Darling buds of Dartington....

I must admit this time of year cheers my soul immensely...

Spring has started to blossom...And we've had four whole days of blue sky even if a bit chilly.

We had a wonderful drive to Dartington estate, Devon...Its about 5 mins drive from Totnes town.

(country estate that is the headquarters of the Dartington Hall Trust, a charity specialising in the arts, social justice and sustainability. The estate dates from medieval times.) 

It was grey and drizzly that Saturday afternoon and we almost headed home after our jolly little shopping trip to Totnes. But we fancied a walk despite the weather...So we parked up and headed towards the Dartington Hall. To our delight the tree's had come into blossom and the skies were brightened by the candy floss effect of the blossoms hanging from the trees. So very pretty all the pinks and whites of cherry blossom trees.  Like confetti in a slight breeze. Towards the gardens were lots of hellebores, grape hyacinths, daffodils, tulips and early shoots of bluebells just starting to peep through...Lots of woodland walks, nature trail and meadow land leading to deer park...including medieval great hall, lots of estate building and an arts campus...also cafes/restaurant, cinema in the old barn and lovely visitors shop with cards and books and small gallery space....We had hot Cornish pasties from Totnes and brownies!...But we had our picnic in the car as the weather was not ideal to sit on the benches. I had not been on the nature trail woodland walk before...But it was really worth doing the longer walk as we passed willow branch sculptures of deers and stag including metal cut out shaped ones too...They looked almost real from a distance in the deep woods towards the river. We also were luckily to spot the steam train passing on the other side of the river Dart. 

bunches of flowers in Totnes...Totnes is a market town and civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

And the bonus of this beautiful place its free (but with a donations box for visitors to give what they can)...small charge for car park. Wonderful place for families to explore.

....I have had such a busy week...But at some stage (a.s.a.p) I will be adding new illustration prints to my etsy shop (link in right sidebar)... Inspired by Spring days 'The Bumble Bee ~Moth Fairy.

x    K a z z y   x

March Moments...

Oh' the joys of the Great British weather...This month has been rather a mixed bag!.

I feel sorry for those early Spring buds when the weather turned so warm, then suddenly the storm clouds blew them almost out of their roots. Hale stones and blustery winds most of this week. Then some afternoons the Sun has come out for very short spells. My hill top garden has been battered around quite a bit here in Devon. I think now I am really ready to say 'good~bye' to this winter weather and start to enjoy some warmer Spring-like days.  I have at every opportunity been buying from the market square and super market little bunches of daffodils, roses and tulips and in last years pots the hyacinths bulbs have brought me lots of colourful delights on a grey day...

My way of dealing with dark, heavy skies is to fill the home with Spring blooms.

So that even if the weather is miserable I wont fill miserable in doors. I think I have been on a low eb these last weeks...Life has been busy, my daughter has had a lot going on with School and her amazing opportunity to work with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Company on the Matilda production. School at this age seems so tiring for her. I worry she spends the rest of her time on her phone apps and I am trying to get us both to spend more time talking together between our rushed days of getting from A to B. As the days zoom by and we've hardly spoken. I know life is busy for all of us. And I've been spending a lot of time on the phone to my father who's going through a very difficult time with cancer. I do feel physically and mentally exhausted. I think we all do as a family. My partners shift patterns are extremely tiring too. So we all seem on a low eb and weather just doesn't help!. I think sometimes as the Mum of the house hold you're constantly trying to keep everyone 'going' and 'positive' and 'fed' and take on their issues with work and school that sometimes I just reach that point where I need 'time out' just to relax, wined down and re-charge my old batteries to be better at coping and dealing with everything that life throws at me. I'm O.k..I have had a better day today.  My daughter is at a sleep over with her cousins and myself and steve have been so very lazy!...Actually i'm still in my dressing gown and while the weather has been just utterly pants outside i've been snug inside with hot cups of milky tea enjoying craft and art inspirations on pinterest and catching up on your lovely blogs. I've really needed this, just 'time out' for 'me'. We all need these moments.  I have been having a 'love and hate' relationship with Instagram lately. I think its great for these fast paced lives we all live. Quick chat, quick snaps...but lately i have found it shallow and less meaningful. I also find I miss so many feeds as the feeds change so quickly and lots of accounts I follow seem to be 'ads' now. Maybe I like blogs for that less fast paced type style. I feel I can sit calmly enjoy reading at my pace...Why is life like a tread mill?...anyone one else feeling this way?. 

I have started to really think about how to improve my Life too. Mentally and physically I need to exercise more...Its so easy for me to jump in the car, I must walk more, I miss my walks.  I do walk on weekends, but I want to do more during the week days. My health seems to be lacking with the feeling of tiredness even when I've had a good nights sleep and lastly my diet. I need to make changes to what I eat. 

With my dads health it has really made me think about making the most of my life...After all you only get one.

Ive been enjoying my books by writer and gardener Alys Fowler. Its made me want to have a more allotments style, small plot in my hill top garden and grow a few more vegetables this Summer....
Home grown produce is something i really want to get more serious into.  I love the fact that when we moved to our hill top cottage we already had two wonderful apple tree's with different variety apples of reds and green cooker's. Also a large black current bush that produces so much fruit, also lots of herbs which I have planted over the last few years...But I want to grow much more.

Please do not be fooled by the blue sky photos in this post...That was on the days before the stormy skies.

My twinny stayed with my father for 4 days while he recovered from an operation on the tumour on his face.

He still has another operation and more cancer treatments this next week ~Poor thing he's really fighting this horrid cancer but its tough on his body and tiring but he seems 'good' as he can be this week in his spirits and was laughing and joking with me on Friday over the phone...he is resting today (so very tired) ;(.

Sometimes when I complain I think of my father being so brave...and then I try and turn my mind to positive ways of dealing with my emotions.

Looking forward to the weather turning to Spring over the next few weeks,

I hope the weather is less blustery where you are my dear blogging friends?,

x    K a z z y   x

**** Just wanted to add i'm having a few issues when loading my photographs, for some reason they look slightly blurred trying to get my partner Stevie to help me on this...It might be because I load them from my mobile phone? ...Do not adjust your eyes its my issue this end.