Summer Sun...

The Summer holidays began in intense heat from the Summer's sun...We have been lucky really...I remember Summer's like this when I was a young child.  We have had days away in Bude, Cornwall. Enjoying family time on the beach with my Twin's children...trips to the South Ham's, Torquay and Dartmoor paddling with the Dartmoor ponies in the rivers. Summer evening walks...its all been rather relaxed and peaceful. Mainly, 'staycation' holidays this year. We are lucky in that respect as we live so close to the beautiful countryside of Devon and near the Cornish Coast too...We just pack the car with pic-nics and blankets and off we pop for a few hours or days.  My partner only had the week off with us so we did pack a lot in.  The weather has taken a turn this week though more overcast and quite a few showers....but in between we've still had plenty of sun. To be honest I like cooler days It seems to give me more energy to walk and enjoy being out without feeling over baked like a jacket spud!...  The Hill top garden where my cottage sits is full to bursting with apples drooping off the apple tree's , blackcurrants and blackberries. I feel some crumbles and pies are in the making next week.

(cosmos..one of my most favourite flowers in Cornwall)

The blooms seem bigger and bolder this Summer...

(days away in Bude with my Twin and family)

(Dartmoor ponies down by the river)

(on the dresser top...Below, I found these wonderful vintage rosettes in the local market)

I hope you have been all enjoying a beautiful Summer...

Update :My father got to go home for a few weeks...was doing really well despite all the intense cancer treatments...even walking to local shops where he lives and visiting friends and local bird watching reserves. But this week they had found more small tumours and he needs to be back in hospital for my treatments. But he's feeling up beat about it all. Each day is a new day, a new hurdle. But He does seem stronger in himself at the moment. We keep our fingers crossed...

Thank you for the lovely comments as always...I've been quite good, a post a month!?

x     K a z z y    x

Summer days...

How beautiful everything seems in the Summer sun.

How glorious are those intense blue skies.

The Swift and the Swallows swooping through my hill top garden.

The flickering Sun light through the apple tree's where I sit in the dappled shade.

The Cow parsley lanes on an evening walk...

The sound of the breeze on the Hill top tree's...

The Cornish waves cooling bare feet...

Flags flying, street dancing, Morris dancers and bands as summer festivals come to our little town.

A race to the finish line on Sports day and the Summer hol's just a week away...

On another real positive is that my Father has been coping so well to his many cancer treatments. At the moment signs are on the up and he's even been walking around the ward. My twin Home school's and has had more time to spend with him, so its good to know he has had lots of family by his side. He's keeping so strong and so positive and doctors have noticed such a huge improvement daily. 

Soon the Summer Hol's will bring me more time to visit him...I cant wait!.

x    K a z z y    x

Thank you all for such kind words and the messages via my Instagram account 'kazzyloves'.

Time with Dad... Part two...

It was a whirl wind of a few weeks...But I got to spend five days with my father at Guy's Hospital, London. Sadly, he has been undergoing intense cancer treatments and has a mass of tumours covering his body. He is being a tower of strength despite everything. I  had not seen him in such a long time, too long...He lives on the east coast and I am on the west coast and I just couldnt afford the journeys, but myself and my twin managed to get a last minute B&B and took the megabus coach to keep costs low. London is so expensive!.  But I just didnt care I wanted to be my father's side and give him a well needed hug.  I was quite shocked to see him and all the weight he has lost. I held his hand and we talked of childhood memories...we laughed, we cried and we hugged a lot. The main thing is he's keeping strong and keeping positive. At the moment he has quite a lot of treatments going on and while he is undergoing that it completely takes his energy and leaves him wanting to sleep all the time.  But in the next 4 weeks we hope he will see signs of improvement. Cancer is a horrid thing it really is. But he might just beat it and we hope he can lead a as 'normal' life as possible. So, as you can imagine since I arrived back to Devon from London I was an emotional wreck!. Everything hit me like a ton of bricks...Also the intense guilt of leaving him on the ward and walking away...But its so hard when you have a family back home that need you and life goes on...I walked around for a whole week in some kind of daze...physically I felt exhausted.  It had been a tough few days. No one wants to see their Loved one in pain. But I needed that time with Dad. I've been on the phone to him everyday and getting regular updates... I'm hoping in the Summer Holidays before Sophia starts her Secondary school I can go and spend another week in London or at Dads home depending where he will be.  

On another note, Boy' it has been mega hot in Devon. I am not complaining...But i do love the sun when i'm in the shade. 

Until next time,

x    K a z z y    x

From May to June...(part one)

Hello there from the sunny side of Devon...Its been a busy few months with family, School life and work. We've all been totally exhausted of late...Actually, I felt more tired after the half term break.  But today, I have given myself a good hour or so with Coffee cup in one hand laptop in the other to just catch up really...

