A Weekend In Devon

We enjoyed a weekend in Devon over the long bank holiday ...... and what a great weekend it was, enjoyed with family and friends.  A little too much drink was consumed on Saturday night, but the slight hangover was worth it.  I went armed with my camera and enjoyed taking some lovely pictures.

I loved this house.  It was sat right beside an estuary all on it's own.  You had to drive down a mile lane to get to it.  My idea of heaven.

I love this one.  Can you see the sand being whipped up?

Hector the dog sat waiting for me, bless him.  Not long after this he was attacked on a different beach.  Not very nice at all!!

I couldn't resist taking a snap of Hector's paw prints in the sand!

I found lots of mussel shells that had turned a lovely purple/blue colour.  The looked just like Spode china.

This is The Younger Son having his first go at surfing.  Not a bad first effort I think you'll find.  I haven't seen such a big smile on his face as he was coming out of the water.

A Proud To Be English Day

Firstly, I make no apologies for the amount of photo's in todays post and therefore the length of it.  I could have put many more on here to try and get across the day, but I had to limit myself!!

So .......

It was certainly a day to be very proud to be British.  My town gave the Freedom Of The Town to the Scots Guards on Saturday and this was celebrated with them coming and matching through the town and receiving the honor in the center and then a party in the local park .......... and it was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.  Really, it was!!

As we stood amongst the crowd waiting for the parade, I got a huge lump in my throat and I just knew that I was going to cry.  I'm a very emotional gal I tell you.  The smallest thing makes me cry and certainly big things like this, but I didn't care.

First of all six Guards came and stood in strategic places which we later found out was to mark out where the soldiers turned  ...... very clever!

You could feel the excitement growing and you just knew that everyone was proud and really looking forward to the parade.

And then they arrived with the band playing ......

and the bagpipes playing.  Well, that was me off crying!!  I can't begin to tell you how amazing this sight was, really, I can't.  They looked amazing and I really wasn't prepared for how it would effect me.  Even the hubby admitted to having a lump in his throat.

How do they stay in such straight lines?

I loved their jackets.  The red was so deep and rich.

The noise of them marching gave me goose pimples

I just wish that I was at the end of that line to get a really great picture!!

I couldn't resist a black & white picture, especially with that lovely sky up above.

 The Duke of Kent, their regimental colonel was there to accept the freedom scroll. 

It was nice to see that some houses had got the flags out as well.

We then went to the local park for a picnic and to listen to the bands.  A little later we had a parachute display to watch.

Can you see them?

This is one of my favorite pictures of the day.  It just sums the day up completely ..... blue skies, proud of our army, proud to be British.

God bless them xxx

What I love today

I love, love, love Peanut Butter.  I love the taste, I love the texture, I love everything about it.  But do you know what I love more than anything about it ....... no one else in the house likes it, so it's all mine.  ALL MINE I TELL YOU!!!!!

I love these jam jars, especially when they have a flickering candle in them.

I loved my first strawberry of the year.  It tasted lovely just as it was, no cream, no sugar, nothing at all, just sunshine on my face.

I love my light in the corner under the stairs.  LOVE. IT. 

I Love Mornings Like This

Good Morning ........ and what a lovely morning it is.  I have just taken the dogs out for their early walk and had to take the camera with me.

The garden looks lovely at this time of the morning.
 

The morning dew was still on the grass.  It looked lovely when you walked past as it glittered in the sun.

I did try to get a close up!

 

The elderflowers looked lovely with the early morning sun on them.  I'm looking forward to lots of berries later in the year to make my first batch of elderflower cordial.  I wonder if I can get my bum into gear and make some elderflower wine!!

I couldn't resist this photo of the sun peeping around the corner and just shining on the elderflower, with Bob the dog in the background.

 How lucky am I to have this right outside my front door!



