MOODY SKIES!

At 7am this morning there was a definite battle going on between the sun and the clouds.

As soon as the sun tried to push through the clouds, the clouds bunched up blocking its rays.

There was a stillness on the water and the air felt quite muggy.

The boats laid quietly on their shadows.

Whether a breeze picks up as the tide continues to make its way in remains to be seen.

It was certainly eerily calm this morning.

A knock at the door at the beginning of the week brought me a lovely and unexpected surprise.

A delivery of these beautiful flowers!

 Who sent them?

My grandchildren (and their grandad)!

For what reason?

For being their Granny!

Lovely!

WALKING IN THE SUNSHINE!

When I woke up this morning, the sun was bursting through the curtains. I ditched my idea of an early morning swim, dressed quickly and by 6.45am headed out of the front door, making a last minute decision to grab my sunglasses.

I definitely needed them but, even though the sun was so bright as I set off around the seawall my eyes were soon watering as the chilly breeze blew directly into my face.

Today I walked as far as these new beach huts.  They're not quite finished but I really love them. When Michael and I were 16 we used to come here with his family for a day out, they kept a boat here and Michael used to do a lot of water skiing. I remember that there used to be a couple of old victorian bathing huts on the beach, long gone now, but these new ones remind me of them.

I mentioned in my last post that I have been making a photo album for my mum's 90th birthday. Well,  I finished it yesterday, having gone through so many albums and boxes, from in the loft and out of the loft. Some I could remember and others that I had forgotten, it was a real roller coaster through her life.
I really enjoyed putting it all together but it did take such a long time and yesterday as I sat there previewing it with my morning coffee I was almost hesitant in pushing the send button just incase I'd made some silly error. In the end I'd previewed it so many times that once the decision had been made and I'd actually clicked to send it, a sigh of relief washed over me.
I think my mum will be really surprised and quite emotional when she sees it for the first time. I'll let you know!

The first pair of socks are knitting up lovely. The yarn is good to work with and the pattern that I'm using is the one which is printed on the yarn label. Hopefully I'll get this one finished tonight.

Enjoy the rest of the week, it could be sunny!

LOTS TO DO FOR THIS WEEKEND AND THE COMING WEEK

New yarn has been purchased for a couple of pairs of summery looking socks to wear with my walking shoes for my holiday. Why I bought it, I don't know, I've got sock yarn already in my stash but when I walked past the wool shop yesterday I spied these colourful yarns and couldn't resist.

The other week I purchased material to make this summer dress for both granddaughters. My friend Diane is showing me later this week how to put the zips in so this weekend I want to get them cut out and ready.

I've also purchased this material to make pyjama bottoms for my daughter. I shall be taking this along later in the week too!

In a couple of weeks time my mum celebrates her 90th birthday. My family said that it would be lovely to sort out some photos for an album for her. So I've been going through photos during the week and hopefully sometime over this weekend with Kate's help we will start to create the album.
It's amazing just how many photos we have stored in various folders and boxes and then after looking through all of those there's those stored on the computer to go through.

For some light relief from photo searching our grandchildren paid us a visit this afternoon and stayed for dinner. While I was cooking Charlotte printed off some masks she found on the computer, which once cut out and threaded with a little elastic kept two little girls happy. They were also very keen to take part in my photo shoot.

So now my family have been fed and have left to go home to bed, I'm now off to watch some tv (not eurovision!) and be creative with my new sock yarn. Hope you're enjoying your weekend?

WATCH OUT, BIRDS ABOUT!

I think quite a few of us recently have been commenting on spring. We've noticed how early some of the plants are showing and how vibrant some of the colours are.

 But are you like me?

Are you having problems with birds? 

Do you think they're in more of a frenzy than they normally are at this time of the year?

On Thursday my car had so much mess on it that it looked like it had chicken pox. I gave it a good wash and left it sparkling on the drive. On Friday morning I opened the front door, looked out and couldn't believe it, it was obvious the birds had taken part in a "poopathon" overnight because my car was completely covered in spots and splats, as was our kitchen window. I could tell Michael felt for me because he went out straightaway and cleaned it all off with the pressure washer, so that window and car were once again sparkling. I do wonder if silver is not a good colour for a car!

Then yesterday we were both in the garden when we looked up at one of the upstairs windows and couldn't believe it yet again. Rather than that saying about not being able to see the wood from the trees, well, we couldn't see the glass from the wotsits!

