Dandelion Bouquet

Beautiful dandelion bouquet from Harry.

I recently had one of those days where, like it or not, you become another year older!

I had a wonderful day, which I will be telling you about soon, but the loveliest moment was when 

Harry came bursting through the door with a bunch of freshly picked

dandelions.

These joyful offerings came straight from the garden

and were given with love.

Mapping in May

My May Day wanderings took Toby and I along our favourite riverbank.   

It was tranquil, beautiful, restorative.    

Toby was happy to amble and give his nose a really good workout, so I fell to thinking about the countless people who must have wondered along the riverbank through the centuries.

This 1610 map shows that very river,
below you can see what it looks like today.

Some villages have disappeared, and the placement of  other villages on the map is definitely not accurate, but who cares?

I love maps, especially of places I am familiar with.

I read them with almost

the same excitement as I read a good book.

How quaint the old spellings of place names. 

The big red blobs (as splodged on by the cartographer) show the churches which existed at that time.

Many are still standing and are much loved.

However, others, including the one in our village,

have long-since disappeared.

The Merry Month of May must work some magic, for the trees are only just coming into leaf.  I know she won't disappoint.

We roamed the fields and river sides, 

When we were young and gay

We chased the bees and plucked the  flowers

In the merry, merry month of May

                                                        Stephen Foster

We had company, for part of our walk.

She was exceptionally friendly and came out of her way to walk alongside us.

No walk would be complete without a visit to Arnold.

He was happy to feel the warm May sunshine on his back.

Aaah!  Bliss.

Time to go home to begin the mowing and the weeding,

the growing season has begun.

Cup or Mug?

I am pernickety when it comes to choosing a drinking vessel.    

I have spring cleaned the pantry and found some of the cups and mugs which have been tried and rejected over the years.

This is but a small selection...

Shape, size and colour are all important.

I  favour fine bone china for when I drink tea.

I don't like fancy, frilly edges, square shapes or, horror of horrors, cups with dark coloured interiors.

I like pretty cups or mugs,  not too big, with the correct amount of curve to the bowl.

Coffee demands something different.

I prefer a cup, not too large, as I would rather have two small coffees

than one large one...

I like my coffee hot!

This is my all-time favourite coffee cup.

I bought it years ago, in a sale.

It is thick china, very plain and quite small.

It has the most satisfying shape to it,

and, somehow, it just enhances my coffee drinking experience.

Do you have a favourite mug or cup?

- Lynne, this is for you...

...my favourite tea vessels.   They are very fine bone china, the transfer design
is wearing off them, but the shape is satisfying
and the size is perfect (for me).
They used to be beautiful but about one third of the design is missing.
They have held countless gallons of tea.