Sunshine and Mandalas

We haven't see a lot of sun recently and while the cooler temperatures have been fine for me, I agree that a little sun now and again would be nice.  There are some plants giving that sunshine vibe, such as this sunflower.  My sister-in-law grew it and I plonked it rather unceremoniously into a pot under the lilac tree.  However, it has rewarded me with this rather lovely flower.

It is like a burst of sunshine, isn't it?

Rose Roald Dahl is also flowering, somewhat later than the other roses, but it is not in the best place as it it rather shaded.  I shall have to see whether I can move it into the light a bit more.

In other news, I was asked to draw some mandalas by a friend, who wasn't sure whether she preferred black and white or coloured, so I did both. They were very enjoyable to make and quite a relaxing activity.  I was inspired after taking a class with Kate Crane - For the Love of Circles.  She showed how with simple shapes, you can build up what looks like a complicated pattern.  My friend chose the black and white one, which I must admit, I liked best too!  I need to draw some more.

Books to be read

I mentioned in my previous post that I had a pile of books to read and these would be the ones to start with this year.  In fact, I have many, many more books than this, waiting to be read, but these are the chosen few at the moment (until something else distracts me...)  I am pleased to announce that I have read the first one, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd since Christmas. So, in case you can't see what they are, we have from the top:

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (it is always interesting to see how much a dramatisation of an Agatha Christie story changes from the book - this one did).

The second book is a craft book I received for Christmas, Mandalas to embroider and initially, I was a little dubious when I opened it as I have not done that much embroidery and don't really like too many complicated stitches.  However, on looking at the book, the mandala patterns are pretty and straightforward, with only a few different stitches needed, so I think, on reflection, this book will suit me very well. I look forward to having a go at some of these.

The next is a book I had had for years, but never read, so 2021 is its time!  A History of English Food by Clarissa Dickson Wright.  I am interested in social history, which is probably why I bought it in the first place.

The Diary of a Modern Country Gardener is a book I am in the middle of enjoying, but I kept getting distracted by other things and so it kept getting put down.  I will finish it!

Written in bone is the second book by Sue Black and I really enjoyed her first book.  I did an online course in Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology last year, which was a bit over my head at times, but was very interesting.  If nothing else, the course gave me a new respect for what these people do, which is incredibly complex.

The Well Gardened Mind is another book I have started, but then put down. It deserves my concentration and I will read it this year.  I bought a copy as a present for a colleague at Christmas so it will be interesting to compare notes when we have both read it.  Gardening is a wonderful hobby and its effect on mental health cannot be underestimated.

So, there are my first few books for this year. No doubt there will be many more to come...