Weekend

 

How was your weekend?  We had the grandchildren, which is always fun. 

I managed a solitary walk yesterday. No one wanted to venture out with me and I was getting a bit stir crazy so I took a walk alone.  When I say alone, there were plenty of other people about enjoying the river walk, even though it was very breezy. 

The children had a party to go to at lunchtime today so it was a case of dropping them off and collecting them. In between times we visited the garden centre for some plants for a new planter for the front of the house.  

We’ve seen a fair bit of the children this week.  Always the way, feast or famine, still not complaining they are no bother, but the house does seem very quiet……and tidy!!

Weekend

Friday pm

Peter and I headed into Cambridge for dinner and to see Beth Hart in concert at the Corn Exchange - so good, though we were shocked at the lack of masks, especially as an email from the Corn Exchange had said that masks were a requirement of entry - no one was enforcing it.  We did wear our masks throughout the concert but we were certainly in the minority.  The same has to be said about the crowds in Southwold to be honest especially in pinch point areas like the pier and amusement arcades. Again we felt the need to wear ours when necessary.  With numbers so high in the UK it surely isn’t worth the risk of being ill. 

Rebecca stayed overnight so she could visit her grandma on Saturday morning, who she hasn’t seen for two years. She went out for dinner with her sister and had a lay in without the boys disturbing her. After her visit to see Grandma, she headed back to Stamford to meet Tim and the boys and a meet-up with friends over the weekend. They will all be back with us on Monday!!  I’m exhausted just reading their schedule. I think after this visit back to the UK they will be worn out, they have been so busy.  They still have a visit to the Harry Potter Studios on Monday afternoon, dinner with friends in Cambridge Monday evening.  Back to see Grandma with Tim and the boys on Tuesday and then spending time with Rachel and co before finally heading back to France on Wednesday!

We spent Saturday afternoon enjoying the sunshine and the lovely cloud formations whilst walking 

How lovely is this Ash tree, it’s one of a number planted on the small green space near to our house. 

Sunday

An extra hour in bed.  Poured with rain until midday.  I sat and sorted knitting patterns, did the Waitrose crossword. 

Then after lunch - homemade carrot and celeriac soup - we went out walking again.  The leaves are really starting to change now and a fair few have fallen too.  That’s one job we don’t miss from our old home. Our walk was mostly dry, just a quick shower whilst crossing the meadow otherwise the dark clouds stayed behind us

It’s starting to get dusk now, 4:45pm, I’m really not ready for the darker evenings. Time to light some candles and add a bit of cheer. Dinner tonight is pork chops with apples and potatoes cooked in cider, and there is enough cider left to enjoy a small glass each with it, chin chin

Walking the lunch off

Sunday roast.  We've not done that in an age, usually choosing to eat our main meal in the evening.

Rachel and the little ones came for the day whilst Stu was at a bike event, so we got in a leg of lamb in and had all the trimmings.  I wish you could have seen the plateful that Jess ate but she did it proud.  We followed that up with apple crumble and custard.  Once that was all demolished and cleared up we decided that a walk was in order. It was a beautiful afternoon, chilly and bright.

I never tire of these views, the sun was a glorious ball of fire.

I hope you enjoyed your Sunday as much as we did.  Now to put my feet up and finish off Jess' cardigan, just the front bands to do.  She is going to look so cute in it (she already tried it for me and it fits perfectly)

Always knitting

Hello Friday, start of the weekend, well for me anyway.  I love my 3 day weekends. Thank you for the comments on my last post, still finding it so annoying that I no longer get email advice and have to remember to come looking, so apologies if you don't get a reply very swiftly.

Here's a little update on my projects.

My cardigan is at the sleeves stage (actually further along than this photo), and Kristie its fits beautifully so I can't see me not wearing it!!  It will look much better once blocked.

My bicycle is getting a makeover, have utilised some of the wedding bunting and sample flowers to pretty it up.

I plan to make some smaller flowers to put in between the hearts, then I think it will be enough, what do you think? I got hubby to move the reflector from the top of the basket, which I think looks much better.

 A knitting request from a new mum-to-be - enough projects to keep me going for some while - luckily the baby isn't due until November.  I have changed out some of the yarn on the Hundreds pattern, and may change out some of the others as I go along. This was just a first pass over my stash cupboard.  There is also a cot blanket and elephant to do, for which I have ordered some yarn

Plans for the weekend - visit my mother - pottering around the house and garden - pop into Cambridge for a coffee - not much else planned.

Btw all the chickens are now laying so we are egg central here.  Made an amazing frittata  yesterday, sorry no photos we'd eaten most of it before I remembered.

Enjoy your weekend whatever you are doing

New wheels for the weekend

For what seems like forever my husband has been trying to get me on a bicycle.  I have one, but its getting on a bit (like me) and only has 3 gears, not great when you are trying to keep up with someone who has 24!!  It creaks and clunks (again a bit like me), its days were numbered.

Peter and Rachel have done numerous cycle races, and I think Peter is missing his riding buddy now that Rachel is otherwise engaged with young Gus. I have been going out on Rachel's old bike and have to admit I quite enjoy it, more gears definitely make life easier.  I actually think the promise of coffee and cake at Tom's is the draw rather the the cycling.

Anyway, I decided that if I was going to try this cycling lark seriously I would need a new bicycle.  I wanted something vintage (pretty) looking rather than a road bike.  We found the Bobbin Brownie which fitted the bill and wasn't too expensive compared to the Pashley bikes.  Mine is in colourway Blueberry, and Peter has fitted it with my old bike basket.  I am thinking of adding a basket on the back, and plan to pretty the whole thing up with so knitted accessories!! As Rebecca says its very Instagrammable, I can see it with the basket overflowing with yummy yarn or bunches of flowers, french sticks and bottles of wine, you know anything to make an interesting shot.

I have been beavering away on my cardigan, currently have the body cast off and the left front band knitted.

The garden has needed some attention, we have had some really windy weather and that has wreaked havoc on the buddleias which have had to be cut right down. Lots of dead-heading and general tidying. With the hot weather the grass isn't growing much so that has been one less thing for Peter to do. What veggies we have managed to grow are coming along slowly, really is a waste of time and effort. We do however have a crop of Stinkhorn (Clathrus ruber) fungus, and boy do they stink!!!

The 2 of new girls have started laying so we have plenty of eggs these days. They are fairly skittish still not wanting to be touched unlike Scruffy who is happy to be picked up.  They are getting better though and like to come up to the house whenever they can.

I hope you have all had a good weekend and are ready for another week.

Weekend - waiting for it to warm up

We woke to a hard frost but bright and sunny, unlike yesterday's rainy day.

Whilst I am waiting for the garden to warm and dry up a bit, I thought I'd share some photos I played around with on Friday while Jess was napping (and it was raining). But before those.......

Rather than stay home yesterday and watch the rain we went down to London for our quarterly Ikea/Costco/Green Lanes trip.  We took Rachel and Jess as they really needed to go to Ikea and Stu was on a bike ride (mad or what).  Jess was sporting her new body warmer, and even if I say so myself she just looked so cute in it.  You see girls don't have to wear pink - she is also wearing her bead necklace that we made on Friday, as was Pops. I think he was very brave walking around Ikea in a necklace don't you?!!

Anyway back to the photos from Friday,

Right must get on, a few shrubs to move today, and it sounds like the washing machine has finished.  Enjo your Sunday.