Our readers may remember that whilst
collecting fly away laundry in the hedgerow, Lucy found the
little hedgehog and decided to name her after the prickly
laundress in Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Mrs.
Tiggywinkle. Mrs. Tiggywinkle insists that the
children's stockings be kept clean this time of year, in
preparation for hanging them with care for St. Nicholas' visit.
Above, Lucy is using her Corgyncombe Wash Board and soap to clean
the red stockings, with more striped pairs in the basket below
the bench. She consults with Mrs. Tiggywinkle who tells her if
they are clean enough yet or if they still need a bit more
scrubbing.
After cleaning the stockings to both her
own and Mrs. Tiggywinkle's satisfaction, Lucy runs a line from
chair to chair and hangs the stockings to dry with clothespins in
the warm, cozy kitchen. She and Mrs. Tiggywinkle decide it is
time to take tea with biscuits. Lucy pours a cup of Tasha Tudor's
Welsh Breakfast Tea for herself and some in a saucer for her
hedgehog. Lucy's cup and saucer, as well as the buttons on her
pink pinny display delightful Beatrix Potter illustrations of
Peter Rabbit. Lucy borrowed the pinny that was made several years
ago, from a rabbit named Hoppy VanderHare. The buttons were
chosen especially for Hoppy.
Mrs. Tiggywinkle suggests that Lucy check
on the progress of the drying stockings.
Violet's mittens keep her hands warm as
she goes out and about in the cold and snowy outdoors.
Violet's antique mittens have pretty pom-poms attached.
Carrying a basket of Finch Post mail,
Violet has stopped at the Finch Post box.
Photographs by Diane Shepard Johnson
Photographs copyright © 2000, 2001, 2002,
2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008: Diane Shepard Johnson
Web site copyright © 2000, 2001, 2002,
2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008: Diane Shepard Johnson &
Sarah E. Johnson
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this web site may be reproduced
in any form without permission in writing from Diane Shepard
Johnson & Sarah E. Johnson.