Thursday 31 July 2008

From the worst blogger in the west!!!

I am you know. So bad at getting down to it and achieving a new post!! Sandi has been nagging me as has the first born daughter ( no doubt the other would if she wasn't in Africa!). I have sort of been busy. So thanks Sandi as I thought I.d display the garden flag you sent me. So far wedged in it has no chance to blow away. But the weather has been well very English if you know what I mean!! Only people who live here really understand English weather.Cold wind, grey sky, beautiful sunshine and deep blue sky, massive flashes of thunder and nights where you really want an electric motor to waft cool air on you one minute and pull the duvet over you the next so that you get some sleep!!! all of the above in a 24hour period. No time to be bored by it all.



However on to the busy bits. The shoulder is much improved thanks to intensive physiotherapy. My physio is heartily sick of me!! I have completed the sweater I started for husband in March. Most of this done in last 3 weeks! I have spent a fair amount of time in the garden which is my fav place at this time of the year. So far have picked these onions. A little disappointed as they are not very big but I think we planted them too close together. They taste very strong though so a little will go a long way.

This is the first crop of runner beans and they were delicious.



The temperatures have been warm enough for the passionflower to produce fruit and this is one of several that appeared in the last few days.


The thing I got most excited about was the first ripe tomato!! I have tried in the past to grow them without much success but this year I have already picked about 10!!they are cherry toms but there are about hundred little green ones ready to ripen. I am now picking each day. The peas are not doing as well as the slugs have got to some. All of the veg is being grown in pots or bags. We still have 5 large containers of later cropping potatoes to get. Was disappointed in the yeild from some but will try a different type next year.


Now on to the other bits of busy. Managed to get some fab strawberries and cherries when in Shropshire and decided to make jam and cherry brandy. Didn't have a recipe for brandy so sort of made it up. I had a cheap bottle bought really to put in Christmas cakes etc (no on drinks it neat in this house) so made the brandy as I would the damson gin, but with less sugar. I will let you all know how it tastes Very alcoholic I suspect judging by the smell!!


Then we decided to give the family bathroom a quick update. We had some duck-egg blue left over from the bedroom we did earlier in the year so painted the bits that need it. Very little really as white tiles prevail here. I found a little bit of Kath Kidston material I had bought from their discount store in Bicester about 2 years aago. Sarah machined them and they are held up with little clips that I bought for very little in France ages ago. The curtain rail is really a kitchen utensil rack from Ikea! Total curtain cost about 10 pounds! Thanks Sarah I will post a pic of completed room when totally finished.


I have other bits to post like my car boot finds from last weekend but am running out of time. I still have to do some cleaning!! as always. I will try to be a better blogger in the future. Best wishes to all and hope everyone is enjoying the summer.

23 comments:

julie said...

my my you have been busy, I was thinking of you yesterday I had popped by your blog for the umpteenth time and there you were in your chair saying zilch!! I thought if she doesn't post by the weekend I'm going to try and email her. Well here you are well and very busy by the sounds of it. Looking forward to seeing yor bootfair finds. try not to leave it so long next time.

love jules xx

Anonymous said...

Hi Mary,
You've got some tasty looking produce there. I've come back from hols to find the strawberries nearly over, but some French beans ready to pick. Tomatoes still green though.
Can't wait to see your car boot bargains.
Margaret and Noreen

Anonymous said...

Hi Mary,
great veggies from the garden. Fancy the passionflower fruiting. I didn't know it was an edible one. Some are just ornamental.
We will have to make a Pavlova for you. LOL.
See you in a couple of weeks.
Jen

Sandi McBride said...

HOORAY you're back! Jorja's Nana told me and here I am! You do make me "homesick" for the English weather...I told Mac that I must have lived there in a past life, it was to much like coming home to be anything else. I love the pretty blue curtain and the Garden Flag looks fantastic! You're be started a thing next...now, I know that this was a long post, but no excuses my girl, I expect to see a new post with more pictures of your lovely tomatoes and onions and beans soon. Oh, put a tin pan of beer or ale in the garden for the slugs. They do love it, but the silly things crawl in get soused and drown!

