Royal Birth On Its Way

<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">With the headlines now reading that the Duchess of Cambridge is in labor,</div><div style="text-align: center;">I admit I get all tingly about happy beginnings</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPeWcutviEvnWYKYGwVlClU6D59d9An9qAuHunX5i_4yBo1wxgPJdzp2hB9VzOsNzHLPt91ss5EPSsTwq1aNeWxB6ZhbwOh8zrQWwIv9VjxgGO7uIAz-y5_e09Hb-vtix7oAKj3429EGBA/s1600/23_4_2013_2606413k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPeWcutviEvnWYKYGwVlClU6D59d9An9qAuHunX5i_4yBo1wxgPJdzp2hB9VzOsNzHLPt91ss5EPSsTwq1aNeWxB6ZhbwOh8zrQWwIv9VjxgGO7uIAz-y5_e09Hb-vtix7oAKj3429EGBA/s400/23_4_2013_2606413k.jpg" width="283" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/kate-middleton/10155628/Kate-Middleton-pregnancy-pcitures.html?frame=2606413">Telegraph</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div>It's not uncommon to hear an English person say</div><div>'Now, I'm not a Royalist but...'</div><div>followed by something very complimentary about the royal family<br /><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">I think the country is happy to have something to look forward to again</div><div style="text-align: center;">after two extraordinary years of once-in-a-lifetime events</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">- the Royal Wedding, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the Summer Olympics -</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Although the royal family doesn't rule the country (Parliament does),</div><div style="text-align: center;">the royal baby provides a peek into the future of the country's leadership</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Royal Family provides a stability through the decades,</div><div style="text-align: center;">as Prime Ministers change frequently</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">There is a fondness toward the Royal Family here</div><div style="text-align: center;">When you watch another family grow up during your lifetime, </div><div style="text-align: center;">you feel like you know them</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">For now, Queen Elizabeth II is THE face of the country</div><div style="text-align: center;">What little person being born will be the future face?<br /><br />{ Decided in a recent ruling,<br />this baby will be in line for the throne regardless of gender }</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDdfAzpJULiS4sV6EJZCk9u7wIbkMEjTSF4KVPIHOhqbtyMg1XAKgrR2vZAJvbvmhOoX9RYvfeutv-yHbyCyN7KZsqHXeCKzIB6Nrw-rxxcufti5ESzq1E4KqwLo_GDWlepjYvbh31grRJ/s1600/20_3_2013_2606418k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDdfAzpJULiS4sV6EJZCk9u7wIbkMEjTSF4KVPIHOhqbtyMg1XAKgrR2vZAJvbvmhOoX9RYvfeutv-yHbyCyN7KZsqHXeCKzIB6Nrw-rxxcufti5ESzq1E4KqwLo_GDWlepjYvbh31grRJ/s400/20_3_2013_2606418k.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/kate-middleton/10155628/Kate-Middleton-pregnancy-pcitures.html?frame=2606418">Telegraph</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">One tradition that won't continue is</div><div style="text-align: center;">the Home Secretary's attendance of the royal birth</div><div style="text-align: center;">to insure a different baby isn't smuggled in or switched out</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Although the witnessing was practiced for centuries,</div><div style="text-align: center;">no one would have attended the birth of Queen Elizabeth II</div><div style="text-align: center;">as she was not born heir to the throne</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">{ Her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated in 1936</div><div style="text-align: center;">which made Elizabeth's father the King when she was ten years old } </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhans20KK68QiRS8_ckPISxDmaxUcAOBhEs5fCGWFWpC2rwnmSNSGL-5Ma88HIH78hsTaQ4aM705cUTbPMSOmkrGb7YO9QFFzH2kcJrThi3m2dpzt8gnD_dLwCA8edxTut9s4Rdolov_ldJ/s1600/betting-board_2619982k+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhans20KK68QiRS8_ckPISxDmaxUcAOBhEs5fCGWFWpC2rwnmSNSGL-5Ma88HIH78hsTaQ4aM705cUTbPMSOmkrGb7YO9QFFzH2kcJrThi3m2dpzt8gnD_dLwCA8edxTut9s4Rdolov_ldJ/s640/betting-board_2619982k+(1).jpg" width="441" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/royalty/10185460/Royal-baby-worlds-media-descends-on-St-Marys-Hospital-ahead-of-birth.html?frame=2619982">Telegraph</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">What name do you think they'll choose?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">If it is a girl, my vote is for Charlotte</div><div style="text-align: center;">in memory of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Charlotte_of_Wales">Princess Charlotte of Wales</a> (1796-1817)</div><div style="text-align: center;">who was much loved by the British<br />as Princess Diana was</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Regardless of birth name,</div><div style="text-align: center;">the monarch can change his/her name upon coronation</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">King George VI was born as Albert,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and there is speculation that Prince Charles</div><div style="text-align: center;">will become King George VII upon coronation</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">{ because the two King Charles's did not have the happiest of fates }</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_rVUxSV2OWJjXGfEPBzl9rCOfcqqXwvuO5TMdOCDlUSzhR4Zs272nowqqPDR0UjM87QZlJMoHEAO2MHbL-GN7VFtDe6bTh2FQmDBPeqPeK9-g2A23sx2CjUoheAXfshMjiwEs1wl8S0S/s1600/presspen1_2619900k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_rVUxSV2OWJjXGfEPBzl9rCOfcqqXwvuO5TMdOCDlUSzhR4Zs272nowqqPDR0UjM87QZlJMoHEAO2MHbL-GN7VFtDe6bTh2FQmDBPeqPeK9-g2A23sx2CjUoheAXfshMjiwEs1wl8S0S/s640/presspen1_2619900k.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">source: <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/royalty/10185460/Royal-baby-worlds-media-descends-on-St-Marys-Hospital-ahead-of-birth.html">Telegraph</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And so the headlines have been pretty quiet right now,</div><div style="text-align: center;">except for reports about the hot weather</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">{ English homes are without air conditioning<br />and designed to keep the heat in,</div><div style="text-align: center;">so it has been quite uncomfortable }</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Meanwhile, the world's media descends upon the city once more </div><div style="text-align: center;">and stares at a hospital front door </div><div style="text-align: center;">and an easel at Buckingham Palace<br /><br />Best of luck to the parents-to-be!<br />:)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/35/2FD701A88E1AB920883327F28E3E4BF9.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>

