Sunshine, flowers and books.

This has been a few weeks in which we've worked hard but filled our weekends to the brim, too. Half term (which feels like a very long time ago now I think about it) included a fair amount of revision (Bella) and report writing (me) but it also included many very lovely things. We squeezed every drop out of it. We ate out a couple of times - burgers, Wagamama, a pub lunch - as there were various things to celebrate, or spirits to be kept up.

We went bowling, a postponed birthday celebration for Angus. None of us were very accurate except John who is annoyingly good.

I bought some new books. 

At the end of May, my book group had its end of year meeting, in which we look back over the previous year and then decide the next twelve titles to read and discuss. The reason we start mid-year is because we began the group during the first Covid lockdown in June 2020. There are six of us, which works well, as we can choose two books each. We choose one we've read before and want to recommend, and one which is new to us. Then, all twelve titles are put in a random number generator to decide the order. Here is our selection for the coming year. I've just read These Days, a novel about a family set over a short period of time during the Belfast Blitz in 1941. It is very good.

We had a few little celebrations and gatherings which were very lovely. A family get-together for my Dad's birthday, for which I made this lemon cheesecake. 

We had friends round for pizza, and got out the pizza oven for the first time this year.

John celebrated his birthday. The sun shone so we went to a pub beer garden and had lunch outside, which was glorious. I made Oreo brownies and Bella made a very good card.

Walks have been local and short-ish as it has been very warm over the past few weeks, and dry.

This one has had her head buried in books and flashcards for months, so it was very good indeed to celebrate the end of her GCSEs last Friday. She gave herself a week off to relax - she has spent most of the time reading in the garden, I think  - and it now bored and job hunting. The day of her last exam was also the day I submitted by final (of thirty two in total) report so celebrations all round. 

The garden is doing nicely. Apart from a huge thunderstorm last Sunday night, we have had very little rain, so I am focusing on watering my pots and any new plants I bought this year. I am still rowing every morning and enjoying sitting outside with a glass of water before I get in the shower. It is a very calm way to start the day, and do a little garden inspection at the same time.

The redcurrants are ripening quickly, and in the last two weeks have gone from this....

...to this. I will be able to pick them soon then wonder what on earth to do with them. 

Annoyingly, I have very few blackcurrants this year. I am hoping that there are more hidden under the leaves. I need enough to make my favourite blackcurrant and liquorice ice cream. 

The climbing rose is blooming well. I am trying hard to remember to dead head frequently.

The rhododendrons have just finished their two-week long blaze of colour.

Always a pleasure.

I can't remember what we have cooked or eaten lately. More meals out than is usual, and lots of quick late-night, after work meals like baked potatoes or salad. Rushing around as usual. But I can tell you what I have been sewing. I am still working on my Iceland embroidery and used water-soluble cross-stich fabric to sew this traditional star shape, in a mossy shade of green.

I have been getting frustrated with this embroidery, and couldn't seem to balance the layout of shapes and colours. So I snipped bits from magazines in roughly the size I planned to sew and laid it out. It helped a lot - now, when I need to decide what to sew next, I look at my plan.

The most recent addition was these two snow-capped Icelandic houses, inspired by the ones we saw in Reykjavik. I looked back at my photos and noticed lots of mustard yellow, teal blue and rusty-red in the tones, so used some linen scraps to create a little applique.

It's coming together slowly.

I hope you are all well and enjoying the beautiful weather we have been gifted this summer - so far. I'm crossing everything that we don't get six weeks of rain in the school holidays.