Before the car decided to give me problems, I was going to go to Aberystwyth to go on Rosie's 1st birthday outing. It clashed with a coach trip run by the Heritage Society to some of Radnorshire's most interesting churches, with lunch at the Visitor Centre in the Elan Valley, and home via Cors y Lyn bog (the one I have visited several times now, with boardwalks). Anyway, now the car's off the road, they were looking to fill the last seats and I got the very last one and friend Pam will give me a lift into town on Saturday.
This morning Pam bought me up my newspaper and we took her rescue dog for a lovely walk along the River Wye, up past Pen-ddol rocks, and up through the woods and back in a loop. It was lovely
I made a big pan of risotto with a gammon steak chopped up, rice, tinned chopped tomatoes, onions, peas and mushrooms. I had some for lunch and there's still two big meals out of it.
I was a bit too achey to do much gardening today, but took myself out to hoik out the ancient and moss-covered lavender bushes in the bed at the top of the garden. I just did one side (two bushes), and dug out all the gnarled root bundles of grass (hooray!), buttercups etc. I will give it a more thorough going over tomorrow. Yesterday I was edging and weeding/weeding/weeding the arc of gravel in front of the rhododendrons, and sweeping up a tree's worth of beech leaves from the lawn and by the back fence panels. I've made good progress in several places in the garden this past few days.
I tried to get back to my Heritage quilt blocks. All I can say is, the instructions are screwed! No way does the block fit together, so I have gone on line and downloaded instructions from someone who DOES know how an Ohio Star block should be cut and pieced and I will start over before I ruin too much fabric. For the straightforward Ohio Star, you have no idea how relieved I was to read all the cut pieces were 5 1/2" when cut out. No 4 7/8", cut in half and pieced etc . . . (and the row above 5 1/4" . . . I know that Morning's Minion had it all worked out, but she's an expert quilt maker (I ain't!!)
I've been watching one of Neil Oliver's excellent talks about Ghosts. It's on Youtube and titled Power Politics, Premonitions and Heartbreak. I really enjoyed watching it, learning about Seers, Premonitions and the like and then he took us to Culloden and what people have experienced there. Very good viewing.
Well, my beautiful petite grand-daughter is a year old today. Happy Birthday Rosie, my gorgeous girl. I wish my car was on the road so I could have visited, but I will see her on Sunday, when they come over and Gabby visits, and we all go out for a Mother's Day lunch at the Seven Stars Inn at Aberedw. I'm looking forward to that.
So, nothing exciting to babble on about but it's so good to have sunshine and birdsong, and to be able to sit outside with my book and a cuppa.
When we visited Culloden many years ago, I sat on a rock and cried my eyes out. I really don't know why and the other people on the tour were quite concerned until I told them many of my Scots relatives died there.
ReplyDeleteYou are really getting your garden into shape.
God bless.
Ah, a place is only a place until you know the history of it, and then it comes alive - and here, for you, the emotions with it. The loss of so many brave Highlanders.
DeleteYes, the garden is starting to look better - having the lawn cut helps too. Glyn came up on Monday evening to do that.
First of all, I love that word 'hoik'. It tickles me every time I see it. I'm glad you got a seat on the bus. Have a good trip, knowing that Rosie will be glad to see you, no matter when you celebrate her birthday~
ReplyDeleteIt's a good strong word Debby! I am looking forward to the trip, though it stays quite close to home. I'm hoping they will visit some of the more unusual Welsh churches. I know they are going to Disserth, which still has the original box pews.
DeleteRosie adores me - and I her - so can't see her often enough :)
Hello BB, waving and not drowning here and have been enjoying your walks as always. Its tough at home right now but we had a doctor visit yesterday and she was so kind to S and is initiating more help for him and therefore me. I’m determined to keep my bucket full because otherwise I would sink into the depths of despair and be no good to anybody so I’m keeping going as best I can and had a productive day yesterday. The window cleaner came and did the best job of cleaning the greenhouse. My Hartley Botanic greenhouse is 55 years old and I don’t think it’s ever looked this good. I sowed tomatoes (Sungold) and sunflowers (Rouge Royale) and planted a pot of dark pink anemone Sylphide corms to look pretty on the greenhouse table. I tidied and topped up with compost the terracotta pots of strawberries. I have 10 pots of varying sizes/ages/condition and enjoyed arranging them on my galvanised shelving. I cannot grow strawberries outside and even in the greenhouse on metal shelving I will be netting them against mice and squirrels. I did two loads of laundry including S’s bed linen which dried outside and all the ironing. I made a lemon drizzle cake and a delicious supper which came from a new book called “Bethlehem” via Anna Jones’ newsletter. (Love Anna Jones’ recipes and every now and again she has a guest chef and last week it was Fadi who made Mujadara.) It was pure alchemy created from the simplest ingredients: Puy lentils, rice, cumin coriander, cinnamon, olive oil , salt and lots of caramelised red onions and a dressing made from lemon juice, olive oil, sumac and a finely chopped shallot. Leftovers for today and I think as I gently heat it up I will wilt some spinach from the garden into the pan. My chard and spinach from two direct sowings made in April and September last year are producing masses of greens for picking, the rhubarb is about six inches long and the broad beans planted out on the 15th are still there which is a miracle considering the vole activity. But if I didn’t have a meadow full of voles I wouldn’t have a resident kestrel or see the barn owl swooping. I also planted out homegrown plants of Salvia Nachtvlinder and three Geranium sanguineum under the pergola and some boughten plants too. A very dark almost black hollyhock into the cotinus bed, palest pink cyclamen coum in the spring border by the house and potentilla Miss Wilmott (I think she is a ghostly white) under the pergola. They filled a few gaps and hopefully will do well. My garden in the weak sunshine of yesterday was full of the scent of primroses and Daphne and sarcococca and magnolia Stellata. Sometimes I despair of my garden (there’s another mole running amok in the kitchen garden!) but yesterday was joyful. The Snakeshead frittillaries are multiplying under the apple trees and everywhere felt so full of promise - the triumph of hope over experience! Good to hear you are keeping busy too and filling your bucket. Today is swimming day (I get fantastic support from this group of wonderful women) and friend M is coming to keep S company. Next week T is coming to stay for a few days which will take the pressure off me and I’m holding on tight to the thought of Crete at the end of April with my yoga buddies. You coped BB and I will too. I know it’s easy to say but hasn’t this year flown. Sarah x
ReplyDeleteWow, little Rosie a year old already! Happy Birthday to your gorgeous little granddaughter. xx
ReplyDeleteThat year seems to have gone quickly. She is adorable, and now discovered the comfort of cuddly toys, bless her.
DeleteIt's hard to imagine how fast time passes by, and Rosie already a year old! The churches tour sounds just right for you, and I hope you enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteThe year does seem to have gone fast. I am looking forward to having someone to chat to on the churches tour too, and hope they visit St Gwrthwl's church at Llanwrthwl, which has a prehistoric standing stone near the porch. I'd like to see inside that one.
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