My Garden in October 2025

There's been a lot of manual labour in the garden in October.

A lot of moving pots around.

A lot of preparing for winter.

I thought about doing some winter planting but decided against it.

This side of the house has been a dumping ground for the past 3 years. It can be accessed via a gate from the front where I can get my bike out, but I haven't ridden it for about 2 years. I emptied it all out, made a pile for the tip, kept the wood I have a few projects lined up for that I haven't yet told Peter about and apart from the grandchildren's bike I now have a walkway are of trip hazards and we can fully access the garden tools, the lawn mower and pressure washer and the fleeces I'll be needing soon for the more delicate plants in the garden.

The garden cushions, grandchildren's toys, my inline skates and a mamod train in the boxes. The grey slabs (front left) are the base for the sun umbrella.

I had a bit of an accident when moving some bricks and the wheelbarrow fell on me and I've a big gash on the back of my ankle, it took me out for a while.

But I completed the job and just have a skip run to do before it rains.

I've made small piles of bricks here temporarily. We've got more behind the shed and we'll be using them to make our new path where these hedges are and digging up the paving slabs to use to make the patio one slab wider so we have space to put the sun umbrella up.

I was getting irritated by how messy it was getting under the covered area and I couldn't access things properly. it looks so much better now the cushion box has a new home. I'll be able to start planning the spring planting now I can access everything.

I've got a couple of projects lined up for the pallets, there was no room down the side the of the house so they have to live here under the cover for now.

They can't been seen from where I sit and I now have room for the coat stand and boot rack.

The Patio and garden furniture was jet washed.

The cloche frame has been built and plants selected that will be going under cover when the time comes. We still get some sun here in the winter, which will help with the frosts.

One bed has been weeded and covered with a poly tunnel to see if the Thai Basil and parsley will survive the winter. Some of it has been potted up to go indoors as well.

The other bed still has tomatoes. Once they have ripened, I'll be digging this bed over and preparing it for spring planting.

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My friend bought us this beautiful rose on the first anniversary's of our daughter's death. As our garden is in containers, it meant this rose needed repotting as soon as possible and over wintering in the greenhouse.

I prepped the greenhouse with a raised wooded floor and lined it with a fleece.

Sun reaches this part of the garden all year round

The last job to do other than putting on the fleeces and the cloche was to repot my bay tree cuttings. Pots were around £3 so I bought these buckets at £1 each from B&Q and Peter drilled drainage holes in the bottom. We're going to use them for the hedge in the front garden along with a few other plants such as a hydrangea, as our box plants aren't doing so well (box blight) and it'll be nice to have a bit of colour in the front, rather than a solid wall of hedge, plus as we live near a school we need to be able to see up and down the road clearly before leaving our drive as sadly many parents let their children just run ahead despite knowing there are driveways. 

 

Week 46 2025 - Project 365 and One Daily Positive

I've not been in a good place at the start of the week and it took until Tuesday evening to work out the triggers. I've been catastrophising  again. I'm going to die, the car will crash on the wet roads, in the dark on my way home from work. I'll be hit by a lorry. If I make it home I'll find Peter dead. This is all part of the PTSD. I just couldn't work out why it was back and had me stressing out. I've not been sleeping, eating properly and my brain has been firing at a million miles an hour. Then after events in work on Tuesday and Peter flying out to Turkey and me coming home to an empty house and getting the Christmas decorations out the loft, it hit me. It's a repeat of a year ago. A year since Stephanie died and we're doing the same things, almost at the same time. The only difference being I wasn't in work this time last year. My new job is very stressful, I've already taken a sabbatical. I'm not well, the flu?

The cat has been ever so needy this week. She's used to Peter being home in the day and letting her in and out on demand. with me being in work she's not had that luxury and has obviously been lonely and has been following me around and demanding I let her out one door, then asking to come straight back in through another door.

Sunday

Day 312 We went out for coffee and Peter drove home via the supermarket and I walked back. I got home before him so sat reading in the garden. The tent had finally dried so it was rolled up and packed away in the lounge, the I tidied up the under cover area, swept it and it's now winter ready for me to enjoy. I cooked a roast which we ate around 3pm, we watched some football. I had an early bath and read. I was in bed and asleep by 8.30pm.

Monday

Day 313 I woke at 4am. I think I could've slept longer, but my brain was far more awake and raring to go. Peter had done all the ironing over the weekend, so I sorted through that and paired socks, did some blogging, tidied my work bag up, sent some emails and prepared a parcel for posting. Then off to work for the day. A staff meeting till 5pm then home. Peter persuaded me to do my run even though I wasn't feeling it and I was stressing out as I'd not remembered the meeting. I was feeling sick, had a knot in my stomach, was anxious, panicking that I messed up the whole evening, was in tears by the time I got home. I ran 3.5km and Peter collected me as I ran to the shops to pick up a few things he needs for his trip tomorrow. I felt so much better doing the run, sticking to my plan/routine, talking it through, explaining how I'd felt and getting the support I needed. We had yesterday's left overs for dinner, watched TV, had a bath and bed.

