Bravery And Gardening For Life

 It turned into a lovely day yesterday, warm, sunny and thankfully dry. I went into the garden to feed the birds in the morning and there, they were two fox cubs sitting together in the flower bed! They both looked very pleased with themselves and quite happy in the sunshine, probably feeling just like me, relieved that the heavy rain has gone. The other sight that met me when I went to the aviary was little Todd the pigeon happily swinging on the cockatiel's swing in the sunshine. He's lost his fluffy look now and his face is looking more adult. He manages fine now, feeding and drinking in fact when I fill up the food bowls he's first in. It's decision time I think.

On the way to my Dad's house I noticed that the mural had been finished at the station. I love the way our large fox population in the area is celebrated. I know many people don't like foxes but in our area of London people seem to love them, our local butcher tells me he does a roaring trade with people buying off cuts of meat to give to them, no wonder they all look so healthy, 

My sister and I got all the jobs done that we needed to for him and we still had plenty of time to sit and chat and catch up. I had taken a book about First World War Victoria Cross winners of mine to lend to him, so can read about our newly discovered distant cousin Geoffrey Vickers. I had been reading it while I was sitting on the train and I felt completely humbled by the bravery of these young men. I can't imagine what it must be like at such a young age, being put in such terrible situations and then showing such courage. I think it will be a really interesting read for my Dad who is so interested in military history. 

Dad's garden was looking absolutely lovely. He is out in it so much at this time of the year, cutting back, dead heading the roses and generally making it look so pretty. It keeps him going and gives pleasure to a lot of people. I remember reading once that "Gardeners Live Forever." I know no one lives forever but I do think gardening can give an old person a real reason to keep going. My Dad always wants to see how a particular plant or flower will do each season. It is a constant in life when so many other things at the moment seem completely out of our control.

Talking of gardening that is what I must try and catch up with today, we have been spending so much time at the caravan and with all this rain everything is getting very wild. Definitely some hard work needed. Have a lovely day everyone what ever your plans. xx

The Fragility Of Young Lives

 Yesterday Scarlett and I took Cassie for quite a long walk to our local park and beyond it. I have to choose our walk destination quite carefully as there  is only so far she can walk happily and then it starts to become a bit of a chore and I can see she's not enjoying it so much. Cassie is also happy to walk at her pace where as Tess and Layla start pulling and get fed up. On the way we were walking along and a young man of about 20 was walking behind us. I stood to the side and let him pass as we were walking quite slowly. We passed the usual pleasant comments you do as we passed and I noticed how smart he looked. He was wearing beige trousers a very smart shirt and a straw boater hat. He looked wonderful, just as if he had stepped out of the 1930s! Scarlett who has a loud clear voice and has not quite learned she shouldn't pass remarks said loudly "He is very handsome!" Such an old fashioned word! I saw his face brighten and there was definitely a spring in his step as he walked on down the pavement. When he had gone I said to her kindly that even though he did look very nice she shouldn't really pass comments to people like that. She looked so crestfallen and said "Mummy said I mustn't say unkind things to people only kind things." I was at a total loss as what to say really as she is right, but doesn't really understand yet that social restraints mean we can't really be shouting things like "You look nice!" to people in the street. It's a shame we can't though as I'm sure it may brighten people's days. 

We walked round the park and then all the way along the path that takes us almost to Sutton where the path ends so we have to turn round and walk back to the park. It was so full of wild flowers and the grass was so long it was a nice exciting walk for Scarlett and Cassie too. I think the path belongs to the rail company but they have extended the park into it to make a bit of a wildlife walk along the edge of the railway track. There is a chart to show how many different butterflies have been seen but sadly we couldn't see any.

When we got back to the park Scarlett wanted to sit on a bench for a while and she told me she wanted to go and sit on the bench she had seen something had been left on as we walked past. Off we went to find the bench and as we sat down I realised it was a memorial bench to a young 15 year old who had died in the most tragic circumstances in the park a few years ago. I don't usually walk on that side of the park so had never noticed it before. The item left on the bench was heart breaking "What is it?" asked Scarlett who's reading isn't good enough yet to know what it said. "It is something put here by someone who loves their brother very much." I said. That seemed to please her and we sat on the bench and chatted about the squirrels that were running about in the park but I suddenly felt ever so sad at the fragility of young life and wished we had never sat there. 

Next to his name on a plaque was added another plaque advertising Child Line and The Samaritans. Who knows what pushed him to that point but I couldn't help but think if maybe we didn't have some of our social restraints and people really could say things like "You look nice" to people in the street instead of negative things on social media which can hurt people so much, life might be a bit better for young people.

I worried all day yesterday about my friends son who had been knocked off his moped in a hit and run but last night found out although he is hospital with several broken bones he is doing well and hopefully should recover without and lasting effects. My friend is so kind and forgiving, he said the young man who drove off handed himself into police later in the day and he actually felt a bit sorry for him as he only just passed his test and had the car a few days. He said this young lad made a terrible mistake driving off and the lasting effects of that may actually be worse than for his own son as he is now facing so many serious charges. As my friend said "One really bad error of judgement can ruin your life forever." 

I have a day at home today with all the usual things to catch up on. Little Todd is still with us and gained 1g yesterday! I know that is a pitiful amount but at least he didn't lose weight! Eldest daughter looked at him and thought there would only be a 50/50 chance of him surviving and then it is very hard to release him after he has been fed by humans from such a young age. Oh well I'll deal with each problem as it comes along. Have a lovely day everyone what ever your plans. xx

The Ups And Downs Of Houses

 Youngest daughter came with us yesterday to visit my Dad as it  is half term and she is off work. It was nice for my sister and I to have an extra pair of hands as there is always a lot to sort out and also nice for my Dad, as youngest daughter is so interested in traveling, she loves to hear the tales of all his travels around the world. He has a story of something that happened in nearly every single country in the world! My Dad also had an appointment with a young man who had come from the company that supplies his Medicare alarm, so that is all sorted out for a year, although there will be a repeat service in six months. I did feel sorry for the young man having to do the servicing, and all the paperwork in yesterday's heat wearing a mask. 

