Summing up on Sunday

July 9th:   Walking through the clouds/sea mist.

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July 10th:  Dug out this dead tree

Started clearing this lot

Making progress

Apples are looking good.

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July 11th:  Wolves in Sheep's Clothing.

Spent the day reinstating our back fence that I discovered had been moved in by approximately two metres!  Not only that there are also now great big gaps in our back hedge.  Lesson to self, don't trust people they are almost NEVER what they seem. Interestingly I looked back at my diary and in February I made the comment when I met them for the first time; 'seem friendly....but....!'  I was proven right to have doubts sadly, but had forgotten my doubts as I don't expect to have to walk my perimeter fence every single day several times a day....from now on I will.   Talk about extremely un-neighbourly, underhand, dishonest and taking advantage of the fact that I am on my own.  I don't know why I am so surprised, I should have learnt by now.  Very disappointing and distressing.

My arms have been ripped to shreds by all the brambles as I finished working on them along the rest of the hedge and boundary line through our orchard as well.  

Lessons needing to be learned:

Don't be so trusting of people.

Don't let things upset me so much.

Keep checking any unusual noises and banging - even if you can't see it, go up and have a look!

Don't be so trusting.

Don't let the inconsiderate mean people spoil this lovely spot for me.

Don't be so trusting.

Beware of Wolves in Sheep's Clothing.

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July 12th:

The anger has gone today and I am left with that awful sinking feeling, pain all round my abdomen from getting so stressed, something I had hoped I wouldn't get down here.  Tearful and just generally upset that someone would do such a thing.  With the auto-immune problem I have the last thing I should have in my life is stress as it can aggravate it and make things worse and I have been doing so well.

After clearing some of the piles of brambles in the orchard I spent the rest of the day in my sewing studio reorganising it.

I'm pleased with the new layout.  Sewing in one area

A general crafting table and my music stand on the other wall.

I've been doing a spot of knitting in the evenings and made this little bear.

I've still been walking everyday - although now when I walk I am going to be worried about something happening while I am out!

Sunday.

Not quite a day of rest but a gentle day in some ways.  I completed some jobs done that needed to be got on with and also had time to just sit quietly as well.  

I put the flattened boxes that have been in my hallway for far too long up in the loft - I had been procrastinating for goodness knows why!  Which meant I could then give it a good vacuum, I got the old photos of my great grandparents out and put them on the Singer Treadle machine and also hung a couple of pictures on the wall.  This hallway will eventually be repainted as the colour is not something I am particularly fond off and it doesn't go with any of our pictures for a start. I've just put the pictures up where the previous owners had removed hooks and painted over with a slightly different colour paint as it was pretty ugly so I wanted to hide it.   I broke another drill bit in the process - this is the second drill bit from a brand new box of Bosch drills, so not impressed with them.  These pictures probably won't stay there long term but just until I repaint the hallway and plan out what to put up there.  I also put up another couple of pictures in our lounge.  

The after picture...

Ha ha, the before!  Obviously I hadn't been using this door to go in and out of the house which was just as well.  

Much better when it is clear and spacious.

Looking in the opposite direction.

One of our set of the wedding photos we had done with our son and daughter in law up on the wall.  As mentioned I broke the drill bit, so couldn't put the rest up as the other drill bits are too big to make the holes.

I put up the Takehe painting that a friend (and one of my Dad's 'neighbours' ) painted that I bought while in NZ a couple of years ago.  Still need to put my Fantail picture up.

I picked some flowers from the garden.  They smell wonderful!

These are the flowers - on the bank that I can see as I look outside my kitchen window.

I spent some time weeding the four raised vegetable beds in the back garden, and have a couple of beetroot to cook, plus some peas and raspberries which I will have this evening.  The ground is so very dry.

A cauliflower starting to form!

Yellow courgettes.

A very dark rich coloured poppy.

This illustrates how little rain we have had.  The pathetic amount we had yesterday morning did nothing.

The grass is all but dead.

I cooked the beetroot and had a bit with dinner tonight.  I also had some chard.  The peas I had raw, as I think they are so much nicer than when cooked and I picked a few extra raspberries to add to these and added them to a little chocolate pudding I made for dessert.  

I went for a lovely walk this afternoon.  It was pretty windy but relatively warm which was good.

I sat down on the beach for a while watching and listening to the waves.

They were actually quite loud.

You don't often see seaweed washed up on this beach...so I had to photograph this piece.

Such a lovely afternoon, despite the wind.

The waves crashing against the rocks.

