Blossom

 These are my flowering trees bought last year and kept alive by Dh watering the pots twice a day in that searing heat, for 3 weeks, while we were having the patio layed.  A crab apple, and a flowering up right cherry. 

This is our chocolate vine, which we brought with us as a tiny 'shoot' from our garden in Suffolk. It has produced all this growth since we moved here.

The lovely blossom does produce a fruit, but I don't know if this one will, it needs to be well established.

I don't know why its called a chocolate vine because it doesn't smell like chocolate, more like vanilla. Proper name, Akebia Quinata.

And this is a lovely clematis that I've managed to grow up a little tree. Its called Pixie; not my photograph but how it looked when I bought it.

The tree was a small root brought with is from our other gardens; this is its 4th garden. A small tree, given to Dh many years ago. Name?? But it has a small Silver narrow leaf, produces a small yellow flower mid summer and the scent is heavenly.

My little flowering trees making my day a very happy one; my tulips survived the ferocious winds and slashing rain in the night.

Close up of the crab apple blossom.. so pretty!

I'm a happy bunny!

The Alanchier is still to flower and in pots we have a twisted stem flowering cherry, and Acer and Olive.

We have as well, a Bramley Apple, Victoria Plum, Damson, Russet Eating Apple, Peach, Fig tree and 2 Gooseberries. Even if they don't produce a lot of fruit, they look good!

Such a lot has been added to this garden which was only weedy grass when we moved here.

And I have flowers to come.. the little veg patch has garlic and shallots, carrots, sprouting broccoli and there will be runner beans in the summer. I grow my tomatoes in pots and potatoes in bags; we are keen gardeners.

Do you love your garden?

Chrisxx

We are nearly sorted.

 Burst pipes in the boiler. hole in the roof? These are the only things we'll have done if needed in future... we've had enough done and we're fed up of trades men...

This last 6 months, we've had a 30m hedge taken out and a fence put in its place; new window in our bedroom to have a fan light, as there was just one big window, I need cool air; new garage door; new garage roof; new patio; new front door; outside lights; planted close on £300 worth of small garden trees and shrubs instead of the hedge and sorted out a decorator to paint the outside walls. 

We had already had a new bathroom, kitchen, plus extra electrical wall sockets, decorated through out, and a carpet in the lounge..So we're done! In June we'll have been here three years.

We feel happy and sorted and living a comfortable life.. I have to be more active, so must get this sleep sorted, its so annoying to be awake a couple of hours each night. Dh lets me sleep on, but then our days start late, as I'm showering at gone 10 some days!

Roll on the summer months I'm ready for it! We're getting the garden straight while its dry, house work when its wet, so gradually getting sorted, hurrah!

Chrisxx

My heart is singing!

I had a happy, happy day yesterday.. my heart was singing and the sun was shining. And I lost a pound! I had eaten all the Easter stuff, hot cross buns with lashings of butter, the big lamb dinner with choc pud and ice cream for desert and some tiny chocolate Easter eggs, plus  Monday evening I had that Chinese meal! So how did I do that?? I was very strict before the weekend, didn't go to SW last Friday because I banged my toes on the chair in the bedroom and not only did they hurt like 'billy oh' I couldn't get my shoe on my foot as my toes had swollen. So I had probably lost weight last week, but hey ho I have lost a pound at SW! Some members had gained 4 pounds!

In the afternoon, we were out in the garden. I transplanted my Alicante tomato seedlings but not as I had planned. Last week I bought an 'i' newspaper to make newspaper pots, but where did it get to?? I think Dh who rarely puts things away has tidied it somewhere, or absently had popped it in the recycling! The pages cut in half are the best size for a home made pot, but I had a magazine with non shiny pages, so made them out of that.

Here are 8 propped up in a foil container. 

And my window sill little green houses with the latest flower seeds.

And my pelargoniums now grown quite a bit as I bought these as plugs two weeks ago.

So gardening has begun, yippeee. It was lovely outside working on the patio, tomorrow I want to pot up my dahlias, if its raining I'll work in the garage.. but also our little plastic green house moved to its new position, has been warm enough to grow on the little rockery plants. 

 Our new flowering cherry and crab apple trees, bought new last summer are beginning to flower.. no wonder my heart sings!

Chrisxx

Fat Friends

 This is a delightful and very funny series which is about a group of people who attend s slimming group. This was an ITV series 2000 to 2005, hence why these actors look so young.

Its really worth watching especially if like me you belong to a slimming group, altho' our slimming group isn't a bit like this one, where gains are announced to shame the person!

I don't think that would encourage me to keep to the diet plan, but then neither does hearing some younger members, who swim, jog, or run miles each week losing 4 plus pounds each week, compared to my 1 or 1/2 pound loss.

It makes me feel like giving up as they are praised and win the Slimmer of the Week basket. I don't want the basket, but now and then it would be nice to be praised for always attending and always trying!

I won't have had a loss this week, as we did the whole Easter celebrations with Hot Cross buns, the full Easter Lamb roast and I even ate some chocolate! 

Its one of those dieting stories, I can keep to the diet, except for Christmas, Birthdays, Easter, Bank Holidays, Holidays and every week that has a d.a.y in it! 

What about you?

Chrisxx

Ps, Fat Friends are on NETFLIX

Am I old fashioned?

One of the topics that came up over the weekend was working Mums. It seems the latest view of children going to nursery school is that, they are more ready for school and learn better. I don't dispute that, but babies in nursery?   I know some families have to have both parents working, but if one parent earns enough for the other to stay home, why work? 

It was never a problem when I had my children, I was there and wouldn't have had it any other way.

