tentacle romans

When the Chookie was four years old my absolutely-favourite-in-the-world-ever band released a new album. Her BFF has parents with the same tastes in music so they were both exposed to their sounds and one day Chook was telling me (in her little lispy voice) that she had corrected Hyper-girl in her pronunciation of the band's name.

"No, no" said the Chook,"it's not Tentacle Romans, it's Tentacle Romance!"

The band was, of course, My Chemical Romance and I saw them live again on Monday night.

(photo by my good friend Sue)

They were playing in Edinburgh and I could wax lyrical for pages like a squeeing fangirl but I'm sure that's incredibly boring for anyone reading so I'll keep it short for posterity. Highlights for me were hearing "Our Lady of Sorrows" live for the first time (oooold song!), an even slower then normal "Ghost of You" (one of many songs about the singer's dead Grandmother) and stonking new track "Destroya." My neck hurts today from the tippy-toe standing and Sue and Av were fabulous company as always. And they drove. Result!!!

a right pickle.

Okay, so I should say a right chutney but that sounds weird. Ahem.

Three years ago we redid part of our back garden and planted a couple of fruit trees. A tiny Morello cherry one (there's some cherry muffins here) and a Conference pear tree. None of us are partial to pears but not much does well in a north facing garden and we found a pretty pear tree before a Victoria plum one could present itself. Anyhoo, this is the first year we've had much of a crop - we got nearly 3lbs (about a kilo and a half) of prettty, juicy pears.

So what to do with them when no one will eat them? Why, make chutney of course! Our first try but it was fun! Chook was a great sous chef (if you enlarge the photo you'll see the blue teeth!!)

 and she dug out her stock-car racing ear defenders to blitz the onions.

I did the hot parts and anything with a knife. Since she is such a klutz. This is the mix before the three hours on the cooker!

So come Christmas we'll see how we did. Does anyone know how well a half full jar will keep? I got four and a half jars and made up the half-full jar the same as the others but there's obviously more air in there for things to go manky. Course, it could be horrid anyway!!

spiderman?

The Spouse has had this weird wee sore bit next to his eye for a few days now. We couldn't figure out what he'd done (the general assumption was he'd hit it on something at work or in his garage - he's always covered in bruises and cuts) but it wasn't healing at all. And then last night it looked different. And upon closer inspection there were two little sores forming. And then he remembered brushing a spider off his face in bed one morning last week. And we both thought of the massive sonofabitch I captured in the hall yesterday morning. Yep, we think it's a spider bite.

Pretty yuck, aye? So now he thinks he's going to turn into Spiderman. *sighs* You have no idea the jokes I'm having to put up with! And he insisted this was good blog material. If you're being grossed out you can all blame him, 'kay?

Thanks for all your thoughts and e-mails on the Chookie tooth situation. We're still stuck in a holding pattern waiting for word from the dental hospital but it's nice to know you're thinking about us! I will get round to replying to you all soon - honest. Everything's just a bit meh at the mo. I made chutney today, though!

bringing new meaning to blue tooth.

My Chookie has always had a habit of breaking her falls with her face. We had witch hazel permanently on standby for the forehead lumps when she was a toddler. The first week of school she fell and skinned all round her eye. And four times she has clattered her mouth off of something. When she was 2 she fell off the ottoman in the kitchen and bust up her top gum. When she was 3 she fell and hit her mouth off the knob at the bottom of her bed - her tooth went grey and she couldn't suck her thumb for a week. This easter she fell on rollerblades and busted her lip up good style. But this last one? Last week when we were on holiday? This is her best yet. And could be terminal for her tooth. This could be about the last photo I have of her with her pretty - if crooked - grin.

As brief as I can make it, okay? Last Tuesday evening we were happily hanging out in CenterParcs in Sherwood Forest cycling back to our lodge after a day of adventure golf and swimming. Chook wasn't watching where she was going and left the road, rode into a ditch and - you guessed it - her face broke her fall. What looked like another spectacular burst lip became a bit more serious when she announced that a tooth was missing. One of her front permanent teeth. At A&E (3 hours later) a maxillofacial surgeon jagged her up, shoved the tooth back into place (Spouse found it in the dark, in a ditch, in a forest. Miracles do happen!) and stitched it into her gum before glueing a metal bar across it and 2 surrounding teeth.

