Friday, April 01, 2016

Five on Friday

It's Friday so I'm joining in with  Amy at Love Made my Home for this week's Five on Friday.  Click on the link at the bottom of this post to find others who are joining in too.

First I want to say a quick thank you for all your lovely comments on my last two posts about walks in the Manifold Valley.

Below are five random happenings since we last met for Five on Friday.  

1.  Easter happened, the clocks sprang forward, we had sunshine for one day, a little bit of tidying in the garden was achieved and then Storm Katie appeared here in the UK. Chocolate eggs and hot cross buns were consumed.  I read a couple of books by two of my favourite authors over the last week because there seemed very little I wanted to watch on television.  Elly Griffiths's latest Ruth Galloway novel 'The Woman in Blue' and as it happens the story was set around Easter in Walsingham in Norfolk and was as good and readable as ever.  I then moved on to the latest Isobel Dalhousie novel by Alexander McCall Smith called 'The Novel Habits of Happiness' I always enjoy these gentle and thoughful books, which are set in Edinburgh.

2.  Walking - we walked in both the Manifold Valley (see my last two posts) and at Dimingsdale in North Staffordshire  where I took the photos above.
3.  Homemade food - we made a cauliflower and butternut squash curry and some coriander naan bread to go with it and it was very tasty.  It took longer to prepare and assemble the ingredients than it did to cook the dish and the bread was lighter far less salty than the naan bread bought from the supermarket.
4.  Pretty things - in the shop at Middleport Pottery.  We walked around the lake at Westport and then down the canal to the pottery.  Much had changed there.  The comfy sofas in the cafe where we liked to sit had gone and there is now a charge to enter the Visitor Centre.  The wares in the shop are just as lovely though and free to peek at and admire if not to buy.


5.  Birds and Animals - we've seen lots of wildlife on our ventures out and about.  Above sheep and lambs in the fields at Alstonefield, geese on Westport lake, a brown rat on the bird table at Westport Lake, cockerel and hens and a dove at Boscobel House in Shropshire where we were yesterday.  Boscobel will probably be the subject of my next post.

All for now.  Have a lovely weekend everyone.

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46 comments:

  1. Coastal Ripples1 April 2016 at 09:21

    a lovely and very busy five. I have yet to read an Ellie Griffiths, but when I'm allowed to get more books she is first on the list. I'm afraid my to read list is huge at the moment. I love Walsingham, I once stayed there when I was helping to dig at Castle acre. Happy memories! B x

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    1. Rosie2 April 2016 at 11:16

      We visited Castle Acre last year as we hadn't been for such a long time, how lovely to have been on a dig there. The Elly Griffiths novels progress with the rof the characters with each book, so although each one is readable and back history is explained it is good to read them in order if you can:)

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  2. Louise1 April 2016 at 09:49

    That's a lovely collection and it sounds like you've had a pretty good week despite the weather. I'll look forward to seeing Boscobel House again - that was one of the places we visited just before Dave moved here, before he left Wolverhampton.

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    1. Rosie2 April 2016 at 11:18

      It is still under wraps on the hunting lodge side but the guide said the work would soon be completed. It has been a busy couple of weeks since the last friday five but we had to cram everything in during the better weather and stayed at home when the storm was raging:)

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  3. The History Anorak1 April 2016 at 10:26

    Gorgeous photos, as usual. My favourites are the old millstone and the blue hen.

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    1. Rosie2 April 2016 at 11:20

      I love mill stones! Love the blue hen too, I have a plain white hen which I bought for my Mum and it is now back with me,we don't use it for eggs though:)

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  4. handmade by amalia1 April 2016 at 12:03

    A fun selection of random, Rosie. Now I want to buy something cute and eat Indian food.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. Rosie2 April 2016 at 11:24

      I hope you can do both! I will make the curry again as it was very tasty:)

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  5. Simone1 April 2016 at 12:21

    You have really made the most of getting out and about Rosie! March and Easter came and went so quickly. I like the sound of the curry and naan bread. Home cooked food has to be better than anything shop bought. Have a lovely weekend. x

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    1. Rosie2 April 2016 at 11:25

      We did get out and about before and after Easter but actually stayed at home over the weekend as the weather was bad and everywhere was so busy:)

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  6. mamasmercantile1 April 2016 at 13:59

    Loved you Easter collage, great décor. You have certainly been out and about this week, some wonderful photos, not too keen on the rat... I always make my own curry but have never tried to make naan bread you have inspired me to give it a go.

