ITS ALL JUST ONE BIG FOLLY!

 

Yes, the folly is finished! More details and photos on the garden blog, see side bar. Paul's done a fabulous job and should be very proud of his hard work.

Now I can let him rest a few days before the next job....... lol

TWO WEEKS HAVE BEEN BUSY

 Finally, the weather is more like our normal summer although still missing a few decent downpours! Some of the trees are dropping their leaves having moved themselves into autumn colour first, so they can reduce their need for water, which we are not getting.

It's been strange watching other parts of the country deal with flash floods and thunderstorms while we remain basically dry.

It's been very much a house and garden couple of weeks, with a few things arriving for being collected.

We bought three pieces of stained glass from a lady who lived about twenty minutes away. This is Paul holding one of the two matching pieces up behind the bench in the pond garden while we decide the best place for them to go.

I had also seen some old stained-glass windows that would be perfect for when Paul makes some folding doors for the front of the carport and although that won't be happening anytime soon. It's best to get things when you see them rather than miss the chance and not be able to find what you want later.

So, the next day we went in other direction and collected the four windows which we got for a bargain price.

We will store them in their old frames until we need to use them.

Then we had to go out a third day running because while listing something on fb marketplace to sell, I came across two stone/concrete long planters. I wanted one to go beneath the new folly window Paul was building and this was two at a very good price. So, we set off yet again to collect something.

Both would probably fit along the bottom of the new wall, but I'll just try one to start with, my only gripe if I have one, is that the one the other side looks a lot older and more like stone than these but then again it cost three times the price than these two just for that one.

So, this is fine, and should I see something more suitable in the future I can always use these elsewhere in the garden. 

We also caved in and both two small heads for the new folly wall, from Marcus, the maker of our other recent pieces.

Eleanor of Castile and Edward 1st of England, Edward was called Edward longshanks due to his height. Eleanor bore him 15 children and when she died twelve crosses were erected at each of the places her body rested on its way back to London and what were villages at that time called Waltham and Charing, are now known as Waltham Cross and Charing Cross for that reason. You can still see the original medieval cross standing in Waltham Cross.

Paul has almost finished the 'new' folly wall and we should be able to add the two heads shown above in next couple of days, then I'll share a photo or two.

We did have a small disaster! The beautiful goldfish who would swim round in a shoal and come to the front when they heard Paul's footsteps on the gravel, when it was feeding time, suddenly vanished! Out of the nine fish that were in the pond only two appear to still be around!

I think the Heron finally caught a flash of their golden bodies in the sunshine and popped down for breakfast the other morning! The stupid plastic floating protectors obviously didn't save them! I'm not surprised as they moved around the water and would leave gaps, heron fishing sized gaps at the side! So Paul said we'd not get more fish but then we saw one! It appears two managed to avoid the menu and are still around. So now we will fit the metal protection to the pond, although it doesn't make for a good look, the fish need it, and we will buy some more to replace the fishing ones. A sorry tale but I should have trusted my instincts, when I saw that flimsy plastic and used the metal! 

The useless protector!

What we will now be using! 

On the doll front well to say I slipped down the slope is to be very conservative! I zoomed down it like a professional on steroids! Not content to just have finished my layaway Sasha, no I had to see a black-haired Gotz Hannah so snapped her up. Not content with that I then went on to buy another two Gotz happy kid dolls! Slip, slide and splat! I don't buy many of these dolls and have just a few that I love however these last two have a different face sculpt that I didn't have but have always liked and missed out on, as always leaving a discission until it was too late, and they sold out. So now I have two that should get the need out of the system... she says! 

Then not content with that, I put my name into a draw to be able to buy one of the Gotz chosen dolls that are exclusive to, My Doll Best Friend, thinking they weren't due until September and then the chance of my name being called well... 

Not only was my name called but it was this week just gone! So that's another doll heading this way!

So luckily, I sold a doll and some dolls clothing and have several other items listed to hopefully sell over the coming week or so. I have at last started on selling again, things I never use and that have been sitting around for ages. Some I will be sad to see go but I just need to find some sort of balance with these things! I cannot keep telling myself I can give them to the grandchildren! I only have the two and their mum would be shocked at the number of things I think they could have at some stage! So, trimming these items needs to happen! I mean three galleons could be two too many? :)

At least the weather has cooled down and yes, we are still having some hot days, we have also had some cloudy ones, which can make all the difference.

We are almost into September! So, I must start getting myself organised for the Chat n Snap, so it's not all last minute.

Have a great week ahead

Dee

 

 

SUNDAY SLIDING

 Well, it appears the dry and hot weather is carrying on until Monday! After another week of the temperature ever increasing, I had hoped their forecast of a big drop in temperature form Monday was going to happen but now it seems another day and night to get through!

The promise of even a dash of rain never seems, to arrive along with rumours of thunderstorms! another myth, at least around these parts!

So, very little getting done around here at present and likely to remain that way while the weather tries to fry us!

Who among you read books? I ask because I have so many books I have recently read and have nowhere to actually put them without making things/places look untidy. So, do you read actual physical books? or do you kindle your books? 

I'm beginning to feel I should maybe treat myself to a kindle and start having books that way, much cheaper and no issues storing them etc. But on the other hand, I love having a physical book when I read! Maybe some of you avid readers out there, who maybe now use a Kindle can tell me if it's worth going along that route?

The newspaper I read is trying to encourage people to buy the paper in an online form, again it would be cheaper, save having to go and get one but cannot decide!

