Every leaf will unfurl, every flower bask in it's own glory,
for a day or a week...
in celebration of the sun & the coursing of life returning..
in it's veins.
Fragrance, elegance, grace.
Spring.
Caught up, as I am in such loveliness of season I quite forgot to mention to you about Happy.
Happy Harris of Happy Loves Rosie international acclaim!
So when I came across this little ad in Happy's sidebar
I paused for just a moment & then...
I thought, why not?!
It was Happy's own Vintage Caravan inspiration that sowed those first seeds of the tiniest wistful dream, that one day I would own a vintage caravan of my own.
And the red, ooh the red..at first, I could not do!! But over time, the strangest change began to happen & as I grew & as my soul began to heal the red came in to focus & Lucy came along to help me live in my Pollyanna place of... I can be happy too. I have been told off many times by those who do not understand, told to stop looking for the rainbows & the miracles, but you know what...I NEVER ever will & they can't make me!!
The Lucy interview with Happy can be found just here, if you haven't seen it or for the slightly extended version : The Lucy page.
A small kindred spirit came along to play at Aunty Catherine's again today (yes there were boys but they were mowing lawns & playing with remote controlled cars & lego).
She instantly spotted the little vintage iron that I had found at the market a while back. The wooden ironing board is still in the roof awaiting a new cover so we improvised, while listening to little vinyl records. I am most impressed, in Nina's magic hands the little iron both cleans & presses!
The lady was a Nanna & had bought the fairy cover for her 3 year old granddaughter who had lost her mother the previous year. The wee girl & her brother (who had a heart condition & a pacemaker at 5) were now living with their grandparents & everyone was still very sad. I knew I had some fairy wings tucked away which I gave the Nanna too...& then she told me that the two of them were now off to the cemetery together to visit "Mummy" & show her the lovely new things.
Ooh I wept when she left. We never know who we just might touch, even bring a little comfort to... through beauty.
The duvet was covered in fairies, roses & butterflies!
So when I found this book yesterday for 30 cents
I was delighted to find it was full of kindness & thoughtfulness
(look at those wee wings!)
A happy dance is definitely in order.
No currant buns here, but these tasty lemon balls are very delicious.
You can find the recipe just here.
So this week, I wasn't overly surprised upon buying a pretty yellow orchid off Trade Me, to find that I was in fact trading with my dear neighbour just across the road!
Thank you so very much for visiting.
I hope your week is one filled with colour & kindness & a currant bun or two.
Posts
I think one reason I love your blog so much is it gives me some fun little girl (& big girl) things to think about. For 26 yrs now I've lived with lots of little boys growing into men. I have loved having them around but reading your blog takes me back to my childhood growing up in a house full of girls - so many fun things I'd forgotten!
ReplyDeleteWith my son getting married & now it's just me & my sweetheart again I've been working on adding more girly touches. I'm even redoing a room for a craft room/plant room/spare room with all the pretty things I had to set aside while raising my son.
I love the fairy stories. We had a lady speak to our garden group last week about encouraging fairies to live in our gardens! Such fun.
I'll be trying the lemon recipe for sure.
The ajuga reminds me of a beautiful patch my husband's grandmother had all around her little front porch. I don't have any at all & I think I need to get some too.
Hello Jenny, yes life really does divide itself in to different times/eras doesn't it..I had 3 brothers growing up, much younger than me. All the hard stuff fell on my shoulders...there was no loveliness nor fairies, nor gentleness nor kindness, so now I am choosing to surround myself with those very things & beauty too to nurture my own soul.
DeleteI am glad that you are enjoying pretty things again.
Oh I would love to know what your guest speaker had to say about just what to do to encourage fairies in the garden!
I love the ground hugging blue of ajuga but it has to be just the right spot or it is susceptible to powdery mildew & that looks most unsightly.
Thank you for being such a lovely friend & visitor.
Love & hugs Catherine x0x0x
Oh Catherine, I wanted to ask - the lilies of the valley in the first picture are in a container. I love that, do you leave them out like this year round? I think I'll try to dig some of mine up to put in a little pot as well!
ReplyDeleteOh snap - I was going to ask the same thing and you beat me to it. I love them but they can be so invasive in the garden. I didn't realise they are suitable for containers :-)
DeleteHello Jenny & Lynne,
DeleteActually I grow my lily of the valley in a pot because it just disappears on me in the garden. I would give anything for it to grow like a weed! Sometimes it doesn't even thrive in a pot, but it seems to like to have company quite close & be in a deep pot rather than shallow one. I treat it a bit like an orchid..bring it in close & admire it daily while it flowers then pop it back under the old plum tree for the rest of the year. I have some little pots in Lucy at the moment, for the scent, but it's not liking being inside at all.