When youngest daughter and I got off the train and were walking the few minute walk back to our house, we stopped to look at the new house that is being built behind us. When we moved to this house seventeen years ago we were so thrilled with how quiet it was in the back garden. Although on quite a busy road the back garden was not overlooked at all. There are lots of large Edwardian houses at the back of us that have really enormous gardens. Many of them were quite overgrown and I think that is one of the reasons we had so much wildlife visiting the garden which we were so pleased about. Sadly over the last few years three houses have been built on land at the back and the builder tells us he is trying to buy the land adjacent to our garden to put two houses on. There is not a road down to the houses, just a narrow driveway so I am amazed he keeps getting planning permission. It has really changed the feel of the area and hedges and trees have been ripped out which is affecting the wildlife. It is hardly surprising the foxes have moved into our garden, it is almost the only little area left for them. I know we need houses but it feels as if every little empty space is being built on in this corner of the country.

Talking of houses, what on earth is happening with house buying at the moment! Eldest daughter and her partner are trying to move from their flat to a house and it is a total free for all! Every house they look at has about another 15 people viewing it on the same day, and they are all sold within a week. They have offered the full asking price on a couple of houses only to lose out to people who have offered way above them. She says house buying etiquette and good manners, if there ever was any, has gone completely out of the window. People are gazumping all over the place! They are on the verge of giving up and leaving it a few months to see if it settles down a bit as it all seems so stressful, but are worried if they do that and house prices continue to rise, they will regret it. I can't help but wonder if there may be a big crash on the way once the Stamp Duty holiday ends. There was an estate agent on the TV saying that wouldn't happen, but I thought he would say that! Only time will tell. 

Poor Tom was back at work after two days off yesterday and has been feeling quite unwell after his second coronavirus vaccination. He has a sore throat and feels very achy. Only one more day though and then he is off for 17 days! He can't wait and he is definitely going a little demob-crazy I think! One other wonderful piece of news is there were no coronavirus deaths in this country in the last 24 hours, which is the first time since the pandemic started. Maybe one day we will get to no new cases reported in the day too, I hope so.

It is another lovely day today, I'm going to get walking the dogs out of the way early before it gets too hot and then am going to enjoy this lovely weather as much as I can. Our first roses have finally come out. It feels like it as been a long time coming this year but it feels all the nicer because of that. Have a lovely day everyone what ever you are doing. xx

Moving Up The League Tables

 As it was another day of very heavy showers yesterday I spent a lot of the day sewing. I have been trying to use up all the retro fabric I have bought on one project or another. I have cut and pinned pieces ready to make pillow covers at the caravan but don't want to sew it until I check the sizes at the caravan tomorrow. Then I will see how much fabric I have left and decide what to make with it. You wouldn't believe the amount of time I have spent trying to make a Snoopy pennant for the small flag poles on the caravan roof. I made one with fabric but it turned out too floppy, unless it was a really windy day it would just of hung there so in the end I bought the cheapest old pennant I could find on ebay, which was a Swedish scout one for £1 and sewed my Snoopy badges over to it. I never miss a chance to share Snoopy with everyone!

I tried to spend regular five minute bursts all day on my language app learning Welsh. It is a really hard language! The further on I get the harder it gets and I don't think learning languages is my skill either. When I was at school I was hopeless at French and failed my O level miserably so have spent my whole adult life saying things like "My brains doesn't work that way" or "I'm better at practical things" when faced with learning a language. I have been reading a lot about helping your brain as you get older and I have decided there is no reason why I shouldn't be able to train my brain to learn how to do different things I have always found hard. Yesterday I was starting to question that! Apparently in studies done on people learning a language the size of your brain actually grows in size on MRI scans. This fact is going to keep me going and I have even ordered a children's Welsh picture dictionary to help me but it's the pronunciation! I find it hard to believe I'll ever get my tongue around it. Yesterday we were all trying to say milk for the whole afternoon! Oh well I have been promoted to the silver league on the app now and unless I want to be relegated back to the bronze league at the end of the week I'll have to keep trying. 

Talking of leagues a really exciting thing that happened locally yesterday. Sutton United have won the Vanarama National League and are being promoted to League 2 of the Football League (The old 4th Division for anyone else who still thinks that way). Tom said while he was in the bus garage yesterday he could hear the crowd cheering and cheering. We used to live so close to the ground in one of the houses we lived in at Sutton we could hear every word that was being shouted by the crowd, believe me I was starting to feel really sorry for referees! We ended up getting swept along with the excitement and since then have always followed Sutton United. They are such a good team, local people who really care about doing well and have pride in their club. Premiership here we come!

Although the sun is shining at the moment I think it's going to be more of the same today, weather wise and what I am doing. They say better weather is on the way and I do hope so. Last night it poured and poured for such a long time. I kept thinking of the little fox cub at the end of the garden, I'd buy them a kennel if I thought they would use it. Now there's something for me to think about. Well I'm off to make a "coffi a llaeth" I hope everyone has a lovely day even if it is pouring. xx

Money Saving And Stormy Weather

 The weather has been very strange this spring. We had a brief lovely warm spell and then very cold, frosty dry weather with virtually no rain and now May is making up for that. We have some sunshine followed by such heavy showers if you are unfortunate to be out and about in it you get soaked through. I have been caught several times out with the dogs and its not much fun. I did manage to re pot sickly tomato plant which is now looking wonderful and re potted some of my apple trees even though the whole time I was out there, I was accompanied by rumbles of thunder in the distance. There was an article on the news yesterday with Prince Charles calling for us all to plant a tree for the Queen's platinum jubilee next year. I hope Her Majesty will be impressed with all my efforts! My trees are doing so well and actually seem to be really thriving in all this rain. This adverse weather has caused everything else in the garden to be much later than other years though. Youngest daughter was showing me photos of the roses in our garden from three years ago yesterday. There were quite a few in full bloom looking beautiful, but this year nothing yet. There are lots of buds so something will happen soon but it's just taking it's time.

