Oh La La !

He who marvels at the beauty of the world

 in summer will find equal cause

 for wonder and admiration in winter.

 John Burroughs

It is good to be back, I am sorry to have been quiet on here but last week was another particularly difficult week with my mum and my back got hurt.  I could not sit properly at my laptop even in my gorgeous comfy chair so I gave into it.  At the weekend my husband took me out in the car as I was going a little stir crazy and I managed to get into a vintage fair in a church hall in Bridport for the last 50 minutes.  It was a tiny but good affair.  I did not take photos but I did make a few cheeky purchases whilst there.  Our great friends Liz and Jack were there and they always have amazing things from France so it was lovely to catch up with them as well.  They are of The Washerwoman fame. Also we managed to make a date to catch up together so it was a great time. 

This week has been a little bit of a struggle as my back is still not fully recovered but with pain killers it is manageable.  I did meet up with a pen friend on Tuesday as she was over from Belgium and I was not going to miss the opportunity to see her and her family in person.  So armed with pain killers I went to meet up with her and I am so glad that I did.  She loves all sorts of crafts and we had a wonderful few hours together.  It is lovely to meet pen pals, you know them already in a way but it just makes the friendship stronger and more special if you get to say hello face to face.

I can now sit and with a straight back and some cushions I am stitching as well so it is not too bad.  Thank you all for your messages on here and on Face book of concern and well wishes, truly you are a gorgeous caring bunch.  Not much housework has got done but hey ho!....

Today I am going to visit my Mum but if she is in a mood, I am turning about and going I am afraid as I can not afford any more time off and hopefully with a review of her medication she will be calmer in herself.

So what did I manage to purchase whilst at the talent for textiles fair in St Mary's Church Hall in Bridport ....

Well the most gorgeous piece of paisley that there ever was I feel, it is faded and soft with gentle
colours and the most tactile of fabrics.  There is history within its threads and I am so very pleased, yet a little surprised it was still there when I got there as the fair had been open since 9.30 in the morning and it as after 2pm when we arrived  ( late decision to go and a slow journey for the back)..


Also I bought a beautiful piece of old lace and it is crying out to be used on something lovely I think. You can see the paisley behind it and on the all the photos.  It is a large piece as well around half a metre I think so I will be able to do lots with it.

Then there was a French piece of check fabric and the colours are so pretty.  I kept looking at it as it is not normally something I might pick up readily but I thought in the Winter months as a border for some form or sampler it would be just the ticket.

Then there was a lady selling antique Eastern European linen and they were used in kitchens for hand towels I think but it is really lovely linen with a red stripe top and bottom.  It is very long and was only £10 unbelievably so I purchased one of those as well.  I was only in there about 40 minutes and mostly catching up with friends but it did my back good to be walking around a little.

My back is still sore but I am only taking tablets morning and night as before it was every four hours

and it was more than uncomfortable.  In addition I was so tired yet could not sleep for pain.  This week I have been able to sleep and that is a relief in its self I can tell you.

I have finished two pieces of work this week so that is good and I am going to start a new piece of slow stitching this week. I can not wait.

Later today I am going to open up lots of packages of my pressed flowers and see what has become of them.  I am hoping there will be some really beautiful surprises awaiting me.

Tomorrow I will report on it for you and start to get back to my slow stitching stories.

The summer here is really hot and dry and both my husband and I have been making sure the wild life has plenty of water and food.  The birds are suffering dreadfully.  The ground is too hard to hunt for juicy worms and I know there are lots of casualties which distresses me.  So this is a little reminder to all who read this, even if you do not feed the birds normally, to put out some water for them and any bacon scraps or things they might eat.  They are loving  the mealy worms we put out and loving bathing in the bird bath and drinking.

Miss Muddy is well and happy although she could not seem to understand why I have not been sat outside with her in the shade last week.  I just could not sit properly but she is happy that this morning I did sit with her for a while and normal service is well on its way to being resumed.

I am looking forward to getting all my new work baskets out and starting some more projects, luckily the baskets are all made up ready - well three of them and that will do for now.  My back is not up to getting down and rooting through drawers and cupboards just a while yet ...

As it is such a dry summer we have not much grass left but the borders are watered regularly so the
flowers are doing fairly well.  One of my rose bushes is so beautiful and I will be taking a few more cuttings for pressing.  This  rose bush has a story.  I found it in a little bargain shop and it was £1 and twiggy.  There was no label and so I decided to just plant it at the side of the bird table in our border ( this was three years ago) and had I have know how large it would get I would have planted it at the back of the border.  It is gorgeous and is loving this weather and it nightly soaking .... So more of those will be pressed later today.

The other thing in our garden that loves the Mediterranean weather is our grape vines ... Oh my with the watering system watering the ground  three times a day look at the fruit they have produced and the size of our grapes.  They are going to be as sweet as sweet and I will be delivering bunches of them to our neighbours on vine leaves .... When they are picked in by September.  Although this year is will be early I think looking at them.

It was time yesterday to cut away lots of the leaves so the sun could get to them to colour and ripen up.  The gardener we have now has been a god send and with his help the garden has kept its beauty in these unusually dry English summer.

Friends have said about making wine with these beauties but I have to say they are great with a good cheese and biscuits as our supper with a bottle of wine from the fridge .... so no wine making here for us.

Well that is me caught up a little with you all and I will be back here tomorrow morning and normal service is resumed I am glad to say.

I hope that you all have a wonderful day and as always ......

  Happy Stitching! XX