Holidays

Hello everyone. How are you all? It's great to be back after our cruise holiday. 

We had a fantastic holiday and had lots of fun memories of our time away. D and I hope you enjoy some of the highlights of our adventures.

It was an early start for us at Birmingham airport, but also the fastest check-in ever. From being dropped off by hubby at departures to getting to the airport lounge took 15 minutes; baggage drop, security and passport control were a breeze. It is always an anxious time waiting for your luggage to arrive at the destination, so we were glad to see ours had made the journey safely. Long day, early night. Goodnight zzz.

Our first full day was spent at sea, and as D and I are seasoned sea travellers now, we spent the day exploring on board the ship. D had a pampering session booked and came back with pretty nails on her hands and feet.

Later on, we dressed up for dinner, enjoyed cocktails, and headed to the show lounge for a fantastic evening of music, song, and dance from the show team. It was brilliant and we thoroughly enjoyed our relaxed day at sea. 

We were also fortunate to enjoy this wonderful sunset up on deck. What a day!

It was hot, hot, hot when we visited Pisa in Italy the following day. It reached about 39 degrees Celsius on that day. However, with D doing all the planning, we came, we saw, and we conquered. (Veni, vidi, vici, in Latin)

Our first stop was at the tower to take a picture, and although it is possible to climb to the top, it was far too hot on the day we were there. Next, we had a quick zoom around for souvenirs to buy later and then headed for a lovely restaurant just off the main square. We enjoyed a few drinks and sampled the delights of some pizza and ice cream. So good.

The tower leans because the foundations were inadequate when it was built. It had already started to sink and lean into the soft ground while it was being constructed. Early attempts to correct the tilting building failed, but now, with modern technology, engineers have been able to stabilise it and prevent further leaning.

Close to the famous tower also stands the Baptistery of St John, another beautiful building dating from the eleventh century.

And this is Pisa's Cathedral. All three of these buildings were incredible to see in all their splendour. Lots of intricate details, fine marble, and other precious materials were used in their construction. Pisa is well worth a visit, but maybe not on such a hot day.

The next port of call was Genoa, Italy. We decided to stay on board ship on that day. We have been to this city before so here are some pictures from a previous trip.

A view over the city

Palazzo San Giorgio

The Cathedral San Lorenzo

Doge's Palace 

Piazza De Ferrari, its splashing fountain surrounded by grand buildings.

Next was a day in Calvi, Corsica. This was a tender to shore as the ship is unable to lay anchor close enough to shore. It was a short, smooth crossing, and neither D nor I got seasick. Corsica is beautiful, with clear blue skies and sea, sandy beaches and majestic mountain ranges. We enjoyed a coach trip around the island.

It was so hot even the cow needed to paddle its hooves in the water.

When we docked in Toulon, France, we had a couple of hours visiting two seaside villages/towns: Sandury du Mer and Bandol. It was another very hot day, and we escaped to a delightful outdoor restaurant looking out onto the beaches.

Once back on the ship, we also caught a glimpse of the Red Arrows passing overhead for the VJ celebrations. That was an extra surprise treat.

Our final stop off was Barcelona, Spain, a city we have visited several times in the past. It is a vibrant city with plenty of things to enjoy. We found the best way to get around and see the sights in a short amount of time was on the 'Hop on Hop Off' buses. One of the most famous sites to visit is the Sagrada Familia, designed originally by Gaudí and is still under construction! Many years ago, we also visited FC Barcelona's grounds and the museum. None of us are huge football fans, but it was an impressive tour. 

And so it was time to pack up cases and make for the airport to return home: a wonderful summer holiday and lots of good memories. 

The final holiday sunset from the plane windows.

Then it was back to reality.

This last week has also been a busy one, as it has been August birthday week for my hubby and both my children—lots of celebrations and cake. There is also a retirement before the end of the month for hubby. Things are a-changin'. With all the whirlwind of celebrations, maybe I need another holiday!

Whatever your plans are for the week, I hope it works out perfectly. Take care.

B x

Just a Quick "Hello"

Just a quick "hello" to everyone. 

Thank you all for your kind comments on the last post. D and I have just returned from our cruise and starting to get ourselves sorted out. We will be posting again at the weekend when we can share our holiday adventures with you. 

Meanwhile we will be slowly visiting all our blogging friends to catch up on your news.

