Passion flower

At a local garden centre I saw this lovely passion flower. Mine has died off so I will have to plant a new one.

My Parkinsons is playing up this weekend and I haven’t been out. All my limbs are shaking and aching and I’m having to hang on to my phone hard to stop it jiggling all over the place.

I would like to go out and do some gardening, but there have been loads of heavy showers and I don’t feel stable enough on my feet. Tomorrow a lot of things need doing and I hope I feel a bit better by then.

Lemon curd cheesecake

Afternoon tea. Why do we post photos of food. This was lovely, tart and served cold with cream. Best cheesecake I’ve had in years. Plus a nice cup of tea.

We’d gone looking for plants for dry conditions, which we got, but had to visit the cafe. I was tired after Saturday so I hardly had any energy but I’m glad I got out for an hour or so. It was nice to have a gentle rest and a chat with my sister.

New home

A friend now has this painting of Koi carp swimming at a pool in a garden centre I did a few years ago. Perhaps I will have to do more wobbly paintings now I have Parkinsons disease. I hate the thought I might not be able to paint. Someone asked me today what I was going to do if I don’t paint. I don’t know. It’s always been part of me. I know my manual dexterity is deminishing. I hope something can be done about it. At the moment I’m mentally staring at the ocean not sure if I can dip my toes in anymore?

November sky

There’s still leaves on the trees and we are almost half way through November! The air hasn’t been very cold so the leaves are only gradually turning autumnal. And we have not had too much strong wind here so they haven’t blown off yet. This was the view from the car park at the garden centre today. A lovely blue sky, bright sunlight from a dazzlingly low sun, trees still in leaf. Feels like summer except it was quite cold.

Bench post

We were thinking of replacing a garden bench with a new one. The seat has rotted through because we didn’t use wood preservatives and there were a few ones for sale at a garden centre we visited at the weekend. But I gasped when I saw the prices! This one was almost £500! I used to pay less than that for a few nights holiday accommodation, although I can’t see us having a holiday this year. Everything has got too expensive.

At least we have some money to spare, but only because of cutting back. It meant we could afford the vet bill today. I’d rather do that than buy clothes or shoes. Life is crazy, but I’m not going to complain, a lot of people have it far worse than us. I think we have to learn to be kinder to each other…. (and not buy benches…)

Garden Centre

Lunchtime and I actually went out for it! We went to a local garden centre and sat by artificial plants while eating cheese and bacon oatcakes (a local delicacy). It good to be getting out and about again although I am feeling it now.

We bought a climbing rose to incorporate into the hedge. It was damaged by a water leak that basically flooded the roots for months. We didn’t realise what was happening till it was too late so now? We are adding various other plants and bushes to make it more random and wild.

Passion flower

Yesterday in a garden centre, at the end of October we found this passion flower still in bloom. Its amazing how warm it has been over the last few weeks in Britain. Lasr week it was about 23° Centigrade in London and 19°s where we live. About 5 or 7° higher than usual. In some ways that’s good because we haven’t needed to put the heating on much. But it is unnatural. Apparently every month this year has been hotter than previous ones. Animals are not getting ready to hibernate, will they have enough food or energy to survive if the winter gets very cold. Who knows, it’s worrying.