Know your future

Know your future
Originally uploaded by redmag

Sadly no I havent just popped back from India....this is one from the achieves....it just seemed pertinent... you see I had the chance to get my future told way back when and was too chicken to find out what was install for me..... I wish I had I'm sure Saturday's trip to the hairdressers would have featured.....the cut was great...nothing bad there...but ....welll.......when i had my hair coloured....they used that steam thing - THE ONE THEY USE ON THE OLD LADIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's taken me two days to get over the shock enough to share.

...maybe it would have been good to have been forwarned....next time I'm in Mysore I'm totally stopping by at Room 55 in the Hotel Dasaprahash....some things shouldnt be allowed to sneak up on you.

P.S I'm working on some new toys - a new design even! Hope to have something to show you later in the week.

A lovely moral for a chilly day

A lovely moral for a chilly day
Originally uploaded by redmag

.....OK....its not THAT cold....but I had been lulled into a false sense of spring time warmth... I even needed a jacket today brrrrrrr....anyway it made me think of this .....it's the last page from my copy of Brian Wildsmith's illustrated version of the La Fontaine fable, "The North Wind and the Sun" - the whole book makes me smile.....especially the moral... I'm looking forward to all the sun will achieve over the coming months. Another couple of pics over on Flickr, here and here.

Vroooooooooooooom

Quiet time
Originally uploaded by redmag

A little boy with a toy car - strangly gentle and quiet......almost contemplative .....the beauty of those french curves

First spring harvest - Broadbeans

First spring harvest - Broadbeans
Originally uploaded by redmag

This is our first spring harvest for the year. Broadbeans.....and they were delicious. Soft and sweet and a lovely shade of green.

We had them with pasta - I adapted a recipe from the River Cafe Green book - there were second helpings all round. We're mentally willing the remaining beans to hurry up and get big enough to eat with all our might.

Here's the adapted recipe:

200g of shelled broadbeans
2 handfuls of coarsely ripped basil leaves
1 clove of garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice from a lemon wedge (a quarter)
100g of grated pecorino
Cooked pasta for 4.

Put one half of the beans along with some salt, the garlic clove and one handful of the basil into a mortar and pestale and grind to a coarse looking mush. Combine the mush with the remaining broad beans, basil and all the cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste and squeeze in the lemon juice. Add to the freshly cooked pasta and serve immediately.
Yum!

A couple of today's finds

A couple of today's finds
Originally uploaded by redmag

Can you tell that I have the day off to myself ? No work no child? Of course it's too precious to waste inside at the computer.....here are a couple of things I picked up this morning at the op shops. I honour of our apricot tree growing its heart out this year and producing fruit for the first time, coupled with the fact I finished our last year of homemade apricot jam from last year (apricots 'borrowed' from the neighbours tree that hangs into our yard at twilight for that batch) I've decided to start collecting dollies so that this years batch can be tarted up, each with a lovely little frilly top.

Anyway back to me time - Hope you're enjoying your day too!

A beautiful bag

A beautiful bag
Originally uploaded by redmag

....It's been a tough old week and a bit.....I'm single parenting at the moment and while I love my little boy - he's at the charming cheeky stage - he's discovered the power of loud noices particularly the ones he makes himself with his very well developed lungs and he's also discovered the tantrum so its been a tiring week with highs and lows...mainly highs and tired bits than lows i guess....

Anyway one highlight this week for me was the arrival of a very beautiful package from Charlie over at The pigeon loft. We were swap buddies for the Russian doll swap Katie hosted months ago and well.....Charlie was kind enough to allow me loads of slack and we extended the swap date. This is the beautiful bag so sent me....actually her whole package was georegous and colour co-ordinated. Anyway it made my week and i smile as i glance over at it hanging on the kitchen dresser while i wipe pumpkin from strange places around the kitchen - he also discovered that feeding oneself is more fun than being fed by others this week.

Marvin Minsky - aka Count Dracubot

Marvin Minsky - aka Count Dracubot
Originally uploaded by redmag

This is my entry in the Plushteam Halloween contest. It's a robot dressed up as a Vampire ready to go trick or treating.

Check out the other entries and vote for your favourite over at the plush team blog here.

A belated welcome to spring

Giving direction
Originally uploaded by redmag

Note to self - never promise to publish more tomorrow - it seems to lead to a four month long sabatical.

Anyway, I've been off away from the computer resting up and am now easing back into life.....catching up....and trying to get back into the swing of things.

Last weekend we added spring time flowers to the mural in the nursery....little red ones...it looks like a giant flowering quice. Baby N helped this year.....admittedly removing more than he added but he did get into it which is nice.

Although I think he's had a growth spurt 'cause during the week he woke up with blu-tac in his hair and a few petals at his feet - I underestimated his reach and how lively his night time activites are!