Friendship .... Such a special word ❤️

Good morning everyone.  I’ll start off by wishing you a very happy Sunday.  Yesterday, we were being deluged with the wet stuff here in deepest Devon, but I’m delighted to say that the sun is shining today, so I will be heading off to take the pup for a walk once I’ve finished writing this Post.  I’m afraid that too many wet days doesn’t do much for the mood of this writer!  I keep thinking to myself...”come on now.  Winter is approaching, and you live in ye merry olde England.  IT RAINS, and you should be used to it by now.  SO GET OVER IT!” 🙈🙈. 

Last night, over here,  the clocks went back an hour, so it will be dark just after 5pm, I would think.  I’ve often thought that some animals have it right, when they go into Hibernation for a few months.  What would you take into your cosy little Cave if you could do that?!  Assuming that we all hibernated on our own, in order to refresh ourselves and be  ready to face the world once again in April.  My cave would certainly be decorated with pretty twinkling lights, photos of my family, lots of music and lots of books.  It might be rather nice to just hang out in pyjamas for those few months.  

Anyway, enough of all that - today I thought I would write a few words about friendship.  What is the definition of friendship?  This is what I came up with, courtesy of Mr Google, or, as a feminist, I suppose I really should say MRS Google.

Friendship for most people is a combination of affection, loyalty, love, respect, and trust. ... True friendship is when someone knows you better than yourself and takes a position in your best interests in a crisis. Friendship goes beyond just sharing time together, and it is long lasting.

Interesting that is refers to long lasting.  That isn’t always the case, of course.  Sometimes people enter our lives and we can share a strong friendship, but then they move on.  I firmly believe that everyone comes into our lives for a reason, at any given time.  There is no doubt in my mind that good friends help us to deal with stress, and, generally, give us a sense of well being.  Able to be our cheerleaders when we need them, to celebrate with us during the good times, and simply be there for us in the bad times.  Quite honestly, I simply can’t imagine a life without my girlfriends in it.  

With true friends, you can simply be yourself, warts and all, and they will still love you- how wonderful is that?!  Each friendship is unique and should be treasured.  I also believe that friendship means a deep connection and commitment to the other person.  Some connections, of course, are deeper than others, but each important in their own special way.   I always think it’s amazing when we meet a certain person and it just feels as if we’ve known them for ever.  The  connection is instant.  They know us better than, say, someone who has known us for forty years or more.  Isn’t that incredible?!  Perhaps we had met each other in a previous life ... who knows?  

So if you have a good friend, and perhaps you’ve had a little falling out, give them a call, or send them an e-mail.  Life is too short to bear grudges.  So then, I’ll leave you again for now, as the pup is looking at me with sad eyes, and I must take advantage of this sunshine whilst it lasts!  Hope you’re all keeping well, wherever you are.  Take care ❤️

Here is the pup! Benji,  my eleven month old little Cavapoo. How could you resist those eyes?!

My apologies!  I don’t know why the typing has gone a bit funny today! 🙈

Visiting National Trust Properties.

  

Knightshayes Court, Devon. 

For those of you who have never heard of the National Trust, it is a  country-wide Organization, which looks after the upkeep of wonderful country houses and their magnificent gardens. I have been a member for a great number of years, as the annual subscriptions help to keep these properties in a good state. They also look after miles of coastline around the British Isles. 

 

Killerton House in Devon

The ladies from the local Art Society were going on their annual outing to Coleton Fishacre, one of the many National Trust properties in Devon.  Thirty ladies of varying shapes and sizes congregated in the local coach park waiting for the bus to arrive.  It was already fifteen minutes late, and a rumble of discontent spread along the line. Thank goodness it wasn't raining!  The temperature, even at 9 am was in the mid sixties, and the sun was shining down.

Suddenly the coach could be seen chugging up the steep hill, and the mood of the assembled throng immediately changed, as they started to chatter excitedly. Once everyone was safely on board, the driver headed off to their destination. Soon, he turned off the main road, onto the winding lanes of the Devon countryside. They drove through the pretty town of Dartmouth, travelling across the River Dart on an ancient little ferry, continuing along the narrow lanes to the little hamlet of Kingswear. 

 

The pretty little town of Dartmouth in South Devon.  

Suddenly the sea mist lifted and there was the house in all its glory.   Coleton Fishacre was built between the years of 1923-6 for Rupert D'Oyle Carte, whose father, Richard, had been the impressario behind the operettas of Gilbert & Sullivan.  Rupert had developed the business empire he had inherited, which included the very posh and upmarket Savoy and Claridges Hotels in London. 

