Saturday 31 August 2019

A time to gather in . . .




Tis the last day of August . . . summer is beginning to wane. How did that happen? We did not notice the days passing . . . and now they are spent. April's promise has come true, against skies of blue, thickly fruited boughs are spread with russet, greens, reds and golds . . . and orchard air hums with the sound of fruit pickers, their laughter and song carrying out across field and furrow . . .  


 

Tis the quite time for the birds. Down in the wood where shadows lie darkly under the heavy foliage of late summer . . . the hedgerows lay silent. Where now is the whitethroat . . . the blackcap . . . the warbler??

The lark, too . . . holds his peace. The skies seem lonely without his song. 


 

Old plum trees hang with fruit . . . cracked plums alive with the hum and buzz of greedy wasps as they cluster thickly over their surface, drinking in all that they can hold . . . nectar sweet.

Apples turn ruby cheeked faces to the sun, whilst pears hang down . . . ripe and juicy on over-burdened branches. 

 

The fields are ready, corn waits patiently for the threshers to come, cut and stacked it lays . . . soon to be not much more than stubble waiting for the heavy cut of the plough. 


 

Upon the commons, moors and heath, carpets of heather . . . now pink and plum . . . mauve and lavender . . . white . . . spread out in vistas of untold beauty, beneath the gilded sky. 

 

The light is somehow different now . . . whilst in the garden roses bud for the second time, their blooms the last hurrah of summer, as petals wilt and wither beneath the waning sun, leaving behind scarlet globes . . . hips, ripe and flushed . . . ready for prodding and greedy beaks. All too soon, the feasting will be done.
 

 
Purple jewels hang upon thorny branches . . . ripe for the picking . . . waiting to be made into cobblers and pies . . . jams and jellies.

Tis that time of year . . . the hour of maturity . . . the season of fruit and fulfillment, of gathering and garnering . . . 

 

Just around the corner now . . . beds are calling, singing plaintive wistful sounds, beckoning . . . tis almost time for the long cold sleep. Time to gather in . . . time to gather in . . . 

All too soon it seems  . . .  the summer is waning . . . there is a distinctive feel in the air of impending autumn.  You might as well try to hold it back as to try catch a moonbeam in your hand  . . .  



The only way I know of to truly capture summer for a time is to preserve it in a jar  . . .  that way you can enjoy small tastes of it  . . .  all  . . .  winter  . . .  long  . . . 



Happy Labour Day weekend to all of my North American friends.  I am not sure about you, but I think this summer has just flown by.  It is hard for me to believe that it is now moving rapidly on the wane.  Somebody please slow it down!  This year is disappearing far too quickly!

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★

 *
Be glad of life,
because it gives you
the chance to love,
and to work, and to play,
and to look up at the stars.
~Henry Van Dyke•。★★ 。* 。 


Crunchy Topped Maple Walnut Oatmeal Muffins 

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  Crunchy Topped Maple Walnut Oatmeal Muffins.  Scrumptious!

Have a great Saturday!  So far its a dry one here!  Might take advantage of that and go out and about!  Whatever you get up to don't forget! 


═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════ ⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
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And I do too! 


Friday 30 August 2019

My Friday Finds . . .

 
 
 
A few of the things  I find each week that pique my interest, bring me joy, inspire me to learn, create, do, become . . . maybe they will do the same for you!    
 
 
 
Cat Paper Dolls.  I couldn't find a source.  But how cute are they!  
 

 
   

 
If you look on Pinterest, there are tons of cat paper dolls.  Fascinating. 
 


 
Vampire Maman.  Make your own articulated Vincent Price.  Did anyone else use to watch his spooky movies when you were younger?  
 
 
 
Your Crochet. Little Christmas Socks Stocking Advent Calendar.  
 
 
 
 
 
Pepika on Etsy.  A little Mushroom doll.  LOVE this.  I adore red and white toadstools.  Not free.


 
DIY Forever.  Crochet Sleep Masks.  Cute!  
 
 
 
Simple Things Crochet. Autumn Leaf Coasters.  
 
 
 
Today's Creative Life.  Simple paper  lantern tutorial. 
 
 
 
Skip to my Lou. Pumpin Roll.  
 
 
 
How to Nest for Less.  How to get organized in your home.  
 
 
  
 
Confessions of a Serial DIYer. Thrift Store Basket table decor.   Do you change your decor with the seasons? 
 
 
 
Cherished Bliss.  Wooden bowl candle holders.  
 
 
 
 
Setting for Four.  Back to school Lunches. 
 
 
 
 
Curbly.  Colourful Pom Pom Wreath.  
  
 
 
Dainty Dress Diaries.  Leaf Trinket Dish with air dry clay.  
 
