Wandering along the banks of the river Wansbeck

R.Wansbeck

It has been hot and gloriously sunny; normally I sleep with my windows locked on the sneck so there is a wee bit of cool air drifting in to the room; for the last few nights I have had to get up around 4 a.m. and close the windows tight as the birdsong has been so loud.

Last week the ladies plodged through the circular clarts fromHartford hall via Humford Mill (in the woods at Bedlington) swinging from branches to stay out of the mud on the footpath.

The River Wansbeck was high; the valley sides were carpeted in bluebells while the air was filled with the pungent smell of wild garlic

 

It is a good job I walk to accumulate my 10000 steps as I am having an 'eating out' spell; we heralded the summer sun with afternoon tea at Tynemouth's Grand Hotel (would you believe it was the former hunting lodge of the Duke of Northumberland?); we've been out to celebrate a friend's retirement with an Indian meal; the sunshine tempted us to have the family round for a barbecue- we played boules and garden quoits at which I admit to playing a thundering last round! I was as proud as this peacock which we met at North Acomb Farm when we went to buy supplies at the farm shop.

Our walk at Linz Ford raised a hot sweat which needed that glass of Fentiman's Rose Lemonade..... The buildings around the medieval fulling mill and leat have been updated yet hold their history.

It seems the weather forecast is going to be accurate- an early morning sea fret through which the sun will eventually nibble through..... I think I will go back to bed and see if I can sort out my biorhythms.

Therapy

After 9 weeks my visitors have gone; I confess to being a bit sad but I am getting my life back again. My visitors were D1, her husband and new baby- and due to having a baby who entered the world traumatically and who refused to lie down-  life was hectic as we all did shifts through the night in particular to hold her up asleep. I felt privileged to watch her change, focus, smile and establish herself in the world. At last they have left us (sob) and I have cleared up the house and now what?

My garden is a tangled overgrown mess so..... I went into attack mode.  I did not have the time to put in my spuds- which apparently should be in by Good Friday; I wouldn't care but organic homegrown potatoes taste so much better than shop bought veg. The daffs and tulips are over and dead headed; Bluebells fill the borders and the hedgehogs are unseen but something is gobbling up the hedgehog food I am putting out. Probably blinking horrible magpies!

We were invited to a night-time barbecue by D3 recently- and while drinking Pimms and noshing homemade burgers and salads I watched a fox running along the top of her fence; this dog or vixen was a healthy golden brown with a bushy brush- not a grey, mangy urban fox.

I filled the garden  bin so much that we had to make special trips to the 'tip' and 2 days solid work by H1 and myself has tidied it up a bit- but I really wish the stotting rain would stop so I could get out there and get cracking on the borders.

Still working on things

Still working on helping D1 and husband with their snuggle-buggle baby who sleeps curled up on someone's chest but NOT on her back in a Moses basket or babybeanie or anything else you can mention... will she sleep on a cocoonbaby? She has wonderfully powerful vocal cords which can keep going for hours unless snuggled or fed!

Meanwhile I have joined the W.I. and have really enjoyed the ladies I have met, the Zumba and the talk on Garden Design which I went to. I never thought I would join up (I could never be so old!) but decided to investigate....for now I just wanted the pleasantness without having to organise ( I have organised in so many organisations in my time- from the Toddler Group I set up, to the PTA I initiated , Governors etc- now I just want to relax & join in ).

D2 and offspring have gone home- the house is still full- but seems empty without them.

We sent in our joint selfie and donation for continued research to Breast Cancer Campaign- with all these daughters, grand daughters and nieces, I hope the research helps their generations- it worries me that breast cancer will hit them as it did me.

Text  CURE     to 70660 to donate £3 to Breast Cancer Campaign or what about to Movember if prostate cancer has affected your family?

zzzzz

I won't be blogging for long as sleep time is so important.

Our grandchild is fun! She will not sleep on her back; these days there are so many (often contradictory) rules given out by the professionals- but we have also tried the traditional remedies for screaming too. She will not lie on her back eg to sleep in her Moses basket- so we all take turns in staying up to have her sleep more upright -on our chests. Could it be reflux? Everyone has given the parents- & grandparents- remedies but she screams on. The Expelair (on full) works whereas the  'white noise' 'machine' does not.
Currently there is a hush because she is with her mummy being fed while her daddy sleeps & we cook tea/ do the washing etc

We will get there.......

Welcome to the world little one

'The best laid plans of mice and men aften gang astray ' according to Rabbie Burns and certainly the arrival of another baby in the family caused all of my plans to disappear out the window! Heavens! She is gorgeous!

