Maori and Marmite...

Well, I'm still here. I've lost count of how many overs of cricket I've watched now. I started to keep a tally but that got boring. Bank Holiday Monday was spent watching three 20-20 matches. For those of you who have no idea, that's 120 overs of cricket which took approximately from 11am through to 8.30pm. Ugh. Jake played in the first of those and the last, so at least I had the pleasure of reading my book whilst snug in the car (with the slightest hint of sun behind the clouds) for the entire second match.

Oh and what a book. The first I've really enjoyed for a while. I dusted it off and read the first few pages. It didn't look promising. I read a few more pages and thereafter it was one of those unputdownables. That isn't a word but it should be. I didn't even realise until a little way through that there was a handy glossary of Maori phrases at the back. It doesn't spoil the read if you aren't fluent. I'm guessing it's one of those books that's a bit like Marmite. You'd either love it or hate it, I loved it, and I love Marmite too!

The Bone People will be a hard act to follow.

As well as reading good books and watching cricket (and washing mountains of kit) I've been steadily working on my earrings. I'm getting more technical but often the simpler designs are the best. I enjoy the designs that involve whacking holes with my hollow punch set or setting eyelets best! M has started on these rustic display cases for me (crap photo's, sorry!). Currently waiting to be hinged together and fitted with a clasp and carrying handle. My contribution was measuring out and screwing in all those pesky hooks. Fifty per case and there will be two cases eventually. I've made almost fifty pairs for one display case and I think I will bite the bullet and book a small local craft fair when I've made enough to fill the second case. I'm doing some simple necklaces too. Since acquiring some leather offcuts most of the designs now incorporate leather. It won't please the vegans (as Ella pointed out) but at least they are industrial offcuts and therefore a recycled product of sorts.

Ella wore the black and silver leather pair (pictured top right in the last photo) out for the day last week, and again today and they looked quite eye catching. M did mention that for every pair she decides to snaffle it's a pair I can't sell but we told him that they needed to be road tested first!

I haven't dreamt up a name for this little sideline of mine yet. Eventually I will be able to move my little wooden table and tools into our shepherds hut and spread out a bit. It's taking over our sunlounge/living room at the moment. If they actually sell I will stick with it and do a few fairs per year. If not, my hut will become a crochet and reading den (and spare bedroom for guests!).

We attempted to kick start our hut building by buying some authentic wheels from ebay. Unfortunately the seller turned out to be a time wasting idiot. We have at least been refunded. Back to the drawing board. I'm reluctant to use ebay again so we will be visiting a few salvage yards soon. M won't hear of buying a hut kit, more's the pity. At least this year he has admitted that we need industrial hedge trimming gear for our beech and laurel hedges, and help with filling in an old pond/flower bed to create a third parking space for Ella's new car.  I'm secretly hoping we can also have a new path laid so that I can hang the washing out without wearing Wellies to tackle the cow parsley lawn. This is where Jake playing men's cricket comes in very handy; there's not a trade that isn't covered amongst the various teams he plays for. Landscape gardener? Tick.