Music Making

I have been spending lots of hours trying to make my fingers move faster on this piece. It is the Ibert Flute Concerto and our orchestra is hosting a Young Musicians Concerto Concert this Saturday night.

We have seven concertos to play and seven very talented young soloists. The Ibert is difficult but very exciting and you can hear the 1st movement here.

Along with Ibert, we are playing some Mozart, Beethoven, Telemann, Vivaldi, Haydn,

Saint Saens and Weber.

Read all about the programme for Saturday here.

I have been thinking about comfort food to get myself through all the rehearsals and today I have a big pot of vegetable soup simmering on the stove, and these just came out of the oven.

There are lots of recipes for flapjacks out there but this one from Yarnstorm works every time, and now I am going to take a break from "TOO many notes "and have a cup of tea and a flapjack.

A Ballerina Bunny

I had a little diversion this week and took time out from Tristan's Cobblestone Pullover to make this little rabbit.
She is going to amuse my grandchildren I am sure.
The pattern is in this book, which is full of delightful handknits for children, and I couldn't resist

the dancing bunnies.

Would you like a slice

Would you like a slice ??

of my Cherry Cake ? Yes, I've made another one and it tastes just as good as the first, so I thought I would share the recipe.

Here goes:

Cherry Cake from the W.I.recipe book

Ingredients:

4 ozs glace cherries, 4 0zs butter, 4 ozs margarine( I used Weightwatchers Canola Spread),8 ozs castor sugar, 3 large eggs, 4ozs ground almonds, 8 ozs plain flour, 1tsp Baking Powder, 1 tsp almond essence,1 tsp demerara sugar for sprinkling on the top of the cake.

Method:

Heat oven to 140 degrees C and prepare and line a deep round tin. Wash and dry the cherries and cut in halves. Cream butter, sugar, and margarine together. Whisk eggs and gradually add to the creamed mixture. Add almond essence and cherries. Fold in gently the seived flour and B.P. and the ground almonds. Put mixture in tin and sprinkle demerara sugar on the top of the cake. Bake for 2 1/4 hours at 140 degreesC or 275 F.

Good luck!!!

Blanket for Billie

I have two dogs Basil and Billie. Unfortunately they are not the best of friends. Basil is nine and Billie will soon be two. I had to pose them for this shot because they don't usually even sit or lie down together.

Yesterday I decided to make a new blanket......I thought that perhaps they might share it happily

But no, Billie claimed it for his own and Basil raced off to the bathroom to zealously guard his faourite spot on the heated tiled floor, along with my slipper.

Simple Pleasures

The importance of taking time to stop , smell the flowers, enjoy a cup of tea, knit a few rows and delve into the latest knitting book from the library cannot be underestimated !

Listening to the latest CD from Dave Dobbyn...Anotherland

lifts my mood a lot. So does this book

A Fine Fleece..knitting with handspun yarns by Lisa Lloyd. I think I shall probably have to buy this book from here, because I cannot have it on permanent loan from the library. On every page of this book there is something I would like to make...now...today !!!

Needlework and Stitchery

Recently I was given a little book full of needlework, knitting, crochet, and sewing patterns. It is missing it's cover and the first few pages, but the rest of the book is complete and transports me back to 1914, with patterns from a ladies camisole to the latest fashion in headgear......an inexpensive motor bonnet !

This book is a dear little gem, full of ideas, suggestions and instructions on needlework and stitchery. It also has lots of advertisements for all manner of goods that you could buy in 1914.

The caption under this one says...Under these circumstances knitting progresses slowly.

I was so thrilled to receive this book, it even has some poetry and quotes.
I rather like this one :
He who is silent is forgotten, he who does not advance falls back, he who stops is overwhelmed, distanced, crushed; he who ceases to grow greater becomes smaller; he who leaves off, gives up....H.F.Amiel

New Life

We had a happy day on Sunday visiting our son and his family on the dairy farm he manages.

They have struggled through three snowfalls over the winter months, which is highly unusual for this province, but now there are signs of spring everywhere.

This little puppy is almost two weeks old and has eight siblings.

Storm, the proud hard working Mum.

These are a few of the many calves that our daughter-in-law Sylvia has been hand rearing. They are just beautiful, and their shiny coats prove the loving care that they receive from her.

These two are both friesan calves but the one on the right has a special gene..the red factor.

Number 10 became very curious. I think she rather liked my knitted jacket, she might have been hoping that I would knit her something stylish too.

Perhaps a warm bonnet, with openings for the ears, a fetching little number in red. That would make her stand out from the crowd !