2012: Love ALL Of It....

...Because the things that don't go to plan, sometimes are the 'blindingly obvious', which you've neglected to take notice of, or do anything about, which is Completely Bonkers, if you'd only given it a moment more thought.

If you are now completely hooked on Funny Farm Blog reading, of Wellie & Trousers' Adventures Down On The Funny Farm, you will  be familiar with The Satsuma Sparkler Park, The Big Ben Bubble Bongs and The Forest Floor of New Years' Eve.
If you're not, you'll think Wellie has finally 'flipped' and needs securing in a white coat with the wrap-around arm-thingies....with people on call to come and take her away.
Far from the truth my friends....
What you are yet UNaware of Children, is that in the following wee small hours, after we'd all retired to The Land of Nod, there was a bit of  Kafkaesque happening in the Kitchen...?
Lucky for Wellie, Herself gets up far later than He, and Friends in The Guest Room, so Trousers got to clean the mess up Himself.  I don't know about you, but in this particular household, my Gardening Cat and I do a 'High Five', and collectively call that: 'A Result'...?

Wellie's four 2 litre bottles of  homebrewed Ginger Beer were on the floor between the warm Rayburn, and the outside of the old pine dresser, which, quite frankly, makes her 'A Muppet of the Highest Order', because one of the bottles did indeedy explode, all over the kitchen (See Exhibit 'ExGB')

For the 'film buff' in you: "You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!"
But thankfully, it only blew a small hole in the side of the dresser, losing me an only bottle of Elderberry & Rosehip Cordial, and not my precious Wellie/Tamasyn-Day-Lewis unctious Tomato & Saffron Quiche Tomato Sauce Mix - Phew!!
Now though, for Elf'n'Safety reasons, the remainder of the Ginger Beers are in The Kitchen Garden (Mother Nature's own refrigerator)....
...which half reminds me to tell you that yesterday, through the Great British Postal Service, I received my Certificate for passing Level 2 Food Safety & Hygiene Course back in October last year?!

 And that brings me to the second Noo Year Disaster (go on, go on, go on.... say it like Craig Revel Horwood: disASSter dAHling!): because the tabletop planter with the Wallflower Seedlings in has had way too much rain, and the bottom has fallen out of its world.  Never mind..... Wellie will pick up the pieces in the next week or two!, like she's short of things to do....Doh!

With the annual RSPB Garden Birdwatch Survey, normally the last weekend in January, and my constant adoration for my own, I've brought the dilapidated feeding station closer to the kitchen, as it keeps getting blown over in these high winds, wrecking it even further ('Wellie Workshop Wonderman' to the rescue jolly soon to make a new one, I promise you girls?)

And because not all of our New Years' Eve Dessert; 'The Forest Floor' was enjoyed by Ian (see Wellie shake her head - a joy to cook for is 'Our Ian'....), some of it got recycled and elevated to 'The Bird Table Floor'.  Wellie's Robin wasted no time, but it took a while for the delicate darling bluetits and bolshy great-tits to remotely cotton onto what it was and how to attack it, but since then, it's been like Kids in a sweetie shop with a whole year's pocket money.  Even ground-feeders like Dunnocks have been up there!  One cutesie little bluetit was so excited, it kept popping over to look at itself in the kitchen window, so I filled a small bowl with birdseed for it, which was ignored, until the Robin found it later.

 My Gardening Cat worries me sometimes.... Anything Wellie wants to do, she wants to do too...
and my gorgeous garden birds don't just have HER to watch out for in The Kitchen Garden,
as you can see from Trousers' spectacular photo of this Sparrow Hawk yesterday.

Thankfully, even though there were a handful of HouseSparrows, not three feet from it hiding in the Shrub Rose, it misjudged it badly, getting tangled up in the stems, and falling rather unceremoniously to the ground, looking round like a wounded cat, who "meant to do that?"!
Trousers also spotted a rather lovely Fieldfare, and our resident Spotty Woodpecker spent a leisurely 10 minutes on the nut feeder this morning for breakfast, which'll be one reason why Wellie's not got two brass farthings to rub together anymore this month?!

Incidentally, I'd just like to welcome Taiwan and Mexico, and.... ALL OF YOU new to the blog over the festive season because it really makes me smile to know that more of you around the world are here for the fun that I'm having now.

And.....Just in case you'd quite forgotten, in amongst my more recent other passionate pastimes, that I grow all our own fruit and veg as well, I shall be bringing more of our Kitchen Garden exploits to you once again as the 2012 Growing Season unfolds.  Some of you are under the impression that I know what I'm doing?  Once again, I'll let you be the judge of that!

Medina and I had our first 2012 Itton Village Produce Show meeting in The Funny Farm Kitchen on Friday, and if she keeps bringing 'sustenance' with her (read Pecan & Maple Danish Children?), Wellie will have to choose a completely different posh frock to fit into for the Show in August?!  No word of a lie, it is going to be an 'absolute cracker' of a show this year - SO exciting......  And I owe a huge service to those of you who helped steer me in the right directions last year.

Wishing You Every Single Goodness That You Wish For Yourselves This Year,
and may I suggest that you listen to my very favourite Adele this week from her 21 album, entitled:: The One And Only?
Wellie
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