Tuesday 16 July 2013

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
x

17 comments :

  1. You are so funny! I loved this post. The ukelele in the rose bush is very summery and the strawberry compounds it by about a million. :) Sorry to hear about your chicken! Bummer. I think you might be making a hat...?

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  2. Love the ukulele pic, I can hear the dulcet tones in my ear...and lucky you with your crafty goodies! I really love silk ribbon embroidery, and I am going to start a quest to make it more contemporary and beautiful ( similar to your pretty cushion kit) than those gaudy embroidered watercolour floral paintings. Let me know how you get on with it! And my guess for your pretty crochet is a round cushion...Chrissie x

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  3. I love this post today, so filled with fun.
    Happy Summer,
    Meredith

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  4. Oh! I'm so honored. I hope Jessie Dog didn't get sick, not sure that chicken is for canine consumption. I'm glad you liked it, now I have to scroll back up and learn all about Dorset knobs and ukeleles. Thanks!

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  5. I thought the thing that might be better than a ukulele in the rose bush would be TWO ukuleles (ukulelie??) ... I was so wrong :[ A road trip with all that accompanying symphony must've been really, REALLY fun! Thanks for clarifying what exactly a Dorset knob is, now when we're discussing knobs (which must come up in dinner conversation at least once a week), we'll also be able to determine whether it's an actual "Dorset knob" or more the "local knobs" ;) Wendy

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  6. Sounds like your making the most of your summer, yum home grown strawberries

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  7. A lovely, happy & humorous post indeed! I love the ukelele with the strawberry on top - it doesn't get more summery than that! :-)
    Have fun in the sun,
    xx

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  8. What a wonderful summery post. ~ Sarah x

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  9. The sunshine is a definite mood enhancer ... don't you think ... probably why you took the chicken situation so well ;) ... loved this funny post ... Bee xx

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  10. What a great post! Those home grown strawberries look delicious :) The wip is looking very pretty too xoxox

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  11. Lovely fun summery post. That chicken does look delicious - lucky doggie having the last piece! Love your new WIP, gorgeous colour.
    M x

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  12. Fun post! We live near the Dorset Knob shop ... they're really not very nice ... like very hard stale bread! M x

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  13. Oh that is very summery indeed! I do like the look of that lemon fried chicken - I always associate fried chicken with picnics and summer. I like the look of that book...Dorset Knobs, snigger... x

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  14. Thank you for the smile. Who have thought a strawberry would make all the difference. Love your strawberry bowl.
    S xx

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  15. I'm trying to imagine the nasal trumpet harmony, and failing, but it does sound fun. Happy Summer :)

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  16. What a great post! Had some leftover sushi that I thought about all day...it was gone when I arrived home. Oh well, I will have to find a refrigerated hiding spot.....hmmmmmmm.....a cooler in the ottoman may work. :-D

    Lots of summer going on in your parts. That last photo sums it up just so perfect!

    Oh and keep those windows closed, haha. ;-)

    A joyful summertime to you Jane!

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