It is now Christmas Eve, and I am very excited.  I have always loved Christmas, but there are times when it seems to have become more about hard work, and less magical.  So let's see how this story unfolds, starting three weekends before Christmas.
In the run-up to Christmas, part of it involves making sure Mum has her freezer stocked with Festive Fayre (thank you yet again, Waitrose) and another part was to meet for lunch with her twin sister, and my cousin Steven.  We almost always go to The Sculthorpe Arms, where the food is great, the staff are very friendly and accommodating,  and understand perfectly that 86 year-olds often like to lunch accompanied by their favourite bear.  But when you see what happiness this brings, even Mr Fox thought Paddington was a welcome addition.  He doesn't even drink, preferring to eat marmalade.

Monday morning saw me leaving early so as not to be late for my afternoon in Winchester with Trinity, and students from Winchester School of Art, to start our exciting combined project.

 Starting things is very exciting, but as Christmas draws closer, and visitors are on the horizon, completing things is also very important.  Here is a beautiful hand-sewn quilt that my lovely friend Dawn gave to me.  I have spent the past couple of weeks, having added a backing, hand-quilting it to the backing.  So now, with the quilt, the curtains and pictures on the walls, surely no-one will notice the actual walls?

 As I am still without a studio, our living area has become a substitute, with me printing on the dining room table, and then drying the prints in the living room.
  With Christmas approaching, it was another early morning start to add the final two colours, and to allow another two weeks for the inks to dry.
So here is my completed print.  I am pleased with the result, but even more pleased to be planning my next four designs.  Mr Cooper is now talking about ordering the studio in the New Year, hurrah!

In an effort to have a more stress-free festive few days, food is being prepared in advance, then frozen.  Presents have to be purchased too, but not frozen.  Me and Mr Cooper had a very productive few hours in Gunwharf Quays.  We travelled there by bus then train,  then went into a few select shops.  One of us said " I like that!' The other one then purchased said item.  We did this a few times and then went for a lovely lunch in Les Iguanas, then back to Selsey on public transport with our full carrier bags.  Job done!  Mr Fox found Les Iguanas very relaxing too.

 The following weekend was the Bristol/Portishead experience.  Each year we spend Friday night with John's cousin Val, and catch up with their family, aided by curry and Prosecco.  Then on Saturday, before travelling to Portishead, we stop for a little bit of shopping in Clifton.  Clifton is a magical place anyway, but add that the magic that Christmas brings, and a couple of hours spent there becomes very magical indeed.  Even better, after a large glass of white wine, you can play one of my favourite games.  (I don't play it very often as me and Mr Cooper are rarely together shopping, and I rarely drink white wine.  But to share the rules with you, after a glass of white wine, or two (but never three) you then buy something you see and immediately love.  The wine helps to take away your 'sensible' approach to not spending money on yourself.  Past buys, over the years, include a purple artificial Christmas tree, a bottle of my best perfume, a pair of Levi's, and a back-pack decorated with pictures of ponies and knitted cakes.  Sounds fun, doesn't it?

Here is the result of my Clifton white wine, the most magical pair of Irregular Choice shoes, decorated with black cats and moons, two of my most favourite things.  Plus, they were half-price!

 Mr Cooper then guided me back to the car, in case I fell in love with anything else apart from him, and we set off for Portishead.  Each year my brother Mark celebrates his 'Children's Christmas' on a weekend before Christmas, and we are happily a part of this, plus good friends Philip and Jayne, too. Mark and Philip were at school together.   Mark is nothing if not a traditionalist, and each year we have a fantastic curry with garlic bread on the Saturday night, followed by a ham Christmas dinner on the Sunday.  Mark is also very anxious to ensure these spicy and salty foods don't make us become de-hydrated, so he keeps our fluid levels well topped-up.  This year we broke with tradition to also include cocktails.  With Jem safely in bed, it was fun not only to consume these, but to give them 'exciting' names, which I really can't share with you on my 'family friendly' blog.
Another really lovely thing was that all of us were having such a good time together, whether we were in our twenties, forties, fifties and sixties.  We could never have had this 'closeness' with our parents and older relatives, when we were in our twenties.  Here is Mark's arm, proudly holding up his latest creation.  Although he had wisely served the cocktails in shot glasses, most of us, unwisely, consumed several, although we became a lot wiser the following day.

After a really happy and loving weekend with family and friends, it was then back to a week of work and reality.  But I have a souvenir of the weekend on my mantelpiece. A gift from Jayne, made from the corks we have saved for her, over the past couple of years.  We are so lucky to have family and friends that we really love and care for.  I think this will remain on my mantelpiece after Christmas too, to keep those magical Christmas thoughts alive.

