Glad that I live am I

This, some of you may remember, is a little fabric book I made years ago, using my own hand-dyed fabrics, and ink-jet printing on fabric. It contains the words of a childhood hymn, written by Lizette W. Reese (1856 -1935) I always thought it came from St Francis of Assisi but that's not correct. The words of this hymn came spontaneously to mind the other morning, for no particular reason. It made me think of all the words we use for 'gladness' - gratitude, thankfulness, appreciation ....perhaps you can come up with some more. This led me on to think about other Bloggers who periodically include in their posts a short list of 'things to be grateful for'.  I think it's a salutary practise to acknowledge the things in life that we appreciate, on a regular basis. So that is what this post is about. Of course, the 'givens' are family and friends, reasonably good health and a comfortable standard of living, but other events and material things come along for which I may not regularly express my gratitude. So here goes.

First up is this lovely little collection:

Ceramic buttons! Made by clever Cathy Daniels at Potter Jotter blog. They arrived the day I got back from Burwell, and they are Sooooooo gorgeous. Look at the detail on the two below -

The foot, I think, was a little joke recalling the operation I had last year - Cathy you should have put a bandage on it! They are fab, and I am really grateful for them and for your kindness, Cathy!

Ooops, slightly out of order...but you know how it goes. Other things I am grateful for can be found in the garden .........

The hollyhocks are popping up all over the place, beautiful colours. And on the veggie side, though it has been  poorer than usual crop-wise, we have had some brilliant courgettes - and I know others have noticed the same in their gardens too. This is just one small patch, there are more in the greenhouse and more in the main veggie-patch.

And a major thing I am appreciating at the moment, is our new little caravan being at its new home in Wales. Look at the site, isn't it wonderful? Jim said the scenery is breathtaking.

            Here we are, at a temporary spot, we'll be moving to another plot in a week or two.

                                           Loving the greenery and the spaciousness of it all.

    And how's that for a view each morning? Whichever way you turn there are mountains and trees.

And this is the reception centre on the side of the farmhouse. I'm really looking forward to going across and spending a few days there. Who'd have thought - me in a caravan!

And I especially appreciate No. 1 Son, who towed the van most of the way to Wales and taught his dad how to do it safely. I know Jim was quite anxious about the thought of doing this on his own, but now he feels a lot more confident. Thanks Mike for taking the time to help the Old Man out and put your Ma's mind at rest!

So there you are. Perhaps I should add my thanks and gratitude to all my Burwell Bash friends who made the week so enjoyable. So many things to appreciate. And thank you for reading my blog!

New Arrivals.

Now I can't imagine what you thought I was going to blog about! But I'm not!  No, I'm writing about some new arrivals in the Gill Family, and first of all comes these two chaps, seen above being cuddled by Fraser and Dylan. Two Beagle pups found their way into the hearts and home of Kit and family, and here they are, meet Frankie and Benny.

                                                                      Kit - proud Dad!

                       Beccie has been agonizing for a puppy for years! Can you tell?

                        Frankie and Benny in their small fenced in puppy run - or play-pen!

Kit has wanted a Beagle for... oh I can't remember , years and years, but the time was never quite right. In fact even when we were out there this Winter his response was a firm NO! to Beccie's pleas. So when he changes his mind he changes it good and proper - two puppies are happier than one, he's read, so two puppies it is. They look gorgeous, and I can't wait until we go out there again and I can see them - though they will be full-grown dogs by the time we make our next New Zealand visit.

So that's the biggest new arrival excitement, but Jim and I have had our own New Arrival! Yes! We have been delivered of a healthy little ...... caravan!

Yes, me, a confirmed caravan phobic! But we have been talking about having some kind of permanent base in Wales near the river Jim fishes as often as he can get over there. We thought tents, but decided we are getting on a bit for tent holidays - despite my forays into tents at Molly Festivals! So we decided a small caravan on a permanent site, which we have been able to secure. I initially had wild dreams about turning it into my very own "Connie-van" which readers of Lucy's Attic 24 blog will recognise. But no, common sense prevailed. it ISN'T a vintage caravan, I think this is one instance where Jim would put his foot down quite firmly if I suggested I paint the inside in pretty pastels! It is in quite immaculate condition, so no excuse for ripping things apart and recovering, for instance. No, it will remain a 'grown-up' space, and I shall restrain myself, simply added some homely touches here and there. We are quite delighted with it and were just at the right place at the right time to snap this little gem up well within our budget. Lots of lovely plans going on at the moment, Jim will fish, I will stitch, read, walk into the village, catch a bus maybe to who knows where, and maybe even play a little music? And on the days Jim doesn't fish, we shall explore together. Sunshine or no sunshine!!

Well, there you have it. New arrivals are so exciting, aren't they? Have you had any new arrivals recently?