what I have acheived during lockdown

It's been almost 10 weeks since lockdown began in the UK and although there has been some "easing" since 10th May and there is talk now of "a roadmap" to get us out of it the SP and I are still self isolating here in the Barn.
I was chatting on line with friends from my scrapbooking group recently and the topic was "what have you achieved during lockdown"?

The "achievements" ranged from "done a lot of baking", "scrapped a lot", "learned how to cut hair", "worked out with Joe Wicks" (he's the Body Coach on UK TV Channel 4), "home schooled the kids", "gardening",  "continued to work from home" to "not very much"!

Gardening has been my main pastime although I have baked some cakes, of the banana & walnut loaf and lemon drizzle cake variety and done some scrapping.

I am still trying to identify the plants that I have inherited here and I have to admit that I'm not doing very well.
I recognise some of the easier ones of course, clematis, roses, hostas and geraniums others have me guessing.
I have thought about getting one of those apps for my phone which tells you what the plant is, from a photo that you take. Have you tried that? Did it help?
I guess the main thing I've achieved and not really through choice is a curly head of hair, something my mother strived endlessly to achieve for me as a child.

She would be so proud.
Eating all those bread crusts has paid off eventually it seems.

Linking to Mosaic Monday # 82 with Angie @ Letting go of the Bayleaf.

this was the week that..............

The hawthorn bush with seats beneath the shade

For talking age and whispering lovers made.

Oliver Goldsmith, The Deserted Village 1770.

And every shepherd tells his tale

Under the hawthorn in the dale.

John Milton, L'Allegro 1631

Moving back to live in the UK was a big decision for us to make and we looked for a long time for a place to spend the rest of our days. We finally narrowed down the choice of counties to three. Herefordshire, Derbyshire. and Yorkshire with it's National Parks, wild landscapes and rocky coastline was a definite frontrunner.

There is a saying, which I truly believe, that says "if it's for you it won't go by you" and that was certainly the case with our new home here in the Derbyshire Peak District.

The countryside surrounding us is breathtaking and this week has looked even more beautiful because the Hawthorns are blooming.

Not just in our own garden but especially in the lanes and fields bordered by centuries old dry stone walls.

This article found on the Derbyshire Life magazine website is fascinating if you'd like to know more abut dry stone walls in this county. Here. 
I've been asked if I painted the watercolour header of the barn above.
I wish I could say yes but I'm afraid not but I did create it using  the wonderful "waterlogue" app on my phone. 
Here is a collage of a photo of windchimes, hanging from a branch of a hawthorn tree in my garden and a "waterlogue" version of the same photo.

In hawthorn time the heart grows light.

Algernon Charles Swinburne, Tale of Balen 1896

Yet walk with me where hawthorns hide

The wonders of the lane.

Ebenezer Eliot, The Wonders of the Lane.

We had fun this week joining others members of our family for a Zoom Family Quiz Night. Nine of us took part, with ages ranging from 20 to 83, our nephew did a great job choosing questions which suited all the different age groups.

It was such good fun and is set to become a favourite Saturday night pastime during the extended lockdown I'm sure.

The SP and I have volunteered to host the event in two weeks time which with google's help should give us plenty of time to come up with enough questions to keep them all playing along.

What have you been doing this week to pass the time, I wonder?

Linking to Mosaic Monday # 81

hosted by the lovely Angie

 @ Letting Go of the Bay Leaf

UK lockdown. Day 52.

Yesterday was day 52 of the UK lockdown.
The "Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives" message from the Government has now been amended to "Stay Alert, Control the Virus, Save Lives".
Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted this message.

"Everyone has a role to play in helping to control the virus by staying alert and following the rules.This is how we can continue to save lives as we start to recover from coronavirus.#StayAlert "

The Senior Partner and I have been self isolating since we arrived back in the UK, only leaving home to shop for essential food supplies. 

We've been shopping at some of the local family owned businesses which have stayed open. A small 7/7 convenience store; butchers who will deliver if you can't use their click and collect service and an excellent deli called the Sticky Fig.

Yesterday garden centres were allowed to open to the public as long as all the social distancing measures were in place.

So, we headed to one nearby to purchase some house plants, aromatics for my herb garden and bags of compost so that I could get my hands in some dirt.

Later that afternoon I chatted with a neighbour who had also been out to buy plants (standing 6 feet apart of course) for her garden and we laughed at how excited we were to finally be able to work outside.

I came across this handsome chap at the garden centre but at that price sadly had to leave him behind.

Happy gardening.

Joining Angie @ Letting Go of the Bay Leaf for Mosaic Monday #80, see you there.

starting a new chapter

Welcome everyone to my new blog where I plan to share with you aspects of our new life in the UK. but before I do a quick precis of what happened before we turned the page.
Our recent move back to England happened as the world was beginning to understand the enormity of the Covid 19 pandemic. We left France within days of lockdown being introduced and arrived in UK just as lockdown started.
Many of the plans involving the sale of our French property had to be rearranged and adapted due to the circumstances. The most important being the final exchange of contracts which could only go ahead with the French Notaire acting as proxy for both ourselves and our buyer. However, before the exchange took place, our English buyer contracted Covid 19 and sadly passed away two weeks ago. We have since heard from the Notaire that the sale was therefore null and void and we have instructed our agents to relist Le Presbytere and hope and pray that a new buyer can be found soon.