Cake - oh for some cake!

 Some time during the spring break I may have accidently had another birthday - I am still on the record as being '21 again' but I could not see the day pass without at least sampling a cake or two...... And ooh talk about YUMBLEDOCIOUS MAXIMUM!!

Youngest was in charge of the camera and must have taken a photo of every cake in the cafe -

I had the most heavenly carrot cake - it was gorgeously succulent and spiced ever so lightly. The cream topping was gorgeous and I would have (if allowed) licked the plate clean......

Himself had a plum and fig hot pudding swimming in a toffee sauce with a  huge lump of extra thick cream for good measure (you can just feel the calories can't you!!)

While the boys plumped (no pun intended) for rose scented cheesecake with a strawberry covered rose leaf jelly on a vanilla cake base

And all this calorifically wonderous stuff was washed down with copious amounts of tea served from a silver teapot and sweetened by rose decorated teacups and sugar lumps - a treat we have had before - we love Kitty's Cafe in New Galloway.

Sunshine award xx♥

I have been lucky to be nominated for a Sunshine Award by

Amanda from Crafty in the Med

Sunshine Award Rules. 
1. Thank the blogger who nominated you

2. Answer 10 questions about myself
                                                     
My favourite things.

Favourite animal: cat - especially my two fur-babies

Favourite number: 4  - why? well, me plus my three boys as well as my birth date
Favourite non alcoholic drink: Tea - especially Scottish Blend followed by Peppermint then Ginger and Mango
Facebook or Twitter: occasionally facebook 

My passion: My family and Crafting
Getting or giving: Giving - definitely - love love love the anticipation probably more than the recipient!
Favourite pattern: Crochet ripple
Favourite day of the week: During the week - Wednesday (aka in our house as tipping day coz it tips us towards the weekend) and then the entire weekend starting with Friday evening!!
Favourite flower: Lilies - I love the way the entire house is enveloped with their wonderful scent

Favourite country: Difficult. Would rather narrow it down to my favourite county/ies - Northumberland and Galloway

3. Nominate ten blogs to receive the Sunshine Award and let them know they've been nominated.

This is the hard bit, I love and follow a lot of blogs, however a number of them have listed themselves 'award-free' or choose not to acknowledge an award. So I will quietly let them know and if given permission, I shall link to them and share.

Once again thank you Amanda - today, a dreary and rainy day, the sunshine award is most definitely welcome!

♥♥♥

Rain rain go away - I am beginning to rust!!

How wet is too wet? At what point do you decide that despite the several layers of waterproofs that the rain has seeped through and you would probably be drier in the bath??

Well, this walk certainly had me pondering these little quandaries - that and thinking dark thoughts at our walk leader (who I do dearly love but occasionally wish for a more gentle pursuit of the great outdoors on days like these...)

Yes we are standing on the footpath .....

I had rain running down my nose when I took this picture. It hadn't started out this wet I have to admit, it was quite cool and cloudy and we were well wrapped up but from out of nowhere (well ok, the clouds) came this torrential rain!

We were up in the hills and it was beautiful wild scenery with mysterious lochs and brooding rocks.  

The boys, in particular Eldest absolutely loved the wildness of it all, he strode out ahead, shouldering his haversack while I struggled with my stupid knee. 

We sheltered in the lee of a stone wall for a much wanted tea and managed to eat our lunch before it was dissolved by the rain. 

Time to return to the car - head back to the carry-van to dry off and have a steaming pot of tea and cake - yum!

Walking with Robert the Bruce

Did you, as a child, learn in history about Robert the Bruce and the spider? It also involved burnt cakes and boxed ears... Well, I did and that is more or less all I knew of him. But while we have been out walking we have come across some of his old stamping grounds or more accurately his old battle fields.  He was a busy man!

Himself planned a walk through Glen Trool along the loch shores where apparently Robert the Bruce and some 300 men outwitted over a thousand soldiers. He is credited with altering the style of battle with a new tactic ~ guerilla warfare.

It was a fantastic walk, the scenery more reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands with dramatic cliffs and towering mountains.

Hidden away in the glens were many wild waterfalls.

Right, better stop looking at these photos - makes me want to head for the hills :( 

this going to work and being grown up and sensible can be a bit boring...!!!

Will share more pictures soon xx 

Before I go, I must say hello to Grammy Braxton - nice to 'meet' you and you are more than welcome to share our walks :) and to  Robert Daniel - I wish my cats would NOT jump in the bath as they always seem to leave little sweaty cat paw prints - why don't they just wipe their feet first!!

What's been happening in the hawthorn household....

Well,
A fair bit really - mostly work (of course) but I shall gloss over that bit.
Firstly - I was a very lucky winner of some lovely lovely goodies - look at this!

I follow and am inspired by marie's making, so when she offered a selection of her gorgeous goodies as a prize I happily entered!

So - thank you very much Marie !

Please pop over and have a look at her blog, she does make such lovely things.

♡♡ T*H*A*N*K  Y*O*U♡♡

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We have also managed to squeeze in a precious few days in Galloway during the boy's spring break. We stuffed our carry-van with holiday type goodies (both wet and dry activities!) and set off with a sad little wave at our catlings.

A few hours later, after we had set up our 'holiday home', we stepped out of our 'van and breathed in the most delicious air.....

And what a lovely week we have had - I will share some gems with you over the next few days (after I have worked through over 400 photographs.....thank goodness we don't have to pay for developing them any more!) xxxx

PS - I do not like midgies....... so why do they like me???

Bath time

When our dear little Pan first arrived - Lily was transformed from a wonderfully cuddly red ball of fluff to a fire-breathing dragon. The inevitable dragon-related terror resulted in Pan hiding behind our woodburning fire.  Her beautiful white fur transformed into a smudgy grey mess. I hesitated washing her as I felt it would add to her distress and possibly distance her further from her new family. So we put up with a greasy grey kitten for a few days until I could no longer stand it....... and gave her a bath.

Poor wee thing, she was so tiny and unsure that she didn't put up much resistance and I was able to produce a cross and spikey white kitten. She then spent the next half hour or so repairing the damage I occurred!  She sparkled and twinkled and looked wonderfully clean again. Himself blocked the access behind the fire and with time our little scaredy catling grew to trust us and Lily stopped trying to evict her and life was a lot happier.

Then.

Himself noticed that both girls were now playing happily with no mention of fire-breathing dragons or scaredy catlings so quite happily removed the ugly barrier.  This caused such interest and curiousness that the cats just had to go and explore.

So, guess who had to have another bath........... Only this time she had some words to say and they were not very pleasant!

Where does such a small sweet thing learn such foul language??!

Any hoo, we once again have a small and sweet smelling white catling and I have cleaned around the back of the woodburning fire (once it had cooled down and I could lean over it!)  So here's hoping that the next baths this little (foul-mouthed) sweet heart has are from her beloved Lily.

Walking with the past

Stepping into the Hoffman Kiln is a step into the unknown. Outside, in the brilliant blue cloudless sky we squinted at the brightness of it all. Then in a short pace we were thrown into a dark and mysterious place where ghosts walked.

We had visited  before but once again we were thrilled and a little frightened by its presence.

The eerily quiet air was cool and felt thick as we walked through. Damp walls and stalactites enhanced the atmosphere.

We stopped being human and disappeared into the dark only fleetingly appearing as a flash in the bands of light.

It was almost a relief to return to the sun and the sky and the flowers and the trees and to continue our walk.