Out and About in Our Town



The gazebo on the village green.

So nice to sit in its shade on a hot, sunny day

 

The bark of the old willow tree
outside my front window

The old town jail,  built in 1890
and restored in 2001

 

Winter trees, with their bare and twisted branches.
There is a special quality about them that we
don't always notice in summer.

The snow covered and frozen lake.
We 'lost' the lake in last summer's drought, we miss it dearly.
The fishing contest has been canceled, and we no longer have
fireworks on the 4th July as it's too dry and dangerous.

But we have a committee of fund raisers and volunteers,
working hard to restore the lake to its former glory.

 

Castle Howard

If you take the A64 heading west from the coast and inland towards York, your eye will be drawn to the sight of acres of lush green parkland, and in the distance you will see the rooftops of Castle Howard.*

One of the grandest private residences in Britain, Castle Howard was built between 1699 and 1712 for the 3rd Earl of Carlisle. It is not a true castle as this term is often used to describe English country houses that were built after the castle-building era of c.1500. Building work began in 1699 but completion of the house took over a hundred years. 

The Turquoise Drawing, refurbished in 2002 in a turquoise damask specially designed and woven for Castle Howard, is filled with portraits by notable artists such as Gainsborough and Joshua Reynolds.  

One of the two formal bedrooms on display to visitors, Lady Georgiana's bedroom and the lovely dressing room beside it, evoke the life and times of Lady Georgiana Howard. Lady Georgiana, the daughter of the 5th Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, married George Howard, later the 6th Earl of Carlisle, in 1801. In the 1830s these rooms were part of the Earl and Countess' private apartments.

The passage from Lady Georgiana's bedroom and dressing room leads to another dressing room and bedroom, this called simply The Castle Howard bedroom. Where Lady Georgiana's Bedroom is feminine in both furnishings, and feel, the Castle Howard bedroom is decidedly male. A deliciously ornate set of toiletries sits upon a sideboard, and the writing table is drawn up, as if the resident of this room was about to sit down and pen a missive. Queen Victoria is known to have slept in the bed that graces the dressing room, when she visited Castle Howard in 1850.

Ornamental water features are used to dramatic effect in the grounds and gardens at Castle Howard. It was the 3rd Earl who started work on creating the waterways which now dominate the landscape. The Walled Garden was laid out in the early 18th century as a kitchen garden. Today part of the garden is still given over to vegetables and cut flowers but the remainder of the area has been transformed into a garden of roses, dedicated to the memory of Lady Cecilia Howard.

Check out the links I have added below, and even if you cannot get to Yorkshire today, sit down with a cuppa, and read some more about wonderful Castle Howard!

Wendy







http://www.castlehoward.co.uk/

http://www.britainexpress.com/index.htm

Does it snow in Britain?

"January brings the snow

makes our feet and fingers glow"*

 

I am often asked if we get snow in the UK. It makes me smile.

April asked me the very same question on Monday, and I went to my desk to pull out my map of the world. (I love maps, but that's another post entirely!)

 

We looked at the location of the UK and at the latitude it is on. Did you know that London is at 51.5N while Quebec is at 52N? Glasgow in Scotland sits at 55.8N. Not quite as far north as Juneau in Alaska (52.9N) but it's a good way north.

The UK doesn't get the same bitterly cold weather as they do in Canada and Alaska, but we do get snow. And winters are long and dark and dreary. Once the clocks change, which happens in the UK about a week after the US, it doesn't get light in the mornings until around 8:30 - 9:00am. We go to work in the dark and we come home in the dark because the light starts to go around 3:00pm in the afternoon.

 

However, the summer is long and light. You can sit outside on a summer evening until 10:00pm and the birds are singing and the sun is coming through the window before 4:00am in the morning. And if you hanker for some time sitting in the sun on the island of Malta, just take yourself out to LA and sit on the beach there, the latitudes are so close you could imagine you're sitting in the Mediterranean! 


The photos on this page are of the last snow I 'enjoyed' before leaving the UK and moving to America!

All that talk of snow has made me feel cold, so I'm off to make a cuppa, you coming??

Wendy


 

*Sara Coleridge

"Nesting" Springtime Centerpiece

Hello friends! 

