I woke at 5 a.m. this morning, needing a wee, but couldn't settle when I got back into bed as it was too warm. I had spent most of the night uncovered/just a sheet on. The kitchen's the coolest room in the house - I would have been more comfortable on a camp bed in there. Anyway, this photo was taken about 5.20 or so. I missed the best bit - when it threw orange light along the top hall. By the time I'd run downstairs for my phone, it had gone behind the branches a bit. Lots of clouds moving about today and rain has been forecast (hooray). I am fed up with hiding inside. Keith, many years ago, once said he'd love to retire to Cyprus as he loved the Med and had been in Cyprus with the Army. It wouldn't have done for me . . . 36 deg. C there at the moment, and 40 next week! Eeek.
Yesterday I had Christmas in July and sewed together the little Christmas Kitties charm pack I bought - more Christmas than Kitties and annoyingly, I can see it going off on the last two squares bottom right, so out with the stitch ripper shortly. Then I will put the wide borders on - Christmas Kitties Frost and Midnight colourways. It will be a little cushion for Rosie at Christmas. Nothing too arduous in the way of sewing.
I sat and composed a conciliatory letter to E. With some advice from Tam (you can't say THAT!) I do hope that she might understand my state of mind when Keith was dieing, but with her problems, she may not. In which case, that's it.
How I hate it when labels go missing (probably buried when I planted this Buddleia.) This is the one on the bank that I thought was Dark Knight, but is clearly a red or pink named one. The butterflies don't care, they love it.
Here's the standard one, which was covered in Peacocks and Red Admirals this week. There has clearly been a hatching and they are doing well. There were the usual Small/Large Whites, a couple of Tortoiseshells, Meadow Browns and some Ringlets on it too. I was standing by the door to nowhere, watching them.
That will bea bright and jolly little cushion!
ReplyDeleteYes, mornings are beautiful..but we don't always appreciate them!!
A letter is a good idea..and well done Tam for assisting..yes, sometimes you can't say what needs to be said..but hopefully it will be read and considered.
I've stopped watching live TV.. theres enough interesting stuff online that I can watch when I choose ... without paying extra..
Well, I wrote out a letter and got T to check it and amend - some of the sharper bits were removed . . . I just need her to understand what I was going through as she seemed to think I should have had my emotions totally under control and I explained at the time, that truly was NOT possible.
DeleteI can't get live tv apart from BBC - that's a cunning system isn't it?! Need a new aerial but too mean as I am managing quite well with what I have, although of course, still paying the blardy licence fee. . .
We haven't had many butterflies this year but we have had lots of ladybirds, something we haven't seen much of for the last few years and they are 'proper' ladybirds too, not the invasive foreign harlequins.
ReplyDeleteWe have both really gone off Bargain Hunt. There is too much shrieking and playing up to the camera from the contestants now. It seems to have turned into just another game show, which is a shame and yes, they do increasingly seem to buy utter tat!
Until the hot spell, neither had we. I got bitten by a Ladybird when I was out in the yard last week. Reminded me of the scolding hot summer of 1976, when the hottest temperatures were recorded in Southampton - guess where I lived? Yup, you got it. We were at the Lido when a swarm of Ladybirds pounced on the naked bodies and began biting. I have read since that it was because there were none of their normal grub (Aphids) around. Guess it's the same these days.
DeleteI've been on BH a few times, as the dealer they bought from, but feel it's gone on too long now and is stale bread.
Shortage of butterflies here, made worse by the Buddleia disease that all my shrubs have suffered from, but like Tracy says above - lots of ladybirds.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh, I hope the Buddleia disease doesn't reach us. I have only just got the old Buddleias on the bank restored to health and blooming nicely again.
DeleteA letter is a very good idea, and one that Tam has read before you send it a good way to do it. But do say what YOU want to say. If E. doesn't recognise that it was grief talking after this, that's her problem not yours. I speak from experience here as Mum said some terrible things to my son and brother in the months following my Dad's death, she nearly split the family apart, but we all took a step back and calmed down.
ReplyDeleteI never really got on with Bargain Hunt, I always thought that they did it all the wrong way around. After all they buy at antique fairs and sell at auctions. A lot of people selling at antique fairs BUY their stuff from the auctions. A far better competition would be to give each pair of competitors a set amount of money, and see how much they can turn it into at an antique fair.
Yes, she just changed the order I said things in. I don't think E realizes how grief works, how it hits you, how you can suffer premature grief when you husband is dieing and you are desperately trying to keep him alive.
DeleteAh well, with BH it has to be that way round - I have had some stock for years because the right buyer hasn't come along yet and it's always been the same for other dealer friends. Just when you contemplate giving it to the charity shop, it sells. They have to have an on-the-day sale so auction it is. Sometimes it pays off if it is a rare item and even the experts are shown as not to know everything!
Hope your letter does the trick. Fingers crossed for you all. And Danny must find it hard being stuck in the middle and loving both of you. My buddleia is covered in ladybirds and we seem to have a lot more wasps round this year. Definitely cooler today. I've been into town and had a haircut, came home and had a lovely shower to get rid of all the itchy bits. Xx
ReplyDeleteI hope the letter clears things up. I think I would have avoided explanations and just said I was so sorry she had been frightened and hurt by the incident, that you want to be on better terms. It seems she will never understand or care about your point of view.
ReplyDeleteYour grief outburst has been teaching me to be tolerant. My once best friend just lost her husband to dementia [2 months ago], and last week she unloaded a bunch of rather cruel person criticisms and comments on me. I don't think we will ever be friends again, 35 years!, but now I understand why she was so unkind to me. Have to admit I am a bit broken by it all tho....
Gill said the same thing I was going to say: you both love the same man. Grief is a hard time, and it often results in hard words. I hope that you both can see the hurt in each other and can move past it.
ReplyDeleteIt has been stinking hot and humid here too. I'm hoping E will be receptive to your letter. She seems OK with little I visiting you so perhaps there is hope. Few families can say they all get along but it is a pain in the you know what to have to tip toe around certain people all the time. I've got a couple of people who cause me to hold my tongue and oh is it tough. They will never have a real relationship with me, their loss.
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