Christmas has passed by with a flurry of excitement and panic but I can happily report that it didn't manifest itself in panic buying! I was full of trepidation as some of my family love to shop and it shows as every year they buy way too much and the other half of my family namely the children have grown up to expect alot, who can blame them!
Well this year it was all change and it felt like I had spent most of December trying to prep the children so they weren't disappointed. I decided that I would play host (again) but there were conditions to abide by. NO PRESENTS! If they wanted to buy a little something for the children then that would be fine but instead of presents for the adults we decided to allocate some meals. My dad was responsible for Christmas breakfast - and a feast it was with two courses which meant we had a late lunch and then had nibbles for tea! Perfect. My brother and girlfriend brought some drinks and a cheese board - perfect for Boxing day lunch with cold ham and turkey! I couldn't resist doing something a little different and as we didn't do presents I decided to set everyone a 'Christmas Challenge' which was shared around the table after lunch. My brother and girlfriend had a sealed pot challenge (thanks SFT for the inspiration!!) which was a golden syrup tin and treacle tin (washed out) with a hole made in the lids and then hot glued on to prevent them from raiding it!! I hope they can save up for something nice! My son wants to organise a charity bike ride - so I set him the challenge of doing so! My sister got the challenge of reading 12 books next year which corresponded with her present of nine charity shop books including the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and some good children's books my son and I have read. My challenge was to forgo all alchol for 2012! So I am quickly working my way through the left over red wine before Sunday!

I think it was a resounding success - and when the children waved off our visitors and turned to me and said, 'This was the BEST christmas ever', I know it was a success. Because if all truth be told they didn't even notice that they only had a quarter of what they had last year - and there was no grumbling at all! I have learned a very valuable lesson this year that it is not about the amount of money you spend - it is the time and effort you spend making sure everyone feels catered for. I am glad this year I was brave enough to change Christmas after all I have been threatening to do it for ages. Christmas will be a very different affair from now on and for once I am looking forward to it!

Till next time ~~~~ the (dreaded) NYR's !!

My sealed pot!

It started life as a lowly custard pot and is now a rather glamorous sealed money box. We have contributed about £7 in the first few days of December! We, as a family have decided to save for something exciting for next Christmas like a panto or show! We will have to see how far our budget allows!

The treacle tin was our old money box which we used to pop open everytime we needed some change ~ but that is all change now.
I have had a busy productive day today ~ making some cakes to give as presents, I also made some chilli jelly for boxing day sandwiches as well as a roulade ala Mary Berry! I heard her making this chocolate roulade on the radio and figured I'd give it a go! WOW my children were rather happy at this treat for them today and I must say myself it was rather delicious! A recipe to put in the file for future reference - when the domestic urges over power me again.

till next time

December! just dropping in to say....

WOW December is here, the cold has crept up on me and Christmas is looming ever so close ~ too scared to actually admit how close it is and how little I have done! But as I promised myself I am not going to panic and rush into anything rash!

I am currently taking part in SFT's 'Sealed pot challenge'  here and I will admit that I haven't actually got my sealed pot ready ~ but I have some money to go into it! So I feel that I am taking part! I plan to get a bargain at the charity shop tomorrow and if that fails I will have to resort to an old tin or something! We do keep our loose change in a pot at the moment but we are known to go scrounging when we are short of change. What I am going to do is count it up and put it towards treating my children to the cinema (something we don't do very often!!) and then start afresh! Will update as soon as I have a new pot!

My hand is much better despite all the essay typing and so have resumed my long awaiting blanket to be finished! Will certainly post up a ta-dah when I have finished! (don't hold your breath though)

Back soon,

It's been an age....

since I did a post. Where did Autumn go? Today I heard from someone on the radio that there is only 6 weeks until C*mas - WHOA! WHAT! WHEN? Did I fall asleep for 4 weeks? Oh my Goodness I got a little bit panicky at that thought - then I checked myself and made a very definite decision on that spot! I am not going to be lulled and coerced into that commercial money making scheme this year! Oh no sir-ree! So some members of my family may be a little disappointed but this year I am going to be liberated and by the end of December I am still going to have money in my bank account! That's a promise!

