What's to come......

 I have always gardened,  since I was first married and we had our own house. Since then with experience,  I have managed to fill my different 8 gardens with flowers and veg.  This garden is my 9th! 

I did have an advantage here, as I brought some small snips of plants and two small trees from our previous garden in Suffolk.

My neighbours wondered if we would take the new shrubs and small trees we had bought, as we had totally transformed the garden. In our second week there we had 8 dark leylandii removed which opened up the garden. And made new flower beds and rockeries and new circular lawn and paths. Plus we then had a new patio laid.

I left a lot of things thinking I didn't want to be mean to the new owners, however when I learnt they'd moved in and then gone to relatives in Italy for 2 1/2 months I wish I'd brought more! Especially the soft fruit bushes and raspberries. We were astonished to hear that and wondered what their reaction would be when they got back at the end of September to a wilderness! 

These were bulbs I forgot I'd bought when we first arrived, which to me look like 'ballet' dancers!

My Suffolk neighbours had lived there for 60 years plus,  and were all doom and gloom with our move to Wales,  forecasting that we'd have a lot of rain. Well, we would be pleased with that because, the three summers we had in Suffolk were too hot and we had to water every evening. Our peach tree failed to keep its fruit even with regular watering. Pretty alliums budded and dried before they opened, as did the camassia and other flowers,  it was so hot.

 So far here in Wales we've been watering just to get the newer plants established. It's still spring and without a green house I have managed to germinate a whole load of seeds.

Sunday was beautiful here and I sat outside and made 48 newspaper pots because we can't find any small pots I'd packed when we moved, typical!

My friend would be horrified to learn I bought these grape hyacinth bulbs, (Muscari  Latifolium) as she digs them out and chucks them. But as there was nothing here when we arrived I bought a whole lot of stuff I wouldn't have normally

And here are just some of my newspaper pots with antirrhinums, petunias and aquilegia seedlings. And in my little propagate are rudbeckia seeds, my favourite flowers.

Have you guessed I love my garden where ever I've lived. 

What about you?

Chrisxx

Do you have favourites?

I have had the opportunity of going to two talks by this author, Patrick Gale, at book Festivals.

He was very entertaining and his book 'A Perfectly Good Man.' was given to our book group before it was published so we could review it.

He writes the first drafts in an A4 note book, by hand!

I've read most of his books and loved some, especially 

'A Place Called Winter' 

A story about a man called Harry Cane, a shy young man in Edwardian England.

He marries but discovers something about himself, that forces him to flee to a place called Winter, a town in remote Canada.

Called then the 'Forbidden Love', Harry struggles to learn the skills required to build a homestead from scratch, but what was more important was Harry coming to terms with his sexuality.

Patrick Gale is a great writer, who is able to write about sensitive issues and his prose is fluid and moving.

When speaking about this book Patrick Gale suggested that this was possibly his great grand father.

Interestingly he said he didn't write his stories in a chronological thread! That is, he writes sections and then fits them onto the story, from the overall plan. He researches and takes two years to write his books.

I'm presently reading his latest book,

'A Mother's Boy' and thoroughly enjoying it. And there are 6 more I haven't read yet.

Anita Shreve (1946-2018)

I was so sad when I read of this author's death. I had bought and read all of her books, after I read that first one, 'The Pilot's Wife.' I couldn't read them fast enough. 

The Pilot's Wife is about Kathryn Lyons, whose husband Jack, an airline pilot is killed when his plane crashes. Trying to come to terms with his death and working with his airline, she finds out things that makes her realise she didn't know her husband at all. And things come to light, which showed he was leading a double life. 

The book was made into a film, which was good and true to the story.

I was shopping when I saw her then latest book 'Fortunes Rock,' and wanted to buy it, but it was a hard back and £14.99 so I thought a bit too pricey.. when I got home and told my daughter about the book, she said..'But she's your favourite author and if it was for some one else you would have bought it!'

So I drove the 12 miles right back and bought it.  

