Tomatoes

My first instinct on checking the photo was to take it again, thinking of all the talented people such as Lorrie of 'Fabric paper thread', whose photos I do admire.

I'm sure she would have seen the tea towel label making itself the focus in the very front of the picture.

I didnt even notice it, which just goes to show what an amateur 'point and press' person I am.

The reason I took the picture was to show you the first two tomatoes picked this morning from the greenhouse.

These are a variety called Shirley, very tasty sprinkled with Basil and vinaigrette.

The Marmande tomatoes are nearly ready.

I can see there will be a busy time ahead....Tomato puree, tomato sauce, tomato soup...the possibilities are endless.

Dragons and daisies on the beach.

Angela of Tracing Rainbows, posted about Lego today, which made me think of a recent article in our local paper.

In 1997, a huge tanker, the Tokio Express, was en route to New York, when it was hit by a  freak wave driven by abnormally high winds. The ship was tilted back and forth, resulting in 62 containers being washed overboard. 

The danger of containers floating under water is a very grave one, and many a wreck has been caused by hitting an unseen one.

However, these containers were full of.... Lego!

5 million pieces of Lego were aboard, and now, seventeen years later, they are being washed ashore.

 The pieces are ocean themed, so it is quite common to find tiny octopus and life jackets on the beach. An octopus or a dragon , to the collectors, is a rare find. Imagine the excitement of holding a 17 year old Lego piece that has floated from who knows where.

300,000 daisies have been found.

I think people go out to hunt for pieces every day.

The beach at Perranporth is one where many of the Lego pieces are found.

There's something rather sad about the thought of Lego drifting around the ocean for 17 years.

Garden corners.

Out in the garden yesterday evening, I was taking photos of my husband...but decided to include a couple of garden corners that I like.

Here's a little list of what's growing. (click for a better look)

Alchemilla, I love its acid green-ness.

Snapdragons, deep red Rudbeckia, geraniums tucked in their pots amongst border plants.

Then, Zephirine rose soldiering on with a few Clematis flowers by her.

Diascia,peach coloured, Cornflowers, Geums,Cosmos, Popcorn Hydrangea,

Rozanne geranium, a new one for me.

And a tiny glimpse of dwarf Apple tree fruit at the back.

Home Communion.

This afternoon we will be having Home Communion brought to us.

It's a very touching experience.

I like to have a table set with a pretty cloth and some fresh flowers.

Such a privilege.

Eyesight.

I've just made a discovery. What would we do without the internet?

It is difficult, near impossible now, for my husband to get into town for optician appointments.Parking is awful, and managing a wheelchair is not easy in a crowded city street.

So into Google I typed "eyesight tests at home", and up came Specsavers newest project, Healthcall, a company that does domiciliary visits to elderly and disabled people.

They visit, assess with portable eye testing kits, prescribe glasses and then deliver them to your home. What more could you ask?

There are , apparently, over a million people housebound or in care homes who might benefit from this service.

I have made an appointment for a visit, and look forward to my husband's glasses (bent, lens falling out, unloved!) being replaced.

There is so much help out there if you hunt around.

Summer vegetables.

I don't think we have ever had such a prolific crop of tomatoes in the greenhouse.

They have, admittedly, been fed and watered to a high degree, and I often come and encourage them. ('Good morning tomatoes, you are doing well'....)

Well, I did read somewhere that plants respond to talk, and my tomatoes are a good example!

We have four Shirley plants, seen below....

(click for better view)

 and you might just see the Marmande variety growing at the side. They are a typical big French tomato, which we always grew in Brittany.

I'm waiting for sunny days, sliced tomato, Mozarella, drizzled with Basil leaves and dressing. Mmmm!

 The yellow flowers are French marigolds. I always plant them in the greenhouse to ward off whitefly, and so far it has worked well.

I am starting to pick French beans now, very tender when young, and you can perhaps see that the Runner beans are going to be full of pods.

We have nearly eaten the Broad beans, leeks are coming on slowly and a courgette waits in the wings with its yellow flowers.

Now that I am the chief gardener I don't plant too much of anything, never more than a dozen plants of each of the vegetables. 

I turn to my husband, the  Gardener Emeritus (thanks Ang.) for any and all advice, and between us we seem to be getting it right!

Cornish beaches.

I've changed the header to show a photo of the water by Carne beach near Portscatho.

Our Cornish beaches are some of the loveliest, and most popular, amongst holiday makers to our county.

They range from secluded little beaches sometimes only accessible by boat, to huge miles of sands with ice cream sellers, beach huts, and deckchairs. Some have diving rafts to swim out to. Some are just quiet places not always discovered by tourists.

