Washing and seedy cake........

Stephanotis was very eager to impress Isabel with the ardor of his intentions. He had woken up early and seeing Hortensia surrounded by her baskets of clean but wet washing - asked if she needed any help with hanging it out to dry  - it was an especially frisky and delightfully windy morning and Hortensia was washing all manner of heavy covers and blankets as she knew that they could easily dry in a day.

The moment she say Stephanotis's face she knew that he desperately needed to unburden his heart. 'My Dear Stephanotis, how very kind of you to offer, of course you can help - you have come along at just the right moment', and with that she set about instructing him in the gentle art of drying washing by draping all the surrounding bushes with the wet blankets and cushion covers and covering the washing lines with unwieldy eiderdowns.

After all the running and spreading and pining down, Stephanotis felt much calmer. 'You see Hortensia, I love Isabel and I so want her to understand that I want to be her sweetheart and begin proper courting and I don't know how to approach her or even if she likes me!' Poor Stephanotis was all of a bother and in real distress, Hortensia reassured him as she poured out a generous cup of her dandelion coffee and a large slice of the seedy cake left over from the Revels, 'What you need is a token of your affections - something that is unmistakably a symbol of your love, something that lets her know just how much you adore her.' Stephanotis was thinking, he munched his way through his cake, gulped down his coffee, gave baby Harriet a big kiss on her head and rushed out of the door - all without saying a word.......

Holding hands and leaning in.......

Everybody was around the kitchen table at Persimmon Heights - partially because Hortensia's elderflower fritters were a moment of seasonal culinary ecstasy and secondly because Stephanotis had invited Isabel as his guest. Gnomes are of course, very curious by nature and the chance for the family to see the young couple together was too much to resist.

Aunt Mildred presided over the table in front of the enormous platter with it's layers of crisp yellow fritters. Uncle Humperdinck was silent and eating slowly as his teeth were not what they had been and elderflower fritters, luscious as they are, can easily become stuck between one's teeth. Everyone else was in a delightfully playful mood and talking animatedly about the Revels and the mostly about the Rodeo. The rabbits had become so accustomed to extra supplies of lettuce, carrots and parsley that they had taken to coming to Aunt Mildred's gate and asking for more. Several of the older bunnies had even asked for more camomile as they had found nibbling a bit before bedtime rather helpful for a a sound night's sleep. Aunt Mildred of course cultivated the best camomile in the area, she was particularly pleased to be supplying the bunnies as they had been so agreeable to her Grand Idea for the Rodeo.

'Really Darlings, do you think that you come around to my old lady's garden early tomorrow - she has been a bit under the weather lately and if we spruced up her garden outside the patio doors  - well I am sure that it would be a real lift to her spirits.' Archibold thought it a splendid mission and he hastily arranged for his sons (Horatio and Lupin) and Stephanotis to be up and ready for an early morning Cheer Up Mission. 'You could come too Isabel, what a difference your singing would make to the garden and all the birds and animals'. Isabel blushed at Stephanotis's suggestion and at the resultant wink and nudge that she saw Aunt Mildred give Uncle Humperdinck. "What an excellent idea, Isabel you will be our secret envoy of encouragement ' and with that Hortensia settled the matter.

She had taken pity on poor Uncle Humperdinck and was busy frying up some apple rings so that he could have a treat without worrying about his teeth. 'Tomorrow is the day then, my old lady will be so pleased, after all I first entertained the idea of the Bunny Rodeo after watching her television through the patio doors, so we really owe her a treat or two!'

Isabel and Stephanotis were holding hands under the table and blissfully leaning into each other, they thought they were being discreet but everyone present was feeling all rosy and emotional at just how lovely they looked together.

Elderflowers blossoms............

The house felt very full, what with Horatio and Lupin home for their holidays and Stephanotis and Archibold deeply involved in planning a new adventure - so much so that Hortensia had taken baby Harriet out for her afternoon nap. Wrapping her carefully in her basket and setting off for the woods Hortensia felt freer than she had in days. 'See Harriet all the greens of the different leaves, see how the trees are full of birds singing - oh Harriet I am so glad that we came out.' Harriet gurgled happily, she had no intention of going to sleep now that they were out and about, so she smiled up at her Mother, Hortensia knew she might be being a little biased but she really did think that Harriet had the most beautiful blue eyes in the world.

Hortensia was heading for the edge of the wood where she knew that there was a glorious patch of elderflower blossom. Once there, she settled Harriet down in her basket in a shady spot and set to work collecting the elderflower blossoms. Some were for the making of her precious cordial and some were for Horatio's favourite treat - elderflower fritters. Because the stems were so high, nimble as she was, she had quite a struggle to reach some of the flowers. Not in the least daunted Hortensia carefully and successfully gathered her chosen blossom,  next she wrapped them all up in the table cloth she had brought and then tied the bundle on her back, 'Off we go Darling, try to snooze a little, all is well Little Poppet', and with that she picked up the basket and set off home again - singing and happy as happy can be.

Tea and a little honey.......

Twitch, twitch, kick, jump - Archibold was reliving all of his dance moves in his sleep. 'Bother his dreams' sighed Hortensia 'I'll just have to go downstairs and to sleep'. She had tried pushing him, blowing in his ears and her best emergency-last-resort action - pinching his nose -  but all in vain, Arcihbold happily continued with his dreaming and snoring.

