8 Days to go

With the wedding just around the corner, all eyes are on the weather.

Our forecast for next week is rain everyday in varying degrees......... I have laid awake since 3am mulling over the possibilities of how to cope with 70 guests in the event of rain at our garden wedding........  we have plenty of cover so thats not really a problem, its just the getting in between places........ wellies, umbrellas, small children, wet feet..........

But do you know, I actually decided hey it doesn't really matter, Rachel will be marrying the man she loves and that's the most important thing.  The wedding will be beautiful anyway and they say its lucky if it rains on your wedding day.

So note to guests, bring your boots, umbrellas, coats, anything that makes you comfortable in the wet....... Hopefully they won't be needed.......... but it would be great if we could at least get setup in the dry!

USA to the UK - a friend visits

This past week we have enjoyed the company of Joan aka Marmepurl (Knit One, Raised 4).  You may remember last May we paid a visit to her lovely home in Virginia and she has kindly graced us with a return visit.

We have had a great time and its been fun showing her around our next of the woods.  We spent time visiting Burwash Manor, Ely, Madingley American Cemetery, Cambridge for the colleges and punting, the Gransden Show and even managed a good walk and some knitting, and of course lots of talking.

Burwash

Ely

adding to the prayer net in Ely Cathedral

The new visitor's centre at the Madingley American Cemetery is well worth a visit.  Very thought provoking, photos from the Cemetery's page

Cambridge

Country life at the Gransden Show - all the family came too

this is the only photo of me and Joan!

Our five days together went so fast and we managed to pack in plenty considering the jet-lag. The weather was very kind.  

On behalf of my family I would like to thank Joan for her lovely gifts; they were all greatly received, and I will be sharing the yarny goodness that she spoiled me with in a future post.

Until the next time.....

Family - a Burghley get together

On Saturday we finally got to have our aborted get together with friends.  Venue Burghley Garden of Surpises.

After a cool start, too cool for the children to strip off and play in the fountains, we managed our picnic in the sunshine. A lovely day was had by all.

This friendship goes back years, actually more years than I care to admit! Judy and I first met when we were 12 and we cycled to school together. Judy was the year above me being just slightly older, but we worked part time and socialised together.  We met our husbands at the same time, they being friends from their village and school.  So as you can imagine we all have lots of shared memories. Whilst Judy's family moved away to Northampton before they got married we kept in touch and visited one another a fair bit.  Both of us went on to have 2 daughters a piece - their daughters being Katie and Chloe, who both have a daughter each Charlotte and Amelie. We have shared holidays and weekends away.  We don't see one another that often these days, life and families take up lots of spare time (we wouldn't have it any other way), but when we do, we just pick up where we left off.  Easy friendship, and I am thankful for it.

So without further ado, here is my photographic record of the day. Hopefully Katie and Chloe's husband's, who weren't able to join us on this occasion will enjoy them and feel a little bit part of the day.

The "boys" catching up, took them a while to walk down.......

Miss C wasn't too happy about her granny holding Miss J

Rufus with his new school haircut

he still has a few curls just at the back

Tim kindly took a group photo, Laurie decided he wasn't going to be in it either, though you can just see him popping up in the moving one, thanks Google

The ball game started to get a bit rough!

A lovely day, thank you all for coming and to Beck and Chloe for arranging it.