Enjoying Summer Days

The Summer days here are full & we are all as busy as bee's.
The vegetable patch is doing so very well apart from an abundance of little visitors which we have had to pop up a temporary fence for this Summer & will surround it with a picket fence hopefully over the Winter months. The rabbits are beautiful to watch playing in the garden but not watching them eating the leaves of your lovely vegetables.
I am a little late doing a new post, Summer is such a busy time & there is not a lot of time for writing.
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To celebrate Father's Day this year we took a picnic to Tattershall Castle, a National Trust property.

This is a lovely 15th century red brick castle set  in the Lincolnshire Countryside.

The castle was built between 1434 & 1447, you can picnic inside the moat where they have lawn toys for the children to enjoy.

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This is the end of a row of cottages as you walk up to the castle.

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One of the fireplaces in the castle.

This one is on the ground floor.

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While the boys climbed the stairs up to the top of the castle {it has 6 floors of stone steps}, the girls stayed on the ground floor & did some spinning.

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The lady was so good with them & they brought a piece of wool that they spun home.

She taught them how to card their wool too.

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Walking out of the castle over the moat to the gate house were they have a small shop.

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Kitty in her pearls making some fairy cakes for Father's Day tea.

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The first Tomatoes of the year.
They tasted beautiful in a fresh Couscous salad.

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The rhubarb is coming to an end now in the garden, we shall miss it but then enjoy the first of next year.

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The girls working in the scrap books, they are writing about their day at Tattershall Castle.

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Daisy all ready to go to her Prom.

She had a lovely evening with her friends.

She turned sweet 16 last week, it does not seem that long ago since she was a toddler, busy & in to everything.

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Mary had an appointment to see the eye doctor at our local hospital. She needs glasses & here are the pretty red one's she chose. She is getting on with them so well, Kitty would have liked some too.

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Cherry & Chocolate Brownies for our Edwardian picnic on Saturday.

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We went to an Edwardian Fayre at Belton House.

They used to hold fayre's during the first world war to raise funds for the troops.

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Soldiers on horseback dressed in first world war uniforms.

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Mary & Kitty enjoying the fun & sunshine.

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Games on the green in front of the house.

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The more cottagey back of Belton House.

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The Lavender has now bloomed since our visit two weeks ago.

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There was a stall selling plants & flowers.

We bought these little Alpine Strawberries for 50p each.

They give little strawberries that are strong in flavour.

The plants will be a  sweet addition to our Strawberry bed.

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Mary skipping on the green.

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Kitty really enjoyed the entertainment.

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Before we left we went to the second hand bookshop run by The National Trust & came home with a bag full of 50p & £1 books.

More recipes & reading.

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I wish everyone a wonderful Summer, I love to read your comments & hear what you have been doing.

Fondly Michelle

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Days in Our English Cottage Garden

June is the noisiest month of the year in the garden, from the first light birdsong fills the air giving a true sense of the garden being alive. Thrushes & young Blackbirds are abundant especially after a heavy shower of rain, they scratch about beneath bushes & the large Magnolia tree looking to see what may be found there.

Sweet little Sparrows & young Starlings are everywhere too, along with the young rabbits they give George many hours of amusement at the windows.

The sun barely seems to sleep in June & all through the short nights there is a deep shine to the sky.

We have been in the garden, this time of year there are many tasks to keep us all busy, we feel blessed to have worked a full day & are ready for our beds by the end of the day.

The Gooseberry bushes are doing so well & we have just harvested our first of the year.

Life is wonderfully full at the cottage & I give thanks each day for it.

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A shady spot under the Old English Walnut Tree.

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One corner of the vegetable garden.

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This beautiful climbing rose weaves it's way through one of our apple trees.

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A beautiful day spent gardening & playing in the garden.

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Our special Arthur Bell rose bush.

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The Lupins in full bloom.

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Foxgloves so remind me of Jemima Puddleduck.

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Beautiful sunshine.

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Playing ball, I love how they all play together.

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Sweet Lilly of the Valley.

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Fresh Wholemeal Bread.

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We harvested our first gooseberries from the garden.

Over 7lbs of them from three heavy loaded bushes.

6lbs have gone in to the freezer until I get time to make jam.

Rhubarb as well has been going in to the freezer ready for warm puddings over the Winter.

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The other gooseberries went in to a lovely oaty crumble for tea.

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The Peonies are blooming.

So much is flowering in the garden at this time.

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Ox Eye Daisies flowering around a purple rose I planted last Summer.

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The scent of garden roses.

The yellow rose is called Arthur Bell, everywhere we live we plant one of these roses as both our Grandfathers were called Arthur.

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Mary stirring Date Bread.

The twins love to have a wooden spoon in their hands.

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Date bread ready for Sunday tea.

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Sponge cake with fresh cream & English Strawberries for tea.

This is the basic sponge recipe I use all the time, it is so versatile.

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Special gifts.

Our sweet daughter Amy made this beautiful cross stitch for our wedding anniversary, I am looking for an antique frame to put it in, it is such a special handmade gift.

Another special heart I received was my first Susan Branch book.

Cathy from Morning Musings entered me in her give away & I was so happy to have won this beautiful book.

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I finally finished this 1940's jumper, with being unwell it had been put aside for a few weeks.

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Two little vintage buttons used for each shoulder.

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Thank you my dear readers for your lovely comments.

Fondly Michelle

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A Sunny Day at Belton House

It was set to be a wonderfully sunny day last Thursday so we decided to take a picnic to Belton House a National Trust property.

Belton is about a fifty minute drive from us, such a pretty drive through the Lincolnshire countryside. All along the road sides & in fields were bright red poppies in full bloom & so many pretty farms & cottages along the way.

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This is part of the courtyard at Belton House where the old stables were.

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Sitting down for our picnic on the green at the back of the house next to the Orangery & Italian garden's.

The girls were excited as this was the first outing for their ladybird chairs in a bag.

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We had a guest for our picnic & such a gentle well behaved & mild mannered lady too.

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No pecking, she just waited nicely.

I was a little worried when I saw her walking our way but she made our lunch so special.

The Orangery is in the background.

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Saying good bye.

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This is beautiful little garden near the church in the grounds.

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This area with the roses and Sweet Pea's was my favourite garden.

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Inside the Orangery.

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Walking to the beautiful Italian garden, there were more ducks enjoying the cool water at the fountain.

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The path leading to the gardens from the back of the house.

This is a very formal part of the gardens.

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Daisy, Kitty & Mary on the back steps.

With it being a Thursday the grounds & house were quite quiet.

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This is the front of the house.

They play cricket on the front lawn sometimes & there are deer running around but today they were under the trees in the distance.

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On our way towards the lake.

There was some wonderful old tree's to enjoy.

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Mary blowing bubbles.

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An abundance of Buttercups.

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The beautiful lake with geese, the lake of shining water came in to my mind on such a sunny day.

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Back to the courtyard area of the house.

We just had time for a quick look around the house before travelling home to our animals.

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One of the many beautiful bedrooms.

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A gentle sitting room with such pretty fabric on the sofa & chairs.

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The dining room with hunting picture's hung all over the wall's.

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The study, the had old time music playing in here.

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I hope you all enjoy seeing our visit to Belton House, we had such a special day & a well needed break.

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At the gift shop I bought this lovely book with some birthday money, it was on special offer.

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Thank you all for your kind caring comments on my last post.

Fondly Michelle 

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