 

Coleton Fishacre

Rupert D'Oyly Carte, and his wife, Dorothy, actually found the site for their new house from the sea, whilst sailing their yacht between the quaint small towns of Dartmouth and Brixham. The interior of the house really does invoke the modernity of the Jazz Age, and it would be just perfect for a weekend in the country. 

 

Interior shot, courtesy of The National Trust. 

All the ladies agreed that the house was absolutely perfect. The Architect who designed the property, Oswald Milne, was an assistant to the famous Sir Edwin Lutyens.  A particularly appealing feature of the property is that you have quite stunning views of the garden from every room in the house. Although the house does speak of elegance from a by-gone age, the ladies agreed that they could all imagine themselves living there and, on a beautiful Summer's evening, wafting out onto the terrace with a drink in hand. 

 

The garden itself is quite magical as, like several in the South West of England, it descends from open views around the house, down through increasingly jungle-like vegetation, until you get spectacular views of the sea beyond. 

 

The gazebo look-out  at Coleton. You can just see the steps leading down to the sea. 

 

How about this for a view ?!

I hope this has given you a little insight into the beautiful houses and gardens owned by The National Trust.  So then, another blog post hits the road. As I look out the window whilst writing this, I see that the rain is pouring down.  We have had three weeks of rain ☔️ now, with the odd spot of sunshine in between the very heavy showers.  Usually, October can be a very pleasant month, and I look forward to going out for walks, but I haven’t really been able to do much of that so far this month. Anyway, I hope you all have a lovely weekend, and if the sun is shining where you are, please send it over here to heavenly Devon!

 

 

 

This is where I live, here in heavenly Devon

Today I thought I would give you a little tour of Ivybridge, here in the beautiful South Hams of Devon, where I have lived for 37 years.  I am proud to be a Devon maid born and bred, as I was born in Plymouth, about ten miles away, Britain’s Ocean City. The picture above is of the ancient bridge, from where Ivybridge gets its name. A bridge in this exact location was recorded as far back as 1250, which was known as the Ponte Ederosa, which translates to the bridge of ivy.  The bridge crosses the beautiful River Erme, which runs through the middle of the town. 

Ivybridge nestles at the foot of Dartmoor, one of England's glorious National Parks, and yet we have the sea and wonderful sandy beaches only fifteen minutes from here.  I guess Ivybridge is really a small town now, but to me, it will always be "the village!"  "Town" is that other place, just ten miles down the road, that is the seafaring City of Plymouth!

The above photo is of the river that I have mentioned previously in this Post.   As you can see, we have a lovely Memorial in the village dedicated to the brave men of the American Armed Forces, who were stationed here during WW11.

From the following photo of the Main Street,  you really can see how this small town is nestled at the foothills of Dartmoor.  

I can see the Western Beacon from my home, and these are the views when you have climbed to the top ...

Well, I hope you have a lovely Sunday, and that you’ve enjoyed this little tour.  

Changing Of The Seasons

Well, usually I love Autumn, especially when the days are dry and bright. I love crunching along on crisp, fallen leaves and admiring the changing colours everywhere. Unfortunately, this October has been exceedingly wet so far.  However, I did manage to venture out for a walk yesterday, during a dry spell!  It felt so good to be outside, seeing the beauty of nature all around me. Just a couple of photos from that walk ...

However, in the next couple of weeks here in the UK, the clocks go back and the darker mornings and evenings will be with us once again. Many enjoy the closing of the curtains,  and perhaps enjoying the crackling of an open log fire or woodburner. The feeling of being cosy and warm. 

I like to light scented candles as well, to make it even more snug and cosy. I'm fine with this at the beginning, as, the weekend after Thanksgiving, which we don't celebrate here, I decorate the house for Christmas, and there are twinkling fairy lights everywhere!  I do love Christmas! 

But it's after Christmas is over and all the pretty ornaments are packed away once again in their boxes, and the lights dismantled from every nook and cranny, that I start to feel rather gloomy. 

However, I know that many people really do suffer at the onset of the darker evenings.  It can lead to feeling rather low, feelings of apathy, and general loss of energy. 

Sometimes it is rather difficult to remain positive at times like this and those negative thoughts can become difficult to dismiss. 

Reading a good book can help us lose ourselves, and I find that playing my favourite music rather loudly can all help to lift my mood. Luckily, I have no neighbours!  

So, to you all, I hope that you can find some pleasures in these soon to become shorter days, so that we can all head towards Christmas in good spirits. 

Here are a few positive quotes to help you on your way ....

 

Well my friends, on that note, I will leave you once again, hoping that all is well with you in your little corner of the world.  Have a lovely weekend ❤️

Positive Quotations For You Today ....

Most of my bloggy friends know how much I like quotations, so I thought I would share a few here with you today, all of which are courtesy of Pinterest.com

I hope to see you all again soon.  Until then, look after yourselves.