I have recently started working part time - only part time and by my energy levels I would think it was full time. Hopefully my SAD light will kick in and perk me up. I am on the very start of my new career and spend my afternoons in an infant school being delighted with little stories and tales from 6 year old children -I love it!

Hopefully - after my trauma of writing another essay I will update on my quilt and blanket but won't make any promises on that front just yet!

My son and I are still reading every night and have read Krindlekrax by Philip Ridley and are currently reading another of his books: Scribbleboy.

Until the next time,

Edited to add: whilst reading Scribbleboy last night we were in stitches at the crazy characters in the book and me trying to sound like a 'ganster rapper'.

October's last day

I do not look forward to this one day a year as it becomes a battle ground of intentions in my family. I want to switch the lights off and hide behind the sofa and my children want to terrorise the neighbours. Striking a balance is very difficult, hopefully this year I may have cracked it! Allowing the youngest child only 30 minutes to scare and beg and then heading off to a friends for sausages cooked over a fire with marshmallows to finish. How could they resist? Only time will tell.....

On the book front, I have finished The Amber Spyglass and am glad that I finally have completed the trilogy. I was a teeny bit disappointed about the ending but overall did enjoy the adventures the children went on and some parts were utterly heartbreaking which make me ache when I think about it! I am now re-reading Little Women again - so that I can write another essay!

I have working like mad on my daughter's quilt and didn't finish it in time for her birthday but have made substantial progress and she is delighted with it. Now I can finish it at a more leisurely pace and she can have some input too. I can't believe she is 13! Time sure flies by when you are having fun......

Until the next time,

Book Update...

The boy and I have been reading for 30 whole nights now! WOW! We have really made an effort to read every single night even though sometimes we were both tired but we did it anyway. Last night we ploughed through to the end of Predator's Gold even though it was way past his bedtime. What a feeling of achievement we both felt. He is already looking ahead now to the next book..... ready to begin another journey!

I have been so busy with 'other' things lately that I haven't had much time to dedicate to my quilt or blanket. But I hope to put in a few solid hours over the weekend!

Be back then...

Welcome October!

Wow, I wish we had this lovely weather when it was summer but I am not complaining! These last few days have truly felt like an unexpected gift. I can't believe how happy sunshine makes me feel. I took delight in hanging out the washing, took to a spot of clearing in the garden and even relished washing the windows - And I can tell you that don't happen often. It's normally a job I detest with venom!

I have officially started with the writing of my first assignment and I had forgotten how frustrating it can be when you have the idea's crystal clear in your head but for the life of you, can't get it down onto paper. argh!
I know I have to be patient with my little brain as it takes a while to mull over everything and it seems like when the deadline looms ever closer then it finally kicks into action! I have decided to write about Northern Lights...

I have now finished The Subtle Knife too. And yes I can see how it has caused some ruckus over the content! But as I am not overtly religious it doesn't bother me so much! I have lost interest in the story line now as I have moved onto The Amber Spyglass which is what I think happened the last time I attempted to read the trilogy of His Dark Materials. But I will persevere....

I should really get back to the dreaded assignment... hopefully later on in the week I will have an update on the Secret Mission!! Time is running out there too, as we have now hit October I am getting a bit panicky!

Till the next time,

A quick update....

I have now read Northern Lights (again). I can't really say I enjoyed it any more than the last time I read it but I had forgotten how heartbreakingly sad it was! I also read it the second time with possibly a little bit more attention as it is a set book for my new course I have just started and I have to report I don't know what all the fuss is about. On one level it is a thrilling adventure tale and on the other level is a more sinister theme of competing interests between religion and science. But I still don't really see the big threat it supposedly poses to children - perhaps after I have read the other two books I may have a different opinion! So that brings me on to my next book: The Subtle Knife, which again I have read before but have forgotten so much of. So I am going to read all of 'His Dark Materials' one after the other and will report back my official opinion on all of them!

This is officially on my list of places to go and things to see!!!
Until next time....

Working (at home) Wednesday....

