New Fishes

We had this idea ..... collect C and take her along with us to buy some fish food and plants .....  We wandered round and I chose the plants, PJ found the gear & food and C looked at fish.... not a good idea!


C loved the yellow koi and decided to buy two, saying they can live in our pond!!!!


So here is C with her two koi ...... Scramble and Egg.......

don't ask!!

She lowered the sealed bag into the water but couldn't get it to float 'right' so ........

......... PJ came along and let some of the air out of the bag.

C was intrigued to see what would happen........

The bag floated!

Scramble and Egg looked very interested in their new surroundings.

After a couple of hours of chatting, we remembered the two fish and went outside to set them free.

C hauled the bag to the side, opened it up and emptied it gently into the water.

'Goodbyee' .....' thank you for giving us this new home' ...... no!   They just swam off...............

The two fish took off out into the centre of the pond.

Soon we had all the fish gently swimming round, with the two new fish swimming together as they viewed their new abode.

A great shopping time

This is what happens when you follow blogs .....

I saw a stamp used on a card and I thought  .... 'what a smashing stamp!'

A few days later I spotted another stamp by the same artist used on a card.

I have to get myself some of these I thought.  I followed the link of the blog and, once on the website, I found a link to Pink Tulip Creations ...... a few miles away from where I live!!!!

So off we went on a day out, and eventually we found the site - just before a junction so there was a quick left turn!!!!

Once through the gates the store is signposted right opposite!!!



We parked up and trundled ourselves into the shop.  It was just as it is pictured on the website!!!  I was in heaven!!  PJ followed me in and we stood amazed, all this and right on our doorstep ... sort of!

We started off together but then PJ wandered off on his own.  I found the stamps I wanted almost straight away, most unusual for me, and so I began to wander round ..... fatal!!!!    No self-control!!!
Eventually we reached the cash desk - end of shop visit!  

I cannot explain how much we both enjoyed our visit to this shop.  A workshop was just finishing but, because the shop is 'divided', this did not matter as we walked in the door and turned right, while the workshop was on the left.  There was no staff interference, help, queries, greeting, we were left to walk the isles by ourselves, talking and laughing across the aisles.  At one point we needed to check some measurements and PJ went up to the other end, interrupted the conversation to request a tape or ruler measure, and returned.  No quibbles, no funny looks, just help.  Wonderful.
At the cash desk I explained how I had found the shop and we chatted casually.  I needed to pre-order a stencil - no bother, the order book was brought out and my details entered.  
What a wonderful experience this shopping expedition was. 

Down to the nitty gritty .......


PJ's actually - he has more space!!
Once emptied out  ........

 Please know that this is two orders!!!



My stamps, stencil, sprays and the best buy - BRUSHOS.  I never really thought I would get to buy this product and these four tiny tubs have made my day even more special.

PJ found some stamps and decided to do some stamping and colouring, so he picked up a few things for himself. 

Weekend Party

Travelling down south to Dunstable way the blossoms were beautiful ... lining the motorways and roads as we travelled along.  I love the way that the blackthorn blossoms before any of the leaves, adding a hint that Spring is on the way.


We managed to find the Hotel, another of PJ's little gems, hidden away behind the Restaurant.  We washed and changed then toddled off to the Party.

The party was organised by M's sister and daughter at a private venue, they had gone to a lot of trouble searching through M's address book to invite his friends. 

Ignore Breakfast - enjoy the view

 The venue itself could not be faulted, was magnificently fitted out and we had the use of the kitchen, patio and indoor pool area.  

There was a disco set up in the pool area so PJ and myself sat at the side of the pool and watched as the other guests arrived.  the DJ hushed us all as we were expecting the guest of honour ..... and then informed us that there was a delay as the taxi had not arrived on time.  We waited another half an hour and then the taxi was on its way ... hush ...... silence .... and then the man arrived!  
We all moved out onto the patio and 'Happy Birthday' rang out loud and clear into the night air.  M was amazed but loved every moment!  


The party real started now, the music picked up, the food was served (Pig Roast), the drink flowed and the Scouts were together again.





The amateur dramatic society organised the toast, joined in the disco as a chorus, harmonising so well that the DJ  kept turning the music down!!

We returned to the hotel and after a good night's sleep started to wend our way home. 

We managed to find a good place to have our breakfast ........

We passed the most amazing henhouse ..... house in a pen for the hens ..... set us off thinking ....

Along the South Coast visiting friends (late posting)

Friends moved down to this part of the country several years ago.  We went down to Devon to meet up and to explore.  
We met up with BS at their mobile home, just popped in to let them know we had arrived, then we arranged to meet up at The Dartbridge for an evening meal.



As the weather was so fine we met up outside and then decided to stay outside for our meal.  We had a great time - reminiscing, eating and laughing.  The time soon came for us to return to our campsite so we all said our goodbyes and agreed to meet up again in 2015.



We travelled into Totnes the next day and met up with our friend from the Flats.  She is in a new home now and took great pleasure in showing us around.  C has a lovely room, access to a really large community room and a bus every hour to take her into to town.... luxury!!


We wandered down into town to The Dartmouth, had a lovely Carvery meal.  We were just in time as the pans were cleared away not long after we were served!




The next day we went on the ferry across the bay to Torquay and had a wander round before we caught the bus back to Brixham.  This is the local open top tour bus  which fascinated PJ but we decided to save that until next year.

This is a post from 2014 which was not published.

Spring is on its way!!!

Definitely!
Look at our gorgeous newly painted signal box shining in the sunshine!

Look at those tiny bright green Delphinium shoots poking through ......

I am loving it!  With sunshine like this it is time to get the fork'n'spade out.

