September Sun

The sea was like a mill pond today and the only evidence of movement was the tide slowly creeping in.



Sea mist settled on the horizon, as far as the eye could see and boats moved across the ocean in the distance, almost ghost like, as they silently glided by.



Sunlight glimmered off the water sparkling as if precious jewels lay just beneath the surface.

Tales of long lost pirates treasure spun to the eager ears of my smallest one.

We lost ourselves this morning building castles in the sand.

Collecting sea shells and making funny faces with pebbles until our tummies started to growl.



If I'm ever questioned why I love the Autumn so when the naysayers say Summer is the best.

Well how can September be so predictable with it's warmth and sun and glowing days when in August we shivered and dodged showers and wellies were the preferred choice of footwear.

Nope - I say give me the September sun, any day of the week.

xXx

Spellbound

I was up with the lark this morning - even before the sun had, had a chance to rub the sleepy dust from her eyes.

I don't do early starts all that well.

Don't get me wrong I'm not normally a grumpy kind of person (though I'm sure my other half would disagree) and when I actually get going I can wake up pretty quickly.


But give me the choice of being snuggled up in bed under an assortment of feather down coverings or plodding down stairs to pop the kettle on before the sun has risen whilst the rest of the house sleeps, well............I'd take my bed any day. Until about eight-ish anyway, if I could.


It was so misty this morning and I remember thinking 'pah' to the prediction of any warmth today.

But ever so slowly the sun did peek her head over the chimney pots and all that mist turned into tiny little droplets of condensation - touching everything as it rose under the sun's warming rays.

I was spellbound.

The rest of the house was awake by now. Pitter patter of tiny feet, the toilet flushing and sleepy heads emerging one by one into the comfort of the kitchen.

I should of been making lunches - I know - but I couldn't resist pulling on my wellies (with nightie - perfect morning attire) and stepping out into the day, watching it unfold, mesmerised, for a few short moments.


Now I have to be the first at admitting I'm pretty fed up with the spiders at the moment.


Wherever I seem to tread I always get a face full of their lacy webs and we've even started taken to watching where we step of a morning.

The garden gate is a favourite haunt of theirs and one of us always walks slap bang into at least three webs.


Carefully negotiating the pathways and pushing aside their hard worked creations all waiting for the morning catchings - including me.....yuk!

Spider (and web) for breakfast - no thank you.

Though this morning was a completely different story - I didn't want to disturb a single web.

Just watch them come to life as the sun's rays struck out like little beams and all the condensation gently scattered making them shimmer and glimmer.


It was almost like something out of a spy movie with rays shooting across a room protecting and keeping guard of a valuable thing, but instead of trigger rays it was spider webs all criss crossing around the garden.


I had to keep going to the back door just in case I was missing something. Much to the annoyance of the hungry little people.


If you look very closely at the picture above, you may just be able to make out the mist as it lifts.

Entranced and spellbound - that was me this morning.


Now I'm just shattered and ready for a nap..................yawn!

xXx

Chilli Peppers

All grown in the greenhouse this year.

The man of the house has a passion for chillies - I'm not all that keen as you may know from previous postings - but who am I to squash his fondness of these fiery little things.


Our greenhouse seems to be bursting at the moment with all sorts of different chilli plants and these are the first to be picked of the year (I think) - all destined for pickling.


The eldest Boo is the only other family member who has a liking for these hot and tongue tingling fruits - or could that be vegetable? - and is it a male thing? To have a liking for heat that is.

Apart from pickling and chilli jam they freeze really well so the guys have chillies all year round........great!


We did have a run down on the name of each one, but for the life of me I can't remember now.

I think one of them is a jalapeno and the only other name I can remember for a chilli is a scotch bonnet, but I don't think we have any of those. I could be wrong though.




I do have to admit to liking the look of them. They do look very tempting...........and deceptive. Experience has taught me well though.

The colours may make your eyes 'pop' but as for eating - phew - no thanks.

