Sheeple Baaaand Together for Good

Our new, favorite UK sheep, Herdwick of the Lake District

are known for their smiling faces.

These lucky sheep even have their own sheep shop called Herdy.

You can read the Herdy story here.

It's possible we came home with a little bit of Herdy. Just a tiny purchase of something flat, unbreakable, transportable, and very cute.

And look where part of the proceeds go:

Did you see the part about the knitted bench where experienced knitters can sit to teach novice knitters?

This is one situation where following the herd is a good thing.

Nonna Was Here

Spotted in Tivoli, Italy.

Guerrilla grannies at work?

We would love to have seen them surrounding the tree on ladders of various heights, 

with crochet hooks flying. Probably under cover of night.

The nonno soundly snoozing in a completely upright position on the park bench below did not move a muscle as we carefully maneuvered around the tree to edit him out of these shots.

He must have been exhausted just thinking about how hard someone worked to create this lovely bit of street art.

Dreamers Gotta Dream

Of a better world for man and beasts.

We all live under the same sun. 

One light, one sun... one sun lighting everyone.

One world turning...one world turning everyone.

One world, one home... one world home for everyone.

One dream, one song...one song heard by everyone.

One love, one heart... one heart warming everyone.

One hope, one joy... one love filling everyone.

One Sun, One Light -Raffi

Just One in One Thousand

Somehow we just happened to notice that this post would be the 1,000th for NDL.

We deliberated about whether that called for something significant to mark the milestone. 

And then we thought, "nah", let's just carry on as we would have. 

So here is what was next in the queue of drafts. It is a photo taken last spring of a jumble sale sign from the UK village of Temple Guiting.

Make that an Extraordinary Jumble Sale sign!

Back in the  80's we read several books by Barbara Pym*. 

Mostly what we remember about them is that the characters were perpetually preparing for church jumble sales while having tea and talking with or about the vicar.

So imagine our delight to spot the jumble sale sign outside this lovely church yard,

across from a sunny tea room,

in a charming English village

on a beautiful day in the middle of a long ramble through the countryside.

The only thing missing really was a vicar sighting.

Sometimes we feel apologetic about the number of times we have traveled to the same country when there are so many other places under the sun that we have not seen. Days like this, however are why we return again and again. Every visit holds in store a new delight.

*Very coincidentally Wikipedia tells us that Barbara Pym died on this very date in 1980. It also tells us that " A superficial reading gives the impression that they are sketches of village or suburban life, and comedies of manners, studying the social activities connected with the Anglican church. Her works are deeper than that, however. She closely examines many aspects of women's and men's relations, including unrequited feelings of women for men, based on her own experience. The dialogue is often deeply ironic. A tragic undercurrent runs through some of the later novels." 

Looks like we will be putting Barbara Pym back on our book list to see what 35 additional years of life experience brings to a rereading.

Sheep Wreath

Sheep in the holiday spirit?

Can you guess how the farmer got his friendly beasts into this orderly formation?

Shotgun Wedding

We were at the John Michael Kohler Art Center and the event in their auditorium looked to be classy.

No air of hurriedly made arrangements.

Just a hint of true Wisconsin crept in with the golden shotgun shell boutonnieres.

But the exhibit of the season was Wisconsin through and through. 

"Seeing Wisconsin" had elements of the old curiosity cabinet.

And a long view of what the deer sees while the hunter is trying to see him.

But the famed art center attractions that people come from near and far to see. 

The ones that remain as the galleries undergo change of artist and theme several times a year are the washrooms. 

Artists, with support of Kohler and use of their foundry were invited to create the washrooms of their dreams.

This one near the main entrance is called simple "The Women's Room".

If you go to Sheboygan to go to the Art Center make sure you "gotta go" cause you are going to want to see them all.

And, this is one place where gender will not keep anyone out of the "ladies" or "gents" as a kindly docent would be happy to help you investigate any of the facilities as long as the "coast is clear" of anyone trying to actually do their business in any of them.

Go! Have a look in the loo. And then go some more.

Spatularium

One fine Northumbrian day we took a walk along the lovely  Haltwhistle Burn path to Haltwhistle.

We checked out the town, had lunch, and met an elderly gentleman who asked us about the current election in the states and what we thought about "That Noisy Fella". The man stated that he thought the candidate in question "could wreak havoc in an empty box". Spot on, fine sir!