Yesterday morning, it had just hit me that Winter is ending and  I NEEDED wanted a large and dramatic Springtime centerpiece for my dining room table, but at a "this is an unplanned and compulsive buy" price.

I was pushing a shopping cart around my local craft store with my sweet friend Wendy in tow, roaming aisles, waiting for inspiration to bite. Five ideas later, it finally did! We came across a 14 inch super twiggy wreath, very inexpensive, and a birds nest came to mind. A LARGE birds nest. Go big or go home, right? 

Give it a try! ~ April

These are my supplies, cost around $10, items available at any craft store:

2. 1. 
      
            

• 1 - Natural wreath, the really "twiggy" variety, 14 inches $2.99

•  1 - 6 inch greenStyrofoam Disc (located in the floral department) $1.95 *the 6 inch fit the center of my wreath perfectly, but I recommend holding up the wreath at the craft store and eyeballing the center of it against the foam.  You will want a tight fit, you can easily cut the foam,  shaving the sides with an exacto knife.

• 1 - pkg of preserved sheet moss, approximately 3 oz's $3.20

• 1 - pkg of plastic blue Robins eggs (or any that you prefer) $1.50 *these eggs were small, about an inch tall a piece, 12 total eggs, but you can use larger eggs or decopauged eggs, less eggs or more, etc 

• White school craft glue which I already had around the house

Instructions:

Step one:

Simply take your styrofoam disk and press it firmly into the center of the wreath. No glue needed for this step, as the foam should fit tightly into the center. You can cut the foams diameter to fit, if it is too snug. I pressed the foam to where the disk sunk down a bit in the center of the wreath, from the top, giving it a bowl/nest  shape, and elevating the bottom. 

Step Two:

Lay your moss out on your workspace, breaking it into smaller clumps.  Pour craft glue onto a disposable plate. Dabbing the bottom of each piece of moss into glue, fill in the surface of the foam. I did a thin layer in the center, and more towards where the disk met the wreath, for a natural nest shape. Do not try to be perfectly even, nature is lumpy and bumpy. Let this dry completely (a few hours). 

Step Three:

In the center of your new large nest add your decorative eggs, and anything else that you might like to display. I did not use any glue for this part because I wanted to be able to change things up over the years. My 7 year old daughter decided a momma bird needed to be in the nest, so she grabbed the one off of my kitchen window (a big gold one). Not sure I love LOVE it but my daughter's enthusiasm was precious so it stays for now.

Tip: If you are concerned with a bit of shedding from all of the natural components (nature can be  a tad messy) BEFORE step two, you can hot glue a circle of dark brown felt to the bottom of your nest, first cutting the felt to fit the diameter of the wreath.  Hot glue on the outer edge of the felt, a nice even ring, and press (glue side down) all around the wreaths edge covering the wreath bottom and foam disk. Flip the wreath over and continue to step two. Choose a felt color that is close to the color of your wreath

HAPPY SPRING!

April

Blue and white and palest lemon.........

Shabby decor encompasses many colors and designs, but for me, there is just one that says "This is shabby chic, this is comfort, this is where I want to sit."

Imagine the palest lemon painted walls, white wainscoting with a dado rail, stripped pine floorboards and pristine white net curtains billowing softly in the breeze from the open window. The sofa and chairs in blue and white, are soft and plump, with feather filled cushions that invite you to come in and sit down. Soft rugs sit beneath the seat to cushion your feet while a small table and a lamp encourage you to curl up with a book and read.

Pine shelves and cupboards display old dishes and china, many pieces collected over the years. Various patterns of blue and white china dominate. The English love affair with blue and white china began in the 18th century with the introduction of Willow Pattern china. Based on elements of the pattern, various stories were invented to promote the sale of the china.

The most famous of which tells the story of a wealthy Mandarin who had a beautiful daughter. She fell in love with a poor man, and wanted to marry him. This angered her father who banished the young man from his house and kept his daughter inside while awaiting the arrival of a powerful duke she was due to marry. However, on the night before the wedding, the young man came to 'rescue' the Mandarin's daughter and they escaped to an island where they lived happily for many years. One day, the duke found them and had them killed, but the gods, moved by their plight immortalized them as doves, eternally flying together in the sky.
 

