April roundup

This is my lowest monthly spend for this year, still a bit higher than I hoped, but I have purchased grasses for my butler sink, which were more expensive than first planned, it should look brilliant.
The top spend on my wool was yarn from Spain, which was too cheap not to purchase, the 2nd purchase was for my shawl and yet more sock yarn.

I have spent nothing on clothes and books, which is pleasing and expected.

We turned our heating off over Easter, and as yet not needed it back on.

We have sorted our bank accounts and come away from paying a charge each month, before we got travel insurance within the bank package, and some other insurances, but due to hubby's recent health problems, we purchased a better travel insurance package for the whole year. so we are saving £14 per month from the bank, plus now they are paying us £2 per month for us using the accounts. So after paying for the insurance we are saving £42 this year.

Our food waste is again very low, we did eat loads of different meals, Easter left our fridge with loads of leftovers. Talking of Easter, I managed to get eggs with no plastic wrapping.

Had a great shop at Ocado, my coffee bags were on offer at £2 instead of £3.50, we needed a few things to make the order value up for delivery. So half price shopping.

Other than purchasing the decking our spending has been low, but hubby will save loads by fitting the decking himself, it is the final big job. We will both be happy once it's finished. We will require a few items to finish the garden, which hubby will order in bulk.

Finished

 I love this second shawl, the colours are very me, I have packed it away until later in the year, it will match my winter coat. The 1st shawl, I am giving to my eldest daughter, the colours are really her. I have weighed my left over yarn, 170grms, so I need to decide should I make socks or gloves. I won't start anything now, so I have plenty of time to think.

Does this happen in your house, we purchased two new cat beds, the same design as the old ones, Purdy is happy, but Grace hid behind our sofa, it always takes her a couple of days to get used to new beds. Our old beds we passed on to a local animal center, they still have life, they just looked tatty. I have moved Grace's basket to beside my chair, so now she is using it.
Saturday we had Will at lunch time, mummy and daddy went to a wedding, Will slept over at our request, and for the 1st time slept in a bed in our room, we still are not happy having him sleep downstairs. Sunday was loads of fun, he helped hubby fill the bird feeders, and enjoyed time in the garden. We had a lazy afternoon after our early start to the day, I have done loads more to my blanket.

I have also finished reading The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult, a story following various people, Sage, her grandmother a Holocaust survivor, and elderly German man. This is a brilliant book on a terrible subject, but it's written so well, you want to read what happens to everyone. It did leave me with questions, I would recommend it.
Will is back with us today, I am hoping we will walk to the park, but hubby is working on our decking, so I think Will will want to watch. I have a few things to move in the garden, nothing huge, plus a few task in my greenhouse. It's sunny and cold, which is perfect working weather, we had hardly any rain over the weekend, the last time we had a day of rain was 9th April, so much for April showers.

He did, she did

New decking started

Hubby ripped up the old decking at the back door, he had to replace a few bits to the frame, but was pleased most was still in very good condition, we removed loads of decking July 2013, now we are just replacing the top boards, keeping it the same size.
At this point I muttered, ' I have an idea', no he did not roll his eyes or sigh, 'can we replace the pots by the door with a raised bed', my thinking is no water running from pots onto new decking, he agreed it was a good point, so now I have a planter, we just need to line the inside to stop it rotting. I already have plants to fill it for summer and next spring, all the bulbs I was given for my birthday in November, I put into pots, so I will transplant them in here.
This is one of the smaller areas of the decking, but very important as we enter our house always via the back door.

Purdy photo bombing

I have spend most evenings knitting my shawl, it's a simple relaxing design, it should be finished soon, I won't be knitting another for a while. I have done more on my scrap oblong blanket, it's another simple craft to do.
I purchased the pale fabric above, I have not added the cost to my stash list, this is for household use, and therefore not for my hobby, I hope to get the sewing machine out soon.
I am sorting wool for a baby cot blanket in shades of pink, I will make a ripple like I made for Will, I really enjoy crochet these smaller blankets.
I'm doing very little in the garden, picking up Magnolia petals from the lawn, the cooler weather is nice, but we still have not had enough rain, I am hoping my rain butts will be filled soon, but I think it's more hope than anything else.

Arundel Castle

We popped to West Sussex on the train, to see the tulips at Arundel Castle, just stunning.

Tulips

I was given this bunch of tulips for the house

I don't normally have them inside as they fade quickly

but the shades are beautiful

 It's tulip time in the garden, these from last year in my raised bed.

 These in a pot at the back of the garden

 They are stunning

Most of the red tulips by my back door are going over, I can only grow tulips in pots and my raised bed, they don't do at all well in our clay soil. Once the ones are finished in pots, I will transplant them to my raised flower bed infront of my greenhouse.
The garden is very mixed at this time of year, the last of the spring flowers are still in bloom, but the summer plants are not showing yet.
My Magnolia tree, still has loads of pink bloom, my acer is a beautiful deep red, my Peany has loads of buds, but they won't start to show for a few weeks yet. The fruit bushes are filling with flowers, I have hopes for a good crop this summer.
I have purchased a couple of grasses for the sink beside my Acer, I have another one on order, due sometime in May.
It's just a case of wait, wait and wait a bit more, I always have itchy fingers this time of year.
I follow a good blog An English Homestead, where Kev has a huge garden and some animals, he does a great job of teaching his children where their food comes from, he shares his knowledge of producing great food. He is also a wonderful carpenter, and has just started making things to sell, soon it will be June and Fathers day, have a look at his hand made items, all at a good price, I have hinted to hubby what I would love to own.