Moving along we passed a window display that informed us that we were not at the Spatularium showroom, but that if we wanted to be we should keep walking a mile or two down the road and we would be there. This of course was way too intriguing to ignore.

We walked to the edge of town and finally arrived and found the "showroom" was actually a woodshop, and backroom office full of plastic totes stuffed with product.

No worries, the staff was friendly and accommodating showing us the wares and telling us all about the business. Then the spatula artist himself showed up and gave us the workshop tour including instruction on the basics of spatula creation.

Tim Foxall is a very enthusiastic and congenial guy. His spatulas reflect his spirit.

We couldn't choose, so we went for the quantity discount. 

It was a bit like going to the dog pound and trying to leave all the puppies but one, behind. Fortunately the spatulas take less care and travel well so we could be a bit more generous in giving them homes.

If you are ever in Haltwhistle, UK we recommend you stop in at the spatularium to see Tim and his crew and all their little spatula friends. 

Foodie Babies

On our recent trip to England we were talking with the mother of a wee one who, when the bairn became a bit fussy midday said it was time for her Sunday Roast Lunch. We were quite surprised as the little girl, just 7 months old or so didn't seem to have enough teeth to manage a meal such as this classic family repast.

Then the mother clarified that her Sunday Roast Lunch was pureed in a jar.

Later that week when we were in Hexham checking out the local grocery store as we always do when we travel we spotted an amazing selection of mushy meals for babies with real names you would find on any pub menu in England.

Just in case you can't read these they are: Lancashire Hotpot, Fisherman's Bake, Scrumptious Sunday Lunch, Hearty Cottage Pie, and Spaghetti Bolognese. 

These sound right tasty and many measures more exotic than we remember baby food being when we last bought it two decades ago. 

You have to be 7-months-old to eat these. Imagine the burps that come out of these intrepid infant diners. Stand back!

Edible Hexham

To counteract the effects of daily white cane sugar on the population this clever town has grazing stations.

These are in the Abbey Courtyard.

The pretty bluebells are a bonus. A quick look-up shows they may have uses in folk medicine, but perhaps a bit more research is needed before you add them to your salad.

Cemetery Sheep

One of the most beautiful final resting places we have ever seen.

We suspect the grounds keeping may be handled by the occupants of the adjacent pasture. 

This seems a fitting conclusion to Sheep Week. Hope you have enjoyed it.

Guiting Power Sheep

These are not Northumbrian sheep. They are kept sheep.

Kept in the Cotswolds town of Guiting Power in the village center.

Right across from one of the only two pubs in town. The one where we had a delicious lamb dinner. 

Monster Mystery Sheep

Sheep Week bonus post.

Could this have been left by a sheep? Run away! Run away!

Chic Sheep Feet

This little lady has some fancy, spotted spats as do the rest of the gals.

So many sheep questions remain unanswered despite our quizzing of anyone who might possibly know anything about sheep. Are there spots under that gorgeous, all white fleece?

Twice Brewed Sheep

The view from our home away from home in Northumberland, the Twice Brewed Inn, includes tiny sheep in the distance who sometimes become regular sized sheep just on the other side of that wall.

Mind the Sheep

Don't mess with 'em. Don't mess with their babies.

Don't allow your dog to be a thug.

Sheep in Sheep's Clothing

Yes, you have seen this sheep before under the title Horny Sheep.

She deserves a second look to study the fact that not only is she horny, but she appears to be wearing a sheep coat. Do you suppose having been  recently shorn she's been given her fleece back to wear for a while as a fashionable poncho until the weather improves?

Odd Tree Sheep

Every year we take a photo of this tree and the Northumbrian sheep below it.

It is just too great not to.

Horny Sheep

Next up this fine sheep week - horny Northumbrian sheep.

Yes, females in some species have horns too. Let's hear it for the horny girls.

Can't wait to see what kind of internet attention this post gets, and from where.

Eat and Sleep Sheep

Most of the ladies are getting a start on their siesta.

Gladys needs to put down her fork and get with the program.

  

Siesta Sheep

Let's ease back into blogging with Sheep Week, shall we?

 It is a well know fact that sheep tend to take a little post-lunch siesta. 

Lambs do it. Ewes do it. Even big old rams do it. 

These are fine Northumbrian sleepy sheep.