First trip

 New Forest is perfect this time of year

 We joined the Caravan and Camping club

 Choose a site not to far from home

 The forest is a beautiful place

 Campsite play ground

 All very English

We took the camper van away for two nights, Friday/Saturday, the camp site was about 50 miles away, it was all about testing the van, rather than visiting new places.
It was comfortable to sleep in, the bed is a bit short for 6'2" hubby, but he can solve that problem with ease, we did not over heat overnight, the windows are placed to ensure air circulates in the back of the van. It did help we were on a great site, very tidy with bays for camper vans, so we did not have to park on the grass. We were on a small slope, but we reversed in so our heads were higher than our feet at night. The last time we went to a camp site was when our girls were young, we had a trailer tent at the time.
Most everything worked in the van, the fridge was brilliant and the small ice box kept the coolbox blocks frozen. We had one problem, our pump for the running water would not work, the van has a kitchen and bathroom sink, hubby will check it all out before our next trip. The van does have a shower, but we won't use it, the room has better use as a toilet, so we would want to be able to wash our hands.
We took meals with us, hubby made a risotto and we purchased a couple of curries from our local Co-op, 2 for £6.00. The microwave worked perfectly, we did not use the gas rings. Friday night we enjoyed a nice bottle of red to celebrate out new lifestyle, in anticipation  of future trips. So it's a thumbs up from both of us, if we work things right and take most of our food with us we can have loads inexpensive weekends away.
We have a list of things for me to make, or to purchase to finish off the van, it seams we do need a bread knife, can't think why we did not get one before.

As for London, again, my heart goes out to all city dwellers, our friends are all OK, 

what must go through the minds of people who can plan to harm another person, 

they are so very different to the rest of us. 

May Spending

Low spend month

 These pale grey fabrics will become Will's cot quilt

nice quality cotton, perfect for quilting. 

Savings to come from the greenhouse 

 My few crops are coming along well

we have already had potatoes and lettuce

Lovely books, finished another Sue Grafton book

Just starting Jojo Moyes

I got just a few plants for the garden in May, the cost of the womery has not been added, I used the last of money I was given, so I decided it would not be added to my list.

The fabric spend was for Will's quilt, I will work with my daughter and let her choose what fabrics she likes, I have also been asked to make a reading wigwam for the nursery, having seen photo's should be an easy task, I have plenty of time as it won't be used until next year.
My sewing lessons are going slowly, my friend needs loads of help, I have a feeling I will be doing most of the sewing for the three cushions, I can see the look in her eyes and it's pure fear.
I think I divided you all with my last post, our lawn is brilliant, it does crunch as you walk on it, but that will settle, it does have the feel of grass, and close up it is very realist. Hubby has a huge smile on his face. I have the 3 pots by my back door to plant, which I will do tomorrow, the plants have been outside for a while. I do not have any space in the back garden, it's pleasing to be complete, it's never finished, never will be.

Spot the difference

This morning

 This evening

 I have been given a walnut sapling

something different for me to grow  

It's a spot the difference in the first two photo's, hubby had a big garden project, which took all day, and is very pleasing as we expected the task to take two days.
We now have a nice new lawn, the whole area has been leveled and raised slightly giving the garden a finished look. We have had the lawn turfed twice, both times took loads of hard work, but on our clay soil, even after we raised it with good top soil, the lawn never looked as good as hubby wanted.
BUT did you notice, it's really perfect as only artificial grass can be, yes we jumped ship and now we have the easiest lawn to care for.
The cost of keeping a natural lawn looking good is not cheap, each year it's weeded and moss removed, then we reseed sections, and feed through out the year. Decent mowers and Strimmer are not cheap, plus we really should add in the power cost for mowing each week.

At a close look it's fantastic, looks and feels like grass, in the beginning I was unsure, as a gardener I don't expect a growing lawn to look good all through the year, but hubby wanted perfection.
We are gifting our lawn mower and strimmer to our youngest daughter, our's is a better quality than theirs, they will pass theirs onto a friend who has just moved to a property with a garden, so everyone is winning.
Hubby is going to enjoy the next few years mower free. What do you think of artificial grass?

Sunday morning

My 1st pot of cut flowers

 Everything in my cut flower bed has been grown from seeds

most of them purchased last year at half price. 

 The strawberries in the pots are doing well, the fruits are hanging down and not touching the ground, so it has worked well, and the amount of berries there show they love the soil mixture. 

My blackberries have loads of flowers forming, so finally fruit this year.

My gooseberries have loads of green leaves, so I hope I have stopped the saw flies, can I ask, when does the flowers form, I can't remember if they fruit early or late. 

 The twisted willow is looking good in it's new home

loads of new growth.

 This is the same author as Apple Tree Yard

This book was OK, but I won't read any more by her. 

 I have had the foam heart for ages

I'm not so sure what I will do with it. 

My brother is visiting this bank holiday weekend, so we are away in the camper van next weekend, the change in the weather made us feel we had done the right thing. After the huge thunder storm early Saturday morning, we sat at 4.30am watching the skies, the rain was brilliant, very heavy and just what our ground needs.
Friday night we went for a meal with Su, David and Will, who was wide eyed the whole time, he did fall asleep after a while, which was good because we were in the family section and it was noisey.
Yesterday was dull, so hubby and I managed a couple of walks, and spent most of the day reading. We did pop to the huge Asda, we were looking for a microwave for the van, got one for £40, we also came home with loads of money off items. I also got their Shades toilet rolls, I think they are the best quality at a good price, plus they were on special as well. So we came home with teabags, fresh ground coffee both in our preferred brand.
Today we have no plans, family time with Martin. I think tomorrow hubby wants to look for plants for his front garden, later we will search the internet for ideas for him, he does not know much about plants so I would like him to research before he purchases anything.