Sunday 29 April 2012

Let's try a Sunday Summary on a Sunday :)

Cylamen at Colesbourne Park

It's been cool and wet recently, and bugs abound. I caught one of them which slowed me down this week, so I haven't done much.

One thing I did do was start work on a timetable, thanks to inspiration from pearlsideways one of my fellow students on Holly Lisle's writing course. Pearsideways' timetable looked so colourful and fun that I wanted one all of my own. The amount of pleasure choosing colours and organising my time was enormous! I'd had numerous tries at this before but on paper. The colour was the magical factor which made it work :) Thanks pearlsideways! More on this tomorrow over on my writing blog.

No gardening this week because of rain. After two dry winters and a corresponding low water table, it's now raining continuously. There is still a drought order in the Midlands. Most of the rain is running off and disappearing into rivers. The danger of this is flooding. No flooding here yet but the little river through our village has been transformed from its usual sluggish flow into something resembling a torrent. It's still within its banks but only just.

Rain brought chaos to Sudeley Castle spring fair. Parking, as is usual for these sort of events, was in a nearby field. Continuous rain for a few days and hundreds of cars meant mud. Lots of it. Thick and gloopy! I managed to keep forward momentum in the car but had less luck on foot :D

We didn't stay long as the marquee was too crowded but before leaving we bought some delicious salami produced in the Cotswolds, and some hand cream, made with olive oil, from Florence, Italy. It has the most tantalising perfume from lavendar, rosemary, juniper, lemon and mint to name a few: warm, spicy and fragrant. Mmmmmmmmm. Summer in a tube.

My desk diary has a picture of a tulip this week. In the interests of brightening up an otherwise dull week, here are some more tulips, taken a couple of years ago at Hidcote.

Tulips in Container, Garden Yard, Hidcote

I was going to use this during May - that's the month it was taken - but its hot, zingy colour is just what's needed today. The view from my window shows branches whipping back and forth in a gale with rain lashing down from grey skies. Orange tulips counterbalance the grey day very nicely :)

More brightness, and at least a suggestion of sunshine, from the ancient Egyptian evening class which started this week after a long Easter break. Amazing to think of living in a country where there is so much sunshine and so little rain...

Hope your week is brightened by lots of sunshiney things :)



4 comments:

  1. I love the tulips!

    You may think your life is rather dull, but (aside from Mr. Prue's illness) it sounds delightfully pleasant and very English. Just the setting for a cosy mystery!

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  2. Thanks for reminding me how fortunate I am, Rabia :)
    Everything seems to get overshadowed by Mr Prue's illness at present.

    But the birds are singing, the garden is looking fresh and green and the church bells are ringing -- it's practice night tonight :)

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  3. What a little ray of sunshine this post is!
    We are suffering from similar weather, but the tulip picture was just the reminder I need to know that spring is just around the corner. :)

    But you know what? A rainy night makes a great night for writing. ;)

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    1. Thanks Kirsten.
      Those tulips are certainly bright.

      I take your point about rain. Will put it into action as it is pouring down again! :)

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