:: schonken.com ::

More Snow!

noreply@blogger.com (melanie) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 13:05:00 +0000

View from the dining room.

Building a snowman with Dylan and Luis.

Christmas 2009

noreply@blogger.com (melanie) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 12:01:00 +0000

Christmas with Nico and Fi in Cambridge

The Schonken boys showing off their new beanies and scarves.

Fi showing off her gifts.

Christmas lunch with the Ramsay family.

Granchester Village Barrel Race - Boxing Day

Benanna begin the demolition of their homemade Gingerbread house.

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (melanie) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:57:00 +0000

I think I may be Wonder Woman...

noreply@blogger.com (melanie) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:10:00 +0000

Christmas order rusks lined up and trying to look pretty for the courier tomorrow.

Sheesh, it's been one of those weeks. I've taught some foreign pupils; I've attended an ESOL conference in London; I've made some big decisions at a not-so-sober-but-serious Bloxham Festival meeting; I've done the regulation "momming" and "school-running" and "nativity-costume-designing" that two kids demand; I've been fighting off some pesky darn flu; I've looked after my friend's kids and I've baked nearly 300 bags of rusks. Sometimes I've just got to stand up and say, "I'm Melanie, and I think I may have super powers." Anyone else out there feel the same at this hectic time of year?!

Fields and Pinnocks Visit

noreply@blogger.com (melanie) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:01:00 +0000

October photos

noreply@blogger.com (Phil) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:03:00 +0000

"Cuzzin" visit: Duncan and Fi and Gary, Ros and Sian.

Visiting Great-Uncle Ray in Winchester (with Jean and Jane).

The Mays and Philip's visit.

More October...

noreply@blogger.com (Phil) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:44:00 +0000

Rebecca's 40th: 1969 was a good year. We went as Daphne and Shaggy (Scooby Doo piloted in 1969.)

Murder at Deadwood Saloon

noreply@blogger.com (melanie) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:09:00 +0000

All dressed up as Anna Belle (the Southern Belle) and Gambling Jack for our friend Clare's 40th birthday murder mystery party.

With Holly "Hussy" Hickok and "Black Barbara".

And even the Sherrif was in town.

Anna's first and Mel's first day (back) at school

noreply@blogger.com (melanie) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:37:00 +0000

Applecross

noreply@blogger.com (melanie) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:22:00 +0000

Iconic Eilean Donan Castle on the Western Coast of Scotland.

We decided not to pitch the tent for our last night and hired a wigwam in Applecross instead.

Learning to spin at the Applecross Heritage Centre.

Chess at the famous Applecross Inn (while Anna spies out the dessert, below)

Lewis - Outer Hebrides

noreply@blogger.com (melanie) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 14:05:00 +0000

Callanish standing stones.

Famous Stornoway Black Pudding for breakfast.

Northern tip of Lewis: Port Nis

Everything is closed on a Sunday - even the play parks.

At play on a Sunday - oops...

Harris - Outer Hebrides

noreply@blogger.com (melanie) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:46:00 +0000

Yup, it's a Harris Tweed cap.

Our beautiful campsite at the "end of the world".

Isle of Skye

noreply@blogger.com (melanie) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 12:45:00 +0000

Ferry from Harris arriving in Uig Bay.

View of Uig Bay (our campsite to the right of the photo).

Ben reading his beloved Katie Morag book in the most perfectly apt setting.

Philip trying out Heather Ale.

Ben was 8 for the day and was delighted to accompany dad on the Talisker distillery tour.

We set off in fear of the dreaded midges, but our Mosi-guard seems to have done the trick on the few occasions that we did encounter these pesky swarms.

The Uig campsite dog, nicknamed "Champion" and befriended by Benanna.

Kinlochleven

noreply@blogger.com (melanie) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 11:54:00 +0000

Not a bad little view of Loch Leven from our campsite pitch in Kinlochleven near Glencoe.

Mussels from the loch just off the braai.

And cousin Christopher "popped" over from Elgin for supper.

Edinbugh - Family and Friends

noreply@blogger.com (melanie) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 07:43:00 +0000

Daddy and daughter at Pizza Express in Leith.

Meeting Jean's neighbours, Sophie and Joshua Chapman (and their parents,Claire and Rufus). Coincidentally, Claire was at Rhodes while I was there and is also Helen Pfister's cousin!

Going for a walk at Crammond.

South Queensferry with Jean, Chris and Mike.

Jean's neighbour gave the kids a tubful of glass beads when we arrived and they were an instant hit and became everybody's stand-by entertainment.

Annie cuddling up to Jean's (fake) dog, Magnus.

The Geeks.

Edinburgh Fringe Festival

noreply@blogger.com (melanie) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:26:00 +0000

Ben meeting the first female Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, after listening to her reading from her latest children's anthology (which was conveniently on sale afterwards).

Lunch between shows with Philip's aunt, Jean.

Coffee on the High Street.

Meeting Snow White and Prince Charming (Youth Ballet dancers) after a show.

Hippy chick Anna getting into the swing of things.

Anna playing the Piano

noreply@blogger.com (Phil) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:32:00 +0000

Camping in Wales cont.

noreply@blogger.com (melanie) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:58:00 +0000

Camping - Abersoch, North Wales

noreply@blogger.com (melanie) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:42:00 +0000

Tent-warming Party

noreply@blogger.com (melanie) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:34:00 +0000

We dearly loved our little Coleman Ridgeline, but it took a lot of strain in the North York Moors' winds at the end of last summer. And frankly, it just wasn't going to cut it in the Outer Hebrides for our propsed wild camping trip in August.