A pretty good Sunday, jobs done, letters written ready to be posted and one of my little doll dress and cardigan sets packaged up ready to be posted.

Turning Cold Thursday.

Gosh it was cold when I took the dogs out for their walk this morning.  Only 2 degrees Celsius!  Definitely needed to wear a hat this morning.  Time to do a good sort out of the winter clothing that is for certain.  

I've had a busy day working on the main bedroom, catching up with things I couldn't do while ill.  It is looking much better now.  We had started to pack up boxes of things, but it had come to a big standstill, so I sorted what I had done and made a list of things that still need to be done and sorted.  

I also started to fill a charity bag, and today I have managed to sort two shirts, five pair of denim leggings I'll no longer wear, a pair of pink plimsolls/converse virtually unworn, a pair of trainers, a hat and a skirt.  This is without even going through my drawers or wardrobe, which I hope to start tomorrow.  Oh and a picture I have decided I don't want to keep any longer.  There is only so much wall space!

While sitting having a cup of tea early this morning, after returning from walking the dogs, I caught a glimpse at the corner of my eye through the patio doors and was delighted to see some Long Tailed Tits.  We haven't had these visit for ages.  What a treat.  Just wish my patio door had been cleaner!  Looks like that is another job.  

There was also a lovely little Chaffinch in the shrubbery. 

We always have Blue Tit visitors which is nice. 

Also on the ground was a little Dunnock, who is also a resident of our garden.

Books!

We moved the bookcase back into the lounge yesterday afternoon - to a different place than it was before.  It will no longer have the sun on it which will be good as I always worried about putting good books in it for fear of them fading.

First to go in the bookcase was my bargain of the year.  A lovely set of Encyclopedia Britannica that is in as new condition.  We did actually already have a much older set, which I will now pass on to my son.  I am really pleased with these books as I do still like to look things up in a book and these are such lovely books to have.

This is the pile I am still sorting through.

I find it very hard to get rid of books.  I have been collecting Peter May books, but now wonder whether I should pass on the ones I have already read back to the charity shop as I really don't have the room.  A lot of books I have been reading lately go straight back to the charity shops.  The Tess Gerritsen books for example, I read and then pass them on.  Hmm...a bit of a dilemma for me.  Am I likely to read them again?  That is the question.  I am guessing probably not, so using that I should probably pack them up to take to the charity shop, especially as I still have a load of books on the floor that I currently don't have room for!

I have a almost a whole shelf on health and pain as well - an illustration of just how much it has effected my life!  Always on the search for cures, and solutions and learning about different ways to possibly treat my pain issues.  Of course, nothing has been successful so far.  

Talk on Tuesday.

I have taken some more photos of the mysterious plant that I still haven't been able to identify.

I am sure once someone can name it I will have an 'of course' moment!

It is probably just over two feet tall.

Strange flower coming out the middle at the top.

Large leaves.

The frogs are back in the pond, and I don't blame them, it is probably the only place that is cool!

Ingrid Bergman has started to flower. She is a bit later than normal this year.

As beautiful as ever though.

Some new buds coming on 'Hot Chocolate' as well.

Today I have spent some time on the front porch.  It was rather a mess as it becomes an 'accumulation' point for so much un...stuff, plus it had loads of paint flakes all over it from the preparation of the windows to be painted.  The black bags are shredded paper, ready for the next paper collection.

The table needs to be taken round the back and set up and the kneeling chair...well not quite sure just where to put that at the moment.

I've also started dusting, hoovering and polishing inside the lounge.  This room was the last to have its windows painted, so the sills and frames aren't perfectly dry yet.  It is so very hot, I have to do this in stages.  Inside the lounge today it has been over 28 degrees celcius, so I am guessing it has been even hotter outside.  I know inside the Cavy Shed today while I was cleaning them out the temperature was reading over 32 degrees.  

Yesterday before returning home, I went out with the Sailor and his wife.    We hit a few charity shops in their town and I managed to get some more books to read.

Three lighthearted and one quite obviously not.  I am enjoying these Tess Gerritsen novels though, they are well written.  

I also managed to get a lovely Boden skirt and a pretty striped t shirt.

Today I had to post some parcels, so had a wander round our local charity shops afterwards.

I picked up two more books.  Yes I am doing a lot of reading at the moment.  When it is as hot as it is, there is not a lot you can do in the heat, so I am enjoying and relaxing with a good book when I can.

I also picked up this pretty table cloth.  

So although I had a terrible night last night - really struggling to sleep at the moment, and it is not just the heat - and felt rather tearful earlier on today, I have actually achieved some things round the house so that has to be good.