frayed at the edge

Freezing!

We got back home at teatime on Saturday ..... and we have been shivering since then!  Yesterday I was threatening to get the next plane to Majorca, to go back to this

 

and perhaps have some cake

 

and an icecream

 

I have over 6oo photos to sort through, so that is just a little taste of our holiday.  Back home, the garden is still lagging behind.  The snakehead fritillaries have finally flowered

 

This clematis is in a sheltered spot

 

you know that I have been very quite good keeping to my resolution to buy fewer magazines, but it is entirely Malcolm's fault that I came home with these, as he kept pointing them out to me when we were in the newsagents buying newspapers!

 

after indulging in cakes and icecreams (and the occasional glass of wine!), it was back on the straight and narrow for dinner tonight (this is Malcolm's salad, I don't like tomato)

 

I'll be back tomorrow with the sewing that I did on holiday, and some stunning photos of the Caves of Drach.

 

Pretty in ........

..... not pink, but turquoise!!

 

have you ever tried to take a photo of your hand and foot ...... it's not easy!  If the toenails have been painted, and the Kindle has lots of books on it .......

 

and the ipod has lots of music ....

 

it can only mean one thing - WOOHOO - we are off on our (very early) summer holiday!!  And yes, we're going to Majorca (again!!)  We leave here at 2am tomorrow, for a leisurely drive down to Newcastle Airport, and all being well we will be in our villa by lunchtime.  We will be away for three weeks, but just so you don't get lonely without me, I am going to schedules posts for Monday to Friday for the three weeks.  For each day I am going to select a photo at random from the folders on my laptop.  I have to admit that I have been very lax about filing my photos away on my external hard drive, so there are photos going back to our holiday in Australia and Singapore last year!  And no doubt the odd donkey or lamb will make an appearance .......

I know that there was no Friday cake last week, and I wouldn't want you to be deprived this week, so here is the most wonderful lmp which I had in Majorca last year!

Back in the old routine

I have lots to share with you today, so in case I forget later, I'll start with the wonderful presents I received.  The first one was from Judi (no blog), who had called in at Hancock's of Paducah (a world famous p&q shop, for those of you who don't quilt!) ........ and not only did she get a catalogue for me, but she bought me some Ghastlies fabrics!!  Now I have no excuse ...... I must add these fabrics to the ones I already have to make something special!

 

The second parcel was from Vee ........ a piece of beautiful fabric, and one of her exquisite needle felted bears

 

The bear is tiny - here she is with my engagement ring, to show how small she is

 

Quite some time ago, I had signed up for Vee's "pay it forward" ....... but poor Vee was struck down by illness and needing surgery before she could send out her gifts, so I had actually forgotten all about it, and had to email her to check on the rules.  It's quite simple - having received my gift, I now pay it forward ........ if you would like to join in, all you have to do is let me know (I'll include the first 3 to leave a comment or email) - I have a year in which to send you a small gift, then when you receive it, you send out gifts to a further three.   (I hope you followed that!)

Now for being back in the old routine ....... early this morning (6.45) I headed out for a walk, which I do in the summer instead of using the  implements of torture fitness machines.   The sheep across the road were just stirring

 

The air was full of the scents of summer

 

 

 

 

It was already warm, and the Minto Hills were hazy in the distance

 

This little snail was meandering along

 

Everything is so much greener than it was 3 weeks ago when we went away

did you spot the rabbit sitting in the road?

 

 

On the way down the hill, this Jacob's ewe was peering through the gate .........

 

........ then on the way back, she rounded up her lambs and moved away as I approached

 

However, she obviously decided that I wasn't a threat, and came over to the gate

 

But as soon as I turned the camera to the lambs, she moved back to guard them ....... you can just see her in the bottom left of the photo

 

We had our usual trip into Hawick this morning, and had a look in the Oxfam Shop.  They had lots of these little jars, full of buttons.  They were only 99p each ....... some kitchenware shops charge at least that just for the jars!

 

As always , I bought some patchwork and craft magazines in Majorca (I will be sending one to Rachel as part of the giveaway prize!)

 

This cross stitch book was free with one of the magazines

If you were wondering where in the garden I have been taking these photos ....... it's our little love seat on the deck

 

When we came home, we were delighted to see that we had new neighbours ...... a pair of tits have moved into one of the bird boxes in the back garden (but not one of Malcolm's lovingly crafted ones, but one which was really bought as a garden ornament!)  This afternoon in the summer house,  I set up the camera on the tripod, with the big lens on ....... then I waited and I waited and I waited!!  Eventually a little head peeped out .......

 

...... then after another long wait, the other tit swooped in

 

popped its head through the hole for a blether

 

paused

 

then flew off

 

I still have lots of holiday photos to show you, but a lot of them are shadow shots (you know you are a shadow addict when you carefully arrange your cake, cup and teapot to create a shadow shot!), so I'll be posting them over the next few weekends.

 

Busy doing nothing!

