I'm singing in the rain...

Yes it has been raining all day long. At times it seemed like pouring rather then raining. But I'm happy, it means I didn't get wet for no reason yesterday when I went around fertilizing everything in our garden. Hopefully it means that when the sun appears again everything will really start growing like crazy.

Other news, hmmmm not much actually, been working a lot and so has Jamie, gardening when there's a chance, not much quilting done, got few more pieces done for or bedspread though so that is coming along.

Will take some new pictures of the garden as to show how the new borders are coming along.

Presenting!

Let's all give them a very warm welcome to our garden. I give you John Cabot, Raubritter, Clair Renaissance, Emelie and Awakening!
Big huge welcoming applause now and lets hope they like it here!

They are our new roses for the new flower beds we dug around the decking. We went out to Bäsna today which is one of the better nurseries we know around here. They've always been very helpful and have a big range of plants, you can also by trees from there which is what we did last year. A little pink flowering paradise apple tree that's just coming into bloom. I was a bit worried about our garden making it through the hard winter we had. My lovely huge Aisha rose died back to where the snow had protected it, so did my elderberry . All other roses seem to have made it in one piece and are sprouting.

Potatoes are in the ground, so are carrots and onions. Bit more to do but cabbages are not big enough to go in yet and the squashes and beans aren't ready either to go in. Besides it is a bit too early still for them. We might still get frosts at night. Have been busy moving flowers from one bed to the new one. Still got a few more to move but are getting there.

Care to lounge a bit...?

Finaly got one thing sorted. Now we are looking for a table and chairs to match the new sofa. It took us ages to decide but when we saw this setup in the shop it clicked straight away that this was IT. We also have to finish off the wall in the background but that will be a doddle since the blokes who built the decking prepared it well so it is just for us to put whatever we want to the wall. Still deciding if we want small or wide striped planks.
Oh and the big green pot is going to get some grass or a bamboo planted in it. There are 2 more big pots as well but we are putting japanese maples in those. It will really look nice when everything is done. Thing is the weather hasnt been very forgiving for planting things, still quite hard frosts at night with -4 at the lowest. And that is a lot for being May. But weather forecasts say that we are getting some russian warmth now and you can relly tell it is getting warmer even though it is pouring down with rain. But rain is good! Makes everything go poof once the heat arrives as well.

Btw, have you ever noticed there arent enough hours in the day for everything you want to do and need to do? I am noticing big time at the moment.

This is the BIG To Do List that is sitting on the fridge at the moment
Got seeds to pregrow, potatoes to plant, onions to plant, dig the compost out, sow the other vegetables, move all the perenials from two flowerbeds made out of doorframes to their new bed along the decking, move strawberries to their new doorbeds, choose roses for the decking, get windowbox for herbs by the kitchen window,  find nice climbing frames for a couple of climbingroses for the decking, split some plants to give me more to bulk out beds, organize the new long flowerbed by the street that we dug last year i think various bushes and rhododenrons will do it, dig and prepare greenhouse made out of old windows, move dried wood into woodshed,.... Plus of course there is everything else to do, cleaning, laundry, doing my walking, working...., sewing is put a bit on hold, that will have to be a winter thing or a rainy day thing.

You see now how it is impossible for me to go to work today and for at least 2 months ahead? Wishful thinking..... I have to go in about 45 minutes and try not to be bored out of my mind. It is really pitiful how slow things are at work since the new refurbished shop next door opened again. Sigh...

We got a new boss as well. He seems very energetic and full of ideas. Hopefully he will last the distance and get us up and running, if not the future looks a bit bleak.

It is snowing!

News

Spring is springing!
I have been busy outside in the garden digging 2 new flowerbeds but had time to finish Jamies grandmas birthday present anyway.
And here they are, a pair of pillows for her new sofa set

I had a totally different color scheme going (pinks and pale greens) but I couldn't get it to work since I really didn't like the colours myself... I know its odd but if I dislike it I just cant make anything nice out of it so I had a change of plans and used some of the stars I'm making for our new bedspread and they turned out much better then I thought. I even ended up using one of the original pink fabrics for the flower border around the star, so it wasn't a total loss.

Also the digging of flowerbeds are progressing. Slowly but surely they are getting done. My mum came over yesterday and helped me plant all the seeds I got from James' dad so they are on the go. It is a wee bit too early to grow my beans and squash, am going to wait with them until middle of may. It has been a very cold spring and it is officially 2 weeks later the normal so everything is put a bit on hold until warmer weather appears. At least I got the potatoes pre sprouting in the utility room. Little knobs of greenery on each potato. Ahh I wish it was warmer!

 Progress at Lasts....

Sniffle

Yes once again i got a cold. And i hate it!
No energy, but still got to go to work and it is mayhem there at the moment since the big supermarket next door is closed for a refurbish and we got a truck load of new customers but no new staff!

Quilting

Yes, the blanket is now ready and I have completed my other project. A multicolored  heart in gold, red and blue. 

It is sitting waiting to be quilted together with the backing. It is a wall hanging and I will put it up in the hall since I think it will do best with a white background.

