Jubilee at home

Back garden with home made bunting.

 Front garden 

We did add balloons and lots of little flags on Sunday for the street party.

Thursday evening there was a beacon lit at our castle grounds, we did not go, a mixture of a tiring day and the walk to the castle and walk home. The whole area was full of people, loads of lovely photo's on our local Facebook page. 

Friday was a lazy day, my brother Martin arrived to stay a few days, hubby cleaned the decking, which was a dirty job, but it does look lovely and clean now. I also moved a couple of plants, which had outgrown the bed they were in, adding mature plants to my newly created bed. We are now ready for our family day after not too much work. 

Saturday we had a family BBQ here all afternoon, the morning was preparing food and seating, after the heavy rain overnight the morning was dull and windy, by lunchtime it had brightened up. Will was taken to a live dinosaur show by mummy and daddy, George and Molly stayed with us, we all enjoyed a fabulous BBQ cooked by hubby. After the children went home, we sat watching programmes including videos of our Queens history. 

Sunday was our street party, we made a platter of sandwiches and nibbles, with cake and a dessert. It stayed dull and all day, the local roads were closed, but sadly very few people participating, we ended up in a neighbours front garden, it was great to catch up, but hardly a street party, we came home early and watched the pageant on TV. Later the heavy rain came, the weather has been so kind, everywhere is green and lush. 

Tonigh a lazy evening, no more Prosecco, I've drink a few glasses, 3 days in a row, it's best I don't weigh myself for a few days. So proud to be British, we celebrate with history and style.  I intend to leave the bunting in the garden up for the summer. As for next week, relax and rest, I'm shattered. 

Jubilee celebrations.

 On Thursday we were invited to a family fun day with Portsmouth Downs Syndrome charity, we went with daughter, SIL, Will, George and Molly, just a few photo's of the day. It was held in a huge garden of a farm near Petersfield, there was loads of room to run around, the boys were both safe to play, Will has loads of friends in this group and was happy all day.  

The children had fancy dress, Molly was Queen, both Will and George were guardsmen, which Will loved as he knows his Grancha was a guardsman and did duty at Buckingham Palace. Hopefully we will get to see the professional photos soon. Molly does look cute, the only way we could keep her hat and wig on was to give her food. 

Hubby and youngest daughter, so good to see her happy, last month was so hard for her, but on a lovely day out, all can be forgotten. 

This amazing charity put on a fantastic day, loads of fun things for the children to do, Miss G came to entertain everyone, loads of soft drinks, a BBQ and later icecreams. Each child who dressed up had a huge bar of chocolate, and as they left each child was given a gift, everything again was free, they are brilliant at family functions. Tommy Jessop was also there, he grew up locally, he was in Line of Duty, he often attends.

It means so much to us as grandparents to see this lovely family enjoying themselves, and to spend such a wonderful time together. The weather was hot and sunny, a few clouds, which cooled us down in short breaks, all three children changed into cooler outfits, there was plenty of shade, so a really enjoyable day. 

Last spot

It's rose season, I'm not a huge fan of roses, I grow yellow ones in our back garden to remind me of mum, she loved yellow roses, the top pink rose is a climber, given to us as a gift, we had nowhere to put it, I don't like to see plants growing up fences, so we tucked it behind our garage water but, it's taken a few years, but now it fills an untidy corner. The creamy white rose at the bottom is in hubbies front garden, it grows up the house, he loves roses. The final new this year rose in bottom corner, is planted and growing well, but as yet no flowers. 

The raspberries grow well here, I do like this spot, it is green and lush most of the year, the bottom of the plants always look untidy, so when I could not grow strawberries without bug infestation in the ground, I got these two long pots. The strawberries should have grown over the side and looked good, but sadly they still did not grow well, so I thought I could use flowers here, french marigolds, hubby's favourite, still this area often does not look good, bugs live here and feed well, strangely they leave the raspberries alone. 

So sat on our bench, (yes the bench has loads to answer for) we hatched a plan, not too much hard work, and using up loads of slate from the old herb bed. Moving the pots was easy, I planted the better looking flowers in my new bed, hubby popped a long plank to separate the front from the fruit bed, and I filled it with slate. To soften the look I have popped in a couple of alyssums and lobelia, these do fill out well and should not tumble onto the lawn. 

Everything is growing well, harvest time is getting closer, I am already using cut and come lettuce, the 1st strawberry has been ate, by me, there are loads more coming. Both tomatoes and cucumber are both doing well, I have a second cucumber plant growing, I'm hoping to extend the harvest season by having a later plant. The blueberry bushes are full of berries forming, the raspberry and blackberry are both full of new growth, and promise of fruit to come. 

 

It's been a lovely day, after having a heavy storm in the past two days, it's been lovely to be outside in the garden, everywhere is looking so tidy and full of colour, the ground is watered well, I only needed to wet the greenhouse down, and water the fruit and salad veg in pots. I hope now we can relax and enjoy the garden, I don't have any spots we are not happy with, famous last words. One of the long pots has been tucked to one side, Grace my old cat likes to use it as a toilet, the other has been cleared and I will give it away. 

Sewing Bee is on later, we will switch TV on for the first time in a couple of days, relaxing evening, we are out tomorrow at a family fun-day. 

May roundup

Slightly higher spend this month, but lower than this time last year, changing the herb bed, most cost went on topsoil and manure, I have reused many plants from around our garden, plus loads of half price spring bulbs, too good a price to miss and a few packets of seeds. Low spend on craft, I got material for bunting, I am using mainly what I have, I also got yarn, I am knitting again, I visited the library this month, I did purchase another pack of bra's from Asda they were reduced and I got 10% extra off. 

We have been really good with our shopping, our cupboards and freezers are all full, and I'm not letting the levels drop, there are still empty spaces on shelves in the supermarket, and with the prices rising every time you visit. We did another big shop at Asda they are doing their 10% discount with the blue light card, it's too good to miss. No food waste again, we have our own salad stuff growing, so we are making savings here, and eating more salad than normal. I also got the compost from the garden, saving on the cost of a bag, which I normally pop on the garden in May. 

My weight is still too high, it has reduced a little, my steps are much better, I am hitting 7,000 steps per day at least 4 times a week, and on average I am hitting over 49,000 per week. I will soon rise the number to 8,000 per day. The weight is just so stubborn this year, I'm going to have to work harder to rid myself of this unwanted fat.