Meet Jock VI, Ginger Cat at Chartwell

From nationaltrust on Instagram: Following an intensive interview process, we're proud to welcome Chartwell's newest employee. When Chartwell was left in our care, the family of Sir Winston Churchill requested that there would always be a ginger cat with white chest fur and four white paws named Jock in residence. Following the retirement of Jock V, we're honoured to introduce Jock VI! He likes afternoon naps, tuna and cuddles.

The unusual request stems from the affection Churchill felt for a kitten given to him on his 88th birthday by Jock Colville, one of his secretaries.

Churchill lived at Chartwell in Kent from 1924 until his death in 1965. The National Trust property has been kept exactly as it was when he lived there. See more photos and read the article here. I love animal stories like this, don't you?

An Old School Photo of Me

This is one of the very few school pictures of mine that is halfway decent. I remember those days being very frantic the night before and the morning of picture day before leaving home. It was always a hair thing. Usually getting a too short haircut the night before or worse still, a home perm. Remember those? I actually have some natural wave to my hair but I always curled it in my youth. Pincurls or rollers. The curls in this third or fourth grade picture look pretty tight as if the rollers were removed and my hair was never combed or brushed out. I had a gap between my teeth that eventually filled in without the aid of braces.

Irish Proverb for St. Patrick's Day

I scanned the dog from my antiquarian book on Royal Crests. After inserting the quote and putting it on a bed of shamrocks it became perfect for St. Patrick's Day.

My Healthy Breakfast

Breakfast fixing before assembly this morning. Life Changing Bread, 1/2 an avocado mashed with some organic lemon juice (Italian Volcano), and a 10 minute boiled brown egg. 

I toasted two slices of my bird bread in the panini press, spread on the avocado and topped with egg slices. Finished with coarse sea salt and ground black pepper, it was delicious. There really is some kind of magic in this bread. It's so satisfying and I can honestly say it keeps me from getting hungry. So the name is perfect!

Red Gate Farm

Here's the historic green barn that everyone is trying to replicate. It's a landmark property around here that was once owned by Seth Thomas, Jr. I love the black cast iron crows on the red gates.

Orange Sections For Breakfast

This was my breakfast dessert. I never drink orange juice anymore since I heard how it was processed on NPR. What? You haven't heard? Well, the stuff you get in cartons in the grocery store was stored in vats for up to one year after the oxygen was removed so it wouldn't spoil. Then when they get ready to reconstitute it, it is absolutely tasteless so they have to add flavor to make it taste like oranges again. Yuck. I couldn't find the NPR article but I found this for you to read. Eating a real orange is the only way to go, right?

I found a link to help you with orange juice brands:

http://www.toxinless.com/orange-juice

Life's Little Instruction Book | Volume II | Page 71

A few more suggestions, observations, and reminders on how to live a happy and rewarding life.

Great advice from a father to a son that went viral and became two books. I like all the helpful hints on this page. The book was published in 1993. He was very insightful about the bankers, wasn't he? 

Watercolor of Tabitha

It's been a while since I posted a watercolor of Miss Tabitha. Here she is in profile. I took the photo this morning.

The weather was glorious today and we are back to our long walks. Three so far and there will be one more when it's almost dark. Hope your weekend is going well too. xo

Amazing Sky this Morning at My Cottage

Wow. This sky was simply amazing this morning. It didn't last long with the sun's rays but it was beautiful for a minute or so.

Black Dog Blends In

You have to look hard to see this black lab against the Black Aga Stove, don't you? What a cozy place for a dog bed when you aren't cooking. These two lucky dogs live in the English countryside. via Have a great weekend.

Good Night Sweet Friends

via 

Sleep tight when you tuck in tonight.

Great Da Vinci Quote

Yes, I would agree with this. via

Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication

Leonardo Da Vinci

Happy Friday

This is a photo of my healthy breakfast this morning. I toasted two slices of my nut and seed bread in my panini press. It's way too small for my toaster. I did a 10 minute egg for a solid yoke...I don't like runny ones. I bought 4 avocado several days ago and one felt ripe and it was. I left the seed in the other half and brushed the flesh with lemon juice and put it in a covered container. I hope that will keep it from turning black before lunch. My first meal of the day was very satisfying and I'm excited about eating better even though I already do. So let's say I'll be eating better than ever.

