Winter Wonderland Challenge...Ahhh!!

Welcome to our new challenge, here at

Winter Wonderland.

Our host for this challenge is the lovely Marlene.

The theme for this challenge is:

Hats and/or scarves.

Must be Christmas cards only

I have used the adorable Koala,Winter Kiddles image 

from our Sponsor

Sasayaki Glitter.

The prize is one of their gorgeous Digi stamps 

of the winners choice.

You can visit their shop here.

 My husband, being from OZ,

would love this card to be our family Christmas card!!

I used Copics to colour him for a change.

So to join in the fun and to have a chance to win,

just make a Christmas card, designed with the theme.

I am looking forward to seeing your entries.

We will be leaving messages on your blogs too.

For inspiration, pop over to the Winter Wonderland blog

and see all the beautiful cards from the Teamies.

Hugs,

Carol

xxxx

My Spring Garden

Firstly, I must thank you all, who left me such 

lovely messages on my last post.

Blogland has some lovely people in it.

I have found that working in the garden has helped

a bit. Especially as the results are brilliant.

In my conservatory I have 60 pots of Cosmos

that I have grown from seed. Along with 4 hanging

baskets full of plants, just growing them on a bit

before they go outside.

I am so happy with our garden this Spring.

Considering that it was mostly planted up last summer,

the plants have come on really well.

Last year this was a bed of huge cobbles.

So I extended the bed and removed the cobbles.

I think this looks a lot prettier.

We are having the Summer house replaced, as the old one

was being eaten by beetles!

We are hoping to have the erection finished this week.

This picture is another part of the last picture, as the bed goes

the full length of this part of the garden.

I have widened it and extended it towards our side gate.

We dug out 19 shrub stumps and roots, along with a 

whole run of log roll which had been covered over with soil!!

This next picture is the bed where the cobbles were and 

this area is not fully in flower yet. It should have been

with the first picture!!

We are really pleased how this area has been transformed.

We had a retired policeman do some heavy jobs for us.

One of which was to lower the level of this area.

It was quite a step up, so he lowered it down to grass level.

We then had the easy bit which was to level it all off. 

We then put membrane down and then I laid a line of bricks

along the edge of the grass.

We then put the fence around the edge of the area and 

then just put the shingle down

Job done!!

This planting is just to the right of the bench, so a very pretty area now.

This is towards the end of the long bed and just springing into life.

Wakey wakey, Pictures finished now!!

At least I didn't give you all the Latin names of the plants!!

I have pictures on FB as how the garden looked when we moved here 

17 months ago!! Quite different.

We did need the rain but 2 days of it was more than enough!!

I hope you are enjoying your gardens and 

have a lovely weekend.

Hugs,

Carol 

xxxx

My Lovely Angel Friend Alison

This is my friend Alison, who is now with the Angels.

This photo is how I want to remember her. Not how

she looked. when I saw her a couple of weeks ago, ravaged

by this horrible cancer.

I can still feel her frail body, when we hugged each other.

We had been friends for approaching 40 years.

Sadly she passed away last Sunday the 7th May,

after a 61/2 months battle with Pancreatic Cancer. 

She was only 64 and far too young to leave us.

She has 4 beautiful daughters and grandchildren. A lovely husband, 

and a sister, who are all missing this lovely, kind lady, from their lives.

I moved to London when I was 8 years old in 1955 and went to a 

Catholic Convent School. 

We found out, many years ago, that her Father 

was the gardener there and they also lived at the school. 

She was brought up there too!!

We both moved out of London and ended up 

in the same village in West Sussex.

Still not knowing each other.

We couldn't remember how we became friends 

but our children went to the same schools. 

I used to do her hair for her (that's my trade).

We had a very special friendship and we were always there for each other.

We spent many an hour, moaning about work frustrations, but usually

ending up having a good laugh too.

She worked as a carer, for a house of people with learning difficulties. 

She even did sleepovers at the property. 

She also was a carer for her parents, even though they lived 

in a village, that was a 45 minute drive from her home.

We then found out that one of my sisters lived in the same village 

as her parents!!

I won't bore you with the ups and downs of our lives.

We both had at times, very difficult events happen,

some very unpleasant. 

But we were there to support each other

and we loved each other, as close friends do.

At the moment, I feel this is very surreal and I am 

having difficulty accepting that she has gone from my life.

She was like my younger sister and there is now a massive

hole in my heart and my life.

I have to get through the funeral yet. That's on what 

was my Father's birthday, 23rd May.

Thank you to everybody that has left me a message 

on my FB page. 

They are much appreciated.

Hugs,

Carol

xx