More jigsaws

I may well look pleased. This "Tree of Life" was very tricky! Finished early in April.

The clocks and compasses were also not easy - the fact that the picture was on the base if the box didn't help us to start with! We finished this one in mid-May.

Europe Day - May 9th 2020

To celebrate Europe Day, Harry painted stones with European flags and spread them around the village - most are still there, though one or two have been "adopted", or maybe they are simply travelling.

Three spotted on Monday 31 May

Peace in Europe

How I would like to see VE Day renamed "Peace in Europe Day"! There is too much of the "Two world wars and one World Cup" baggage attached to it, especially in the still too obvious brevity undercurrents. Maybe I'm just too sensitive, but...

So as a small gesture to myself and others who share my views, I posted on Facebook asking for "75 years of Peace in Europe" in as many languages as possible. 

Here is the result:

75 años de paz en Europa (Spanish)

75 de ani de pace în Europa (Romanian)

75 anni di pace in Europa (Italian))

75 ans de paix en Europe  (French)

pax in Europa (pacem Europa). (Latin

Taika Europoje  (Lithuanian) 

75 години мир в Европа  (75 rodini mir a Europa)

(Bulgarian)

Mír v Evropě (Czech)

Mir u Europi!   (Croatian)

75 лет мира в Европе (75 let mira a Europe)

(Russian)

75 lat pokoju w Europie (-Polish)

Pokój w Europie. (Polish)

75 Jahre Frieden in Europa

75 års fred i Europa. (Danish )

75 års fred i Europa (Swedish) 

75 jaar vrede in Europa - Dutch

75 bliain de Shíocháin san Eoraip ( ☘️Irish)

70 bledhen a gres yn Europa  (Cornish)

75 mlynedd o heddwch yn Ewrop

Welsh 

ħamsa u sebgħajn sena ta paci fl'europa (?Maltese)

 سنة. السلام في أوروبا (Arabic) 

75 san. alsalam fi 'uwrubba.  (Arabic)

75 שנות שלום באירופה 

Hebrew

(75 shanat shalom be’europa)

We have Greek as well.

Flowers outside

Pansies 

Cyclamen from last year

Tête-à-tête daffodils

Jigsaw number 2

The Old Sweet shop. A difficult one - kept us up past midnight on our third session!

Hmmmmmm!

Sustrans Millennium mileposts and time trail

On National Cycle Network, NCN 6,  just off the B6047, on the opposite side of the road from the chemical works.
The design is one of four used on the signs which were erected in 2000. This one is `'the Cockerel", by Iain McColl from Scotland, and was inspired by Miro's "The Fork" and Brancusi's "The Cock"


I am having problems tracking down the Miro "The Fork", though forks appear in some of his work. Anyway, here is  Brancusi's "The cock" (1924)


This black disc(below)  is part of the Millennium Time Trail, a puzzle which, it seems can no longer be solved as some eejits have stolen the odd plaque here and there.

Jigsaw...

Finished a couple of days ago ...we spent three evening sessions on this. All about the sixties - took us right back!

Valentine cards...

Change VE Day...

from Victory in Europe Day to Peace in Europe Day.
This would be more in keeping with modern Europe and would be less divisive than the ideas of Victory and Defeat. Very few of us were personally either victorious or defeated. Or we could call it Defeat of Nazism Day, if we must keep the wartime reference.
I post this as I dread the upcoming commemorations /celebrations and suspect it will encourage those latter-day flag-wavers in their delusions of second hand grandeur.

Tradescantia thrives in the bathroom

Headband crochet

Crocheted headband sewn on a base from an old fleece jumper. A little tight, so I may pass this on to Hazel...working on headband mark 2.
a tip I picked up online - make the original chain using a larger hook than you use for the rest of the work.

Burns Night - 25 January

A veggie haggis, addressed by Harry, great company - Rita and Kevin, Anne and Dave - followed by apple crumble.

Rainbow stripes

Not quite tartan paint...

I've been able to knit in spite of a bout of conjunctivitis which has caused blurred vision in my left eye.
Having a little more trouble with crochet, but then it's ages since I tried. Threading the sewing machine is also proving tricky. I think it's beginning to improve, but it could take a little while.

The year moves forward

A few snowdrops beginning to show in Exton.

and inside I have Tête-à-tête daffodils. the pots have been outside since last year, and I brought them inside when the buds began to appear a few days ago.


There are lots more in troughs outside, but it will be a while before they flower.

meanwhile outside...

Primulas appearing among the weeds

Snowdrops budding

Aconites (and nettles) thriving.

Woolly warmers

Plants again

The azalea has a few more flowers

The hyacinth still scents the room

The kalanchoe is also flowering again

More flooding in the Welland valley

A bag made from an old folding chair

just the fabric of course.

and wrist warmers...

Something easy to make as Christmas presents.

Bags, bags...

Some reused material to make gift packaging for toiletries

Most of this is William Morris material - not the very bright fabric. New, for Christmas presents

Bags with goodies

The sewing machine in use making Morsbags from donated fabric.