Sunday 13 July 2014

Sunday Smiles

I hope that you have all had a lovely week and thank you for all the comments and feedback you have given me this past week, I love your comments so please keep them coming. My week has been a busy one with lots of smiles along the way.


I was able to meet up with my cousin Angela this week it was so lovely to see her and hand over the baby hats I had made for her. The cute bonnets on the top left and the two blue hats on the right were made by my friend Ann from my Loving Hands group.

From left to right, Aunty Doreen, Elaine, Angela, myself and thank you to Sue for taking the picture.
We met up in York, Angela had rented a cottage nearby and my Aunty and two of her friends were staying there with her.



We visited York minster




So beautiful both inside and out and impossible to capture the sheer beauty of the place on your phone, I had forgotten to take my camera but even so the atmosphere of the place can't be captured even with the best of camera's, definitely a place to revisit again and again.



 wandering through the beautiful old historic streets of York.


It was a lovely day until I was making my way back to the station to catch my train and the heavens opened, I was literally soaked through to the skin but that's English weather for you :)




I know it sounds crazy but every time I use my string bag I have to smile, I really love these bags I have one in each of my handbags, they always come to the rescue for me when I'm out shopping and I need a bag in a hurry, it's amazing how much you can pack into these, why not make one for yourself or for your friends if you haven't already they make great gifts, you can find the pattern here



I really thought that my crop of blackcurrants was meagre this year, they are growing right at the bottom of the garden and it's a bit of a jungle down there, but once I got in there and had a good look I had enough to make all this jam.  I'm always afraid it won't set properly, but the set was perfect and it tastes really yummy. 
Shopping list...
jam thermometer.
Jars 
Wax discs
I still have a crop of red currants that are ripening nicely and a huge crop of blackberries so I need to be prepared, looks like my family and friends are going to be gifted lots of jam this year.

The stars in my garden this week
Mullein Pink
I didn't even know the name of these until I did a little bit of detective work on google today.  I love these flowers and they self seed like crazy, I have them in white too and have little groups of them scattered all over my garden.

I hope that you all have a lovely week. :)







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15 comments:

  1. Hello there Linda. It was lovely to have a little wander around York with you. I have tried to make a couple of those bags but they have always ended up a bit bulky. Will have to try again.
    I love your hats and your flowers. Do you collect the seeds or do they just sold seed themselves. Love from the other Linda

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  2. Hello Linda, lovely photos of you all. Thanks for the tour of YORK . Your grocery bag is very neat. Your black currant jam looks so very tasty. Hug Judy

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  3. I love Yorkshire and try to visit it every few years. I remember similar string bags about 50 years ago. The problem was they wouldn't stop stretching and you ended up dragging your shopping along the pavement! Your version looks much improved.

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  4. I've visited York a few times, and just love both the minster and the town. I've always felt I'd never see a church as beautiful as York Minster ... but then I visited La Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona, and it completely blew me away. It was so bright and light inside and reminded me of York Minster in that respect. You've certainly been busy with the knitting/crochet! I've always known these cute little flowers as rose campion, and I had them in my garden for a few years, but "someone" thought they looked messy after a while, so I took them out. I regret it now. Maybe I'll sneak some more back in ;) Yours look so very cheery! Wendy x

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  5. York looks so historic and a little quaint as I wandered with you, thanks for sharing your pictures. I love home made jam, it always taste a hundred times nicer than any shop brought jams. My Granddad used to make Damson jam every year and we would all be gifted a jar along with his home made pickled onions. have seen these flowers scattered in a few gardens whilst on my travels and it's nice to know the name, they're such pretty and reliable show offs lol.

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  6. So glad you were able to meet up with your family and have a good visit. I bet Angela was thrilled with the hats. Thank you for showing us a bit of York.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  7. Looks like you had a great day in York. I haven't been there for years. How lovely to make jam with fruit from your garden. X

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  8. What a nice time you had. The jam sounds wonderful, well done. I love all of those sweet little hats!

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  9. Sounds as though you have been having a great time!! Your jam looks great, I hope that you enjoy turning the rest of the fruit into jam and that everyone you share it with enjoys eating it too - I am sure they will!! What is better than homemade jam of any flavour. Hope that you have a great week. xx

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  10. Sounds like you had a great time. I love York too! We have those flowers in our garden and never knew what they were called either. Have a good week.
    Jacqui xx

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  11. Lovely pictures ! The little hats are so cute ! And the jam...yummy...
    Have a great week !
    Hug
    Anna

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  12. I love the little elephant on the little hat. So cute! Hope you are having a great start to your week!

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  13. Sound like a fun weekend, Linda :-) The baby items are so cute
    ♥ Ana BC

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  14. Well done on the hats, thanks for the sharing of your York visit brought back many wonderful memories. That Jam looks yummy, I have planted two blackcurrant bushes this winter, and thanks for giving me the name of that flower I have it and never knew its name, now I can answer visitors queries! have a good week.

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  15. What a lovely bunch of baby hats. There are going to be a lot more warm heads this winter because of caring folks who take the time to think of the comfort of others. Your trip with the ladies looks like it was an enjoyable time. I'm going to have to make a few of those string bags. Thank you for the link to the pattern. You are right, they would make nice gifts and would come in handy when you need to tote a few items from shopping. Not only are they handy, but what better way to go "green" and save on those terrible plastic bags that nothing ever stays in anyways. Once I bought some groceries and a week after getting the things home I could have sworn I bought a jar of olives. Oh I did, the jar rolled out of the plastic bag and under the front driver's seat of my car. Thank goodness olives do not spoil, and if that wasn't a good laugh when I found that jar.
    (((HUGS))) Susanne :)

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Thank you for your visit, I will always answer any questions but due to time constraints I'm not always able to reply to your comments, please keep them coming I read and appreciate each and every one. xx