This Weeks Snippets

Hello Lovelies.

Thank you so much for your kind comments on my recent posts.

Once again I've been snapping away at this and that, things that make me happy and things I want to remember.

So here are my snippets from the past seven days.

1. I'm a fair weather cyclist and we have had lots of warm, fair days lately so my bike has been getting lots of use. Most days I've  popped to the local shops.......I like being able to cover the mile distance in just a few minutes without getting out the car. There are hills on the way back, so it feels like a bit of a workout too.

2. A beautiful warm evening on the school playing field. Our last summer get together as youngest will say goodbye to this lovely primary school in just a few days........the end of an era..........

3. Seeing GILLIAN'S home in print. I love this lady's blog and it was so nice to see somewhere I felt I knew a little in a magazine.

Your home looked so welcoming and stylish Gillian, you always inspire me..............

I need to do something like this....I love it............

Gillian wrote about this feature HERE

3. Picking flowers from the garden. Sweet Peas (at last), Zinnias and Nasturtiums............

A happy July posy.

4. Visiting our local show on a super hot afternoon. I was lovely to go indoors and see the entries in the horticultural and craft show. It's my favourite bit anyway.

Lots a of beautiful flowers and home baking.............

This class was to knit a child's jumper which would be donated to sick children in eastern Europe........ lots of kind folk had entered this class..............

the hooded top far left won........It was gorgeous.

I thought this embroidery was wonderful too.......but it didn't get a prize.............

all the fruits, arranged on paper plates with their pretty leaves, were a feast for the eyes...........

5. And finally..... I've been doing a little al-fresco crochet at the park.........just a few circles to add to my latest blanket project. I love looking at them all tumbled together like this :0)

We are on the final full week of school now, phew.
 The holidays are nearly upon us.......can't wait :0)
Jacquie x

Bonjour Beautiful Yorkshire

Hello Lovelies

yesterday saw the Tour de France's Grand Depart in Yorkshire.

I can't claim to know anything about this sport, but I tuned in mainly to see glimpses of my native county. 

Kate and William cut the ribbon at Harewood house outside Leeds............

and soon the riders were heading towards Ilkley. I just loved all  the aerial shots of the beautiful landscapes............

And the close ups of people below, this group waved from the cow of the cow and calf rocks as the commentator recommended the local pub..........brilliant..........

 I'm sorry about the reflections and quality of these images.

The helicopter camera also captured these waving  children in an digger bucket............

soon the riders were heading through Skipton................you know, of Yarndale fame..........

So many people lined the streets here, as they did throughout the route.......Yorkshire people have really taken this event to their heart.....and they are big hearted people.........look even the church has a yellow jersey............

and it's got a cycling sheep and a drystone wall on it...............

 Brilliant

it was a real treat to see familiar places from a different viewpoint.............

and I loved the French names for them..........here's Le chateau de Skipton......sounds so romantic.

Next the aerial shots were coming from Malham cove ............

and Kilnsey crag..........you can just see the riders in the  bottom right............

Of course there were lots of close ups of the race as well, travelling through the pretty Dales landscape.......

And various villages, where crowds cheered and waved................

 this is Hawes and you can see in Fiona's post HERE how they have gone to town decorating for le Tour

They have even created a bicycle on the hillside..............

and the steep climb out of the valley was a magnet for spectators.........I loved all the colour..........

 this is Buttertubs Pass...or Cote Du Buttertubs :0)

this image blew me away.......there's not a space on the super steep hillside to be seen.............

Apparently the first rider to the top gets extra points.........I liked that in this case the cyclist was also the oldest competitor..........

The effort to get to the top must be huge, and the nerve to speed down the other side must be huge too............

hang on, I'm getting distracted by the actual event :0)

Here's a pretty dales village I didn't catch the name of..............

And here's a wonderful shot of the landscape.......I'm so happy that the weather was kind............

Dales barns and stone walls.............

and another castle..............sorry, chateau............

and another massive hill,  conquered first  by that same veteran rider...........

in Leyburn people even watched from the church tower............

and the scenery was beginning to change..............

Masham looked wonderful in the afternoon sunlight............

 and the helicopter zoomed in on some brilliant artwork, painted in the market square by the local primary school.............

what a thrill for those children to see their work on the telly. 

leaving Masham, with it's bunting and double decker bus............

flying over Fountains Abbey..............

It really was a brilliant aerial tour of this part of Yorkshire.

There were also lots of pictures of the decorations individual home and buisnasses had put up....I LOVED this woolly bike.............

can you see the bears in yellow jersey's on the wheels.

The light in this image of Ripon cathedral was stunning.............

Nearing the end now, an image of lots of spectators watching a screen in Harrogate...........

I did find myself drawn into the race once more...........

such a shame the local boy took a nasty tumble............

I think he had a dislocated shoulder in this image, but he bravely peddled over the finish line.

I'll finish with this much happier sight of the king of the mountains Jens Voigt.........

He's 42, go the oldies :0)

And today I'll be watching even more closely as the tour is going through Haworth.....where I grew up.

Just hoping the rain stays away for them.

Jacquie x

Snippets From my Week

Hello again lovelies,

 I seem to have found some more blogging time over the past few days....which makes me happy.

Here are some images from the past seven days that I haven't shared  before.....various snippets of my days captured on my camera.

A posy from my front garden looking pretty on my kitchen windowsill..............

Lovely leaves on my kitchen windowsill too.

As my boys were leaving to walk to school they passed me this twig that had fallen off our neigbours tree.
I was about to drop it into the  garden bin, then I really looked at it...... it was too pretty to throw away.........

It's an odd thing to have indoors maybe. But I'm loving being up close to these interesting leaves while I'm cooking and washing up.

A Sunday morning bike ride with my three boys.....they chose the route.....round the roads and through the park.........

I still need to yarn bomb that wicker basket :0)

A big weeding session in my flower bed....this is afterwards.........

Oh dear, my plans for lots of flowers grown from seed have flopped. This patch was full of chick-weed and potatoes.......which appeared despite us not planting any this year.

All that has survived are the Nasturtiums and the Nigella (there are sweet peas at the back, which I bought as seedlings). I think the snails had the rest......including my Sunflowers ......sigh.

A mishap with this weeks Yorkshire puddings. I used self raising flour by mistake..........

They were not extra high, but rather flat and smelt like cake....Oooops.

See how I usually make them HERE

And finally something happy. A pile of crochet circles......twenty to add to the collection for my latest blanket............

These were all made on the coach we travelled on for youngest's school trip............

My  circles make me very happy.

Isn't crochet is the most brilliant portable hobby....I just love being able to  spend time on a journey producing something beautiful and useful.

Wishing you lovely people a happy week.
Jacquie x