Red and white

My cactus in our downstairs bathroom is full of blooms again, I love this plant, the shade of pink is very striking, I feed it twice a year and water it when dry, it loves this sunny window sill. I have another small white blooms plant and a few cuttings in the greenhouse. 

I got a couple new plants, a second white blooms cactus and a white Christmas rose (hellebore), these are for my Christmas greenery display, I will mix a couple fake items here as well, I try and change things around each year.

 I knew I was going to get this book, I follow Charlie Mackesy on Instagram, he is a gentle soul, I have his first book, I love his style, I hope to be able to give both books to Molly in years to come.

This was a strange plot, a lady working for a charity answering calls to help souls struggling with their lives, what type of help, it quickly became about just one man, what had she done to him, the story unfolded with twist. It kept going with additions to the plot, when you think it's done another level is added. Book 76 read this year.

You move to a new house make friends with two unlikely neighbours, you can't work out why they are friends, as always the story unfolds in layers with a back story. I guessed by half way who's backstory it was, then it twisted into an even better plot. Brilliant book. Book 77 read this year.

I have been shopping a couple of time in the week, Wednesday with daughter, she helped me choose the final bits for the children's gifts, I also got a few craft things for them to do the week before Christmas, it should help with their excitement. On Thursday I popped out with hubby we each chose our main gift, he had slippers and me PJ's, not exciting but what we wanted, we agreed we would get one smaller surprise gift for each other, but as yet I have no idea what to get him, we are not doing our stockings this year, they were becoming full of chocolate and sweets, not good for the waist line. 

I have had an email from the printers I use hinting they are giving a big discount for Black Friday, so I have been reading 2023 again, I'm almost half way through, it will be ready to print.

I have found a 10 stitch crochet blanket to make, I will use my double knitting yarn from my stash, it's using Tunisian stitch which I do love and should be a simple task, I have no reason to make it, just to use my time and stash. I have also got a few needle felting things to make, these need to be done by the end of the month, which is plenty of time.

The force of  storm Claudia missed us on Friday, it was cold, wet and windy, nothing too bad, we stayed inside all day, Saturday was blue skies and bright, laundry dried outside, I picked up leaves again, did a bit of housework, nothing exciting, these are dull days. We did walk to our monthly craft market, I got a gift for my brother, its nice to see different things.

November garden

My daisy bed is still stunning, this simple planting has worked perfectly, I do very little to this bed, hubby loves it as well. I love how the blooms tumble to the lawn, I am hopeful of a few seedings next spring. These are evergreen and if our winter is mild we will have daisies for months.

A couple of my fuchsias are still  in bloom, both are not in the ground, being raised they do flower longer. My hosta tub is a mass of colour, the begonia is full of flowers, all the cyclamen are in pots, placed there for colour.

A quick check on my veg beds, everything is growing well, I have a fine pea net over both beds to keep the birds away. The veg in these beds requires no work, they will grow over winter giving spring harvest.

I managed to pick up all the leaves, I got 4 tubs, my acer is bare, so just the last of the huge magnolia leaves left to drop, both black dustbins are full, they will supply me with leaf mulch next autumn. I have piled loads of leaves over my rhubarb crown, I did the same last year. My composters are both full, the levels will drop, I don't plan to dig the compost out until the spring, when I should get enough compost for my needs.

Everything is looking good in the greenhouse, I will soon sow my sweet-peas, they were a success this year, so I'm going to do exactly as I did last year. I will plant my tulips in pots, hopefully with Molly on Sunday, she loves the garden, I have an amaryllis bulb to plant as well, in hope to have a flower before Christmas, I have 5 other bulbs which I have put outside in hope the cold weather will stimulate a bud instead of just leaves.

Our fake grass helps keep the garden looking good, it has brilliant drainage which is necessary in our wet winters, I get as much pleasure looking at our winter garden as I do in summer, the structure is enough to give interest. 

I spent Wednesday with daughter, I have finished all the children's gifts and George's birthday present, I'm out with hubby on Friday to choose our gift to each other. I did get a pair of green cords from Next, I have always loved cord trousers, they are not often on sale, so I grabbed a pair when I saw them.

Weekend

 Daughter and children sneaked into the house on Friday and decorated for our home coming on Saturday, it was a lovely surprise, the last time I had balloons was 10 years ago, we took a few to their house so they could play with them. The '70' balloons are in our office Lilly was getting herself tied up in the strings. 

I did get a lovely bunch of flowers, I've not received fresh flowers in ages, they do brighten up the sitting room, I stopped buying fresh flowers a few years ago, the cost and the fact they are not grown in UK, being the main factors. 

Sunday we all went out for a meal to a local pub where George is comfortable, they do a lovely roast dinner, which I had, afterwards we had chocolate birthday cake, daughter got a 'freefrom' dairy so both George and Molly could have some, we left the rest of the cake for them. 

We have done very little since we came home, Lilly behaved at the cattery and came for a cuddle when she saw me, she has been in luxury, there is underfloor heating in the cages, she was snug, I tried to keep her in on Saturday night, there were loads of fireworks, she yowled so hubby let her out, later she slept on my lap for ages.

No plans for the coming week, rest and relax, I have a ton of leaves to pick up, my acer is almost bare and the magnolia is slowly dropping it's huge leaves, the rest of the garden is looking after itself. We are off to Lidl's this morning to fill the fridge, it's raining hard so rest of the day will be inside, probably chatting on the phone with my sister. Laundry is all done, cases are packed away, it's just memories now, and what great memories I have. 

Last look

 From the top of Battersea chimney, the old power station is now a shopping complex and newly built up area, there is a glass lift inside one chimney, we were lucky only 6 people in our's loads of room to view London..

Inside 

loads of the old mechanics of the building on show.

Iconic view, 

old and new

Fun on Tower bridge, 

we walked across the two towers under the top section.

Uber water taxi,

a great way to get around.

Millennium bridge, we walked across twice.

The Golden Hinde

Poppies at Traitors gate, 

Tower of London.

My birthday lunch was in China Town.

Liberty's

This is my final London post, I took so many photos, we made so many great memories, we planed our day to walk away from our hotel and then jumped on the underground to get back, its much easier now you don't have to purchase tickets, just tap your card at beginning and end of every journey. 

We do love to walk everywhere, we again found lovely spots, things not always in any guide, different places to eat, our hotel has a brilliant restaurant, we did not use it preferring to find different places when out and about. Nothing beats turning a corner and finding a treasure, we stumbled on The Golden Hinde.