Tuesday 24 December 2013

Christmas Greetings

A very happy, peaceful, magical and wonderful Christmas to everyone, Jane x

Sunday 15 December 2013

Christmas countdown

We had the most lovely weekend in Menai Bridge. The cottage was a converted coach house in the garden of a much larger property. It was called Y Bwthyn and I fell in love with it! We just chilled the whole weekend, read lots of lovely books that were in the cottage, shopped at Waitrose every day, went to some of our favourite places on Anglesey, walked on the beach and on the Menai Straits.
I'm getting the house ready for Christmas and have spent yesterday and today decorating with all my treasured decorations, some of which go back a good thirty five years! I'm trying to have a massive clean and tidy as well. I'm going into hospital to have my little finger fused ( that old arthritis! ) on Friday so won't be doing much with my right had for a little while! I hope everyone is enjoying the run up to Christmas, Guilsfield Young Farmers carol service tonight, hope it all goes well.
Happy seasonal greetings to everyone! Jane x

Wednesday 27 November 2013

Off for the weekend

We are going away for our annual December break, walking, reading, shopping, eating and generally chilling out for a couple of days. I have booked a little cottage in Menai Bridge so we shall have some lovely walks along the glorious Menai Straits and re visit all our favourite places on Anglesey. I hope everyone has a lovely weekend, I'm sure we will. Jane x

Wednesday 6 November 2013

Winter on the way

I seem to have missed autumn! Our weather here is wild and wet and we've had some sleety showers. The air has that unmistakable chill to it. I've put the sensory garden at work to bed for the winter and at the moment we are busy sweeping the leaves up that keep falling down! I wish I was on top of my garden here at home!
Now the nights are dark, ive become a bit obsessed with knitting. I only feel confident doing smaller items and luckily have great nephews and nieces who don't mind having some home made outfits! I'm also knitting flowers to make broches and corsages and did a bright pink hot water bottle cover! Thoughts are turning to Christmas and wedding preparations are going well and we seem to be on target so far. I'm sure in the new year we will be busy! I had a lovely day with my daughter, the bride to be and my other daughter, the bridesmaid at the Wedding Show at the NEC in October. Great fun, but lots of people there!
We are hoping to go up to Anglesey for a long weekend at the end of the month, I'm really looking forward to that. Love to everyone, Jane x

Monday 9 September 2013

Plums Glorious Plums!

My neighbour very kindly gave me some excess plums from their garden over the weekend. Two days and many plums later I have made the following; five plum crumbles, two plum clafoutis, four pounds of spicy plum chutney, four pounds of plum jam and I also managed to freeze six pounds! Phew! I've also made strawberry and gooseberry jam, pickled some beetroot and my next project is tomatoes. Lots of different tomato chutneys and relishes to last over the winter. Very satisfying!

Thursday 5 September 2013

Looking back over the summer

What a lovely summer we've had. I hope everyone has enjoyed it. I've spent long happy days in the garden at home and in the sensory garden at work. Oh and at my daughter's garden too! We had a wonderful five days in Paris with our two daughters. We stayed at a lovely apartment, in Versailles called L'Escapade Versailles. It was situated in the centre of Versailles a stones throw from the chateaux and was beautifully appointed. We all loved it and wouldn't hesitate to go back. We spent two days exploring Paris and two days exploring Versailles. I loved both Paris and Versailles, I want to back!
Unfortunately both my mum and my mum in law have been I'll over the summer, but both seem on the mend now.
We also had a lovely day with some friends who came up for lunch, lots of catching up to do! We only manage to meet about once a year at the moment but my friend and I go back thirty years to student nurse days! Have an enjoyable weekend everyone x

Sunday 14 July 2013

Blazing July

What glorious weather! Long hot, sunny days to enjoy. After the rain of spring, the countryside looks beautiful and just how it should at the height of summer.
Yesterday we spent the day at Llandanwg, one of my very favourite places at the coast. And I have many favourite places! There was a flower festival in the little church, St Tanwyg's in the dunes with the arrangements reflecting a number of welsh poets poems, including Hedd Wyn, Sion Lewis and the famous anonymous Sospan Fach!
My garden is looking very dry and some of the flowers past their best but my orange blossom and honeysuckle are beautiful and I have a lovely pink gypsophila out.
I hope everyone has been enjoying this lovely weather, back to work tomorrow! Hope everyone has a good week x jane

Saturday 8 June 2013

Countdown

I'm so excited! My elder daughter and her fiancé have set the date! My head is filled with flowers, colours, food, wine, home made confetti, lists and ooo all sorts of lovely things. Also weight loss, not so lovely but I will try to shed a few pounds to fit in my dream mother of the bride dress! Can I start thinking about what i'm going to wear? Yes, I think I can! A happy and sunny weekend to everyone x

Monday 3 June 2013

Sunny days

The last few days have been glorious. We sneaked a weekend away in a pod doing a bit of "glamping" up at the coast just above Barmouth. On Saturday morning we walked high into the hills above Barmouth getting the most spectacular views over Cardigan Bay and to the Rhinogs. A wander around Barmouth and Harlech followed and a really lovely meal at Bistro Bermo in Barmouth to top the day off. I can't recommend Bistro Bermo highly enough, fantastic fresh food, mainly fish. On Sunday we spent the day at Llandanwg, a national trust spot with a great beach, field to sit in out of the wind, a church in the sand dunes and a great little cafe for an ice cream, perfect! Back to work today, well I gardened all day in our sensory garden, I can't really call that work! It was a pleasure to be with my little group. This week promises more sunshine, I hope you all enjoy it and make the most of it, Jane x