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    1. Rosie2 April 2016 at 11:27

      I was at a distance from the rat and used a zoom to catch it. I'm lucky that my husband makes all our bread so he could make the naan quickly and easily. It has been a busy couple of weeks since the last friday five:)

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  7. Unknown1 April 2016 at 14:00

    A lovely 'Five On Friday' post with gorgeous photos. Can I ask which program you use to create your photo mosaics? Mine has just started playing up and I downloaded a new one from the app store but it just comes with lots of quirky backgrounds which I don't want. I haven't read any Ellie Griffiths but they sound interesting so think I feel a purchase coming on. xx

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    1. Rosie2 April 2016 at 11:31

      Thanks, Jan. I use Picasa which I've had on my laptop since I first started blogging. I use it to crop photos and etc also to make the collages. Elly Griffiths books - both her Ruth Galloway, archaeologist ones set in present day Norfolk and the new Mephisto and Stevens ones set in Brighton in the 50s are really excellent, unputdownable books:)

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    2. Unknown3 April 2016 at 19:30

      Thank you so much for telling me about Picasa, it does exactly what I want it to. I wish I hadn't spent £10.99 on the other program I downloaded. xx

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    3. Rosie4 April 2016 at 09:02

      Glad you like using Picasa, Jan - I always find it very useful:)

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  8. Wendy1 April 2016 at 14:03

    Lovely selection of photos from your week. I love the geese and the chickens and of course those cute lambs. The pottery looks interesting; I'd like to have a good look around the shop as well.

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    1. Rosie2 April 2016 at 11:33

      Middleport pottery is a fascinating place, one of the last Victorian Potteries saved by the Prince's Trust and where they film 'Pottery Throw Down'. I loved seeing the lambs and the chickens too:)

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  9. Mac n' Janet1 April 2016 at 15:37

    Good selection for Friday's Five. I read the Woman in Blue and though I liked it, it's not my favorite in the series.

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    1. Rosie2 April 2016 at 11:36

      There wasn't actually a dig going on in this one was there? I did guess the two perpetrators about halfway through but wasn't sure which had done which crime. It was an entertaining read and passed away the hours when the rain and wind was howling outside:)

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  10. Unknown1 April 2016 at 15:54

    What a great selectionx

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  11. ellen b.1 April 2016 at 15:58

    Hello Rosie! A wonderful five with some of my favorite things food and walks with a camera! I'd love to poke around in that pottery, too. Thank you for your visit to my blog. Have a wonderful first weekend of April and I hope you don't suffer from any foolishness today! :)

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    1. Rosie2 April 2016 at 11:48

      No foolishness, well only one silly story in the newspaper. The pottery is a great place to poke around in:)

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  12. Crimson Kettle1 April 2016 at 16:12

    Smashing Rosie, you've done a lot since last time! Your recipes look very impressive and I must catch up with Isobel Dalhousie, I am a bit behind. Looking forward to hearing about your last visit. :-)

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    1. Rosie2 April 2016 at 11:49

      Yes, lots of bits and bobs done over the last couple of weeks. I'm glad you enjoy Isobel Dalhousie too:)

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  13. Ragged Robin1 April 2016 at 16:33

    A great selection of photos. Would love to have a browse round the pottery shop :) Have made a note of your recent authors although I am now going to try and be very good and not buy any books for a while as I need to tackle a lot of books already purchased and waiting to be read!

