MONDAY FOR SUNDAY

 I should have done the catch-up Sunday but spent most of Sunday helping to lay weed suppressant and raking over wheelbarrow loads of gravel. we were doing really well but alas run out of gravel before we could finish, so a new bag will need to be ordered.

It looks like it's completely covered but more is needed at the top by the bench and also along the side where you step into the area.

Seeing the area, finally cleared and with new gravel, you can see the size. We have been trying to decide what to put this end by the lychgate and do have an idea or two! Luckily, we were able to get on with putting the gravel down as the day was very sunny but had a very cold wind.

Cleaned out the pots from the lychgate, just the bricks for the pond walls left.

Someone came to help out.

He is inspecting the small old paving slabs which will be stored for future use.

On the doll front, well I have been away so nothing going out and just an order coming in from Ginny's.

It may be quiet doll wise here for a week due to the garden work and the weather but hopefully there will be things for the dolls to share later.

Have a lovely healthy week ahead

Dee

BACK HOME AGAIN!

 Sun, sun and more sun! Have just spent four days in St. Leonard's on Sea, in Sussex. 

Saffron was outside checking out the decking.

"Perfect place for breakfast " she tells me

The grandchildren are just across the way!

After a quick change she's trying to decide which bed to sleep in!

Next she's checking out the living room/kitchen

Then she's out sunning herself on the deck!

" This is the life" she sighs

"Who let this dog up here!"

"He is just enjoying the view " I say

"Mum! Can you tell him to stop following me please!"

" He's just curious, he's never seen such a small person before"

"MUM! What's he doing now? "

"He's just looking out the window Saffy, stop fussing!"

"Hello Clara what you doing? Can I play? "

"Hello Bear, Sorry you cannot play we're making patterns in the water" Clara calls back.

Later in the week,

We were invited to dinner by Mike and Courtney, and Mike did a lovely Mexican spread.

Nanny had an upset stomach, so Clara made a picture of her showing she was still smiling and all rumours that Mike had tried to do for his mother in law were false, she was unwell two days before he made us all dinner!

But lots of lovely grandchildren playing and visiting was enjoyed, along with hot sunny days and cool chatting nights. Everyone went home saying we must do it again but next time Granddad needs to come too!

SOME SUN ON SUNDAY

 

Well, Sunday is here again! The weather here in the UK, has been very hot! Starting pretty warm at the beginning of the week and finishing on Friday with the hottest day so far! Where even the breeze is hot!

Thankfully the temperature has dropped after some rain late on Saturday, which is good as I am going away for a few days next week, with the girls and the grandchildren to the coast. If the temperature was still around 34 it would be too hot even with a sea breeze!

So, between sheltering through the middle of the day away from the heat, we have been concentrating on the garden refit. Pauls made a frame for the concrete base for the pond and ordered the items needed to cement it plus more gravel/pea shingle for the area's no longer covered by hedging. That will all come next Wednesday, so I'll be able to help once I'm back on Friday.

We made a trip to the garden centre on Wednesday to look at large plant pots, and I do mean large! They did have some very large pots but the cost! Of course, we checked out the plants while there and this was the result.

This is why we try not to go to the garden centre too often, we always come back with a plant or six!

At least these are all perennials, so will flower for many years to come and the plant in the centre at the front was three for the price of two.

In the garden it's still been the usual knock-on effect of having changed one part, another section gets a slight change. Little jobs are getting done here and there and photos and details can be seen on the garden blog.

On the doll front, next to nothing is happening. I have bought a couple more second-hand items for them, but no dolls have arrived or left.

The dolls have gone very much onto the back burner at present, hopefully, once I'm back from my trip I can get a storyline or two going. I do have several in mind.

Claudia was chatting to Joan, who was moved on to one of the gazebo tables, until a new place can be found for her. She was getting covered by the shrubs behind her, so for now she's enjoying some space.

Claudia is on one of the doll stands, which I took photos of for someone on the FB group. They are like the ones Kendel had and also like the Pongratz doll stands, although they have string attached at the top, so you can tie it under the dolls clothing. This one makes do with the dowel being placed inside the trouser leg or pants and back of dress for stability. They do save the doll from suddenly taking a dive just when you have stepped away, so cannot save them!

I will be back on Friday, so until then I will leave you with this close up of the sweet gentle Claudia.