 
 
 
Adventure in a Box. Pom Pom Acorns.  
 
 
 
Jaci May.  Braided Friendship Bracelets to buy.  
  

 
The Instructables.  Candy Wrapper Bracelets.  Did you used to make gum wrapper chains?  
 
 
 
 
With Hairstyles.  Space Buns.  I wish  . . .   
 
 
  
 
 
Tales of Faerie.  Different pumpkins and their uses.  
 
 
 
Frugal Fun 4 Boys.  Lego Pumpkin Lanterns.  
 
 
And those are my finds for this week.  I hope you saw something interesting!  
 
 
A little late to the party perhaps, but something we started watching this week.  Peaky Blinders. Its quite good.  
 
 
I found this photograph yesterday. It is Athalia Whitman. My three times Great Grandmother's sister.  What a brilliant photograph.  I wish we had more photographs like this!
 
 
A thought to carry with you  . . . 


° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★

 *
A negative mind 
will never give you
a positive life.•。★★ 。* 。
 
 
Pan Seared Mahi Mahi 
 
In The English Kitchen today.  Pan Seared Mahi Mahi.  Our first taste of this delicious fish. Won't be our last! 
 
Have a fabulous Friday.  Don't forget!  


═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════ ⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════
 

And I do too! 

Thursday 29 August 2019

My Favourite Things . . .

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A few of the things which catch my eye, inspire me, pluck at my heart strings, make me smile, or that I just enjoy.  Maybe they will do the same for you.     



Little Golden Books.  These were the books I cut my teeth on when I was a child. My "Love of Reading" teeth that is!  I read the ones I had over and over and over again.  I bought them for my own children. also and read to them every night until they begged me to stop!  My father read to me and I read to them.  We would all gather on the double bed in the girls' room and I would read to them and we would have silly story time and so on.  Once they got older however, they wanted to read their own books. 




Chocolate Covered Almonds.  Not all are created equal.  Those ones that they sell in school fund raisers are the best.   I'm afraid if we have any chocolate covered almonds in the house I am lost.  they are one of my greatest weaknesses . . . 


    

Victorian Houses.  Big or small, it makes no difference.  I love them all!  What a prime eample this is with its ornateness and that beautiful front porch/veranda! 



I love this one even more.  It has turrets. Talk about making your home a Castle!  




Hedgehogs.  Did you know they are in trouble?  I was reading about it not too long ago. Their numbers are decreasing. They are such cute and benign little creatures.  Lots get hit by cars, or are killed by natural predators, horror of all horrors. . .  get burnt in bonfires because of the predilection for curling up to sleep in piles of leaves and brush.   Its sad really. If you have things set up for a bonfire, do check for hedgehogs before you light up!  


  

Garden Statuary . . .  love it.  Any kind . . .  littl fairies, big fairies, cherubs, etc. Gnomes.



  

The combination of pin tucks, embroidery, pearl buttons and lace . . .  especially in little girls dresses.  I bought Maryn several beautiful smocked and embroidered dresses when she was small.  Never got to see her in even one of them.  I have no idea if her mother even kept them, heck I don't even know if she got them.  





Red and white polka dots  . . . 



Rhinestone buttons  . . . .


  

Freckles.  A face without freckles is like a sky without stars  . . . . 




Old black and white photographs  . . .  who were these people . . .  what were their stories, their hopes, their dreams  . . . 


  

Old Chenille Bed Spreads  . . . 



Criss Cross Priscilla Curtains  . . .  love, LOVE them! 


  

Mangos.  Fresh. Dried.  In yogurt.  I just adore Mangos.  



Pasta in any way shape or form.  How did I ever end up with someone who hates it.  lol. 


  

Vintage Christmas Candles. I would never be able to bring myself to be able to burn them . . .  



Vintage look tourism posters . . . 


  

The illustrations of Eloise Wilkin  . . . her children all look like cherubs  . . . 



Richard Scarry illustrations. 

  


Garibaldi Biscuits  . . .  squashed fly cakes  . . .  



Maple Creams . . . . 


And that's just the tip of the iceberg.  I have many joys and pleasures in life and most of them are very simple!  What are some of yours?

A thought to carry with you  . . .

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★

 *
Happiness is not about
getting all you want,
its about enjoying
what you already have.
•。★★ 。* 。•。★★ 。* 。 


 

Proud to have been featured yesterday in the Huffington Post UK's nod to the return of the GBBO on our televisions screens!  You can see it here


Easy Almond Croissants  

Baking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Easy Almond Croissants.  Yummy!

Have a wonderful Thursday. So far it is dry here, but there is plenty of cloud and it is discernably chilly!  Don't forget! 

═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════ ⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════  


And I do too!