bank holidays

Sunny bank holidays are a rare thing indeed... this weekend has been full of family, friends, gardening, walks, imaginary farms*, spinning, crochet, bbqs, singing, dancing and above all, sunshine.

Life recently has been a bit hectic - nothing bad but much busier than normal. But I have now supplied the National Trust with some of my work and I have a few small shows coming up so I think things may settle down into manageable chaos.

* More of this later but Jago has an imaginary farm with pigs, sheep and chickens. He's often outside on his tractor talking to his pigs. (he likes their imaginary smiley faces.)

making me happy...

 The sun is out and so are we! Finally the weather has been kind enough to get us all outside basking in the light which has been missing for what feels like an age. (Jago didn't recognise the sun the other day - he thought the moon was very bright...)

• being outside, walking, running, jumping...
• listening to the dawn chorus
• being surrounded by family and friends while this brief holiday lasts.
• knitting and spinning (outside!) 
• and (weirdly) spring cleaning

Long may this last! Now for the weather to warm up a smidgen and things will be perfect!
Happy April everyone!

sunshine & happiness

 The sun shone and we headed to the beach. It's still bitterly cold so we packed a hot picnic. If you bake spuds in their jackets and put them in a cool box surrounded by hot water bottles by the time you get to the beach everything is still hot. Smother with baked beans (hot from a thermos) and cheddar and sprinkle (if so inclined) with bacon. Mugs of hot coffee / hot chocolate are essential as is a hunk of homemade cake as pudding. Perfect.

The bracing easterly breeze was stoutly ignored as we were determined to soak up the rays before the cloud came back. This meant that by the time we got into the car we were all deaf in one ear. However - the rare sun was glimpsed and I feel we have recharged our solar panels for the week. I can't wait for the longer evenings and more sunshine but I know I must be patient...
Spring is on it's way though - honest...

hello spring

I'm not sure where the time goes - needless to say things have been busy around here. Something to do with 2 wonderful families and 3 generations to celebrate Mother's Day. Jess picked  some daisies and celandines for me - much better than shop bought flowers any day...

Inside my battle with the spring cleaning continues. Outside the garden is exploding with new growth. I just want to get out there and enjoy it. The propagator is clean and ready...  this weekend we are sowing the seeds of our autumn harvest. Can't wait! Happy Spring everyone!

spring cleaning

I don't normally submit to the urge to spring clean but this year Jago is leading the way. This afternoon he decided it was time his scooter had a scrub, and his cars were put away tidily(!) I feel I should join in at some point... perhaps.... Maybe when I've stopped looking through this and drooling...

making our own sunshine

Weather wise it was a freaky weekend - sunny one minute - snowing the next... so we decided we'd make our own sunshine.

Starting with a very happy 7th birthday, and much cake.....

and finishing with;

• sharing new books together (a strange mix of How to Train Your Dragon and Anne of Green Gables)
• playing Scrabble, 
• planning who is going to live in this once we've set it up,
• and more cake, lots of cake... even Jess was out-caked and she has serious cake stamina....

five go adventuring....

Blessed with the most beautiful spring weekend with bright warm sunshine we went adventuring. Every year we make a list of places we want to see near by and now Jago is getting more capable of a coastal walk we decided to find the fossil forest .

Half way down a steep cliff, over looking the Isle of Portland there is a eerie landscape of stoney tree stumps. We sat and just absorbed the atmosphere. We explored the huge fossils. We wondered about what the forest was like all those years ago. Jess loved her binoculars, watching the horizon for ships. Jago was determined to see a dinosaur (he sadly was disappointed. He thinks they were all asleep somewhere). I love where we live.

:: elderflower gin ::

 I'm loving May but this time I'm not making elderflower cordial (some left from last year) or elderflower champagne (after the bottle exploding incident) but elderflower gin. I love both elderberry and sloe gins especially as winter warmers so I'm convinced that an elderflower version will have an hint of early summer....

Elderflower Gin

70cl gin 

20 elderflower heads

3 tablespoons of sugar (or add to taste)

Juice and zest of 2 organic unwaxed lemons

In a 1 litre bottle with a wide neck place the sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Shake any bugs out of the elderflowers then place the flowers in the bottle. Pour over the gin, put the lid on the bottle and then shake until the sugar dissolves. Leave in a dark place for a few months. Strain and bottle.  

nb. make sure you pick your elderflowers on a dry day and that they are fresh flowers - older ones can smell a bit too strong...

Enjoy with tonic water or lemonade.

:: apple blossom time ::

I always feel very happy when it's apple blossom time. Its a promise of spring and the promise of harvest in the months ahead. Apples are really important to Somerset and after wassailing our trees in the cold of January they should be happy to give us a beautiful crop.

Work has started in the raised beds....

....aided by a little fairy power. Every garden needs a fairy (or two).

:: Last Friday ::

Last Friday I woke up to a Royalist in the house. Now we're not really royalists or republicans - it's not something we think about but Jess had decided that she was going to spend the day dressed as a princess and watch every second of that wedding. So any excuse for a party followed and a spot of tea, cake and (say it quietly) britishness.....

:: easter ::

Easter egg hunts are the best! Two excited children, baskets in hand, tearing around the garden seeking out treasure.... wonderful.

:: in my garden ::

It's beautifully warm and all daylight hours are spent outside drinking in the sunshine, working in the garden and dreaming of the harvest. All winter long I've had a reading list of gardening books and now I get to put my dreams into earth.  A month ago I'd never have had the time now I'm blessed to spend the time with my kids digging, sowing and watering.

:: new beginnings ::

Much has been happening here recently and with the verdant green of spring come new challenges.

• I'm now a stay-at-home mama and loving it
• I'm excitedly planning my vegetable garden
• I'm designing again 
• and I'm working with a very good friend on this 
• oh, and there is plenty of time to make

just proof that good things happen....

signs of life

Outside we have our first snowdrops so we know that spring is coming. There are catkins everywhere and buds appearing on trees. it feels like nature is getting ready to burst with spring. Best I start planning where to put all those seeds I ordered!

Inside there is a hive of activity.  I was given this for Christmas and I've been loving the feeling of both making and keeping warm at the same time - genius!