Julian gave me some little resin models of Sir David A to guard my orchids in the bathroom. On his birthday, [David, not Julian] I decided to move them all to the top of their sticks in celebration.
But disaster struck. I caught my sleeve, on my favourite one [seated with the butterfly]Is decapitating a centenarian National Treasure a capital offence? Fortunately Bob came to the rescue. DA is restored.
Sadly no restoration possible for my fabulous moth orchid - shown here in May 2022. Over the winter it just...died. But good friends Rick and Angela who visited recently brought me another plant. There are now four plants, all in shades of pink/purple, all in bloom. Beautiful. And the mended Sir David is carefully seated on the new one, low down!
These look good photographed against the white tiles - but they cannot stay there, on my glass hob. I have carefully replaced them in the bathroom.
Orchids have become my favourite houseplants I think. Which houseplants do you enjoy?
On Friday there was a FunDay at Church. I was not there [explanations later] but I did help with planning and preparing all the crafts. The theme was Jesus at the Wedding Feast In Cana - so the children made party crowns, placemats, and these little joyful cup-people. And there was a photo booth for wedding selfies [with suitable attire for a wedding feast] Friends Sue and Alastair from Essex came to run the day, with music, puppets and games - assisted by Nick with his magic tricks. Alastair [&AI] produced a song [which blogger will not let me post!]
Nick is away today, and I am preaching on the same story. I have chosen three songs especially for the young at heart; My Lighthouse, Our God is a great big God, and this golden oldie - one of James Partridge's 'Assembly Bangers'
Half a century ago, we used to add an extra verse "Give me Unction in my Gumption, let me Function". They were Happy Days....may your day today be filled with JOY
So my lovely Orvis skirt was way too tight - in the CS shop it was stretched on a wooden hanger. I got it home, and it had pinged back to shape - a 24" waist! I have not had a waist that small since before Liz was born [40+ years ago]. Not a casing with a circle of elastic inside, but like many pjs, the elastic was sewn in with 5 rows of machine stitching. And very tight when contracted. Not easy to enlarge, but I needed some wriggle room! Solution - Cut a 2" slit down each side, and open up into a straight line, bind these raw edges with binding.
My waist is around 30" now [oops!] and once I tuck the elastic inside [as I did as a teenager] the skirt sits comfortably just below my waist and is the right length.
I have been living in this skirt for the past week, so cool and breezy. It's been complimented too, which is pleasant. And it goes well with lots of different plain teeshirts and vest!
Whenever I spot a pin on the floor, I remember Donald Pleasence in The Great Escape, convincing James Garner that his eyesight is fine. [DP had actually been a POW in WW2] I am aware that my eyesight is not what it once was. I've been wearing glasses for half my life. And they are not cheap! But I have recently had an eye test and acquired new ones. This time I have chosen slightly more colourful frames than usual - tortoiseshell at the front, bright peacock blue at the side.
Our Vision Express is situated at the back of Tesco. When they told me the glasses were ready, I nipped down to collect them, stopping only to buy some Alka Seltzer, and a meat and pastry snack as I left the supermarket. As Sue said last Friday, once you get to our age, life is just "Specs, Drugs and Sausage Rolls"!
If you are in the UK, enjoy the Bank Holiday, and do avoid getting dehydrated or sunburnt
Are you sitting comfortably? I am going to have a rant. First a relatively minor one...
This sign means the space is for disabled people, blue badge holders. Bob is so grateful for his permit, it means the walking distance from the car park to the door of the shop/church/theatre is reduced. My neighbour knows the hatched areas around the space means there will be room to manoeuvre her daughters wheelchair.
These spaces are not for Joe Public, who is in a hurry and doesn't want to walk from the other side of the carpark. And people who park in such spaces should display their blue badge.
So the other day, when we returned to our car outside a busy Sainsburys, and a couple pulled into the adjacent space and both jumped out, and set off speedily towards the InPost lockers, Bob called out in a cheerful tone "Hey! You've forgotten to display your blue badge!" The man said "We'll only be two minutes, we are going to the InPost Locker" and the woman said "oh, I'm waiting for my blue badge" I know not all disabilities are visible, and maybe she was 'waiting for her blue badge' to arrive...but as we drove away, I was pretty certain they did not return to the car after depositing their parcel, but walked towards the supermarket. Bad behaviour if you ask me. But that is nothing compared to the utterly selfish people on the Norfolk coast this weekend,.
