Gone Fishing

Off to Cornwall with the faraways for some seaside fun!

Back soon....

well maybe not, lets see what the weather does!

love Sarah

xXx

Great anticipation

Oh my goodness at last the day has come!

I have been in such a deliciously butterfly state of anticipation and excitement at the iminent arrival of the Faraways!

Yes at last they are coming home for a visit, 24 hours on a plane from Melbourne and I will have the happy~rush at Heathrow airport!

And so I have been preparing the lane, making it as special as I can for a memorable visit to England.

I have been fixinga nd tying and dead heading the glorious June blooms.

and decorating the Lane in readiness...

Mr.Boodle wonders what all the fuss is about?

And then, at long last in the evening sun my dream is realised and the little people get to walk on our little piece of England in the fading summer sun.

life is good

long evening shadows as we head for the stream to spot dragonflies

All is peaceful and perfect

Sarah

xXx


We are off to see castles tommorrow!

Through the garden gate...

........You will find roses round the door and a warm welcome in this jewel of a village where we live.

Being the garden of England, in this wonderous county of Kent there are of course oast Houses and beautiful old, old houses oozing with history and character.

Many date back to the Tudor and Elizabethan period and as we are very near the childhood home of Anne Bolyn,you can bet your bottom penny piece that Henry VIII'th himself came riding through this way on a regular basis, but that's another story!

Two lovely ladies opened their doors last week ~ first Mrs. B who lives here, hosted a sunny open house.

There were cakes

Yum, the Hummingbird Bakery recipe cup cakes......... lets say no more about those!

The roses are so magnificent at this time of year, the scent hangs warm on breeze luring me outside to see

Then off to see my lovely art teacher Virg, also in the village

she lives here


Virg is taking part in the Open Studio event.

I gasp as I enter as the venue for our art classes has been transformed into a gallery



It looks so brilliant!

There are lovely post cards of her work and gorgeous original painted cards

this would look nice back at The Lane

Hmm, or maybe this?

I love this!

Oh but then who could resist these girls?

Bluebells, heavenly

What about this?

such a happy, vibrant exhibition

loved it all

you can find out more about Virginia's work here

oh and yes,

I couldn't resist and something did make it home with me

golden days!

enjoy the sunshine,

Sarah

xXx

Happy Birthday Dad x

Hi Dad!

It's me!

Happy Birthday to you!

I don't know about you but I have songs that accompany certain memories ~ or that are inextricably linked to people.

The song for you Dad is "the long and winding road..." by the Beatles

I always think of you whenever it is played


and special places resonate for me

this is Gara Rock

wonderful memories of special people ~ photos of my lovely Nanna and Grandad

back to music,

I think one of the reasons music is so powerful for me is you

this album epecially

"found a rug in old junk shop

brought it home to you,

Along the way the colours ran

the orange bled the blue"

When I was a girl I adored the Railway Children

It had the ending I was desperately hoping for

When Bobbi ( Jenny Agutter ) stands on the platform and the steam from the train begins to clear.............a man emerges and she cries " Daddy, my Daddy" and runs to him...


I am so happy to have "my Daddy" back

Love you Dad

xXx

The village Fete

One of the annual summer rituals here in Blighty is the ubiquitous summer "Village Fete"

Inevitably orchestrated by a disparate/desperate group of dedicated locals who spend hours of their time planning, meeting, arguing, making, planting, sewing, baking etc. all with the intention of producing a Grand Day Out and fund raising for local projects and charities. I am one such "local" should that read "glutton for punnishment"?

Country Living

My Fete training began back in the mid Seventies.

Here I am snapped by the Paps at our village Fete. Note the crochet dress Magpie fashioned for me, yes that's the Magpie on the left in the snazzy waistcoat, oh and little faraway bro sporting dungarees.

Note to Magpie " what's going on with our fringes?"

Images from my scrap book all Country Living

The thing is, all joking aside we Brits really do put on a jolly good show!

Earlier this summer I went to the Decorative Living Fair organised by the wonderful Caroline Zoob,

such a lovely event in a glorious rural setting and beautifully staged, here is the entrance to the marquee for the cafe.

Lovely spot to enjoy a "naughty but nice"

gorgeous vintage garden bits and pieces to buy

I loved this stall, especially this pram jumble full of knitted friends

Oh and these two characters off for a jaunt down the lanes!

Adored the wisteria tied to the marquee entrance

So as the day approached for my own Village Fete I scribbled this mini gazebo to add to our advertising/ bags et al.

And sat outside at my garden table until 10pm tying garden posies to sell on our plant stall

You get the idea!

My friend Mrs.Long embellished my signs with her spotty ribbon which was a triumph! Thank you Mrs.Long xXx

We had some wonderful donations from local nurseries

and I got to use my lovely bunting! you can buy it from Sarah Raven's website here

You may be able to spot Mr. Lane in this one!

Anyway, brilliant day!

When I reflect on Summer it is always punctuated by these golden days of Fetes and Fairs and Jamborees and regattas.

Villages are decorated, dressed up for the day and and ordinary fields are turned into tented markets where all manner of bric~a~brac lurks alongside plants and cakes and jams and clowns and birds of prey and dog shows and goodness knows what else.......

at the Regatta it's the same but by the water~ sack races alongside rowing and running!

flags instead of bunting!

The thing is, wherever the event takes place it is always a day to remember.

I am so thrilled to be part of our village fete team as I have met the most wonderfully dedicated team of people you could wish for, I have laughed my socks off, I have at times been very cross too!

Bottom line ~ I have made some amazing friends

If you are ever asked to help put up the bunting for the village fete I thoroughly recommend you go!

Love Sarah

xXx