I am here . . .

 but it's been a difficult and demanding week, with visits from Professionals.  I am off to Leominster this morning for a bit of Respite.  There's a textiles exhibition in the Priory Church and various folk demonstrating weaving, knitting, quilting, sewing etc and giving little 5 minute talks throughout the day.  I will, as always, have to be fairly swift - Tam, Jon and Rosie are here this afternoon.  It is of course, POURING with rain! and feels like a relapse into winter.

The week bought good things too, beautiful flowers from my dear friend Danette (thank you again my dear, they are lovely and have brought great pleasure).  A visit from another dear friend, Nia, who bought me a Hosta, which is currently in the greenhouse until I can get some more copper tape to protect it.  We talked the hind legs off several donkeys!   Then Nia had scarcely left, when my friend Pam came round, then whilst we were still chatting, the GP and the D. Nurse came . . .  D. Nurses have been here several times this week (twice yesterday) and Keith is now on pills for Thrush.  Don't ask . . . The downside of antibiotics. 

Danny is on holiday for a week now, so I will have another day out next week, but haven't planned where yet.    Right, better stir my stumps, as mum used to say! (And find my waterproofs!)

An Evening Drive

 I had to go out this evening  This afternoon's visit from the GP required me to try and get my head around a situation.  The two D. Nurses here for over an hour today too and a more bomb-proof dressing now in place.  The new tilting Toto mattress was also delivered.  I'm not sure how well it's going to work as it has a 30 degree tilt and has had Keith on his "bad side" for far too long.  We need to turn it off when he is off the bed, and then it reset to the side it had been on so he's been on the painful side for several hours now.  I've adjusted it to one hour turns instead of 2 hrs and hopefully it will go the other way soon as it's painful for Keith.  Worryingly, we have also heard that Covid numbers are quite high in the town, which is the last thing we need.  Back to mask wearing again.  I won't sleep well tonight, though I have been up since 5 a.m. when I was sewing Gabby's C. present quilt.  I am relieved to say it is going much easier than Rosie's crawler quilt and I have good alignments where blocks join.  The quilt is called "Step this Way".

Anyway, here are a few photos from my drive out tonight.  It is SO BEAUTIFUL here.  I drove over the top, to capture the views of the Black Mountains and Hay Bluff, and of course the Brecon Beacons too.

SUCH beauty

 We are SO lucky living here.  I realized half an hour ago I'd forgotten to bring the wheelie bin home, so I trotted down the lane, skewbald Alfie accompanying me, to bring it back.  The distant fields and trees and hills were bathed in a soft light and looked like they were felted.  As I turned back, the setting sun hit the Sycamores behind the cottage and up on the ridge, uplighting the undersides of the leaves which the breeze was manhandling and making the chimneystack of the far cottage glow.  Above me, Swifts screeched as they hawked for insects, and to my joy the sun caught their wing edges, highlighting them in silver, as if they had been dipped in Mercury.  I was transfixed.

For once, the words have returned and I had to share this with you before they disappear again.

A mere photo cannot do justice to the beautiful blooms of The Lark Ascending.

I survived the weekend

 I was here alone, but Saturday was fine.  I sewed Gabby's quilt all morning, and then sat with Keith in the afternoon and watched the racing, and did some x-stitch.   Our new neighbour showed me round the cottage he's bought and did a led meditation which was so calming. I haven't meditated properly for years and need to do it regularly, especially now I can't go out for a walk which was a sort of meditation before.

Precious Amber coming into flower - deep orange with red margins, when in bud, it opens orange and fades to pink.

Yesterday I worked - forced myself to bake again (Chocolate Blackberry Brownies and Cornish Fairing Biscuits) and do housework.  I dropped some baking down to New Neighbour as a thank you.  I also dug a little curve at the end of the long perennial border and bunged in a couple of plants.  The "white" cut-leaved Geranium is now showing Johnson's Blue colour flowers! Ah well.  It matches its planted companion, the name of which I cannot remember for the life of me.  Stress does this - removes words from circulation for about 24 hours!!  (Checked it out - Salvia).

