Sunday, December 31, 2006
Saturday in Salisbury
The day began with clear blue skies. Lovely!
We drove to Salisbury in the south of the county of Wiltshire to drop Simon off at the station.
The four of us that remained, Roger, Sue, Bill and I then went to stroll across one of the most famous views of England. It was the artist John Constable who painted views of the cathedral, across the water meadows in 1823.
The cathedral is 600 years older than that. It was begun in 1220 and was completed in just 38 years.
The spire which dominates the views for miles around is 123 metres high. It did need some repair quite recently, but I think those medieval builders produced an amazing building. The spire is so slender and graceful.
The water meadows are crossed by rivers. Salisbury has 5 in all - the Nadder, the Avon, the Wylie, the Ebble and the Bourne.
Water mills would have been powered by the fast flowing water. Some remain, but not necessarily as mills. We admired the ancient building which is now The Old Mill Hotel.
We were strolling and looking for just an hour. By the time we got back to the car the skies had clouded over again and rain was beginning to fall.
We drove to Salisbury in the south of the county of Wiltshire to drop Simon off at the station.
The four of us that remained, Roger, Sue, Bill and I then went to stroll across one of the most famous views of England. It was the artist John Constable who painted views of the cathedral, across the water meadows in 1823.
The cathedral is 600 years older than that. It was begun in 1220 and was completed in just 38 years.
The spire which dominates the views for miles around is 123 metres high. It did need some repair quite recently, but I think those medieval builders produced an amazing building. The spire is so slender and graceful.
The water meadows are crossed by rivers. Salisbury has 5 in all - the Nadder, the Avon, the Wylie, the Ebble and the Bourne.
Water mills would have been powered by the fast flowing water. Some remain, but not necessarily as mills. We admired the ancient building which is now The Old Mill Hotel.
We were strolling and looking for just an hour. By the time we got back to the car the skies had clouded over again and rain was beginning to fall.
The Second Christmas - in Wiltshire.
Christmas at Locksands Farm, home of Roger and Sue.
There were 14 of us gathered round the table for a splendid dinner.
Then we opened more presents and played during the afternoon until it was time for the 14 of us to re-convene at the table for tea.
We see below Anna and Joel posing with the traditional balloons, just as their Aunty Ruth did in 1998.
Anna had a good balloon game with Bill.
Dede played Joel's electric guitar. Joel is having lessons and plays like Jimmi Hendrix - well, he plays one well known Hendrix musical phrase.
Enjoy the pictures of the family.
There were 14 of us gathered round the table for a splendid dinner.
Then we opened more presents and played during the afternoon until it was time for the 14 of us to re-convene at the table for tea.
We see below Anna and Joel posing with the traditional balloons, just as their Aunty Ruth did in 1998.
Anna had a good balloon game with Bill.
Dede played Joel's electric guitar. Joel is having lessons and plays like Jimmi Hendrix - well, he plays one well known Hendrix musical phrase.
Enjoy the pictures of the family.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Christmas Day. Frosts. 2006.
I have arranged pictures into 3 separate postings on the blog. I began with a selection of the Frosts.
Then there are one or two of Bill and me.
I ended with a collection of Ruth and Dede pictures.
Jenny enjoys a cracker with Dede.
Then there are one or two of Bill and me.
I ended with a collection of Ruth and Dede pictures.
Jenny enjoys a cracker with Dede.
Christmas Day at Crosshill Paula and Bill
Sorting out all the dishes at the dinner table with Ruth.
Bill received a stone man for the garden wall to be friends with one bought in Lacock on his 60th birthday.
Christmas Day: Ruth and Dede.
Christmas - a time to think of a new birth.
It will be good to welcome another new baby to the family and yesterday it was good to welcome Dede.
"Ah" says Ruth, "something for the baby.... what do I do with it?"
There were crackers on the Christmas lunch table, with interesting toys inside and of course a paper hat.
We played with cracker toys and then Simon showed Dede a game with the wine corks.
This is a poignant picture because it was Dad who always liked to tease and please the children with the wine corks.
Sitting as presents were unwrapped.
Dede met so many family members and family traditions during the day.
Hat and scarf.... just what a young man from Madagascar needs for an English Winter.
Dede then met the balloons - this particular style of balloon as been a part of a Frost family Christmas for very many years.
He learned how to stick them to the wall with static electricity. 
Then it was time to tackle another puzzle - this is one that Roger received from under the tree.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
THE KITCHEN
There has been much talk of the kitchen in the last week and I thought I would take some photographs for people who have never been to our home.
Everybody is welcome of course.
Let me describe the lay out a little. If you come through the front door, there is a small entrance hall which is where the main computer is. The stairs are in front of you and there are doors to the left and right.
The door to the left takes you through to the lounge, with easy chairs and the TV and lots of shelves with books, things we collect and souvenirs of people and places from the 40 years we have been together.
The door to the right takes you through to the kitchen, which is much more than a kitchen, for it is also a dining room and an office.
Below is the view of the room that you would get as you come through the door.
On the left hand side at the far end of the room is a doorway through to the little back door area and through another door into the lounge.
It is possible to walk round the house in circles - and many a child has enjoyed running round and round.
This is the view from the doorway by the back door area.
Those cupboards on the wall had, until last week, many old tins and jars on them.
The cooker (with the ceramic top) and oven are electric.
