Bit of variety

Angela came at about level and we drove down to Lily’s, which today became Lynda’s! We met the new owner as she was sitting outside, we had breakfast and then walked down to look at the sea.

I decided to try and walk back, time to walk a little further without walking aids. The walk was fairly slow but fine, took some little and large white flowers whilst walking through the memorial garden.

I went round to see Sher briefly at the shop and collected a application form to be part of the garage sale in May. People register and pay five pounds, set up in their gardens and there will be a map of all the properties taking part. I had a wander round the garden , took another photo of the weird plant that keeps popping up.

And another one of a snail hanging on up high by a thread, so to speak!

This afternoon I went with Tina to her appointment at the eye clinic in Hull hospital. There is a car park next to the building and it was heaving, not well laid out and chaotic. Took twenty minutes to find a place and Tina left me to take the ticket to the car and catch her up. I noticed the back window was open but couldn’t close it without starting the car, behind electric I wasn’t about to try! Walked to the hospital, she tole me what to press and I went back to the car. All good, window closed then I couldn’t turn it off! The radio was on, couldn’t turn that off either. Phoned Tina but no answer, she phoned back after a little while and talked me through it! Then back to join her again…..All was well with her eyes and we managed to get home before Darren.

Before tea I went out with the strimmer to try and clear a path at the bottom of garden.

I know that strimming is really the answer, but I will use what I can to get ahead of the game!

Managed to pedal for a few minutes this evening, may get back on a bike yet!

So many jobs and too many triffids!

Apart from going to the post box early it has been a gardening day. When the huge bay tree was cut down we never cleared underneath and since then the weeds have run amok. The fairly garden bits were all there, but no longer to be seen! I imagine the tree being gone has meant water can get there and the weed suppressor had all rotted now.

I removed the weeds and had to move all fairy garden bits and large stones onto the lawn for a while. Under the weeds were a layer of leaves which needed removing as well. This is one after which needs little more explanation!

After lunch I went out to the walled garden, another area sadly neglected, not completely sorted, but a lot better..

I walked down the back of the garden and the next job had better be strimming as it will soon be difficult to walk along there safely!

Not intending to do a lot this evening, feet up and resting the legs afforded a while.

Rain stopped booting!

No boot sale today as it had rained in the night and was still raining this morning. Cold and windy too! It eventually cleared up late afternoon. So went with Darren to have breakfast at Lily’s instead. It was really cold and rough by the sea, took a quick pic as we came out as I wasn’t about to hang around!

I went down the garden to see if the sunflowers had survived their rude introduction to the big outside, and a couple were leaning over a bit but on the whole they seem okay. Being well watered in is a good thing.

I moved the rest of the plants out of the greenhouse to get some natural watering.

After lunch, despite the rain I assembled the garden spinner that Jean bought me and put it out in the garden.

I wrote some letters and got some washing done before getting dinner and then, a the rain had cleared, went out to add some compost to the tubs outside and put a couple of pansies in each of them. Getting ready for action.

No obvious different, but hopefully the pansies will soon have lots of blooms.

Really looking forward to the second series of The Piano, real feel good tv.

Mostly gardening

I went with Tina to open the parish hall early as there is a ceramics festival this weekend being held in there. Sher has organised it so saw her briefly. I went along to the shops as usual on a Saturday morning and then went out into the front garden to finish mowing the larger lawn. It was really hard going with the moss, so was stopping every now and again to use the strimmer an the mower couldn’t cope with it! So it ended up taking me getting on for two hours.

Tina had gone to a meeting in Leeds today so Darren and I went up to Freeport to have some lunch. We called in at the pottery studio and Rob said that I have another commission! Someone wanted to buy the Peter Rabbit and when she couldn’t they said they had someone who could paint one for her!

I went into the ceramics festival and did buy some things, but not to clutter up my shelves even more, all for gifts.

Then I went back into the garden, but this time the back. I felt it was time to get the sunflowers out, I hope they will survive but they definitely needed to be out of the pots. But a fair bit of work to do on the bed before I got planting.

I was leaving the foxgloves and the London pride in the bed so had to dig round them.

Then getting them in and hoping for the best, hopefully no gale force winds or torrential downpours for a couple of days!

That was a fair bit of work so not planning to do a lot this evening,

Happy birthday to me!

Had some lovely cards and presents so a good start to the day. Went round to see Bel as usual and had our usual chat over a cuppa. Some flowers had arrived from Rachel and family which  I arranged after that had had a good drink.

Jean arrived at two as usual and bought me a spinner decoration for the garden. Picture when it is assembled. We were sitting chatting when Tina called up that I had a visitor, so apologised to Jean and headed down. More than one visitor as it turned out, despite being I’ll earlier in the week Tina had organised a surprise tea party, with cakes supplied by Betty’s, so very fancy. I hadn’t twigged at all and it was lovely.

It really was a total surprise.

Then this evening we went to the book reading, neither of us had been to one before. We really enjoyed it and both bought some of the books, I particularly like Sue’s poetry.

Good drive home with a fabulous sky.

Will finish with a Google Photos special which I really like.

Has been a great day.

