What an emotional evening it has been. The last Morris dance of the season. It ended with a charming evening of song in The Bull in Benenden.
Today's postcard was drawn and painted whilst watching and listening and singing.
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| Rowan;s Last Song Pen and Waterecolour 213/366 |
Tim set up paddling pools in the garden while I was cooking guests breakfasts in preparation for a hot day and the visit of our three grandchildren.
I had a room and a half to change over this morning. Hetty and Raffy were my change-over buddies. In hindsight maybe I should have given them some pocket money after they had hoovered and I exploited their young legs to fetch and carry up and down the stairs.
Hetty helped me with my mid afternoon guests. The lemon cake that Herbie and I had great fun making was rather flat and undercooked. We salvaged a tiny slice from either end for guests to have with tea. The chickens will be well fed tomorrow.
A shield bug took a ride on one of the boats in the paddling pool much to my amusement. The grandchildren were nonplussed to my delight. We came out of the heat this afternoon to watch Wonka. Lindsey arrived with ice-creams. Harriet handed out tissues to Lindsey and myself, I think Harriet took one too, as the film ended. A great family film,
Tim and I are watching Midsummer Murders to relax our brains and bodies after a hectic day.
While I was ironing sheets, pillow cases and table cloths I watched Tom Daley and Noah Williams diving in the Olympics. Wow they are impressive. It left a good feeling in me for the rest of the day.
It was too hot for me in the garden so I continued work on a commission that has challenged me. This afternoon I got the composition right. I am now very happy with the painting and hope the recipients will be. What I paint and what the customer has in mind can be very different. If they don't like it they don't have to have it or pay for it. I will post it if they say it's ok.
Mussels were on offer in Tescos. There was a recipe for roasted smashed potatoes in a magazine I had picked up. They made delicious partners. I am not sure why the potatoes were par boiled with vinegar in the water? Any ideas
A hot hot day was forecast. So after serving guests fried eggs, croissant and pain au raisin (I kept a spare for Tim and I to share with our coffee) I took the Makita hedge trimmer to my box hedge. By the end of the afternoon I had trimmed about two thirds. I had great fun forging a chicken and cockerel. They are a little wonky and eccentrics.
The garden was a kaleidoscope of butterflies, stridulating grasshoppers, and a wake of buzzards. Guess who has been trawling the internet this evening!?!
Lindsey had perfect timing and dropped in just as I needed a tea break from hedge trimming. Today's postcard is of the delightful mini watermelon she gave me as a charming gift. Apparently very common as a gift in Japan. Yep, another internet discovery.
I started the day poaching so many eggs for guests I have to use my biggest saucepan. Well done chickens for laying the most fabulous eggs.
The washing machine has been in constant use cleaning bedding and towels.
It was the end of the afternoon and I was weeding. Tim handed me an Aperol Spritz. What a wonderful husband I have.
We have just finished watching a good film - Wicked Little Letters - great evening entertainment for a tired brain.
This morning I was happily pottering around making bread dough and tidying up when Tim said "Are you ready?" I had forgotten he was going to Rye. I wasn't going to miss out on a trip to the Rye Art Gallery or coffee, toast with marmalade at The Apothecary. I was ready in minutes.
This afternoon Tim promised a dry walk through Hemsted Forest. Tony, Wendy and I disagreed as we jumped over puddles and paddled through mud.
Marion and Arian, guests who we have known for many years and are now lovely friends, joined us with Tony and Wendy for dinner. Tim made a chickpea and fish dish that I like very much. The turmeric bread I made brightened up the meal. As the evening chilled we came inside and sat around the kitchen table exposing Marion and Arian to Tim's pickled eggs. A lovely evening with lovely friends.
Today's postcard is of The Vicarage in Rye. So many beautiful buildings to draw but I chose this one as it is one of my favourites and there was a bench to park myself on while I drew.
