My Garden in February 2026

I haven't ventured any further into the garden then the patio other than to take some photos all winter.

I took the cushions in from the chair as they were getting a bit damp earlier this month and just take them in and out when I need them.

I tend to sit out here in the morning with my cup of tea in all weather, wrapped up in a blanket.

These photos are only two weeks apart. It means I'll have to move the pots out of the cold frames soon as I'll miss the bulbs flowering.

All the pots in the cold frames have bulbs as well well as over wintering the herbs. I'm hoping the frosts and snow have finished now, but we had a hard frost last week, so who knows?

All our pots have excellent drainage and are placed on gravel, which is a good job with all the rain we've had this year.

This area has been a dumping ground for excess soil over the previous two years and is the last part of the garden that needs landscaping. It's no where near as waterlogged as it has been over the previous years, especially if you consider our neighbours garden is higher than ours and the overflow from their path drains onto this area.

The fleece blew away early in the new year and I didn't bother replacing it. Everything has survived and there are new shoots and buds appearing.

I'm tempted this year not to plant any veg and just fill the raised beds with wild flower seeds and create a colourful and vibrant garden and just enjoy it rather than working in it.

What do you think?

Week 7 2026 One Daily Positive and Project 365

The negatives

A burn on my right wrist.

No running this week.

Medication making me nauseous and actually sick.

The positives

A week with my grandchildren in Northern Ireland and lots of cuddles.

I haven't smoked for a week.

Saturday 14th February Had a lie in then off to Worcester for breakfast. I'm limited with what I can eat trying to avoid surgery with my gall bladder and being gluten free. The yogurt was soy to cater for the vegan market, so I opted for scrambled egg on toast. The egg had been over cooked and the toast was rock hard despite not even being browned. We took a walk around the town, lots of flooding from the Severn. Did a bit of food shopping and home to pack the van after Peter cleaned it for me. I went out in the afternoon for a 2 hour coffee date with a friend and home to make the bed, do some washing and drying and iron the fitted sheet after Peter had done the rest.

Sunday 15th February Woke at 8am and by 9am I'd put the last few bits in the car and was on my way to Birmingham. A bit tricky getting to my pre booked parking with road closures, but got to St Andrew's and in my seat an hour early for the FA Cup game against Leeds. It was 1-1 at full time and went to extra time, then to penalties and we lost 2-4. I then drove up to Birkenhead, stopping at Stafford Services for an hour for dinner and had a half hour nap in the van. I got to the port at 7.30pm and lay down and read my book, wrote some letters and watched Tv. Boarded at 10pm and spent the night in the lounge and slept from 11pm till 5.30am on a sofa.

Monday 16th February Drove off the ferry at 6.45am and at sons by 7.30am. Quick cuddles with eldest grandson before he went to pre school and day spent with Dil and youngest grandson. Plenty of rest, then off to do a food shop and collect grandson. I had a nap on the sofa in the afternoon in between playing with cars and reading stories. After dinner and stories at bedtime, I set the van up, wrapped up some gifts, had a shower, got in my pjs, read some of my book then settled down for an early night in the van on my sons drive. 

Tuesday 17th February Woke around 2am with one cold foot. Back to sleep and woke again at 7am as grandson went to nursery. Van was frozen on the outside and door was hard to open from the inside. Made a hot water bottle, cup of tea and a flask and back to the van for a couple of hours watching TV and reading. The flask lid wasn't on properly and I badly burnt my arm. Morning spent with youngest grandson and I walked the dogs. Caught the bus into Lisburn for a bit of shopping and afternoon with grandson. Eldest back around 4pm and we played cars, had dinner, tossed some pancakes, did some colouring while son and Dil viewed a house, stories and bedtime. Dil out to hockey, pancakes for son, then I got ready for bed and went out to the van to read and was asleep by 9pm.

Wednesday 18th February Woke around 6am after a solid nights sleep, nice and toasty, drifted back off till 7am to see grandson off to nursery, have a wee and make tea and refill the hot water bottle, back to bed in the van with the heating on finished reading my book and made a coffee. After walking the dogs we collected grandson from nursery and went to soft play for a couple of hours, picked up some shopping and I cooked cottage pie for tea Lots of stories read at bedtime and I was out in van at 9pm, but I stayed up till 11pm watching the TV.

Thursday 19th February I didn't sleep well and woke several times during the night, up at 7am feeling sick, think it's the side effects from the stop smoking medication. Dil took eldest to nursery and went to the gym. Youngest grandson and I spent the morning at home, he had a nap and I caught up with some blogging. We went out at 12pm to visit a friend for tea and cake for an hour then collected eldest grandson and went to a couple of shops. Home to walk the dogs and picked up a coffee on route. The sun shone briefly late afternoon so I packed the pop top away and made up the bed on the bottom.

