Summer Bounty

Autumn is fast approaching, there are signs everywhere.  Temperatures are dropping in the evening and the nights are closing in getting darker so much earlier.  The farmer at the back of us has started his harvest working long into the night to beat the rain forecast for later in the week.

 

Hay bales are in abundance at the moment and can be seen everywhere, a rich reward for all the hard work.

 

 

This is the view from my dining room window, I spend many a happy hour watching the horses.

 

We too are starting to harvest the garden, a reward for all our hard work.  Mother nature at her finest.  The beetroot has been a huge success.

 

 

It was very quickly cooked and pickled ready for the Winter store cupboard.

 

 

We have also harvested the early leeks, they have such a strong smell I am so looking forward to the first taste of the season.

 

 

Sadly our tomatoes have been a complete disaster this year.   So this morning we promptly set off to a local car boot sale in search of some tomatoes to make chutney.  We didn't have to search hard they were been sold on a lot of stalls.  7Ibs were brought for £2 along with 10 peppers for £1.  Some of the peppers were chopped and bagged for the freezer, the perfect addition for soups and sauces.

 

 

I went on to make a batch of tomato chutney and some tomato and red pepper soup.

 

 

The taste of summer preserved for the long months ahead when the Summer will very quickly become a distant memory.  Have you started preparing for the Autumn yet?

 

See you soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

RNLI

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my last couple of posts.  It is always a delight to share my family visits, we are blessed with the wonderful relationships we have with our daughters and consequently with their little families.  After the hustle and bustle of one visit after the other throughout the summer things are a little quiet around here at the moment.  It did take a couple of days to get on top of the house and the mounds of washing, still some work needed on the garden, but we are almost there.  A little crafting here and there is starting to creep into my daily life once more.

Whilst Victoria and the boys we here last week we had a trip into Skegness to have a look around the lifeboat station.  The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea.  There are 235 lifeboat stations throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland some of them allowing visitors.

 

The RNLI is a charity that relies on the goodwill of the public and contributions.

 

 

There are lots of ways to donate including joining one of the biggest lifeboat crew ever and that is to become a part of the Storm Force crew a RNLI club for children, suitable for children aged 5 - 11.  We are considering this as gifts for the Grandchildren as they become old enough.

 

We did have a little fun on the lifeboat ride.

 

 

Wilbur to the rescue...Granny in distress!!!

 

It was well worth the visit with lots to look at and loads of interesting information.

 

 

 

They certainly do an amazing job, every year RNLI lifeboats are called out more than 8,000 times and rescue on average 23 people per day.

 

 

There are approximately 4,600 volunteer lifeboat crew members, both men and women.

 

There are also lifeguards patrolling over 200 of the busiest beaches in the UK and channel islands.

 

 

They certainly do an amazing job.    I have never been in distress at sea thank goodness but I am certainly thankful they are around. 

 

Take care.

A Sleepover For Two

Wilbur needed a sleeping bag for a sleepover party that we were having whilst on holiday.  Granny can made one for me he suggested so out came all the possibilities of fabric and together we made a sleeping bag.

 

We are in our pyjamas all ready for the party.   The concentration on his little face is a real delight, he has no idea that I am operating the machine with my foot.

 

 

We certainly had fun not only making a sleeping bag for him but also one for his best friend Duffy.

 

 

A very happy little boy.

 

See you soon.

Fun In The Sun

Another week filled with love and laughter.  Gerard was feeling better too so we were able to potter a little and enjoy a holiday with the little ones without leaving our home.  There are so many fun things right on the doorstep that we just take for granted.  It was amazing how quickly our days were filled without spending a fortune.  We were blessed with the weather which always makes things easier.  We had a day in Skegness, our nearest town and met some fun characters along the way.

 

Wilbur was thrilled to meet Marshall from Paw Patrol, whilst strolling along the promenade.  There were a lot of characters out and about, luckily Wilbur could recognise them as Granny wasn't always too sure.

 

 

He certainly had fun with the storm trooper and was impressed with the monster trucks that kept driving by advertising the stadium.

 

 

We did of course indulge in fish and chips and to Victoria's horror Hector got in on the act and helped himself to a chip.

 

 

The gardens were beautiful and the mascot for Skegness was gleaming in the sun, dancing in the fountain.

 

 

We visited the park which has just been refurbished and now has state of the ark play equipment all pirate themed, lots of fun for a seaside town.

 

 

We enjoyed the beach  at Anderby which has a car terrace enabling us to drive the car onto the beach.   It was so easy to set things up without having to walk far, perfect for the disabled or young families with prams.  We set up the barbeque and had the perfect day.

 

 

 

Lots of fun in the sun.  Treasure to be hunted out and sand people to be made.

 

 

It certainly seems a little quiet around here now and we are both tired but it really was wonderful to catch up with everyone over the Summer for longer visits.  I have a serious amount of washing and ironing to catch up with and the house and garden have been neglected but there is always tomorrow.  I have been a little slow catching up with you all but I will over the next couple of days.  Lots of lovely memories to treasure.

 

See you soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Barbeque

Saturday dawned and we rose early to drive down to Ampthill for the family barbeque get together.  We drove part of the way down the A1 which made for a very stop/start trip.  Tailbacks for miles and problems getting on/off the A14 which in turn added to the journey time.  Despite all the issues it really was worth the trip.  I love seeing my daughters and their little families together, they are so much fun and bounce of each other reminiscent of their childhood years.

 

What a joy to have all the Grandchildren together once again.  They really do enjoy each others company.  Don't get me wrong they are not perfect and they do need time out now and again, but so does Grandad when he gets silly with the ice cream toppings.

 

 

The barbeque was a great hit, thanks to Matt for cooking and Amie for all the hard work with preparation and salads.

 

 

I had the best place on the picnic blanket, it was fun listening to the children chatting away to each other.  Making plans and inventing games for Granny to play with them.

 

 

What a pleasure to cuddle the babies and get to know their little personalities.  They certainly thought Grandad was something to laugh about.

 

 

What a joy to see them all and spend quality time with them once again.  We certainly feel blessed and thankful for our little family.

 

 

 

We have snoozed most of the day and had our feet up, keeping up with the children is no mean feat.  Summer fun with lots of amazing memories.  Was the sun shining where you were?

 

See you soon.