Saturday 29th

Quiet week - two short trips into town and a 40 minute Health walk around Daventry on Wednesday.
Night out tonight with a party of friends - celebrating a few of our Birthdays which fall today and within next few weeks.  5  Birthdays in in all.   I had a surprise gift of a bunch of Roses - I've had a small rose bowl for ages and at last have some roses to fill it!!    Many thanks to Lisa, Ethan and Harvey!! and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Susan, Annie, Harvey and Shaun, and to Pam, Maurice and Rita, Connie, Judy, Claire, Lee, Belle and Ruby for a really lovely evening!
    

Just now looking forward to forthcoming holiday!

21st January 2011

Walked into town this afternoon -lovely sunny day if a little nippy

 

       Drained pound - Braunston Locks - due to new lock gates being fitted

                                           Pub to Let

                                           Tree in Winter

                view of Braunston from the old horse path over the tunnel

20th January 2011

A very frosty start to the day this morning

However the sun did come out later in the morning and it turned out to be a really nice day.
  I did a quick trip into town and bought some bulbs to put in the garden which hopefully I should be able to do before too long.

some of my own craft work

I am always having a go at different crafts - these are some of the things I have done over the years

Crochet:-

    

Dolls made out of beads and pipecleaners:

For many years I painted canal roses on different items (have always been keen on recycling!) and also made and painted boxes and other wooden items such as Letter Racks, sets of wooden drawers and misc items all made from wood offcuts.   Below are 3 painted items but I did not make them

I did make and paint the following - 2 drawers with a top Box to contain tapes

Christmas card

I just love this card sent to me by a friend at Christmas - think I shall frame it - just think it is so cute!

Other craft work I love

I just love pretty paper mache decoupage boxes - this is my favourite!

 Another favourite is a box made entirely of matchsticks made by a cousin of my husbands who used to make them in his spare time

I also have a musical Windmill made of matchsticks which I bought a good many years ago now from a second hand shop

I think you will agree it must be painstaking work! and take an awful lot of patience!

Craft work

When I moved into my present abode this ornament was left by previous occupier
it depicts two Peacocks and is made nearly entirely of seashells plus a couple of bits of bottle brush and some odd seeds. I've several times gone to throw it out but although somewhat crude it does seem to have been a labour of love and is very cleverly done - probably looked a lot better when it was new somewhat faded now - it is going now but following photos show detail

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18th January

Country Market resumed this morning - it's nice to get back to normality after the holidays. So many folk it seems were poorly over Christmas with the many bugs that seem to flying around.
Lovely to see so many of our regular customers again.

17th January 2011

Snowdrops are coming on and lots of bushes have buds showing. Most years in the shade of the tree I have had at least a couple of Aubretia flowers but no sign this year although the foliage looks very healthy and is growing well.

Sunday 9th January 2011

At last after what seems days and days of dull overcast and rainy weather - the Sun has come out and there is a strong wind blowing, so it seems everyone has same idea and has put their washing out!! (including me - you just get sick of having damp washing hanging around the house!)

A friend gave me a basket planted with Hyacinths for Christmas and it is now in full bloom in my window being admired by everybody! Thank you Anne!

After all the snow and frost etc we have had over last month or so, I discovered this morning, a rose bush in the middle of the garden - not sheltered at all - sporting new foliage it is a very old bush and must be a hardy soul!!

signs of spring already

After a snowy start underfoot to January and very little sun - the last couple of days all trace of the snow has gone (although we may possibly have some more tonight/tomorrow according to forecasters) - looking round the garden today I came across a Snowdrop in bud and some primrose in flower and bud.

 Snowdrop has appeared more or less exactly the same date as it did last year.