 Only one more weekend to go, full of fun and frolics.  Sadly Mr Cooper was not able to accompany me, as he had a bad cold and was not 'feeling too clever'  So my companion was another John, and it was lovely to spend more time with him, as I don't see too much of my oldest son.
After shopping with Mum and then making up the beds for all, I ventured into Peterborough to do some banking for Mum.  Here is a suitable festive photo, taken just outside Queensgate shopping centre, where I went on to do a little shopping for myself.

 When I was little, my dad had a maroon sleeveless sweater, which he wore at the weekends.  I loved the colour of it then, and now I love the memories it evokes from happy times, long ago.
So now I am knitting my own sleeveless sweater, where maroon will feature strongly.  I will also put my own slant to it, by including many other colours of wool, in gaudy stripes.
 Why do models used on knitting patterns always look slightly sinister?  Please note the festive flowers also creeping into the picture.

 December has been hard work, especially with each weekend having being spent away from home.  Extra early morning starts have been made in order to produce mince pies and to write the occasional blog, but it has been worth it.  The past year has been one of many parts.   We finally moved home, which was, and still is, amazing.  I really love our home near the sea, and I look forward to working to make it feel like ours, both in the house and the garden.  My best homes become a sort of large art-work. (That's probably why it took so long to sell 'The Gables'!)
There were lots of other lovely developments last year.  It was a little quiet on the art-front, mainly because my non-working time was spent getting ready for the move, but friendships flourished.
Here is my card from Rose and Paul, featuring Dilly who I painted over a long, happy, hot summer.

 And here is my card from Deborah, with a message that says it all for this time of year.  Although we sometimes need a souvenir in order for us to remember happy times, and those who are no longer with us, it is lovely to be able to look forward to the year ahead, knowing there will be good times ahead with our loving family, and friends.  And even if some of the times are not so good, we will have the support of our loving family and friends.

Happy Christmas to you all, I hope you have a truly lovely time with your friends and families.
Looking forward to seeing you again in the coming year.  Until then, lots of love.

Me and Mr Cooper are just coming to the end of a week or two of celebrations.  Well, to be honest, one celebration surrounded by a week or two of fine dining.  The celebration was Mr Cooper's 66th birthday.  He seems to have coped with it really well, in fact you could say he has taken it 'lying down', which he is doing at the moment....you don't want to be getting out of bed before ten o'clock now, do you?

You'll be pleased to know that on most days I have been productive before ten in the morning.  As I am not going to be getting my art shed installed before Christmas, the dining room has quite effectively become my printing studio, and my linocut of the Staffordshire dogs now has the beginning of a wallpaper background.
  Luckily this print is only an edition of 11, so they can dry quite  happily on top of the plan-chest in front of the television.  My next linocut will be an edition of 30, so drying them will prove to be a lot more interesting.  At least it will raise awareness of the need I have for a large shed!

The start of our celebration was a visit to Mum, and we stopped on the way over at The Stratton Arms in Turweston.  It is such a gem of a pub, if you live anywhere near Turweston, do visit it. https://thegoodpubguide.co.uk/pub/nn13+5jx/stratton+arms/ When I returned from the loo it was to find Mr Fox possessively clutching my glass of red.  Well, at least he was quiet and sleepy for the rest of the journey!

A visit to Mum's usually includes a visit to Mattoni, an excellent Italian restaurant almost within sight of Mum's bungalow.  http://www.mattoni-restaurant.co.uk/  Although I usually do like to try many different foods, I have, over many visits to Mattoni, done this and have now refined my choice. In fact it hardly ever varies.  Insalata Caprese followed by fillet steak (rare), with chips swapped for a tomato and onion salad.  Now comes the variation, sometimes I have the blue cheese sauce, and sometimes the Dianne.
This is Mum and Mr Cooper towards the end of the meal, with Mr Cooper looking much relieved that Mum has offered to pay!

Although Mum enjoyed her evening, she finds the food a little rich now. And all in all, the food she enjoyed the most over the two days appeared to be these Polish salty snacks, perhaps because they were served as an accompaniment to a glass of Ned's Sauvignon Blanc.

Whilst I was there, I assembled Sam's Soup Dragon, which he had bought in kit form. She was very pleased to be brought to life, and is captured here just before she goes on to enjoy a tasty snack of blue string pudding.

It was still November when we were in Eye, in fact it was a week before Mr Cooper's birthday, but that fact hadn't deterred a neighbour from really getting into the early spirit of things.
Mum really enjoys seeing this festive scene and happily it means she does not have to buy her own inflatable Santa, a good thing all round!

