What to do while waiting............

Visiting -
 Col had a temperature which means another infection, so he is stuck in hospital until Tuesday at least, which is why I'm waiting for him to come home again. He's feeling very rough after this round of chemo but hopefully will pick up again soon. The ward sister goes by the nick name of Alf! A very nice nurse.

 Cross Stitching -
 Two more lavender sachets ready for Christmas

Watching -

The French Open Tennis on TV. So far so good for Andy Murray, they could really do with a roof as rain has stopped play several times

Puzzling - 

 with the new Sudoku book I found in the charity shop, they are rather easy.......at the moment, I hope they get a bit more difficult as I progress through them.

Reading -
 more library books. Quite a variety......... in the last 10 days I've read Nell Dunn's 'Up the Junction', first read when I was about 16, seeing it mentioned in the bibliography of The Button Box made me decide to re-read. 'Song of the Skylark' by Erica James which is a bit of a light tear-jerker and Anthony Trollope's collection of Christmas stories first published in the 1860's to 1880's. I've not read any Trollope before, this was a tester, probably won't bother again!

Enjoying -
 the scent of these lovely roses from the garden

And Baking-
A few scones and some cheese straws to take in to Col

Thank you to everyone for the lovely comments about our beautiful new grandson. We are so looking forward to  Col  being well enough for us to go down to Surrey to see him.

Welcome to Alison Collins a new follower in the google pictures. Every time the numbers go up to 354 they then go down again a few days later!

It's a really grey bank Holiday Monday here in Suffolk, cold and windy too. I shall stay in except for hospital visiting.

Back Soon
Sue

Just had to share this

Welcome to the world Jacob Rhys, you are gorgeous.


Back Soon
Sue
PS Thank you everyone for the lovely comments yesterday

Here is the Good News From a Small Suffolk Bungalow

We are Grandparents! Whoop whoop!
Our eldest had a little boy at 11.30 this morning. Mum, Dad and baby are all well. No name yet. He is a tiny baby 6lb 2 oz and 3 weeks early because they were a bit worried about H's health. Very exciting, hope we get some photos soon. We will get down to Surrey to see them  as soon as Col is well enough.

 Col was called in Monday night to grab a bed ready for the 6th chemo cycle to start on Tuesday morning, but it didn't because his platelet level was too low. The doctor decided that while they were waiting to see if the next blood test was better they would do a bone marrow sample to see how things are progressing. Col asked for gas and air as pain relief because it's a very painful procedure. The results of the bone marrow are good, there is no sign of Lymphoma now. His next blood test was OK and they finally got going with the chemo on Thursday morning. All being well he will be home on Saturday evening. We had a chat with the cancer nurse specialist who has explained the next stages of treatment (stem cell therapy and a different chemo) to consolidate everything that's been done and put the NHL into remission for as long as possible. We knew right from the start that it would be probably be a year until he was well again - and that still seems to be the time scale. The biggest risk with everything isn't the treatment but the chances of serious infection while he has no immune system. So it will be limited visiting for the weeks he has to spend in hospital during the summer.

Our son has been offered a permanent job as a Project Officer with Suffolk Archaeology CIC (once Suffolk County Council Archaeology Dept). He has been working for 8thEast for 2 and a half years but their funding runs out in the Autumn.  8thEast and Suffolk Archaeology have consulted and negotiated and found a way for him to work part time for both so he can see out the Airfields project. Such good news. He has managed to work in his chosen profession since finishing uni in 2004 - something very few archaeology graduates do.

Our youngest had her 20 week scan today and all is well with her bump.

And finally we got a letter from Department Work and Pensions giving him more benefit money per week back dated to April (from £73 to £109 - handy, no idea why).


So good news all round. I am a happy Nanna Sue!

Back soon
Sue

Dirty British Coaster - A bit more poetry by John Masefield

 The ships out at sea heading into The Port of Felixstowe are no longer Dirty British Coasters but ships like Majestic Mearsk a huge container vessel approximately 399 metres long, 44 metres wide, carrying 194,000 tonnes of c**p from Asia that will be on the shelves of a shop near you in a week or two.

That very small boat behind the monster is the Pilot boat which comes out from the port with the Pilot to guide the container ship safely into dock.

I suppose in fairness it may contain a few useful things - clothes perhaps? but I bet a lot is stuff people buy and then throw out a year or two later!

Some of these containers will go by train but most will be on the backs of lorries heading through Suffolk and all round the country.

I remember this poem from primary school.

 Cargoes

Quinquireme of Nineveh from distant Ophir,
Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,
With a cargo of ivory,
And apes and peacocks,
Sandalwood, cedarwood, and sweet white wine.

Stately Spanish galleon coming from the Isthmus,
Dipping through the Tropics by the palm-green shores,
With a cargo of diamonds,
Emeralds, amythysts,
Topazes, and cinnamon, and gold moidores.

Dirty British coaster with a salt-caked smoke stack,
Butting through the Channel in the mad March days,
With a cargo of Tyne coal,
Road-rails, pig-lead,
Firewood, iron-ware, and cheap tin trays

I shall be back with a diary post at the end of the week

Sue

(Take Three) It's only a small garden but......

............the list of what we have growing is even longer

Thanks to everyone for comments about all the mystery things in the garden.

