Monday 20.6.22

A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since I last wrote – and a lot of water has flowed over some bridges. The weather has been so diverse, uncharacteristic everywhere. Too high temperature in some places, too much rain in others. Here in the wee safe bubble of home it hasn’t been too bad. We have had a lot of sunshine and some rain but summer hasn’t arrived yet. It hasn’t been summer temperatures. One day about a week ago I thought the garden table could come out of the shed and we had a look at the forecast. The table is still in the shed. There has always been a cooling breeze. Around the house there is usually summer in some corner, where there is shelter from wind, and sunny days it’s nearly warm. Then you walk around the corner and the cold wind blasts you. The hair goes horizontal and making a mess of your molecules. Out of all the elements the wind is the most irritating one for me. I often speak to Mother and the weather has been the same in Finland where she lives, plenty wind, low temperatures for summer. We have had summers like this before. All May…June…July…August you wait for the summer. You hope for an Indian summer in September and then it’s October and winter approaching. You feel cheated out of the energy and happiness giving warmth that never came. Ah well, I must count my blessings, things could be so much worse, hearing the news from all over the rest of the world.

I finally managed to go to Finland in May, mainly to visit Mother. She will be 89 this October so it was time to see her. I hadn’t seen her for four years. No 1 Daughter came too. I was there two weeks and she came for the second week which was wonderful. It was sometimes a bit hard going. Mother has aged a bit. Her memory isn’t as good as it used to be – nor is her hearing – but of course talking to her face to face we had better chance to reminisce past events but she had to admit that she couldn’t remember some things. Like my wedding and looking after my brother’s children when brother and wife were working at the same time. Or she combines two items she has been told and out comes out with an odd mixed story. On the whole she is in good shape. Her mobility is a problem but she still gets around. The family home was finally sold. It was handed over while I was visiting. That was a big worry off her mind. Since autumn she has been living in a rented one bed semi and is very happy. No garden to look after, not her problem if something needs repairing. She has all her favourite items around her, in a manageable space. She can walk to the hypermarket, chemist, post office. She decided to move while she still managed on her own but the prospect of a sheltered housing or nursing home is lurking in the fairly near future. The timing of the visit came by chance and just as well. I might have been faffing longer about going. I got e mail from an old school friend to say they are arranging a school reunion and would I like to attend. I did. It was interesting to meet school friends after 47 years. One or two were hard to recognize to start with but they all became familiar again talking to them, wrinkles grey hair and different body shape disappeared. Years hadn’t spared anybody. Old age isn’t to be recommended, although the alternative isn’t good! The vain me was also pleased to see I wasn’t the crinkliest of the class mates…

3.7.22

Summer still isn’t here. It has arrived in Finland, and everywhere in Europe. Well, we are not in Europe any more… Mother has reported they now have summer with temperatures of 28C. When I was in Finland I bought a summer frock. It is light weight cotton, of course, with water colour like flower pattern. No use here, it hasn’t seen the light of day so far. I haven’t even taken the price tag off. The cold weather is affecting the garden as well. Some plants that should be fully grown now are still seedling size. Tomatoes are doing ok.

13.7.22

Summer so far – 1.5 days.

14.8.22

We are having summer, a proper warm dry weather. This has lasted easily a week already. We could do with some rain but it’s not desperate yet here. In the south of Britain it is getting critical, with water reservoirs and rivers reduced to a puddles and a trickles. The grass is still green here, no threat of hosepipe  bans. My tomato crop is about to explode. It has been just enough for me but soon I’ll be making a lot of tomato sauce for the freezer. The sauce is my own recipe. Like most of my recipes it starts with lots of garlic and onions, add herbs and capers, tomatoes. It makes a lovely sauce for any meats, pizza, pasta. This may sound I am a keen cook. I’m not. I prefer someone else preparing a lovely meal, then washing up afterwards and free of charge… Nice dream.

 I have done some work as well. The lastest creations are Wood Stonestack Birds and Fabergegg.  Stonestack Birds are good fun to make. It involves hours of walking on the beach looking for flat wee pebbles. Fabergeggs are blingy items. They have Swarovski crystals, wee pearls, silver pins and beads, mother of pearl buttons, malachite beads and gold leaf.

Grandson Fraser was here on Friday night for sleepover and he made six dinosaurs out of clay. That’s one shelf load already! I have a lot to assemble and after that it’s making new again. Here’s hoping…

18.8.22

Was that the summer? The warm spell ended on Tuesday 16th and it’s again 17C, with cool breeze. There is a promise of rain but it hasn’t come to anything yet. The rain can be very patchy here. Gatehouse of Fleet, about 12 miles from here, apparently had torrential rain and flooding on Monday. I have just been to Gatehouse and there was no evidence of flooding. I hope it doesn’t start raining later on tonight though. I am dancing at Kirkcudbright tonight in the Scottish Night. Drowned rat isn’t a good look at any time.