Wistful Wisteria

Hooray.....wonderful......at last........


Our wisteria plant that we have had for 9 years now, has finally given us a second flush........well, it's first ever flush actually, but at this time of year it would be considered it's second flush.........

It's such a teeny tiny bloom.......but a bloom none the less.......I'm so glad I spotted it up high, wafting wistfully........I do hope this is the start of good things to come.........I hope next spring it will be laden with gorgeous scented blooms dripping across our porch.......well I hope they will be gorgeously scented blooms........since it's never bloomed before I'm not sure what it's capable of .........I've also no idea what variety it even is......hopefully all will be a happy surprise next spring.......something exciting......wonderful.......wistful ......to look forward to........

-xx-

Scents to Delight......

I ♥ the scent of basil, and this Greek basil is just THE best.....what's not to ♥ about it?.....with it's teeny tiny leaves.......it's pompom ball-like structure .....and of course, it's glorious scent......just brush your hand over it, or even just knock it slightly......and it releases the most evocative aroma.....you'll just have to to use your scentovision imagination.......

It's almost too pretty to use......it brings a lovely splash of nature into the kitchen. But use it I will, perhaps in a tomato, red onion and mozzarella salad ......or sprinkled over some yummy pasta with pesto and sun dried tomatoes ......that way we get to enjoy not just it's delightful scent, but also it's delicious taste too.......Bon Appetite

-xx-

Norfolk on a Whim and a Prayer.....

So, an unexpected opportunity dropped into my lap, and in just two days I had everyone and everything.....and I mean everything......we don't travel light ......loaded into the car for a camping trip to Norfolk. This was quite an amazing feat for me as I prefer to plan....to prepare.....to organise....but with no time to waste, we were off....

In what seemed like the blink of an eye, we had arrived.......Big Miss, Little Miss and Little Lad set off to explore and get bearings before reporting back with all necessary information.......like where the playground was, of course.......while Big Lad and I set about putting up the tent... ...making our Home from Home ......this being quite a difficult operation with a rather large tent.......but each time we do it, it gets a little easier......from experience and practice.....and Big Lad getting somewhat bigger each time.

Home from Home made comfortable at last with cosy sleeping bags.......loads of cuddly blankets......new comfy camp beds.......all ready for bedtime.......it was time to head off into town for some well earned fish and chips on the Quay.

After threatening to rain on and off all afternoon......and thankfully it didn't.......we were delighted the clouds finally decided to drift apart and away, leaving a big wide sky for a glorious sunset.......all the best sunsets are to be had at the seaside......so here we were eating fresh fish and chips on the Quay, watching the boats bringing in their day's catch......crabs probably......breathing in the fresh salty smell of the sea.......could there ever be a better way to enjoy fish and chips?

Our appetites satiated, we simply couldn't let the sun go down without having a quick stroll down to the beach before bed.......and WOW WOW WOW was it worth it.....

As soon as Big Miss's toes touched the still warm, soft sand she repeated over and over "oh my goodness........I'm at the beach.......I'm walking in the sand....... when was the last time I was walking in sweet soft sand?".......and declared this was her "Happy Place".......her "Heaven on Earth"..........Mine too.......in fact, probably all my Angels would agree it was their Happy Place........

Beach huts bathed in the last of the sun's rays......just spectacular......don't you think?

And so before we made it back to our new Home from Home, the moon rose up over the channel's water with little boats bobbing in the sparkling moonlight......why are moonrises over the sea so magical......atmospheric......hauntingly beautiful?

The next day we took at quick trip into town for some essential supplies......this little alleyway, with the entrance to the florist tucked inside........really caught my eye.......

But town couldn't hold our attention for long though while there was a beautiful beach lined with beautiful beach huts just waiting to be enjoyed.......played upon..........huge holes dug in........as only lads can do.......sat on.......with magazines to be devoured.........proper coffee to be savoured.......sandcastles to be built.......the requisite sandwiches......freshly homemade of course, to be eaten......and not forgetting.........the compulsory dipping of toes into the somewhat chilly, gently washing waves of the North Sea.........

Pretty little beach huts were just waiting to be graced by a pretty Little Miss.........

While Little Lad had fun burying himself in sand.......I ♥ how children delight in being buried.....I can't stand it myself, but they ♥ it......

And Big Lad created this statuesque sand sculpture......I am always amazed and delighted by my Angels' creativity......

As wonderful as the beach was though, there were other pursuits to be enjoyed .......like crabbing......so with the necessary nets and bucket bought.......

My Little Angels were all set for some gillying........8 little swinners later........

And they were all returned........unhurt.......to the safety of the sea floor .......waiting for the next enthusiastic child to come along.........and offer them some delicious dinner.

I ♥ that being away from our everyday........out of our comfort zone.......being at the seaside brought new and different opportunities for my Angels to experience.

There was also the miniature railway to take a ride on........from camp to town .......from town to camp........Little Angels thought this was exciting fun .......Little Miss especially.........

I absolutely adore bunting, and like to have it liberally sprinkled around our home.......so what cosy, welcoming Home from Home would be complete without some charming cheery bunting?.......

And of course pretty flowers to bring an even more homespun feel to our Home from Home......

No moon now, just a gloriously huge sky, but still little bobbing boats on the channel's water......

Back in town again, another little alleyway caught my eye.....a wonderful wood store all ready for the colder evenings and months ahead........

Oh what a thought.......the colder months ahead.......while I do enjoy the thought of snuggling down all warm and cosy in the winter, and there does come a point when I really start to look forward to it.........I am mostly a summer girl at heart ......and let's be honest, we haven't really had much of a summer this year .....I feel ever so slightly cheated since we've had a couple of really hard winters now, both followed by less than inspiring summers......so including this photo of a wood store, and therefore invoking thoughts of the upcoming winter ........before the summer is even finished is a little disconcerting.........but I just had to include it... ....it's rustic, simple, elegance just delights me.

