Salad Days

I must always be mindful that happiness is now ~ always in the here and now, never to come at some future point when I get "that thing" (whatever "that thing" is! I never could work that out.) These are my Salad Days and I know it implicitly, although happily, I do seem to have had Salad Days in every decade of my life.

All of them so totally different, all so complete and wonderous. If I have the chance to meet myself coming back I wont breathe a word...it would spoil the surprises, trust in yourself, be kind and open~hearted that's all...not to say there wont be sadness but you are strong enough. 

So, these are my Salad Days, Slowly being eaten away... ( that's for you Viv, I know you'll know!)

At home I am spending early mornings and late into the evening outside...it has a magnetic hold over me this place. First thing I follow Boodle around whilst he is doing his rounds, him with his nose in every blade of grass, me with my nose thrust over a hot mug of tea. We greet the birds and rabbits, they don't startle this early, perhaps they are used to us?

In the evening watching the sunsets is obilgatory, following the orange, sliding out of sight over the hills. As dusk falls the roses seem to glow...

and sometimes in the distance at the bottom of "Rounders" the thrill of a hot air balloon.

 As with any good salad it's all in the mix as they say.

 I have had a sweet dolly mixture of a week since we last spoke.

This is Bracken sleeping outside a Farmhouse further Down the Lane, she was my friend from the moment we met. I was there to adorn Gigi's house with flowers...pas de problem!

 ...and then we partied... a lot! Mr.Lane and I walked home, back up The Lane in the inkiest, blackest night. Uphill, wobbling into the verge, giggling and cursing as we went.

As soon as we walked into the kitchen my mobile sprang into life...what? But it's so late/early...we looked at one another...ahhhhh, YES!

News of the best sort... a new tiny Faraway born...my heart flipped over like a pancake

The heat began to build here on Tuesday, heavy and slow. Boodle and I panted our way through the long grass in Home field. Wednesday continued in the same vein...we slept with the windows open and most of the creatures of Sussex seemed to gravitate to our room where they buzzed and flapped all night long.

Thursday broke so hot it stank of life, vibrant and intense I could smell every fibre of every stem of every plant. The roses, honeysuckle and orange blossom were swoon inducing. 

I hopped in the car and unbuttoned every conceivable opening in search of air, I headed out along the grey tarmac ribbon with the scent of summer swirling in and out of the open windows.

I headed for Wisborough Green and Sussex Country Brocante .

 Organised by the lovely Lucy of Love Lane Vintage fame, Sussex Country Brocante is a monthly fair held in Wisborough Green Village Hall. 

To quote Lucy :

"Our stall holders for this Thursdays fair are all beautiful, we have everything from old painted furniture, pretty vintage homeware, antiques, children's clothes, per-loved ladies clothes including lots of cabbages & roses, candles and products by Parkminster, Pickle & Pie lovingly made pies etc, Marius with his homegrown roses and sweet peas, The Vintage Garden Company. Real coffee, tea and cakes allay in our tearooms. Doors open 11 am - 4 pm. If the sun shines I will set tables up outside for tea x "

 I must tell you that the sausage rolls from Pickle and Pie were sensational! I had such a lovely natter with Lucy and a rather good cuppa. A mooch around the pretty stalls, there was much to admire, sweet pea bunches....but the sweetest of all...these two...

...modelling beautiful flowers by Gil Fox and wearing velvet dresses teamed with Mary-Janes, they stole the show!

 The next fair is on Thursday 19th July, check Love Lane Vintage here for details.

So much to be happy about...Salad Days indeed, speaking of which I really should eat more...salad!

Sarah 

-x-

Midsummer dreaming....

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I must go and seek some dew drops here

And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.

Fairy, Act 2 Scene 1. A midsummer nights dream

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Lights in The Trees, Lottie Davies

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If we shadows have offended,

Think but this, and all is mended,

That you have but slumbered here

While these visions did appear.

