Charity Shopping, a little Cycling, Crochet and Christmas review

I've not been noticing many charity shopping posts on blogs recently. Perhaps it's not something people blog about any more, though I have to say I always like to see what treasures people have found, even if it's something I don't personally like. Media-wise it has become the in-thing to be on the lookout for vintage and thrifty finds, perhaps bloggers have now moved on to something new. Or perhaps there's just nothing good to be found in charity shops any more - a combination of more buyers looking for the same things, or more sellers using ebay, aware now that they can get money for their "junk". I always pop into a charity shop if I'm passing - you just never know what might be in there! I was feeling that I'd had slim pickings recently, but I collected together my bargain buys for the last month and was pleasantly surprised...

I now realise I have a "Thing" for pottery jugs, perhaps I am a collector. The darker one was £4. The stoneware one was quite pricey at £8. The first time I saw it in the shop I wasn't prepared to spend that much on a jug. I kept thinking about it though, and decided to return for it with some of the money I'd got for Christmas. After all, all proceeds are for a good cause too (another thing I like about charity shops). This was during the school holidays so off I set with the children in tow. We were going to Lidl first but we only made it as far as Lidl carpark - poor A trapped her finger in the car door, cue much shrieking, tears and blood so it was home again. However, earlier this week N & I tried again, and the jug is now ours. The pottery bowl was £1, and the tealight holder 49p. (And A's finger is a little black under the nail but isn't hurting)

Also we have... a smelly M&S candle (50p) and two funky pillowcases (each 40p).

So, not bad at all.

Now to some photos from a little outing N and I took on Wednesday. We took N's bike. I was hoping we'd cycle/walk to the nearby bird sanctuary and I could take some photos en route. N had other ideas...

 ... at first it looked as though we'd be at the playpark and nowhere else. It's quite a good playpark but it's not in a terribly scenic location. While N was playing I took a photo of part of the old lemonade factory, I liked the different shades of blue. Then I resorted to bribery - a promise of an icecream at the cafe beside the loch did the trick. The cafe is in the opposite direction to the bird sanctuary, but is still reached by a path through the nature reserve.

Off we go (he's not a keen cyclist, unlike the rest of us)

 

 Within a hundred yards the surroundings change from rundown buildings to attractive lochside scenery.

 I find it surprisingly colourful for this time of year.

 

The water level is quite high. The gulls appearing to perch in a row are all sitting on the kerb beside the lower (underwater) path.

He has a push-up ice lolly thingmajig. I have a hot choclate and we share a pack of shortbread. The cafe is in a fantastic location and is in a fabulous building with plenty of seating space and a gift shop area. However, I do feel it could be so much better - real crockery instead of paper cups, home baking instead of mass-produced packets of biscuits, locally made crafts in the gift shop instead of imported tat...

Returning to the car park we pass the resident whooper swan - notice how yellow his bill is compared the the mute swan behind him. He has a damaged wing so remains here all year instead of migrating.

The pink footed geese visiting for the winter were pecking busily at the grass.

Later that evening...

 

 

...we had a fiery sunset, these photos were taken at about 4:15pm, just as we were heading out to A's piano lesson.

Now to yesterday, a misty day.

 Perfect for enhancing spiderwebs,

but not great for light levels. It's gloomy again today.

A quick look at some crochet progress. I'm  making another crescent moon shawl, this time for one of my sister-in-law. Progress has been slow - I started it away back in June. It's only now that it's almost finished (the edging takes ages!) that I'm liking it. I think I even prefer it to the first one I made, it's a better colour for everyday wear but less interesting in the making.

And lastly, a look back to the days after Christmas and at the New Year. I have to say it seemed that Christmas passed very quickly this year. I felt I was always on the go and getting things done, which is fine, but I do like a wee moment at Christmas to sit and look at the tree and Christmas lights and enjoy the Christmas sounds and smells. I must be more organised next year (no last minute crocheting of very long cuddly snakes would probably help!).

Here are the books I got for Christmas 2012.

I've started reading Nella Lasts's War and am enjoying it - just the kind of everyday detail that I like. I've finished reading Home and I enjoyed this too, it's not just pretty pictures of homes - the best aspect of the book are the memories and opinions of/on homes from the contributors. ReCraft seems OK as craft books go. The Art of Handmade Living is rubbish and will be offered to friends or taken to the charity shop. I haven't looked at the Jane Brocket one yet but I enjoyed her Knitting and Quilting books and expect this will be similar. Celebrate has lots of nice pictures in it, I only requested it once it was in the £6 range as I didn't feel I could justify it otherwise.

Aren't these the prettiest chocolates? I've been trying to cut down on sugar, but did say that a small box of nice chocolates would be welcome among any Christmas gifts - quality not quantity is more important to me now! Hubby gave me these, they're from Kimbles and they tasted absolutely delicious too.

The dining room set for New Year's Day. We went to friend's for Hogmany and had Grandad to visit at New Year.

