Blue and White.

I am not a great lover of Blue, and I never wear it. I do have an ongoing love affair with Blue and White china, though. I collect special , or unusual, pieces of blue and white Dragon china (surprise!). My everyday china is Masons/Johnson bros. Blue Denmark.

I went into a local charity shop yesterday, to buy knitting needles, for lending to non-knitting friends taking part in the Oxfam project. There, in the window, was a pile of the Blue Denmark. 35 pieces, to be exact. Perfect condition. £10. What could I do? I had said to Best Beloved that we needed more china .....we never have enough when the Close Knit girls come around.

Speaking of Best Beloved- He has been on leave for two weeks, and has just started the third,and final, week. This holiday (!) has been spent replacing three windows. That sounds straight forward, but they are large windows. He has also insulated and dry-lined the wall around each of those windows, and plastered the walls. The intention is to eventually have the house insulated to Eco-standards, and to generate as much energy as possible ourselves, from the wood burning stoves, and from solar panels, etc.

A post-script. I was very excited at the prospect of our hen Pheasant hatching chicks. Sadly, I arrived home in time to see the hen and cock pheasant trying to chase off FIVE Magpies, who were picking off the Chicks as they hatched. Yes,I know, that is what happens in Nature. It didn't stop me from chasing the Magpies with a broom. Nor did it stop me from crying sad tears.