Look What I Won....

I am really excited!  I won this beautiful cushion cover from http://maisonboheme.blogspot.com/ and just in time for my birthday.

It is hand screen printed and sewn by Formosa Design.  It really is lovely and will look great on the barge.  Sarah at La Maison Boheme has some really lovely design inspirations and is well worth a visit.  Thank you Sarah.

Strimmed

Here is the allotment all strimmed and ready for the next step.  Pete has also started to put together two compost bins out of old pallets (one at top end of allotment and one half way down so I don't have to walk too far!).

Here is Pete and No.3 son, Rob,  who did all the strimming for me.  Rob celebrated his 21st last week, I can't believe that my favourite youngest son is all growed up!  But he has turned out to be a fine young man that his mum is very proud of.

The Writing's on the Wall!

(CountryLiving)

I have a confession to make, I am absolutely rubbish at drawing or painting!  Stick people and balloon trees are probably my limit.  And, although I do appreciate other's artistic talents, the art that I love most is the art of words.  You name it, poetry, novels, quotes, crosswords etc etc, I love it all.  I am also a compulsive list maker; shopping lists, to do lists, garden lists, boat lists etc etc.  I write them and I type them, in books, on notepaper, on the computer, in fact anywhere.  So, one of the things that I am determined to have on the barge is a blackboard wall.  This would be for my lists, Pete's orders(!), inspirational quotes, messages from friends and family and anything else that can be written.  I may even allow people to draw little pictures on it.  What inspirational quotes would you leave on my wall (keep it clean!)

More Lived In Look

I know that these photos are not from a boat, but they are from a cabin on a beach and there is a definite boatie theme going on here.   Again this is a very shabby look, but I think it looks great.  I  would love to have the confidence to feel I could get away with it.
 At the moment we are concentrating on getting the house up to scratch and ready to go back on the market.  Pete is decorating throughout and hating every minute of it!  Since it is what he does all day, weekends are very much a busman's holiday.  I am also not much help as it is painful everytime I move!  He just cannot wait to get back working on the barge.
On another note, I am not in hospital yet, still waiting for more tests and confirmation about what is actually wrong with me.  I have always been a great champion of the National Health Service, but my experience over the last few weeks is beginning to make me lose faith.  I am afraid that progressive funding cuts and the loss of morale among the very overworked and understaffed front line workers has taken its toll over the years and this looks set to get worse.  Our Health Service which was once the envy of the world is becoming seriously second rate.  Now I will get off my soap box!

The Beginnings of an Allotment

Part of the long term plan is to become as self sufficient as we possibly can.  As we are selling the house and therefore the garden I put my name down for an allotment some time ago.  I have just heard that I have got a plot.  Typical, at a time when I can't get out there and get stuck in!!!  As you can see my plot certainly needs plenty of work.  However, lovely youngest son has said that he will get rid of the weeds, rotivate it and level it off for me and hubby is going to build me a couple of raised beds so that I can plant my garlic, onions, spring cabbages and broad beans before it gets too late in the year.

Still, while I am stuck here waiting to go into hospital I can at least plan the allotment, except that with the variety of fruit and veg I would like to grow I think I may have to get another plot!!!!  The plot already has an apple tree, which apparently produces eaters and this will be joined by rhubarb and gooseberries in this area.  We will also add compost bins and a log store here.  The rest is a virgin area just waiting for me!

The 'Lived-In' Look

As there is not a lot else I can do, I have been surfing the net.  I found this barge for sale.  There is something about this that I really like.  It is not fashionable, not even shabby-chic fashionable,  and it is certainly not all poshed up.  But there is something distinctly welcoming and homely about it that really appeals.  Also, the baskets of apples are quite appropriate for the start of Autumn.  Although I saved this picture I cannot for the life of me find the barge again to give credit, so please accept my apologies if it is your boat.

Ouch...

Friendly looking little cuddly toy?  No, this is a gall bladder (okay, so I am showing you a nice furry one rather than a gruesome photo) and mine is giving me some serious gip.  I am just waiting for a scan before they decide when they are going to take mine out.  This is probably the most pain I have ever had, mind you the heavy duty pain killers help especially as they send you as high as a kite!  So please excuse if the blog posts are a bit sparse in the next couple of weeks but I will be reading all yours and I am sure that they will help keep me sane while I am forced into doing nothing.