Lockdown With the Holland’s

Wednesday was market day for us. We missed last week as we stayed home

to do a bit more on the garden renovations, so this week we had a good stock up.

There seemed to be more folk about, maybe it’s because confidence is returning

now a lot of us have had our second jabs.

Back on the garden renovations.

This part of the garden is the hardest bit for us to tackle.

We’ve gone through so many ideas as to do with it.

What you can’t see is a three foot drop on the other side of the flags.

The patio part on the right we will repack so that it’s more level, then we’ve

decided to throw about 10 bags of compost along the ditch between the stones

and the flags and fill it with bushes that we’ve pilfered from here, there and

everywhere in the hope that some of them will take and form a hedge.

If it doesn’t work we won’t have lost a lot and we will have

to have a rethink.

After my daily Pilates practice on Thursday, some office work and phone calls,

I had my hair bouffanted then got stuck into some textile experimenting for

Friday’s zoom meeting with the No Rules Textile Society.

I’m looking forward to sitting down over the weekend with this new Kaffe Fassett book.

It’s jam packed with gorgeous pictures full of colour.

I’ve got lunch with my bestie on Sunday, let’s hope the weather is kind to us

I’ll be wearing lots of layers just in case it’s cold.

On Saturday I’ll be helping another lovely friend set up a web page

for her astrology business.

Meanwhile the wandering welder will be carrying on with the garden renovations.

To finish of here’s one of Mum’s Facebook funnies.

Joining in with Annie’s Friday Smiles

ANNIES FRIDAY SMILES

Wednesdays Workdesk - Pensions & Lace

Look at the concentration on that face.  Now I’m either thinking I better get on with experimenting with lace before Friday’s zoom meeting with the No Rules Textile Society, or it could be I’m thinking about how I’m going to spend my first pension payment when it comes in September.  I’ve just had a letter with the date it’s due and the monthly amount.

I always remember Mum saying I could keep my first pay packet, that was 50 years ago, it feels like yesterday.  So I might have a blow out with my first pension packet.

Anyway back to the desk.

 I came across a pile of old photographs so I’ve made a little fabric album and added a picture of my nana Alice and her three sisters, Dolly, Hilda and Annie.

I might add some hand stitching to it later.

Next up I started faffing about with this old postcard album and pinned in pieces of lace for my lace project.

Not sure about it yet so I’ll leave it to one side for now.

We’ve spent a lot of time in the garden this last week, so my heads not really in crafting mode properly. It could be though, because I received a fabulous bag of goodies from a blog friend and her lovely daughter. I’ve never come across magnetic bookmarkers before.  They are amazing.  Thank you Allie-Jane.

I’m linking in with Julia and the other deskhoppers at 

What’s on your Workdesk Wednesday if you want to join in.

WOYWW

Lockdown Diary - Slow down April you’re going to fast

April has been a complete blur, it’s going so quickly.

On Saturday I took Mum for an alfresco lunch at our favourite tearoom and garden centre.

They’ve worked so hard to make it look nice for everyone.

It was good to be there. It felt like being on holiday.

The sun came out so we had no need for big coats and blankets, although I

did have woolly tights on and a thermal vest on under my wool dress.

Our friend Jane joined us and we had a nice catch up and bought plants, cakes and

some of their new artisan bread. I went for the tomato sourdough.

Philip enjoyed it with a cheese ploughman’s for his tea.

I got talking to this chap, Kevin Rothwell, while he was waiting for his wife.

What a character, he’s a bit of a celebrity in that he has helped to raise over a million

pounds for charity.

CHARITY FUND RAISER KEVIN ROTHWELL

The oldest man to attempt to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

Back home the wandering welder wasn’t happy when I unwittingly opened

a bottle of 20 year old port that his late friend Pete bought him from

Greece many years ago. How was I to know he was saving it.

I thought it was a bottle of red wine that would go nicely with his ploughman’s.

Sunday was spent in the garden working on removing the ivy

and exposing the dry stone wall again.

The Camellia has joined the garden party. It’s always lovely even

though the flowers fall off once they get big.

