Easter Visit to Anglesey-Abbey

As Our Boy was revising for upcoming exams, the Professor and I spent Good Friday exploring the National Trust property Anglesey-Abbey.

We are frequent visitors to some of the other National Trust properties in the region, but this was our first trip to Anglesey-Abbey.

It won't be the last.

The place was brimming with little children on their Easter Egghunt, but since we no longer have small children we steered away from the excited crowd and followed the path through the winter garden, to the Mill and then to the manor house itself.

Anglesey-Abbey started out as a priory, but was bought in the 1920s by Lord Fairhaven who transformed the place to a country estate. He had a passion for tradition and impressing guests and this inspired him to transform a run-down country house and desolate landscape.Life revolved around horse racing and shooting, and guests enjoyed 1930s luxury.The estate was given to the National Trust in the late 1960s.

The gardens are truly spectacular with planting for all seasons The path twists and turns and you don't know what is around the corner. We were completely struck with surprise when we found this little area with naked birch trees. The atmosphere was almost a bit eerie among these trees, but I can hardly wait to see it in full bloom in the summer!

The property also contains a working mill where we chatted with the miller and bought some of his freshly milled flour. At £2.25 for 1.5kg there was nothing to complain about!

A lovely walk, great company and a visit to a beautiful house rounded off with tea and scones in the visitor's centre.What more can you want on a chilly spring day?

And Then the Snow Came...

After several days of severe warnings and very little action, proper snow finally came this weekend! Ok, I know that some parts of the UK have had loads more than we have, but I can't help thinking there is a slight sense of drama going on... Many schools are closed, trains and flights are cancelled and people are forced to either take holidays to look after their children or try to work from home. At least let's hope the kids go out and play in the snow!

I spent a large part of my childhood in Norway and can't remember that school was ever shut even for a single day because of snow... However, I do remember there was talk of sending the children home once because it was too hot one summer...

☺

But since there are no winter tyres for the cars and many don't have proper winter clothing (amazing to see people walking to work in their wellies! - must be sooooo cold and slippery!) it is no wonder even a small amount of snow take people by surprise. The Cat has not been outside since Thursday evening when he spent the grand total of 2 minutes outside...

☺

I am enjoying this little show of snow. It makes everything look very pretty and clean. And I like the freshness in the air. 

So, put on another layer of clothing and stay warm out there! I can see the daffodils and other spring flowers are already about 5-10cm above the ground so it will be spring soon enough!

♥

One Thing Leads to Another...

I am back again after my final two weeks of holidays for this year. Our holiday year runs from 1 October to 30 September, and I now only have one day left before our new holiday allowance starts.

I think we are very lucky - I get 33 working days off a year (plus public holidays).

A great perk!

 

So, the family holiday was spent in Venice in July and these last two weeks I have been potting around at home (love it!) and also visiting friends in Zurich.

 

One of my projects while home was to get the gate to our garden replaced. The old one was rather shabby looking and not very sturdy, so a new gate was aquired and painted while waiting for the man to install it. 

 

I was very pleased with the new gate, but once it was installed the rest of the fence looked really shabby and the color seemed faded and the algea at the bottom was really showing. So, more paint will now be bought and the rest of the fence will get a new lick of paint so it will all match.

 

Yes, that is what often happens...

you start touching one thing and it leads to more projects...

 

End of Another Academic Year...

Tomorrow is the end of the Easter term here at the University.

The academic year is divided into three terms: Michaelmas Term, Lent Term and Easter Term.

True to tradition, as we do at the end of each term, we invited all the students working in the area of research my group is related to for a lunch in the President's Lodge in one of the old colleges.

Here are some (poor pictures taken with my IPhone) glimpses of the walled garden

The weather looks nice, but it isn't quite the summer temperatures we could wish for and the event was held indoors. 

Still, I wore a dress AND no stockings!

☺

Our own office summer party will not take place for almost another month in this garden so we can hope it gets warmer by then!

♥

Bring Out the Bunting!

We are getting ready for the up-coming Jubilee Weekend!

♥

Bunting is very British to me, both for using indoors and outdoors.

It really gives a festive feel!

I have been crocheting my own bunting for the neighbourhood party.

Quick and easy, using the technique in granny squares to make the triangles.

They are stitched on to a ribbon from East of India

Luckily the colours are applicable for celebrations for several of the countries I consider
'mine'!

☺

A Real Summer Weekend

The temperature is telling us it is SUMMER!

It has taken a while, but it looks like it will be 'one of those' amazing weekends

♥

I am looking forward to a rare weekend with The Professor at home and perhaps a BBQ in the garden! (Do I hear anybody mentioning Pims...?) 

