Saturday, 29th February 2020 - Woodland Anemone

I enjoyed my extra day of the year today.

Our woods are blooming.

We collected Tony and Wendy and took them unwillingly into The Vine for a drink. There is a new indian restaurant in town. We were very impressed with the food, I had a lamb Sally, service, (there are never any women serving in the indian restaurants I have been to), price, £82 including Kingfishers and complimentary drink at The Banjara.

Woodland Anemone
Pen and Watercolour

Friday, 28th February 2020 - Vampire Narcissi

Herbie's stitches from his tongue tie operation have come out. Well done little chap.

I did a Joe Wicks workout today. Have you ever done a burpee. First time for me. Oh dear. He says I will get better. I was telling Harriet. I am not sure why she found my telling of my efforts so amusing.

I have a new antiperspirant. It has a pear scent. I now have fruity smelling armpits.

I forgot to put the shadows from the flowers in my painting. They must be creatures of the night.

Vampire Narcissi
Pen and Watercolour

Thursday, 27th February 2020 - Pianist at Work

After dropping Tim at the station I had a short window of time to gather some groceries. I really needed a wee. On arriving at the public toilets I found them not only shut but barricaded with metal doors. Coop would not let me use their toilet. What is one meant to do.

I met Sarah's new granddaughter this morning after using Hannah's toilet. She is a two and a half weeks full of adorableness. I am sure I wasn't even dressed when my second was that age. Hannah was dressed, the house was very very tidy, the baby was dressed, Issac had been delivered to playgroup and she made a very good mug of coffee. What an amazing mum.

Bella has added flats and sharps to her piano repertoire. I am just about managing to keep ahead of her progress.

This evening we had Peter Robson demonstrating his watercolour techniques for WOKAS. I really don't need a swordliner or a script liner or a fan. Do I???

Pianist at Work
Pen and Watercolour

Wednesday, 26th February 2020 - Blue Shirts

I did some ironing while my guests were eating their breakfast. They had made themselves into a perfect tonal line.

Blue Shirts
Pen and Watercolour

Tuesday, 25th February 2020 - Incoming Hail

I asked my husband if he would like a drink. "Not at the moment", he replied. So, I open myself a bottle of chilled Chenin Blanc that I have chilled in the fridge. Twice chilled. He can drink our cupboard full of beer, the Punk IPA in the fridge or a glass of red from the two bottles we have open. None of which I drink. He pours himself a glass of white wine!!! I couple of times I have been accused of an inclement mood today. It can't be my hormones as they have shut up shop. Maybe I am tired?

The eggs from our new hens made wonderful pancakes.

Do you watch Endeavour? I love it BUT Shaun Evans is not right for Morse. I will overlook this due to the excellence of the programme.

Incoming Hail
Watercolour

Monday, 24th February 2020 - Wind and Rain

Tom still has my car. His is out of action in our drive. Tim and I are car sharing. It meant a bit of logistics were needed today to get Tim to his lecture in London, me to a Weald of Kent Art Society meeting in Tenterden, my art class in Headcorn ending with the collection of Tim from outside the George and Dragon in Headcorn. Sorted.

Wind and Rain
Mixed Media

Sunday, 23rd February 2020 - One Head

Dennis has blown my pots around the garden. I have gathered them into a more secure basket before our next bout of excessive wind arrives.

One Head
Pen and Watercolour

Saturday, 22nd February 2020 - Collagraph

I left my guests at the breakfast table in the hands of my husband.

I have been at a collagraph workshop today. I am so inspired. Now..... I need a press. They cost in the region of £4000. Anyone got one?

This evening we are watching The White Horse. It is a great piece of drama. Perfect for a Saturday evening.

What a glorious day I have had.

Friday, 21st February 2020 - Four Bottoms

The distress of a new home has not affected the appetite of our new hens. They laid an egg.

I made lamb stew to nourish my grandchildren. I thought of my Mum. I made chocolate cake for my guests. I thought of my sister.

Four Bottoms
Ink

Thursday, 20th February 2020 - New Brood

Work has kept me occupied during the daylight hours.