When we got back from Eye, it was to spend a very pleasant couple of days with Susie and Werner, culminating in a feast at The Crab And Lobster in Sidlesham, where they were staying.  We go there often, but our lunches usually consist of a large red and a packet of crisps.  In fact the last time we actually dined there was when we had our small wedding reception, following our legal marriage in Chichester Register Office.  You will have to take my word for the fact that Susie and Werner actually visited, and that the food and company were excellent, for there is no photographic evidence.  Instead, fast forward now to Friday 23rd November, when me and Mr Cooper started to celebrate his birthday weekend with a night at The Greyhound on the Test in Stockbridge.  The last time we spent the night in Stockbridge it was to experience the 'wonders' of the Grosvenor, including prints that had been fixed crookedly to the bedroom wall.  Here, in room seven, not only were the pictures straight, but they were actual paintings, and what's more, paintings you would like to have in your own home.

Part of the treat also was that our room for the night was free, thanks Lucy!  Lots of people have asked me 'how come?' and it's because I am a hardworking and efficient kitchen porter there, once a week.  It was really lovely to be on the other side of things for once.  Another perk of being a hard-working and efficient kitchen porter was the fact that we had a free pre-starter from the boys in the kitchen.  At the end of the meal we were definitely replete, especially after I had also demolished a spectacular desert. (Banana parfait, Chocolate Mousse, Peanut, Caramelised Banana and Nougatine Crisp).  When we stayed at The Grosvenor, I showed you a photo of the breakfast I had there as a thing of horror, a far cry from my delicious poached eggs and avocado on toast.  If you feel like you need a treat in your life, go there for dinner.  Or why not make it extra-special, and stay the night too?  You will most certainly have to pay for that bit, unless, like me, you are a hard-working and efficient kitchen porter there!
http://thegreyhoundonthetest.co.uk/food-drink/

As well as assembling Soup Dragons and knitting foxes, I have completed the curtains for the spare room, where I fully embraced the fact that we live only 7 minutes walk away from the sea.  It is a very good thing that the curtains are so lovely to look at as the rest of the room isn't!  Over the past week I have been scraping away at the wallpaper to reveal what has been hiding beneath.

We must get hold of a plasterer before too long!  My short-term plan is to hang my blackbird pie-funnel paintings in there.  I think that between them and the seagulls, we can draw visitors eyes away from the cracks!  I am also working on an eye-catching patchwork quilt for the bed, so watch this space, and definitely don't watch where the walls meet the ceiling.  Or rather, where they used to meet the ceiling!

There is good news for you on the fox front, Julie.  Mr Fox the 3rd is now complete, and is pictured here with Mr Fox the 1st.  Yours is the slightly darker one on the left, he is looking forward to meeting you and stealing any unattended drinks, and salty snacks too!

Only yesterday morning I added to the start of this blog the picture of the Staffordshire dogs with the start of the wallpaper.  After a productive afternoon, I had added 3 more colours to the print.  Only two more to go, and it will be complete, which will make 9 colours in total.  Not too bad for my first ever reduction linocut.  Well, it was the first as I started it early in the year, but it hasn't been the first to be completed.  Us artists can't just rush into things, you know!

As I was busy printing away whilst Mr Cooper had an afternoon of watching sport, I did joke that, with hopefully producing 11 prints, I had solved that yearly problem of what to give people for Christmas.  Don't worry, it was only a joke, but if you really fancy a colourful linoprint with slightly-off registration, now is your chance to say so.  Hopefully they will be dry by Christmas.  Don't worry John and Sam, your presents are already sorted, so you don't have to practise looking surprised but yet pleased as you open your gifts (I haven't got anything for you yet, Molly, and I know you're really into art........)
Making presents for friends and family almost always brings with it some Christmas magic.  Try not to let Christmas become an ever increasing expense.  Sometimes simple things made with love bring much more happiness than an expensive gift. And the making of them brings with it a sense of Christmas magic to the maker too.  Now how do I tell Mr Cooper that I have decided against buying him the skiing goggles he wanted, in favour of a prettily-wrapped packet of home-made shortbread biscuits.  They might not be quite so handy to have on the slopes!
So, let's look forward to happy creating  the week ahead,  and perhaps some happy preparations too.  I really intend to put more work into early preparations this year in order to have a less stressful time during the festive season.  Well, that is the plan, anyway.  Just watch this space!
See you all soon, and have fun with your creations, or just have fun without them!

