Last time for a while

As the title says I will be going off for a while, going back to the UK to visit family and most importantly, celebrate my parents' 70th wedding anniversary.   Should be a good party!!  I thought I would show you some of the produce that we will be missing.  Such a shame, especially my favourites, the raspberries.  Our friends gave us these canes and they are golden raspberries which I hadn't tried before, but oh my goodness, they are amazing.  Lots more as well but I won't bore you with any more photos.

Delicious lettuce

Redcurrant.  We need more bushes of these, can't do much with the fruit of just one

Golden raspberries.  One of the best tastes in the world

At least we will be back ready to harvest these beauties

I love the action of the grasses.  I want to get some more varieties

In between the garden and nursing a very sore knee I have been getting on with knitting the blankie that I mentioned in my previous blog.  It's fun to do and grows quite quickly really, considering I am such a slow knitter.  Here is a picture of how it is coming along.

Blankie - such fun to knit

Such a good way of using up excess sock wool, but don't worry, I haven't knitted that many socks, my family aren't walking around with 10 pairs of socks on!!   Most of this wool was given to me by my friend Gillie.

I will sign off now and not sure when I will be back as I can't get on line while at my parent's house.  Enjoy this good weather, even though we need some rain I know.  Love to all my family and friends and we will be seeing some of you very soon.

Aims, should you read this, I hope you are feeling better and that your hand is letting you get back to your craft.  Talk to you soon. xx

Another good week with friends

As the title says, we have just had another very good week with lovely friends who have never visited us here before and the weather was amazing.  I only hope they enjoyed themselves and feel they would like to come again one day.  They were very generous and we had some fabulous meals out and some very yummy food bought for us.  I really should have taken a photo of one of the meals which I wasn't eager to try.  Globe Artichoke!!!  Actually I still think it is an awful lot of work for the amount of vegetable you get at the end of it, but the truth is, I liked it.  Whether or not I would cook it for Richard and I, who knows. 

Robin and Gillie after a wonderful lunch

A rare photo of me and Richard

When I was in the UK Gillie and I used to craft together, in fact it was Gillie who started me with my quilting.  We spent very many happy hours stitching, sometimes without having any conversation at all and it didn't seem to matter that we sat in absolute silence, concentrating and just enjoying the moments.  You can do that with good friends can't you?  While she was here she was showing me how to knit a blankie which seems to be all the rage at the moment and a lot of fun.  Gillie is into knitting beautiful shawls so I thought I would make her a couple of stitch markers.  First attempt and she loved them, I may have to make myself some. 

The pink angel has clear glass wings, shame you can't see them here

The weather here is still very, very hot and would you believe we have lost most of our lawn, we just have a sort of brown short hay.  So bizarre for so early in the year.  We are starting to get ourselves ready for going back to the UK as we are celebrating my mum and dad's 70th wedding anniversary on the 28th June, then hopefully if they are both well enough, we will be bringing them back here for a few weeks.

That's it for now, much love to my family and friends, especially my children.  Vicki, have a lovely half term with our beautiful grandchildren.  I wish we could have them here.

More photos than words

I can't believe the time has gone by so quickly.  No excuses for not posting except that we have had our wonderful friends Sue and Jim staying with us for a week, and we have had the most amazing time mainly relaxing, catching up and Sue and I have been crafting as well.  The weather was perfect and we had every single meal, including breakfasts, outside, so what more can I say.  Our next guests arrive on Wednesday so I will be madly cleaning again in a couple of days!!!

Now for some photos.  The first one is of a beautiful little lamb that our nephew and neice have and because they had her at 3 days old, she goes everywhere with them and she is certain she is a dog and follows Nat wherever she goes.  I had the pleasure of bottle feeding her, what a poppet.

Margurite (or Maggie) Just adorable

Sue spotted this little chap in the garden one evening.  Sorry about the quality of the photo as it was pitch dark.  Not sure what is going on with his back though ???

I just love hedgehogs

Picked this morning and loads more just waiting

A couple of needle cases

Inside of needle cases

Some lavender bags, left on a pillow for my guests

I will leave it at that today and hopefully will come back later on in the week.  Take care one and all, much love to my family and friends.

Spring

The call of the cuckoo, the buzz of the bee

This is the sound of spring to me,

The smell of the lilacs, the leaves on the tree

This is the meaning of spring to me

I was reading in bed, very dark, past midnight

Was amazed at the moon and the stars, how bright,

But as I listened, something seemed very wrong

Then realized I was hearing my first nightingale's song.

