MEADOW SWEET GROVE
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Blog-Recipes & Extras
  • Blog-Folklore & Magic
  • Payment, Shipping & Policies
  • Sold Archives & Reviews
  • About
  • Contact
  • Midnight at the Grove
  • ETSY Shop
  • Ruby Lane Shop
  • Finding Service
  • Rhian's Renderings
Picture
~ Blog - Recipes & Extras ~
Picture
Picture
Enter Midnight at the Grove ... if you dare!

Hallowe'en on the Brain

9/26/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Market stall display on Portobello Road, London, 2018

Halloween, in its current form, is primarily a North American tradition.  Its roots,  however, spring from the old Celtic traditions of England, Scotland, Ireland, France and Wales.  But the English don't observe All Hallow's Eve with the same vigour as the North Americans, who revel in Trick-or-Treating and spooky decorations, or even really at all.  They have Guy Fawkes' Night and all those bonfires to see to!

Nonetheless, our recent trip to England was just at the very end of summer and so for me, I was already beginning to dream about the glorious colours of Fall leaves and ... Halloween.   I think some of the pictures I took show that I definitely had "Halloween on the Brain" and show my strong fascination with anything slightly macabre or gothic - things that are ever present in wonderful, magical England!

Picture
Gargoyle on Albert Memorial, London
Picture
A grave in St. Alban's, Hertfordshire
Picture
Image from "The Leaky Cauldron" - Harry Potter World, London
Skull at Victoria & Albert Museum, London
Death, 1670, German, Victoria & Albert Museum, London
Skull at Chester Cathedral, Chester
Skull display from Harry Potter World, London
Hover over images to magically discover their origin!
Crow Mural in Glastonbury
Bat forming part of metal church screen, Spain, 16th century, Victoria & Albert Museum, London
Gargoyle on building in Glastonbury
Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2018 / edited 2019
0 Comments

Pecks and Bushels of Apples

9/30/2017

0 Comments

 
Apple tree
This week we took a break from restoring our vintage dollie because the apples were in desperate need of rescuing.  It's been a hard year for our apple trees.  Too much heat and too many bugs!  Many of the apples fell off during the summer, others were cored through by bugs, and still others rotted right on the branches!  But, all said and done, we were amazed to get quite a few pecks of perfect "eaters", at least a bushel full of "bakers", a number left behind on the tree for hopeful ripening and still many more left over for cider!  Ah, the cider....

Apple ciderOlde Man Buchanan Grumpy Apple Cider
Rainbow Dash is one gal who truly loves her cider.  To the uninitiated, Rainbow Dash is one of the My Little Ponies who lives in Ponyville.  (And just between you, me and the Grand Piano, I think it's a bit of an obsession with her) .  Her friend Apple Jack runs the local apple orchard and the whole "Apple Family", from Apple Jack to Big Mac to Granny Smith and even little Apple Bloom, are responsible for providing the town with its yearly supply of apple cider.  I'm glad she can't see the state of our apple trees this year ... but hopefully, we'll be able to "squeeze" out a small supply!  The brew last year (featured above) was truly magical!


Okay, she REALLY likes cider!
There's going to be cider??             Well, our trees kinda look like this so ....    No, don't cry!  We'll try!

Meadow Sweet Groves claims no rights or ownership to the above YouTube videos.
                                                                                                                                                              
Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2017 ​
0 Comments

~ Your House Dragon ~

6/1/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture of Dragonc 1790s, German Natural History Print, Image courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

​~ Your House Dragon ~

Put him in charge this vacation!

(An exercise in protective visualization)


Whenever I go away on vacation, I look back and see my dragon curled around our little three story house.  His tail winds around the whole bottom of the house at the garden level, his body encircles the second level and finally he places his head, chest and little front feet onto the peaked roof.  Digging his front claws in ever so slightly, he lays his head down by the chimney (I think the smoke from the chimney reminds him of his Mama!) ... he folds his wings and snoozes gently.  We're on a bit of a hill, so from the rooftop, he has an excellent view of the goings-on in the neighbourhood!  I never worry when I'm away from home because I know the slightest sound or activity on our property will make him jump into action ... and while he is a gentle dragon, he's still pretty fierce to look at and very protective of his home.  Next time you go on vacation, why not practice this little visualization technique yourself?  It's great fun and very reassuring to know you have someone magical protecting your home while you're away!

                                                                                                                                    Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2017 ​​​​​​​​​/ edited 2019
0 Comments
    Picture
          ~ SHOP ~

    FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS TOTALLING $150 Cdn! (Approx $112 US)


    Enter Coupon Code: FREESHIPCANADA or FREESHIPUSA at checkout and hit "Apply".
    (Offer available within Canada & USA only)


    CA$7.99
    CA$14.99
    CA$12.99
    CA$4.99
    Picture
    Let this blue fairy magically transport you to the Store!
    Picture
    Picture
    The Fairy Shop
    Meadow Sweet Grove
    Articles Archives

    Categories

    All
    Animals
    Canning / Preserves
    Children's Stories
    Christmas / Yule
    Crafts
    Easter / Spring
    Expressions / Idioms
    Fairies
    Fairy Tales
    Fantasy Creatures
    Garden
    Genealogy
    Hallowe'en
    Magic
    May Day
    Mother Goose
    Musings
    Recipes
    Spells
    Summer Solstice
    Thrifty Tips
    Vintage Rescues

Blog-Articles
Blog-Folklore & Magic
Sold Archives & Reviews
Rhian's Renderings
Midnight at the Grove
Finding Service
About
Contact
Picture

Shop

Payment, Shipping & Policies
*amounts paid of $2 or more above actual shipping cost are refunded
PayPal Logo
Users of payment apps (eg Google Pay) can checkout on Etsy. See "CONTACT".
Disclaimer: Many of the items sold are vintage or pre-loved. Quality of vintage items vary with the manufacturing methods available at the time of production. They are not made to current standards of manufacturing ... and in my opinion, that is usually a good thing! They tend to be higher quality, last longer and include more attention to detail than today's products. However, safety standards do change over time, items do deteriorate with age, and it is up to the customer to decide how they will use each product.
All rights reserved. No part of this website, including but not limited to written articles, photographs, graphics, videos or animations, may be reproduced, in any form, written or digital, without the express and prior written permission of the author: V. Buchanan of Meadow Sweet Grove. Requests for said permission may be directed to: meadowsweetgrove@hotmail.com. (GIFs graciously provided by: animatedimages.org & R. Buchanan)
Follow the Grove at:
Proudly powered by Weebly
Copyright © Meadow Sweet Grove / V. Buchanan 2016 - 2023
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Blog-Recipes & Extras
  • Blog-Folklore & Magic
  • Payment, Shipping & Policies
  • Sold Archives & Reviews
  • About
  • Contact
  • Midnight at the Grove
  • ETSY Shop
  • Ruby Lane Shop
  • Finding Service
  • Rhian's Renderings