Tuesday, 27 February 2024

The garden is getting itself ready for Spring.

There are quite a few jobs that need doing in the garden. Starting with the removal of this shed. It's been two and a half years since we got the new shed, 2 years since the new kitchen and 1 year since the extension was built and 9 months since I emptied the shed so it could be taken down. Hopefully with a week of dry weather, it's something that can be done sooner rather than later. I need to remind the neighbour to get their fence fixed. 

I can then get the table and chairs out on the old shed base and put the umbrella frame up and get a small chair to go with the pod and table under the canopy so we can use this area for its intended purpose better.

The walls are going to be clad and I will be putting up some old pub, road and car signs that I inherited from my father and clear some more space in the attic rooms. 

Scaffolding planks to go up on the wall under the canopy.


Then we can start clearing these mounds of earth and build some raised beds and a compost bin and start to use and enjoy the garden more.

Then sort out a couple of areas that are still flooding since building the new patio.

I've purchased a couple of gardening magazines and dug out my garden plans and have started to make some designs.


In the meantime, lots has been happening in the garden all by itself

A visit from a bumble bee.

Hollyhocks, and herbs.

Cyclamen and Primrose.

Hyacinths.

I planted chard and parsley once and it just keeps on growing, such a cheap and tasty crop.


How's your garden faired over the winter? Is it showing signs of spring?

Sunday, 25 February 2024

2024 Week 8. One Daily Positive, Project 365, A Selfie a Day

February

50  Monday A stressful day in work, head pounding and just not feeling it. Mock exam for student went well though. Home an hour early, collected mum and went for coffee before her eye appointment. Dinner, TV and early night.


51  Tuesday Into work for an hour, then home to collect mum and take her home. On my way back I called in to see grandchild then caught up with an old friend and neighbour. home at 6pm, evening spent on the sofa watching TV.


52  Wednesday Full day in work, head down and just got on with things. Popped into town to post son's Easter and Birthday gifts to Australia, had a coffee, bought a couple of books. Had dinner then a long soak in the bath, TV, blogging and some reading.


53  Thursday Absolutely soaked this morning getting into work then collecting a student from home followed by taking another student to the art block on the other site before invigilating a 3 hour ethics exam. As I worked through break and lunch, Peter collected me 40 minutes early and we went for coffee and got soaked again. home to watch TV, blog, read and an early night.


54  Friday Work is really getting me down at the moment, but I work with an amazing bunch of people who keep me sane, so I'm sticking with it. My student sits their A levels this summer and my contract ends, I've been told there is a job for me in September, but I'd like an idea of what it's going to be. I've a feeling I won't get told until the first day back of the new school year. Home before 4pm, watched TV, had dinner, read, blogged, bath and an early night.


55  Saturday Off to Gloucester to visit child 1, they've not been very well and need some tests, but due to their complex disabilities they need sedating for procedures and the hospital staff just don't get how they can't be 'calmed' without medication, so two days in the week, the procedures were cancelled and new plans made, it's ridiculous. Anyway, out for lunch, ordered mums new washing machine and did a food shop. Home by 4pm to just chill.


56  Sunday The had a lie in and most of the day was spent binge watching Madam Blanc. We walked down to the retail park for a coffee and separated halfway home as I wanted to pop into the charity shops and take a photo on the common. Peter cooked a late lunch/early dinner. I decorated a small Christmas tree with Easter eggs and decorated the fire place. We made video calls with the grandchildren, I blogged and had an early night.


Books read this week: Ken Kesey - One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest

                                     Robert Swindells - Stone Cold

Words written towards book: 1280

Clothes bought: Chinos £25 M&S, White Stuff trousers (charity shop) £7, Jumper Quba & Co (charity shop) £7

On the blog this week: January 2024 - Days out in my Van 


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Friday, 23 February 2024

23rd - 25th February 2024 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.

We've been booking a couple of trips in the Bobster (camper van) at the moment we are using Travelodge's at around £30 a night, it's too cold to camp in the van and campsites are around the same price so it's a no brainer really. The van is great for having breakfast and lunch in while we're on the road and sheltering in from the rain. However last weekend we were able to enjoy it fully, pop the roof and spent the day parked up in South Wales next to the beach where we based ourselves for a coastal walk, lunch, brewed a mug of tea or two and just chilled out, read and watched the sea after exploring the rock pools.



We'd also appreciate your help spreading the #PoCoLo word on Twitter, tag us and we'll RT. You can find us on twitter here: Stephanie - @BosworthLife and Suzanne - @ChickenRuby 

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




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


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Sunday, 18 February 2024

2024 Week 7 One Daily Positive Project 365 A Selfie a day

February

43 Monday We spent the day on the beach. popped the roof on the Bobster after a 2 hour walk along the cliffs and had tea and made lunch, read and chilled out. Peter had a best interest meeting over the phone with child 1's care home and the GP surgery to arrange a procedure and I explored the rock pools. In the afternoon we visited McArthur Glen, had dinner then back to the hotel in Barry. 


44 Tuesday After a lie in we drove home via Trago Mills, then onto Monmouth and through the Forest of Dean to see our grandchild, then up through Gloucester to avoid all the road closures due to land slides (Monmouth to Ross) and flooding (Maisemore and Upton upon Severn) We got home at 7pm, unpacked, had dinner, bath and bed.


45 Wednesday Took the van for a MOT and we walked to the retail park for a coffee while we waited. Home via Lidl for a food shop, then I popped to work to do some printing and take down the Valentine day decorations I forgot at the end of term. Popped into see a friend in a shop where she works. Home to spend the rest of the day sorting and tidying and getting on top of stuff I've been meaning to do around the house for a while.


