Three Things 52/52

Hello...... As usual I'm running a bit behind but here is my final year of happy post, I've made it to the end of the year, some times I thought I'd never make it but here they are my last 'three things.'

Number one:

Are happy happy candy striped Tulips, that I was given for Easter, It's hard not to smile when you look at them.

Number two :

My second happy thing was my trip to the castle gardens last week so lovely to be able to get out of the house for a bit and enjoy a spot of sunshine. You can read more about it 'here'

Number three:

My third and final happy thing of the year, was a fab girls night in we had on Saturday night to celebrate my birthday.  As I've not been very well we decided to have a night in this year and raise some money for Macmillan.

You can read a bit more about having a 'Night in' to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support 'here'

Well that's it for my last year of happy post. I hope you are having a happy week.

Clare xx

In the Castle Garden

Hello....... One afternoon last week and friend and I went on a adventure to one of our local castles gardens (we're a bit spoilt for history around here as our little town has three castles)

We borrowed two of these and off we went

First stop the The Queen Mothers garden

Then off to the castles woods,

as always at this time of year I was in search of lovely bluebells, and although we did see a few I'm still longing to see a sea of bluebells as far as the eye can see.

All the trees were looking lovely in new leaf, this seasons must have for trees!!

 One of my favourite parts of the garden

is the wild flower meadow, so peaceful and  just stunning this time of year the photo's really don't do it justice.

Then there was the blossom, the cherry trees are starting to finish

but I still manage to find some

Then it was onto the more formal parts of the garden

which are very pretty, but my heart belongs to the woods and wild flower meadow

Here's the view back down the path, quite a back garden.

Now for a bit of history the castle was built by Henry Vlll 1539-1540 as a artillery fortress against French and Spanish invasion and since 1708 it has been the official residence of 'The Lord Warden of the Cinque Port' formed in the 11th century, when five ports joined forces to defend  the coast from invasion. stretching from the South East corner to Hastings ports including (Hastings, Romney, Hythe, Dover and Sandwich)  with eight additional ports limbs including Lydd Folkestone Faversham Margate, Deal, Ramsgate,Brightlingsea and Teneterdan plus another 23 connected towns. There were lots of privileges to being a Cinque port town like no taxes you can read a bit more 'here' if you want to.

Some of the more famous Lord Wardens include William Pitt the younger, The Duke of Wellington, Sir Winston Churchill and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

Back to the gardens.....

 time for a shed shot,  

before we head off to the Castles kitchen gardens, we do love a shed here at the Summerhouse, which is affectionately called 'the shed' around these parts.

The  Kitchen Gardens are so pristinly maintained, not a plant out of place

which put the Summerhouse garden some what to shame, (but then we don't have a fleet gardener, that's our excuse !!)

I just love the trained Apple tree Walk

and the pots cloches and obelisks

but even more so the blossom

the lovely apple blossom was at it's best

So so pretty

There was just enough time for shot of the moat, which these days is a beautiful walled garden, and of course a cuppa and a slice of cake, in the cafe before we headed home.

You can see how close to the sea the castle is from this pic, such a lovely way to spend a afternoon in the sunshine.

Sadly I've not been feeling very well at all just lately so It was wonderful to make it out, during a better balance spell, sadly as ever there has been some terrible ME/Lyme payback for my adventure. 

So I'm sorry if I've not been stopping by every ones blogs. My balance keeps going and I've had the most horrible vertigo since before Easter, I think hay fever is not helping with this, in particular the nasty 'Oil Seed Rape' that looks very pretty in front of the windmill at the moment but really is a blight on the local hay fever suffers, I'm always terrible when it's out.

Oh well so is life

Clare xx

Easter Weekend

Hello.... I hope you all enjoyed the Easter weekend, there was lots to be done here

Things to make,

 like this Easter card that my Nephew 'L' made for his mum, when he came to stay last week.

and a little crocheted brooch too

this one I made for my sister as part of her Easter gift.

My sister decided she didn't want a egg this year so I hatched a little plan, and gave her a egg box !!

full of Easter treats

There was decorating to be done with easter eggs

and little chicks

and a tree in my room too

Then there were Easter cakes to be baked.

 They were dairy free dark choc chip until I added the frosting and mini eggs. 

Although I did keep back one plain for me.

On Saturday there were Easter eggs to be hunted by the little ones

and on Sunday so many Easter treats and 'P' made a yummy roast.

I just love these sweet little chicks, way to cute to eat.

Sadly we didn't make it on a planned adventure to a Bluebell wood, for various reasons including the fact my balance decided to go, leaving my feeling very dizzy and nauseous.  

Thank goodness for anti wobble pills as I was feeling very sorry for myself.

So for now I will just have to enjoy the ones in the garden, even though they are not the true wild kind, they are still a joy to see.

I hope you all had fun and the bunny hopped you're way.

Clare xx

Three Things 51/52

Hello... and a Happy Hoppy Easter to everyone, I'll be doing a Easter round up post over the next few days but for now here's my penultimate year of happy post.

Number one:

My first skippy happy thing is the Tulips that are currently flowering in the front garden, they are early this year as they are usually blooming at the end of April around my birthday.

They are so bright and cheerful it's hard not to smile.

Number two:

My second happy is managing to do a spot of song writing, just a quick little song.  I recorded it on my phone as usual as if I don't with my memory they are gone by morning.

Fingers crossed I be well enough to go to folk club soon.

Number three:

My third thing is Easter I do love it, if I'm honest more so than Christmas. I spent some time decorating the blossom lights in my room on Thursday as well as in the lounge.

I hope you've had a wonderful Easter weekend, that all the happy for this time.

Clare xx

Three Things 50/52

Hello...... I'm struggling to keep up with the blogging at the moment, but here are last weeks 'Three Things'

Number one:

Is this beautiful Camellia, the plant is covered with blooms this year, which makes me very happy it's very close to my heart as my Dad planted it, so I always think of him when I see it's beautiful flowers. Last year it did not flower, perhaps because of the cold winter, but it sure has made up for that this Spring.

Number two:

 All the mandala madness in blogland at the moment, reminded me of the wonderful doilies we have that my Great Nan made.

Just look at the work in this one it astounds me how fine the cotton she crocheted with was. I never got to meet my Great Nan as she had passed away before I was born, so it lovely we have some of her wonderful crochet.

This is my favourite of her Doilies it's just so pretty

What a talent lady she must have been.

Number three:

Now this is a big happy, I've finally succumbed and bought a sewing machine, I blame the 'Sewing Bee' and being it a bit of a weaken state due to feeling pretty grotty and fed up as I have yet another virus. So the maths is easy really. ME/Lyme relapse + Antiviral side effect + cold + hay fever + Special offer price = Sewing Machine cheer up treat for Clare.

I just need to find the energy to figure out how to use it. I did have a little play on Saturday just to make sure it was working OK. 

So now I need to find some easy sewing patterns as I'm a complete beginner to this sewing malarkey, leave a comment if you have any easy pattern or book recommendations.

Well that about it, it's pretty hectic here at the moment with so much to prepare for Easter I just need to find some energy from somewhere.

Happy Crafting

Clare xx