Hortensia padded downstairs bringing baby Harriet wrapped in her fluffy shawl, 'now that I am up, perhaps a pot of rose petal tea might be just the perfect thing help me get to sleep'. Hortensia smiled as she saw the jug with her little posy of wild flowers that she had brought back home and that were looking especially pretty on the kitchen table. Archibold had pinned their two rosettes (for the best wild strawberries and preserve) in the middle of the mantle piece, 'what a day we had, so many delights and so much fun'.

The truth was that the whole of Persimmon Heights echoed and vibrated to Archibold's snoring. Hortensia know of old, that once awake, rose petal tea and a teaspoon of honey were the only things that would ease her back to sleep. So she settled down in her rocking chair and covering her knees with a little blanket, sang a little song to baby Harriet, and sipped her tea until she fell into a soft and welcoming slumber.

Twilight and butterflies of joy........

Isabel lifted her arms, looked up to the golden light and sang in the twilight.......she sang of the beauty of Spring, of hope blooming anew in the heart, of a baby's smile, of the radiance of blossom against a blue sky and of flowers.......all the abundance and colour and joy of flowers. As she sang the gnomes lifted their eyes to see the golden light filtering through the green leaves of the pavilion and knew themselves blessed indeed. Just when it seemed impossible to imagine anything more beautiful, Archibold and Stephanotis, who had climbed up and hidden in the canopy, released a cloud of butterflies from their baskets. As the iridescent butterflies fluttered free, Isabel began to sing an old favourite and soon everyone was joining in.

'Time for The Revels - time for dancing!' Uncle Humperdinck was beating time with his stick and a little band of concertinas, fiddles and the odd flute and zither were assembling on the podium. Stephanotis bowed low before Isabel and taking off his new courting hat, asked her to take to the floor for the first dance. Well that was that, when everyone saw Isabel agree, hats were thrown in the air and soon gnomes were leaping and pirouetting and promenading with gusto and glee - a grand dance was taking shape!

'I'll just have a little sit down for a minute, what a song, what a song - and Stephanotis's hat giving him such confidence'. Aunt Mildred was feeling overwhelmed again, but very pleased. She settled down and began to watch the dancing, keeping time with one of her feet and gently sucking on her pipe.

So all was well and the little pavilion was alive with joy as the stars began to shine through the blue of the twilight - very well indeed..........

Prizes and delight....................

'Well, well, well - just so exciting!' this was an understatement as Hortensia would never forget the sight of Lupin flying through the air off a bunny's back. He had volunteered as one of the first to try out the rodeo. No one (not even Humperdinck) had thought about how excitable bunnies can be, so for the first several tries all the gnomes had been sent flying. Eventually the bunnies succumbed to boredom - and perhaps Aunt Mildred's camomile was having an effect, at any rate the end of the rodeo was quite a sedate affair compared to the wildness of the start. Lupin's pride had been a bit hurt, but he had received so much sympathy that he had quickly cheered up again. The whole family were elated when Archibold won first prize for his wild strawberries and Hortensia for her wild strawberry preserve - a double triumph that made them glow with graciousness.

Hortensia was feeling a bit puffed - quite literally as she had had to play the trumpet to announce the prize giving and the start and finish of all the events (and sometimes to drown out Uncle Humperdinck's snoring). All in all it had been a triumphant day and Aunt Mildred was radiant with happiness at the success of her grand idea and having been able to wear so many of her hats in succesion. Archibold's pavilion of living hazel was the wonder of the day, so much so that he had been carried around on the gnomes' shoulders and hailed as a Hero and The Gnome of the Day. 

Just now they were all lying on a mossy bank resting (and burping a little) after a sumptuous picnic. Hortensia had excelled herself and her nasturium flowers stuffed with soft cheese and herbs had been utterly delicious as had her meringues with preserved sweet chestnuts and cream. They were all sucking mint leaves and preparing for a little day dream and snooze - soon they would be dressing up for the Revels and all were looking forward to a wild evening of dancing and frolic!

Posies and Foot Balm.....................

'Oh my, what a to do' it was late evening and Hortensia had finally settled baby Harriet to sleep and was beginning to prepare the picnic hamper for the next day, 'plates, cups, forks, spoons, bread knife, ooh butter dish, table cloth......' she bustled about muttering and humming a little tune, 'my trumpet, blankets and cushions'. The list seemed endless, and then there were all of her preserves and chutneys, her seedy cake and her extra light angel-wing meringues -  all ready to face the judges' steely gaze -  and her piece de resistance - her spring posy soaking it's stems in a small jug waiting to have it's ribbon attached in the morning.

She had prepared little posies of flowers for Isabel and Harriet (and of course herself) to attach to their dresses and little flower twists for Archibold, Stephanotis, Horatio and Lupins' buttonholes. 'I wonder - should I take the rocking chair for Aunt Mildred in case she faints again when Isabel sings?' Fortunately for him, Archibold came in at that moment and firmly squashed the idea on the head. 'Plenty of mossy banks My Dear and lots of cushions - no need to worry about bringing the chair '. He had enough to worry about with the carrying of the picnic and helping the boys pull the little cart with all his prize vegetables and fruits and Hortensia's preserves and baking  - without thinking about carry a rocking chair to the Pavilion.

Hortensia made them all hot camomile and honey tea before bed so that they would sleep well. She was just dozing off herself when when she suddenly remembered Archibold's foot balm and lept up to pop the jar into her emergency supplies basket - Archibold could be very grumpy if his feet hurt and as they had been looking forward to the dance since last year, she thought it best to be prepared.