Hobbies and Crafts

I have just put a photo of a 1.5 inch beaded star made by Annx on my photo blog for those who have the address. It is beautiful.

Gill, I hope Sandra doesn't have any more panic attacks. It must be very frightening for her and distressing for you to see. The advice is usually to slow the breathing, perhaps by counting as you breathe in and out, but chewing mints probably automatically made her breathe more slowly so I am sure you did the right thing. I hope you are feeling a bit better now as well.

I love Annx's star that Ann has put on her photo blog. I always admire anyone who is "crafty" as I am hopeless.

Today has been sunny here but with a really cold wind. For the first time today I had to wear an anorak while gardening. I am trying to get into the garden for a short spell each day as I am behind with "bedding it down" for the winter. Today I managed to cut down all the helenium and about half of the rudbeckia clumps. They would have been ideal jobs for my shears-happy Mr Scissorhands but, having got him onto decorating and other indoor jobs, I daren't ask him to garden now. Oh well, I shall just plod on ;-)

:-D can’t win can you Vera. You could always suggest a change is as good as a rest and the fresh air will give him a break.

Yes the star is lovely. She is so talented.

Thanks Ann for sending Sandra more stickers, I'll let her know when she wakes up. She'll be so excited again now and will be waiting for the post to arrive. She's been fine since her panic attack and hasn't had another one, she's also sleeping better now she's back in her own bedroom, so hopefully things will be fine for her now.

I was given some pretty material the other day (Laura Ashley) it has little red roses on a white background. They were curtains with a white cotton lining, so I've suggested to Sandra that we could cut it up and make something pretty for her bedroom. She has her own little Christmas tree so maybe a few little things to put on it or some nice cushions for her bed. She's never sewn anything before so is a bit nervous, so I suggested that she makes something with the white cotton first to gain her confidence then if she wants she can make something with the other material to. We're going to have a look online for some ideas, then she might find something she feels confident in making.

It sounds like you're very busy in your garden Vera, hopefully it won't be long before it's all finished. Our neighbour next door (Mr Grumpy as I call him) had someone in to cut his conifers, at first we thought the whole conifer was being cut down which would of taken away some privacy, but luckily he just had someone take the bottom branches off. I hope he keeps it that way and doesn't change his mind and take the whole tree down, we'd lose all our privacy then and I guess it would be very windy too. He had someone cutting his hedge but didn't do the whole of the top, it looks a bit daft now. Not sure if it'll be finished or not. He's not a gardener and both front and back gardens are a real mess. His back garden looks like Steptoe's junk yard, we got so fed up at looking at it we put a 7 foot screen up all around the garden to block the mess out.

I've seen Ann's star, she emailed it to me, she makes some lovely things and even made Sandra a beaded bauble one year in her favourite colour of pink, it has pride of place on the Christmas tree every year and looks lovely. Mel, (I think you know her Ann), made Sandra a fairy for the top of her little pink Christmas tree she has in her bedroom, there are so many talented people on Genes.

Another lovely day here. OH has been rotovating where the potatoes were so that now looks neat and tidy! I've wound up the long hose and put it away, dead headed some roses, watered the Avocado and changed Merlins (Exmoor pony) big summer water trough for a winter bucket!! Cas (spaniel!) has had a good run in our field so she's happy! I've noticed that we have some raspberries!! This afternoon I must pick some for supper!

OOh I envy you your raspberries Liz, my favourite, prefer them to strawberries. We had some canes but OH (who, of course, knows better - don't all men? moved them and they seem to have died this year.

Gill yes, I know Mel, I do read her thread sometimes but only very rarely comment as it is like joining a private conversation when you don't know the back story :-D :-D Lovey for her and Ann to make things for Sandra's tree.

I've picked Raspberries, and then found myself cutting out the dead canes!!! That's been done now and the debris is on the bonfire!! I'm really going to try and tie them up properly this year as they're falling all over the place! M.D's put mine to shame! OH has made a cuppa :-D. He's cooking tonight too, so double :-D :-D <3!

we are just back from a visit to Westonbirt Arboretum, being half term and also the fact there was a report on it on TV news last night, the world and his wife and kids were there too. Still we were fairly early so managed to see most of it before the crowds got bad, most people (as we do) head for the restaurant for coffee first which evens the crowds out a bit.

We didn't think the colours there were as good as Batsford, but it is a week and a rain/wind storm later so that is probably why. Still we enjoyed it. Drove back to Nailsworth for a soup lunch in the garden centre which was Wyevale but is now Blue Diamond. The drive across the Cotswolds in brilliant sunshine was beautiful, we are so lucky to live in a picturesque area.

