I need to know

Where do these weeks go,the last one has disappeared into the ether at a great rate of knots.
So hello my friends, shall we go on a little ramble together.
Well I managed to lose the ribbons on the header but now I have only a fraction of the photo that should be there ,I think I need help from Martin to sort me out.
Where to start hmmmmm, well shall we start in the garden, as I think it might rain and I should hate for you to get wet!!
As I said the pic on the header is only part of what I wanted to show you, I think we will step a little further and see if the image will be better here.

The dark pink lilies are a bit battered and blown, but I did plant some new ones around the base of a peris ,(I do have to be careful typing that ,the mind boggles.) So when she decided to bloom I was amazed to see the tips of the plant matched almost exactly the lily.

This one is a very delicate shade of peach.
We also have a few new flowering plants for you to see, which are
1.A pretty little white balloon flower ,which when it is in bud resembles a miniature balloon.


2.A really dark purple penstemon , that the camera doesn't like the colour of as it keeps changing it ,but just to give you some idea.

Then last on the flowering front, thanks for the flowery comments by the way , I thought if I blogged about it you see, when it comes to next year I may still have a record of whats where. Method in my madness!
Number three. I planted 20 and have 1 flowering ,cannot win them all I suppose.



You may remember we had some unwanted visitors in the garden last week,wasps, well this welcome little critter turned up on Sunday Morning, sorry the picture is a bit dark. They are clickable if you cannot quite see, just so cute.


Squirrel Nutkin likes sunflower hearts too. Just thought you would like a glimpse of him ,but don't look at that bit of the garden. I think it was only a young one but he was stretched full length on the feeder with his tail hooked round the tree branch.
I happened to look up the other day whilst outside, well you do sometimes don't you, and peeping at me over the garden wall from next door were these.

So as I had been to town for some bits and bobs and had bought some Bramleys and had one over I would use it for this.

Sort of an Eton Mess for me with meringue, apple and blackberry. Martin cannot eat meringue the egg thing again. So with the other apples and I tried the Soy Flour Tina, is a German Apple Cake without eggs.

Please excuse the state of the cookery book it is more years than I care to think about old and well used,(bit like me really!) The cake looked ok ,but I must admit the texture wasn't right and not as good as with eggs.However, himself liked it so that is the main thing.
So that is all my homey sort of news.
Jack had an accident on his bike on Saturday, he was riding over the fields to work(summer job) and hit a pot hole ,landed on his face and because he wears braces top and bottom it made a real mess of his face. He had to go to hospital as he had grit in the cut in and outside of his lip and his brace was hooked up where it shouldnt have been.Luckily there was a man walking his dog who went over to help and lent him his phone for him to ring Kate. We were having a pub lunch at the time as we had been on the ancestral trail (more later )and got the call to say could Jack come over to us after hospital as his dad was going to football and Kate was on a late shift at work. So our plans for the afternoon were cut short and Jack came to us for a few hours ,as he wasn't allowed to stay on his own. Oh dear he was in a sorry state , they had had to pick out the grit in his mouth .however you cannot keep a teenage boy down and he was hungry -my grandchildren are always hungry and all like beanpoles. So he had (probably shouldnt tell you this,6 hot dogs and a cream chocolate muffin. Hollow legs I think.His face his slightly better and not so swollen as he called in last night, although he said the Orthodontist told him his braces had probably saved his teeth. He has a nice crop of ulcers now ,so is feeling a bit yuk.
The rest are all ok , and Ella was down last night staying with her cousins. I think Caitlin is going back with her tonight for a couple of nights.
I can hear you ,I can hear you ,when is she ,or even is she getting to stitching. Well how about now.

Anchors aweigh(or is it away)
Here is latest progress on JA Return to the Sea- I am off later to see how Sally got on this week.
I can see the end in sight.

Maybe a happy dance next week Sally, wonder if Heidi has her shoes on for us.
I do have 2 finishes this week , which are another needleroll finish In my Garden by SB.

I do wish we could get the lace and ribbon that they use in their kits as they make them really special.If you click on it you will see what I mean, their printed ribbon is lovely and the dear little dragonfly button was just so sweet. I think Sally has got me back into these and I have a few(well some) in my basket to do. I now have 12 finished.
This one arrived this week from The Nimble Thimble.

This was one I did not have and I think Sally had already done a swap with this one.
The other little I finished this week was an ornie for the monthly Christmas Ornie over at Stitch and Stash and when I saw Julies a couple of months ago I knew I had to stitch it too,well it is sheep!! So Julie sorry for being a copycat ,but they say Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery lol.

The trim I had was some that I picked up in town yesterday,

I have had a nice surprise this week from Clare, she sent me this with one of her home made cards.

A very busy lady is Clare and for her to take time out and send this to me ,well I was thrilled. So thanks Clare your'e a star.Twill come in very handy for these additions to the bookcase.
Bad Barb! Bad Barb!



The last one Julie has been raving about and although I have tried reading my daughters copy I couldn't get into it at the time. However I thought I might be missing something so yep I had to get it. I did ask Kate if she still had her copy but she had lent it to someone and not got it back. So perhaps if I really get into it Julie,you may have to go rambling on your own folks.lol.
It doesn't stop there!

Not a book but a magazine I have been getting for the last few months, and I really like it. I do subscribe to Country Living and have for years but hmmm ,dare I say it this one is an equal if not better. I am a country girl at heart and I wish I was rich lol.
I said earlier we were out at a pub lunch last weekend when the call came, yes ,still paying attention lol, well this is where we had been.


This is Holy Trinity at Fleet which is not far from where we live. Everyone told us James was born in Fleet- and we all assumed wrongly it was Fleet in Hampshire.Maybe some of you have read this book.

I am now talking of a son of James and Hannah of previous posts,and my great grandfather. He was born in 1835 and was christened at this church,and here is the font he was christened in.


The window was beautiful,something about stained glass. Sorry about the quality of the picture it was a bit dark in there. I will tell you more about my great grandfather and his wife Sarah next time - this is how I am related to a famous person, got you in suspense now eh.
Talking of glass, how do you like my new box my lovely Martin made, now what shall I put in here ?



I cannot fit my new Sassys fabric that came this week in it. I do not suppose for one minute it will be put away for long anyway. It is a really lovely colour this Frosted Cafe.

Of course you will get to see wips. This is a current one.

Page 4 finished YES!! page 5 started of Quaker Christmas ,stitched on Sassys Celery over one.
So now are you tired my little ramblers,I expect you thought it would never end. I remember taking our daughter on a hike when she was pregnant (just) and Martin said at 9 miles it is just over the next hill that next hill was another 2 miles at least.. Poor Kates dog was on its last legs by the time we got home.
Talking of dogs ,why does one thing lead to another. Ollie is back to the vets AGAIN tonight , they have found out from the swab it is a bacterial infection and only some antibiotics will cure it. So more pennies and more pills. Just hope it works this time for him. Will let you know. I am hoping we are going to an Embroidery Exhibition this weekend ,keep you posted on that too. Take care all thanks for your replies,oops almost forgot, I STILL haven't got round to the linky thing. However if you look at Angelas comments on a previous post if she doesnt comment on this one. She has not got a blog but she does have a photo thing of her work ,simply stunning her mail art mermaid is lovely.
Anyway off to the kitchen to see what I can do with some ribs. Thankyou for visiting, pop in again soon and bring the walking boots.
Hugs n stuff
Barb