After dark we met with Si, Lesley and Steve at The Halfway House. We left with a box of chickens.

They are now tucked up in their new home. We have quarantined them from our old girls to prevent any bullying. They can peer at each other through the netting for a couple of days.

New Brood
Pen and Watercolour

Thursday, 13th February 2020 - Toast

I was making an omelette for dinner. I am not sure I like the way my upper arm seems to have a motion of its own whilst beating the eggs. Luckily it is encased in a jumper so I can't see the wobble. Oh dear.

It has been a while since I collected and fed Hetty and Bella after school. At eight and six they are delightful, exuberant company. Delightful granddaughters.

I am thrilled with my homemade toast rack. Made by a very charming person. Thank you.

Toast
Pen and Watercolour

Wednesday, 12th February 2020 - Dwarf Iris

I am drinking a mug of Pukka Peace tea whilst blogging. A serene blend of hemp, spearmint and ashwagandha - not sure what the last ingredient is. I am looking forward to an undisturbed night of sleep.

Dwarf Iris
Watercolour and Graphik Ink

Tuesday, 11th February 2020 - Fairlight Cove

Herbie and I took Henry for a spin round the kitchen floor. It is amazing how much dirt you can find when you look very very closely. There is something very engaging about the way he peers closely at things.

We filled the car with cheap fuel from Jempsons before heading down to Fairlight. We had homemade soup and honeycomb fluff for lunch with Tim's Mum. She is an amazing lady.

The windy weather had turned the sea green.

There is a new series of Endeavour. I highly recommend it.

Fairlight Cove
Watercolour

Friday, 7th February 2020 - St Clements

Tescos has delivered the ingredients so I can cook for twenty four Morris and company arriving tomorrow.

I have not left the kitchen preparing. Not a bad way to spend a day. Something went wrong with my pastry calculations. I am down on ingredients. Harriet said she had a bag of plain flour but admitted that it was one Herbie played with so I politely declined. Someone is going to have to go shopping tomorrow.

Many oranges and lemons have been zested, sliced and juiced.

St Clements
Watercolour

Thursday, 6th February 2020 - Puzzling

It was my natural bladder alarm clock that got me up this morning.

My husband is home from a conference in Orlando. The Chinese did not attend.

I blissfully lost myself in a painting for an hour or so this afternoon with other Weald of Kent Art Society members. 

I dropped by Pippa's for tea and a biscuit to admire her newly painted Pigeon hued weatherboard. It looks lovely.

I have just returned from a glorious evening with Lesley and Alli at The Halfway House. It seemed to be an evening of memory failures. Between us we managed a full conversation or two.

Puzzling
Pen and Watercolour

Wednesday, 5th February 2020 - Glowing Trees at Sunset

There has been a couple of health assessments in The Evans family today. All perfect. I gave Harriet a copy of The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy for being such a great Mum. I ordered it from Amazon yesterday. It had arrived by the time we had returned from the hospital. It has gone up £4.04 since yesterday. I feel I got a bargain.

The venison, boar and pheasant has defrosted overnight leaving what looked like a massacre on my white table cloth. I have rubbed and massaged dry brine into all the cracks and crevices. It is now doing its thing in the fridge for 24 hours or so before the next deep marinade stage.

The sun was setting over our 'ancient' woodland gave the tops of the trees an amazing orange glow.

Glowing Trees at Sunset
Watercolour

Tuesday, 4th February 2020 - Herbie

I have collected our Christmas present from Sarah. I now have venison, boar and pheasant defrosting on the table in the dining room. We ruminated over the irritation of fidgety legs at night. We concluded there is no remedy. We will continue to twitch and fidget.

Herbie came to play with grandma. He was tired. So was I. We had a restorative moment watching Postman Pat. Harriet and Brett needed to concentrate on their new home plans.

Herbie
Pen

Monday, 3rd February 2020 - Inspired by Charlie Mackesy

I received Tescos groceries in my PJs. How naughty. The driver was totally nonplussed by my attire. I now have ingredients to test recipes for our wassail dinner here in five days. There is soup and pudding being tested today. I had the soup for dinner. It will do nicely.