As the nights get longer and the days more chilly, it is indeed time to put away your sandals and reach instead for gloves and scarves.  I knitted my fox scarf earlier in the year, so he has been enjoying his first outings.  Like most foxes, he is both handsome and crafty.  Me and Mr Cooper have recently enjoyed a couple of Friday nights out in Chichester (there and back on the bus) and it was when we were enjoying a pint in The Foundry (it's thirsty work, catching buses) we discovered that Mr Fox also finds it thirsty work, and that you have to watch your drink when he's around.  So look out, Rowan, I bet your fox is a naughty one too.  And be warned, Julie.  Your Mr Fox is now knitted, and is awaiting assembly.  Good job it hasn't been too cold yet!

As lots of you know, my youngest son is a chef.  He is currently working at The Three Cups in Stockbridge, http://www.the3cups.co.uk so me and Mr Cooper decided to dine there and check out their new menu.  We opted to stay at The Grosvenor, as it was offering the best deal.  The last time we stayed there was on the occasion of Juliette and Colin's wedding, and very good it was too.  Since then, it seems to have been slowly slipping downhill.
As we settled into our room, I noticed that a picture on the wall wasn't straight.  I went to put it right, only to find that it had been screwed onto the wall like that.  And that sort of sums things up !

The Three Cups is a charming establishment, with a very cosy bar.  Me and Mr Cooper enjoyed a drink by the fire, definitely without Mr Fox, before dinner.  Just for a moment things looked a little awkward, as there was no booking at eight o'clock under the name Hofman.  But then things all became happy again, as the waiter asked me if I was Sam's mum, as there was a booking under that name (he probably hadn't asked me earlier, as he probably thought I was Sam's older sister, or something like that....) So Mr Cooper and Sam's mum were taken to the best table in the restaurant, where we began the difficult choice of choosing what to have.  Sometimes when eating out, the choice is sadly difficult, as there is not much on the menu that you are tempted by, but this choice was happily difficult, as we wanted to eat most of it!  Luckily Sam had sent me a text earlier, which read 'U shud deffo have the beef' which made the main course choice an easy one.  In the end, for the starters, the potted brown shrimps got my vote, and Mr Cooper opted for mackerel ceviche.  I almost didn't manage to photograph the ceviche, as it began to disappear rather quickly!

The full description of the main course was 'Braised beef head to tail.  Braised beef cheek and oxtail with chicken mousseline, noisette potatoes, shallots and charred Savoy cabbage heart and fried onion puree.  My photo really does not do it justice, I blame the romantic lighting in The Cups for this.        It was everything it should be, as was the entire evening.  Big thanks to all of you, for looking after Sam's mum and Mr Cooper so well.
As the menu had changed just the day before, Sam joined us after the meal as he wanted our honest opinion of it all.  Now here is a job I would be more than happy to do, it ticks so many of my boxes.  The feedback we gave was 99.9% favourable, the last .1% could have been put down as my personal preference.  Don't take my word for it, go and enjoy dining there yourselves.  Just mention my recommendation when you book, so I can work my way towards qualifying for a free dinner!

Contrast and compare!  Sunday morning was a wet one in Stockbridge.  But never mind, we had a cooked breakfast to look forward to.  I know presentation isn't everything, but it really does help!        Sadly the poor presentation was backed up by eggs so rubbery (thank you very much, sir) that they would have bounced if dropped.  I felt more inclined to throw them, but politely pushed them around the plate.  Mr Cooper was equally disappointed by his 'Full English' which he was unable to finish.  If he had thrown the sausage, serious injury to a nearby diner could have resulted!  Next time we will be staying in another establishment, and hopefully the enjoying the whole experience.

We popped in to say 'hello and goodby' to Sam, as he was getting ready for the day.  The Yorkshires looked amazing but Selsey beckoned and when we got there it was to find that the sun had come out.

Just one more burst of food-talk before shifting to the equally important world of art.  We were excited to receive a parcel from niece Olivia and her husband Jon, who had recently enjoyed a belated honeymoon in Japan.  One of their reasons for going there was to experience the cuisine, as they are both committed foodies (it must be a family trait).  Olivia wrote that they had enjoyed some really amazing food, but that they thought the beer snacks in particular were extra special.  So here we have grilled squid legs (tastier the more you chew), Smoked Shredded Squid and Salmon Jerky.  Olivia says that they are Japan's answer to 'what goes with anything and everything alcoholic'.  The only problem I can see is that as the parcel was addressed to John and Sam too, me are Mr Cooper are sadly going to have to share them!

