Celebrating The English Garden

There is nothing finer than an English garden and I’m loosely on the edge of the countryside.And when you said the fruits of the hard work you and your husband have put in.Being visited by a Dragonfly is very magical indeed and the highlight of my gardening week. And I’m pretty sure that I have never seen a Dragon Fly in my garden before , it makes such a difference to your well being having a nice comfortable space in which to relax. We have done more in the garden that ever before this year and have being do so on a budget where possible and next year I hope to grow my own veg.

We endeavour to be the best in our lives and there is no reason why our gardens should be any difference and I love my garden it is a tranquil oasis.I have tadpoles in my wildlife pond and I am sure they are mildly teenagers as they are not shifting from their environment , I thought by now they would be hopping to freedom!

And how brilliant are gardens , honestly our family National Trust membership is worth its weight in Gold for the magnificent of their Gardens alone.

An amazing tea pot at Beningborough Hall.




I really do love Gardens and one day I’ll get back to the Chelsea flower show as I haven’t been since I was a child.Actually I would like to go to any garden show and probably come back the poorer.We have been using weed surpressant in the garden and it has a blessing in controlling the weeds. We craft our gardens like we are waving a wand and we create a magical landscape.

As I have mentioned before the garden has been a saving grace for my husband since his diabetes.My husband has taken great joy in creating the garden as it is today.And we will continue crafting the garden as it is a focus as we have both been a a lot recently and a combination of troubles have clashed making it very difficult for us.But hopefully now things will be on the up and we can get back to a normal or near normal existence.

I would love a ornamental focus in the garden and I have to say that I found some very scary looking examples on eBay not the quality of the stone etc but how the actual ornament looked!

A Couples Holiday In Sherwood Forest

A couples holiday what is that ? It’s the one where you go with kids ! Go on holiday without kids I hear you say ! Yes you can holiday without your children and you’ll cope just fine without them ( I’m talking about kids that are old enough to be left like 18 and over ) .It’s the break you go on before you go and collect them university and all there stuff which you swear fitted in the car when you left.

You’ll find yourself travelling more when you’ve not got your kids in tow and aren’t popping off to various sporting events.That is not to say that you don’t miss those wet , cloudy , freezing morning s on the side of a football/rugby pitch.This picture below is what a hidden disability(diabetes type 1 ) looks like relaxing in a  You can relax at in Sherwood  and do as little or as much as you want , you could hire bikes . 

Sherwood Forest is beat known for its ties to the legendary Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men.However ,while this may be the most popular tale of the woods, there is plenty of other myths and legends to explore.This are has been home to woodland since the end of the Ice age ,making it one of Britain's Ancient Forests and is till known as a Royal Forest.Today the area is known as the Sherwood Forest National Reserve today and covers 1,045 acres and fully surround the historic village of Edwinstowe. It is popular for it location near the Major Oak and St Marys church supposed wedding location of Robin Hood and Maid Marian.

Major Oak

Found near the village of Edwinstowe, The Major Oak is a famous English Oak Tree that according to legend, once housed Robin Hood and his followers ( the ultimate tree house ! ). Protecting them fro the elements and giving them somewhere to sleep.The tree is thought to weigh around 23 tons and has an impressive canopy of 92ft ( 38 metres ) and since the Victorian era has been supported by scaffolding.The tree is though to be between 800-100 years old so the Major Oak wasn't even a sapling around the time of Robin Hood.

Sherwood Forest is now a protected site and attracts almost one million tourists form all over the world and why not be made of this discovery of this beautiful treasure. You could stay in a cheap hotel near to Derby and Nottingham offering access to both Sherwood Forest and the Peak District.

This is collaboration post.

Family It Is How It is Written

I have been quiet but I like the quiet I am finding truth in my own thoughts again and I really do like it and the adventures I am having and the choices I am making and oh doesn't it sound like a AA Milne Winnie the Pooh story this.But that is just it I want the innocent life and yes I know it has the twists and turns but I want and need to be me again without the

"Are you better  ?" questions ( as that really really does my head in )

Well yes yes I am when I look how far I have come and where I was.

Adventures I love adventures and you don't have to go far for the most fantastical and wonderful adventures and we have been revisiting some of our National Trust haunts now the teen is back from university. He is unburned now by study and essays and is swinging back nicely into family living and joyfully the food bill has gone back up but that is the wonderful thing about families.To know you are altogether again and to know that you're family still for no matter how far apart you're you are still family.