Have a happy healthy week ahead

Dee

ROSES FROM THE GARDEN

 

Because we had to move our standard rose, we had to cut it back to help it recover, so we have bought the roses in.

so we now have 

three vases of lovely Molineux yellow roses and buds.

SUNNY SUNDAY

 What a beautiful day we are having here in north Herts! The sun's shinning and there is a cool breeze to make it more enjoyable.

Even Lucas is sitting outside and enjoying the breeze. He says he's waiting for the queen to pop by with her friend Paddinton and they will have some marmalade sandwiches and cake! But no ice cream! (He's gone off ice cream since the jubilee party, I wonder why?)

My week has been full of gardening, now we have plans for redesigning what was the box formal garden. Paul and I have spent several hours each day removing the box and cutting it up for recycling, some we did burn over a couple of evenings and today Paul was digging up the roots.

It looks a mess at present but hopefully it won't be too long before it's looking better.

David has always been up in the right hand corner by the lychgate, over the years I have considered putting our Venus statue on the opposite side. So now with this new design I decided to move it there.

you can just about see her in this photo. Now before you think I'm taking wonky photos, the garden runs downhill to the right, which is why David looks so much lower although the drop is not that bad!

A view of her from the cloisters, well, there is me thinking how good they now look either side of the lychgate, until Lindsey goes down to have a look. She returns to say that they should be up the other end of the space by the bench as they are both looking over into next doors garden and that make you look to where they are looking!

Now David's been staring over the fence for years and he as never made me look that way! But then Paul agrees that maybe they should go the other end as then the two large plant pots we may put in could go either side of the lychgate!

So long story short, we change them to the other side where the bench is.

Venus looks good whatever side she's standing, David is more hidden and you see him more if you sit on the bench or move through the space.

Alas my standard rose will have to be moved! I just hope it survives the journey.

On the doll front, I have not had any dolls on ebay, so have not sold anything but I have bought a couple of pieces of clothing for them.

So, I will wish you all a happy healthy week ahead.

Dee

HAPPY DAYS

 Well, what a wonderful long weekend of celebrations for her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee! I'm going to start with some photos I took in our local town before the start of the celebrations.

This men's shop had a massive union jack as a backdrop in one window and

and this union jack made up of photos of the queen at the front of the other window.

a flag bedecked council cart.

The local bookstore across the town square.

a pub on the other side. There were of course lots of others but these one's were on my route to a shop i wanted to visit. I'd say that the men's shop got my vote for best looking design.

We had a great time with a few close friends and family, enjoying tea outside then relaxing in the seating area even though the temperature did drop quite a bit in the evening, we kept chatting.

I was really pleased with the flowers I cut from the garden, something I don't do very often as I like to see them in situ. But I could be tempted to cut some flowers more often, at least when the garden is full of colour.

I loved all the wonderful big puppets that they had in the final parade like this young dragon

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Just a few people watched...

Her Majesty waving to the crowds.

This week seems so quiet after all the lovely events over the last few days! Mind you we were still eating the last of the party food up until today.

Now it's June we are back doing things in the garden, which means that this week I started removing the box hedging from the formal garden.

Not for us to get on with all the weeding, no, now I had decided it could go, I wanted to see it on it's way! Plus the fortnightly garden bin collection was due today, so I wanted the two bins full.

One side is cut down although the roots will need to be dug out. We sat on the seat in the area and discussed what to do in the space and one of the things we decided on was to put in a water feature, since we removed the one by the patio, in order to get the gazebo to cover that area, we have missed not having a pond.

Years ago I loved this fountain by David Goode, it's a bronze, so cost a small fortune 

I still love it and now it's twice the price!! Well, we went looking at what sort of water feature we could put in part of the area. Anything made of stone appears quite expensive and also quite small!

When I was looking at David Goode's site and once again loving the above statue, I found the perfect style of water feature we would like. That we could also make ourselves, therefore saving on cost.

So, forget the wonderful but expensive fountain by David but the pond water area is what we will be aiming for. Now remember this will not be a quick fix but something to look forward to.

On the doll front, not much has happened mainly due to the jubilee, mind you I still managed to buy a couple of knitwear items for the dolls and a ballet outfit from Ginny, a dangerous site to visit as I was tempted by a few other items.

We in the village intend to carry on celebrating our queens seventy years on the throne for the rest of the summer! We know a good thing when we see it! ;)

Have a great week

Dee