Showing posts with label neighbours. Show all posts
Showing posts with label neighbours. Show all posts

Friday, 21 September 2012

Warmth.


This morning in Tescos.  The DP and I had volunteered to man the RSPB/Tesco Save the Rainforest charity collection.  We had been issued with buckets, sashes, which kept falling off, stickers, which didnt stick.  When we arrived there was no stand, no banners.  No nothing, and no-one at Tescos knew anything about it.



Fortunately the week before, the DP had met a (paid) lady on a stand with banners, monkey masks and colouring in cards in Tescos, who very kindly had said she would leave us all that .  So after a bit of hunting by Tescos staff the stand was found and we wheeled it into place.  Otherwise we would have been stood with buckets, juggling stickers and leaflets, and worrying about the strict instruction, YOU MUST NOT SHAKE THE BUCKETS.   How else people would be aware we were collecting money just stood there carrying a bucket and juggling leaflets and stickers I know not.
So we stood there for three hours and the lovely people of Fraserburgh and around threw money in the buckets in droves.  The leaflets were for them to hand over for all their green points, for using their own bags, to be handed over to charity.  (Tesco staff did not know anything about these leaflets, and when I tried to use one spent ten minutes reading everything on said leaflet, including very small print.)  Hey ho.  We were actually supposed to be their for four hours, but as we were by this time freezing cold, (and  it was the time when lunch break customers were hurtling in for a sandwich and a fizzy) we decided to call it a day.

Our afternoon was spent visiting more studios involved in NEOS (North East Open Studios).


We went first to Pennan.  This was the village hall following a mud slide from the cliffs above.  It is now completely refurbished and inside were the craft group and artists.


There was a wood turner, jewellery, knitted stuff, preserves, paintings, plus home bakes, coffee and tea, superb.


Pennan.  There is the Pennan Inn, pub restaurant.  The village is where the film Local Hero was filmed, starring Burt Lancaster, and has the, now listed building status red phone box bu the harbour.    You can just see it in the picture above, the film is excellent and if you get the chance do see it.  No sex, no violence, just a warm feeling.


How the hell did they build this house (above). And it is above, could not work out how you got to it.,.,,

The harbour from above, Pennan.

Next we went to Crovie, pronounced Crivie.



In Crivie there is no road access to the houses.  Everyone has a wheelbarrow.  They park their cars at the far end and barrow everything to their home.  We saw a coal delivery.  The lorry parked at the end of the houses, put the sacks of coal onto a trolley and staggered off to deliver to the customer.



This is where you park.  I got out and said to the DP, "You do it."  This is him trying to park the car, bear in mind, when you wish to leave you have to do a three point turn.  I did consider reversing all the way back up the hill but as it is something like one in 27 and there's a steep edge at one side of the road, you must do a three point turn here, avoiding the sea, so ok a 77 point turn.


But there is here also a red phone box.





These amazing rag rugs made of recycled clothing and blankets in the most delightful cottage.


We returned home safely!  And found Kurt, one of our neighbours with a trailer full of logs.

As he said, "Wood is great, you get warm chopping it down, warm chopping it up, warm loading it, warm unloading it, warm moving it to your wood store, warm moving it from the wood store to the house and warm burning it."

All in all its been a warm day.  Warm welcomes from all the artists and crafters, warm craik discussing our variety of interests, and warm neighbourly feeling.

Saturday, 14 April 2012

It has been a year!

This is me making the decision that we would buy this house.  


Didnt really care about the main house, I just wanted this!


We moved in on April 15th 2011.




First to go was this lot.  Lylandii taking light from the kitchen and dining room and leaving us with no view.  Now we have one.



The house was well and truly warmed by all our friends and new neighbours.


Some transformations, such as my take on a luxury bedroom.
Into which grandchildren are also welcome.  (Along with a cat.)





I took up art again after many years.



We found we really were enjoying retirement from hosting a bed and breakfast.  (I havent really got blue lipstick on strange photo!)


And made lots of new friends.



Cherry Cottage we love you.



So guess what I am doing now?  Yep raising a glass of red.  Its been a good move.  And a good year.

Thursday, 15 March 2012

We know who you are...

First Mothers Day Card this year.  The daughter knows me well.



Probably never been a good role model.



One of the many interesting features of our neighbour up the road's garden.



Redshank at Peterhead.  Artistic picture from the DP.  Expects me  to produce a painting of same.  Not sure he knows me that well.

We do not know what or who caused this sheep's death, but nature (birds) have cleaned it up.




And this is Puzzle cat.  Who has indeed presented us all with a Puzzle.  of and cost a vast amount in vets bills. He stopped eating.  This is a cat who lives to eat.  To the vets.  Aneasthetised, had throat examined.  Found one piece of meat stuck to gullet, removed.  Continued eating, sicked everything up. Stopped eating.  Left home.  Spent two days trawling bushes, fields, brambles.  And calling, calling. Captured and back to vets.  Aneasthetised and x rayed.  Nothing. Mush to feed him -  see how he goes.  If no improvement, cut him open.  Dont think so.  How far do you go? 


Wish we knew who you are or what you are causing this.


We dont always know who you are.

Wednesday, 7 March 2012

Wednesday Witterings.


A smile to begin with.



This is one of our neighbours, little does he know that he is to be my first attempt at portrait painting.  Wattie is in his 8os.  Still farms, best potatoes in Lonmay.
And he has more garden gnomes and others of such ilk in front of his farmhouse than anyone.




This one - well, I really must get to grips with my backgrounds.



Art class today was so much fun.  Different takes on the Hopper painting of a lighthouse.









Mine, not pictured, as I am a week behind everyone else, is a pen and ink with water colour wash, so different yet again.  Caught up this afternoon, so may inflict it on you tomorrow.


And now for some really good news.  When the doctor was called out to save me from what I thought was imminent death, which of course it wasnt.  Along with the 'life saving' antibiotics, steroids, massive pain relievers he prescribed me an add on inhaler for my chronic lung disease.  For the first time in 18 months I CAN BREATHE.


I have already managed to walk round the WHOLE of Tescos, and leave my car in a car park and walk to the cafe, instead of risking parking fines and being tasered, AND I have removed all the bags of rubbish from the Shed to the other side of the house aka the bin.


Tomorrow I am slashing back overgrown bushes, vaccing, mopping, cleaning windows, changing beds, ironing (no not ironing), and maybe just boring you all even further with another blog.

Tuesday, 20 December 2011

Meeting the Neighbours.


 Last night I went to the farmhouse, pictured above.  The house is the white building on the right.




Presented with tons of evergreens...


On the floor, on the table, 



Circles of oasis were soaked in water and then we got cracking.



 Some were much quicker.



Everyone used different bits and pieces.  This one has walnuts and cinnamon sticks.



This one looked like a hat you would wear to Ascot!



Some of us were prepared for the prickles of holly with rubber gloves, obviously done this before...



Then we were given a map to show where our 'neighbours' in this North East corner live.  Separated by fields and woods, some meeting for the first time, from different backgrounds, careers, beliefs, country, brought together by the spirit of Christmas and creating something beautiful from what Nature around us provided.



I never thought I would meet any 'neighbours' or create such a wreath.
But I did both.