Ann, we live about three miles from Westonbirt, and go there two or three times a year. Not half term though!!! It is lovely and makes a good afternoon out for us. As you say, we're lucky to live in such a lovely part of the country

Oh how lovely, raspberries Liz, I'm like Ann and prefer them to strawberries, which pleases Sandra as we have lots of strawberry plants so she has them all to herself. Sandra was pleased to hear about Merlin and Cas, she loves to hear how they are getting on.

I've just Googled the two places you said you went to Ann, what beautiful area's to visit, shame about the bad weather though where the colours are concerned, but never the less an enjoyable day out by the sounds of it. You are luckily living where you do, I envy you. Sorry to hear about your raspberries maybe they'll come back again next year. That's the thing with men they think they're helping but sometimes it doesn't quite work out the way they hoped. My OH leaves the plants to me and he does most of the hard landscaping and cuts the lawns, it works for us.

I've just been looking at my back garden and it's looking really nice, the Acer has lovely deep red leaves on it, pity they fall off in the end though. It would be nice to look at all year around. I do have a winter cherry which looks as if it's going to have a lot of winter blossom on it this year. We took it out of the ground just before Christmas last year and put it in a big pot, we weren't sure if it would survive, but by the looks of it, it did, so I'm really pleased as it is a lovely plant of about 10 foot tall. We only took it out because it was in the wrong place, but I'm glad I did as it didn't flower very well last year, now it's in a more sheltered spot it's doing much better.

You are more than welcome to come onto Mel's thread if you want to Ann, everyone would make you feel welcome and you'll soon get into the swing of things. I felt the same as you when I joined them 4 years ago as they had been friends for around 8 years by then, but now it feels like I've known them my whole life. With being Sandra's carer my whole adult life (I had her when I was 18, I'm almost 52 now) I haven't got any friends, so having people to talk to online is lovely, otherwise I'd feel very lonely and isolated, as I don't go out much.

I've just finished watching all the Gardeners World's I recorded and also the Garden rescue programmes, so that's it now until next year :-( I love gardening programmes and will miss them, roll on the spring so I can watch some more.

The wind was very strong here last night and there were lots of banging noises, luckily nothing in our garden was damaged, but by the sounds of it I don't think my neighbours were as lucky. It's calmed down a lot now, but they say we're in for a bad winter.......not looking forward to that. I did notice today the Salvia's (hot lips) I put in the ground in the front garden are doing really well, much better than the ones I have in pots in the back, the flowers are lovely and they were only cuttings I took earlier in the year, so I'm very pleased with them. Hope they make it through the winter now.

Oh really Liz, a bit further for us we are in Churchdown, have to travel two junctions of the M5 then via Stonehouse, and across the downs and through the delightfully named Cockadilly and onwards to cross the A46. A lovely drive and traffic through the narrow roads wasn't too bad we were there at 1015 so ahead of the crowd. We would generally avoid school holidays if possible but the forecast was good and not getting better, we had not been able to get there before so had to take a chance before the leaves dropped (as they have been doing from the looks of some of the bare branches. We are friends of Westonbirt so do like to get our moneys worth. we were impressed at how they had got enough catering places going that it was not too bad getting a drink.

Westonbirt photos on the blog

Just seen the photos on the blog Ann. It looks a lovely place to visit.

It is Gill

Afternoon all it's lovely and sunny here, we've just had to water the plants, I know, watering plants in the middle of October,.......what next? :-D :-D We haven't had any decent rain for ages and some of the pots were drying out, especially the bigger ones with all the wind we've had lately, so that's a job out of the way now. What's the betting it rains later LOL ;-)

Sandra's asked me to say THANK YOU ANN for the stickers and card making things they've just arrived, she is chuffed to bits and has put them in a tin I had spare with the other things you sent her. She told me she was running out of letters so is thrilled with those and of course the pink butterflies and snowmen, in fact she's thrilled with everything. I noticed you posted it on 23rd so it only took 2 days to arrive, not bad after the first class post took almost a week.......it is strange how 2nd class stamps take less time to arrive than the 1st class ones do.....the wonders of the postal service, I guess we'll never know how it works will we? lol

I doubt I'll see much of Sandra now as she goes through all her bits and bobs deciding what to make next. Thank you Ann you have made her day <3

Pleased it arrived ok and quickly too Gill. Lovely to know it has made Sandra happy, especially when you think it costs so little to make somebody happy. I have loads of stickers that just are not getting used at the moment so it was much better for me to send them to somebody who will get use out of them. :-) :-)

It has turned cold today after the lovely day yesterday when we had a lovely day visiting Westonburt Arboretum to photograph the autumn colours. OH is tidying up the geraniums before bringing them into the conservatory as we are promised a very cold weekend.

