1st bank holiday weekend

I have finished the top line of this design, it is a a straight line, the frame has pulled it wonky (I love that word), I am stitching a trio of stars in the centre, it stops any issues with different patterns meeting in the middle, and the corners will match up. I'm busy outside so this is the only crafting/reading I am doing.

The garage is coming along well, the wooden unit on the left is going, it's not suitable to pass on, so hubby will cut down some of the better longer bits for shelves, he has started to re-do the electrics, he has lights to move, so he is doing it all. I love my shelves in my garden storage section, hubby prefers to use the metal cabinets along the back wall.

Whilst hubby was sorting the garage, I foolishly decided to tidy the greenhouse, I got very hot and bothered, it was 30° inside and sunny, a shower afterwards sorted me out. I'm really pleased, plenty of space for seedlings, cuttings and more seeds sown. I do love my two shopping trollies a store manager gave me one on his last day of trading, I very cheekily asked if I could have one, they second one found its way here, they are perfect for a bag of compost.

 These are camassias, white blooms, the bulbs was planted back in 2023 along with the blue blooms, the blue flowers have gone over, and looked good, they have bloomed each year. These white blooms have not flowered before, I had given up on them, so a lovely surprise to see them final after almost 3 years in the ground.

We have ordered the supplies for our part of the garage work, we sat together working out how we wanted it to look, rustic comes to mind, so later this week, we (I do mean hubby) can start the final bit. It seams as if hubby is enjoying this project more than me, he has said he was fed up with reading so much. I am back in the greenhouse, my seedlings are all doing well, I have also taken cuttings from around the plot, I have 12 small fleabane daisies for daughters new raised bed, she loves our display and is recreating it in her back garden. 

The weather is changing, Saturday was cloudy from the start and cooler, it rained mid-afternoon and in the evening, lots of wonderful rain (sorry to those on days off). Sunday was another dull start, a bit cooler, it did brighten up later. Today, Monday we have nothing to do, best day to have, roads will be busy so a lazy day at home.

I popped to daughters to sit with the boys, Molly has swimming on Friday after school and a party on Sunday, George read to me both times, he is slowly picking up words, rest of the time home with hubby.

Grow, listen and read

 I have my tiny net bags ready for the coming weeks, my strawberry tower is bursting into life, I kept a few more babies which are now good plants in more pots. These are the first two berries forming, the plants have loads of flowers, I find it very peaceful placing these bags over the tiny green fruits, they stay on until harvest, it worked very well last year, I had hardly any nibbled, I will leave some uncovered for the bugs and mice.

I have put my cucumber plant into a bigger pot using my own compost, which is not so dry as the commercial ones. Two of my tomato plants have flowers forming, the other two are still quite small, my lettuce are coming along. I am about to start my runner beans and peas, much later than previous years, I am hoping the later start will help against the slugs and snails. 

I think we may have issues with mice (wishful thinking) or rats (we had them before), Lilly has taken to this spot under the Acer, I have pots underneath which has been dug in, she sits here and watches for ages, I will check along the back for holes where they could be entering. Not the greatest of photo's, I took it from inside.

We had a perfect evening out on Tuesday, locally at Fareham Live, we sat for just over two hours listening to Adam Frost garden designer and TV presenter, I have a couple of his books and followed lots of his tips. Hubby was unsure but came with me, he enjoyed the show, it was Adam's last show of the tour, he is very easy to listen to and very knowledgeable, in the most friendly of ways.

I finished this book on Wednesday so it was added to last months reading list, another good plot read on my Kindle. Your new bride ask if her parents can move in for a couple of weeks on their return from living in France, they are strange from the start, but that's families for you. They don't want to leave, your wife is scared of them, what have they done. The plot builds to a brilliant ending, just a few chapters before the end of the book, what next, you will have to read to find out. Book 33 read this year.

Wednesday I met daughter in town, we had an early lunch together, it was a nice peaceful time, later I did more sorting in the garage, my bits are less than a third of the space and I've only been in there a couple of years, so not too much to sort, I ordered a storage unit from IKEA which should arrive on Saturday, my bits will be finished on Sunday. Hubby moved his bench and our fridge/freezer, everything has been sorted, loads of stuff has gone.

