genialgemsandothergabblings

I often wonder when I am reading the wonderful  diaries of this extraordinary woman whether she got her last wish , which was that she could have her ashes sprinkled over her beloved Coniston lake. She didn't seem to think this would happen if she died before her husband as he  would not like it, she says in her war time diary. I hope that she was granted that wish but she actually did die a year or so before him and they were no longer  in their home either as they had become unable to manage through ill health and had moved by then to a Darby and Joan home [ a care home of sorts]. Without Coniston  to soothe her in the terrible years of the war and after when there were constant shortages and the demands and ill health of her husband , she may have gone under. It was only a short car ride away  and often they would stop at her old Aunts in Spark bridge to have tea and a chat. Coniston remains a favourite place for me as it was here that we came o...

In a corner of the little back bedroom that I used as my room, at my Grandmother's house at Wigan stood a solid white painted bookcase which was home to her very small collection of books. She said that Grandad Hill had made it long ago after the war when furniture was hard to come by. It's nothing special to look at but it is so well made it will outlast me  I'm sure! When she died  I gave it a home here in the summerhouse but when we were in Scarborough not long ago I saw one in a lovely craft shop being used to display some beautiful things and it got me thinking that I could put mine to much better use. So now all the lovely bits and pieces that I buy on my travels and all my craft and sewing and knitting books have a lovely new home up on our landing. It makes me think of that lovely shop whenever I see it! I think maybe I am a frustrated craft shop owner. I can feel a change in the weather, a distinct coolness, a first sign of  autumn and...

I love Scarborough with the wide sweeping bay, the castle set high on the cliff top looking down over the town,the little streets with interesting shops and the lights at night that give it such a lovely holiday atmosphere. We spent a lovely weekend break at the Grand Hotel , which although not as it was in its glorious heyday at the end of the 1800's, is still a nice place to stay and soak up a little bit of that late Victorian  style. Sun rise over the harbour The Sun coming up over Scarborough harbour Here Lies Ann Bronte The Grand Hotel Reception hall Anne Bronte's  grave is on the hillside up nr the castle, she died here in a boarding house which was sited where the Grand Hotel now sits. She loved Scarborough , especially walking along the sands.  I can see why she would ,after the gloom and drabness of her home town of Haworth it must have seemed like paradise to her.

Myerscough College summer garden, marigolds and lavender. Well it has been a little while since   last blogged so lets have a catch up shall we? Well last week I spent a lovely day with Pat ,Joanne and Lucy at Cobble Hey Gardens, up near the Forest of Bowland.  It was gorgeous and a perfect summer day with blue skies and sunshine the whole time we were there. Lucy skipped ,ran and danced along the gardens and enjoyed seeing all the animals, especially the new born piglets. We then finished off our day with lovely cake and drinks at the tearooms there and of course came away laden with jars of local jam and pickles and a few  little bits for Lucy. The piglets at Cobble Hey... just so cute! He looks like a Figurehead but he is actually standing on the bank!Taken at Garstang on boat trip. It has been pretty wet lately and the frogs in my garden were hopping all over the place in the rain. Canal scene on the Lancaster canal The yellow poppies have been lovely in the gard...

Carol Klein was there giving a talk . Old roses A cute little group What a great day out we had on saturday up at Holker Hall nr Cartmel in the lakes. The sun shone making it lovely for all who visited . The place was buzzing but you  never felt crowded or harrassed like some similar events we have attended. I had fun looking at the Alpacas they are just so cute and looked really funny with their recently trimmed coats. The flowers and plants on display were really stunning and the Spanish horse display was a treat to sit and watch while sitting on bales of hay eating hot Cornish pasties! A lovely display

These are the photos I tried to put up the other day but the site crashed. Sorry about that folks! Well it has gone decidedly on the chilly and damp side this week and while the plants might love it I certainly don't.The poor old flowers are being blown all over the place and the brightness of the Tulips has given way to rather softer colours as the summer shrubs begin to flower. Some of my favoutite flowers are Lady's Bonnets, as we called them when young children and we had many growing in our garden beside the sea at Corton. However Columbines or Aquilegias are the move approved title. They come up year after year with no problems and then drop their seeds for free plants the next year. The Blackbird was so pleased to have successfully raised her brood in the privet hedge that she is back on it again for second go and the Starlings nesting under the roof tiles have flown the nest too. The Hedgehog was at the backdoor tonight waiting for his biscuits so I guess the back ...

The garden full of Spring flowers Balloon over our back garden on Tuesday evening ' Listen , I heard mum  coming back'. She's taking her time ' At Last ..whatcha  got Mum? Open wide  you'll like this! So many mouths to feed. 'Oh well they will be leaving home soon! The weather has gone mad, it's more like June than April and its far too nice to stay indoors so the garden is having a fair bit of attention paid to it at the moment. The Blackbird has been so busy and I have a feeling she is doing all the feeding of her young by herself as I  have seen no sign of Mr B, perhaps something has happened to him. She seems so unafraid of me and I was amazed that she did not bother at all as I took these photos of her in the privet hedge. I do hope they all manage to survive but with us having the cats I am always worried until they can fly ! It has been perfect Balloning weather and we often see them nearby on calm sunny evenings . I know how great it...