Rising from the dead!

Well I had been in two minds as to whether or not to give up blogging but then I needed to know when I had planted seeds in my garden last year and the blog was able to be of immense help so I am still here and rising from my slumbers of the past few months. And its all change as well! No longer just a click and I'm on the 'dashboard' ready to roll. No, its sign in and sign in and eventually one can get going on the spiel!
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We now own the house we have been living in for the past fourteen years and it is a funny feeling. Its not like moving; there is no euphoria of a new house to decorate or the fun of arranging the furniture in a new setting. But there is the quiet satisfaction that everything we do in the house or garden from now on is for us and not for the landlords. And I have such plans. The list is growing by the day. Unfortunately everything except the garden is on hold as Martin has bought a new Espace to take the place of his old one and he is spending every available minute doing it up and I have seven seat covers to make. I wouldn't mind so much except that all seats are different. The front seats are different to the middle seats and the back seats are different again to the middle and front and to cap it all the middle seat in the back set of three is different again! As he's been cutting templates for me in acrylic I must get on with them pdq!

Carolyn came down to visit in February when the weather was rough and cold but we managed to get onto the beach and had one day of sunshine. Looking back it was a very wet start to the year and yet now we are having hot and sunny weather with a promise of more to come.

Fred, who at eighteen months is now all boy complete with chocolaty mouth and a real tear away and Fenella on our local beach being very pink. Her favourite colour!
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This is just a start. Tomorrow I will take pictures. I am teaching for five weeks this term and start this Friday. Then through the summer I will give workshops at home. The teaching is very rewarding and although I haven't been doing a lot for me what I have been doing has been satisfying. I no longer feel that I have to produce stuff. No longer do I feel driven to create just because, which has freed me up to do the things that I really enjoy such as reading, dyeing and applique without feeling guilty that I am not making 'meaningful' art! I shall enjoy this summer making my small garden wonderful and planning next year's teaching projects. It is amazing how much one can spend on such a small garden! My son has transformed his garden.

From this on the left to this on the right! It has taken him a year to do the basic restructuring. This is a photo he sent me this April. I wish he lived nearer and not 600 miles away as then he could lend a hand in my garden!
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Now to see how these photos will publish! Fingers crossed!