Sunday 24 January 2010

Hubbys 60th

Its taken a while to catch up, but, we succeeded in surprising my hubby.
All friends arrived at home, then we where driven in the limo to collect him from work, the chauffeur went in to collect him and the party began.
We where then driven to Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurant in Oxford where food abound, then home again later a great day was had by all especially my darling hubby, the smile never left his face.

Here are the pics for you all to see....

Sunday 17 January 2010

2 Days after the Snow

You would never know we had had any. I went for a walk round the village and apart from a couple of puddles that are still ice covered we are back to normal.
This morning the sun is shining brightly, so I have risked hanging out the sheets and whilst wandering round the garden I took a couple of pics.

The window box out the front, North facing you can see the new shoots of the crocus coming through.



The bay and the olive have come through totally unprotected, I really think I fuss too much about some of my plants!!!



The garlic appears to have survived



as do the winter onions



the greenhouse, this pic shows the extra fleece cover I put in, and its plants have survived really well, although I dread to think what the electricity bill will be.



The Bromeliads that I fussed over greatly winter 2009, and that where unceremoniously dumped in the greenhouse, this winter seemed to be fine, surprisingly. With the pain I was getting in my knee I literally just chucked stuff in this winter, that I really wanted to keep the rest has died!



I'm really glad I split the papayrus grass as the one in the pond looks decidedly dead, although it always surprises me how things come back from below the surface.



The bananas have no soil whatsoever and are looking good




and the brugmansia still flowers away.



I always struggle with how much to water with over winter, you need just enough to keep things alive, but not to much to spring them into growth!!! Hard to judge really!

Friday 15 January 2010

Day 9 The Final Day of Snow

Some more pictures from Day 7, Wednesday,



Yet again hubby and T could not get to work/college





Our neighbour who owns his own business and is highly motivated, plus has a 4x4 left at 7am and returned at 8am saying all trains had been cancelled!!



It was stunningly beautiful



The Tracycarpus, struggling under the weight of the snow.



This was amazing, I know alot of people where getting fed up of it due to school closures, difficulty of getting to work etc etc. But I am trying to take in the beauty of it, how quiet it makes everything, how the cats love gambling in it like lambs.





The pond under its leaf protection, now covered in snow,



Here I have had to shake the snow off the bamboo's as the weight of it had bent them to the ground, and of course we had a snowball fight, which I lost as my husband is a cricketer so can throw a good snowball, but it was fun!



This was yesterday



and this is today



so the greyness returns to our world



and life becomes dull and dreary again or does it?

Wednesday 13 January 2010

Morning of Day 7

Woohoo and we have more........




There should be a step here!









The only person brave enough to go out is Tango!

Hubby and T are still at home!

Monday 11 January 2010

Day 5 of Snow

On a trip down the garden, to check the greenhouse, we have had yet more snow and its really crunchy underfoot so good snowman making snow.



Snow covered Trachycarpus

Due to my 'pain depression' at the end of last year I downsized alot of my plants so managed to get them all into one greenhouse.



It has been keeping a good temp in here this year.



I have bubble wrapped and at the back the foil like stuff are those survival sheets/blankets they wrap round people after a marathon, I picked 2 up for a song on Ebay. I must admit I am impressed as not only has it help keep heat in it has reflected light as well.



Plus I have also draped fleece, tent like inside.

A stupid Brugmansia is in flower!



Going back up the garden, it is so beautiful, I like the snow alot!




I try and get out for a walk every day as I am determined to strengthen the muscles in my leg up!

Sunday 10 January 2010

Day 4 of Snow

I am still loving it, so much better than the usual greyness we often encounter at this time of year. Tons better than sleet and that awful slushy mess we have to live with. Yes, keep it coming I say!!!

My new hat,



when I was walking the other day, I get the most awful earache if its cold or windy, have always suffered with it since I was a child, so I bought myself a new hat to hopefully solve the problem. I will let you know.

Jake is the oddest of cats, in fact to be honest I'm not sure he knows he is one



he likes to snuggle in close to the back of the laptop!!!!!

Saturday 9 January 2010

Day 3 of Snow

I know most people here are getting fed up with the snow, but I love this. It is all white and crispy and has yet to turn to that horrible slushy mess we usually get on Day 2.



It is along time since I can remember snow sticking for more than a day.




T and I walked to the postbox to post something to K and then decided to continue on. We walked round the whole village, 3 miles, it is the first time since August that I have done this.



I loved it and fortunately did not suffer too much pain after. This is our road, living out in the country we don't get gritted, instead in just freezes and becomes like glass.



T had her big walking boots on and I still managed to pull her along like a sledge on this, makes for fun driving!!

Friday 8 January 2010

The Most Amazing Pic

This picture of a snow covered UK, taken by Nasa I think says it all.



We still have plenty of the white stuff and all I can say is living in a rural area makes getting anywhere impossible.

This is great for my diet!

Wednesday 6 January 2010

Belated Happy New Year

To anyone who still reads my blog.


The sky yesterday morning

Sincere apologies for the long absences of last year, but I think the problem is now solved. I shall explain what has happened and during this show you a few pics.



As you may or maynot remember I had a knee op back in August, which should have solved the problems I was having. Unfortunately the knee pain I had been getting increased. According to my family I just shut down, became inactive and grumpy!


The view this morning

After a considerable amount of physio the specialist decided enough was enough and got me in for steroid injection the week before Christmas. So hubby and I went along, he anethistised my knee then gave me the steroid injections and told me to phone him in 3 weeks.



I could not believe the difference as I walked out the hospital, no pain or anything mainly cos of the anesthetic, but what it told me was actually just how much pain I had been in, I was practically skipping.



Over that weekend my knee kept telling me I had pain, but when I really concentrated I know I didn't, I just think the pain receptors or whatever had got used to working they hadn't switched off.

So here we are in the New Year, I feel a new woman, my daughters say I'm scary and they can't keep up and apparently I'm not as grumpy any more. Long may it continue.



Jake watching 'Cat T.V'!