A Day Without Storms

It has been an absolutely gorgeous day in New Jersey, blue of sky and still fresh from the recent rain. As I left the office, where the aircon had necessitated the wearing of a cardie all day, temperatures were approximately 25 degrees centigrade, akin to the weather we had in Malta last week. We were expecting thunderstorms, but so far none have happened. It thundered last time I was here, and it was absolutely crazy!

So, it looks like mid-America really has taken the brunt of the bad weather, and my heart goes out to the devastated families in Oklahoma. So many people have died, and an awful lot of them are children, as two elementary schools got ripped apart by a  mile-wide tornado. It's all over the news here. So sad...

I've also been keeping up with friends on Facebook, and I've been greatly cheered up by various messages I've had. I am a sad and lonely old soul, missing my new hubbie very much, and needing to think on all the positive things we have planned together for when I go home.

It will also be the first of our seriously frugal post-honeymoon outings, so I'm planning to go here.

empedia.info

This is Delapre Abbey, a seventeenth century house in a large wooded parkland setting, with beautiful walled gardens to the rear, and a delightful tea room (which sells excellent tea and cake!). I've been lucky enough to go inside to visit friends who have lived there, and despite  it having been run as council offices in the last century, a lot of it is still quite well-preserved... considering. There has been a religious dwelling on the site since 1145, so there's lots of history to the site as you can imagine.

I have my own history with the place as the Bardic Picnic has been held in the gardens every year since 2009, and it was at the first of these that I became Northampton's first official Bard. Plus, it's just a beautiful place to be - for the architecture, the natural scenery, and for the community spirit that is in abundance here. The Friends of Delapre keep the place going, organising volunteers for the tea room and running various events throughout the year. And one such event is this weekend!

I'm hoping the sun will shine for a walk round the gardens.

Gardenvisit.com

May 25th and 26th - Local and Community History Weekend 12 noon to 4pm

Join local history groups and societies at Delapre Abbey - exhibitions and displays, guided tours of the Abbey, special architectural and battlefield walks. To book tours in advance please call 01604214614 or email fodacoordinator@yahoo.co.uk leaving your name, day and time (tours from 12 noon to 4 pm on the hour) and contact number.

 

 

Doesn't that sound excellent?