Afternoon Walk

Oh we did have a lovely walk today taking in the beauty of the countryside. The hedgerows and fields were brimming with spectacular blooms and colours. 

Just a slow walk as the sun was a tad too much for us - not that I’m complaining but it’s either all or nothing these days.  Wet, cold and windy one minute, heatwaves the next, when you don’t want to do anything at all,

This amused us as this beautiful herd caused a mammoth tailback down a leafy lane. Were they worried? Not a bit.

Cooling down now with a cold glass of Pinot. 

Bye for now, P x

The Beast from the East

We've recently been potting up some Spring plants - more especially Primulas and Cyclamens to pretty up a weary looking garden but with the onset of the "Beast from the East" I have just come in from moving them to a safer environment underneath our pergola and covered them with a protective fleece. Hopefully they will survive the extreme weather conditions that have been forecast.

We've had snow flurries all day but evidently tonight's the night when it all happens. I'm guessing most schools will be closed and public transport will come to a halt and supermarkets will sell out of their produce, mainly bread and milk, after panicky customers buy all they can stuff in their car boots!! I do get cross, don't you. Other countries seem to get by without all the faffing and panicking.

Anyway, the forecasters are telling us that we should be prepared for extreme weather conditions and so that's what we'll do.  Hopefully they've got it wrong and it won't be as bad as they are banging on.

So, while I've been having a whinge, my Soda bread has just come out of the oven.  Hoping it's okay as I've never made one before.

So, Mary Berry said turn it over and knock it - if it sounds hollow then it's done. Watch this space!

Bye for now and keep warm. P x

Batch cooking

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my recent post  and for welcoming me back into the 'blogging fold' again

I spent yesterday afternoon doing a bit of batch cooking. I do this once or twice a week and love that I can just dip into my freezer at any time and pull something out at a moments notice and heat it up within minutes. 

Chilli con Carne

Sliced potato topped fish bake

Lasagne - enough for six (friends round for supper soon)

We don't buy ready meals so this suits us when arriving home late or I simply don't feel like cooking!! Now that the weather has turned pretty cold here in the UK, these'll warm the cockles of your heart!

Bye for now, Px

Garden, birthday and crafts to make

I don't think I appreciated all the rain we had back in May and June because since we had the heatwave a few weeks ago our poor garden really took the brunt of all that sun and dry weather. Although we have kept it watered (obviously not enough!) our lawn is awful, with large patches of yellow (dead looking) grass and although people say 'it will come back again' I really don't see how. Fortunately we do have a few large paved areas where we plant up shrubs and flowers in pots, so all is not completely lost.

I got the inspiration for this step-ladder display a few weeks ago when I saw it here where Elaine had visited an open garden and posted a photo.
 I loved the idea and was soon on a mission to re-create it in my own garden.

Many years ago I bought this old Singer Sewing machine treadle table. I bought some decking wood and after cutting it to size and varnishing it, attached it to the top to create a display for some of my pots, which takes on a different look from year to year.

 I love potting up old garden trugs, tin buckets and pails, old boxes and birdcages

These potted areas have always been a favourite and again changeable from year to year

My herb garden is also in a large pot just outside my kitchen door - so useful for popping out to snip what I want, when I want

I bought this old milk can in a little local vintage shop which has the letters UN on the front. Not sure what that could mean, so I'm digging (excuse the pun) and delving on the internet to find out its history.

It was my birthday yesterday and I had such a lovely day - a trip out to Sudbury in Suffolk, where my daughter E took me to lunch with grandson L

And in the evening, with the whole family we went out to dinner at a local Tapas bar - very nice it was too!

My two gorgeous boys 

I had lots of lovely pressies and must show you just a couple before I go

This lovely Handmade Glamping book

which features so many fabulous crafting ideas which I am definitely going to make a start on -soon!

and this handy little book which will come in useful on our forthcoming campervan trips

and last but by no means least this gorgeous set of vintage looking china ice cream dishes complete with spoons (from Lakeland) - love them

Bye for now

xx

I'm back.....

