30 Days Wild & welcome Summer

I've still been posting my pictures from the garden, but didn't get round to posting them here

Day 12

Lots of rain so lots of snails were out

Day 13

Catching the breeze

Day 14

Pollen caught on the leaves

Day 15

Clouds that look like an undersea adventure...

Can you see a submarine and shark?

Day 16

This strange chap landed on hubby's arm

Day 17

Who lives in a house like this?

Day 18

Gifts from feathered friends

Day 19

Too much rain, fungi popped up in the lawn

Day 20

Mr Blackbird enjoying his breakfast

 

It's been a strange spring this year

 

People have spent more time in their own gardens and had experiences and learnt about things they don't normally have time to see and watch grow.  Nature has inspired many.

Adults and children alike have taken up growing things for the first time and are learning to grow foods to feed their families. That really excites me. 

I hope you too have enjoyed this years strange Spring and wish you a lovely summer to come.

 

 

Today we enter into Summer.  The solstice sunset last night and todays sunrise was streamed live by English Heritage from Stonehenge.  So many all over the world were able to share live.  I watched them both.

 

 

 

Today here in the UK it is also Fathers Day. 

Yet another celebration during this pandemic that will be so different.  My thoughts are with those who will be having their first Fathers Day, who have had babies during this current time and with those who have angel dads.

To all Fathers, have a lovely day, embrace the love shared by your family.   

 

Take care, stay safe

Warmest wishes

Julie

Sewing and embroidery

A week passed by here at home ... i'm going to say it again ...... how did that happen? 

 

A  few days since i wrote most of the wording to this post.  I've tried for the last 3 days to get blogger to upload pictures, today it finally let me do it

 

We are fine, hubby and I get on really well.  Reading,  crafting, gardening, him DIY, phone calls, video calls, baking, tea breaks, plenty keeping us entertained and busy.

 

 I've tried ribbon embroidery. 

 A kit purchased a few years back at a craft show.

 

 

I was asked if I would try and make some cotton face masks so me and the sewing machine have made friends again (and got on just fine).  

 

I've made 7 like this in differing fabrics.

 

 The Big Community Sew (Patrick, Esme and others from the Sewing Bee)

 

 

Watching Springwatch 2020 and still posting my daily pictures for the 30 days wild. 

 

Here's a catch up of my postings

 

Day 4 - London Pride growing well

 

 

 

Day 5 - Spending far too much time watching these characters

 

 

 

Day 6 - Rain - a lot of it

 

 

 

 

Day 7 - Poplar trees in a neighbours garden really rustle in the wind.  They are about 75 feet tall and are home to so many birds, squirrels and even a woodpecker which comes onto our feeders sometimes.

 

 

 

 

Day 8 - Bark on my pear tree.

Lots of bugs being eaten from there by the birds.

 

 

 

 

Day 9 - Strawberries.  A few delivered to us from the community garden. Volunteers are still venturing there (one family at a time) and keeping the crops growing for the community to share. The first of this years crop shared with us too.

 

 

 

Day 10 - 8.05pm 1 flower, 8.15pm 2 flowers.  This plant was given to us.  not sure what it is, but the flowers only come out in the evening and die the same night.  Evening Primrose style?  Anyone know what it is? 

 

 

 

Day 11 - Something burrowed under the fence during last night from next door.  Wrecked the plants!  Wildlife Trusts think maybe we have a visiting hedgehog?   More investigation and evidence needed.

 

We've been spending a lot of time for weeks watching ospreys at one of my favourite local places on their online live camera. It's been really exciting watching the parents arrive back from afar and lay 4 eggs.  Maya (female) and 33 (male) are catching fish and raising their 4 chicks so beautfully.  They grow so quickly and are so fun to watch.

I've started a new knitting project, something I have wanted to make for a long time.  I'll share that with you next time.

Love and blessings from our home to yours

Take care, stay safe

Julie

 

 

Finding something that wasn't lost

 

When looking for something I came across a bag with some crochet granny squares in it.

 

There were 16 actually, made quite a while ago.

 

How could I have forgotten about them?

 

I thought I'd used all the sock wool oddments on the vintage looking blanket here, but obviously I had other plans at some time for the leftovers before I started that.

 

I looked at the squares for quite a while and played with them, tried different combinations.

 

Whilst in lockdown I've added rows to each one, joined them together and added a border to make something useful.

 

 

When I made a wool order in late March, I added on 2 balls of green, mustard and cream that were on sale, in the hope that it would bring the squares together. 

 

 

It's a nice size and doesn't look too bad. 

 

At least the squares are not sitting in a bag anymore.

 

 

 

 

The first posy of this years sweet peas, they've enjoyed the recent sunny days

 

 

 

 

June 1st was the first day of 30 Days Wild

 

I decided to take part this year. 

 

It'll be a little different and will be the wilds of my garden as I still have to stay home until told otherwise, but it will be a challenge that I'm looking forward to.

 

Day 1 - As I walked round the garden, I noticed this beauty had opened her petals perfectly on June 1st so had to start me off. 

 

 

 

Day 2 - buzzy bees doing their thing

 

 

 

Day 3 - today it rained and this little chap came out to play.  I did try to coax him to turn round, but he's a little shy and didn't want his picture taken so kept his back to me before he hopped off.

