Bathing In The Past

 

1928-1930 Walter Hege

Look at this wonderful image, a close up of one of the Caryatids on the Acropolis from behind, as she gazes over Athens. 

I have been to Athens twice. The first time when I was a mere babe of 18 years. And oh my what a strange and wondrous place to my fresh eyes. The look of it, the 'strange' and enchanting language, the feel of the ancient history and it's intoxicating mystery. The people, the food, the culture, you can tell I could go on and on.

Seeing this image made me sad in a way, to think such times can never be captured again. At the time I went folk were able to walk across and sit on the Acropolis site, totally immersed, really feeling the sense of  place. I hear you saying, not such a good idea and I reluctantly agree. 

All around the base of the site were lots of small family run Tavernas selling really delicious home made Greek food. You could sit in the warmth of the evening looking up at the magnificent ruins which were lit up at night. Totally enchanting. Almost other worldly.

A few years later I went to a small Greek island, via Piraeus, it felt like a huge adventure into the unknown. I stayed in a makeshift hotel room, ate breakfast down by the water's edge cooked by one of the fisherman and lunched at the only Taverna on the length of the beach. I googled the self same beach and it is now covered every which way by large hotels. Brash and ugly.

I do know time has moved on. With all the millions of people in the world it is inevitable. BUT I just want to say I don't like it !

I find myself increasingly looking back to different times, different values and more unique and real experiences. Where making huge amounts of money was not always the MOST important thing. I suppose it's an age thing?

I think that's why I'm a teeny bit obsessed with The Beatles at the moment. Especially George Harrison, this dear reader you know. 

In a strange way I miss them. Well who they were back in the day at any rate.

 Yes they made huge amounts of money but mostly they lived their lives true to themselves. When images of George Harrison pop up on my feed, he is always modestly dressed, (especially when he was gardening). And he spoke his truth, regardless of what pressure he was under. 

I think I've started to ramble now, but you get the gist of what I'm saying. 

I'm bathing in the past not wallowing.

Sad Times

 Well good morning dearest hearts. It has been a difficult few months for the Mr and I. I don't want to go into too much detail but suffice it to say both of my lovely parent in-laws have passed away within four weeks of each other. As they would have wanted it, neither could have born to be without the other. 

I wondered whether it was appropriate to mention this on my little blog but in the end it is such a great thing I feel it needed to be said. It is a big event in our lives and surely the blog world should have some realism in it, after all not everything in our lives is joyous. Having said that we will of course be celebrating their long and happy lives, married for nearly 60years, in a now joint funeral.

We are on the cusp of Autumn now, already the leaves are golden and some are falling from our trees. I have been busy harvesting as much as I can. And  Morgana has been making the most of her catnip plant.

I have collected huge amounts of lavender all of which will be put to good use. Also a new season chamomile harvest for tisanes which for the first time I'm mixing with marigold petals. It makes for a nice soft gentle tea which has huge health benefits. Thankfully our Autumn fruiting raspberries are producing well, after last year when we barely had any fruit.

Looking after the garden and picking fruits and flowers in the sunshine has been so uplifting in the last few weeks.

Freegle & Freecycle What An Amazing Concept.

 Most of my lovely blogging chums know me for the thrifty gal I am. I would hazard a guess and say all of the folk who enjoy my blog do their best by the planet and the amazing animals we share it with. I try not to over consume and I do my utmost not to waste things. When I buy things I really try to look after them so they don't need replacing and money is not wasted. Just recently my little hand whisk finally gave up the ghost. I purchased it in August 1977 in Bognor. I replaced it with a 'new' one from a local charity shop for 50p.

The reason for this preamble is that I want to highlight local Freecycle and Freegle on line sites that enable people to give things away or to receive them in their local area.

I know some of you will be thinking, what's this a newsflash? But I've become increasingly aware not everyone has heard of these fabulous eco friendly money saving sites.

Free to join, easy to use and feature almost everything under the sun. The idea is to reduce waste  and stop good usable items from ending up in landfill. Used locally it also means that costs to collect items are kept to a minimum.

I firmly believe that if the whole world stopped manufacturing 'stuff' we wouldn't run out of most things for years.

I know some people don't like the idea of using preloved/second hand items, but really don't you know Buckingham Palace is full of antiques and valuables that have been handed down for generations. And don't we all eat off pre used plates and use cutlery that has been used over and over again? even were we to dine at  The Ritz.

