Saturday

Good morning, all.  I'm sat here in my warm, comfortable bed with the laptop on my knee and it's all so cosy and comfortable.  One of life's simple pleasures.  It's wet outside, sadly, and, as Sooze mentioned in yesterday's comments, the longer range forecast for next week isn't great either.  Rain, heavy rain, torrential rain and showers.  Not great for pegging out the washing or for working in the garden.  At least with the latter I can dodge the showers and do just a bit at a time.  I so enjoyed the work on Thursday I'm raring to go again!

I did go to Sainsbury's yesterday and I did come back with clothes!  I'm not usually so extravagant but I wanted to take advantage of their 25% off.  They didn't have the same kind as I bought earlier in the length I need (one size smaller than I am now) but they had some others, straight leg - you will never, ever get me in skinny jeans, the thought makes be go all faint with horror! - and a bit cheaper.  Very cheap, in fact, with the 25% off.  So, bad me, I got two pairs plus a couple of T shirts in the next size down.

When I got home, I tried them on and, you'll never believe this, I didn't, but they fit!  They all properly fit.  Not too tight, no problems doing up the button, they fit me.  Wow!

I know it's not a big deal really but this is a biggie for me.  Without going into any details, I had a 'thing' about wearing trousers/jeans when I was so big.  I haven't worn them for a very, very long time.  I know it sounds stupid, I can see that as I write it all out, but I just couldn't.  Imagine doing allotment gardening in a skirt!  So I am trying to change a mindset, overcome a sort of fear.  Wish me courage.

Enough of the personal stuff.

Today is a quiet day, a day for catching up with little things, reading, sewing, etc.  It's been a bit of a rough week for the gallbladder and I'm weary so another day doing nothing too strenuous will be just the ticket.  It's now the Easter holiday for my pupils so I have very little planning to do and plenty of time to get ahead for the next term's work.  I may be nearly three years (almost) out of teaching full time but I still feel the excitement at the start of a holiday.

I still haven't heard about the gallbladder op.  I'm not really surprised - after all the difficulties the NHS has had with flu, snow, etc, they must be so far behind and, although it is important for me, in the wider scheme of things it's not that urgent.  I guess if I still haven't heard by the end of April, I will see if I can find anything out.

Well, time to get on with stuff.  Have a pleasant day, whatever you plan to do.

Friday

Good morning, everyone.Despite turning the clocks forward last weekend, it's getting light at half past six and the lighter evenings are just lovely.  Unlike many, I like changing the clocks.  In the winter you get earlier mornings and lovely, dark, cosy evenings and then, in the spring, you suddenly get much lighter evenings again which are a delight too!

I did get out at last yesterday, and was in the garden for about two and a half hours before coming in for a late lunch.  I meant to go back out later, after tuition, but it poured so I didn't.

I wrapped up warm because, despite the sun, it was quite chilly and that, with all the bending, kneeling, etc, kept me cosy warm.  I sorted out the strawberry bed, digging up the runners and repotting them and now, even if only half of them survive, I have enough to plug any gaps in my own bed as well as starting off a strawberry bed at the allotment which is great.

There are three plantlets in the big pots and one or two, depending on size, in the little peat pots.

This is the end of the strawberry and tomato bed - I've planted babies all around the end but they will definitely be dug up and taken to the allotment.  The green frame thing is for the tomato plants, when they are ready to go out.

Note to self - must get some more pots.

After that I sorted out some messy corners (for an almost square garden, I seem to have a lot of corners!) and tidied up the mint pots.  I have three mints - apple mint, chocolate mint and the usual mint sauce mint - and the aroma as I clipped back last year's dead stalks and removed some impertinent weeds was very evocative of roast lamb and long summer days.  I love making a simple infusion of mint and boiling water and noted, with delight, that the faithful mint is coming up yet again.  So is the oregano, despite being cut back severely and I've started using the chives already  The rosemary has survived The Chop and is growing well and, fingers crossed, the sage has also survived that cold weather.  The thyme looks a bit weary so I'll keep a good eye on it and replace, if necessary.

I moved on to the middle bed where I pulled a few weeds but it's rather thick with bulbs and hard to see if anything naughty is coming up underneath.  I wonder if the lupin I planted last year will come up again or whether the very cold weather has killed it off and I must remember to put down the old slug deterrent before the delphinium starts growing.