This year we were even lazier than usual ...... when Stuart and Alison arrived at the start of our second week, they were soon heading out and about, exploring the area.  Whereas we preferred a gentle potter into town - the old town of Pollensa one day, the busier Puerto Pollensa the next.  We would buy the newspapers (British newspapers are printed over there and are readily available) ....... then came the tough decision - which establishment would we grace with our custom for a cuppa and cake, sitting in the sun reading the papers

possibly the best lemon meringue pie ever!!

 

And of course we had to have an icecream one day from the kiosk on the front at Puerto Pollensa

strawberry and mango - delicious!

 

Over the years we have got into the habit of buying each other presents when we're on holiday - just little things.  As you can see from these photos I took of our purchases this morning in the garden, we brought the good weather home with us!

First, I bought these wonderful flavoured salts for Malcolm

 

Then he bought these beads for me

 

Next, I added to his owl collection with this cast iron one, which he has popped in a planter in the front garden

 

And he then gave me this very cute sheep, which bounces on a spring!

 

Stuart and Alison also gave us a present ....... this lovely photograph album, which we will have no trouble filling with the many, many photos we have taken over the years that we have been holidaying on Majorca!

 

This afternoon I worked out which post was the 100oth .......it was Day 15, with the quilt "Kiss this Guy".  Malcolm as ever served as the random number generator, picking Rachel, whose wonderful blog shows off her beautiful embroidery (I'll be in touch, Rachel, to get your address).  Now there is a little problem with showing you the prize ...... the lady in the shop wrapped it up and popped it in a little envelope, with a pretty sticker.  I didn't want to open it to take a photo, so I shall have to ask Rachel to send me a photo when she opens it!

 

When we got home yesterday, there were two very special parcels in the large pile of post waiting for us ....... I'll tell you what was in them tomorrow!  To finish today, some more photos of the wonderful scenery in and around Pollensa

 

 

 

 

 

I'm back!!

Hello everyone ...... I've just popped in for a minute to say that we are back from our wonderful holiday.  Three weeks of lazing by the pool, reading lots of books, eating wonderful food ...... and enjoying a glass or two of wine.

Thank you for all the comments - I have only had a quick glance at them, and will catch up properly tomorrow - including working out which was the 1000th post and picking a winner of the giveaway!

It will take me some time to sort out all the photos - but here is a little taster

 

 

 

 

Greetings from Wales!

Now, I'm sure today's heading has surprised you!!  We are having a long weekend way down here in Wales - somewhere that I have only been once before.

We broke our journey at Farfield Mill.  After a spot of lunch, we had a look round the mill - it's a restored Victorian woolen mill, with lots to see.  There are artists' studios, with wonderful things to buy, but of course photography is not allowed in that part of the building, but I was able to take a few photos as we went round the other parts.

 

this display is over a stairway!

 

 

the water turbine which powered the machinery

 

 

part of an old loom

 

I would have shown you some more photos of the old machinery, but for some reason several of the photos refuse to upload!  After leaving the mill, we stopped in Sedbergh.  I got all excited when I saw the name of this shop ...... but it only had two pieces of patchwork!

 

 

We also had a walk round the church, where we saw this old sundial (but who put the ugly light under it!!)

 

 

I have to confess that I bought one or two little things at the mill .....  but despite several attempts, the photos just won't upload!!

We'll be out and about exploring tomorrow, but hopefully I will still post Shadow Shot Sunday.  Then on Sunday, we are having a very special outing, which I will be able to tell you all about once we are back home on Monday.

I hope you have a good weekend, love Anne

 

 

Culture!

I wouldn't want you to think that all we did on holiday was lie beside the pool, eat lots of delicious food, and drink wine ........ we also indulged in a spot of culture!

We went to Alcudia to see the Roman ruins ...... Malcolm, as ever, provides the scale!

 

 

It's amazing to think that the original buildings were constructed over two thousand years ago

 

 

But perhaps this grafitti isn't quite so old!

 

 

We walked on round to the amphitheatre - you would have had to take a cushion to sit on, on the rough stone seats!

 

 

Having seen lots of films involving gladiators - I could imagine them waiting behind the bars to go into the arena to fight .......

 

 

..... if only these walls could talk, and tell us if it was really the way that it is portrayed in films

 

 

On our last day, we had plenty of time to get to the airport, so instead of driving straight down the motorway to Palma, we took the mountain road, stopping at Lluc.  While everyone else was taking photos of the magnificent architecture ......

 

 

...... I was distracted by what was going on in plants in the bottom left hand corner.  At first I thought it was very large bees, but as I got closer, I decided it was actually tiny hummingbirds flitting from flower to flower.  After many, many attempts, I managed to take two photos, neither of which is very clear, but I hope you can see the tiny hummingbird (if you click on the photos they should enlarge)

 

 

 

Malcolm eventually dragged me away (but not before I had been joined by another woman, who had wandered over to see what had caught my eye, and immediately got her camera out!).  We then went in to the museum, where amongst all the glorious treasures, was a textile exhibition!

 

 

 

 

It was only when I was sorting out the photos that I realised that I hadn't taken any of the textiles, just the machines!

The weather still isn't very good here - although better weather is forecast for the rest of the week.  But to cheer us up while we wait for 'flaming June', here is beautiful Majorcan blue sky over the villa.