I've recently asked for a bain marie and old wooden candlesticks as I have some home steading projects in mind. 

Over the years I have donated huge amounts of items, from a massive Laura Ashley Knole sofa to a box of nail varnishes. Recently I even gave away some rather unattractive small succulent plants. A very nice man who was a member of a succulent society took them for new members of the society. Win Win.

These on line sites are such a valuable resource. If you haven't used these sites before, rather than just 'throwing' things away do try them and see if anyone can make use of things you no longer need. Let's spread the love. 

Tove & Her Moomins

 

Tove Jansson With Her Creations

August 9th was Moomin day, and this year marks the 20th anniversary of the celebration, which unsurprisingly started in Japan.

I love everything about the Moomins and the wonderful Tove Jansson. She was such a free spirit and so talented, what a delightful imagination she had.

May I extend a very warm welcome to my latest follower Jules. Thank you very much for pressing the Follow Button.

Another World

 I happened upon this little black and white film made by the enfant terrible Ken Russell in the 1960s. It is strangely compelling and reminds me of all the unusual characters that abounded in London. Post war folk striving to be something else to lift their lives from the hum drum. 

If you have time grab a cuppa and prepare to be enchanted.

"The past is a foreign country they do things differently there". L.P. Hartley, The Go-Between.

Corruption !!

 Hello lovely blogging chums. I'm back. Apparently my last post was corrupt, who knew? Well a very nice gentleman in the blogger community did and hurrah he told me how to fix it. I felt that was very kind of him.

Lots has happened since we last 'spoke' some of it not so good but I don't want to post about that just now, possibly later. I think some cheery things are in order instead don't you?

I have finished my rustic fair isle tank top, rustic because it is not perfect, but spot on for country pursuits, a homespun hand made look, rather than galmorous.

This is the blocking process to straighten out any lumps, bumps and curly bits, it works very well. I have knitted the back in the main, navy but with a coral top. The plain knitting has made the back slightly bigger but it was expected and I think I have got away with it. I will post a pic when I wear it and you can decide for yourselves. I have already started on my next much smaller project. A 'lace' patterned knitted scarf, it's to be a gift for a friend. Each row is different and complicated so I really do have to concentrate, it's not terribly wide so I'm enjoying it.

I went to a little local Antiques fair last weekend and despite my best thrifty intentions I made three essential purchases, all adorable I think you will agree.

Monseiur Pompadour

Child's Antique Nightdress

Burmese Laughing Buddha Circa 1870

I also came across a wondrous Pashley three wheeler, I feel it will be a wondrous form of daily transport to the local shops etc once we move. This one was refurbed and was very economical.

You can get large baskets in trailer form to attach to the back. So useful. If only I could get Morgana to travel with me. 

Problems At T'Mill

Hello lovely blogging chums. Apologies for the lack of posts, I'm having lots of problems with Blogger. I hope normal service will resume soon. Otherwise I may have to shut the blog down and try and create something new?

Lavender Wands & Lusciousness

The harvesting has been continuing at a nice gentle pace. Yesterday I cut some fresh lavender stems from my top terrace, they are longer and more slender than the other lavender stems I'm air drying. I used the fresh stems to make some lavender wands. The stems have to be dry and freshly cut so they are malleable and can be bent into the required shape to create the little cage that surrounds the buds. It's the first time I've made them. I used 17 stems per wand and I used up 4 metres of fine ribbon for three wands. It took about an hour to make all three. I'm super pleased with them and will make some more in the next few days. They were a bit fiddly but easy to make.

This lush roasted nectarine salad with home made pesto is a first for me too. I saw it being prepared on Nicolas Fairford's YouTube channel, he's a real sweetie and loves everything "elegant & cool" and has created a high end lifestyle for himself. Here is his recipe if you would like to make it yourself.

Ingredients:

2 x peaches or nectarines, bunch fresh basil, 2 scant handfuls pistachio nuts, 30gms parmesan cheese, fresh rocket, burrata or mozzarella, lemon juice, large garlic clove, olive oil, salt & pepper.

Preparation:

Wash nectarines, slice into 6 to 8 pieces, place in roasting tin skin side down, with some olive oil, roast for approx 15 mins at 180c. Make Pesto 3 tbsps olive oil, 2 pinches of salt, half a bunch of fresh basil, juice of half a lemon, 2 scant handfuls pistachio nuts, 30gms of parmesan, large garlic clove and splash of water to create the right consistency. Blitz all the pesto ingredients together in a small blender, until it resembles a creamy yoghurt.

