lots of family days

The first two weeks of August

were for our family :

away with daughter and the kids !

We stayed in Holland :

so not driving very far

and there are beatiful places in our own country !

The weather was quite good.

We stayed near the holiday cottage

doing our own fun things :

But we also made small trips to fun places :

a fun play park just around the corner

medieval feast

"de Spelerij" in Dieren

(highly recommended trip to go to with kids ...

ha ! and also fun for the "big ones")

and last but not least to a fruit picking garden.

(a lot went in the bucket .... and a lot in the mouth !)

We went home one day early, because of the heavy rains

that started on Saturday evening ...

(and went on till last night !)

At home the garden gave a sorry sight :

my two big boxwood trees

were affected by affected by the infamous caterpillars of the 

Glyphodes perspectalis 

GRRRRRRR

Today when the weather was dry again I started with the tall one ...

... the sad end of a proud boxwood tree

Tomorrow probably the next one ...

or later when there is room again in the waste container.

exchange

Due to my clumsiness

with the kitchen knife,

I'm a bit late with my felting exchange

(but it might be just in time

if it gets in the mail tomorrow)

 

My theme for this month was

"nature"

(it even could be abstract)

 

 

This picture, that I took in the beginning of the month,
I had as inspiration.

 

I used Bergschafwolle

It comes in batting and is easy to lay out

 

I Always lay out on a template so I know

it will be postcard size after felting

 

 

Wet after a few rolls and drying with the template under it

to compare the size.

 

Ready to go in the mail,

only with a few stitches as focus.

 

*

Yesterday

it was the first "Kings day" in Holland

since we now have a king instead of a queen.

Lots of things are organized, but ...

we just did some cycling in the nearby surroundings.

 

(ha, love these cows with their big white stripe

like they're bandaged !)

 

Some of our famous windmills

were adorned with the national flag

because of the special day

 

;-)

 



spring days

 

Yes, these are wonderful spring days

and we have to make the most of it

(while they last  ;-) ... )

 

So, after daughter and little grandson

picked me up this morning

 

we went to the local yarn shop to do some knitting

with a lot of others ...

(a lot of talking, knitting, crochet-along

coffee, tea and sweet stuff

and a quiet little boy getting lots of attention) 

 

.. and on my way home

 

 

I made a little detour

in our lovely surroundings.

 

Rapeseed colours the roadsides beautifully bright yellow

 

 

 

And these windmills (21 together on a rather small spot)

attract lots of tourists from all over the world

when the weather is good

(and even when the weather's not so good) 

 

Later in the garden I still had plenty of time

to enjoy the sun and ...

 

give my second box tree a much needed "haircut"

 

The Ginkgo is still barren but the Prunus  is a pink joy,

the Malus is almost at his best "red",

and in a week or two the trees on the other side of the water

will totally hide the appartment blocs behind them :

a green oasis