Enjoy the rest of the week and see you soon.

B and D

xx

One Year On

Hello friends, and welcome to a new month, the month of August. D and I hope it is a wonderful month for you all.

In a few days, it will be our son and daughter-in-law's first wedding anniversary. A whole year that has gone by in the blink of an eye. As this was their first anniversary, I wanted to do something special for them. I put on my creative hat and came up with this project.

(A shady version and a sunny version)

Traditionally, the first anniversary is celebrated with gifts made of paper. The background of this heart features a pretty patterned green paper with knotted green ribbon around the edges. The colour scheme of their wedding included lots of green, and so I wanted to use this in the project. The paper flowers and leaves were bought, along with the white hearts, which are mostly hidden underneath the foliage. Finally, the little wooden squares spell out their names. A little gift made with love, hopefully reminding them of their special day.

We'll be seeing the happy couple in the next few days and taking an extra gift from D. This week's baking was lemon shortbread, and there are just two pieces left. This was the plate a few days ago! 

I shall not be posting for a week or two now as my holiday with D has finally arrived. We are taking a cruise in the Med and visiting Pisa, Genoa, Corsica, Toulon in France and Barcelona. Cases are almost packed and ready to go, and D and I are looking forward to spending this time together. 

Until we are back and can share our travels with you, we both want to wish you a happy and safe couple of weeks for yourselves.

Back soon.

B and D

Which Would You Prefer - Sweet or Savoury?

Hello friends.

Monday started a lot more watery than I would have liked. I had checked the weather forecast, which suggested dry weather until tea time. Trying to stay ahead of the game, I put the washing machine on with the plan of getting it all dry by the afternoon. When I went to check that the cycle had finished, I was greeted by a swimming pool's worth of water all over the floor from a leaking machine. 

Aaah! 

Not what I had in mind. 

I mopped up the mess and checked the filter, which seemed fine. I did a further rinse cycle, and everything was fine. Fortunately, the washing machine is located in the garage, which is lower than the rest of the house; otherwise, it could have been much worse. Must have been the washing machine gremlin at work that day.

Still, the sun was shining and I had super clean washing to peg out. Halfway along the line, the sun vanished, and the heavens opened - mad dash to get everything back inside again. By the end of the day, everything was dry, but I didn't feel the urge to wash clothes for the next few days.

The rest of the week has been very pleasant and chilled out for us. D has been unwinding from the stresses of work and enjoying her freedom, which of course has involved baking. Her first baking of the holidays was triple chocolate muffins. By the time you read this, undoubtedly they will all be gone.

Friday morning, D was again playing in the kitchen, but this time making a savoury delight for our taste buds. There were cheese and bacon muffins, and they were so delicious. I think they may make a return for breakfast on some mornings!

After enjoying all this wonderful baking, my husband and I have started a project that has long been overdue - redecorating our living room. As the space is quite large, we are attempting to do the work in two halves. At the far end of the room, we have stripped the paper from the walls and at least now we can see the bare plaster and anything that needs repairing. I'm sure hubby will enjoy painting walls and laying laminate floors in the early days of his retirement. I will keep you posted on the progress.

D and I both hope you have a great week ahead, whatever your plans may be. Meanwhile, we will be counting down to our holiday together in August.

Take care 

B and D x

Baking, Harvesting and a Little Crochet Update

Hello friends.

The weather has been much more changeable this week, and while there has been plenty of sunshine, we have also enjoyed cooling breezes and downpours of rain. Isn't British weather wonderful?

During the cooler days, I got out my current crochet blanket project and added a few more rows. I'm about halfway now, and I love the colourful brightness. This is how it looks, hanging on the washing line on a breezy and dry morning this week.

As the weather has been cooler in our small corner this week, I also made one of our favourite loaf cakes. A lemon drizzle cake always goes down well in our family. Unfortunately, it was disappearing very quickly this time around, and I only just remembered to take a quick photo before we had completely eaten it. A few more minutes, and it would have been just crumbs. 😊

Outside in the garden, we have been digging up potatoes. They are by far the best crop I have ever grown: good-sized potatoes and plenty of them. I'm digging a few each day and enjoying the taste of homegrown spuds with our dinners.

As I finish writing this, I can hear the rain hammering down outside, and we've had thunder and lightning this afternoon too. What will next week bring? 

