Autumn's Warm, Mellow Apricot Glow!

Autumnal Sights and Sounds...

Autumn is in the air as wild geese can be seen and heard calling from above. There is a chill to the air and the wool blankets are brought out from storage. As leaves begin to change and fall and the cornfields are turning brown, the countryside takes on a warm mellow apricot glow.

The log cabin quilt is an antique that is pieced with mostly wool fabrics.

Tasha Tudor illustrated "A Brighter Garden" a collection of poetry by Emily Dickinson. We named our Corgi Emily after Diane's great great grandmother Emily Jane (Jones) Shepard and Emily (Jones) Shepard's cousin Emily Elizabeth Dickinson, as well as Emily Dickinson's mother Emily (Norcross) Dickinson. Tasha did such lovely illustrations in "A Brighter Garden". There is one illustration of a little country church with beautiful Autumnal landscapes round.

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Grandmum Has Always Reminded Me of Tasha Tudor!

Gathering Pearls from Meadow and Lawn!

A recently gathered puffball which has been sliced, with the bottom of the puffball cut away a bit.

My father's Mum reminds me of Tasha Tudor. When I think of my Grandmum, I think of a large garden, canning on her Kalamazoo wood cookstove (she was known as a canning fool), the smell of dill, her out cutting grass with a scythe, wearing aprons, and finding and preparing puffballs. Grandmum always thought she had found the greatest treasure when she found a puffball! A treasure that she was always delighted to share! I can still see her now getting out of their old antique truck carrying a huge puffball carefully in her hands. My Mum would look out the window, roll her eyes, and say "Oh no, not another one!" My father and I would devour these pearls of the meadow and lawn with enthusiasm!


We sliced them, cut off the outer layer, dipped them in egg and milk, covered with breadcrumbs, and sautéed them in butter. Recently, whilst visiting Lantern Light Cottage, I found five of these pearly beauties on the lawn! I could just imagine Grandmum's joy and excitement!

In "The Tasha Tudor Cookbook", Tasha has a receipt for Cream of Mushroom Soup and says: "This soup always brings to mind the overcast yet warm fall days in Redding, Connecticut, when my mother and I would roam over huge pastures hunting for field mushrooms, puffballs, inky caps, and even morels." In "The Tasha Tudor Cookbook", Tasha suggests you buy your mushrooms at a grocery if you can't identify mushrooms.

I just love mushroom soup and will have to give this receipt a try!




A Corgyncombe almost St. Distaff's Day Moon!

The Corgyncombe Courant advises its readers to make sure they know what mushrooms and food they find in the wild is safe to eat and what is not, before eating.


My father's Mum came from old New England stock, Standish, Taylor, Starr, Swift, Strong, Freeman, Towne, and many others.

Grandmum as I remember her best, in her apron, and my Grandfather holding me.
I know I was their little delight!


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"1 is One" by Tasha Tudor and A Little Pink Frock!

The Blush is Coming to the Apples on the Small Apple Tree!

 In the book "1 is One", written and illustrated by Tasha Tudor, there are many little girls dressed in frocks similar to the one pictured above. The splendid art stand was made for Corgyncombe Cottage by Seth Tudor, son of Tasha Tudor. It is such a delight as it is so useful to display many things!

Last weekend whilst still celebrating Tasha Tudor's birthday The Corgyncombe Courant went traveling and came upon one of their favorite antique shops. There, amongst other delights, they found the most charming pink frock and bonnet. They look just like a birthday party! Both the antique frock and the bonnet boasted the finest of workmanship in the tiniest of stitches all hand sewn!

Apples from the little apple tree that you come upon just after the garden of herbs, along side Corgi Creek. These apples are just starting to get a lovely reddish blush.


This tree is home to a wren family that raised a family in a little house hanging upon one of its branches.

You can hardly see the small, fine hand stitches in the bonnet!

 Tasha Tudor's "1 is One" features a little girl in a bonnet, carrying a basket as she reaches up to pick one of the 7 apples on the tree. On the opposite page is one of The Corgyncombe Courant's favorite illustrations: the seven apples and the basket by an old crock decorated with a bird. Both pages are bordered with lovely pink apple blossoms.

 In the photograph above are two little girls dressed in frocks similar to the pink frock. The tintype is from the Corgyncombe Old Photograph Collection.

May apple blossoms at sunrise down near Corgi Creek.


