Forget-Me-Not Fair at Corgyncombe!

To Sow a Sea of Forget-Me-Nots!

Nanny Nettie-Kin decided to have a Forget-Me-Not Fair to promote the delight and appreciation of her favorite flower, forget-me-nots!

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The fair booth amongst the forget-me-nots!

We've been planning a fair for a long time, for the Bleuette dolls and then for the Hitty dolls. My daughter Sarah designed the fair booth and Sarah, Tillie Tinkham the seamstress mouse at Corgyncombe, and Nanny Nettie-Kin made the tent cover. This is one of our surprise projects! The decorative edge was made with our fancy trim cutter and the tent was sewn on an old hand-crank Singer sewing machine.

The Bleuette dolls at Corgyncombe have had a bake sale in the past, featured on the Corgyncombe Courant, to raise buttons to bring Elizabeth's Mummy home after she was shipwrecked on a deserted island. It was a great success as Mummy had a jubilant return home!

Fairs are so much fun!

Some of the photographs and some of the writings on this post are from previous Corgyncombe Courant posts that can be found here on the Corgyncombe Courant.

 

A festive forget-me-not table display.

Nanny Nettie-Kin's favorite fowl flew in for the fun!

Nanny Nettie-Kin has baked some fancy cakes, pastries, and breads and has homemade cheese to sell at her

Forget-Me-Not Fair.
Hitty Rebecca helps Nanny Nettie-Kin set up her booth at the fair.

Nanny Nettie-Kin, Hitty Rebecca and little Bobby were made by talented doll carver Judy Brown.

"Corgiville Fair" written and illustrated by Tasha Tudor.
What a delight the book is with the lovely, detailed paintings and the story where Tasha's wonderful sense of humor comes shining through. Tasha Corgi stands in front. "Corgiville Fair" is amongst the all time favorites at the Corgyncombe Library. It is some of Tasha's best work! If you haven't seen "Corgiville Fair" you are missing out!

Tasha Tudor illustrated delightfully festive fairs in her books "Corgiville Fair", "A Time to Keep", and "All for Love". "A Time to Keep" in September features the dolls' fair with booths for selling.

Little Bobby has arrived and has his eye on a pumpkin pie!
Nanny says "Bobby needs to be watched, he almost stole my Hot Cross Buns at Easter time! I caught him just in time!"

She is worried (with good reason) that Bobby will eat all the goodies before the fair-goers arrive!

Bobby just loves pumpkin pie!
He has a fabulous future in Pie Eating Contests!

Nanny Nettie-Kin's Corgyncombe Forget-Me-Nots, seeds to sow for a beauteous sea of dainty forget-me-nots!

The "b" on the seed package stands for buttons.

Tasha Tudor had the children use buttons to buy goods for their dolls and animals. The currency for the dolls at Corgyncombe is buttons, as well.

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http://corgyncombecourant.blogspot.com/2014/06/forget-me-not-fair-at-corgyncombe.html
copyright © 2014 Diane Shepard Johnson and Sarah E. Johnson
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A Flower Favoured by Nanny Nettie-Kin and Tasha Tudor!

Oh, the Delight of Forget-Me-Nots!

Nanny Nettie-Kin's most favourite flower is the forget-me-not!

What a joy it is for her to take a walk amongst a sea of dainty blue, fragrant forget-me-nots with Ethlyn, her Corgi companion at her side!

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Nanny Nettie-Kin received a surprise basket of forget-me-nots on her door on May Day.
Nanny Nettie-Kin loves the forget-me-nots because they are small, like her!

Nanny Nettie-Kin reminds us of Tasha Tudor walking through her forget-me-nots with her Corgi.

Ethlyn Corgi nicely poses on Forget-Me-Not Knoll.

Some of the photographs and some of the writings on this post are from previous Corgyncombe Courant posts that can be found here on the Corgyncombe Courant and from our web site "Our Favorite Things".

Out Amongst the Garden and Lawn
A Little Bouquet of May
One day after milking, I gathered this small bouquet of bleeding heart, lily of the valley, violets, and forget-me-nots. Bouquets about the cottage add such a cheer to the day and they are something special to look upon and a delight to smell every time you pass their way!

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http://corgyncombecourant.blogspot.com/2014/06/a-flower-favoured-by-nanny-nettie-kin.html

copyright © 2014 Diane Shepard Johnson and Sarah E. Johnson
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A Surprise Project!

Cutting Fancy Trims!

Nanny Nettie-Kin and Tillie Tinkham, the seamstress mouse at Corgyncombe, have been working on surprise projects that have long been in the planning stages!

http://corgyncombecourant.blogspot.com/2014/05/a-surprise-project.html
copyright © 2014 Diane Shepard Johnson and Sarah E. Johnson
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A May Basket Delivered to Pumpkin House!

Forget-Me-Nots Ne'er to Be Forgotten!

Ima and Hitty hang a May basket on the Pumpkin House door for Nanny Nettie-Kin.