Wednesdays are the only full days I have in the week at home. Today I plan to

• Wash the windows
• Bake a cake
• Sew a block for my surprise quilt
• Plan for Christmas
• Read some of Northern Lights
• Cook Pasties

My son and I read an interesting article in the newspaper about a father and daughter who read together every night before bed for nine years. It started as a challenge for a hundred days and when they achieved it they set it for a thousand and so it went on and on until she was 18. I thought this was a fabulous idea and so we decided to do the 100 day challenge and see how we get on. (My son did object to being 18 and having me still read to him every night!!)
We are reading together Predator's Gold which we both thought has hit a 'boring' bit but we are soldiering on and now it is getting better because we are making the time to read it, and some nights we keep going even though its past normal bedtime hours. I wonder how many books we will get through in 100 nights???
I will keep a list ~ one of my favourite things to do ~ making lists!

September has become my New Year. I think it is because I work with the academic year rather than the Calendar year. When I was in school this was the same - we started our new school year in January. In England September is the start of the new school year and it has become the month in which I encourage the children to set their goals for the year ahead and which I now do for myself too. (After years of making January Resolutions, which I never really keep) I have made lists of things I want to achieve, places I want to go and books I want to read. I have made lots and lots of lists of the things I want to make too. I have also made a 'bucket list'. When I have some time I may update them on here. It is so rewarding to see a list full of things that have been crossed off.
Something that is waiting to be crossed off:

My blanket nearly oh so nearly finished!  Until next time.

To Autumn...

TO AUTUMN.

                                            1.

    SEASON of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
        Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
    Conspiring with him how to load and bless
        With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
    To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
        And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
            To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
    With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
        And still more, later flowers for the bees,
        Until they think warm days will never cease,
            For Summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.

                                            2.

    Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
        Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
    Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
        Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
    Or on a half-reap’d furrow sound asleep,
        Drows’d with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
            Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
    And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
        Steady thy laden head across a brook;
        Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
            Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.

                                            3.

    Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
        Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
    While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
        And touch the stubble plains with rosy hue;
    Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
        Among the river sallows, borne aloft
            Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
    And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
        Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
        The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
           And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

This is one of my most favourite poems: I can't get through Autumn without thinking of this poem. When I see a bee buzzing around or watch the apple trees bend with fruit or witness the beautiful pastel colours of the sky melt into the night; I think of Keats. His words literally jump into my head! I love autumn: the smell, the colours, the fresh damp air all fill me with happiness! I wish I could bottle Autumn up so that all year round when I need a little bit of happiness it would be there. 

I am so tantalising close to finishing off my impromptu 'spring' blanket and I think I have been rocketing through the granny squares that I have given myself an injury. My wrist aches and the back of my hand is stiff (typing doesn't help it much either!!!) that I have had to slooooow down. It's so frustrating because I just want to see what it looks like finished, especially as I have a special little plan to finish this blanket. I'll just have to be patient.......

Until the next time,

Newbie Blogger!

I am very new to all this blog malarkey ~ and as it is probably very clear I love reading everyone else's blog but can't quite muster the energy to write my own sometimes. But I was joyous all day yesterday when I discovered I had a follower and comments! Wow. But unfortunately couldn't figure out how to reply to the comments (duh!) and when I did try it was unsuccessful - so instead a warm welcome to Saving for Travel and a reply to your question: Yes it was Malteasers and the recipe is a Nigella one from Feast (I think).

Holidays have been scooting by and I have to stop myself and reassess my list of goals and aims for this holiday and then get quite horrified to see how little I have done. But it's no good dwelling on the negative so instead let me share what we have achieved!

We bought a folding camper on ebay and headed off to North Devon for a camping holiday! We feel very honored now that we have 'upgraded' from a lowly tent! And I am thrilled NOT to be sleeping on the floor anymore! Yipeeee.

And we got to use the camping blanket! With not a sleeping bag in sight ~ Ah Bliss!!

It was a lovely time for me to spend with all the family and get some more granny squares done for the throw to go in the camper - more details to follow!

Last night we spent an very enjoyable evening with friends in Bristol watching a production of Treasure Island ~ Amazing! We all thought it was brilliant, hugely entertaining and spent a leisurely walk back to the car park with lots of chatter and a few, ' ooooh Arrr's!' being heard reverberating around the empty streets! Great night out!