On Sunday morning, seven people, including four children were trapped on a sandbank with an incoming tide at Wells Next the Sea. This is not uncommon at this time of year, visitors do not heed the warnings
The siren sounded and the volunteer lifeboat crew scrambled to get to the station so they could launch a rescue craft - only to discover that holidaymakers had taken up all the crew's designated parking spaces by the lifeboat station. Which obviously delayed the rescue - where every minute counts as lives are at risk.
This is unbelievable thoughtlessness - I am grateful that this time, all the stranded people were rescued safely. Operations manager Chris Hardy said “Today, our crew experienced difficulties parking when
responding to this shout.The restricted parking near the lifeboat station is
clearly marked for RNLI crew and emergency access, and it is vital that these
spaces are kept clear." He asked visitors to respect the restrictions
staff, who try to enforce them. Parking issues persisted throughout the bank holiday weekend
The crew pleaded again with people not to park in their spaces after more
issues on Monday morning. "We are asking everyone, respectfully but very
clearly: please do not park in or block RNLI access areas, emergency service
spaces, slipways, gates or turning areas,"
Personally I feel that people who park in the RNLI Crew spaces should have their cars towed away and impounded, and be fined for reckless endangerment of life. I don't think people would park their cars in ambulance bays, or across the front of the fire station. Why do they think it is ok to regard these spaces at Wells as "Free Parking"?
The other day my phone offered me the chance to look at "Pictures of Liz down the years" This selection represents the last 21 years - from our trip to Budapest in 2005 to new spectacles this spring.
So grateful for this wonderful daughter - the mother of my grand-daughters, and such a thoughtful, intelligent, caring witty woman. We have had so much fun together recently - both here in Norfolk, and when we were in Manchester last month looking after the boys during the Marathon.
Thank you for all the joy and laughter you bring to our family, have a wonderful birthday, Liz!
Drum roll please! Just to announce the next great Kirsten&Ang collaborative craft project is underway. K had the brainwave for it.
We were both wanting to do different individual stitching stuff, and we took a bit of a break after our Two-by-Two patches, to consider what we might work on together.
K read this book, and wondered if this time round we should knit rather than sew. Jan Eaton's book has dozens of 6" squares to inspire you
I got my own copy of the book 2nd hand, online, and started looking through it. Some squares she does in 4 colourways, so strictly speaking there are less than 150 different stitch patterns I was really excited about the idea - as K said, it would be a good stash buster, not much yarn needed for each square. Like 2by2, we'd each prepare two squares every time, one to keep, and one to swap. What will we do with them? I asked. Neither of us needs another throw, especially in this hot weather! 🔥🥵🔥🥵🔥
18, or maybe 32 squares would make a patchwork cushion cover. I have gone right off this idea, ever since someone at the craft group brought in her new book, showing how to combine squares not in a quilt but in a pillow [the term our US friends use for cushion] and the author called these items quillows. No!!! I do not want a quillow , thank you. Ugly word imho. Bob suggested a waistcoat/gilet type garment. We plan to wait till we'd finished to decide what to make.
I just could not choose which square to start with. So as Heather and I sat in Costa, I said "Go through this book and quickly point out 4 that you like" So she did, and I said I would do one of them as my first square. Then I asked Rosie to pick two balls of wool for me to knit the square. That was a little difficult, she kept suggesting alternative patterns! I am grateful to my supporters, when I get stuck with a decision
I used the white and random-dye balls Rosie had chosen to start knitting the pattern.
But I really did not like the resulting stripes. I swapped out the white for a rusty shade - but that sort of disappeared. Now I have started again with completely different shades, and I am much happier with the outcome. We are going to swap as and when we've both finished our 2 samples. And the accompanying notes will be written on 6" squares of paper or card.
So that will be two women
each knitting two squares
on yarn that is thinner than aran and thicker than four ply
Preacher, teacher, wife, mother, grandmother, craftswoman. Married to wonderful Pastor Bob since 1979, now happily retired to Norfolk, but still busy. I am blessed with two brilliant grown-up daughters and four wonderful grand children
Julian gave me some little resin models of Sir David A to guard my orchids in the bathroom. On his birthday, [David, not Julian] I decided to move them all to the top of their sticks in celebration. 
But disaster struck. I caught my sleeve, on my favourite one [seated with the butterfly]Is decapitating a centenarian National Treasure a capital offence? Fortunately Bob came to the rescue. DA is restored. 
