What to do with a rainy Bank Holiday?.....

      We were planning a day out but with rain like that we changed our minds.  Darsh decided to show the whole street up, by being the only one to clean his car.  Seeing as he only does it once a year, whether it needs it or not, it seemed a shame to let him miss his opportunity, so off he went.

     Charlotte came over on Saturday to go to a car boot sale with us.  She bought DVDs, I bought some bedding plants, and Darsh and Alan bought a range of assorted treasures.  Matt joined us later, so we went over to New Life, McDonalds and a very late supper in Caldmore.
     Joe was keen to take advantage of his favourite doggy-sitter, and sneaked onto his bed.

  Matt obviously hadn't seen him the previous night when he came in from hunting foxes and covered in little seeds from the forget-me-nots and looking like he had a bad attack of fleas!

     Selina was wondering how to get her forget-me-nots to spread like mine have done.  Now you've got the answer, just rub a well seeded dog over the damp soil!  Darsh didn't see my note about keeping the delicous smelling animal off the bed...so the following morning the bed room smelt of stale fox and the quilt was full of seeds.  And once again, my washing machine has broken, it's relatively new...Dad only bought it second hand about 1986. 

    

These 2 are obviously missing the delights of internet in their little flat, both trying to find cheap flights to Thailand for next month.

We always come back from Bristol.....

......with more than we went with...look what it was this time...all my fault.... there it was stood at the side of the road wearing this sticker.... which Darsh thinks is hilarious..... and still makes him giggle a whole week after he first saw it...

So home came this lovely stack of drawers, just what he needs to start getting his garage under control

                  Oh Yes... the stupid grin was free as well.

     Last Autumn, someone gave me an old sheepskin rug for Joe's bed, I left it in the loft cos it was rather dirty, saving it for a good windy day.  Well, we have had plenty of those this week, so I dragged it down and threw it in the bath. It has taken it all week to dry and it's had a good brush with Joe's brush, Joe was horrified as he loves nothing better than a good brush himself.  Now he is the proud owner of a posh sheepskin that is far too good for a dog...

    We have been out for a morning drive over to the black country (not the Musuem, cos our tickets run out) We just fancied a break.
     Took my new bag, that I acquired in Dublin the other week, with Sara.  Came back laden with all sorts of treasure/rubbish

    'Didn't even know dad even liked Star Trek, but he bought himself a whole box set.  Do we have a video player anywhere?  I mean one that works.

    I bought a game...a bit expensive, but about the same age, and by the same people who made 'Booby Trap'.  And we all know how much we played that one.  This is very simple, clever and makes you think, we've already had a couple of plays.

Last, but not least, there was a 10p box, so once they have had a wash, these little bits are heading to the greenhouse...

      ...that very chipped and very sharp glass jug reminds me so much of the old Black Jack bottle that Grandma and Grampa Watson used to have.  I think it will be lovely out on the table with flowers in it and if it gets broken it really doesn't matter.

What colour are your lettuce Selina?......

Planted some lettuce in the greenhouse, they are this colour....

          ...but the ones in the garden have gone this colour, so I wonder what colour are the ones I took out of my greenhouse that are now planted in Selina's garden

     ......This speckled pot lives partly in the garden and partly in the greenhouse...out of Joe's reach...
          ...call me fussy, but I don't eat lettuce that has been watered.....BY THE DOG!!!! Yuk!

                 
          I'm saving those for Darsh...

This flower head is definately out of Joe's reach, but it's the only one this year. so it is extra beautiful.

Drying in the sunshine....

Joe had his regular shampoo and shave on Thursday, and seeing as he hated the dryer so much, he sat out in the sun to dry off.

It was our warmest day for quite a while, so I made the most of the garden, cut the grass, dried the washing and found as many suitable plants and cuttings as I could to take over to Selina's garden.

     Saturday in Bristol was warm but windy so we followed an artist's trail.  Various local artists made a route around their houses in Bristol, and each artist displayed their work in their own homes.  Houses taking part were wearing strings of bunting and you walked from house to house looking at the work.  About 70 houses took part showing off jewelery, photography, woodwork, paintings, mosaics, illustrations, cards, cakes, plants.....

                         ....studying the map and planning the route.

     Sunday was spent planting and digging the garden, and in the afternoon there was a street party Selina and Pete had voluntered to help out at...

    They got the job of closing the road to traffic and wearing posh yellow jackets.

Been playing....

     ....with the layout of my blog.
      Think I've finally worked out why the time on my posts is always wrong, apparently I've been running on "Pacific time" instead of GMT.....John... how on earth did that happen? 
   Also think I had got a block on my messages, but I am not sure.  Send me a message someone so I can see if it works or not (though not SandJ, cos their messages always come through.)  Selina, Paul, Sal....are you listening...is anybody there?

