Hows my Garden growing?

It's been lovely all day today in Derbyshire, for a change, so a chance to sit out and enjoy the garden! We have done well this year with the fruit and veg, hopefully this may continue as we've set some plants for winter now in the front veg patch; cabbage, cauliflower & brussels.

It's been another summer of not being able to do too much in the garden myself but hopefully plenty of time for that in years to come once the babymaking is done and dusted and the kids are older.

Off to scoff a chocolate & coconut brownie, snarf!!! Have a lovely evening!

A ride to Buxton

The road from Ashbourne to Buxton, beautiful Dale countrside!

Buxton country park

This old abandoned house reminded me of the beautifully haunting houses Jude meets on her walks in Crete so I felt inspired to take some pics!

Daddy giving GS a helping hand on the woodland walk

A rather large fallen tree root

The beautiful Buxton country park woodland we explored!


As you can see what a lovely relaxing Sunday! The sun was shining, it was cold (there was still snow in parts) but gloriously clear blue skies meant we decided to take the car and head out to the Dales to Buxton. We packed a picnic and ended up at the country park where GS amazed us by doing quite a steep walk in to the woodland, he loved it!

It's always so relaxing driving through the Dales and seeing such beautiful countryside; farms, stone walls, rivers, railways, and the 1st lambs of Spring!!

I am inspired to get cracking on the gardening today, GS & I are going to get the sunflower seeds planted and if it stays dry I'll get the garden weeded. As you can see from the title photo the bulbs are out and looking beautiful!

A suitable heroine

I have just finished reading a book I really enjoyed, "Wedding Tiers" by Trisha Ashley.
It was well written with the usual complex love story of a good romance but rather than the usual Cosmo-heroine-in-the-city this one centres around Josie Gray, a rural country girl after my own heart who loves her hens, baking and being self-sufficient. Combining such terrific descriptions of country life and making your own cakes, wines and pickles this book also has a wedding aspect (Josie goes in to partnership with her best friend to provide bespoke weddings at a country house) and it therefore ticks so many boxes of delight for me! There are even real recipes that are mentioned in the plot printed at the back of the book, so you too can get "peapodded" on Peapod wine! I loved it! I hope other Trisha Ashley books are as endearing as I will be requesting more from the library.

The above book and old style recipes has inspired me to write down my family recipes finally, i have them in bits of books and bits of paper all over or in my recipe file, but a hardbacked book version would last much better and give me a chance to get everything in one place , i will be poaching ones from both Granny Nanny, my twin Aunties and my Mother-in-law, because they are the most tried and tested favourites! I'd love an old style hardbacked notebook, so will be keeping an eye out in the charity shops for something similar, a Cath Kidston style one would be lovely but i'm doubtful i'll get one of those!

The snow kept away today thankfully, just a few flakes flickered at tea time but hopefully thats all, it has thawed slightly in the sun so the roads and pavements are a bit less dangerous. I am back at work tomorrow for the late shift so I am hoping it stays so, but i hear this is forecast for a few weeks yet, but i imagine no forecast is going to be particularly accurate and therefore its probably more prudent to just look out of the window and take it from there rather than worrying about hours/days/weeks ahead. I managed to get in for my shift on Wednesday and we had a fully staffed library which was pretty good as many others in Derbyshire had to close because of staff shortages, but at the end of the day no matter how important the service is, staff safety comes first and if we can't get in or get home safely (especially in rural areas) then there has to be a sacrifice. I've been very proud of my local binmen/postman/gritter drivers and bus drivers who have been carrying on through it as best they can to keep everything running.

Autumn is here!

Well, it certainly feels like Autumn this week, everywhere is beautifully decorated in red, orange and yellow and it's certainly dropped chilly, but I love those sunny frosty starts and cozy nights snuggled up under a blanket, I wonder if it's just really because I love wearing my winter boots, but whatever the reason behind it, I love Autumn in all it's glory!

I've been easily distracted this week making and baking, so firstly i will share some pictures of the fruits of my labour so you can see I really have been busy and not avoiding you all in the slightest!

These are the handmade baby burping cloths I made for my friend who is pregnant with twins, she loved them which made me very proud, I hope she will have a million and one uses for them and enjoy them! I've started on matching bibs and toys but I will send her these once the twins arrive i think.

This is actually an Apple Meringue, and tasted delicious, i followed a simple recipe out of the Somerfield magazine i picked up and it was great and not too sugary either, i even made the pastry myself instead of buying frozen like the recipe suggested, pah, i love pastry making why not do it yourself!!!

We've also started enjoying our country walks even more now, it just feels great to get wrapped up and stroll out somewhere, I guess it's easier now GS is walking and we don't have to drag the pushchair around everywhere we go, it makes fields, forests and felleys a lot more inviting, not that our 3-wheeler buggy wasn't pretty good at trails, it just feels like we have much more freedom without having to take it everywhere, as well as GS enjoying chasing alongside us and of course the obligatory jumping in puddles and kicking leaves... you just can't do that in a buggy! I'm finding myself drawn more and more to revisiting old haunts from my childhood, places i remember and enjoy from being a kid, wanting to pass on that experience and enjoyment to GS, we are blessed we live so near such beautiful countryside. I have some great photos from our recent walks to share, but alas I am tired tonight from a long day, so am off to snuggle with my hot mint chocolate and will post more tomorrow i hope.... so long x

Reminiscing and despair

This is the beautiful view over Derbyshire from the platform of the hotel where Mr G.T & I had our wedding reception 3 and a bit years ago. It's the first time strangely we have returned to it since that day and it was to celebrate my Grandma's 80th birthday last weekend with a family meal. I loved returning, it was such a special day and it naturally has a place in my heart for that reason, but it is also just such a breathtaking view, and a beautiful place. Another happy couple were celebrating their special day that night, and it made me want to do it all over again in a silly way, one of those days you'd like to relive again given the chance.

We went to our first car boot Sunday and Mr G.T was suitably impressed, he bought more things than I did (I merely got a lb of delicious plums! but they are oh so amazing....look!)

Despite the fun moments of the weekend I am sat here now feeling quite exhausted; physically because it's been a hectic day at work and looks set to be as equally busy tomorrow, but also emotionally as certain family members are driving me to despair with their attitudes and behaviour. I love my family, but try as hard as I can they annoy me at times. If only I could try and change their ways a little, make them appreciate what they have instead of always complaining about things and seeing themselves as hard done by, try and get them to open up and be close to me a bit more rather than being brusque and rude, it isn't hard to try and see things from other people's point of view, yet some seem to really struggle and only have a 1-sided view that they refuse to shift from. It's tiring and I am at the point of despair really, not knowing what to do. I desperately want them to be happy, and to enjoy all we can together, but on each rejection and day of sniping & moaning from them I wonder what it is I can try to do to make things better. I think after all I have been through this year alone I'd have more than enough reason to be introvert and moody, but i am not, I try to reach out to them still. It hurts quite a bit.

I nearly forgot to mention my crafting, I haven't started the bunting yet as I thought i'd do a few mini-projects to perfect my sewing before i tackled something for GS's room, but I am pleased to say I have made a couple of fabric drink mats that suit our living room colours beautifully, i'm still in dire need of skills but am perfecting them slowly but surely, every project will be a lesson in how to improve and what I can try better next time.

Here's one of the mats