Flow Blue, is another incredibly popular china, that also became available in the late 18th century. Many of the patterns were based on Chinese designs and the name Flow Blue came from the way the pattern was transferred onto the porcelain. Decorative patterns were applied with a paper stencil to white glazed 'blanks'. The stencils burned away in the kiln during firing, leaving behind a vivid cobalt blue color, which is the most sought after shade.

Delft blue tiles were also very popular and common in Victorian kitchens, providing a gentle hand-painted finish that contrasted so beautifully with the copper pans and skillets that hung from racks on the ceiling and glowed softly in the light from the range.

Victoria ware china, it's delicate blue and white patterns appeared on tea tables in drawing rooms through the country, serving breakfast and afternoon tea. Trays would be laid out with a teapot of black tea filled with hot water. Alongside this was a hot water jug, so that you may warm the tea and refill the pot. A sugar bowl and milk jug was also supplied along with tiny tea spoons. Madeira, Fruit or Seed cake graced the table in addition to light as air sponge Madeline's and all manner of sandwiches which were served during afternoon tea.

So come and sit down with us for a while, have a cuppa!

Wendy
 

 

Afternoon Tea

"Come along inside.............

We'll see if tea and buns can

make the world a better place.."*

 

Before I moved to live in America I was living in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, a town situated on the coast along the North Sea. It was a beautiful place to live, had two sandy bays separated by a headland with a ruined castle on top, a lighthouse and small fishing fleet. But Scarborough didn't have many large stores, so in order to get our shopping fix, my friend Shirley and I used to drive the 65 odd miles inland to the city of York.

 

We would spend our day wandering around the town, trying on new clothes, browsing the galleries and gift shops and taking time to look for bargains in the antique and collectors stores.

 

No matter what time of year we went to York, it was always busy and lively and a fun day out. And whenever we went, we had to visit Mulberry Hall.* The premises date from 1434 and inside there are multiple rooms in which the most gorgeous china and crystal glass can be found. I loved looking around the store, but even better was heading up the narrow stairs to the tea room. Sometimes, we had to stand and wait for a table to become available, but we always waited, because having tea at Mulberry Hall was a part of our day out. It was special and something Shirley and I looked forward to each time we went to York.

 

The tea room was small but so pretty, with perfectly set tables and the murmur of conversation all around. The tables were beautifully set with delicate bone china, crisp linen napkins and good heavy cutlery. Shirley and I generally ordered the same things, salmon and cucumber sandwiches, a toasted teacake to follow, and of course a pot of English breakfast tea served with milk and sugar. Once we were served we poured ourselves a 'cuppa' ate our sandwiches, discussed our morning and what we still wanted to do, and just relaxed. It was the best part of the day.

 

And if you wish to make some salmon and cucumber sandwiches, here's my recipe for you:

 

• Thinly sliced whole wheat or white bread
• Tinned red salmon
• Good mayonnaise
• English cucumber
• Butter

 

Soften the butter and spread lightly on both slices of the bread. Drain the salmon, put it into a dish and remove all skin and bones, then break up with a fork. Add a spoonful of mayonnaise to the salmon and mix in gently. (The mayonnaise prevents the salmon from being too dry.)

 

Spread a good helping of the salmon mixture onto one slice of bread. If you are using an English cucumber, you do not need to peel it, just wash prior to slicing thinly. If you cannot get an English cucumber (also called 'seedless' or 'hot house') then remove the peel. Cover the salmon mixture with the thinly sliced cucumber, top with bread and cut the sandwich into four triangles.

 

Enjoy with a cup of tea!!

 

Wendy

 

 

 

 

*The Wind In The Willows



* http://www.mulberryhall.co.uk/

Spring Cleaning

Who loves Spring cleaning? Who has the urge once the days grow longer and lighter to clear out the clutter, dust and clean and tidy throughout the house?

Not me, that's for sure!

And it was while I was debating cleaning up the twins' bedroom or reading a book that I began to browse through a very old copy of 'Mrs. Beeton's Cookery Book'.* This is a wonderful book not only full of recipes - as would be expected - but also full of advice and wisdom for the housewife. There is information on cleaning just about anything.

