Another catch-up

This is much wider than my first blanket, 

but it is growing at a nice speed

 I made this bag for holidays, but we cancelled our main holiday

so I have found another use for it

 Once I have used a colour on my blanket I pop the yarn in here, 

this way I don't use the yarn twice in the same block. 

Sunday we popped out for some potting compost and this plant came home with me, it was on my shopping list. The china pot I already had. 

£10 from Wilkinson, perfect for my raised bed in the greenhouse

Hubby paid for it as a gift to me. 

We are still spending most of our time at home, every morning I am picking up leaves from our Magnolia tree, there is about 1/3rd left on the tree, it does not feel like a chore again, I have always loved this tree.
I did alot of cooking over the weekend, we had a roast dinner Saturday, with enough for a second meal for hubby on Sunday, I took a curry out of the freezer for myself.
Saturday we sold our campervan, it was sad, but we really did not get out in it enough, every month this year we were tied up, we have wonderful memories from our trips, and loads of post on here, we sold it for almost the same price as we purchased it, we just lost out on servicing and the small internal refit. I have taken a few items out, which we can use at home, but the rest went with the van, the man drove it away very happy. We have no desire to purchase another one, we are already looking at city breaks, I really want to get to Liverpool next year. We are also planning a holiday next spring, we are checking prices but will probably purchase in January.
Sunday we have a wonder around a garden center, not one we go to often, it was gearing up for Christmas, making space for Christmas trees, there were a couple living ones, we were tempted, but walked past them. Rest of the day was spent at home, with crochet hook in hand.
Monday we popped to Fareham for just a bit of shopping and a light lunch, this year we decided to suggest to each other what we would like for presents, so hubby got me a lovely black leather bag and a garden kneeling stool (reduced at a brilliant price), I got hubby a drone with video camera, who knew he would want one!

Meanwhile outside

The garden is still giving, loads of flowers and berries around the plot, the birds have started eating some of the berries along the back hedge. I am picking up leaves every day, mainly the huge leaves from our Magnolia tree, Tuesday afternoon was so mild, I enjoyed time outside, not alot of work to do. I have planted my birthday bulbs, except the grape hyacinth, which I have given away, I prefer English Bluebells in the garden.
Everything in the greenhouse is OK, my raised bead gives me so much joy, my strawberry babies are looking good, should have great plants next spring.
I noticed my Hyacinth's in my pot are growing again, so fingers crossed for a Christmas show, plus my Amaryllis have shoots, but both look as if only leaves are growing, so I will pick another bulb up, next time our local market is on.
Wednesday I had lunch with a friend, just a normal thing to do, it felt so good, hubby  had a checkup with Doctor in morning, and all is well, he can now stop wearing the awful stockings, he is active enough not to need them.
I am reading more at this time, I have done a small amount on my shawl, and a couple more rows of my ripple blanket, but I am waiting for my wool orders to come, which won't be before the weekend.
Hubby and I pop out most days, only local, but it good for him to be walking, and the weather has turned so mild and sunny for a few days.

Planning

Early birthday gift from daughter

Amaryllis bulbs saved from last year,

all planted for this Christmas 

 Hyacinths

 This Christmas coloured Coleus 

 Reusing old things

 Buds

This post should be titled how to go to a garden center and save money, I met youngest daughter on Sunday for coffee, we had time to walk around. I watched Monty make up winter pots on Friday and loved the results, he used plants I would not normally put in pots. I saw the top plants and cheeky asked my daughter had she any idea of what to get me next month for my birthday, her reply was no. I suggested if she was happy to purchase my gift early, she happily agreed and got me the hellebore and grass, I would have purchased them myself, but I love the idea, I can see them grow every year and thank my daughter for colour in the garden. They are not planted as the tub is still full of blooming plants, but once the frost hits I can redo the contents.
My bulbs and pot for inside are all planted, now I need to see them grow.  The bird cage was hanging in the garden, I was filling it with corks, but it would have taken ages to fill, hubby moved the corks to another hanging bird table which is much smaller. Inside the birdcage is an old cat's water dish, I just needed a plant to go inside, I love string of pearls, but don't like hanging baskets inside the house, so I will plat this up and have it hanging in the greenhouse.
Finally my cactus has more buds on it, it's been moved into my raised bed, so I am really pleased to see the promise of flowers.
Hubby came home Sunday afternoon, with wet clothes, but very happy with his trip out.

Back home

Read in the last week

starting from book 1

My garden is still full of colour

 Lovely late rose

 Side beds

 Back bed

 I have done most of my pots

I plan to let these Yew to grow into the shape of this small obelisk 

 Still a few daily raspberries

My Olives are almost ready to pick

I only have a few

I put this chilli plant outside the greenhouse

the last few peppers are turning red.

I have been in the garden for an hour each afternoon, and most of my pots are planted for winter and spring, I have just two left to do, but the plants in them are still blooming. I do have bulbs for the raised garden, that's on my list to do next week.
My harvest is now almost over, it has been a good year for so many plants. I have pruned most of my fruit bushes and added more compost, the blackberry is now cordened along the garage wall.
I love all the colour at this time of year, on the whole I am pleased with my garden, it's looking how I planned.
My raised bed in the greenhouse is good, the plants settled into their new home, Jayne asked if it was permanent, yes it is, I have so many succulents and cacti plants and they have space to be seen and grow. I will bring in my olive and kiwi soon, next year I won't grow tomatoes inside and use my greenhouse for my tender plants.
I have started packing away some of my metal birds, many of them look rusty, which I love, but I still like to protect them over winter. Next week I will put all my blue coloured ornaments into my now tidy shed.
I've not done much crafting, but I have cut a few things out ready for sewing, I plan to finish my socks over this coming weekend, on the whole I am feeling much better, the only sticking point is I don't really want to go from the house. This week I have made myself go out, sign class was good and a perfect place for me to feel good. I did go to our local library, where I am in process of becoming a volunteer for the craft groups.