Royal Birth On Its Way

With the headlines now reading that the Duchess of Cambridge is in labor, I admit I get all tingly about happy beginnings source: Telegraph ...

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London For History Lovers

<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">You don't have to go far to see something</div><div style="text-align: center;">historically significant in London</div><div style="text-align: center;">~ Dreamy for any history enthusiast ~</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Here's a short list of 'must do's'</div><div style="text-align: center;">in London for those interested in the past</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnaL00x860icybI3EUtReA3Mt-VxWkMhPbrriwNl2kcmCg4LF3JFDWEgnw0oLFcLA3DIw21EKmwNupleSAdNER85fS8CIRGjQUFnfs41dRP2QaLjcZ14kbcoCGHgyzWVns9OZ2pl4ht8qS/s1600/photo+5+(17)-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnaL00x860icybI3EUtReA3Mt-VxWkMhPbrriwNl2kcmCg4LF3JFDWEgnw0oLFcLA3DIw21EKmwNupleSAdNER85fS8CIRGjQUFnfs41dRP2QaLjcZ14kbcoCGHgyzWVns9OZ2pl4ht8qS/s640/photo+5+(17)-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The British Museum</b><br /><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">This museum is overwhelming large,<br />but since it is free, come and go as you please<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Featuring the Rosetta Stone </div><div style="text-align: center;">and 7 million other artifacts from around the world<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.britishmuseum.org/">http://www.britishmuseum.org</a><br /><br /><br /><b>Victoria and Albert Museum </b><br /><br />V&A is the world's largest museum of art and design<br />often with fascinating current exhibits<br />General admission is free<br /><br /><a href="http://www.vam.ac.uk/">http://www.vam.ac.uk/</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4hq7i1NVIDiy_wYn56HXiuO0F5VH_CbjQQdEgcldt4TYfCxK0i-ogqw8sNt9wIf_-5K5YJe-ByTeM3atzH83cSdByA7hm7PD4FLlrDlykZa0dAIN_q7-P6azeZUx6ra6I5ZOnMDuIcPAo/s1600/DSC03426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4hq7i1NVIDiy_wYn56HXiuO0F5VH_CbjQQdEgcldt4TYfCxK0i-ogqw8sNt9wIf_-5K5YJe-ByTeM3atzH83cSdByA7hm7PD4FLlrDlykZa0dAIN_q7-P6azeZUx6ra6I5ZOnMDuIcPAo/s640/DSC03426.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><div><b>Tower of London</b><br /><b><br /></b></div><div>Once a palace and prison,</div><div>this famous fortress also holds the crown jewels</div><div>which are on display to the public</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/">www.hrp.org.uk</a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqlS4ijvCdC3plyE-_Zy6gWUkNG3K3e4LrnvC_Yq3rajm6InyLQhI27UmqFlIqD60Vz6b4uLKvyBhEXwJdrRC1xhURr2nqcVB7dYaTbBK0clq0v4FzBhWrjRQk51aB46n8KQmNR5p7gJz/s1600/photo+2-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqlS4ijvCdC3plyE-_Zy6gWUkNG3K3e4LrnvC_Yq3rajm6InyLQhI27UmqFlIqD60Vz6b4uLKvyBhEXwJdrRC1xhURr2nqcVB7dYaTbBK0clq0v4FzBhWrjRQk51aB46n8KQmNR5p7gJz/s640/photo+2-002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Parliament Tour*</b><br /><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Watch political debates or get a tour of this landmark<br />which is as beautiful inside as it is out<br />with a rich history to boot</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.parliament.uk/visiting/">www.parliament.uk</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLbR51Er00-wHeAC-3vAVs0NPiF78xVS7akuXKA4jGouWzn9dB8BmT0gMR1D6AC-JMhtnbIXBaLa0DVvLPb55RGk3hIjj1l_aCnwJIOzUkwx764J2bXoSzd7ItEZq4SUeah4RqRgch029/s1600/DSC_0150-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="531" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLbR51Er00-wHeAC-3vAVs0NPiF78xVS7akuXKA4jGouWzn9dB8BmT0gMR1D6AC-JMhtnbIXBaLa0DVvLPb55RGk3hIjj1l_aCnwJIOzUkwx764J2bXoSzd7ItEZq4SUeah4RqRgch029/s640/DSC_0150-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Buckingham Palace Tour*</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />If it is open, you should tour one of the most iconic palaces in the world<br />Typically the palace is open in the summer months while the Queen is away<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">If unavailable, you can visit another one of the Queen's homes,<br />Windsor Palace, which is easily accessible by train outside London<br /><br /><a href="http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/">www.RoyalCollection.org.uk</a><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAyvTP949vWXBqeIxrdiyGJI7I_h3mO3xtKGDwOevI9aUCP2afeuz0oDRMKzukXsdKS_a275emcLJx29wuFzGQV2JyhzDD6y0q0fHHuFNj2RvdyWjUMNpI8JC81b2WwFVNaLQE6nHGTzM_/s1600/photo+5+(9).