Saturday

. . . and I woke up to sunshine.  Not hazy, watery, it's-going-to-rain-soon sunshine but authentic, blue-skies-all-day sunshine.  Excellent.  A bit of warmth would do the garden the world of good.

Not that I'm complaining.  I posted these photos on Facebook so apologies if you've already seen them but  really, what a difference a day makes!

Thursday afternoon

. . . and yesterday, early evening.

I feel a little dessert coming on soon!

In other news, the dwarf beans have definitely decided that they are staying around now.  With a bit of warmth and sunshine they should grow like crazy.  It's going to be quite a beany summer what with them and the runners but I love beans and if there's enough to feed family and neighbours too, well, so much the better!  Sadly, though, the cucumber has definitely had its chips and will be going in the brown bin.  Such a shame, I wish I knew why.

I've been thinning out the crocosmia.  Goodness, that plant is invasive.  Some of the thinnings are going into a pot for Beth, some into a pot for me so I can add some green and flame to a darkish corner and some - well, what's a brown bin for?

I've been umming and ahing about some bamboo.  Not in the bed as I know it can be incredibly invasive too and one invasive plant is enough, but also in a pot for moveable decoration.  I don't know if they do particularly well in pots but some green height would be lovely.  I am very glad the Leylandii 'hedge' has gone, but I do miss the greeness of it.  I must research bamboo and see what I can learn.

It's odd: when I had the garden made over a long time ago now - must be about fifteen years ago - my idea was lots of pots of stuff.  That never really worked out and I ended up concentrating on the beds, but now, with the beds looking not bad at all in their various ways, I'm heading towards pots again.

It was a busy day yesterday.  First of all I went a-shopping for bits and bobs connected with something at school (must remember to organise the receipts) followed by several hours in school where I got plenty of stuff done including what I need for the staff meeting next Wednesday.  Then it was back home for a bit of garden pottering followed by the usual evening telly - Pointless, Eggheads, a celebrity antiques programme and the Great British Menu.  Wall to wall gentle entertainment.  Lovely!

And today?  Well, I've been putting it off all week but I now do HAVE to go into town for just one thing from Lakeland after which it is home again to make bread and wait for my delivery of bedside chests from Next.  Once they have arrived (should be between ten and two) it's back into school for some tidying up and general getting-things-ready work.  Once that's done and the planning is tweaked and printed out, I reckon I will be just about ready and tomorrow really can be a day of rest!

Well, breakfast won't make itself so I'd better get going!  May the sun shine on us all today, whatever we have to do.

Friday

Lots of good things and one two bad things.

Good things:
It was sunny yesterday.  Really and truly sunny with real sun and a blue sky and cheerful warmth.  Fantastic!
Another grafted tomato arrived.  I bought this purely from curiosity - it was expensive and I don't need it but then how many of the things I buy do I actually really need?  Not many.  It intrigued me as it's a black tomato.  Photo borrowed from the internet!  I will pot it on today and we shall see.

I went out with friend Liz who took me to Freeport Designer Village as I've never been there.  We mooched around some lovely kitchen shops (buying nothing) and then into the Hotter shop where I paid more that I ever have done before for a handbag that was actually more than half price off.  I look at it and thing 'what makes you so expensive?' because it's nothing fancy, just a nicely designed little bag.
Seth turned up and now my tayberry is in the ground.  I mentioned this in my extra blog yesterday but it's a Good Thing so it's on the list.  Now I have my fingers crossed that it is happy there.
I have a little passion fruit plant that has been in a mini pot for much longer than it should have been.  I'm surprised it is still alive, to be quite honest.  Yesterday I finally managed to get my act together and plant it!  Again, my fingers are crossed for it.
The dwarf beans have finally germinated.  Again, I mentioned this yesterday!

Bad:
RIP little cucumber plant.  I don't know what has happened but yesterday afternoon when I looked at the little cucumber plant that Dad brought over several weeks ago it had just collapsed.  It's gone floppy and if it wasn't tied up against a cane it would be lying flat on the soil.  It was fine yesterday and I have absolutely no idea what's happened but I'm sad because it was doing so well.  I wonder if it is worth going to Wyvale to see if they have a replacement (preferably a grafted one) - I was so looking forward to fresh cucumber this summer.  No, I've just remembered, I have two gherkin style plants in little pots that can also be eaten fresh (the fruit, not the pots).  Maybe I should give them a go and see.

Just discovered another bad thing - greenfly on the lupin.  Where are the ladybirds when you need them?


Today?  Well, several bits and bobs on a list of Things To Do and then into school. Then reports.  That's the day planned out really.  Must remember to take the laptop and the security fob!

Garden

Just a few photos - and yes, it is sunny here.  Three cheers!

Evidence of sun!  Taken 20 minutes ago.

The tayberry is finally in its last resting place.  Fingers crossed it likes it..

YES!!!  The drawf beans have finally germinated.  Three cheers.