This morning the mountains are in their best gowns,

The sun glinting off them, how can I feel down?

We are preparing now for our friends to arrive,

Yes, spring has burst forth, time to feel alive.

So life doesn't always go the way we would like,

Bad decisions, ill health, any time may strike,

But on a day like today when you feel the sun's rays

Just sometimes the "yeas" outweigh the "nays"

The tulips my sister gave me
 in the box my girls gave me

Perfection





1st April and the magic begins......

What a day it has been today.  Apart from the fact that it is the 1st of April it has also been very, very warm so we have been out in the garden most of the day.  The first amazing thing was, as we were sitting by the pond having our morning coffee, a kingfisher flew over the pond.  Two thoughts came into my head, the first being the fact that it is the most incredible coloured bird and a shame I could never take a photo of it because it is just too quick.  The second was, oh dear, we have been so happy this week because we have baby goldfish swimming about.  How long will they stay in the pond once the kingfisher visits us?  The second thing was ........ I saw our first swallow so they should be appearing in the near future.  As we were watching all this the cuckoo was cuckooing most of the day.  How much better can you get than that and not a penny was spent - all free.  Then of course there are all the flowers and shrubs coming out.  Here are just a few..

Tulips our good friends gave us for our ruby wedding anniversary a couple of years ago

A cowslip - one of my favourite flowers and I thought I had lost them

I have to go out every day just to get a fix of the perfume of my favourite shrub

This acer which has come into leaf in the last week

Oh dear, how many favourites can I have.  Being a lacemaker, this is the lacemakers emblem

We have had two super bits of news this week, firstly our beautiful twin girl grandchildren got a place in the school they wanted, so that is a relief all round.  It is such a stressful time for parents with this school placement, when did it all change when children just went to their nearest school?  The other piece of news was William telephoning us this morning to say that he had won an award at Beavers.  One for being good and polite.  How proud were his grandparents??????  Yes, very.  Well done William, we love you all very much.

Well, my eyes are beginning to droop so I think I may stop now and take to my bed with a good book, another wonderful thing to do that doesn't cost a penny.  Night night everyone.

Garden Time

We have been really busy in the garden again trying to get on top of things as the weather has been absolutely wonderful and beautifully warm.  The grass is growing so quickly and needs mowing every few days and that is taking so much time.  The first thing to do when we walk into the garden is stop to look at and take a really good long smell of this fabulous shrub.  We brought it from the UK with us and it has never looked as good as it does this year and it is one of my favourite scents, just amazing.

Viburnum Carlesii

The next thing to do is bring out my lovely garden bag that my mum and dad bought for me for our wedding anniversary.  Richard got a new end for the hose pipe.  Strange gifts but much needed.  I love my bag and kneeler because it is so girly.

Lots of pockets for all sorts of goodies

Yesterday we planted about 70 onions, some of which are for keeping so hopefully we will learn the french art of plaiting the onions and perhaps I may be able to hang some on the handlebars of my bike!!

Not a good photo, all lying down, wait a couple of days and I will show you again

The last thing to do after a day in the garden is to stop and look at the sunsets, they are amazing at the moment.

I hope you are all well and I will talk again soon.  God bless.

Gosh, here's me back so soon

I can't believe I'm here again so soon, but it started drizzling with rain just after I had planted some strawberries - good for the strawberries, not so good for our gardening afternoon, so here I am.  The two photos I have here are certainly different and I just hope you can see the second one clearly enough.  After being away from the house for so long we are desperately trying to rip out brambles and get rid of pots with dead plants in.  You will see what I mean from the first photo........

Why on earth don't I throw this away??

Bless their little hearts, this is the reason.  A large family of tree frogs

Now for a couple of things I have finished and which I am working on.  The Debbie Bliss wash cloth is such a lovely item to take to our craft group because it is small and you don't have to think much while you are doing it.  I have made one already and I think they will make a lovely gift with a special hand-made soap.

Gilet - A finished item for myselft - very unusual for me!!



I was very pleased with the way this turned out except for the fact that it makes me look even bigger than I am, but the yarn is fabulous, it was James C Brett - Marble Chunky.  They produce this yarn in different colours so I may be tempted to use it again.  Also, I have been asked by 3 different people if I could make them one, but I have declined even though I loved knitting this particular garment.

Love the texture of this moss stitch

Well, I think that's about it for now, can't go too mad!!  Need to go and start our dinner, we need to make it a bit special as we have been married 42 years today, my, how time flies when you're having fun.  Talk to you again soon.