Before her arrival we managed to go to the 'Customs House' in South Shields twice; first to see 'Tyne'- a play with wonderful music/folk/song/pictures/acting and scripted by a eclectic mix of writers- Julia Darling, Tom Hathway, Alan Plater....and others. A story of our river through history and into the future- I could not get tickets when it was on at the Live theatre last year- and it is sold out, I hear, at the Theatre Royal- after last week at the Custom House.

Did you know I was a fan? of Joe McElderry?! A really canny Geordie lad- with an amazing voice; he says he will produce another classical cd sometime soon. His band (drummer) was too loud- but the part of the show Joe calls 'Juke Box Jury' where a member of the audience shouts out a song they'd like to hear him sing- he just sang any he knew and sang wonderfully- with no drummer so we could hear the glorious sound of his voice. The audience though was something else! I have never seen as many tattoos and dancing pints in plastic pots!

I must......

I must improve! I have to get down to writing every day..... but life is so busy- and that is not just me hiding behind excuses.

I could have hit the computer this morning but a clear blue sky and a gap before a birthday lunch with friends meant time was on my side- and the garden is really getting to me; I managed to prune roses -I am trying a new pruning time as I normally snip in November but so many gardening books recommend that northern roses should be cut back in late Feb /beginning of March so I am giving that schedule a go this winter;after that I took out a hydrangea,  resited it and planted a scented sarcococca in the sheltered corner I had freed up.
Even now as I try to focus on the screen - I can see sunlight on nearby brickwork and my resistance is weakening; shall I get changed out of my 'party' clothes and get out there? but it was spitting on a few minutes ago.

Admittedly I have been 'deterred'- I have had a lot of visitors staying ; then one by one we all consecutively went down with a bug and in order to avoid the baby getting this virus, my bucket and I stayed in bed well away from everyone.

Oh, oh white paintwork outside is bright  and beckoning me. I must not look......

Upon recovery I went to a family birthday afternoon tea to Eshott Hall; the Hall is a country house which has been gentrified since we went trekking around Northumbria for the best venue for a family wedding reception. We tested/test via afternoon teas and a browse but often we have been wedding guests too. We walked across from the car park admiring the magnificent drifts of snowdrops and were delighted by the red squirrels scampering  up and down & nibbling on the bird feeders! The 12 of us were sat in a lovely room (we could see other parties sipping tea in  different rooms eg the drawing room/the library etc) around a large circular table.; the gluten free 3 tier plate was brought first then the general tray of sandwiches and another of cakes. We 'inspected' the function suite, toilets, and glimpsed candles being lit in the intimate sized dining room. For a smallish wedding (though the venue said 100day and 120 evening guests- hmm?!) this is a very nice setting. Photos taken on the staircase, with a beautiful large leaded window behind, would be beautiful.

The sky is pure blue, the sun is out, the wind has dropped and I'm off- secateurs in hand to prune a clematis Montana which has got out of hand- and further round the fence a dry, crisp, browny clematis- maybe a jackmanii? needs my attention.......

Film Review4-August:Osage County

Did I show you the orchids I got courtesy of  'Surprise Surprise'?

January's flowers

Oh what can happen between a family which includes 3 daughters! Three sisters can be so different- and often two can gang up against  the other one. Meryl Streep played a mother drugged on prescription medication and I felt for the eldest daughter who had marital problems of her own let alone that of sorting out her mother. Sometimes distance from the family can be so liberating.

February flowers from Bunches

Now which films to see next? 'Dallas Buyer's Club' is getting good reviews......

I am limited in activities at the moment so to keep myself busy

I thought I would knit- first size and plain- aaaagh! the pattern refers me all over between 4 cardigans-and I am not really a knitter (and too busy to learn at this age/stage) but I am going to look up old patterns on the internet to get a truly simple one.

Mud caked boots drying out

Recently we did do a little exercise... merely walking around Bolam Lake- clarty to say the least but up North we have had nothing like all the flooding the South have had; people always think the North gets bad weather but on the whole our weather is So much better than down south- well.... I better go watch Countryfile and check out what is going to hit us!

I do need some advice.... I have grown hyacinths in pots-a heavenly fragrance pervades right through the house BUT they lollop all over the place; any ideas what I have done wrong that they hang out of the pots- I hear Alan Titchmarsh suggests pushing florists' wire down the stem of each- how much time does he have on his hands? Mine get tied up with ribbons and that is about their lot! After flowering they will get dug into the garden to flower outside next year- well worth their price!