Plate Up

Fresh rocket, warm nectarines, Burrata, basil leaves, few pistachios, lots of lovely dressing and S&P.

My next 'first' will be lavender biscuits, I'll let you know how that turns out

Current Mood -Too Hot & Grumpy

This is an actual photo of me staring down the Universe and politely requesting it gets a bloomin move on with our house sale. And whilst I think about it how about people doing their jobs quickly and efficiently, perhaps the Universe could help a little with that? I can't fathom what has happened to people's intelligence and work ethic. Sorry this is turning into a rant. But honestly so much of this modern world drives me mad.

I'm grumpy because I'm too hot and things I'm trying to get on with are D-R-A-G-G-I-N-G. A nice wee trip to Norfolk is planned and a wonderful place to stay has been found, the itinerary has been researched and drafted for maximum seaside fun and joy. BUT I'm waiting on one of the folk coming with us being granted leave from work, it's been almost a week and I'm stressing we will lose the accomodation. Not their fault just the slowness of their employer's internal machinery.

My husband got a call this morning from the hospital his poor Mum has been in for four weeks. It was the pharmacy there asking us what medication his Mum is on. I couldn't believe it, she's been in hospital all this time, has she not been taking her tablets? And why are they not looking at her GP's notes or calling the surgery, or perhaps just ask his Mum? When the Mr asked the response was they don't link up with other parties, not even the hospital the pharmacy is in.

I'll be back dear reader very soon with a much nicer post to make up for my grumpiness. I do hope you are all managing to keep as cool as you can, enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Enjoying the heatwave in Penrhynside, Llandudno.

The Harvest Has Begun

I'm determined this year to make the most of what Mother Nature has to offer. I do have a knowledge of herbs and flowers for health and for culinary purposes, but truth be told I have been a bit lazy in the past. Now I have decided to create my own Apothecary and to grow as many herbs and foods as I can. Organic and fresh is the way forward. I recently attended a couple of 'herbal' evening events with a local lass who taught me a few new things and sparked my interest to boot.

These two books will be invaluable.

Oh How I Wish I could Go To This Event

A London Outing Brunswick & Beaton

Greetings dear readers, I thought I would share a few details of my last outing to London a few weeks ago. A rello from new Zealand was visiting and I thought a wee visit to a superb Georgian House built in the mid 1700s would be a treat for her and us, I wasn't wrong. This gorgeous building once stood in five acres of parkland, situated in Vauxhall opposite The Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens as featured in Bridgerton. Sadly the poor building is surrounded by many lanes of traffic and noise and loomed over by monstrous high rise blocks, it is now blocked off from the river too. But dear readers I still adore the building, why would I not? The faded grandeur and fragility of the house is simply charming. It has been on my 'hit list' for many moons and I'm super pleased we have finally visited.

It is the perfect London spot for a few drinks and nibbles, well away from the heat and hustle of central London. The food was pricey but the venue made up for that. It is only a short stroll to The Garden Museum in Lambeth Palace, which was next on our list. This is also a very nice spot to meet for drinks and the food is excellent, sitting in the tranquil garden it felt like a million miles from all the noise and crowds. I wanted to take a look at the current exhibition, Cecil Beaton's Garden Party, which is on until 21st September.

If you have never visited The Garden Museum I urge you to go, such a treat.

I Don't Like This Feeling

My dear readers you know me for the upbeat, pocketfull of joy gal that I am. But yes, even I can feel out of sorts and dare I say it a bit down in the dumps. As you know the Mr and I have been keen to move to Norfolk for some time. The universe has conspired against us. I'm feeling thwarted and I don't much care for it.

I'm reading a DH Lawrence compilation at the moment and this quote from The Captain's Doll struck a chord with me.

"The future! The future! The future is used up everyday. The future to me is like a big tangle of black thread. Every morning you begin to untangle one loose end-and that's your day. And every evening you break off and throw away what you've untangled and the heap is so much less: just one thread less, one day less. That's all the future matters to me".

Apologies for the glumness, it will pass.

On a happy note I'm pleased to welcome another follower who has kindly pressed the follow button. Welcome Celine.