As we head towards September and inevitably Autumn, my thoughts are turning towards the issue of money and our lifestyle. I have been very inspired by a fellow blogger whose quest to cut debt and live a simple life has woken something up in me and now I am determined to follow some of her ideas and implement them in our lives. Watch this space!

But for now I must go and catch up on my weekend jobs that I missed!!

an update....

Well things have been progressing here in my little patch.....
The children are home for the summer!! So lots of messy stuff happening mostly with No.1 son.....

He wanted to do some of his own graffiti artwork and I think he has done a very good job! It is much harder than it looks; spraying paint with a huge nozzle and the wind blowing it everywhere you don't want it to go. He also decided he wanted to make a cake and he did a good job of that too - although I think the recipe wasn't quite right!

I should have photographed the kitchen when he was finished; I think a bomb would have been more considerate! But he cleaned it up with the help of his sister - so no complaints from me!!

I have been cracking on with my Secret Mission! Although it's not very secret. I have been getting up early (by my standards!!) to try and do some work on No.1 Daughter's quilt but have found her rising rather early too and so have had to resort to stitching, sometimes with her next to me, praying she won't ask what I am doing! But I suspect she knows as she hasn't asked me directly and last week she sorted out her cupboards, giving me a pile of clothes and saying, 'I really liked these but they don't fit me anymore. Can you make a quilt with them?' Well it will be a surprise when she receives it because I am only working on one block at a time....

This is my first go at crazy style quilting. It is harder than I thought it would be. I am very out of practise with embroidery and hopefully by the end of the quilt I will have improved immensly. I wanted to have the whole quilt planned for but am finding this near impossible! So I am picking up one block at a time and doing whatever comes into my head at that moment - goodness knows how it will all look in the end!

These two blocks above are my favourite ones so far! I just love the pocketful of dreams one! I have nearly embroidered half of the blocks needed for the quilt. I am going to stitch them together once they have all been embroidered by hand then after that I am unsure how I am going to progress! But one process at a time....

On to the reading front; I chose another children's book: Witch Child by Celia Rees. I enjoyed it but found some of it a little far fetched. The quilting theme kept me reading and quilting too. I am now going to read Salley Vickers'  Miss Garnet's Angel. This is a book that I have read a long time ago but would like to refresh my memory and read it again. No.1 son and I are reading the sequel to Mortal Engines - Predators Gold I think it is called and we are really enjoying it!

So until next time...

Books to be deleted off my list....

1. Little Women -  finally got to the end of this book! Somehow it just wasn't the same as the one I read when I was a child. As an adult I found it so 'preachy'! I suppose that it is a product of it's time! I quite liked the 'make do and mend' attitude it had! It certainly has made me think a little differently about the way we live our lives today.
2. All well that ends well - I love Shakespeare! This play reminded me of Measure for Measure and Cymbeline with it's portrayal of a female hero - if we can call Helen that! It was very interesting.
3. Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry -  this is a book that I was surprised to enjoy again. I read it in school and was pleasantly surprised to discover it kept me hooked! When I was a child the theme of financial struggle surpassed my understanding but as an adult it was more acute. I think the author portrayed very realistic main characters (who were children) as well as adult characters. One of my favourite books!

I am undecided about my next book. A grown up book or another children's book
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......

Till next time~:~

Back to the Secret Mission!

I have my quilting head back on! horray! I ventured up into my attic room and proceeded to tidy up but got swayed by the pile of unfinished squares staring at me so in the end I made even more mess! Now I have a few ideas of how to proceed after submersing myself in all the creativity of 'blogland'. Will return to update with photo's very soon....

Things I love in July.....

The Wimbledon final:

Even though Nadal didn't win!

Strawberries and Cream Tea's:

Even though I like coffee.

Light, summery evenings:

Even though there are so few of them.

Here's hoping that we have a few more of the latter and that we can make the most of them, because when Autumn rolls around I know I am going to be busy again and will like to look back fondly on the times we spent in the late sunshine with a cold of glass of something nice!

Camping Blanket ~ DONE!!

