Tulips

Ten things for which I give thanks this week…

1 – We are having a run of good weather here in the UK, so yesterday, after collecting Barbara’s new glasses, we headed over to Hebden Bridge for the afternoon. Barbara needed to get on her boot-scooter again to prove to herself that it was not unique to the holiday in Holland…

The central square of Hebden Bridge showing the Bridge Mill – a watermill that dates back to 1314. In the foreground is a sculpture in the form of a giant weaver’s shuttle.

2 – A visit to Hebden Bridge is a chance to appreciate trees – this Copper Beech, its new leaves backlit by the sun, cried out to be photographed…

Another view out of the square showing the slopes to steep for fields, covered with trees and steep streets growing outwards around the town centre.

3 – Good weather means turning off the heating and putting the washing out on the line…

4 – Another of the tulips I bought and planted last Autumn – a double pink…

The first of the Dutch bulbs has flowered – on the small size this first year and I am not sure which one it is, not the fringed but it could be either the Parrot or the “Black”…

5 – And talking of black flowers, the Variegated Pittisporum is in flower with its strange, tiny black flowers…

6 – The end of the A to Z 2026 is in sight and it has been a marathon effort and I am grateful for the support of our very own Cai who has faithfully visited and commented throughout and although I can see the number of visitors who come but don’t comment, it makes a difference to know that a friend has read and appreciated… This is the latest https://how-would-you-know.com/a-to-z-challenge-2026-v-fabrics/ and just four more to go (and to get written by Monday evening).

7 – I had a day and a half of graphic design at work making a Powerpoint presentation for one of the bosses Moldovan Waterpark – we don’t have an inhouse graphic designer at present so it fell to me, which makes a change. The slide had to be in Romanian and repeated in English and Russian and I used AI to do the translation which with a few minor changes were approved by the bosses’ friends in Moldova.

7 – Also on the tech side, I learnt how to post the 278 item list in the form of an Excel table on my WordPress site as I have been promising to do… Still trying to figure out how to create a spreadsheet that will automatically send an email reminder to the relevant member of staff for tasks that need doing at work using “Power Automation”…

That’s all I have this week but I wish you all your best week with fair winds and blue skies (unless you are craving rain, of course)…

Ten things for which I give thanks this week…

1 – Like Marilyn, I am grateful that it is Tulip Time! Last year, realising that we didn’t have many tulips, I planted several varieties which have now come up…

Also this lovely White narcissi which carries two flowers per stem…

2 – Of course, we had to bring back “Tulips from Amsterdam” – they were already growing in a pot inside a packet and were a little cramped by the time we got home but they have greened up and are growing rapidly – not sure which is which but there is a fringed, a parrot and a black tulip,,,

3 – Although I have yielded the allotment to Beverley (it was her idea to take it on some years ago) as she is ready to put more into it and my hip protests too much on the soft paths we put in – however. we are still welcome to pick the rhubarb – there are two varieties here – the thin ones have made jam using my mother’s tip. Cut the stems into very small pieces and instead of cooking straight away, weigh the equal amount of sugar and pour over the rhubarb and cover overnight – in the morning, the juice has been extracted and the fruit pieces are compressed so they hold together instead of dissolving when you boil the jam…

4 – My grandson and his girlfriend returned from India and are living at home with Bev and Don for a while. Izzie, a doctor, had been away for some months with a side trip to China and Dillon had joined her in India for the last two weeks…

5 – The A to Z 2026 Challenge is well on now – we are up to “Q”, posted, and I have just 5 left to write… If you want to see what it’s all about – https://how-would-you-know.com/a-to-z-challenge-2026-q-is-for-qualamkari-plus-gold-and-silver-threads/ or for the whole kit and caboodle – https://how-would-you-know.com/a-to-z-2026/

6 – I am glad to live in an area so full of history. Some years ago, I came across this colour thread sampler from Dewhurst’s which I would have snapped up even if the Belle Vue Mill wasn’t just up the road in Skipton. Of course, it had to feature in my A to Z under A to Z Challenge 2026 – Military and “M” Fabrics plus a few Mills

7 – Thankful for this community and for all my friends online around the world…

8 – Thankful that one authoritarian has fallen to the will of the people of Hungary – just waiting for Israel and America to come to their senses and vote out their disastrous leaders…

9 – Fearful that the effects of the war against Iran have not peaked by any means but thankful that we are not to badly placed (I hope) to weather the storm compared to some both here and around the world…

10 – Grateful to have thought of ten Things of Thankful…

Have a great week y’all!

How would you know…

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