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAyvTP949vWXBqeIxrdiyGJI7I_h3mO3xtKGDwOevI9aUCP2afeuz0oDRMKzukXsdKS_a275emcLJx29wuFzGQV2JyhzDD6y0q0fHHuFNj2RvdyWjUMNpI8JC81b2WwFVNaLQE6nHGTzM_/s640/photo+5+(9).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Shakespeare's Globe Theatre & Tour</b><br /><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Get a peek into Elizabethan times by watching a production*<br />and by touring the theatre & exhibition</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/">www.shakespearesglobe.com</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVz3hFMyiG0W44wk92ejXVhofcHwwUq7YOq-UtpnwBQzkZscItjqxuCuLirM20d4j4YXGXTGXcJ2W6Vg34SpmyAavgheS0HYY3BFA0KeHg07f1ltI-jTZs0cN5AHMZGPKUv8PWPl5VcKWb/s1600/photo+3+%25281%2529-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVz3hFMyiG0W44wk92ejXVhofcHwwUq7YOq-UtpnwBQzkZscItjqxuCuLirM20d4j4YXGXTGXcJ2W6Vg34SpmyAavgheS0HYY3BFA0KeHg07f1ltI-jTZs0cN5AHMZGPKUv8PWPl5VcKWb/s640/photo+3+%25281%2529-002.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b><b>Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Pub</b><br /><br />Step back in time while</div><div style="text-align: center;">you grab a drink and some grub in this authentic 17th century pub</div><div style="text-align: center;">Famous patrons included Charles Dickens and Mark Twain<br />Like most pubs, well-behaved children are welcome</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Don't miss free tea tasting at nearby Twinings)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.timeout.com/london/bars-pubs/ye-olde-cheshire-cheese">www.TimeOut.com</a><br /><br /><br /><div><b>Churchill War Rooms</b><br /><b><br /></b></div><div>Visit the underground Cabinet War Rooms where WWII was orchestrated from in London</div><div>See Churchill's bunker, the direct telephone to Roosevelt, and</div><div>the original maps with pins and string indicating the fronts<br />Fantastic!<br /><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/churchill-war-rooms">www.iwm.org.uk</a><br /><br /><br /><b>Imperial War Museum</b><br /><br />Currently under construction,<br />the museum will partially open in the coming weeks<br />to feature 'Horrible Histories: Spies' for kids<br /><br /> In Summer 2014,<br />this museum will open another section to commemorate<br />the upcoming centenary of the First World War<br /><br /><a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/">www.iwm.org.uk</a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">***</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This list should keep you busy if you come for a visit :)</div><div style="text-align: center;">Do you have any favorites to share?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>- photos by me -</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">* Book tickets in advance</span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(an unsponsored post)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Correlating posts providing more detail:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://happyhomemakeruk.blogspot.com/2012/10/london-ceremony-of-keys.html">Ceremony Of The Keys</a> (Tower of London)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://happyhomemakeruk.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-day-in-houses-of-parliament.html"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Parliament</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://happyhomemakeruk.blogspot.com/2012/02/queen-elizabeth-ii-windsor-castle-tour.html"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Windsor Palace</span></a><br /><a href="http://happyhomemakeruk.blogspot.com/2013/06/shakespeares-globe-theatre-unexpected.html"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Shakespeare's Globe Theatre</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/35/2FD701A88E1AB920883327F28E3E4BF9.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>