I haven't ventured any further than our garden today. I did go out to collect the eggs and feed the chickens. They made a valiant attempt to fight the crows for the bread crusts. The crows are much more wily than the hens and come in from the chickens blind spot - behind. Oh and I did fill up the bird feeders. The rain has meant that I have got to the bottom of my ironing pile and Tim and I now have shirts to wear. Two of my friends are exploring hotter climes. One in France and the other in Italy. Me!!!! Jealous????? Errr YES.
Tonight's postcard is a retrospective painting of the final dance the Morris do at the end of their set. All and sundry can join in. One of our lovely Dutch guests bravely took to the floor. I no longer partake having joined in many times in past years. I have been watching Tim Morris dancing for over 43 years and still don't know the names of all the dances.
Lindsey and I spent a couple of hours in Tenterden pursuing many shops. The coffee and cinnamon bun in Nutmeg were excellent. Our brother was due to visit this weekend. A bad back had made him cancel. This is sad as we haven't seen him for many months. We got some healing tea and a murder mystery book to send to him while he recuperates. Backache is horrid, physically and mentally draining. We hope he is well soon and able to reschedule his visit. Get well soon my big brother.
I have just returned from a very entertaining at The Bell and Jorrocks. I wasn't going to go. Tim gently persuaded me. I am so so pleased I went. I chatted with some lovely people. The Morris dancing was glorious... but.... the song and music following was fabulous. I laughed and cried. Emily singing to Alan was wonderful. They both know how to entertain an audience. Tonight's postcard is a gathering of many singers and musicians drawn as I watched. Great evening.
I am drinking a gin and tonic whilst reminiscing on a wonderful day in Whitstable. Harriet hired a beach hut. Tim, Natalie, Brett, Harriet, Raffy and Herbie - oh and me - celebrated Hetty becoming a teenager. We had bacon fried by Brett on the gas stove in the little hut and made into sandwiches with ketchup, beer, Monster Munch, fizzy sweets (Raffy sorry I stole your chocolate covered honeycomb, it was delicious though) and a pile of chocolate brownies topped with 13 candles. The weather was grim as we set out, drizzling and grey. As the tide went out, sand appeared along with the sun and ice-creams. I got rather soggy playing with Herbie in the sea. Harriet saved me from total immersion and with the girls played in the waves. I retired to the beach. It was the best time to see the family messing about in the waves. Happy birthday Hetty. Your grandparents are so very proud of the person you are. Thank you.
One question for you from Herbie.... Why is the sea salty? Five adults and two clever children did not know the answer. Do you know?
Today's postcard is inspired by blackcurrants. Tim and I are eating yesterday's blackcurrant cheesecake.
We are watching The Jetty. I love it apart from being a little jealous of how gorgeous Jenna Coleman is!!!.
I have cooked my last eggs for guests this morning. I have a couple of days off. I am hoping to doing some oil painting. I have some ideas batting around my mind that I feel the need to get out.
Would we be having lunch inside or out? Nick, Alli, Si and Lesley arrived with wine, honey, Baklava, , cherries and flowers. So lovely. The rain stopped. The sun came out and much to my pleasure we ate outside. I had forgotten how wonderful a jug of Pimms can be. I did share it. I love cooking for friends as any mishaps are generously received. We had courgette and tomato soup accompanied by Tim's French sticks. Followed by potato and herb salad with pink trout. We had a salad Elizabeth had made us a few weeks ago which was delicious. Hold on. I am going to have to look up what it was called..... Fattoush! Really tasty. I made a cheesecake with blackcurrants given to us by Malcolm. It was cooked in a water bath to keep its wobble. We have a fridge full of leftovers being the benefit of making too much food.
Lindsey dropped by with Herbie's socks and sunglasses. I miss that little chap.
Alli came with sweetpeas and a lavender wreath she had made. I love it very much - thank you. They were the subjects for today's postcard. Sweetpeas for friendship and lavender for love.
Tim and I are ending the day watching a film set in Istanbul. We are reminiscing about our few days there. Such an interesting place.
