Hobbies and Crafts

Jane, I now have this vision of an upside down you in a punt! :-D Daughter in law and grandson got home from a couple of days in Cambridge as we arrived there on Friday.

Maryanna, sounds as if everything that could go wrong has done so hope all was well for the actual get together. Would also hope that youngest son now realises what overindulging results in. Or was it something he ate? Ugh sticky coke must be horrible to get off, especially as, no doubt you had been cleaning for the occasion. (I thought they had all left home now? yoyo children?

Kandj As far as I can tell Luke had a wonderful birthday. There are lots of children on his mum's side so he has a ready made party for occasions.

We had a lovely weekend in Milton Keynes, eaten far too much. DiL tends not to cook so we had takeaway chinese friday and quiche and slad Saturday then son took us all out for brunch this morning so we had a full English and I am NOT getting on the scales now!! Also went out for snack lunch where they do rather nice sandwiches and tea in proper tea cups yesterday (our treat that time, just 4 of us that time as son stayed home to watch cricket and grandson was working. Son had won yet another competition and had a gift card from BHS so treated me to a pull on type sundress for over swimsuit and a top to match the two piece bottom I already have. And Granddaughter also had a couple of things. :-) :-)

We then drove home via the country route over the Cotswolds instead of via the M40/A34 and A40 from Oxford. Drove through the lovely villages, one of which was Aynho, to Chipping Norton, the Moreton in Marsh, Stow, Andoversford and into Gloucester. It was sunny and showery until a cloudburst as we came into Gloucester but sunny again when we got home. :-)

It wasn't a pretty sight Ann :-S.I will be careful next time (if there is a next time lol)
Oh Maryanna !!!!!!..It sounds like a Sit Com (sorry :-D).Hopefully now things are going full swing with your 'do'.The sun is coming out here now ,so maybe it has with you.

Ann that sounded a lovely route home.Much prettier than the old Motorway.I went to Moreton in Marsh a few years ago to see if could find any record of my Mum's Brother who was killed in the war when his plane crashed there.

Kandj,I have told the Butterflies that you would love to see them.Did they arrive today?
We haven't seen so many ,probably to do with the rain :-|

Mens tennis getting very exciting now :-D..It is so close.I am up and down from my chair like a YoYo.OH can hear me and he is out in the Summerhouse lol...Looks like the roof might be closing any minute now.

Jane, you have been giving me a good giggle at the thought of you head down and bottom up. A couple of years ago I went flying in Chelmsford High Strret and as I lay there sprawled across the pavement with the contents of my bag strewn around and my glasses damaged, all I could think was "thank goodness I'm wearing trousers" :-D We weren't on punts but a riverboat with an engine. It was a 2 hour trip with a cream tea. The boat is apparently licensed for 110 passengers. All I can say is it must be very cosy with that many on board. There were 20 of us and there was plenty of room but there was no way we could have had another 90 on board.

What a weekend you have had Maryanna. I hope you are at least enjoying today and that you are getting better weather than we are here.

Kandj, I hope you are feeling a little less tired now. A hug for you <3

Ann, I hope Luke had a whale of a day on his birthday. He looks such a poppet.

Our garden people finished Wednesday evening. I haven't seen any birds much since then though of course I have no feeders up yet. Haven't seen Humphrey the frog either though the garden men did say before they left that he was still around as they had kept moving him to a safe place while they were working. He is probably one very confused frog.

We had a look at bird baths while we were out yesterday. We have a spot that is just asking for one. Some of them were very ornate and I was imagining trying to scrub bird poo off all the fancy scrolls etc. I saw a plain one I liked, just a shallow bowl on a pedestal but it had a nice shape to it so I think we'll be going for something like that.

I want to get the planting under way soon so that I can sort out where to put feeders. I hardly know how to fill my time now I'm not constantly making fat cakes ;-)

Vera ,did you have your Cream Tea in Grantchester in the lovely Tea Garden there?
I'm so glad the Frog hasn't gone elsewhere with everything that has been going on in the garden.He must like it with you :-D
I bet you are itching now to get everything done .I like the sound of the birdbath .It is the Pidgeons that seem to make all the mess in ours,and of course they do big poos :-S :-S.We are always hosing our birdbath out.
I see the window feeder needs topping up..Better do that now.Keep the birds happy :-D

From the poem The Old Vicarage Grantchester: By Rupert Brooke

Do hares come out about the corn?
Oh, is the water sweet and cool,
Gentle and brown, above the pool?
And laughs the immortal river still
Under the mill, under the mill? 135
Say, is there Beauty yet to find?
And Certainty? and Quiet kind?
Deep meadows yet, for to forget
The lies, and truths, and pain?… oh! yet
Stands the Church clock at ten to three? 140
And is there honey still for tea?