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Forget-me-nots are Nanny Nettie-Kin's most favourite flower but, alas, on May Day, none were yet in bloom at Corgyncombe.
Fortunately, Ima's Princess cousins of the British Isles were able to assist with a recommendation of where to acquire the favoured flowers.

Tweet Sweet has the forget-me-nots carefully tucked under his wing.

Ima and Hitty placed a special order for forget-me-nots from the Princesses' favorite greenhouse, which is amongst the most charming of temperate houses in Britain.
Arrangements were made for Tweet Sweet, who flies for Finch Post, to make a special delivery flight.

The Princesses' favourite greenhouse.

Ima and Hitty quietly leave the May basket on the door at Pumpkin House and knock. Quickly, they run to hide.

Nanny Nettie-Kin opens the door to find the delightful surprise!

Ima and Hitty have found a place beneath the daffodils where Nanny can not see them but they can see her find her May basket! Ima tells Hitty "This is a fine spot to see Nanny joyfully discovering her May basket!"

Indeed, what joy!

Nanny steps out to see if she can see who has left her this marvelous May basket!

Ever so quietly, as to remain undiscovered, Ima and Hitty are thrilled as they watch Nanny Nettie-Kin with their gift!

Nanny returns to her kitchen for tea to enjoy her lovely basket of forget-me-nots, as she contemplates who were the kind ones who left the pretty basket for her.

Nanny Nettie-Kin is like a Mum to the children in her care.
They all love her so!

Nanny Nettie-Kin, the Corgyncombe Hittys, Ima, and her Princess cousins were all carved by the talented Judy Brown.
The Princesses will debut in a future post
at the Corgyncombe Courant!

Our "Pumpkin House" is the large golden dollhouse that Susan Branch featured on her blog after she saw it at an antique shop.

I learned to make May baskets like the May basket above in kindergarten from my teacher. My dear kindergarten teacher Mrs. Platt had also been my Mum's grade school teacher. We make our May baskets out of wallpaper from wallpaper sample books, lined with stiffer paper, in the shape of a cone with a handle. The wallpaper for our baskets is so much fun to pick out from all the samples! Sometimes we also make paper flowers to add to the May baskets, too!
Making May baskets is a May Day family tradition at Corgyncombe!

The May basket above is hung on "A Time to Keep" illustrated by Tasha Tudor! Tasha Tudor has done delightful illustrations of children leaving their May baskets at the door and children dancing around the Maypole with a joyful Corgi herding the children in a circle. In the borders round, there are beautiful spring flowers, robins, barns swallows, and a bluebird.

In "Tasha Tudor's Seasons of  Delight, A Year on an Old-Fashioned Farm" there are pop-up illustrations of children filling May baskets and delivering one to Tasha's door.

In "The New England Butt'ry Shelf Cookbook" written by Mary Mason Campbell and illustrated by Tasha Tudor, there is a Maypole with children in costume dancing round.

Beatrix Potter beautifully illustrated forget-me-nots in "The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle" and "The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher".

A joyous May Day Celebration was held when Sarah's friend's came over to dance round the Maypole.
A tiny Maypole with bears, rabbits, and mouse can be seen in the corner of the stone and wattle fences.
The stone walls are made of field stones that were gathered many years ago and used in an old foundation then reclaimed by us to use in the garden wall.

"Song on May Morning"
Now the bright morning-star, day's harbinger,
Comes dancing from the east, and leads with her
The flowery May, who from her green lap throws
The yellow cowslip and the pale primrose.
Hail, bounteous May, that dost inspire
Mirth, and youth, and warm desire;
Woods and groves are of thy dressing,
Hill and dale doth boast thy blessing.
Thus we salute thee with our early song,
And welcome thee, and wish thee long.
- John Milton

May Day punch and cupcakes at Corgyncombe.

We at the Corgyncombe Courant hope all our Dear Readers had a joyous May Day and have a delightful Mother's Day!

http://corgyncombecourant.blogspot.com/2014/05/a-may-basket-delivered-to-pumpkin-house.html
copyright © 2014 Diane Shepard Johnson and Sarah E. Johnson
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Decorating Eggs and Choosing an Easter Hat!

Bridget decorated the naturally blue egg with the lovely pansy cut-out, gold trim and a ribbon.

Tasha Tudor decorated Easter eggs in much the same fashion and some are featured in

"Drawn from New England" and

illustrated in "A Time to Keep".

 Bridget, an Izannah Walker inspired doll, was made by talented dollmaker Margaret Flavin.

The apron Bridget is wearing was found in one of our favorite antique shops.

Izzibeth insisted upon wearing the red straw hat with flowers that was found at the same shop as Bridget's apron.

She holds a little basket with a chick nestled in the straw.

Izzibeth, an Izannah Walker inspired doll, was made by talented dollmaker Paula Walton.

Do not miss our previous post

at the Corgyncombe Courant:
Changing Seasons!

The Hittys Out Amongst the Spring Blooms!