Easter Sunday

I am working on my shawl, hubbies socks will be next.

 Cacti and succulent seeds, 4 different types, 

Easter egg hunt, Sunday morning. 

After a great BBQ with hubby and brother on Saturday night, where we sat out quite late. Sunday was a family day. Will, mummy and daddy came for lunch, we had a simple easter egg hunt, which Will loved, just a few hollow eggs, coins and a couple of smarties tiny ducks, he loved the new blue bucket.
As with all our recent days the doors were open onto the decking, Will did not want to spend any time inside, the whole garden had toys everywhere. He loves football, and now golf and frisbee's. Lunch cooked by hubby was roast lamb, we did manage to get Will to sit at the table, afterwhich he had a long sleep, then back outside for my games. They stayed later, and hubby lit another BBQ, far too much food in one day.
But it was a brilliant family time, loads of chatter sat in the sun shine, just a perfect day. Later I did some more knitting on my shawl, I am loving this knitting.
This morning my brother is driving back home to Somerset, it will take him about 3 hours, we will next see him on early May bank holiday, when we will drive to his.
Today is cloudy, and being British, I don't mind, having has 3 days of sunshine, where I have been outside most of the days, it's nice to not have to worry about getting burnt.
Hubby did suggest we start on the decking, but agreed it would be nice to have a restful day, having said that our line is full of washing.

A perfect finish

A perfect solution to an eyesore, our new neighbour had the fence done, we don't mind as we are now private, but as with so many things her grounds workers did, they only cared about the look within her garden.
The wall has pillars to hold it up, the post were attached to the pillars, so a huge gap was formed between the wall and fence, it looked ugly.
Using 4 of our decking planks, hubby and my brother created this shelf, the boards are cut around the post, so the gap is gone, it looks so good.
My metal birds can sit here, with just a couple of tealights, and my twigs.
I'm a really happy lady, it was hard work, but it's now neat and tidy.
Today we are having a family lunch, and an egg hunt for Will  so resting and fun day.

New starts

Socks for hubby

 2nd Leftie shawl using a blue/grey wool and swapping the orange for red.

 Succulents seeds, already showing tiny shoots.

Thursday was a beautiful warm day, we got the larger water butt, next to the garage, I had to dig up some lillies, I have popped them back into the garden, split into 4 places.
Our decking planks arrived, I think hubby has ordered too many, he got the longer length, so less joins, but did not factor in needing less. We do have plans for some, and the others we will try and send back.
I loved being outside in the warm sunshine, I trimmed back loads of shrubs, and everywhere got a good watering from the old smaller butt. Hubby has ordered a stand and will set it up next to the kitchen widow along the drive, just outside our gates, I have doubled my stored water, but until it rains (I know I'm sorry), I will need to be careful.
We wanted fish and chips for tea, the shop was shut so had pizza, as a treat, and cider shandys, it's so lovely to have summer weather over the long weekend.
Friday, boring housework and hubby ironing, but it's all done, we changed the bed and did the mats in our showerroom, so everywhere clean. We went to B&Q, hubby needed a few bits, and then on to our daughters house, to see daddy and Will, we love seeing this little family together. Had our 1st mini BBQ of the year.
My brother is due later today, hubby has been to Lidl and got a few things, so we are ready for the rest of the weekend, he has asked for a BBQ for tonight.
We are having a family lunch on Sunday, mummy, daddy and Will are coming over, we plan a Easter egg hunt in the garden for Will.

On my hook

My newest blanket is growing quickly, I have no design, just using the leftover yarn from my bedcover ripple blanket. I am making a oblong using the granny stitches, simple and quick, it's a perfect use for the huge bag of yarn. I am not making full rounds, I have loads of colours in various sized balls of yarn, I just pick a colour and use it all up, then on to my next colour.
I normally love to work neat, tidy with defined lines, but this is fun, I have no idea how far the yarn will go, and how it will look in the end, the only rule I have is to use the smaller balls first, working toward the bigger balls as the blanket gets bigger.
My hope is a lap blanket, if it gets bigger than that it will be a bonus, I still have a long way to go, but it's great to be making something so free and fun.
Wednesday we popped to town to our bank, we did wander around the shops, but only purchased items on out list, we are getting very good at looking at things and then leaving them in the shop.
Today we have a delivery of decking coming, we got the best price from Travis Perkins, the boards are treated and extra length's, we have to wait in today for their delivery.
We have been given a bigger water butt for the garden, so this morning, I am going to empty the smaller butt, using the water in pots around the garden, any left over will be given to our Magnolia tree. We will put the bigger butt by the garage, handy for me to use. The smaller butt is going just outside our gates, it will be handy to have more stored water here.  I do have to move my violets and a lily from the corner of my side garden, I will leave the lily in a pot until I can find a new home
No planting this Easter, still far to early, but I will tidy up a bit. I must have the tidiest small garden in the land.