Happy Birthday to Pat

 

Happy Birthday Pat. Wishing you a wonderful day tomorrow.  With love from Jennie xxx

A Wet Walk by the Wye

 

We've had a lot of rain the last couple of days but fortunately not nearly as much as Cumbria or parts of Scotland.  The river was high and moving past at about 10 knots.  Not a good idea to fall in.

The little island that the Canada Geese nested on back in the spring has now disappeared apart from the willow trees that grow on it.

We walk here most days (as long as it's not pelting down).  This area is called The Gro and was used by the community in past years to pasture animals on, tan hides, etc.  The path which now echoes the line of the river is actually where the Roman Road of Sarn Helen ran as it approached from further North via Newbridge-on-Wye and then went on into Breconshire.  I've looked up the route on the map and want to go exploring at the back of Co-op where the road ran through at the back of the Castle too.  Next dry day perhaps . . . 

Looking up on the flanks of Aberedw, where the bracken has turned the colour of ground Cloves.

Now, a surprise - here is the actual November copy of  Homes & Antiques, hot on the heals of that other issue - which was obviously an "extra".  Ah well, I have enjoyed reading both.

My baking for today, except my brain was a bit screwballed as  I was still awake, hoping to drop off, at 3 a.m. this morning.  I forgot to add the margerine!  Ah well, still edible and a bit like those wee apple Soreen loaves.

Just to prove we did have some sunshine today (which put a smile on my face).  The copper beech at the end of our top paddock nearest the lane is now turning golden and beautiful.  The one closer to the house (a common beech) is green with occasional lemon yellow branches of leaves.  The bird feeders are very busy, as ever.

Well, today was an improvement on yesterday when the Universe seemed to want to block me in every way I could, right down to falling to sleep last thing!

Have a lovely weekend all.

Real Life

 

Last Saturday Keith and I drove a lovely x-country route up to Ludlow (via Knighton, if that means anything to you!) to go to an Antiques Fair there, on the Racecourse. Well, not on the actual grass - in the buildings there.  There were a few familiar faces, and some nice things offered, but it was a bit heavy on jewellery, ceramics and silver.  We are furniture folk at heart and were a bit disappointed on that count. We slowly went around the stalls (there weren't that many) before heading for home - by a different route as I wasn't paying attention and missed the turning for the route we'd come in on.  

Below - the only photograph I took, which is a pretty quilt made from printed Indian fabrics.

Above, my monthly treat, and below, current Downstairs Reading.

    Apologies for being short on words these days.  Life has a lot to answer for.  We are currently hunkered down as Covid cases have really spiked in our little town (we had heard it was rife in the schools) and it doesn't take many to make it look Very Scary Indeed as this is a small community.  Entire families stand the risk of catching it when a child is infected.  I was careful when I went shopping yesterday to stand in the queue to pay each time behind an Elderly Person, rather than young enough to have school-going children.  Although we've had our booster jabs, I am still wary though I try not to count days after we have been to a Fair.  We always wear masks and walk through without stopping more than a minute or so to look at a particular stand.

    It's harder when we have tradesmen in the house, but I have to insist that masks be worn, to be on the safe side.  Keith and Tam are more complacent, and both think I am being a bit of a worry-wort, but I don't think you can be too careful in your home.  The Plumber will be coming soon (I hope - it should be next week) and will be here for a week and I shall have windows open and insist on masks - it will be him, his apprentice and then the chap to do the tiling.

    I am feeling very down as Keith's health isn't improving now he has been off the steroids for a few months.  We can no longer lay his symptoms at the door of the steroids.  His walking is not good, his balance is worse, and whilst we have his brain scan brought forward, the results may be even more worrying.  He went to the Falls Clinic recently but they said they couldn't really help him as his balance is so bad - so now he's been referred to Physio.  We just want a diagnosis and hopefully treatment. The future doesn't look very bright at the moment.

    We will have to deal with it as it unrolls, but I can't plan anything really - we had hoped for a holiday once we had moved, but Covid has put this plan on hold, and the longer we go on, the less mobile Keith becomes. We've not been away for longer than two nights in over twenty years.  I've looked into getting a Blue Badge, as he struggles getting in and out of the car and walking is an effort but apparently that isn't enough to qualify.  You have to be terminally ill, or have a broken leg or both arms not functioning (to put money in a meter).  

    I am really struggling to try and be positive right now, so if I just put up photos, and few words, you will know why.  I don't normally like to post about personal problems but I need to offload.  Apologies.

Walking and sewing therapy

 I am in need of both at the moment, with various worries in the background.  Still, we must count our blessings as there is always someone worse off, and indeed on one of my Facebook groups today someone reported in (from America) and in the past two or three years has lost a baby, had diagnosis and operations for 3 separate cancers, and also has 3 auto-immune diseases. Then a stroke.  My heart goes out to her and her family and I pray that she will make a full recovery.  She is such a lovely lady, with a young family.  No-one deserves to be played this hand of cards in life.

Anyway, today I got the grocery shopping done.  Keith came along for the ride and we had a short walk beside the Lake at Llandod.  Everywhere seems busy because it's half-term.  On my walk yesterday I met a couple of cyclists (struggling up these hills!), someone walking the dog, and several groups of walkers - one (locals I think) coming the other way on the footpath through the woods towards the church.

Here's a really splendid oak tree in the field beside the track.