I also had a go with my leaf hoover and it sucked up some, but it was hard going because everything is damp, so I gave up on that and will wait until we've had a few days of better weather before trying again.  Despite that, the whole area now looks a lot better and is not so 'oh dear' to look out on any more.  What I have got to do now is sort out the little strip at the front and also deal with all the little piles of garden clutter that really are a bit of an eyesore.  I suspect that means giving the shed a good sort out too, in order to make room.

I feel a lot better for the fresh air now, and it looks like the start of the 'Bore Everyone With My Garden News' blog posts!   :-)  Spring really is here at last and now I'm looking forward to sitting out in the sun in my little arbour with my morning coffee and a good book.  Sheer bliss.

Today isn't too clogged.  I hope to be in Sainsbury's in an hour and a half as I have decided to get some of those jeans closer to the size I am now so fingers crossed that they have the size and length I want.  I also want to get a few Easter goodies for people.

I also need to tackle the end of the month accounts which I will do today as there will be no further action over the weekend.

And I might just possibly get out the front and do a spot of much needed weeding.  

Have a lovely day, whatever you have planned and whatever the weather.  I'm sure I will.

Thursday

Good morning, everyone.  It ain't 'arf cold out there this morning.  Frosty and there's ice on the water in the bucket.  I've just shivered my way out to the freezer and back in again to get the food I need for the day.  Mind you, the sun looks promising at the moment so maybe it will be a more pleasant day today and one can always wear hat, scarf and gloves, if necessary!

Yesterday was full but pretty relaxing.  Family assembly was lovely, reading with 1 was fun and the Y3/4 Easter show was absolutely amazing.  Tuition was great too.  So no complaints about yesterday whatsoever!

Today I feel energetic again so am intending to spend time in the garden to do what I should have done on Tuesday.  I don't mind cold - after all,. gardening warms one up - but if it rains I won't go out.  Fair weather gardener, that's me!
And that's about it, with some tuition early evening.  I shall indulge in my daily dose of River Cottage and the cleaner is coming today instead of tomorrow this week.
It should be a good day!

What are your plans for today?

Wednesday

Good morning!

I was a bad girl yesterday and spent some money.  OK, so not a lot and Sainsbury's did have 25% off all Tu clothings.  The problem is that a lot of my old favourite clothes are now way too big and some have already been handed on.  I was thinking ahead a bit so looked for summer stuff.  Sadly, there wasn't much, or maybe I mean luckily!

I ended up with new slippers (which I needed), a black T shirt with white flowers on that's just one size too small so I can use it as a measure of how I'm doing and, the biggie for me, a pair of jeans that aren't just one size too small, nor even two sizes but three whole sizes too small. Blimey!
They will be my motivation thing over the next months because one of my dreams is to look OK in jeans.

More mundanely, I bought some tights BUT in the next size down and THEY FIT!  No longer need I look like Norah Batty! Woo hoo!

I nearly bought a skirt too but I have fabric and patterns at home so no, not skirts!

Unfortunately, after yesterday's plans for a busy and productive day, as I went round the shop the gallbladder decided to play up and instead of tending my garden (it was raining too) and my upstairs, I spent most of the rest of the day feeling a bit sorry for myself.  Tuition was cancelled as was Beth and Al coming over.  BY the time it had gone, I was very weary and had a good sleep as well as sleeping well all night.
I feel better today, just a bit tired.  All the chores can wait, it's not the end of the world if they don't get done until tomorrow.  Or even next week, in fact.

Grumble, grumble!

I shall be careful today but it's OK again really.  It's quite a full day but not too energetic.  I am in school this morning to watch the other FS assembly, then back in school pm to hear reading in Y1, then back in school AGAIN in the early evening to watch the T3/4 Easter show.  There's tuition too but that's all planned and ready.  In between times I must do a bit of housework, but I will be careful.

Well, seeing as I overslept this morning, I'd better get going with stuff.  Bath first and then some clearing up/out.  Have a great day!

Tuesday

Good morning, everybody.  I'm up extremely early this morning and getting stuff done - blogs, adminning on Facebook, updating finances and baking bread.  Making hay while - er - while the moon shines (except that you can't see it right now)!

