Books

I have seen this book for sale at £25 for a new copy, which is not a bad price for a book, but with gardening books I have found they look promising and then don't deliver, so I have passed it by. Hubby found it on Amazon 2nd hand at £8.49 and at that price it was worth having a copy. This book delivers, it's just what I need to be able to choose garden plants which gives colour in the cooler months as well as the summer. I do also like Nick Bailey, he has a simple approach to gardening. 

 I do have a couple of years of Gardeners World mags, I keep for reference, I do pull them out in winter months in hope of inspiration, but there is never enough details to be able to plan for my garden. I got most of these on a 2 year deal, I rarely buy them now.  

In normal times I would not have picked this book to read, it was picked on my library's scheme for me, it's an uncomplicated story line, simple lives, I did enjoy reading it.  

Another book I would not have picked up by choice, I have read Danielle Steel books before, I find them predictable, the female always gets to the place she wants to be and wins the heart of the man she loves, and always in the last few chapters. Book 81 of this year. 

I did walk to the village on Tuesday, the new Tesco express was open, I had a look, plenty of stock in there, I got our fruit and veg from our local shop, and I managed to pick up a couple of cheap books to read. I walked to Co-op and got the last 2 items we required, the Co-op had almost sold out of it's Christmas stock, seams we are all shopping local this year. I will stay in today as it is market day, and I expect the village to be busy, and as there are just 2 of us, we have plenty of food and treats. 

We watched It's a wonderful life, I try and watch this iconic film each Christmas, black and white movies always remind me of sleepover with my older sister, we watched the midnight movies together, old B&W horror movies, you know the ones where the lead female has the most perfect scream. 

 

Later today Will and George is here mummy has an hospital appointment, so it's nanna duties, I stripped and remade our bed, so I will iron it later once dry and then everything is sorted.  So plenty of play time and watch a movie, chocolate may also be involved. 

Still not done any crafting, I'm not in the mindset, I have a blanket to finish for George and knitting for both Will and George, but the days after Christmas is always time I find my crafting mojo back. 

My heaven

I love tree's, I always have, this twisted willow I got when it was just a twig, it's beautiful in summer and also in winter, I love the structure it brings into the garden. 

My dogwood, is just as we hoped, it will get bigger over the years and will look stunning against the green of the water butt, turning a dull corner into a beautiful feature. 

My Acer is another beautiful shape, I have the green tape at the bottom to stop the cats. The grasses in the sink give colour to this area. The front pot is my little lemon clematis, which is closing down for the winter. I also love the tower baskets with pebbles in, the shades look better after the rain. 

My triple Acers and a spring pot, both looking good.

Fruit pots even look good at this time of year. 

My Pomegranate plant, it's the 1st winter I have left it outside, I am keeping a close eye on it, I would hate to lose this small tree, I grew it from a pip/seed from a fruit. 

Olives are changing colour, very few have dropped off, but the birds have feasted on the new smaller one which formed in September, which I don't mind at all, I do try to have natural bird foods growing in this garden. 

The back garden is looking good, the hedge leaves are changing and giving late colour, there are no berries left here. 

By the front door the eucalyptus are looking good, I have 2 plants either side of the front door, they are getting bigger, so I plan to cut them back next spring. 

I never move the geranium, it's survived for years in this chimney pot, it should be dormant at this time of year,  I'm watching it to see if it flowers again. I also have a begonia corn in this pot, but now is lost all the foliage and is sleeping. 

Winter jasmin along the back fence, with my lights, which are left up all year, they are solar so we don't see them on so much now. These tiny yellow flower look so good, I pop here most days to my greenhouse and shed. 

Even on a dull wet day, this view brings joy to me. 

I had not planned to post today, but with so much negative news everywhere, I went to the place where I find joy, my garden has helped with healing after too many operations and dealing with cancer, stress after bad days at work and now with anxiety. I really hope you have such a place to go, peaceful and calming, I'm now going to plan for next growing season.

The season for giving

I received a parcel on Friday, it was a very wet dull day, 

so an unexpected parcel was wonderful. 

Inside was a card and numbered little parcels, Jo from Through the keyhole, included a letter, stating these parcels are for the 12 days of Christmas, one to be opened each day until 6th January. I had stitched with her, when she set the 12 days of Christmas challenge. 

They are so pretty.

My friend had a saw this and thought of you moment,

it's a brilliant card.

We have not been out at all, hubby is struggling to walk very far, he needs to rest, if he on his feet too much his leg swells and aches, I know he is bored, but rest is the main course of action for his healing. I have nowhere I need to go, we have most of what we need for the next few weeks and beyond.

I finished watching The Crown, I did enjoy it, but felt they stirred things up a bit, don't get me wrong, I am not a fan of Charles, to me he has always seamed spoilt and self-centred, and I do understand Diana was different from them all, but the way they set the royal family, cold and each of them self obsessed, I did like the rebel Princess Margaret.

We had Will on a sleep over, he wanted to come to our Strictly party, each year on the final Saturday program we have a takeaway and enjoy a bottle of wine, for us it's the start of Christmas. In normal years we would pop out in the day with cards and gifts for friends and family, this year that was all done last week. We did have a our party, only one glass of wine each, we will have another glass this evening. Bill winning was a shock, but at least he can dance, everyone in the final deserved to win, they all danced well. 

This is the year we all need to be kind to each other, having the knowledge someone has thought about you and acted on the thought is powerful and uplifting. I have done more random giving this year, mainly to local groups, food banks and gift request for children and older folk. I have been able through local pages on Facebook to give funds where needed, never sadly huge sums, but as a community together we have build funds for those who are in need.  Even just a smile can be uplifting, catching someone's eye and sharing a few seconds together, before getting on with your day, or a kind comment on a blog, contact without touching, small things are big this year.

When oh when is this nightmare we are living through going to end...... 

Friday feeling

Another great book, I feel so lucky to be able to find so many good books, this was one of the six chosen for me from our local library. I was pleased as it was on my list of books to read, book 79 this year. 

You can see the happiness on Wills face, our local force had its meet the public in town center as daughter and Will walked through after his swimming lesson and as always they went to say hello, and they made his day

Acts of kindness, simple things, our local barber popped to our house today, we wore mask so he could cut hubby's hair, even if I drove to the village hubby would have struggled to get to the shop, this simple kind act has again left me feeling so very good, and hubby has tidy hair again. 

So much to think about, locally the city of Portsmouth with a couple of local towns are now in tier 3, we are still tier 2, but it's so close it does not feel safe. Our local hospital is not anywhere I would want to be, hubby does not have any more appointments. We have our huge Asda order being delivered on Sunday, so no plans to go anywhere other than our village. With the hold up at the ports slowing things coming into UK, there is nothing much we need in the weeks to come, planning ahead has worked this time with us. 

Sadly the bird flu has come to our area, the swans on the local creek has been infected and some have died, the council and DEFRA are both working to save the remaining swans, but it's another knock in this really horrible year.

We are heading into the weekend with feelings of sadness, my brother should have been driving down for Christmas, sadly its not a safe year to mix, our levels are higher than in Somerset, so the risk is too much. We won't be on our own, we are spending Christmas with daughter, SIL, Will and George, staying within our bubble, but only for 1 day. Just more of the same in this strange year.