💛Sweet peas in Summer💛

Oh' my its been a hot couple of weeks💛

The temperature is too hot for me, I do love the sunshine but not the intensity of heat. So, well, due to that major factor my productivity & energy levels have been awful. But my feelings of being on a low eb have slightly improved... Just been taking life a little slower has helped. Soon it will be Friday and then the starts of the Summer hols for my sweet Sophs... And Stevie gets a weeks holiday too... So hopefully we can plan some outings... Stay cations mainly. We haven't planned a thing yet!. 

Posy of garden blooms... Wonderful colours of Sweet peas... 

Two weekends ago we had a drive towards Plymouth to Saltrum House, National Trust House and gardens, huge estate... The house was only allowing groups of 6 people and we joined the back of the group, it felt like we had the beautiful rooms to ourselves... My jaw dropped at the entrance... 

So mainly huge, wonderful paintings... Some by Joshua Reynolds... 

Saltrum House was also used as a filming location for Sense & Sensibility which starred Kate Winslet, Emma Thompson & Hugh Grant. 

Wonderful grounds to explore... 🌿🌞🌿

My favourite part of any historic family home as big as this is the area where the cook and maids, butlers and bottle washers worked so hard away... It fascinates me the old rustic kitchens... The big kettles on the open fires, pot & pans and large dressers filled with all the kitchen wares... Like Downtown Abbey. The real hub of the home... 

The garden boarder was beautiful with lavender pink poppies... 

Next time we will need a few more hours to explore as there's so much more to explore... 

Friends from the estate came to say hello. 

Below, back in my Market town Community garden roses... 💖

Enjoyed a wonderful slice of ginger spice cake... 

Wonderful blooms... Really enjoying the National Trust gardens around Devon & Cornwall. 

We had a Sunday in Totnes... 

(I'd had a fall down my hill top steps so we were taking it easy as my leg and ankle were still healing just cut & badly bruised ) 

We also drove to Buckfastleigh Abbey Gardens on the way home for a walk about and sit in the shade of the gardens. 

Due to the heat mainly & taking a bit of a break I've hardly done any creative work... But I decided to sit under the apple trees in the late afternoon with my sketch book and watercolours and just let my imagination appear on the paper... A little fairy being emerged... 

Thank you kindly for the supportive comments on my last post... 💖 I'm healing & still giving myself time to breathe and slow down. 

Enjoy the Summer, 

x     K  a  z  z  y    x

🌞Sunshine & showers☔

 It's been a month since I last posted so a little catch up...wonderful sunny days exploring meadows in June & Dittisham, Dartmoor, Dartington Estate, Buckfastleigh Abbey Gardens, The new Box museum Plymouth... And especially being in my Summer time garden on the hill top... Life has been full on & busy! 

(view from the hill top)... My wonderful apple trees below🌱🍎🌱🍏🌱🍎🌱

We also went for a family trip to Exeter & enjoyed the museum & I loved the bikes in bloom around the city... 💕

I've been giving myself a bit of a break of late, some well needed self care... I won't dwell on the details but I've been struggling emotionally & mentally... Sometimes your body just tells you to look after yourself! A couple of difficult and sad events recently just tipped me too far and after a bit of feeling like I was walking in cement & crying over the slightest thing I suddenly realised I'd hit an all time low. Generally, I'm that up beat, laugh it off, pull my socks up and carry on kind of person. But I couldn't find her inside of me to push me forward with a smile and a little strength. 

So instead of letting it beat me I talked to *me*... Kind of talked through to myself why was I struggling... And this really helped me... I realised not everything you can fix or make right, life's not like that. Sometimes you need to focus on what's best for you and your family... And that meant stepping away... And taking time out of situations. 

My market town covered in bunting... 

We've been enjoying lots of rhubarb crumbles 

 I'm incredibly lucky to have my kind, thoughtful and loving partner stevie, my rock at times like this. Life does have its ups and downs after all... Its just how you deal with it... Stevie surprised me with yearly passes to the National Trust... What a joy that was... And there's so many beautiful Country homes & Gardens to explore not far from us and also about an hour or two drive away. We took advantage of that this weekend... Cotehele & Lanhydrock....

Glimpses of sunshine & showers... 

But everything looks so lush and green. 

Wonderful glass mosaic & wicker hare sculptures. 

There's more photos over on my Instagram feed. Link in sidebar. 

Beautiful gallery ceiling... Lanhydrock. 

Today I'm just enjoying the peace & quiet on my day off while stevie at work and sophs at school. I picked a soggy posy from my garden after all the rain... 

Take care of you, 💕

I hope the sun is shining where you are too. 

x     K  a  z  z  y    x