The baby redloves are looking cute.

. . . and the strawberries are ripening.  Just a few but where one goes, can the others be far behind?

And, did I mention, the sun is shining?

Thursday

I've woken to yet another damt, dark, dismal morning.  To be fair, it doesn't appear to have been raining but some sun would be really nice, if you please.

I didn't do what I planned to do after all yesterday.  After Sharon had sorted out my hair (shorter and, I think, very nice)and Beth's, B and I decided we would go to Argos together to get some stuff and then we went into Next to order those bedside chests that I should have bought last year.  Luckily the price as the same and even better, they will deliver them on Saturday.  I also managed to get enough hearing aid batteries to last me until Christmas, I should think, so that's a bit of a niggle off my mind.  I get through about one a week on average.  They last for around a fortnight but I have two aids, and my dread is that I totally run out so I try not to cut it too fine.

Then we trundled into Pizza Hut for one of their buffet lunches and had a delicious time.  By the time we got home again I was in no mood for school so I didn't.  However, I did check the diary first and I can go in on Friday so that's OK.

Well, better check my mailbox and do the usual internet rounds.  I'm going out at ten so need to have done everything before then.  Have a good and, hopefully, dry day!

Wednesday

Yesterday was, if anything, lazier than Monday.  I still felt very sleepy and kept nodding off so I cancelled my plans for working in school and went with the flow.  As a results, although I didn't sleep all that well through the night, now I feel a whole bundle better and ready to start work again.

Apart from that, there's not a lot to say about yesterday.  It was dull, dismal and wet and today seems to be more of the same.  Where's this heatwave we were promised, I want to know!  The poor plants are looking cold and bewildered but at least they are getting enough water!

It's been nearly a fortnight since I planted the second lot of dwarf beans and there's still no sign of germination: maybe it has just been too cold, but if they're not growing they must be rotting so I will plant some more from a different packet and hope it's third time lucky here.  If not, I give up!

I'm expecting Sharon, my hairdresser, at nine so I've been bustling around to repair the damage done by being at home.  It looks a bit neater now, thank goodness.

After that it really has to be into school as I don't think I will get another opportunity.  Then it's home again for more report writing!  No peace for the wicked.

I hope that, wherever you are, this wet weather hasn't spoilt things too much for you and that you hare enjoying life.

A cheering picture from this time two years ago.  This year it hasn't even started flowering yet.  Maybe I need to repot it.

Tuesday

Oh, my, yesterday was such a lazy day in some ways and in others it wasn't.

For a start I had a PJ day (actually a nightie day) as I just couldn't be bothered to get dressed.  I lounged about all day hoping that no-one would come to call.  I didn't even put in my hearing aids until I turned the telly on.  Now that's lazy.

On the other hand I made two loaves of bread, two and a half pots of red onion marmalade and eleven delicious little meringues from egg while left over from the weekend.

I did more reports.

I sorted out the fridge

But:

I had several snoozes; it must have been the 'catch-uo on sleep' day I always seem to have at the start of a break but delayed a bit.

I watched rubbish telly (and fell asleep).

I - er - used some red wine in the onion marmalade and, as eny fule kno red wine goes off quickly so I didn't give it the opportunity!

Today is a busy day - into town and then into school.  I've slept well all night and could do with a bit more sleep now so maybe I will pop back upstairs in a little while seeing as it is quite early.

Monday

The corn at the front is Beth's

It's the Whitsun Bank Holiday so, of course, it is raining and looks as if it has been for some time.  Everything is dripping and it feels quite cold too.  Great for those families planning a day out, I don't think.

Yesterday was quite the opposite.  It was a delightful day, not too hot, a fresh breeze a-blowing and lots of sunshine.  I sat out and potted on the tomato plants and a few other bits and bobs and it was lovely.

The reports are going . . . that's all I'm saying.  Tomorrow I intend to spend most of the day in school.  I've been asked to lead a staff meeting and want to get all the stuff ready for that as well as gathering together some books for the report info.  So it's personal statements today.

I decided not to make bread on Saturday, totally forgetting that I now make it for Beth, sorry, Beth.  So there's now dough rising in Thermione.  I need to sort out the fridge as there's some oldish stuff in there that needs either using or (sorry) discarding.  The whole thing needs a wipe over anyway.  If the weather cheers up, there's some stuff in the shed that really would do better being moved into the garage so that's the other task for today.

Last Friday, when I had lunch with Beth, I had a brie and bacon toasted sarnie with onion marmalade and the marmalade was so delicious I've decided to make some myself. It's the first time since I got Thermione that I am sorry I handed on my processor as it was grand for slicing.  Never mind, the knives are sharp so it shouldn't be too much of a hassle, just a bit eye-watering.  Beth has already put in a claim for one of the jars so no excuses!

Aren't half terms exciting?  :-)

My breakfast bacon is smelling done so I must go.  Have a good day.