I have been continuing with my Too Good To Go Bags and they have been really successful. Everyone says they have tried new foods they never would have thought to try. Who would have thought sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella would have been such a hit with our quiche the other evening. I have saved so much money on our food budget this week I'm on track to buy a new drill for Tom out of saved money that he has had his eye on for a while. The bags wouldn't do for vegetarians as there is always a lot of meat which I freeze straight away for the rest of the family but there is usually one vegetarian item for me. I'm also quite enjoying the walk down just before nine, I rarely walk that way so am getting a totally different view point of out area in the evening. It's much busier in that direction and it has a  different feel to our little row of shops but already I'm bumping into the same people and having a little chat with people I see each evening. I just can't resist having a little chat! The sky was so dramatic when I walked down last night I had to take some photos.

I scanned lots of photos yesterday which was very time consuming but a good job out of the way. Even though I am very pleased to have got through so many, this morning I really must try and get further with the caravan awning curtains as our break away is getting closer. I hope the weather improves, three dogs in a caravan with this rain would be a bit of a challenge! I'm going to my Dads to do his shopping today and my sister and I will be able to spend some time with him all together inside his house now. How wonderful, I just hope nothing gets worse again to spoil this freedom we are having. Have a lovely day everyone what ever you are doing. xx

Food Too Good To Waste

 It as really windy again yesterday morning with some heavy showers. I managed to get the second curtain for the caravan awning cut but not pinned ready for sewing as it took me so long, checking and double checking. It has been made so much harder as the original curtains were enormous. I thought when they first arrived they must have been curtains for French doors, but I was checking the length yesterday and we live in an Edwardian House with very high ceilings but they would hang from ceiling to floor. It has made them really hard to cut and manage but I am so thrilled with all the fabric. 

The other task I put aside five minutes for yesterday morning was to check my Too Good To Go app on my phone. I used it a few times before the first lockdown but then deleted it off my phone as it wasn't really worth keeping it on. A month ago I thought I would give it another go and I have bought a couple of takeaways for the rest of the family. You buy £12 worth of food the restaurant or shop advertises and collect it near the end of the day for about £3 or £4, it is to help reduce food waste and also boost local businesses. You can buy one, two or three meals if they have them available but it is a mystery bag and as I don't eat meat the take away option hasn't been any good for me as so far no vegetarian restaurants are taking part. The rest of the family have loved it though. I had decided to try the shop at our petrol station which is an M&S local selling other brands as well and has a little cafe. I purchased my bag for £4 and my collection was booked for between 9 and 10 pm. 

I spent a few hours of the afternoon gardening. There always seems to be so much to do at this time of the year. I re potted my hydrangea my eldest daughter had given me for my 50th birthday. I realised it must definitely need it as I have had it 11 years this summer! It was really heavy to move about but I'm glad I finally got it sorted out. I have lots of plants I will be putting out from the greenhouse in the next few weeks, poppies, echinops, and hollyhocks and am looking forward to seeing how they will do. I kept Cassie up there with me while I was working but tied her to the garden chair on a long lead as she would chase the poor foxes if she was loose. They walked by a few times looking a bit worried at the sight of her, but she only growled. She may be little but terriers can be really feisty and she certainly is, even though she looks as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth!

After Tom had got in at 7 o'clock and we had all eaten our evening meal I walked down to the petrol station at about 8.45. It was a nice walk as it was still light and very quiet. I showed the man who works there the code sent to me on my phone and he gave me two bag of shopping and when I thanked him he said "No, thank you this would all be thrown out at midnight otherwise." I'm sure we would be horrified if we saw all the food thrown out in our local area. I was really pleased, all this for £4.

Sadly I heard yesterday evening the young whale in the Thames had been found but had to be put to sleep as it was in such poor condition. The poor thing, it made me feel sad the whole evening. There has been some good news though as coronavirus restrictions are being relaxed a bit more next Monday. I'm going to my Dad's house today to do his shopping and have quite a bit to get through before  To think by the summer things may be back to some sort of normality. No more queuing and mask wearing when we are shopping I hope. It's an exciting thought! Have a lovely day everyone what ever you are doing. xx

Voting Day

 Scarlett was so excited to go and vote yesterday. She even forgot about going to the bakers she talked about it so much. Mid morning Tom, youngest daughter who was off work because the school she works at was closed and being used as a polling station, Scarlett and I set off for the walk to vote. We took our pencils with us as we had been told to do, to stop the risk of virus spreading. It was only when we were half way there and Scarlett asked "Where is the boat?" we realised quite why she was so excited! Disappointment over, and a boat trip promised this summer, she brightened up as for some reason, us just all going somewhere and taking pencils with us seemed exciting enough. After we had all hand sanitised, that's exciting for Scarlett too, we queued to vote. I'm pretty up on politics and follow it all closely, but even I get a bit bewildered by these London Mayoral elections we were voting for and for some reason everything seems harder when your wearing a mask! The man seated passes your three ballot forms and explained from behind a mask and a screen, so it's hard to hear, about first and second choices, London assembly and something else I missed but because I was hanging on to Scarlett, didn't bother to ask again. There was a whole page of candidates listed from the most obscure parties you could imagine. You have to be so careful when you are distracted not to accidentally vote for Count Binface (yes really) , that actor I used to like in Lewis on the TV but don't at all now he has shown his true colours as a politician or even the YouTube star. There are all these new parties The Let London Live party, the London Real Party, it's all starting to remind me of a Monty Python sketch. I put my crosses in the boxes I wanted posted the ballot paper in the box and hoped for the best. When we got outside, after carefully following the one way system. I asked youngest daughter who she voted for as her second choice  "The Animal Welfare Party" she answered. I didn't even notice them! 

Eldest daughter and her partner were going to look at some houses for sale after they had finished work in the evening so we had Scarlett with us for her dinner too. After we had eaten we were all sitting talking about how we had voted with youngest son. He is the most political out of all of us, yet had refused to vote. He said he was sick and tired of voting for people who are just lying to get the vote. They are all the same and are only ever thinking about their own benefits. They never deliver on what they say and get away with it year in year out. Oh dear! I think he is probably right. Maybe I should have voted for Count Binface after all! He may have turned out to be more trustworthy.

