The Bike Boy

A Hidden Rose Apple

This apple is called a Hidden Rose. It was developed by a gentleman we call the Apple Man, because he looks like an apple. He is retired and his passion is apples, growing them and deveoping new varieties. This is his new variety, A Hidden Rose. I truly think it should win a reward. Have you ever seen such an apple with this beautiful blush colour of the inner fruit.
This is the outside.

Evening In The Simla Room

Now because we have two stoves I have to differentiate. Well this is our stove in The Simla Room, a gas stove. I use it mostly in the shoulder seasons, spring and autumn. Winter it gets quite cold in the room, so takes a least 30 minutes to get it warmed up, but I do like the gas stove because if I want to use the room but am not committed to being in there for a long while, it is instant heat. The Simla Room is my retreat, I use it a little less in the winter, but other wise all the time,

Tink my faithful companion likes it. No she's not writing her disitation. It's the auxiliary keyboard I have to plug into my laptop when the keypad goes on the fritz, which is off and on and you never know when it will happen.

I spent a cozy evening in here writing and reading. There is a calmness and peacefulness that settles upon a winter evening, which you don't have in summer. Summer you are busy more outside in the garden than inside. There are more outside activities going on, The Boy bike riding with friends. And you don't want to be in. Actually somewhat of a respite from the constant gardening. Each season has it's joy.

Teatime Is A Nickname

Teatime is a nick name of mine that was given to me when I first came to the States. 

Christy

Pudding Power

I was under the misconception that if I scanned these pages in they would be legible, but if you double click on them you can read the recipes clearly. I just wanted to share with you some of the puddings that I grew up with. Spotted Dick, Summer Pudding and Golden Syrup Pudding. Spotted Dick was always on the school dinner menu and Golden Syrup Pudding was something my mum made and we loved. If you've ever tried Golden Syrup, there is no substitute for it.

Lilbitbrit's Etsy Shop Makes Her First Sale

Yes! Yes! Yes!

I have made my first sale on Etsy. It was the sixties fabric and it was sold to: -
Simply Sage

So possibly you will see the fabric made into a bag or purse in her Etsy Shop.

I couldn't be more tickled pink. It's so exciting. I know, I know you're all old pros at it, but it is fun.

Christy

Candlelight

A brass kettle that I bought at a car boot sale in the Lake District, U.K. and a brass trivet. I think it needs a little cleaning.

A candle that I picked up when our library had a flea market sale.

Some berries picked off a bush which the birds must have planted, because I didn't.

Apple Picking

We went with friends for an afternoon of apple picking. Blue skies and lots of apples. So many were just rotting on the ground, it seems such a waste, almost sacrilegious.

The Boy and his friend L.

Our group of friends.

The pumpkin patch.

Have you ever tasted a quince? Well don't until you've made them into jelly.

Part of the apple orchard store.

What do you think of these, Apple Pumpkins?

Our friends bought a little puppy, a Weimer... something, something. But he's real cute and all tuckered out.

Musing by Candlelight

I was awake in the wee hours of a weekday morning, by wee hours I mean 4:00 am, so I went downstairs and made myself a cup of tea, and decided to sit in the sitting room quietly, and light the candles on my mantle piece, which I had just cleaned and rearranged the day before.

It's always so peaceful at that time and with the candlelight flickering, I started to think about pioneer days in the States. Maybe sitting at night in a cabin in New England, or weathering a winter through in a sod cabin in the Prairies.

And it made me think of my husbands ancestors who came over very early in the European history of the USA. In fact I contend that he's more British than I am, all the surnames in his family are totally British, where as my maiden name was of French derivation, my grandfather coming from Somerset and the West Country of England has always had close ties with Brittany.

Not too long ago we found my husbands whole family on his father's side, that we did not know, which is a whole post on it's own. By finding his family, which was wonderful, it opened up to us all his history and photos, Oh! such wonderful photos. I never thought he totally looked like his father, and we didn't have a photo of his grandfather, but now we even have his great grandfather and great, great grandmother. And who does he look like, his great grandfather. I said to my husband we know we've found your family, I only have to look at them, we were thrilled.

So on more research, and Bo's relative P. who we found had traced the family back to the 1700's, to Massachusetts and then Vermont. I'm sure one part his family came over in 1638 on the ship Diligent, out of Ipswich, Suffolk and landed in Boston, Mass. That is only eighteen years after the Mayflower landed.

So to get back to my musings, I started to think about them by candlelight and what they had left behind in England, this was just two years before Oliver Cromwell began his Parliamentary rule there. What made them leave? And I think anyone who's ancestors came as settlers to a country has to wonder so much.

Did they sit by candlelight quietly contemplating all that led them to where they were?

So such were my thoughts on a quiet morning.

Christy

The North Wind Doth Blow

We had our first frost last night, which made me think of winter, the North Wind and this old rhyme.

The North Wind doth blow

and we shall have snow.

And what will the Robin do then, poor thing?

He will sit in the barn and keep himself warm,

With his little head tucked under his wing,

poor thing.

Crochet Hat and Scarf with Flowers

I have almost finished crocheting this hat and scarf set. It was a trial piece, so used some yarn I already had. It's not quite this shade shown in the photo, but is very bright. I like the flowers I did with it. So now I'm going to have another go, with a little more toned down colour of yarn.

Christy

The Tale of the Two Legged Mouse and the Puds

Well let me start with the Tale of the Two Legged Mouse. I think this two legged mouse has the name of The Boy. Yes The Boy, likes to eat healthily, which is great. So when it comes to sugery items, he just picks a little off. Like a little mouse nibling at things. I often come into the kitchen to find corners broken of cakes. This is his latest nibling. He has nibbled at the peaches that were in the cake, so now it looks like Lulworth Cove.

The Durdle Door

Just thought I'd show you to up to date photos of Tink, waiting to get out the back screen door and Tupp eating her food. I just love Tupps tail. She has a lovely thick tail ringed all the way down.

House Invasion

Invasion of a little creeping plant from the garden. It's a really sweet little plant, and has little blue flowers. It loves growing between cracks in stonework, therefore it loves growing around our house. Our house is sandstone for the basement and half way up and since our house is eighty years old with many opportunities for this to grow.

Some how it has made it right through to inside the house. This is in our kitchen and the photo below is in our basement.

The trouble is when times get hard, not only can you not do extras on a house, those little dreams you have, but it's hard to even keep regular maintenance up. Such as the drip under the sink, or the pipes in the bathroom and obviously this now needs addressing. Oh well!

Indian Summer

Indian Summer, is when Autumn has beautiful weather and extends well along into October and maybe if one is very fortunate, November.

We also call Autumn, Fall here in the States. I think it's the only English speaking country that does call it Fall, oh! maybe Canada? Maybe a Canadian reader can answer that for me!

After a wet September, it is lovely to have this beautiful weather, before winter sets in. I can say that we usually do get an Indian Summer and it's great, because it gives you time to do all those outside jobs, especially in the garden, that you did not get to before.

Here are some photos of an Organic Farm and shop not too far from us, plus a little village.

Autumn is my favourite time of year here.

Bye Christy