good morning and HAPPY SHROVE TUESDAY!!!! Beautiful El, the pancakes are tremendous! *goes to get a knife & fork* The yellow owl does look like a pancake owl doesn't he

Sorry, I had to post that last comment in a hurry! Thank you all for the rose advice, I will do it at the very end of may it's a shrub, not a climber

Last week when I got my car repairs done one of the roads I walked down is right on the outskirts of Cheltenham. Virtually all of the houses in that road are comparatively modern and are very ordinary, but there are two exceptions which were clearly a lot older.

One of them was called Box Cottage. It is sandwiched between two ordinary houses and is quite possibly the smallest house I've ever walked past. There are no pictures of it on Google so I've taken a Google street map view of it. There is so much growth in the way that it is hardly visible.

Right at the other end of the same road is this thatched house which a street map snapshot shows.

I know nothing of the history behind these 2 houses.

How very different they are! There's actually a house behind that garden? I prefer the 2nd house I grew up near many, many thatched houses, but unfortunately didn't appreciate them as much as I do now because I didn't know to think any different of it. They really are beautiful We had friends round for pancakes, and I christened 2 new frying pans- one of which is extra large Pancakes for breakfast anyone? I hope you all enjoyed the day. hugs for any fellow night owlers and sweet dreams hugs for all who've turned in for the night

Good morning everyone

 

Summer, there really is a house there. You can see the roof of it in the picture. One might think looking at the picture that it is a shed adjoining the house on the left, but it is Box Cottage. The width of the house is much less than a typical house. I would guess that the cubic volume is about half that of a regular small house.

 

Overcast & cold but dry at present. Rain expected by mid morning. It's more likely to be rain than the snow which many will get today though the snow will eventually turn to rain.

Being Ash Wednesday today, the radio 4 Thought for the Day referred to the hymn Lead, Kindly Light written by John Henry Newman.

Lead, Kindly Light, amidst th'encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.

 

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
Shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now
Lead Thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years!

 

So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still
Will lead me on.
O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.

That's lovely el what have you given up for lent? I've given up fizzy drinks and chocolate

What interesting houses EL, I do love thatched houses and the little house looks so diddy, I wonder what it's like inside.

 

I love that hymn, it's rainy here and cold but after this we are in for a few dry days, I am more than ready for them.

 

Have a good day everyone.

Good morning everyone. We have several inches of snow here.

Lovely hymn, El.

Those houses are unusual, especially as they are surrounded by all those modern ones.

As I was so busy, I missed out on Pancake Day yesterday, so I intend to make up for it today.

Have a good day everyone.

Happy pancake day yogi! I hope you enjoy them. I just made some for breakfast I hope the snow doesn't cause any problems I'm at my own leisure today, so am going to catch up on dancing on the edge :thumb.

I am seriously considering some pancakes with maple syrup and crispy bacon for brunch.

Stop it!  I have had my breakfast, it's rainy and cold, I am still hungry and it's hours until lunch And then I'm just having soup

Summer, as in previous years it's a bit difficult to give something up for Lent as I don't eat much in the way of chocolate biscuits, cream cakes, sweets, and I rarely drink alcoholic drinks and don't drink fizzy drinks. I have gone to the Lent courses in previous years but am likely to miss this year's for reasons you are already aware of. I did go to the Ash Wednesday communion service this morning though.

It's so chilly here today, soup would have been a better option for me. What kind did you have, Squiggle?

In the Roman Catholic church, fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday is expected on those who are 14 and older but not past their 60th birthday. It also isn't expected for those between 14 and 59 where fasting would be detrimental to their health or to those who are involved in heavy manual work.

Hi all 
Cold and rainy here, had some snow and hailstones this morning but gone now. ~
Hope enjoyed your pancakes Summer 
Got some home made lentil soup simmering away

Hi Skylark. I wish I'd made some soup today.

I had chunky vegetable with chicken (Baxters) it was nice, today is one of the days when I eat less, the following 4 days get better.  Home made lentil soup sounds lovely but making small portions would be hard and I can calorie count efficiently with a canned soup.

 

I don't fast EL, it's not a tradition I grew up with so it would seem a little artificial to start it now.

Hi Yogi x  I love home made soup, put some smoked bacon in too. Wish i had bought some crusty bread now  I am not going out again, weather here awful at the minute

Baxters' Vegetable with Chicken soup is tasty, Squiggle.

Skylark, I wouldn't go out in this weather for crusty bread, I'd make do with what you have.

I'm envious of all this soup - I will make some tomorrow.

 

Didnt see you there squiggle. We must have posted around the same time. Baxters make lovely soup and as you say is easier to calorie count. 
Just off to give my son a bowl, he has came in soaked to the skin, from work x

Fasting hasn't been a tradition in my family either.

He'll feel better when he's had some of your soup.

I nearly has some tomato soup earlier but decided to go for a walk and then wash my hair.. I'm going to have some for tea now because all this soup talk is making me want it even more! Lots of snow here, I'm so pleased I walked the dog sooner rather than later, it's getting worse outside. I hope the forecast rain does come to clear it all away Is everyone having a nice day? My pancakes were delicious

Mine were too - and very calorific, as they were covered in Maple Syrup.

Enjoy your soup, Summer.

Lol maple syrup is delicious though isn't it yogi

Absobloominglutely!

I won't have any more for a while, I like to keep it as a treat. My hips couldn't cope with regular portions of maple Syrup.

Hi Skylark I had three lovely loaves in the freezer (I've just taken one out for tomorrow) 2 multigrain and one farmhouse, all from the village bakery, real bread, totally delish - I take no chances on running out as you can see

Oh sounds lovely, cant beat bread from a village bakery. I must try to follow your lead and stock up. although not many home bakeries here now. Greggs buy up all the shops that cant keep up. Shame these large companies are taking over 

Same here skylark, the little local companies are just vanishing SIL has just been by, and brought with her some sarah nelsons gingerbread!

oooh, I love gingerbread. My nana used to make the best gingerbread in the whole world!

Off for a bath and then to watch a DVD, catch up tomorrow.

Goodnight Skylark and Summer.

Night yogi I hope your DVD is good and that you sleep well It's very windy here tonight, I think it's going to be noisy all night

*wonders if yogi has that gingerbread recipe and bakes it herself*

Goodnight everyone, want to be fresh in the morning for the postie bringing my Valentine cards   

Sweet dreams skylark, we'll all be your valentine tomorrow

Good morning everyone

 

At long last, the weather seems to have improved. Here it's a nice sunny day and temperature looks as if it's back to normal for this time of year.

Good morning everyone. It's raining up here.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone. I can't post pics on my iPad, but will add one later.

Weekly grocery shopping to do this afternoon and I need to take some stuff to the tip. Every time son tidies his bedroom, I have to go to the tip!

We had such a lot of rain last night but the sky looks freshly washed today.  Hope it's a nice dry day for everybody, good luck with the grocery shopping Yogi

 

Good morning all, happy valentines day Mr summer is getting 2 cards today; one from myself and one from Bramble

A couple of hours ago I got an automated phone call: phone number 08434108154.

The message claimed that I had opted in to be contacted by them (a lie) and claiming that I could write off 70% of any debt I owed and to press 5 to speak to an advisor.

I've done a google search on that phone number and have found that many people have been contacted in the last day or so from this outfit.

Sounds more than a bit suspicious to me.

I didn't press 5.