This is the view from the end of the kitchen where the sink is, looking into the dining/office area.
When only 2 of us are eating we tend not to use the table, preferring trays on our laps in front of the TV.
That cloth on the table is one of our oldest personal possessions. We bought it to cover the table in the room we rented for the first few months of our married life.
The shelves on the left hold pieces of china, mostly which have memories of people.
This is is the area opposite the cooker. The phone is here.
The glass fronted cupboard has glasses and more memories. On the left at the top is some of my Granny's china and underneath are a couple of bits of my mother's along with the violets china, which makes me think of her - even though she didn't actually use her first given name of Violet.
At the top, on the right I have a few bits of mine. I was so proud of the spice jars that I bought in the 1960s from Heals in London. I never actually used them.
Do you see the picture of the viaduct? That was a boot sale bargain. We bought it for £2 many years ago. It is a picture that would have once been displayed in a railway carriage; these pictures are now worth quite a lot. Ashley knew somebody at college who has written a book about the railway carriage pictures.
This shows the dining room as an office. The lap top is here for me to use.
I have some family pictures on the wall and family china and other bits and pieces on those shelves.
The silk orchids came from Thailand. I bought them in Robinson's in Phuket Town. We always smile that the department store there should have such an English name.
The next two pictures show the view from the kitchen window whilst we are washing up - no dish washing machines for us.
The back garden is very small. You can see we decorate it with all sorts of things, not just plants.
The kitchen window sill is full of interesting stones, some have been found during various trips and others have been bought because I liked them so much.
That basket was given to us by Bill's old school friend Eric. We don't know what it should be used for, but it loooks decorative on the fence - until it rots away some day.
A French platter, bought when we were in France last October and some spoons and forks made mostly from coconut shells, which were bought in Thailand. They are in an old jug, advertising Cadbury's, which Roger gave me many years ago.
The other pot contains my cooking salt.
Here I am at the computer, checking the bids on eBay.
We have decided that the kitchen cupboards will stay the same. The work top will be changed. We would like one that looks like natural wood. The old wall paper, which has been there for nearly 30 years will be painted over, probably in cream. The blind by the kitchen window will be replaced and we will find new curtains, probably plain for the dining room end.
It doesn't all need changing. I am happy in the room whether I am cooking or eating or working on the computer.
Everybody is welcome of course.
Let me describe the lay out a little. If you come through the front door, there is a small entrance hall which is where the main computer is. The stairs are in front of you and there are doors to the left and right.
The door to the left takes you through to the lounge, with easy chairs and the TV and lots of shelves with books, things we collect and souvenirs of people and places from the 40 years we have been together.
The door to the right takes you through to the kitchen, which is much more than a kitchen, for it is also a dining room and an office.
Below is the view of the room that you would get as you come through the door.
On the left hand side at the far end of the room is a doorway through to the little back door area and through another door into the lounge.
It is possible to walk round the house in circles - and many a child has enjoyed running round and round.
This is the view from the doorway by the back door area.Those cupboards on the wall had, until last week, many old tins and jars on them.
The cooker (with the ceramic top) and oven are electric.
This is the view from the end of the kitchen where the sink is, looking into the dining/office area.
When only 2 of us are eating we tend not to use the table, preferring trays on our laps in front of the TV.
That cloth on the table is one of our oldest personal possessions. We bought it to cover the table in the room we rented for the first few months of our married life.
The shelves on the left hold pieces of china, mostly which have memories of people.
This is is the area opposite the cooker. The phone is here.
The glass fronted cupboard has glasses and more memories. On the left at the top is some of my Granny's china and underneath are a couple of bits of my mother's along with the violets china, which makes me think of her - even though she didn't actually use her first given name of Violet.
At the top, on the right I have a few bits of mine. I was so proud of the spice jars that I bought in the 1960s from Heals in London. I never actually used them.
Do you see the picture of the viaduct? That was a boot sale bargain. We bought it for £2 many years ago. It is a picture that would have once been displayed in a railway carriage; these pictures are now worth quite a lot. Ashley knew somebody at college who has written a book about the railway carriage pictures.
This shows the dining room as an office. The lap top is here for me to use.I have some family pictures on the wall and family china and other bits and pieces on those shelves.
The silk orchids came from Thailand. I bought them in Robinson's in Phuket Town. We always smile that the department store there should have such an English name.
The next two pictures show the view from the kitchen window whilst we are washing up - no dish washing machines for us.The back garden is very small. You can see we decorate it with all sorts of things, not just plants.
The kitchen window sill is full of interesting stones, some have been found during various trips and others have been bought because I liked them so much.
That basket was given to us by Bill's old school friend Eric. We don't know what it should be used for, but it loooks decorative on the fence - until it rots away some day.
A French platter, bought when we were in France last October and some spoons and forks made mostly from coconut shells, which were bought in Thailand. They are in an old jug, advertising Cadbury's, which Roger gave me many years ago.The other pot contains my cooking salt.
Here I am at the computer, checking the bids on eBay.
We have decided that the kitchen cupboards will stay the same. The work top will be changed. We would like one that looks like natural wood. The old wall paper, which has been there for nearly 30 years will be painted over, probably in cream. The blind by the kitchen window will be replaced and we will find new curtains, probably plain for the dining room end.
It doesn't all need changing. I am happy in the room whether I am cooking or eating or working on the computer.
