An Engagement

Sonshine popped the question, & she said yes!

I'm secretly hoping that being Mother of the Groom is slightly cheaper than Mother of the Bride was, but whatever we shall scrimp and find our share somehow!

Current plans are for Summer 2024 which to me is a loooong engagement but as long as the couple can stick two years of wedding talk it's up to them.

Busy busy this week. kind of making up for having six days off in a row training the cats. It worked though and boy are they happy to be in and out when they like. Actually they are in at night, but they seem happy with the set up. 

Waiting for the second load of washing to finish. Large duvet cover didn't spin right earlier and I've had a major tussle to untangle it and re-spin. The sun is out though so even though my head feels like it belongs to someone else all is well. Have made myself a spaghetti bolognese for lunch as am doing a late shift and technically won't be getting a break.

A hell of a week ahead, and looking forward to two weeks off from next Monday!

Pretty sure this pop up tree is a lime...any other suggestions?

Blessings J. x

When Your Brain Just Won't Let You

For months now I have been acutely aware that our accounts for 20/21 should have been made up. Last year I had three months completely off work due to Long Covid...and it didn't magically disappear either, I phased my return to work by first doing only one shift a week, followed by using a weeks holiday. Crikey, even I have a hard job remembering just how bad it actually got. Anyway what with that and the build, or rather demolish then build and living without a proper roof through some pretty nasty Summer storms and the financial burden it was a job I didn't want and honestly couldn't face. For several months I didn't even know where most of the paperwork was. Hubby had done an amazing job of stuffing everything in the part of the loft that was to remain. Good until the storms blew off some of the silage sheet that was doing it's best to protect us. Our order of slates was delayed time and time again. Fast forward to just before Christmas...I started to panic, I still hadn't sorted things out, then suddenly the accountant sent us our tax returns to approve...I was let off the hook...for a time...so though no adjustments were able to be made we were still legal...panic abated for a while, but it quickly returned as memories of the festivities faded. A few weeks ago, before my latest back episode I managed to find the inputs and outputs and bunged them in a bag. Then left them in a corner. I started to go into a near panic each night whilst trying to get to sleep. Such a big thing looming over me. But my brain just wouldn't let me do it. Strange, and rather annoying, but true. It was like I was stuck. Having had to learn to use Xero for online accounting whilst struggling with brain fog and joint pain had obviously taken more out of me than even I care to admit. Having watched the Wim Hof Freeze the Fear series, even though not doing the challenges I suddenly allowed myself a breather. It was OK. I have had a tough time. I have not failed. I will get straight. It will take time. This morning I called into our accountant with the bag of accounts. I know not everything they need is in it. But I have done the worst part. I now have a plan. Bite sized. I need to get over my fear of failing.

So for now I sit under our pergola in a very blustery garden. Tea is not on ration today. The girl has started to come good. I have printed copies of the necessary bank statements. Another step completed. Perhaps it is time we all were kinder to ourselves when we feel we have failed. Goodness...the wind whistling through our elder is making rather a menacing sound right now. The cats are finding flies to chase. They have been mostly indoor cats, as the main road we live on, although a 30 zone is greatly misused, lorries thunder by at a terrifying speed sometimes. The police like to make themselves visible when they do speed checks. I say hide and catch the -uggers! Anyway, I digress, we have invested in a radio collar system for the cats. It is laid around both our and daughters garden. We are currently training them with flags. They get a beep if they get too close. Hopefully the beep will do the trick, if not we up the game to a slight tingle. Some will say that this is cruel. However, we used such a system for many years for our dogs. It gave them so much freedom they would otherwise not have had. Wilbur especially loves to be outside, and I hope he would agree with me that a tingle during training is worth a lifetime of safe adventures. There have been stories of cats being shot and poisoned in recent years. I would hate to think either of those things happened to my precious duo.

I leave you today with a single photo...our Peony is in flower on the patio...

Blessings, J. x

Busy as a Bee

I have a few work free days...big cheer...the dining room is priority as family are coming for our monthly games evening tomorrow and the table is covered in detritus , namely the large mirror, clock and decorative items. This time thankfully I love the colour. Hubby did remark was I keeping it the colour of calf scour, however I believe he was just trying to be funny. It looks good to me, and having had to deal with much calf scour in the past I know my stuff!

Eldest daughter is arriving after delivering her eldest to preschool to help paint. She will be using the roller, and I a brush. I have found the roller to be harder for me to use and it made my elbow and shoulder sore. I have done undercoats with my trusty brush and shall be cutting in this morning. Last evening I made a lemon drizzle cake so we can keep our energy up!