I am happy to report that my camping blanket is finished and to be honest it didn't feel like the marathon effort I am used to when trying to finish off a craft project. You know, when you can see the finishing post and you are hell bent on getting there so you end up sitting for hours to finish it off. Well this time, it was a more leisurely stroll to the finishing line. I hate, hate the last job of any crochet or knitting project that is darning in the ends! So tedious! But I can report that whilst sitting next to my other half whilst he was watching something violent on T.V, I went about my business of sewing in all the loose ends and there were loads!!! So in all its glory here is our new camping blanket:



Finished off with borders and a shell edging.

It is BIG ~ drapes over a double bed nicely although I wish I had added a few extra rows so that it reached the top of the bed better!

It can be used both ways really! And when we are camping we tend to huddle together anyway, so it is probably the best size!



I am happy with my colourful summery camping blanket and can't wait to use it now! The colours are bright and a bit more intense than I would tolerate normally but as it is for camping I think it is GREAT! Roll on the sunshine!

June Here ALREADY????

Well just a quick catch-up to say that I am nearly finished the camping blanket and hey-ho! ready to start embarking on the border!! So excited I can't tell you! I am planning a funfilled afternoon with a bit of hooky in front of the telly watching Rafa! Although I should be saying watching Murray but Nadal is more my style, secretly keeping my fingers crossed for him equaling Born's record of 6 French Open titles.

Book update: well I have been on a roll and can swipe off, Coram Boy and The other side of Truth which I enjoyed reading but would argue whether in the case of Coram Boy especially the subject matter was really 'children's' material. Well I am sure my next study course will instruct me one way or the other!!!

till next time ~~~~~~~~

May nearly gone...

Well I can't believe how quickly time is running away from me! I can report that I have crossed a few books off my reading list, including Inkspell, The invention of Hugo Cabret and Harry Potter (although for some reason it's not on my list but should've been!!!)

My camping blanket is nearly big enough for two big-sized people but I don't think its going to be finished before we go camping, but it will still be used! I will post some pictures very soon....

My quilting has been non existant lately but I am planning on making a trip up to the attic this week to get back in the swing of sewing!

Today is my little sister's birthday - sweet sixteen! I have made her an album of photographs to give to her and I really can't wait to see her face! But before all of that I have to walk the dog, clean the house and go to work! So I had better crack on!
Till next time......

Things I love.......

The start of a glorious sunshine filled day

My Wisteria beginning to burst in bloom



bright flowers in pots




home-made Hot cross buns - even if they are a bit rustic




The beach! Oh how I do love to be by the sea-side.

Our Easter holiday in pictures - treasured memories!


Holiday days.....

We have been enjoying some lovely, lovely weather here in England and for once the sunny spell has managed to make it over the children's holidays too. We have been working hard as well as taking some much needed chillax time too. The garden looks beautiful and my Wisteria has burst into bloom (the earliest ever) which has made me very happy as I love sitting under it listening to the bees buzzing and the birds chattering as they like to have their daily conferences there which winds Bobby up no end.

My camping blanket is growing and I made a very rash decision late one afternoon and re-ordered my wool so that I could make it even bigger and could contemplate doing bigger borders too. And then what happened as I planned out how much wool I would need to finish off the last 100 or so rows and borders I calculated that I would have   plenty of wool left over so my brain quickly began to plan what I was going to do with the left-overs and before I knew it my I whipped my crochet hook out and began playing....

... a day later and I have a fully planned second granny camping blanket. I am  normally a 'one at a time' kinda girl and it is quite a strange experience for me to have two blankets on the go at the same time ~ the positive side is that when I get bored with making granny squares I go back to my stripy blanket and vice versa. The negative side to it is that I feel like I will never be done with both of them!

My book list is reduced by one! I got through Treasure Island ~ only because of necessity, pure grit and determination. I have now picked up Inkspell and am looking forward to being totally submersed in the fantasy of that story. Inkheart was a good read for me so I hope this one won't disappoint!

Slow going!

Everything at the moment seems to have come to an abrupt halt! Life is ticking by but all my little projects seem to have lost that dire important feel to them and now I have to force myself to pick up my camping blanket and do another few rows - or drag myself upstairs to quilt a few more blocks! But I know that when I find my mo-jo again there will be no stopping me! It always amazes me how my creative mind ebbs like the waxing and waning of the moon!

