April Wind, Rain and Sunshine

The wind was blowing so hard during the night that it actually woke me up at one point. It has continued all day, with overcast skies and smatterings of rain on and off. This morning I did a quick trip over to Sainsbury’s for the main grocery shop - boring but necessary.

After lunch Mary and I drove over to Fingringhoe to see Hazel in her care home. It’s her friend Rosemary’s birthday tomorrow (they like to sit together quietly in a smaller lounge where not many other residents venture, which overlooks the garden and the countryside beyond). The chef came and asked Rosemary if she would prefer a fresh fruit gateau to a more traditional birthday cake, and her eyes lit up. Mary and I are so impressed with everything about this particular care home and the lovely staff that we’ve decided we wouldn’t mind going there ourselves should the need ever arise. It’s exactly one month until Hazel’s own birthday - she will be 95, as she was two years younger than my late Mum who would have turned 97 this March. I’ve included in Extras a picture of Hazel - on the left - with Mum and Gwyneth (who sadly died earlier this year), at Mum’s 90th birthday tea seven years ago. I showed the photo to Hazel today, and we reminisced about what had been a lovely and memorable afternoon.

Also in Extras is the original photo from which I created my abstract monochrome image yesterday. It’s one of the huge buds on the Peony bush, which will bloom later in April - the heads are the size of cabbages when fully out and are a delicately frilly and ruffled pale pink. The flowers only last a week, but are stunning. Don’t ask me how I managed to make a green Peony bud look like a patch of blue rippling water - I just fiddled about with it until I was happy with what resulted! I did turn it on its side at one point, which made all the difference.

When I got home this afternoon, the sun had come out and the tulips I bought yesterday were strikingly backlit where I had put them by the patio doors.