Treviso

 After Venice we spent a day in Treviso which we really recommend. Probably many only make it to the airport but the town with its waterways and public sculpture is delightful.

 Even some Buddhist monks thought so!

Venice

 We went to Italy at the end of October. And spent a day in Venice. This is the second time we'd been; the first was years ago on a very hot day. This time we profited from that experience, had advice on where to park from our hotel, and just wandered the watery maze by ourselves, preferring the lanes less travelled.

 HoF in his red jumper.Since we've been home he has thrown out four old jumpers and bought four new ones; quite unprecedented in history. Below, an apparently deserted and decrepit building, someone's opportunity.

Named at last

 This is my great-uncle Charlie, whom I never met, but whose sword and medals are still in the family. I have seen his name on the Thiepval Memorial, commemorating those who died but whose bodies were never found, but it was never put on the war memorial in his native village of Whittington, Staffordshire. Now, with cost shared with Big Sister, that has changed. One of these days I'll go and see.

The point of no return

So here we go, well almost, leaving a phase of life that we'd semi-vacated, quite behind. Regrets? We've had a few, but then again....................
The Kate's Cottage phase had it's good times. We had good neighbours, enjoyed proximity to hospital, buses, and the ability to walk into the city centre. We improved the house with a sun room/conservatory, downstairs loo and upstairs 'studio' and the gardens front and back drew satisfying gasps.
We thought in our older years we'd move back; it seemed sensible; but it's not happening. Friends still live nearby, but relatives, no. And Miss P has no interest in returning.
Perhaps that's sensible, they say going back is not a good idea.
Unless like me you skip a couple of generations and go back to where your grandmother was born. But even she didn't stay, so who knows where we'll be in ten years time.
Meanwhile we are glad that we seem to have managed to find new inhabitants of Kate's who will appreciate it and be an asset to the street.

Time to say goodbye

Wonderful summer

 It has been a wonderful summer, or maybe I should say , is being. The weather has been super. I can't remember when I last needed a coat. Contrariwise, sister D in Canada has had torrential rain. Strange times we live in.
We have also been blessed with seeing old friends whom you may recognise. Above are our dear friends from Swavesey days.

And with the Evesham Simkins and the Forest of Dean Harrises we had an outing to Hidcote. Interesting that as we get older we have more time to catch up with these old friends and rellies. Shared history seems to count for a lot.

Scones

Such a long time no blogging. Where does the time go? This retirement thing is hard work. And I seem to have been unwell all winter what with one thing and another. But things are looking up. I think the last germ has finally left, and Spring is here too. The magnolia blooms are opening so fast it would be easy to do a time-lapse photo of them.
And Miss P is chirpier too. She texted us to say she was at The Lion with Rose. Wasn't until she got back and asked who Rose was that we realised she meant a glass of Rose! (no accents here, or on the phone presumably). She has got herself a job cooking in a restauarnt, part-time, and is applying for other things more in keeping with her profession at the same time.
She had an idea of living in a caravan. Got the Hots, as they say. HoF gets those too, but they're called Obsessions. So off we all go to look at caravans, and then I get keen too. After all anything's got to be an improvement on what we have. But no, they are either too heavy, too wide, too long, or the wrong layout. So back to the drawing board, for us, as Miss P's lost interest by now.  So the drive is on to improve what we've got, by the deadline of Apr 7th. And this wasn't on the To Do List at all.
So HoF is working on strengthening the structure, painting the insides, laying new flooring. And I am sewing carpet fabric on the old seats whilst watching the Great British Sewing Bee on the Box! Will it be worth it? HoF does like fixing things and it will do for now.

Time slip

This makes you think. Like ghosts? Maybe like what we'll be able to see in heaven's library?

Teddies

Apart from feeling pretty rough for the last month or more, I had a cold for the past week too. Not often that I spend all day in my dressing gown and PJs. But it did give me chance to make some more teddies. They are for a good cause and it is nice when one is feeling comparatively useless to be able to do something that may be a blessing to someone else. These little chaps (chaps? I always thought my teddy was female!) are bound for Syrian refugee children and we hope they will be a blessing to those who have had to flee their homes with so little. A reminder that really I have so little to complain about.