April 30, 2010

Corgyncombe's Sweet Kiddle Cuties!

Corgyncombe Goat Carmella Lucille Has Triplets!
Lucy and Louisa May one day old.

On April 20th, her expected due date, our Nubian Dairy Goat Carmella Lucille gave birth to triplets:
Lucy, Louisa May, and Lizzie! I knew they would all be girls!

Lucy was named after her Mum Carmella Lucille because she is the spitting image of her Mama.
Louisa May was named after Louisa May Alcott because she is our cousin and because we th
ink she looks like her.


Lucy one day old.


Lizzie was named after our cousin Lizzie Alcott, Louisa May Alcott's sister, who was the sister Beth in "Little Women". Like Lizzie, we lost our little Lizzie too soon. Sadly, our little Lizzie did not live very long but whilst she was here we cuddled and loved her and kept her warm. She will always be missed. She was buried up on the hill, where later a carpet of blue periwinkles will flourish, with the family critters that had passed on before her.


Carmella Lucille ten days before kidding. The green grass looks lovely with her red hair.


Carmella Lucille the day she went into labor.

Carmella Lucille and the kiddles' father both have impressive Champion lines. Carmella Lucille's honeymoon was a well managed event and we knew right when to expect kiddles as we do not let Carmella Lucille run wild and free with the bucks all the time!

Oft' times during late night and early morning barn checks to look in on Carmella Lucille, Diane would take along "Eden's Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father" by John Matteson. The book acquired many bookmarks using hay, feathers, and a scrap of fabric to mark notable sections. I even read it whilst cooking, there are pieces of rice scattered throughout the pages. Diane is just loving this book and it is of special interest as Abba May Alcott and her daughters are Diane and Sarah's cousins through the May family. Perhaps Diane and Sarah are related to John Matteson, too, as Diane and Sarah have early direct Matteson lines!


"Eden's Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father" by John Matteson


In the book "Eden's Outcasts" the author talks about Louisa thinking her big eyes were beautiful and how she tried to increase the beauty by opening them even wider as she walked about Boston. She was surprised when she got home and looked in the mirror that her exaggerated look wasn't as beautiful as she had thought it might be. Our little Louisa has big eyes, exaggerated by an outline in white and on our little Louisa May we find this quite cute! They become especially sparkly and alert when she is expecting her bottle.

Carmella Lucille gives well over a gallon of milk a day. We look forward to making butter, cheese, soap, and most of all delicious ice cream!


Louisa May


Louisa May nibbling on Lucy's ear. How they love to run, jump, and play on the ledge surrounding their nursery!

Tasha Tudor has done numerous goat illustrations, some of our favorites are in "A Time to Keep" and "The Springs of Joy". In "A Time to Keep" Tasha says "In April the new kids were let out to play in the warm spring sunshine." with an accompanying illustration of frolicking goat kids.




As two run off and play, the third will always be remembered.


Marsh Marigold








The daffodils at Corgyncombe Cottage are exceptionally lovely this year!


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April 14, 2010

Tasha Tudor Hot Cross Buns for Easter Tea

An Easter Tradition!
The fragrance of the Easter Lily was lovely at Easter Tea. On the shelf above the teapot are Beatrix Potter figurines: Tom Kitten and his Mum Tabitha Twitchit, Flopsy Bunny, and Mrs. Rabbit.


Setting the Hot Cross Buns out to cool. The receipt for Hot Cross Buns is from "The Tasha Tudor Cookbook". The red and white pot holder was a recent delightful find.


Charlotte, anticipating Easter Tea, also made Hot Cross Buns.


After the dough has risen, she puts the buns on a cookie sheet and allows them to rise again.


The buns have been frosted with a cross on top. The antique large oval screen cover was a most delightful recent find!










Diane used the receipt for "Christmas Cookies" from "The Tasha Tudor Cookbook" to make the cut cookies in the shapes of hens, chicks, and rabbits.


Chickalily joins Charlotte for Easter Tea with Charlotte's fresh Hot Cross Buns and Tasha Tudor's Welsh Breakfast Tea. In her hand, Charlotte holds one of Sarah's handmade marbleized eggs.




Old Chalkware Hen and chicks with a delightful timeworn appearance.

The Corgyncombe Courant has added to our "At Garden Gate and Cottage Door: Helen Allingham's Lovely Paintings" post.
Here is the link: "At Garden Gate and Cottage Door: Helen Allingham's Lovely Paintings"



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April 4, 2010

At Garden Gate and Cottage Door

Helen Allingham's Lovely Paintings
The Robins have been at Corgyncombe for a couple of weeks now. One of the first mornings they were here, the north meadow was full of Robins in the snow along the water that runs down the hill.

In the Corgyncombe Library, a lovely print of a pair of Robins by Arthur Singer graces the old school desk. The Robin print, once a page in a book, was a delightful find at 75 cents.
In the book "Old West Surrey" Gertrude Jekyll speaks of Helen Allingham's paintings: "The simple and charming dress of young cottage girls of the older time, the cotton print frock, - the long pinafore and the plain sun-bonnet - is delightfully shown."

Helen Allingham would frequently portray her subjects at the cottage door or gate, often with gardens 'round. Her paintings remind us of some of the photographs I have taken of Sarah.

Sarah on the garden bench. Tasha Tudor did a painting of this photograph and it was made into the Sarah card.


Helen Allingham's paintings have an abundance of sweet red headed children and lovely frocks.


Tasha Tudor was delighted to see Sarah in her "charming" old fashioned frocks and also delighted with Sarah's preference for pretty music.


Photograph Added April 14th: From the book "Happy England", Helen Allingham's "The Robin", with the girl dressed in a pink frock with a sunbonnet standing by the stone wall, reminds us of Sarah. The daffodils are now in bloom this Spring at the Corgyncombe Cottage Gardens, putting on the most delightful display!


Sarah in the garden wearing an old sunbonnet.


Corgyncombe Sunbonnets.


Diane made the pressed tulip cookies using the Christmas Cookies receipt in "The Tasha Tudor Cookbook".


Springtime Tea. The bird on the teapot is a Robin from England.




Daffodils and tulips haven't bloomed yet this year in the Corgyncombe Gardens but seeing Helen Allingham's painting "The Children's Tea" reminded us so of my bouquets of daffodils that I had to include a couple of my photographs of daffodils from years past. Diane loves fresh flowers in bouquets about the cottage.


Photograph Added April 14th: Helen Allingham's "The Children's Tea" from the book "Happy England". Notice the bouquet of cheerful daffodils in the blue and white bowl on the left side of the painting. Daffodils are like rays of sunshine!


Daffodils alongside some old books by our cousin Louisa May Alcott.


Photograph Added April 14th: Helen Allingham's "The Young Customers" from the book "Happy England". The little girls are considering purchasing a toy flat iron. The old lady clerk reminds us of Tasha Tudor.


The little girl in the painting is trying the iron out on her cape.

Here are some links to s
ome of our favorite Helen Allingham paintings.
We hope you have a cup of tea and enjoy looking at them!


"The Children's Tea" with a lovely bouquet of daffodils at tea.




"The Young Customers"
purchasing a toy flat iron. The
old lady clerk reminds us of Tasha Tudor.

























Helen Allingham, a delightful kindred spirit!


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Resurrection Sunday!

He is Risen!
The book "Hours with Mamma" by Mrs. S. E. Dawes, published in 1865.




Jesus Has Risen!
Hallelujah!


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