Sunday, May 6, 2012

The View below is taken from our meadow.  The cottage is hidden in the trees!

Please click on this to get the full effect.

Big News

At the end of the month, Jim and I are moving back to the UK.  Possibly for a while, possibly for good, we'll see how it all works out.  We are renting out our lovely cottage and have found the perfect family to look after it for us.  They have horses, 2 huge dogs and lots of other assorted animals.  Also 2 lovely children, a boy and girl, and they all fell in love with our cottage the first time they visited.

When we moved here, neither my big son nor Jim's children had any offspring.  Jim now has 3 small Grandchildren and my big son has added 2 Grandchildren to my collection!  We are keen to be good grandparents and the travelling back and forth has become a bit of a chore, reason one for our decision.  Also the house we have in the UK needs some updating, reason two.

Of course at this time of year, our garden is at its best and we have sat outside and felt sad at leaving, but we are also both excited about the new challenges ahead.  So at the moment it's packing, sorting, throwing out, etc.  We have also been working hard at transforming the last room here into a super bedroom or two.  The previously cold, damp room with a ladder to the upper level has now been dry lined, has a wooden floor and a super staircase, made by Jim of course.  I have filled, sanded and painted.  Here are some photos of the end result.

Garden

I have also taken some photos of the garden.  It looks so lush and green in its best spring attire.


This shows the arch and cherry tree and on the right is
the living willow fence and the road up to the meadow.


Doorus bird station and small rockery




A bee on one of the azalea



The rhododendron is coming into full flower




This morning these buds had frost on them


                                                 

The cottage from the back at sunrise














I am painting the cottage red and white


I love this view of the steps up to the
 parking area




Sandy came to see what I was up to!



The Large Rockery


The frost had just melted on this aquilegia
















 Lough Graney at sunrise today



We have had some beautiful weather lately, while the UK has been awash.  Perhaps Ireland is trying to tell us something!  It's gorgeous this morning too.

I am off to Suffolk for Jack's 7th birthday on 14th May.  I'm really looking forward to seeing him and Kitty - it seems far too long since my last visit.

I hope all is well with my blogging friends and I apologise for my infrequent visits.  Maybe I'll have a bit more time with our little garden in Worthing.

Blogger has all changed and it's driving me potty.  I hope you can view it all properly.





13 comments:

Heather said...

I thought about you only yesterday! Glad all is well and I wish you well with your plans to return to the UK. I would want to be nearer my grandchildren too. It will be a wrench to leave Ireland but there's plenty of fun - not to mention hard work! - to be had in updating your UK home. Best of luck with it all. The garden pics are beautiful, as always.

BT said...

Thank you so much Heather. I've had a terrible time with blogger this morning as it's all changed! I hope you managed to view the photos properly. I'm sure we'll soon settle back in the UK too. xx

Arija said...

I am glad you are young and strong enough to go on to a new challenge. You have done absolute wonders both with the cottage and garden over the last few years.
I well understand wanting to be closer to grandchildren. We are living in , almost, a hovel , just to be close to our daughter and 3 gdandies. They are all grown up now but such fun to be around. Meanwhile our huge house on top of the mountain overlooking the city, the sea and the inland as well, is looking the worse for the neglect over the last 15 years.

Good luck with whatever you do next.

Jason said...

Sounds like some interesting stuff going on. It all looks very nice, love the red and white. I'm sure you'll enjoy Worthing and you can always go back if you want which is nice.

Look forward to seeing you in May.

Rachel Green said...

How fabulous it all looks!
Good luck with the move.

Bea said...

At least you have taken some gorgeous, GORGEOUS pictures over the years of your wonderful place. If you ever decide you want to do some landscape painting you will have some nice ones to work with. The move is always hard but being closer to the grandchildren is really important. I know how much I enjoy having Riley living here in our house. Just watching her grow up each day is fun. And, as you know being a grandparent is really different than being a parent. I think more fun.
Thanks for stopping by, you were missed. :)Bea

Lynn Cohen said...

that header is so pretty...I can see why it would be hard to part from this little bit of heaven you both created there. The cottage is adorable. I love kitty coming through the red door cat hole.
the bee looks like a spider to me.
You have such a beautiful garden. But I hear you about wanting to be close to family. I bet your home in the UK is ever much as beautiful. Or will be once you put your magic to it. Good luck with it all.

Cris, Artist in Oregon said...

Oh how sad to be leaving this heaven. but you will make the other place as nice even if not as much work. and that can be a plus. I hope the new renters keep it up for you. and I hope the Animals take to the new digs well. How long have you lived here? Blogger gets easier as you go along. I hated it at first too but now I am loving it...go figure.

Mim said...

i'm sure this will all work out for you but oh my this is all so beautiful! I'm sure the renters will just love it and you will have lots of choices in the future about where to live.
BEST of luck and keep blogging!

BT said...

Oh what lovely comments, thank you all. Will you move back to your huge house Arija?

Hi Jason, glad you like the red and white, it works well I think. I'll put photos of the new room on in a day or so. Looking forward to seeing you all too.

Thank you Rachel.

Hiya Bea. Thanks for popping in. I agree, being a Grandparent is much more fun! Because I usually go to Suffolk when I come over I don't see enough of Jim's grands, so that'll be lovely to get to know Poppy, Tom and Sonny better.

Thank you Lynn. Our Worthing garden is very small but we'll have fun re-doing it as best as we can. We tend to do containers and hanging baskets which is different from here.

Hello Cris, thanks for popping in. We will miss it here but new challenges are fun too. We've been here 7 years. The renters seem the right sort and our agreement contains a clause about keeping up the garden - mowing lawns etc. They just love the place.

Hiya Mim, lovely to see you. The renters do love it, which is why we chose them. We could have rented it out 10 times! I will try and do better on the blogging front!

DK said...

Love the red and white too!
:-)
Can't wait for you to be back, but completely understand, gosh it looks so beautiful right now.
You'll be able to come up north as well as Suffolk and see your older grandkids too soon!
Love and miss you mum xxx

D.J. Kirkby said...

I hope your move went well and you are now settled. I wish we could rent your beautiful cottage!

marianne said...

wow what changes for you!
But a good decision I think and you can always reverse it. Being with your loved ones is important and you will miss the garden but will have lots to do there as well
Wishing you luck!