Me Myself and I

 Blimey it's cold. Didn't stop the dogs having a canal swim this afternoon though.  That's them in the distance!  Me and husband chops decided against a swim in the murky Grand Union.    Had a lovely outing to Delapre Abbey yesterday with my youngest daughter, Good food, Unique gifts and lots of giggles. A real treasure of a place that we're lucky to have on our doorstep. Have given up trying to book a holiday, too many lies from cottage owners. Which is very sad really.  Real Baklava from a little Turkish bakery, Truly delicious. God I'm greedy and boring!

 ...From the holiday of horrors! Still doesn't compensate for the travel costs, wasted time and bloody crapness of it all. Onwards and sideways though. My mental health is always a bit crap at this time of year, I know this and deal with it, but it is annoying. Much leaf sweeping going on and knitting of woolly socks. A muddy walk to our local lake, a new chair and a splendid sunset taken from the back door.

 The title says it all. A long drive to a dirty mouldy cottage. One night spent shivering, the heating was broken, Decided not to shower as the water coming through the shower light/fan was a bit worrying.  Spent a joyful couple of hours charging the car in a hotel carpark, as the one at the cottage was broken. Then the long drive home..... Complete crap from start to finish.

... September. So it's apparently autumn now. That's fine it means I can buy bulbs to plant, Result! A month of birthdays, daughter, grand daughter and dog. Plus other family members that I am no longer in contact with, Thank fuck. A visit from cousin Wilson, he's a darling. Much pruning in the garden, but leaving interesting stuff for winter views and for the beasties to hide in. 

 Life rumbles along, ups downs and in-betweens. Typical English weather, Assorted! Much selling of stuff I no longer want. Plus giving stuff away, which is a whole new world of pain.....I am giving you something I could sell and you want to dictate how this will happen. Can I deliver/ will I keep it for a while/ have I got any other colours/why is it free etc.  Some chunky pigeon squabs to calm me down! They were literally steaming in the sun after a rain shower. Nothing much else has happened in August so far (cue floods and locusts), the garden is a tame wilderness, stuffed with birds and insects, plus a mangy cat wandering through. Calm is good. A dolls house I took apart and remade. For sale along with a few others, I need more space and less clutter. We'll see how that goes......

 How is it already July? This year is whizzing by. Lots of weather going on, from madly hot to humid and cloudy. The insects are eating me alive, so I've taken delivery of some DDT equivalent spray. Will it work or will it kill me? Who knows. Went out for a fabulous meal at a local restaurant, Can't wait to go again, even if we have to live on baked beans until payday. Keith was six! This is him accepting his M&S birthday sausage roll. We found this odd thing in the garden, it turned out to be a Magnolia seed pot! Who knew. Well the heat is building again so I shall find something cool to drink.

 Waiting for a thunderstorm, It's sooo hot. Back from a splendid holiday in Wales, amazing weather, crazy but fun cottage. Good times! A trip today to our favourite local garden, Hugely inspiring and very fragrant. A most perfect week.

 Much gardening, not much rain. Dogs and grandies, Happy life Kitchen cupboard painting Busy times.

What an exciting life I lead- planting plants, brushing dogs and knitting socks! I wouldn't have it any other way. My time is mostly my own to do with as I please, that makes me very happy and very lucky.  Malcolm looking cute, Husband and grandies playing in the shed, plus a bit of garden peering. Perfect!

 Ok March, You were rubbish, in a totally WTF is going on way. The frogs spawned and then it got very cold.....so they buggered off. Then they came back and spawned a bit more, they must be so confused! I have been mostly knitting and selling random crap on ebay, and glaring at the rain from the comfort of the lounge. Bits and pieces of gardening have been done, some planting and pruning. The dogs have had many baths but still look beige and brown rather than liver and white. They were very happy to find a little bit of sun. Then it rained....again.  Clever clogs husband replaced the knackered porch above the back door and built a new fence from scrap wood. He's a keeper! A break in the clouds???? I go garden........

 The sun had me up and out for a little planting and sweeping. Some of my rose cuttings have leaves on!!! very exciting. A new evergreen Clematis and a couple of grasses have joined the raised bed. Good times. Keith carefully inspecting the after photo. The rose cuttings are growing in the plastic case things that had plants packed in them for delivery last year, Handy little mini greenhouses.

 Home from a splendid time in Aberystwyth. Swimming every day- the dogs that is! We just ate too much and lazed about, Perfect. It's great when you get home and realise what a lovely house you have, plus a garden that's starting to think about spring. Photo is of a nature reserve where you park on the beach, how cool\mad is that.  My kind of  yarn bombing, splendid.