When the Rain Ends.

 

This was the first book I've read by this author and it was an easy and pleasant read. However, the names really annoyed me, Dani, Rosie and Bella.  One of those is a dog, it confused me and I had to read the first few chapters, twice to get hang of who was who. Perhaps I was tired, as I was reading it in bed, so that's maybe why I was lost, but it was Rosie, she was the dog!!

The book was about loss, love, grief, romance and  friendship. I think the author dealt with really well with the many emotions, especially when dealing with profound loss.

The grief camp for children was wonderfully handled and I liked the whole idea of it. It was what Bella the daughter needed to walk that grief journey, while her mother, Dani walked her own road of a very different loss.

 A well written story and the ending was 'warm feeling' ending. Worth reading and good if you have had a sad loss.

However, I don't know if I'd read another Mary Ellen Taylor book at the moment.

Chrisxx

Catching up.

 We've started to get our garden straight... but it does still look winter weary. (That's a nice way of saying, it looks a mess.) Our front garden is an odd shape so we do very little to it. We have these tubs right outside our front door. These are our winter ones, the Wall flowers are still to flower.

Because of its odd shape and because its small, we planted daffodils all around it. Down the side of the path and....

.... in front of the front door. We planted 350 bulbs three years ago and they have increased.

So always a nice show as we approach the bungalow, they're always lovely to see as we drive up.

Yesterday we were up and out for a coffee to our favourite coffee shop before10:00am. The sun was shining and then after lunch we started in the back garden! The grass hadn't been cut since beginning of October, it was long. But our super-duper power mower and Dh took the top off easily, so we can now start to get it back to look like lawn and not a field!

I sowed some more seeds, Cosmos, Sea holly, Dahlias,  Asters, Tagettes, and Antirrhinums. All are in my seed containers on the middle bedroom window sill. 

I take our gardening seriously and we always have colourful flower beds. We'll carry on now, two flower beds still to top dress and feed. I check the peach tree every day, we will have peaches this year, it has buds, so I'm delighted.

I admit I don't find it easy these days, but I do what I can, and supervise Dh doing the things I can't!

How are your gardens?

Chrisxx

The Lonely Feeling!

 

Have you seen the stories about this money Punch, who was bullied and ostracized by the other monkeys. The zoo keepers took pity on him and one gave him the toy chimp. 

He took to it right away and was seen carrying it around and hugging it and  even seen preening it, parting the fur just as monkeys do to each other, (Are they looking for fleas??)

But then Go-chan arrived, he had been in a circus. He was used to noise, bright lights and colours and just didn't fit in, and the other monkeys pushed him out of the group. 

He was moved to the zoo where Punch was and Go-Chan was the first monkey to sit along side Punch!

It was almost as though Go-chan recognised that Punch was lonely too. The first to reach out, no hesitation, no fear, just understanding. 

Their bond didn't fade after that first embrace, it grew.

They sit together, move together, support each other quietly.

Its not loud, its not dramatic. Its steady and sometimes that's the most powerful kind of love.

So Punch isn't alone anymore he has Go-chan.

Chrisxx

What a glorious day

 

Sun rise yesterday morning (Taken by a FB follower) And it was a beautiful sun shiny day..We went into town after lunch and it was crowded, so was the promenade.

And it's still winter!

Although March 1st is heralded as the start of Spring, it was only 8.6 C and felt it too!

It is St David's Day the patron saint of Wales today. I used to be dressed as a Welsh girl, with the big hat, when I was little. We always had the afternoon off school on a school day, which was nice.

The photo is not me, but how I was dressed, and yes with the high hat too.

It seems it was an extension of the 1800's riding high hat and has become synonymous with the Welsh Costume. It was promoted by Lady LLanover, born 1803, died 1886 who wanted to ensure that the Welsh dress and culture was kept.

It was a glorious sunny day, roll on Summer!

Chrisxx