Thursday, 28th April 2016 - Snowy Mespilus

We have a stunning little tree in the garden. For a few weeks in Spring it has the most beautiful blossom. I was informed by guests of its name, Amelanchier Lamarckism and delighted to know that you can make a jam from the berries. If you get to them before the birds. I tried painting it en plein air today. The picture has been torn up and put in the recycling. This is the second version.

Friday, 22nd April 2016 - Runners and French

I have just waved Hetty off to school. She is wearing a sparkly Unicorn headband and Bella is dressed as a rabbit. And why not!

Bella and I have been keeping a close watch on the beans emerging in the greenhouse. She does a great impression of an emerging bean.

Wednesday, 20th April 2016 - Rhubarb with Ants

Suzy and I tested the chef at The Bell and Jorrocks. It is Jordon from The Peacock. He seems to be doing ok. Nice lunch in the sunshine. Nick has dug me up a rhubarb crown after my pleas on Facebook. It came with ants - red ones at that. Nasty little blighters they can be if they get their poisonous jaws into you.

Tuesday, 19th April 2016 - Gravel Entertainment

I left my guests at the breakfast table while I hurried to take Mum to a hospital appointment with the Dermatology Nurse. I am not sure how to respond to the experience. All Mum's results have come back negative, or should that be positive? There is nothing wrong with her. No brain tumour. No lesions. Nothing just a perfectly preserved head. All those symptoms she has had since January have been forgotten.

Hetty and Bella are off school/playgroup with a bug. They spent some of their day playing with the gravel in the drive. Simple pleasures.

Sunday, 17th April 2016 - Oak Catkins

We took the MG out for its first outing of the year. It was washed and polished and three dead mice removed. I am glad the mouse poison I laid in the garage seems to be working. The Weald of Kent were dancing at The Bell and Jorrocks where we spent a pleasant couple of hours.

The trees are bursting with fresh leaves. I quite like their new softness. 

Saturday, 16th April 2016 - Anemone

We are having people over for dinner. I had make a decision that I like to cook for eight friends. It means no massive furniture moving to fit in a huge table that disables Tim's back. We can get to talk to everyone as well as cook. Just the perfect number.

Michael came and gave us a formal bee keeping lesson. The hive has been undone, reshaped and back together for the Spring. All looks well with the bees. Tim has a rather large chin, and getting bigger, from two stings. 

I had a call from my GP which frightened the tits off me. He would like me to have further investigations for internal bleeding. Really, I feel fine, just tired. 

Tonight we have John, Innis, Tony, Wendy, June and Barry for Thai Fish curry. Unfortunately, not as good as the one Alli cooked for us a couple of weeks ago. An entertaining Prosecco marinated evening.

Thursday, 14th April 2016 - Sellick at Pashley

I was pleased to find out today that the breathlessness I have when washing the floor is not caused by fat pressing on my lungs, as someone very close to me suggested, but due to me having anemia. No wonder I have been feeling so bloody tired. I just need to take a high dose of iron tablets and I will be springing around again in no time.

I had an entertaining afternoon with a large quantity of other bnb owners and the company of Sarah, Karen and Leelee at Pashley Manor. As a very important proprietor I get a complimentary tour of the garden, a cream tea and get to take a friend. It is a stunning, if a little too tidy, garden.

Wednesday, 13th April 2016 - Better Than The Gym

Brett has his brother Alex staying and working with him. Tim is in Scotland for a few days and suggested to the boys that rather than working out at the gym they could move some stone and earth after work. So they did. Good lads.

I have planted my broad beans out. Bugger, I've just remembered I did not put any slug pellets down so they may have disappeared by the morning. No, I am going to have to go out with a torch and do it now at gone 10pm.

Tuesday, 5th April 2016 - Pretty Present

Sarah and I indulged in a bacon roll each with our coffee at Cocolicous this morning. I cut my outing shirt to get back to Tim who had plans to go out and about. It is now gone 10pm. I don't think we are going now.

Monday, 4th April 2016 - SEOS Area N

Felicity Flutter ran an informative meeting about the up and coming Open Studios. I left in a bit of a panic about how much I need to do. At times like this I wish I was more organised and not chucked my paintings into a box in my studio in no particular order. Bugger, bugger, bugger.

Sunday, 3rd April 2016 - Celendine

Happy 31st birthday to beautiful Harriet. She was very polite about the mass of meringue, cream and fruit that Hetty, Bella and I turned into a birthday cake.

My day has been rather unproductive, possibly the wine, late night (11.30 pm is late for me) and early morning contributed to my apathetic state.

I think these flowers are Celendine. They are growing amongst a tangle of weeds along our drive. Yes, they are. I've looked them up on Google. They are hairless and the less variety. Or Ranunculus ficaria for the more horticultural amongst you.

Saturday, 2nd April 2016 - Town Living

Tim spent much of the day on a digger shifting stone, pulling trenches and a bit of water pipe accompanied it (now fixed), a slight dent in The Evans threshold to remind us of the work that has been done but generally a successful experience.

My mood went from grumpy to bad tempered so I took myself down the garden to take my vengeance on a rather overgrown flower bed.

This evening we had dinner with June and Barry in their new house in Tunbridge Wells. The food, wine and company of Nick, Suzy, Si and Lesley improved my temperament greatly.

Friday, 1st April 2016 - Drive, Drain and Path Stone

It is 5.37am while I am writing this. I needed a wee. Pitch dark outside but the birds, including a pheasant are up and singing. It is quite beautiful amongst the peace of a sleeping house.

The sun was deceptive today with a nippy wind that kept me moving at speed on a walk with Tim.

My greenhouse is flourishing with green delights. I have planted runner beans, French beans, a purple variety not your bog standard old green type, nasturtium, tomato (which was a free packet) and rudbeckias. All now settled into compost under a protective layer of cling film. 

We had just a bit of gravel and stone delivered for various building jobs.

We spent the evening with Tony and Wendy at The Lord Raglan. Rather good food. Tony has food envy for Wendy's smoked duck so I shared a piece of treacle tart and custard with him to take his mind of it.