Part of me thinks, from an environmental standpoint, reducing the physical newspaper/ book will save lord knows how many trees, which we need to save the plant but the other side of me thinks will I be happy just reading from a kindle/laptop? 

Just a few that have found a space in front of others on a shelf!

However, on the doll front chaos is reigning!  I have just finished a layaway and then committed to another one! Bad! A friend offered me a doll who used to live here, and I'd love to get her back, so she is on the backburner.

Meanwhile I sold two Schoenhut dolls to a friend and did buy a couple of cheap outfits for a couple of my non-Sasha's who have been stuck in their original clothing for years! But the rest of the money is needed towards the garden remodelling!

I have been supposed to sort through more of the unused clothing to sell, but that's not happened yet! Part of me thinks sell it all and just keep what doesn't sell and start again but another side is, but I like all the clothes and some you cannot get hold of so easily anymore!

Poor Monica is still dressed as if she's off to visit for Sunday tea while all her siblings are mostly dressing in shorts and tee's. So that is something I will be doing this coming week, changing a few of the dolls into summer clothes because that is sure to bring along colder rainy weather.

I'll probably not be blogging for a few weeks, although I may put on a photo now and then, but I will be back on 1st September with a tale or two.

So, have a lovely healthy fulfilled couple of weeks and I will return soon

Dee

DASHING IN LAST MINUTE FOR SUNDAY UPDATE

 The time is definitely escaping around here! No sooner am I up, I turn round and its nearly lunchtime and then, late afternoon, evening and then midnight! 

Around ten-ish this morning I thought I must do the blog post and then, it's now a quarter past eleven and the days nearing its end!

So, I am dashing in quick before it's too late for a Sunday catch up.

I have had a lovely week, the weather was much better, more the usual English summer, cool breeze, baking sun when it escaped the clouds, all that was missing was the rain! and if the forecasters are to be believed we won't be getting any for at least the next ten days or so! The more plants in the garden are suffering and could so do with a mini monsoon to allow the ground to have a good chance to soak in some water!

We had a lovely day with the grandchildren on Thursday, they are growing up so fast and are always such a joy to be with.

Thursday was eye test day, this is for diabetes check, so they put in drops that make your pupils enormous, this time the lady put in loads, which meant I did have trouble making may way back to the car in the bright sun even with my reactor light glasses, I needed a hat really to help and it took until the following morning for them to revert back to normal. Oh, and don't panic I didn't drive home being unable to see, Paul had driven me, but I did start to phone him to ask where the car was, when he appeared behind me, having done a bit of shopping while he waited.

For once I managed to put a few household/garden items onto ebay while they had a reduced fees offer on.

One of the things we sold was this glass cloche, now listen to how fate? can be at work. It was on Ebay and I got a couple of offers by the time I got up the following morning, but too busy to answer them at the time, I left it and by the time I went back bids had been made, but one of the bidders stated they were not far away and did I have a BIN price. 

I don't believe it's fair to change from an auction to a bin if bids have been made, so explained this and left it, to run. Now it was finishing on Saturday, which just happened to also be the day Lindsey was going to a friend's housewarming party about half n hour away, Paul dropped her off and arranged a time to collect her.

The auction ended and the winner messaged to ask for detail about collecting, well when I looked, I saw it was the man who said he lived nearby, which just happened to be in the town Lindsey was in! I said we could drop it off when we collected Linz, if he made payment and told him the road we were going to. He paid, messaged his address and we told the cloche with us, picked Lindsey up, then put his address in the satnav, it turned out he lived in a road two roads down from where we had collected Lindsey!!! Fate or what?? It's a strange old world!

Paul's been building the folly wall and is two rows away from needing the window to continue! Problem's been deciding which window or windows to get for this side!! Finally settled on which one today, so will order it tomorrow and hope it doesn't take weeks to arrive! 

On the doll front, no dolls arrived, and no dolls have left! I have been very slow in sorting things and making decisions! Must be an age thing as I used to be so decisive! 

I did have a prop arrive for them but with the weather planning to get hotter, it may have to wait until the week after next to be used!!

Wishing you all a happy healthy week ahead

Dee

IT'S THE FIFTH!

 Yes, it's the fifth of August, so doll photo day and we have some lovely photos to share.

Let's get started.

Over in Wales, Jenni's boy Robin is glad to have escaped from the sock she keeps sticking on his head to tame his hair! He doesn't want his hair tamed; he likes it wild and woolly! Finally, out wearing his new cheer up the Gregors outfits, he's loving it.

Well Robin thought he'd escaped until mum grabbed him to try on the new waxed coat and hat!

Don't worry, being in Wales there has been plenty of rain while the rest of us roast!

Over the pond, Steve's girls, Jennifer, Carolyn, Lara and Heather (a lovely group of 68's) are looking hopefully at dad, having asked for an ice cream. He's trying to decide if they'll drop it down their clothing so should he offer them a bowl of ice cream rather than a lolly! 

Here in the village, Ashley and Martha are having a picnic in the new pond garden.

Looks like they have a nice feast 

Hildie's boy Rick is wondering if he could dip his head under this tap without mum telling him off!

It's very warm and how's a boy to cool down without a nice soak?

Many thanks to everyone to sending in photos for the post, still time to add more, just send them in.

Dee

CELEBRATING !

 

Liberty cheering for the Lionesses !

The girls are all, well almost all talking football this morning!