new camera - double click to enlarge photos

Photos taken with my new camera - Green Fingers Gardening Club this evening - Guest Speaker: Geoff Hodge http://www.gardenforumhorticulture.co.uk/

Richard showing Andrew his holiday photos before club began :)

Trying out the zoom features on Karmen!!  who looked up at me in bewilderment as I hung out of the lounge window (middle floor).

Then to try some close up work - a pansy in the garden.

I do like to remind Nigel, most days, how little I cost him - I don't do clothes shopping, make-up or jewellery BUT I am partial to mobile phones and cameras :))  My new camera cost £109 and is a Samsung WB750 and, most importantly, is handbag size..

In a state of shock

for three reasons...

Firstly, yesterday evening Karmen came and jumped onto my lap, curled up and went to sleep :)  She has never done that before - even as a kitten she was not a 'lap' cat and preferred to sleep in her box with her cuddly toys.  Karl, my son, walked past the lounge and came back for a double-take because he couldn't believe his eyes.  I am not sure what prompted her to do that but I am not complaining..

Secondly, my birthday plants are still alive and going strong!!  I am not 'good' with plants as I tend to forget to water them, put in the wrong places etc etc and within a few days they are either dead or looking extremely sorry for themselves.

My heart sank when my father-in-law presented me with the Orchid as my first thought was 'Oh my word how am I going to keep this alive?' But it's nearly nine weeks since my 50th birthday and it is still flowering beautifully :))

The other plant the girls in the school office presented me with - it is a Bromelia Brigada - now the instructions which came with the plant were not in English so I had to phone my mother who informed me that I needed to water the plant from the tip of flower and the water will cascade down through the leaves.  This I have done and it is fascinating to watch.  My mother also informed me that the flower lasts about six weeks - well, well, well, nine weeks later and it still in flower!! So whose a clever girl?  The cupcake stake is there to hold the flower up.

Thirdly, at last a visitor to the bird-table which Nigel made about four months ago.  I had given up all hope of any bird using the table and eating the delights I places upon it and, due to the rain, the table itself started to fall to pieces.  Then the miracle happened yesterday - Nigel placed his unfinished bacon sarnie on it and low and behold our first visitor arrived!!  this morning he was there again (the pigeon not Nigel) so I rushed out and put bird seed on it and as you can see he had a feast.  The photo has been cropped and enlarged about four times!!

(I took this photo outside The Tower Hotel, London a few weeks ago)

I can laugh about being in a state of shock regarding Karmen, my plants and the pigeon but I am acutely aware that there are many people in our world today 'in a state of shock' for a variety of reasons. 

This morning I visited a lady who had been informed that her leukaemia had returned and given a life expectancy of 3-6 months.  It was a pleasure to share a short service with her within her home, just the two of us, and to read the Bible, listen to music and share a time of prayer. I thank the Lord, too, for the many wonderful friends/neighbours she has who are so supportive and caring - just at a time when she needs it.

(Covent Gardens - took this photo about two weeks ago)

Karl went out to join his friends at a pub in Whitechapel, London to watch the football  - Nigel is in the lounge watching it and I'm here there and anywhere where the footie is not being shown!! So I think my next job is to get the bird seed ready for Archie (the pigeon) for tomorrow...

Rain, Rain, Rain

It started to rain during the night and came down quite heavily - the noise on the roof of the caravan was actually quite soothing and sounded like nursery children playing with home made drums of yogurt pots and rice :))

I rescued my solitary freesia growing outside which had been battered by the rain and it's new home is now on the mantelpiece.

We decided to visit Colchester shopping centre when the rain had finally died down and, I have to admit, I found the experience rather an anti-climax especially after such a brilliant day at Beth Chatto Gardens and then Maldon. I am not a 'shopper' when the sun is out so why I thought I would enjoy the experience when the weather was so miserable? is beyond me!! We decided to come home and enjoy a cuppa in the warmth of the caravan.

Whilst enjoying our cuppa we listened to the truly inspirational speech given to both houses of Parliament by Aung San Suu Kyi - what an incredible lady. Her experiences during her life-time puts me to shame for whinging about the weather and Colchester Shopping centre.

The only purchase we made was bucket for £2.99 :) because Nigel has been desperate to clean the caravan and, whilst it was raining, this he did.  Now the photo is at an angle because I was leaning out of the bedroom window to catch him in action..

Colchester does have its good points - one of them being that my parents live there so, after we had our evening meal, we popped in for a cuppa and a chat.

We are now back at the caravan and it is extremely windy outside - so windy that the caravan does occasionally rock from side to side - so I am hoping that we are still here in one piece in the morning and not, like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, find ourselves blown into orbit!! or another land completely :)) ha-ha.

Chicks and Roses

The nursery at George Carey Primary school have had ten eggs in an incubator - this project has given the children the opportunity to watch chicks being born from their eggs - so I started my morning 'chick gazing' - these delightful chicks were born yesterday and are currently housed in the nursery :))  Oh the little ones (and us bigger ones) all stood around cooing and aaaahhhhing.

Next I was presented these miniature roses from one on the little girls from reception class.. so I proudly wore it as a buttonhole decoration :)) not too sure whose garden they came from!! I know it certainly wasn't hers :)  I smiled inwardly to myself as I remembered yesterday's blog post 'Rose'.

A slightly older chick and her roses :))  Elsie is dear, wonderful lady who I enjoy having a cuppa and chat with and, today, was no exception; however, the first procedure is to clear the armchair of monkey nuts, bird seed and fat balls as she loves to feed the birds in her garden. In fact Elsie's garden is the only garden in Barking where I have watched Jays land and feed from the bird table.

As the sun was shining I took the opportunity to take her photo in her cherished garden next to one of her climbing roses.

I love this meerkat bird table in Elsie's garden

The other reason I popped into to see Elsie was because another resident died yesterday and this resident was a dear friend of Elsie.  So just wanted to make she as OK and 'yes' she was but sad - I always come away feeling that she has ministered to me rather than the other way round.

Rose

I love the roses at this time of the year and the temptation to 'sniff' is always so overwhelming!! and sometimes disappointing too when, having made the effort to to sniff, one is not then greeted with a delightful perfume.

A rose has the ability to make everything appear OK..  I particularly like yellow roses and this one was growing wild in someone's front garden.  Before you ask! 'Yes' I sniffed and sadly no sweet aroma - so I took a photo instead..