Our Boy is still in the middle of his exams and the weekend will be spent revising, but that may now take place in a comfy chair in the shade...

♥

On Sunday we may even have a long leisurely breakfast in the garden with boiled eggs in my new eggcups

☺

Happy Weekend!

What Makes Me Smile...

the soft sunshine in the morning through the leaves on my lilac tree

 

or the 'yellow' tree (don't remember the name) also in full bloom

The little gems in an ordinary day.

Almost summer...?
♥

Lilac Time!

Relaxing Bank Holiday!

We met with friends coming up from Paris, went to the old medieval village of Lavenham and did some gardening.

Perfect!

The lilac is now blooming in the garden even if the temperature doesn't quite tell us it is May. The rain still keeps pouring down, but I have chosen to see it as a blessing for the garden...

So since things are growing in the garden, we must be heading 'in the right direction'.
☺

I am a bit curious to see how this year's tomato plants will be. I got a new grafted variety giving two types of tomatoes on the same plant. Apparently, they grow faster and is less needy of lots of light and sunshine. If the rain we have had lately is anything to go by, it might be just as well to get some hardier tomatoes for this climate...

I only got the tomatoes this time at the garden centre. Will need to think about the chilies soon too. Perhaps I will try something new this year - cucumber, perhaps?

So, what are you growing in your garden this year?

Enough Already!!!!

Ok!

I am sure it is enough now!

This April has been the wettest April in recorded history...

And still we are in the midst of a drought!

Is this not the 'right' kind of rain???

I am so not amused after cycling to work in the rain. To be honest, I could have saved myself this mornings (warm) shower - I had another cold one on the way in!

But the lilac is about to bloom in the garden so it must mean spring is here...

At least the calender says it is 1 May!

Happy Tuesday wherever you are - hope you are dry!

That Lovely Spring Feeling...

Unlike forecasted, we have enjoyed a gloriously sunny spring day!

♥

Almost feels a bit like cheating to already start working in the garden, but it was so enjoyable. 

Our Boy got busy sprucing up the bike after the winter. He has another bike to get to school with, but this is his treasured racing bike which he uses indoors on a stand during the cold and dark months. 

It is now time to hit the asphalt again!

Snow and Frugal Challenge!

The first snow of the season came last night!  I would estimate it to be a good 10 cm!

Good thing it is Sunday... judging by previous years experience I doubt many would be at work if it had been a normal working day! 

The Cat was just so NOT IMPRESSED. He is refusing blankly to enter outside...

♥

I have been challenged to a frugal month!

I am not to buy anything new for myself or the house for the month of February. 

I can however swap/borrow or make new things.

The idea is that we all have too much of everything and consume and waste too much. 

Being still close since Christmas I don't think this will be too hard of a challenge!

It was interesting that this challenge came just as I was thinking it would be a good idea to try to eat a bit more out of the freezer and try to empty some more out of our cupboards which are all full to bursting! 

So, I am extending this challenge to try to spend only about half of our normal weekly shop for the month of February. 

To be honest, I think we could easily live for weeks or months out of what is in the cupboards... 

Amongst the things that fill up my kitchen cupboards are numerous types of beans and pulses which are abundant in many Persian dishes my mother-in-law makes when she is here. Dinner tonight will be based on these as I mixed and soaked a variety of beans and pulses last night and this will become an Persian-inspired vegetable and bean stew with chunks of beef. Or a different take on a sort-of Norwegian lapskaus. And as I have made a large casserole, there should be enough for tomorrow, too!

So, I hereby extend the challenge to YOU 

-  will you take the frugal challenge, too?

Weekend Report...

What a lovely weekend we have had! 

The sun has been shining and we have enjoyed very non-autumnal temperatures.

Not a very exciting Saturday though. Just the usual boring housework that needs doing. Our Boy is on half term break next week which means less preparations for the week ahead so a less hectic schedule this weekend. But no Saturday without rice porridge for lunch! Well, that is a lie. It was true in my childhood though. Surprisingly enough, in Iran they also enjoy rice pudding, but add bits of cooked turkey to it. I have never tried it, but it does sound very strange to my Norwegian palate.

I harvested more of our chillies and made some more of the sweet chilli sauce which just 'disappears' in this house. I couldn't tell you how long you can keep it before it goes bad because it never lasts that long in our house!

The tomatoes are also on their last leg although some are still green. 

It doesn't really matter as my mother-in-law uses them in her cooking anyway and they taste delicious!

Still some flowers blooming in the garden. Looks like they can still go on for a long time unless the weather decides to change soon.

