Spring flowers, outings, bears and life .............

Looking back over past years when I sometimes updated my blog some five times in one month I have been somewhat slack with updates recently.  So at long last an update, to my two new followers, welcome to my ramblings!

Still facing some health issues of my own,  I have also spent many hours sitting at our local hospital waiting for my husband who has been having treatment for a vein occlusion in his eye.  The eye clinic is always busy and previously I used to drop my husband off at the hospital for his routine check ups but as he is now so frail,  I do have to be there to 'hear' for him and also help him if necessary.   The hospital has benches for waiting patients that I think must have been designed to ensure the utmost discomfort.  I have tried to crochet,  sew bears as well as read with little success as my back starts to ache and I spend a lot of time wriggling around to get comfortable.  I have resorted to 'people watching' which rather reminds me of my years of travelling to bear shows around the world and the time spent sitting in airport departure halls observing the passers by.  Those patients awaiting retinal eye surgery have a variety of tests carried out returning to the waiting area between each one.  On my first visit I observed a gentleman sitting waiting with a large black spot over his eye and I sort of wondered if he knew that he had a dirty smudge on his forehead.  Rather embarrassed to realise that this was so the doctor knew which eye needed treatment!  Fortunately the injections into the cornea seem to be working for Mervyn,  a third one is scheduled for later next month and hopefully that will be the last one.

Now on to the happier events in life and a lot of pictures!  My garden is starting to look quite colourful with all the spring flowers in full bloom.  The daffodils under the crab apple look so pretty.

sunny yellow daffodils on the dining room table

In November when driving home from London I noticed a plant nursery was having a sale.  I bought two hanging baskets,  one with pansies and the second with an assortment of pansies,  English (bellis) daisies and of all things a tiny conifer tree.  They have thrived on the wall next to the conservatory right through winter snows and frost and look good to last for several more months.  I love pansies and have always had some in my gardens in various parts of the world.  These purple flowers are quite magnificent.

I have been busy working on bears for various orders but did complete a little pink bear sitting on a pincushion.  Fleur is bright candy pink and is sitting on a two tier pincushion set.  The top section is made from black rose print fabric which is left over from a dress I made for myself in my late teens when granny print was so much in fashion.  This little bear is now available in our Etsy store.

Megan has an ever increasing collection of resin ball jointed dolls.  After so many years dressing teddy bears, spreading our wings to make clothing for these wonderful dolls seemed a good idea.  We recently opened a new Etsy store 'Magpie's Secret and these are some of the items now available.

Earlier this month for a family birthday treat we visited Framlingham Castle in Suffolk.  All that remains of this twelfth century castle are the high walls which offer an incredible view of the surrounding countryside. High places rather terrify me but I braved the curtain wall which is 10.5 metres high walking with a 'you can do this' refrain running through my head and not looking directly down!

I also discovered that wallflowers do actually thrive in walls ...........

Finally a picture of our little Radcliffe kitty sleeping peacefully on his blanket in our work room.

Now back to work with several orders to complete.