Harriet and Herbie we dropped off at breakfast time while Brett, Hetty and Raffy went to a climbing competition in Tunbridge Wells. They all had great climbs. We had a gap in the afternoon while Brett was still climbing. Harriet, Hetty, Raffy, Herbie and I squeezed into our little red two door Peugeot and took a trip to Tescos for ice-creams then landed in Lindsey's garden where Will, Fizz and Ottie were spending the weekend. It was a perfect afternoon with a paddling pool and ice-creams, cherries and donuts chatting in the sun. Thank you for hosting us Lindsey. I hope we didn't leave too much chaos behind.
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Three Generations Pen and Watercolour 202/366 |
Due to the high temperatures I have been working at half speed. Breakfasts done, rooms changed and even time to read my book. I am reading Sun sister by Lucinda Riley. Great series.
It was my granddaughter's last day at Primary school. What an emotional day. Happy for her future, a little bit sad for the past but mostly incredibly proud.
Tony and Wendy came over with two balls of mozzarella. We sat outside eating pizzas that Tim made to order drinking wine and catching up on their trip to France. The bats came out as the sun set and the temperature eventually dropped to below 25°C
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Tim's Pizza Pen and Watercolour 201/366 |
Tim and I have been doing pottering jobs. I cleaned out the hens and was rewarded with eggs. Tim mended a leak under a sink and rewarded with no more drips. We went to Adam and Eve's to get apple juice, then to Sainsburys and found nothing we needed, onto the fishmongers and bought a fish for dinner, then to Waitrose and got trout for Sunday and finally Tescos for house plants.
It's been a warm one today and inspired my postcard. As I type I am waiting for the brief visit from Tom to collect his passport before he adventures off to Albania for a holiday.
It is late. I am tired. I am eating a ketchup sandwich at 11pm. Don't judge me? It is 'organic' tomato ketchup.
Adriene helped ease my stiff back. I love her very much.
It was one of those days that go by in a whirl of work, stuff and emotions. Thank you to my sister. I spent the afternoon with her. She made me tea, fed me biscuits, cherries and raspberries while we proudly chatted about the wonders of being grandparents and the delight our grandchildren bring us.
I made rice and tomato soup and felt a pang of loss. It was my mother-in-laws recipe and a favorite of hers.
I wasn't feeling much in the mood for going out this evening but I am so glad Tim whisked me off to The Halfway House. It was good to chat with friends, watch the dancing, listen to the music and song while drinking rose wine.
I did today's postcard while listening to music and singing. It doesn't quite catch the energy of the evening. They could be waiting for a bus! I loved drawing it evenso.
Now to bed. Good night.
I had a wonderfully late start to my day. First I made bread, then did some yoga with Adriene that I haven't done for weeks and was horrified at how unbendy I was, following that I made a lemon drizzle cake for guests that we had a little slice of after dinner. I planted some hydrangeas in the gaps left by the roses I had dug out. I am very proud of my cuttings that have taken three years to be big enough to go out into the big wild world. It all sounds like the perfect day but in reality I was tetchy and grumpy with niggling back pain.
Harriet had a rare few hours free to squeeze in a visit to Canterbury before the school holidays begin. We rendezvoused in the park and ride after she had deposited the children at school. We took advantage of the sunny day and walked into town. The Lilford Gallery in Castle Street took our attention even before we had stopped for coffee. Sam was wonderfully knowledgeable and helpful about the art and artists and answered our many questions. We rewarded our artistic minds with coffee and a cheese scone. What a precious few hours I had with my daughter.
The weather warning on my App was accurate. It is chucking it down as I type. My pots of petunias will suffer but the hydrangeas will be joyful.
I had two bnb rooms to turnaround today. I worked my little socks off to get them done. My reward was ironing the sheets while watching Wimbledon. Tim brought me an Aperol Spritz and cooked me pizza for dinner which was a good way to end the day.
We have buddleia shrubs flowering all around the garden. It smells of honey and is lovely in a vase. A good subject for today's postcard.