Sadly we have a number of accidents in the water every year. Last year the RNLI lifeguards attended over 6000 calls for help. Some were serious and needed a helicopter or the local Lifeboat. Some were just to reunite a lost child with his parents.

57 of our beaches are manned by RNLI lifeguards, who spend hours keeping swimmers safe, rescuing those who are in trouble.

 Surfing has become one of the most popular sports o Cornish beaches, particularly on the North coast, where people are not always prepared for the heavy currents and swells.

We are always so sad when we read about a fatality, or an accident in our waters.

There are certain rules, such as swimming only between red flags, but sometimes that is ignored or not understood.

We so hope that this Summer will be one when tourists come to enjoy our beaches with no accidents.

Below are some examples of the different beaches one finds here.

This one is Newquay, popular with families.

 Praa sands, lovely white sandy beach.

 Porthcurnick beach, a quiet little place, where basking dolphins can occasionally be seen.

We are so fortunate to have these lovely places..

An alien egg.

Some of you in the UK may have seen a report about a school teacher who thought up a strange and different way to teach his children about problem solving.

An 'alien egg'was discovered in the school grounds, with all the razzmatazz surrounding it...men in protective clothing, Geiger counters etc.

Children were asked to question where the egg might have come from, to draw pictures and to write essays.

Well, as a stunt it failed.

The children were apparently so traumatised and frightened that angry parents stepped in, saying their children were too frightened to go to school. (Really??!)

It emerges that other schools have tried to engage flagging interest by putting on stunts such as a fake kidnapping of a member of staff, the 'killing' of a teacher, an assault on a staff member, a spaceship arriving..

The school heads have defended these 'larks' by saying what an impact they had on the childrens writing. I wonder what impact they had on the sensitive little ones who find it difficult enough to relate to school.

The other side of the impact seemed to involve children left in floods of tears, vomiting with shock and terror, and children left sobbing in fear.

As an ex teacher, and one who went through school days without any of that nonsense, I can only wonder why it is necessary to 'engage' the sometimes jaded attention of classes in such a manner.

For me a good teacher who shows real interest in students, who can have fun with them without resorting to this sort of playacting, is worth far more than all this wackiness. 

What's next, I wonder? A false news report of the Queen's kidnapping? A fake TV broadcast of the world coming to an end?

What do you think?

Hydrangea season.

All of a sudden it's the Hydrangea season in Cornwall.

They grow so profusely here. Gardens are alive with pink, blue and white flowers, some so huge that they look unreal.

This one below is, I am told, a variety called Ayesha, the 'popcorn' hydrangea. Apparently it resembles half open kernels. Does it?

This was in the garden when we came here and I wasn't sure what it was until the landscaper told me. I'm so glad we could save it.

 It is a more delicate plant than the other blue and mauve ones in the garden, and opens from a soft greeny petal to pure white.

And here are my big Hydrangeas, flaunting themselves on the drive. They are so overblown that I can barely edge the car past them!

During the next few weeks they will change colour, some going to deep purple, some fading to almost white.

What a mixture they are, never the same two years running.

When we came here we found three Hydrangeas planted in pots. They were soon put in the front garden and are happily growing and producing pink blooms.

How wonderful that these plants, originating from Asia, were brought to Europe in the 18th century to give us such pleasure.

A lovely gift.

What a lovely surprise to receive a gift from dear Pom Pom this week.

I have followed her blog for some years now, enjoyed her teaching tales, and laughed at the antics of her grandchildren.

She sent me this delightful hanger for our 'new' home, such a kind thought.

The goldfinch on it is perfect, as it is a bird that we had in our garden in France, and are gradually seeing more of here.

With it was a most unusual card which came form the Corrie Ten Boom house.

The front is a photo of needlework...but it is the reverse side of an embroidery.

Then, on the inside, is shown the perfectly sewn crown.

The verse inside ....

"My life is but a weaving between my God and me

I do not choose the colours. He works so steadily.

Oft times He weaves in sorrow, and I in foolish pride,

Forget He sees the upper , and I the underside."

2

Thank you so much Pom Pom, I am always so touched by blog friends' generosity.

The winner of the book is Sarah, from 'It's allright to fail'

Banking!

I'm not the first, I know.

In fact thousands of people must find the telephone banking system frustrating.

I wanted an answer to one simple question.

It's impossible to get through to your own local bank, so after pressing button 1 if you want....., button 2 if you want.......

you arrive. 

In India.

That took 10 minutes.

Then I was asked to give all the security information again.

Still talking to an automated voice, so you can't ask them why on earth they need it all a second time.

Then they decided to transfer me to UK.

Cue beautiful music, for another 10 minutes.

It would have been easier to drive into town to my bank.

In fact, having finally spoken to a real person, that is exactly what I'm going to have to do,

What a waste of time!

I could have been in the garden.