Getting ready for a new deck ... plus a quilting winter challenge in progress

Well, the old one has given great service and some of it is still fine but much has had too much weather.

and lots of it will be recycled into some raised beds. This summer the beds along the fence have already given us so many peppers and aubergines.

It's wonderful to have a garden with lots of place to relax ... not that we need the hot tub at the moment!

Yesterday was also hedge trimming day.

I'm amazed at how much variety there is and now we can see all of it including the Medlar Tree full of unripe fruit that Poppy seems to love. Half chewed bits appear in odd places and surprisingly, the bits she swallows don't seem to have any ill effects!

And in other news I've started the Mole Valley Quilters Winter Challenge piece ...  A4 sized and using a small square of given fabric and my stash.


Here it is in progress and try as I may I cannot import it edited to be the correct way up! If you know how to do this please leave the answer below!

I keep fiddling with the lake and trees bit ... and have no idea how to best fix in place!  Updates may be posted and maybe the right way up.

Off now to make some banana bread with fruit that has ripened at speed in this heat ... back soon.

The final kitchen at Enmatte ...

Finally, Enmatte has a wonderful kitchen, its been a while in the making but its all we planned and hoped for.

It's spacious, with enough room for several cooks and their helpers, and possibly dogs underfoot!

One of its best features is the compost bin in the scene of the island. The wood surface can be used as a chopping board but so far I've not taken a knife to the beautiful surface!

 Its amazing how knocking down the walls between two small rooms and a dark hallway has given us this great front of house family space.

 

Perhaps, most importantly, it's proving to be a cool place to cook this heatwave summer -so nice to see so much of the garden from a room we spend lots of time in.

Off now for a cup of tea and meringue -the inevitable  byproduct of keeping hens and having new oven that need cheating out!!!

52poetry fest in Stratford

What better place could there be for a 52poetry meet up and the launch of the 52 Anthology than the Bard's hot, sunny, busy town.

Great to meet poets that I'd previously only known through our closed FB group where much posting and critiquing of poems went on every week in 2014 and for some for a few weeks after that. An early Tapas supper at the Marina Cafe was replete with introductions and followed by a reading by the Festival's poet in residence and our very own 52 leader, Jo Bell.

I escaped the crowds on Saturday morning by following little yellow arrows for several mies along the Avon, out into the beautiful Warwickshire countryside and back again to town where the River Festival was in full flow and there were more Morris Dancers that you could shake sticks at.

The 52 picnic was in the garden of Hall's Croft ...

with a first sighting of the 52 anthology and much chattering.

Some of us were lucky enough to have our names chosen from the HAT to read later on in the afternoon and finally, we found the pub, good ale and fine food.


So, a meet up, a reading and a book, with another one to come -all important aspects of the 52 project but none as important as the community of wonderful poets that developed during 2104 and has continued to thrive.

I feel very blessed to be part of that community, to have a place (still) to post a poem and receive honest feedback, and to have made many many poet friends.

Encouraging, inspiring and one of the pluses of social media.

I'm hoping to be here more regularly throughout the summer, posting updates on the house in France (especially the Kitchen) and, of course, pics of the family and (more likely) the dogs.

Out and about in this wonderful sunshine

So difficult to be inside when its sunny outside but at least there's Wimbledon to watch until the garden is cool enough to sit it.

I'm posting some pics of a lovely day at the Goodwood Festival of Speed .. not obviously my thing but was a guest of some friends on warm and sunny day. Lots to see on the track, including 'trick' riding of cars and motorcycles, some very good jazz to enjoy while sipping champagne and much to look at around and about.

Came home from the weekend away via Tichfield Haven nature reserve, a quiet and bird-full spot very close to where we used to live in Warsash.

Plenty of birds to see, its a real challenge for me to recognise what is what but really enjoyed watching this Avocet and her chicks feeding and then Mum sleeping on one leg - impressive!











Time now to get ready for a poetry reading at Camden Poetry this evening ...  I'm first to read so I'll be able to relax and enjoy everyone else's poems after the two short ones I've chosen.

Enjoy the wonderful summer weather everyone.