I love Grantchester although not had a cream tea there. When we used to go to Cambridge when we lived over that side of the country we used to walk from Cambridge to grantchester along the river.

The tea was provided on the boat. Tables nicely laid with white cloths, scone with jam and cream and a few blueberries and strawberries on our plates, and tea or coffee to drink.

As we were going towards Grantchester in the boat one of our group said "is there honey still for tea? " and I said something like "that depends on whether the church clock still stands at ten to three". I was surprised that hardly anyone in our group had a clue what we were talking about. We got some very strange looks. You could almost hear them thinking "Poor souls, the sun's frazzled their brains" :-D

I quoted those two lines to my daughte in law and she didn't have a clue either :-D

I can remember those lines from the Rupert Brooke poem from schooldays. We had an English teacher Mr Goddard who LOVED poetry and shared his enthusiasm with us all.
Another one by Rupert Brooke I also remember is The Soldier........

If I should die, think only this of me;
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is forever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped , made aware
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam.
A body of England's, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by the suns of home.

Anyone remember this one too? Takes me way, way back!!

Ann, perhaps you have to be a certain age before knowing these poems???

Vera, thanks for the hug very welcome just now. Perhaps you should start a poetry thread? I'm pleased your workmen have gone and your frog left in peace again.
The birds should find you when all is back in order with feeders and new birdbath.

Maryanna, I hope the sun shone for your family get together later today and that everyone settled down so you could relax and have a great time together.

Jane, only the one red admiral butterfly briefly this morning. No others around yet.
I split a rather overgrown Buddliea bush and not sure I have done the right thing now, but time will tell and I'm hopeful the butterflies will be back very soon.

Not a lot of birds visiting here today either. See what tomorrow brings.

When the kids were small we had a Wendy House in the garden. Our daughter and her little brother used to like having honey sandwiches for tea, which they would eat at a little table and chairs in the Wendy house.

It had a clock on the front and the hands were always pointing to ten to three.

I have been chuckling over Ann's two piece bottom and the thought of Jane's behind in the air on a punt.

Recently a charity shop in town had a big sign outside offering, ladies bottoms half price. People were curled up with laughter as they walked past.

When we were in France last year, I was trailing along behind everyone else taking photos, as usual. The next thing I knew I was flat on my face, backside up in the air, by the side of the road. Oh and I was wearing a shortish sundress, just hope I wasn't flashing my knickers. I was just worried I hadn't damaged my camera.

A car driving by tried to stop but got hooted at by the one behind them so carried on. A man on the other side of the road thought it was hilarious and stood laughing at me and then called his son over, he was about eight, and they both just watched as I struggled to my feet, I had an enormous gash on one knee and grazed all down my left arm and leg. Luckily I had loads of plasters and wipes in my bag.

We then went to look at some cave paintings and I bashed my head on a stalagmite on the way in, himself then walked into it on the way out !!!

Yesterday went very well, twenty of us, one table in the dining room with the conservatory doors open and another in the conservatory, fortunately our dining table seats ten, twelve at a push.

I proved to Himself that three large chickens and a big leg of lamb were not too much although I possibly did too many new potatoes. Anyway we managed to stay seated for over five hours !!!

We had four different puddings and I made Himself the biggest birthday cake in the world. Well, nearly.


The only disappointment was that we couldn't get to sit outside although I did drag everyone out after pudding and before coffee and cheese for a tour of the garden.

Kandj both bumps are doing well and most of the Little ones spots have gone so she can go back to nursery for the last few days of term.

Vera, I am so jealous, the thought of starting a new garden ......... Enjoy !

M.

Vera's garden photos are on the photo blog.

Kandj yes I remember that one too although I can't recite them off by heart.

We still have not had any butterflies on our buddleia, I am wondering if maybe there are not so many around this year.

