1. That morning when it stopped raining just long enough for us go out for some fresh air and jump in some puddles, when we visited Morden Hall, a beautiful National Trust property in South London. (I took lots of photos and I'll do a post soon - it really was a breathtakingly lovely spot.) Time with my lovely Abigail, time with her girls, my goddaughters.
2. That same afternoon, cuddled up with Angus, watching Frozen ("...♫...Let it go...let it goooo... ♫...") and drinking tea. I liked the film very much, but I enjoyed the cuddle more.
3. The way this embroidered blossom, made up of hundreds of tiny french knots, feels when I run my fingers over it.
5. A visit to the superb Natural History Museum (or the "dinosaur museum" as Angus calls it) on Thursday.
It was so, so busy, and we probably only saw about five percent of the exhibits, but is was a wonderful day out for the children, and for us. I could stand in the main entrance hall for ages, watching people, just enjoying being in that dramatic space.
It has been a fantastic half term holiday, full and busy, but with time and space to stop and savour as well. It has pretty much rained non-stop but I did my best to ignore it. We stayed with my dear friend Abigail, who lives in South London, and did lots of touristy things with the children. I also went to my first WI meeting (as a visitor, I'm not a member) and thoroughly enjoyed myself. It is just my sort of thing. It was in a pub and people were drinking! I'd expected a draughty church hall and cups of tea. I may look into my local groups and see if they have room for new members.
I'm completely exhausted. We had a nightmare journey back up north today and what would normally be a four hour drive took eight and a half. The kids were good until Sheffield, then they bickered incessantly until we got home. I aged during that journey, let me tell you, and I'm very glad that we have a reasonably quiet, pottering sort of weekend ahead of us.
Great happies as always, I really look forward to seeing what you've been up to each week. Lovely pic with you and Angus, love French knots too and cringing with you at the journey from hell. Well done to you for making it home together but I suspect that may only be because is illegal to leave bickering underage relatives in a layby as you drive off at speed! Have a chilled weekend.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful happies, Gillian. I'm glad you had fun and made it home safely. I can spend all day in a natural history museum. Wildlife dioramas are totally my jam.
ReplyDeleteYour embroidery is amazing - I can't begin to imagine all those tiny knots. The Natural History Museum looks like a wonderful outing. And I looked up the WI - it does sound totally British and I would expect tea to be the beverage of choice.
ReplyDeleteWonderful happies this week, Gillian! So glad you were able to spend time away with your family and good friends. Sorry to hear about all the rain, but it sounds like you made the best of it. I love the photo of you all cuddled up with Angus.
ReplyDeleteSounds and looks like a great time in the Capital. Shame about the journey home, though I've been there done that with 3 children at times. (long time ago now!) I think the WI would be great for you, though I must admit I'd probably like it too and if I lived closer we could enjoy togerther(giggle). Have a relaxing weekend and take care.
ReplyDeleteNice to see you in one of the photos ! Nice to know a face behind the name and the blog :-) !
ReplyDeleteAnd your embroidery is beautiful - it looks like something very "tactile"... I always like how embroidery feels, sometimes very smooth, sometimes you can almost feel every single stitch...
Your blossom tree is magnificent !!
Have a lovely weekend,
Xxx, Ingrid
What a wonderful holiday! I absolutely love the tour through the museum. But my favorite part is your embroidery... K love trees and yours looks
ReplyDeleteGorgeous.
Have a good weekend!
We have just got back from holidays and I need a rest from our massive car journey too which sounds spookily like yours! Great pics. Jo x
ReplyDeleteI'd totally recommend the WI. We do meet monthly in a Church Hall and drink tea, but the groups in between meet at the pub to talk books, share crafts and chat. We're a very mixed age group and that's brilliant too.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you really made the most of the half term and the awful weather we have had. I on the other hand feel slightly guilty for not doing much with my 4 and 19 month old apart from walking the dogs in the pouring rain, jumping in puddles and coming home stoking up the fire and watching films but I am expecting again so am pretty tired in the afternoons. Hoping for some good weather soon so we can get that paddling pool out again. Love your embroidery too! You've inspired me to start crochet so I have bought some wool and I'm going to give it a go, wish me luck!!
ReplyDeleteLucky you going to the Natural History Museum - it's a while since I've been but it's well worth a visit just for the building itself, let alone the contents. Also, very impressed by your embroidery - I had to do some French knots for a couple of my quilt panels and I found them rather fiddly! It would take me an age to do a tree full of blossom like that. Love the 'cuddle' photo! x
ReplyDelete"Tales From A Happy House" has been included in my Arlynda Lea's Sites to See #2. I hope this helps to call attention to your efforts.
ReplyDeletehttp://arlyndalea.blogspot.com/2014/05/arlynda-leas-sites-to-see-2.html
Looks like you had a great half term, with time to relax before school next week. I'm not particularly liking the revision school holidays. It's a bit boring for me! Make the most of your days out together. Xx
ReplyDeleteLovely happies, thanks for sharing them. I love the look of concentration and enjoyment on Angus's face while watching the movie :-)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy a relaxing (and hopefully, sunny) weekend,
Xx
As usual your post brought back happy memories, which I so want to thank you for.. We loved the natural history museum and the science museum next door ... And oh the bickering ...... ! Xxxx
ReplyDeleteoh how I love the dinosaurs x
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a great week, glad you enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you had a fun half-term despite the rain. My girls love 'Frozen' too. They'll watch it everyday if we let them! ..Have a lovely, relaxing weekend. x
ReplyDeleteSounds like you had a fab time. We tried to ignore the rain too, but cooped up on a camp site with a sick child it wasn't possible. I love frozen too, far more than the boys
ReplyDeleteMy 14 year old is SO into Frozen at the time. Sings that song constantly! Cool museum. I'm popping in from Arlynda Lea's Blog.