No, I think I will leave these little delectable home grown 'blow the roof of your mouth off' produce to the menfolk of the house.

Have a fabulous week.

xXx

ps. thank you for all your lovely and understanding messages yesterday. It really was a tough one to put down in words and I'm so glad it made sense. Thank you again - Nina x

Polite Notice

This is a bit difficult for me to write because I don't want to come across as being rude or bossy, but something has been playing on my mind for quite some time now and I'd really like to mention it to help curb any future confusion.

Basically.

If you have a question for me could you please, please, please send it to me via an email (you can find my email address either under my 'about me' to the top right of the page or in the link named 'in touch' under my header) rather then ask in the comments box. Especially if you require an answer.

Daft I know - the things that play on my mind! But if you feel I never reply to a question you've left me then there is normally a very good reason.

I do try very hard to reply to all of your questions and I know I am a bit useless putting loads of information about stuff in my postings (I will try harder) but I am just a mother, wife, homemaker, general bottle washer and all the rest to one and all.

Please don't take any of these words as a criticism at all as my blog is very important to me and I value all that come and visit, follow or leave comments, but at the end of the day, it is just little old me.

I hope that sounded OK?

And on a completely different note - if there is some thing you've loved about the blog, that I've done, or want to see (or hear) more of in the future then please let me know. I'd love to hear your thoughts - what you think.

Anyhoo, on that note - thank you 'everyone' for all your on going support over the (almost) three years and continuing to pop in. Long may we continue on this journey together.


Here's to the weekend - a little late I know. And happy Autumn equinox - even though that was Friday.

The oak is my dedication to the starting of this season.

Thank you - Nina x

xXx

Steam power

Or a chugga, chugga, choo, choo - which is what the little Boo and I refer to any kind of train!


Way back in August right at the end of the Summer holidays we decided to take a family jaunt over to Tenterden - Kent.

The idea was to have a mooch and a wander around the town - we've heard so many lovely things said about the place - then grab some lunch and if we were lucky maybe go and have a gawp at the odd passing steam train..........or two.

With all good intentions in mind the plan didn't really happen like that at all.

What actually really happened was this ::

We got to Tenterden and started to have a little mooch around, wandering in and out of shops and 'oooohhhhhing' at stuff in general, but..................!


Kids don't really do adult mooching - not our kids anyhow - so we ended up grabbing some sandwiches in Waitrose - a picnic on the hop so to speak - with the promise that we would find somewhere to eat our lunch (the grounds of the church as it so happens) then pootle on off to see if we could spy a steam train.


We had no plans of jumping on the first available train that came along, none what so ever, but for some unknown reason - the kids got to travel for a £1 might of had something to do with it - we did.




And not just a hop on then off at the next station and wait for the return train 'oh no' we took the steam train all the way out - the longest journey that could possibly be taken - across two counties - starting in Kent and ending up in Sussex to...................Bodiam Castle.




Now I'm the first person to hold up their hand (high) and confess 'yes' I am obsessive about a lot of things, but trains are definitely 'not' one of them.

They really do nothing for me - apart from getting me from A to B.


But this was 'the best......ever' train ride I have 'ever' taken - it was fantastic.


We have taken the Thomas train before from Tenterden, but that was when our eldest was our only one and the smallest - at the time. If that makes sense?

It was fun, but crowded and very kiddie orientated - a sort of sit back and grin (for the sake of it) kind of steam train adventure.

Nothing like the day out we had this time round.

We did spend most of the journey with our heads hanging out of the window - hair flapping in the breeze - watching the world go by, taking in the beautiful scenery and waving madly at anyone that took any notice.

{see look - that's me}

We weren't really go that fast to be honest.

It took roughly an hour each way. Though by car it would probably be a fraction of that time - as the crow flies - and not half as much fun.




It was brilliant and we would definitely do it again. Play at old fashioned travelling in a wonderful old steam train.

Chugga, chugga, choo, CHOOOOOOOO...............!

xXx