Monday, 2 November 2009

Holiday Haunts

October Garden Mosaic.

The garden is starting to look a little bear now that the leaves are falling. Just 2 more garden mosaics to do and then I will have to think of a different monthly mosaic for next year, any ideas?Just to make you laugh! On the last day of book week we all dressed up as a character from a book. I'm the Worst Witch!

What is it about cats and boxes? OH had just left these 2 small boxes on the sofa and Maurice had to try one out for size! Needless to say, it was far too small!


The next day I put my handbag on the floor, a moment later I heard a noise and turned around to see Maurice trying to crawl into it! I said, "MAURICE!" and he laid down where he was and hoped I couldn't see him :)

Half term we stayed with my parents in Norfolk and visited the following places:-


Oxburgh Hall

A beautiful moated house.

Unfortunately photography isn't allowed in the house, so I only have external photos to show you.


Up on the roof. That's "mini-me" in the middle! I'm 5ft 6in, but my children make me feel small. Jay is now just over 6ft!

Woodland walk at Oxburgh Hall. These 2 where making me laugh with their funny comments and faces - it's a wonder that the photo isn't blurred.

The moat at the back of the house.


The next day we went to Norwich and after lunch at this cafe we looked at the recently renovated Dragon Hall, a medieval merchant's hall.

Dragon Hall rafters.


One of the dragons remains.


In the cellars - scary.
Not the faces they are pulling, but the fact that I have to live with these 2 jokers! lol

Rear of Dragon Hall.

Front view.

On our journey home we took a detour to RHS Hyde Hall in Essex.

I love these Chinese Lanterns - I must grow some next year in my garden.

Pink and Silver - a lovely combination.

Lots of autumn colour.

My children on the bridge.

The rose garden was still in full bloom at the end of October.

The Hill Top Garden.
A blaze of orange.

We were back home again in time for Halloween.

I spray-painted some twigs black and arranged them with some dead sunflower heads from the allotment and some glow-in-the-dark shapes.

The wreath I made last year.


Also last year I painted these lanterns. The dumpling squashes are from the allotment.



Outside the front door.
I only had time to carve one Jack-o-lantern this year.


Bats and spiders hung from cobwebs outside the door.
Chocolate and vanilla marbled cupcakes with homemade chocolate decorations.
Salted and roasted - seeds from the pumpkin.
Usually we get so many ghosts, ghouls and witches calling, but this year there were only a few, even though the weather was mild. I think a lot of the usual trick or treaters are a little older now and have probably given up. Unfortunately this means that we have been left with a lot of candy!

Friday, 16 October 2009

Our 21st Wedding Anniversary

THEN

NOW
It doesn't seem 21 years ago ... it doesn't even seem a year ago that I blogged our 20th anniversary!
A dozen red roses from my husband and Maurice brought me a mouse. What more could a girl ask for!?

I cooked a special anniversary evening meal and baked raspberry and white chocolate muffins for the occasion.

Wednesday, 14 October 2009

The London Dungeons

On Saturday, we met up with my best friend and her family and friends, as two of her children have birthdays in October and they wanted to visit The London Dungeons as their birthday treat. It was a fun place to visit with a group of screaming teenagers and my friend who grabbed onto Fay when she was scared by one of the actors!


R and her friends on trial in the dungeons.

Love that armchair Fay!



After the dungeon visit we split up for the afternoon, as the others had booked tickets for Madame Tussuad's and The London Eye.



We wandered around the street market at Southwark and had lunch at Eat by the Thames.

We dropped into The British Museum to compare some coins that Jay has and Fay took part in The Big Draw 2009.





Stopped off at Liberty on the way back to meet our friends.

The Hermes display inside Liberty.





Jay at Nelson's Column.




The fountains are lit up at night with different colours. Once we were all together again, we walked to Chinatown and had our evening meal at the Harbour City Chinese Restaurant. They just managed to fit all 14 of us around one table!


Our friends all left after the meal as they had a long train journey back to Norwich. We walked down Piccadilly, where Jay played with a light outside The Burlington Arcade.

Onto Buckingham Palace

and the Victoria Memorial.

We walked down Birdcage Walk to The Embankment.


The London Eye and London Aquarium.

The Houses of Parliament.

Walking past the London Eye

and over the Golden Jubilee Bridges to catch the tube back to our car.

It was late when we arrived home, Sunday in fact. I had considered going to The Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace on the Sunday, but gave up on that idea as I didn't get to bed until 3am!

Monday, 5 October 2009

Proof that ...

... Christmas isn't very far away!

Mistletoe and Christmas trees spotted whilst out for a walk last weekend.


Sorry, I couldn't resist!


Friday, 2 October 2009

September Garden and Walks

Time for the monthly garden mosaic.
I can't believe that there are only 3 more to do this year!
September has been lovely and warm here, last weekend was quite hot. We had two long walks in the local countryside.
It was like this when we started ...
... and like this when we finished! Note to self - it gets dark earlier now!

Sunday afternoon we walked through the estate of Hackwood House.

I spotted a heart in a cast iron gatepost.

S spotted a sign he liked!



Bonkers - sorry that should be Conkers! ;)


We saw lots of deer.

Hope you all have a good weekend, Pj x

Tuesday, 22 September 2009

Autumn Allotment and Readying the Garden for Winter

At the allotment the squash plants are dying down so we brought home the pumpkins and squashes. It has been a very good year for my favourite, the butternuts. We also dug up the remaining beetroot, which I then pickled. Left growing at the allotment are lots (and lots!) of lettuce, a few sweetcorn, turnips, spring onions, carrots, tomatoes, a handful of autumn raspberries, calendulas and sunflowers. Also, my strawberries have begun fruiting again! Hopefully this won't affect next year's harvest. OH dug up the remaining potatoes.
There were three comedy potatoes ;0
At home I decided to remove all but one pot of summer flowers. They were still blooming, but realistically frosts may only be a couple of weeks away. I have left the one pot, by the patio door, with its pale pink fuchsia (from my Mum), deep and light pink busy lizzies and magenta geraniums.
All the other pots have a striped grass (from the borders), pink and white Bellis daisies and pink, white and purple pansies in them.
Monday morning's cloud formation viewed from my kitchen window. I have never seen such "fingers" of cloud before.
Although I don't like the shorter days, I'm loving this sunny Autumn weather. Hopefully it will make Winter seem so much shorter.

Friday, 18 September 2009

All the Bs

Bread, Baked Apples, Bowls, Beetroot and Beads.
I didn't plan the post like this, I just happened to notice all the Bs when I uploaded the photos!
Bread - another loaf of sourdough. This time to go with soup.
Cheddar and Onion Soup
Baked Apples - I haven't made these in a long while, definitely an autumn dessert. I stuffed them with some homemade mincemeat left over from last Christmas.
Bowls - felted bowls that I have made to sell in my friend's shop.
Displayed with shell earrings made by Fay.
Beetroot - harvested from the allotment.
The larger ones I sliced and pickled. The smaller ones are whole and un-vinegared. I don't thin my beetroot seedlings so that I get a variety of sizes.
Beads - The pink beads, that I purchased on a recent trip to Bosham, have now been made into very-girly bracelets. I designed these to be worn together.