Tuesday 

Day 314 I didn't sleep at all. A sad day in work. A colleagues father died suddenly. My line manager gave me the heads up that I might like to avoid the staff room at break time with all the speculation as it was all over the news. I was really emotional due to her kindness thinking that it might be a trigger for me. Peter off to Turkey for two weeks to stay with his friend and family. After work I went to the post office. 2nd parcel to be returned after post office staff convinced me the other options (Evri and DPD) were just as good and would save me money (£2.70) Evri parcel already cost me another £3.99 to send the normal way. I couldn't get a new pre paid prescription online and over the phone the online payment wouldn't accept my Santander bank card. When I got home I discovered I'd only been given 2 weeks worth of medication instead of a month. Put both vehicles on charge, washing and drying on. Took the camping gear and fans up to the first floor and brought the Christmas decorations downstairs. Made dinner, my lunch for tomorrow, watched Eastenders, had a bath and was in bed by 10pm.

Wednesday

Day 315 Didn't sleep very well, frantic till midnight that I'd plugged the vehicles in wrong and they'd catch fire, up and down to the window. Up at 5am and put some practice GCSE maths and English papers together to print at work. Into work, covering all years in Science, it was a full on and stressful day. Out for my run after work, coffee on my own and a walk home. The run didn't go well, too cold and wet, so I made an enquiry about going the gym. Home to sort the washing, have dinner, watch TV and had a bath. Did my mums food shop online. Sorted through some paperwork, I tried making a complaint re my parcel with DPD and I tidied the dining room before going to bed at 10pm.

Thursday

Day 316 Took the van off charge and put the cables away. Home from work after a day covering in English and dialled into an online training session while I had an early dinner then off to the Doctors for my B12 jab. Called into the gym to set up my new membership and book an orientation session for Monday. Had a coffee, blogged and read and did some food shopping. Couldn't get through to DPD on the phone, so made a complaint to the Post Office who sold me the service (I'm not hopeful) Can't set up the new OVO app as Peter can't receive texts and it's linked to his number so I have to manually charge the car. Home to do some tidying in the loft and sort through some English GCSE revision papers and list some clothing on Vinted. Had a bath, watched some TV and bed by 10pm.

Friday

Day 317 It’s not particularly heavy but it’s persistent and been non stop raining for 24hrs with so much surface water. The drive to work was tricky, getting home was treacherous. A whole day of covering PSHE and PE lessons. Evening spent uploading more clothes onto Vinted, watching TV, packing for tomorrow, early dinner and bath, a nap, too many biscuits and just chilling out.

Saturday

Day 318 Plans for parkrun and pre Christmas walk in the Cotswolds with my friend Chrissie cancelled after all the rain and road closures. So I had a lie in and drove down the M5 to Gloucester to spend some time metaphysical time with Stephanie for a coffee and some shopping. It was very upsetting, but something I needed to do. I checked the roads and decided to drive on down to the Forest of Dean to visit mum and the grandchildren for a couple of hours, getting home around 6pm.

Things to make you smile:

I can't tell you half the stuff that goes on in work, but lets just say that on the 3rd call out in one lesson, I asked the Head to just take the whole back row and reroute them to save him coming back again, which he did willingly.

Things that made me happy:

Getting through a coffee and a shop without Stephanie, although there were tears and I found it hard, it was comforting to be able relive some happy memories. An unexpected call from child 4 to say him and the family are visiting in December and having some spare time for a visit with child 2 and his family.

On the blog this week:

Post comment Love - Link up with any post this week.

Word of the Week - Things 

My first parkrun 

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14th -16th November 2025 - 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'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. 

Peter is in Turkey for two weeks and my plan had been to sort lots of things that I'd been meaning to do for a long time, but instead I've just about mustered up the energy to the do the things that need doing on a daily and weekly basis as I've been under the weather with a heavy cold and a cough. Work has stretched me to my limits and mentally I've not been in a good place, but the Christmas decorations are down, the camping gear is up and I've got a clear space to work in to do all the other jobs and just over a week left to get everything else on my 'to do' list done.

Camping gear in the spare bedroom.

I've not got some space in the loft to start clearing this out, before I put the camping gear back up.

