Some moments from the first two weeks of our school break…
Amy’s summer hair, dip-dyed blue (which will hopefully wash out before she goes back to school or it will be time to get the scissors out!)
Days of absolutely torrential rain fall (with some local flooding) and others full of sun and red skies at dusk
all of which make for a lovely lush garden
we’re having a good harvest of peas, lettuce and broccoli but the french beans have been rubbish thanks to the slugs back in spring. I’m rather excited about my kuri squash plant which is growing like stink and the squash themselves are like little balloons which get bigger each time I look at them.
I’m looking forward to making squash soup if we get enough of them.
Toby is enjoying the garden too, kicking back in his swing with his lego and occassionally having a burst of energy on the trampoline. We’ve also been swimming a few times and had lots of walks in the cool woods which have been lovely on the hottest of days (no pictures yet as Toby doesn’t like me to stop – he likes to keep moving when we’re out walking.)
There’s even been a little knitting. This was taken at 10.15pm this evening when I was cowl knitting by candlelight in support of the #LightsOut campaign commemorating the start of the first world war 100 years ago.
#LightsOut’s inspiration stems from the then foreign secretary Sir Edward Grey’s famous remark on the eve of the outbreak of the war. He said: “The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our life-time”. Britain declared war on Germany at 11pm on 4 August 1914.
So with that sobering thought, I’m off to bed feeling grateful that those dark days of 1914-18 are long distant and hoping that we don’t see the like of them again.
little cotton rabbits 
Hear, hear Julie, I did some crocheting by candlelight myself this evening.
Love Amy’s hair and so glad Toby is enjoying his holidays.!
V x
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What a lovely treat to see your post during my daily check in. In Canada we have been commemorating this day with radio broadcasts & newspaper articles. What a terrible time. Appreciating all who fought before us so we can live peacefully…and have time to knit :-)…just finished a robin redbreast sweater to match my cute little dress of the same motif. Matching Little rabbits waiting to be stuffed and the pair will be complete. Enjoy the summer…it is passing quickly 😦
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So funny to see the squash growing!
Lucie
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Oh, I love Kuri squash. They not only taste good but they are so pretty displayed before they get eaten. Your garden is beautiful. You are amazing with all of the things you get done. Enjoy the rest of your summer. And thank goodness for peace in some places in the world. There are so many people not so lucky to have peace time. I love your pretty posts. Amy is so grown up!
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Lovely photos. The news showed that the 100th anniversary of World War One was commemorated all over the world. “Lest we forget.”
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Looks like you will be getting a wonderful harvest. We could do with some of your rain over here. Its been one of the driest winters I have experienced. Knitting by candlelight for remembrance of those who lived through those dark times is a good way to make us think about how lucky we are.
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Appreciate all who sacrificed their lives and those dark times…..Candle lit here..
Great that Toby is enjoying the holidays and I also like Amy’s hair ☺
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We will always remember. Wonderful photos, I especially loved seeing your vegetable garden. I have little kuris blowing up like balloons as well. Your knitting has a lovely texture, I find I’m very drawn to the texture of yarny things at the moment. Love, love, love the beautiful blue hair. CJ xx
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We sat for an hour with our candle last night and remembered.
It is lovely to see your garden and how well everything is growing, you have lots of lovely things to eat!! xx
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Hi Julie, I did the Lights Out candle last night and watched the service at Westminster Abbey. Amy’s hair looks lovely and glad that Toby is enjoying the garden. I bet you are glad of the cool in the woods. It has been too hot for me but I am always hot and have been these past few years! Thank goodness we have several shady spots in our garden. If I get too hot, I also stick my feet in a bucket of baby bath!
The family have been home this past week. Sophie has got a place for teaching training at Bangor Uni with her bf and Jamie is still working in The Big a Smoke with plans to go to Australia with gf next year for long working holiday. I have just signed up for a City & Guilds Hand Knit distance learning course which I should be able to fit in with work.
Best Wishes
Zoe x
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Last night’s commemorations remind us we have much to be thankful for. Amy’s hair looks beautiful!
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we lit a candle too. x
Amy’s hair is gorgeous. if the dye doesn’t wash out in time I know coffee lady did something magical with vitamin c and dandruff shampoo to get the last of the purple hair dye out of eldest lattes hair at the end of last summer x
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Your summer sounds like it’s been a beautiful one so far, even with the rain. My favourite place to be with the kids when it’s hot is in a cool, damp forest. They love looking for walking staffs around the tree trunks and we pick lots of acorns and pine cones to add to our collection. 🙂
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Pretty garden, your cowl looks nice too, hope the slugs keep away now, here in Alberta we don’t see too many of them thank goodness. Have a lovely week.
