A quiet week over at Keeper’s Cottage

(but yet I am still here, wittering on...)

Here we are again friends, another Friday lunchtime. Probably a sign of age, but I cannot believe two things: (1) how quickly the weeks (and summer) are going and (2) the weather. Possibly more shocking however, is that I have managed (with the skin of my teeth) to consistently post From Keeper’s Cottage ramblings for FOUR WHOLE WEEKS in a row now. Even if today’s is a wee bit later than usual and approximately 800 words of nothing but inane rambling.

I won’t bore you with the details, but I currently under the cosh with a work project, where I need to submit the first draft of a report next Friday. Imposter syndrome is through the roof. As is my biscuit consumption (I eat when I’m nervous!) Anyway, this does mean that I haven’t quite had the time to do all the creative things I was hoping to do over the summer including getting a backlog of furniture painted. So, there’s nothing much to report this week, beyond the usual prosaic day-to-day ramblings of life.

What’s been happening over at Keeper’s Cottage?

The plan to live The Good Life is still not happening. We keep talking about growing our own veg, after a relatively successful crop of potatoes, broad beans and strawberries last year. We missed the boat somewhat this year. I did pop some squash seeds in, but alas, I did this about five months too late. I couldn’t help remaining a little optimistic when I saw the leaves peep through. “That’ll show them,” I said to myself and to no one in particular. I did strongly believe that I could defy the vegetable calendar through sheer manifestation. Anyway, the slugs got to the aforementioned leaves before I even got to take a picture. Never mind. Another lesson learned. But, I have managed to maintain my meal planning for Week 1, which has included a very successful roast chicken dish and a not-so-Winner-Winner-Chicken-Dinner veg curry that tasted of nothing, but had the aesthetics (and probably overall user experience) of gruel. I did ask my Instagram followers for their favourite cookbook suggestions and I have been overwhelmed by the amount of suggestions. So I’ll gather all this intel up and share on here in the coming weeks.

I cannot tell you the enormity of my relief when I realised I wasn’t going to have to bundle the boys into the car for an emergency trip to the vets last weekend. I was busy sipping a peppermint tea (because I feel herbal tea balances out the biscuit consumption) and looking at all the dust settling on the windowsills in the conservatory, contemplating whether it is worth cleaning up when I know the dust will return double-speed, when Logan sauntered into the room with what looked like blood all over his head. I hadn’t heard any stomach-curdling noises that could have been a dog involved in some skull-crushing incident (no doubt in the quest for a morsel bread that had been dropped into some deep, dark corner of the cottage), so I was totally perplexed. Before establishing exactly what had happened, I of course had to give him a cuddle and to reassure him everything would be okay. As I bent down to administer said hug, my senses were overwhelmed. He smelled DELICIOUS; not an adjective one often associates with an Argyll-based Golder Retriever. I then looked at my hand and saw a corresponding red smudge. Turns out I’d got pizza sauce all over my hands (from shovelling the pizza into my cake hole with the elegance and dexterity of a toddle only half an hour previous) and I must have smothered myself in it without realising, and transferred some of it to Logie as I was busy telling him how much of a GoodBoy he is. Phew. A celebratory glass of wine was had. And poor Logan, having all that delicious sauce in the one place his tongue cannot reach.

I have received some wallpaper samples which are now up in the guest bedroom for a long process of deliberation. The bedroom wasn’t going to be the next project, but when I spotted that my favourite wallpaper brand has launched a range called Heilan Coo, well, I couldn’t resist. They have four colourways: grey, navy blue, deep red and dark green. All very delicious in their own ways. I will add this room to the very many of indoor projects I hope to complete in early Autumn before cosy season sets in. I think I’ve got a favourite, but I’ll see how my mind changes over the coming weeks. Other projects in the pipeline include tackling the very bland and battered hall/stairs/landing, and ideally tidying up the office and painting the IKEA bookcases to tie in with the rest of the room. Let’s see.

Anyway, not an awful lot more to report this week, but determined to keep momentum, I thought I’d share a few wee notes. Plans for future topics include: a cottage tour, more furniture painting tips and a few room revamps. So hopefully there’s something in that lot that will keep you all tuned in, if not quite on the edge’s of your seat!

But for now I’ll bid you farewell and wish you all a restful weekend ahead.

G xx