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Reflections, Planter, Mural and A Spider

It is always glorious to sing on a Thursday morning overlooking the Penryn River. The water was so still this morning, the reflections were almost perfect.

Colourful reflections

Walking up through Penryn from the Zed Shed, the planters are really colourful.

A planter in Penryn

The Mural that I showed being painted last week is finished and beautifully summery.

Mural by Elizabeth Perry, promised last week

We’ve been tidying again in the garden on one of our rare sunny days and I found this little spider which I am sure Ark will be able to identify!

White spider on the Acer

2 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on April 19, 2018 in art, Beauty, Cornwall, environment, nature, painting, Penryn, Photography, Postaday2018

Tags: Elizabeth Perry

Peace, Blue Sky and Cathedral Spires

18 Apr

The sun coming through the window as I arrived in the kitchen this morning cast a shadow of Peace on the blind.

Shadow of PEACE

There has been a glorious blue sky all day.

Bunting in the breeze

Truro Cathedral is always beautiful , particularly so in the Spring sunshine.

Truro Cathedral

Some architectural detail below:

Turrets and a chimney

Detail

Two spires

2 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on April 18, 2018 in architecture, Beauty, Cornwall, environment, Photography, Postaday2018, Truro

Tags: Bloggers for Peace, Bloggers4Peace, Truro Cathedral

Birthday Cake, Cat and Colours

17 Apr

I baked a cake using a new recipe today and it turned out very well indeed. It was a Birthday cake for a dear friend who will be 99 in a couple of weeks but we will be away on the date so we had a mini party this afternoon – Cornish cream tea followed by Chocolate, Date and Coffee cake, decorated with (edible) Primroses from our garden.

Birthday cake for Ti ready to be transported

One of their three cats was curled up happily in a basket.

Cat in a basket

Nicky showed us around her potting studio and I photographed just one of her stunning pots.

Beautiful dish by potter, Nicky Stephenson

The border outside was a riot of colours, yellow and purple in profusion.

Narcissus Jonquilla and Aubretia

PS. For those who read about my beautiful Chappelle plate a couple of days ago, I found the potters! I emailed and was truly delighted to get the following in reply.

“Thank you Sally. It’s a tray I personally did many years ago. I’m happy you are still enjoying it.

We closed Chappelle Gallery Jan 15th after 17 years. I was needing a break and we were wanting to do some things before we couldn’t.

HAPPY VALLEY POTTERY is still open. We are at a slower pace at our age.

Thanks Kathy Chappelle

Happy Valley Pottery

8 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on April 17, 2018 in baking, Beauty, Celebration, garden, nature, Photography, Postaday2018

Tags: Aubretia, chocolate, Date and Coffee cake, edible flowers, Happy Valley Pottery, Meera Sodha, Narcissus Jonquilla

Toadstools, First Bluebell and A Poem

16 Apr

Found in the garden of some lovely friends…..

Primroses and Toadstools

Leaving their place, I spotted my first Bluebell of the year, just about to open, beside the stream in the village.

First Bluebell by a stream

We thought Spring had arrived but, as is the nature of April, today has been full of showers (and a bitter wind.) Spring really is coming, see above. Here is a poem, by Sara Teasdale, that sums up April rather well.

April – Sara Teasdale

The roofs are shining from the rain.
The sparrows tritter as they fly,
And with a windy April grace
The little clouds go by.

Yet the back-yards are bare and brown
With only one unchanging tree–
I could not be so sure of Spring
Save that it sings in me.

1 Comment

Posted by mybeautfulthings on April 16, 2018 in Beauty, environment, garden, nature, Photography, poetry, Postaday2018, Uncategorized

Tags: Sara Teasdale

Peace, Plate and Peppers

15 Apr

In these troubled times, Lao Tzu’s words, written two and a half thousand years ago, can still point the way for us all:

If there is to be peace in the world,
There must be peace in the nations.
If there is to be peace in the nations,
There must be peace in the cities.
If there is to be peace in the cities,
There must be peace between neighbours.
If there is to be peace between neighbours,
There must be peace in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home,
There must be peace in the heart.

We have a beautiful plate that we bought in Atlanta on our first visit to America about 40 years ago. It shows Stone Mountain, Georgia and we love it. It takes a central position on our kitchen dresser. The potter is named on the back as Chappelle and, looking them up (as you do!) I discover that they are still around! If you look at their gallery, you will see a similarity with our plate so I think, and hope, that I have found the right people. http://chappellegallery.com/pottery/

Stone Mountain plate

I have stuffed two peppers with mushrooms, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, chopped Brazil nuts, pretzel crumbs and Halloumi cubes for our supper tonight. It looks good so I hope it tastes as good as it looks!

Stuffed Peppers

2 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on April 15, 2018 in America, art, Beauty, Food, Peace, poetry, Postaday2018

Tags: Bloggers for Peace, Bloggers4Peace, Chappelle, http://chappellegallery.com/pottery/, Lao Tzu, pottery, Stone Mountain

Remembering Bill Mitchell 1951 – 2017

14 Apr

Our Dear friend and neighbour Bill Mitchell died on this day last year and we have been remembering him today in various special ways. Firstly, here is my Welly Dog, left to me by Bill, seen here with Tulips.

Welly Dog with Tulips

Bill was an artist as well as a theatre director and painted a particular area in West Penwith most weeks. Each of his friends was invited after his death to choose a painting which was a very lovely thing. Today, many of his friends came down to Botallack where the paintings were made and we walked all around in Bill’s footsteps, following his paintings through the landscape, all the while sharing memories of this lovely man.

The Crowns at Botallack

The start of the walk

Gorse under a blue sky

Taking in the view

C contemplating

A view

Striding out

Some more walkers

A metal bow decorating a gate

Click on any photo for a bigger version and the caption. To read more about our lovely friend and neighbour, click here to read my post dedicated to him last year.https://mybeautfulthings.com/2017/05/03/bill-mitchell-our-friend-next-door-2121951-1442017/

9 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on April 14, 2018 in Beauty, Cornwall, environment, friendship, Photography, Postaday2018, Wildworks

Tags: Botallack, West Penwith

Yellow, A Surprise and A Bee

13 Apr

Cornwall is very beautifully yellow at this time of year – Primroses in the hedgerows, Daffodils along the verges, Forsythia in gardens, Dandelions, Celandines and Gorse just everywhere, down every lane we travel along.

Forsythia

Daffodils

Dandelion

Primroses

Celandines

We bought the magazine Cornwall Today yesterday because there is a feature on Port Isaac where family will be staying this summer. Imagine my delight to find a short article about me and my Suffragette Great Granny! I had completely forgotten the phone call some months ago!