the lake district {part three} : ashness farm

was so lucky to get a room here on this isolated farm on the hill while in the lake district.

i loved driving the winding road, over the oldest bridge in the county, and through our gate.

anne, our hostess, was fantastic. it was fun to see her boys talking about their chickens

and chores they performed on their pretty little farm. 

i loved coming "home" to this place every night. 

we shared the house with a belgian family that had four little boys:

their turtle-necks and sweaters were so sweet, and we loved watching

the youngest line up his matchbox cars every morning while we ate breakfast.

the parents were absolutely lovely to talk with, telling us that their friends

thought they were crazy for loving "dreary" england so much.

we talked about our shared love of the weather and the gardens and the land.

bed & breakfasts are so so awesome.

the lake district {part one} : lovely surprise visitors and hill top farm

ceej arrived on a tuesday. we left for the lake district the next morning:

learning how to drive on the left side of the rode and how to navigate the teeny-tiny roads in the countryside. we're alive. barely.

a few weeks earlier i had emailed at least twenty b&b's and lucky for us,

ashness farm had some openings for us. yes! 

just as we arrived at the gate at the top of our mountain a taxi cab pulled up behind us

so i bent over to talk to the driver to enquire if he was going to the farm too...

then he pointed to the back seat, and asked "do you know these people?"

ah! there was the beautiful marte and her lovely mum!!! what a brilliant surprise indeed.

i love that we were surprised by our norwegian friends in the lake district.

best. surprise. ever.

we had dinner in the little town of keswick and made plans for the following day: hill top farm.

we made the winding thirty-minute drive to see beatrix potter's farm. charming little place for sure.

while we were waiting for our entry time to the farm we stopped next door

to have cream tea. i love cream tea, and have decided to add it to my daily routine.

but i'll miss that english clotted cream. nothing compares. especially to that cornish clotted cream. mmm.

had such a good time talking with marte about her new design and life endeavors,

and was so appreciative of knitting and life advice from her sweet mum.

we spent the remainder of our day at this poet's house...more on that later.

happy about the weekend so far...

having a lovely fall-spring weekend...can't wait to show you all the details soon

i think most of us like farms

the last of the biltmore photos...finally. i think the little farm was my favorite part. when one of the farm-hands called out that it was time to help gather eggs from the hen-house i wanted so badly to elbow my way past all of the little kiddies to help gather the eggs...but i resisted and just watched. some day i'll gather my own hens' eggs. aren't the sheep so cute?! loved all these calm animals.

..................................................................................................................................................

all of my papers are in. hard to believe i'm finished with the core of my work here. now i just have some reading to do to prepare for my last classes on tuesday. we're reading keats's final letters...i have my tissues ready. i have absolutely loved my romantic poets class. i think i am on the brink of tears and awe every class.

a week from today ceej and i will finally be together after a long seven weeks apart. hip, hip!!

great spirits now on earth are sojourning

when the sun sweeps the muddy earth
and fallen leaves,
it refelcts branches bearing buds...

walking mindful of magic and underlying secrets,
talking to the self about small things
that are great things.

falling in and out of line,
gazing between stems of growth.

to move like a winged creature
catching the air still and gentle.
catching the sun's great warmth.

peeking around corners hoping to
find hearts beating
and eyes open.

turning to close the eyes
and see for the first time
when light brushes gold upon your back.

no difference and no divides
between the worlds
of earth and sky.

living in one day
a thousand years or more.

connected and interconnected.
still moving.

oh, heart
sings songs that no one hears