Happy Mother's Day

It doesn't matter where your kids are... as long as you know where they are !

Have a very happy mother's day...................

Divining light

I suppose some things don't really suit an old cottage. Some things really don't go.
Our stair well is in the middle of the cottage, and has no natural light. Even with spot lights and a hanging light with a Tiffany shade it always looks dark.

I have yearned for a chandelier light to be at the top of the stairs. I have looked in envy as we pass light shops during dark Winter nights.
Chandelier's glittering in all their brilliance. Pedants of light, twinkling glass everywhere.


If you were around Cathedral Green in Exeter this morning. We were the ones eating pasties and surrounded by pigeons.
The real reason for being there was because "one of us" wanted to buy a pastry brush.........
What "one of us" really wanted to do was go and buy some shower gel from the soap shop and wouldn't go in there on his own.



Just to remind you my favorite soap shop is behind the row of houses.



Every time I put pictures on here of Cathedral Green I forget to show you what is around the side of the building.
Exeter Cathedral looks as if it has been plonked in the middle of a village green.
Not the case really, as I am sure you can guess what is under the grass.



I love going to Exeter and watching the world go by, watching balloon sellers and street musicians.



Oh.... look at that .....

Pretty expensive pastry brush.....

Squirreling away Lace Bobbins

I wish I knew how to use the lace bobbins I have.
I found them in one of my squirrel hide aways in the cottage.
There are many squirrel corners in here.
Surprising as it may seem to some of Soggibottom readers.
To others it comes as no surprise at all.
Squirrels of the world unite.

I love the poem Leisure by William Henry Davies.
It's one of the poems that you always remember the first line.
Then your mind goes blank. Well, alright mine goes blank.

For all that never remember the rest of the poem, here it is.

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to seem in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care We have no time to stand and stare.

For Allie, as I remember commenting on one of her posts and couldn't remember the verse

Also for Amie's good friend TWEEDLES. .

If you haven't met Tweedles yet you can find him by clicking on the above link. If you haven't met Tweedles...you don't know what you are missing. Make sure you take something tasty in your pocket.

Shopping in Totnes - Devon

I always love to visit Totnes, except the climb up the main High Street.
As much as I love living in Devon,
why are there so many hills ?



The intended shop, with lots of crafty things inside.


Sometimes the market is on.


Going home can be a tight squeeze along the lanes, unless you are lucky enough to find a lorry to follow.


But then some of us, are wiser than most and never venture far from the fire.

Do they Mew ?

Waving the flag for the Gold medal that England won at the Winter Olympic Games

Waving the flag for the medal that England won at the Winter Olympic Games

Village stocks and Chiltern bear

A conversation in the cottage yesterday turned into a conversation about the village stocks.
Here they are. Our village's lovable village stocks.

Who would you like to put into them ?
Endless conversation, about who, might have suddenly filled your mind.

I have posted the stocks on here before, it was a long time ago.
Luckily you can see they need a good dust so they couldn't have seen any "action" for ages.




Bruce is back by demand of my overflowing email box.

My own fault really as I should have told you that I believe him to be a Chiltern bear.
An English bear. I did, once take him to an expert. Who didn't know who made him !

As always with a bear with no label, I decided to do my own detective work.

By the shape of his head and ear placement, nose, body shape. Comparing him to other Chiltern bears helped more than anything. Although I am no expert either, so if you know, I would love to hear from you.

Chad Valley toys took over Chiltern in 1967. Then Chad Valley was taken over by Palitoy in 1978. For some reason all Chad Valley records and catalogues were destroyed, so dating isn't easy I think Bruce was made around 1953. He is older than me....
Thank goodness some one is.