Jack's a great grandad

And he wants everyone to know.

How's that for a proud great grandad!

Guernsey Wine

It ages since I wrote about life's little pleasures but they are so important.  And this must be just about the simplest pleasure there can be.  It's water.

I'm not talking about fancy mineral water but rather the stuff which appears when I turn the tap.  Actually I'm not keen on drinking it when it is straight out of the tap.  Rather I keep several Kilner bottles in the fridge so that I can drink it when it's really cold.  

It matters to me that I serve it (just to myself) in something which makes it look special.  Each evening I fetch a bottle through to drink as I watch TV or do my sewing or knitting.  With my "artisan" styled bottles and a nice glass I feel as though I am pampering myself.  The recent weather in Lincolnshire gives me great confidence that my pampering won't be coming to an end any day soon.

When I was a little girl my parents took me on holiday to Guernsey.  Each night they had wine but the waiter served me water in a very stylish carafe and told me it was Guernsey Wine.    I can't remember his name but his impact on my life, in just this small way, has been so important.  

Semi Finished Project (and an Ooops!)

Amy came but did she have anywhere to sleep?

If she'd come just a month earlier the answer would have been a resounding NO!!!  That was definitely A Project.

By the time she came I'd used a rich mix of decluttering, dash-and-stash and disguising stuff and she was met with 

But I have to be honest, dash-and-stash had been quite important so quite a bit had to go back so it now looks like this.

There's still a lot of stuff but each of those boxes contains a single UnFinished Object so I can now finish a few and maybe have the room looking a bit more like when Amy came than how it looked before she said she was coming.

My apologies if you have also read this post on my other blog. I put it there by mistake but it is really proper to this blog.  

A Railway Station with a Bit of Pizzazz!

On the way in one passes the Fat Controller.

When Amy came she travelled by train and I collected her from our local railway station at Market Rasen.  Market Rasen station has been adopted by the local community and there's nothing soulless about it.  It's a quiet country station with quite a few quirks.

He watches over raised beds of vegetables

He obviously likes Lincoln Red cattle as he's he's allowed some to be painted in an old window

Some people wait a long time for a train.

but there's a lending library in the old waiting room

Gunby Hall

Gunby Hall

I've had a lovely staycation for Amy's visit and it's made a great start to Jam in June.  Usually May is a jam month but I was too busy so I'm Embracing Jam in June.  (Hover here for what a Jam Month is.)

Amy and I both enjoy visiting gardens and we're both members of the National Trust so off we went to Gunby Hall, the nearest National Trust property to me.  I've never visited it before, I'm ashamed to say, but this first visit won't be my last.  I couldn't go into the house as it's not very accessible, but Amy said it was lovely.  Instead I went around the gardens without too much difficulty. 

I love looking at garden views which invite one in.  Open gates, paths with an unseen destination or paths with overhanging branches which create arches all do this for me and Gunby has them in abundance.  

The flowers are traditional English garden plants with a wonderful balance of colour with muted shades and bright, zingy highlights.

And I came away wanting to know more.  Can someone tell me the name of this plant?

Joyfully into June

I'm looking forward to June but before it starts there's May to be wrapped up,

It's been a busy month.  No funerals - but two baptisms, I conducted services on each Sunday and two  Sundays I took two services.  This is unusual for me and I don't really like doing it but needs must.

It's been a great month for meeting up with friends for coffee and/or lunch.

I've increased my step count to its highest daily average (over the course of one month) ever.

I've been doing a lot in both the garden and the house.

So what does June hold?

Well yesterday I took my final service in The Kelsey Group before their new vicar starts on Thursday.  Apart from a wedding and one weekday service (no sermon needed) I have no bookings this month and I'm rather looking forward to sitting in a pew on Sundays.

I have a friend coming to stay for a few days and I will treat that time as a staycation for me as well.

My garden is calling loudly not just to be worked in but to be enjoyed.

I've got several lunches, picnics, and board games sessions organised.

Brilliant!