Looking back up the valley - this white farm has our water Reservoir on its land. Tam and I did a walk that way back in the early summer - whilst the nettles along one track were just ankle high.  No point going after that or you'd be waist-deep in them!

The Quarry, which we can see very well from our bathroom window!  It's all lit up at night and they seem to start work around 5 a.m. as I have seen orange vehicle lights moving about at that hour.

I think this may be an Ivory Funnel Fungi  (Leucopacillus giganticus) - although this one wasn't huge.  More likely it's the Peppery Milkcap Lactifluus piperatus).  It's been a long time since I've found any Milkcaps - Fungi was a bit thin on the ground on my walks in Carmarthenshire.

These clouds were stacking up just as I got close to home.  It waited to rain when I was indoors.

I slept badly again last night, so haven't done much today.  I managed some x-stitch whilst I was watching Escape to the Country - a couple with a million pounds who fell in love with the first house they saw (in Derbyshire) and went on to buy it.  I think they had been looking quite some time and then hey-ho, they found the perfect house.

Here's a lovely old boy who has moved into the area.  A Lippizaner (his brand can be faintly seen on his hind leg where it joins the quarters - his growing winter coat has masked it), and quite dippy-backed now. Such a sweetheart.

As I mentioned, I am finding the x-stitch good therapy for worries at the moment.  It gives me something to look forward to as well and that's no bad thing.  Not much else to look forward to apart from having our new bathroom finally installed and being able to have a bath again.  Which reminds me, I need to find and order some bathroom wallpaper pronto . . .

Making the most of the sunshine

 

Our copper beech has lost its beautiful burgundy hue and is now turning brown, as is the ordinary beech over our big pond.  We will get a bit more view back when the leaves have dropped.

We had sunshine today, and it was too good to waste, so I did the circular walk through the woods, across the fields to the church, and back along the lane.

Half way round.  I'll be back with some more photos tomorrow.  The new header was taken just a little further on.  I used the Panorama shot - should have used it here where there was less grass and more view.

Sorry for the lack of words - I always run out of oomph in the evening.  Need to sit down with my x-stitch now.

Friday round up

I finally blew the dust off two x-stitch projects this week.  This William de Morgan one I can share with you but the other is a present (albeit a couple of years late!) so I can only share once it has been received and opened.   I bought this kit when we visited Wightwick Manor, some 3 years ago now, for my birthday day out.  However, I had to start with some unpicking on the other project, AND order DMC 844 as it was NOT in the zip-lock bag with all the other threads for the work.  My new craft light is perfect for close work like x-stitch.

 

When we went to Hay yesterday, after a break of 3 weeks, I saw this book and Keith offered to buy it for me.  It's a castle we've not been to, so are planning a visit.  The book is very good and focuses on the de Lacy family as well as the castle and the development of this piece of landscape since prehistoric times.

I'm also reading this, which my friend Gay sent me - part of a series.  Nice light reading.

Ignore the cobwebs - I need to get on the steps and sort them tomorrow.  These are my ex-display flowers I've used on our stand at Antiques Fairs, so they have been put out to give some colour to that corner and replace the faded Hydrangeas which were there before.

Below: lowering grey skies a couple of days ago when I was up on the Bank.

Looking across to the Church.  The dratted wires always get in the way.

It rained on Tuesday.  A LOT.  A good day to start tackling these eyesores in our bedroom.  Unfortunately I can't remove the outer "frames" without taking half the plaster off the wall, but I have scraped (laboriously) the wallpaper off the centre panel of the first one and removed the beading from the other two.  I am hoping that when it's all painted blue, the "frames" won't be so obvious. I shall, however, hang pictures inside them.

Someone asked for a look at the current wallpaper in there - this pinky-brown and beige is it. You can see it's rather gloomy in the photo of the wall. NOT to my taste.  I'm back to the plan to use the original dark blue wallpaper I chose, which has Meadowsweet and other wild flowers on it in a nearly-white design.

    All these jobs take me a long time though - I can't do them day after day as my muscles and joints complain, but I'll get there in the end.

    

More expense this week as 4 of my pans AND the Wok, don't work on the new cooker.  These were on offer at Nibletts in town (£7 off marked price) and I had to have more pans, as although I have my Le Creuset set I find them very heavy to pour from when full, since I fell over Little Whale and damaged my wrist about 18 mths ago. More expense to come as the aged heating boiler is on the blink.  So we had a chap come out today to give us a quote, and now need a couple of others.  Needless to say the quotes will be 4 figures, which is never good news.

This afternoon I called on my neighbour/friend C and had a cuppa and a chat and then we walked her dogs, so I have my steps well up today.  My hip joints had been very achey after my Covid booster on Wednesday, but the walk helped loosen everything up again.

    Now Friday evening beckons, with a glass or two of white wine, and something enjoyable on tv. Sad to see the last of All Creatures Great and Small last night.  So enjoyable and well done.  Anyone else been watching it?

St Maelog and Llandrindod Lake

 

Keith and I decided to check out the Lake at Llandod recently.  I had to come back another day with my camera as I'd forgotten it the first time.  Lots of words - but all of them printed signage.  I'll pop back later and try and add some more, but have been awake half the night.  I had my Covid Booster yesterday and my shoulder/neck was sore in the night, but apart from that I'm fine.

The chapel site was very interesting, and St Maelog seems to have been a real traveller, starting off life as a Pictish prince and ending up a Celtic Saint, having travelled throughout Wales, Cornwall, Ireland and then ending up in Britanny, where his brother St Gildas also ended his years.