Aliens in the garden!!

Have to share this picture!

Look closely!

It is, in fact, just a caterpillar.

But, look at the way he is 'sitting'. it took just a few shots to get this one of him 'looking' at me, just as he is 'crossing his legs.

He had been bending in  half to clean/eat/do something to his tail/bottom /I don't know.

Sadly, I found his remains just a few days after. He didn't even make it to be a butterfly...

The power of a toothpick!!

Don't ever buy cheap nail varnish!! It just isn't worth it.

All those hopes and dreams picked away only days after being realised!

Pampering is a very important ingredient in every woman's life. we don't do it enough. Anything from tiem, money or simple lack of creative ability can stop us.

Well, from now on, I shall not be hindered.

This entry, and more with the tags below, will be about nail art.

I have been pampered a few times in Bali to know now that nails can look as cute and as flowery as the dress you might be wearing.

Nail art is fun but I realise that the fun lies more in someone else (and more artistic) doing it than yours truly.

However, I can still triumph in some 'nice nails' and I have decided to collect pictures of various designs.

Done in Bali.
While I like it, I also can't help thinking they are mini soccer balls on my toes.
Very easy to do by yourself.

Also done in Bali.
Very cute, but I cannot imagine me doing it left-handed without cocking it up.

The mini football flowers can go anywhere.

Oh, look, more Bali!
My favourite, the orchid

Again, more Bali.
Cute, but, actually too much for each fingernail.

DIY.
Looks retro and rather disco.

You can never go wrong with sparkles.
The ends are silver, so it is not quite a French manicure, more party style again.

Sun, Fun & Flowers

Man, it is hot today.

32/33 degrees with the humidity level varying from 70-90%.

So, it would be quite fitting that we choose today to start decking out the garden!

The delivery came today, so we have decking panels, stands that will look reeeeeeeeeally good when we can be bothered to make them and heaps of soil, but somehow not (never) enough.

As I popped my head outside, I was surprised to see my HIBISCUS already flowering. It was not like that yesterday! Happy cheers for Lee!!!

Such a lovely flower!

What made me giggle then, was our lovely neighbour, who seems to take an interest in our interest of 'the garden'. Within a few words, she was uprooting her Shiso (PERILLA) and planting in amongst our basil.

 Incidentally, she had no idea why we would want to cultivate basil. Intriguing as I had no idea why we would want Shiso...until I moved to Japan, that is. I am not a huge fan of the leaf, but I don't mind it in tempura batter.

To end with, I have to say that I found another kemushi!!! He looks like an evil beggar, his tail lifting up slightly and yes, he looks like he wants to sting you. He escaped my trap, though, so I have to hope that he doesn't attack my pears again

Green fingers, sticky fingers

So, perhaps inspired from a sugar high after eating this, -

Amazing blueberry dessert in delicate puff pastry.
 Must be eaten with a knife & fork!!

I remembered that 'My pace' was a slow one if not pushed gently in the right direction.

From now on, things on this blog will vary so much from my slowly developing hobby of flowers and greenery to things like home made beauty remedies (Oh, the things you can do with olive oil!!! More soon).

I figure that if I use the blog for them, then there are all my notes thanks to a simple tag.

My love of flowers etc has been around since my very early years, when my mother let me have some of the garden to make a veggie patch. Since then, I admit I haven't paid much attention to anything other than the colours and whether I can keep them a live or not.

All that shall change henceforth.

I want to try and learn names, know seasons and such intricate details for the little things that light up our garden. And, it is having this garden that has got me all excited about plants once again.

So, with my tag 'green fingers', I shall collate some sort of diary about our garden life!!

One of the main plants I am fascinated by, mostly because it survived our 3 week absence by simply soaking in the sunlight is the ANTHURNIUM. It's a flamingo lily, I think and apparently its flowers are hermaphrodite (male and female).

Mine is red, to match the wild room colours. Here it is in all its glory next to a little Marimo (moss ball) I bought today (You may not be able to see, but there are small red beads in the jar - it really is all about co ordination.)

Tomorrow, we have another delivery from the garden centre. This time it's decking and the like. Not enough flowers for my liking. Actually, there really never are enough!

However, as I plant, I promise to study and learn, as well as make beautiful baskets!

Right, now to my other blogs!! Busy, busy, but still...My Pace!!!

London Riots

Wow, after three nights of crazy behaviour, riots, endless looting and a shameful amount of damage to buildings and material possessions, London, as well as the rest of the country braces itself for what could be another night or fearful terror.

At this stage, the concern is that this will never end. And with the softly-softly approach that the police and the government are adopting, it won't. One more night in London alone and the whole place will be ruined. Already livelihoods of individuals and long term family businesses have been ruined, destroyed and burnt, despite claims that the purpose is to attack the big commercial companies.

Londoners especially want more, the army, water cannons, anything that will show that we are not weak. London is our city too. From afar I suddenly feel so saddened that my home city is half in flames.

Today we are waiting on news from the government officials and their decisions on what to do. We know that an extra 10,000 police officer are being deployed to London, but what if there is more trouble outside the capital? It surely cannot be allowed to happen one more night...

We just heard this on BBC WORLD. In an interview with two 17 year olds. The girls were drinking in Croyden, drinking 'free booze, innit and proclaimed they were rebelling 'against the rich people and the government, conservative/labour...whatever'. Despicable.

On a positive note, Londoners are fighting back and getting ready to clean their streets, but not without being scared of it all erupting one more time.

 I can see a late night ahead as I am glued one more time to the news.

Clearly the perpetrators will not learn the error of their ways and grind to a halt. Urgent action is the only thing that will stop this. Come on England, less talk, more rigorous action.

5.5 memories

My friend Emily has is back in Japan. We used to study together in Sendai. I guess talking about times gone by has prompted me to sift through pictures.

I cannot believe I have been here so long! It's great!

There are so many memories that I am just looking at them and smiling.

I'm doing a facebook album so I can share with my friends and a few collages here for me to glance at with ease.

 

My Pace

From now on, 'My pace' is the only pace.

Yes, we are back and I have adopted this great bit of katakana as my new motto.

Before we left Japan, it is safe to say that we had taken on far more than we could handle and were pushing ourselves far too much.

Life with Susie was not a simple one, especially not with all the other daily chores such as life, work and endlessly trying to save the world.

Well, I have come to realise that the world cannot be saved with no energy and no time, so these are the things I shall now focus on.

All in good time, while making sure to allow plenty of time for family and work life.

One other thing that this time away has reignited is the taste for adventure. It had been a (mad,busy) year since our last vacation and we can now remember the importance of time-out, adventure and exploration.

In short, this holiday did what it should. We are ready to continue with our hard work but with a lot of balance for our own peace of mind.

More on the blogs soon....my pace, remember.


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Location:Kasukabe,Japan