    Look forward to your post on Boscobel - was talking to someone recently about it and had put it on my list of places to visit!

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    1. Rosie2 April 2016 at 11:53

      Thanks, glad you enjoyed the photos. It was a while since we'd been to Boscobel but had re-visited Mosley Old Hall - the other house involved in the escape of Charles II - last year. I get most of my books from the library but do have three or four on my kindle waiting to be read as well:)

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  14. linda1 April 2016 at 16:53

    So many lovely things your food looks yummy and I love the pottery. :)

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  15. Sara - Villa Emilia1 April 2016 at 16:56

    Hello, Rosie! What a beautiful and interesting Five! I liked especially your Easter decor and the homemade food photos - so delicious.
    Have a lovely weekend!

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    1. Rosie2 April 2016 at 11:55

      Thanks, Sara, glad you enjoyed the photos. Hope you too have a lovely weekend:)

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  16. Amy at love made my home1 April 2016 at 19:57

    Five lots of very lovely! So glad you had a good Easter, your decorations etc are lovely to see. Your curry sounds delicious, very scrummy in fact especially with your own homemade bread! Thank you for taking part in Five On Friday, I hope you have a great weekend! xx

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    1. Rosie2 April 2016 at 11:56

      Thanks, Amy I hope you have a great weekend too. I'm lucky that my husband makes all our bread and he loves experimenting and making different kinds:)

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  17. Mrs Tiggywinkle1 April 2016 at 20:10

    Blimey Rosie, you've been very busy! Your Easter decs are very pretty and the cookery looks delish - please can I move in? It's been lovely to see sunshine this week here but it's very cold today so I am hunkering down for the evening. Take care. x

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    1. Rosie2 April 2016 at 11:58

      Yes, it has been a busy couple of weeks even though we spent the whole of the Easter weekend at home because of the weather. Still cold and raining here too so I'm staying at home:)

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  18. Amanda Peters1 April 2016 at 21:44

    Your photos show what a lovely week you have had..
    Amanda xx

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    1. Rosie2 April 2016 at 11:59

      Thanks Amanda, it has been a busy yet enjoyable couple of weeks:)

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  19. Lorrie3 April 2016 at 05:52

    Hello Rosie, What a great group of five - Elly Griffiths is a new author to me and I'm going to look her up as soon as I've published this comment. Reading is a great activity especially when storms blow through. I hope more seasonable spring weather is in the near forecast.

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    1. Rosie3 April 2016 at 09:34

      I love the Elly Griffiths books as they include history, archaeology and museums as well as the 'who done it' element and they are so well written and all the characters interesting:)

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  20. Sandra 3 April 2016 at 21:03

    Hi Rosie, all the pictures are lovely! Wishing you a lovely week!

    Sandra xxx

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    1. Rosie4 April 2016 at 09:00

      Thank you, Sandra, hope you have a lovely week too:)

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  21. Candytuft Corner4 April 2016 at 10:15

    Oh Rosie, how lovely to see signs of spring! We had snow overnight and I think spring may not arrive for a while yet.

    I'm looking forward to reading the new Elly Griffiths' novel. I do enjoy this series. Have a good week and if the sun doesn't shine, at least you will have a chance to catch up on some more reading.

    Marie x

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    1. Rosie4 April 2016 at 13:10

      I can't settle with the book I am reading at the moment. I think I have been spoilt by having just read two really good ones. More snow? I hope it disappears soon and that Spring is on the way for you soon, Marie:)

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  22. A Colorful World4 April 2016 at 15:27

    What a wonderful post! Loved each of your Five...all things beautiful, and gentle and perfect! Except for the lack of sunshine. :-) Not sure I would enjoy the curry, as I don't eat spicy things well, but it SOUNDS good and very different!

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    1. Rosie4 April 2016 at 19:30

      I don't like food to be too spicy either, Marie but with this recipe you can put in the amount to suit you and the proportions seemed right and not too hot. Glad you enjoyed the post:)

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