Talking about white. I do like these trendy and cool white interiors you can see so many of in glossy magazines but I don't think I could live in one. Every time I am to choose what color scheme I am to use I tend to go very colorful instead of smart and cool..... And bland I might add... I go to this quilt course on Tuesday evenings and all the others are very careful in choosing their colors. You know, pastel green and pink together or white on white with a hint of beige... Some times I actually think what the point is when you cant see the actual pattern of the quilt because everything has the same tone and color...And then there is me... I stand there and then come away with bright red and greens with black! Not to mention my last project with 12 colors of red, gold and blue. I am just like a kid in a candy store faced with the wall of fabric in all kinds of color and cant wait to put them together, ALL of them...

So what will I do next?

Decided

Unlike me I have decided almost straight away how to do something instead of ponder away and dither until the ends of time. And this is how i decided to do the quilt. All i got to do now is do the quilting and I've chosen a soft black fleece as the backing. It will be really nice and snug to have it in the sofa on those colder evenings.

Decide or not to decide...

So now it is all stitched together but I will have to think about finishing it off. Big border around it? Little one? Add some of the colour that I've used in the blocks or just a black one? All things considered I am quite proud of it. It is made of 80 blocks and I have kept at it and done it in one go instead of losing interest and going on to make something else. Decisions decisions... Me will ponder about it for a while, any suggestions?

Half way there...

This is why

I am busy!

Atchooo!!!!

Yes I know. Not a pretty picture when you sneeze on your screen without holding a hand in front of your mouth. But I didn't have time ok! *wiping screen*grumble*grumble*
I hate having a cold! No, I hate even more to have a fever. You dream really weirdly all night and cant get comfy because either you're too hot or too cold. At least you can take some aspirin. Sigh...
What do you do with yourself when you are too perky to go to bed again but don't have any energy to do anything in particular and there is only sport on telly at the moment because the winter Olympics are on?

Well of course you come here and blog a bit and make no sense whatsoever. And you look at property for sale over at
hemnet. And you try to make a fire without the use of starter sticks and give up and try and make some starter sticks of the bigger logs that all have knots in them so the knife gets stuck in EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM when you try to hammer it through! And no I'm not going out to get the ax. I will just make a hole in the floor if I do that in my state!

Thank the gods Jamie will be home soon so I can pester him about cups of tea and water and tissues and and and and. Well you know it is very hard work being sick! I got to lay down now...

Another cup of tea...

I am turning English!
I've never been a big tea drinker but now a days I am actually almost keeping up with Jamie. It is all due to that I have discovered loose tea and all the flavours you can choose from when going into a coffee/tea shop. I mainly like black teas. But not the very oddly flavoured ones. I like Ceylon tea and Assam tea and the spicy chai tea mixes. But don't bother me with the very heavy perfumed flower or fruit teas, yuck! I still got to discover Rooibos and green teas...

We had a bit of a surprise at work today. Our new Lady boss said she will be leaving us. Not straight away but within six months. Well we always knew she was just a short term solution since Mr. A wanted to leave as quickly as possible when he did go but it still feels a bit sad. She is really what our shop needs to get going and now she will leave. I'm sure I don't need to mention that Mr. B had a smile on his face all day. I myself had a feeling of dread, you know what will be coming along, another new young pup will take over with no experience of having had a shop before and look how well we did last time... sigh. But I suppose you never know, it might be a good one that comes along. Just got to keep our fingers crossed eh.

A cup of tea later...

Ahhh... yes i have just had a cup of tea. Been working late tonight so did get home just 20 minutes ago. It is really horrible to work late and then have to get into a cold car and drive home in the ice and snow. Cant spring come soon!?

I am really looking forward to spring so we can plant up the new borders that will go along the new deck. I got loads of plans and am saving money for new plants and roses and bushes and and and and well you know. The garden is really getting there now after soon 5 years of backbreaking digging up the lawn.

I really like my pink border by the outhouse. But some plants needs moving. And i might be able to split a few more. That is very satisfying when you can get more plants of the same to bulk it out or plant somewhere new.

We grew a lot of vegetables last year. We are just getting round to eating the last spuds and beans. I always look forward to planning what we are going to grow for the next year and get to think of what worked and what didnt do so well.

The more it snows..

I am looking out at a veritable snowstorm. The news predicts that 30 cm of snow will fall during the day and night. That is a lot even for Sweden! We have had to postpone James birthday party since the traffic report seemed very ominous and they were telling people to stay home unless there was an emergency and that isn't often they warn about being Sweden and that we are used to driving in snowy conditions.. My sister would have to drive here from Ludvika over the mountains so we called it off. It was apparently bad enough yesterday when she and Hasse was on their way back home from Hasses parents who live in Falun and it had only barely started snowing then. Better to be safe then sorry we thought.

Christmas has been lovely but a bit exhausting for us both since we managed to get a cold, it was me who got it first and then in the spirit of Christmas I shared it with Jamie so he got it as well. Everything seems to be have been done in a bit of a daze and I didn't really feel like doing much more then the absolutely minimum. The big Christmas dinner was a success though and it was a very relaxed and nice evening with lots of laughter and pressies under the tree. I was still reeling from the chock of getting a Kitchen Aid from my sister and Hasse when I opened my present from Jamie. I got half a camera, but what a camera, a Nikon D5000!! It is a shared present whit Jamie but what a present! Uhm...don't know what to say actually, still in chock. Have another chocolate marzipan ball, it might help...