This little child looks amazingly like Sarah did when she was little... but then again, perhaps 'tis not so strange, as it came from an area where family was from in the old days.From the Corgyncombe Old Photograph Collection.

In "Linsey Woolsey", written and illustrated by Tasha Tudor, Sylvie Ann is celebrating her birthday. Sylvie and her brother are shown making ice cream. The little lamb Linsey Woolsey creates mischief at Sylvie's birthday party by jumping upon the festive birthday table. We could imagine that Corgyncombe Goat Kiddles, Lucy and Louisa May, aka the Flying Lu-Lou's, would cause as much trouble as they are up upon everything! The darling frocks that Sylvie and her little girl friends are wearing are similar to the pink frock in the Corgyncombe Antique Frock Collection.

Contact us at our email:
atthecottagegate@yahoo.com

Here is a link to:
Tasha Tudor and Family

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Tasha Tudor Birthday Celebration!

A Kindred Spirit Special Edition!

Sarah in pasture with Corgyncombe Dairy Goat Carmella Lucille and other goats, too. She is wearing an old fashioned English smock and is holding her great grandfather's old hay rake.

In the 1947 edition of "A Child's Garden of Verses" by Robert Louis Stevenson and illustrated by Tasha Tudor, the lad on the "My Shadow" poem page is wearing an old fashioned smock.

Diane and Sarah have many interests in common with Tasha, such as spinning, weaving, natural dyeing, knitting, gardening, old fashioned clothing, dolls, cooking, corgyn, goats, birds, and the old ways of living.

All these daily things remind us of Tasha. We had so many things in common.
How grateful we are to have been her friend and kindred spirit!!!

At The Corgyncombe Dairy, a bowl full of dairy goat Carmella Lucille's cream.

The colour of the smock reminds us of dairy goat Carmella Lucille's cream.

In "The Workwoman's Guide", originally published in 1838, there is instruction on making a smock.

In referencing bunnies and knitted rabbit wool items from Beatrix Potter's stories and a knitting pattern, Tasha Tudor mentioned "The Workwoman's Guide" and wrote to us "Maybe you also own this invaluable work?" Those at Corgyncombe find that "The Workwoman's Guide" is indeed a most valuable guide. It contains information, patterns, and instructions relating to bonnets and caps, collars, stitches, shawls, frocks, sleeves, knitting, household items, and many other things. The book has instructions for making little stitches and "neat" and "neatly" are predominant words.

"The Real Pretend" written by Joan Donaldson and illustrated by Tasha Tudor.

Sarah of Corgyncombe was Tasha's model for the illustrations of the little girl Kathy in "The Real Pretend". It is a true story about a little girl who goes round to her neighbors, taking pretend orders from the Larkins Catalog.

Sarah in one of the Corgyncombe Cottage gardens in her frock from Tasha Tudor's antique frock collection.

In honor of Tasha's birthday Diane made a cake from the Becky's Birthday Cake receipt in "The Tasha Tudor Cookbook". It was decorated with ferns, goldenrod, Joe-pye weed and forget-me-nots. The above photograph was done in celebration of Tasha Tudor's birthday two years ago.

Charlotte celebrating Tasha Tudor's birthday a year ago. Charlotte finds a nice place in the shade to enjoy her tea, cake, and ice cream. Her cake, decorated with forget-me-nots, is from The Corgyncombe Bakery and her goat ice cream is from The Corgyncombe Dairy.

Diane's bobbin lace pillow is dressed to do a bookmark with spiders and half stitch fans. The wooden bobbins are turned in a design called bees knees. The bobbins are spangled with beads that serve as weights to keep the bobbins from rolling about, for tension, and they also look so pretty. Collecting beads and spangling is great fun. Sometimes the Corgyncombe lacemakers, Diane and Sarah, get their beads from old glass necklaces. Their collection looks like a treasure chest!

The letter box is full of some of the letters that Tasha Tudor sent to Diane and Sarah. The Corgyncombe lacemakers gave Tasha one of their handmade bookmarks called Love-in-a-mist, like the one pictured on the corgi card in the letter box.

This is part of what Tasha wrote: "Dear Diane and Sarah, Such a delightful surprise the other day to receive your nice letter full of your news, and with the charming photographs of Sarah making lace! I assure you I am impressed no end by your new skill and really treasure the dainty lace Bookmarker. Thank you so very, very much!!!" She goes on to say, amongst other things, how she is eagerly awaiting spring...

