Thursday Update

I have been a bit lapse with my blog this week to say the least. The time has just gone and I haven't had a spare moment to update. What have I been doing with all my time I hear you ask and the answer is simple - gardening.

I normally love to garden, enjoy getting my hands dirty but for some unknown reason this year my gardening bug has left home. It has been a real effort to do anything out in the garden, weeding and pottering has not really been happening. Mr P has been doing lots but with very little help from me. This weekend I thought to myself enough is enough, time to get my act together and get that bloody garden sorted out.

We started on Saturday and had a general tidy up, planted up all the hanging baskets, tubs and pots. I also bought some more perennials and the plan was to weed all the boarders and then find suitable positions for the new plants. I intended to start the great weedathon on Sunday but we awoke to very grey skies and torrential downpours.

Monday was spent out having a rather nice lunch with my friend Julia, so it was Tuesday before the weeding commenced in earnest. It was a struggle if I'm totally honest and my heart wasn't really in it but once I had broken the back of it I started to feel that old pride in the garden feeling return.

When Mr P came in he power washed the patio, lugged pots to new positions and helped finish of the mini garden revamp. The little ones were very keen to help, Alex in particular with the power washer. He was absolutely filthy by the end of it all.

Anyway the garden is up to scratch again, and I am keen once again to potter and tweak and generally take pride in our lovely garden.

Here are a few pics from the last week.

The veiw from half way down the garden looking towards the house.

Billy and Bobby the (horrible) lovely garden gnomes that the little ones have in their fairy garden by the play house. That's the only place in the garden where ornaments are allowed to go.

The view up the garden from the kitchen window.

The alliums that are just starting to come out. They are a much darker purple in real life.

Mr P's beloved tree ferns. This is the biggest one, he has another two which are much smaller.

Mr P and Alex potting up a flower trough.

I did manage a little browse at an antiques fair at the weekend. It's only a little event held ever month in a local hall. I bought a couple of Suzy Cooper cups and saucers and side plates. I love the gardenia on the cups. I am getting a little collection of pretty floral cups together now. I managed to find a very sweet lily of the valley cup, saucer and side plate in the charity shop last week. I will have to have some friends around for a tea party soon!

I was a very lucky girl this week. I entered a mini giveaway competition held by the lovely Heather at pink milk. I had to guess which Cath Kidston Ipod cover she had ordered. I was one of three winners! I never win anything, so I was over the moon. This morning the postman left me this lovely little parcel.

Which contained this fab little bits and bobs. Thank you so much Heather they are fab. I haven't shown Daisy or Alex as they will want to claim them for themselves. They have already managed to pinch nearly all my Cath Kidston note cards that I bought the other week.

My friend Julia and I went to our very first knitting and crochet meeting at the local pub and we had a lovely evening. We learnt how to do treble crochet and spent a very pleasant evening hooking away.

I finally finished my book club book "One day" and it was a fab read. Once I had got into it, I couldn't put it down. I stayed up until 1am reading last Saturday. I do miss all night reading. I used to do it often pre children.

A few mums from school have started a new book club this week, we had our first meeting yesterday and have decided to read The girl with the dragon tattoo. I'm not sure I can really fit in two book clubs, crocheting and making/crafting into my already busy life but hey I'll do my best. I don't think I could ever find time to do a full time real job anymore. I was an accountant for sixteen years, worked right up until Daisy started school but now all I do are a few cleaning jobs during term time just to earn a bit of pocket money and also to fill a few spare hours. Oh how the mighty have fallen!

I do wish I could find a proper job that would fit in around the family and still give me enough time to craft, read etc. I could do accounts/book keeping from home, but its is so very dull and we don't really have any spare room which I would need to use as a study. If anyone has any great ideas/careers advice then feel free to send them my way.

I am hoping the weekend is going to be warm and sunny. I have bought some paint for the playhouse and intend to make a start on revamping the tired little house. Mr P has to work on Saturday so its just me and the kiddies. Well actually me and Alex as Daisy is off to a brownie sleepover on Saturday afternoon.

I am hoping to have our first bbq on Sunday and have invited my sister around for tea. Fingers crossed for warn, sunny out in the garden sort of weather then.

Till next time.

Alison

X

PS I have been trying to get bits and pieces together for Vanessa at happi-ness fairy tale swap, its proving trickier than first anticipated!