For many years now I have been a fan of the Badger Press, where I have attended many printmaking courses.  https://www.facebook.com/TheBadgerPress  I have also hired the studio space when working on a series of prints.  I was really excited when I noticed they were offering a weekend course exploring the technique of Reduction Linocut,  and I booked my place with glee.  Over the years, I have produced many lino-prints as it is a printmaking medium that I really love, but this way of producing the linocut is one which I need to learn.  I did attend a day's workshop earlier in the year, and started a series of prints, but then moving house got in the way, and they remained unfinished.
When I got to The Badger Press things became even more exciting as it was to find that we were also going to learn another means of registration, called the 'Ternes Burton Pins Registration Method'  This, to me, is as thrilling as receiving a parcel containing Japanese beer snack food!
In printmaking, each colour printed is usually from a separate printing block, and the term 'registration' just means means how you work it out so that each different block applies its colour/design in just the right place. This is a tricky aspect of printmaking.

This image below is of my workspace at the start of the day, as me and four others (Tina, Ruth Graham and Emma) start to produce our different designs.  Jo Morley was our tutor, and she worked closely with each of us to ensure we managed to apply the process successfully to our very different ideas and designs.  Jo is an excellent tutor as well as being very patient and tactful, and the five of us not only produced some great work, but had a lot of fun as we did so.  Contact details have been exchanged, and I look forward to our next artistic meeting.  Us artists really do need the company of other artists. I did notice Mr Cooper's eyes begin to glaze over later in the day, when I started to extol the virtues of the Ternes Burton Pins Registration Method!  They un-glazed when he showed me highlights of The Rovers game that he had thoughtfully  then saved to show me.  I wonder how sparkly my eyes were then!

Here is my design, ready to be transferred to lino.  At this point, I am thinking that the background, which will be the last colour to print, will be green, with perhaps some areas of blue.

At the end of the first day, I have printed two of my four colours, and am well on the way to completion.  So much so that when I get home, I unearth my previously unfinished prints, hoping that I will have an opportunity to add more to them.

My original intention was green, but how could I resist purple instead?

I was really pleased with the result, which is unusual for me.  And I was very pleased with the new registration system, and also the fact that there was time to add more to my other prints, woohoo!

My Staffordshire dogs happily gained two more colours, dark brown and red.  All I need to do now is add a blue to the base, and then create an amazing wallpaper design to print on the background.  As I am still studio-less, if I start printing on the dining table, I think it will help Mr Cooper to start emptying the shed which needs demolishing to make way for my studio.  I will let you know of the progress in both cases!

I have talked a lot about food this week, with a little art thrown in for good measure.  To me, cooking and art are very similar, where I enjoy the process of creating something for others to experience.  In the case of food, it is definitely for others to enjoy.  In the case of my art, I don't always expect others to enjoy/appreciate or even express interest in it, but am always pleased when they do.  In fact, looking at my Staffordshire dog print, I can understand that not everyone will be rushing to hang one on their wall. But just wait till I have added the wallpaper!
So in the coming week, why not share a little food-love, as Olivia and Jon did with us.  You don't have to seek out Grilled Squid Legs (Tastier the more you chew).  Perhaps enjoy producing some homemade biscuits to take into work.
 In this busy world of ours it can be all too easy to think we are 'far too busy' to create things, but the act of creating something is really essential for our own well-being.
 So reach for that mixing bowl and put down those gadgets.  I might even reach for some Ternes Burton registration pins as well as the butter and flour, but that is optional!  See you all soon.

Gifts and progress seems to be a good heading for this weeks blog, although there are definitely times when gifts seem to be received more than progress is made.  This will make sense, I assure you.
Let's start with a gift or two.
Sam and Molly returned from a happy holiday in Devon with gifts (they are both not only well brought up, but kind too.)  Sam gave me a jar of one of my favourites, heather honey (it was full when presented to me, honest) and Molly gave me another of my favourites, kitsch shell ornaments.

I already have some shell animals wearing spectacles, including an elderly poodle, but Molly gave me my first Asian-inspired mermaid, she is just fab.

When I returned home I added them to one of my cabinets.

Here you see the tortoise, also complete with hat, looking at home alongside a bespectacled owl.

The Asian mermaid joins a couple of seagulls.  She and the smaller seagull then look to their left, and cast many admiring glances at the new bathroom curtains.  Progress has been made on the curtain front, two windows now have curtains, with four more looking forward to receiving them.  The llama curtains are ready to go when filling and painting is complete, and fabric for the spare room curtains was purchased today.  So only two windows now are totally neglected!