Monday 6 May 2013

Blue skies

What a beautiful day! Warm and sunny from beginning to end. I've spent the morning cleaning out the garage, visiting my Mum, Dad and sister and my daughter. Then a bit of pottering in the garden followed by a lovely, lovely walk around some lanes a couple of miles from here. So quiet, just some lambs bleating, some birdsong and the most fantastic views over to the Berwyns, the section near Bala. A distance of about thirty miles. In the other directions, views to Trawscoed, Brookland, Llanerchyddol and Powys, country houses and castle. Beautiful rolling hills and the Long Mountain in the distance across the Severn Valley, Welshpool hidden from view. Back to work tomorrow but a truly lovely day today. Hope everyone enjoyed the weekend x

Tuesday 9 April 2013

Sunshine and a lush landscape

Just back home from a wonderful holiday in Northern Majorca, Puerto Pollensa and the lovely Hotel Uyal which overlooks the beach and mountains of the bays of Pollensa and Alcudia.
We really did have a lovely time. It was strange to see the lushness of the island after all our snow!  Majorca too has had some strange weather, a very wet and warm March with some significant snow fall on the Tramuntama mountain range. We had one very wet afternoon and evening but otherwise the temperature averaged 24 degrees, just right!
We went to our favourite old towns of Pollensa and Alcudia and spent a day in the wonderful city of Palma. Palma is lovely city with its huge cathedral overlooking the port and the city. The old part of the city is just right for wandering, the squares made for sitting with a coffee and watching the world go by and the large department store El Corte Ingles made for retail therapy!
We have been visiting Majorca now for over twenty years, the island has everything, great beaches, peacefull countryside, mountain ranges, sleepy towns and villages, bustling Palma, beautiful churches,  lovely architecture, art and culture, walking, cycling, just about everything and only two and a bit hours from Manchester airport, perfect!
It was back to work today, lovely to see everyone and catch up. I hope you all had a lovely Easter, Jane x

Saturday 23 March 2013

Be careful out there

Yesterday, I would have looked at the snow in wonder, all be it faintly annoying. But yesterday afternoon our car turned over on the snow and ice with my husband and son in it. Thankfully they are fine, very lucky, the stiffness and shock will go and the car can be replaced. Be carefully everyone out there x

Saturday 16 March 2013

Champions

Well done Wales! What a win, really enjoyed the six nations as always. And well done to Italy for a great tournament too x

Something big to look forward to

I am so excited, I can hardly contain myself. Last summer, we fell in love with Paris and Versailles and vowed to go back. I have just booked an apartment for five days in the heart of Versailles. There will be me and hubby, elder daughter and hopefully younger daughter too. We found the perfect apartment in Montmartre which unfortunately was booked but then, then found an apartment overlooking a courtyard in the centre of the old town in Versailles. Wonderful x Ps Happy Saturday to everyone and come on Wales!!

Saturday 9 March 2013

Time

I can't quite believe we are in the middle of March, three weeks today we will be on holiday in the lovely Puerto Pollensa in the north of Majorca. It was so lovely to have some dry sunny days, the sensory garden at work is looking tidy and ready for spring. I love the garden there and wish my own looked as good! But I have had a nice show of snowdrops and trees and shrubs have buds appearing and my daffodils are in bud. I didn't have any in bloom for St David's Day but made sure I had some bunches in the house and at work.
I hope all Mum's have a great day tomorrow, I have just spent a nice morning having coffee with my mum in our garden centre, Derwen Garden Centre in the village and a spot of retail therapy in a little boutique in a nearby village, called Daisy Blue Boutique. They sell purplish tunic dresses, lazy jacks clothing, some lovely silver jewellery and great bags for all occasions.
On Wednesday, I took both Mum's to Gregynog Hall for a light lunch. This was the home of the famous Davies sisters who did some much for the cultural benefit of Wales. The house and grounds now belong to the University of Wales and the setting, gardens and walks are lovely. The courtyard cafe and gift shop is a treat too. So, a busy week but a lovely one. Take care everyone x


Thursday 31 January 2013

Signs of Spring

Well, where did January go?! We had lots of snow followed by flooding along with rain and gales. There are signs of spring though. The days are drawing out, over a month now since the shortest day. I have snowdrops out in the garden, buds appearing on trees and shrubs and some primroses out.
We have just come back from a short but perfect break in a lovely cottage in the middle of the Llyn Peninsula. Some bracing beach walks, good food and a bit of shopping made for a perfect post Christmas break. On the way home we called at Portmerion, that wonderful Italianate village designed by Clough Williams Ellis. It never fails to delight. Thank you for reading my blog x

Tuesday 1 January 2013

First walk of the year

Today we parked the car in Welshpool and walked through lovely Powys Park to Powys Castle, home of the Earls of Powys and long ago, Clive of India. It's a walk we do frequently, the views of the park, castle and Severn valley are truly lovely. A coffee halfway at the national trust cafe, then we walked down to the main road and back along part of the Montgomeryshire canal back into Welshpool. A few people about but I think I saw more deer in the park than people! Hope everyone had an enjoyable New Years Day. One more day and then it's back to work, it's been a lovely break.

2013

Happy New Year everyone, have a happy, fun, love filled 2013, Jane x