Thursday we had a couple of quotes to change the garage, one we accepted, the guy was lovely, local and well recomended, so we have until the end of the month to do our bit, we are both excited to make the change. We are able to make changes because we no longer store our garden furniture inside over the winter months, our new set stores quiet small and is great under a cover outside, so we are redefining some of the inside space.

Another couple of days at home sunny warm with that biting cold wind, I really hope the wind dies back and is not a feature for the summer. We are still very dry, one water butt is empty and the other two larges ones are going down quickly, we need rain, there is rain due in the coming days, but its not promised in our area. We have just realised it's a long weekend here, May bank holiday on Monday, makes no difference to us, other than we will stay at home on the Monday, local roads will be busy, we did a shop at Lidl and have everything we need for the coming days. 

April round up

 A bigger spend this month, I am using my stash for my cross stitch and knitting, but I required a bigger sewing frame, just a few plants and two pots for the garden, I also got the small water butt, my garden spend this year is way down, which is very pleasing. I also added the £20 for the plant hubby paid for.

6 Books read this month

I got my state pension increase same as everyone else this month, half of it was taken in tax, my tiny private pension puts me over the threshold. 

We had a mobile mechanic out to check our car, the gears were a bit stiff, he came well recomended, we did not want to take the car to main dealer, they would just swap out the gearbox, it's now much better, he did suggest we would require a new clutch at some point, we have decisions to make. No other big household spend, hubby was looking to renew our toaster, the top was marked, I rubbed it with a ball of cooking foil, now it looks like new, nice saving, saw the tip on TV. Our London trip was paid for last month, we did not spend much on the day.

I did sell a few of my spare ceramic pots, made £24, and reclaimed loads of storage space, the few left, I can keep.

No waste here, we plan to put our food bin out every other week, it will never be full, just getting into a routine before the hot weather comes.

My weight is no change, I am becoming more active, which should help, nothing more to say, I have been suffering with more bloating, so I am trying to avoid too many carbs, maybe I might have a better comment next month..

Spending

 My cross stitch is pure enjoyment, I recently purchased this larger wooden frame, it holds the fabric firmer, plus I can stitch the whole width, which should be around 20" and square, so it will be one of my biggest pieces. For now I am focusing on the edging, this time I will do this design all round, I think I have a clever plan to ensure all the designs line up.

I saw this book and thought it might be helpful for me, my two veg beds are 1 metre by 2 metres, so I have 4 square yards to grow things in, it should help with companion planting, which I'm not so great at, got it second hand so saved money.

Another thing I have purchased this month is this small 50ltrs water butt, hubby will drill a hole in the top to help capture rain, I have placed at the back of the garden, it's not attached to anything. Once a month I feed my plants, often with a seaweed liquid, it's a pain to keep measuring for the many watering cans, so now I can fill this add the seaweed in one go and feed my plants, the liquid seaweed does not settle.

I got these two 3ltr planters from Lidl, they cost £4.99 each and will be perfect for tulips displays next spring, these are plastic and light weight, they look like the expensive ceramic pots. It's been a couple of years since I had new pots, I will mix them with existing pots to make the display. It's a shame they only had one size.

Sunday was tremendous fun, the children ate well, played outside and behaved nicely, its not always I can say that as they get older, they were very happy to be with us, we did not come inside until much later. Monday was housework day, we have spent most of the past week outside, just inside in the evenings, so how does the place get so dusty, its all clean now. Again I sat outside enjoying the sunshine, I've been reading, done some stitching, sadly no knitting. 

Yesterday and today hubby has been sorting his stuff in the garage, he is clearing some space and 2 shelves so I can move all my gardening bits. He put bits on marketplace and some sold, the rest with a load of junk went to the tip, I'm keepingan eye on him, I've already pulled out 2 items of mine he was about to throw out. I have gardening stuff I can take to local schools, I does feel good to be sorting this space, it's a first stage of an ongoing project.