1 The sun/warmth didn’t last beyond a day but that did mean a beautiful subdued light for some flower photos this morning. Thanks to fellow photography bloggers for the hints about avoiding sunlight, early or late giving better shots, David Heilmann at dhphotosite.wordpress.com and Russel Ray Photos.
2 It amuses me to see Max’s rabbit (a bit out of focus) on the line next door. There are two more indoors so that he is never without!
Drying rabbit
3 Driving into Truro through Greenbottom, I have been intrigued by this old phone box. Today the traffic was light enough to allow me to park and investigate. It’s a little library/book swap! What a fabulous use for the beautiful old box. Next time I’m there I shall take a few books to exchange at the exchange..
Kenwyn Book Exchange!
Inside the Kenwyn Book Exchange
Tags: aquilega, community, creativity, culture, flower photos, French, french lavender, fun, Greenbottom, lavender, nature, people, phone box, plants, toy rabbit, Truro
1 On some of the paving slabs on our new patio are some remarkably beautiful fern-like patterns. I thought they were fossilised ferns but I’m told it’s oxides in the stone. Click to see the detail.
Oxides or fossils?
Fossilised fern?
2 It has been properly warm today with such a lovely Cornish blue sky.
Cornish blue sky
3 Singing tonight with Hilary and the Inglehearts was so lovely. We did ‘The Soldiers’ Farewell’ with its beautiful harmonies and cadences – so moving, it gave me the shivers.
Tags: 'The Soldiers' Farewell', Cornish blue sky, ferns, fossils, harmonies, Inglehearts, inspiration, oxides, patio, paving slabs, singing
1 Just one iris open – but so beautiful, like a butterfly.
Iris
2 Went to Tregajorran for singing this evening and where I parked was this glorious collection of bluebells and buttercups.
Bluebells and Buttercups
3 We had friends round for dinner last night and I made the most delicious pudding! Lemon Curd and Clementine Parfait, an adaptation of a Nigel Slater recipe. To find step-by-step photos and the recipe, visit my page http://mybeautfulthings.com/food-recipes-and-photos/lemon-curd-and-clementine-parfait/
Lemon Curd and Clementine Parfait
Tags: bluebells, buttercups, food, friends, fun, iris, lemon curd and clementine parfait, Nigel Slater, people, recipe, singing
1 We’ve been watching this poppy and today it began to open.
Early morning poppy
Early afternoon poppy
2 We planted the runner bean plants today. We have no greenhouse so have to wait to buy the little plants and then hope for the best – middle of May is usually okay but does feel a bit risky this year.
Runner beans planted, hopefully to grow up the old pan-stand
3 I love these photos of me and my siblings that our Mum and Dad always had on display.
Four siblings
Tags: brothers, Dad, Mum, mum and dad, nature, people, photos, plants, poppy, runner beans, siblings, sister
1 A lovely long email from my sister-in-law in Atlanta giving me all their news.
2 I love it how gardening makes me remember people. Today it’s the very small crinodendron hookerianum, with so many amazing lanterns this year, only three last year (Mum and Dad and their good friend Eddie), planting Cosmos (Bill’s Dad who gave me plugs the year he died and they kept flowering until the first frosts), night scented stocks, just tiny seedlings at the moment, ( KJ as a very little girl of 3 or 4 who used to wake up at about 10pm night after night. We used to take her out into the garden on summer nights to smell ‘the night flowers’ and then she would happily go back to bed.) And now, seeing the uncurling fern, my lovely sister Daisy who emailed to say that she too loves to see the uncurling ferns but in Hawaii they are 30′ tall!
Crinodendron Hookerianum
3 A delightful little snail – I know they eat my plants but just look at him on the edge of the ice cream tub!
Small Cornish snail
Tags: Atlanta, Cornish snail, cosmos, Crinodendron Hookerianum, Dad, Daisy, email, Georgia, Hawaii, KJ, Mum, nature, night scented stocks, plants
1 Back to singing this morning after two weeks away. What a joy it is to sing in harmony with friends.
2 The title of our new book at Book Group is ‘ The World Hums in B flat’ I just love that! Hope the book is as good as its title.