Goodbye crutches!

This morning I got the strimmer and the hand lawn mower out and start on the bigger lawn in the front garden. It doesn’t look too bad at a glance but the moss has really taken hold and trying to cut it was like hitting a brick! So I am hoping that will get easier a few cuts along the way! 

I started round the yukka and filled the garden truck with cuttings before rain and exhaustion stopped play!

May not get out there tomorrow but will try and finish the first cut at the weekend.. 

Before midday Tina and I headed out, we had lunch before going to hospital for me to have my physio appointment. I carried the crutches and the physio was pleased with how I was walking and kept the crutches to be recycled. The bend has improved form 64 degrees to 82 by her measurements. Not quite where she would like it to be but not concerning her. I have a couple of new exercises to do but she doesn’t feel it necessary to see me any more. 

We called in several different shops and got some bits, including some old fashioned oven gloves, but more of that in a bit. Saw these dyed orchids in Homebase.

When we got home the new lawn man was waiting. The main lawn looke pretty good now.

As Darren a and Tina are both working tomorrow and were all heading out early evening we had a celebratory meal for my birthday at the local Indian restaurant . That was really nice and then Tina took this photo as we got back to the house.

When we came indoors I opened my gifts form then. A few really lovely bits but especially this great little pot with a hand made lily of the valley I,

Back to the oven gloves, the latest torture for my health! Have to work on getting the leg really straight as well as the bend. So ankle on a chair, leg straight and oven gloves with weights in!

Managed a couple of minutes and then did a bit of pedalling, also recommended! Birthday tomorrow but usual visit during the day.

Cold but good day

I am doing short walks without sticks now, went to the post box early and was trying to concentrate on standing upright. I wasn’t really bent over but it is not a natural walk to be holding onto a rollator. It has stayed dry today but the wind has been bitter and the sun has been in hiding.

I caught the bus up to Freeport and had th infs to see and collect at the studio today, which was good. The bowl in greens turned out well, another sample on show.

I like my one better!

But I am delighted with the dragonfly pot so as couple of pictures of it.

Today I painted a gecko, used three different greens on the body, but A single layer so it will be subtle. It was hard to see if I had covered it all as it is they were very pale when they dried.

Had lunch with Tina when I got home and then I went out into the front garden. I did some strimming round the edges and then got the hand mower out and worked on the small lawn near the front wall. I didn’t take a before photo but took an after one anyway. The area under the fir tree had been full of weed and couch grass so I cleared a bit of that and tidied the edges as well.

I filled the garden cart with the clipping and it wasn’t that long! The moss has got very thick and spongy so I had to fight with a few patches! Although I would rather be in the back garden, the font, which is what the town sees it getting very overgrown so a bit of time out there is needed I think!

Seeing the physio at the hospital tomorrow.

Another new hat

First amazing news was that my new debit and credit cards arrived today, pretty good as I only cancelled them on Saturday. I went to see Sarah and David this morning who told me about their coach holiday to Italy. They bought me back a baseball cap, so my second Italian one. I may not get to visit any of these places but getting hats to enjoy!

I took the cards with me and went to the bank and activated the debit card. I called in at the Co op on the way back and the credit card was declined. Made me doubt I had remembered the PIN number!

After lunch I went with Tina to look at a prospective house for her curate who is starting at the end of June. I walked to Sher’s shop after that to book Tina and myself onto a craft course and the credit card was declined again. So I phoned the bank when I got in and had the card activated by a recorded message, so fingers crossed! I wanted some decent shears so went to Boyes and found some and used the credit card and this time it worked.

I used the shears tidying around the rockery and did do a little bit of tidying in the front garden.

Sitting here this evening looked up in time to see a rainbow.

It has been an on and off day again with showers and a bitterly cold wind.

Pottery studio n the morning, but no particular plans on what to paint.

Wet, grey and cold!

It hasn’t been a great day weather wise and I have had quit bad stomach cramps and this evening a little heady. HopefullyI haven’t got whatever Tina has got, but hopefully it will settle down over night. Tin has still been quite unwell but seems a bit brighter this evening and has managed to eat something. 

I cleared some shelves and dusted and polished, not something I do as often as I should as I have so many ornaments.

The second package from The Museum Selection arrived and I am really pleased with these two garden ornaments. The small humming bird will need to be fixed to a fence.

The spade stake looks great in the garden.

Despite the rain I decided to go and clear an area I had strimmed so that I could put a fir plant that was dying in tub into the garden. I thought I had taken a photo of the wild, wet weedy mess where I had strimmed, but obviously not. We had this fir when we first got here so after six years it was so pot bound I had to break up the flower pot to remove it. The ground is still messy and I will move the pile of rubbish and tidy up when the ground is drier.

I met Sher for an hour in a new cafe that has opened in the town and we had a chai latte and piece of cake. Luckily the cramps weren’t too bad when I was out.

Got tea for the three of us as Tina felt up to eating this evening. So hopefully she will feel much better tomorrow.

Feel weary this evening, not feeling shattered is unusual at the moment. Maybe it will be dry tomorrow and I can do a bit in the garden.