Another week .....

The beginning of another week and I have a row of little bears all waiting for eyes and ears. Some progress on the work front, the rabbit and two kitties are complete and waiting to be photographed.
Last week was. as usual, somewhat hectic. Bronwen was on leave and had planned a day trip to Stratford and I will never turn down an invitation to spend a day out exploring. The weather is still quite amazing and it was another lovely summer day. As usual I was a little camera happy but here are some of pics of idyllic English gardens and scenery.

 

Anne Hathaway's cottage and the little cottage with the usual tourist shop and office. It is very many years since I last visited the cottage and there have been many changes but the garden is still beautiful with a wide variety of herbs and flowering shrubs.

my blog is never complete without some pictures of flowers.

  

Columbines (orAquilegia) in the palest shade of pink. I love these little fairy flowers, a variety of colours are growing in various parts of my garden. The hybrid plants are very different, larger flowers and amazing selection of colours.

a little secret garden with a bed of yellow fragrant wallflowers with pink bellis perennis (English daisies) growing at the front.

Have no idea what this shrub is, it is has the most beautiful double almost rose shaped flowers in tight clusters.

a pair of sleepy ducks by the stream. The female woke up and watched me for a while then calmly went back to sleep.

my final picture is Shakespeare's birthplace.
Came home with several herb plants which I deposited in the back garden to plant later in the week. Did not plan to have a light frost overnight which burnt the leaves on several plants but they seem to have recovered.
It is now over two years since we moved across the world. Two years with many more downs than ups and we are fortunate to have a family group to support each other. I was thrilled to discover one of my special friends is living just two hours away. Together we weathered the trials, tribulations and much joy raising our young families, sharing recipes and crochet patterns! Her move to the UK has been very traumatic as her husband's health deteriorated rapidly and he is now in a care home. This weekend we spent a day catching up on all the happenings in our lives, it is some fifteen years since I last spoke to her, so much has changed.
Now I need to get back to work, lots to do this week........

The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart. ~Elisabeth Foley