But some plants are getting ready for the colder period and to be used in new celebrations.

And to round the weekend off - a BBQ in the garden at a friend's house for her 18 year old son!

:-)

Welcoming Autumnal Beauty...

In preparation for Christmas (yes!, I know it is early) I started collecting some pine cones from the garden. I remember last year not finding any as the gardeners (we have gardeners that take care of the communal part of the garden (no arguments!)- could have used them in our private part, too...) had been to meticulous in sweeping them up, so I thought I would not be caught out this year!

I have also noticed on several blogs that using nature's own in various decorations is 'in' these days... So, instead of waiting till Christmas I filled a basket and put the cones by the entrance door as a small welcome.

We get several different types of heather-looking plants over here and this purple and white variety caught my eye at the garden centre. It now forms part of the welcome outside our door.

The wall by the entrance to our little cul-de-sac is literally 'on fire'!

I think this weather worn and dried number post is rather charming. Notice the cobwebs! I actually think even THAT is charming in the sunshine...

And if you look really closely you can see somebody else also visiting the old number post...

;-)

Potluck!

Our Boy and I spent a lovely summers evening last night with our neighbours in the shared garden. 

Our town house sits in the former garden of an old estate (which you can see a bit of the corner of on the picture). In this former apple orchard there are now 10 townhouses where we live! We all have a mini garden each and then share a larger garden which is maintained by a gardener.  In total we are 19 units as the old house has been split in to various sized apartments. 

It is a very international crowd in our little cul-de-sac which is very symbolic of the rest of our town. Amongst these 19 units we have people from Norway (of course), Iran, Italy, The Netherlands, France, Poland, Australia, Germany, Hungary and the UK (of course!).

Last night the Italian/Dutch family encouraged us all to come out for a potluck so we all just brought some food and drink and spent a very pleasant evening in each other's company.

It was great to talk and laugh with the neighbours about other things than boring accounts and maintenance work

. 

Spontaneous gatherings are often the best!

:-)

Tomatoes Galore and Garden Joys

The tomatoes are coming along very well this year. 

Might have something to do with the fact that I bought some special tomato fertilizer and have been rather good at watering them...?

On the weekend I picked up this hanging basket with tomatoes from the garden centre. 

I haven't tried that way of growing them before, so this will be an experiment. 

One of my chili plants mysteriously died so I got another to replace it. 

We are waiting in great anticipation to make more of Fru Tunheim's Sweet Chili Sauce which has become a favourite in our house.

The mint, basil, chives and rosemary are also thriving giving us lots of lovely herbs for our meals. 

Nothing worth freezing or drying - we are loving eating everything fresh!

I really love my tiny little garden and marvel over all the different foliage and shades of green!

A small garden does require some work, 

but there is plenty of time to sit down with a book and a glass of something nice to drink 

while enjoying the warmth from the sun, reflecting on life and

 watching the flowers grow. 

Bank Holiday Project: Revamping Garden Furniture and Ikea trip

We are in the midst of yet another Bank Holiday Weekend. 

I am not complaining but I would have liked some more sunshine and less wind! But 21 degrees isn't too bad.

My project for this weekend has been revamping the garden furniture. We have a wooden bench, a chair and a footstool which have all seen better days. But they are all sturdy although weather beaten. I have therefore given them a new lease of life and got some pale jasmin garden furniture paint and I am pleased with the results. The pictures of the bench above were taken a few days apart. 

That lovely afternoon sun is sorely missed today.

But I have not just been painting. I managed to slip in a trip to Ikea today. We are in the middle of two outlets, each about 1 hour away. I went to the one in Milton Keynes. It is a strange place... The town was purpose built in 1967 and reminds me of new estates in the USA. The roads are all wide and it is very green, but to me the place has no soul. On the other hand it has 'thousands' of roundabouts. The challenge is that it looks the same all over and it is so easy to get lost. My SatNav is a necessity in these cases, although I think we need to update it as there are a lot of new road layouts on the way. Most of the time it looked like I was driving in the middle of a field and I could almost hear the lady in the machine getting anxious over this 'reckless' driving...

But I have to say I was sooo good at Ikea and did not go overboard as it is all too easy to do when going to Ikea... The supplies of candles and napkins are now replenished as well as Swedish caviar, crisps, blueberry jam and chocolate plus the odd things I never knew I needed

;-) 

Listening to the Summer Sounds...

I quickly spray painted the iron basket. I think it looks prettier in white than in the original brown.

This evening I am enjoying being thoroughly physically tired .. 

-  tired from working in the garden. 

It is that kind of satisfied tiredness knowing you have done something really useful. 

