Cancer and the future

This picture just looks like a tin with a tablet.

However it is so much more.

This is my last tablet for Cancer treatment that I started five years ago.

I was truly blessed to have the surgeon Asmaa Al-Allak to perform the surgery. So I have been sewn up by the 2023 winner of The Great British Sewing Bee!

Asmma was an amazing lady in so many ways and I’m very blessed to have met her.

Life events over the last five years have meant I’ve never really acknowledged I even had Cancer! For many people it is a life changing experience, for me it was a blur. 

However this last tablet is a symbol to me of what happened, but more importantly what I have to look forward to.

Life has given me an incredible opportunity to meet new friends, explore life in my brilliant camper, spend precious time with my incredible Son and his equally brilliant Girlfriend.

But most importantly the chance to finally focus on my passion for designing knitwear.

My Garden

I love my garden, it is years in the making with plants and ornaments from so many places.

I thought it would be lovely to record it so I can look back and see it grow, literally! 

It used to be grass but is now all patio with a small border around the edge which has a mixture of bushes and bulbs which are a surprise each year they come up. 

The house is in an estate and unfortunately over looked from every angle.  So my aim is to have plants that will grow many feet tall and enclose the garden so it's hugging you when you sit outside. 

I was walking home one day and this lovely plant stand was out on the street.  So I knocked on the owners door and she'd left it out for the scrap man as she didn't want to re paint it.  I love it as it is. 

The welcome signed was a £3 bargain from a holiday last year, it's such a happy sign. 

The Singer stand was free years ago was being got rid of at my old work premises. 

The teapot was a gift from a fellow knitting friend. 

The pallet was free from Howden's who are opposite where I work, which I painted. 

The Sara sign was a birthday gift many years ago. 

The Campervan planted which is very heavy was another birthday gift. 

The Frog bird table I bought last year from a garden centre near Blenheim Palace. 

This bird table my lovely Mum kindly gifted me and is often used. 

This elaborate brick was from a salvage yard in South Molton, Devon. 

This lizard was from Malvern flower show many years ago. 

The pretty ironwork was from Lidl and the wooden heart from North Wales. 

This planter used to be a water butt that was cut down. 

The lovely plague is from my last holiday abroad in Bulgaria in 2017!

This lady statue is older than my Son so about 24 years old. 

The ironwork magazine wrack was a car boot find. 

For me my garden is about creating not only colour and plants but memories and is very precious to me. 

Keeping it local for Easter Sunday

I had a shocked today while out walking.  I have lived in my current home for 21 year's having left my parents home age 21 and lived in Cheltenham for 35 year's!

I have never fully settled here.  For me the town has everything I need and it is very handy for getting to many places for day trips and going on holiday.  

But it doesn't have a "community feel" like places like Skipton and Hay on Wye have when I have visited.

That being said I am very lucky to live in my lovely home and today instead of getting in my van I decided to stay local and had a lovely five mile walk with my trusty companion Luna.

Initially it looks like she wouldn't want to move!  But she loves her trips out

Something I really miss about living in the Cotswolds is being able to get to the coast, as it's a minimum of an hour plus drive.  So my walk by the River Chelt has to do. 

I do love to see people's gardens some are so pretty. 

On this particular walk I pass the first ever place I rented a room when leaving home, a very grand house.

There is the sweetest thatch cottage within feet of this property which is currently for sale, perfect if you have a spare £300k +

I headed out on a country road where you have the backdrop of Cleeve Hill and the company of many birds singing.

So all in all a nice relaxed way to just chill and enjoy my day. 

I hope you have all had a lovely day too. 

Welford Park snowdrops in the Spring

This weekend I drove an hour from home to visit Welford Park.

They have an incredible display of snowdrops that I had not seen before.  You can do a leisurly two mile walk around the grounds in the woods and see the stunning display.

The location is also the setting for the The Great British Bake Off which I do so love watching.

Nature weekend

Had a lovely weekend involving woods and autumn colours.

Tree hugging was involved.

Then a trip to Cleeve Hill today which was a little more damp than the weather app said!

But that did not distract from the stunning scenery.

Birthday trip away. Turning 56, feeling 40!

So how on earth may I ask did that happen.  

One minute your 30 off on a trip to Greece to celebrate.  The next your 56!!!  

On the other hand I am truly blessed to have the best person in my life, my Son who is 22 now and between him and his amazing girlfriend keep me both mentally and physically way younger. 

So basically I am now re living the last 16 years, but with the addition of being slightly older, but alot wiser! 

To celebrate my birthday it will be an extended affair thanks to said two people firstly involving a camping trip to my favourite country Wales! 

The first part of the fun having seen the oh so funny Susan Calman's Grand Days Out-South Wales where she had a trip on a boat around the bay at Cardiff.  So to my complete joy Son had organised a trip too!

We then after an amazing lunch in the Docklands headed to Museum Wales St Fagans what an amazing place.  So much history, great for walking.  They even had a craft fair where I may have purchased a skein of yarn!  

Day two, well this was up their on the absolute brilliant days, namely due to sea and an incredible Geological beach being involved!! 

We headed to Monknash Beach 

To get to the beach you walk down through this beautiful woodland where there is a small waterfall. 

I have never been on such a fascinating beach.  You have the headland which is full of thousands of years of history. 

Then you have rock pools, and the beautiful, beautiful sea. 

I was happy I spotted a fossil!! 

One of the eye opening things that both Son and girlfriend are very keen on is clearing any rubbish they find on the beach and are both strong supporters of 4 ocean a charity who's statement is 

"4ocean was founded on the belief that business can be a force for good and that the small choices we make every day, collectively, have the power to change the world.

Together, we can end the ocean plastic crisis and build a more sustainable future where humanity grows alongside nature, not at its expense."

In the space of 30 minute's we collected all this rubbish!! 

After the beach we headed to Dyffryn Gardens National Trust

The grounds where spacious and just lovely to walk around. At the moment you can not go into the house as it is under renovation. 

But both Son and I love books, he collects travel books, me novels.  We bagged ourselves 4 great books for £6! All of the money goes back into renovating the property a great idea the National Trust does. 

At the end of the walk we lead on the grass and I watched the clouds drift by, so much fun! 

The view from the campsite my last being 55!

The next morning on my birthday we woke to a beautiful day. 

Originally I was set to head off on a solo trip, but Son asked if I'd like to join them for a spontaneous day of surprise and fun.  

Well that was a no brainier!! 

Firstly we went to a lovely town called Cowbridge it was a really nice vibe to it. 

There they had a great Vintage shop Happy Days Vintage an eclectic mix of great things. 

Not least this beautiful chair that would look great in my house! 

After this whistle stop visit we headed to a place I didn't know was in Wales. 

The Royal Mint Experience for £17 you get an incredible tour and if you go on the weekend you can even go inside the factory where they make the coins.  It is well worth a trip. 

To finish off my birthday treat before I headed home we drove to this stunning Reservoir in the Brecon Beacons Pontsticill Reservoir. 

Created in 1927 it holds 15,400 mega litres of water in the 110 ft embankment. 

I'm times of very low water you can see the remains of the Chapel, built in 1829 that is now submerged in the bottom of the reservoir. 

I hope you have enjoyed my birthday festivities as much as I have!