Sunday Smiles

I hope you have all had a great week, I was on holiday this week and the sun was shining for most of it which made me very happy because it usually rains when I'm off work. 

You remember my yarn purchase here

Well here it is now a work in progress, this is just a sneak peak, I'm cautiously optimistic that I'm actually going to produce something that I can wear, if you never see it again you will know that it didn't work out. :)

Because the weather was mostly lovely this week I was able to catch up on some garden chores like pruning this huge conifer hedge which spans the width of my garden.

I decided to start in the middle and try to reduce the size of the arch because it had grown so high I couldn't reach the top, so I tackled it side on with loppers painstakingly cutting each stem as I came to it some of them were quite thick and it took me over an hour just to do this bit.

This is a view from on top of the ladder working side on, I couldn't work from the middle because the ladder was too unsteady. 

Just a little bit remaining and so infuriatingly out of reach, even with arms and loppers fully extended.

Thankfully I was able to smile at the end, it may look as if a dog has chewed in on top but I know that the new growth will soften the edges and the next time it needs a haircut it will be easier for me to reach.

When Daphne mentioned that a new Jamie Oliver restaurant had opened up in Newcastle I just had to go and investigate.

My daughter and myself went along at lunch time and had a lovely meal, nicely served by friendly helpful staff and I just loved the decor and the general ambience of the place. As you can see like Daphne I had to take a picture of the ladies I loved the butcher sinks and the cisterns in the cubicles.

I wouldn't normally take a photo of a toilet you understand but this did make me smile.

The first raspberries in my garden

I'm always happy when my raspberries begin to ripen, it means that I can go out into my garden at 7am and pick them to eat for my breakfast, there is always just enough for me to pour over my cereal, nothing tastes nicer than fruit freshly picked from your garden 

The stars in my garden this week.

Alan Titchmarsh 

I love David Austen roses and have made a small collection over the years, I say small because they are quite expensive. I found this one abandoned on a bench of sale items in my local garden center many years ago.  It had been neglected and looked very sorry for itself so I rescued it and nurtured it but it never did that well, the blooms are top heavy and tend to droop so you have to lift them to see the beauty of the flower.  The flowers last just a day or so and then the petals fall and make quite a mess all over the flower bed.  This year however and I think it's in its fifth year, it has surpassed itself, there is an abundance of blooms and they are standing tall and most are lifting their heads it really is a pleasure to see them. :)


Hope you all have a great week!