We came home the next day.

Our own dentist has referred us to Glasgow dental hospital because she needs a fairly urgent operation to make sure it stays healthy. Basically root canal surgery. And some other stuff. The chances of it restabilising itself are good, apparently. In the meantime it's soft foods only which is a nightmare because she really can't afford to lose any weight. Playtimes at school are being spent inside and I've jimmied my lunch hour so I can bring her home to eat. She's going to miss the school Halloween disco (can't possibly risk all those flailing dancing arms!), can't have her riding lesson and is also missing the conclusion of her swimming block at school - the fun session with all the inflatables. Heartbroken doesn't begin to cover it.

Spouse and I had a couple of days of shock. Not from the accident, I think, but from the emergency room stuff. Spouse nearly fainted when the stitching began! Even I was a bit wobbly (and I'm good with blood and stuff!) and I'm not feeling very bloggy but have actually been sewing so I may pop back in sooner than I think. And the blue tooth reference? The glue holding the metal in place is electric blue - she has 3 blue teeth, there's no missing her when she grins!

Frantic.

That's how my weekend has been. Totally nutso busy. We picked up a new car yesterday (new to us, at least) and I spent the afternoon cleaning it. It was in fantastic nick inside, it just needed a bit of spit and polish and it looks brilliant now! It was hard going, though. This was after Chook's riding lesson, too. She was on a different pony this week - Flossie is her lesson parter's usual ride and they had a swap. I'm not sure either of them was overly impressed!

Flossie is tiny compared to Skye - and has a much shorter stride. Chook was bouncing about like mad when they were trotting!

Today was also spent in a cleaning frenzy. We go on holiday tomorrow so rats and fish had to be sorted for the week ahead (my Mum is feeding them) but the boys also needed their tails cleaned. Some rats - our fellas included - just don't clean their tails. Which is weird coz they are fastidious about keeping everything else clean! Up to and including inside their ears! Anyhoo, here's some drowned rats.

In the bath. Not impressed. Wilson in particular (on the left) was trying his hardest to scale the bath sides and resorted to jumping straight up in the air - he almost made it out on more than one occassion! But they are all lovely and clean now. If in the huff with us.

The house has also been cleaned, the Spouse's car (which we are taking) is empty and clean, the jeans and jumpers from yesterday are clean, ironed and packed. Although by 4pm today I still hadn't looked out the suitcase. Not like me at all! The bikes have been MOT-ed, groceries packed, entertainments for the 6 hour drive looked out or bought. My toenails are newly painted, I've checked us in online and am about to collapse. But we are a-go for the October hols! A woo and a hoo!!

September bee blocks

I never did post my Bee blocks of the past month. 'Kay.

2 very pretty chubby stars for Julie in the Quick Christmas Bee.

4 Ohio stars for Jo - also for the Quick Christmas Bee

and 4 wonky stars for Nichol in the Scraptastic Bee.

It's my month next in Scraptastic and I still haven't a clue what to go for? Any suggestions?

my mug rug swap has arrived!!

And it is amazing. Totally.

I would have been thrilled with just (just? not just - you know what I mean) this chap. I love his wonky stripey legs and the teeny ladybirds in the bottom corner. And peanut butter M&M's (ooh!!) and the birdie tape and bulldog. squee!

But lookie what ELSE there was! The rug is double sided and the Halloween House has a bunch of stuff to match, too!!! Including bat cake toppers, a fab rat (heh heh!!), bat fat quarters and the most MOST amazing Hello Kitty fabric.

Can you see? She's dressed up as a Mummy!!!! Some bits have flocks of wee purple bats and in amongst them are purple hair bows flying! squee! again!!

Looks good, eh? I'm a very happy girl tonight. Thank you so much, Sarah (Krommama) , you totally spoiled me!