 

 

 

I hope your June has started off well and brings some happy times as well as continuing with the social distancing and taking care to stay safe.

 

Love and blessings from our home to yours

 

Julie

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scavenger photo-hunt ~ APRIL

 

 

 

 

Joining in with Kate and the other scavengers hunters.

 

 

The prompts for April were :-

Happiness is ....

Makes me smile .....

Relaxing with .....

Busy with .....

Positive about ..... 

My own choice .....

 

 

It's a strange world we are living in right now.

 

There is no normal

 

Things change from day to day and I've had a few pictures i was going to show and then changed my mind

 

I am not allowed out

  

 I'm home shielding so no daily hours exercise unless its in the house or garden

 

 

Finally decided on these :-

 

 

Happiness is ....

 

 

During April it's been seeing my little magnolia tree flower for the first time.  

 

Last year a little rascal squirrel decided just as the flowers were starting to open that they would make a nice tasty treat and we didn't see them.  They were on the floor when we got up one morning all chewed up.  With the flowering time being so short its been a long wait for this years blooms and it's been lovely to sit outside in the recent warm sunshine, enjoy the birds which have been so very vocal and watch these beauties open up over a few days in their full glory.

 

 

 

Makes me smile .....

 

 

It's unheard of to be the end of April and my camellias still have lots of flowers on them. 

They've given me a smile every morning as I open the kitchen blind and look out of the window into the garden.

 

 

 

 

Relaxing with .....

 

Midge our cat. 

Late starts, a cup of tea in bed to start the day.
I'm reading and he's cuddled up next to me dreaming with the sunshine streaming in through the window.

 

 

 

 

Busy with .....

 

Drinking lots of tea and doing more than a little baking to keep busy

 

Fruit scones with jam and cream

 

Cheese scones and a Victoria sandwich filled with lemon curd.

 

 

 

Positive about ..... 

This is the positivity of my 8 year old granddaughter to keep us going and hope for better things to come

She sent me a card with a drawing of the sunset at the beach from where we were last October

"We'll be here again" she has written with the smiley face

 

The diamond dome she mentions on the right hand side is the amusement arcade we had fun in a few times.
 

 

The other side was the bit that brought the tears ......

 

 

and yes, I am missing her very badly too. 

 

We've been having video calls and trying to make it fun when we chat.  Seeing her smiling face really is a tonic.

 

 

 

 

My own choice .....

 

 

 

 This is a metal sign a friend bought me some time ago.

 

  It hangs in my conservatory and is quite apt at the moment. 

 

It reads ... "If you have a garden and a library you have everything you need"

 

(of course it could also say plenty of stash to knit and sew with... which I do have!)

 

 

 

If you don't know about the Scavenger Photo Hunt, go along to Kate's blog and find out more. She posts prompts at the beginning of the month and it's up to you to find pictures that fit.  It can be a recent snap or an old one from the archives.

 

  It's fun, why not give it a go.

 

 

 

Take care everyone, stay safe

 

 

love and blessings

 

Julie

 

 

 

Boing, boing ... it's Spring

As I woke this morning the radio came on and 'Today is the first day of Spring' was what the happy chap was saying.   'Smile and welcome it into your world'

I've welcomed it today -

I changed my seasonal frame  :-  Goodbye winter ... hello Spring

 

 

There has been a little sunshine in the sky as well as lots of fluffy clouds today.  Much better than the rainy days we've been having.  Thank you Mother Nature

 

 

I walked in the garden and took note of the spring flowers and the bright colours

 

 

 

 

 

The whole world is living in uncertain times right now with Covid-19.  Things are changing hourly and we all need to find the happy and positive things in daily living. 

 

With my weekly chemotherapy and DH's heart operation that finally went ahead earlier this month so he too is vulnerable, we have been safe at home keeping the door firmly closed to all for a while.   My children have delivered food parcels when they have been able to get things and kept in touch by phone. 

 

I'm learning new things about technology.  It is such a good thing right now for everyone with exercise classes and peaceful and calming ideas online as well as the news that we all need to limit in our heads for our own wellbeing, but I do feel for those elderly who do not do it and are home alone. 

 

Many friends have been in contact to check on us, and we've called others.  I've never chatted so much on the phone, having fun and laughter as well as talking about how things are affecting our families and we've been supporting each other.

 

Some simple things we've enjoyed ....

 

I made a victoria sponge cake and filled it with homemade jam from the pantry.  That sparked a chat remembering the blackberries we harvested last autumn and that then brought the subject up about this years growing season at the community garden and how would that pan out over the coming growing season and months ahead?

 

 

I've knitted himself some hand warmers as he's feeling the chill still a little at times

 

 

A squishy parcel arrived filled with wool from a sale I couldn't resist last week.   

 

 

I've been reading quite a bit.  There is a list of books read this year in the left hand side bar.

 

A little stitching for an Easter exchange, but that might have to be postponed and celebrated later in the year.

 

Sending my love and blessings to you all as we walk this uncertain pathway. 

 

Keep your chin up and I hope you too find happy moments in each day. 

 

Stay safe and take care

 

Julie