 

The little nativity scene is now back in it's matchbox and packed away along with most of the other decorations - I'm still finding the odd forgotten ornament around the house.

And I did finally make some more snowflakes, but these will need to wait till next year before being displayed.

Bike Riding, Bargain Hunting, Baking...

...But first we begin with a bit of crochet...

...garish isn't it! The bright sunshine doesn't actually help, the colours are not really so bad in real life. It's what you get when you allow a 3 year old to help choose colours - for his blanket after all. If it were up to me I wouldn't have the yellow anywhere near it but it's his favourite colour. I did remove a hideously bright neon orange he quite fancied, I don't think he's noticed. It's my third BLanket In Progress (BLIP). I hope to finish the first BLIP within the next week and or so, so should have a tada for that soon...

On to the baking. I've done quite a lot recently (for a Rainbow coffee morning and the car boot sale) but haven't been organised enough (or tidy enough!) to photograph it. However, I hosted craft night this week and made...

Raspberry, blueberry and chocolate loaves (one to freeze),

and a key lime pie without the lime but with a little lemon and...

...served with macerated strawberries (which involves sugar, vinegar & black pepper, nice!)

Now to some bargain hunting. Just the local chartity shops after a visit to Lidl...

Brambly Hedge boxed set (39p), Simply Scandinavian book (99p), little wooden stool (slightly orangey pine, even for me, may be tarted up at some point, £3), various toys, crewel threads, candle holder (all 25p each). I also found a new shop stocking the yarn I often use for blankets (£1 per 100g).

OK, bike ride time. The first for a while. Off at about 8:30 on Saturday morning. A fine, clear, sunshiny day, I decide to head up the hill on the opposite side of the strath.

It's a long steep climb up this particular hill. I've never made it to the top yet without having to stop to catch my breath. Fortunately that's a good excuse to admire the view and take a few photos. The biggest mountain seen in the far distance is Ben Lomond.

Farm buildings and trees crest the hill.

Looking back. In the distance is a fine view of the mountains to the north, hard to capture well in a photograph though.

Little dumpy ponies.

The skylarks are singing in the vast sky.

I like the long tree shadows across the field.

Through the avenue, can't pass this without taking a photo.

I like the sheep wool caught on the fence, the black branches against blue sky, the beautiful line of trees.

Once the effort is made to get up here, the land is actually fairly flat. It's always so peaceful, hardly ever any cars. I'm passed by just one MAMIL* - one of the rude ones who doesn't say hello.

A back lamb with its Mum. The only lamb I see, the other ewes are still waiting.

Unfortunately one of the ewes is on the road. It's impossible to get past them on a bike, I'm hoping she finds her way back into the field soon.

Uh oh, three of her friends have now joined her and they're hot hoofing it down the road ahead of me. Just before they reach the corner they manage to squeeze their pregnant bellies through a gate back into the field. Phew!
Across from the corner is where the men are flying their model aeroplanes, just a couple of them are out so far this morning.

Lone tree, old cottage remains, reflective puddle, Ben Lomond in the distance.

Empty roads - cycling heaven for me. I love to cycle the back roads where there's little traffic and lots of beautiful country views all around. Other cyclists (mainly of the MAMIL variety) apparently don't - they're too worried about the poor surfaces of the country roads damaging their expensive bikes and consider there to be too many twists and turns and hills for them to maintain a constant fast pace. Each to his own, I don't mind as it keeps them away from me!

Here I am.

Cows down below.

A new photogenic fence post to look out for!

I'm at the point where I need to leave the high roads and descend to join another network of roads. There are several routes I can take, I thought I'd cycled them all, but realise I've never been down this particular road before.

Some clouds are starting to appear, they're of the fluffy, pretty variety.

I lean my bike against a gate and walk up a drit track lined with daffodils. Up ahead is an interesting old abandoned cottage or barn.

It's in a fantastic location with great 360 degree views.

Someone else has been here before me.

Heading back down the track to the road.

This particular road turns out to be my favourite route down. It offers unexpectedly good views of the northern hills (here's Ben Lomond again!)

Looking the other way to the south and the clouds are tremendous.

I'll add this photo to Project 365.

We're under the flight path to the airport.

Bike shot against the gorse.

Mmmm, lovely sweet coconut perfume.

A glimpse of the reservoir, then I decide to head home.

On a whim I take another road I've not been down before...

...and discover the biggest patch of blackthorn bushes I've ever seen. I know where to come to try and get sloes in the Autumn now!

I return home to find a little boy wearing odd socks. The ones with the orange toes are his favourite, he couldn't find the other half of the pair. One is better than none..

And to finish...

...another little bit of bargain hunting. There a monthly small car boot sale near us. I've currently got the booting bug so took the children along this morning. This is my haul, everything was £1 each. I've been looking out for wooden fruit (as you do!), stoneware jars, and bone handled knives (which is what are in the box) so I was pleased!


*MAMIL:- Middle Aged Man In Lycra