Tom is off today and we have lots to catch up on. We have shopping to do but I still don't have a new debit card which is annoying so we must try and get most done today while Tom is off. The two men putting up the fence are still struggling with fence posts but I will have to tackle the garden at some point regardless as it looks so messy after all the wind we have had. I hope everyone has a lovely day what ever your plans. xx

Windy Days And Pink Hair

 It remained blustery and quite cold yesterday. When the sun came out it was warm but out of the sun it was freezing. I kept my greenhouse closed all day as I didn't want a big gust of wind suddenly blowing all my plants over. When I was travelling over to my Dads there was blossom blowing off the trees everywhere, it is very sad.  He has a beautiful ornamental cherry tree in his back garden and the poor thing has been so battered by the wind, his lawn was covered in blossom. I'm really glad I took this photo of it the other day when it as looking so beautiful.

Yesterday while doing his shopping one thing I realised now is the roads are so much busier. I've almost got used to them being quieter but now everywhere seems almost busier than before and the narrow pavements were packed with people and children. It felt ever so strange and although I've been looking forward to this it's going to take some getting used to. When we got back we had a cup of tea and some of the delicious home made cake that one of his neighbours made for his birthday. All his cakes are lined up in the kitchen even though he's given us some wrapped up in tin foil to take home, he's still going to be eating cake all week!

I spent yesterday evening dying youngest daughter's hair pink. She loves to change the colour all the time and thinks spring is the time to go pink. She looks after children with autism and they are all eagerly awaiting the new colour today. She has warned them it's going to happen but not the colour so they have been trying to guess. One of the little boys apparently said to her "I hope it's not pink, I hate pink!" Oh dear.

The weather looks better today, brighter and less windy but it is still quite chilly. I think I better try and tidy up the garden today as it's looking a bit messy after all those gales. One thing I am very pleased about is sickly tomato plant. I cut off the dead leaves and new ones are really growing now. All the keeping it warm and talking to it seems to have worked. I hope everyone has a lovely day and the sun shines on you for some of it. xx

Green Walls And Skyscrapers

 I walked into Sutton yesterday morning. On nice days I always try and walk there, it's two miles which is just a nice stretch out I always think and I vary my route so I see different things. I always look in peoples front gardens as it gives me ideas. I love to see how people have pruned different plants for different effects. Sutton is much busier now but I went first thing so there were no queues yet. The old Cock Inn sign at the top of Sutton has had a new paint job recently and looks lovely. The old Inn which was a changing point for the London to Brighton stagecoaches has long gone but the sign still remains and I love to see the little piece of history still being looked after. 

Thinking about getting gardening ideas there was a wonderful item on Gardeners World on Friday about trees on skyscrapers in Milan. Apparently Milan has one of the worst pollution problems in Europe. To try and tackle the problem trees have been planted on two buildings. The project was named Bosco Verticale, or in English "Vertical Forest", because together the towers have 900 trees, 5,000 shrubs and 11,000 perennial plants, which help mitigate smog and produce oxygen. This photo on Wikipedia taken by the photographer Darsheni shows how they look.

Although I obviously couldn't do anything on this scale I love the way Wilkinson's in Sutton have added a living wall outside their shop. It was one of the ugliest buildings in Sutton, a typical concrete 1960s soulless sort of building yet it has become a real haven for nesting birds. I'd love to have a go with something similar one day, but then Tom and I talk all the time about building an eco friendly house on our own plot of land. It's a real dream of ours.

I bought two plants in Wilkinson's in the end. A red Camelia for the shady end of the garden by the new rockery and a Ceanothus. One of the houses I walk past has pruned one into a tree and it looks stunning when it is in flower. I'm going to keep it in a pot for a while and try and do the same, it will probably take years but never mind.

It's a very special day today, my Dad's 90th birthday. Sadly because of the restrictions on groups still in place we can't have the big family gathering we had hoped for but we are going in relays over today and tomorrow so everyone can get to spend time with him in his garden, so fingers crossed the rain keeps away. I hope every one has a lovely Sunday what ever you are doing. xx

Middle Class Fly Tipping

 I managed to get quite a lot of tidying up in the garden finished yesterday. At this time of the year if I have a spare half hour I will go out and do one task in the garden as there is so much to do. I'm good at shutting my mind to the bigger picture and just doing one task as otherwise it's so overwhelming. I choose one bush that needs cutting back and don't look at anything else. Our garden is so packed, if I see one gap in the soil I think what can I plant there, it's the only way I can stay on top of it. The Cosmos and new Hollyhock seeds I planted are starting to come up in the greenhouse and sickly tomato plant is growing a few new tiny leaves. I  put it out in the sun in the afternoon and then bring it back in to the kitchen windowsill when it starts to get cold. When I was queueing outside the Co-Op yesterday I bought another tomato plant and a trailing petunia. At £1 each I can see standing next to the display outside the shop is going to be very tempting!

While I was out walking Tess yesterday evening, I came across a box of children's books at someone's front gate with a "Help Yourself" sign on it. All old books, I couldn't resist taking a few, I wish I could have carried more! 

At least the people in this house put a sign there but I still felt a bit embarrassed taking them and did a little grateful wave to the house as I walked away in case they were looking out! Eldest son doesn't care at all when I used to sell on ebay he would regularly phone me up with questions like "How much can you get for a game of Operation, is it worth me taking it for you?" It did remind me of an incident that happened a few years ago. 

I was walking Bud in a very well to do area with enormous houses. By the front gate was a lovely little wooden and wicker child's chair. Scarlett was just a baby at the time but I thought how nice it would be for her when she got a bit older. I dithered and dithered about whether I should take it and in the end went and knocked on the front door and very pleasantly asked if the chair was free to take. "Of course it is" answered the woman "It's what we call middle class fly tipping!" She managed to make me feel as if I should doff my cap and say "Thank you M'lady" as I took it away! I can never walk past things by front gates without thinking of it as middle class fly tipping but it is quite a good idea. I've noticed during lockdown, with charity shops closed, it has really increased and I have to be strong to stop myself sometimes as I have a house full as it is, but the books were different, I can always find a gap for a book. Scarlett loves her little chair and has used it for over two years carrying it from here to there all day so it was well worth it.