I remember when my daughter first said 'mummy.' I was cleaning the bathroom, and she was in her little chair.. I stopped what I was doing, picked her up and danced around with her saying,' mummy, mummy, mummy!'

That was wonderful to me, especially as I had never had someone to call mummy!  That moment was a first, then there was her first time standing, first step, first time singing a nursery rhyme was amazing. If she had gone to a nursery I wouldn't have had that. 

All four of my children had me at home, they all learnt a whole lot of things before school and I made sure that they knew numbers and letters as well as play!

I'm just an old fashioned very proud mum! What about you?

Chrisxx

Alone Again.

It was lovely to have visitors but its oh so nice to be just us again! 

Dh's daughter and her husband arrived Saturday morning just after 10:30, they were up early. We were still waking up! I am very happy for Dh's daughters to visit, but they haven't realised we are that much older and not as sprightly as we used to be, and personally I think they take too much for granted.. but as we had prepared a lot of the food well in advance, that was fine. Mid-morning tea and hot cross buns went down well, as did the quiche and large salad and extra side bits for lunch. I had made the pickled cucumber plus other bits.

 We were just relaxing with an after lunch cup of tea when Dh's phone rang and it was his son, who was at a beach round the coast and thought they'd pop in.. him, his partner, his daughter, her daughter and a friends daughter. There were then 9 of us. We do have a larger than average lounge/living room but it felt over crowded.

Cups of what ever and drinks, I was shattered walking back and fro. so was Dh! When they went, we sat in our arm chairs looked at each and laughed! And then we were cooking the evening meal! But all prepared, chicken kiev, baked potatoes and a mixed veg. Followed by Chocolate log, bought Christmas time but not used.. by the time we had all eaten and the table cleared, it was gone 7 and Dh and I were flagging, but we loaded the dish washer and slumped down. Dh couldn't sit in his favourite place in the corner of our large sofa, because his daughters announced she was so tired and had her legs up on the cushions alongside her husband.

Honestly I might seem a complaining old hag but I am old and waiting on young people wears me out. Sunday it was just four us. Dh and I cooked the large Welsh leg of lamb and it was delicious. Pud was rhubarb, from the garden and cream and tea was sandwiches & crisps I went to bed early than Dh, I was so tired and I had backache.

And then Monday my own son and wife arrived just after Dh's  daughter and husband left... but thank fully they had just eaten and were staying at a local site in their motor home.. After they went we treated ourselves to a Chinese. We ate, watched Tele and went to bed and slept! 

Whew!! Today we didn't need breakfast, but we sat and took our time, showered and dressed after 11 and then cleared up in the kitchen.. This afternoon we have read our books and dozed.

It is so nice to be quiet, we're not used to so many people talking all together!

Thank you for all the Easter Good Wishes, We still did our Easter Bible readings and prayers and Dh is the best man in my life, and he agrees, his daughters have to realise we are older!

Chrisxx

Halleluiah!

 

He is risen, halleluiah.

Chrisxx

Getting ready for Easter Visitors.

Dh and I have been busy moving dust! This is because Dh's daughter and her husband are coming for the Easter weekend. We need visitors now and then to push us to clean that second bedroom.. everywhere is more or less clean, as we have a regular routine of cleaning.

We work together because we get more done and quicker. We have a laugh, because we both had jobs, when we left school that taught us how to clean. Dh joined the navy age 15 and was shown how to clean the 'heads' (toilets) and I started my nurse training age 18 and I too was shown how to clean a toilet. I usually do it wearing my invisible 'tiara' because like I've said before, I always think when I'm doing it.. 'I bet the Princess of Wales doesn't do this' ( Hope she is feeling positive and knows how all of us are praying for her!)

But very importantly the patio is sparkling from being pressure washed by Dh. And Thursday I bought 2 pots of tete a tete and replaced some in the front trough to brighten it up. So as long as my garden looks ok, I'm happy. Dh's daughter is garden proud!

And my planted tulips are looking amazing.. and a very sparkling clean patio! 

Looks better than when it was new as, there must have been a film on the slabs, because you can now see the marbling effect, I love my garden.

I'm happy!!

Chrisxx

Good Friday

 

Chrisxx

I've got a lot of time for this woman!

 Have you by chance read what Ann Widdecombe has said recently to GB news.

The former MP said...  Quote....'Firstly I think you should stop lumping all old people together. There's enormous difference between  someone in their 60s, who almost certainly comes from the age of computers and someone in their 90s, who struggles a bit and whose brain doesn't work as fast as it used to and is afraid of new technology. There's an enormous difference. I'm sick of hearing the word pensioners as if we're all the last stages of an illness.

 Secondly is that,  very sophisticated stuff you wouldn't expect them to do, like on line Banking is fairly simple to do and  can be mastered by most people and most people have access to the younger generation, who can show them what to do if they can't.  I say Just get on with it!'

End of quote...

Then last evening I had a text from my DD thanking me for their Easter card and a 'ha ha ha,' for my explanation of down loading an app. to know the time in Chandigarh India. where my grand daughter is. I had sent her instructions of how to find one because she said she couldn't... in stages..eg, ... On yr phone, Search for the World Clock, tap and open, then scroll through options, then chose the option Asia, tap and open, then chose the town nearest to ... etc then blah blah.. I did reply by saying I might be 81, but you forgot I taught computers when I was teaching and had given her step by step instructions assuming she knew nothing!! Ha ha. and also Dh's job was IT.. I use my computer for everything.. and nothing phases me! Criky I know younger people who can't blog, are afraid of emailing and think their phones are annoying when their phone won't do something. I've said, its you, not the phone!

What do you think if you're an older person?

I do admire Ann Widdecombe but her books/novels,  are awful in my opinion!

Chrisxx