Saturday 28 September 2019


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

Tuesday 17 September 2019


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!