Her last book 'The Stars are Fire,' was published after her death.. Another lovely book..

These are just two of my favourite authors and why do I love their books, because every story is different, none are similar. The language is good, and the writing has great sensitivity, the stories flow, and the characters come alive. I always feel bereft when I have finished one and struggle to get into another book for a while.

Reading has always been one of my greatest pleasures. I grew up a lonely child, without a TV and lost myself in books. 

    Do you have favourites?

Chrisxx

I 

He's got courage!

 Say what you will about our PM Boris,  but he's there in a war zone in a suit, a very white shirt and tie!

All around him are in army greens, and he is there as though he's walking along a street in UK. So whatever you think of him, he's willing to go and speak to the Ukrainian President, Zelenskyy,  right in the middle of the war zone.

I admire him for this and am pleased that he has, no other head of state has left their cosy home to do anything similar.

What do you think of him doing this?

Chrisxx

A horrible morning.

 I'm not having the best of times. I have recurrent urinary infections, so my Dr referred me to a consultant. I thought in Urology but she was Gynaecology? 

We started off wrong as Dh was using the sat nav, while I who knew the way to go, wanted a different route, so we had an argument 10 mins into our journey, Dh said he would be better following the sat nav so we did.. It was a back road over the mountain, narrow twisty roads, me nearly screaming! We got there, never been there before, a small cottage hospital. The carpark was uneven and hilly and it nearly killed me with my walker. By the time we got there my only thoughts were ...'a toilet!!' The receptionist wanted my details as I didn't have a letter with me, because it never arrived. But I went to the loo first, buggar my details!! 

We waited 40 mins, what's new? I eventually saw the consultant, who spent a lot of the time complaining my medical records weren't available to see on her screen?? She asked me the same questions as my own Dr and did the same exam.. then she continued to explain what tests she'd like me to have, but didn't talk to me, but to my husband! It was a case of a person with a walker isn't 'compos mentis?' 

It was a complete waste of time and a horrible journey there, we came home my way! A bit longer but good roads and no twists and turns..

Chrisxx

Even further than Disney Land in the US!

 40 years ago on Monday, the weekend after Britain had declared, that we were at war to protect the Falklands, my class of 11 years olds came tumbling into our class room shouting....'we're at war, will we be bombed?'

'Are we going to be given gas masks, will school be closed, will there be tanks and bombers?' Of course their only knowledge of wars was the Second World War from an earlier teaching experience.

I must admit if the BBC hadn't shown maps of the Atlantic on the news, I wouldn't have known where the islands were. No internet in those days, but I did have my child's Arthur Mees Encyclopaedias and I had looked at the maps of the Atlantic the evening before to see how far the Falklands were away from Britain. Those Encyclopaedias were bought for me by my Aunty Glad who with my grand mother brought me up, thank you Aunty Glad. They were useful when I was 10 and even as an adult I consulted them!

So the first lesson of the day was geography and to explain how far the Islands were from us I used the children's own knowledge.. Most had been to Disney Land in the US and so we looked at how long it took to get there and then how much further to get to the Falklands.. Even further  than Spain too I'd said.. We spent the rest of the week, looking up that far away place and how the people lived there. Drawing maps and maths about time and distance, and that the people there were not that different to us in Basildon Essex. 

The children were happy to learn about it, altho' some of the boys wanted the gory details of bombing and ships on fire and soldiers killed, most were content to learn we weren't going to be bombed and they loved colouring the maps they drew!

We didn't talk about the 255 soldiers killed, but most watched the news with their parents so they knew what was happening. And I hope in my classroom they learnt the geography of the Falklands and where Disney Land was in the US,  and what a green and pleasant land we lived in and freely.

Did the news that it is 40 years since it happened bring back memories for you?

Chrisxx

Y Llyfrgell

 We were up and out in the sunshine to y llyfrgell,  the library, this morning. It was newly re-furbished a few years ago and is very nice inside. It's not the library I used when young, that was in the John St. the main high street. I was there quite a few times a week, just a couple of rooms, but my favourite place.

