Just So Good

It is good starting to blog again!

And to catch up with

so many of you!

As I started visiting your blogs

so many people that you wrote about,

sounded familiar to me...

so I caught up with them as well!

This week was Hubbie's birthday

and it seemed as if

we spent the whole week celebrating!

It wasn't an extra special birthday

but meals out and trips

around the county

were the order of the day!

On the actual day

we took a picnic and visited

the south of Pembrokeshire where he was born.

We drove past his grandfather's farm

where they often went 

as a family

for supper on Sunday evening.

His grandfather was a lay-preacher and often

went to other areas of the county to preach and 

would stay the night if the tides 

were wrong....

This is one of the places where a little ferry

would cross the Cleddau River.

Here we are looking from

Landshipping Quay

to Picton Ferry.

Years ago, when I was a lay preacher myself,

I was taking the service 

at a little village church.....

when an very old lady came up to me after 

and said that she remembered

Hubbie's grandfather 

(I had mentioned him in the sermon)

She said that she remembered, if the tides were wrong...

for him to get home.....

he would stay at her parents' house

and.....

if she got up early in the morning to see him off...

he would give her...

a silver thrupenny piece!!

now ...that's a special memory, isn't it??

We stopped at Lawrenny Quay

for a cup of tea

and a piece of Key Lime Pie

Delicious!!

And then drove on through

Cresswell Quay

To Carew Castle.

As I have said in the past

we have a lot of castles in Pembrokeshire.

I think when I last wrote

I was actually acting as a guide at

Picton Castle.

Unfortunately my breathing is not at all good now

and I have a job to walk and talk

so I had to finish there last year...

I was so sad about that

as I really enjoyed taking groups of tourists 

around the castle.

Some days, in the summer

 I would take over a hundred around....I miss it!

Anyway, back to Carew Castle

Obviously, the large building is the castle ruins.

The smaller building 

you can see in the distance,

is Carew Mill

There is a walk all around the moat and ...

in the summer...

you can get a cup of tea and wonderful cakes there!

The castle, itself, is really attractive.......

The ruins of a beautiful bow window 

can just about be seen?!

I really must look into its history because

there must be tales about it!

All these things I want to ....and mean too do

and .....I never get around to it.

Are you the same?  

Time certainly seems to be whizzing by....

do you feel that way?

I have plans to do so much

and simply cannot accomplish all that I need to.

I used to be able to do....

and more...

When I was working at the college all day, 

running a home, shopping

marking work...etc .....etc....

This is Caldey Island

where a group of monks have their home.

People can visit the island

but only men can enter the monastery!

Perhaps they have it right...

taking themselves out of the world so that they can

focus on the things that matter!

Talking of things that matter,

as you know I love

knitting, crocheting, planning and 

all sorts of crafting....

I am so delighted to have been chosen

as part of a Visual Faith Team which is led by

Carrie at Five17Journals.

She designs online journalling Christian stickers.

We plan and journal about our faith 

and share our journals online to encourage others.

I intend to share 

some of my journalling entries here 

over these next months.

I know I have shared some of my planning 

and Traveller's Notebook pages

in the past 

and a lot of you have made some very kind comments!

I am also starting to pick up my knitting

and am finishing another shawl

so I shall let you see it....when it's finished.

 I picked a huge bunch of sweet peas

from the garden this morning.

They are just about over

but still smell and look glorious.

I do hope all is well with you 

and look forwards 

to visiting you in the next few days!

#five17journals  #VisualFaithFamily

Today

For so many days recently

I have thought...

"this will be the day that I start writing my blog again!"

It is all so easy to stop doing things

but ....oh so difficult to pick it up again!

And even after I sat down, this afternoon, 

in the sun

with my 

laptop on my knee...

things did not go well for me. 

As I tried to use a different computer

and blogger wouldn't let me in!!

Anyway here I am!

How are you all??

I used to hear from so many of you

very regularly

but I expect that few...if any

will remember me!

