Farewell may

Started with a bit of a damp Squib - had to cancel our planned camping trip for vic's birthday because of the weather and vic's 66th birthday was a bit rubbish... Funeral of a young friend in the morning and working by himself all afternoon causing more pain in his shoulders ...

The highlight of this month has been the transformation of our front garden. Trips to the garden centres, visit to Gt Dexter, family get togethers, looking after Jude...

Hannah and mark finding somewhere to live.

Strangely the month has ended much the same-a bank holiday when mums 85th birthday party was put on hold when she was taken into hospital,  len's funeral took place on 29th may - a day of torrential rain in Hastings- but it was a fitting send off- and more pain for vic's shoulders. 

Arsenal won the FA cup though so not all bad and h&m have gone to Cornwall with baby Jude...julie has come in from the cold, and we have dan and Laura's wedding to look forward to in October and a new grandson in July..Joel and Natalie are expecting their 3rd baby...Amy and matts business is taking off....looking forward to 'flaming June' and lots of sunshine...

Standen

Here we are at NT Standen, near east grinstead - kids are off at the adventure playground and I've been left to my own devices! Thought I'd do one of the 50 challenges!!

March - what else has happened...?

Hannah moving again, to hartfield this time ... Home of Winnie the Pooh ....had afternoon tea on our day of looking after him and joined by hannah as she is on maternity leave- she is now 19 weeks ! 

Black car failed mot and had to spend couple of days at the garage being fixed ...all ok now!  Went to London on a course for work - best bit - I bought two signo pens in paperchase at the station!

It was Mother's Day - we went to see ivy and spent the afternoon drinking tea ... She is now into colouring!! 

First Saturday in march vic had day off and we had a brilliant time discovering romney, dungeness, littlestone and great stone

- ended up on camber beach (drinking more tea) !!

March ....my birthday month

Also jane, Vanessa, matts and Amy's birthdays this month and frank ....

Mine fell on a wed this year, my day off so perfect really and the day we look after Jude.  Hb now on maternity leave so we decided to spend the day together.  The night before we had supper at the chequers in battle with beccy and Gerry and she gave me a lovely 'guardian angel' birthday gift...

On the way to hartfield vic and I stopped at the Wealden smokery for breakfast - what a gorgeous place- and arrived at Hannah's just as jude was waking from his morning nap,

Hannah had arranged for us to have tea at #one.the.square and it was just beautiful.  The owner had laid a table for tea and lit a candle; tea was served in vintage cups and there was delicious homemade cake.  As we left she gave me a bunch of tulips... Can't wait to go back and do some classes...

We wandered round forest row shops and found another craft shop, full of lovely stuff and vic bought me a loom.. Joy!

December 2014 roundup

Realized also not updated December ... So here goes - hannah and mark celebrated their 30th birthdays and we were there ... For breakfast!

Christmas decorations, Isaac birthday, matt doing his thing at calverley park, Christmas Day with hannah and mark and Jude, and marks parents, a nice bottle of wine, post Christmas celebrations in essex chez diane and Gary....supper with beccy and Gerry and busy times at work 

Nearly the end of November...

Another month has flown by  -  I've got my dress for Christopher's wedding, been off last week with a virus and laryngitis, missed the hawkhurst firework display and nearly finished Hannah's 30th birthday present.  Also we've been to scotney, vics been on his reunion night out and Jude has been getting even more gorgeous...also I've worked a bit more on his little chair, started painting our dining table, started on-line grocery shopping with ocado and made some Xmas decorations ...

Farewell to February 2015

Just realized I forgot to acknowledge dear February and it's now 7th march already!   

Lots of fun; pancake day, valentines, kite flying at scotney, spring flowers, sightseeing and hot chocolate in rye, spending time with Jude and a few days with mum, and of course lots of crafting!

Goodbye January

On the whole a good month, lucky with the weather, just cold!  Busy time at work and now off for a week to recharge my batteries!  The good wife and suits started new series this month and we had a great day in Hastings on the beach and in the pub etc!  Sunday roast last week with the raynors and of course lots of fun looking after Jude.  Hannah announced she is expecting her second baby, in July and we got the blue car safely thru an mot!

We said a sad farewell to jane's dear mum, Audrey at a beautiful service in Chelmsford and little June was four months old on 17th.  

Welcome February - please don't let it snow!

At mums for the weekend ..:

She is not feeling great, bad shoulder, stiff neck and various aches and pains ...Andy came over and cut the grass and I pruned the roses. (In nov!) unbelievable. Lovely day, sun shining not cold at all .

Put the roses in a vase on the patio table but saved one for the mantelpiece - just gorgeous ... Missing vic

More treasures to play with...

Took another trip to theoldhaberdashery today for an inspiration fix!  Think I'll just look at these for a while ...

October has been beautiful...

And still is!   Weather amazing, flowers plants trees etc still blooming lovely !  Met up yesterday with the raynors plus hb mark and Jude for a Sunday stroll around bodiam then a pub lunch at the castle ...

Such an inspirational day in ticehurst on Saturday too.  Photos from October follow:

Wabi sabi

Wabi Sabi - I have discovered since visiting the most beautiful shop in ticehurst called #theoldhaberdashery - and here are a few of the treasures I picked up today....

"Pared down to its barest essence, wabi-sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature, of accepting the natural cycle of growth, decay, and death. It's simple, slow, and uncluttered-and it reveres authenticity above all. Wabi-sabi is flea markets, not warehouse stores; aged wood, not Pergo; rice paper, not glass. It celebrates cracks and crevices and all the other marks that time, weather, and loving use leave behind. It reminds us that we are all but transient beings on this planet-that our bodies as well as the material world around us are in the process of returning to the dust from which we came. Through wabi-sabi, we learn to embrace liver spots, rust, and frayed edges, and the march of time they represent. "


now its October and I realized I hadn't even acknowledged September (and the rest of august) since the last post.  august was our lovely family holiday in cornwall, diane and garys 30th anniversary, then in September baby June arrived, laura and dan got engaged and its now countdown to the wedding of the year and the return of Victoria (for a short while at least!) jude is trying to talk and work is busier than ever.

July highlights

It's now aug 2nd and I can't believe July has disappeared for ever, where did it go?

Need to look at my photos to remember moments-  I know that Jude started to walk at the end of July (30 th ) to be exact, we went camping to bodiam with diane and Gary, the garden party took place at Mount Ephraim House www.mountephraim.blogspot.co.uk  last of the dreaded ladder course took place 29 th (but it was nice to be in London)...visited a few national trust places, remembered dad on the 17th.     Yesterday 1st aug would be three years since the funeral