It's another bright morning and I'm off to my Dad's house to do his shopping and all the other little jobs that need sorting out. I hope everyone has a lovely day and gets to enjoy some sunshine. xx

Seed Planting And Funeral Thoughts

 I had quite a busy day around the garden yesterday. One job I started on was the step for the caravan. I had stupidly imagined that it would be a really quick job however it took me a long time to rub all the rust off, but the worst was scraping off the old brittle rubber mat on the top. It took me over an hour of scraping with an old knife and  rubbing it down with sand paper in between. The vixen came out from behind the shed to see what was going on and sat watching me, about ten feet away, for a while. I chatted to her while I worked and she stared at me, sitting there like a dog. I did notice while she was sitting her stomach looked really big. I wondered where she will be giving birth as since a house is being built in the garden but one from us I think their territory has shrunk in the last year, one of the reasons they spend so much time in our garden. By the evening I had painted the stand, so just the top to cover now and it will be ready.

I spent a while planting some more seeds in the greenhouse. I planted some sunflowers and some hollyhocks. I have lots of hollyhock plants from seeds my sister gave me last autumn, to plant out when the risk of frost has passed and these will all probably be red, we think. The variety I planted today are called Good Golly Miss Holly and are a mix of "vibrant colours" so they should add some more colour to the border, if they flower this year. If not it will be something to look forward to next year. The sun flowers are a giant variety which can grow up to 9 feet! I doubt very much these will do that well but I'm still looking forward to seeing how they grow. 

After I had finished and was inside having a cup of tea with youngest daughter, our eldest daughter phoned to say Scarlett had got into their first choice of Primary school for September and then the doctor's surgery phoned to book my second coronavirus jab for next Saturday. It was a coincidence as I had just been saying I was looking forward to having it done, and with the news the figures of coronavirus positive tests are at their lowest since September it felt like a really cheerful day. When I went down to the shops yesterday evening I saw our lovely local florist had decorated their shop for spring. All our local shops have worked so hard keeping their windows looking pretty despite being closed and it is really nice to see them open again. 

I was thinking a lot about the Queen and the royal family last night. That terrible night before a family funeral, they must be heartbroken, particularly the poor Queen . They are no different than the rest of us, they have lost a loved one and must be dreading today and the whole thing is going to be in front of the world's media, who will be looking for any look or sign of a drama to make a big thing of. I really feel for them and even though I have a lot to catch up with today, I intend to watch the funeral. It is a moment in our history. It's a lovely morning so I better get going with all the things I want to get finished. I hope everyone has a lovely Saturday and enjoys some of this lovely sunshine. xx

A Special Children's Book And Changing Shopping

 Yesterday made me realise you don't need to spend much money for young children to have an enjoyable time. A few years ago when Scarlett was a baby I bought a book at a jumble sale for 20p. It was at a jumble sale where every toy, teddy or children's hardback book were all 20p. I bought some lovely items and sold many on ebay but this book was so nice I put it away as I thought Scarlett may like it in the future. I wasn't sure as it was a Thomas The Tank Engine Book and I know that is more a little boy thing, but I decided that was rather sexist and remembered how much I loved trains when I was little. On holidays we would always visit steam railways and I thought there was nothing more exciting than those trips around Welsh mountains in an old train. I collected little metal badges of trains from places we visited and I still have them all. When I was sorting out items in my clear out I came across it again. The book is called All Aboard With Thomas and is a pop up book. She was over the moon! From when she arrived until when she left, with the exception of when we went for our walk during which she talked about it, she played with it. It is a pop up book with a little wind up train and cardboard people and animals which she loved, especially as there was a policeman figure. We had lots of imaginary games "Help call the police there's a cow on the line!" Wound up the train and let it run round the track to little train noises and read the story. It was a longer story than I would normally read to her but because she pushed the train around and looked at all the little cardboard village buildings as I read she was mesmerised. 20p very well spent! 

Yesterday evening at about 9pm I realised I had run out of cat food for the morning so went down to the Co-op to buy some. It was freezing cold and so quiet it was almost eerie! I didn't meet another person except for one young man going in the fish and chip shop with his hood up and a mask on, which is a bit startling when you meet them in the dark. All the takeaways were empty and I was the only customer in the Co-op except for a couple of deliveroo drivers waiting for their orders. I wonder if that is why. Who would have thought ordering food from local shops through Deliveroo or Uber would become such a thing. I wonder is it country wide or just in London? You can't go to any food shop now without having to wait behind a line of delivery drivers in their crash helmets. I'm ever so glad all these young people are getting work during such difficult times but if it carries on I can't help but think it will make people very lazy. Such a new thing yet part of everyday life round here now. 

When Tom got in from work at 11pm he said everywhere is so quiet, there's no one out and about. Maybe after just a couple of evenings in pub gardens, the novelty has worn off and the cold weather has driven everyone back inside. Apparently tonight is the last really cold night and then it's going to start warming up a bit. It's a lovely sunny start this morning and I am going to try not to waste a bit of it. My sister took my Dad for his second vaccination yesterday, so it really seems like we are getting through them and by the time the warmer weather returns we will be enjoying a bit more freedom than now. Something to really look forward to. I hope everyone has a lovely day and gets to enjoy some sunshine. xx

Travelling In London And Routemasters

 It seems quite exciting these days to go a bit further afield for a drive. We set off after lunch to go and buy a white Barbary dove as a companion for Dottie our white dove. We drove past Hampton Court Palace and over Hampton Court Bridge. All the flags were at half mast in respect for the death of Prince Philip. It was quite busy all around the area, although I noticed a sign at the palace saying that you could only visit if you had made an appoitment and I would imagine it is the outside only at the moment. I love that stretch of the river with all the pleasure boats and house boats. It took me back to childhood visits when my Auntie and cousins came to stay. My Mum and my Auntie would never stop talking they were so pleased to be together again and on one trip from Kingston to Hampton Court on a pleasure boat we missed our stop completely they were talking so much and had to go back up the river again to visit Hampton Court. I said to Tom that we should really visit some attractions this year. It's quite exciting to try and think of all the places we would like to visit again. 