46 Thursday So much done today. We had coffee in town, Peter walked home and I had my hair cut, then walked round the shops. home to sort a pile of paperwork, tidy the desk, have a little bonfire with old paperwork and gave the downstairs a hoover. Afternoon spent in front of the TV, evening spent blogging and a video call with a friend.


47  Friday Caught the train to Birmingham for the day. Did some shopping and had dinner out. Home to sort out photos on laptop and do back ups which took most of the evening. I also topped up the blue underneath my hair and dropped the hair dye pot. I didn't notice the dye on my dark slippers that I walked all over the carpet and sat crossed legged on the bed. All cleaned up now and bedding changed.

I didn't notice we were twinning until we took our coats off in the restaurant. 


48  Saturday Washing machine and dryer on ALL day. We popped out for coffee and a food shop. I spent the rest of the day dealing with washing, making courgette soup and the twice yearly password changes as well us updating photo albums and blogging. In the evening I went out with colleagues for dinner and drinks in town.


49  Sunday Peter not well so he stayed at home while I collected child 1 in Gloucester then picked mum up from the bus and headed to Asda, then off to Starbucks and wandered round B&M and The Range, took child 1back to her house then mum back to ours around 3pm. I cooked a roast dinner, laminated some stuff for work, altered a pair of trousers for a colleague and caught up with some blogging and watching TV.


Books read this week: The Girl with all the gifts - M. R. Carey

Words written towards book: 1534

Clothes bought: Socks £8.99 

On the blog this week: A selfie a day for a year 


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Friday, 16 February 2024

16th - 18th February 2024 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.

I'm aware I owe quite a few comments and I'll be catching up with this later on today and over the weekend. We were away in South Wales for the first part of the half term holidays and I've been struggling with a migraine so screen time hasn't been working too well for me. 

I've had plenty of rest this week, got my nails done, lime green, had my hair cut and we're off to Birmingham today to so some shopping, not sure yet what I'm going to buy, got a couple of gifts on my list and hoping for a few 'just because' items.

What have you been up to this week?

We'd also appreciate your help spreading the #PoCoLo word on Twitter, tag us and we'll RT. You can find us on twitter here: Stephanie - @BosworthLife and Suzanne - @ChickenRuby 

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




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Sunday, 11 February 2024

2024 Week 6 One Daily Positive Project365 A Selfie a day

February

36  Monday My student had their RPE A level mock exam today, 3 hours plus breaks. By the time we'd printed papers, submitted them and taken her to meet mum, I'd missed break and lunch, so after settling another student into their first history lesson for almost a year, I left 40 mins early and walked home via the post office to post grandson and great niece's valentines gifts. I'm on day 4 of migraine meds. Evening spent pottering, some research, watching TV, a bath and early night.

Off to work


37  Tuesday Car to work, collected student from home, no exams, joined in with a woodwork class and made sure I had my breaks and lunch. Left work an hour early and home via the supermarket and a coffee, then sorted out grandchild's and child 1's valentines gift. Evening spent reading the Sunday papers and making valentines decorations. Video calls with grandchildren.



38  Wednesday Last exam this week, English Metaphysical poetry, I've really enjoyed this. Colleague came back to help me make some cakes for the learning base and I cooked dinner for us.

Migraine


39  Thursday I took the day off sick. The migraine I've had on and off since last Thursday just isn't shifting. Morning spent in bed, afternoon spent on sofa catching up with 3 weeks worth of Neighbours. Evening spent in bed watching soaps and blogging and reading.

Reminding my husband why I'm such a catch.


40  Friday Back to work, head still not right, but being at home or at work is making no difference, just got to ride it out. Mate came round in the evening for dinner and drinks. 


41  Saturday Had my nails done and did a bit of shopping, then Peter met me for coffee. The afternoon spent reading and pottering around the house and packing for our trip away. Still struggling with the migraine.

We delayed grandchild from playing in their mud pit.


42  Sunday A lie in then car packed and off to Barry Island. We arrived at the Island around midday, had coffee and cake, then walked around the coastal path, played the 2p slots and bought some tack. Had a Sunday roast at the Toby Cavery. It was sunny but very windy out.


Books read this week:                                                                                                                                  The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman.                                                                                Metaphysical Poetry - Forward by Colin Burrow.

Words written towards book: 961

Clothes bought: 0

On the blog this week: What I do to relax

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Friday, 9 February 2024

9th - 11th February 2024 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.

I've been rather stressed since November due to health problems, in fact I've been rather stressed for a good few years, so I've been focusing on trying to switch off a bit more and relax. It's easier said than done. It's not just about doing something nice, it's about switching my brain off, which I'm finding hard to do, so I welcome any ideas you have to offer.

Hopefully as the weather gets warmer we can spend more time in the van, we've got a few trips booked which I'm very much looking forward to.


We'd also appreciate your help spreading the #PoCoLo word on Twitter, tag us and we'll RT. You can find us on twitter here: Stephanie - @BosworthLife and Suzanne - @ChickenRuby 

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




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Monday, 5 February 2024

What I do to relax.

We go out in the van on the weekends.

I love going for long walks on my own, just ambling, to and from work, different routes.

Getting my nails done, a gossip and a coffee.

Popping bubbles on my phone.

Reading.

Long bubble baths.

Lounging around in my pyjamas.

Making things.


Writing letters and short stories for the grandchildren.

Watching Quiz shows on TV.

What do you do to relax?
 

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