Whatever happened to the summer months? After a very promising late spring/early summer period of brilliant sunshine, July came in wet followed by an even wetter August. We had lunch in the garden yesterday, the first time since 11 July. I have been filled with sympathy for the holidaymakers (those Grockles who usually annoy me! ) as they spent hours in traffic queues trying to get to the few indoor activities the region provides. North Devon has beautiful sandy beaches and stunning countryside but only the hardiest like to spend their holidays in the rain.
So what have I been doing on these rainy days? The cupboards are full of jams and chutneys, the freezer packed with vegetables from the bounty of neighbours' gardens. Friends and family have benefited from the time I have spent in the kitchen:
Courgette (zucchini) teabread
tomato and cheese pinwheels
Italian cheese crackers I saw on TV on a wet afternoon
choc chip cookies, for the fun of it
I have finished a little sweater for grandson Benjamin - the first thing I have knitted for him, I'm ashamed to admit. I have lots of patterns for girls' sweaters but I will have to look out for more for boys.
I will be very glad when August comes to an end tonight. I want to put the miserable weather and gloomy news that August brought behind us: two very dear friends were diagnosed with breast cancer but the prognosis is promising and September will be sunny and warm and filled with optimism. All will be well and all manner of things will be well!
So, tomorrow we set off on holiday. Our plans have changed many times because of family circumstances but we have finally settled on a few days in Oxfordshire to see Adelephant and family, then a few days in the Peak District before we go to Yorkshire. We are staying in a variety of guest houses, one smart hotel and then a week in a farm cottage. I'm taking the camera and laptop with me so I'll try to keep you posted. It will be interesting to become someone else's grockles!
Just because I love it, here is the Eva Cassidy version of 'Who knows where the time goes?' Enjoy the end of summer.
This morning's mail included an invitation to test drive a mobility scooter. It was a personal invitation, not just a mailshot, so now I'm wondering who among my family and friends would think this funny? I may have the bus pass but I could still walk to the bus stop should I ever decide to use it!
A few years ago, on a Sunday evening, I answered the phone to hear a screech of surprise followed by sobbing and inarticulate mumblings. Eventually, I was able to establish that it was my friend Elspeth calling from Portsmouth to offer her condolences to my husband and children: my death had just been announced in the cathedral. It was a terrible shock for her when I picked up the phone and, I must say, I found it a bit unnerving too.
At the time of that incident I was undergoing chemotherapy and the death announcement, which I later saw in a copy of the cathedral bulletin, spurred me on to recovery. The offer of a mobility scooter will spur me on to increased activity. I wonder if I can make it to next year's London marathon?
I have just returned after a week of fun with the grandchildren. First off we had Charlotte's first birthday celebrations. Here she is showing cousin Millie how to play the piano, one of her birthday gifts.
(There are lots of pictures of the birthday party on Charlotte's own blog. If you would like to see them please send me an email and I will get my son to give you access.)
I spent the last few days in Oxfordshire with Millie and Benjamin. We had a lovely time but there was very little sunshine. Just as well really as someone appropriated my hat!
I'm back on-line thanks to the newest acquisition, a laptop to replace my dearly departed PC. Now I need a crash course in Windows 7 and I'll be off. Unfortunately this is a short visit as I'll be heading off again tomorrow for granddaughter Charlotte's first birthday celebrations and then to Oxfordshire for a few days with Millie and co.
Those of you who read my son's blog will be familiar with his series on the Chief Trading Post in Bristol - a garden centre with a difference. Well, at long last I got to see it for myself last weekend when he took me there for lunch. Here are just a few of the things I might have bought to add interest to my garden. Fortunately I had travelled by train and couldn't carry anything extra!
a boat to go with the MM's anchor
a Spirit House for the quiet corner
a child-eating crab (we saw only the remains of the chair!)
a garden bench that might possibly squeeze you to death
an elephant to hide in the bushes
or perhaps a tiger?
We had lunch among some unusual characters:
Charlotte was not put off by the Blues Brother
each dining area had its own interest
inside and out!
They do sell a wide range of plants as well. I particularly liked this section
with its appropriate statuary
It is the most interesting garden centre I have ever visited and just in case you are wondering if these items really are for sale, here are someof their price tags;
£704.17 for a giant crab (minus child and chair)
And who wouldn't want this handsome fellow
for a mere
£2,028.93
All of the price tags are as quirky as the goods. It isa great place to go for lunch with a difference.
The combination of a faulty computer and babysitting duties has meant that Monix is unable to post for a short while, but the blog's readers' loss is the family's gain, as children and grandchildren will have the benefit of her fine company over the next two weeks. She promises to pop in when she can, so expect more family stories (unless there is something more interesting to say!).
In the meantime, for those of you who have taken an interest in the growing family: a picture of Millie in a dress created by Grandma, especially for potty training and playing in the garden on sunny days. We do love having such a skilled grandma!