On Tuesday, as well as working for ten and a half hours and receiving holiday gifts, I also received a phone call to say that the installation work for the wood burning had met with a problem, which then took 3 hours to sort out.  Although the work had been booked for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, this 3 hours meant that Wednesday was cancelled as far as stove-progress was concerned.

I got back to view the progress that had been made, which was not inconsiderable.  But tired and fed-up at the end of a long, hard day, all I was really seeing was that the hearth had been fitted as a lot larger than we had discussed,

And that the spare room now needed decorating sooner, rather than later, and

The stairs, and all the floors downstairs were really grimy.

What better way to start a Wednesday than by getting up at 6.30am, quietly so as not to wake Mr Cooper, and spend two hours cleaning all the floors and stairs before leaving for my every-other Wednesday cleaning job?
Luckily that was where my progress in cleaning houses ended till Saturday, when it began again but in earnest this time.  However, on Wednesday at 2pm I set off for Southsea to get my hair done at Garbos.  But not before paying a visit to the brilliant bookshop at the start of Albert Road, which has been there for thirty-one and a half years.  (I know as I asked. It is a shop where you talk to both the owner and other customers about good books)
 Anyway, I bought what turned out to be a brilliant book.  It was in the window calling to me,

Which those of you who know me well will not be surprised at.
Here is my painting 'Housewife 2' which I painted to encapsulate the essence of a good housewife from the 50s and 60s.  I was born towards the end of an era where girls were very much trained as they grew up to gain good foundation skills in being a housewife. 

I think that is why I am so fond of aprons now, because then at least you can put on the costume and act the part, then very much take the apron off  and return to normality.
Here I am in one of my favourite 'apron acting' roles, Christmas Dinner Housewife!

After a successful two and a half hours in Garbos, Tara had indeed succeeded in making me look very presentable.  So much so that when I caught up with Mr Cooper on the following day, he said that my trimmed, coloured and curled locks made me look 20 years younger.  No wonder I had felt tired and cross earlier when washing the floors and stairs....I had been 76, after all!

Then, onto Janeese's for a night in with the girls.  And that is who we are to each other, although we are all in our fifties or sixties.  'Even you?' I hear you cry.  Yes, even me.
Us girls have successfully managed to slow time, well, to our eyes at least.  In fact that night we actually turned back the clock as here is a pre-birthday cake that Janeese produced for me ( Thank you Jan, I can't remember the last time I had a birthday cake for me) a delicious chocolate caterpillar.  Well, if it had had the correct number of candles, it would have reached from the front to the back of the house!

What better way to start my celebrations than a night which included much laughter, bubbles and cake.  Thank you also very much for my presents, I saved them till Sunday of course.  Not only did Trina give me a wonder Frida Khalo card, but nestling inside the envelope were earrings to match.  Thank you very much, each and everyone of you.

After that, I continued to make progress on the 'catching up with friends' stakes, and after spending the night at Diane and Keith's, assisted by Rio, I went westwards to have lunch with Rose and Paul, accompanied by Moss and Mabel, of course.
As I had not seen Rose for a couple of weeks, we had an awful lot of catching-up to do.  Perhaps it was better that Mr Cooper was not with me for this part, as he sometimes gets a bit tetchy when I do a lot of 'catching up'.  If I was a much better wife, I would not do all this talking when he was around, but rather, would give him my undivided attention, plus a lot of freshly-made food.  I sometimes succeed in the 'freshly-made food' side of things!

After lunch, Rose and I attempted to make lots of Rowan Protection Charms for a coming event for Rose.  After an hour and several repeated mistakes, we thought that our finished products needed to be priced between £30-£40 for a reasonable return!  Then the profit margin took a downward turn as Rose gave me one to take home with me.  Here it is working hard to protect our house from unquiet spirits, lightening and Black Witchcraft.

It was lovely to have time away with my mates, but also lovely to return to my very own mate.  When I got back, we set off for a little walk to see the sea, and walked down a road that has not only spectacular views of the sea, but of the lifeboat too!  Selsey is a town like no other, and I love it!

Friday saw the successful completion of the stove installation.  The spare room is fully functioning yet again, and our new double-sided wood burner is functioning for the first time.  It is brilliant.
I almost didn't take this picture as I was worn out with opening cards and presents, but I wanted to share how lovely it is, with you all.  I was also worn out with stuffing down chocolate and pink gin fudge, I wish you had been there to help stuff it down, me and sweets have a 'feast or famine' relationship!

Thank you for all your birthday messages, and cards and presents.  I had a really enjoyable extended birthday, and now feel in the need of an extended rest.
It is lovely to receive messages and cards, but also lovely to be the giver of them too.  So this week, choose a card, choose a friend and brighten their day with your message, and perhaps a small bar of chocolate.  Little and often is probably a better way forward!
Looking forward to seeing you all again soon, don't forget to eat responsibly as well as having fun.