Spring is nearly here

I haven't really got my head around posting lately so this will be quite a short post and then when I have taken some more photos I will try again.  Also, the book on my bedside table has changed quite a few times since the last update on my side bar and believe it or not, I have finished a few little projects, since that scarf so whatch this space as they say.  A huge thank you to Clare who has changed the background for me again, aren't I lucky having a daughter who indulges her mother so??  I will now start taking some photos and be ready to leap into spring with a new look etc.

How beautiful - needs a better photo really though

How beautifully fluffy, you can almost smell the wonderful scent

My first little tulip.  Doesn't it give you warm and fuzzies?

Oh, just a little taster of what is to come, along with the sunshine.  Talk to you all again soon.  Hello to all the Smith family.  Love you guys.

Faith * Family * Friends

The title of this blog is lovely and these three words are above the french doors in Vicki's lounge and they mean a lot to our family.  Faith, we have had to have a lot of that this last year and it has paid off because last week, once again, Richard got the all-clear and we don't have to go back for any more blood tests for 6 months, so all is well.  Also, while we are here we are able to go to church on a regular basis which is great as it is something I miss when we are in France.

Family, well as you can imagine we certainly enjoy our time back in the UK because we catch up with all of our family.  The only massive disappointment is the fact that Clare lives in Cornwall and we just can't manage the 5-6 hour trip there when we are here for only a short time.  Guess what??  Clare came to see us when we were staying at my mum and dads and she stayed for a night so how lucky were we??  The photo is lovely and is of Clare and my mum trying to teach Clare how to crochet.   Not easy when Clare is left handed and mum isn't!!  These times are precious when your child  and grandparent are together, especially when my mum is 90 - bless.  I can't believe it, but it is their 70th wedding anniversary this year.  Isn't that amazing?  They are so happy together as well and always have been, I know I'm very very lucky.

Learning the craft of crochet

Of course the other side of family comes with Vicki, Bill and our beautiful grandchildren, and today Richard (Grampie) was able to teach the girls to ride "big bikes" without stabilizers and oh my goodness, how much did he enjoy that as you can see from the photos below.

Jaime on the first solo ride

Look at that little face, thrilled or what??

Millie's turn, well done Grampie

A very proud brother with his sisters

Where on earth does the time go, we have to enjoy every second don't we?  By the way, don't be alarmed, our road is a cul-de-sac so no traffic comes down there!

Friends - we have been able to catch up with quite a few of our friends while we've been over here, perhaps not as many as we would have liked, but with the hospital visits, it hasn't been easy this time, but what special times they are.  Hopefully a lot of them will be able to come and visit us in France this year.

Well I think I have gone on enough but just to let you know that we are back at my parent's house again next week so no access to the computer again.  Before I go, I would like to wish Cyndy a fabulous time when she heads off to her quilting retreat.  Oh!  how I wish I was able to come with you.  You never know, one day.... I think I will have to have a special pot in which to put some "holiday" money as I have two special quilting friends now in the USA, Cyndy and Sharlene and I can think of nothing better than spending some time with them just quilting the day away and being able to buy cheap fabric!!!  Did I say that??  No Richard, I know I have a big enough stash.

Thanks for popping by, talk again soon.

More ramblings from France

Since Richard and I have been back here in France we have had the most amazing weather and also very bizarre which seems to be the same for everyone.  We have sat outside and had our lunch in the garden, in January!!! and today it hasn't got much above freezing but with the sun and blue sky the trees look absolutely amazing.  I only wish I could do them justice when I take a photo.  These are a couple I took.

Bare branches against the most amazing blue sky

I loved the way the trees were mirror images in the lake

We have been trying to go for a walk every day, mainly to help my cholesterol problem, but to be honest, with the weather the way it is, it has been lovely.  It doesn't always happen of course because we get tied up with doing things in the house and garden but we are really trying very hard.

This is the time of year as well when the tulips come out for an airing again and I have made some for Helen, who looked after us so well at Christmas.  You can tell by the photos in my earlier post that she has a beautiful home and one of her bedrooms is "the black and white room", quite stunning and she said that she would really like to make some black and white tulips for it, well I made some for her and I was very pleased with the outcome.  I only wish I had taken a photo of them, but I will when I next visit because they will also be in situ.  She was thrilled to bits, almost brought a tear to her eye, and it was so good to be able to give her something I had made, a lovely feeling.

