Old Pembrokeshire Cottage

I was driving

along a Pembrokeshire backroad

not so long ago

when I came upon.....

this tumbledown cottage.

Pembrokeshire cottages often had /have

cement wash over the slates

to prevent the wind and rain from driving under them!

Hard to believe that

people lived and raised their families

within these walls!

My husband often talks of when he was growing up and there was a family

with 10 chidren in the cottage (now derelict)

at the top of the farm lane

Makes you think.....

doesn't it??

I'm joining Nancy at Rural Thursday


and Sunny Simple Sunday


andIt's so very Cheri

Happy Birthday Great Gran

3 year old toasts 92 year old

Family gathered from near and far last Saturday to toast Mum/Gran/Great Gran

on her 92nd birthday

What a day to rejoice and be happy!!

Sorry this is slightly out of focus....

I think it's lovely though!!

Of course there was a cake...

and a lot of blowing out of candles!!

I didn't realise until today

that this picture also has a background photo

of my father..

.....which makes it even more special!!

I think someone asked about the little vase/jug

that my mother made

I love the vibrant blue with the turquoise stripes!

and use it (often with wild flowers)

all over the house!

The bowl, I showed before, is always in use...

often filled with fruit

Thank you all so much for your concern and suggestions...

I value them

and shall try to take them on board!

Personally, I feel my conclusion is that

I would rather be a rather tatty, not particularly

well shaped

certainly cracked and bubbled

but

useful and needed ...person

than.....

Someone who didn't like to get her clothes messed by

probably grubby and greasy

toddlers' hands

or wouldn't put herself out of routine

to help someone in need

(even if it meant missing a hair appointment)

I would rather have a full,untidy and useful life

than

be put on the shelf in all my beauty

just to be taken down and dusted once in a while!!



I'm joining Nancy atYour Sunday Best

A Thing of Beauty?

but...no darned use!?!

I must have bought this coffee pot

over 40 years ago......

it cost quite a lot (even in those days!)

It moved with me....

and I have taken it down and dusted it...

but never used it!

I think....

"...the gold might get scratched...

the lid might get dropped and broken....."

So it has sat on the top of the china cupboard

.......probably hardly looked at

and certainly never used!

My mother went to a pottery class

about 35 years ago.

She couldn't use the wheel properly

because of a bad back.

I was given 3 of the things she made

(a bowl and 2 little jugs)

She will be embarressed that I am showing this!

In fact she gave them to me with a joke...

"These are precious and should be passed down

through the generations!"

Hubby was heard to mutter

"As soon as possible!"

A couple of years ago....

my son asked for one little jug that I always

 filled with flowers.....

......and I have often seen it,

full of wild flowers in the centre of their kitchen table!

I use the the bowl and little jug she made...

 all the time....

and remember ..... the creator

I have been feeling rather sorry for myself recently

.... with this disability,

I cannot get out and about the way I did.........

I have put on weight

as I am unable to walk far or excercise

and I know I have 'let myself go'

I see those I know....dressed up beautifully....

wearing lovely makeup

and striding out about their business!

and I, sometimes, feel resentful

and think of all I have lost

Seeing Mum's bowl this morning 

made me stop and think...

(Jer:18:6)

I am joining......Sunny Simple Sunday

                       Your Sunday Best

                       

                       Seasonal Sundays

Fadedgingernut Visits

            My guest blogger, Fadedgingernut, 
                        wanted to visit
         Colby Gardens on a glorious afternoon

                            On the way
         we decided to stop at Wiseman's Bridge
                      for a cup of coffee.....
                   and a little reminiscing!

               
               I'm now handing over my blog
        (as requested by many of my followers)
                                to
                       Fadedgingernut.....
                       (alias my mother)
     

         We stayed here as a family 50 years ago .....
            so it brings back many happy memories!!

         As a family we spent hours on the beach

   The best sort of coffee is the homemade one!!

                  At Colby the restaurant.....
                   is in the old stable block.
I think the main reason we come here is for the food!!

        My coronation chicken was deeelic...ious!!

                     while my daughters.....
                        was just as good!!

         We never miss visiting the walled garden
                           which is.....
                   so peaceful and restful

        The walk up to the summerhouse is......

                         .... a must!!.....

            

                                 Then a slow walk down again....

             and another rest before moving on........

                Our final stop was at Amroth...
          ......our very favourite seaside place

               Caught on camera again.....making
                          another cup of tea

I could have dished the dirt....but.......

my daughter's standing over me!!!!


Oh...and before I go
I have so enjoyed reading the comments you have written to my daughter
and would like to thank you for all the lovely things you've said about me.
Thanks!!



Loving Cup

"We'll Drink a Cup of Kindness Yet

for the Sake of Auld Lang Syne"

These are the words that came to me when I read a post this morning at

 Serendipity, Raindrops and Roses

and I felt that I should use pictures of

my

Loving Cup.

I have found such help, understanding and support from my 'blogging friends'

over these last few months.....

the comments have helped me through 

and delighted me.

Again.....

How many times have I read a post and then

decided 'not to comment today'!

and how many times might that comment

have encouraged someone?!

 My mother lives 4 hours drive away from us

and she loves 'keeping up'

by reading my blog on her iPad!

She especially loves the comments that say what a wonderful, kind and generous mother she is

She loves to read how much I am enjoying

the gifts she has given!

She is actually coming to stay this week

to celebrate her 92nd birthday

(sigh...that means more comments devoted to saying how marvellous and wonderful she is!)

She has often said that she would like to write a blog but I'm not close enough to help her

so....

perhaps......

I might let her do a guest blog here....

 this week....

watch this space!

I'm joining

Your Sunday Best

 and

Sunny Simple Sunday

and

Seasonal Sundays

They're Making Silage!

The first clue that I had that my neighbours were about to make their second cut of silage

was the mower arriving...

on Tuesday afternoon

so I went up

to my bedroom window to take a photo!

Yesterday afternoon the harvester arrived

Then the trailers....

and they were....off!!

I enjoyed watching them working.......

and seeing the harvest coming in....

in such good conditions.

and I remembered when we were farming......

hubbie out early..

milking the cows before going to fill and grease

the equipment ready to start

the harvest

I would be preparing food

to take

to the workers in the fields.

I would usually have a hot meal

available for them when they finished work (sometimes at 11pm!)

Sometimes, if we were shorthanded,

I would be driving one of the tractors and trailers collecting the grass

and taking it back to the silo

The silage making would take nearly 2 weeks

with the machinery we had then....

Now it's done in days!

Then.. I had a young family

as well as taking Bed, Breakfast and Evening Meal holiday makers to help out with the budget!

We didn't have contractors

just my husband and our farm workers

and me!

It was hard workbut we enjoyed it...

I made myself a pot of tea

and went to sit in the garden room

with a cup of tea

and some Scottish shortbread biscuits...

I could hear..

the drone of the machinery

and my memories were so sweet and poignant

I wrote this post especially for Nancy...

and thinking of her rural journal!

So please join her at Rural Thursday


I'm also joining Elaine for  Sunny Simple Sunday


and  The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays

and Raindrops and Daisys for Green Day