And no holiday is complete without buying a few little trinkets......little mementos to treasure.......to hang or place around the house........to bring a little bit of magic.......happy holiday memories.......every day........while doing daily chores.......living life......a chance glance........and there you are....... back on holiday again.......just a split second......but oh so priceless.......

Pretty ♥.......

Pretty pink bowl to put my pretty little treasures in......

Just pretty......in pink.......

Little Angels also bought their own little treasures.......to bring back happy holiday memories at home.......pretty purse for Big Miss......Hello Kitty Angel, spinning top, heart stone, bracelet for Little Miss......necklaces, red jasper, blue stone, polished ammonite, parachute man for Little Lad ........ bracelet, necklace, shark's tooth for Big Lad.......

Little Lad and Little Miss were especially excited to choose and buy their own trinkets.......wandering around the shops........weighing this up.......weighing that up.......deciding........changing their minds......deciding again......paying for their final choices themselves.......all so grown up and big now.

After packing up our comfortable and cosy Home from Home......we spent our last couple of hours at the beach......every last opportunity had to be eeeked out .......you understand how it is......and then lastly we stopped in town for an ice cream......well you can't go to the seaside without having an ice cream now, can you? While parking in one of the few carparks........carparks always seem very scarce at the seaside......I spotted this simply delightful little cottage........

Then if was finally time to say goodbye.........

Our Norfolk escapade.......our costal camping.......our happy holiday had by all.......sadly......came to an end......the weather was set to change for the worse........and things needed to be sorted.......organised......tidied...... prepared..........for a new school year.

I thank my Little (or not so little) Angels for their help.......their enthusiasm .......their excitement........their happy smiling faces.......and the many wonderful memories we made together on a Norfolk whim and a prayer ♥

-xx-

Daily Journal.....

While this blog is my Journal of Joy, it is really the next natural step from my Daily Journal, which I have been keeping for just a fraction over two years. Each night, just before I curl up in bed, I sit quietly and revisit my day, writing down what I appreciate, what has gone right, what I have to be thankful for.....it is my way of consciously noting the positives in my life every day, so as not to dwell on the not so good. I try to note down at least three things, but sometimes there is so much more than three......it could be something as simple as the sun shining, or a cute something one of my little angels has done or said......to something as wonderful as receiving money unexpectedly, or a difficult situation working out in the best possible way.

I like to have beautiful, preferably fabric covered notebooks with a pretty marker, and maybe ribbon ties. So far, I have filled four lovely notebooks, and today is THE day I get to start a brand new fresh notebook.......

It's so pretty don't you think? I just love starting a new notebook.....it's so full of promise, of what's to come, of lots more things to appreciate.....I can't wait to go and write my very first entry......

-xx-

Blooming Marvellous.....

While our produce hasn't been very productive this year, we do seem to have more flowers bloomin lovely, which is just fine by me......I just ♥ flowers. I would ♥ to have a big cutting garden so I could have my own home grown freshly cut flowers by my bed every day.....what a treat.....what a luxury. But alas, I tend to leave the most of the flowers looking pretty in the garden where we can all enjoy them, and I can see some of them from the kitchen windows.......

Little Miss's Sunflowers

Verbena

Marigolds

Salvia

One of my favourite flowers......

Ranunculus

-xx-

Delightful Dining.....

I had to pop out to run some errands today and couldn't resist nipping into TK Maxx......as I was passing anyway, you understand. I spotted these little lovelies......

They were calling to me, in need of a welcoming home where they would be loved...and cared for...and cherished...

...so I simply couldn't leave them sitting all lonely by themselves on the shelf....could I?

No, of course I couldn't! So I paid my pennies, and they journeyed home with me.

Aren't they just so pretty and gorgeous? I can't wait to use them.....it'll make mealtimes even more enjoyable

-xx-

Red and Green...

We've not had a lot of produce from our garden this year, but what we have had has been delightfully delicious as only freshly picked produce from your own garden can be.....

.....a few simply scrumptious strawberries.....

.....and some tiddly tiny toms

But WOW.....that there rhubarb is a jungle.....

And although there's not loads of pears on our old pear tree, after a severe hacking last year, I seem to have shocked it into a spurt of action this year with more pears than we've ever had before......

-xx-

Welcome...

Wow, my first blog post.....


This is soooo exciting....somewhere that is strangely solid, yet virtual at the same time.....to record all my loves, joys, smiles, and happiness. Something to grow with me as I learn to slow down a little and simply live "in the moment".....


I had a discussion with my friend S yesterday, and we both agreed we shouldn't worry about the past, that's been and gone, and we can't change it...we shouldn't worry about the future, that hasn't happened yet, and worry isn't going to alter that either...but this moment, now, this thought, this action...this is our power, our point of attraction, our new beginning - it could be happy, sad, angry, thrilled, or just not bothered - but the point is, it's THIS moment, and if we don't like it, we can choose to change it.....we can choose to change our thought for a better one, or our action for a kinder one.....it is entirely up to us, and only us.

Phew, that's all pretty deep, but actually so relevant.....I have made a conscious decision, to live more "in the moment" from now on, to take notice and record what makes me happy, what delights me, what thrills me, what wraps me in a warm, cosy blanket of comfort and cheer......

.....and here is where I'm going to do that, to record my journey, recognising and appreciating the joy, the delight, the smiles, and the contentment that is around me everyday.

-xx-