Leelee came to art with a copy of The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse. The drawings are beautifully spontaneous.

I went to sleep feeling slightly bereft. I have finished a good book.

Inspired by Charlie Mackesy
Ink

02022020 - A Pot of Primroses

I have had to cross an item of my Bucket List. This is not something I have achieved. I am very disappointed that I never got to see Nicholas Parsons recording Just A Minute. I feel very sad about this.

My pots are looking glorious. I was briefly tempted by the polyanthus at Merriments but at £4.99 each my temptation reseeded. Tescos had six floriferous beauties at £3 for six. Now that was tempting. I put a total of 24 in my trolley that are now planted.

Bella had her daily piano practice with me. I am having to look up some of the theory already. Wow she is learning at the rate of knots. I am very impressed.

This evening I am drinking gin and tonic whilst blogging. See yesterday's blog as to why. I am still on the Bombay Sapphire.

Tonight I have stir fry with fish. I will be watching Bodies. I have just found this on BBC iPlayer. I love a medical drama . It has some brilliant actors - one very attractive.

A Pot of Primroses
Pen and Watercolour

Saturday, 1st February 2020 - Bombay, Beefeater and Whitley Neill

Hello February.

Another alarmed start to my day.

I went with Harriet to Ashford Hospital for Herbie to have an eye check. He was soooo amazing. Well done little chap. All perfect.

An email dropped into my inbox tempting me with a Boden sale. I love their clothes but they are ridiculously expensive.  I found some lovely reduced blouses not in my size. I got the bigger ones as they were a beautiful bargain. They have arrived. I tried them on. They are really far too big but feel so comfortable and roomy I have kept them. If you see me wafting around in a very large blouse just admire the quality. I am inside somewhere.

I have three bottle of gin in my cupboard. Beefeater Blood Orange, Bombay Sapphire (I never knew there were two 'p's' in sapphire - until today) and Whitley Neill Rhubarb and Ginger. They look pretty standing together. I have only sampled the Bombay so far. It needs a good simple tonic.

A simple painting that took hours. I wanted to leave the layers to dry before approaching the next one. It took a bit of patience.

Bombay, Beefeater and Whitley Neill
Watercolour

Friday, 31st January 2020 - Conghurst Lane

I was mute  and bleary as I dragged myself from under my duvet. Tim has gone to Orlando. I dropped him off at the station hoping to miss the mass of commuters. At 6.45am the stream of cars heading to work was surprising. I was surprised.

I arrived at Merriments for a coffee with Sarah half an hour early. What a twit I am. We found Wendy and asked for her experience on the purchase of sweetpea seeds. Sarah  now has enough to fill over one hundred vases. I nor Sarah or Wendy were very impressed with Merriments. They sell expensive tat, the plants are exorbitant, I didn't like the decor in the restaurant which looks like it is set up for coach parties of retirees. I did get a pot of chutney with my cheese scone which was a nice touch. I don't think we will ever ever return.

This evening Harriet and I ate crispy duck and drank Chapel Down bacchus - a favourite of  mine and hers. It was a delightful evening. It was good to talk without the little ones. They are gorgeous but can be quite distracting. My thoughts get diverted easily by someone needed me to put a puzzle together. It was good to be able to concentrate on a whole sentence. Harriet is an amazing daughter. 

Conghurst Lane

Watercolour

Thursday, 30th January 2020 - Hetty Exploring

Hetty had her class school assembly. It was about the rainforest. I feel a massive sense of pride watching my grandchildren grow. You were marvelous Hetty.

The weather has been dismal and not conducive for doing much outside. I stayed inside. The ironing pile is now heavily reduced giving us a whole new wardrobe.

We went with Mike and Pippa for an impromptu (always the best) meal at The Bull. The steak and ale pie was delicious. I now have to heave my overstuffed body to bed. Goodnight.

Hetty Exploring
Pen and Watercolour