The past week has involved lots of good times with good friends, not that there is any photographic record of any of this!  However, pictures of animals do feature this week, so perhaps I am getting closer to taking a photo of a human being.  We will see.

Mr Cooper and I decided that we would decorate our new home combining a seaside theme whilst incorporating a cottage element too.  Mr Cooper also decided that, to him, 'decorate' means helping to choose colours and fabrics, but not getting any more involved with the actual process other than carrying tins of paint to the car.  I thought I had better stick to the more traditional meaning of the word, in order to make actual progress.
With our new scheme firmly in our minds, we went to choose curtains for our sitting room.  This is the fabric that we chose, which really does work to combine both seaside and cottage elements!
Well, they are on a sandy background, and we could keep a couple in the cottage garden.....

 Diane and Janeese came to visit on Friday, and they entered our house with much hilarity and relief to find that we lived in an actual house and not an old person's bungalow.  This is because when you turn into our road, on one side there are only old people's bungalows, and our house is hiding at the very end, in all its two storey splendour.
After having said all the right things whilst looking totally fabulous (you will just have to take my word for that) we explored the high street, and then enjoyed lunch in the sunshine.  And very good it all was too, courtesy of The Seal.

Friday evening saw me and Mr Cooper excitedly walking to the theatre for the first time in Selsey, to see Arts Dream Selsey's production of 'Journey's End', which was completed in 1928.

We were anxious to arrive early, as the seats were not allocated.  Happily, we were shown to the centre of the front row, which could not have been better.  The play was very moving and very well acted, and afterwards me and Mr Cooper went to The Seal, as two hours of life in the trenches does take it out of you, so gin was called for.  We were not the only ones to feel that way, as we were closely followed by 8 members of the Infantry company plus one German prisoner of war.  They were now in mufti, and two of them had even come back to life too, which was cheering to see!

The llamas got admired the next day too when Alan and Penny came over.  The Seal was also visited again, but not for too long as it became very noisy when Mr Shouty Person came in to play pool.  The good news was that we just decamped to, The Lifeboat, a far more quiet pub, where we were able to have that old fashioned thing called a conversation.  And with us being the ages we are, with perhaps less sharp hearing than we once did have, we were also able to have conversations about two totally unrelated topics.  This is a trick that you too can begin to perfect when you truly leave your forties behind.

On Sunday, me and Mr Cooper went to Sidlesham, to have lunch at the Crab and Lobster.  This has been a favourite pub of mine for many years, particularly as the marshes near it remind me so much of the counrtyside of my childhood, particularly around Gedney Drove End.  So much so that it is where we chose to have our first wedding reception, following on from our marriage at the registrars office in Chichester.  Our second wedding reception was in our very own garden a few days later, where we had the marriage we wanted which was perfect but not strictly legal, hence the first one.

We chose to sit outside and enjoy the view as we ate our lunch.  Mr Cooper had a packet of crisps whilst I enjoyed a bag of dry-roasted peanuts.  We weren't able to eat more there as each time Mr Cooper popped inside for a tinkle, he cames out enraged, saying things like 'Twenty five pounds for a piece of fish!' and '£19 for a Sunday roast!'  I would quite like to experience the delights of a more up-market Sunday roast as the last two I have had have been on the economy side.  They also made me think back to my childhood, back to when beef was cooked till it was grey, and you didn't need any teeth with which to eat your vegetables.

Anyway, here is the view we enjoyed whilst sitting in the garden, one of us slightly enraged, and one of us dreaming of rare roast beef.  however, we both wondered what the sheep were thinking about, as we had both recently read a brilliant book as recommended by my big brother Simon.

If you are a fan of detective stories and good writing, look no further. It might also mean that having read it, roast lamb might be a Sunday roast of the past.  Do find a copy, then just enjoy!

For many years now, in fact since I was 18, I have been intrigued by Tibetan singing bowls.  As the sale of our last house got closer, I said that when it happened, I would go to Glastonbury with Mr Cooper, Rose and Paul (owners of Dilly the caravan) to choose one of my own.
Me and Mr Cooper decided to be reckless and spend the night there, which we did, in the pub called 'Who'd a Thought It'.  That is our room, just behind the writing.  A curious name, we thought, and wondered why it was called that.

We spent the rest of Monday wandering around and, in my case, buying three dresses of the type you would find in Glastonbury and not Chichester, Winchester or Salisbury.

