanks guys, for spending a whole day here at the cottage, thanks a million for not digging up the cottage floor.


After a bit of deduction with the help of a very high tec deduction kit.
Gone are the days of using two divining rods.
Although they still use of a spade.


This is where the new pipe needed to come through to.
The hole they dug was luckily outside of the cottage and not inside.
If things hadn't gone so well, it would have meant a hole right where I'm now sitting.

Now you see it.


Now you don't.


Needless to say all of this was closely watched by Amie nosy beak, through the glass door.


Amie had a treat for being so good today. She might have had more than was good for her.
When your an old lady, so what.


However there is a limit.


After all the excitement, only one thing to do.


Share the birthday rug until the big clear up really starts in the kitchen.......

The flooring is ruined, it could have been a whole lot worse.
Just as well we didn't buy a couple of ducks and a shoal of goldfish to go with the kitchen ambiance after all.

Watered down kitchen highlights

I want to remember my kitchen as it used to look, just after we last decorated it.


Doesn't look quite the same today.
Mr leaky pipe fixer can't come until the 10th March to repair it.
Although it has been measured and photographed ready for the big day.
Hopefully number one option will work. By passing new pipes from outside through a hole and capping the leak. Number two option is to dig up the floor and drill.


All the things that have happened in the world lately and yesterday in New Zealand, a leaking under groundwater pipe in the cottage is minuscule.
Huge to us, but not life threatening. Just wet and disrupted. Soggibottom really is living up to her name. It's going to take a while, but eventually everything will go back to normal.

Other lives and other people aren't so lucky. Where ever you are in the world, be safe.

Amie's Valentine's card from Molly and Lisa

When you've had a bad day, with maybe more bad news to come, the wonder of my blogging friends is that they are always there. My friend Lisa sent this to Amie from her dog Molly.
It couldn't have arrived at a better time than today. Lisa and I go back a few years. There are times when an emergency crops up, especially when anything with four legs around here always wait for the weekend to be ill. Lisa is always at the other end of an email with advice if ever we need it.


Everyone is well around here, so don't get me wrong. What on earth could be wrong when you wake up to such a beautiful day. This was Dartmoor this morning.
To good to stay in bed or hang around inside after such a bad Winter.


We like going to Totnes Market on Saturdays. One of us likes it more than the other as they sell real cheese. By real cheese, I mean cheese that doesn't have a cellophane and plastic wrapping. You can also get to test everything first.


You can always tell the weather is getting warmer as the buskers appear on the street.
The guy sitting in the corner sounded good, shame I didn't get a better picture.


I'm not sure if there is anywhere else in Britain that you would see kids busking.
I'm sure their parents were around somewhere.
They needed a bit more practise bless them, maybe they were there for the cute factor with their violins




I always like to go to Totnes, it has a castle.
I pass it but have never been to the top of the hill to take a closer look.


As I said it's been really wet around here this week. Ames had to have her coat on just for a quick visit outside. She normally trots in hotly followed by


Frank, who waits to be dried off. He has his own towel in the kitchen.
He doesn't always get it right. The idea is to stand on the mat by the door before coming any further into the cottage. Tries hard.


The back roads really were wet and soggy this morning.


Maybe the water theme is something I need to get used to. We came home and realised we have a water leak somewhere under the cottage floor. Why are they called Emergency plumbers if they can't come out until after the weekend ?


Might have to sit back and see what happens on Monday, in the meantime, I have a new book to read from lovely Lisa. She remembered my passion for Alice in Wonderland. I have only had time to glance at the cover. It's going upstairs in the dry.
Lisa has a lovely fun, and colourful blog, you can find Lisa HERE



In case I'm not able to make another post for a while, reference, the cottage floor being dug up with a pneumatic drill.
Thought I had better show you the tomato's that were planted earlier in the week...... they're growing.

THE 2011 TOMATO CHALLENGE AND LARRY THE CAT AT NO 10

Thanks for every email I've had asking what I am going to do with my win from Cindy a few weeks ago. I promise all is in hand and I'm taking great care with my new project.
Obviously not finished yet.