All I have seen in the way of Butterflies so far are loads of cabbage Whites on my Purple Sprouting and Kale some tiny blue ones and a few brown ones,not sure if they are Tortoiseshells but no Peacocks or Red Admirals at all.

M.

Sounds like the party went well then Maryanna :-D.5 hours at the table is pretty good !!!.I think our longest was about 4 hrs.I bet the wine was flowing :-D
Had to laugh about you worrying about showing your 'knickers' when you fell.Shame on everyone not coming to your aid :-S.It reminded me of when I worked in Athens in 1972.I was wearing a mini skirt and just walking along one of the main roads in the city with my friend.An elderly Greek lady came up to me and told me that a man was taking photos of me as my skirt was hitched up in my pants :-S :-S..Shock ,horror!!!
I tackled the man (not physically) and got him to take the roll of film out of the camera . Turned out he was working for Paris Match Mag !!.I just remember threatening that I would report him to the police .(not that they would have done anything :-S )

Must have a look at Vera's pics now.

Hello All

Sunshine and showers for us today and humid so not really very nice at all.

Just had a look at the make-over for Vera's garden. There has been a lot of hard work and it will be beautiful and worthwhile Vera when you get all the planting in place.

Thanks Ann for adding the photos to the blog.

No problem Kandj, all welcome! The garden is looking good isn't it? Must be great to have a blank canvas!

Yes not a nice day here either, humid and very drizzly most of the day, no sun at all. And the day not improved by the first of two dentist appointments this morning. Deep cleaned one side now (loads of injections first and a bone chart made apparently (wondered what he was doing in my mouth!) Next appointment is Friday.

Jane that was not a very nice experience in Greece in the 70s. Where were you working then?

Maryanna, sounds like you had a good party in the end then after all the mishaps and what have you. Glad you all enjoyed yourselves. Is that it for this year, I am quite exhausted reading about all your preparations so I am sure that you are ready for a rest.

Jane I read on the childhood thread about the little greenfinch, at least I can't remember but think it was a greenfinch. did it survive do you think?

did you have a good day in Cambridge? Was it Monday you were going?

Ann I was in Athens(just a few miles out of the city).I was 18 and working looking after 2 young boys.I have to say even though I got myself into some right old situations there it was a great experience .Made me grow up and gave me loads of confidence :-D

I think the bird survived :-D.I got OH to go and have a look ,and it had gone .So i am guessing it recovered and was able to fly off.
We did have a nice day in Cambridge.It was Monday.We basically did a bit of shopping and had lunch at Jamie Oliv***.Ordered a new TV :-D(that will be here next Wednesday).We have been putting up with a flickering screen now for far too long.

Tomorrow we are going to Water Perry(Oxford)for the Art in Action Fair.We went last year and it was so hot(in the 30's).Tomorrow looks about 23 degs so should be much more comfortable :-).So early start for us in the morning and early to bed tonight.

Enjoy your day tomorrow and tell us all about it Jane.

Well one more appointment attended today, hearing aids checked and tubes changed, then a meal at Wetherspoons. Tomorrow hai and Friday dentist again?,

Hello All

We had our dental check ups last month for both OK now for the next six months. Not my favourite place to visit I must admit. When treatment is needed it is doubly painful, hits the mouth and the debit card! Good luck for tomorrow's treatment Ann.

It should be much more comfortable for you both today Jane. Have a good day out.
I am just going to google the exhibition now.

Vera, I hope Humphrey the frog has shown up again now the workmen are all done.

Maryanna, have all the family gone away after the weekend get together. Did your husband enjoy the cake? Is it this week that you finish work and look forward to your retirement? Hope all is still well with your daughter's pregnancy after the recent scare.

Our only Granddaughter Katie is returning today from a 5 day school trip in Iceland.
Next year's school trip is skiing in France..... it's all so different to my schooldays.

Lots of starlings eating everything in site and hogging the bird baths today. They are very noisy and aggressive birds. Real bullies in the bird world, nasty things.

Lol Kandj my mum used to feed the birds and she hated starlings, she would rush out going 'shoo, shoo' and flapping her arms. They always seemed to just come back and finish the food off though. :-D :-D

the thing is though we never get a clean bill of health at the dentist because he always wants to do a deep clean and my gums have receded so far that it is really painful to have done so for me it is always two appointments after the check up and injections doing one side at a time.