No, no, no ... I wasn't gardening! Everything with the rain had become so overgrown that I was afraid I might find a whole family of Leprechauns had taken up residence at the bottom of the garden and would be mightily displeased if their territory was strimmed.
Since the grass was long enough to hide an elephant there was no hope of finding the outside chairs for a morning cuppa. This morning's pot was made just after 6.00 am which might have been a bit early to be sipping tea, coffee or any other hot drink in the garden.
Indoors the light was poor and this photograph has a very flat feel to it. Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to enjoy the outdoors again and can have a more lively shot.
This is my least favourite teapot and my oldest china.
As children this is the Sunday best that we used at home. Queen Anne, now very dated from the 1960s. I think there must have been three half sets if you count the number of side plates but now we're down to just six or eight place settings, with plenty of spare plates and saucers!
The teapot is quite simply a "bad pourer". The shape and the design are fine ... but who wants tea spilled everywhere? So it lives at the back of the cupboard and has been in use so infrequently that the paper label on the base is still intact!The trivet is one of two cast iron turtles that keep the hot teapot away from the polished surface. All but my very newest readers won't need to be told that they are just two among many turtles that you'd find scattered around the rectory. At least this pair have a function - and that's more than can be said about most of the collection!
Standing on a plastic table probably wasn't the best idea ... but it worked! The pen is for their smaller dogs who might escape through the hedges! Eliot will go into it to investigate - but I'm not at all sure that he would be happy to be shut in it!
Clearing up at the end was interrupted by Eliot who just had to check out any treasures that he'd buried in the flower bed over the winter. The big green hands certainly make a good job of lifting the hedge clippings .
The little pine tree is covered with wee cones - if they mature and produce seed I'll attempt to grow some. That would be a fun exercise.
The round "lump" of willow to the left of this picture is a Willow-Igloo. I suppose it could be described as a "Wigloo" or a "Willoo". The soft supple branches are all bent over and intertwined to provide a little living hut where you could sit and read in the shade if we ever had midday sun from which you needed shelter.
Once again Eliot takes centre stage as he checks round the rhododendron - a moment after this photograph was taken he spotted the camera and headed back into the house!
So, holidays approach ... just a few more bits and pieces to do and then I can head off to the seaside and the mountains. For those 'in the know' about this part of Ireland, it's "Where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea"!! Blogging might be a little bit more erratic after tomorrow, I'll still write every day but may have to upload two or more simultaneously ...
Name of all majesty,
fathomless mystery,
King of the ages
by angels adored;
power and authority,
splendour and dignity,
bow to his mastery,
Jesus is Lord!
Church Hymnal number 102
Timothy Dudley-Smith
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