Basil, garlic chives, rosemary, mint, tomatoes and chilies are among this years crop

Our Boy went hiking (12 km) and camping with the scouts last night. After picking him up at 9.30 this morning from the camp site I decided to 'attack' the garden. Our Boy is revising for GCSE exams starting next week, so no help to be had from him, but The Best-Neighbour-In-The-World came out and gave me a hand. It is so nice to work together with somebody!

The borders were all overgrown - the &*%@ ivy had taken over big time and the hedge was blocking for the sunshine.  Our garden is very small, but we have three huge trees 

(lilac, elderflower and one with yellow flowers - can't remember the name) 

and they need pruning so we also get some sunshine... 

We filled three bins with our cuttings!

I should have had some before-and-after pictures, but these are all 'after' pictures. I nipped out to the garden centre and got some more plants and some soil. 

Just need to be good watering the new plants unless we get some much needed rain! 

The lawn is looking very unattractive as it has gone without rain for such a long time... 

Actually, I never thought I would actually wish for rain here in England. 

Normally we have more than enough!

But you make do with what there is and if the weather keeps I am hoping to paint the bench and the chair tomorrow. They have both weathered rather a lot since last year so I think it will give them a new lease of life.

Color? 

I am going 'white' this summer, of course!

;-)

Enjoying the bank holiday weekend

feels nice to get my camera out - the Iphone just isn't good enough...

We are basking in the sunshine this lovely bank holiday weekend. The royal wedding gave most people Friday off and the pragmatic British celebrate 1 May on the first Monday of the month so tomorrow is free too! I might have to pop in to the office to prepare a few things for upcoming events, but it is so lovely not to have to run after the clock. I think that is what stresses me the most - not the work itself.

On our trip to Bath last weekend I was lucky enough to travel with people who love looking for antiques and bargains as much as I do (don't tell the Professor...!;-)). Nobody therefore objected to making a few stops on the way when we were lured off the beaten track when seeing signs for car boot sales! We all found some 'treasures' and this blue pot was one of my finds. 

I admire my guests for managing to bring all their 'treasures' back to Norway...! 

Don't you think the pot looks lovely with the lilacs which are now in full bloom here in 'my corner'?

:-)

I hope you are having a happy 1 May wherever you are!

What a Weekend!

I found some tempting material at John Lewis which apparently is especially made for the upcoming Royal wedding! Don't worry - it is not what I am using for Our Boy's headboard... ;-)

My computer is at the repair shop so I haven't been much of a blog-friend this weekend, but I will hopefully come back stronger once I have my computer restored..!

After a busy end to the working week I also had a very productive weekend.

We have had the most amazing weather with 20 degrees and sunshine from a clear blue skye!

Summer is here!!!

But I know all too well that this might not last, so we are enjoying every minute of it!

I got through the 'mountain' of laundry (12 machines, I think) which had piled up after two weeks of having no washingmachine and with the lovely sunshine it was doddle to get them dried.

Among this weekend's projects was a new head board for Our Boy's room, but I thought they were just so expensive in the shops - all over £100.

I therefore went to our local timbershop on Saturday and bought a piece of MDF which they cut to the size I wanted. Back home I had some padding and proceeded to town to look for a demin material to cover it with to match the curtains. However, as always when you are looking for something particular - it can't be found. I stopped by Laura Ashley's and as they didn't have any denim material either, but I settled on some other material which I actually think will work better. All in all it has cost me about £22.

Me like!

I will post it once it is done.

I didn't complete that project simply because the weather was too glorious to sit inside. Instead, Our Boy and I went to the garden centre and got the tomato and chilli plants to start this years crop! The lawn got a good cut and we tried to get rid of some of the moss... a never ending project, I fear.

Lots of plans and ideas for the garden, but 'Rome was not built in one day'...

But the biggest news of all this weekend is that I joined a gym and had my first workout Sunday morning.

It was great!

I hope I will manage to keep it up.

Amazing what a bit of sunshine does to your energy levels!

Spring

The magnolia is in full bloom in the garden and we have enjoyed a lovely spring weekend together with good friends for lunch yesterday and various minor house projects. All winter shoes/gloves/hats and scarfs are packed away for at least 6-7 months!

It is Mother's day here in the UK today and my men spoiled me with a big basket of various spa products and chocolates (think there was some self interest in that part of the gift ;-)) as well as lunch in the 'village at the end of the path'. Just lovely!

Our Boy is on his long Easter holiday while the Professor and I have to carry on working for a couple more weeks. Busy week ahead with conferences and preparations for major planning meetings after Easter, but first a dinner with The Ladies Who Dine tomorrow night!

Can't wait!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone