Thursday 24th December 2020

 Christmas Eve

Well Christmas has certainly been spoilt for lots of people.  Mine was spoilt last weekend by Boris announcing tier4 for the area where my son and daughter-in-law lives which meant we couldn't travel to DIL parents.  

I don't mind my own company being an only child but now at 64yrs I do need to see other humans.  I will be joining a friend for Christmas lunch but should have gone to another friend for Boxing day but now I cannot.

Since my last post I have had my lounge decorated.  It is now green very green!  The colour of the paint is called Willow Tree.

I also put my tree up.  I know some of you haven't this year in memory of the people lost to this horrible virus.  Mine has gone gone up because my son and DIL and granddaughter gave it to me last year before they went to New Zealand and also in memory of my dear husband who passed away 2019 from a brain tumour because he always decorated the Christmas Tree.  I just cannot bring myself to get that one out.

I would have loved to show the presents I had made for my DIL's family who I should have been with this Christmas.  They will stay there until I see them which hopefully will be before Christmas 2021

One of my son's sent me beautiful flowers which arrived yesterday.  So I will enjoy them and remember Christmas past........

The Carol of the Bells

Listen to this if you wish........its a bit cheery for this year, but one of my favourite Christmas pieces.  I think it may bring hope....... 

Sunday 10th May

Week Seven

Well how was your week?  

I have to be honest I lost the days, I thought yesterday was Sunday for a while.

I have done some gardening.  I put in a newly purchased rose from David Austin Roses in.  A bit of an extravagant purchase but there was a reason why.  I have two really lovely friends who help me by shopping or help me with my accounts.  I buy them flowers and bake cakes for them every so often and have made things like bags and quilts.  This time |I thought a rose might be nice.  Val had The Ancient Mariner.  Her and her husband Mark have a dinghy which they sail off Porlock but haven't been out in it since last year, it is also a  poem local to us as Samuel Taylor Coleridge lived on Exmoor.  Jane had Ballerina, I couldn't get belly dancer as that is her hobby!  I had Fairy because that's where faeries live don't they, at the bottom of the garden!

my pretty "posh" tulips still going strong

frog/toad in Val's pond

I went for a walk into town  with Jane last week.  

Note to self don't mow two lawns then walk into town the next day...........

Lat's just say I had a very restful day on Friday

I take photos of Weather Vanes.  

This one was seen on the walk to town.

Jane and I also spotted this Arum lily growing on the bank of the local stream

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All weekend this is the song everyone seems to be singing.  

Looking forward to seeing my family so much so I dedicate it to them also to the friends I had arranged to meet up with before the lockdown

We'll meet again

Don't know where

Don't know when

But I know we'll meet again some sunny day

Keep smiling through

Just like you always do

'Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away

So will you please say hello

To the folks that I know

Tell them I won't be long

They'll be happy to know

That as you saw me go

I was singing this song

We'll meet again

Don't know where

Don't know when

But I know we'll meet again some sunny day

We'll meet again

Don't know where

Don't know when

But I know we'll meet again some sunny day

Keep smiling through

Just like you always do

'Til the blue skies

Drive the dark clouds far away

So will you please say hello

To the folks that I know

Tell them it won't be long

They'll be happy to know

That as you saw me go

I was singin' this song

We'll meet again

Don't know where

Don't know when

But I know we'll meet again some sunny day

Sunday 3rd May

Week Six

A week when I didn't feel like doing anything. a week when I couldn't get motivated. 
It was the week my darling husband passed away last year from a brain tumour. 
A verse from this poem was read at his funeral.

Funeral Blues

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message 'He is Dead'.
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

 W. H. Auden

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Everybody who has a garden I'm sure has been gardening, planted flowers to watch grow.  
The lawns are being mowed regularly looking neat.
My garden is looking quite bare after two years of neglect. I've been pulling weeds, and these weeds were not flowers just in the wrong place!

The Three Cornered Leek was bullying and taking over the garden so I may enjoy the garden next year but I did buy some "posh" Tulips from the flower show at Taunton last year.

I am concentrating on the front garden as that is the part everyone see first.

I went for a walk in the fine rain Wednesday morning. 
Saw these pretty flowers in the hedgerow on my walk

Lady's Smock in the hedgerow

Lady's Smock in the hedgerow

English Country Garden

How many kinds of sweet flowers grow

In an English country garden?

We'll tell you now of some that we know

Those we miss you'll surely pardon

Daffodils, heart's ease and flox

Meadowsweet and lady smocks

Gentain, lupine and tall hollihocks

Roses, foxgloves, snowdrops, blue forget-me-nots

In an English country garden

How many insects come here and go

In an English country garden?

We'll tell you now of some that we know

Those we miss you'll surely pardon

Fireflies, moths, gnats and bees

Spiders climbing in the trees

Butterflies drift in the gentle breeze

There are snakes, ants that sting

And other creeping things

In an English country garden

How many songbirds fly to and fro

In an English country garden?

We'll tell you now of some that we know

Those we miss you'll surely pardon

Bobolink, cuckoo and quail

Tanager and cardinal

Bluebird, lark, thrush and nightingale

There is joy in the spring

When the birds begin to sing

In an English country garden

(Some of the birds and insects are not English but we will forgive that......won't we....?)

Sunday 19th April

Week Four

Well how are you all dear readers?
What have you all been doing?

Bluebells as seen on a walk

I have been doing things but really not anything to show yet.
Any body else like me?
If I "Show 'n Tell" I tend not to finish what I am making....

My birthday cake.
Made by my friend Val's husband Mark.
I shared it with them

It was my birthday on Wednesday 15th April.  I had lots of lovely messages cards and gifts which arrived on time and cards and gifts which arrived late.  I don't mind gifts arriving late it just means my birthday lasts longer!
I still have cards and gifts to come............
I will show more next week

bag of lovely goodies from Denise

choccie biscuits from Jane B

handmade pillowcases from Jane C

My pretty flowers

Left to Right - Pink  Alstroemeria from Val and Mark. Roses from Robert and Anneka (Bloom and Wild), Lilies from Sarah (her blog is here) and yellow Alstroemeria from Marianne and Brian (my late husband's cousin) (Bloom and Wild)

Strange phenomena my pictures have all disappeared from my last two posts and boy did I struggle to do today's post.........

I haven't been on the computer for a few days hope it hasn't taken offence!

Busy Doin' Nothin'

La-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

We're busy doin' nothin'

Workin' the whole day through

Tryin' to find lots of things not to do

We're busy goin' nowhere

Isn't it just a crime

We'd like to be unhappy, but

We never do have the time

I have to watch the river

To see that it doesn't stop

And stick around the rosebuds

So they'll know when to pop

And keep the crickets cheerful

They're really a solemn bunch

Hustle, bustle

And only an hour for lunch

La-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

We're busy doin' nothin'

Workin' the whole day through

Tryin' to find lots of things not to do

We're busy goin' nowhere

Isn't it just a crime

We'd like to be unhappy, but

We never do have the time

I have to wake the Sun up

He's liable to sleep all day

And then inspect the rainbows

So they'll be bright and gay

I must rehearse the songbirds

To see that they sing in key

Hustle, bustle

And never a moment free

We're busy doin' nothin'

Workin' the whole day through

Tryin' to find lots of things not to do

We're busy going nowhere

Isn't it just a crime

We'd like to be unhappy, but

We never do have the time

I have to meet a turtle

I'm teachin' him how to swim

Then I have to shine the dewdrops

You know they're looking rather dim

I told my friend, the robin

I'd buy him a brand new vest

Hustle, bustle

We never do have

We never do have

We never do, never do

Never do, never do, never do have the time

Never do have the time

From the film 
The Court Jester ~ circa 1956