Four Plant pots and a Wedding

OK, the Four Plant Pots is a bit of a literary device, but you catch my drift! The wedding of which I speak is that of Blanche and Chris. Blanche invited a group of Burwell Bashers to join in the celebrations and to provide some musical diversion in the evening. Isn't this the loveliest photograph? Those of us who are more used to seeing Blanche at Burwell wearing cropped jeans, tee-shirt and trainers were a little gobsmacked to find out just how well she scrubbed up! 

The wedding was held at Gravetye Manor Hotel, in West Sussex, a 16th Century manor house standing in wonderful grounds - do google and have a look, the gardens are quite famous. 

                 Just one part of the gardens, in front of the original 'front' of the house.

I WISH I had managed to zoom in for this, but didn't really have time. Jayne played Blanche in with that lovely old Irish tune "Give Me Your Hand". So beautiful.

       Blanche and Chris cutting the cake. Is that a beautiful wedding dress or what? SO elegant!

Ah, now this is me, having just had a master class from Melanie Morris (BurwellBasher) on how to smile for the camera - something which I have never been able to do; I end up looking like I am either grimacing or saying something off-colour out of the side of my mouth! Not sure there is much improvement to be honest!

My old friend Sam Pirt - how lovely to meet up again with him - he and Blanche are long-time good friends. It was such a treat to share a platform with him, what an accomplished player he is.

Well, here we are, fitted and working and now part of the cottage; I'm getting used to a very different manner of cooking from the Rayburn, but loving having a gas hob again. The griddle is a brilliant piece of kit. Cooks marvellously, drains off the fat and even fries eggs with no more fat added. We love it!

April view of the rock garden - I'll have to do something about those muscari - I love them but they are just one big tangle now in the old sink. I've re-done the alpines so it looks a bit bare in there at the moment.

     Overnight, another chook took up residence, so that is one happy rooster we've got here now!

The chard which was evacuated from the square foot garden has resurfaced and not doing too badly - I've had quite a few leaves off the white chard plants; the rainbows need a while to recover.

The Willow Bird found its final placement and is enjoying the pink ranunculus - how I love these flowers! I've got a load of corms planted up for next year.

This purple collection is largely waiting for final resting places. I have wild violets coming up all over the garden and I'm trying to transfer them to where I want them, when the top half of the garden plan is up and running. (More of which another time) The French Lavenders will stop in the buckets for now, but I'm planning on having a collection of lavenders - there is a place which sells herbs over towards Dereham which we want to go and visit, I can buy a variety from them.

So, for a chap who was vehemently against raised beds… Jim bought me the square foot garden if you remember for Christmas 2014 and it never really did much. Now I have sown two types of chard,  two types of beetroot, and spring onions, with space in the centre for something else. He also built the brick raised bed for me, which has red veined sorrel you can just see, and under the fleece spinach, radish (two differently timed sowings) and rocket, with bulb fennel going in next month. AND he has just shown me a surprise in the garage (no, not the woodshed!) - another raised bed all waiting to be safely treated AND he says there is enough wood for another smaller one, so that entire space will be raised beds! And I never even asked! So with other plans up our sleeves for the rest of the garden things are looking quite exciting - and I say that as someone who has never raised a trowel in anger in her life!

Just to re-establish my credentials as a stitcher, here is the latest crochet offering, a slightly more muted version of my Caravan Granny Blanket - which has actually gone to the caravan! This will fit in better with the existing ripple and granny/treble blankets in the living room. Just a few more rows, sew in the ends and maybe add a border… what do you think? The original inspiration for this blanket was of course Lucy, at Attic24 blog.

And, just because, a photo of my favourite chair, next to the dresser, covered in colourful blanket and cushions of all persuasions! This collection cheers me up every time I glance at it.

So, there we are, a few plant pots and a lovely wedding. There are loads more wedding photographs but I've already shared them on Facebook so wasn't feeling like trotting them all out again. I hope you are enjoying some of this lovely spring sunshine - in-between the showers and high winds! Catch you next time!

Easter Sunday

I'm writing this post on Easter Sunday, in a beautiful hotel in the West Sussex countryside, Gravetye Manor. We are gathering together tomorrow to attend the wedding of Blanche and her man Chris. Blanche is a long-time whistle and flute player, a friend from my Burwell Bash times. They have invited a noisy crowd of Bashers to celebrate their special day - folk music is assuredly going to break out tomorrow night! Jim and I arrived today as I didn't know how long it would take, and to give us a relaxed start to the day. I'm sure there will be some photographs in my next post! 

Meanwhile, here's what we've been getting up to at Church Cottage this month.

March has been a really lovely introduction to Spring here in Norfolk; it has been chilly, certainly, but we've had so much lovely sunshine it has even made ME get out there in the garden- actually DIGGING and getting my hands dirty! I'm not a gardener, apart from always having grown and used herbs; I've never felt the garden was one of "my" spaces, but now we have had a bit of a seismic shift in our attitudes and we've been really happy spending time together, pottering around outdoors.

