Time in my garden!

I have been trying to catch up with my gardening, but I'm fighting a losing battle, some of the roses have got black spot and rust, but parts of the garden are not looking too bad.  So I thought I would share some photos with you.  If you look on the right hand side of this photo you will see the runner beans my DH planted in a large pot and put amongst these flowers.  I don't know what his idea was as we have plenty of room in the veg garden, but what do I know!

 This is a plant called Dierama 'Merlin' which bought at Hampton Court Flower Show about 2 years ago, this is the first year it has flowered so I am quite pleased with it. It grows to about 5 feet high and loves sun.  How it is flowering after such a lousy summer I just don't know. 

Another picture of my tubs at the front, they are colourful you have to keep checking if they need watering, but it's a nice welcome to any visitors.

I just love these Passion Flowers, some body once told me the story of Christ behind these flowers, but another senior moment as I can't remember it.  They do spread every where you have to be lethal at times and hack it back!

I had a good weekend, my DS was 46 on Sunday so all the family went out for Sunday lunch, we had a carvery and it was delicious, doubly so as I didn't have to cook it, and my DH didn't have to wash up.  I can't believe where the years have gone, it doesn't seem any time ago I was chasing after him for something he had done.  Does this sound familiar?
I think this will be the last time we all meet up before DGD No 2 goes away to Uni.

Enjoyed watching the opening of the Olympic Games, I wish they had had Tom Jones singing at the end instead of Paul McCartney, as he would have got everyone swinging!  If you don't enjoy sport you are in for a tough time at the moment as it is sport, sport and more sport.  I am loving it, but and this is a big BUT I am sat with my sewing and look down to do a stitch and I miss something vital, like a goal or a good shot.
But I am not giving in, my productivity may have dropped a little, I am hanging on in there. 

Up date re: health things, The optician put the wrong numbers on the computer for my left eye hence why it was blurry, new glasses being made.  I had my scan and that's a game as you have to have a full bladder for a kidney scan, what a 'relief' when that was done, no kidney stones were seen, as I was in a lot of pain could I have passed them.  Either that or I really am going doally.  The dentist thinks some dentine has been exposed so I get pain, he has put 'magic' stuff, desensatiser around those teeth (which stopped the pain) and advised me to use Sensodyn toothpaste.  So there you go  I am up and running again.  I checked out the new Hobbycraft shop, lovely jubbly.  I bought a few things, and I shall be back there again very soon. 

Just going to send off my next exchange goodies, I hope my secret partner likes them.  How are you all, busy with sewing and everything else we have to cram into our lives I expect.  My DH has just reminded it is about 5 weeks before our village show so I have to get my act together and finish my entries.  So here I go, so bye for now, and thankyou for visiting my blog, I love hearing from you all and reading your blogs.  Take care!

I'm back!

Hello girls!  Apologies for not visiting with you for so long, I've been busy with family things, and also doing things within my village.  I am really pleased to say the sun is shining -- 'the sun has got its hat on, hip hip hip hooray' -- the jet stream seems to have moved further north.  Hopefully that means that my friends in US and elsewhere are getting better weather.  I'm hoping my flowers start to perk up a bit now, I have lost 1 Clematis and another is not so hot, so this sounds like a trip to the garden centre, that will set more temptations in my path as I look at the selection of plants.  But I must be strong and resist these temptations, and just replace my dead Clematis.

Just to show you how far I have got with this piece of stitching, it is certainly looking very crumpled, but nothing an iron can't cure.  I have just finished sewing my piece for the latest exchange with a tea party theme, just got to print out a favourite cake recipe that will be difficult as I love homemade cake.  I always feel very guilty if I haven't had time to bake and resort to buying shop cake, if I have visitors I just have to apologise for giving them shop cake.  We women are  never idle, we sew, bake, garden and if we have time do the housework.

This is a needlecase that Mo ( who is a member of the club that June and I belong to) made and gave one to each member of the club.  She is so kind, I love it!

I wanted to show you one Clematis that survived in my garden it is called 'Perle d'azure', it is climbing through a shrub called Winter Sweet (sorry don't know the latin name), this shrub just flowers in January and the scent is heavenly so my idea was that if I have a Clematis trailing through it, it won't be so boring in the summer.