Raising a family is like crafting with magic you throw everything into the cauldron and hope for the best and you parent to the best of your abilities , I don't think I have ever been the draconian parent . I once tried to stop my teen when he was very small from going to football for something minor he had done and he simply answered:

"How can you stop me doing something that I love  ?"


Damn kids being smart and having a mind of their own and gosh isn't this just the sort of fearless attitude we want them to have in life ( being polite of course )

We are a unit again and we all have are own tea mugs and I have mine very clearly marked as my mug is from Ryman and is "C is for Claire" there is no clearer message whose tea mug this is ! I do love my tea it is a true love of mine and I am so so passionate about my tea. I ‘d go total bananas if I can't have my tea and that reminds me now the teen is home we have run out of milk and I must go and fetch some.





And to help keep track of my blog posts and anything else relate to my blog I have a note book as writing down any ideas has to be done there and then. I love my blogging and it has brought me many wonderful opportunities for me and my family, I love notebooks they are so extremely tactile a sort of stationary cat if you will ( ps I love cats as well ) And I love this personalised notebook that comes from Ryman as well it is so so pretty and it is all mine.





And what notebook is complete without a personalised pen  from Ryman again with my name on it so there is no arguments to who the pen belongs , and there is nothing finer than the written word either from a much loved Grandad or the wise words of your then 16 year old teenager





So if you are on the look out for personalised gifts then may I suggest Ryman as I am ecstatic with the products they went me for review and with some special birthdays coming up I know where I will be looking.

Jack Champion Hide and Seek Champion 2018

And life get back to normal with the cat well and truly better after it having a bad leg and costing £££ at the vets.And the teen returned from university complete with washing for 2 years (that could be a complete exaggeration)

“ I like to keep the vet in a style he’s accustomed to “

Which is suspiciously why I am always seeing the vet coming back from the shops with bottles of wine and of course what vert is not complete without a countryside shirt and tie ( plus trousers )

Jack however is still rubbish at hide and seek but we don’t tell him ..

“ I’m the hide and seek champion of the world 2018 “

 "And despite the challenge from my Nemesis I am the king cat of the world. "

There are many benefits to being a cat screams you're a CAT !

1. Your home is a parkour arena and YOU can sit and jump  where you like that includes the TV and laptop when the football is on.

2. Obviously us cats are exceptionally good at hide and seek and I believe the above picture captures my sheer brilliance.

3. You can plot a murder and everyone thinks you're "JUST so fluffy and cute "



4. Being a black cat if people are mean to you of course you have access to a witch.

5. I’m not really unlucky if I cross your path although I’d start to wonder why you haven’t won the lottery yet ( I tore up the ticket )

I Am Not An Anxiety Traffic Cone

I social media for me when I want and how I want , gosh in the year 2000 Google was just a mere what ever it was.Selfies didn’t exist and no one had the pressure of answering or sending emails.

I’m off with Anxiety you see the big A the one people still skirt around like you’re an “Anxiety Traffic Cone .Anxiety / Depression is a bit like roadworks you don’t know where it will be fixed . I’m winning on this but I know that my Anxiety roadworks will need constant maintenance.My Doctor just huuuuhuh and mmmmm at me so I think some way to go with that side of things!

I had a breakdown on the back of various factors 4 years ago and I’ve learnt from it and repaired myself.I think there are many important lesson s I’ve learnt in the art of self care.

1. It’s ok to not be ok and it’s ok to talk about it you’re not an Anxiety Traffic cone.

3. Don’t worry about being misunderstood everyone is ... and I was misunderstood 4 years ago leading to some right nasty stuff on the net. Friends will be there for you but it takes time to build the right ones.

4. Don’t worry what people think it’s ok to be you ~  don’t worry what 

5. Try and find yourself in a book again that’s one way to truly find yourself again

6. I punctuate my day with being rather than doing like just being with my cup of tea and not being a slave to people’s expectations.

7 Not needing flash things I’m perfectly happy with a cup tea family and cake oh and the cat and countryside. 

8 Faultless there’s no such thing ! Allow yourself failure and don’t beat yourself up when things go wrong.

9 Plan what you want as planning helps you structure and can help with how you feel, it could be tea and cake with a friend.

Things not to say to someone with Anxiety and depression and I’ve genuinely had this said to me “ if you were taking the tablets you’d be half way to getting better now.

Also people think you want to be left alone when you’ve got anxiety or depression and though sometimes this is true , please do approach people. Keep trying and trying they’ll let you know - just trying is enough for some. Don’t give up on us !

And neither is it a shame what has happened to us “ isn’t it a shame about xyz”

So I’m not an anxiety Traffic Cone !!