 
 

Drookit!!

When the alarm went off this morning at 6.30, I stumbled crawled was pushed by Malcolm leapt out of bed, looked out the window ...... and seriously considered getting straight back under the covers!  It was wet and windy - not at all inviting for a three mile walk.  However, memories of all those cakes eaten on holiday compelled me to get dressed and head out the door.  It wasn't too bad at first, the rain was light and the wind was behind me.  But on the way back, I was walking into the wind, then the rain got heavier and heavier.  When I got home, I had to get stripped off in the kitchen, as I was thoroughly soaked and dripping!  I had to put the airer in the bath and leave my things to drip - they are still wet!

 

 

This was the view from the lounge later this morning - not the sort of weather we expect well into May!

 

 

Did you notice that there was no knitting update last week?  Things didn't quite go to plan on holiday.  The first project was the shelf edging - not that I have any shelves that I would want to put edging on, but as it is knitted in cotton, I thought that it might look nice on the edge of a towel.  However, after working three repeats of the pattern, I decided that I really didn't like it and wasn't going to waste time knitting any more.  I haven't blocked or pressed it, which no doubt would improve it .....

 

 

I think this stitch with all the loops is a bit strange - it looks like a parachute!

 

 

The second project was a tealight cover ....... and I have to admit that although it was just a little thing, it didn't get finished on holiday!  It's one of those patterns where you are constantly counting the stitches, and ad we were always chatting in the evenings, I kept losing my place, so I gave up and finished it last week when we got home!

 

 

This week's project is more substantial - a peg bag knitted in aran wool

 

 

I could also have a go at knitting something from this magazine which I bought on holiday ........

 

 

........ although I think I will have more success using these patchwork magazines ...... 

 

 

....... and these cross stitch/craft magazines

 

 

We regularly passed a field with sheep and lambs, but as it was on a busy road, Malcolm was never able to slow down enough for me to take photos ....... then last Tuesday, on the way to the airport, he had to make an emergency stop, as there were sheep and lambs on the road!  (this is for Thimbleanna - who loves all things sheepie!)

 

 

 

A change to the routine

There was no patch'n'chat this afternoon, as a quilting group from Dunfermline was visiting the shop (it's that time of year, when groups have day trips to far flung shops before the summer break!).  So after our usual Friday morning doing the housework, we had some lunch, then headed off to the garden centre to get some plants to put in the pots at the studio door - hopefully I will get the planting done tomorrow.  The herbs that we planted before we went on holiday have grown rapidly ..... Malcolm is attributing this to his homemade compost, which he put in the bottom of the pot!

 

 

The plant that we think is a wisteria has also grown a lot  ....... but it doesn't look as if it will flower

 

 

However, there will soon be lots of colour just to the left of it, as the lupin is starting to flower

 

 

One of my favourite flowers is also providing lots of colour - deep pink osteospermums.  The sun was shining on the flower, and as I took the photo from directly above so that you can't see the stem, it looks as if it is floating over the garden!

 

 

I thought you might like to see how Malcolm's poor sore finger is now, three weeks since he hurt it.  It no longer painful to use it, but he thinks there is a good chance he will lose the nail (yeugh!)

 

 

Of course, usually at this point in Friday posts I show you the cake we have had at patch'n'chat ........ so as there wasn't one today, I'll show you two more of the delicious ones we had on holiday

 

 

 

I hope you all have a good weekend - I haven't done any sewing since we got back (too busy with washing and ironing!) so I hope to get into the studio tomorrow.  Love, Anne

Tenacity

Just before we went on holiday, we found another wasps' byke in the summer house

 

 

I reached up to take a photo of the inside ........ and then realised that the wasp was inside!!

 

 

This one was attempting to build its new home on Malcolm's Bintang Beer sign, which he got in Indonesia

 

 

Then today, we opened the summerhouse to have lunch ....... and there was yet another byke!  These wasps are tenacious little blighters!

 

 

After all the rich food and cake I consumed on holiday, I was amazed to discover this morning that I have actually lost a pound over the last two weeks!  However, I thought I should have something healthy for lunch, and made myself a large salad

 

 

If you look closely, you will see the one thing missing is tomato - I've mentioned before that I just don't like the taste of raw tomato ....... not even fabulous ones like these that I spotted on holiday

 

 

One evening as we were heading to Puerto Pollensa for dinner, we were rather startled to come round a bend in the road and see this

 

 

The early evening breeze was providing ideal conditions for some high speed fun

 

 

As I headed up the stairs to bed one night, I thought we had a visitor ...... but the gecko was on the outside of the window.  We had a gecko which lived behind the cooker in our house in Indonesia - it didn't have a tail (they can shed their tails to escape from danger) ..... so we called it Stumpy!

 

 

A bit of fun to finish with.  One day Malcolm was exceedingly cross when we came back to the car in the supermarket carpark to find another car parked so close to ours that he had to get in the passenger door and climb over to the driver's side

 

 

So why was Malcolm so cross?  Because the car park was almost empty ....... so why had this driver chosen to park so close to our car?!