I have had so much going on lately and one big thing laying on my mind is my Father's health. He is now undergoing treatment for a rare Cancer and been in Hospital in London for nearly three weeks. Its left us all as a family 'shaken' and with 'worry' of what lays a head for him. I speak on the phone to him nearly everyday. But I am on the west coast and he is on the east coast and with that I cannot just visit him and help him the best way I can/want to. I have felt so utterly filled with guilt and sadness.  My father and I are so close~ we have always had such a great relationship and I miss him greatly. And now he needs me more than ever...So as you can imagine its been a roller coaster of emotions lately...I pray so hard he responds to the treatment and can lead as 'normal life' as possible in the years to come...As long as my Father can paint, draw and be out walking the salt marshes and doing his bird counts for RSPB he is a happy soul...

My father taught us from a very early age to appreciate the seasons, wildlife and nature around us. He was a keen ornithologist, Illustrator of many Bird, Sea life books, sold his artwork for the Wildlife Trusts around the East Anglia coastline. Run conservation trips around the world. Designed popular Wildlife brochures and leaflets...and other achievements. His love of wild life runs deep in me...especially helps my mental health. I crave the outdoors, walking...taking a note of what the land has to offer and enjoying the seasons. My Father even ran a small wildlife rescue...Growing up we had a rescue fox that lived with us, barn owl and many small birds...I was always a 'wild' child at heart...

Lately, we have been doing a lot of walking and exploring the Devon and Cornwall Coastline and Country...Its helped me 'escape' from some real 'low eb' moments. To just breath in the sea air for an hour or so has been just the tonic to de-stress.

(  Slapton Sands ) 

( Mount Edgecumbe ~National Trust country Park and Coast)

'Out of the Dark come the Light'...

'Forget-me-not'...be blue and beautiful.

'Blooming Blooms'

(church yard bluebells)

The sun light has filled the kitchen through May to June...

The Tulips, Sweet William and and roses have filled the home with sent and colour...

('Rising Sun' Cornwall...Along the river path)

I have so many photos from my phone and camera...So I think I will have to do a part two.

The Sunshine and blue skies has really come at the best possible time for me...

I hope you have been enjoying it too.

x   K a z z y   x

The Beasty from the Easty...

It is quite amazing what the weather had brought us in such a short space of time...The school's were closed because of it and getting food and supplies seemed like a huge task!...It all started with quite a funny weather report about 'The beast from the east'~ We laughed at the time...We were not quite prepared for what lay a head...I walked Sophia to school on the Thursday morning in a hale/rain/sleet blizzard!~ we couldnt keep our eye's open...Then at 2pm I had a text from the school to pick the kids up before the snow storm arrived around 3pm...well, It was all quite calm at 2pm...But after half an hour of a walk it all dramatically changed.

A huge black cloud fell over our small Dartmoor town and the snow came in buckets!...The ice on the paths was dangerous and we walked like penguins to not slip over...We couldn't see out of our eye's again and I do not know how we made the walk up the slippery ice hill home. My partner was trying to get home from his work early as they'd all been sent home to. The snow and ice was a lot worse across the moor roads~ I was worried for his life~ That does sound dramatic but it really was that 'hellish'...He had cars swerving across the roads in the ice!...sooo dangerous. We were lucky to just need to make it home by walking i would of cried if i was in the car!. My partner said the snow fell so quickly across his windscreen he could hardly see in front of him and at one point he pulled over and almost left his car at the side of the road to walk home. We hardly ever get snow in the west country...Quite rare indeedy. I don't think i will ever wish for it again like I did just after Christmas. I always think how beautiful the landscape is with snow. But if you have to drive to work in it its not a good thing at all.  So my rosey tinted spec's came off. I was so happy to give my partner a hug and know he was safe despite him looking quite shaken after an hour drive! He left his car safely on the main road and walked our hill home. We sat and watched the snow fall from our cottage~ safe and snug inside.  Sophia hadn't seen snow like it before~ she was about 2 years when we last had quite a few feet. The next day she quickly put her wellies on and rushed me outside to build a snow man...Our little Dartmoor town looked so beautiful in white!...My partner had to take the next day off work due to the roads. So it was a wonderful extra few days together. It was wonderful to look at it from the window and be all snug by the fire...It really was 'The beasty from the Easty'...Sophia said it sounds like a childs fairytale. 

I have been enjoying floral blooms to cheer my home...My bright bit of sunshine on the stormy views outside.

I hope you all made it safely home in the Winter skies?...I think most people are starting to get back to normal routines? . Sophia is celebrating World Book Day today (as they missed out on it due to the school being closed last week) ~ She is Sophie from the BFG.

x   K a z z y   x