Friday Smiles 2025 # Week 48

The weeks do fly past, and here we are approaching the end of yet another month. I wasn't  sure I had anything to write about , but there is always something to smile about, so here goes.

Firstly for those who weren't sure, the lovely pink and yellow rose I posted last week, is indeed the Peace rose, bought in memory of my mum. Chris has done a further big tidy up of the front garden so we are ready to plant the roses as soon as we have a dry day when the ground is not frozen!

And talking of frozen ground, on Monday we woke up to a park white with frost, and this time it was a hard frost that lasted for most of the day. The grass was so hard that folk were cutting across it on their way into town, instead of using the foot path that goes all the way around the park. It is a short cut we have used many times but it has been too muddy to cross most days just lately. Again the sun came up for a while and cast shadows of the trees across the land. So lovely. Sorry for all the photos of the park, but next summer I shall do a scrapbook page of the park through the year, so I can't help taking snaps every day.

The builders have been hard at this week. The ceiling and alcove cupboard are now plaster-boarded and the walls have a coat of "blue/green grit" which apparently seals everything up nicely and they will be back on Monday to skim plaster all over it. 

Then the builder will be back to do the floor. It has to be cleaned and a levelling material laid and then the new tiles can go down. We have one tile here that the supplier brought round to make sure he ordered the right one. It is propped up against the wall in the hall. As you can see they are big tiles so there won't be too many joins to try and keep clean.

I have been continuing with my crocheting in the evenings and am now joining up all my little coloured motifs. It is a tedious job and needs some concentration, but hopefully it will be finished soon. Then I need to block it, and work the border. I will try to get a photo for next week. I have found a sort of 'knit and natter' group though it is not quite like my one in Spain. The group is called Oswestry Makes, and they meet twice a month in the library foyer on a Wednesday afternoon, twice a month on Wednesday mornings at a place called the Climate Hub in the centre of town, and once a month on a Saturday afternoon at a local art gallery. Some of the ladies only go to one of these groups, some go to all, and some just pop into whichever one is convenient for them. So it will take me a while to get to know everyone. So far I have only been to the library group, but on Saturday I am going to the Willow Gallery to help another lady try some crochet.

My son Ben came over on Sunday afternoon and stayed overnight. He helped me move some furniture in my craft room so there is now a space to take a double bed-settee, ready for his next visit, or anyone else who wants to stay overnight. On the Monday we went to a big garden centre. It was always one of my favourite palces to visit when I lived here before. I was sad to see it had changed hands, and the Christmas displays were nothing like as good as they used to be, but it was still nice to look around.

I love my Christmas decorations, and always get them out the first weekend in December, and leave them up until 12th night, on 6th January. But this year I have very little space, and will have to be much firmer with myself. Our big double fridge-freezer is currently in the sitting room until the kitchen is ready for it, so I cannot have my usual big tree, but I was determined to have something all the same. I managed to find a little 4ft tree, (artificial), with white lights already attached. It looks a bit sad right now, but time I have finished putting my favourite, and special decorations on it, I am sure it will look fine. Update picture next week.

But for now I will close, and get back to making some quick and easy Christmas cards.

Friday Smiles 2025 # Week 47

Having checked and double checked, I have decided that this really is week 47! Hence I have been numbering wrongly ever since I had a break a few weeks back. So this is my second post titled week 47. (Might as well get it right before the year ends).

We woke up to frost across the grass in the park today. That's a first here. The water in my bird bath is still frozen. But it was a bright sunny morning, so while I ran some errands, Chris did a bit in the front garden, cutting down a small shrub that is very deseased, and also tackling the catoneaster that is growing throughout the back and front gardens. It was all along the front of the house and was very neglected so it was full of dead branches and rotting leaves. We want it gone because we have just ordered some rose bushes and there will be a pink climbing rose on either side of the window. They have been dispatched and are on the way to us. I have also ordered the Peace rose I promised mum I would have in my garden. It is a more meaningful way to remember her than occasionally visiting her grave, (not really within visiting distance for me anyway). I am sure I will be talking to her most days by her rose.

Some more of the cotoneaster is growing in three places along the back garden wall. They all looked much the same when we moved in, but now one has lost most of its berries, but has dense green foliage, one has lost its berries and the leaves are mostly  yellow now, and the one in the middle is bright red with its overload of berries. A big blackbird comes to sit at the top of it and feast himself. Yesterday the bush was caught in a shaft of sunshine and it shone out like a beacon. We won't be cutting that one down until the winter is over.

Walking through the park I felt quite sad to see all the bare trees. Even our favourite little red tree has lost its leaves now. But one tree, though leafless, is covered in small bunches of pink blossom and it is so pretty. I took a couple of pictures so I could ask Google lens to identify it, and apparently it is Viburnam.

Our workmen arrived on Monday and we now have the fire taken out, and the alcove cupboard removed. As the builder is also a plumber he has brought water pipes down from the bathroom to feed the new sink, and removed a radiator which will be sited further along the wall once the plasterers have been in.

When he took up the carpet we found the floor was covered in very old red and black tiles in a checker-board pattern. If they had been in better condition we might have kept them, but several are chipped or broken, and the floor is not level, so it will be treated with a levelling gel, and our new chosen tiles will be layed on top of them.

The electrician was also here and he has chased in the wiring for all the new sockets, and made holes all over the ceiling ready for the spot lights.

We are in limbo now as the plasters are needed next and they are not available until next Wednesday. So we have to be patient. At least the work is underway now.

And that is about it for this week. I will try to send my link round in the morning.