Do you need to clean your tins? Then "...whiting, moistened with water, and water with a little spirit of ammonia is a good cleansing and polishing paste for tins".

Got a grease spot on your carpet? "One pint of oxgall mixed into 3 gallons of warm water and applied to the stain with a stiff brush...." should do the trick.

Did you know that if your kitchen knife smells of onion, you need only "...thrust it into the earth one or twice to take away the smell."

And be sure to leave your saucepans and fish kettle in front of the fire to dry thoroughly after washing so that "....they may escape the deteriorating influence of rust, and thereby be quickly destroyed."

In addition to numerous household hints, many of which I am sure I will want to share with you again, the list of household chores that faced a housewife back in the early 1900's was daunting. As an example, there is an 'Order of Work' which scares me silly:

Monday
Home Washing
Tuesday
Sweeping and cleaning of servants' bedrooms or one or two other rooms, and stairs cleaned down to the lower floor
Wednesday
The sweeping and cleaning of best bedroom and windows
Thursday
Cleaning and turning out cupboards, and cleaning of passages and remaining stairs.
Friday
Sweeping and cleaning of drawing room, and cleaning of silver
Saturday
Sweeping and cleaning of dining room and kitchen, tins, coppers etc..

Besides these daily tasks, Mrs. Beeton goes on to remind the housewife that in addition she needs to remember "......the bed making, the dusting, the cooking and washing up, and all the hundred and one things that have to be accomplished in the smallest of households............"

Of course, if I was fortunate to have a mansion with many servants I would need only to supervise all of these duties and to ensure "...their proper performance." We are lucky now to have all our machines, and equipment and labor saving devices, and I am quite happy that I sat and wrote this post instead of cleaning the twins' bedroom! I will live to fight another day!

Wendy

*Excerpts from 'Mrs. Beeton's Cookery Book', 1909

English Country Garden

"How many kinds of sweet flowers grow in

an English country garden? 

We'll tell you now of some that we know,

those we miss you'll surely pardon." *

Although half of the country is dealing with snow, ice and freezing temperatures, some of us are starting to think about Spring! About the garden, about color and bulbs and scents and sun. All the warm, sunny days ahead and the pleasure there is to be found in gardening. Spending time outdoors, listening to the birds sing and twitter. Watching the squirrels chase each other around the tree and hearing children's voices calling out to each other from the park.

Moving from the UK to America, to the high desert, means recreating an English country garden is a lot of work. Not only do the deer like to come along and chew everything to pieces, but the sandy, dry soil, the high altitude and searing temperatures do not help.

However my thoughts turn to the garden my mum had and the flowers and bulbs she planted. The seeds she saved as she dead-headed flowers and then replanted them the following year.

My ideal English garden is what would typically be called a 'cottage garden'. Plants are everywhere, they are massed together, a riot of color and texture. There is no careful spacing, no serried rows of flowers and plants, it's a random, crazy patchwork, as if someone had taken seeds and just flung them out onto the soil with their eyes closed.

First come the bulbs, sweet small snowdrops, peeping their heads up above the ground when the weather is still so cold and dreary. Then narcissus and daffodils, their bright yellow faces turning up to the sky. Hyacinth, crocus and tulips, all herald the arrival of spring. Then as the weather warms and lightens, forget-me-not, lavender and phlox start to bloom and fill the garden with their rich, fragrant scent. Sweet William, bleeding heart, salvia and roses all flower and add color and brightness in every direction.

Sweet pea, planted in containers outside the kitchen window fill the house with their sweet scent. Add the cut blooms to fill little glass jars in the house, and the plant in the garden will reward you by flowering again and again.

The English love to use quirky items in their gardens. Old coal scuttles, tea pots and watering cans all make great planters. Sit a large plant into the broken seat of an old painted chair, poke small alpine into cracks in concrete or brick walls, and use old stone sinks or chimney pots to add height and charm to the garden.

Wendy

*Lyrics by Rolf Harris, English Country Garden

Enter to win this Spring DIY Starter Kit

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Enter here: GIVEAWAY

Complete Chalk Paint Starter kit that includes:
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 *Quick and Easy Paint Transformations book
 *Small Annie Sloan paint brush.
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