2009 continued..

August

Now we come to the month of August in my review of 2009.. possibly the month I know most about, as it was in August that I re-started blogging. How else would I know that I made cookies and tiffin, both from Attic24 recipes!? Other things that happened.. the garden bloomed, along with the wildlife that lives in it.

A bean.. grown by us.. we never actually got around to eating them, but I did eventually collect them, and have got them to plant this coming year.

August was also the month of Donyatt Flower Festival.. really wish I could do photo mosaics, that would be very helpful here.. if anyone can help with that, please send me a message!

I suppose the biggest happening of August was mine and Mums day trip to St Ives. It was to celebrate (or possibly commiserate) my Mother going back into full time work since before I was born.

We had an absolutely brilliant day.. have a few snippits in picture form.

The other thing of much excitement which happened in August was my first attempts in crochet! Not particularly good (and I havn't got much better yet) but I was very, very proud at the time.

Oh, and the bank Holiday Weekend, we went to Tyntesfield.


September


I can't believe I've got around to September already!

Not so much happened in September, but I do at least know what it was. The main thing was The Mayors Musical Extravaganza, a show of song and dance.

I was very proud of this show, particularly the younger cast members.

Nextly, was my first purchase of proper expensive wool (as opposed to acrylic).. I havn't done anything with it yet. I'm still too scared!

In September I also won a blog giveaway from Surfer Rosa! A gorgeous parcel of loveliness arrived, making me very happy indeed.

pins, crocheted pincushion, chocolate, needles, cake cases and a stitched heart decoration. I love them all.. obviously I don't have the chocolate any more!

Lastly, another National Trust visit.. this time to Arlington Court near Barnstaple.

(How Country Homes & Interiors is the wheelbarrow photo!?)

October

October is the month for Carnival! Technically they start in September, but I didn't take photos until October. We always watch Wellington (last Saturday in September) and Ilminster (first saturday in October). The above float was the most incredible tableau (not sure on spelling) of Robin Hood.. it was HUGE. Apparently it didn't age well, and was looking a bit ropey by the end of the circuit.

My best photos of the month came from a walk to the Garden Centre. The most amazingly blue sky helped!

Also in October, I planted many many bulbs.. you'll probably see them in another month or two! (The indoor ones were hideously mis-treated, and may be dead)

November

Finally, toward the end of November the weather decided to become Autumny. Overnight, it got proper cold.

These three are all from my Birthday outing to Watersmeet, about the only thing that really got done in November.

Oh, and this was my birthday cake, a very yummy chocolatey one.

December

We've come nearly full circle now, but I have almost no photos from this December.

The few I do have are unexciting.. anyway. I was doing my Christmas Wrapping, and I was so proud of this parcel, I photographed it! I never wrap something that well! Obviously this wasn't the full effect, it also had some gold glitter paper and red paper raffia added.. my parcels looked so good this year! :)

That just about completes my 2009.. there was so much more that I've forgotten, or didn't photograph. It wasn't the best year, but it was far from being the worst. I'm now looking forward to 2010, and all it may bring. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

A 2009 Review

I'm feeling nostalgic for the year just past (well, almost) and I feel the need for a brief review. Some of these pictures havn't been seen on here before, but I still think I should share them.

January

I have almost no pictures from last January, and certainly no properly attractive ones. That's a good start to my annual review! The best I could find was this one of Nigella Lawsons chocolate fruit cake. There are a couple from Pantomime, but they're not flattering of the people in question, and I wish to avoid the repercussions!

February

February brought the snow, made our feet and fingers glow. The day before the snow came in we went to Snowdrop Valley, near Wheddon Cross on Exmoor.

Lots of pretty snowdrops, and I think they're the native variety. There were the very first flakes of snow blowing in the wind. Snowdrop Valley is only open for one month - this year it's from the 30th January, til 28th February. Visit here for more information.. it's beautiful, and if you're in the area, I'd recommend it!

That night (or possibly the night after) we got our first PROPER snowfall that I'd ever seen. At midnight, or thereabouts, we built our snowman. The next morning....

we had a reasonable amount of snow! That was possibly the most exciting thing I'd ever seen.

