Looking and learning

It’s been quiet around here since our visitors left, a lot of time spent indoors dashing out into the garden, between rain showers, to potter around.

I’m still learning about the plants growing out there and making tentative plans for making some changes before winter.

The young man who I thought would be available to help with my ideas hasn’t had much time to spare from his other landscaping duties so I spend my time keeping things tidy and nurturing tender new plants to hopefully plant out later in the year when the heavy work has been done.

This is how my garden has been growing this week.

is summer here yet?

Although lockdown has eased a lot since my last post the weather has conspired to keep people indoors, which considering the enormous crowds that filled cities and towns across the UK when pubs and bars were allowed to reopen on the 4th July (Independence Day in more ways than one) has been a good thing.
Walking in Whitworth Park has now become a thing for us, we try and get down there at least a couple of times a week. There's always something new to see, on Friday we spotted artists by the lily pond.

Another good thing happened on Sunday when the sun did eventually show his face and my sister , nephews and niece to be came for a (socially distanced) visit.
Because they now all live together in one bubble they were able to come and see us and our new home at last.

We sat out in the garden for lunch until the lure of Formula One racing on the TV brought everyone indoors. Luckily we were still able to socially distance ourselves in the sitting room, they had a sofa and we had a sofa, no problem.
The big news from here is that I was finally able to go to the salon and get my hair cut!
As this was to be my first visit to a hairdresser in the UK for decades and the first post lockdown cut I chose the Toni & Guy salon in Buxton.
I knew I would be in safe hands there, their Covid 19 safety measures were faultless. A pared down appointment system (basically one in one out per stylist) disposable PPE kits for clients, staff were all wearing visors and here were hand sanitizers at reception, stylists workstations, in the loo and by the back wash area.

and I kept the curls!

A couple of final photos to share with you today, homemade lasagne from the Senior Partner's fair hand and a simple salad conjured up by me to go with it.

Ain't life grand!

Linking this post to Mosaic Monday #89 

with the intrepid (jungle fighter) Angie 

@ Letting go of the Bay Leaf

virtual vacation

At this time of year the SP and I are usually on a trip to a hot and sunny part of the world.
We like to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries by relaxing in the sun and enjoying time away together.
Our plans to head down to Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, this month had to be cancelled because of the pandemic.
Luckily, we were able to secure a refund from the airline and cancel the hotel without penalties.
Airline travel and vacations to foreign lands are going to look an awful lot different from now on and to be honest I'm not sure we'll be making these sort of trips in the future.
Recently we've been reminiscing about the trip we took to Fuerteventura in October last year, a place we hadn't visited before, to mark the occasion of our 40th wedding anniversary.

Fuerteventura is the second largest island in the Canaries, a Spanish controlled archipelago situated just 62 miles to the west of North Africa, with beautiful weather all year round and pristine white sand beaches it has long been a favourite destination for Northern Europeans.
Come and take a look...…………………….

Are you making plans to travel this year, staycation or vacation?
What will it be?

Joining Angie @ Letting Go of the Bay Leaf 

(who has her own travel story to tell this week)

 for Mosaic Monday # 84

things that happened this week

Before I launch into what happened on Darley Moor this week I think I'd better explain about the bread crusts and curly hair reference in last week's post.

Lorrie @ Fabric, Paper and Thread  and Sallie@ A Full Time Life  both told me that they had heard this tall tale too whilst some other visitors were puzzled and wanted to know more.

When my sister and I were growing up during the 1950's our Mother always encouraged us to eat the crusts on our sandwiches. She told us that if we did our hair would grow curly but I think I figured out quite early on that that old wives tale just wasn't true! 

It was just something that mothers would say to make English kids finish the meal.

Now for a little roundup of some nice things that happened this week despite the rain and not being able to go out into the garden or take more than a quick walk down the lane very often.

Monday was the SP's birthday. I had hoped that we might drive up the road a little bit and visit the gardens of Chatsworth House, home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire but after considering the pros and cons we decided to avoid any possible crowds and stay home instead.

I did have one small surprise for him though, a gift from Peak Brewery @ Chatsworth Estate.

A case of their finest ales was delivered by a chauffeur driving a Mercedes just before lunch and was very well received by the birthday boy.

Another thing to celebrate this week although on a much smaller scale was the delivery of an item of furniture which we ordered way back in January but which had been delayed because of lockdown.

We have sofa in the family room at last!

And finally, Friday was National Fish and Chips Day in the UK. and we enjoyed this favourite British meal that evening, with many thanks to the Darley Dale Fish Bar.

So, how was your week?

Linking to Mosaic Monday # 83

with Angie 

@ Letting Go of the Bay Leaf

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.