What a lovely way to start a Saturday with Herbie and Harriet visiting. It was before breakfast and a s I was scrambling, frying and poaching for guests I made a trio of eggs for Herbie's breakfast with buttered soldiers. Harriet and Herbie helped me with tomato watering and chicken feeding duties in Dingleden. Tony and Wendy have now returned and I am very pleased that the hens survived under our care. The park in Benenden was a good place to meet the rest of The Evans who had spent the morning climbing. Tim cooked pasta with cheese sauce supplemented with pizza to feed our growing granchildren. It was lovely to sit outside and let them play in the garden. They left. I always feel a tug in my heart when they go. Malcolm came and collected Tim and Nick leaving Suzy and I to drink tea surrounded by the debris of the day.
I think I will have an early night and a date with my book. I am reading Weyward by Emilia Hart - excellent book now I have sorted out the characters place in history.
Today's postcard is of coreopsis. I have a pot of it on the back door step. It bravely survived the winter and is now looking fabulous. It symbolises to be always cheerful. Perfect for the person I am sending it to.
I met Sarah for a coffee in Wendy's in Cranbrook. She is so thin and skinny I hardly saw her. Wendy's was closed so we perused the charity shops in hope it would be open in half an hour or so. I filled a bag with a delightful new top, books and jigsaws for the grandchildren. Still no chairs under the tables or lights on at Wendy's. We debated long and hard where to go and took a bunt upon Willow and Sage. We had much better than anticipated (we are very fussy) coffee and a shared bacon sandwich. Thank you Sarah for a very lovely morning even though I think you are a bit too thin.
I came home to find Tim working on the garden relieving me of weeding a flower bed. He had snuck in some bed and breakfast guests who are very delightful and Dutch. I have caught up with my ironing. I have read school reports from my two littlest grandchildren and so very incredibly proud how they have coped and thrived through a very unsettling and difficult year.
I am painting tonight’s postcard in the company of other WOKAS artists, some doing oils, some watercolour and some painting on maps/magazines which was the brief for this evening. I decided to go off piste.
The Mad Hatter
After poaching eggs and baking croissant for guests I collected an abundant egg and raspberry harvest from our friends garden. I spent a lovely time picking raspberries and was late collecting my sister. I took her out for a coffee. On my suggestions we went to Hawkhurst to the fish farm. After coffee we had an explore. I have never seen so many notices - do's and don'ts. It was quite ridiculous. I don't think we will be going back in the near future. Thank goodness the company was good.
Back home I continued weeding. Then I dug up eight very old black spotted ailing roses and consigned them to our monster bonfire heap. They are going to be replaced with hydrangeas.
Today's postcard is of a duck that was protecting itself from the wind and rain at the fish farm by tucking in it's head. Very sensible.
We are looking after friends chickens and watering their vegetables while they are away. Today we came home with eggs, cucumbers, courgettes, runner beans and tomatoes. We are being well rewarded for our care.
Tom was with us briefly last night and this morning. He was en route from cycling with eight buddies in France (sounded terrifying) and returning to Fable in Northampton. It is lovely to see him but a bit of a heart squeeze when he leaves us.
The squirrels have chewed through my squirrel proof bird feeder. Little devils.
I was out battling again with the weeds in the rose garden that I am going to change into a hydrangea bed when I heard the thud of the pickaxe. Tim has been battling the bamboo. We are determined to win the war with our garden.... or be too old that we won't notice.
After I had fed and watered my bnb guests I packed up my oil painting kit and headed to Dingleden. Clive, Alison and Wendy were already there. Clive had set up his easel, laid out his oil paints and was already putting brush to canvas. Two hours of paint immersion I had finished painting challenging trees, many colored fields, dark tangled hedges and haybales that started looking like a herd of pigs until I adjusted the shape and colour. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Here is my oil painting
We have a very loud flock of crows that feed and crwo and caw as the sun rises. A collective noun is a 'muster' of crows. They certainly do that.
I multi tasked this afternoon watching Wimbledon, ironing whilst listening to my murder mystery book. Tim cooked trout with a white onion sauce which was delicious and just what I needed on a working Sunday. Guests have come and gone and come back again. They didn't eat the chocolate brownie I charming made into a tower with strawberries. We had them after our fish.
The Hour is still entertaining us.