Puck, Act 5 Scene 1, A Midsummer Night's Dream

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 ~~~

Walking through parkland, listening to Five Variants of  Dives and Lazarus I momentarily closed my eyes and as I did the warm meadow~sweet breeze curled around my throat. Gasping, I gulped the air down, it was both thrilling and inexplicable. In that moment I felt I was inhaling all of England, my lungs were bursting with Henry V, Thomas Hardy, Ralph Vaughan-Williams, John Keats, Christina Rosetti.....the very essence of all that I hold dear. It felt as though I had disappeared and was a particle, a part of something so ravishing I couldn't begin to describe it....I tried to stay. My eyes snapped open, it was gone, that moment. Only the tears that pricked my eyes remained.

I hurried back to the car in a daze, I wanted to write it down, just as it had happened fearing, like a dream the memory of it would fade.

~~~

I love Midsummer, whatever the weather dishes up! I know the fairies are making mischief...I can still feel the sparkles catching in my throat....

Here is a link to my Enchanted board on Pinterest, if you fancy indulging?

 

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bits and pieces

...a bit of a pick & mix posting today! Last week was eclectic to say the least...it included...

a visit to the Wealden Times Midsummer Fair. 

This year's event was held at Hole Park, Rolvenden, Kent.

Favourite stands included Foxhole antiques...

...and Chloe Antiques.

Favourite products...

...I fell in love with Pearl & Queenie jewellery...especially the Love Story Collection, check them out here or visit the shop in Hastings Old Town. This ring is my most coveted item of the day.

...I was extremely impresssed with Olivier Baby too. Beautiful cashmere knits for babies and little people.

...I was smitten with Court & Hunt's Shepeherds hut and Wantsum, oh and yes I do! Want them both!

I was lucky enough to squeeze a flying visit with Virginia Griffith-Jones, she is working on a huge new canvas, it's already looking wonderful...I suspect it is going to be a triumph...here's a sneaky peak at her studio...

I was thinking about running away to join the circus later in the week, then I discovered that mon ami Gigi had been to Giffords Circus and I was wild with envy until she asked me to go to the beach...

Giffords Circus / Rasa Zukauskaite by Ellen von Unwerth for Lula Magazine

 

 ...I soon forgot all about the circus...

I was accompanied throughout by my trusty side-kick Boodle...

seen here happily sleeping it all off!

Sarah

-x-

Dad

Happy Birthday Candy Man!

find out more here

-x-

Cornwall "dressed over-all"

Yachts may “Dress Overall” in the UK on special 

occasions such as Trafalgar Day, Navy Days, or in the presence of a Royal Standard or Flag of the Head of State or a foreign Sovereign. 

Also on these days...

6th February  Accession Day 

2nd Monday in March  Commonwealth Day 

21st April  HM the Queen’s Actual Birthday 

Saturday in June (ICW DCI's)  HM the Queen’s Official Birthday 

2nd June  Coronation Day 

10th June  The Duke of Edinburgh's Birthday

It was so exciting to see all the boats dressed over-all for the Flotilla.

There are so many Regattas held in Cornwall during the summer months, you will often see nautical flags flying but over the Jubilee weekend, my goodness me the boats looked fantastic and so did all our favourite haunts...brilliant effort considering the rather unsporting weather!

In summary, 

wellies ~ essential. Flowers and flags abound.

The land of Trelawney dotted with thrift, laced with valerian, daisies for buttons.

Bunting and boats, pasties and street parties with all the pomp a Cornish village can muster.

Rain, rock-pools and rosy cheeks...I give you my postcard from celebratory Kernow...

 Sweet honeysuckle let me linger here

Among thy fragrance issued in a shower.

How blissful thus to muse where Nature pours

Her incense forth in hollows watch'd with hills,

And roof'd with stars, and floor'd with living flowers!

0 what a temple is the leafy wood,

The rude old carn, the ocean's solemn shore,

The valley's bosom, and the meadow's lap!

I love thee, Nature, with a fire unfeign'd,

And ever at thy feet thy child would sit

In pleasant meditation, where the eye

Of selfish man beholds not my retreat,

In storm or calm, when heaven is blue or black,

Learning thy lore, and treasuring up thy truth.

Could I have had my choice, my home would be

Among the rocks and rivers, fens and ferns,

From human hives as lonely as a crag.

Here, hermit-like, I'd pass away my hours,

Drinking at Nature's fountain, undisturb'd

By trump or tumult, writing simple song,

excerpt from "A story of Carn Brea", by John Harris