To catch up....

well I completed 4 years of my Open University 

degree in Classics 

but have had to stop 

for a while

as there are so many health issues in my life,

my husband's and my mother's.

I have been awarded a Diploma in Higher Education

but will have to complete another

2 years if I want to succeed with the degree!!

It was my mother's birthday a couple of weeks ago

and so we had a big family party

After all she is 99!!

This is not the venue but my cousin and I took Mum

to the Ettington Park Hotel

for a cup of tea 

the day before her party.

It really is an incredible place.

I believe they made the film

"Hush, hush sweet Charlotte' here??

The church has only the facade still standing!

The interior seems to look almost Moroccan?

This fireplace is in the entrance hall

This is the library.  It too, is ornate.

There are secret doors in here.

This is where they conduct marriages.

Perhaps the doors are for the bride to escape?

The doorway out of the library

The Hallway

and the lounge

We truly had a lovely afternoon!

I really hope to continue writing here

and sharing things 

that matter 

to me.

I do hope to connect with some old friends and, hopefully, make some new!

Life is pretty difficult, health wise,

at the moment so 

I do hope to 

catch up with you all again soon!

May Bank Holiday

An absolutely glorious afternoon

and so my cousin and  decided to spend it at a little bay

Monk's Haven.

The wild garlic

is growing there profusely

and  it is just beginning to scent the air!

I really love it when the flowers

are starting to fade

and the scent of the garlic gets stronger and stronger.

Apparently chefs love it as it's flavour 

isn't as strong as the usual variety!

The bluebells are also starting to open

and, as you look up through the trees there is

a blue haze amongst the ferns!

We stopped near the beach

and sat on a seat that gave a lovely view of the bay.

Unfortunately, the photos of this 

are on my phone

and I have not yet worked out how to get them

onto my computer.......sorry!!

We came across a lovely little bunch of violets

hiding on a grassy bank!

At length,

after wandering along a white-thorn edged path,

we saw the watch tower

standing proudly guarding this part of the coast.

It was a little like......

......the hedge of thorns 

surrounding the bed 

where the Sleeping Beauty lay!??

Too far-fetched???

Can you see the path in the photo?

Well, the path was overgrown with thorns

and I was glad to have a jacket

to protect my arms!

It was years before I discovered this tower.

We always used to turn in the other direction 

when we went for a coast path walk!

Isn't the view from it lovely...

except, of course,

that my cousin decided to get in on the act!!

There are all sorts of ideas.....

about what exactly it is..??

Some say a folly that the monks in the monastery used....

....others that it was a watchtower for the coast.

There's actually a fireplace there...

and lots of windows.

It also looks as if

there was a second floor

as there are steps outside going up

and also you can see, inside, 

where the floorboards would have been positioned.

A pleasant walk in the glorious sunshine!

We walked back down to the beach

and to the car,

past a lovely little church.

As for what's happening with us??

Well, I had a enjoyable coach holiday last week.

We went to the Isle of Wight.

We being some friends and I......

hubby didn't want to come!!

It's a place 

that I have always wanted to visit 

after I saw a programme about Queen Victoria 

and her love of the house and the island!

I will post about it next time 

when I have worked out how to transfer photos 

from my iPhone to this computer.  

In the past I have emailed them to myself 

but there are too many of them this time to do that!!

When we arrived back in town 

a friend gave me a lift home and, unfortunately, 

as I was trying to get into the back of her small car, 

I twisted and hurt something.  

My back's been stiff 

and uncomfortable for a few days 

but today I am in agony and can barely move my left leg.  

I had an emergency appointment with an osteopath this morning who eased it slightly but it's still pretty bad!

I've been  trying to get on with my studies 

as I have an assignment due this week.  

(Luckily I've managed to get an extension of 2 weeks but really don't want to use all of it as my exams are on 7th June!!)

I had planned to study today but, as I'm on lots of painkillers and in a lot of pain, I just cannot do it!  Panic .....panic!

