2008_03240003.jpgI loved making our easter tree. I hadn’t heard of them before but came across the idea at the cottage small holder blog. I gather it’s a Norweigan and German tradition. Find yourself some budding twigs, bring the little bit of spring into your house and decorate with easter fancies. Putting them in water makes the shoots open up. I remembered we had some ideal twigs hanging around after felling one of our lilacs so am pleased to be able to give these branches another lease of life. Didn’t get round to blowing and painting the eggs with natural food dyes (beetroot, onion skins, oh and bright blue food colouring from morrisons!) but there’s only so many hours in the day to be an earth mother.

Feels especially good to see the lilac leaves unfurling this morning as I’m still wracked with guilt about frying one of our fish to death in the tank last night. (Don’t worry I don’t have a dead fish picture - the dead pig was enough). We have a great tank but the in-built thermostat is rubbish and I’ve taken to setting the heating to go on and off via a timer plug. Normally works fine but I thought the fish looked a bit chilly so did a manual over-ride and then i THOUGHT I turned the heater off. Several hours later at the tea table and we’re wondering “why are all the fish being weird and looking funny and kind of erm, HOT, OHMYGOD!!”. Cue collecting every iceblock in the house and dangling them in the tank in plastic bags. Sadly too late for our one lovely orange male guppy. Sorry fella. RIP.