But what I'm really thinking about this morning is the lovely, scrummy supper we had last night.  It was a chicken, pesto, mozzarella and basil panini.  I took this from Cherry Menlove's website, see link below.  It was so nice, you HAVE to make it.  Thanks Cherry xxx



http://www.cherrymenlove.com/foodrecipes/2011/05/the-ultimate-chicken-pesto-panini.html

An Evening In The Garden

After a slightly stressful day, I decided to take myself off into the greenhouse to sow the three packets of seeds that I had bought at the weekend.  I treated myself to some Sweet Williams as I had wanted these for so long, but for some reason I had never bought them!  The next packet was lavender as I have the perfect shelf that I want them to go on.  I can see them now in my mind, all lined up in the terracotta pots that I bought at the weekend ...... lovely.  The last packet was some California Poppies.  I love poppies and the fact that they seem to self seed easily.  That's if I don't pull up the seedlings next year thinking they are weeds!

So, out came the bags of compost to fill the trays ......

and sprinkled the seeds over thinly and then carefully covered them with a little more compost.  I firmed them down by gently pressing the bottom of an empty tray on top of the compost.  I watered them and put the trays on the shelving for the compost, water and sun to work their magic.

I then had a check up on all the other seedlings in the greenhouse so make sure they were okay ....... well, they told me they were, so that's good.  Am I the only one to talk to their plants?

Here are my chili and pepper plants growing nicely.

Here are the second batch of brussels.   The first batch came to an unfortunate end when we went away for the long Easter bank holiday and The Older Son was left in charge of watering the greenhouse ............. we shall say no more on that matter!!!

There is something very satisfying seeing all the posts lined up on the shelving.

Here are the homemade labels waiting to be used.

The cucumbers are coming along nicely.  I can't wait to try my very own cucumbers, freshly cut and put into a salad.  Yum, yum!!!

I had the all important radio playing away too.  You can beat a bit of Simon Mayo's Drive Time to end the day.

Here is the view from the greenhouse.  The first earlies are coming along very nicely.  We are convinced it is because where they are growing we had chickens there for 4 years.  Just think of all that poo that has gone into the ground!!!

The peas are beginning to grow nicely and find their way up the supports.  I wonder how many will actually find themselves into the house as opposed to being eaten on the spot ........ not many if we go by last years example!

Climb peas, climb!

Here is a table full of home grown herbs that were sown this year.  I am looking forward to having a lovely salad with all of our own produce this year.

 The onions are looking really good and I'm hoping for a bumper crop this year.  Last years were lovely, but I think I left them in the ground too long as we did loose some.

Do you think Hector wanted to join us.

The sowing and pottering had the desired effect and I left the veg patch feeling a lot calmer.  Small things!!

See you all tomorrow x

Project - Hanging Kitchen Rack

I told you yesterday about the hanging kitchen rack that I bought at the antiques shop, well it's finished and hanging in my kitchen.

Here it is in it's original form ........

I knew that I didn't want it black though and keeping in mind the new colours that I want to paint the kitchen, I went and got some red spray paint .......

and started to put on the first of many coats to get a really good deep red.

 ..... and here is the finished rack.

I am really pleased with how the colour came out and how glossy it is.  Now for the best bit ...... ACCESSORIES!!!  The hand whisk that you can see was my grandmothers that my mum found when packing up her house when she died.  They are perfect for my kitchen and I love seeing them hang there.

I found some lovely metalwork hearts with crystals in the middle.  There were only £2 each, which I thought was a good price.

I hunted high and low at lunchtime to find some flower fairy lights.  I originally wanted battery powered lights, but then had a great idea of getting solar powered ones. I will never have to worry about leaving them on and running the batteries down ...... brilliant idea Margery Daw I hear you say.  

I am so pleased with how it has turned out and can't help standing and looking at it.  And you can be rest assured that I will be keeping my beady eyes open for so more pretty things to hang from it.

PROJECT COSTS:

Rack £25, Paint £12, Flower Lights £ 7, Metal Hearts £ 4 :
TOTAL £48