Easter blessings

Easter is finally here;  it seems as if it has been a long time coming this year being mid April. It ends the 40 days of Lent that started after Shrove Tuesday & Ash Wednesday, punctuated mid way by our Mothering Sunday a few weeks ago in the UK. 

I felted the cross a few years ago as part of my sunflower series on Ukraine  with the felting in blue & yellow 

I changed the sideboard to a few favourite Easter things, nothing new, just things I love.

My crosses collected on our many trips around Ethiopia reflect my spiritualism at home. 

I choose & bought each of these crosses personally on my travels then mounted them on an Ethiopian woven fabric I had bought in a market. I enjoy having them in my space, they are not showy, just a silent reminder that religion & spiritualism is personal ... 

From my home to yours, I wish you all a blessed Easter time, however you observe it. 

Thank you for stopping by, it is always appreciated, 

Dee 

Brighter Spring settings

 At last, some welcome blue skies after a long, grey winter. It is so needed & suddenly everything is in bloom & the bright new leaves are dotted on the tree branches. 

I had a little change around in the conservatory & since it spans several occasions (Mothering Sunday, my birthday, Easter,  Spring) I have a little of what I fancy on the sideboard in the conservatory. 

Nothing at all is new, just old favourites appearing again, to be used & enjoyed. 

They are mostly gifts & things I have bought on my travels across the world - ceramics from Africa, cloth from India,  Moroccan glass, high street & pottery studios. That is how it should be. 

The pale pink table cloth was a bolt of fabric I hemmed, as I often do because the table extends. The colourful runner was a gift years ago & it ties the colours together. 

I bought the colourful platter at TKMaxx about 20 years ago & it is so cheerful for summer dining - piled high with nibbles, bread, cakes or anything else to share. 

I prefer casual dining where you can catch up with people over lighter foods to share, even if the food is ready made. 

Such was a shared family meal on the weekend - welcome colour & company. 

I hope Spring has sprung for most of you, and autumn is colourful for the southern hemisphere visitors. 

Thank you for stopping by, it is always appreciated. 

Dee 💐🌸🪴🥗. 

The auricula theatre update

 Making an auricula theatre was a lockdown project  in 2020 when everything was shut down. 

We used reclaimed / gifted wood to construct it & paint that we already had because everything was shut down so the size was determined by the wood we had. 

The backing board was troublesome because it allowed wind gusts behind it & it came crashing down several times, with lots of plant & terracotta pots shattered. It was removed & the theatre was a lot more stable then. 

However, after a long grey winter, the plants were ready for a tidy up in the sunshine today. New soil added, some crushed eggshells too & a dressing of sharp sand.  It looks much fresher already. 

Some plants are in flower, their neat labels long gone in the two theatre crashes but they are joyful with their tiny flowers against the brick wall. 

I will wait & see how the non flowering ones do before replacing some late summer. 

It was a good project & the theatre is an interesting feature on the patio we use the most. 

Who has grown them & what tips do you have? 

Thanks for stopping by , it is always appreciated. 

Dee 💐🪴🪻

Spring sunshine & colourful bulbs

 I am always keen to enjoy colourful spring bulbs after a long, grey winter. Our grass verges & hedgerows burst in to bloom & it is an absolute delight to have a 'host of golden daffodils' (to quote the poet Wordsworth) 

We popped by The National Sports Centre at Lilleshall - it is the home of archery in the UK & several Olympic sports were held there when we hosted the games.  

This entrance is very dramatic with the gate tower & the two large lions. 

I have attended some evening black tie events there too, it is an elegant setting in beautiful grounds, generous patios & immaculate gardens. 

                    

The entrance lions are not the only ones there, these were probably the original ones that now occupy the space under the terrace in the zoo like setting with a great view over the formal gardens... 

                      

There is a dramatic row of ancient trees nearby, if they could only talk ... 

The fountains were not on but the garden was laid out with the most gorgeous hyacinths in bloom. The terrace had several huge planters filled with  the most fragrant hyacinths in beautiful pinks & purples with a pop of other plants, so lovely to see it replicated across the various spaces of the gardens. 

Open spaces & greenery is perfect in spring sunshine, accentuated with bright pops of colour. It is the little things that matter ... 

Thank you for stopping by & visiting with me, 

Dee 💐🌸🌺🪻

The importance of Mothering Sunday ...

 The UK is almost unique in that it celebrates Mothering Sunday in March, unlike Mothers Day across other countries when it is in May. Why is this? 

It is tied to LENT & traditionally falls on Laetare Sunday. the 4th Sunday of Lent, half way through it where Lent promises were not followed on a Sunday. The date of Mothering Sunday, like Easter,  is not set, it depends on the lunar calendar. 

Mothering Sunday has religious roots. In the Middle Ages, Mothering Sunday was a day dedicated to the Virgin Mary, also known as Mother Mary. People were required to visit their main church where family members had been baptised, a return to their roots. 

In times past, children as young as 10 were often in service - working in large houses as housemaids, kitchen maids, stable hands, servants or tending the farms & gardens. They would live away from their families for long periods of time so Mothering Sunday was a unique opportunity to return home, meet up with their family, attend church together & spend precious time away from work. 

Flowers were often picked on the way to church as a gift for their Mother, or a small homemade gift was made to be given in appreciation. The tradition of giving flowers remains to this day with fresh of potted flowers sent or given as a gift. Because it is Spring, daffodils & other early woodland blooms have become synonymous with Mothering Sunday. 

Laetare Sunday is exactly 21 days before Easter Sunday so Mothering Sunday is tied to the religious observations of Christianity, even if it has (like Christmas & Easter) become more commercialised. 

However you observe it, I hope it is a peaceful Mothering Sunday. 

Thank you for stopping by, your visits are always welcome,

Dee 🪻🌸🌺🌷💐⛪️🔔