There is a secret hippie in me that isn't so secret anymore ...

I have been neglecting my blog again and that will never do will it dear readers? I have had a hectic few months since I last blogged what with a funeral to arrange, a holiday to go on a few days later only to return and be ill for a week not to mention all the washing and putting away of camping gear etc etc.

Out of the frying and into the fire with a bedroom to decorate - well I paid for it and my teenage daughter and her boyfriend did all the work - okay, her boyfriend did most of the work and a very good job he did too. Why is it when you decorate one room the whole house tends to be upside down with stuff absolutely everywhere? The joys of living in a small house I guess!

We had a lovely ten days camping in West Dorset. We camped in the little village of Charmouth which is just the loveliest place. We had a week of gorgeously hot weather before it turned very British once again with grey sky albeit still warm. We had some spectacular thunder and lightening storms which can be very scary during the middle of the night when in a tent half way up a hill ...

We were also treated once again to a fabulous display by the Red Arrows as part of National Lifeboat week in Lyme Regis. We sat on the steps on the beach in Charmouth to watch this as Lyme Regis was absolutely heaving with people. 

We ventured into Lyme a few days later to have a mooch and bumped into one of the teachers at my children's primary school - small world isn't it?

No trip to West Dorset would be complete with a trip to Bridport. Oh how I love this little market town with it's gorgeous little shops and Saturday flea market along the street (there is also a Wednesday market but with less stalls). 

Whilst there I decided to have my nose pierced (for the second time as I had it done many, many years ago when I was 17). I will admit that it hurt a lot especially as it didn't go through the first time and it had to be done again! My 17 year old daughter had hers done as well and another piercing in her ear as did my 14 year old. We had them done by the lovely Linda at The Dorset Peddlar on South Street and if you ever find yourself in Bridport do pop in as the shop is amazing with it's crystals and chakra stones, singing bowls and incense and a myriad of other delightful must haves!

Also whilst in the area I just had to visit Glastonbury! Now it has to be said that I absolutely adore this place and could quite happily live there and maybe one day I just might ... It is nice as a vegan to be able to walk into a cafe and be able to find something on the menu and at Hundred Monkeys I could do just that. I had a mooch around the shops and stocked up on incense and other hippie stuff as my husband calls it before calling into the supermarket that sells my kind of thing - organic, vegan, natural and not tested on animals etc. I had a field day in there but for the life of me cannot remember what it is called.

On a sunny Sunday morning the five of us climbed up a hill and found a lovely spot under a tree overlooking the sea to scatter the ashes of my parents. As some of you may recall my dad passed away in June and it meant I could finally lay my mom and dad to rest in a beautiful place. It wasn't an easy thing to do dear readers but it was a beautiful spot and I think they would like it there.

Charmouth is a delightful seaside village and we have holidayed there many times over the years. If you are ever in the area do check it out. If you have young children they will be delighted with a spot of fossil hunting!

Back home with a vengeance and straight into a flu like bug for me which pretty much wiped me out for a week.

 Then into the decorating and a gorgeous little addition to the family in the guise of Merlin the kitten. It is just what we needed and everyone is a little in love with him except Nutmeg our tabby who never misses an opportunity to spit and hiss at him. 

My eldest daughter, Miss J has gone and got herself a place on a Bakery course and she is beyond excited. She didn't want to finish 6th Form and had decided to leave after Y12 as she no longer wanted to go to university. She will be spending the next three years baking up a storm at UCB (University College Birmingham) and she cannot wait.

All that is left for me to do now is get crafting again after making some little things for swap parcels on Instagram I am raring to go but first need to make some curtains for Miss J and Miss G's bedroom and hopefully fingers crossed I will get them done over the weekend.

I hope to share some recipes in my next blog post as I have been doing my usual amount of cooking and for six people most nights. It's not easy catering for everyone's tastes I can tell you ...

Until next time dear readers ... happy crafting, baking, cooking the natural way ... have fun and enjoy life!