3 Walking back from Redruth Library up the lane the ferns were uncurling – it’s so beautiful the way they do that each Spring!
Curly Fern
PS I’ve put the ‘how to’ for the Halloumi Peppers we had for supper last night on the Recipes page.
Tags: book group, ferns, friends, harmony, library, nature, plants, Redruth Library, singing, Spring, The World Hums in B flat
1 An email from a dear friend saying that I have just made her day!
2 Four horses in the field behind us today.
Four horses
3 Beautiful simple supper of grilled peppers with garlicky tomatoes and grilled Halloumi on top and served with some crispy bread to soak up the juices. Scrumptious!
Halloumi Peppers
Tags: cooking, email, food, four horses, friend, garlic, garlicky tomatoes, grilled peppers, halloumi cheese, horses, peppers, simple supper, tomatoes, vegetarian
1 Something quite magical happened today that has not happened in the four years we’ve been here. There was a reflection from the windscreen of the car on the drive through the etched window of the inner front door and up onto the stair carpet at the top of the stairs – beautiful!
Etched window from 1904
Reflections
2 We went to Hardy Exotics this afternoon, in Whitecross, on the A30, to find a tree to survive the wind in our garden. We didn’t get a tree today but were shown this scruffy and very beautiful nest with the mother bird sitting in one of the staff-only greenhouses! What a sensible bird! It’s warm, dry, only Di goes in there to pot up new plants and she can listen to Radio 4!
Mother on nest
3 Had two meetings today with couples wanting non-religious Wedding Ceremonies, one to be on Little Fistral Beach (Carnmarth Hotel if the weather is bad), in Newquay in September and the other at Trevenna Barns, Bodmin in May next year. Both lovely couples with whom it was fun to start the planning.
4 An added extra for today – There’s a fabulous review of Babel here – this reviewer totally gets it, at last! http://teatimeinwonderland.co.uk/lang/en/2012/05/12/babel/
Tags: 1904, A30, Babel, Carnmarth Hotel, etched window, etchings, Hardy Exotics Plant nursery, Humanist, Humanist Wedding Ceremony, Little Fistral Beach, mother bird, nest, Radio 4, reflections, review of Babel, Trevenna Barns, wedding ceremony
1 I love elephants! I’ve loved them since I was very little and today this beautiful story came in to my inbox and reminded me of our encounter with a herd of elephants after our Voluntouring in Mapoch, South Africa. The lovely Mr S spotted them from a long way away, we found them and watched them playing in the water for about 40 minutes. It was absolutely magical.
http://delightmakers.com/news-bleat/wild-elephants-gather-inexplicably-mourn-death-of-elephant-whisperer/#.T7AQOKty_Jo.facebook
Elephants enjoying the water
Leaving the water
Teenage elephant, reluctant to leave his playing
Mother and Baby
2 This beautiful embroidery is one of three made for me by Grace, the sister of the teacher at the school in Mapoch, near Pretoria where we, with local builders, built a classroom.
Grace’s beautiful embroidery
Sisters under the skin, Grace, me and Sibongile and their babies
3 We’ve hardly stopped laughing all evening! We’ve been to see ‘Spamalot’ at The Hall for Cornwall. The place was packed and the whole audience loved the show.
Tags: Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, community, elephants, embroidery, Hall for Cornwall, herd of elephants, laughing, local builders, Mr S, sister, South Africa, Spamalot, teacher, volunteering, Voluntouring
1 This circle of daisies has been saved from the mower so that Jake and I can make a daisy chain when they all visit in a couple of weeks.
Daisies in the lawn
2 Such a beautiful blue sea on the horizon this afternoon as we came over the hill from Lanner. Click to see more clearly.
Blue sea on the horizon
3 And this very beautiful sunset this evening seen from our bedroom window.
Sunset towards St Ives
Tags: creativity, daisies, daisy chain, horizon, Jake, Lanner, sunset
