Is It Summer Now?

I think that question can now be answered with a resounding 'yes' since the temperatures have rocketed and we are now being advised - take a deep breath here - to have our windows closed during the day to keep the warm air out! Who'd have thought?

Anyhow what could be more Summery than a ukelele in a rose bush?

Maybe I should elaborate. Last Summer Mr K decided to take Big and Little Sis on a road trip - he thought driving across France would be fun and started to choose some appropriate tunes for the journey. Big Sis decided to provide her own version and before long the dastardly duo had mastered 'Aux Champs Elysees' - Big Sis on the ukelele and Little Sis providing the trumpet harmony via a very strange noise through her nose. It was lovely (!) and became the backdrop for most of our Summer. Little Sis is now following suit and has just ordered a ukelele of her very own. Of course 'Champs' is a must learn and the last few evenings have seen the pair of us sitting in the garden trying our very best to master a few chords. (Of course with me being left handed and Little Sis right it did take some time to work out which way up the ukelele was in the first place - happily that has now sorted itself out!)

This is how it should sound.

Summery - oui!

Also providing the taste of Summer was our first bowl of home grown strawberries

And plenty of eating al fresco (ah oui - Francais non?)

The recipe for this delicious herb and lemon fried chicken came from Amelia over at Musing with Max (look at her recipe for caramel ice cream too - scrumptious)

It went down very well last night with a mix of freshly picked salad from the garden - so well that I squirrelled a piece away to enjoy this evening when I got home from school. All afternoon I had sat with a class of eight year olds trying to replicate the rainforest by means of some A4 paper and glue sticks - drooling at the idea of a post work tasty snack. Imagine my surprise when I opened the fridge and it was gone! Mr K was very open about it's whereabouts - 'Oh that bit of chicken - yes I gave it to Jessie Dog for a treat.' Hmm.

Moving on. Yesterday I received two prizes that I had won at the craft day I had attended here. 

A wonderful silk embroidery cushion kit (there's a turn up!)

And a giant ladybird the size of a spaceship

Oh okay it's a row counter and I love it!

To his credit Mr K has come up trumps this week. Firstly he sought out one of the wee birdie sculptures from the college show and brought him home to roost

Then, bearing in mind we live about as central as you can, he bought me a book about food from the South West

To be fair I'm rather relieved - two hours ago I could never have guessed the definition of a Dorset Knob but now that future embarrassing situation has been averted

My recent spate of W.C.s  has allowed me room to start something new

Can you guess what it is?

So things are looking pretty rosey around here at the moment and with the school holidays just around the corner I guess we can say yes - Summer is officially here.

Oh and by the way remember I asked what was more Summery than a ukelele in a rose bush?

How about this?

One with a strawberry on top!

Enjoy the sunshine if you have it and if not try to have sunny thoughts!

Jane

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