I have slipped a little and this week have been using the washing machine to do the washing from start to finish. It all started on Sunday, we had a rib of beef for lunch which was rather fatty. I used cloths to soak up the overflowing juices and rinsed them well, but Monday it was clear this hadn't been enough. Also we haven't had the woodburner lit and the Aga is only turned on when I'll need to use it. It's false economy boiling the kettle or running the water too much to get it hot when the machine will do it anyway. However I shall certainly return to the bin method later in the year when I can heat the water on the woodburner for nothing and indeed shall still do some cooler washes throughout the Summer in this way.

A major shock was waiting for me in Lidl yesterday. The cheapest butter has gone up to £1.69...so five pots of double cream went into my trolley instead. A little job for me later today will be making butter and buttermilk.

The weather turned this week and though dry this morning is still rather blustery. The garden really needed it though. Mind you the weeds also had a good drink.

I'm having real problems commenting on other blogs at the moment. It just doesn't want to happen. then on one blog I think it did. Anyway if you normally hear from me and haven't that is the reason why. Not sure why they have to keep changing things. A bit like in the supermarket. I want a quick in and out and they befuddle me by moving everything. Absolutely hate it!

Hubby was proud to bring me in these for tea last evening. One of the tubers that he planted in the greenhouse. Think they were Duke of York variety and tasted lovely. He hasn't always taken an interest in gardening so was super excited. At 55 this is lovely but rather sad he never became so enthusiastic years ago. Suppose he was too busy tilling and harvesting the fields.

Blessings, J. x

Around Our Plot

I have wandered around our garden this afternoon with my camera...

Come with me...

First up after exsiting the back door...much of this bed suffered from being underneath the scaffolding for so long last year.

This area outside the kitchen window is a work in progress...

As is this side...that's a hop in the corner...

Around the patio...

 Up the steps...

 And the right side...

To an area that needs some attention...a Guelder Rose is just coming into bloom...

A wild area near the pond...water wheel just in view...

The other side...

 A bit more...

And on some more...

 Sunday lunch took place here yesterday...

I've been weeding the path...

The grill shed...

One of my favourite places to sit...I'm going to use the slate pieces as markers to step on, knowing there's nothing beneath them...

 Really hope this small holly bush will grow in the corner...

 An imposter resting on the clothes line prop...

Mr. McGregor rules beyond the gates...

But that is a story for another day...

Blessings, J. x

Drizzle

Well despite the drizzle I have pegged out again today. It may clear out later, then again it may not. Either way I made my decision and have no desire at the moment to drag the wet washing back inside. Today I am on a bit of a house cleaning mission. It never ceases to amaze me just how much care and attention a house needs on a daily, weekly, monthly and intermittant basis. But hey what better way to spend a day than loving our home!! I'm rather hoping for some spells of warm sunshine over the weekend so I can drift off outside and do some gardening. 

Anyway this week has been a mixed bag. Wednesday being the worst day. I had accidently put my name down to work, and hadn't realised, so when work called early had a nasty shock. They decided they could cope without me, though I was quite frankly an emotional mess for most of the day. It happens reasonably often but it had never happened to me before. For some reason, however it happened,  I thought I was working this Saturday, but am not...anyway tis been and gone now. That afternoon our washing machine door couldn't have shut properly, and shouldn't have started but did. And I didn't venture out into the passage until I thought the cycle would be finished...there was water pouring out of the door. If that wasn't enough I managed to break one of our dinner plates in the evening. It smashed from here to Kingdom Come. I was glad to get into bed that night for sure. Even though I knew I had an early start at work yesterday. Threes, yes things really do come in threes.

Yesterday after work I was basically fit for nothing and just ventured up to sit a while in the garden with a mug of tea. I soaked up the fresh air and gentle sounds.

It is a pity it is not so sunny today, but if it was I shouldn't want to be inside cleaning. I am waiting for the Dyson to recharge before zooming around a bit more.  Not sure why I chose to photograph the tiniest of lilac blooms, but hey it's still pretty and makes my heart sing.

Sadly it doesn't look as though we will be harvesting any plums again this year despite trying to protect the blossom from the really cold winds back along. The ghooster pear tree though does have babies on it, so I hope the June drop isn't too thorough this year. The cold did for the wisteria also, and many buds have dried up ready to drop off. Poor thing.

I have managed to fit in a spot of painting of the dining room. In a colour like I originally wanted. The orange was just a step too far...however the good news is we have plenty of orange paint for making some wooden pumpkins in the Autumn! The eggshell finish was also a bad idea. We are going mat Earth Glaze 4. Final answer!! To be revealed upon completion. (insert smiley face).

A cake has been baked, and a cottage pie is under construction. I'm about done then for the day and may gaze at the insides of my eyelids for a short while.

Blessings, J. x