May books-2021

Another month of Good books, thank goodness as May in the UK has been very wet indeed. Here’s what I have devoured.

John le Carre- The Constant Gardener. I was going to borrow another book by this author from the library-Tinker, Taylor, Soldier , Spy. It was on the Channel 5 last of the 30 best British novels. But I spotted The Constant Gardener. I hadn’t known it was a book, just a film I thought, and a film I had never managed to watch the whole way through. So I borrowed it. In case you don’t know the book/film, it’s a thriller set mostly in Africa and is to do with the murder of two people determined to investigate a drugs company who have been using the locals as Guinea pigs. A bit over long, but a good read. Would their findings of cover ups been dismissed as Fake News in 2021 I wonder?

Emma Curtis- One Little Mistake -A very good psychological thriller. What happens when Vicky makes a mistake and enlists the help of her best friend. An enjoyable read.

Sarah Maine- Beyond the Wild River_ historical novel set in Scotland and Canada in 1893. Evelyn joins her father and others on a trip to Canada ostensibly to go fishing. On arrival they are surprised that one of the guides is a former employee who fled Scotland when suspected of murder. In due course everything is sorted out, and all’s well. An enjoyable read that was about fifty pages too long. Less trekking and fishing would have given it more pace and drama.

Kate Ellis – A Painted Doom- as in medieval church art, a painting depicting heaven and hell, is discovered in an old barn. This book is a murder mystery with archaeology, a dig and old documents thrown in. Lots of clues, well constructed, and I still guessed wrong! A Good read.

Anthony Horowitz- Magpie Murders- Two tales intertwined – a murder mystery inside another murder mystery. Very well plotted and written from the screen play writer of Midsomer Murders. And I didn’t see the ends!

Have you read any of these, what did you think? Any Good books to recommend ?

A week ago I actually got to pick some books from the library shelves for myself. It was wonderful to be in the library again.

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Scrap Happy- May 2021

Rather a lot of Scrappy projects this month. First of all the scrappy single bed size crochet blanket was finished and delivered to the care home. Apparently the residents liked it.

Dining table understudying for single bed.

Folded and ready to go.

However there were a few crochet blocks left over.

Winging their way now to a group who make blankets for the homeless.

The blanket wasn’t made solely from scraps as I ran out of yarn and had to purchase more, which of course left me a bit leftover.

Quite a lot leftover.

So I decided to knit a hat for the Age U K Innocent hat project . Only it quickly became obvious that one hat doesn’t take much yarn, so why not use instead my jar (actually I have two jars) of small balls of leftover yarn instead.

So I am.

There’s a Facebook group for this, naturally. Some people knit the hats by the 100. I am aiming for 25, so watch this space.

And now for something completely different.

Found this strange thing Mr E had made on his 3D printer, any ideas?

Well it makes these

Scrap paper plant pots.

Do pop over to Kate’s to see all the scrap happy makers and their projects, herehttps://talltalesfromchiconia.wordpress.com/2021/05/15/scraphappy-may-4/

Friday Finish.

I think I have made one of my best things ever, and she is so sweet.

I just love her.

I will never be on the Great British Sewing Bee, but I am slowly improving.

Really pleased with seam join, and her underneath is just the same.

She just needs a name.

And here is a better shot of the cardigan I posted before, with flowers visible this time.

There they are.

Back tomorrow for Scrap Happy Day. Has anyone else finished a project this week? Love to hear about it.

Badbury Bluebells

Just over the county border lies Badbury Copse, near Farringdon, Oxfordshire. The site-once an iron age hill Fort -is managed by the National Trust, and there grows what can only be called a carpet of bluebells.

Utterly gorgeous .

The views from the wood are just as lovely, with the oil seed rape in full bloom.

It’s good to be out again.

Royal Wootton Bassett

The latest lockdown which lasted weeks and weeks and weeks , or so it seemed to me, left me feeling quite jaded with life in general, really really stale. All I have wanted to do since it lifted a tad was to go out. I don’t mean out out as in pub, cafe, restaurant, swimming pool, cinema, theatre, I just mean anywhere that’s just not actually home, my own four walls. Much as I like the said four walls, I was stale………… yawn

So time to get out and about to nearby towns.

Market Hall at Royal Wootton Bassett.

There’s a museum up there now, not yet open.

And a bonny church

Not yet open during the week with its cafe and craft shop….

But very pretty cherry blossom.

And Shops which were open. Just who decides DIY shops are essential but fabric shops aren’t? Thank goodness they are now open again.

Pretty fabric for an elephant.

Lots and lots of yarn for lots and lots of new projects.

And charity shops are open again too, which means

Oooh , books and more books, can’t have enough books!

On the way home Mr E decided we just had to go a DIY shop, which just so happens to be next to Hobbycraft, now also open again. Oh JOY.

Happy Bunny.

More on Royal Wootton Bassett can be found here, should you be interested-

https://www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/towns-and-villages/royal-wootton-bassett

I wonder did you feel stale after the latest restrictions on movement? Did you need to just go OUT?