Solstice

While the papa and the teen were at work, I assembled a Father's Day bouquet...

A card was made...

And we lit a fire, not only to celebrate the sun but also to make a chilly house more comfortable.

Later, after some discussion about what the bakers would concoct for our special dinner dessert, the junior baker and I dashed to the Co-op for provisions while the senior baker (who is recovering from a cold) had a wee nap.  And then I left them to their culinary merriment and had a low-key amble around Norham.

Very pleased to see my first corn poppies (castle ruins in the background)...

And a regular swan convention (here's a glimpse of some of the participants, framed by comfrey).

I concluded my walk at the churchyard, to gather fallen rugosa rose petals and to see if the linden trees were abloom yet (they weren't).

And then I returned home to find this:

A lemon meringue pie for them, and black pepper shortbread for me.  Oh, but they weren't quite finished...

Is that a work of art, or what?

(It's possible that I might have eaten an embarrassing amount of that shortbread and gotten a tummy ache.  But it was phenomenal.  And so simple.  Rice flour, cornflour, sugar, butter and black pepper.  Adorned with a tiny spun sugar star.  Because no master chef worthy of the title would neglect presentation!)