Our Christmas messageto the nation

Things to do when its snowing

No.1

TAKE SELFIES

No.2

ADD SELFIE STICK TO LIST TO SANTA

Doesn't time fly?

Has it really been over a month since we last blogged?

We blame the Madwoman as she has been so busy

gluing and felting for the Kim's Home auction

that on some days she hasn't even turned the computer on.

It has also been really cold so inbetween supervising the Madwoman's

sticky crafting efforts we have been doing a bit of this:

 and a bit of this:

 and a bit more of this:

quite a lot of this: 

and after an expedition  to COAM this morning

we now need to catch up on a bit of this: 

Traditional celebrations

It was Angel's 12th birthday on Wednesday!

.

After the traditional birthday lie in there

was the traditional present opening.

As usual the unwrapping was better than the present

Then we went to Chiltern Open Air Museum for the

traditional Muffin Hunt.

We tracked it all through the woods ...

 

... and finally stalked it to its lair.

Having cornered it in the caff, the Madwoman

handed over the traditional quid to secure its release
into our custody

and we carried it home in triumph ...

 

Where we stuck a traditional candle into it,

made a traditional wish

and then helped by the Madwoman, consumed it.

Next week we get to do it all over again as it will be
Archie's birthday.
That's the good thing about traditions - you have to do them lots of times.

Meet the Ancestors

We found a pic of one of Angel's ancestors online

the other day. This is Rystone Blue Magpie, who was the daddy of

a very famous blue whippet called Martinsell Wild and Lonely.

Magpie was Angel's great, great granddad,

and belonged to Anne Vickerstaff who wrote the first whippet book that

the Madwoman bought. (And thank you to our new Aunty Anne for

letting us use the pic here)

Handsome chap, isn't he?

 

Easy to see where Angel gets her amazing good looks from :-)

 

But we won't let  famous ancestors go to our heads.

As celebrities in or own right, we are quite used to

the whole media circus ...

A bit artistic

The Japanese may be masters of Origami,

but they have nothing on Angel when it comes to

the as yet little-known art of pillow-folding.

While awaiting recognition from the Tate,

here she is with one she made earlier.

Eat your heart out Tracey Emin!

How to train your Madwoman

On the whole the Madwoman is fairly well trained and

most of the time does as we tell her.

But sometimes we have to be a bit firm.

For example, sometimes she ignores us when we tell her it is time for bed.

But we know how to deal with that. 

We do the thing with the eyes.

Works everytime.

Jammy Bank Holiday

We had a lazy Bank Holiday.

Mainly catching some zzzs in the sunshine. 

Well we had to do something while the Madwoman

cursed and stirred huge industrial size cauldrons of

blackcurrants in the kitchen.

Vroom vroom

Wheeee!

We have a new (well, secondhand, but

newer than the old one)

Wippittmobile.

(That's like the Batmobile only more wippitty,

which makes it much better.

You'd look worried too if you had the Madwoman

for your personal chauffeur.

Because this wippitmobile is bigger than the old one, it means

Angel can have a bigger travelling crate.

It also means the Madwoman has had to fork out for a second crate for Archie as

she can't find a dog guard that actually fits.

All this expense means that the Madwoman is going to have to make a lot of

Star Hounds.

Have you ordered yours yet? 

                                      

Keepsakes Felties

Not just for Christmas!

The perfect gift all year round!

 

The Art of Napping

1. Find patch of sunshine

2. Going ...

3. Going ...

4. zzzzzzzzzzz ....

Pffft! Men! Such a fuss.

Just find comfy bit of duvet on sofa,

suitable cushion to rest head on,

jump about on it a bit to get it just right and then

zzzzzzzzzz ...

Simples!

New skills!

You are never too old to learn new skills!

(Well unless you are the Madwoman who continues

to demonstrate her ineptness at almost everything)

It has taken just over a year, but Archie has finally mastered

getting into the Cosy Cave bed without assistance ...

Pffft

If you looked in this week

expecting the tale of The Frog Prince,

forget it.

It is too hot and he is staying in his pond.

Unfortunately that gave the Madwoman ideas. Again.

Without even stopping to consult us, she plonked Angel in a cool bath,

just because she looked a bit on the warm side.

Now look at her fur!

Can't do a thing with it.

Winter can't come soon enough as far as we are concerned.

Peas in our lifetime

Everybody loves a bedtime story, so this week we thought

we would entertain you with that timeless classic,

"The Princess and the Pea"

Are you sitting comfortably?

Then we will begin ...

Once upon a time there was a Princess.

Someone thought they would check that she was indeed a Princess by

putting a pea in her bed.

But someone stole the pea...

... and then concealed the crime by eating

the evidence.

Which was a  good thing, because whether you are a Princess

or not, it is never a good idea to

have a pee in the bed.

Next week we shall be retelling The Frog Prince.

Bet you can't wait! 



Walking on the wildside

We spotted this froggy in our pond,

enjoying the gentle sploshing of water from the solar powered lilypad.

And then the pigeons moved in,

sunbathing on the patio.

They didn't hang around long when Archie woke up ...

 

Prioritising

Our Madwoman says that recently we have become

Lazy Bloggers.

At least we think that's what she said.

We would like to point out that after a long cold winter

we have got a lot of sunbathing to catch up on.

Salve! (again)

The Madwoman decreed that it was cool enough for us to venture outside for a walk today, so venture we did, up at the Open Air Museum.

Not only did we do venturing, we did mingling too, as the Romans had moved in for the weekend and were busy rising and shining (unlike the sun).

While the Madwoman checked out some egg tempera artwork

we admired a neighbouring tent with some hand loom-woven bags

that would have been perfect for storing wippitt snacks in,

then checked out some toy wooden mice (we prefer ours made of fleece and squeaky)

at the wood-butcher (that's what it said on the sign),

and THEN we found the wippitt snacks in the shape of

bunnies and piggy lugs (still attached to the pig).

As they made us feel a bit peckish and the Roman in charge

didn't offer to share them with us 

we dragged the Madwoman off home to give us some elevenses.

In many ways (mainly foody) the 21st century is an improvement on the 1st ...     

 

 

 

A Christmas shopping spree

We are helping our Madwoman to tidy up today after

a marathon stint of helping* her make little papier mache and

needlefelt houndies which are now up for sale to raise funds

for Kim's Home for Abused and Elderly Dogs.

It's a great cause - do nip over and look at some of the great items -

its a great opportunity to bag a bargain.

And get your Xmas shopping done early ...

Here's the link to the auction:

Kim's Home Spring Auction 2017 

* in case you were wondering, we help her

by keeping well out of her way ...

Something in the air

Angel has been on pillow-warming duties.

 Our Madwoman says that she would much rather find a wippitt

on her pillow than a chocolate.

So maybe we shouldn't tell her about the farting ...

Seating arrangements

One thing we have noted about humans is their amazing capacity for optimism.

Take this settee, for example.

It is described as a 'two seater' - when as you can plainly see,

it barely accommodates a single wippitt.

Peas and poos

Actually we are pretty sure that in the event

of the vegetation making a bid for world domination,

the eventual winners won't be triffids but peas.

They are invincible.

We know this because

when we eat peas

they come out looking exactly the same as when they went in. 

Another pea on its way ...

 

Beware the pea!

Run away! Run away!