March

March was a lovely month. We went on holiday!

How many March days have there been where one can eat a civilised breakfast on the patio? Not that many, I'll bet! The weather was unbelievably good. A perfect spring. You can tell it's March, the daffodils are in the hedge, and the hedge isn't green yet. A few more fabulous pictures from our Dorset holiday (please indulge me, this is one of my favourite parts of 2009)

Skies like that in March? Doesn't happen every year.

April

April we started National Trusting on a regular basis, we went to Knightshayes and Killerton.

Mostly photographed flowers, but one random arty shot of Dad in there for good measure. Not much else happened in April, that I can remember.. there must have been something, but I can't remember what!



May

In May, we went to Dunster Castle, and Blue Anchor, and several of my friends starred in a production of My Fair Lady.. this will be so much easier after I get to a point where I was blogging, and I have a point of reference. At this moment, I have no idea what else happened in May..

June

A far more interesting month! Lots happened in June.. firstly was My Dads 60th birthday. He wanted to go to Stourhead in Wiltshire, so that's where we went. Stourhead is beautiful, one of my favourite places.

A beautiful view across the lake.Umm.. A leaf.. I think it's copper beach, but it's so beautifully lit, and pink. Another view, of a different folly.. there are many.

And Dad, cutting his birthday cake. Date and walnut, if you're interested. Not a spectacular cake, especially for a 60th, but it's what he wanted.

Next thing that happened in June was my tax rebate. £1,500 of tax, returned to me. Part of that money paid for us to go away for a night to Cornwall. We stayed in Padstow, but went to Boscastle first, as I'd never been down to the harbour, and I wanted to see it. It's beautiful. The water really was that blue.

Now for two shots from Knightshayes, when we went back.

July

In July we did quite a lot of Pick Your Own-ing. We picked raspberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries and strawberries. I made strawberry jam for the first time, which we're still eating now.

I doubt Mum will thank me for that.. never mind. It's one of very few pictures I have from July!

Time for a new post I think, for August onwards.

Crumbs, how long has it been since I've posted!? Dear, Oh Dear! Losing my camera was what did it I think. It did turn up, but I was out of the habit by then.. excuses all, but it makes me feel better.

Have you had a lovely Christmas? Me too, very quiet and with its ups and downs. I never did half of what I intended to, but hey! It all goes back on the list for next year. I WILL make mince pies, probably halfway through January. The house is so utterly overstuffed with calories right now that it really doesn't need any more.

Anyhow, would you like to see some pictures? They are the lifeblood on which blogging is based. Lessee now, what have I got..

This one was taken on my Birthday, back in mid November. We went for a walk at Watersmeet, near Lynmouth.. it was extremely cold.

I'm afraid this is pure vanity.. I LOVE this picture, but I shall excuse it on the grounds of my scarf. I made that scarf, so I did. It's about the only project I've ever actually completed, and so I'm very proud. I should wear it more, it actually looks OK. From a distance. Just don't look too closely.

Ooh! Minor excitement from this day, we saw a heron! I do have photographic evidence, but it's not a good looking photo, so won't share it. The other thing that happened was I pulled a groin muscle straddling a ruddy huge log! More of a horizontal tree, really.

What else? oh yes, a little diversion of colour.. sort of.

Yep, a rainbow of shower gel. It's hardly beautiful flowers or stunning craft-age, but it amused me at the time that we have the entire colour spectrum of Original Source.

I have taken almost no Christmas photos I'm afraid, so have no festiveness to share.. they're all a bit boring, and have done zilch crafting. I did mean to photograph the Christmas cake, because that looked pretty darn snazzy, but I didn't get there in time, and it got hacked. It does taste good though. The other thing is, I've been spending a lot of my time lately Going Out. I'm afraid I've been lightly bitten by the clubbing bug. Never thought I would be, but it is so very good.. doesn't make for such good blogging though.

I still havn't done anything with that nice wool I bought months ago. Am too scared I'll muck it up. Nor have I actually done anything about learning embroidery. I've got the book, but nothing else.. I promise I will, and you'll know when I do.

Right.. I need to hoover the floor again. The christmas tree is shedding effectively.. Lovage! x