Swans at Thamesmead

Dungeness

Andy and I went to Dungeness again today. I don't need to say how much I love it there as I am sure I may have mentioned it before. Lots of people there today, including people doing this strange sport. Kite surfing I imagine it is called but I don't know. We had fish and chips in the car overlooking the beach, as the pubs were heaving. We had just started to eat when we were treated ( I speak sarcastically) to the sight of a young man's goose pimply bottom as he hastily got changed next to his orange surfmobile. The fish and chips were not spoilt however!

 You can see the way the shingle forms dunes and the way the sea kale colonizes them in lines. 

 The sea looked very muddy. When the sun came out it turned parts of it this strange green, though it was greener than this in reality.

 This is Prospect Cottage, Derek Jarman's home. I have never taken a photo of it before as I feel it is still someone's home and it seems like an invasion of privacy to do so. However, today there was a whole family tramping around the garden so I thought 'why not?'

 This is Katsuma. He is a Moshi Monster. I know nothing about them other than the children in my class really like them. I found him and a soft toy talking version of another one called Poppet in the charity shops in Morningside. He was 30p and just had to come home with me. I took him to Dungeness to take photos of him on the beach but forgot at first. He likes Derek Jarman's house. And his weird distorted reflection in my car bonnet.

 Coast Drive, opposite the carpark and near the chip shop and railway line for the miniature train. 

Look out, the tiny train is coming!

 

Isn't it cute?

 Beautiful euphorbia in front of this round building.  

 Katsuma on the picnic table. 

 And looking through the round window. 

Otford

Just some pictures of Otford. 

 A mosaic of the village's history. 

 The village sign. 

 A very Norman looking church. 

 The village pond. 

 Pretty wisteria.

 Black tulips. 

 A methodist chapel and a tudor looking house. It is called Pickmoss house or hall and has a carved door.

 Pickmoss is a lovely name don't you think?

 Lovely knocker. 

 Idyllic stream. 

 A footpath we explored. It just goes around the back of the village and isn't that far but was very pleasant nonetheless.

 A lonesome tree. 

This beautiful tree with its matching tulips is in Eynsford just down the road. I saw it on Saturday but didn't stop to take a picture. After stopping to take this one we drove up over the hills just to see where it went. It actually came down over the hills again at the other end of Eynsford but it was fun! Eynsford is worth a visit as it has the remains of a Roman villa there. it has not very good memories for me though as it is the scene of the worst school trip I ever organised. Really very bad. So bad that I still remember it in great detail!

I am not a millionaire yet!

Last week was spent almost exclusively getting ready for the craft fair. As well as two days of wet felting (aching arms but if I did that all the time I would be very very toned in the arm department!) and lots of crocheting, I also sorted out and packed all the 'vintage' things I have been buying to sell. I was optimistic at the start of Saturday when we set off. We got to Otford nice and early, so bought breakfast from a lovely cafe and talked to the very nice lady owner. Once I had set up ( a fairly stressful experience!) Andy went home on the train. It was great having him there to get the stuff from the car and provide moral support! There was no room for any of the vintage stuff so it all stayed packed and went back into the car. Four hours later I had made £1.50-on a bag of beads-bagged, not made by me, and a bag of felt balls-made by me. Luckily I am not trying to make a living at this. There were not that many visitors to the fair, and they were mainly elderly people. Some very nice people and a few complimentary people and one very rude woman who said 'Ah yes, this is felting.' She then picked up one of the faces and said, 'But what would you do with it?'/ I shan't tell you what my mental reply was! Despite the lack of interest, I did have a lovely day. The stall holder next to me, Tamsyn, was really lovely and we chatted all day. She makes great little fimo things. I bought a jelly bean bracelet from her which looks very real. There were another couple of women nearby too who were nice. There was a delicious cake stall next to me the other side and I bought some of their cherry bakewell cake-mmm! After I packed up I then went and looked around the little junk shops in the village and spent some of my float! I took my friend back there today for a look around and some lunch. It is a really pretty place. 

The other good thing about the fair is that having to tidy up all my wool and stuff I had out to get ready for it has spurred me on to have a massive sort out session. Things have gone to the charity shop. The things I bought specifically to sell are going to go on ebay and if they don't sell then back to the charity shop. I have cleaned the back yard, taken horrible things I did not want to the tip, and this evening I have sorted out all my dolls house stuff so they are able to be done-finally! I am most pleased with my efforts and how the main living area looks at the moment. Still cluttered but not in that way that is encroaching on the floor space! I had the brainwave of using the table football as a table-with a piece of felt covered wood on top and it now has the first dolls house on it, ready to be played with.

Pointy

This morning. 

                
Pallet furniture in B and Q. They are running a course to learn how to make it. The back of the chair is scarily sharp. No good if you are prone to tripping over.

A Lock, A Flower, Some Mess, Blue Sky and Cassie

 Seen on the way to my friend's for coffee on Monday morning. It occurs to me that I could open this mysterious cupboard under the motorway as I have one of the fire brigade padlock keys from work. But I won't. I might get arrested. Or it might be scary under there.

 Amaryllis are a little scary. This one has taken four months to bloom. It is nearly a metre tall. It had one stalk that grew up then a second began. The first had a flower bud which was hollow and it withered away. There has been a tiny snail attached to it the whole time it has been growing. I have no idea if the snail is alive. The flower is so heavy and the plant is in such a silly little pot that gravity won and it fell over. I have propped it up with a cane. It looms over our heads as we wash the dishes.

 Cold and blue sky yesterday evening. It was cold again this morning but lovely and warm by the afternoon. I have crocheted for most of the day. Crocheting takes so long! I have now made eleven bunnies but want to make a few more. I am doing a bit of granny square bunting this evening. Oh, no I'm not, I am writing this!

 Unrealistic looking cloud, also yesterday evening. I went to Sainsbury's in evening as I spent all day sorting out all the stuff for the stall. The flat was a complete mess for most of the day, but by the evening was pretty tidy and clean. There is a photo at the end of this post to give you an idea. Watched 'Hoarders' this afternoon and felt smug as I am actually hoping to get rid of some of it. For the last few months I have had the excuse that I am buying stuff to sell. What I didn't realise was quite how much! It was interesting to get it all out though as I realised that I have certain dominating tastes-blue things, rabbits, aluminuim, toys. Or maybe I did know that but seeing all the things together proved it!

A grateful Cassie at the end of the day. She slept through most of the messy time, unlike Lily who was most unhappy. 

 Help! 

Things started to look better after I picked my favourite things to sell. I really don't want to part with those jelly moulds. They are packed though!
Right, back to the granny squares!