Friday (2)

Proto Bonsai trees. Been trimming some of the  little trees today which friend John bought yesterday. Won't really be fit to be seen for a  year or so, after which (hopefully) they'll be fascinating.

Thursday (2).

Scruffy ole garden shed - but lovely flowers all around it.  Shed really is falling apart, but as we're planning a move,  I don't think  we'll be doing anything  much  about it.

Good night all.

Snapshots of corners of the garden, and (in the case of the strawberries) garden produce - had the first ones yesterday evening, and quite delicious they were too!  The hanging baskets are starting to look quite nice, too.

Thursday.

Yesterday our good  friends John and  Margaret Tinworth came and spent time with us. It was lovely to see them. John had bought with him a couple of small ash trees, which he has started to bonsai, knowing I shall enjoy turning them into miniature Japanese gardens. I have about ten of  these trees, from a small yew tree which I have been 'bonsaing' for about ten years now, through to the two ash trees John bought over yesterday.  Oh well - keeps me off the streets, I suppose. (Grandaughter (who is reading this epistle over my shoulder, is, at this point, murmuring "True, true'   in grndmotherly fashion rather than grand daughterly.  She has just capped it with a  "Youngsters these day!!!!"and an implied "Tut tut."

Tuesday.

 These photos were taken a few days ago - all in  the  south of the county.

I don't recall seeing any of them before.

Same with this one. I t is very self consciously pretty.  Worth stopping and snapping though.

Thursday.

Above is  a  snapshot of Cavendish in Suffolf, which lays claim to being the prettiest village in Suffolk, and is indeed, quite nice (so there!!!) Ann says "Kersey's better!!"  Recovering (I hope) from having left femur pinned - but seems a long job.  Resident  Grand daughter Beth is keeping an eye on this epistle and rushes in a bout every few minutes to hit the 'save button, which seems to keep things generallly  'on course'.

A few days  ago Zoe and her husband, Tim, came for a 'soupeee lunch'.  It was lovely to see  them. Going to press the 'send button' now to stop this letter from escaping again.

Above is a photo  taken a few days ago of  the village green  of Cavendish (one of themany villages inSuffolk which lays claim to  being  the prettiest villages in the  world/Great Britain/ England/ East Anglia, et cetera., and is, indeed, a very pretty village. 

Had my broken left femur pinned about three weeks ago.  I think matters are improving but it feels  a long drawn out process. Had a very kind visit a few days ago from Zoe and Tim.   

Sunday.

Took above photo of Cavendish earlier in the week on our way home from Clare. Pretty village green scene.

Took  this  photi earlier in the  week, on our  way home from Clare. I think it  is, therefore, the village green  of Cavendish.  It is supposed to be one of the prettiest villages in England - well East Anglia possibly, or South Suffolk anyway. Asked our Swedish granddaughters what they thought once, and they discussed the matter then decided that it was an impossible choice (sounding like elderly ladies of my youth  deciding that "comparisons are odious").  They eventually settled on Kersey as being the prettiest village they know. Couldn't argue with that.

Tuesday.

Took photograph of Clare Church on the way home from giving daughter Kerry lunch at a garden centre in Fordham. I've always rather liked this sundial over the Church porch. It seems to give the passer by such solidly good advice, instead of lingering about peering at sundials.

Friday.

Coming back from Sudbury a  week or so ago  we got a little lost in the  lanes, and found ourselves coming into Kersey from the  wrong end (as we see it) so took the above snapshot through the windscreen and a shower.

I must say I still find it difficult to recover snapshots from the camera and then to persuade them to develop themselves onto the  computer screen - sometimes it works - sometimes it don't. Still - must bash on regardless and hope.

Goodnight All. 

Thursday.

Yesterday we went to a funeral. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that we went to a memorial service held in Stowmarket Church in memory of Matthew Jack, who was husband of Ann's niece, Rebeccah.  They  had two children - Jacob, who is at Exeter University, and Megan, who is in her mid  teens and still at school.   Matthew was a teacher  (sports master) at Claydon School.  He was in his late forties, and always cycled the eight miles or so to school and back. He was out on Good Friday morning on his bicycle when he and a Land Rover were in collision  and he died as a result.  Stowmarket Church was crowded yesterday.  It was, of course, a very moving service.   I was particularly impressed that his widow, our niece Becky, was able to give a eulogy, as was their son Jacob.

 I think Becky and Matt started courting in their late teens, and they seem always to have been a couple,  so I was the more surprised to hear her quiet confidence when speaking of her husband; and although Jacob's voice shook a little at one stage, he recovered and played his part in the service manfully and well. That sort of thing restores one's confidence in the younger generation.

We've been in the habit of calling in on them, when we've been Stowmarket way (and vice versa), so we must make sure that we continue to stay in touch with them.

Tuesday.

Today senior daughter Sarah (and I'm not allowed to specify how senior she is!!!!)  motored over from the South Midlands, and we all three went out to lunch at Hollowtrees Farm Restaurant. Excellent lunch there, which we all enjoyed, and indeed lingered over. It is always very good value for money.  Got home and Sarah pottered round the garden with us-  as above. Last Saturday I started to  do the Telegraph Prize Crossword and rather surprised meself. Did all bar six clues, which is very unusual for me these days. After lunch, completed the  crossword with help from Sarah,  which pleased me immensely - haven't been able to do that for over a year. Must knock off now as Sal wants to hit the road before three pip emma.

