Olympic Torch comes through Stafford

Laura, Mary and myself walked into town to watch the Olympic Torch Relay come through Stafford.
It was so exciting to be a part of it, so many children, so many flags and torches, free bottles of olympic cola drinks given out.
Here are some pics of the procession and the Torch Bearer.

 We waited right here by the side of The grapes pub, bedecked with flags, and Olympic Banners.

Martin and Laura waiting

Mary in festive mood

Little me waiting with gary, out of pic

Here it all comes

 Its a convoy of vehicles, promoting all sorts of things with the Olympic logo on it.

 HERE look here, or you will miss it, the Torch Bearer, Olympic Torch aloft as he goes through the Town.

 After all the razzamataz..........................................................................some of us

went to the park with fish and chips and sat out watching some crown green bowling. After a pint in The sun inn of course.

1st Wedding Anniversary

A lovely evening at Martin and Lauras with family and friends as we celebrated their first wedding Anniversary.

The May evening sun shone for us, it was lovely and warm for us all to be outside, and enjoy ourselves.

Here are the Happy Couple, our Martin and laura on their first Wedding Anniversary.

Here we all are in a line up, waiting for the camera , left to right are Matt Jeffs, who was best man at the wedding. Chris and Mary Teitge, lauras mum and dad. ME  martins mum. Joanna pierce at the back of laura. Laura and Martin. Reccy, Andy Cooper , Gary , martins dad, and Chris Teitge Lauras dad.

Another photo, same line up different photo.

Then it was off home and a look at the evening sky as we ended the day, with all our best wishes to a long and very happy future together, and Congratulations to Martin and Laura.

Sherbrook Valley walk

What a glorious Maytime we are now enjoying, out in the garden and the countryside all the flowers are catching up with blooming after nearly two months of rain.
A taste of summer, so we thought today it was time for a picnic over the chase, so we walked down into Sherbrook valley and sat by the stream.



A Shire horse crosses the water splash




Another rider does the same

  Lots of walkers, cyclist horse riders were out enjoying the early morning the same as we were.

 Now isnt this just as pretty as a picture, literally, the lovely sound of water, so calm and restful.

We so enjoyed our picnic, and sat for an hour or so soaking up much needed sunshine, with a read of the days papers. Lovely to get out and see the world after being cooped up with the previous months rainfall. Lucky to have the Chase on our doorstep, much better than saturday shopping in town.

Cake and Create Jubilee meetup

The Queens Diamond Jubilee is nearly here, so as we wont be meeting up on the actual date of her Majestys Coronation, we decided it would be our theme for this evening, and wore our red white and blue accessories.We had the best time, the weather was just right,a warm summery evening, so we sat down in my garden with our crochet hooks to do our red white and blue themed crochet , which seems appropriate.
We had some wine to drink, then later tea and cupcakes.

Some delicious Union Jack decorated cupcakes made by our lovely Zoe,,they were yummy.My union jack cups and crocheted 60 year tea pot cover.Note the madness of the regal crown on the top haha.

Next a sip of wine or pomegranite juice down the garden, while we crocheted some medal type floral brooches.We raised a toast to THE QUEEN. Very British we were if only for the evening, well it is a one in a lifetime Jubilee for all of us.

There were fancy, hats and a Jubilee wordsearch game that Zoe found for us on the computer.
In this pic Laura and Zoe crocheting .

Of course there was a bit of glam to the occasion see Zoe with her Union Jack, looking very Glitzy.

Lauras glorious Union Jack Leggings, go Laura you look fabulous in those, just right for the occasion

And these are the brooches, that we made for Jubilee week to come, mine is far left, lauras in the middle, Zoes far right looking very military.
It was a great night, we all enjoyed ourselves, lets have a great Jubilee weekend.

Happy Birthday Owen

7 years old..Happy Birthday...New Birthday Bike

Loving picture of Owen and mummy

School this morning and still a smile

Happy Birthday, lovely Grandson of ours,  7 years gone by so quickly. These photos were taken at 8 20 in the morning, me still in nightie mode. How Great to see you on your Birthday morning on your new Birthday Bike .   Happy Birthsay.....................................................................all day xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A glimpse

Well after my last ranty post about no sign of the sun, I was out in the garden and behind a cloud a glimpse of....

the sun! as you can see not a great glimpse, but it reassured me behind every cloud there is a silver lining.

Rain, Thunder, Lightening!!May?

We have full buckets of water, tubs of water, If we could get the bath outside that would be full of water too.
Talk about the rain it raineth everyday. If Noah comes again this could be his NEW flood.
Today we experienced a thunderstorm with hail thunder and lightening, its May, May do you hear me Mother Nature, time of Blossom, sweet caressing breezes and sunshine, get your act together, I want the sun to shine and be able to sit outside in the garden, plant up hanging baskets without all this miserable weather.
What do you say Mother Nature, go on answer for yourself and show me we are going to have some sun.

   

This is my request for the month of June and for the rest of the summer see what you can do Mother Nature, before I go completely off my trolley with depressive rain illness!!

Bluebell walk in May

The Bluebell walk at Sugnall has been on my calendar now since the start of the year. After last years Bluebell walk there, it was time to experience the lovely sea of Blue again.

It was the most enjoyable walk, especially with family, Martin and Laura... we stopped off for a cuppa tea in Eccleshall on the way back. Laura took some great photos which she is entering in the Newsletter, so hopefully they will get published.

May, Our Garden

So May has arrived and not much better weatherwise, still enjoying the drought with all our buckets and vessels outside to catch the rain!!
In the interlude today, when a teeny bit or brightness shone I went down the garden to take a few pics of what is happening. Our man in the potting shed will be out and about from now till October, I know that for a fact because I am his BOSS.
Here are a few photos of my mans gardening prowess.

 The salad crops are coming on lovely we have already eaten a crop of mixed salad leaves.

Peas just started growing

Tomato plants

Lettuce

Beans

These Aquilegia we bought from town for about a pound, plus two pots of outdoor lillies at a bargain price of £2, cheaper than at the garden centre.

Aquilegia

Pieris forest flame

Euphorbia

 A lot of the vegetables are not going out for one simple reason and that is we are being raided by Squirrels who eat and destroy everything tender they come across. Today they raided the tubs with carrot plants in, took the netting off and trampled the pot and ate all the seedling, pests!

However the ordinary plants such as the Aquilegia, roses, and shrubs are being left alone, obviously not on the squirrels diet.
The border is coming along well without any help as it is planted with perennials, the best sort of planting and cost effective as they come up year after year.

My mom bought me this apple tree for mothers day

Isnt this lovely, In April it was no more than a stick with bare roots that we purchased for £6 from Asda, I tell you no bargain escapes my eye. So when mum gave me some money for Mothers Day, she thinks all mothers should have a present/ who am I to complain. I had fancied one of these trees and there were three left.
Now look at it the 2nd of May and has its own Blossom.So i rand her to say how lovely it was, she was so pleased.
Obviously my man in the garden is looking after it with tender loving care, just like he looks after me.
So thats it, our gardening year has begun, gardeners world is on on a friday evening, we have the malvern show to look forward too on tv, hampton court flower show, Chelsea. Then there are are the National Garden Scheme gardens to look forward to visiting.OOh so much to enjoy in the coming months.