Sarah and Daisy, we call her Daisy Petals. Can you see why?

A picture of a child at water's edge, wearing an old fashioned smock, on the cover of an old Victorian Herbarium. A herbarium is a collection of pressed flowers.

Green beans and peas from the Corgyncombe Vegetable Garden.

A thistle found behind the big old barn at Corgyncombe, that we call "The Ark".

A pat of Corgyncombe Butter stamped with a thistle print.

Butter churned at Corgyncombe Dairy using the cream from Corgyncombe Dairy goat Carmella Lucille's milk. Diane's butter churn that is a reproduction of a churn Tasha Tudor had. Diane's husband planted cosmos in the vegetable garden at Diane's request, for cut flowers to be arranged in bouquets.

Tasha Tudor added to a nice long four page letter to Diane, a P.S. about how she enjoyed Diane's article about butter making. Tasha commented about how white goat's butter was and she said "I use it in all my cooking! Delectable!"

Sarah and Daisy Petals.
In the background is The Corgyncombe Vegetable Garden.

The little lad on the cover of "Mother Goose", illustrated by Tasha Tudor, is wearing a smock.

Tasha Tudor, Sarah, and Owyn Corgi in the garden at Corgi Cottage.

Tasha Tudor in her kitchen at Corgi Cottage preparing chickens for our supper.

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

When Sarah was little we went to hear a quartet playing at an old historic house. We then went out to dinner. Our after dinner plans were altered as Sarah announced that she wanted to go back to listen to the "pretty usic". The event was held on a different day than it had been in years past so it was practically a private performance. Sarah sat on her Daddy's lap with her elegantly dressed bear until the evening's entertainments were brought to an end. The cellist was so impressed with Sarah's attentiveness that she invited her to feel the cello vibrate as the bow graced the strings. In a few years hence, Sarah would start playing the violin and played 1st violin in her own quartet!

Tasha Tudor enjoyed hearing Sarah play her violin.


Spinning in the garden on a warm summer afternoon is so pleasant.


Tasha Tudor spinning on Diane's wheel.

Sarah with Corgyncombe Nubian goat kiddle Lucy.

Corgyncombe Nubian goat kiddle Louisa May

Eliakim and Lydia playing in the snow at the Corgyncombe Corg'ery.
Corgyncombe Cottage & Corg'ery is a little farm in the valley where the corgyn dwell. Corgyn is plural for corgi. A combe is a valley, dale, vale, or hollow. Diane and Sarah made up their own exclusive word: "Corg'ery" ....... a corg'ery being a farm where an abundance of delightful corgyn dwell. Some spelling variations of their own word Corg'ery include: Corgiery, Corgi'ery, Corgery, Corg'ry, Corgi'ry..

Above, the turkey is roasting in Diane's Tasha Tudor reproduction tin kitchen. Wassail is in the kettle hanging over the fire. Clove oranges can be seen floating in the wassail.

Christmas morn dawned with a thick lovely lacy frost about everything. The frost lasted all day and with the snow already on the ground it gave one the feeling of a perfect winter wonderland. In the afternoon my husband started a fire and we roasted a turkey on the spit of my new Tasha Tudor reproduction tin kitchen. I put a kettle of wassail on the tripod over the fire and whilst tending the fire and the turkey, we enjoyed delicious wassail (non alcoholic). Some of the frost started coming down from the trees and it was snowing lovely frost. The creek could be heard cheerfully babbling and the smell of the turkey roasting was a delight to the senses! Later, I put a kettle of potatoes on the tripod over the fire to cook. The turkey was delicious!!!

Diane made the above photograph of Sarah and Tasha Corgi into a Valentine card that Tasha Tudor was delighted to receive. Tasha Corgi was named after Tasha Tudor, and Tasha Tudor was very honored and declared herself to be Tasha Corgi's Godmother. The Johnsons have had six corgyn: Tasha Corgi, Katrina Corgi, Ethlyn Maria Weaver Corgi, Emily Jane Jones Shepard Corgi, Eliakim May Corgi, and Lydia Rebecca Sly Corgi. The Johnsons are so grateful to Tasha for showing us through her illustrations how delightful corgyn can be!

Here are links to our blog posts with last 2009's birthday tea:
Tasha Tudor, A Birthday Celebration!
A Tasha Tudor Birthday Tea!

Contact us at our email:
atthecottagegate@yahoo.com

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