My lovely home town.

Enjoyed strolling through my home town last evening. The boys were on scooter and bike. I was on foot which is uncommon for me. It was nice just to stop and stare awhile. 

We have some beautiful buildings....

And some stunning views too. 

As well as England's last temperance bar....

I love where I live. 

Tea for One

Picked up a gorgeous little Meakin part teaset for a snip today. It was on a second hand stall at my local market. 

Only a single teacup but perfick for indulging oneself.....

Rainbows......

and wow skies .......

And coffee cake......

Perfick.

Right now....

Crocheting on the beach....

My most favourite cider ever....

Happy fisherman.....

A feat of sand engineering...

Enjoying the spoils

Happy days.

A Wonderful Wedding.

One of my sisters tied the knot last weekend.

Here she is getting ready..

Admiring family as she comes downstairs....

Proud brother to give her away in the absence of our lovely dad...

Giggling bridesmaids....

My own handsome pair of James Bond lookalikes...

The grooms carriage....

 ....which actually broke down enroute to the church and had to be pushed to the nearest garage for a jump start. It couldn't have been better scripted in an episode of only fools and horses!

The happy couple....

The sun shone, the wine flowed, we danced our socks off...

shared a few secrets...

and generally had a ball...

I love weddings, such joyous occasions and most of the family gathered. All the more poignant as Mum and Dad are no longer here. I suppose the next weddings will be the next generation, ( we have 20 children between us!) And we will be the dowagers.

Bring it on I say.

Shameless

I just told a total stranger I saw in Asda I thought he was gorgeous!!!

He was in front of me at the self serve checkout. I was ogling him.

He left.

I left a few minutes later and he smiled at me through his open car window as he drove past me. I couldn't help myself and called out "You have made my day."

He slowed the car and leaned out and asked me why was that. I said "because you have curly hair and are wearing wellies." I asked him if he was a farmer and he said no but he had been working on a farm today. I said "My Dad was a farmer and I love farmers. You're gorgeous."

He drove away smiling, I think I made his day too.

If only........

(P.S. I think hormones are getting the better of me!)

This week........

.......I have circumnavigated the globe on foot,(at least it bloody well feels like it) on a new paper round.

I needed a nebuliser after the first day.

And the car was also in dock for the best part of two days necessitating plenty of Shanks's pony. My trotters are killing me!

....I have been delighted by a £1.50 pot of tete-a-tetes made doubly joyous by the fact they are the perfect fit for this lovely Wade vase, a snip at £3 in a cancer research shop.

I am pressing on with a crochet blanket that is for my eldests little car.......

I am fairly new to crochet so am pleased with it thus far, even though the pink is a bit psychedelic.

It is that time of year again....

and one greedy brother who shall remain nameless, (you know who you are Anthony) has scoffed his way through two jars in a week....

After the sad news of the death of the blinded policeman and listening to a woman on the radio who was suddenly and totally blinded saying she missed gazing at the clouds most of all, I got a crick in my neck last evening gazing at a lovely mackerel sky and thanking God for my eyesight.

Lastly, I have secured a position with a medical agency for some regular practice nurse work in a Christian practice. On the reception counter is a slotted box, not for repeat prescriptions, but for prayer requests. I was totally uplifted by this.  It is inspiring to come across people in this increasingly secularised society who, like the women of Jerusalem Christ encountered on his trip to Calvary, are unafraid to announce their faith. I cannot wait to start work there next week.

Summer Solstice

I've been to visit an elderly man who is poorly in Blackburn Royal Hospital this evening. He is one of my patients and I am rather fond of him. He was pleased to see me so it was worth the effort.

As I left the little valley in which we live and breached the summit before descending to Blackburn, the sun was in full glory and I glimpsed the shiny ribbon of sea that is the Fylde coast, some forty plus miles away. It was a wonderful view. And then I saw a tractor and baler in a field of hay at the roadside. The bales were the old fashioned rarely seen these days oblong ones. It made my heart swell as I was transported back to my idyllic childhood. Haymaking was sweaty, hard heavy work and the bales scratched your thighs if you were wearing shorts. But the triumph of sitting atop an ambling gentle rolling trailer full of well stacked bales on the way back to the farmyard was well worth all the effort.

And when I got home we had a bit of fun in the garden....

big sis teaching littlest brother how to do the crab.

This girl is a champion under arm trumper. She has quite a repertoire which always sends her brothers into fits of giggles. Here she is doing it to music!

Today was a good day. High summer happiness and silliness I wish you all.

Making Me Happy This week....

These gorgeous flowers a gift from my lovely littlest sis.

This baby boy is now four! (and still gets in with me at bedtime. I love it, we cuddle, he goes to sleep,I read for half an hour, blissful!)

And finally finished some knitting. This is Billie from Rowan Pipsqueaks. (I have nearly keeled over in shock when I've just seen how much this book is selling for on Amazon!)

It is knitted in a Bergere yarn and I've lost the ball band, it was totally the wrong tension so I knitted it 2 sizes bigger and it's OK, thank God because I am very poor at pulling things back to correct mistakes.

More to the point, he likes it. A big bonus in my book. It's for school and I am very proud to be the only mother with a child sporting a handknitted garment in our playground, even if it did take in excess of a year to complete!

And of course obligatory baking, for a senior citizens tea party at church this time....

40 scones.....

and two cakes with the last of my home made blackberry jam I'm afraid. Will have to make more this year.

Basket Heaven.

  Today I made an impromptu visit to my local market for some old fashioned sweeties for my two wards for the day, and, parking in a completely different place than usual I had to pass the rear entrance of a second hand shop. Out of the corner of my eye as I drove past I espied a large basket which aroused my interest and I thought "If that's £15 or less I may buy it."

As I approached I thought it may be a pet carrier of some sort.

I was trembling with excitement. It was very dusty.

And when I opened it my heart started to skip.

Imagine my delight upon inspection to find it was a very large and seemingly very old picnic basket!

 

 

 

Isn't it a delight?

And the price.....a mere £10.

Bring on the picnic weather I say!

May

Sweet, masking May, in white or red

Her snowy cloud of blossoms spread.

(Walter Crane: Floras Feast.)

Hawthorn in full bloom resembles a bride don't you think?

I love it and it's pungent aroma. It's OK to deck your maypole or if you are a milkmaid hang a garland on the horns of your cow but never bring it indoors or bad luck will befall you.

I wish we still honoured some of the old traditions. It must have been so exciting preparing for a celebration and a feast.

How about a glass of May Liqueur?

May blossoms

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 bottle brandy

Gather the blossoms in full sun, trim stalks, use only flowerheads.

Pack in wide necked jars, sprinkle on sugar and add brandy.

Seal and leave in a sunny spot till warm.

Shake to dissolve sugar then leave in dark cupboard for 3 months.

Strain and leave for a further 4-6 months before drinking.

Do let me know if you try this!

Anyway, the hawthorn is not yet in bloom in cool East Lancashire. However, a few days spring rain after a remarkably dry April has dramatically altered our view here in the hills....

Here's to lots of sunshine and blossom and happiness on high days and holidays.