One reason we have decided to travel about as much as possible this year is our free passes. If you live in London, when you are 60 you get free travel. Free on the trains, underground and buses. Tom gets free bus and underground travel as he is a London bus driver but now he is 60 he also gets free train travel and I got my free pass last August. I have counted the days to this and then there is a pandemic! I have no doubt that very shortly, with all the cutbacks that are on the way, it will be taken away from us. I intend to use it not stop until that day comes. 

We bought the new dove from a lovely young man who breeds them. Despite me navigating with my phone in an area I had no idea where we were, we got there. There was a tricky moment when it went wrong and we ended up going round and round an industrial estate in Feltham, as you can imagine that was quite scenic! It only ended up taking 40 minutes each way and we were back home with the cutest little young dove. We have put their cages together and at the start Dottie was horrified but by the end of the evening they were sitting next to each other through the bars. I think a freindship might be developing and I am hoping they will be very happy together when they go out into the aviary in a week or two.

Eldest son sent me lots of photos of his Routemaster bus out driving around. He said it was such a successful day and so many people wanted to travel on it and talk to him about the history of it as it is has a special Queen's Jubilee livery which seems quite apt this weekend.

There is another busy day ahead of us today. Tom is off work and is having his hair cut this morning. Finally, he will stop complaining. Then we are off to the charity sales room with our boxes that I have been sorting out for months. All non essential retail is opening up in England today and pubs and reataurants are allowed to open to serve people outside and in pub gardens. However I feel very sorry for all the pubs who have worked so hard getting ready for opening today. This is what greeted me this morning. It will have to be a hardy (or desperate) person who wants to sit in a pub garden today.

I hope everyone has a lovely day, manages to stay warm and if you live in England enjoys some of the freedom we are getting today. xx

Royal Memories And A Nosy Cat

The main news in this country yesterday was the death of Prince Philip, the Queen's husband. I am not really a Royalist but I always admire the Queen and Prince Philip for the way they get on and almost without exception, nothing phases them. Talking to my old school friends in our Whats App group last  night we remembered a day we saw him around 1974. We were told in assembly that Prince Phillip would be driving along the by-pass near our school and if we wanted to, we could take flags the school had bought and we could line the road to see him and wave out flags. A typical bunch of surly teenagers we all said "We're not going!" Then we realised it coincided with a double maths lesson and we all suddenly became staunch royalists and off we all went flags in hand. We walked through the fields to the bypass, if we stood there today we would be bang in the middle of the M25, and waited. We all said it was so much more exciting than we expected and when his big black chauffeur driven car appeared with the royal standard on the front, it slowed right down and he wound down his window as it drove by. Of course no one took photos in those day we just waved our flags and cheered and he waved back. We all quite enjoyed the morning and I can remember us all walking back to school arguing about who he had been looking at as he waved. Much more fun than double maths! 

One man in our group who used to own a pub in the 1980s told us a tale that happenend there, He had just openend at 11am and the pub was still empty. In walked Prince Philip on his own an ordered a pint! My friend said "Would you like it in a glass or a jug sir?" to which Prince Philip replied "You can put it in a bucket for all I care!" He drank his pint, looked all around the pub at the photos on the wall, and then said goodbye and left. He said it was the only time his wife had ever seen him speechless! As my friend so typically said at the end of the tale, and I could hear his cockney accent as I read it, "God Bless him, may he Rest in Peace".

I spent quite a bit of time out in the garden yesterday and when the sun came out it was quite warm, so much more is coming up, and I was delighted to see many of the acorns I planted last year from my Dad's oak tree have started to sprout and are just poking above the surface. It's as if they are all in communication with each other all appearing on the same day. The blossom on our cherry tree at the end of the garden is looking very pretty and each year I try and get a photo of it at it's very best, it's not quite there yet.

I had to laugh at Cleo our cat as I was out working. Our next door neighbours were out in the garden too and she couldn't hide her nosiness in what is going on.

I went up into the loft yesterday evening and got a couple of boxes down as there is still a bit of room in the boxes we are going to take to the charity show room next week. So much will be opening up on Monday, it is going to seem strange. Tom say's as he is driving along in his bus every pub he passes, staff are out scrubbing down the fronts and busy setting up tables outside which of course is the only place people will be allowed to sit. He said it is lovely to see so much activity after all these months. 

I'm going to spend part of the day sorting through the boxes I brought down from the loft deciding what to keep and what to get rid of. I'm on a roll with my clearing out so can't wait until next week when the stuff can finally go. I hope everyone has a lovely Saturday what ever you are doing. xx

London Trips And Crochet Letter Boxes

 It was sunny and bright but ever so cold when I went to my Dad's house to get his shopping. Sitting in the shade at the station I was so cross I had forgotten my gloves. It was only 6C with a freezing wind. What a change from last week when it was 23C! Dad's tablets were sorted out and his shopping done. It will be so nice when the other shops in his village open up next week. It will give it much more of a feeling of normality. Although a talented person had made a real effort to brighten it up by the post office with this wonderful knitted decoration.

When I got home at 6.30 Tom had already got in from work. Youngest daughter had gone into central London to meet some freinds in St James's Park. It was her friends birthday and they had planned to get a takeaway and a few drinks and enjoy their meal in the open air. She had wrapped up really warmly but I did think what a shame it was the weather had turned so cold as she had been looking forward to it so much. I was thinking to myself at least it is dry then I got a text message from her saying it was snowing there! 

