WHAT A SMASHING EASTER IT HAS BEEN

I cannot remember an Easter where the sun has shone all weekend and we certainly made the most of it. 

Good Friday we finally finished the decorating in our bedroom so did not go anywhere except to pick up our grandaughter who was going to spend some time with us over Easter.

Saturday we decided to take B to a National Trust house and we visited Wightwick Manor which is a Victorian manor house just outside Wolverhampton.  

What a treat it turned out to be.  This house pays full homage to the arts and crafts movement and is full of William Morris furniture fabrics and furnishings and not only that it has a wonderful collection of pre-Raphealite art work by Rosetti and Burn Jones.  I was in heaven oohing and aahing all over the place.  If you have not been I would definatly recommend it.

We had a picnic in the grounds, I read a book very relaxing and B went on an Easter egg hunt which was great fun.

Hows is this for a scarecrow.

We finished up with fish and chips from the chippie in the village ( I forgot to get anything out of the freezer oops).  All in all a perfect day.

Sunday we held open house and all the family joined us putting whatever food they fancied on the table - what did you think I was going to spend all Easter cooking, we got through a fair few bottles of wine and just chatted the day away sitting in the sun in the garden.

Monday we visited Lamport Antiques & Collectors Fair with my sister and brother-in-law.  I am going to have to learn to be quicker in future as she managed to beat me to quite a few nice items that would have looked great on my stall at the next Northampton Vintage and Home Made Fair, but here is a taster of a few items I managed to get before she beat me to it which will be coming with me.

A great leather suitcase in super condition, a gladstone bag and a lovely French material covered box which is a really good size.

Pretty set of painted shelves which I am soo tempted to keep and some lovelies to go on them.

After we came back from the fair Hubby did happen to comment that our conservatory was beginning to look like a lost luggage office

I wonder why.......  Mind you where else would I store all my stock.....

1915 CALENDAR - KEEPING THE FAITH

Everything seems to be happening at the moment with both of hubbies step parents.  His step-mother has had a couple of nasty strokes which have left her with some paralysis and his step father fell and broke his hip.  As they both live some distance away from us it has been a case of travelling backwards and forwards up the M1 to sort things out and to offer help and assistance where we can.  Taking Mum shopping, mowing the lawn, sorting out official help to support them all - never ending.  When did we become the parents is what I want to know.  Nobody tells you that when your kids grow up and leave home you then swop roles and start looking after those that have looked after you.

At the same time I have started a new job, we have moved youngest daughter out into the wide world (again)  and we have had the house given a total facelift with new rendering (more about that some other time). 

So as you can see life has been quite frenetic over the last couple of weeks or so.

As this was going on I found an old 1915 calendar on Ebay that I actully bought thinking it was just one sheet but as it had Pansies on I could not resist it.  When it came through I was just so pleased with it.  There are actually four pages and as with a lot of Victorian/Edwardian pieces it has religious tracts on it.  Now I am not a religious person I don't go to church apart from to light the odd candle in prayer for my family and my dad who passed away 20 years ago but I have found the words on this piece rather uplifting and calming in all the chaos that is going on with our household at the moment.

I do believe that sometimes we are sent little messages and gifts to help us get through things and this seems like one of those things and it is now taking pride of place in my kitchen where I can see if every day. 

Mind you I keep getting  slightly confused with the dates....