This is a new climbing rose my DH bought earlier in the year it's called 'Sunrise', it has a great scent, there is a Honeysuckle right next to it so I get a double whammy of perfume.

A new craft shop has opened up near me I haven't been there yet, I bet June has.  I hope to get there on Wednesday, I first have to visit the opticians as the new glasses I had last week are not good, if I look through with just my right eye they're fine but from the left eye everything is just a blur.  I then have an appointment with the dentist had my 6 monthly checkup a couple of weeks ago which was ok, but now I am having problems, so it is best to get it sorted.  What an afternoon that is going to be, oh and I have to have a scan on Friday to check me out for kidney stones, so I am getting my moneys worth out of the NHS this week.  As you can guess the only thing I am really looking forward to is the craft shop.

Glad we have met up again, I'll try hard not to leave it so long next time.  Enjoy the summer weather and of course your stitching.  I love hearing from you all out there in blog land, so take care.

GOOD NEWS!

Good news!!  I have finished that bag, I thought the day would never come, I shan't be making another for a while.  The colours have not come out that well on this photo but it gives you an idea.

I suppose the moral to this story is don't throw it out of the window - persevere!!

This is just to show you how far I have got with this piece of stitching, it seems to be taking me ages. (It needs ironing)  I added up the other day how many pieces I have got on the go and it is 5 it was 6 but I finished that bag!  Just started a new exchange, it's great fun sorting out the pattern and material and then all the lovely threads, putting them all in a box ready to start.  Is it the anticipation that excites us ?  Whatever it's great.  I bet you are the same going through your stash and reminding yourself what you have.

This is GD No. 2, going off to her prom.  I was so proud of her she looked beautiful (I know I am biased).  Even all the lads looked smart in their suits, it was great to see the next generation starting out on their journey through life.  Maddi is going to College in September she wants to work with animals, interested in zoo work.  She is a very feminine girl, keen on fashion etc etc,  how she will cope with animal poo I don't know.

These are the shoes she wore, how she danced the night away in these, I do not know.  She said they had a fantastic time, oh to be young.  But not in these shoes.

I am going to start on my exchange piece now, as it has to be finished soon and I don't want to be late.  I have great fun choosing things and stitching for exchanges even when you are rushing around to get it finished.

I will just say this about the weather, apparently because we have such awful weather here in the UK and the weather is so hot in the US is because of the jet stream!!  The experts don't know why they're just guessing.  So now you know why.  All I know is my poor garden is suffering, the roses are just rotting on the stems, and a lot of my clematis are dying back.

I hope all my friends here in blog land are well, it's so lovely to be with you all again, and welcome to any new followers.  As Bruce Forsyth used to say 'it's nice to see you - to see you nice'.

How's your energy level?

Well my energy level is a little low at the moment,  could it be because the weather is so awful at the moment.  Wonder of wonders the sun actually came out this afternoon, so I went out into the garden to see how things are, I had to dead head so many roses, a lot of them have just gone all peculiar because of all the rain.  Everything has just grown and grown, but they are not as they should be for this time of the year.  I promise to stop moaning now, and talk about something else.  Went to the (June's) club last night, we have all started a new piece, it's going to be a competition piece, which will be judged in September.  I started to do it 1 over 1, but I think I will change and do it over 2.  It is quite a large piece for 1 over 1.  That's my excuse!  I will take photos and let you see it as progresses.

Another photo from our holiday in Spain of my DH and moi!  We went up into the mountains one day which was beautiful, sorry I didn't make a note of the name of the place.  The restaurant served us a great lunch, do you remember that song 'Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun' well that was us that day. 

In the pond just behind us we spotted this frog, couldn't resist taking a photos.  What's the spanish for frog? 

Just to show how far I have got with this piece of stitching, it's gradually taking shape.  Not getting on that quickly with it, as I have to finish that bag (the one I nearly threw out of the window when I went wrong). Just started a piece of applique for a wall hanging we are doing here in the village, it's going to be houses etc that are important within the village, which includes the pub!  And of course the new piece from the club. Why do we take on so many projects?  The Gloriana I am growing in the conservatory is now about 4 feet high, I hope it flowers.

I shall be back soon, and let you know how things are going in my little corner of Devon, so take care of yourselves.  It was great to be back with you all again.H