prickly bed

I sifted all the soil to remove any thing left behind which could grow and all the roots. I then planted and added the membrane, this was added not to suppress weeds, I have not had issues in this bed, but to keep the small stones and slate from sinking.
I washed all the stones, then used white stone around the edge of the garden, I then added the slate on the left side, then filled the whole area with white stones. I added the 'river' of slate on top of the white stones. The bigger stones were added last, to balance the edges of the garden, I loved the wooden square as a place I can put a display bowl. I have already changed the display for a bigger bowl I have. The Aloe Vera I have left in it's bucket and it can stay just in front of the garden.
Using my lovely stand allowed me to keep some plants in their containers, I do love using kitchen items as planters.
The only downside to this garden, is it's in my greenhouse so not on view from the garden, but on the plus safe from young grandsons hands.
I have had this plan for ages in my head, just waited until the final harvest could be made, I can now watch to see if they all grow.

Meanwhile inside

Bathroom window sill, I love the mixture of pots here. 

I saw a pot like this which inspired me to plant this one 

Mummy Spider plant

Another good book, it did send you all over the place. 

 Two more ready for me to read.

So many of my house plants are doing well in this heat, the top 3 are in the bath room, the spider plant is next to my keyboard, it's huge. The babies I took last week are growing well and should be ready for the charity shop soon.

It's been a busy week, Monday Will and I had fun together, all inside.

Tuesday I had morning coffee with the sign class ladies, again sat inside. 

Wednesday we had a afternoon BBQ in our garden for friends with young children, Will and mummy came as well, we used all the shady places in the garden and added more shade with our gazebo, it was fun but again we did have time inside. 

Today hubby and I are having coffee with an old friend. Later hubby will paint, our bedroom is almost finished, hubby has painted all the doors and just has the skirting boards left to do.  Next week he starts on the stairs which has loads of gloss paint, again it's an easier task as it's just a rub down and repainting, when we moved in hubby took all the gloss paint off before he painted everywhere. 

Friday my sister and her partner are coming for a couple of days. 

I have done no craft, I have half a sock to finish knitting, some pretty cross stitch sits waiting for me, I do go out in the garden early morning to dead head and tidy around, pick harvest. I also go our at 8pm to do some watering, I don't feel guilty watering the garden, I save loads of water from the house for my thirsty plants. I was going to get some plants, but this heat is too much for planting out anything. 

Stash, start and prickly

Colours for Will's ripple blanket. 

I have done the first level with each colour,

 I wanted it to look softer than just shades of blue

I have done some of my 2nd sock

I am truly excited by these buds, 

this cactus has never flowered in all the years I have had it. 

Sunday, we had a lazy day at home, I did some housework whilst hubby did the ironing, after a brunch, poached eggs on toast, we spent time together in the garden. Hubby is not a gardener, but he is good following instructions, firstly he cut back all the ivy coming over the fence from next door, neither of us like the plants over the top of the fence. He then had a huge tidy of his garage, I pottered, planting a big pot and adding a few plants to gaps in the garden. I also took away all the protection, the plants are now big enough to survive the cats and pigeons. My shed was almost empty so I swept the floor, and did a tidy around, I also pulled my tulips bulbs out of the dried compost and stored them with two amaryllis bulbs, I normally do not store bulbs, but the tulips were so beautiful I would love them to grow again next year. I also pottered in the greenhouse for an hour.

I did start Wills ripple blanket, I like the colours and I'm pleased my daughter loves them as well. I have not done much to my socks, but I do plan to do more later in the week.
Monday morning Will arrived for the day, we walked to the park, he now knows the way, he played lovely with a little girl, they ran around together. Will is now saying words, hubby was over joyed when he called him Grancha (Welsh for grand dad), but Will's favorite word is tractor!
Today is sign class, it's the last class and we have exam's which is going to be interesting. Next week is our last meeting this term and we are all going out for afternoon tea, where we will get our results.

That week is done

I popped to The Range in the week for some slate for my herb bed, as I wandered I saw this jar, it's big and beautiful, and perfect for cacti. The rope section hides the soil and the nasties are tucked away from Will's tiny hands. 

Plus it was under a tenner. 

 It's in our sitting room. 

 I have finished the heal of my 1st sock

 The colours are very pretty.

A lovely surprise

On Friday, feeling stressed, angry and very tired and unable to spend too much time in our garden, I took everything out on the house and cleaned top to bottom, I don't often clean the whole house in one go. So I now have a clean house and all the ironing done, which does make me feel better, with only two of us here the house does not get untidy or very dirty.
Friday lunchtime daughter brought Will to me, whilst she took her cat to the vet, Will was very tired, so I put him to bed for a couple of hours. Whilst at home, the door bell rang, it was the lady I had given the fabric on Thursday, she came back with the above bunch of flowers, she felt guilt because I would not take any money for the fabric, which was perfect to make waistcoats for 7 dwarfs. She had her young daughter with her, aged about 6 or 7, who gave me one of her sweets, because I had made her mummy happy.
Later on Friday hubby and oldest son was back to spend the night at ours, we all went to Southampton to a pie and mash place, in the carpark, hubby at the pay machine called out did we have a pound coin, to which Richard and I said no, you will have to pay by card. A lady was walking by, stopped and gave me a pound from her purse, and wished us a good evening.
So whilst there are times when one person can upturn your world in any wicked way she desires, there are lovely people about, who are caring and thoughtful, and twice brought a smile to my lips.
And as soon as I can I will play it forward with a act of kindness to a stranger.
PS. the pie and mash was divine.