Friday 20th February Woke up at 7.20am and a bit startled as to where I was. Felt sick and took my meds with some food. By the time we got oldest grandson to preschool I got out the car and was actually sick twice. While son and Dil went to sort out stuff for the new house, grandson and I went for his breakfast in a coffee shop. We all met up and did some shopping and home. I finished packing the van and had a shower and had some more time alone with youngest grandson while the dogs were walked. Oldest grandson home and we did some sticking and he played in his room before tea. Tyres topped up, air and fuel tank refilled and after saying my goodbyes, I drove to Belfast for the 10.30pm ferry back to Liverpool. Sat in the van watching TV and blogging waiting to board and grabbed myself a sofa in the lounge for the night. Youngest grandson pulled himself up for the first time.

On the blog this week:

Word of the Week - Camping.

Post Comment Love - Link up with any post written this week.

Marathon Training - Stopping Smoking.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

20th- 22nd February 2026 Post Comment Love

Welcome back to #PoCoLo with Stephanie from Bosworth.Life and I.

Post Comment Love #PoCoLo is a friendly weekly linky where you can link up any blog post you've written this week. If you're new or a regular visitor we're sure you'll find something of interest.

Please leave a comment with the host you link up with and we'd also appreciate your help spreading the #PoCoLo word on Twitter/X tag us and we'll RT. You can find us here: Stephanie - @BosworthLife and Suzanne - @ChickenRuby Please also add our badge to your post.

I'll be catching up with reading your posts, sharing and commenting over the next few days. 

I've spent the week in Northern Ireland visiting my grandchildren. I've been sleeping in the campervan on the drive.

We've been to the park, soft play made pancakes, been colouring in, played with cars, had endless cuddles and stories at bedtime and lots of fun.

I'm on my way back home tonight on the overnight ferry which takes 7 hours, there are no cabins available so I'll have a pillow and a blanket and try and grab a sofa in the lounge.

I've also taken a huge step towards stopping smoking this week and so far it's been really good.

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Word of the Week - Camping

I'm aiming to camp in the van every month in 2026. I managed a night on my friend's drive in January.

I'm in Northern Ireland on my son and Dil's drive for half term. it's cold, wet and windy outside but lovely and snug inside. Peter opted to stay at home for the week which worked out well in the end as Birmingham reached the 4th round of the FA Cup against Leeds which was played on Sunday the 15th so after the match I drove on up to Birkenhead for the overnight ferry.

I couldn't get a cabin so slept on a sofa in the lounge with only a 35 min drive when I reached Belfast. 

I'm only using the campervan for sleeping in, going out to it at 9pm after a shower and getting into my pjs, with a hot water bottle and a mug of tea.

I'm waking up at 7am and it's a quick dash into the house for a wee, refill the hot water bottle, make a cup of tea say goodbye to eldest grandson as he goes to pre school and back to bed in the campervan for an hour. It was tricky opening the door one morning.

The campervan has diesel heating that runs either off the mains or the solar panels. I've plugged into the mains while I'm at my sons, if I camp for just one night I tend to use jsut the solar panels. I only need the heating on for an hour at night and an hour in the morning to get the van warmed up.

I sit in my dry robe until it warms up.

When the diesel heating is running and the roof is popped there is enough ventilation with the canvas, but when the roof is down I need to have a window cranked.

I opted to sleep on the bottom bed on the last night (Thursday) as the canvas had dried and it was due to rain on the Friday and it could be 2-3 days before I might be able to dry it properly, so I dried round the external rims and folded the top down.

The downside of sleeping on the bottom bed is not having a table, but there are plenty of surfaces to put things on especially as I'm not cooking in the van either or even having to make a cup of tea in it.

I packed my clothes onto hangers and placed everything int he wardrobe, just taking what I needed into the house each day, just leaving my washbag in the bathroom.

I'm travelling home on the Friday night ferry, again no cabin available and I've a 3 hour drive home so I'll be making a couple of stops on the way home for a coffee and a lie down on the back seats.

Marathon Training - Stop smoking plan.

I started training for the Brighton Marathon on April 12th 2026 on World Mental Health Day October 10th 2025. You can read all about why I'm running a marathon and how my training started here.

Prior to this the last time I'd run was when I was in school in the late 80's.

I'm 54, I'm smoke 15 cigarettes a day. I like to walk and did so regularly with our dog, Bob until he died in 2023 and I swim occasionally. 