I often think how strange it is she spends so much time going to St James's Park. She loves it and says it is her favourite park, in normal times she and her friends spend so much of their time there in nice weather. When I was 16 and 17 I worked in London in the 1970s and I would spend most of my lunch breaks there. I worked in a bank in Piccadilly Circus and on nice days we would buy our sandwiches at a little sandwich bar at the corner of Jermyn Street and walk down Lower Regent Street ,cross The Mall and sit eating them overlooking Buckingham Palace. As an extra perk of the job the bank would give us a 15p luncheon voucher a day, which in those days took quite a large proportion off the cost of a sandwich. Shops and restaurants would display a sign in their window if they accepted these vouchers. We would be given them on pay day for the month and sometimes we would treat ourselves, and my friends and I would go to a Steak House for a meal and pay for it all in 15p luncheon vouchers. We must have been really popular! 

After our lunch in the park we would walk down to the palace and wave to the soldiers in their bearskins guarding in their sentry huts. We knew them all by sight and thought they were so good looking! Of course they weren't allowed to move but there was one who would always wave back at us by wriggling his fingers. What a rebel he must have been, I wonder where he is now!

I love talking to youngest daughter about all the things she has seen when she gets back but she was so tired and cold when she got in after not going out at all for months she went straight to bed. She said she had a wonderful time though so I'll be able to hear all about it later on today. It is sunny and bright but ever so cold here today. It was -2C when I got up. I don't intend to walk the dogs until it warms up a bit more and I think I will have a day inside today as there is a lot to catch up with after Easter. I hope everyone has a lovely day and if it is cold were you are you are lucky enough to be able to be just looking out at the brightness. xx

Cold Days And Clear Nights

 It was really cold when we set off to the yard where our caravan is stored yesterday morning. We took our old 1970s awning with us to check it fit on the awning rail. It was so nice to see our lovely little caravan again after the winter and just being inside it, even though we left the cover over three sides, so it was quite dark inside I could atlready imagine those summer evenings sitting inside it with the stable door open listening to our 1970s record player. Unfortunately yesterday while we were sitting looking out it was snowing! The caravan was all safe and fine except where the cover had been pressing on the fibre glass wheel arch, the small crack had got much worse so we are going to have to replace that now, but we have plenty of time before we go away. I bought the 1970s portable record player back with us as I had thought often over the winter I wish I had and on youngest daughter's request, our lovely orange sun lounger. She says she wants to build up her tan before the summer, well she's not going to manage that this week!

We had a couple more showers of snow around lunch time when we got back from the caravan. I had intended to clean out the aviary but decided against is as even though the sun had come out it was still very cold. We spent a lazy afternoon together and it was very nice all being at home. I did manage to source a new wheel arch for the caravan though as I know a man on facebook who is a bit of an expert with these old caravans and he is going to get someone to make us a replacement from the original factory moulds. Aren't some people clever! 

In the evening there was a really clear sky and when I was out walking, one of the most beautiful sunsets I have seen. Worrying about frost I dashed around the garden putting little cloches I had made from cut down plastic bottles over young plants. The fox looked on in amazement!

It is ever so cold this morning. -1C when I got up but it is nice and bright. I'm off to my Dad's today to do his shopping and try and sort out a problem with his tablet delivery which appears to have been affected by the long weekend. I hope everyone has a lovely day and gets to enjoy a little bit of  sunshine. xx

Walking The Dogs

 Happy Easter Everyone! I didn't really get much done yesterday but I did walk a lot. Tom and I decided we would walk the dogs separately as everywhere will be so busy this weekend. We are hoping to give a walk through the woods near us a go today but the trouble is the whole country is at home and only allowed to be outside. All the millions of people who are normally away on holiday are trying to find places to visit and walk or jog! Joggers are a real problem for me when I am out walking Tess. Someone only has to run by us on the pavement and it awakens that Border Collie instinct in her to chase. Luckily she isn't that kind of snap at your heels kind of collie but she would love to run along too and I'm always worried she will scare someone, as she adopts that typical collie herding run, or even worse trip them up. It is not too bad if she is with Layla as she becomes fixated on her not allowing her to "Stray". Like a sheep she is constantly herding her along. It means Layla can't chase her beloved balls when they are out together which is a shame. Cassie luckily when off her lead just trots along next to our heels so doesn't cause Tess any worries. Nothing will distract her. After having Bud before Tess for 13 years we have learned to live with a Border Collie's natural insticts, but if it is very crowded I have to keep her on an extension lead, so I'm hoping today on our nice long walk all together, it will be a bit quieter. Poor Layla she just wan't to bounce along with her toys when we are walking but Tess has other ideas!

I was really pleased last night to win the auction on ebay for the curtain fabric for our caravan. I had been outbid during the week but held my nerve until the last 10 seconds of the auction and bid £20, my limit, but luckily got it for £17. I can't wait for it to come as I will be able to make the toilet curtains in the caravan and some matching cushion covers too.

I'm making a chicken roast dinner today for us as Tom is off and youngest son and daughter are both here. I'll be having Quorn as I don't eat meat but it will still be a nice special meal together. I hope everyone has a lovely day whether you celebrate Easter or not. xx

Easter Cakes And Family Time

 The weather was nice and warm yesterday and quite sunny, not as warm as it has been, but still pleasant. Scarlett and I went out for a walk and she told me all names of all the children at her nursery (including the first letter of their surname if there is more than one of that name), the babies downstairs (so cute!) all the staff, including the ones on holiday finishing up triumphantly with Brian the chef and the two guinea pigs! I have no idea if she is remembering everyone but there are so many I doubt she is forgetting many. I am amazed at her memory and it makes it such fun out walking with her as she remembers everything we have talked about the week before and we can have a proper chat. I am making the most of these days as she starts school in September so our time will be more limited and I know how lucky I am at the moment.

We walked back via the bakers as usual and queued for bread and her cake. The shop was full of Easter cakes and hot cross buns. They have gone to so much trouble, I feel so sorry for them not being completely open as usual with the tea room part packed, inside and out, as it normally is. I would normally take a photo of all the Easter decorations but it was pretty impossible with a queue of people outside the shop and everyone having to socially distance inside. They must be losing so much money after all their hard work. Scarlett chose this lovely little cake and was so excited. It's all so thrilling for children.