Chatting on Sunday to Caroline from Uniqart we decided to have a tomato challenge.

For me it's a good idea, it means I take more care than usual with the seeds I plant, and remember to water things instead of giving them the tender care of neglect.

I love to see baskets hanging around the garden during the Summer, I'm not so good at remembering to water them.


Not sure if my tomato plants will look as good as this, but it's worth a go.


Seeds, seed compost, pot, and a warm light window sill. No greenhouse or posh stuff needed to grow a tomato plant. YOU DO NEED TO WATER SOMETIMES THOUGH....


Not intending to cheat, I planted two kinds.
Gardener's delight and yellow Tumbling Tom.
I'll keep you updated as the weeks go by how they are growing (or not).

I'll leave the tomato challenge button so you can travel over to Caroline's blog to keep a beady eye on the one's that Caroline has planted.
You are very welcome to join us, or help with judging when picking time comes around.



It was good to hear about Larry the now ex Battersea dogs and cat home cat.
Larry has the plum job of helping out at No 10 Downing Street. I caught a picture of Larry for you, I was far to slow to catch the other picture of a rat running past the door step.


I'm sure Larry is going to a famous puss.


I was going to offer Frank to help out, as he is very patriotic.
Not sure if any passing head of state would appreciate a rat being forcefully dragged through no 10's cat flap by Frank...................Do they have a cat flap ?

Roses and good friends

I wondered how long it would be before Amie shared her new bed in front of the fire. I think it took a few hours before Mew found it. Amie and Mew share nearly everything, except Amie's cookies and at the moment Amie's most treasured possession, her bone given to her by Chops, our daughter's pup.


When the postman calls, I always know, he tends to bang the cottage gate shut. LOUDLY !
A kind of postman's knock.

I can't moan at him, he tends to bring me such great gifts through the posts.
The above quilt hanging is a belated Christmas present from Allie.......

I know when making something, you tend to put your heart and soul into making what ever it is your doing to make it perfect. This is... really perfect. Lots of love .......... goes into making something so Perfect.

Allie even has a bee on here, around the cottage garden there are bee boxes. At one time there even used to be a hammock... I have a Torbay palm too. No crab though. I have to go a couple of miles down the road, by the seashore to find them.
I think the boat might be to remind me, as if I need reminding, not to ever travel by boat ..... THANK YOU ALLIE ................... treasure, you and this perfect gift.



It's about time this blog had some colour on it....

This morning, there was the BANG again... ah ! postman's knock....

I have recently joined a very new blog.... Houseelf Doings.... you will love it....
This lady not only has flair, but she is very good at archaeological digs.
If I dig anything up in the garden around the cottage, I always know who to ask about it.

Another beautifully quilted square, made with love. I have to add here, to please Houseelf Doings that the square was designed by Stephanie of Loft Creations.

THANK YOU HOUSEELF DOINGS.



Digging time in the garden isn't far off.
Soggibottom is somewhere over the hill. I'm sure I have taken this view before !

There are many days during the year I stop and think how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful place in the world.

It might seem a bit bleak in early Spring, but I know why I live here. I love the seasons of the changing year.... no place better to be in Spring than Devon.
I just love living here.
This is only the start of the year, early Spring.



LAMBS.......
To be truthful, these are the one's that arrived just before Christmas. But to me, a lamb is a lamb. If it's fluffy, has four legs then it obviously needs feeding.


Valentines day on Monday.
I have been asked by a water nymph I know to say "he is a romantic at heart".



As for Amie and Mew.... Mew won.


Amie was lifted up into her normal place, to dream the day away.....


I'm going to be away from blogging for a few days.
Too many things to catch up with.

Hope you all have a fantastic Valentines day.
If you want a rose, then you can borrow one of mine.
BUT I WANT IT BACK ... x x x

Any time, I'm in no hurry.