I've been running/walking 3 times a week following the couch to 5k. The furthest I've run to date is 5k. I have however been walking and trekking routes up to 17k twice a week trying to run at least 5k. 

I took part in a Winter Walk in London in January where I walked 26.2 miles in 7 hours and 44 mins. My reason for doing this, is because the Brighton marathon has a cut off for a medal of 8 hours and I really want something to keep from the day as well as my other reasons for entering the marathon in the first place.

After running my first parkrun in November 2025, I really struggled with running 3 times a week as by the time I was getting home from work at 4.15pm it was dark outside. It's hard in Malvern to find a flat route to run without going round in circles unless I run through the industrial park or off road and as you may appreciate these are isolated areas after working hours and in the dark.

I'm not one for joining groups, I tried a walking group in January to trek the end to end Malvern Hills, the pace was too slow for me, despite promises that you had to be of a certain fitness level and I was getting cold and after a few miles I just had to leave the group at British Camp and continue the walk on my own.

But I plucked up the courage and I joined the gym with the hope of using the treadmill to run on. It didn't go to plan, it hurt my feet running on the spot, but the cross trainer, bike and rowing machine are great with helping me to build up strength and stamina.

I was ill over the New Year and had got behind with the running but had been doing a lot of walking, especially over the hills. I started running again and did a parkrun the end of January, and I've been out running after work, now the evenings have been getting lighter, even when it's been raining.

I'm struggling to regulate my temperature in this cold and rain. I'm too cold when I leave the house, so I've started with a brisk walk into town, where Peter has met me and has then taken my coat back home while I've run back and I've been spending more time in the gym, working on strengthening my inner and outer thighs and my shoulders and chest and using the cross trainer more often for longer periods of time.

But I need to get back running and on the road more. I'm running where and when I can. Instead of catching the bus after the football. I run/walk back to the train after the match.

And now I'm giving up smoking. I've stopped many times before and restarted again. I'm in Northern Ireland for the February half term. It had been my plan to run while I was here and to stop smoking. I''ve not run at all. I've walked the dogs every morning, but it's been so cold and wet and windy, I've put it the bare minimum. But I have gone 2 days so far without a cigarette.

I am receiving support from my GP and Boots online pharmacy with taking Varenicline. This medication is not nicotine replacement. I've tried that and vaping alternatives before. it's the habit I need to break. I successfully stopped smoking in the past using Champix which this medication was previously called and no excuses other than extreme stress, relocating to the UK during the height of covid, hotel quarantine, having been separated from Peter, restrictions on us both from travelling (not just going on holiday).

Varenicline reduces nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms. You pick a date between day 8 and 14 to stop smoking but by day 5 I'd just gone off the idea of wanting or needing one and the smell of stale tobacco on a hat made me feel a little sick. It costs £89 a month for 3 months. I'm currently spending around that per week on cigarettes.

Sometimes I set myself goals that are just too high. I've taken on too much at the moment. Too much is out of my control.

The weather is my biggest enemy. It's too cold and wet and windy to be out running. I've got to focus my time and energy on stopping smoking and not worry and stress myself out about not running this week or next week even. 

The Brighton marathon is 7 weeks on Sunday. As long as I'm not smoking I know I'll find it much easier to be running and walking. I already know I can walk a marathon in under 8 hours I already know I can do it physically and mentally.

I can still go to the gym next week.

Week 6 2026 - Project 365 and One daily Positive

The Negatives

I feel like I'm in a video game driving to work and every day is a new level with all the pot holes and flooding, I should be earning gold coins or something.

The Positives

I got a lot done this week. The van had its MOT and I packed for my trip to Northern Ireland, taking gifts  up till the end of April and cards I wanted to make and letters to write. I'll be sleeping on my Son and DILs drive but spending the days and evenings in the house and using their bathroom and kitchen and I'll probably go out to the van once the grandchildren are in bed, so I'll have plenty of things to do to keep me occupied. I'll have to download some things to watch as the internet and 5G is intermittent outside.

Saturday 7th February Woke still stressing about work yesterday. Searched for some jobs online and found two I'll apply for. Did some of my jigsaw puzzle, made a card and wrote a letter to the grandchildren in Northern Ireland to say I'm looking forward to my visit next weekend. Did some tidying around, made a pack lunch and met my friend at the train station to go to Birmingham with her and her son for the football. We won 2-1. Home at 7pm, soaking wet and very cold. Had a bath, watched some telly and bed around 11pm. Finished watching Stranger Things.

