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Reflections, Lit Fest and Icecream

The air was so still, likewise the water that the reflections of the masts and the trees was just lovely.

From the car park by Muddy Beach Cafe, with the Zed Shed above where we rehearse.

We went to Penzance for one of the events of their week long Literary Festival this afternoon. We heard Christopher Brookmyre talking about his writing and his new. book, Quite Ugly One Evening. We read and loved his first novel written 30 years ago, Quite Ugly One Morning which was absolutely hilarious, a thriller full of wit and black humour. We are looking forward to reading his latest featuring Jack Parlablane. There’s a really good review of his earlier work here..

On the back wall inside The Acorn Theatre in Penzance

Afterwards we stopped in Marazion to look out over the sea to St Michael’s Mount and to have some of the best ice-creams available hereabouts.

Ice cream dripping in the heatwave

1 Comment

Posted by mybeautfulthings on July 9, 2026 in collage, Cornwall, craft, embroidery, environment, nature, Penzance, Postaday 2026, sewing

Tags: Chris Brookmyre, Penzance Literary Festival

A Cat, Supper and A Poem

08 Jul

Driving home this afternoon we had to wait for a cat to move off the road. It was there long enough for me to get my camera out and take the photo as it was very slowly walking up the middle of the road. It eventually stepped up onto the pavement and jumped up onto the wall.

We harvested our first two courgettes today (should have taken a photo!) and made them into a delicious Creamy Courgette and Bacon Pasta, a BBC Good Food recipe, a real success.

Today’s poem, in this time of flowering roses, amuses me. It’s by Dorothy Parker who had such a delightfully wry sense of humour.

2 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on July 8, 2026 in Cornwall, Food, Humour, poetry, Postaday 2026, Uncategorized

Tags: a BBC Good Food recipe, Creamy courgette & bacon pasta, Creamy Courgette and Bacon Pasta, Dorothy Parker

Hanging Baskets, Ice Creams and a Butterfly

07 Jul

In Truro this morning I was very taken with the beautiful hanging baskets. On the way home, we admired a couple of the many baskets in Redruth from the car.

In Truro

In Redruth

A lovely warm afternoon invited us into the garden with ice creams.

There are so few butterflies in our garden this year but today there was a Meadow Brown. You’ll have to look carefully to see it in the (rather dry) grass.

Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina)

8 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on July 7, 2026 in Beauty, butterflies, Cornwall, environment, flowers, garden, nature, Postaday 2026, Redruth, Truro

Tags: Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina)

Mum’s Chimneys, Clouds and the Sea

06 Jul

I’ve passed on some of my Mum’s chimney collection to her Grandkids but I still have a few and we plant them up each spring for the summer as she did.

Our choir practice was by the beach at The Blue Bar in Porthtowan today so afterwards some of us walked down to the sea. What a tonic – to sing and then to see, hear, and smell the sea. We are so lucky to be living in Cornwall and so close to the coast.

Clouds

The sea at Porthtowan

Just have to say – we recorded the World Cup football match, England v Mexico, (KO 1am UK time) and got up early to watch it without hearing the news. It was a cracker of a game and sent us off on our day with smiles on our faces!

5 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on July 6, 2026 in community, Cornwall, environment, garden, nature, Porthtowan, Postaday 2026, Uncategorized

Beads, Supper, Pink and Purple

05 Jul

I’ve had a little beaded ‘cap/beret/hat’ for many, many years. It was in the dressing up box when I was little and when ours were small but no longer has wearers so I took it down to the wonderful Make-A-Mends where all such wonders are welcomed.

We had friends round for supper last night and I made a delicious dish, Mediterranean Chicken with Lemon and Olives. Here it is, part cooked, as I added the vine tomatoes and olives to the part roasted chicken, new potatoes and lemon wedges. I served it with a mixed leaf salad and crusty bread and we finished with Eton Mess.

The Cornish hedge between us and our neighbours is covered in wild flowers. Here the Red Campion and our purple clematis make good colour companions.

4 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on July 5, 2026 in environment, Food, friendship, garden, nature, Postaday 2026

Happy Fourth of July!

04 Jul

Sending love and good wishes to all my family and friends and all my readers in America on this your 250th anniversary.

Here are two of our fridge magnets collected on trips to your beautiful counrty.

4 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on July 4, 2026 in America, Celebration, community, family, friendship, Happiness, Postaday 2026

Tags: Thomas Jefferson

Happiness Calendar, Tomatoes and Cake

03 Jul

I’m a bit late with this month’s Happiness calendar which is focussing on resilience and jumping back up after a set back. Hope some of the suggestions work for you should you be needing them.

It’s our first season in the greenhouse and we have some small tomatoes some of which are beginning to ripen.

I made a coffee cake for tomorrow’s market in town and made a mini one for us.

3 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on July 3, 2026 in baking, environment, garden, growing, nature, Postaday 2026, Uncategorized

Cherries, Apples and A New Parasol

02 Jul

We treated ourselves to a few delicious cherries today.

We have five apples on our family apple tree.

There was such a wild and fierce gust of wind two weeks ago that it lifted our parasol, tipped the heavy wooden table on its side and bent the parasol as it landed. We are pleased with our new one that arrived today and will be sure not to leave it open when winds are expected!

Two views of Welly Dog for you today aka Tinners’ Hound by David Kemp, remarkable artist who died last month. You can read about him here in The Guardian obituary. If you are new to our Welly Dog and would like to know more, put Welly Dog into the search bar on the right and there are lots of lovely photos of our Welly Dog and the ones cast in bronze that are in Redruth town centre.

3 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on July 2, 2026 in Cornwall, environment, garden, nature, Postaday 2026

Seed Bombs, Verbascum and Roses

01 Jul

There is still no sign of a flower yet in the sink of seed bombs but most of the greenery is doing well, if a bit nibbled. I still don’t know what to expect. Anyone have any ideas from the leaves?

I love the delicacy of the verbascum flowers, cream with their purpley middles.

The rose we were given for our golden wedding anniversary almost nine years ago is giving us some delightful peachy/golden blooms.

2 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on July 1, 2026 in environment, garden, nature, Postaday 2026

Thistles, Silhouettes and Poppies

30 Jun

At Roots today we went to sit on the bench in the new orchard and listened to the birds – a wren and a blackbird sang for us. In front of us were the purple thistle flowers and the teasels and cow parsley in silhouette.