More Newts, Fruit and Other Stuff

I called DH over to the pond this afternoon to introduce him to 'Newton' and he promptly pointed out there was another newt in the pond as well!

So now I have to think of another name.  This one looks thinner than the other.  How exciting to have two.  I had never seen newts before.  A frog also lives in this pond, although I haven't seen him for a few days now.

I saw this little ladybird on our door mat so rescued him/her and put her on a rose leaf.

Hopefully safer here.

The honeysuckle is soon to flower.

Lots of flower buds just waiting to burst forth.

Roses, although most are looking a little worse for wear after all the heavy rain we have had on and off for the last few days.

Raspberries are growing.

A few gooseberries, sadly not as many this year.

Apples. 

Lovely to see all the new growth and promise of fruit in the garden.  

I managed to sit out for a little while this afternoon and finish my book by Elizabeth West 'Hovel in the Hills' and really enjoyed it.  

I have read some really good books this month, my favourites being:

Island Wife by Judy Fairbarnes

A Foot in the Bucket by Jenny Green

Hovel in the Hills by Elizabeth West

I had to make a very disappointing decision today about my trip to the USA this year.  I had to cancel it last year and was really hoping I would manage to go this year, but after knowing how I 'paid' for our trip to Southampton on Saturday and then the subsequent pain I have been suffering from since Monday afternoon - a combination of sorting books and vacuuming (? I don't really know!) I have realised that I just can't cope with a ten plus hour plane trip and then a full on active schedule for the following seven days without it wiping me out completely for who knows how long.  I am pretty devastated, but I think it is for the best.  I did hope that I would be able to just 'do it' and not let the pain dictate, but I am afraid it DOES dictate, despite my good intentions and determination. 

Summertime

For my Mum and Dad

I still keep playing despite the pain! 

A Newt?

I think we have a newt in our pond as well as a frog...you can't see it in this photo, but he has a long body, at first I thought it was a frog until I saw the length of his body.  Our pond is really starting to fill up with various different wildlife. 

He looks fatter here than he actually was, he had quite a thin long body and tail.

Snails galore!

Not much posting at the moment as still having lots of pain in my arms/elbows and the last three days in the palms of my hands, so having to severely limit computer and camera use.

Books, books and more books!

Back in 2009 I packed up a lot of our books into cardboard book boxes and they were stored in our end shed...I wasn't really expecting that they would be boxed up for as long as they have been as I was hoping we were moving that year...I have been hoping that every year since!  The eternal optimist I guess.  Well the roof blew off the shed at some stage and we had to do repair work and I didn't realise those boxes of books were damaged as I was told by my DH that they were okay....I should have checked!  A lot of books have been damaged, some irretrievably, some not so much.  Still I guess that is one way to thin out the collection!  I have been sorting them today into piles to throw - too badly damaged to rescue, to send to the charity shop, no longer interested in them, or realised I don't really need them.  This includes two sets of 'home educator' encyclopedias that used to belong to my grandparents.  I don't really 'need' them, and so I have realised I need to let go of them.  Some of the books will be going to my son, many of these were used when he was home-educated and so he may want these, and those he doesn't can be taken to charity.  The ones I am keeping I am re-boxing (for now - perhaps it will be THIS year we finally move) into plastic boxes we bought today for the books - 32L square 'Really Useful Box'.

I currently have almost all eight of these plastic boxes full... this was from about 10 cardboard boxes.  Yikes though they are heavy!  I have about six bags (shopping bag size) for charity and a couple of bags and a couple of boxes for my son.  Not sure how many I have had to throw away, I didn't want to count as it was too heartbreaking.  I find it very difficult to sort through books, I am a real bookaholic and have been since very young.  None of this Marie Kondo stuff when it comes to books for me, they pretty much all give me joy!  There are some I just could never get rid of, some I still want to read, and some that I would like to re-read.  Of course whether I will ever have time to do so is another story.  I dream of having a room to be able to turn into a library.  I used to think it would happen, now I am not so sure.  

There have been a fair few tears shed as some of my really special books have been damaged...I have to learn forgiveness for these... as if I'd known that we weren't going to be going anywhere for at least the next nine years when I boxed them up, then some may not have gone in the boxes.  Oh for the lack of proper book shelving space.

Of course now the lounge looks like a bomb has hit it, and I have friends coming over tomorrow!  Hopefully by then we will at least have some sitting down space.   Why do I start these jobs 'the day before such and such is going to happen?   I guess because I was inspired to do so.  But boy what a job!  

Oh gosh and one box in particular was especially gross...three giant slugs had set up home in it - it was too disgusting to even take a picture - believe me you wouldn't have wanted to see it.  Man can those things poop!  I had to get DH to deal with this.  

I probably won't be able to move my body tomorrow!

A Frog!

After a rather intense and very painful physiotherapy session today in London, I wanted to just sit outside in the garden with my lunch and relax for a while.  

I checked out the pond and was delighted to find a frog in it.

So although we had no frogspawn this year, at least a frog has made it its home.  It also seems to be home to a lot of snails!  Not sure where they came from.  I am guessing they must have come in on the greenery that I got from a fish and pond shop last summer, although this is the first I have seen of them.

The roses are all starting to look fabulous.

Plus the blue and purple Rhododendrons are starting to show off their beautiful flowers.

Not quite as sunny today as it was in the weekend, but the temperature was nice and it is a lovely evening.

Tomorrow I have another trip into London, this time to the Royal Free Hospital for some Nerve Conduction tests of my right arm and leg.

Around the Garden, Books & Records.

The garden is starting to look really pretty

The Rhododendrons are starting to flower and are looking gorgeous.

The one above and below are going to look spectacular when they fully open.

Just love this colour!

A frog was seen in the garden, but not anywhere near the pond!  No frog spawn again this year which was really disappointing.

The gooseberries are starting to form, although not quite as many this year as the container in which they grow was moved last year, and I don't think they are getting quite as much sun as they were.

Poppies 'popping' up again.

My first rose bush has started to bloom.

Just love the colour of our maple tree against the blue sky.  We had to give this tree quite a trim in the the other day.

The wisteria is looking fabulous, although unfortunately the neighbours get to see more of our plant than we do as it prefers flowering their side!

White lilac against my sewing studio.

My Dalmation beans are starting to grow, but nothing showing in the other pot, so might have to put some more beans in.

I've picked up a few books from the charity shops the last two or three weeks.

I want to get back into my painting again...that is the plan anyway.

I love the art work of Gordon Beningfield, so couldn't resist this book.

Some reading - have finished this book, and quite enjoyed it so when I saw some more by this author today I got those as well.

Absolutely LOVED this book.  

Some 'new' books to add to my 'To read' pile.

Adding to my collection of Peter May books, these are ones that I haven't got.  

I have also been building up my record collection and have added some 'new' records - at 79p each, they were a real bargain.

I've listened to all these records the last couple of days and they are great.  Wonderful listening.

Some new ultra light memory foam sole trainers.

On my desk:

Some cut lilacs that were flowering behind my studio so couldn't be seen.  

I hope everyone is enjoying good weather as it is here today.  It is absolutely lovely outside.  Now time for a cuppa and a bit of a read for a while before I get back to working around the house.