First I'd like to show you my glorious 'Constant Nymph' Streptocarpus - she deserves a photo - so many flowers, too many to count. She's my favourite!
We've been busy harvesting a great crop of fruit and vegetables for weeks, freezing some, giving some away and turning some into jam, pies and chutney. The kitchen has smelt incredible - positively heady at times - and I'm running out of jars.
This year our black grape vine has done well for once (we usually leave the grapes for the birds) so as they're somewhat 'pippy' for eating we're experimenting with a little wine.........No, I'm not at all confident, but I won't know for a year....
Back in the day, or as my grandkids say, the olden times, my Mum and Aunt were great hedgerow winemakers. You name it - they made it; I remember best the elderflower, elderberry, dandelion and sloe wines and spending hours in bright yellow fields of dandelions getting stained in sticky brown sap as we picked the heads and being pricked as we strained to gather the elderflower heads and berries from the hedges around our home. Happy days.
Still - as I say.....no I'm not at all sure about this grape wine. However, I've made some blackberry Gin and I know that will be great!!
I've always been a lover of shoes, although these days the biggest concern sadly, is all about comfort. Small shoes don't have to be comfortable just beautiful or interesting and I have a few.
This little broken wooden shoe is very precious and was brought back from Germany by my Dad after his release as a POW after the war.
My family were bakers and confectioners and my aunt who not only made the wine, decorated all the cakes - this little silver cardboard shoe came from a family wedding cake about 50 years ago - the tiny metal shoes, linked by a rusty couple of links and thread have been with me 'forever'. Both sit on my printers shelves.
Different friends gave me the little leather shoes - all seem to have been brooches at one time. The wonderful lady's heeled boot is old and a lovely fine china - it sat on my Granny's shelf and I love it now it is mine. It's the largest shoe, but still only about 4 inches tall.
Car boots sales can yield some treasures and the last three shoes came from there. I particularly love the handcarved wooden shoe - it reminds me so much of the first one - and looks as if it has some age to it. The green ones - not that old - do have a vintage look, and I like them both and love green china. These shoes are all about 4 inches long.
Now we're all recovering from the heatwave in this part of the world, I hope you're also enjoying a lovely autumn.
Thanks for looking
Robin
4 comments:
Hi Robin! I'm glad to read that you've had a lovely summer in many ways :)!
Your glorious 'Constant Nymph' Streptocarpus is indeed a true beauty, although I've never heard of this sort of plant. Is it a sort of Primula??
You must have been so very busy and your kitchen will have smelled delicious, Robin. I know because my (deceased) Mom was always busy in her kitchen in summer, with making our stock for winter. This summer has been very good here, in The Netherlands, for growing vegetables and all sort of fruit, even for grapes for making wine. So, you had a very good harvest too :).
So your Mom and aunt were winemakers, how great, such lovely memories. The same is for the shoes, the biggest shoes and your tiny ones are true treasures. I've never seen this last green shoe, it looks just like a real one, exept for the material of course ;).
And speaking of elderberry......I've just made some in miniature, it's not ready yet but I'll show it on my blog if it's finished.
Yes, the heat waves here were very tiring and took away all of my energy, I'm still recovering yet. But since two weeks the mini bug bit me again, finally :D!
Good to see you back into the blogworld, Robin.
Hugs, Ilona
Hi Robin!
I believe that most of the world is recovering from an abnormally long, hot and dry summer. Many flower in my neighbourhood bloomed then wilted as the heat relentlessly pressed down on them.
However, the Autumn rains have already started and everything is turning green once again.
I think that your collection of little shoes is quite fascinating especially since there is a story told with each one within your collection.
I also must commend you on your canning, preserving and wine making a skills and talents which I've always admired yet never learned.
Your blackberry gin reminds me of my one and only attempt at making blackberry vodka. It was Incredibly DELICIOUS and Boy oh boy, it packed a punch!
Turns out that it was also far too tasty, for me to think about making again! :D
I think all our gardens have suffered this year, and there's a lot of clearing up to be done - still it's good to see the autumn rain reviving things. Lovely that we're all enjoying the harvest.
I'm so happy you both like my little shoes - isn't it strange that somehow, without effort, a collection just seems to create itself.
I can't wait to see your elderberries Illona - I know they'll be so true to life - and I really do think you should make some more blackberry vodka Elizabeth, or try the gin!
Rxx
I forgot to say that the Streptocarpus or Cape Primrose aren't primula but from the big Gesneriad family which includes the better know Aprican Violet or Saintpaulia. There are wonderful hybrids take a
look:
http://www.dibleys.com/strep.htm
Rx
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