London For History Lovers

You don't have to go far to see something historically significant in London ~ Dreamy for any history enthusiast ~ Here's a short li...

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Summer Read: 'The Secret Keeper'

<br /><div style="text-align: center;">Looking for a great book this summer?</div><div style="text-align: center;">I couldn't put this one down</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAenDab63ZltnZA7hi1M9PvMBFa6bx9T4M_TgrmMdPoozgCTvONJWvvlq2nfPMofgcXEZAwnxlqOa-P856hzE2rfIY-6JaUdfLk80T_vXdnaf4NaIaU1LSVD9-P5CHefSegILLLM8LqkA/s1600/the-birthday-party-978033047759801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAenDab63ZltnZA7hi1M9PvMBFa6bx9T4M_TgrmMdPoozgCTvONJWvvlq2nfPMofgcXEZAwnxlqOa-P856hzE2rfIY-6JaUdfLk80T_vXdnaf4NaIaU1LSVD9-P5CHefSegILLLM8LqkA/s400/the-birthday-party-978033047759801.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(<a href="http://www.panmacmillan.com/book/katemorton/thesecretkeeper?format=978033047759801">credit</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">'The Secret Keeper' pages </div><div style="text-align: center;">are filled with a great story, some unexpected twists,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and good character development</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">- ooh, I just LOVED this book! -</div><div style="text-align: center;">Probably my favorite read in a long time</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">By international bestselling author of 'The Forgotten Garden',</div><div style="text-align: center;">Kate Morton's most recent novel is set in England in the 1930s, the 1960s and present day</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It knits together a story of 'mysteries and secrets, murder and enduring love'</div><div style="text-align: center;">and leaves the reader guessing until the very end</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Have you read anything fantastic lately?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">If not, now you have :)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Secret-Keeper-Kate-Morton/dp/0330477595/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373518829&sr=8-1&keywords=secret+keeper"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Amazon UK</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Secret-Keeper-A-Novel/dp/1439152810/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373519002&sr=8-1&keywords=the+secret+keeper"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Amazon USA</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(an unsponsored post)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/35/2FD701A88E1AB920883327F28E3E4BF9.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>

Summer Read: 'The Secret Keeper'

Looking for a great book this summer? I couldn't put this one down ( credit ) 'The Secret Keeper' pages  are filled with a great...