Summer Solstice Celebrations

I hope you all had a fun Summer Solstice and celebrated in your own way. The Mr and I were invited to a party in an orchard, not just any old orchard but the one my dear friend who passed away in 2020 used to own. The orchard stands in front of the 17th century little cottage she used to live in. It was a special evening. I took some food along made from one of her recipes I have. It felt like she would have approved. There were lots of folk, children and dogs and everyone was very chatty and happy. A great evening. I made myself a floral headdress which was much admired. I did wonder if it might have been a bit over the top but no it was a success.

After such a joyful day yesterday I got myself in gear today to attend to some chores and something happened rarer than a strawberry moon..................... I cleaned the inside of all my windows, oh how they sparkle. It doesn't happen very often my dears.

My Homespun Life This Week

Last week was a bit of a whirlwind, my son and his girlfriend came to stay at the beginning of the week. Then the Mr and I went down to London to see a visiting cousin over from New Zealand, then on Friday an old chum came to stay for the weekend with her partner. I'll post about our London adventures in my next post. So this week I've tried to slow down a bit, catch up at home and focus on some quieter activities.

I decided to finally make use of the lavender I harvested towards the end of last Summer and made some lavender bags to keep the pesky moth at bay. I removed the buds for the little fabric sachets and put the very dry stems in our kindling basket, waste not want not, I think they will smell very sweet when burned. (Not any time soon though methinks). Blimey it's hot isn't it?

A few overripe bananas were begging to be made into a banana bread. I use a very simple recipe that I found on the back of the M&S banana bags.

The Mr can literally hoover this bread up, so although I make it with minimum sugar levels, I don't make it all the time as we are both mindful of our sugar intake. It is absolutely delicious with coffee or tea, very dangerous.

A very warm welcome to my latest follower Annabelle, thank you very much for pushing the follow button. The views on my blog are rising extremely well of late, I've already reached last month's total. Could I please encourage all you lovely folk who view and enjoy my blog content to follow me. It encourages me to post more. I know it's only a small blog but I enjoy posting and interacting with this special community.

Mary Webb My (Re) Discovery

Hello my blogging friends, apologies for the fuzzy image start to this post but I'm paying the price for not taking real time images when I should have. This post is about my wonderful discovery whilst staying at Leighton Lodge on the gilding course last month. On arrival I noticed a blue plaque on the wall commemorating the birthplace of Mary Webb. In my mind I thought I had never heard of her, but once in my room I discovered some books about her and I was reminded that I had read one of her amazing novels, Precious Bane. This review from The Virago Press: '

Prudence Sarn was born with a cleft palate, her ‘precious bane’, for which she is persecuted as a witch by her superstitious neighbours. Hiding from daily ridicule, she takes refuge in the wild Shropshire countryside, developing a profound love of nature. Furtively, Prue longs to be loved and harbours a hopeless passion for Kester Woodseaves, the weaver. Prue’s brother, Gideon, is engaged to her only friend, but in his ambition for wealth at any cost, he incurs the wrath of his would-be father-in-law whose act of vengeance results in Prue being accused of murder. Only Kester, who has perceived her true worth, can defend her from the wrath of her accusers. Winner of the 1926 Prix Femina Vie Heureuse Prize, Precious Bane is a novel that enchants with its beauty and its timeless truths'

. Often compared to Emily Bronte and Thomas Hardy, Mary's writing is an intricate tapestry of words, featuring folklore, legends and local customs. Describing her deep relationship with all nature but Shropshire in particular. Nature was her life, her passion, it was part of her and she it. (She is quoted as saying how fortunate she was in being born and brought up in Shropshire's magical atmosphere). Sadly she didn't receive the acclaim she was due in her lifetime, and often struggled to make ends meet. Her health too was an ongoing issue for her as she developed Graves Disease, a thyroid disorder when she was in her early twenties. This condition worsened throughout her short life. It was Stanley Baldwin who championed her body of work posthumously, at a speech at The Royal Literary Fund Dinner April 1928, establishing her name and bringing her work the recognition and success it deserved.

I have just purchased a collection of her work through the online Oxfam site and very pleased I am too.

I implore you to seek her out she will not disappoint. I would also recommend the Gladys Mary Coles book on Mary Webb to wet your appetite and to give you an understanding of the woman behind the magic. "Let fall your golden showers, laburnum tree! Break the grey casket of your buds for me- Soon I shall go where never gold is seen, And who will be with you as I have been?