The Past Week

I've appreciated the many, many interesting comments on my last post. I want to reply very soon. (And also, leave my own comments everyone's blogs too). But .... THE WEDDING is approaching, so I think I might be slower than usual - sorry! But I will do it in the end.

Meanwhile, here are some random images from what I've been thinking about and doing in the last few days, when I have been out of London and away from my computer.

First, I've been thinking about flowers. K is getting flowers from a farm and making her own posies, she's so creative and I know will make a good job of it. Think I will be helping with that, (holding the flowers, holding the twine, that kind of thing, I suspect...) I have never made bouquets before.

I've also been thinking about wedding presents. NOT this...., we don't plan to give K and F this chair shaped like a human head! thank goodness, eh?

I'm including it here because when I saw it in a shop the other day I thought how awful it would be to get it for a wedding present. I mean, great if you specially want it, but as a present from your Auntie Matilda, it surely ticks all the wrong boxes? Huge, weird, probably won't go with any other furniture, is too big to hide away and impossible to pretend you dropped it and broke it, if Auntie Matilda should happen to visit.

So I'm hoping our present will be more acceptable for K and F!

A piglet. Yesterday before returning to London I went for a little walk in the country. Came across

two piglets who took great fright at the sight of me and rushed, grunting anxiously, into the undergrowth. After about 30 seconds it occurred to one piglet that we might have something good to eat. First his head poked out of the vegetation, and he looked thoughtfully at us, and then he trotted cautiously out, grunting hopefully. His brother, not such a bold character, followed in a minute or two. I didn't have anything to offer but he seemed to really enjoy licking the gate frame. After all, what could be more delicious than gate oil and rust? Yum!

Cold weather. It's been freezing, and we had the heating on. You'll see Mr. Elephant made a BIG mistake in standing on the stove.

Driving. I don't like driving or sitting in a car much but we have clocked up several hundred miles this week. This little guy was well wrapped up for his travels in a vintage car I'd guess he doesn't go more than a few miles (or, rather, the car won't).

Not feeling very well for several days

(yes, that's Klaus Nomi, not me. Just an impression of how I felt, you understand...)

I am glad to say that we are both now feeling okay.

Bluebell woods. With our super-sunny April, many bluebells were fooled into coming out way too early. I was afraid that we'd miss the usual Maytime delight of the woods carpeted in misty purplish- blue, but somehow most bluebells managed to bide their time.

It was great being in the woods and smelling their particular scent which always says "Maytime" to me.

And although the blossoms are falling, they can look beautiful - these were floating in a pond and show a different kind of beauty from when they were on the tree.

PS (later) Something went wrong when I first uploaded this - so the last picture, of petals floating on a lake, disappeared. I've just noticed and have now put it back