Man bench

How perfect is this: A man bench outside a shop. Hubby Stan dislikes shopping with us girls intensely, but he doesn't like to be left out, so we shop he stands around outside, getting bored, and even more bored as we walk from shop to shop, looking and occasionally buying. In Sheringham recently we were doing just that when we came to a delightful little shop selling second hand children's clothes and new toys, it was in a little house and in the garden was this Man Bench. So Stan could sit and read his paper whilst we went in browsing and Emma bought a perfect little coat.

Well, was that summer?

The weather man seems to think summer is over on 31 August? What happened to the equinoxes? Do the weather bods think we can't cope with changes in seasons mid month? My birthday is 18 Sept and I've always believed it was in the summer still but apparently not now, apparently now it's in Autumn. Well that is not good, I want to still be a Summer baby. My hubby Stan's birthday is a week later and his is definitely in Autumn. But did we get a summer at all this year, did we go straight from Spring into Autumn? That is what it seems like to be honest. How many evenings have we been able to sit out in the garden? How many days have we've been able to be in the garden? BBQ's what are they ? We had 2 both indoors. Though I did go to my friends BBQ and that was a lovely warm evening.

Here I am cooking the kebabs.

Desert Island Books

On Purple Coo we had to choose what books we would take to our desert island (we did music the week before)

This is my list and I gained a Gold Star for it!

1)The Complete works of Charles Dickens- I'm ashamed to admit I've only ever read A Christmas carol & David Copperfield. So this will give me hours of entertainment.

2) Over the years I 've been a great fan of Joanna Trollops books so I have found the Trollop Omnibus which has 3 of my favourites; Village Affair, Passionate Man & Rector's Wife. For when I want an easy read and something to remind me of comfier times!

3) And I've got to have some Maeve Binchy too, there are several onmibuses of her works so I'll just choose Onmibus 2 Firefly Summer and Echoes.

4) Has to be Stephen Fry's Moab is my washpot- both growing up in Norfolk, sharing the same spaces but about 5yrs between us, I love reading of his early life.

5) Terry Wait Taken on trust- this book had a profound effect on me, I was so deeply moved by his account of being kidnapped.

6) Victoria Hislop The Island- loved the book, I have visited the island off Crete she wrote about where the lepers lived.

7) Annie Hawes Ripe for the picking- wonderful true story of woman settling in Italy, she was living my dream.

8) Mary Wesley Camomile Lawn- just adored this book and gave me love of Cornwall

So that's the 8- but as a luxury could I have a Bird book and binoculars

What would be your list and why?

My beautiful new dresser

Some of you will have noticed the top of a dresser in my header, so thought I would tell you about it.
This a an ebay find, I'd been looking for something a bit special for the blank wall in the Orangery and then I spotted this. I showed it to my hubby who didn't like it at all, saying it was too fancy, but that didn't stop me. I keep looking at it. Then I measured the space between the wall lights and wasn't sure if it would fit as dresser said it was 131cm and my space was 131cm too :-(
But I couldn't get it out of my mind, so I emailed the seller and asked her to measure that exact spot across where lights go and she came back with 130cm! Fantastic! It would fit.
I realised the seller lived in Hove and my HQ is also in Hove, so I asked the seller whereabouts she lived and it turned out to be less than a 2 minute walk from my office, so I just had to go and see it and of course once I'd seen it I was smitten and just had to have it. I gave a deposit and said I would sort out delivery with hubby.
That was the hard part, he wasn't that keen as he didn't really like it anyway. So I couldn't pin him down to a day to borrow the van and go and get it. Over a week went by and he wouldn't give me a time, then he said Thursday evening, so I tell the seller that day, then he couldn't do, I was so disappointed. he eventually agreed on Monday the next week and we did collect it then.
The seller is an amazing person, very artistic and lives in an amazingly creative, decorative home which she opens for Open House Art month in the summer.
I wish I had her skill. She bought this old dresser and completely reburbished it into shabby chic and I Love it! Hope you do too!

A Year has passed since I last wrote a post....

This is the scary thing, a whole year has gone by in a blink of an eye and I haven't had time to write a blog. I used to really enjoy doing my blogs, but somehow, life, Face book and twitter have taken over and longer, more meaningful comments have not happened.
The friend I wrote the letter to last year is with us no more, she passed away in November after struggling a very long time with her alcohol addiction, she was a lovely person but the drink ruined her. It was a bitter sweet death, many of us so relieved that she would suffer no more but that still doesn't prevent us feeling the loss.
But many good things have happened too. I have a new grandson and he is beautiful, it's such a joy having the young family living with us, we get to share all the ups and downs of having young children again, without the full responsibility.
It's also nearly 5 years since I was diagnosed with Breast cancer and had my mastectomy, that day 5 years ago when I received that news seems like it happened to another person. I am one of the fortunate ones, I'm still here and God Willing the Consultant will give the the All Clear in May when I next see him, though how I will cope without my 6 monthly checkups I do not know. The reaasurance is good but also the build up to the check up not knowing what they may find and he will probably say to stop taking the Tamoxifen which has also been part of my life for 5 years, I'm quite nervous about stopping the medication, again it gives me reassurance.