We have second youngest grandson coming for the weekend tomorrrow. On Saturday he is going with OH to watch Gloucester rugby, His present to OH for his 80th last July.

Yes Ann, Sandra is very happy at the moment which I'm pleased about after her panic attack the other day. Things have calmed down for her now, I think now she's back in her bedroom that has helped and she's not talking about the break ins anymore, so that's good.

I noticed the weather forecast before and it's going to be very cold for a few days, they didn't say it was going to snow or anything like that, just a bitterly cold wind coming from the Arctic, can't say I'm looking forward to that and I doubt the plants will like it either. I only have the greenhouse to store plants and I have about 15 in there already, so I don't think I'll get many more in. I don't have a conservatory which is a pity as that would of been ideal. Most of the pots in my back garden are close together, so hopefully that'll help keep them warm.
My garden is looking really pretty at the moment so I hope it stays that way and nothing is damaged in the cold. OH managed to cut the lawns the other day, it wasn't easy as they were a bit wet so I can't see them getting cut again this year unless we have a few dry sunny days. At least the lawns look good now. The plants in the planters we bought are starting to grow and are filling out nicely now. I was concerned the planters may of rolled away with the high wind we had the other night, but luckily the bits of wood we put under the wheels kept them in place.

How lovely to have your second youngest grandson coming to stay and going to watch Gloucester Rugby with his granddad, they'll enjoy that together. Do you have anything planned when they're out enjoying themselves?

I took a look at your blog yesterday and noticed the craft section, the cards are lovely so I'm going to show Sandra so she can get some ideas for her card making. You have lots of nice pictures of different things on there, including Ann's beaded items, she's very clever with her beading isn't she, as are you with your crafts and Jeans cards were lovely too.
Such a nice blog to look at <3

A lovely day here but a cold wind again. The forecast is for a cold weekend so I think I will have to get various plants in the mini greenhouse and the conservatory by tomorrow night.

I managed to get into the garden for an hour or so today so finished cutting back the rudbeckias and started on tidying up the hostas. I also cleared out some of our troughs that had annual begonias in as they were beginning to look quite tatty. OH also found a roll of fleece at the back of the garage for me and I’ll use that to protect half a dozen pots of agapanthus that we have outside. I’ve had them for several years and they seem to survive the winter outside with a bit of protection.

I have been really surprised at how much is still in bloom in the garden. I’ve got blue and white campanula plants in bloom and I can’t remember them being in flower so late before, plus Japanese anemones and the geraniums still keep throwing up new blue flowers. The penstemon are still going strong as well. It’s lovely to see so much colour still.

Ann, I hope your OH enjoys his trip to rugby and you have a good time with your grandson

It sounds like you're getting there sorting out your garden ready for the winter Vera. I've done everything I can now, all the plants I can protect are sorted and either put in the greenhouse or down the bottom of the garden behind the conifers where it's sheltered. I'm so glad we created that area 2 years ago and flagged it this year, it's a godsend and we've managed to get such a lot of plants down there. Our neighbour over the back cut their hedge the other week so there's a bit more light down there now and a bit of space for the rain to get in, so the plants should be okay for the winter now. They are spring and summer plants so won't need moving again until next year. I had a look down there today and noticed my fuscia's are still in flower, I was quite surprised.

I'm the same as you and very surprised how most of my plants are still in flower, I'm still deadheading which is very unusual for this time of year, but it's keeping the flowers going. I should imagine once the frost arrives it won't look as pretty though, but for now I'm enjoying looking at such a colourful garden.

Having the mini greenhouse must be wonderful for you Vera, I know how much my greenhouse is used, all year around. I've never had one before, it was here when we moved in 10 years ago and now I wouldn't be without one. I put Sandra's pot strawberries in there in the summer, otherwise the birds would have them all and we've grown potatoes, carrots and tomatoes in pots in there to. I also have two climbing bluebell plants which are doing great and it's a smashing place to put my succulents during the cold winter months. I've recently had to put all my bulbs I have in pots in there as the squirrel was digging them up and although they are growing quicker it's better than not having any at all next year. So all in all I'm really pleased I now have a greenhouse. I can see how useful yours is too. That was lucky finding the fleece and just in time before the cold weather arrives.