January 31st

Dayana, these are for you – double snowdrops in bloom in my garden!

The development is going ahead – permission was granted last night. Details are here. We shall consult with an architect on Monday and put in a application for houses on our land. Our house would be knocked down and new ones built where it now stands and on the acre of garden. But we may not get permission – it is all so unsettled.

We do not really want to move but we are being forced into it. But I think it will all take a long time to be resolved and so I am not going to panic.

John has booked the fishing in Scotland for May and I am going with him. We are staying here. Dogs are allowed ( £10 a night!) and so I have agreed that Slip can come providing John takes her fishing if I want to go shopping. We go on a Sunday and will be back on Thursday.

I have a Debbie Bliss delivery coming late this afternoon – I do not know what it is – could be new stuff from Debbie or Noro or Louisa or Mirasol.  

Going to make some pasta now! Back tomorrow.

 

January 30th

The Manos del Uruguay Merino Roving Tops have just arrived. I have not had time to unpack them yet – but the colours are gorgeous. Also the Rowan Denim in Nashville arrived.

Tonight we shall finally find out if the proposed development around our house will go ahead. There is a meeting where the Council will give the yes or no verdict.  We could go but these meetings are very boring and so I think I will just watch for the verdict on the internet.

John wants to go salmon fishing in Scotland on May 19 /20 / 21st.  The 19th is our wedding anniversary and he wants me to go with him…..this is so he does not feel guilty being away on the anniversary!  I am considering going as it will add weight to my talking him into coming to St.Lucia in September.  It is a nice hotel in Scotland – Banchory Lodge. If I do agree to go, I shall stipulate that Slip cannot come – I do not want to look after her all day whilst John fishes as it means I cannot go into any shops! Plus it is a worry! 

It has rained all day here – the fields are all flooded, rivers bursting their banks and puddles everywhere. But the snowdrops and aconites are in bloom and the daffodils are up ….Spring is not so far away!

January 27th

My chest is a little easier….it does not feel so tight. I am 99% sure it is my ribs as it hurts if I press on them or jar them sneezing or coughing.
Rowan are out of stock of Silkystones and there won’t be anymore until March. I have more Angora Haze on the way…..all colours.
The new shades of Fine Art are due at the end of the week.
No other real news……bit of a dull time of year!

January 25th

I have put some Rowan Kidsilk Haze Glamour in Blood in my shop at a reduced price as it is discontinued and I got it at a good price.

I have awful chest pains – high up in my back on the right hand side. About three weeks ago I tripped over the vacuum cleaner flex and hit my side hard on the door frame. I most probably cracked a rib. It has been getting better but now today I have this pain in my chest – as if a heavy weight were pressing on me.It is most uncomfortable and it is even worse if I lie down.

John and Slip are shooting today. I am making John a steak and ale pie from scratch – steak is cooking in the oven at the moment. Then I shall transfer it to a dish and top it with puff pastry.

We may go out for a drink tonight if I feel up to it. Next Thursday we shall know if the land around us has been cleared for the 2,500 houses, school, sports stadium, community centre etc etc. All will be revealed.

Going to iron now and then have a sit down with Jackson on my lap!

 

January 23rd

The new Rowan Denim in Memphis arrived today – Nashville is not available yet. A sample of a new roving yarn from Manos del Uruguay also came.

Slip and I nearly plunged to our death this afternoon. We went over to the fishing lake to feed the fish and let Slip have a swim. The lake is in a deep dip and we have to drive across a field to get to it. The field is level with the road and then slopes sharply down to the lake. John got out of the Land Rover to open the gate to the field and went to tie it back as it was windy and was trying to blow shut. Suddenly the Land Rover started to hurtle down the muddy track towards the lake.  He had not put the hand brake on properly. Luckily I managed to grab it and yank it on hard and we came to a halt. I shudder to think of plunging into the cold water!

It rained all morning – really heavy rain like in the Caribbean. It has stopped now but there are floods everywhere. Jackson is in the dog house because John found a dead Goldfinch on the lawn.  I don’t see how we can be sure that Jackson had anything to do with it…it might just have had a heart attack and died. 

Now I must go and get dinner ready – chicken satay with brown rice…John is on a health kick!