The Clematis Armandii sent us the last blooms today.
Choir was on Zoom tonight and was great fun! What a lovely lot we are! Thanks to Claire for a fabulous lesson. 
It’s my kid brother’s birthday today and despite us posting on 7th April (to Atlanta, USA) his card has not arrived so here is another! 
I am always fascinated by how the Clematis plants twist and twine their way as they creep upwards. Here is a macro ‘twist’ and at the top of our neighbour’s apple tree, some of our Clematis flowers that have twisted their way to the top. Click on any photo for detail.
For others in the challenge, click here
1 Our Redruth Chiropractor always has some inspiring words on the board in her window. I liked this one from the Dalai Lama. What a wonderfully wise man he is.
Dalai Lama’s words
2 Another new gadget I bought the other day is this ergonomically wonderful lemon squeezer. I used it today and it is brilliant. For those who asked if the new Garlic Rocker was as efficient as it is beautiful… It is! It is so easy to use and very easy to clean – a winner in every way!
Lemon squeezer
3 It’s Pancake Day, Shrove Tuesday, and, in the family tradition started dinner with Savoury Pancakes (stuffed today with chicken and peas in a Béchamel sauce) followed by Crêpes Suzettes – yummy! I can post the recipes if anyone would like me to.
Delicious savoury pancakes
Crêpes Suzettes
1 We went shopping in Truro this afternoon after one storm had passed and just before the next one came in. This very beautiful curved street, Walsingham Place in Truro, dates back to the Georgian period.
Walsingham Place
2 Owls were a kind of family emblem and these two are lovely. I was very tempted but resisted!
Delightful owls
3 What a lovely flower display this is, in the equally lovely little indoor market in Lemon Street, Truro.
Flower stall in Lemon Market
1 One of my birthday presents this morning was wrapped in this beautiful old paper that belonged to my much-loved Sister-in-law who found it in her Mother’s things. It must be at least 60 years old. The present was beautiful too!
Very special wrapping paper – isn’t it delightful?
2 My daughter’s lovely partner has made me a stick for stomping through the countryside. It’s made of holly and is so smooth and very beautiful.
Beautifully worked handle on my stomping stick
Beautiful knot at the end
3 We have just had the lovely news of the safe arrival of the newest Grandchild of our good friends J&M. It’s a lovely day for a Birthday. Much of the world is celebrating at Midnight and when I was little I thought the Cathedral Bells of Truro Cathedral were ringing out just for me!
4 In the UK the Queen always gives out Honours on her birthday in June. I have been lucky enough to be nominated for Blog of the Year by Renee so, on my birthday, I’m going to emulate the Queen by giving out some honours just before the year ends! The rules follow at the end.
First then, thank you so much to Renee for giving me a third star – much appreciated.
These then are the blogs that I want to nominate for Blog of the Year 2012. Some of you I nominated for an award recently but that was more general. This is for a Star! I do understand that some of you don’t accept Awards but just want you to know how much I appreciate your company in this blogging world and of course, some of you have probably arrived at 6 stars already!
Alastair of http://kattermonran.com/
Marilyn of http://teepee12.wordpress.com/
Meme at http://mixandmatchmeme.wordpress.com/
Noeleen at http://wordsfallfrommyeyes.wordpress.com/
http://regularteenageworld.wordpress.com/
Lesley at http://lesleycarter.wordpress.com/
Uru at http://gobakeyourself.wordpress.com
Renee at http://positiveboomer.net/
Don at http://candidpresence.wordpress.com/
Russell at http://russelrayphotos2.com/
http://applepieandnapalm.wordpress.com/
Bernice at http://realisticcookingideas.com/
Lou Ann at http://onthehomefrontandbeyond.wordpress.com/
Patty at http://thoughtsfromanamericanwoman.wordpress.com/
Penny at http://thewhyaboutthis.com/
Nia at http://photographyofnia.com/
Yvonne at http://aweebitrandom.com/
http://pillowsalamode.wordpress.com/
http://saymberblondi.wordpress.com/
Tazein at http://transcendingbordersblog.wordpress.com/
Elle at http://daysofourlivesjapan.wordpress.com/
Claire at http://promenadeplantings.com/
Kathleen at http://corningnystepbystep.blogspot.co.uk/
Valerie at http://valeriedavies.com/ who has actually stopped blogging for the moment but whose writing I really appreciate
Heidi at http://lightlycrunchy.wordpress.com/
Veronica at http://agujasblog.com/
David at http://dhphotosite.wordpress.com/
Sam and her daughter, Holly at http://childtasticbooks.wordpress.com/
and last, but by no means least, Pam at http://pablam.wordpress.com/
And here are the rules:
1 Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award.