I've been reading all sorts of books since I last wrote.  I took

several Mills and Boon romances on holiday with me and really enjoyed them.

Sarah Morgan's books never disappoint!!  

This one, 

'How to Keep a Secret' 

is a little different from her usual way of writing.

 It tells life stories of several different people whose lives intertwine.  It is so compelling.....

 ....and bewitching 

that I was really sorry to come to the end!!

There is another book that I so enjoyed 

and I haven't stopped telling anyone I meet about it.  

It is 

'A Grand Old Time' 

by Judy Leith.  

Again, I wholeheartedly recommend this book!  

I cried with laughter, 

held my breath as the heroine looked to be getting in over her depth, and grieved as well!  

I believe that it is Judy's first book 

and look forwards to, hopefully, her next!  

It was such a good read 

that I can see it being a tremendous comedy film!!  

I do hope somebody will 'discover' it!!

Right, I think I have wittered on long enough!

Those of you that I failed to return visit...

I am sooo sorry!

The Latin study has really taken up so much of my days.

Only another month to go ,,,,,oh help!!

#agrandoldtime #judyleith #netgalley 

#howtokeepasecret #sarahmorgan #insiders@millsandboon #millsandboon

Primroses

Yesterday I was lucky enough

to spend the morning

with three of my grandsons.

I say 'lucky' because

it means 

that I get the chance 

to do things that otherwise......

I would probably not bother to do!!

We had intended to go to see the owls.

But....

as the weather 

wasn't to good it meant that the owls 

would not be out flying

so....

we decided to go to Scolton Manor.

A large Victorian country house

(that had been used as a convalescent hospital for servicemen during the second world war)

but now is the responsibility

of the Local Council.

I have to say that I was really impressed

as it had been a very long time

since I last visited

and it had certainly been

restored and dressed really well.

They, also, had spent a lot of time and effort

in thinking of ways

to entertain the children.

My grandsons certainly, were soon

holding clipboards and trying to find various

objects in the rooms

so that they could gain a prize!

There were also craft rooms for them to use

and several other ways where

we could have spent a lot of time... 

and this was only inside!!

I have the feeling we will be visiting there again soon!

I think that we will leave it a few weeks yet 

so that the ground can dry up

and we can take advantage..... 

of the woodland walks etc.

What else has been happening?

Well, I have been bows under trying

to complete my fifth assignment for my degree course..

which has been extremely interesting....but....

caused me an inordinate amount

of stress!!

I had an extension, 

as my health has been so poor,

and I have had to be backwards and forwards 

to hospital so much that I lost a lot of time!

I only have one more assignment to do

in the middle of May...

and then the exam 7th of June.

I shall have to make a start on revising!

scary!!!

How did your Easter Holidays go?

We have had a lovely time 

and spent quite a lot of it with some of the grandchildren.....always fun!

Apart from that

and too much chocolate

we haven't done much as I was busy studying!

I have done a certain amount of craft work

and posted some of it on my IG account.

I was trying a couple of pictures, from my iPad to show you, but it's just not happening.....sorry!

I have been so tired this last week that I usually

fall into bed and sleep.

I have managed

to read a Mills and Boon compendium of books..

under the title of.....

'A Bride for the Playboy Prince'

authors:

Sharon Kendrick, Sandra Martin and  Maisy Yates.

somehow the title caught my eye.

After all... we have a Prince's wedding

happening in the UK

in the not too distant future.

You can't go far wrong with Mills and Boon

and this was 

an enjoyable and easy read!!

I particularly

liked the last book where a wedding planner

had a very exciting time...

No....I'm not telling you any more!!

So ...those are the pictures

of Scolton Manor.

The paths along side the woods

were full of primroses...

really beautiful

I love the scent of primroses!

It's hard to see as the light was quite poor

but, interspersed with the yellow..

were some deep red..

and pink primroses......

Really lovely!

#millsandboon #abridefortheplayboyprince #netgalley