Computer Problems

My computer had been playing up again so my friendly engineer collected it last Thursday.  He thought it could either be the hard drive or the motherboard.  It turned out to be the motherboard and I had the choice of a new motherboard or a new tower.  As I'd had the computer for quite a while I agreed that it was time for a new one.  I'm hoping that by Thursday of this week I'll be up and running again.  In the meantime I'm using Graham's laptop.  At least I can check my messages, update my blog and do a bit of surfing.  It's not the same as using my PC though.

Today I'm going to the Range to look for Christmas card making supplies.  It's almost September and time to start thinking about Christmas.  I've come across a good apron idea that will be useful as a gift, so far I've made four, I'll show a picture as soon as I'm back on my own computer.

I received a fabulous parcel last week.  I'm in a Secret Sister Swap that runs from August until December and my Secret Sister went a bit over the top with what she sent me.  She sent enough to cover the whole five months!  Included was a crazy quilting ideas book, I've spent loads of time since it's arrival looking at it and trying out some of the stitches it shows.

Another picture I wanted to show here was of the cooking apples I got off our tree this year.  Along with the damson tree, the apple tree used to be in a tub too.  Then a couple of years ago I got my husband and son to move them to a permanent place in my veg plot.  Both have done really well this year but the cherry tree I had in a tub along side them died off about a year after transplanting, that was a bit of a puzzle.  They are the type of tree that is sort of miniature and grows sort of straight up, I can't remember what they were called, something like ballerina.  The fox carries on trying to wreck my veg beds.  The leeks were growing beautifully, nice and tall and straight.  That is until the fox decided to trample them!  He seems to like using the onion patch as a bed and now the leek patch.   Hmmm, wonder if it's the smell?  I've taken the cabbages out, they weren't doing any good at all.  For some reason they grew too tall and the heads just didn't develop.  I don't have any luck with brassicas, think I'll give up on them.