Planet Ruby Starrs

It was a weekend of tea and cake... Saturday we had visitors who arrived armed with yummy cake and I baked scones so it was a bit of a cake fest... and then Sunday brought more visitors with more cake ... which necessitated a long walk to earn the sugar overload.... lone tree with moon in shot... We had a fabulous walk taken from a friends Oxfam book find ''100 great walks in the UK ''- or something like that - it was pretty amazing to find such a pleasant varied and quiet peaceful walk just minutes away from Newton Aycliffe and Darlington.  The day was a glorious fresh sunny February day hardly a cloud in a fantastic blue sky, and we wandered across fields and through woods. We had a sandwich and cake picnic, sat in the sun by a deserted barn from which we watched a bard owl swoop across the landscape.  We meandered back alongside the river and back into Barmpton village,  an excellent 8 mile circular walk.  Definitely earned cake.... into the wild

I am reduced to MacDonalds for internet... out on an explore of the local shopping facilities I find myself in West Auckland - home of the first world cup winners and on a massive soulless shopping complex which has provided some necessary basics, a couple of supermarkets an Argos which has failed to deliver quite what I wanted - I really thought Argos was like Mary Poppins and had everything stashed under the counter but this time they have seriously let me down!!! But a charity shop has fed my reading addiction and I can buy fresh veg with out too much trouble parking -  find my way home is a different matter and I came a very convoluted way so could be lost in a wastelands of county Durham for the afternoon.  There are worse things to do then drive around beautiful country side in glorious sunshine.  Anyway - The coffee is drinkable and at least I've got some posts uploaded and some other internety stuff done! roll on first week in March when hopefully we get connected back into

I've set up the sewing room and hung some bits and pieces up and then I decided I had to be a little bit creative but couldn't quite settle on what to do so I made a quick sock monkey for my youngest granddaughter.  Its a kind of warm up while I sort out (again) my fabric stash out in readiness to make the ''on the go'' North America quilt from the free patterns I picked up in the summer. 

Very excited to find the sheep over the garden wall are about to lamb... Incidentally the photo doesn't do it justice but the roof of the barn is very lovely colours - a dirty red with yellow lichen and in the sunshine it looks just very splendid.... ALSO BERYL IS BACK!!!!!!!  (fully working)

Life continues in our new cottage and amazingly we are almost completely unpacked and nearly everything has found its place to live.  We flattened  83 boxes yesterday, and there are still some full of books which kind of travel with us and never manage to get unpacked... maybe this time!!!! My studio needs some organising but that is a task that I look forward to and will evolve as I start to use the room.  The weekend weather was reasonably clement for mid February and we had some friends come and visit.  We spent some time almost basking in the sunny courtyard garden ad Dr Fred enlisted help to clear the flags ready for the pots we hope to furnish it with as soon as we get Beryl back!!! We also started some exploring of the local village and countryside. We went for a nice walk down through the quite picturesque village and up past to the gallops where the race horse breeding farm were exercising some of the horses.  Apparently there are 98 horses living there - some

We are getting a bit desperate to reunite with Beryl the campervan.  It seems she needs this annual outing as respite, every year she seems to need garaging for something fairly major – but hopefully we can go and get her at the end of this week and she will be in full working glory and ready to transport the shed contents – yes more unpacking!!!! We will have to recycle the boxes to make room in the garage for our camping gear, but before we do that I am keen to count them and record the number out of interest for comparison data if we ever undertake this moving malarkey again! We have the garden pots and furniture to bring down as well and then I think we have finished.  The garden here is very minimal and will probably rely heavily on pots – there is a small lawned area but its mainly paved and I’m looking forward to creating a country courtyard/ walled garden effect for a change. I like the idea that if we look over the wall there are sheep and cows, theres a farm y

Every time I think we emptied the last box another one mysteriously appears, they are breeding somewhere either in the garage or on a night while we sleep the sleep of the dead.   Unusually for us we have been in bed early every night this week and up with the dawn chorus of mooing cows – which is strange cos when I looked out of the window this morning the neighbouring farm yard was full of sheep!  Obviously, these early nights are allowing the packing to multiply – hopefully we will catch up eventually. Actually the house is beginning to look like home, I think this is quite a major achievement in less then a week – we haven’t hung any of the many pictures we have yet but all the rooms are taking shape.  We spent an afternoon juggling (almost literally) bookcases around the sitting room until we found the right fit and we are finding we are missing the lovely deep window ledges we had in the last house.  Time to rationalise some of the tat we kept on them…. William Morris

quick word - we have no internet see following post... using library, mobile data stuff and pals until we get it sorted which wont be for a few weeks so posting really intermittent  and several up loads at a time... if you are a regular reader then I suggest you pace yourself ha ha. Our beloved camper van, Beryl the yellow peril is still in the garage!!! This has not improved the moving experience as we were counting on having her to transport the garden stuff and the shed contents!!  She’s been quite poorly but the garage are now hopeful of a full recovery at great expense I expect but she’s worth it – in the meantime we still have stuff to be collected from Toggie…. Unpacking continues and the house is slowly evolving, its back to front to what I’m used to and I think it takes a little while for things to find where they best live, I’ve pretty much sorted the kitchen and the sitting room will get sorted today.  I’m itching to set up my work space in the sunroom but need

Moving day finally came and went.. We used a removal firm ‘’Rowell Removals’’ http://rowellremovals.co.uk/   they were great- no fuss just hard working - loaded the van - emptied the van - with good humour and obvious expertise.  They were friendly and efficient and helped relieve the stress that had been slowly building.  The blizzarding snow didn’t help!!! In all the time we have lived up in Toggie we have only seen snow settle abut three times the last time being the day we moved.  Undeterred the van was filled up and we watched as all our worldly belongings headed off down the A1 to our new home.  Through more snow and finally arrived at the new destination to be unloaded as the snow abated leaving a clear frosty icy garden to be negotiated. The house was moderately warmer as the heating had been on  - but not for long – it also was moderately larger but not for long – it took less then an hour to fill the lovely clean empty spaces with our possessions and turn the place

We went to pick up and sign for the keys for our new house on Saturday.  It was another gloomy winter day - the view obscured again by mist and snow!  The house was cold as there has been no heating for a few weeks but the welcome we got from our prospective landlord and his partner was warm and friendly and the in spite of the barren aspect and chilly air the house still feels like it will become a lovely home.  To celebrate the done deed a good friend of ours who will soon be a close neighbor arrived with a yummy home made orange cheesecake and we stood in various rooms eating it and agreeing all was going to be very good! That is not to say I am not having a last minute wobble!!   Now everything is signed and in motion and there is no going back I feel really rather strange.... I am very sad to be leaving this house where we have been very happy and have to keep reminding myself of the real reasons for moving, my family and lovely granddaughters who will love the new house and spa

A wild few days in the remote wilds of Scotland – a few good pals and myself spent a seriously relaxing break in Saddell Castle on the Mull of Kintyre – a really special place – very little phone reception no wifi no television, not many other people and very peaceful.  we had every kind of weather - sun, wind howling down the chimney, snow, hail, rain and then more sun!!! Saddell Castle is a fabulous originally 16 century building, well appointed overlooking the sea across to the Isle of Aran. Five floors of castle type rooms joined by a wonderful spiral staircase and topped by castle ramparts giving amazing 360 views of the surrounding countryside.  Inside the rooms boast painted heraldic ceilings – massive alcoves, secret rooms behind paneling, a dungeon, but all nicely done out (maybe not the dungeon) with very comfortable furniture and cosy log burner, a well provided kitchen and plenty of space to hang out to read books do jigsaws, play table tennis even have an organ r