Pre- Burwell Post!

A quick post, just to fill you in on this week's events, as we hurtle headlong into Burwell Bash week. (The mood on the BB facbook page is verging on the hysterical!)

It has been a beautiful week weatherwise, here in West Norfolk; we've had temperatures in excess of 28 degrees several times. The herd in the nursery field next door has been glad of the shade afforded them by our wall and the large beech tree. There are a couple of suckling calves there now, and Jim took some shots for me.

The veggie garden is doing nicely, green beans, broad beans and courgettes are romping away, and we are enjoying them by the plateful.

Those of you who remembered the awful pain and infection I suffered last winter in my jaw - first identified as a dental problem, then a sinus problem, finally a specialist dental surgeon diagnosed a split tooth which required extraction as it had grown another root, and then I needed a replacement. I've just had the final stage of the implant completed, and can now smile widely again!Hurrah, just in time for Burwell! The dentist actually timed the 2nd and 3rd stages so as to be complete before Burwell, honestly! What a guy!

I've been stitching furiously this week , mainly for the Craft Fair at Back to the Garden in August (tell you more about that later) and also to finish this commission for a shoulder bag. Again, the green colour doesn't show too well.

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I do hope the recipient likes it! It is messenger bag size, with a pocket on the back and one on the inside.

Now I have got out of sync with The Year in Books, I'm afraid, but I have been reading - about four detective novels so far this month, and also I am tandem-reading this mighty tome with Jim.

It is a very large book, and we are both reading it, using individual book marks to prevent confusion. We don't fight over who gets to read it. If you enjoy a bit of non-fiction and enjoy history, and most of all WORDS, you could not do better than to try this. It isn't a book to whizz through at great pace,  but it is fascinating, covering such topics as English writing, mythology, religion, symbolism, the Anglo-Saxons - obviously! A book to totally immerse yourself in. If it takes me a month to read it I don't care. Oh, I might just add - though why I should feel the need is a sad indictment on the age - I should stress that the book has absolutely NOTHING to do with jingoism, Far Right politics, or plug-ugly skin-heads wearing bovver boots and fascist slogans.

And speaking of books, I have such a pleasant little tale to tell you. I had been searching for a book of small embroidery patterns, and eventually found one on Amazon second hand. The seller was a lady in North Wales, who answered my query about delivery dates with a lovely personal message - to which I replied. (I know, I know, you just DON'T do that normally do you?) My book arrived promptly and inside the package was this envelope:

And inside, this:

With another lovely personal message inside. Now that's what I call good service! Thank you so much Dr. Dorothy Griffiths, the book and your gesture has been much appreciated. 

I expect many of you will be enjoying watching the Commonwealth Games. I can't ay that sporting events figure largely on my list of favourite things, but JIm likes to watch, so I sit and sew with it all going on in the background. (When we come indoors to cool down!) But next week there will be radio, tv, and newspaper silence, as ever at Burwell. We cut ourselves off - apart from the occasional phone home - and leave the rest of the world to carry on while we exist on Burwell Time! This year I am forsaking the fiddle class - though I will take my fiddle for the sessions - because I shall be part of the brand new MELODEON CLASS and as I have intimated previously, our tutor will be ANDY CUTTING!!!!!! Forgive the excess of capitals and exclamation marks, but I am just thrilled to bits. I'll tell you all about it next time. 

Meanwhile enjoy this lovely suns and heat, you Brits, and to my Antipodean readers/friends/relations I hope it isn't too wintery for you down there!