Your spring garden is amazing! Of course I loved the picture book! I'm off to check out the Lucy link. Sending HUGE LOVE your way, GK!
ReplyDeleteYour back stories are always so interesting. I loved the Lucy story on Happy's blog.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post .... currant buns, so simple yet so faith restoring :-)
ReplyDeleteI can imagine how little Nina just loves coming to play at your home Catherine ... what a treat with all your vintage goodies, she must be in heaven. Your recipes look very delicious, I am definately going to try the lemon balls.
Congratulations (again) on the Happy interview, I thought it was perfect!! But Oh my favourite ... that picture of your ajuga flowering in your garden - gosh mine is nowhere near in bud as yet - that looks simply stunning. Spring is definately uncurling in my garden now too. Hope you have a great week my friend ... love/hugs, Julie x0x
What a lovely thought...faith restoring buns. People don't seem to use currants quite as much now do they? Funny, my mother wrote to say that she had just made my great grandmothers rock cakes to take to her embroidery group. Perhaps I had better ask for the recipe!
DeleteTo be honest, I have quite a lot of trouble growing many things & that exact spot is the only place that I have been able to grow ajuga successfully...anywhere else & the second it's in flower it gets powdery mildew.
Spring actually takes quite a while to do it's thing I reckon. I notice the lilacs & wisteria coming out this week & some of the cherries just peeking through.
Much love Catherine x0x0x
What a lovely book, I love the illustrations. the bright blue flowers in the garden are so pretty. I will take a look at the Lucy post now, have a great weekend. Betty
ReplyDeletelily of the valley time, hurray, now I really know it is spring. that is a beautiful book you found. I've been teaching claud the currant bun clapping rhyme this week ("there's a party on the hill, do you want to come...").
ReplyDeleteis's just the best having a wee girl buzzing around the place, your nina looks a little fairy herself x
You're a star dear Catherine creating magic wherever you are!
ReplyDeleteYour interview on "Happy Loves Rosie" was marvellous - how wonderful for you to find other vintage caravan lovers.
I always love your Trademe stories - I've only ever bought a few buttons and lace - I just haven't got the patience needed to troll through so many listings - I think I'm an ADS kid!!
Nina is so sweet lucky you having a little visitor to play with. She must love coming to your house Catherine.
Oh that ajuga looks like heaven!
I'm skipping off to bed before I turn into a pumpkin!
hugs and love
Shane
thank you for your recipe!
Touching other lives this way is such a sweet thing!
ReplyDeleteBless you! We never know how easy we have it until we hear something like this...Thank you for sharing (and the recipe too!)
I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoy your thoughts and your photographs. Even though we live miles apart, I'm in Atlanta, USA, I feel we are kindred spirits. I loved your review of the book "The Pixies Kettle House" and bought it on eBay despite the fact that the shipping cost more than the book! It's coming all the way from Australia. I have a two year old granddaughter and hope that when she's a little bigger, she will know that there are fairies in grandma's garden. I know they are there as I have seen their work. As I just found you, I am working my way back through older posts. You make my day!
ReplyDeleteLinda B
Hello dear Linda,
DeleteThank you so much for taking the time to write to me!!Sometimes I feel a bit silly posting about things like children’s
fairy stories, but then I get an email like yours & I know that it’s really not silly at all!
Good on you for finding a copy of “The Pixies Kettle House”..it’s not particularly old but it is sooooo sweet.
I am sure that your granddaughter will love it. It’s these kinds of books that stay with you forever...like The Magic Faraway Tree.
I have never forgotten my aunty Margaret reading it to me when I was 7 & had a nasty dose of the chicken pox & was home from school for the week.
So lovely to hear from you.
Have a wonderful week.
Much love Catherine x0x0x
From my mother: "Hullo dear girl,
ReplyDeleteYes , your 3 hopes at the end of your lovely news letter, were certainly met here.
Just looking at the wonderful pick up of the Ajuga,echoing the big blue pot---how gorgeous.
Yes I've actually had 3 currant buns today--made some of Graces little rock cakes to take to our Embroidery session.
& the kindness from YOU in sending such a sweet message."