Blue Skies, taken mid June.

A collection of photos I took some time mid June. We had a really nice couple of days and I took these outside my daughter’s house at about 4 in the afternoon.

Art Sunday; Blue Skies

Art Sunday; Blue Skies

Today I’ve chosen a couple of paintings roughly linked by the theme ‘Blue Skies. These paintings ‘fit’ with the way I feel right now, happy, tired after a long day in the sun and with a head full of blue skies, fluffy white clouds and birds singing in the trees. A perfect summers day. These paintings have a happy whimsical feel to them.

The Wedding by Chagall


The Blue Window by Matisse.


Ladders Cross the Blue Sky in a Wheel of fire by Miro


Black Magic by Magritte


Blue Star by Miro


Blue Sky by Kandinsky

Blue Skies; music for the weekend.

Today the rain has gone and we have blue skies. I’ve spent the whole day in the garden. I’d like to say I’ve been working away all day; truth is I spent long periods just sitting listening to the birds and enjoying the sunshine. I did do quite a lot of work, but its only a small garden and I was out there for hours, Which gave me plenty of time to just sit. I enjoy just sitting in the garden watching the world go by.

Bob Marley-I can see clearly now. (HQ)



Allman Brothers Band - Blue Sky







ELO - Mr.Blue Sky (Original Promo)

Rain, Rain, Rain, etc etc etc.................................

OK so now I'm behaving true to sterio-type and (yet again) talking about the weather. We have just had two days of glorious sunshine where I managed to do most things that needed doing in the garden. By yesterday evening the ground had dried to the point where the new plants needed a water and a feed and I almost emptied the water butt doing this. Today; it is raining, its not just persistent rain, its heavy rain, I can't believe so much rain has fallen in my garden in such a short time. I've been out twice today in this rain to empty my assorted buckets into my rapidly filling water butt. Those new plants, lovingly planted, watered and fed yesterday almost floated away today. While I was out there I checked on my pond. My poor tadpoles were being washed over the side, I took three whole buckets of water from the pond to make it safe for the tadpoles and as the rain shows no sigh in stopping any time soon, I'm off to check again. This is the most bizarre weather pattern I've ever know in any summer.

Garden 2012 no 13

Garden 2012 no 13

This is what my garden looks like from the street. I can’t imagine why my daughters tell me it’s a mess……….I quite like it looking a little wild. The only bad thing in the garden today was the ant infestation in the compost bin, but that was sorted and I think its going to be OK.

A quick update, I’m tired and heading for bed soon. I’ve been out digging and playing in the garden all day and its worn me out. I’m sure you remember me saying I was planning on digging up the wild area behind the pond once all the bluebells had finished.

(before the big dig)

Well, they finished a while ago, and today was warm, dry, sunny and an ideal gardening day, so off I went. It took me all day but I did it. I dug up a bucket full of bluebell bulbs which have all been replanted. I also dug up a whole heap of periwinkle which is trimmed, cleaned and sitting in the bag waiting for my daughter to collect. Digging up established periwinkle is no easy task, I’m so glad it was only a small area, not sure I would have managed any thing bigger. I’ll need to give it another dig over and then dig in some of the chicken pellet manure before I can plant there, but I feel it was a day well spent.

(After the big big)

More fruit was ready today. I’m getting enough strawberries to have a couple either on my cereal or with ice cream most days.

The white currant bush was heavy with fruit and I noticed some of the currents had already been eaten by the birds. I knew I had to get them  in today because, I know from experience,  once the birds start eating currents, they don’t stop until they are all gone. I think I’ve got enough to mix with some apple and make white jam.

Art Sunday; Cake Art

Been a bit bust this weekend, had family staying, been out for a birthday meal and now I'm left with one grandchild who is staying for the rest of the week. School holidays must be a nightmare for parents, I didn't realise how much child care actually costs but to send two children to 'holiday club' while the parent works costs a minimum of £15.00 per child per day. That ads up to a huge chunk of wages, which is why I've ended up with one child for the week. This way at least my daughter only has to pay for one child to go to holiday club.

I've not even thought about Art Sunday until now, and all I can think of is 'cake'. But that's OK because these days cake making is quite an art form. This is the lady who makes the cakes for me. I used to work with her until her 'hobby' grew into a demanding business and she didn't have the time to go to work any more. She resigned and now spends her days creating cakes for special occasions.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cakes-by-Momo-x/223012644431795

these are just a few of the cakes she has made but there are literally hundreds more on her FB site.

She's not the only one out there specializing in novelty cakes;
 
This is a  gardener cake from

http://www.om-nanya.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/pic-of-the-day.jpg

A Van Gogh cake from here

http://img.chan4chan.com/img/2011-01-26/1296058060964.jpg

A sewing machine cake from here

http://towse.com/wordpress/2007/04/28/amazing-cake-art/

A treasure chest cake from here

http://englishrussia.com/2007/04/19/cake-art/

And.........couldn't miss this, the famous 'cake car' advert

A birthday, grandchildren staying and some music.

Tonight I have three grandchildren staying, their mothers are out celebrating the youngest birthday. My youngest daughter is 29 tomorrow, oh how old that makes me feel. Her cake has a picture of Bertha her horse on it. Before they went out I made cheese pasta with lashings of cheese and fresh basil with a side dish of potato salad made from freshly dug potatoes  served with fresh mint and chives.
I've just bedded the younger two and I'm sat here watching my all time favourite movie, 'Avatar' with my eldest grandson, he's almost 11. I couldn't decide on my music choice tonight and on a whim, I asked him. This, apparently, is the music of choice for my almost 11 yr old grandson. It seems to fit the mood of the moment.