Memories of Alfred and Marianne.

It has been so wet here recently that walking out on the grass gives you that horrible, squelchy feeling underfoot. I really dislike the sensation (you know, senses are so important - but I digress). It's also that time of the year when the summer blooms are wilting, with the hanging baskets starting to look a little worse for wear. I took a little stroll in the back garden this evening to assess the damage there, and was pleasantly surprised; there was the usual heady scent of lavender; but some pretty violas were having a final, glorious hurrah!, my eucalyptus is thriving as is my honeysuckle, but more excitingly, a rose bush that I had seriously lost confidence in has decided to bloom and restore my faith in my (faintly) green fingers.

Roses remind me of my paternal granddad; he was a master rose grower, no matter when I visited, he had a beautiful rose in bloom without a black spot in sight. He was an amazing man, who died a week after my eldest was born, and after whom my eldest is named. I took a single rose for my sweet little cuttings jug; and some eucalyptus and lavender stems for the hallway. As you can see, I have absolutely no arranging skills whatsoever; but I'm enjoying looking at the silvery leaves in the distance.

In other news, the sweet pea, which I cultivated in the kitchen window, and failed to relocate with its brothers and sisters in the garden, is in bloom. To be honest, I'm quite glad to have a bit of floral company in the kitchen; and sweetpeas remind me so much of my maternal granny, who always grew a wall of them in her garden. It's quite fitting for it to be in the kitchen, she was a fantastic cook, particularly baking - she made the tastiest food from the simplest ingredients. She always believed in the freshest ingredients. Good night and god bless, Granny C and Granddad M.

Do particular flowers remind you of a loved one?

Childhood nostalgia: anyone for tennis?

My sister aged 2!

The good thing about the rubbish weather and aforementionned tooth abscess is that I haven't left the house much - so I have just had to watch most of Wimbledon. When we were children, we loved watching Wimbledon for a number of reasons: firstly, we loved tennis; and each had our favourites: John Mc Enroe; then Steffi Graf; then, (as I got older) Goran Ivanisevic (swoon!). Secondly, because it happened at the beginning of school summer holidays (children in Northern Ireland finish school at the end of June and have 2 months off); and thirdly, because it inspired us to run out into the garden and re-enact the latest match.

 Me enjoying the summer and the pool.

Mum would put two wicker stools out and put a brush across both as a fake net. We had such craic; and of course we lost more balls than you could count; but summer to me always is synonymous with tennis/Wimbledon. I even remember listening to the Agassi/Ivanisevic 5 set thriller on our old radio in our caravan in Donegal (no TV signal in those days), such was our dedication.

Nowadays, I still love to watch Wimbledon, particularly the men's game and the doubles; I do feel the women's game has lost something; I don't know what exactly - whether it be a lack of personalities maybe? Anyhow, I'm not as keen to run out and have a game; but nowadays I can enjoy a little Pimms with my viewing..... I would highly recommend it!