Jim built a large cold-frame to replace the greenhouse which went to make room for the summer house. We've both been sowing herb, veggie and flower seeds to go into the garden and raised beds.

Some plants have already gone into the soil…. the garden is waking up!

Of course there's been ongoing activity indoors too, all the kitchen upheaval, painting, heaving out the Rayburn, digging out the concrete plinth, re-arranging the units and installing the new cooker. The bowls, jugs, plates and other kitchen equipment has been in and out of the living room and been washed and re-washed several times!

The kitchen feels and looks lighter and brighter now, and we had new lighting installed yesterday so the motley collection on spotlights which never really worked has gone and the new lights are SO efficient! I'm loving the light in the cottage now, it was so dark and dim before.

The new trolley is just the job, and snuggles alongside the NEW COOKER!! Yes, all fitted and working very nicely I have to say!

 I painted the high book shelf and the little window frame and sill and the new spice shelves Jim built for me.

                     The summer house is sneakily taking on an additional role as potting shed!

Do you like my tin chickens at the top? I know, I know, they are a short step away from garden gnomes, but we can't keep chickens - no room, so they go some way to make up for it! I love 'em!

Right, I need to dress for dinner, I don't think my short brown tunic and brown Doc Martens will cut it in the hotel dining room, somehow! Then a quiet evening - during which I'll have time to catch up on my favourite blogs,  and we'll be looking forward to the festivities tomorrow. It's going to be so good to meet up with some lovely Burwell friends!! Catch you soon!

Autumn Look Back

What does Autumn mean to you? Cooler weather? The end of summer? Nights drawing in? Downhill all the way? Personally, I've always enjoyed Autumn. Possibly because September is my birthday month, but mainly because I've always seen it as a New Beginning. This stems from schooldays, of course, but decades later, that feeling lingers on. I look forward to a change in my cooking, what I'm wearing, and sometimes even an improvement in television programmes! I don't focus on the coming bad weather, or being clogged up to the knees by fallen leaves in our garden. Our cottage, dark even on the brightest summer day, comes into its own when the weather is grey, enfolding us with its thick walls;  the low, beamed ceilings and small windows keeping the warmth in. Autumn is a good time to pause and look back at the year so far, and I've been doing this a lot recently.

Remember in early spring, I said I felt an uncomfortable restlessness? That feeling manifested itself as a very strong desire to move further east of the county, to a lovely market town called Fakenham. I'm not going into the whys and wherefores, suffice it to say, that after a good deal of effort on my part, we shall NOT be moving. I'm very sad about it, but there we are, not up for discussion on here because to be honest a) it still upsets me and b) I am totally bored going over and over the reasons why and why not. Instead, we have an action plan for changing a few things round here, both in the cottage and in our lives. Sometimes out of sadness comes forth sweetness. I think that's a quote from the bible but no idea where.

So that, in a nutshell is why there have been few posts this year. Too much going on, and then, finally, too upset to post. Even my beloved Burwell Bash didn't happen for me this year, though we did drive over there for the Friday afternoon concert. It was a good move, and re-connected me with my "Other Family", in fact I was hugged to death, I felt so happy to have been remembered by everyone.

The moment when Tola Custy, fiddle tutor and internationally renowned fiddle player, noticed me in the audience. Also seen are my lovely friends Debs, Jayne, Thelma, and Jude, with Nicky at the back with a tree growing out of his head!

I have done a couple of craft fairs this summer, at the Fakenham Makers Market and also the second summer at Back to the Garden in Letheringsett where the sun shone both days, I sold a bit, got a commission, and interest shown by the owner of an interior design shop in Kensington. (I didn't follow this one up, as I don't want to change what I do, nor be burdened by deadlines, but it was very flattering, nonetheless.)

The hare cushion could have sold several times over! I must make another one of these, they seem popular.

I did the June Fakenham Makers Market as I told you in my last post; in August I didn't have a stand but had promised to provide some "musical wallpaper" with my two friends Marj and Rob. We played for two hours and enjoyed ourselves. Apparently we went down well with the punters and stall holders.  I'm busy preparing more cushions for this month's craft fair, at the moment.

Earlier this month I attended a great mosaic workshop with the lovely Carolyn Ash, who incidentally made one of the Go-Go Dragons exhibited around Norwich. I've always loved mosaics and am now busy collecting and smashing crockery to make my own. Here are some photos to give you an idea how we got on.

My effort, un-grouted. I could have placed the pieces closer together, but you learn as you go along.

My "Heart" mosaic, grouted and some glitter added to the spaces. I'm quite pleased with it.

Two small mosaics by the other students on the day. We had great fun!

                                One of Carolyn's mirror frames Oh! Look! Who's that??

A lady who was a student of Carolyn a couple of years ago, now makes her own brilliant mosaic art. Sue Welfare, a novelist, felt-maker, artist and mosaicist, lives in Norfolk and is also a regular on the craft fair circuit. I saw this wonderful piece on her stand at the Burnham Market Craft Fair a couple of weeks ago.