With those steps up to this new library,  I use the long 'S' disable ramp.. it's my exercise for the day, especially when I then walk to town via Lias Rd, which I call the road of obstacles with the broken pavers and the steep camber slope to the road! So was it worth it?

Oh yes, I picked up this book by T M Logan, which I've had on reserve for weeks.

I've already read the first few pages and its good!

And this one which is the reader groups choice for April. I asked about joining it when we first moved here but covid of course had disrupted the meetings.

But we are to go to the meeting on 20th April so I am so pleased.

I've looked up the comments on this book and some are not good, but as its the Book Group choice, I'll read it.

And of course we stopped here!

Do you use your local library?
Chrisxx

No snow here.

We've got up to bright sunshine and no snow, but the bird bath was frozen and there was a sheen of frost on the grass, so we were glad we'd covered our peach tree again. 

Although there was sunshine, there was a keen breeze when we went out, but it was very pleasant walking along.

Since having a decorator here a few weeks ago, every day for 2 weeks, we're back into getting getting showered and dressed before 9:00am.. So this morning we were out just after 9 o'clock for Slimming World. I'd not had a good week last week as I 'd not been well and I'd had a few naughties,  so half pound loss was a pleasant surprise.

Then we went to our favourite café in town, a big chain of coffee shops, its always warm there, cosy and I love the 'hubble' of chat, the smell of coffee and they do a very tasty cheese toasty! 

Dh went to the fish mongers and I strolled along slowly window shopping. I love the gift shops they have in our town. It is so nice to be back where there are shops to see and lots of people shopping and we went to the greengrocers too. Lovely fresh veg and he sells plants!

Do you like your town for shopping?

Chrisxx

Ready for the frost.

 Our precious peach tree swathed in fleece ready for the frost that was forecast.. we didn't have any but better safe than sorry. 

And as you can see we do have early morning sunshine, but there is a nip in the air

Dh has the cloches  in position ready to sow seeds.

We're just growing beetroot, carrots, lettuce and spring onions, plus of course tomatoes, runner beans and a couple of rows of potatoes. I have started off the tomatoes on the lounge window sill. 

We are looking forward to summer here in our new sunny garden, south west facing so we have sun all day long.

Are you growing anything in your garden?

Chrisxx

Opening up this blog!

I'm opening up this blog again as my other blog has lost its connection with other blogs.  It's annoying and frustrating but I just can't find out why its happened.. 

This was the last post in my other blog. 

After two very busy days in the garden, see here..

https://perhapslivingthegoodlife.blogspot.com/

So from now on I'm using this blog, please follow this one.

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I have been enjoying the programme 'The Simpler Life,' on channel 4.

24 people leave the life of the 21st Century to live a simple life like that of the Amish. 

They had to live without electricity and to live eating their own grown food. Some just couldn't cope and one left after only 8 days. 

They did learn to grow amazing veg, they learnt to milk cows, look after their chickens in fact all the skills you need to be self sufficient.

I think probably one of the hardest was clothes washing as they did it in tin baths with a dolly. 

This is how my  grandmother did the bedding after B&B guests in the 1950s before she had a washing machine. I can remember helping and being at the handle of the mangle. This was all done in tubs in the back garden, even in the rain (unless it was pouring)

I'm really enjoying the programme, episode 4 tonight. It'll be interesting to see who can stay the course, how many will still be there after the time is up, can't wait to see.

Could you live that way? I might have when I was younger but no way today.

Chrisxx

Past times

I haven't been able to knit or crochet as my arthritis is awful , so thats past times for me at the moment. I am gradually giving away my cross stitch finishes, crochet and quilts, then I had an email and said why didn't I sell them.. so thats something I'll look into on Etsy.. in the mean time catch up with me on my other blog. 

https://perhapslivingthegoodlife.blogspot.com

Chrisxx