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Wednesday 18 August 2010

Birthdays are a good excuse to eat cake

My father always says to me that you only have one Birthday and the rest are all anniversaries, I think he took this on board when he didn’t want anyone to know how old he was. Well I have just had a birthday and it was very special, it was made special by having my family with me, my lovely mum and dad and my sister and her husband. The celebrations started by going to a Jazz festival in Christchurch Hampshire, lovely lunch in my sisters garden and then finishing with a picnic on the beach. She made me the most lovely cake and I was woken up with a lovely cupcake with a candle in it!! Sadly my sons weren’t with me but I had lots of lovely pressies from them.

It has been very quite where we live, it is very rural so the seasons are well marked by what is happening on the Farms nearby, Sometimes the tractors work well on to midnight and then you get these lovely peaceful times when all you hear are the calves in the nearby shed, the wind and on Sunday the church bells, it is I know idyllic but can also feel a little cut off from civilasation, I am about 50 miles away from the nearest city so no café culture for me.

I have also noticed in the hedgerow blackberries, and these little calves were very interested in what I was doing near their hedge!!!
so off we went there wasn’t too many but after a lot of scratches and stings (blackberries always seem to be by stinging nettles) I managed to pick enough for my crumble. If I had had longer arms then I might have had enough to make jam the best blackberries are always out of reach. So with apples from the garden
I made my favourite crumble recipe with added oats and almonds plus a little cassis to add some omph to the fruit. I meant to take a photo of the crumble but too late is has all gone, TOH is rubbing his tummy.






6 comments:

  1. I love the Pooh Bear-like vision of TOH rubbing tummy! That made me smile. And the idea of the cassis in the crumble made me drool....not a pretty sight, the two together! Maybe in about ten years or so it would evoke an 'Aah bless' from someone, but not yet! Belated happy birthday anyway. Mine pass quietly, I have never, not even as a child, really celebrated it to be honest, it just never seemed important! It was a birthday, I got a few pressies, and always the people I loved most, or the person I loved most, was with me, so that was all that mattered. We can hear the combines and so on working late into the night when all is still around here, I find it a comforting noise in a strange sort of way. Shall have to go and look for blackberries now.

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  2. Happy Belated Birthday Jill - sounds like you had a fabulous time! Chichester is lovely isn't it?

    You are lucky to live somewhere untainted by the trappings of commercialism. I guess you have lovely market towns and villages nearby though? I live just outside a thriving market town and I must say I would miss the cafes and gentle culture that we are lucky to enjoy.

    Your photos are really lovely Jill!

    Jeanne
    x

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  3. Hi Jill,

    You live in such a lovely place... and your pictures are so beautiful.
    Wishing you a belated happy birthday . Can't wait to read through your past posts... and I'll be following you

    Thank you for stopping by my blog. .. glad you did, now I discovered your lovely one

    xo

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  4. Thank you Jill for dropping by my blog and I was so interested to see that you live in Devon. I have never been there but have heard that it is very beautiful and I immediately associate it with Devonshire tea.I'm pleased you had a lovely Birthday and lots of pressies ~ that's always nice - I love the jug with the flowers ever so pretty!! I like you, love roses in particular the old~fashion variety. Have a lovely week
    ~Dianne~

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  5. oh!! A VERY HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, JILL!!! There´s so nice where you live and can pick your own berries for the cake!!!
    Hope you have lots more birthdays and that this year be much blessed!!!!
    muchos cariños,
    maria cecilia

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  6. Hope you had a wonderful day. Your cottage is beautiful! and thanks for your visit.
    Ness xx

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Thank you for your lovely words