This is "Star-gazey Pie" and I love it to pieces. I have a very special place in mind for this which I'll tell you about in another post. I just love the amount of detail Sue has managed to suggest in this piece; the fresh sardines sticking their heads out of the pie-crust, sitting on the kitchen table next to a vase of flowers, in front of the kitchen fire-place. Absolutely genius! I'm off this week to see more of Sue and Carolyn's work at Mosaic Madness, an exhibition being held until the 19th September at the Dragonfly Hall in Watton, Norfolk. Do go and see it, you Norfolk readers!

So there we are, finally got my act together and got this written. Profuse apologies to all my blogging friends - having distanced myself from my own blog I found myself unable to even look at yours let alone read and comment on them. I have a huge amount of catching up to do! Fingers crossed I won't be as slow getting the follow-up written! Happy Autumns, everyone!

A gig and more stitching

So it was off to Colchester last Monday, via my friend Jane's home in Newmarket, and another Burwell  Bash friend Jean, to see Andy Cutting, Nancy Kerr and Martin Simpson, at the Arts Centre. It poured down but we had a great time, meeting up with another Burwell Basher Tim. At the end we were standing around waiting for the crush to depart when Andy came down to chat to us, which was lovely. In February 2015 he will be back there with his new band Leveret, with Rob Harbron and Sam Sweeney (and a new cd out soon after) So hopefully we shall be there in strength with other Burwell Bashers.

Apart from a little bit of music I have mostly been stitching! Oh, apart from my birthday which was lovely. We are now into count-down mode for the Craft Fair , three weeks only to go. Here are some photos of the last blue cushion and the panel which I finished mid-week.

There has been quite a lot of interest on facebook about the Folk Flowers cushion, so I think people like it; I enjoyed stitching into this lovely felted wool. I really enjoyed stitching the panel as well, it turned out just the way I had wanted, but I'm not sure it is as saleable as the cushion. It is to hang on the wall, like a bas-relief carving, or a picture, but lots of people have asked what it is "for"! So maybe no one will have it. 

I love the frame, it just makes it different form everything else. But there you are, if you don't try these things out you never move on do you? Still not happy with the felt wreath I did the other week. But now I need to concentrate on some more bangles ...... and I was intending to make some cards too, but I think that may not happen! 

I've been reading so many blogs about bottling and otherwise preserving this year's harvest, I feel quite inadequate. Maybe next year......... Anyway, we seem to be hurtling into Autumn - it felt quite chilly today and overcast. Surely there is still some sunshine left?

Cherish Your Friends

Well that's stating the flamin' obvious, isn't it? You thought, on reading the post title. However, it becomes more and more obvious to me as I get older (Cripes, she's getting serious now!!) that cherishing ones friends requires a little more than a passive amiability of attitude towards them. You have to actually WORK at cherishing. It doesn't require grandiose gestures or expensive gifts. It doesn't even, in some cases, require that you see them face to face, or make frequent phone calls. But it does require that you feel that fondness in your heart and that you - in some way - make it known to that person.

I'd also like to be pretty vague about who I mean by 'friends'. I include relatives. Old friends you've known for years, and new ones you have recently made. And yes, even Face Book friends!  I have FB friends in countries far far away who I will probably never ever get to meet, but I enjoy their 'company' and their wit and wisdom; we've shared some highs and lows along the way these last couple of years, and I think of them as Pen Pals, who give me an insight into their lives and their worlds.

Blogland is another fertile field for collecting friends too! There are bloggers who I regularly read with whom I have a pleasant, easy relationship. Hardly friendship, you might say, but we share bits of our lives, our hopes and dreams, our ups and downs, and there is something there which, if not friendship, could be on the way to becoming. Regular readers of my blog, who are in the habit of leaving me comments, I also think of as embryonic friends, especially the chatty ones, your words cheer me up, and your opinions are valued. Some of us have even met in person, and this is terrific when it happens.

Regular readers will know about my annual visit to the Burwell Bash. This is a coming together of people from all over the world, actually, to play music and be part of a very special experience. Burwell folks get together when they can, keep in touch and consider themselves true friends, even though they may only meet once a year! But year on year, I find I see more and more of my Burwell friends 'in the flesh' and it enriches my life.

So yes, quite a vague interpretation of the word 'friend', perhaps just someone whose sense of humour tickles your funny bone, and brightens your day, or some one with whom you you instantly see eye to eye on maybe only one topic - be it textiles, or music or food, or books - let us cherish those relationships too.

Cherishing requires that we keep in touch, leave a personal, private message where you would usually make it public. Hugs are (nearly) always appreciated.

A bunch of flowers, the loan or gift of some books or cds or something you have cooked or baked. Some fruit or veg from your garden to someone who doesn't grow their own. And the gift of time is very precious - we seem to have so little spare time - so a nice long phone call or a quick visit can mean the world.

I cherish my readers by always replying to their comments - I hope you remember to come back and check! And I regularly comment on other blogs, partly because it is nice to join  the conversation, and partly because it is nice to pass on the unspoken message "I am here, I hear you, and your words move me, I am responding" otherwise, well otherwise you are writing only for yourself!

Until next time, remember to cherish away to your heart's content, and believe me, you make me feel very cherished indeed! Thank you!