So glad your shoulder is doing better, but you make sure not to over do, okay???
hugs
Sandi

Mary said...

Sandi
I tried the beer in the garden for the slugs but Hamish kept drinking it!

Papoosue said...

Gosh, Mary, your veggies look delicious! Mine are still developing and something has taken a fancy to my carrot tops grrrrr, but the potatoes are coming along nicely. I love the little curtains - very cute! I've still not decided on the Kitchen Aid colour yet, but still favouring the pink - I'm envious you've seen it in the flesh. Was it in a shop? Was it a 'white' pink or a more 'reddy' pink? (don't mind me picking your brains...lol). xxxx

Carolyn said...

intresting photos here, its really good to plant your own veggies, ive planted some chilies in a flower pot, cant do much with the planting as am staying in an apartment :-) thank you for sharing those pretty pix

Country Cottage Chic said...

The very first fruit & veg are so exciting....then you get to the 2glut" stage & keep frantically thinking about what you're going to do with them all!

Sally Townsend said...

Deeply envious of your runner beans !!

annie's abode said...

don't worry we all have times when we cannot blog as frequently as we like - hope to hear from you soon.
ax

Kari (GrannySkywalker) said...

Where've you been, Mary? It's been a rough summer for blogging for a lot of us, I guess. My kids are finally back in school and life seems to be slowing up a bit for me at last, so I'm trying to get back into the swing of blogging now. Whew! I feel like I've missed out on a lot!

I admire your gardening skills. I had the best of intentions but didn't plant so much as one tomato plant this year. Probably just as well - we were gone so much of the time that it probably wouldn't have survived anyway. The weather is trying to cool off a bit here in Texas (highs are in the LOWER 90's instead of the UPPER 90's. lol)so I think it's time to break out my fall decorations. Can't wait to get started on that!! :)

Come back and visit with us and let us know how things are in Merry Old England, eh?

Kari

Merisi said...

Mary,
I hope you are doing fine, and that you are enjoying a glorious autumn!
I hope you will post again soon.
Greetings from V.,
Merisi

Sandi McBride said...

The girl has two new postings...now you can't let her beat you out...I hope to see a new lovely post from you soon, Mary. PLEASE?
hugs
Sandi

julie said...

hop you are ok mary, let us all know what you are up to. we miss you

love jules xx

Mia said...

It has been quite a while since I visited you last time, but I do hope all is well with you. I do look forward to new postings here...

Tea said...

Hi Mary,

I`m a bad blogger too!
But I rhink the "I must blog" fades off after awhile and it`s hard to find the time.
Have the most wonderful Christmas and best New Year!!

tea
xo

Merisi said...

Dear Mary,
I hope you had a good beginning of the New Year!
Hoping to see you online again soon,
with best wishes,
Merisi

Anonymous said...

Hi Mary!
Just dropping in to say hi! Hope all is well!! :)

xo
Dara

Merisi said...

Hugs from V.!

annie's abode said...

hi mary

where are you was expecting you back by now. hope all is well with you and your family.

look forward to hearing from you soon
ax

Merisi said...

Dear Mary,
April greetings from V.,
M.

Merisi said...

May is in full bloom, Mary,
I hope you are enjoying the season!
Best wishes,
Merisi

Sandi McBride said...

OH MARY!!! Welcome back to Blogland my friend! I was just about to despair of your shoulder allowing you to do anything and you up and knit a sweater, harvest a garden, paint a bathroom make a curtain and blog!!! WOOHOO!!! Welcome back, and well done...see you again very soon, yes? And I'm sure missing that perfectly wonderful English weather...here it is 10:23 and it's 82 degrees still...thank God for AC!
hugs
Sandi
ps
your garden flag looks lovely!