So we blew my invigilation money (one step around the Great Hall = 1 cm2 of tent) on an Outwell Colorado 5. We put it up in the back garden this morning (erected with great ease: we are already won over by it's slick Danish design and smashing Mocha Chocalata ya ya colour-scheme). We had friends around this afternoon for a tent-warming shindig and the elderflower and cava cocktails went down particularly well in the glorious heat. Hopefully the first of many happy little times...

Twelfth Night

noreply@blogger.com (melanie) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:54:00 +0000

The much-loved head of English at P's school is retiring after 21 years of service and in his honour, the staff staged a (much-abridged) production of Shakespeare's dark comedy, "Twelfth Night" this week.

Philip was cast as Antonio, the sailor. He spent weeks learning complicated chunks of text and Ben proved to be a worthy practice partner (dare I say, often reciting the lines with more applomb than his dad). I think that maybe Shakespeare may have gotten under the young lad's skin (something to do with him shouting, "The gentleness of the gods go with thee!" when I left for Sainsbury's the other evening). That's my boy.

P was initially directed to play the role with a very broad South African accent. This predictively evolved into a very camp South African accent.
We went along to watch the second performance on Tuesday night. Nico drove all the way from Cambridge and will bear credible witness to the fact that his brother did actually act and did actually act very well. He received some of the heartiest rounds of applause and as our friend, Robin, summed it up, was "worryingly convincing" as a gay, love-lorn sailor.

You've got to admit. He's come a long way since I plucked him off the beach, made him put on some shoes and get a haircut.

Just loving the look, dahling: especially those tattoos.

Happy birthday Gill!

noreply@blogger.com (melanie) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:32:00 +0000

We (and the Fields) spent the weekend with Gill and Dave to celebrate G's birthday. Clever Lou, being very crafty (in both senses of the word) organised key-ring and monster-making for the kids while the three big kids went to the pub to watch the first Lions/SA match.

Followed by a trip to the park...

And a braai later on. P was (uncharacteristically) the first to head to bed: momentous indeed. I'm sure it was nothing we said. Just a busy week camping it up in the staff's production of "Twelfth Night" (story to follow in another post but well-worth popping back for!)

And then out for breakfast on Sunday morning.

Family Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (melanie) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:48:00 +0000

We spent a relaxing, sunny weekend (mainly in the garden and mainly eating lots of meat and drinking lots of everything) with Nico and Fi and cousin Duncan and Fi. B spent the weekend seeking out volunteers to play his new Cosmic Catch talking ball game, N and D compared "wiry grey hairs" and everyone did a lot of yapping. A certain Irishwoman was even spotted eating a bit of biltong (ok, so it was mixed with loads of butternut). Anna loved her cheerleader pom-poms (or "dancing things", as she calls them) from Duncan and Fi, whose very wise pink purchase has seen them automatically fast-tracked to "favourite cousin" status. Sorry, Chris. Women are just so fickle.

And then there were four...

noreply@blogger.com (melanie) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:24:00 +0000

So we've been chatting to a few local chicken experts.
(And there do seem to be a lot of them in this village. Coincidentally, they all bake their own sourdough bread, drive a Volvo and get their groceries delivered by Ocado). They concur that two is definitely not a good number. Apparently the cockerel dominates the female and this leads to a less generous egg yield.

So rather than fowl-up the delicate balance in this green and pleasant little corner of Englandshire, we raced off to Cotswold Chickens on the South Newington Road on Friday and bought two new "redhead" hens: Florrie (after the flame-haired eponymous drama queen from "Florence and the Machine") and Tintin (after the auburn/ginger/strawberry blond (?) adventurer).

Initially the new-comers didn't receive the warmest welcome from territorial Mayonnaise and Pie, and some serious scuffles ensued. But they seem to have settled down now (there's nothing like a sunny weekend and a few glasses of wine round the ol' chicken water dispenser to ease tensions).

Dare I concede that I was wrong and that maybe the chicken-thing was a good idea afterall? Benanna love running outside to let out the chickens each morning. They check for eggs and sprinkle some feed and love around. And hey, if the kids are happy, then who am I to get into a flap?

Ok, that's the last of the pathetic chicken puns. I promise.

Florrie strutting her stuff...

Chicken Pie and Chicken Mayonnaise

noreply@blogger.com (melanie) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:19:00 +0000

Meet our two new family additions: Mayonnaise and Pie...
which is what they may end up as if their laying or behaviour is not up to um...scratch.

They arrived on Monday night (from next door - long story, but personally I think that if the neighbours don't want them anymore then perhaps we have every reason to be circumspect). They seemingly adjusted to their new home (coop built by John from Bloxham School maintenance, of course) and the chicken run heroically constructed by Philip and his poultry-partner-in-crime, Frans (with much support from the makers of XXXX).

Bit of a cluck-up yesterday morning though as they kept flying over the chicken wire and escaping into the secret garden (the chickens, not Philip & Frans). Fortunately Philip and Frans seem to have asserted their "Baas-ship" and they are safely back in their run.

To quote Mr "Chicken Run" Tweedy: "These chickens are definitely organised". I think fun times may lie ahead (for the chickens, not necessarily for Philip & Frans). Let's hope that Philip's little malapropism on Twitter, "Anyone know how to build a chicken coup?" is not prophetic.

Mayonnaise (in white) and Pie (wearing classic black).

Anna proudly showing off the first egg.