That's the thing about working from home, distractions. It's oh so easy to stop work and have a break. I've been working from home for over twelve years now, so I've mostly got the 'break' thing under control. The simple answer when people ask me how I keep motivated at work is this, if I don't do my work, I don't get paid, and I can't afford not to be paid, my yarn addiction would not be the smallish problem it is at the moment, it would be my ruin.
Some days it is harder to buckle down and get on with work. Hot sunny days are the worst, when the garden is full of roses, (they are particularly good this year, there's a real bonanza of flowers), when it looks so pretty and inviting, and it's just the right temperature for sitting out, with a cup of tea and my knitting. Today was one of those days. We've been treated to heat, sun and happy birds all day, and I wish these photos of my knitting and cup of tea in the garden represented reality, but unfortunately the deadline to finish the book I'm working on is looming, and I'm nowhere near finished, so I have been shackled to my desk most of the day.
I said the garden has a lot of roses blooming this year, but in these photos, you can't see the roses I'm growing, they're all over to the left of the garden, which gets the most sun.
I must show you one rose which has just started to flower, she's a beauty.
This is the rose 'Lady of Shalott', above, aren't her flowers beautiful! I bought her from David Austin, after seeing her introduction, when I watched the Chelsea Flower Show on t.v, in 2009. She's meant to be good at resisting disease, and flowers profusely I understand. I shall have to wait and see on both counts, as the summer progresses.
I must cut a few of my roses, and bring them indoors, so I can enjoy them, there are so many about to burst in to flower, I can spare a few for the house.
Over the last few years I've grown to love yellow roses, which is strange, as I used to dislike them. I can pinpoint exactly when I started to change my opinion of them. I heard that Kate Spade always has a bouquet of them on her desk. I love the style and colours of Kate Spade, so when I heard she has to have them on her desk at all times, I stopped to think about this little fact. I imagined lots of yellow flowers in a perfect dome shape (in one of those low round bowl-like vases), and I pictured them set against chalky pink, duck-egg blue, grey chalk or a 50's soft green. And the effect of this imagining made me think I had been judging them unfairly.
I love pink roses too, but there's something about yellow roses. And I quite like that I opened myself up to liking them, I like having my perceptions changed.
Oooh, is that the time! It's time I got going to my Wednesday night knitting group. I'd better dash. See you Friday, fingers crossed, I'll have started on the fair isle bit of my dress. Love Vanessa xxx
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Oooh gorgeous rose, Vaness and the garden is looking lovely. Amazing weather we're having at the moment. Hope you enjoyed your knitting night. Must get outside now, date with a bbq and a glass of rose (sorry, can't do the accent!)
Hen x
Posted by: Hen | June 23, 2010 at 07:42 PM
What a beautiful name for a rose (I must remember it for when I eventually get a garden again) - It brings back wonderful memories of watching Anne of Green Gables and hearing her recite The Lady of Shallot at the beginning. Pure escapism. Bliss.
Enjoy your knit club.
Jill x
Posted by: jill | June 23, 2010 at 08:07 PM
love the rose - hope the weather stays good as we are at Seahouses all next week - i am so looking forward to it
Posted by: Janice Perkin | June 23, 2010 at 08:13 PM
I just left an enormous message and accidentally deleted it - needless to say, I love your roses and miss mine as they always tend to hide over winter. Love Kate xxooxxooxx.
Posted by: Kate Bruning | June 23, 2010 at 08:40 PM
stunning rose... and I can completely understand the break thing! I'm a student right now, and I discovered how many breaks I take when I took my laptop to polytech one day to finish an assignment... I didnt notice at home that I was averaging approximately one break every 10 minutes! SHOCKING! When there are no distractions like knitting, crochet, yoga, food and coffees etc, its much easier to get things done! Good luck with your deadline and have a lovely day! :)
Posted by: Alice @ Crochet with Raymond | June 23, 2010 at 08:44 PM
Your garden looks so nice and inviting, a perfect place to sit and knit. I love yellow roses too and have 3 of them in my garden along the windows. Unfortunately their also the ones the aphids love too so they have to get a bit of wash occasionally. Hope you get your work done in time so you can continue on with your lovely dress.