This square bed is where I will start .... dig out all those Primulas that are about to start flowering, take out the Sweet Williams and throw away the weeds.

A few hours later - I seemed to have slowed up a bit .... what with resting, taking cups of coffee, chatting -  we now have a prepared bed ..... weedless.

All those small and large plants are now settling into new homes ....

.... a few primulas  planted in the empty spaces in the Delphinium bed all the way along to the end.   Sweet Williams are planted along the ground at the railings (almost lineside!).  When the steam train trips start later in the year these will provide a lovely shot of colour alongside the track.


The lavender bed is showing some bareness, the summer geraniums have died back and the hyacinths are not yet high enough to bloom, so a few primulas fills this space for the time being.




We have a young volunteer in today and, while he waits for a job, he takes down my pea sticks from the Sweet Pea Garden and order is restored to another corner!




In the centre bed a small hebe is growing in the shade of its parent plant .... well it was but now it is growing in Christine C's pot, surrounded by Lysmachia, Black Mondo Grass and even some Aquilegia.  All that in one small pot you ask, well, yes!  These were planted a few years ago and now only the strongest survive !!

Now that all is dug, planted, tidies and swept there is time for a walk round this Railway Visitor's garden .....
There are two summer geraniums still surviving in the small box bed at the entrance .... for how much longer I wonder?

Now that the scaffolding has come down from around the Signal Box I can assess the damage ......

Most of the pots still have a few plants surviving and the hanging basket has new shoots as well!

The 'wheel' will be trimmed back into shape and no doubt will be throwing out it's pretty yellow flowers later in Spring.

Alas!  and Alack!  It looks as though a new lawn will have to be laid, sown, patched .....
Once the Tuesday Team have completed the Signal Box and moved onto their next project  ....... watch this space.

My concluding thought ...... Spring is on its way!!!!

YES!!!

Buying the vegetables

We go for our 'morning drive' once a fortnight, just to stock up with the freshest vegetables we have ever found.
 We used to ride out to the nursery just looking and visit other local nurseries in the area but then, one day we decided we would collect the veg and fruit to take on holiday with us.
That visit set the trend the veg is soooo fresh .....
The nursery itself is just  a basic working nursery, no frills or gimmicks, straight forward plants, soil, pots etc.

 There are several shops to one side of Nursery, small businesses covering double glazing, fashion, wool & haberdashery, also a new shop just opened selling hand made fudge!!!

On the other side of the card park is a butcher's van and 'the house'.  The house at the side of the nursery used to be an old detached house with a workshop (or two) at the side, car repairs I think.  It is a really beautiful house now  ......

We bought up all the fruit we needed and then moved onto the vegetables.  
Then we decided to have a cup of coffee (and a piece of cake) in the cafe to the side of the nursery, I love this cafe/restaurant.  It is clean and the staff are very friendly and helpful.
As you can see PJ gives it the 'thumbs up'!  The cafe can be accessed from the nursery or from the front of the site, but we usually enter from the nursery.  There are easy seats situated around the cafe but one of my favourites is the corner opposite the nursery entrance ..........  Lots of artwork to peruse ......

We had a lovely drive home, English countryside in the winter sunshine .....

.. and down came the snow .....

Since Christmas I have been on a 'clean up or throw' splurge.  It happens every year ..... the Christmas decs go back into the loft and the room has to be tidied ...... and that which was buried is revealed ..... and all that space ......   I am sure I am not alone in this!

The tidying and cleaning takes preference over my online work and my craft creating ......

All the new resolve for 2015 goes out of the window ..... catching up is now the priority!  Then comes the day that everything is almost back to normal .....

AND WHAT HAPPENS?!?!

I have a really bad head cold, I feel lousy, my eyes and nose are streaming .... I don't think I need to go on ......


..... and now it's snowing!

A Tribute (post will be edited from time to time)

This is a Tribute to a Great Man.  'The World' will never know about him, but to those who knew him he was a great man.  Gregarious, kind hearted, giving ..... a great man.

Poppa went to meet his Maker at the end of December 2014, with his family by his side.  I found out this past week and I am devastated.
This man, his given names I never knew, welcomed us into his home and his heart.  I can only remember all the times spent with this great man as such happy, learning and fulfilling times.  He went to great lengths to make sure that his 'guests', and later calling us his family, were suitably housed and fed and secure.  I loved this man and thought myself truly blessed to be in his company, sitting at his table and could never, never, comprehend the lengths he went to ensure we were happy.
He was always patient with me, teaching me about traditions, food ..... always having time to talk.
One year he found out it was my birthday and organised a party in his garden for me.  Tables were laid out and food brought out to us, a wide variety and, after prayers, conversation was good, there was much laughter and in depth discussions.  Then the chairs and tables were set back and a drumming group were led in.  These men played all sorts and shapes of drums, the talking drum included.  They were dressed in national costumes and the drums were decorated accordingly.  How we danced in the shade of the orange trees to beating of the drums!!!  One of the best birthdays and something that is absolutely priceless.  But that is how Poppa was.

Another year we went back to his house and there was a beautiful cow sitting in his garden chomping on the hay.  It sat there so placid while the children and adults came up and patted it, ran round it, shouting and calling ...... it just carried on chomping.   'What do you call her Poppa?' I asked.  'Cow' came the reply!!!  I explained how, in England, we named our cows - Daisy, buttercup etc.  He was amazed, could not understand why.  The next day there was a feast at the Church and yes! you guessed it! Beef featured on the menu!

Such wonderful memories this great man gave me ..... such love .... he is sorely missed here in this cold place called England.

My thoughts and prayers are for his lovely wife, handsome sons and their wives and much loved grandchildren.  I pray that God will strengthen and comfort you all at this sad time.

Je m'appelle Charlie