... and raring to get blogging again.

I have so missed sharing my life with all my lovely blogging friends and can't wait to get writing again as well as reading and commenting on all your lovely posts. I'm so grateful to those of you who contacted me, wondering where I was and your concerns were gratefully received.

Thursday 30th May was the day that I was working towards - my module (and hopefully my degree course) would finally come to an end and the one thing that kept me going during these last six weeks. Stress mixed with sheer relief was how I felt when at last I sent my final essay off from my local post office (the lady must have thought I was a complete and utter nutter when I said I wanted a photo!! Three copies with appendices and bibliography amounting to around over 100 pages all in her hands.

I won't get my results until early August but for now I can just relax and get on with my life again.

Loads to talk about and things to say but for now just a few photos

I thought Spring had almost arrived a few weeks back - and then it turned again. I can't believe how cold it's been today.

The only good thing about all this rain we've been having is that everything is now looking green and lush in the parks and gardens.

 Our own garden is coming along in leaps and bounds too and we even managed to have a sneaky glass of wine in the late afternoon sun on Sunday

Our regular garden visitor popped in to see us too

Bye for now and be back again soon

x

A quick catch up....

A huge thank you to all my friends for your lovely comments recently they mean such a lot. Things are getting pretty hectic around here now - with just over a month to my final mammoth assignment I don't seem to have time for anything. So - for the moment I'm blogging as and when I can and apologise now if I miss any of your posts.

So here's a catch up on what's been happening down my way over the last week.

Last Sunday we were having coffee in our sitting room when John spotted this strutting past our front window.

We couldn't believe our eyes

It was obviously a bit peckish as it was happy to eat some breadcrumbs

we threw out of the window

We have since heard that it belongs as a pet to someone living about a quarter of a mile away who often lets it out. It finds it way home later in the day when it feels like it - like a cat will do. 

I was absorbed with my reading last week and feeling pretty stressed out when the postman knocked. He had a parcel for me and I definitely wasn't expecting one. Well to my absolute delight this is what I received all wrapped up in this pretty fabric and sent as a RAK from the lovely Heidi in Holland such a lovely Random Act of Kindness and so much appreciated. Made my day!

These are called 'Lapkins' that she made from fabric purchased at an Alsacian factory in France. So pretty and reminds me of William Morris fabric.

and then she crocheted the napkin rings to go with them

which she had attached some gorgeous vintage brass buttons

Thank you once again Heidi I love them and as you suggested will come in handy for out in the garden (when we get some sun of course)

Thought I'd show you a couple of charity shop finds too.

I really don't need any more bone china tea sets but couldn't resist this one. I just love the colour which is a very pale pink almost white and the pattern is so pretty.

and also this cut glass cake stand/fruit bowl - not sure which but will do for either.

Again I have a sideboard full of them - well three or four at least. But hey it'll come in handy

As it was half term last week my daughter had a friend and her daughter to stay and they took me out for the day with young L to Suffolk for the day. We first of all went to Jimmy's Farm - where it rained all day long - not an animal was to be seen by us - they were there somewhere but had the sense to stay inside their pens, barns, stables etc, although we did see some day old chicks which pleased L.

So what were us girls to do with ourselves - a pub lunch - that'll keep us happy and it did too. We found one called the Butt and Oyster by the river near Ipswich which in the Summer would be idyllic but in the rain - dismal.

This ploughmans with cheese and ham was divine and kept us out of trouble for a few hours catching up with all the girlie chat as you do over a glass of wine or three.

We had friends to stay this weekend so made these yummy chocolate brownies  which I only just remembered to snap before they all went - recipe another time.

Well that's all the news from here and will be back soon.

I'd like to welcome my new followers - Serendipity, Lavender Attic, Tanya, Louise and Ivan - lovely to have you on board.