When kindred spirits meet . . .

The rain is pouring down today, and the wind is blustery and blowing up, but it doesn't matter to me because, on Saturday last, the sun was shining, and I got to meet my good friend Tracy from Pink Purl ! She and her husband TJ were visiting England from Norway (where they live) and came down by train on Saturday morning to spend the day with us here at Oak Cottage. I was so excited to be finally meeting her. We have been knowing and chatting to each other on the computer for quite some time now and I was just so thrilled to finally be able to see each other in person. To me it was like a dream coming true, a miracle . . . a gift!



On the computer Tracy has always seemed larger than life to me, but I was so surprised and thrilled to find that she was as tiny as a little doll when we met. I felt like the friendly giant next to her. I totally dwarfed her! This was proof that the best things come in small packages. We hugged and tears were shed, because . . . we are both a couple of softies and so very tender hearted. Spirit speaks to spirit, and our spirits had been speaking to each other for a long time. The opportunity to finally see each other in the flesh was just so overwhelmingly special.



She and TJ had brought me a lovely bouquet of flowers, so we went back to the cottage for a drink ,and to talk, and to decide exactly what we wanted to do with this time we had together. Tracy is very good at arranging flowers, and I am all thumbs, so she very graciously offered to put my flowers in a vase for me. It's funny how that goes. I can draw and cook and do a lot of other artistic things, but, when it comes to putting flowers in a vase, I always seem to be all thumbs!



I have to say that it's really special when you are able to connect with someone on the computer in a real way, and then when you finally meet in person, to cement the relationship, but, when your husbands also get along like a house on fire . . . well . . . that is like the icing on the cake! TJ was such a lovely man (how could he not be? married to 'Tracy!) and he and Todd got on so well together, it was just great! I don't think that Tracy and I stopped talking all day, it was pretty non-stop! If Todd and TJ had not been able to get along I think they both would have been feeling rather left out!



We decided to spend the afternoon at Sissinghurst Castle Garden, which is a National Trust Place down here in Kent. Todd and I had been many times before, but it is a place we just love to goto, and it was a place that Tracy had always wanted to go to as well. We packed up our picnic lunch and off we went.

Todd and I have been there in the early spring, the late spring and the autumn, but we had never been there in the summer, and so we were all pretty excited to be finally seeing it when all the flowers were in bloom! I took over 100 photos! I have not had the chance to go through them all as of yet, but am sharing a portion of them with you today. It was so lovely to be there with a kindred spirit, well . . . actually three kindred spirits, and to see everything there was to see, together with like minded eyes! Beautiful scenery, beautiful weather, beautiful spirits . . .we just had a wonderful afternoon. We sat and ate our picnic lunch by the banks of a small lake, and life was good . . . perfect. It was the best day ever.



Afterwards, we came back to the cottage and sat and chatted like we had known each other forever, and I believe we have. That's always the way with kindred spirit friends. Once in a while you meet someone and the connection is so fierce right off the bat that, you just know in your hearts that you have known and loved each other forever . . . that this is an eternal kind of connection . . . and your heart just feels so blessed for having found each other again, and, so it was on Saturday. When it came time to part at the end of the day, it was so very hard to say goodbye. More tears fell as I stood on the platform at the train station, and, it was as if a little piece of my heart was waving goodbye to me from the train as it pulled away, but then again . . . that is the way it always is with kindred spirit friends . . . wherever they go a little piece of your heart always goes with them, and that is the way it should be . . . forever and ever . . .



We have already made plans to go on holiday together next year, so that we can spend even longer together, and I have a funny feeling that as soon as Todd and I can manage it, a trip to Norway might be in our future!

We went to the local pub for supper on Saturday night. Having had to work quite late the night before and not wanting to waste any of the time we had together cooking that day we decided it was the best option and then Tracy and TJ could also experience the great British Pub, which I am sure they already had, but never with us so it was a first! We had a lovely meal and then back to the house for dessert, for that is one thing that I had had time to make on Friday afternoon . . . A delicious Lemon Ice Box Pie . . .



*Lemon Ice Box Pie*
Serves 8

This pie is not only easy and quick to make, but oh so very tasty. With it's wonderfully scrumptious lemon filling and it's spicy gingersnap crust it is moreishly delicious! A real pleaser on all levels! Another one from my big blue binder.

FILLING:
the grated zest and juice of 3 lemons (I always use unwaxed)
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten (freeze the whites to make a pavlova or meringues at a later date)
1 14-ounce tin of sweetened condensed milk
1 TBS sugar
a pre-baked gingersnap crust (see below)
TO SERVE:
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
1/4 cup sugar

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Stir the lemon juice, lemon zest and the egg yolks together in a bowl. Whisk in the condensed milk and sugar and combine thoroughly.

Pour the filling into the prepared crust and then place on a baking tray. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Cover with cling film and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.

When ready to serve, beat the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and beat just to combine. Cut the pie into slices and garnish each slice with a nice dollop of the sweetened cream to serve.



*Gingersnap Pie Crust*
makes one 9 inch pie crust

4 ounces of gingersnap cookies, crushed into fine crumbs (about 1 cup of crumbs)
(Over here I use gingernuts and crush them in my blender)
1/2 cup finely ground almonds or pecans
5 TBS unsalted butter, melted

Pre-heat the oven to 160*C/325*F. Stir the gingersnap crumbs and almonds together in a bowl. Add the melted butter and stir to mix evenly together. Turn into a 9 inch pie plate and press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the sides to form a crust.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until it feels dry and firm. Let cool to room temperature before filling.

Note*-For those of you who asked, and cannot get clotted cream, you can find a lovely recipe here that makes a fine substitute!