The Best Medicine

 Last night was interesting, Mr Bee has had a cough for a few weeks now but last night, he coughed so much that he made himself sick, just about everywhere. So I gave him the choice of where to go for a good, brisk, chilly walk to see if we could cure the cold. Of course he wanted to go for a walk around Calke, as the gardens are open for the year.

 

I had been up since so early (someone turfed me out of bed at silly o clock) so I didn't even notice how early we arrived at Calke. It felt like lunch time to me! But we were very grateful to have the gardens to ourselves. It is such a peaceful place at this time of day, it isn't the first time that we have been the first people in! However when we made it back to the visitors centre, it was absolutely heaving!

It was such a beautiful morning, well spent indeed.

Wightwick Revisited

It was a cold and wintery morning, Mother Hen had a taste for adventure so off we popped to the West Midlands, to pay a visit to Wightwick Manor. Last time we visited, the house was closed and the weather was incredibly soggy. I was super excited to visit here with the house open though, to explore the arts and crafts interior and the abundance of William Morris furnishings.
I wasn't disappointed.

There was so much to see, it was a little treasure trove. Every where we looked, we were surprised by something different and interesting. I knew it would be a winner with Mom and Roger. The house was so full of glorious light, I could bask in it for hours.

So it was a peaceful weekend without my boys. And luckily, this time, I didn't manage to get myself in any trouble! What a relief!

Braving the Storms

A stormy morning brought winds and rain to most of the UK. We braved the weather in our wellies and raincoats for a trip to Belton House for some well deserved Mama and Louie time. We spent most of our time in the indoor adventure area, sipping tea and munching our little picnic.
We had a little stroll around the gardens, finding our way to the maze, spotting millions of snowdrops and sheltering from the rain under huge trees.
During the afternoon the gardens were closed due to the high winds, so we made a swift exit. It was a scary drive home (I hear that lorries have been swept from the roads today!) and we were glad to be back home with a delicious bowl of spaghetti and meatballs from the slow cooker!

Four Hours

Four hours on a chilly afternoon.
A wedding fair, drinking tea and eating scones out in the snow, walking the grounds of our perfect place, making plans, have fun as just two, our first new blooms of the year, scoffing at one of our favourite restaurants.