July 2024

July has seen some better weather arrive, though the start of the month was still very cold and rainy. We just never know what kind of summer we're going to get here in the UK, definitely mixed this year.

Yellow roses for my sister. It was twenty five years on the 5th of July since my sister died, it still seems like yesterday. She was a huge part of my life and I'll never get over the fact that she's no longer here. Her death cast a cloud over everything that's happened since and though they say that time heals, it really doesn't, you get on with the rest of your life because you have to, you simply miss the person who's gone every single day.

It was our 34th wedding anniversary on the 7th. We never really do much to celebrate so these flowers which Mick bought for me were even more of a surprise. We really pushed the boat out this year as we went out for a nice meal too. 

We've had plenty of days out this month. As you'll have seen from my last post, we had Another Staycation, but apart from what we got up to that week we've also had days out at Clumber Park and Fountains Abbey amongst others, and even an impromptu late afternoon trip to the coast where Archie had a wander on the beach, we ate fish and chips overlooking the sea at Filey and we called in at Bempton Cliffs to see the seabirds with their young.

I've read two books this month.

The Sun Sister by Lucinda Riley.

"To the outside world, Electra D'Aplièse seems to have it all: as one of the world's top models, she is beautiful, rich and famous.

Yet Electra's already tenuous control over her state of mind has been rocked by the death of her father, Pa Salt, the elusive billionaire who adopted his six daughters from across the globe. Struggling to cope, she turns to alcohol and drugs. As those around her fear for her health, Electra receives a letter from a stranger claiming to be her grandmother...

In 1939, Cecily Huntley-Morgan arrives in Kenya from New York to nurse a broken heart. Staying with her godmother, a member of the infamous Happy Valley set, she meets Bill Forsythe, a notorious bachelor and cattle farmer with close connections to the proud Maasai tribe. But after a shocking discovery, and with war looming, Cecily has few options. Moving up into the Wanjohi Valley, she is isolated and alone - until she meets a young woman in the woods and makes her a promise that will change the course of her life for ever.

Sweeping from Manhattan to the magnificent plains of Africa, The Sun Sister is the sixth instalment in Lucinda Riley's multimillion-copy epic series."

I'm sorry to say that I didn't enjoy this book half as much as I've enjoyed the earlier ones in the series. It definitely took me quite some time to get into it and it didn't really get going until I was more than half way through. It didn't help that I found it hard to click with the protagonist and there were some quite unlikeable characters in the story. It always helps when you like the people you're reading about. I preferred the story set back in the 1930s much more than the recent one which was running alongside it. It did pick up in the second half and as it's part of a series, I'm glad I've read it. I'm now looking forward to getting on with the next book and reading about The Missing Sister.

The Kindness Club on Mapleberry Lane by Helen Rolfe.

"The smallest things can make the biggest difference...

Veronica Beecham's cottage is the neatest house on Mapleberry Lane. But within her wisteria-covered walls, Veronica has a secret: she hasn't left her perfect home in years.

Then her granddaughter arrives on the doorstep, and Veronica's orderly life is turned upside down. Audrey is struggling to find her place in the world, but with a little help from the residents of Mapleberry Lane, she forms an idea to help her gran regain her confidence: a kindness club, helping the community one day at a time.

As their small acts of kindness begin to ripple through the village, both Veronica and Audrey find that with each passing day, they feel a little braver. There's just one task left before the end of the year: to make Veronica's own secret wish come true..."

A lovely, uplifting story which was enjoyable to read. Not really a book to get your teeth into but sometimes you just want an easy read which this is. I'd definitely give this author another go.

I wrote a post at the beginning of June about Little Pearls Of Colour, all the odds and ends of leftover hand dyed yarn which weigh 6g or less which I've accumulated. I'm sure that some people would just throw these small lengths of yarn away but I can't bring myself to do that so I was trying to think of a project to use them in. I've finally decided to put them into a Granny Wrap, a crocheted shawl. You can find the free pattern by Annaboo's House on Ravelry. As I'm using such small amounts of yarn I'm having to add in new colours frequently which means there's lots of ends to sew in. I'm trying to keep on top of them as I go. It also means that it's going to be a very colourful shawl when it's finished. I don't do very much crocheting but this will be a nice ongoing project which I reach for as the mood takes me.

You may remember that I cast on Another Scrappy Blanket last year. When I visited Buxton Wool Gathering in May, I picked up a pink and a blue mini skein so that once Eleanor had given birth, I could finish it off by edging it in whichever colour was most appropriate. When Jack was born, I added a blue I-cord border. It's just ten squares by eight, a nice size to use in his pram or car seat.

With the programme schedules being taken up by so much sport in July, I was looking for something other than football, tennis and the Olympics to watch. I'd happened to turn on the latest series of The Outlaws by chance and thought it looked like something I might enjoy so I went right back to the beginning and watched all three series. If I'd read the plotline I would have definitely scrolled by, but I'm so glad I watched it, it was so entertaining and very funny. A comedy crime drama created by Stephen Merchant and Elgin James, the story is set around seven people from different walks of life who are doing community service after breaking the law, with Jessica Gunning playing the part brilliantly of their supervisor. Each series continues from where the last breaks off so you do really need to start from series one. Has anyone else watched this? I loved it.

We're currently in the middle of a mini heatwave here in the UK, it's nice that summer's finally arrived, I just hope that it hangs around for a little while.