Being In The Moment

Being in the moment of cycling down the lane to the old Manor House when the sun shining upon me , seeing the tree blossom next to the cottage . Oh how I love that moment in time , cycling down the lane where once a chauffeured motor car tootled down the lane to the old Manor House . 

Past the artists cottage I go , past the Georgian farmhouse, past the secret gate in the wall , pausing for a forever minute by the old cottage .

I want forever to return to that moment in time ....

A Review Of Appleyard Flowers

I do love flowers but I am not very good at treating myself but recently I decided that has to change and to bring flowers more into my life. I love nature and the countryside of which I live on the edge of and I appreciate the outside when well I am out there so why not bring the outside in. Flowers are the the ideal colour pop to brighten your mood and your surroundings , I feel a spring in my step when I gaze upon them.

I love to gaze upon flowers.

So when Appleyard Flowers got in touch to offer me a bouquet to review , I was delighted . I have used Appleyard Flowers to sent flowers to friends and family before , and they have been delighted at the results. After much pleasant procrastination I chose the beautifully stunning Harmony bouquet ( standard size ) which features white freesia,memory lane lilac roses , purple trachelium with ornithogalum and avalanche roses . The colours appealed to me and reminded fondly of my Nan's garden full of flowers  of which  I spend many a happy moment .

The flowers were delivered Sunday the 21st
 of February , the roses are still doing well.

The flowers arrived promptly and via the very happy delivery man ( so not frustrated neighbours looking after a delivery )

The flowers were packaged very well to protect the delicate blooms, I was impressed greatly as they were upright within a clever sleeve in a full length robust cardboard box. The bottom of the stems were within a little plastic box which held moist sponge so the blooms were delivered in optimum condition.


A care sheet was supplied so you have the longest out the flowers , usually I am a plonk in the vase and go type of the person which is probably why my previous flowers from other places don't last.

The bouquet has flowers which are yet to open like the freesias and since the bouquet was delivered on Sunday the freesia are just starting to bloom now . the fragrance of the freesia is a symphony upon my senses every time I enter the dining room.

The Harmony bouquet from Appleyard Flowers.

If you are planning to to send flowers to someone I can highly recommend Appleyard Flowers ideal for any occasion or just because , you never need a reason to send your friend and me flowers!













I will be by the door awaiting by bouquet from you  :D


Disclosure ~ I was sent the Harmony bouquet for a honest review . All thoughts and opinions are mine.


PS. I f my family are reading this Mother's Day is SOOOOOON * big hint , just remember I do the online shopping for FOOOD .

Blog As You Life It

I pretty much blog as I life it , none of this stylised pictures you see on Instagram or sprawling out like a disco dancing spider on the platforms of social media .

Neither is my home a style magazine magnet , in fact someone pointed out that when I posted a picture of a room I was tidying up ( due to new furniture) they saw my bra hanging on the radiator. Look I'm just impressed I have 2 bras ; luxury would be 3 bras corr.

If I constantly blogged every which way then I wouldn't be lifeing it , I don't survive on days I don't Instagram what I've eaten or where I've been.

I blog and live in the moment , it doesn't matter to me that my tulips are bending on their stems . It might be a little sad but I see the Tulips as ballerina that is bowing gracefully . 

I don't do selfies and my Instagram isn't full of family pictures occasionally it is . I thought the other day when we went to the museum I should get a picture of him. He wasn't keen then again that's inherited , you'll not find me looking like a duck sucking on a lemon .

I don't blog to fit in , I don't blog for the oh so glamourous press trip travel lifestyle . I got offered a press trip to South Africa once but I couldn't go as I have a job in a school . I've spent 2 years getting back to me after a hiccup in my life . I blog without regret I think now , I had difficulties nearly 2 years ago in the blogging world .

I'll not lie it tipped me over the edge the cruelty I endured mixed in with a difficult working / personal situation . It left me like a scrumpled piece of paper with creases I couldn't get out . People would side step me like a leper trying to erase me out of existence.

But I fought back and I have done as I will continue to blog as I life it . 

I don't need to be the Pied Piper Of blogging or life , I want to be the one seeing the butterfly as you or others pout to camera .

My Cat Haiku

This week I have been on the antibiotics avoiding the sunshine and warm days of Spring Winter and yesterday was the last day of the holidays . I thought I'd write a Haiku to my cats collectively or individually ; how hard could it possibly be a pleasant way to spend 5 minutes . 2 hours later and now I'm getting cross and the cats waiting to be fed.

Fur is everywhere 

Cleaning up lots of messes 

I think the cat rules

Red Onion and Orange Chicken With Hassleback Potatoes

Tonight I'll will tell myself, I'll wake up brave knowing that the thought of sleep ; the very thought of sleep worries me , I put in perspective that sleep allows me to be creative . Yesterday it was randomness acts of kindness day , I don't need a day to highlight this as every day is a random act of kindness either to myself or other people . The world Is a much less scary place with kindness in it I find . 

There is a place in the world for no fuss food which delivers the result of beautiful food.

I was going to call this recipe "A Chicken surprised By a Red Onion and Oranges " but thought it don't sound flouncy enough 

Ingredients

Chicken obviously ( not a live one otherwise the chicken will not take kindly when you try and shove an onion and orange segments where the sun doesn't shine )

Orange segments

A whole red onion

Apple Vinegar a splash/ or a little splash


Sprinkling of good quality salt and pepper.


Method

Preheat the oven to 200 C

Place the chicken in a roasting dish

Place the peeled red onion and orange segments up within the cavity of the chicken ( these are not to be eaten at all and must be discarded )

Splash the chicken with a little of the apple vinegar , and sprinkle with salt and pepper

Cook for 1 hour 20 , rembering to out your hassbleback potatoes in if you want .

Hassleback Potatoes 

I slit these potatoes 1 cm part or tried to making sure I didn't slit all the way through to the bottom . As there were 3 of us I did 3 potatoes ( genius )


Method

Preheat cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes in the microwave

Spoon done melted butter over .

Then they joined the chicken in its last 30 minutes of cooking and Et Voila a Masterchef masterpiece.