Hopefully there will soon be real ones in the garden

For Christmas Vicki gave me the most amazing book called The Knitter's Year and it has so many gifts to knit within its pages that I don't know where to start.  I have taken it along to our little sewing group and so far 2 of our group have ordered it and I know a couple more want it.  The projects in there are all pretty easy and quick and as a group we have decided that when we meet on Tuesdays we are trying to make gifts and make cards so that when Christmas comes and birthdays as well, we will have a little stash.  With us all doing this it gives us motivation and it's fun seeing what all our friends are making.  Long may it last ..............

"Spring" into action

The weather today was amazing, so much so that we had our lunch sitting in the garden and we were only in our t-shirts.   It was then time to start getting the garden into some kind of order and we found these little beauties.  Surely they are everybody's favourite as they are truly the first sign of spring.

Just a few with more to come

Don't you just love them?

After a walk around the garden we started digging the vegetable patch so that we are ready to do a bit of planting.  As you know we have been away from here for 6 months and the weeds weren't too bad but it was full of couch grass and oh my goodness we have never seen so many roots in our lives.  We would pull one piece of grass and it would go on for about 2 feet.  Of course when you are digging you are splitting it up as well so I think we have the wretched stuff for a while yet.  Anyway while we were digging, pulling, cursing, raking and saying "ouch, my back" we disturbed this little poppet.  Isn't he adorable?

So cute but they are very loud en masse

Well, we have an early start tomorrow and as it's Richard's birthday we are going out for the day with friends and then back to their house for an evening meal.  He is so excited bless him, we are going to IKEA!!  OK, perhaps not the best destination but he really doesn't mind and we know we will have a lovely meal in the evening because it is with Helen and Rob who looked after us so well on Christmas day.  We are really looking forward to it, and let's face it, it is the wife's duty to enjoy her husband's birthday treat with him, so I will try my very best!!!  Why is it that whenever you go to Ikea, you don't need anything but always come home with tons of stuff and always candles and serviettes are tucked into the blue humungous bags.

That's all for now, I look forward to seeing my family and friends in a few weeks.  Briony, keep that handbag safe for me, I know what your mum is like with a new handbag!!  Take care.

Happy New Year Everyone

Just a couple of pictures and me wishing you all a very happy and healthy new year.  Thank you to all who have wandered in to my blog to read what has been going on in my life.  I just hope and pray that it will be more interesting this year with lots more pictures of the craft I have been doing.  I will try very hard to finish projects that I start, because I am really very, very bad at doing that.  Also to try and make gifts during the year so that I have a head start on birthday and christmas presents.  I did say in my last blog how lovely it was to receive hand-made gifts, so that is my new year's resolution.  Oh dear, did I really put that in black and white??    Oops, looks like I'll really have to try now.  Anyway, here are 3 pictures, all very, very different but I'm trying out a new camera so please, any advice would be helpful.

Looks like we found where the pesky mice are coming in.  Even made their own front door!!

Good to get back to healthy food after the festivities.   Amazing colours in this lettuce

Came across this lovely little family on our walk this afternoon

Talk again soon. Take care and God bless one and all.

A change is as good as a rest.....

As the title says, this Christmas was such a change for us and of course we missed all of our family, but we didn't realise just how good our friends were.  We were invited into their beautiful home for Christmas and we stayed the night so that we could have a little tipple without worrying about the drive home.  Below are just a few pictures of our stay with them, I'm sure there will be more Christmas photos to follow on another day.

Table set and ready for the feast

A beautiful hand-made gift waiting on my pillow

A gift for Richard and me - a Christmas cross-stitched picture

For me - hand knitted socks in amazing bamboo yarn

Richard also received some hand knitted socks, (not in the bamboo, but wool) but they are in the wash so I couldn't take a photo of them, but they are so warm and snuggly.  The bamboo yarn is amazing, it feels almost like velvet.

The beginning of the most amazing meal

I have to say that this Christmas Helen has been an inspiration to me because the hand-made gifts were so special I really do need to do more myself.  New Years Resolution is to try and make some during the year, although I'm sure I have said this before, but really, can it be so hard???  Watch this space.......

The next photo is just to make you smile because our little Sophie climbs onto the window sill in the kitchen to try and get closer to the birds that feed on the bird feeder attached to the window.  One day she will learn that they are the other side of the glass!!  Now, our Sophie wears a collar with a magnet attached so that she can get in and out of the cat flap and no other cats can.  We have had a problem with the neighbour's cat, and seeing we have been away for a long time, we wanted her to feel safe in her own home.  Well on this particular bird watching day, she managed to pick up the lid of a Haywards pickled onions jar and she wore it proudly for a while - my little medalion cat.

I think she was quite proud of this!!

I hope you have all had a very happy Christmas and I look forward to catching up with everyone in the new year.