'Recycling' fall leaves

The leaves are almost all down now, and many of our neighbors have raked (or blown) much of them to the edge of the street, for the City's leaf vacuum truck to collect.

My gardening companion already called to put dibs on one truckful (most of the rest are delivered to the Garden, where they're put to good use, too).

Oak, hickory, maple, dogwood, and birch leaves are a wonderful mulch and soil builder and we always wonder why people don't keep them in their yards! Needless to say, ours aren't going to the street; they replenish the soil beneath the trees that produced them.

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Another Week Over.

At last, a clear view of distant Dartmoor at sunrise this morning on my way into school. I had a very useful morning with the reception class teacher going through all the assessments we have to do in the foundation year and the all the forms we have to fill in. In the foundation year at school there are 6 areas of the curriculum, each of those is broken down into 5/6 sections and each of those sections has a whole list of sub-sections which we have to assess, with evidence - 80% from independent activities ( not tasks or questions initiated by the teacher), and this has to be done constantly for each of the 30 children in the class. It is good to have objectives and know where your children are but the government is obsessed with records. There are so many documents published that we are supposed to read and every year there are several radical changes. The foundation stage guide lines actually goes right down to birth with the government stating achievement targets from 3 months. This is to ensure that parents will be confident leaving small children in childcare while both parents go back to work - a government aim. And then the politicians complain that children do not have good parenting role models. I didn't work at all until Romas was 6 as we chose to be poorer but for me always to be there for the children. But that's not economically good for the country !!

I spent the afternoon teaching the reception class, already the school is fully in the Christmas mode. In every corner there are costumes, (for the Christmas play and the Nativity service at the Church), toys & stuff for the Christmas Fayre, ( next week) and shiny paper, glitter & sparkly pipe cleaners for Christmas art work.

After work I popped into town to return some library books and do a little Christmas shopping but I only bought 2 very small items. There weren't that many people as late night shopping hasn't yet started. I don't think people are spending that much as there is the feeling that we all need to be careful with our spending. Woolworths has folded though the shops will stay open till after Christmas. In general there did not seem to be a lot in the way of Christmas displays ( I suppose it is still November), and the street decorations could either be described as minimal and tasteful or basic and penny pinching. I can't quite make up my mind.

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I've had an E-mail from Christopher Lloyd ...

So there I am, sat at the computer, and I decide to check my E-mail. A few messages from students, the usual collection of spam and phishing mails, and a message from Chris Lloyd. Chris Lloyd? Do I know anyone named Chris Lloyd? I trawl back through my memory but no-one springs to mind. Uh oh - is this more spam? I approach with caution .... and find a very chatty E-mail publicising a new book by Christopher Lloyd.

A book? Christopher Lloyd? Could it be ....? Now I'm not so daft as to start clicking on E-mail links unless I'm 100% sure where they've come from, so I copy the name of the book, toddle over to Amazon and paste it in. And sure enough ....

But wait a moment. Christopher Lloyd is dead - and anyway, this isn't a gardening book. Are we perhaps talking about the actor Christopher Lloyd - you know, the mad scientist from Back to the Future? Back to Google. But no. Cold trail there. Try googling the title. And ... bingo.

This Christopher Lloyd is a journalist and writer. But how did the E-mail get to me? I've never heard of the guy, and if he's stooping to Spam, then I'm not interested, however good the book is. But there's an end message with his address, the web address of the mail company who sent the message, and the usual message saying that I've received the mail because I've signed up for the service and can unsubscribe at any time. I have? I really can't remember when. Or where. So I check out the company on Google, and they seem bona fide - lots of assurances of their privacy policy etc. And I have to say it's the first time I've heard from them, and the product seems very clearly targeted. Sad though that we're all so harassed by spam that we're super suspicious even of publicity that turns out to be something we're happy to receive.

So Chris, (please excuse the familiarity, but that is how you signed yourself) I thought I'd make up for my nasty suspicions by giving you a plug. The E-mail does say to pass the message on, so this is how I'm doing it. The book looks fun, and if anyone would like it signed personally there was this offer in the message...

As a thank you, I am offering to write and send one (or more) personalised bookplate(s) free of charge to stick on the inside front cover of the book if it is to be a Christmas gift ...

You can get it by going to Chris' website, here . I noticed that the book is Amazon's 500th best seller though, so you may have to wait while he recovers from writer's cramp. Amazing what a mail shot can do.

So there you go. If, as the message says, you're looking for a Christmas gift for your 16-year old son / daughter, 45 year old mother/ father or 76 year old grandparents, this could just be it.

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Thanksgiving

One of our family traditions is a morning 'hike' on Thanksgiving. Sometimes this is a long hike, in our nearby mountains; sometimes, it's closer.

A favorite place is the Clemson University Experimental Forest, created by a federal program during the Great Depression to purchase farming land worn-out from the demands of cotton and corn on hilly slopes.

It's now an excellent forest, a mix of ~ 75 year-old oak-hickory forests, planted pines, and lots in between, thanks to succession and forestry rotations.

The area around Lake Issaqueena is especially nice, as it's an unofficial natural area - a great place for a morning walk.

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Being Thankful.