Posted by: sue | June 23, 2010 at 11:21 PM
I adore the rose! I am not a lover of yellow roses, but I think they may grow on me! I'm a sucker for pinks, reds and purple roses. Are the flowers in the vase scabiosas? They are a gorgeous colour. I have them in my garden, but in pale pink. It is Winter here in Australia, and I'm missing the flowers! Love, love, love your blog:-)Faeryfay
Posted by: Faeryfay | June 23, 2010 at 11:49 PM
That peachy yellow rose is delightful! Your garden looks perfect for knitting and reading.
I'm thinking of you the past few early mornings as I sit on a bench in what my husband calls "the tea garden." The library finally found me a copy of the book you recommended: The Mysteries of Glass by Sue Gee, and I'm reading it at 6:00 a.m. as I sit outside, drinking coffee and minding the dogs while they play.
Have a great knit night!
Posted by: Laura | June 24, 2010 at 02:37 AM
I LOVE roses, all colours except those strange mauvey ones which are meant to be blue and look sort of funereal. And they have to smell, too. Your rose is such a rich colour, absolutely beautiful. P x
Posted by: Penny | June 24, 2010 at 08:33 AM
Hi Vanessa,
Your garden looks lovely. I love roses, especially garden roses. I`m going to my Mum`s in Leeds today and i noticed there were some coming out in her garden, i might just have to pinch a few. She never has them in the house. I can`t wait to see your dress. When you start the fair isle pattern you will show us won`t you?
Love Carole from Rossendale xxxxxxxx
Posted by: Carole | June 24, 2010 at 08:38 AM
Yes, I have started to love yellow roses too Vanessa. I really like the way I seem to open up to certain flowers which did nothing for me when I was a bit younger. Maybe that's a good thing about getting older?!! x
Posted by: Pipany | June 24, 2010 at 09:31 AM
'Rules' are for breaking surely?! I say take a break in the sun while you can (especially if you've not been well recently.) Your garden looks fantastic - more pictures please! :) Claire x
Posted by: paintdropskeepfalling.wordpress.com | June 24, 2010 at 01:13 PM
Hi Vanessa, I so envy you being able to work from home! By the time I get home and get to sit outside on my back porch, the mosquitoes are coming out and it's getting dark! No time to enjoy it! Your garden looks so pretty! Love the roses!!!
Posted by: Christine Fior | June 24, 2010 at 02:00 PM
I'm in love with that photo of your rose! The colour is so delicious I can see why you want to grow these! I can almost smell it from here :) xx
Posted by: Jessie | June 24, 2010 at 05:22 PM
your garden is wonderful - so pretty and I can easily see why it would distract you from work on a sunny day. The rose is stunning - does she smell lovely too?
Posted by: Julie | June 24, 2010 at 08:35 PM
That rose is an amazing colour - I love it. I think you need to be very disciplined to work from home - I find that I don't take enough breaks! I'm looking forward to hearing an update on that knitting.
Posted by: Gorgeous Things | June 24, 2010 at 11:08 PM
What a gorgeous rose! I love that name, its my favourite painting. Now when I see it I will also think of your lovely rose :-)
Posted by: Jenni at Baa-me Kniits | June 25, 2010 at 12:46 AM
What a gorgeous rose! I love that name, its my favourite painting. Now when I see it I will also think of your lovely rose :-)
Posted by: Jenni at Baa-me Kniits | June 25, 2010 at 12:46 AM
What a gorgeous rose! I love that name, its my favourite painting. Now when I see it I will also think of your lovely rose :-)
Posted by: Jenni at Baa-me Kniits | June 25, 2010 at 12:46 AM
I just adore the depth of colour in the Lady S rose, I can smell it all the way here in Australia! It is a colour to feed the soul!! Your garden looks so beautiful, do find good time to sit and enjoy it, Love from Aubrey
Posted by: Aubrey | June 25, 2010 at 11:24 AM
Beautiful roses! They have a pinkish bloom some yellow roses don't they. I love roses very much - they and tulips are my favourites. With roses I love the paler delicate pinks and yellows but also the more vibrant ones too. A cottage with roses around the door would be my dream home. Mind you, I would have to get a gardener as I really do not have green fingers. But then in dreams anything is possible. Lovely garden - who could blame you for wanting to sit in it as much as you can?
Posted by: Siobhan | June 25, 2010 at 08:25 PM
So nice colours!!
Posted by: Ghislaine | July 06, 2010 at 08:25 AM