It's a gray day and it's cold so the Wonder Dog is waiting patiently for me to get my act together for our first long walk of the day which is upcoming shortly. See you later. xo

Daffodils Swaying in the Breeze

Don't you just love this delightful animated gif? These wonderful moving flowers give me hope that spring just might be right around the corner. via

Bird Bread -- Continued

Here it is upside down after the second baking.

Back upstairs in my kitchen cooling.

First slice with homemade hummus. I like it. I just made up the hummus. I dumped a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas in my food processor along with a couple spoonfuls of organic oven dried tomatoes in olive oil from Costco and a generous amount of lemon juice and whizzed it all together. It was delicious.

Recipe: Life-Changing Bread

I mixed up my first batch of Life Changing Bread last night and left it covered on my kitchen counter overnight. I didn't want to go to bed with the scent of baking bread in the house. The directions said I could do that. I just learned about this viral recipe on Instagram and couldn't wait to try it. It actually looks like a suet cake for the birds since it's all seeds and nuts and no flour. You are supposed to mix it in the same pan you will be baking it in but it calls for one of those silicone loaf pans and I don't have one. And I never will. I am very skeptical about such things and that goes for Silpat too. I'm so old fashioned. Anyway, let's get back to this bird bread. I think I'm going to bake it downstairs where I have an electric oven in my mom's old kitchen. The oven in my kitchen is gas and the heat is very uneven. I'll give you a full report later.  Recipe below from My New Roots. I found the odd ingredient that replaces flour at Whole Foods. Cost $6.99 and a box has enough for 14 loaves. That comes out to 50 cents per loaf. Not bad. I used hazelnuts and chopped them coarsely first. I didn't want my bread falling apart trying to slice through a whole nut. Next loaf, I'll use slivered almonds.

The Life-Changing Loaf of Bread
Makes 1 loaf
Ingredients:
1 cup / 135g sunflower seeds
½ cup / 90g flax seeds
½ cup / 65g hazelnuts or almonds
1 ½ cups / 145g rolled oats
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
4 Tbsp. psyllium seed husks (3 Tbsp. if using psyllium husk powder)
1 tsp. fine grain sea salt (add ½ tsp. if using coarse salt)
1 Tbsp. maple syrup (for sugar-free diets, use a pinch of stevia)
3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil or ghee
1 ½ cups / 350ml water

Directions:
1. In a flexible, silicone loaf pan combine all dry ingredients, stirring well. Whisk maple syrup, oil and water together in a measuring cup. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix very well until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes very thick (if the dough is too thick to stir, add one or two teaspoons of water until the dough is manageable). Smooth out the top with the back of a spoon. Let sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours, or all day or overnight. To ensure the dough is ready, it should retain its shape even when you pull the sides of the loaf pan away from it it.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.
3. Place loaf pan in the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove bread from loaf pan, place it upside down directly on the rack and bake for another 30-40 minutes. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool completely before slicing (difficult, but important).
4. Store bread in a tightly sealed container for up to five days. Freezes well too – slice before freezing for quick and easy toast!

Red Barn Nearby

I took this photo yesterday. This old red barn is just down the street from the green barns. This one looks like it has seen better days and is in need of some repair before it's too late. I can't imagine this location without it. 

What a difference a day makes. We had a very gray day today with a rainy afternoon. It helped with melting more snow and that's a good thing. I just hope it doesn't rain hard tonight because there's supposed to be wind too and that scares me. Fingers crossed. 

Pennsylvania Stone Farmhouses in the Brandywine Valley

The 1725 John Chad House has traditional pent eaves between the stories. I've never seen this feature in person but it looks quite wonderful in this photo. 

The brick 1724 Abiah Taylor House, near West Chester, has an unusual second-floor balcony in the center of the pent roof, and restored casement windows. The 1995 frame wing at right was added by architect John Milner, a leader in the continuing farmhouse tradition. These two photos came from this fascinating article.

Farmhouse Love

This is a drive-by photo of the farmhouse that goes with the green barns. It is painted pale yellow. The farm buildings I featured yesterday are to the far left with a good bit of yard between the house and the shed. The previous owners had chickens. I hope the new owners do too. We had a glorious day yesterday as you can see from the beautiful blue sky.

One rooster and five hens.

This is a photo I took inside the barn of the beautiful white rooster. See other photos of the old owners' poultry here.