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We too were in the dark yesterday evening, apart from our candle. I wasn’t knitting though and am now thinking I should have been, as a way of bringing all those mothers, wives, and daughters left at home to mind.
Your squash look amazing!
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Summer is flourishing, I see, at your home. I must plant more than just tomatoes, herbs and yellow beans next year!
Knitting by candlelight sounds like a good opportunity for contemplation.
Enjoy the rest of your week.
-Karen
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I remember my Mom putting out beer in a pie plate & the slugs would get in the plate. I guess they like beer & I think it worked.
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A beautiful garden and pics.
Miss
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What a fun thing to do with Amy’s hair — I’ll bet she loves it. It looks like you’re having a nice summer — your squash looks amazing. Mine just don’t want to grow this year — they start out and then they shrivel up. Having a bit better luck with zucchini, but not much!
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Loving Amy’s hair, some wonderful Summer moments, it was lights out here to last night.
Clare x
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It’s nice to see how your summer is coming along. I hope it’s been a peaceful one. Your plants are looking wonderful!
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Cool hair !
It could be tied up and unseen if it hasnt washed out by the end of the holidays. Shame to cut it….its pretty gorgeous !
The children were even knitting in school during lessons here in NZ.
They knit socks and scarves for our troops. Just amazing
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I read somewhere when getting my garden ready this summer that if you crush up egg shells and scatter around the garden, it keeps the slugs away. They don’t like slithering over the sharp edges! It’s worked for me so far.
I love your photos and stories. You are an amazing woman in all that you do.
Enjoy the rest of your summer.
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Amy’s hair is so cool – I wish I was brave enough to do that! 😛
That cowl is lovely… it will look so great when it’s done!
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Beautiful stitching on your cowl, the yarn looks like an ideal choice for that stitch. Yes we lit our candle too on Monday evening in remembrance. We certainly have so much to be grateful for.x
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Just love Amy’s hair…so glad that Toby is enjoying his holiday……and your garden is a treat. We’ve been thinking much about WW1 too, as DH and I have been on several church crawl routes recently… (he never wanted to do this whilst working…bit like a busman’s holiday for him!)….and we didn’t realize that we had so many Thankful Churches here in Worcestershire…where the WW1 Memorial lists those who served and returned safely, ( men and women), as well as those who paid the greatest price. We’ve bought a poppy from the installation at the Tower of London for the garden…it’s a small thing to find a home for…but it will remind us of the hidden stories of bravery we’ve discovered on our local travels in this special year.
Jenni xx
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Your Garden Room & veg patch looks so established now, hard to remember all that hard work with getting it built/sorted, it looks lovely! Great to see Toby enjoying being outside & hearing about your walks. Can’t get my 15year old outdoors this summer – the lure of bed, the computer & You Tube is far too great. Enjoy the summer & it’s produce xxx
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A lovely post Julie, as always. Such stunning photos of your garden. Keep enjoying the holidays, and make sure you get in that knitting therapy as much as you can !
Kate x
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Such lovely garden photos. And I love Amy’s hair! x
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As usual it’s a delight reading your posts 🙂
A big hug from Italy
barbara
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Great teenage hair, great garden, great to commemorate Lights Out. Wish we did so in the US.
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i love your garden,amys got lovely hair nice blue
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Hi Julie what a real treat reading your lovely post this morning, and seeing the beautiful photo’s, you will have a great harvest this year… I do love Amy’s hair too I have seen a lot of teenagers do this too brilliant and fun ….also glad to hear Toby is having fun and you are all enjoying the summer holiday… continue to enjoy and look forward to hearing from you again….
lots of love and hugs
Meg x
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My daughter did that with her hair last year and it hadn’t washed out by the time she returned to school. I made her put it into a plait so it wasn’t as noticeable as I was loathe to cut her hair; it is long and blond just like your girl’s. However she let it down for her school photo showing the blue/green colour in all its glory. I imagine a teacher stood at the side with a disapproving look on their face, my daughter is looking smug! Teenager 1 School 0
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Amy’s hair made me smile! My thirty-something daughter just announced that she was going to dye her hair pink. This was to celebrate her second wedding anniversary – they are going to Las Vegas to get married again. I love that girls still celebrate by colouring their hair – I used to do the same forty-odd years ago with those rinses in the triangular boxes!
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Having been through the summer hair dye experience with Eldest, if it’s not gone in September you’ll need vitamin C tablets, dandruff shampoo and a shower cap…
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Love the hair!
And why shouldn’t she have blue hair at school?
My hair was purple when I went to school. It’s grey now, though… 😉
The cowl looks lovely too, makes me want to knit.
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