The grape hyacinths are doing well in the old Belfast sink.

And finally the new manhole cover has got a cover.

Even though the welder said it was perfectly safe to walk on

I didn’t like the fact that it bounced when you walked on it

so I said you’ll have to make a cover for the cover before I’ll

be stepping on it.

More gardening tales to follow and hopefully I’ll be back in the good books.

Stay safe and enjoy the sunshine

Lynn

X

Lockdown Diary - Fun in the sun

We’ve had some lovely weather this week, which means the

wandering welder has been able to get on with re-siting the pond.

Getting there



Yay at last 

Another at last is the letter from the government inviting me to take up my

State pension in August.  Will I be taking it .... hell yeah of course I will.

I’ve waited an extra six years for this.  Bring it on.

Just in time for tea.

A special treat arrived from our lovely friends Julia, Harry & Toby.

Four Yorkshire Fat Rascals from Betty’s Tearoom. We hadn’t even

boiled the kettle before we had eaten the first ones. Not sure the other

two will see the day out.  

I bought this book for Mum but I’ve started reading it as we

have been following them on the telly.  Farming programmes

have been such feel good viewing over the last year, along with

gardening, book club ones and others like Sewing Bee, Bake off,

Great Pottery Throw Down and the current jewellery making challenge.

I mustn’t forget Grayson Perry’s Art Club, The Repair shop, Would I lie to You

and our current favourite At Home with the Richardson’s on channel Dave

on Thursday nights.  It has us in stitches.  Could be a northern thing though.

I don’t know about anyone else but we’ve been grateful for the great

programmes that have been made.  One we would definitely watch again

is The Serpent starring Jenna Coleman.

THE SERPENT

Good friend Vix posted this pic on her blog of the seeds I’d sent her

in memory of my Auntie Gladys.  It’s so nice to see them growing.

LINK TO VIX’S BLOG POST

I’m taking Mum out to our favourite tearoom today for a bit of alfresco lunch.

Hope the sun comes out, it’s looking a bit cloudy just now.

Enjoy your day 

Lynn

X

If you’re looking for me I’m in the garden

All the actions in the garden this week.

New garden furniture in memory of my lovely Auntie Gladys.

Getting our social corner ready for beer, tea and chat.

All welcome.

This is my rusty corner

Mediterranean wall

We are not opposed to a bit of fakery either 

We do have some real stuff as well

This is where the old pond was sited.

The wandering welder did a fabulous job of filling in the hole.

We have the odd ceramic mouse in the ivy.

Oh I thought everyone had one.

Stay safe and enjoy the sunshine.

More garden tales soon.

Sorry there’s no desk Julia 

LINKING WITH WOYWW 620

Friday Smiles

Look at that happy face, he’s been shopping.

Rochdale, our nearest main town, has a new shopping centre

and my mum had bought Philip a waistcoat for Christmas.

Sadly it didn’t fit, hence the trip out to exchange it now that the

shops have reopened.

FIFE COUNTRY WEAR

Also it was an excuse for him to wear his new moleskin waistcoat

and trousers, bought from a lovely family run company in Scotland,

established in 1888.

They are such good quality and price he has bought another set in

a darker shade of green.  

PEAR MILL VINTAGE EMPORIUM LINK

The wool jacket by Christian Dior was a bargain £24 find from Stockport’s Pear Mill Vintage Emporium

and his olive green Italian leather shoes were bought over 25 years ago in York.

Back home now and I’m cracking the whip again and I’ve got

him filling the hole where the old garden pond was sited.

Meanwhile I’m still adding finished touches to the guest room.

Here’s a funny before I go.  Our friend Mike sent me a photo of his wife Joy

stood next to their two cars in the 80’s.

Apparently Philip had worked on both of them and Mike said 

‘That Phil Holland can weld confetti, he’s that good’

Here’s a few funnies Mum posted on her Facebook page.

Have a lovely weekend.

I hope the sunshine’s for you.

Lynn

x

LINKING UP WITH ANNIE’S FRIDAY SMILES