Our Week

We continue to be busy in the garden where Mr P has been trimming the high hedge behind the greenhouse and I've been helping him bag up the branches after cutting them into smaller pieces.  This gets done in an evening as during the day there are other garden tasks to complete.  Watering continues and thankfully the water butt got filled up with rain water when we had several nights of heavy rain.  

We rest in between and watch the tennis matches being broadcast on television from Wimbledon.  There've been some exciting matches over the last two weeks and we're now coming to the final weekend when there'll be more excitement on court. 

I collected a lot of reading books from the library the other day.  (I'm concentrating on historical novels set in the Tudor period and one or two non fiction ones from the same era that will be read to broaden my knowledge).   

I went back to the new café in the stable block to do some research on opening hours as I'm hoping to meet a friend next week.  I haven't seen her since before the pandemic although she's been out and about more than I have.  I may suggest that we go there as it seems a good place to have refreshments and a chat in a quiet, outside setting.  My friend will take a covid test beforehand and I'm going to get my  covid vaccination for the over 75s at a walk-in centre.  I looked in from the doorway to see what it was like.  Opposite there are views of the park and lake.

 

Back in our garden we're enjoying the flowers and crops that are ready for eating or promise to give us a good crop later on.  Here are some of the random photos I took recently.

Blue Ensign small morning glory in a hanging basket

a jasmine hedge

 wild bell flowers that come up every Summer

feverfew

self seeded poppy, lavender, hydrangea bush

Another self-seeded poppy growing in the vegetable plot.

the season for roses

agapanthus

Garlic has been lifted and is drying in the sun,  French beans have been gathered and there are flowers that will prolong the crop.  The tomatoes, mainly plum cherry and other plum varieties are beginning to ripen.

Well, this is all for now.  I hope that you're having a good week and I'll catch up with you soon. Thank you for your visit.  Have a nice weekend.

Friday Bliss # 56

Yesterday I went to meet my friend at a café and charity shop which is in the grounds of a former secondary school.  The buildings and sports facilities on the site are now being used by the local community.  The café is run by volunteers as a drop-in centre and used by local people especially those with disabilities.  When we arrived it was quite quiet, but as it was nearly lunch time the place soon filled up with groups who had come for a light meal. 

After a cup of tea and a chat we had a browse around the charity shop area and we both found some items that would be useful to us.

A small bag and a book - both new and in good condition. Browsing through the book I found it very interesting as it's based on the format of the twenty-four days leading up to Christmas.  There's a section each day with a developing story about a girl called Elisabet and a boy called Joachim and their journey which includes other characters and historical facts about places they visit along the way done in a way that would interest adults as well as children. I can see myself reading this book during the Advent period before passing it on as The Christmas Story is a good one at any time.  The author Jostein Gaarder was born in Oslo in 1952 and spent many years as a teacher before becoming a full-time writer. Elisabeth Rokken translated his writing for this book and the illustrations are by Rosemary Wells.

I also bought a serving plate made in Bavaria which will match my fruit plates.

Joining Riitta for Friday Bliss