 Now I can add Centuarea, Mock Orange and Lychnis to my definite list and a possible Jasmine.
Pat said one was a polemonium, so I looked that up but I don't think the leaves are right for that , they are too grey, although I hope it is.
Also not sure about Lysimanchia that Sheila said for one picture either although again I hope it is - very colourful
My sister looked at the things I said were like garlic chives and said Aliums. My only experience of Aliums is big showy globes but I've searched through google pictures and found they are Allium Roseum or ornamental rosy garlic, so she was right.

And here are more that I've found or forgot to list the other day.

Aquilegia
1 small sad Hosta

A rhododendron ( restrained in an old wooden tub - luckily)

Bluebells 

A small conifer that isn't a leylandii

Perennial wallflowers - I think
2 very small Hydrangeas
A label for a Penstemon beside something half dead under some borage!
Another Fushcia
A Huge Broom right at the back - mostly dead
A Spirea? possibly, although perhaps too tall.

Have attempted a small video here, no idea if it will work or not.

And I've not even mentioned the shrubs that are out the front of the bungalow!

Many Thanks for comments. More poetry, photos and probably book reviews coming later. We are hoping that Col will finally get in for the 6th chemo session one day this week and I need to sort a dentist for us. Seems we have a choice of 3 withing walking distance - how easy life is in town!

Back Soon
Sue

We go down to the sea again, the lonely sea and the sky

Yesterday with Col still waiting to go for the 6th chemo cycle and the weather not too bad we packed some lunch and nipped down to the beach hut.
It was deserted, except for dog walkers and walkers without dogs

Took my big camera and zoomed in on this big ol' gull

The windbreak is ours - not a soul in sight at any of the other huts( except a man doing repairs down the end)

 Sailors going into the sailing club on the River Deben

The sandbank is Felixstowe side of the Deben and the trees in the distance are Bawdsey on the other side of the river Bawdsey is famous for being the birthplace of Radar during WWII

The post title comes with apologies to John Masefield!

Sea Fever

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

Back Tomorrow

Sue

( Take Two!) It's only a small garden but......

there's quite a variety of flowers in the borders.

The elderly lady (Mary) who lived here prior to the lady ( Beryl) who's executors sold it to us was a keen gardener - so we've been told by  neighbours on both sides - and she managed to squeeze in a lot of shrubs, plants and bulbs. My big flower book is packed in a box  but so far I've identified

Forsythia

Aconites

Pansies

Daffodils

Tulips

Hyacinths

Various Primulas and primroses

Several different Rose bushes

 Forget-me-nots

Cotoneastor
Bamboo
A Laburnham Tree

Pyracantha

An Acer

Fuschia

Rosemary
Aubretia
Feverfew

Loads of Borage ( running a bit wild)

Few Iris

Lily of the valley

Garlic chives? but with pink flowers (also spreading everywhere)

Grape Hyacinths (ditto)
Welsh Poppies ( ditto again)

 Crocosmia 

Foxgloves

Delphiniums

Weigela
A Elaeagnus of some sort
One of the Viburnum family
A too large Leyllandii
2 Buddlias
Variegated grass
 Geum ( perhaps)

Mysterious purple flowered thing looks like a cornflower but with wrong leaves

A Lily?  There is a weed mini geranium thing close by that ought to come out really and something behind that looks a bit weedy too.

I should know this perennial below but can't think of it

 Lambs ears? No that's not right, this will have small pink flowers but can't remember it's name

Another one I should know, is it a Cornus?

I hope when this flowers I'll know what it is

This shrub below is quite tall and looks like a cross between a honeysuckle and a blueberry( and it's got blackfly )

 A Climbing ?

Clematis

Another mystery shrub below

Plus some other perennials that I don't recognise yet, although I hope when they flower I'll have a bit more of an idea.



 I pushed the publish button yesterday by mistake when doing this post, didn't realise and found 6 comments already so I've copied them onto the post below

6 comments:

1. 
   KC'sCourt!19 May 2016 at 12:30

   Your garden sounds very colourful.
   Julie xxxxxxxxx

   ReplyDelete
2. 
   KC'sCourt!19 May 2016 at 12:32

   Reminds me of the song English Country Garden
   Julie xxxxxxxx

   ReplyDelete
3. 
   Sheila19 May 2016 at 12:50

   That's a very impressive list of shrubs, plants and bulbs for a small garden-x-

   ReplyDelete
4. 
   SandyExpat19 May 2016 at 12:56

   How nice to find all those lovely flowers and nice to hear that you have neighbours on both sides who are friendly. Expect you'll soon have it sorted and how you like it.
   
   Your bungalow sounds quite perfect for this stage in your life.
   
   I often add to Colin to my prayer list. Take care.

   ReplyDelete
5. 
   Jules19 May 2016 at 13:33

   That's a lot of plants for a small garden. They'll look gorgeous when they are all in bloom. X

   ReplyDelete
6. 
   Sue19 May 2016 at 14:13

   I'm guessing then that there's not much space to squeeze any vegetables in, but I bet it's about to look very colourful :-)
   
   
   Thank you to everyone above. There would be space for veg if we replaced the grass in the middle with veg beds but if we move and let the bungalow out then it's best left simple.
   
   I shall keep weeding and cutting things back so that when the grass is cut it all looks quite tidy
   
   Back soon
   Sue