Youngest daughter had finished work for the Easter holidays yesterday so was home with us. It was such a treat for Scarlett to have her around and we all went out in the garden in the afternoon. They watched the ducks and the cockatiels together while I watered all the plants in the greenhouse. I was really pleased to see the sweet peas are starting to come up. The whole garden is definitely coming more and more to life. I love taking photographs of it gradually over the next few months to see how it fills out with greenery and colour.

It's much colder this morning. I have been out standing with the dogs early in the morning when I let them out and it has been so nice listening to the birds singing and seeing the sun just starting to come up. Not this morning! I dashed in after a couple of minutes it was so cold and apparently it is going to get worse next week. It looks like it's going to be winter jumper time again! Youngest son has also finished work for Easter now so I will have more company today. I think I better get on with some work before they are up and about, but I doubt that will be anytime soon! I hope everyone has a lovely day what ever your plans. 

It's All Ahead Of Us

 What a lovely day it was yesterday. I worked in the morning and after an early lunch I went out into the garden to tidy up before they come to empty the garden waste bin today. The end of the garden up by the aviary is always a bit neglected furthest away from the house and the weeds have been really growing in the last few weeks. When I am working at the end of the garden the vixen is always sitting watching me. The male fox is more cautious and watches me through a gap in the fence. The vixen is so relaxed now she even doses off in the sun only ten feet away from me. 

So much is coming to life in the garden. I planted some apple pips from an apple off an apple tree in our garden and some plum stones from a plum tree growing in the garden and they are all growing into tiny little trees in pots. Another success is some blackberry seeds I collected while out walking through the woods last autumn. Tiny little blackberry bushes. I can't wait to see how they get on this year.

There are lots of other tree seeds not doing anything at all yet but I'm not giving up on them. Hopefully this warm weather will bring them on. The tulips are coming into bloom and my Persian Buttercups are just starting to appear in the greenhouse. The plum blossom is also starting so I'm hoping for another bumper crop of plums this year. 

Yesterday evening, after Tom had got in from work and we had all had our evening meal. I took Tess to the park. It was lovely to be walking in the light and it was quite quiet in the park when we walked around. The sun was just setting as we left to walk home. As I walked along our little path to out house, just as it was getting dark, I could hear our jazz pianist neighbour playing his piano. I thought it's all ahead of us now. It's a lovely feeling.

When I phoned my Dad yesterday evening he told me he had been out in the front garden when a family stopped their car outside. They told him they had come from Kent, on this first day of being able to travel further afield and wanted to go for a walk. My Dad told them where they could park over the road and the best place to walk to down to a local pond where there are lots of wild birds to see. Later on as they walked back to their car they told him what a nice walk they had. A  few minutes later the mum and little girl came back with an envelope which they gave to him. It said "Thank you for being such a nice man." and inside was a pencil and a notepad. My Dad told the little girl he would keep it by the phone and when he used it he would think of her. Aren't some people kind, it made his day.

It's going to be a another lovely day in the South East and I'm off to my Dad's house today to do his shopping. I'm looking forward to being out on such a nice warm day, it will make a lovely change to queuing in the rain. I hope everyone has a really good day and gets to enjoy some sunshine.

Losing Our Liberties

 There was a lot on the news yesterday about us having to carry vaccination passports if we want to travel or even go into music venues and pubs. It looks as if it may be on an NHS app on our phone that is updated when we have the vaccination. When the first lockdown started last March Tom was given a piece of paper saying he was a bus driver and had to travel to work so it was necessary for him to be outside. He was told he would have to show it if he was stopped by the police on public transport. Youngest son, who is very interested in civil liberties, was horrified and read the whole thing out to us in a Russian accent! How quickly things have changed in a year though, it is all accepted and we are so desperate to get back to normality I think we would agree to almost anything. Although I do worry about how these things are happening I try to remind myself that in other times of national emergency we have had to endure much worse loss of our rights and things returned to normal when the crisis was over. My Dad tells me that during the second world war they all had to carry a National Identity Card and you wouldn't have dared leave home without it. 

However there is another story I have come across recently that really upset me. Eldest son asked me if I would look into the history of his house in Hastings as he is so interested in finding out more about the people who lived there. On the 1939 register in his house I found a couple with their 25 year daughter living there. The wife Dorothy was a local Hastings woman but her husband Charles, or Carl his birth name, had been born in Saxony. They married in 1911 a 17 year old girl and and a young German waiter. Their daughter was born early in 1914. How could they have imagined how badly it would all go wrong. I have seen photos during the First World War of German shops being fire bombed and even dachsunds having stones thrown at them in the street. At some point the couple changed their names to an Anclicised version of their German name and who could blame them. When I saw the husband's nationality on the 1939 register I remembered an epsisode of Foyles War, which is set in Hastings, about German nationals being put in prison and that is exactly what happened to Charles. He was arrested shortly after the outbreak of war and sent to Onchan on the Isle of Mann. Thirty years living and working in this country and he was taken from his home and family to the other end of the country just for being German, it is hard to imagine.

He was released two years later in 1941 "without any restrictions" but it must have taken such a toll on the family. I found a reunited Dorothy and Charles in 1965 on an electoral register living in Bromley in Kent, still using their English surname all those years after the war ended. I was so pleased to find their daughter Irene on electoral registers in London, throughout the war and into the 1950s, when she got married, still proudly using her German surname. I will never be able to visit my eldest son and stand looking out at that view to the sea, without thinking of this little family and what they went through. I will try not to complain about the restrictions we have to contend with now. 

We had a really nice long walk with Scarlett yesterday and she loves the novelty of Tom walking with us. I'm not quite sure we will be able to go for such a nice walk with the dogs today as the weather is looking rather cold, wet and windy. We are going to Lidl this morning and I have a new mobile phone being delivered later so it feels a bit like Christmas, although no doubt it will take me about two weeks to work it all out! I hope everyone has a lovely day and the weather is not all bad. xx