On our walk this evening, I photographed all the rainbows thanking our NHS for their wonderful work that we could find in people’s windows – and after that gallery comes Maya Angelou with the advice for you to be the rainbow in someone else’s life.
Monthly Archives: April 2020
Scylla, Cyclamen and A Lone Daffodil
Just a few hours between these two photos…
Early
5 hours later
The Cyclamen all along the back wall is coming into bloom.
A very late daffodil is coming up between some ferns.
Lovers’ Lane, Wild Garlic and Raindrops
Just a short walk today as the weather is very murky and I have spent the day sewing for Cornwall Scrubs. We went down the road, through the park, along Church Lane and then Lovers’ lane where we foraged for Wild Garlic Leaves which I stir-fried to go with our Jerk seasoned Basa. On the fence between us and Sue-next-door is a beautiful Akebia Quinata, now flowering. 
These flowers are tiny, maybe 1cm across.
Haiku Day, Kintsugi and Gardening
It’s National Haiku Day as we heard on the radio this morning. I was once challenged to write a haiku about marmalade. I can’t remember it but have done another tonight.
Marmalade making
Anticipatory joy
Golden, glowing jars
A disaster becomes an opportunity! Another chance to play with my Kintsugi kit arose a couple of days ago when I dropped the lid of the tea-pot. It has to rest, once done, for a couple of days to cure so here it is now.
Broken
Kintsugied
We have rain today! It hasn’t rained for weeks which is so very unusual for Cornwall. The garden was desperate for rain so gardening for us was, indeed, cancelled for today. We’ll be out there again very soon.
Treasures, Sewing and Bread
Getting the raised beds ready for veg planting, the lovely Mr S was turning over the compost heap and came upon some long lost little treasures, a cut glass dish, a favourite knife and a tiny teaspoon. 
I’ve been cutting out and starting to sew scrub caps today. The fabric is left over from making duvet covers for our twins when they were babies, some 40 years ago! They have asked for bright and cheerful fabrics to be used. 
We’ve made a loaf today with the lovely flour we were given and the fresh yeast. It’s very good – crunchy crust and pleasing texture – and it tastes delicious!
Bluebell, Weather Vane and Supper
The lanes we take on our walk are becoming clouds of blue with English Bluebells.
English Bluebell
We passed this weather vane in someone’s garden today. Just behind, you can see Carn Brea with the Castle and Bassett Monument.
Carn Brea
We enjoyed a delicious supper tonight of Mushroom, Feta and Tomato Baked Peppers, a Hairy Bikers’ recipe.
Mushroom, Feta and Tomato Baked Peppers
Fledgling, Flour and Flowers
A pigeon regularly sits on our sculpture, Fledgling, as a staging post for the feeders.
The doorbell rang this morning, a most unusual occurrence at the moment. There on the doorstep was a bag of strong flour and further down the drive at a socially distancing appropriate place was our good friend J from choir, shopping for various people, who thought of us and my lack of strong flour! What a treasure she is! Bread making is back on the agenda as I also sourced some fresh yeast today! 
It is the third anniversary of the death of our dear friend and neighbour, Bill. We remember him with a garden posy of Rosemary, Forget-me-nots and Primroses, one here in our house and one for Sue-next-door, with much love.
Tulip, Leaf and Sewing
I’ve had a very quiet day today, buoyed up by the love of friends and family. Here is a tulip, photo taken late afternoon and glowing.
The Corkscrew Hazel we planted to mark our friend’s 100th birthday almost a year ago is coming into leaf.
I was featured on the Cornwall Scrubs page!
“One of our volunteers explained why she was sewing for Cornwall Scrubs. Sally gave a clear reminder as to the sacrifice the NHS staff are making for us.
💙
“I have a young friend who is a Nurse. She and her husband, also a Nurse, have taken the huge decision to take their two boys to live with their grandparents so that they don’t bring an infection home”
💙
So while I know we will miss our families and friends over Easter please remember that “we will be together again.”
Soda Bread, Blossom and Lambs
In The Guardian last week, Adrian Chiles wrote about his recipe for Irish Soda Bread which contains black treacle, oats and Marmite. That appealed to me, especially after our less than successful Sourdough and the fact that we cannot afford to experiment with the sourdough until we can get hold of some strong flour. It was easy to make, done in a few moments, had an hour in the oven and was then irresistible hot with butter!
Somebody on Radio 4 just said, “Everything will turn out alright in the end – and if it doesn’t, it isn’t the end!” We like that.
Irish Soda Bread
Our Amelanchier is looking very lovely as its blossom appears.
Amelanchier blossom
Being watered
The lambs in the back field are growing and still delighting us. 
A Poem, New Leaves and Osteospermum
One of my Dear Friends from choir sent me this poem today – perfect for the strange and difficult times we are living in right now. Here, I give it to you, with love from J and from me.
S0METHING LOVELY. By Kathleen O’Meara 1869
(Written after the Irish plague 1860.)
And people stayed home
and read books and listened
and rested and exercised
and made art and played
and learned new ways of being
and were still
and listened more deeply
someone meditated
someone prayed
someone danced
someone met their own shadow
and people started thinking differently.And people healed
And in the absence of people who lived in ignorant ways
Dangerous, mindless and heartless,The earth began to heal.
And when the danger ended
the people found themselves.
They grieved for the dead
and they made new choices
and dreamed of new visions
and created new ways to live
and heal the earth fully
just as they had been healed.
The Acer has its beautiful new leaves which glow in the sunlight .
The Boody garden is beginning to bloom. 
