Hubby and I went for a walk in these woods near Lewes, Sussex on the Bank Holiday last Monday. They were absolutely beautiful.
After the bluebell walk there was the white walk through a wood carpeted in ramsons (aka wild garlic) and cow parsley.
Filed under: Uncategorized on May 7th, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Have just returned from a lovely few days in Lausanne.
Lake Geneva
Filed under: Uncategorized on April 11th, 2011 | 2 Comments »
I expect to be busy for the best part of the coming week. Hoping to blog a bit more after that.
I did enjoy being taken out for a Chinese meal on Mothers’ Day. I haven’t been to a Chinese restaurant since I was a child as hubby doesn’t like it. Actually it offered a variety of oriental cuisine and you could help yourself to whatever you liked the look of.
Filed under: Uncategorized on April 5th, 2011 | Comments Off
It’s been a busy week. Last weekend all the family was home as we celebrated Matt’s 22nd birthday.
Monday I had an appointment for a check-up at the dentist and then did a bit of clothes shopping followed by food shopping, so it was nearly dinner time by the time I got home.
Tuesday I managed to get a bit of ironing done, but my boss asked me to go in 2 hours early as several people were off sick, so I didn’t have time for much else.
Wednesday I was working. Wednesday is my favourite day because we run a computer class for absolute beginners and I get a lot of satisfaction out of helping people learn to use a pc and go on-line. However, it can be quite intense and often several people want help at once. There are usually 3 of us and between 6 and 9 people learning. There were 7 ‘students’ (most over 60) and only two of us on Wednesday as our colleague is recovering from an operation.
I was late joining the class this week as my supervisor for my NVQ wanted me to ‘sign a few things’. It became apparent that it was more than a few things and that I would have to rewrite my evidence summary for one unit because he’d been told to rewrite a few bits as separate documents.
So all in all Wednesday was a bit hectic and I was quite tired by the time I got home.
Thursday I went to see my parents after hanging around for the builders to put sealant around the window ‘soon’ after 9 am. I left at quarter to twelve and it still hadn’t been done, but our daughter was home, so she was able to let them in when they were ready. We had noticed a draught and realised there was a gap between the window and the wall.
So, it was too late to go over to my aunt’s house to start to clear it. Instead I had lunch with my parents and then took my mum for a wander around a local garden centre, which got her out of the house and it was somewhere she doesn’t go too often. Dad can’t drive very far these days and he can only walk a very short distance. As usual I found the drive there and back through the Hampshire countryside very relaxing.
Friday I went to work in a different library, which is very close, but hard to get to or from by public transport. It is one of the libraries that will stop being run by the council, so thankfully it looks like there will be enough volunteers to run it.
Today I tried to catch up with the housework so the house looked decent when my sister and nephew came this afternoon. They popped in to say hello and give Matt his birthday present.
The remains of Matt's cake afer we'd all had a piece on Sunday.
Filed under: Uncategorized on April 2nd, 2011 | Comments Off
Matt fetched his sister from uni this morning, so now everyone is home for the first time since the middle of January. We shall be celebrating Matt’s birthday tomorrow, a few days early as he has to go back to uni next week. He will be 22 on Thursday. Hubby and I shall have steak and mushroom pudding, but he wants a similar meal made with tofu instead of steak as he is a full-time veggie. His sister has decided to give up meat for Lent, so she doesn’t want the piece of salmon I’d bought for this evening. Instead she will eat it tomorrow, as Sundays don’t count in Lent, but she doesn’t want to eat meat at all. She’s not religious, so I’m not sure why she is doing this. I think meals could be a bit complicated this weekend.
Filed under: Family on March 26th, 2011 | Comments Off
We have builders working on our porch. This is what it looked like last week, on 16th.
back to the bare rafters
Today it looks like this and there is still a fair bit more work to be done.
most of the porch now has a ceiling
Filed under: Building work on March 25th, 2011 | Comments Off
It was a really warm day here today. After lunch I walked up and down the high street in my shirt sleeves and still felt overdressed. Up to now I have needed at least a jumper on and most of the time a coat as well. Spring is definitely on it’s way.
Before I got to the shops I noticed a flock of birds in some trees. They were all singing together. At first I thought it was melodic starlings, but I soon realised they neither looked nor sounded like starlings. They looked a bit more like finches, but had a little crest on their heads. After a bit I realised they were waxwings. It’s only the second time I’ve ever seen waxwings.
Overall it was a good day, what with the weather and seeing the waxwings. I also like Wednesdays at work because we run a basic computer course and I enjoy helping people to master the basics for sending e-mails and surfing the web. While some people struggle partly due to age and infirmity, but more often due to attitude, plenty leave the course enthusiastic to explore a whole new aspect of the world that has opened up to them. A lot of people just need confidence, and it’s good to be able to help them gain it and learn a new skill.
The downside of today was having to tell my mother-in-law that her sister is ill and finding out she’s not so great herself and needs further tests.
Back home I found the beetroot seed has germinated and the cosmos seedlings have got a little bigger. I must water them tomorrow, they are looking a bit on the dry side.
A picture of a waxwing from the RSPB
If you want to know more about waxwings go here.
Filed under: Birds, Family, Work on March 23rd, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Still feeling under the weather today but there was a staff meeting first thing and then, I was told, another meeting so I thought I could cope with that. I only had to work 3 hours and I managed to do something quiet out the back for most of the time that I wasn’t in any kind of meeting.
Get the most out of Spring, at your library
Filed under: Work on March 22nd, 2011 | 4 Comments »
Today is the first day of Spring and it started off sunny and warm. As I wasn’t feeling well enough to go to work I took a few pictures in the garden.
Honey bee on cherry blossom this morning
Filed under: Garden on March 21st, 2011 | 2 Comments »
I’ve decided this is probably not the place for too many of my reflections on spirituality and my faith, but I am feeling a greater need to explore my beliefs so I have decided to set up a new blog, which I’m calling Spirituality and Sustainability. Please visit if you are interested in doing the same.
My first proper blog was entitled Living Faith, but I have moved on since then. Doing a google search I found there is a Catholic website with that name and I didn’t want my new blog to be thought to be related to that. I also came across a website called Spirituality for Life, which was my second idea for a title. It looks like it could be interesting and the author may think a bit like me, but I haven’t checked it out properly yet.
As my faith or spirituality or whatever I have these days has encouraged me to try to live more sustainably and that seems to be an important way that I can express what I believe, Spirituality and Sustainability seemed appropriate, if slightly clunky. Hope you don’t find it too much of a mouthful.
I look forward to walking with you on the journey.
Filed under: Spirituality on March 20th, 2011 | Comments Off