Sunday 8th February Celebrated grandson's 1st birthday with a trip to The Forest of Dean. We had to plan the route around road closures and flooding. I got to finish this months book club read in the car on the way down and half way back, with Peter dropping me off on the Malvern Hills so I could trek back 7 km as part of my Marathon endurance training. It's definitely an endurance in this weather at the moment. I stopped for a coffee in town. I spent the early evening watching Liverpool v Man City, it was an exciting last 20 mins. Peter was asleep and I was stuck under the cat. I sorted through some crafts and gifts for mum trip next week. Picked up another book I'd started and wrote out a list of things I need to do before next week. Bath and bed.

Monday 9th February I’m not in a good place at the moment. I’m not interested in eating and I’m extremely agitated. It would be easy to just do nothing. I’ve got a tracker to help me focus on my marathon training and to ensure I read and do something nice each day. I’ve restarted an app to track my food intake to ensure I’m consuming the right calories each day and I’ve off loaded a game from my phone. The wilting daffodil looks like how I’m feeling.

Tuesday 10th February Home from work, got changed and Peter dropped me at the station with a few minutes to spare before I caught the train to Birmingham. Read my book on the way up, read my book in Starbucks for an hour then walked up to the stadium and read my book for an hour in my seat in the ground. Stood for the full 90 minutes for a 0-0 draw and left the ground 10 mins early to run/walk to the station for my train to Worcester (read my book on the way home) Peter picked me up at 11.40pm. Can't back to Malvern. Had a quick bath and into bed.

Wednesday 11th February Home from work, fired off a few parent emails, got changed and walked into town to the post office, bumped into a friend for a quick chat. Peter drove up to meet me for a coffee, did a bit of shopping, he took everything home. I ran/walked the long way home almost 8k, took me around an hour. I did some of my jigsaw, replied to an invite for volunteering at The Ryder Cup in 2027 (no guarantee I'll get a spot) watched a bit of TV, did some blogging and ran some updates on my laptop. Had a bath and in bed by 9.30pm to read. 

Thursday 12th February Straight home from work and hung around for a telephone consultation from the GP. By 6pm he hadn't called so I sent to the retail park for a coffee and pick up a cheese cake and a few bits and bobs for my trip to Northern Ireland. I spent an hour in the gym and came home ready to have a bath. GP called at 8.45pm to approve new medication.

Friday 13th February Last day in school and non uniform day. Picked Peter up and we went for a coffee, bumped into neighbour with the kids and remind her to pop round later to put covers back on car seats, she forgot and was in her pjs when she came round at 8.30pm with her son. We played tic tac toe and he told me the story he wrote in school while she rebuilt the seats. I got everything ready for my trip away. An early night.

On the blog this week:

Word of the week - Floods

Post Comment Love - Link up with any post written this week

The best bits of January 2026

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

13th - 15th February 2026 - Post Comment Love

Welcome back to #PoCoLo with Stephanie from Bosworth.Life and I.

Post Comment Love #PoCoLo is a friendly weekly linky where you can link up any blog post you've written this week. If you're new or a regular visitor we're sure you'll find something of interest.

Please leave a comment with the host you link up with and we'd also appreciate your help spreading the #PoCoLo word on Twitter/X tag us and we'll RT. You can find us here: Stephanie - @BosworthLife and Suzanne - @ChickenRuby Please also add our badge to your post.

I'll be catching up with reading your posts, sharing and commenting over the next few days. 

Since last week I've been up to Birmingham twice to the football.

It's been nothing been rain and floods and road diversions this week, but it hasn't stopped me with my marathon training.

I'll be out running tonight and tomorrow we're going to attempt a drive to a National Trust property.

Sunday I'm off to Birmingham to watch them play Leeds in the 4th round of the FA Cup and afterwards I'm driving up to Liverpool for the overnight Ferry to Belfast to visit my grandsons for the week for my half term. Their's was last week, but as the eldest doesn't start school till full time school till September there's still plenty of time to be spent together.

Want to find out more about Post Comment Love #PoCoLo? 

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Click here to enter

The best bits of January 2026

In no particular order.

The cat claimed the kids bean bag after their visit.

I've been reading a book a week.

I camped on my friend's drive.

One of two football matches.

Fun with the grandchildren.

Garden doing well despite the cold and the rain. Nice to see some sunshine.

Getting out and about raising awareness.

A couple of parkruns.

New Year in Portsmouth.

Ice cream on New Years Day.

A weekend in London for the Winter Marathon Walk.

Snow day.

Non stop rain and floods.

Found some jigsaws instead of scrolling through my phone.

How was your start to the year?