Yesterday was a gorgeously sunny day after the dull dampness of the weekend so I made the most of it.  As soon as I got home from Mum and Dad's, I dumped a load in the washing machine and within the hour it was drying nicely on the line.  I meant to do the ironing last night but got stuck into my cross stitch instead so I will do it while I get my daily dose of River Cottage at ten or eleven this morning.

The rest of the day was taken up with helping in FS, a meeting in school and a bit of tuition.  I popped into Morrisons and they still had the Mullerlight yogurts at ten for £3 which is great value, so I stocked up again.  I eat a lot of yogurt right now.

It's been raining overnight which is extremely annoying as I had planned at least half a day of gardening and I'm a fair weather gardener.  Perhaps it will clear up later and at least the ground won't be hard, will it?

I have a huge list of Things To Do today.  I won't get it all done, of course, but I will get some done and the rest can wait until tomorrow.  It's much more likely to be done if it's on my list anyway!
It says:
Garden:   strawbs, hoover, toms, weeds (and I know what they all mean)
Upstairs:  clear book space, tidy books, tidy desk, back of wardrobe
Fridge
Ironing

Hopefully, it will be a really productive and satisfying day today, whatever the weather.  Hope yours is too.

Monday

Good morning!

I once taught a song to my class that we performed in a Family Assembly:

Spring has sprung, the grass is riz.
I wonder where the birdies is.
Spring has sprung, the buds do break.
Spring has sprung and nature wakes
Spring has sprung, the winter's gone
And now we sing a happy song
Tra la la la la la lay
Sweep those old dead leaves away!

They enjoyed it, the parents enjoyed it, it was a very nice family assembly.

I was thinking about my plans this week.  Given that it is likely to stay fine most of the time, I want to give the garden a spring clean because, boy, does it need it!!

1.  Sweep away those old dead leaves and other gunk that has accumulated in corners, nooks and crannies.  Fortunately, my leaf vacuum thingy should make easy work of that.  It churns them all up too so maybe I can bag up the results and take it to the allotment.

2.  Clear away the old runners from the strawberry bed and pot up some of the rooted runners for the allotment.  I have pots and I have spare soil so no excuses.

3.  Move some of my planters around.  The two blueberries are leafing rather nicely and, as I have read about how much the birds like blueberries and given that I am trying to encourage birds back into the garden, I shall be buying a small 'cage' - a frame with netting - to put over them as soon as the fruit has set.  That means putting them somewhere more roomy.  I've also ordered some 'cage corners' so I can make my own cage for the strawberries, if necessary - it never has been yet but . . .

4.  Start feeding the soil, especially where I know I will be planting veg.

5.  Scrape out the emerging weeds form between the patio slabs.  The more I do it, the fewer they become!

6.  Sort out the front - little weeds are starting to show and are spoiling the effect of the spring bulbs there.  Not having that.

7.  And I might spend a few happy hours in front of the computer looking at plants, veg, maybe fruit.  I wonder how gooseberries would do in a planter.  Anyone know?

So - a bit each day and by Friday the garden should look much better. just in time for the Easter snow!

Have a great day.  :-)

Sunday

I was driving out in the country on Friday afternoon and, although it wasn't the best of days, weather wise, there were signs of spring everywhere.  Some of the trees, hedges and bushes were covered with a green 'fuzz', swelling buds increasing ready to pop open and reveal the baby leaves within.  There were flowers beside the road and I do love this modern tradition of flinging bulbs on the grass verges and leaving them to grow.  They added such welcome splashes of colour as I drove along.

At home, the snowdrops are over but the daffodils and the hyacinths are opening now and my small clump of tiny, shy-blue scillas are also coming up.  My clump of bluebells (proper bluebells) are making good progress, the strawberry plants are sending out new growth, the blueberry bushes, new last year, have tiny leaves and even the tayberry that refuses to die is working its usual magic and showing that, once again, it's alive and kicking.  I might even get some fruit from it this year, you never know.  That's the lovely thing about gardens, even tiny ones like mine.  Hope is always there; hope and magic.

Yesterday I watched a blackbird gathering material for his nest.  He had a large piece of something - straw, twig, dry grass, I couldn't quite see what - and was obviously having trouble balancing it in his beak before flying off with it.  He tackled the task with utter determination and was rewarded finally as he flew off triumphantly with it.

It may snow next weekend but I don't care.  Spring is all around and the more we look, the more we see.  British Summer Time has well and truly come!