Oh, to be in England, now that April is here

Walking down memory lane,
I can't help feeling nostalgic for the beautiful countryside of England.
Before I conclude my blog,
I just had to share some of these visually stunning images with you that I took while on my travels.
I have had the opportunity to travel twice to England, once with my dear friend Karen and this last time with my middle daughter. Both travels were highlights in my life that I shall never forget as I tuck away in my mind images of the british countryside, the sheep peacefully grazing in pastures and on rolling hills, of royal castles and quaint cottages, majestic cathedrals and humble country churches, small towns and villages, wisteria and foxgloves, roses and hydrangeas, narrow winding roads lined with bramble hedges, the book shops and tea rooms, tea and scones, and authors such as Jane Austen, Emily and Charlotte Bronte, Beatrix Potter, and movies such as Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Ladies in Lavender, Becoming Jane, Miss Austen Regrets, Young Victoria, North and South, Wives and Daughters, Miss Potter, Bright Star, Cranford, Lark Rise to Candleford, Downton Abbey, Keeping Up Appearances, BBC, PBS, Masterpiece etc....
Check out this site "dedicated to those classic films that take us to another era, to a time of simplicity and serenity. Grab a cup of tea and make yourself at home..."
Can you see why I have become an Anglophile?

Journey with me as we enjoy a wee bit of Spring time in England....

Wisteria Covered Cottage, The Cotswolds, England
(image found online)

Gold Hill, Shaftsbury

Arlington Row in the Cotswolds

Sheep peacefully grazing

Beautiful countryside

Mornings shrouded in mist and fog

dew in webs

sheep grazing

Sally Lunn's Tea Room

British Post Box

Foot Bridges

Cotswolds

Cottage Tea Room

Tea and Scones

Kissing Gates and Cottages

The Kissing Gate in Marshfield near near Bath

Tea and Welsh Cakes after a day in Hay-on-Wye,
on the Welsh/English border

Memories kept in Photo Albums

Some springtime movies filmed in England include:

~♥~ Bright Star~♥~

~♥~ Emma~♥~

~♥~ Miss Potter and Peter Rabbit~♥~
(click corner arrows to enlarge)

Oh, to be in England
Now that April's there,
And whoever wakes in England
Sees, some morning, unaware,
That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf
Round the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf,
While the chaffinch sings on the orchard bough
In England - now
by Robert Browning
Home Thoughts from Abroad.

Listen to stunning music by Ralph Vaughan Williams:
The Lark Ascending

"It is a truth universally acknowledged"....

...that housework doesn't happen by osmosis!
(thank you Jane Austen for that great introduction)
I don't want to belabor the point, but life has been far too busy here for the past few weeks, and the home has been seriously neglected. Sure it looked good from far, but it was far from good-looking close up.(I know, that was lame:)
This older home is wonderful with all the
beautiful trim, wide baseboards and high ceilings, but I am convinced that it is far more work to maintain. I am not complaining as I am so thankful for our home, but I do know that it gets dustier than the average home....or not?
I guess I don't really know what normal is.
All this to say that I was ever so grateful to be at home today so that I could get the house back into shape again.
I had to run out to get some supplies, including vacuum bags, battery for the smoke detector, scrubbing sponges, and a few essential food-related items including coffee cream (some of you will understand) and baking supplies. The roads were slick and the winds were brisk making for cautious, slow driving.
My oldest daughter phoned from India when I arrived home again and informed me that it was 38'c there, although it has been hotter, with no air conditioning. Here it is -6'c, with a cold wind. While they eagerly go out in the evening when it cools down to get some relief from the heat, we curl up inside with afghans to stay warm!


After being fortified by my morning coffee, and equipped with my cleaning supplies,
I set to work, having my Spring play list cranked up for more motivation.
I must have been in Spring-cleaning mode because I was washing down walls, ledges and baseboards, furniture, floors etc. I was removing any excess 'stuff' so that everything is now less cluttered. I removed all traces of winter, and added some Spring touches.
It may be snowing outside, but Spring is residing in my heart and home.

Furniture was re-arranged for a more practical setting.
Doilies were added for a Spring touch much to the dismay of my children.
What can I say? I am an old-fashioned girl at heart, and find myself becoming more and more like my mother. Is that a good thing? I do like her spunk and fun-loving spirit, so I would say yes!

My daughters helped me clean other areas of the house. My youngest cleaned the upstairs while my middle daughter cleaned out the fridge, adding a new box of baking soda to keep the fridge smelling fresh.
Although I am not quite finished, I feel pleased with the progress made so far, and can now relax to enjoy some library basket lovelies along with another coffee served with the
Dutch Spice Cake I made this morning. (which I highly recommend as it is so easy to make and so good) Have any of you watched Downton Abbey? Did you enjoy it and would you recommend it?
Oh, my hubby just arrived home after a difficult drive, so I must get supper going...
It has finally stopped snowing and the sun is making a late afternoon appearance before setting on another day.

There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.
~Jane Austen