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Showing posts from September, 2024

23rd September 2024 Apple Pies, Not Quite How Grandma Made Them 😉

I get a lot of recipe videos on my social media feeds.  Many claim to be just how someone's Grandmother showed them.  I often doubt it's true.  I'm older, of course, so possibly I'm thinking of days from long ago.  My Grandma, Nanny we called her, was born more than 100 years ago.  She had a large family and undoubtedly did make pies, but I don't think they had desserts.  She would have made pastry, she didn't have a fridge, and I have seen her cooker in a museum 🥰.   Nanny had access to fresh veg because Grandad had an allotment and she kept her own hens and rabbits.  She didn't leave a recipe book, but she left a healthy brood of children. The old apple tree in our garden has withered this year.  Although it had buds, it didn't produce any blossom so no apples.  We couldn't bring ourselves to remove it, and we'll give it another chance next spring.   I do know it will be something of a miracle if it fruits again. My nei...

22nd September 2024 Lynmouth and Minehead

Last week the sun shone and we certainly made the most of it.  Our grandchildren were staying and we  were able to have several beach days as well as days out and days at home.   We visited Lynmouth,  just over the border in North Devon.  We found a great little Coffee Shack,  new this year, and deserving of success.  A relaxing cup of coffee was just what we needed.  Just a short walk over the bridge led us here. Take a look and have a great Coffee if you're there.  Rugs and hessian cushions were laid out on the wall. We rode the Cliff Railway from Lynton to Lynmouth, not easy with a pushchair and a pram, as both had to be collapsed.  It was worth it though,  for the views. The sea was the bluest I've seen for a long while and the sun was out all day!    Other days were spent on the beach, building more sandcastles.  I've become quite proficient ☺️....

11th September 2024 Camping in the Rain!

We're back from 5 nights of camping and the weather has been horrendous 😫.   Our short summer has moved on and it feels like winter has arrived already.   Today, there's a north wind, and we put the heating on this morning as the house felt so cold.  The journey was slow, and I was grateful not to drive!   I'm more used to country roads than motorways.  We saw a fair few European cars around the ports of Southampton and Portsmouth.   Goodness knows what these visitors think of English weather We stopped off on the way to visit a friend and found refuge in a cafe at Highdown Gardens.  It's a place I had visited before, many years ago.  The one thing I remembered was the cave in the chalk cliff,  and I was pleased to see it's still there 🙂.  I'm pretty sure the pond had been moved,  but I might be wrong.  The garden was beautiful,  even in the rain. We continued on to the campsit...

2nd September 2024

We had another lovely few days with more family visiting.   It does seem that our growing family like to spend time with us and we take that as a compliment.  We love having them to stay, even if we need to chill and wind down when they leave.  Long may they love coming to our home. I don't think I've ever made as many Sand Castles as I've made this year!   Or paddled quite so often 😅 I was stung by a wasp too, that's the downside of picnics!  It still itches.  It's made me wary of wasps, although I haven't been stung for years.  At least it chose me, and not a little one. The weather has been variable.  Some sunshine, but also showers and cold winds, we've sat on the beach in our fleeces,  but I think the Iron tablets may have kicked in 🤞.  I already knew this, I need to remember that my body more needs rest days in-between busy days.  I simply can't rush around so much as I did.   In t...