My neighbours little girl has been baking and brought me goodies this week:
and our Spanish neighbours went home to family then came back with my favourite caramel nuts in a pretty tin made by their mum. She brought some when she came here at Christmas too! They have 3 cats, Amber is learning to accept them after 2 years of sulking, they need strokes and cuddles when their family are away which is not difficult for me :D
out on my day off I went out for a drive .....
About 30 mins from here is the village of Shere, in the Surrey Hills. It's quite well known for its very old and picturesque houses and close enough to make a nice afternoon out.
Most of the houses and shops look like this, very old and pretty with lots of history.
College boy found the doors to the shops and houses are much smaller than him (6 feet tall)
The pub has original stocks on display... don't you love this pretty house sign (the house looked empty but probably not for long - the staff at the post office told me 3 bedroom houses in this village sell for a million pounds and are highly sought after!).
It was a weekday, overcast and grey, very few tourists and the church was empty - in fact we were surprised to find it unlocked. The heavy wood door fits into old stone and is very hard to open and shut - there are written instructions on the inside of how to get out if the door sticks shut! (which it did of course). Lots of pretty nooks and crannies, beautiful hand made tapestry kneelers.
I like that they have mentioned the dog/owner who dug the icon up!
I love these old houses with their cottage gardens and colourful brickwork
We found the road went across a small ford at one end of the village but the water was not deep here as long as you drive straight and there was a footpath to the side so no wet feet!
The tiny front gardens to the houses are so pretty - in the Summer some open their back gardens to the public for £3 a peek so I will be going back to take a look in a few months time.
flowerpot men brighten a Winter garden - tiny space crammed with pretty things
There are many beautiful towns and villages local to me, places I usually pass without stopping or always mean to visit 'one day'. This Summer I will try to plan my time better so I can visit more of these places and take in some of the pretty farmland/woodland walks too.
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I have some new paints and brushes. Ambercat is always looking for a chance to steal my brushes to chew on, she's sitting here very politely hoping I won't notice her plan (by the way, do you like my cat mug? (hubby bought me the set) it's cheery and features a ginger kitty.
I had post! from America! - my blogging buddy **Pompom** wrote - isn't her writing elegant? - very Susan Branch style! Letter reading/writing should always be accompanied by tea and cake I believe. 
Thank you to Catherine for highlighting this beautiful book ( 'How to be a Wildflower' by Katie Daisy) on her **blog** I have ordered my copy on Amazon - it is going to be so much fun to use, can't wait for it to arrive (about 5 weeks of suspense).
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| https://vimeo.com/153849945 |
Here's a little watercolour posy of Spring flowers for you as a thank you for stopping by.
feel free to keep the cobwebs away until next time I am here ... that would be perfect x
until next time ....when it will most definitely be Spring here in the UK.
