Well I've had a Great Summer

Busy Busy Busy but things should settle down a bit now !


The renovations to our new home  are still going on

 

But when you have this sort of help we should be finished in a jiffy - right !?!?

                                   

 Some of the members of my LQG spent the day at The Manor House - The home of Lucy Boston

 we had a lovely tour and saw all of Lucy's patchwork quilts

the thickness of these walls!

Diana Boston showing Lucy's quilts

fascinated by this window

 If you know the Green Knowe books you'll recognise the attic bedroom

Despite all the work that is needed at home, we headed off to France for a little holiday 

 but we had made time to detour up to Belgium to re visit the beautiful town of Ypres

 which has to include a stop at the Menein Gate

 and a peek at the magnificent Ypres Cathedral

 Some of the carvings that survived the war

We also visited some of the CWG cemeteries

Essex Regiment cemetery

 and far from being depressing place to visit, I feel a sense of calm and love in each one we see.  Though the sense of loss still moves even the hardest of characters

Tyne Cot Cemetery

 Certainly a different feeling at the Lnagemark German cemetery

 It seemed austere and unloved.  But they were just boys too 💔

After a few days in Belgium we headed down to the house that we had rented for the week 

 and were delighted

 It is an old watermill that has been in the same family for several generations

 in beautiful gardens with water all around and the only neighbour was this 12C (now unused) church

Lots of lovely walks in the woods 

A Trip to Bayeaux to see the tapestry 

we got there well before the crowds

 And another Cathedral

 Lots of time on the beach with these monkies

 Its lovely to spend time with family

No1 son and his family

                                   

 Then off to NEC for the Festival of Quilts

 to help out with the lovely Christine and David of Kids Quilts

 Where we definitely earned one of these - It was so busy for the whole of the show, I didn't manage to see many of the quilts on display let alone take any pictures, a,d we only had time for a quick chat with grannysmithquilting     who was visiting the UK from Australia  

 Though I may have got caught up in this rabbit hole.......

 Christine and David stayed with us for a few days before heading back to New Zealand and we took them to Coombe Abbey for a bit of R & R

not too shabby

 Which was just what the doctor ordered

On the way home, we stopped at Althorp House, the family home and resting place of Princess Diana

We had a lovely tour of the house and gardens .  I can't believe that we have not visited before as it is only about 40 minutes from where we live!

Back home I have been trying to work on the garden, that has been neglected for several years.

Out came the secateurs, then the hedge trimmer and finally the chainsaw !

 So much more to do ......

But still time for a little party for No! son

with copious amounts of splendid ice cream

 And somehow this has happened!

 And so to September - season of harvest and scrumping

I really must find the box with the rolling pin 😧