ReplyDeleteBarbara
Life & Faith in Caneyhead
yes car journeys can take a lot of energy can't they, enjoy a simple weekend. I might have to go and see that dinosaur some time! Heather x
ReplyDeleteI hope your weekend is as relaxing as you need it to be Gillian :-) What a lovely time you all had in London... such a shame about the journey home.
ReplyDeleteTracey xxx
Lots of things to be happy about this week,especially that special cuddle moment.
ReplyDeleteJacqui xx
It sounds like a wonderful week, except for the nightmare car journey. Glad you had such a good time. I'd like to take mine to the Natural History Museum one day, I know they'd love it. Hope you have a lovely Sunday, CJ xx
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you've had a lovely week. The NHM looks amazing, it's on my list of places I really need to visit, but Dave always says it'll take days to see it properly and I'm not good at cities, I've only been to London once and I didn't like it! There's so much to see there though, Greenwich is another place I'm desperate to see so at some point, I'm going to have to embrace some time in the city! Your spring embroidery is looking good, I will look forward to seeing the finished piece :)
ReplyDeleteI love the Natural History Museum, I did work experience there when I was at school and got to go behind the scenes and through all the doors marked private which was very exciting and fascinating. Sounds like a great half term except for that awful journey home. Hope you are having a relaxing weekend.
ReplyDeleteWonderful happies glad you had a good half term, wow that embroidery is stunning
ReplyDeleteClare
Lovely photo of you and Angus - I miss those moments now my daughter is all grown. Beautiful embroidery and I'm looking forward to Morden Hall. x
ReplyDeleteHey Gillian,
ReplyDeleteI adore the photo of you and Angus. And how lovely to visit favorite people. I wasn't very good at ignoring the inclement weather - it got on my chimes by Friday.
Leanne xx
Frozen obsession here too! Fab pics! Jxx
ReplyDeleteOh dear, delayed journeys are the worst! So good that you had a wonderful break to remember so you can push the drive home out of your memory! I am loving your embroidery - the French knots are so beautiful and tactile, and I love the varied shades, too - I did a similar blossom embroidery last year, great minds think alike! I hope to see more of your stitching soon! Chrissie x ps the photo of you and your little fella cuddling is *priceless*!
ReplyDeleteOh I so love those precious cuddles too ... Bee xx
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What lovely Holiday activities! I love your embroidery and look forward to seeing more of it.
ReplyDeleteLong car journeys with kids are a true nightmare. I keep repeating to mine "the car is a very small room for alle five of us to be in together. This demands extra care and attention from each and every one of us". - Hope that one day it'll work ;-)
Your embroidery is gorgeous! Love all those beautiful French knots and I love the photo of you with Angus. Miss M and I love cuddling up to watch a movie together too. Long car journeys with kids are never easy are they? When we went to York a couple of months ago, which was around 5 hours in the car, we weren't even out of our town when Miss M was asking are we there yet, how long now?! Honestly! We knew then that it would be a very long journey indeed! Hope you have had a lovely weekend.
ReplyDeleteMarianne x
What a great way to spend the half term- love the ' Dinosaur museum' too- It's a shame the car journey was such a nightmare- the trails and tribulations of living in the north!
ReplyDeleteHope you've recovered over the weekend!
ReplyDeleteMorden Hall is beautiful! We only went once in the winter when there were puddles everywhere, I really want to go again. Glad you enjoyed the Natural History Museum. We're lucky to live a bus ride away so we usually manage to avoid the very busy times, I love this place and like you, I love the main hall.
ReplyDeleteYour embroidery is looking good, can't wait to see more of it!
Oh and I really enjoyed Frozen too ;-)
One of my favourite museums, so much for kids of all ages! My daughter is obsessed with Frozen (she's 14) and keeps singing it to me as she knows how tired I am of it :-) Have a good week x
ReplyDeleteLovely happies, glad that you had a good half term, I hope that you are recovered now! Your embroidery is so pretty, I love the blossom on the tree! xx
ReplyDeleteGillian, I enjoyed your explorations and seeing your pretty embroidery. I can sympathize with your aging on the long ride home :) My oldest daughter, her four girls [6, 5, 2, and 7months] and I arrived in CA for a visit with friends at 3:15am this morning after a 12 hour drive. Actually the drive went amazingly well and we have had a good day even though my daughter and I only have had about 4 hours sleep! Hope you have recovered.
ReplyDeleteI love visiting different places, but I always dread the driving! We had last year a two and half hours drive in front of us, which turned into a five hours one, with being stuck at the exact same place for an hour! They should really come up with teleportation!
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a good half term holiday. London has so much to offer we used to visit my sister there when children were small and did the touristy things and then returned back to the country and the WI. I joined when I was 40 and have been a member ever since!!! When we moved we found new WI friends straight away and they are all now firm friends for our retirement. We do so much am hardly ever home!! xx
ReplyDeleteI think we're just about the only family that hasn't watched Frozen yet... I feel like I've aged about 20 years since my kids were born ;-) hee hee x
ReplyDeleteWe also had lots of 'Frozen' sing alongs and cuddles during the poor weather. We're hoping to take BigR to the 'dinosaur museum' when we go to see my parents; although she might prefer the V&A (all those costumes!!). I love the look of your embroidery and hope to see the finished thing soon.
ReplyDeleteLove the puddle jumping :)
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