 

http://corgyncombecourant.blogspot.com/2014/04/decorating-eggs-and-choosing-easter-hat.html
copyright © 2014 Diane Shepard Johnson and Sarah E. Johnson

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Changing Seasons!

The Hittys Out Amongst the Spring Blooms!

Hitty Holly, thrilled to be amongst the Corgyncombe snowdrops!

Hitty Holly was carved by Judy Brown and made of Holly wood. Her frock and pinafore were made by Gail Wilson.

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"The early flowers have a special beauty - I always shake with excitement when I find the first clump of snowdrops, fragile, pearl-pure, bending their heads lightly toward the icy dark ground." - Gladys Taber in "Stillmeadow Daybook"

April 12th was Susan Branch's birthday. Susan Branch is the author and illustrator of the lovely book "A Fine Romance, Falling in Love with the England Countryside".

April 12th was also Gladys Taber's birthday. She was famous for writing about her old house in the country that she called Stillmeadow.  Her old house reminds me of our old house in structure and also how it is pleasantly set in the landscape. Gladys wrote about the seasons, birds, flowers, cooking, her animals, and life in the country. I love seeing Gladys Taber's house in Southbury, Connecticut.

 Gladys Taber's Stillmeadow

 Corgyncombe Cottage

My ancestors the Stanclift family lived in the 1700s very close to where Gladys Taber lived in Connecticut. Gravestone carving was a tradition in the Stanclift family through the generations, the first of our Stanclifts to come to New England was a stone carver believed to have come from Yorkshire, England.

Last weekend, when the weather was nice, Ima took a walk along Corgi Creek at Corgyncombe to look for pussy willows. Ima smiles as she touches the soft pussy willow. She will have to tell Nanny Nettie-Kin where to find them, as Nanny Nettie-Kin wants to pick a bouquet.

"Spring has a special effect on us in the valley. The whole beautiful world invites us out, and we have an urge to wander. The gentle, rolling hills; the clear, winding brooks; the bright, rushing streams: all are filled with the rhythm of life, and we move with it too." - Gladys Taber in "Stillmeadow Calender"

Alas, after a few warm days the weather again turned drastically cold with wind, snow and ice.

 Here is the same pussy willow bush in the April snow and cold.

Icy cold Corgi Creek in April!

We wish our Dear Readers a Joyful Resurrection Sunday!

In "First Graces"

illustrated by Tasha Tudor:

On Easter

Joyfully, this Easter day,

I kneel, a little child, to pray;

Jesus, who hath conquered death,

Teach me, with my every breath,

To praise and worship thee.

- Sharon Banigan

http://corgyncombecourant.blogspot.com/2014/04/changing-seasons.html
copyright © 2014 Diane Shepard Johnson and Sarah E. Johnson

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Tillie's Frocks and Fashions at Teatime!

Winter Teatime Conversations!

Tillie Tinkham, the seamstress mouse at Corgyncombe, is ironing the pinafore that she made for Hitty, after finishing the hem.

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At "Tillie Tinkham's Frocks and Fashions"

with Millinery and Tea Room at 863 Park Avenue,

Hitty tries on the pinny.

Tillie, balancing on her rose tuffet, asks Hitty "Would you like some tea?"
Hitty says she would love some!

Whilst having tea, Tillie asks Hitty if she had heard that the Corgyncombe Groundhog had been seen on March 11th sunning herself on a log and moving about in quite an active fashion. Prior to that, she had only been seen on February 22nd when she came out in the sunshine, saw her shadow and acted very stunned by the bright light! Since March 11th, she hasn't been seen at all and it isn't surprising with very cold weather!

Tillie asks Hitty if she would like another cup of tea.

Hitty pours herself another cup and Tillie speaks of the long, hard, cold and blustery winter. She thinks that winter is probably not o'er yet! Tillie remembers hearing, from her cousins on the Tinkham side,  about the Linn tractor snowplow roaring through The Hollow with Diane's Grandfather Shepard on board!

Diane's Grandfather Shepard was a Tinkham descendant himself.

The Tinkhams came from Rhode Island to settle in The Hollow.

The winter of 1939 in The Hollow.

Tillie says, "Alas, spring can be a long time coming at Corgyncombe, and even when you think it has arrived, you might be surprised by a snowstorm in May!

In other happenings at "Tillie Tinkham's Frocks and Fashions"

with Millinery and Tea Room at 863 Park Avenue,

Tillie is making a green vest for Sweet Hitty Sue.

Sweet Hitty Sue tries the vest on so that Tillie can see if any adjustments need to be made.

What a perfect colour for St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all our Dear Readers!

My (Diane's) own great great grandmother Bridget Mulhall emigrated from Ireland in the mid-1800s.

Tonight at supper we will have some Corgyncombe potatoes and give thought to Bridget and our Irish ancestors.

Tillie Tinkham's Sewing Circle Emblem!

http://corgyncombecourant.blogspot.com/2014/03/tillies-frocks-and-fashions-at-teatime.html
copyright © 2014 Diane Shepard Johnson and Sarah E. Johnson
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