More later perhaps. Cheers, Mike.

Friday.

Ref yesterday's mystery object, above is a photograph of  the  pewter snuff box in the  shape of  adouble barrelled flintlock pistol. This time the  pistol is lying  flat on its back with the  lid  of the snuff box wide open. I hope  this makes the use and purpose of the snuffbox clearer.
                                         Regards, Mike. This is  about  the third of these I have seen.
                                         I think  they are English.

Wednesday.

Bit of a mystery object. Which of  these five objects is 'odd man out' ?   And why? They were all made at much the same date (within a thirty year period probably).

Please give dates, nationalities, and what they are.    Never feel shy about stating the obvious.

Tuesday.

Took this photo of recently 'returned home' grand daughter a week or so ago. She  had just prepared something fairly exotic for lunch (Italian dish, I think ???)  and was posing with it for fotie. She really is a charmer. She so obviously enjoys life and it shows.

                                         ________________________________________


Last week I told you of an auction sale in Stowmarket we viewed and left bids on.  I must now confess that I was unsuccessful in all three bids I left. One of the  lots was a bronze canon barrel, and I  only  really wanted it because the carriage was missing, and I've nicely enough old timber in the forge to  rebuild the missing carriage, although I do wonder if antiques' prices are at last rising???
It'll be interesting to see.  Been a pleasantly pottering about the workshop sort of day, although we motored over to Aldham this afternoon because Ann wanted to water some of the windowsill flower arrangements. The Church looked really well cared for when she'd done.  It's a  lovely little round towered church.

Must knock off now.  Good Night All.

Saturday.

This afternoon Freja starts her long journey home. If all goes according to plan she should arrive home late tomorrow afternoon. Tiring I should think. We've done the journey ourselves a good many times in the  past - usually crossing the North Sea by car ferry (which no longer runs) then taking two or three days driving across Denmark, and up Sweden, buying stock along the way. In the past the trip  has always more than paid for  itself.  Scandinavia at that time was full of small hotels and farmhouse B.& Bs, and the journey was thoroughly enjoyable, and a  big part of  the holiday. We miss it.

The picture above is by Bryan Haylock, an artist who keeps a small bookshop in town. His pictures , perhaps I should say cartoons, show scenes of the town, feature at the Annual Art Exhibition,  and usually  include what he refers to as 'a local worthy' .  My turn to feature came a few years ago. Ann loved it, and said that we must have it as  "being included in one of Bryan's paintings means that we've arrived and been accepted as a local." Not sure of that (although we'd been here about twenty years then) but I've always rather  liked the painting, so didn't mind having it.  Rather reminds me  of  the  Norfolk saying  that  you're not a local until  you've  got a Granny buried in the churchyard.

Almost lunch time, so must knock off and climb the stairs.

Friday.

                                                                    More soppy verse.
                                                                    _______________

Granddaughter Freja goes home tomorrow (or rather gets home the day  after) -it's a long journey,she lives in the  far North of Sweden. She has, once again, more than pulled her weight. She's taken over a lot of cooking and housework from Ann, and anyway, she's a real pleasure to have about the place. She's a bright nineteen year old, and we'll both miss her. Still, our daughter (her mother) will have been missing her - so fair do's. 
Thank you Ruth - it's been lovely  having her here.

Yesterday we motored over to Stowmarket to view an auction  which included a small section of antique guns  and swords. Bit disappointing. The auction is tomorrow, so instead of going back  to  the  auction to bid for the three items that interested me, I left bids on them, all fairly optimistic ones. As I'm now officially retired it really doesn't matter much whether I buy  or  not. One of the lots (a flintlock  pistol) needs  a  fair amount of work  doing, which, if bids are successful, will keep me busy for a while.  That's the point, I think -keeping  meself occupied in retirement. If successful, might well take 'before' and eventually 'after' photos for the  blog.

 We'll see.

Thursday 2.

It's been a year or  two since I last used Ann's - English version of  a  'Nuremburg Kitchen' - to illustrate a blog entry. Since then we've  found several more items suitable for illustration. As you can see, there are two floors - the kitchen below - and  the maid's bedroom above.

This is  the kitchen. There are now  several small treen kitchen items on the left hand side table top.
On the right hand side of the picture above is a mouse trap, with a pewter mouse placing himself in grave danger, the whole being watched by an ivory white kitten .

On the 'tiled' floor of  the  kitchen in the centre of  the  picture, is  a pewter case containing a small pair of  pin fire pistols, six blank cartridges and a few accessories. Once  again I advise enlarging the picture to see full details (embiggening is, I think  the  professional blogger's term for this).

                                         Considering that this is a  very  old fashioned toy, I'm always pleasantly surprised by the interest shown in it by  our daughters, grand daughters, and the two great grand daughters, both of  whom are well aware that it is NOT to  be  played with, but only admired through the  glass doors. They seem happy too, to stick to the  rules!!


                                        Good Night All.

Thursday.

Computer playing up again.  Took a snapshot or so about the house to experiment with. This  one  was taken in the drawing room. Things seem to be working again, I think. Ann says her little I Pad wasn't working at first today, but is now- as is this machine of mine. Oh well, I'll keep trying.