Letter to a friend- 25 Wedding anniversary

Dearest,

I got your phone message, so you’re still in hospital, I guessed as much. You must allow them to get you as well as possible before you go home again. Least in hospital you’re well looked after and they feed you and strengthen you up and it’s warm and you don’t have to pay for the heating!

It’s half term this week- yes, it’s come round again- so I am not working this week. I am off to Norfolk tomorrow to spend time with my sister and the family.

I had a busy sociable weekend. On Saturday I met my old school friend Petra for lunch. She lives in London but was staying in Surrey for the weekend to see her horsey friends. So we met in Cranleigh, which is just down the road from me and only 10mins from the horse place. We had loads of coffee, tea and panninis over the 2 hour lunch time, lovely to catch up. Petra is a wonderful person I have known her since I was 11, but you can hardly get a word in edgeways, she can talk for England, though always very fascinating stuff so I don’t mind a bit!

Then Saturday evening we had friends round for supper, all my family were there too, so there were 12 for the meal, so we had to use the 2 tables- kitchen and dining room. I did a big roast chicken, with toad in the hole, and loads of veg. We had a great laugh. Next morning woke up and suddenly realised I had forgotten to serve the dish of roast veg, we had all the roast potatoes and steamed veg, but I forgot I had left the other veggies roasting in pan after I got the chicken out. Doh!

Sunday was church in morning. Then home for quick lunch, then some more friends came round and dropped off a car, tea and cakes were taken, then our friend Nina, who had been over Sat night came back round. She brought us an anniversary present, A Silver Wedding Rose, they forgot it on Saturday.
Yes, it is my Silver anniversary today, 25 years! Hard to believe it. Where did the last 25 years go? And I think hubby has 25 cars in the drive at the moment, they certainly go up year by year too!

Stan did remember -I did get some flowers without having to prompt him, that is an achievment in it's self! Our treat to ourselves is to have a big Conservatory built, waiting for the planning to go through, but will be worth it, may not get the Holiday of a lifetime - had wanted to go to Canada but Stan not keen. The conservatory really does make up for the lack of travel. To sit in the warmth of the sun in winter will be so good, this cottage is so cold and so dark in winter. It will be such a joy. Can't wait!

Did I tell you my daughter and partner with baby are getting married on 8 March, only 2 weeks away now. Not allowed to go though, just them and their 2 witnesses and a photographer. But I hope we’ll have a big party in the summer to celebrate. We have bought an amazing dress off ebay, only £99 but it has been hand made and is stunning, fits her perfectly. Apparently the woman it was made for has put on weight and doesn't believe she will get down toan 8 again!

Hope you’re getting stronger by the day and I continue to pray for your recovery.


Lots of love and gentle hug ( don’t want to hurt you)

xxx

October Road Trip

Well, it might never have happened! I spent all day Saturday packing the Camper, bedding, food, water, tea, coffee, toilet roll, clothes, torches, dog stuff, everything but the kitchen sink.

I was waiting for hubby to come home and say he was ready to go.

4pm He's ready for the off, goes out to start the camper. It won't start. We all go back indoors. Nige has to change into his work clothes again and jack up the van, it's the Starter motor apparently, something come undone. Wait half an hour and he comes back and says it's fixed.

All pile into the camper and off we go.

First stop is dinner, bed and breakfast with our good friends in Reading. Have a wonderful evening, drink too much, don't slepp too well, though we do have lovely room in their house, they have foxes running over the flat roof intermittently through the night, this keeps me awake but Nige sleeps through it all.Didn't help that A told us about a ghost that rolls a barrell across the upper floor. There house is over 400 years old, so entitled to a few ghosts, but K said this noise was the foxes!

Sunday morning, rather hung over weheaded for Lechlade, a lovely Cotwolds Village at the head of the Thames. Great for Antique shops and a delightful Christmas shop.
We had booked ahead for a camp site at rear of a pub in the village. We were the only ones there. That night was a sharp frost. We sepnt evening in the pub and made our way back to the camper. Made our beds, Georgie up high, Nige & I on the double bed and dogs on floor ( Well Molly on bed). No heater in the van, we were freezing. made hot water bottles and had thick duvets and sleeping bags but sticking nose out caught your breath. Woke to frost on inside and outside of windows and one very cold daughter. We agreed she shoudl sleep down with us rest of week to keep warmer.

Monday we were near Bath, frosty start to night but woke to rain and much milder, so easier to cope.

Tuesday:Driving in long queues to Bath kept over heating, had to keep stopping to top up water.

Arrived in Wales and found our friends shop in Ammanford.


To be continued