2 Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ them with their award.
3 Please include a link back to this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award – http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/our-awards/blog-of-the-year-2012-award/and include these ‘rules’ in your post (please don’t alter the rules or the badges!)
4 Let the blog(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the ‘rules’ with them
5 You can now also join the award’s Facebook group – click ‘like’ on this page‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award Facebook group and then you can share your blog with an even wider audience if you choose to
6 As a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog and sidebar … and start collecting stars…
Yes – that’s right – there are stars to collect!
Unlike other awards which you can only add to your blog once – this award is different!
When you begin you will receive the ‘1 star’ award – and every time you are given the award by another blog – you can add another star!
There are a total of 6 stars to collect.
Which means that you can check out your favorite blogs – and even if they have already been given the award by someone else – you can still bestow it on them again and help them to reach the maximum 6 stars!
You can find the thumbnails for these awards at the Blog of the Year Award, address above.
1 Reading LouAnn’s blog about making resolutions for the New Year, I was reminded of this beautiful Sanskrit text which I found some 35 years ago when one of our twins was desperately ill and needing the first of three operations on his heart (coarctation of the aorta) These words helped me get the best out of each day with him to make good memories of that very difficult time. He survived! He’s the D who was married in Senegal last April!
Look to this day
for it is life
the very life of life.
In its brief course lie all
the realities and truths of existence
the joy of growth
the splendour of action
the glory of power.
For yesterday is but a memory
And tomorrow is only a vision.
But today well lived
makes every yesterday a memory
of happiness
and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day….
It is still my philosophy today.
2 Grand-baby T needed cough medicine when she was here and I searched out the silver spoon we were always given medicine with. She wasn’t impressed! The back of the spoon is marked ‘Practical Kiddicraft’
Silver medicine spoon
3 Down the lane were these leaves. I love the contrast of the bright green new ones with the bronze of the old ones.
New leaves and old
and something not at all beautiful but which I feel very strongly about and in her blog, Anjig, of knitreadclick, not normally a political blog, examines the whole issue of the safety of women in India. Do go across and read. It’s not an easy read but a very important issue.
I love taking photos of the flowers in our garden, in rain or shine and love it when I catch an insect on there too! Click on any image for the full picture. There are a few whose names I can’t remember. I’d be delighted if anyone could help out.
1 When I sorted out the children’s room I discovered that the toys on the windowsill had all been sitting in condensation. I put them on the bathroom radiator to dry and they’ve given us smiles each time we’ve been in.
Toys drying off on the bathroom radiator
2 I was told that there is a pattern for the Snowman’s Snowdog in Women’s Weekly magazine so off I went to buy it. There was enough blue sky to make a sailor a pair of pants as my Aunty used to say so I didn’t take an umbrella. Mistake! The heavens opened and I was drenched but I did get my magazine. Next knitting project now decided!
The Snowman’s Snowdog
3 As I arrived home, the stormy shower stopped as suddenly as it began and left us this beautiful sky.
Sky after the stormy shower
These are the photographs that I have had made into a calendar for my family who all live away from Cornwall – in Munich, Germany; in Atlanta, Georgia; in Volcano, Hawaii; in Warsaw, Poland; in Exeter, Devon; in North Finchley, London; in Barcelona, Spain; in Dakar, Senegal and in Chilla, Devon.
Please click on any photo to reach the enlargement and to read the full caption. I have used the rectangular gallery setting but it won’t put the photos in chronological so I’ve given you them not in a gallery as well. Which do you prefer?
January 2012 – Walsingham Place, Truro, a beautiful curved Georgian terrace in Truro.
February 2012 – Godrevy Lighthouse from Hayle Towans
March 2012 – Daffodils in Trelissick Gardens
April 2012 – thrift on the cliffs at Chapelporth on the North Coast
May 2012 – Bluebells down the lane on the way to the Duchy Nurseries to buy a tree.
June 2012 – St Michael’s Mount from Mount’s Bay. The best ice creams in the world can be found in the tea-shop here!
July 2012 – From St Mawes looking over the water to the St Anthony Lighthouse. The annual regatta was in full sail.
August 2012- Looking out to Restronguet Creek from the pontoon of The Pandora Inn.
September 2012 – Kynance Cove, a favourite place for the family for many years.
October – Coming back into Cornwall over the Brunel Bridge over the Tamar, after our holiday in India and Nepal
November 2012 – Looking towards St Ives from Hayle Towans
December 2012 Pill Creek , where we first lived when we moved to Cornwall from Birmingham when I was 6 years old. Is it any wonder I fell in love with the County?
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