Plenty of Perfect Days

Many many perfect days. In German there is a saying: "Nichts ist schlechter zu ertragen, als eine Reihe von guten Tagen." How wrong! Nothing better than perfect days!

A day trip on the very first splendid spring day to Alsace.

Then some great moments spent in the UK, Shropshire, Cheshire - plenty of smiling, wonderful people. We started the journey with a great meal and delicious trout which had an encounter with Dutch asparagus. Thank you, dear friends!

Then up to Cheshire for THE family event. I cannot say how thankful I am to be now part of that wonderful clan! We carried a car full of hats for EG's "do" and had much fun. The dog behaved at its best and we must do that soon again.

Then another treasure was found on our local fleamarket. You can easily guess who found it and where?

This is a well traveled book, a so called "Poesie Album". The entries start in Liège in 1899 and it belonged to a demoiselle Madeleine D. She goes then to school in Liège, afterwards in Sankt Ursula, Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle) and the school which was founded by the "Ursuliner" became the first school where girls could make their "Abitur" in order to go to university afterwards. She also went to Boscombe near Bournemouth but this school, hélas, does no more exist now. It had an interesting story as well which I found here: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/msboscombe/History/begin.htm

The hand written entries are from school mates and teachers in all their mother tongues and specific writing. The Germans still wrote in the old German writing which I still can read as my grandmother used to send us letters written all in old German.

I was immediately touched by this book as I "understand" it. Those are my languages and I am sorry not to know what became to this demoiselle later on. She might have been a clever girl having competed in a man's world?

I am surprised how different the writings are and wonder if there was given more discipline to French and German hand writing in that time or why the English were allowed to more individuality? My other grandmother would always critize my handwriting "als wären die Hühner drübergelaufen" (as if chicken had run over the pages).

Being a time millionaire means, one can enjoy the brocante whenever one wishes.

My latest finds are sweet little gems and never cost a lot:

China, silver - plenty of eye candies.

Even a little bear from Harrods with a Union Jack jumper would come home to join the small gang of existing bears: the doggy sleeping bear, the Steiff travel bear in its suitcase, the wedding bear in the family tartan and the Jubilee Inn bear from Cornwall. Every bear a little treasure, as well.
We are not only addicted to those collections, we are also heavily infected by the plant hunting virus. I warn you, it is so contagious and I know plenty of people who got the same bug. EG's actual bug is rare trees and I am now on hardy Geraniums. And Thalictrums. And bells. Campanula in all available forms. Or penstemons.

We enjoyed again a perfect day last weekend in Celles and came back with 3 trees, 14 geraniums, 2 Phloxes and some dill, fennel and kardoum. The sky: spotless. Not one disturbing condensation trail and such a blue sky - it was blue ribbon day!

The nice spring weather invites to dig in the garden and here is some of the progress of this year's "building activities". EG's grotto (dog wondering what this is going to become) and the pit almost empty. Best guess is some 6 t of 4 year old horse manure was shifted. Now the greenhouse man can come next Saturday to take correct measurements.

Surprisingly, one of our Cornish Camellias has even been able to flower this year. It is close to the stones of the housewall and has a very sheltered space.

Finally here is the collection of Daffodils. Some are Cornish, others are very ancient species and EG is adding every year two or three or four or five ;-) . So every spring, it is a big discovery!

I'll dedicate them to dear Twiglet. She is a sweet friend who has given me a blog award which I only found out now *blush*. Thank you so much, Twiglet, I can only return your kind compliment as I am also fond of your creativity and blog entries!

I am not sure when I will take the time again to upload photographs as the days will be spent mainly outdoors but I shall be back!