Friday Finish

Finally something woolly to share! A little matinee jacket- 4ply yarn with flowers, which I notice you can’t actually see from my rubbish picture.

It’s actually more mint green than washed out green.

but there is a nice sparkly button!

I am as you know a complete button fan! Going pink with my next knit.

Advertisement

April Books-2021

Four really good books this month. Please let me know if you have read them and what you thought.

Stephen Fry -Mythos. Highly enjoyable retelling of the Greek myths. His use of language is engaging and very accessible, with a delicious touch of humour.

Robert Harris – The Second Sleep. Robert Harris is one of my favourite authors. He writes well, the books are skillfully researched and plotted. He is also hard to pigeonhole. I’d describe this as a “What If ” mystery. It begins as a fairly standard historical novel, but a couple of chapters in there is one almighty big twist, which sends you back to re-evaluate what you have just read. It’s a good read, and should you be lucky enough to find yourself on a beach this Summer, perfect holiday reading.

Andrea Levy- Small Island- Really enjoyed this book. It tells the story of the Windrush generation. The people who came from Jamaica to England in the 1940’s, their dreams and the reality of life in a run down post war country. There are five narrators. They each tell their own story of their war, and of their current life in 1948. One for my top 100 good reads. I can quite understand why this one was included in Channel 5’s 30 best British novels.

Jenny Blackhurst-Before I let you in. Well what can I say? Simply one of the best psychological thrillers I have ever read. Masterly plotted. Pure mind games. Choose a time when you can spend all day reading, sit back and watch your mind tie itself in knots!

So do you know any of these books? Love to know if you have read any really good books this month.

Now where’s my book? It’s cold and wet today, perfect time to curl up on the sofa….

Bit of a Squeeze !

So whilst the second hand greenhouse is under construction our entrance porch is , well a bit full.

To the left.

To the right

So coming back from the supermarket it’s a bit of squeeze to get the bags through the doorway to the hall.

Tight fit!

I am however super thrilled that my free sunflowers have germinated!

Seeds are Mr E’s province, so am rather ridiculously proud

Do you have this problem at this time of year?

Exploring

We are enjoying a lovely spell of warm sunny Spring weather in England. Time to explore slightly further afield, about five miles from home to the Cotswold Water Park. An area of gorgeous lakes, created after gravel extraction, with an old canal and river to wander along. Armed with a book of walks to guide me off I went.

The old canal.

Full of bullrushes.My route didn’t take me along the canal, that’s something to be enjoyed another day . I was directed to woodland and the river.

First of four different butterflies. Small white?

By this time I realised that I had a great big grin on my face, the sheer joy of being out in the sunshine on a new walk, birdsong, butterflies, flowers. If anyone saw me they wonder what on earth I was smiling at- life of course.

Colour reproduction isn’t good, these are pinky purple and were everywhere, not been able to identify them.

Of course I did manage to re arrange my face when I met people, so I didn’t look like a twit with a smirk on my face.

Ideas anyone?

At least I recognised the unmistakable sounds of a woodpecker.

And even I know hawthorn when I see it.

The walk was about two miles in length.

You can see how dry it is. Apparently this stretch of the walk is prone to flooding after very wet weather.

Over a bridge

Lots of bridges on this walk.

Finally a lake ! Someone camping on the far Bank.

Back along the river.

Even I can recognise a Robin as I headed back to the car.

Hope you enjoyed my circular walk. Over 20 more in the book.

Progress

The weather is just right for me at the moment, sunny and not too hot. So we have progress in the garden. Re-inforcements were brought in.

One son.

Mr E in need of his post lockdown haircut. One trench dug for the foundation wall of the greenhouse.

And now,wall nearly built. Broad beans doing well, the “grave” partially filled in.

Tulip in full bloom. Love the inside.

Forget-me-knots- so glad I spotted them in the weeding sessions last years.

And the honeysuckle that I found last year when it was barely a twig. I need to give it some support now.

And this shrub still smelling gorgeous.

Feeling a bit more optimistic with the garden. Maybe not such a forlorn patch after all.

PS Mr E has had his haircut too.

Scrap Happiness- April 2021

Take a few scraps of fabric , some paper and pins , needle and thread and create- the sure fire way to happiness- some of the time, – anyway.

And these become this

which becomes this and then this

Before finally becoming

Now how much fun can you actually have with a few odds and ends to beat one of these?

Joining with Kate for Scrap Happy days. https://talltalesfromchiconia.wordpress.com/

Things are getting better.

Lockdown in England has eased a little this week, and I find I want to do everything straightaway, yesterday in fact, and it’s the little things that seem to matter most. By sheer fluke I was offered a hair appointment Monday at 9am. It was so good just to sit in a chair with admitedly a screen between me and the next lady, and chat about the sort of things you chat about in the hairdressers, and my hair was cut too!

Next destination a nearby town with a newly opened wool shop. Oh the delight to be in a shop , with only one other permitted customer and to talk yarn and buttons. And as it was a newly opened, that morning was her first day of business, I was gifted a little thank you bag containing a tea bag and a little packet of biscuits. Back home to consume them, and sew on some toggles

Finally finished the waistcoat for Miss F

And

the buttons on here.

I found it very hard to knit anything when I couldn’t get buttons to finish off a garment. I know you can do online shopping but I need to see the buttons to choose them. Buttons are a serious business to me. The cardigan is actually purple not blue btw.

Following day we went plant shopping, we have been able to do this for a while but the sun was shining and how better to spend a morning than with plants. Back home and time to get busy.

I hope to get a pot on every step before I have finished.

I have even managed to grow a few of these from bulbs I was given.

Can’t believe how excited I get over such things.

Bits of greenhouse still on the grass, but the garden is certainly the less forlorn patch these days.

Indoors these still look lovely- my Easter flowers.

This morning- little supermarket trip, bought some lavender another pot for my steps, and was gifted a tiny pack of sunflower seeds at the supermarket- entitled seeds of hope, for all their customers to plant together this year.

This afternoon- a walk is on the cards. Life is getting better. Hope is with us. Tell me what little things are giving you hope this week please.

Life is getting better.

The sun has been shining, there have been warm days and cold days (even the odd flurry of snow), Easter brought family and chocolate, and the roadmap out of lockdown proceeds slowly.

A walk by a lake.

and by a river.

Blackthorn blossom.

The church was open for private prayer on Good Friday, and it’s as lovely inside as well as out. The Vicar and Churchwarden were very welcoming. So happy I finally made it inside. Sunday services resume next week.

I explored this little path from the church which took me a new to me way home.

The forlorn patch is getting better- bulbs and wall flowers I planted in the Autumn.

And lovely daffodils for Easter.

Light at the end of the tunnel.

I hope life is getting better for you too, and you have experienced joy this Easter.