The second dress I chose because of its amazing fabric.  Cats, kittens and moons, what's not to like!
I am not entirely sure that the dress actually suits me, but I just have the urge to be adorned with kittens wearing hats.  Another hark back to my childhood, when dressing up your cat or dog and even putting them in a pram was not only acceptable but even expected.  And then you found out that pets not only had a mind of their own, but teeth and claws too.
I did buy an accessory to go with the dress, but more of that later.

Keeping on the cat theme, after dining in Excalibur's, where one of us really enjoyed a vegan plate of food, and one of us didn't find it 'filling enough' we enjoyed a drink at a pub called 'Hawthorns'. Any pub with a tortoiseshell cat sitting on the table is onto a winner with me, and here is Millie.

After a glass of wine, we thought we would go back to where we were staying for another, or two, it being 9.55pm.  We then found out where it got it's name from, as when we got there the lights were dimmed, and chairs were being put onto tables.
 'Any chance of a drink as we are residents?' we asked.
We were told we could have 'One to take upstairs with us' so we went back to Hawthorns, saying 'Who'd a thought it' as we walked there. Once more inside 'Hawthorns' we had a night of chatting and Mead drinking.  'This is amazing' I said, about the Mead. (The conversation was pretty amazing too) 'Where could I get some?'  Easy peasy, in Glastonbury you either buy it from the Co-op, or from the shop that sells Viking gear.  Which I did the following day.

Here is a picture of Hawthorns in the sun, plus a part of a mural, and a rainbow painted bin.
 I do love Glastonbury.

Buying a singing bowl must be very much like buying a magic wand.  You try out many, but one of them chooses you.  So it was in the singing bowl shop.  Some looked perfect but were unresponsive, some you actually didn't even try as they were way beyond your budget, and then you found one whose sound you kept returning to.  I made a choice on Monday, but asked for the bowl to be put aside for me until Rose and Paul were with us.  It was a little larger than I had imagined it, and also more expensive, but it is not everyday that I will purchase one.

On Tuesday we had yet more fun just 'making sure' that I had the right one with Rose and Paul.  There was one whose sound was so deep that it was fascinating, but so was the price.  And it wasn't the right one for me.

Here is the right one for me, nestling on the first dress I bought, alongside some shoes that I was surprised to find there.  Mr Cooper was also surprised that I had to buy them, but I think they will be the perfect addition to my cat and moon dress.

I really love my singing bowl, and am spending time each day exploring it.  I think the more that they are 'played' the happier they will become.  I will have to ask Mr Cooper what he thinks of this idea.  Now where has he gone?

So the picture above makes me happy as it encapsulates my Glastonbury experiences, and the exciting time I had there.  I wouldn't want to live there, but I do want to become a regular visitor.
The picture below also makes me happy as my beloved display cabinet has been sitting on the floor of the dining room since we moved in, with four boxes of china also sitting on the floor.
It took three people to get it down when we moved, and I was not sure how we were going to get it up, having moved.
Now enter Paul the carpenter, who spent Thursday and some of Friday boarding the loft.  Just before he left, I showed him the cabinet and asked if he had any suggestions.  Not only had he a suggestion but also a solution, and he returned on Saturday at ten to fasten it to the wall, aided by stools, the table, and blocks of wood.  And here it is, resplendent, on Saturday afternoon.

What with singing bowls being purchased and my blue and white collection re-instated, what more could I need?  A new chain for my dinosaur necklace, that's what!
This has become one of my most favourite items of jewellery, and is also very much admired, but sadly the chain lost its plating, and became very dark.  Buying a proper silver chain for it was another thing I said would happen when we moved, and thanks to the jewellery shop in Selsey (it pays to shop local) my dinosaurs are now positively gleaming, as they were when they were new.
So here ends my blog almost, with the final animal picture.  Yes, I know that dinosaurs are really reptiles, but the term 'animal' for me encompasses them too.
I am looking forward to taking them on their usual Sunday outing of lunch in a hostelry. (Large Shiraz, and a packet of plain crisps, they love it!)

So when I leave you this week, I think my thought to leave you with is that asking for help is a good thing to do.  What seems very difficult for you to do on your own can be seen as easy by another.  And similarly, don't forget to be there to help your friends too.
And, keeping on my animal theme, be kind to them, and if you allow your cat to sit on the table, do draw the line at letting them sit on the kitchen surfaces.  Kindness does not mean removing all boundaries, the same applies to toddlers too!
I hope you have a lovely week ahead of you, and that a problem you have, becomes solved with help.  I hope you manage to stroke a kitten too, just to make things just perfect.
See you all soon.