I made profiteroles this morning to take to a family party. They were a little flat due to too much egg, I blame our chickens for laying bigger than average eggs. We had a lovely time in Fairlight with brother-in laws, cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, grandchildren and a few greats. The BBQ was managed by Keith under very windy conditions and the strict instructions from his wife. The food was inspired by Ottolenghi and Elizabeth. Chicken with spinach in yogurt, spicy tomato and beetroot, salmon kebabs with tahini, red onion and coriander relish, a bread inspired tabbouleh - fabulous.
Back home I tried to work off some calories gardening. I valiantly fought through a swarm of mosquitos. Then gave up and came in for a glass of rose.
Today's postcard is of my niece's husband David playing Jenga with his daughter Frances. It would have been much better with an audio attached of their laughter and chatter.
Good night. I hope you have had a lovely Saturday.
In the night I woke to hear it was raining. I love being snuggled up in bed and falling back to sleep to the sound of rainfall. It has continued to be a very very rainy day.
I forgot to tell you about the freaky nighttime squeak emanating from somewhere deep in our garden at night. I woke the other night to hear it. Got up and downloaded the Merlin App on my phone. Maybe I have told you this is all sounding a bit familiar? Anyway .... I shall continue.... I stood by the open bathroom window in my winnie-the-pooh PJs and was notified it is a Tawny owl. How wonderful is that?
Today we drove with a very tightly packed car containing two folded single mattresses to the dump for our booked time slot. Ok Tim went to the tip and I wandered around Aldi. Having most of our shopping delivered a 'real' supermarket shop can be quite fun. It may sound a bit sad to some of you but sometimes the simplest pleasures are the best. After our exciting morning we had coffee at Nick and Alli's house. They are growing hundreds of dahlias for an Autumn wedding which inspired today's postcard. Alli very kindly gave me, with a hefty hint that hers was rather glorious, a couple of hydrangea cuttings that in two years will be splendid in my garden. Thank you Alli.
This evening we continued to watch The Hour. It finished and then went on to play Series 2 that we didn't know existed. What a treat. I have eaten too much curry and hope it doesn't disturb my night's sleep.
I could hardly keep up with the plethora of stories that Linda, Pippa and June had to tell. It has been a few weeks since I have seen them but blimey their lives have moved on. We had coffee at Silcocks for our reunion. Felix, Linda's grandson, joined us after his nap and was very happy playing with the diggers in the stones. I felt a slight niggle of regret that I no longer have any tinies but my tinies are growing into fabulous beings and still adorable.
Tim and I wandered into the village to vote. I needed an ice-cream from the village shop after the exertion.
At 5pm I thought I would knock up a quick biryani for dinner - over two hours later it was ready. Curries always suck the hours away. On the plus side we have enough for tomorrow evening.
We continue watching The Hour. Will she? Wont she? Yes she did, but wishes she hadn't. That is just the tip of the excellent story line.
Off to bed shortly to read a book that has three plots running alongside each other needing for much concentration . I am hoping that the crow with its chick aren't quite so vocal at 5am. Good night.
It is 23.09 as I type I have a bowl of granola and listening to what I know have identified as a Tawny owl squeaking at night in the garden. We have been out for an evening of 'Morris'. Tonights was a particularly good one. Partly due to not having to get up for guests in the morning, Partly due to someone showing me that the postcard and message I had sent them they had framed. Partly due to a cohesive group of singers and musicians. Partly due to me finding a corner of the pub where I could sketch. I got a negative critique but was so infused with rose wine I didn't mind.
I have had a charming day just pottering about weeding, ironing and recovering. I started watching Wimbledon while I was ironing my pillow cases. Djokovic was playing. I turned it off. I find him a tad irritating to watch.
Tim and I are watching The Hour - love it. Love the costumes, love the acting, really love the necklace that Bell wears. Murder and intrigue with a bit of a love interest. Will they? Won't they? - oh yes they did.
Tim and I heaved, pushed and pulled two new mattresses up the stairs. They are replacing some very clean looking but saggy mattresses in our twin bed and breakfast room. Now we have to squeeze the old ones into our little car to take to the dump. They are standing vertical the our hallway for now. Could be an art installation if I was called Tracey.
