Flapjacks, music & a bruised pinky at the farmer's market

 A weekend morning at the start of what is spring in my head now and we head off to a farmer's market at Rode Hall, Cheshire. The thought of cheeses on display and prettily wrapped cakes always gets us up and out early to sample the best of our local producers.

Roses are pink

May you have a day filled with pink roses, chocolate, hugs and wet noses.

Be kind to yourself.

Pat the dog, stroke the cat, feed the birds.

Grab a woolly blanket. Grab a book.

Have a gentle day filled with whatever love you desire.

Holiday planning

I am so excited as just after Easter we are off to Cornwall for a week. I have never been before and I can't wait to explore the quaint villages and beautiful coastline. Then  I decided that we had to also go back to Tenby and booked a week to South Wales for late summer, once the kids have gone back to school. One of the benefits of home education is cheaper holidays! Being able to go away when we please means we save a fortune on the cost of our family breaks and have money for our holiday wardrobe instead.

With that in mind, I started this week and bought Little Bird some gorgeous items for our Spring break - navy jacket, fun t-shirts, cute pumps and trousers. A good start and I will be keeping my eye out for some bright and practical items for him to wear whilst running along beaches, dipping into rock pools and exploring the Cornish ports and harbours.

For myself I like smart clothes with a practical element so will be looking at a new pair of shiny wellies, pretty sweaters and a posh new coat, maybe a classy Barbour jacket. A coat that looks so smart and will keep me dry when the rain pours, as I'm sure it will on our fabulous UK holiday.

We are staying in Perranporth which looks stunning and I'm putting together a list, as I always do of things we absolutely have to do. Have you been? Any recommendations? So far I have the boating lake and its surrounding gardens, the golden beach and smugglers caves and the sand dunes. Hopefully we will get to sample lots of local cafes and plenty of Cornish ice cream.

Winter gardens and summer dreaming

I find myself bored with winter this week. Cold and damp, wearing hats and boots. I've reached my end of season impatience. Winter you linger and I dream instead of the warm smiling sunshine and herbaceous perennial froth and fever. Blooms a hum of hoverflies and rambling thorny red roses up crumbling walls.

Alas there is a way to go until the season turns, so here is the winter garden of one of my favourite places - Chirk Castle in North Wales. Along the crocodile jaws of a Yew topiary avenue and into views back across the Cheshire Plains. Still beautiful with seeds heads and some great winter colour. Good to pop into the gift shop though to warm up and browse the metal owls and bottles of ale....

However, we went there last summer and I did not share with you so for some sun and to satisfy my summer dreaming, I give you roses and lavender parterres............

Joining in with Mammasaurus for How Does Your Garden Grow?

Frosty Fountains Abbey

 A frosty winter's day in  Ripon, Yorkshire. By the River Skell rises a wonderful old romantic ruin of a grand monastery from the Medieval era, Fountains Abbey.

Once inhabited by Cistercian Monks but left to crumble when Henry VIII (not my favourite king!) ordered the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

We walked through the Georgian Studley Royal Water Garden finding swans in love and an icy Half Moon Pond over looked by classical statues. A fair old walk for short legs but Little Bird enjoyed it.