Oh, if only I could bottle up everything I see and share it with you. I am so in love with this journey we are not only taking through life, which encompasses everything, but also the journey which includes the daily detours and discoveries we make traveling around this vast and delicious world.
I absolutely loved Ireland and Scotland. The landscapes were as majestic as I imagined they would be. I loved the warmth of the people, the overall energy and of course, all of the animals we had the good fortune of meeting and passing by.
Many people told us that England would be redundant. Although my husband and I vacationed in London a few times, we never visited the countryside of this glorious place. The stone walls that line the narrow, tree lined roads are straight out of Fairy Tales. The depth of the views from each direction take my breath away. The mountains, the streams, the trees, the animals and the flowers blooming beneath the blue sky. It may not be blue often but when it is, there is nothing like it.
We recently visited the World of Beatrix Potter. Our boys are big fans of Peter Rabbit and I’ve always been intrigued by her story. We visited her home which is a hilltop farm in the Lake District of England. It is everything and more that she captured in her imaginative and colorful tales. This was her very favorite place and I must say, I truly understand.
Mr. Mc Gregor was sitting on a bench protecting his garden. The sheep and lambs were strolling through the yard. The winding roads and landscapes she illustrated in all of her books were right there…in front of us. We were taken back to the time she lived there in the late 1800‘s and early 1900’s. We touched and saw so many of the details from her books, including The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck, The Tale of Tom Kitten, The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse and so many more. These stories are all representative of Hill Top Farm and of her farming life and they certainly reflect the happiness and freedom she felt living in the countryside.
I could easily write a book right now just sharing facts about this woman and her life. She was fascinating. I will simply add her wikipedia link here and I encourage you to read about her when you have time. She was also very involved in breeding, farming, conservation and preservation efforts for land.
Witnessing our boys on this journey today was so powerful. They were so intrigued as they walked through Beatrix Potter’s home and gardens. They carried a few of her books around and saw the tables, dressers, beds, rat holes, and everything pictured on the pages. They especially loved the bed warming pans. These pans were used back then to warm the bed until bed time. Ashes of loved ones passed were heated over the fire in this metal pan with a handle to keep their beds warm and cozy.
We walked trails, visited her home, farmland and galleries. She donated and left nearly all of her property to the National Trust,including over 4,000 acres of land, sixteen farms, cottages and herds of cattle and Herdwick Sheep. Hers was the largest gift at that time to the National Trust and it enabled the preservation of the lands now included in the Lake District National Park and the continuation of fell farming. (Wikipedia)
The Lake District of England is an enchanting and wondrous place. Each night when we would arrive back to our house after enjoying the outdoors, it truly felt like home. I look forward to sharing more with you and I thank you for joining us on this adventure through life.
♥️ Sandy