Off to Llandod for shopping now before the D. Nurse comes to Keith.  A clued-up D. Nurse yesterday is sorting various needs out, and has scheduled the Care Meeting for 19th June, when Gabby is here.  Phew.  

E starts her new job today so I hope it goes well for her.

Round and round the garden . . .

 Finally, the rest of the garden photos.

Indigo, with a matching Norah Barlow Aquilegia growing up through it.  This grows in a corner of the raised lawn here (surrounded by a low stone wall).  I am planning to strip this small square of lawn (which is a pain to mow) and put membrane down, covered by golden gravel/stone.

Bloomfield Courage, which is one of my favourites. This grows by the rhododendrons (rhodies).

Ebb Tide.

One of the yellow roses I inherited when we bought the house.  It was in a pot (as were two others) but they are all happier in the ground.  NO it's not - it's Bathsheba.  Look below in the long border to see the inherited ones.

The long border along the side of the house.

I am glad that several of the pink and yellow Aquilegias are established here now, and a few blue ones too, which were both scarce at Ynyswen.

Lilli Marlene.

The first Roserie de l'Hay.

I was awake and downstairs at 5 a.m. this morning and have been working on Gabby's quilt.  I started going wrong late afternoon so have had a break from it, and sat outside with the crime book I'm reading downstairs.

Keith is not at his best today, and struggling with eating, so has had sloppy food all day today.  I am on my own carewise this weekend, which I have been dreading.  I hope and pray that nothing goes wrong.  I shall be pottering around here anyway.  There is always plenty to be getting on with, inside and out.

Here are the William Morris curtains, well, one of them anyway.

Then the Laura Ashley pair.

Things to be thankful for:

A new book on Audible - I had paused my membership, then forgot it, so had a credit to spend.  I pondered over a good many books - nearly all ones I was familiar with and would like to revisit but they were big chunky books that took a lot of reading.  In the end I decided on an Edward Rutherford book, Sarum.  It was that or another of his books, Forest, about the New Forest.  I am a couple of hours in and greatly enjoying it.

The garden is beautiful an we have had sunshine.

Keith walked along the hall and down the 5 steps to the half landing again today.  (That will NOT be happening again until Danny comes back!)

I found a book of Pembrokeshire walks in the Co-op donated books today, so bought it for Danny & Emma, as they are in Pembs every couple of weeks throughout the summer.

Emma was successful in getting a job down the town.  (Downside, guess who picks up the childcare needs . . .)

Keith's tipping mattress arrives next Wednesday.

I'm also having a visit from a dear friend on Wednesday.

It's Curtains for Me and A morning out in Abergavenny

 I ran away for a few hours yesterday morning.  I desperately needed a break.  Abergavenny isn't too far and is a nice little town, and on a Wednesday they have a Fleamarket.

There was a detour as the A479 road across the Black Mountains was closed for maintenance.  I had to go via the Llangorse road to Bwlch, and stopped to take this photo of the Brecon Beacons.

Above and below - lovely hanging displays.

The best stall - some good Welsh blankets for sale here.

There were no items of any interest to me, although the bookstall there had some tempting books.

Some good plants here.  I bought a tall Peachy Yellow Geum (far left) which is now in a corner of the long flower bed.

So pretty along the stream.  I think this is probably Hemlock Water Dropwort.

Beside the stream, this glorious bush of Dog Roses in full bloom.

Looking across from the car park at Morrisons, to the Blorenge.  I did have a quick look in the Craft shop but nothing there for me - no fabrics I would use.  It was mainly elbow patches, needles, threads, scissors - that sort of stuff.  Run by a bloke - I rest my case!

Here's the view the other way,

I also went to St Mary's Priory Church, but more of that another day, along with more garden photos.