A new start

Yes I know. It seems like this blog has gone on a very long break but there simply haven't been any time left to indulge on writing on here. I've barely been able to keep up reading the few blogs I follow.

It has been a bit stressful since my mum unexpectedly got time for a hip replacement surgery in October instead of the planned one in January and she then came to ours for her first month and a half of convalescence. But it went really smoothly even though James thought it a bit stressful at times having the Mother-in-law here all the time. But we coped very well and she didn't interfere at all but was very good.

Otherwise life is running along ever so quickly. Especially now when it is soon the silly season. It is only two and a half weeks left until Christmas! At least all the Christmas cards are written and ready to be sent off. It is a dwindling pile of cards though, it seems every year there is one lesser to write. Well the pile really went from big to smaller when I decided just to write to people who wrote one back. I did that a couple of years ago and I think it is time to do that again. I like receiving Christmas cards and the thought that someone wants to send one to me. That's why I like sending them as well.

I really miss getting letters in the post. You know these very old fashioned paper letters that people actually write by hand. I used to have pen pals when I was younger but just lost touch when growing up. I know I know, it is so much easier and quicker with emails and sms and all that new stuff. But I still like letter written by hand where you can see how people write, you know.. it makes it more personal then any email.

I had promised new pictures showing the new decking and windows so here they are. Finally..

New view

We didnt need an ark in the end but it was close for a while... Now we have very nice autumn weather instead. Bit warmer then usual but i think this is the new usual weather..

At the moment i am waiting for my lunch to get ready and then i am off to work my evening shift at the shop. And for once i am looking forward to go to work. It has everything to do with that we have a new boss. A Lady Boss, whos is extactly what we need at our place i think. The one we had before was a real donut, sweet and nice but bad for you.

It is also our last chance as a shop. For now it seems we have untill february next year to prove we still have it in us to keep the shop going and improve or else i think we are up for the chop. It seems at least that the new Lady Boss is doing everything she can to get us going and keeping Mr B in check and on a very short leash. Not a minute to late i might add. She is well aware of the amount of money he has squandered away on bad deals and bad pricing so this is a refreshing start and the rest of us are going around smirking at his new position at work, general cleaning and maintance...... We SO do love our new Lady Boss!

An Ark, A kingdom for an Ark?

Yes that is what we need. After a downpour of biblical proportions yesterday i think that is what our new decking is meant for, a mooring place for the boat we will be needing after todays forecasted rain. Yesterdays downpour was just a warning of what to expect and it wasnt nice. We had to go out in it and rescue our house from being surrounded by a mote from all the water gushing out from the drainpipes! We had also a little lake growing on our drive and lawn, i kid you not it was a foot deep! They had to close down all bus services in Borlänge and they closed down several roads as well since the drains couldnt keep up with the volume of water. The drain lids simply floated away south apparently...

What did i say about rain...?

It has been raining for 2 days...
Our little working gnomes haven't turned up today. Either they are busy somewhere else or they thought working in the rain wasn't such a good thing to do today and are hiding in their little gnome houses. They have started to lay down the decking and you can now appreciate it more how the finished deck will look like. I am just impatient now. Want to have it done! But cant stress it I suppose. They weren't meant to come until august anyway so anything done before then is just great!

Eh..what is that thats landed in our garden?

Yes well you see I think we might have been a tad on the cautious side when we discussed the size of our new decking and instead we went ballistic...It is HUGE! It is being constructed as I type and every time I look at it I think it must be shrinking because first when they dug all the holes for the supports it looked like we were building another house but now when the frame is up and the posts are getting there it doesn't really look that big anymore... Until you place our current patio furniture on it and then it looks like a cavernous dancehall with some kiddie furniture in it. So we have been looking at new furniture, obviously, just to make it feel smaller! We might get some this year depending on what the bank (James) says. Also I think wee need to see it completed as to understand just how much space we have.

Summer, you'd think it would be typical Swedish summer, rain, cold and more rain? But no, it is a very balmy +31, light breeze and no clouds after this mornings pitiful little attempt of ruining summer with a bit of rain. It hardly wet the ground for more then 10 minutes before it all had dried up again. Well its my weekend off so Im not complaining the least, I think James might differ but then again he is a penguin and don't approve of hot summer weather. I didn't like it before either but since I shed some weight it doesn't bother me as much and that irritates James no end since it is only him now complaining it is too warm. But I do agree there could be too much sun, we are running out of water for the garden! Well rainwater that is. Somehow I think it is such a waste using drinking water from the tap to water a garden. But don't despair they have actually predicted cooler weather with rain on Sunday onwards. Will do my vegetables some good if it did rain some more.

The garden is looking better and better. Considering we've only lived here for 4 years and all that we started with was a lawn and some apple trees I am amazed at how it looks like now.