The shed that dreams are made of

Last night I went to bed much earlier than Andrew and in those intervening hours I slept fitfully, waking often and then entering back into the same dream. The dream was about a shed, a shed of wonder, of majesty, one that engendered awe, joy and comfort in equal measure. This is the shed to end all sheds........

I have always loved the idea of my shed looking something like this from the outside....modest but adequate for my humble allotmentering needs :) In my dream it was very similar to this only a little dirtier but shockingly, pale grey with a grey door, white window complete with window box (red flowers and ivy) and a proper slate roof though without a look out bit at the top. (Well done google images for finding this one)

Inside, naturally there was a slate floor area were one took ones work boots off and dirty clothes and slipped into something more comfortable. From here there was a doorway into the main body of the shed, eh, viola.... Sainte Chapplle.

....only with the carpet from our bedroom which is cosy, red and grey stripes.

Over by the window was the cocktail bar where I was sitting with a notebook and pen writing down my very important thoughts whilst drinking a pink cosmopolitan (the lion was not there but this is the best photo I could find, naturally my bar was more swanky but still brown and cream with much fine smelling leather and candles).

 .... Maggie was lounging on her own sofa by the wood burning fire

(excuse the poor substitute for the gorgeous Maggie - this pup is a little odd looking..)

At the back left, there was a door which opened onto a medium sized room (say the size of a ballroom) where in my gardeners where busy tending to the seedlings and sharping up all the tools :)

A pleasant little dream.

*****

Oh and I have to share this for if my imagination had been this good, I would most certainly had dreamt up one of these for the winter days. However, it was eternally spring/summer in my world anyway :)

Happy Valentines' Day for tomorrow - I LOVE YOU XXX

Celebrating Spring whilst eating Summer

I wish I could weave you a fabulous tale about how all Irish people buy their spuds and eat homemade Blackcurrant jam on St Bridget's day. It's certainly something that I did and I wish it would catch on...maybe after this post it slowly will... Also it would be lovely if we all sent each other gorgeous bunches of Tulips as I received from my bestest pal Rose - thank you again!!

Ahh, the joy of thinking Spring-y. The flower boxes on the window sill in front of me have little daffodils not only emerging but getting ready to burst open and send their beautiful sunshine yellow glow into the street. It's a waiting game and one I am enjoying. In the back garden we have had sweet little Snowdrops for weeks; I think there is a grand total of 5 single blooms but they are only baby plants and in time I am sure there will be years when it's just a jungle out there :)

Well anyway, back to the wondrous tradition *cough cough* of potato buying and jam eating on St Brigdets' Day.... So as I am sure you are all aware, the 1st Feb is St Bridget's day here in Ireland and thus the 1st day of SPRING. Sing it with me people - Spring!!!!
Side Note -
I'm not religious at all but...St. Brigid represents the Irish aspect of divine femininity in her role as patron of babies; cattle farmers; dairymaids; dairy workers; midwives; milk maids; poultry farmers; poultry raisers and all sorts of people involved in fishing, scholars and poets and the printing press. So she's pretty powerful in the farming community of which us Allotmenteers are pretenders to the throne ;)

So you got your Spuds? We got ours last weekend and they were duly put on the window sill upstairs to start chitting on the 1st :) This year we have remained faithful to Sharpes' Express and are trying a new one to us 'Estima' . We prefer to pick ours by hand; love a good looking at and a squeeze, we do ;) I am absolutely sure that there is nothing wrong with buying them in bags or through the mail but if I can, I love to choose personally.

I LOVED the brown paper bags..

And this is the money shot - the jam. Nothing quite like growing your own blackcurrants, picking them (arrgh the eternal battle with the birds!), washing and freezing them until the horrid winter. Then making jam - so sweet and summery on one's toast; there ain't anything like it. We have lots of Raspberries and more Blackcurrants, so more jam to come :) Yummy.......

Hope to chat again soon, just need the weather to co-operate and then I can get out there and plant seeds and what not :)