The morning off was lovely, but the afternoon was a bit fraught - K can be a little un-co-operative at times.  D. Nurse was here again, and back tomorrow.  Emma has got a part time job down in the town, so that will help their finances.

Today I forced myself to make bread (an oven loaf, which is more than half gone already as everyone likes good fresh bread), and a Dorset Spicy Apple Cake.  That made for LOTS of washing up.  I have tidied up a bit in the garden (dead heading Water Avens and the like.  How they got that name I know not as they are thriving on the very hot dry Bank!)  I rescued some plants that E had put to grow in the deepest shade (the former owners put plant containers on the walls of the summerhouse, which is shaded out by the Beech trees.)  She's very much got "L" plates up as she's not gardened before.   Two Have Probably Had It. I have put them in the gravel bed at the back by the rhodies, and reckon I will just plant it up.  I have ripped up some of the overhang of grass which has been creeping across the gravel with great determination but it needs edging properly.  I have put a Rose Campion in there, E's rescued plants, and will bung some home-grown Cut-Leaf Geraniums too.

I changed and remade my bed, got two lots of bed linen washed, hung out and dried.  Last year I was given some lovely curtains which were intended to be useful in Tam's new home (she hadn't bought it then).  These are big curtains - too big for her house - and so now I am stuck with them.  One set is a Laura Ashley yellow stripe and the really enormously wide ones (4 of them) are in green and biscuit William Morris Chrysanthemum pattern, and once went round a sun room. They have a 65" (1.65m) drop and widths between 144" (3.65m) to 160" (4.06m).  That is a LOT of good fabric, no fades anywhere. I made myself stagger downstairs with them (V. heavy), take them outside and display them for photos, then measure them, and weigh them.  Heavens - that was a job and a half.  I will try and get them listed on Fleabay tomorrow.  

I did make myself sit outside with a book in the sunshine too, for about 10 mins each time, and that was very pleasant although there is a frisky wind which called for an extra layer.

Of course, the caring day isn't over yet, and Keith will need his evening medication, teeth cleaned etc.  No peace for the wicked.

Today's not much better . . .

Malvern Hills rambling up through the Rhodies.

New worries, as it looks like this may be a "bug" - Emma feeling poleaxed today, whilst I have been slightly better - no spinning head but my legs are still tired and don't want to do anything much.  I'm hoping I haven't given it to Keith, but stable doors and all that spring to mind. These things get passed on before you even realize you have them.  Then I didn't help my foot by kicking the weight-lifting weight we have on the bald patch of carpet at the bottom of the stairs (to deter Shadow from removing yet more carpet with his claws). Driving is now painful again.

I have read part of the 25 page document given to me by the Social Worker about Continuing NHS Healthcare.  I need to get my head around it before I am involved in the on-line Team meeting with the Panel who decide whether or not Keith qualifies.  I rather think he does but hey-ho.  I am dreading the Team meeting and think I will have to have Gabby here to help represent Keith and I - my brain is like mush these days and stress robs me of words - sometimes it's 24 hours before this or that well-known but mundane word returns to me!

I have also tried to apply for a Concessionary Bus Ticket with Powys Council - my old one was for Carmarthenshire only, and they didn't let you on the popular Swansea or Cardiff buses.  Now it is meant to be Wales-wide, so perhaps in the winter I can go on the occasional free trip out to somewhere different, and I can also use this concession on the Heart of Wales railway line.  I really want to go and visit Kelmscott Manor in the Cotswolds, where William Morris lived.  If I caught the 7 a.m. bus from here to Cardiff, Gabby would be happy to take me in her car, and I'd stay the night at hers and come back next morning.  That would feel like a proper Respite break.  I want to get the bus pass first though.

I thought I would share my bus pass photo with you as it is the only one which gives a reasonable likeness of me.  I had it taken a couple of years back though, and since I've lost weight, there are a good few lines in my face you couldn't see before, and bigger bags under my eyes from worry.  Old age is catching up with me.

Thanks to everyone for your kind comments.