The christmas decorations aren't in the way and don't need to be up until the first week of December when child 4 and family are visiting from Northern Ireland, a surprise and unexpected announcement made earlier this week. That means it'll be the first time we've had all 4 of our grandchildren together since the last one was born in April this year. All 4 grandchildren have met back in the summer when child 2 and his family travelled over. I can't tell just how excited I am to be able to see them all at the same time.

Christmas decorations in the lounge behind the sofa.

My parkrun last week was a huge success. I'm taking part in another one tomorrow in Swindon with a friend and I've joined the gym so I can train indoors during the winter months.

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Word of the week - Things

There are always so many things to do, things to think about and things to consider. Things that get done automatically, things that get done last minute, things that get put off and put to the bottom of the list and things that get forgotten accidentally and sometimes on purpose.

People tell me I'm so good at remembering things, getting things done and I'm good at working things out. They also seem to think I enjoy doing things.

To be good at remembering things, you've got to want to do things...I write things down. I write lists, I have a birthday list. I write a journal, I have a yearly calendar to look at. I write and address and stamp cards at the beginning of each month and they sit in the hall with the date written in the corner so I remember to post them. I carry gifts in a bag in the car so I can drop them off as I'm out and about.

I've bought all the Christmas presents and cards for family and friends abroad and have written all the letters and posted them for Australia, America, Canada, Germany and South Africa to make sure it all has a chance of getting there in time. 

But I also have lots of other things that have to be done daily, weekly, monthly or just as a one off.

Things I've been putting off:

Anything to do with the loft. The stairs are narrow and slippery and it's hard work getting up and down them if you're carrying things. So bare foot is the only way to go and I'll have to clear everything off the stairs first. As the camping gear needed to go up and the Christmas decorations had to come down. I decided to focus on putting things away that were accumulating at the bottom of the stairs and take the time to sort the rooms once I took the Christmas decorations down so I had space to tidy things before taking the camping gear back up.

I re hung a photo that fell off ages ago and has just been sitting on the stairs.

There are always things sitting around the house waiting to be done, but not getting in the way. This mirror needs to go back on the wall in the downstairs loo and the bag is for the car. It's got my walking boots in it and two books to give to a friend.

There is always cat hair to be brushed off blankets and sofas.

There is always washing up to be done and the dishwasher to be emptied. You can add washing and ironing to the list of things to do also.

There is alwasy recycling to be put out, but as we store it in the house, in a cupboard, it often becomes a mammoth job as it overfills.

We're always on the look out for a permeant storage solution for our things.

Then there are the things that no one can be bothered to do, or don't really matter. Like fixing this blue cable for the outside camera so it's out of sight. it's been like this for two years.

Finding a home for the bag of compost. It'll take me two minutes to put it in the bottom of the cold frame.

There have been lots of other things I found to do this week. My desk was finally tidied and paperwork filed away. When we rearranged the lounge the other week after the flood we ended up with a spare unit that I've now found a home and a use for in the back room. 

When my head is full of things to do, I don't relax or switch off fully. I've given myself a couple of hours every week after work, my run and dinner to get these things done before sitting down to watch TV and into bed by 10pm. I've also made time to read and whilst I still have the Christmas decorations to put up and the boxes to put away. I've got an awful lot of things done that were bugging me and next week I have space and time to do some more of the things I enjoy.

From 15 cigarettes a day to 5k and my first parkrun

My couch to 5k training and a parkrun in 4 weeks.

So I decided I needed something to do for myself. Our daughter died in October 2024 from an ischemic bowel. She was disabled and the one thing she could do with total independence was to walk. She never complained because she couldn't verbalise or express herself and she has been my motivation to keep going when I hit a brick wall. 

I love walking and I completed the Ultimate 50 Challenge in the Chilterns in September, raising £850 and awareness for Bowel Research UK in memory of Stephanie. What I didn't consider when I signed up were the words 'Ultimate' and 'Challenge' and what they actually meant and I walked 25km/15 miles in 5 and a half hours with an elevation gain of 486ms. 

I decided to challenge myself further and to take up running and I started the couch to 5k on World Mental Health Day October 10th giving myself just 4 weeks to complete the 9 week program and be ready for my first 5k, a park run by November 8th.

I've not run since I was in school (1986) and I won the victrix ludorum where I competed in the 1500m and 800m in year 4 (now year 10) I ran in flip flops over the dunes in Durban in 2012 chasing the dog who was chasing a monkey, but I was over taken very quickly by the 13 year old who caught up with the dog, before I was half was up the first sand dune and more recently I ran for a train that had already left the station before I started running for it.

I committed to the parkrun with a friend before I started training, she is a volunteer and I knew once I told her I was going to do it, she wouldn't let me back out.

I know there are many of you who have been doing this for a long time, running marathons and thinking 'so what?' just remember, you started somewhere and I'm just sharing my journey.