This morning I took Romas to The Ariel music centre where his band were due to do some recording. He tells me they laid down the drum tracks for all their songs so that next session they won't have to set up the drum kit and he can work on the mixing. This is all part of the music course that he is doing at college

http://www.ariel.org.uk/ ( Sorry, can't remember how to do the bit about renaming links.)

Standing beneath the radio aerial that was used for ship to shore communication, is an impressive set of junk drums.

It was a typical wet Devon day.

You can see how low the clouds are looming over Little Hangman and Great Hangman, the cliffs at Combe Martin.

This afternoon I got a reasonable shot of the woodpecker that often visits our bird feeder. It's been a wet day at home and eventually I gave up waiting for the rain to stop. I togged up in a big old gardening coat and went out to finish planting ornamental grass above and in front of the block wall along the drive. It's not really the right time to plant things but if it doesn't take all I will have lost is an afternoon's work while if it does take then it's one more job done and by mid spring the 12" grass should be hiding all the blocks. It wasn't rain that stopped me but the dark so I well may have ended up planting some of the grass upside down! It's a grass that grows well in the garden so I've plenty more if I need to replant in the spring.

As it is Thanksgiving (US) today I thought I would follow Julie's thread and make a list of things that I am thankful for :

!. That God is in my life and that my family know God.

2. That I am loved by a good man.

3. That our sons are all growing up into contented, sensible young men and look as if they will be able to follow their chosen careers.

4. That apart from minor wear and tear ailments , we are all healthy.

5. That I live in a country where I do not have to fear becoming ill.

6. That I do not have to fear attack on my family by armed militia.

7. That we live in a comfortable home with beautiful views from every window.

8. That we have secure jobs which will not be affected by the recession.

9. That the people I work with are caring and supportive of each other.

10. That we live in the countryside in one of the most beautiful parts of the country.

11. That we have good friends.

12. That my food worries are about how to eat less not how to feed my family.

13. That the sea is only 20 minutes away by car.

Gosh, that makes me feel so much better, it's good to be positive.

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Beautiful Traditional Kitchens

Open bookshelves and full overlay cherry cabinets provide pantry storage and tie this dining room into the adjacent kitchen. An ornate antique carving from an old church customizes this highly functional piece.

White cabinets, white walls, light gray granite countertops and stainless steel appliances keep this traditional kitchen light and airy.

White kitchen cabinets and white countertops act as a canvas for colorful artwork and dishes that adorn the walls. An angled island separates this open kitchen from the living area.

This Neoclassical kitchen features white raised-panel cabinet doors and recessed drawerheads. The dining table of this eat-in kitchen is built into the peninsula and consists of carved white furniture legs and a dark wooden top.

Elegant yet subtle, handcrafted details in this traditional kitchen include carved onlays at the top of the wall cabinets, a mural of leaves and flowers painted above the cooktop, and the inlaid rope pattern in the floor around the island.

The cherry-stained island is topped with a dark stone counter and white trough sink, contrasted by white wall cabinets with a butcher block countertop. White subway tiles and yellow paint keep this traditional kitchen cheerful.

Matching tile backsplashes over the sink and cooktop spice up white cabinets, black countertops and hardwood flooring.

In this traditional kitchen, the cherry wood used for the island and the custom-built breakfast hutch to provide warmth and richness against the cool blue-gray walls and white cabinets used elsewhere.

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Nice Traditional Kitchens

This contemporary classic kitchen is an entertainer’s dream, with a large angled island split into zones for
food prep, cooking and socializing. Mullioned French doors, a bay window and two skylights connect this space to the outdoors.

For the true connoisseur, a wine room with wooden storage rack and nearby tasting counter is a must. A prep sink and paneled dishwasher complete the wet bar.

An arched-top window and antique French buffet make the sink area a natural focal point. Dark granite countertops and cognac-stained maple cabinets complete the formal yet comfortable style.

In addition to a cooktop, this kosher kitchen includes two sinks, two ovens and two microwaves. White panels that match the cabinetry conceal the refrigerator and two dishwashers. The range and hood serve as the room’s focal point.

This gourmet kitchen includes multiple workstations. The cooking zone features a six burner Wolf range and hammered copper ventilation hood, while the island offers a prep area with a sink and wide mahogany counter.

Traditional cabinetry accommodates modern amenities. Built-in appliances include a refrigerator, double wall oven and espresso maker. The downdraft ventilation system behind the cooktop lowers when not in use.

Notable elements of this reproduction French-style kitchen include wrought-iron stools with black-and-white striped seats and cabinets with sanded edges and beaded inset glass doors.

Heavy crown molding tops dark cherry cabinetry and helps create a decorative soffit and a glass-front display cabinet. Tall pull-out storage columns flank an integrated Sub-Zero refrigerator.

Square, raised-panel kitchen cabinetry runs along three walls, interrupted only by appliances and a window. Matching panels conceal a built-in refrigerator and trash compactor. A barbell-shaped island puts the gas cooktop near the sink and wall oven, with seating space on the other end.

Elegant green marble counters and floors work alongside cream-colored Corian countertops on the lower level of the kitchen island. Rich floral swags and gleaming cherry wood pillars complete the look.

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