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Enid Blyton's Old Thatch Gardens

<br /><div style="text-align: center;">If you are English,</div><div style="text-align: center;">chances are you grew up reading stories</div><div style="text-align: center;">written by Enid Blyton<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0XdXgfIM_KNikiT5gKGXFod5kOwhAmGJ7RhWB7auxq0VMsfQzd7SA3Z7wRRcdBcOR-LFK69sQnnvBjXdzJ-h1OaZ0DemGHX9AQKAtnZPL2XmBldQOxABOtT1gDvwW_bBuN5s6g2MnCog0/s1600/DSC07141-0022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0XdXgfIM_KNikiT5gKGXFod5kOwhAmGJ7RhWB7auxq0VMsfQzd7SA3Z7wRRcdBcOR-LFK69sQnnvBjXdzJ-h1OaZ0DemGHX9AQKAtnZPL2XmBldQOxABOtT1gDvwW_bBuN5s6g2MnCog0/s640/DSC07141-0022.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">If you are American,</div><div style="text-align: center;">you've probably never heard of her or her classic stories such as</div><div style="text-align: center;">'The Wishing-Chair', 'The Magic Faraway Tree',</div><div style="text-align: center;">'The Enchanted Wood' or 'The Famous Five'<br /><br />But now you have :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Delightfully, Mr and Mrs Hawthorne bought Enid Blyton's Old Thatch cottage </div><div style="text-align: center;">and started landscaping its two acres just thirteen years ago<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhubIVAvtSRexLhlAd0-I_oCzbdD9LRVY6DFvr-VXDKqfnxri8pBqe4sYm5x048AKp1gx85-aY6DzxM2i9bRAw_VKFWqviSCaJzurDL_UKn7APZ-CY2mmmIA5Kk9Akg8Xx2IlBuClKv0q9/s1600/DSC07165-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhubIVAvtSRexLhlAd0-I_oCzbdD9LRVY6DFvr-VXDKqfnxri8pBqe4sYm5x048AKp1gx85-aY6DzxM2i9bRAw_VKFWqviSCaJzurDL_UKn7APZ-CY2mmmIA5Kk9Akg8Xx2IlBuClKv0q9/s640/DSC07165-002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Jacky Hawthorne is a garden designer<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">With help from her husband and a few volunteers,</div><div style="text-align: center;">they are able to manage the garden throughout the week<br />and open it to the public<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_qVUKXjflmDLPm0hwb2ewO65ggecuxfMnAW-4GQxaSfoyFAbx9x_Nc4GR6wrg9T3LUp0bNW8So1zZ6gnHC8qaFqczV8TOixvQzsF3Mj3ozsR6E6efEomrxJCJ800tegAWuNKTqXipsHBf/s1600/DSC07252-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_qVUKXjflmDLPm0hwb2ewO65ggecuxfMnAW-4GQxaSfoyFAbx9x_Nc4GR6wrg9T3LUp0bNW8So1zZ6gnHC8qaFqczV8TOixvQzsF3Mj3ozsR6E6efEomrxJCJ800tegAWuNKTqXipsHBf/s640/DSC07252-003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />See the rod perpendicular to the lamppost?<br /><br />Over a hunderd years ago,<br />the person lighting the lamp manually<br />would have leaned his ladder against the rod to reach the lamp<br />{ love that tidbit }<br /><br />Enid Blyton described her 17th Century home as<br /><br /><i>a very old house rather like a rambling cottage,</i><br /><i>perfect both outside and in</i><br /><i>It is like a Fairy Cottage</i><br /><i>You enter through a funny old lychgate</i><br /><br />Ooooh,<br />it would be so inspirational to write children's books here,<br />don't you think?<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>- photos by me -</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">More information: <a href="http://www.oldthatchgardens.co.uk/">www.oldthatchgardens.co.uk</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(an unsponsored post)</span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/35/2FD701A88E1AB920883327F28E3E4BF9.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>

Enid Blyton's Old Thatch Gardens

If you are English, chances are you grew up reading stories written by Enid Blyton If you are American, you've probably never heard of h...

Read more »