A year on

It is just over a year since my little mother went home to her Lord.

That time has passed quickly and she has been on my mind

 at some part of every day since.

 

One of my sisters in Australia sent me a beautiful flower arrangement 'for looking after our mother' in their absence.

They really are rather lovely and lasting well. A lovely gesture.

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I've been a bit off colour for the past week with an inner ear thing going on so I haven't ventured far from the house until today. So I thought I'd share with you some of the books I've been reading over the last little while. I 'borrowed' the Ruth Rendell book, Going Wrong, when we were holidaying in Aussie last year and I must send it back. I'd never read anything of hers before and found her rather intriguing, with the twist in the plot that you don't see coming. I've read more since then and that same twist in the plot seems to happen, her style I guess.

I always enjoy Dan Brown, Inferno this time, but with a bit of space between books :) I like a good page turning action thriller occasionally.

Then there is Lost and Found by Marilyn Harris, who I'd never heard of until I borrowed this book as well. Also while we were in Aussie and also needing to go back but this one can wait until next time I'm going over. The story is set in the depression era in the 'American dust bowl', the tale of a little girl who is accidentally left on a train and her long journey to finding her family. Also a page turner.

The ones I have enjoyed most though are 'The Seven Sisters' series by Lucinda Riley. I was a bit iffy about the first book, before I started reading, but now I am hooked. The books all stand alone but having read one out of sequence I wouldn't do it again as it throws things out of kilter a bit. Each book is about one sister, all of whom have been adopted, and her search for her roots. I've read the first four books and so far have been to South America, Norway, Australia and England. Beautifully written novels with a lot of attention to historical detail. If you haven't read any of them I highly recommend them.

A couple of days ago eldest daughter rang to say she was coming over and 'don't buy pumpkin'. No wonder, she had three in the car and left two with me. The big orange one is a soup pumpkin so I may put that in the community pantry around by the grandkids school. I certainly won't be making it into soup. I'll cut the other one up and give some of that away as well. It came from her partner's farm, he likes to grow unusual veges on a plot near the house. These are not too bad but we have been given the occasional strange, to us anyway, vegetable. Or odd coloured ones :) And usually enormous!

Winter has arrived with a vengeance this week, perhaps I should make that pumpkin into soup ;(

Until next time

Diana

A lazy day

Hello again, I am trying to get back to blogging but it has been a bit of a struggle to tell the truth. But today I find I have an evening to myself so thought I'd sit and do a bit of a post.

My GKB and I have had a lazy day in that neither of us had to be  anywhere apart from morning tea with youngest daughter. She rang last night to see if we wanted to go over to her new workplace for a coffee. It is a new café on a sports field and hasn't officially opened yet but the workers were invited to come and bring family and friends so the staff could have a practice on us while they learnt their new skills. Most of the café staff are students and for a lot of them this is their first job. So of course we went over and let them practice. A nice morning out :) Took my camera, forgot to take photos :(

On the way home we called in to see our number one son and he gave us a bag of silver beet fresh from the garden and we gave him some ciabatta and sourdough. Then eldest daughter arrived home at lunchtime with a big box of fresh vegetables, a couple of bunches of grapes and a pottle of blackberries all harvested in the last day or so. Feeling blessed and spoilt.

April has been quite mild so far and so after lunch we decided to do some work in the garden, tidying up a bit before the winter comes. I got into the garden around the back and my GKB got the lawn mower going. It was nice and relaxing and the yard is starting to look much tidier - it has been a hot summer and not very  pleasant for working outside.

I've had a birthday as well, while my little sister was here. We had a family gathering at lunch time at a restaurant in town. Lunch time is better for my little mother, she still gets a bit tired so we need to watch out for her. We took photos but unfortunately we posed in front of the big front window which let in too much light. Then when we looked at it later we realised the teenage boys had disappeared to different part of the restaurant and we didn't have any pics of them. Boys :)

And that's it for tonight. I'm off to make a cup of tea and settle down to watch the Commonwealth Games on TV.

Have a good week,

Diana