"With Pomp, Power & Glory the world beckons vainly, In chase of such vanities why should I roam?While Peace & Content bless my little thatched cottage,And warm my own hearth with the Treasures of Home."*Beatrix Potter

Monday 29 September 2014

Harvest Time

Last Sunday we had our Harvest celebrations at our little church. All Saints Church opens for a service every eight weeks, we have so many small churches in our area so they take it in turn to hold a service. I do wish ours opened more as we have such a special time there & it brings the village together.
The twins made Harvest boxes filled with produce from our garden. They planted the beetroot & tomatoes & were so proud of their boxes.

 
We have a wonderful service involving the children which is such fun.
Once the service is over we all go down to our village hall for a Harvest meal.
I made an Eve's pudding to bring, another apple dish.
The meal was beautiful & everyone brings something.
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Front side of All Saints Church.
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This week I made the apron I mentioned.
I did buy the pattern a while ago but it took me a while to find some fabric I liked.
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I made apron E but it ended up too big, so I decided to remove the ties at the back & add two hooks & eyes.
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I do love how it turned out & will make it again but next time I will adjust the pattern size.
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The weather has been beautiful all week so we went for a walk around our local fields on Friday.
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Over the road & down the lane to a field full of potatoes ready to be harvested.
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They burn the tops & then get the machinery in to dig up the potatoes.
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We have two lovely little streams near us, both lead to our local market town when they become rivers.
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On top of the fields, the girls think they are on top of the world here.
We feel so blessed to live here & have such beauty around us.
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Blowing dandelion's in the wind.
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Looking back over the fields to our small village.
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Our local farmers haystack, the girls look so small.
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Our local farmers pond, such a beautiful place to spend time at & a lot of wildlife around.
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This is traditional English coppicing.
They cut the trees & bushes & lay them over to one side, new growth comes & makes a beautiful country hedge.
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Our friend's thatched cottage just before we arrive back home, dating to pre 1600.
It is said that Guy Fawkes stayed the night here on the way to London to blow up the houses of parliament in 1605.
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I made some savoury pinwheels for tea on Saturday.
Dene & Ellie make these often.
These one's are filled with cheese & ham & cheese & tomato.
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These are a simple & quick recipe to do.
Just roll out some puff pastry in to two long rectangles then spread filling over the top & roll then cut in to 1 inches pieces.
Cook for around 10 ~ 15 minutes.
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Dene & Ellie made these at Christmas with turkey & cranberry sauce.
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Thank you to all my readers for all their beautiful comments, I am really enjoying making new friends.
Fondly Michelle
 
 
 

20 comments:

  1. I came on the computer just to see if you posted and was so happy you had.. Love reading about your life which is a the same but still so different if you know what I mean.. The twins are darling and so is your apron.. I can't work until I tie one on.. grin... Blessings..

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  2. Hello Faye,
    I am always in a apron too.
    Thank you so much for your sweet comment.
    Fondly Michelle

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  3. I do love Harvest. It is such a perfect way to not only give thanks, but to honour to the traditional growing season, reminding me of how things didn't used to be so 'all year around' and we respected the changing of the seasons, making store for the lean months ahead. The girls did well to include their own home grown produce in their boxes.
    I do so love your apron. Although mine are shorter, I am hardly ever without and feel a little undressed without; sometimes I have to make sure I remember to remove it before venturing into the village! Ooooops!
    ~~~waving~~~

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    1. Hello Deborah,
      You leave the most delightful comments & I will let you the girls know what you said about their boxes.
      I have shorter aprons as well but this one looked so nice on the pattern I thought I would give it a go, I might make a shorter version after I have finished two dresses for the twins. I forgot to take my apron off once & went for a walk in it suddenly realising, they are such a part of me.
      Enjoy the rest of your day.
      Fondly Michelle

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    2. Deborah and Michelle, I just noticed on the Tasha Tudor Museum Facebook page someone in the UK has posted a request to start a Tasha Tudor group there. She lives in Weymouth Dorset and her name is Jan Rogers.

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  4. Dear Michelle, is a very nice custom it of teaching the girls to harvest his fruits and vegetables and is more important still to offer them in the church, his family is the whole example to continuing. The landscape where you live is very nice. And certainly I am charmed with the apron, I have thought to make one one similar to his one, already we will see how I still have it!. An embrace for all. M. Carmen

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    1. Such a lovely comment, thank you.
      We are very blessed to live in such a wonderful place.
      Fondly Michelle

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  5. Hello Michelle
    Your harvest service sounds wonderful, the twins harvest gifts look lovely. They did very well to grow their own produce!
    Your apron is very pretty, almost too nice to work in. I have just finished making an apron myself.
    I hope you are enjoying you week.

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    1. Thank you Debbie for your kind words.
      What sort of apron have you made, I will make another apron soon but shorter this time I think.
      Enjoy your evening.
      Fondly Michelle

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  6. Michelle, thank you so much for this post! I love everything you wrote about. I feel like I'm watching one of my favorite British historical shows!

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    1. Hi Cathy,
      I am so glad you are enjoying what I write about & are enjoying our every day lives.
      Fondly Michelle

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  7. Thank you for the wonderful post. I love old homes. Unfortunately I live in a little town that was bombarded in WW2 and not many old houses are left. I love the simple life too and I will be visiting again soon ; )

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    1. Thank you Monique for your kind words. It was so sad what both wars did to our old homes & buildings & especially to peoples lives.
      Fondly Michelle

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  8. Good Morning Michelle :0) It is a pleasure to meet you. I have enjoyed reading your posts and what joy to realize that we certainly enjoy the same things ;D.... Our Lord brings us together even though we live so far apart geographically.

    Thank you so much for stopping by the cottage....

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    1. Hello Maria, I am new to blogging & am blessed to find new friends from all over the world.
      Your blog is beautiful.
      Fondly Michelle

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  9. Hi Michelle, thank you for your lovely comment on my blog! We could be related as my Mum's side of the family are Palmers! :) You have a lovely homely blog, xx

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    1. Hello Tina,
      My husband's parent's now live in Scotland ' Mallaig'.
      Thank you for your lovely comment, I am just starting out with blogging so have a lot to learn.
      Have a beautiful day.
      Fondly Michelle

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  10. Thank you for sharing photos of your finished apron, It's lovely! I'm inspired to make one now. :-) The sweet faces of your daughters are adorable, and they do look so pleased with their harvest boxes.
    I'm so intrigued by the thatched roofs of England. They are beautiful. Living in the States, I've never actually been inside a house with a thatched roof, so it is hard for me to imagine how it really works. :-)
    Have a great weekend!

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  11. Hello Jennifer,
    Such a lovely comment, thank you.
    Our cottage was thatched in 1740 but then in Victorian times they decided in a lot of villages to cover the thatch with pantiles to make them more modern. We still have our beautiful thatch but tiles over the top. You can see the thatch in many places inside the cottage were the timber frame joins the roof. One day I will climb up inside the roof & take a photo for the blog, it is such an art.
    Have a lovely weekend.
    Fondly Michelle

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  12. Your apron came out beautiful! I love thatched cottages--oh to own one:-) But here in New England they are rare I am afraid...LOL! We do own a post and beam 1799 and I enjoy my hearth and beehive oven. I love the exposed timbers too. Your so fortunate to live in a community that does those get togethers. I love your old church too!!! My goodness I just might have to come visit:-)

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