Scarecrow festival

Lovely day today in belbroughton at the scarecrow festival!it was gloriously sunny and warm and the children had a whale of a time!

!

Just look at the cuteness of them all holding hands, we didn't even instigate it.

William and his cousins Niamh and buster were so excited to see each other they all leapt up and down and squealed!

The whole village take part putting scarecrows out on their lawns or on the street, this years theme was 'what makes Britain great' there were lots of churchills!

As well as scarecrows there's fun fairs and pony rides and all the trimmings of a little English village fete! Very well organised and beautiful.

The best part for me and sis Nikki was seeing them together again, so happy to play together, it's a joy to watch them grow up with each other and always amazing to share precious memories with them.

They spent ages just running around a park with no entertainment other than each other and nature. The boys and their sticks...

Niamh and mummy climbing trees!

And as always the obligatory pile on Clare bear was a feature! I actually had to call Nik in to remove them as it all got a bit much when will sat on my head!

Such a fab day will definitely go next year too. 

Autumn sunshine topped it off!

X

Tired out and September update

So so so tired! Why am I so tired out? Maybe it's the seasonal shift? 

Work is crazy right now, staff down and trying to cover 4 people's work with just two of us. We ARE coping though, miraculously, a sense of humour and chocolate breaks away from the desks essential for maintaining mental well being! 

I'm managing in the day, but just laid out shattered beyond belief after story time with wills. 

I'm just letting this be, it's meant to be. It's probably a subconscious coping mechanism to deal with the busy days.

Life has been a bit crazy for months now, lots of travelling around at weekends in between crazy work! It's time for some quiet time, reflection on what's been a fab summer. 

What I need is a couple of simple homely weekends putting the garden to bed and tidying the house for winter.

Had a glut if apples from my friend and a weekend stewing and freezing for when I have time to actually use them all!!

Love cutting open the freshest and sweetest seasons apples and seeing the magical star! William was amazed to find a star in the middle

Me and little man had a fab 2 hour walk around our fave place on Monday, got loads of blackberries and identified some herbs and found damsons too- bit bitter though!

Last weekends travels took us to London to see James brother and his mrs and their beautiful newborn Florence. How cute is she? Well worth the long drive to have a snuggle x

This week we also harvested some potatoes from the bags- I replanted some for will so be could find them

In his fave tub of soil- very exciting- ha them for tea too! Yum x

The garden has done well on the whole 

this year, but despite gigantic trifid like squash plants not one of the flowers seems to have actually set fruit-  not sure what happened there. And all my to tomatoes are as green as can be despite  being well sized and round.

Beans and beet root, carrots and spuds all did well as did courgettes and the pop corn looks like it'll be ready soon. Chard and lettuce also had a good year. Not bad for a tiny garden hey? Sad to say all the alliums were a diaster due to some nasty little miner bugs and I'm completely giving up with and brassicas as the cabbage white wins every time round here!

Random Updates from September ..... 

Some sleep is in order now, before another busy few days. Xx

Still thankful, and trying to be mindful... Trying!