My book reading, which seldom wanes as much as everything else is also suffering. I had to give up on 'The Children's Book' even though I had navigated myself more than half way through. I figure that life is too short to struggle through books you don't enjoy. There are probably thousands of books I want to read in my life time and I should really get on with it!

'Treasure Island'  is my next book and I am trying to muster up the enthusiasium for pirates ( just keep thinking Jonny Depp!!) but like everything in my life at the moment, it too has lost all urgency.

May tomorrow be bright and sunny and perhaps my drive to accomplish my goals will return with zeal. 

My Secret Mission.....

I can't quite remember when this germ of an idea crept into my life but I can't seem to let a day go by without me thinking about the mechanics of how I am going to accomplish it!

This year, my eldest will be entering into her late childhood years and beginning her young adult years. She will be turning 13! I can't believe how quickly those years have flown by and I really wanted to give her something special to mark the occasion. Something she could treasure for years to come and when ever she happened to look upon this something she would remember being young with all those dreams and aspirations that hadn't yet materialised and also hopefully she would think of me too. (I know - selfish!!)

I have kept a heap of old clothes that belong to both my children that hold special memories for all of us and as I was sorting through them one day I suddenly alighted on the idea of a memory quilt. Although I knew I was going to make something with it all(otherwise I would have given it all away to charity), when suddenly a very clear image of a crazy style quilt popped into my head and I immediately knew that this would be the perfect, perfect gift.

I began by researching some crazy quilts on the internet and got some fabulous ideas from some 'crazy' bloggers and so my idea began to take hold and grow. I decided that I wanted to insert some quotes and inspirational messages so I managed to find some old remnant linen which I could add to the clothes so that when I start stitching, the lettering will be neat and uniform. I made a decision NOT to buy anything for this quilt and make it using only what I have already got while everything has to have a significant meaning to my daughter too. So I trawled through drawers where we kept our 'bits and bobs', like old beads from broken bracelets never mended and pieces of ribbon, labels of clothes, even embroidered shoes that the dog chewed were all collected ~ ready to be a part of her quilt.

I am desperately trying to keep it a secret so that it is a surprise when she receives it but as I am lazy and don't pack everything away in my work room when I am finished ~ I am afraid that she may already have an inkling of what is going on. Well I don't know how I am going to do all the embroidery without her seeing something as she does to tend to sit up and watch a bit of telly with us every now and then. Even though I have only made a few blocks I can see the overall quilt taking shape and am desperately looking forward to starting the embroidery and the embellishing of the quilt. 

I am excited to see how the embroidery enhances the look of the quilt ~ but for now I have to get cracking on the last 20 blocks!!!

Until the next time.......



Where does the time go?

Well I have been a busy girl; reading an absolutely fabulous book which believe it or not, doesn't belong on my reading list for 2011; crocheting and getting very excited at the prospect of introducing a new pattern in my camping blanket (it's the little things in life that get me excited, let me tell you!) ; designing, thinking, deliberating about a little project I call 'My Secret Mission'. I find I get so wrapped up with the decision making process with any new creative project that I sometimes even forget to feed myself! But I can report that as I am 99% certain about all the intricacies of my secret mission I feel much better about everything and am ready to re-join the world; eager to get it started.

I have a very long list of books that I set myself to read this year but could not refuse the opportunity to borrow a friend's book  ~ despite its mammoth size. I can gleefully report that I was not disappointed. The style of writing initially drove me potty but by the end I absolutely loved the way she weaved the story of  Thomas Cromwell with delicious descriptions of Tudor life - it made me feel like I was a spectator watching his life unfold over his shoulder. Absolutely brilliant book - can see why she won the Man Booker Prize.  

My camping blanket is growing but ever so slowly ~ perhaps that is due to the 300 chain stitches I started with ~ I wanted it big but I am beginning to wonder if it's too BIG. Can a blanket be too big??????

I love love the colours....... oooh I can't wait for summer!

Today is a beautiful spring day and it really does make me glad to be alive! The choir of birds; the milky sky; the barely warm sunshine; shooting and flowering bulbs; the emerald green grass, all make my heart sing 'Spring is here'. It has been a loooooong winter and finally the hope of summer has arrived. 

The view from our garden this morning.

I have run out of time, next time I will spill the beans on my Secret Mission.......