I have once had the misfortune of having a low flying seagull use my head as target practice, the memory of chipping it off my scull while washing my hair still remains with me. I'm therefore quite pleased that it's not been me that's been personally receiving their luck this week. 

On the knitting front, I've been trying to get on with a hat for baby Jack. It should have only taken a couple of evenings to make at the most but it's been ongoing for what seems like days. So hopefully next time I post I can show you the finished article. 

I have though managed to take a photo of the back of Charlotte's jacket to show you as promised. I do believe Drops have discontinued this muscat range but it was really nice yarn to work with and I really liked its range of colours.

I hope you're all enjoying this bank holiday weekend. Our guests have gone home and we're just having some quiet time here. Idyllic!

FINDING SOME PEACE & QUIET!

Once upon a time, long, long ago there were four of us living here in this house. Then as time went on our children left home one after the other and it became just the two of us. It's funny how you quickly get used to that so that when you're back to four in the house again it takes some getting used to.

Our daughter and son in law have been staying here this past week and will be here into next as well while they have a new bathroom fitted. We have been bumbling and rumbling along quite nicely together but all I seem to be thinking about is what to buy to eat, what to cook to eat and what time should I cook it? It's not like that when it's just the two of us!

Knitting has ground to a halt this week but if nothing else I have managed to keep up my early morning swimming and walking regime and on Thursday it was such a beautiful still morning that I walked for well over an hour and a half, stopping to capture these photos as I went.

These little ducklings are the first I've seen on the canal this year.

I must add though that it was very nice to get back from my walk to find the kitchen cleared, the dishwasher emptied, all put away and tidy.  A big thank you for my daughter for doing that!

This is a very quick post this week but before I go I must mention this exhibition. Kate and I went along yesterday afternoon and saw some really impressive work. If you are a reader of my blog and are in this area, do pop along if you can and give the group your support!

EASTER MONDAY

It always surprises me that even though we've lived where we do for so many years we can still find new places to visit not that far from home. 

After our easter sunday was completely washed out by rain, we weren't sure if our plans for Monday would go ahead but we set off armed with stout shoes and rain gear in the boot of the car and drove to East Bergholt right up on the border of Essex and Suffolk to visit the garden and arboretum at East Bergholt Place.  We were lucky. The sun shone, it was warm, hardly a breeze and the rain stayed away until we were back at home in the evening.

We had a lovely walk in the gardens, sat outside their little cafe to enjoy tea and cake and then browsed their extensive plant shop and purchased just a few bits and bobs for our garden.

Leaving East Bergholt we then drove up to Woodbridge in Suffolk for any ice-cream and a wander along by the river. It was a little more blustery there but still really pleasant.

We had quite a lazy easter in the end, plans for putting in a new loft ladder and buying wood to make a new back gate didn't actually happen but we weren't too bothered. Sometimes it's nice to take the days as they come. Michael sailed on Friday and rowed on Saturday. I pottered in the garden and managed to finish Charlotte's jacket in time for Sunday when we had the family here for dinner.

Both girls really liked the jackets and they put them on straightaway. It wasn't until they went home that I remembered I hadn't taken a photo of them which is a shame because they really looked nice especially from the back, I'll try and remember next time they wear them. I also have to say they equally enjoyed all their easter eggs.

ANOTHER GLORIOUS DAY AHEAD

 I intended posting these photos this morning but one thing, then another came along and now it's tea time. It really didn't help that I spent one and a half hours in front of our computer with the phone to my ear connected to BT whilst a man whizzed around on my screen from some other part of the world trying to find out why our emails are not working. I was desperate in the end to have a coffee and I think he was feeling pretty much the same because in the end we're no further forward and he's arranging for someone else to call us in the next 24 hours.

Earlier in the day, 7am, I was out walking again. Three times in a row this week and it was again another lovely morning. Tide in or out, there's always something that catches my eye. I've seen it all so many times, yet I never tire of it.

The remains of a torpedo boat

This may well have been an old thames barge

Osea Island can be reached only by causeway or boat

Boats of all shapes and sizes are finally going into the water

These little houses on stilts always intrigue me

and finally the sun shines as I wander home for breakfast

 Thank you to everyone who has been commenting on my blog, I hope you all have a wonderful Easter!