It's raining.
 Joe's yapping- he hates the sound of rain.
 Darsh has cleared off to London-taken my car cos it looks smarter than his-good, he's noticed at last.
Upset Sara-cos I'm not sure it's a good idea to hire a camper van to drive across Germany.
Charlottes too busy to talk to me-cleaning her flat-THAT is a feeble excuse.
Can't ring Paul-cos I haven't got his number-NOT a feeble excuse-Darsh has lost my gold number book AGAIN.  Why can he never ever put it back in the little hole in the bookcase where it has lived since we moved here?
Selina is busy eating and hasn't got time to talk. Mmmm, nothing new there then.
Sal, hope she and Dave are OK.  Keep looking on her blog, notice someone in France keeps looking at mine, so we just hope it's them!

May as well go to bed then.....Night night xxx

A very much at home weekend...

     ...it was cold, often wet and involved lots of time spent on that old motor home.  Managed a couple of hours at a car boot sale Sat morning.  I wanted some tomato plants and Lobelia, and decided to get them locally, but not at a garden centre.  Found both at cbs, as well as some cushion covers and a nice big stake to fasten Joey to when we are out in the camper van.  He is hopeless at getting all tangled up in his lead, and we are forever having to untangle him, hopefully the stake will make life a bit easier.  We might even have to use it in the garden, as we have another 2 robin nests again and they must be getting ready to fledge any day soon.
    Had thought about going to the Malvern Show on Sunday but it was just not good enough weather, so we stayed here.  I even suggested going to Bristol for the day, as we haven't taken Selina's presents to her yet.  But Darsh just didn't fancy, spent day on van and has got a sore back for his efforts.  So looks like these are here for another week...

        Today, Monday, is far better weather, so have spent my day potting up tomatoes, pots and generally enjoying my garden.

Our first salad from the greenhouse yesterday....

Only a little one, but it's a start.

          Pity it was too wet and chilly to eat outside.  Was planning a spot of gardening, but a bit nippy, so spent the afternoon sewing silly pretties on Selina's birthday presents and wrapping them for her.

Bailey appeared last night, looking for Darsh who was missing as usual, he had a go at putting my videos from my camera, onto the blog, he could do it and make it look easy.  I am still struggling....looks like I need yet another lesson....

....Or maybe not?  Where did that video come from?  And I do that again, or is it a one off achievement?

You see this shop Selina.....

...behind your beautiful sister, who looks as if she was sick of having her photo taken.,

It is selling two units, very like the one you made us liberate from the skip the other day, only they want 500 euros each for them.  If you look closely you can just see one of them in the picture!

We spent a long weekend in Dublin with Sara and John.  We did lots of walking round, seeing the sights....

Buskers in Temple Bar

     .....I enjoyed the Hot Chocolate...

...stirred by Sara.

          Sara enjoyed the Coffee cake in Avocca...

     .....that shop is just so beautifully set out and presented, but horribly expensive, I only looked around, admired and pinched ideas!

See this lovely picture of Sara scoffing ice-cream [10mins after breakfast and saying she couldn't eat another thing till supper time]  Well ...it's not a snap of my gorgeous daughter I was after, more of an opportunity to photograph those owls behind her.  I'm sure I can make those when I get home, and this way I won't forget what they look like.

                Darsh enjoyed way too much of this stuff...

....and then spent way too long doing this...

                 ....all of Saturday night.

     On Sunday we went to the botanical gardens..

          and on Sunday evening we joined John's mum and Dad for early supper in a very smart hotel....

         ......none of my photos do any justice to the place, I should have taken my pictures before it got too dark.

     Monday morning was a very early start, up at 4am, cos the flights are cheaper at that time in the day you understand.  Bailey picked us up at the airport and we got home before Charlotte, Matt or Joey were even up.

John's Revenge.....

....he wasn't too impressed with the daft present we sent him from Bristol the other day!

We sent Sara a coaster about "marry Harry" and we sent John this one so he wouldn't feel too left out...and he wasn't too chuffed....

 So he had a go at editing the video of Selina and the rock slide.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSj8tk4S-NI&feature=channel_video_title

     Showing his mum and Sara his handiwork in the hotel in Dublin last night.   His talents are sadly wasted in his present job!!!!

Went to Oxfordshire in the camper van....

....stayed on a site by the riverbank with geese, chickens and ducks wandering around the van.  Joey learnt to only bark when that big mean rooster is walking AWAY from you, not when he is coming TOWARDS you, especially as he is nearly as big as you.  As for the geese? you watch them quietly from the safety of behind glass! It was a blooming cold night though, I woke up needing extra bedding.
     Sunday we went to Upton House just outside Banbury.  It was a lovely day and the gardens were stunning..

     Thought of Selina when we saw this... not because her garden looks like this, but because only the best gardens have badger trouble!

   It was a lovely welcoming house, we were encouraged to sit in the best rooms and look at the papers and diaries left out for reading.  There was boards telling you all about the works of art and the porcelain around you, you picked them up and read them as you wandered from painting to painting.  We were only planning a quick trip in the house because the gardens were so lovely, but we ended up in the house reading for ages. The staff were there, flitting from person to person generally chatting and keen to talk about the fascinating family who had lived there and gathered all the beautiful collection together.  We stayed for ages listening in and admiring the amazing art collection.  Some of which the family knew nothing about, they were found under the fathers bed after he died.
    Looked under Darsh's bed today...lots of dust... an old dog biscuit...odd sock...old paper....nothing at all worth the slightest bit of excitement.....