D has finished school until September and is now enjoying a well-earnt rest and some time to catch up on crafting, baking, and a few other things. Our mum and daughter cruise is also only three weeks away. 

I'm looking forward to the next few weeks and hope that you have things to look forward to in the coming weeks.

Whatever your plans are, have fun and enjoy.

B and a rather sleepy D xx

A Hot and Quiet Week

Hello friends.

It has been very quiet in this small corner, and there is very little for me to say this week. I've just been trying to stay cool. 

It has been a quick stroll around the garden in the early morning to check on the plants and to pick the Sweet Peas that are appearing daily in abundance. They are benefiting from the grey water from the kitchen sink and are flowering profusely. 

For the rest of the week, I stayed inside, which gave me the opportunity to read a whole book, which is a rare treat for me. I do enjoy James Patterson's books and like the very short chapter style. 

Wherever you are in the world, I hope and pray that you and your family are staying safe and well. Have a good week ahead.

B x

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Hello Friends. 

How are you all this week? Good, I hope. 😊

This week, I wanted to share with you how our garden has been changing and growing. Halfway through the year now, and a lot has changed in the woodland. Most things have done well, a few things needed moving, and a few plants got a bit too sun-baked. 

I'm also showing the not-so-pretty bits, such as the area where the bark and other bagged items are stored, as well as hubby's sand and ballast supplies. There are also the vital parts of the garden like the compost and the water butts. Where would I be without those?

We have just about finished covering the whole area with chunky bark. This will massively help to reduce watering and weeding jobs. During the varied hot, windy, wet and everything else in between weather, the bits of the garden that already had bark laid suffered little wilt and no weeds peeping through. Now the entire area is covered, and we also have a designated spot to place our chairs and enjoy the garden.

Now, follow me around the garden and see how our plants grow.

The area covers about 30ft x 25ft, or about 10m x 8m.

Starting outside the shed, we have a space large enough for two seats with a bit of shade from the Hawthorn tree overhead. At the moment, the tree has lots of green berries, which will ripen later into red ones that the birds will love. We can't leave seats out because we are plagued with pigeons and their ....!

Two of our water butts are located next to the shed, making them very useful.

This is one of the less pretty and more functional parts of the garden. Everybody needs somewhere to store 'useful stuff'. Here is where we store odd slabs to be repurposed, bags of grit, sand, and bark, and my long canes. I already have a plan for the slabs in another part of the garden. 

Another very valuable resource is the double compost bin that my hubby made a few years ago.

Hmm! This doesn't look too good, does it! 

The grass has died back quite a bit, but there are still some patches of green, so I won't give up hope. It hasn't been watered at all this year, and perhaps not enjoyed the extreme heat. It will recover, though.

The same applies to this bush Amelanchier. I will be placing plenty of bark around the roots to retain moisture, and next year, I will find some temporary shade for it.

The log and twig pile is growing and will be a cosy home for small creatures in Winter. 

This pretty little Acer was not happy where I originally placed it and, as a result, got quite burnt. I have since moved it into some shade, and it seems much happier. Next year it will be even better.

The whole area has now been covered with chunky landscape bark which will make things so much easier for us to maintain in the way we want from now on.

Everything has been growing at such a rate even with the very hot days we have had lately. The Rodgersia plant with its frothy flower heads has been the best I have seen.

This Acer has now reached the height I am happy with, but no further. I will trim it back in the Autumn.

The Rheum (located just in front of the ferns), which resembles a large rhubarb, has been sulking, but I think it has got too hot and not enough moisture around its roots again. It has had plenty of water and a cosy bark mulch as a way of an apology, and I need to think about how to keep it happy next year.

Finally, this is a useful table that I use for pots of bulbs, taking cuttings, and other small garden tasks. My hubby made it from an old door and covered it with EPDM rubber left over from when we had our flat roof recovered.

In other garden news, when we visited our local garden centre for more bark, this pretty Lantana caught my eye. It went straight into my basket when I saw the price. For now, it will be placed in a large pot while I decide on its permanent location. The Clematis was reduced, and also made it to the checkout. Both plants now need planting. 

Well, that is how my garden is growing at the start of July. If you have any outdoor garden space, I hope it brings you just as much happiness as mine does. 

Have a lovely week and mind the sun if it comes out to play.

B x