I'm 54, I smoke 15 cigarettes a day and previous to starting this, I couldn't cough, sneeze or laugh without the risk of wetting myself, I've got a dodgy achilles, bad posture, nerve damage in my neck, suffer with chronic migraines and have a B12 and Vitamin D deficiency. Diagnosed with PTSD, grieving and mental health not good.

Each session is for 30 minutes and I each time I've been walking/running my distance has increased the time spent running.

Week 1 - 10th October 

• Walk 5 mins 
• Run 60 secs was so out of breath it hurt
• Walk 90 secs struggled to get my breathing back
• Repeat x 7
• Walk 5 mins

I need to buy a sports bra. The only part of me that hurts is across my shoulder blades which is apparently due to poor posture.

I also injured myself moving bricks around the garden when the wheelbarrow fell on me taking a chunk out of my right ankle.

Week Two - 17th October 

A 6 mile walk up the Malvern Hills with an incline of just over 1000ft in the first 45 minutes 

• Walk 5 mins
• Run 90 Seconds
• Walk 2 mins
• Repeat 6 times
• Walk 5 mins

I didn't quite get my timings/distance right and had an extra walk home

Wore leggings (I can understand now why women wear their active wear all day even for shopping, so comfy) I'd bought them when I worked with the European Golf and was 10kg heavier, spent the whole run/walk hoiking them up.

Ran to 'Eye of the Tiger' in my mind Sly and the cast were running behind me cheering me on, but at my speed, it was the cast at the age they are now.

• 45 mins swimming.

• Walk 5 mins
• Run 90 Seconds
• Walk 90 secs
• Run 3 mins
• Walk 3 mins
• Run 3 mins
• Walk 3 mins
• Run 90 sec
• Walk 90 secs
• Walk 5 mins

Felt like day 1, out of breath, gasping to get breath back. Resisited the urge not to 'Walk like an Egyptian'

Now running as far as I'm walking each time, but my running speed is the same as my walking speed currently.

Week 3 24th October

• Walk 5 mins
• run 5 mins
• walk 3 mins
• run 5 mins
• walk 3 mins
• run 5 mins
• walk 5 mins

I just couldn't run the 3rd full 5 minutes. I'm now running/walking in a straight line to the retail park where Peter is joining me for a coffee at the end of the session. However it has meant I haven't been doing the stretching exercises until I've got home about an hour later.

I bought a new sports bra. I took advice from an 80 year old on a sports bra in M&S she told me which had the best hold. I asked if ran much and she said no but any sudden movements and she could knock a small child over within 5ft if her boobs weren’t supported.

I repeated the run again on the Sunday and managed the third 5 minute run.

 

The runs are now getting longer and surprisingly I'm finding it getting easier and feeling so much more relaxed.

• walk 5 mins
• run 8 mins
• walk 5 mins
• run 8 mins
• walk 5 mins

• walk 5 mins
• run 20 mins
• walk 5 mins

I was absolutely shattered after the two 8 minute runs, so when faced with the 20 minute run I wasn't convinced I'd manage it. Not only did I manage the 20 minute run, but I also ran for 10 minutes then turned round and got back to my starting point in the 2nd 10 minutes. I felt really good after the run, not tired or out of breath. My pace hasn't improved even though I ran for 20 minutes and walked for 10, compared to when I started in week 1 when I was only running for 8 minutes during the 30 minute session.

Week 4 - 31st October

This week is a mixture of the above with a couple of 10 minute runs with 3 minute walks in between as well as longer runs of 20 and 25 minutes. I've run on Saturday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

I had a bad run this week with a 5 minute warm up walk and a 12 minute run which was mostly uphill which I abandoned after getting out of breath so I returned to walking.

Week 5 - 8th November

Still on week 4 I did my longest run of distance and time on Thursday morning. 3.5k and 25mins of running. All on the flat and all on pavements. I've yet to test myself on grass/mud.

Friday night I drove to Monmouth after work to stay at my friends who has supported me via messaging and calls and love and laughter to get this far so I thought my first parkrun should be where she volunteers at. The parkrun on Saturday went really well. I managed to run the whole distance. I was really pleased with myself and proud of my achievement.

I really enjoyed the parkrun experience. I was apprehensive that I wouldn't as although I'm happy to mix and talk to other people, I don't really like joining in with things I've never done before. That's why I've enjoyed the couch to 5k. I hate the idea of having to drive somewhere, stress over parking, be somewhere at a set time, then worry I won't be able to grasp what I'm supposed to be doing or there are cliquey groups and I find myself alone not knowing what's going on. But my experience at parkrun couldn't have been different, although I was early and I hated the hanging around part.

The briefing was really good and instructions clear. I was introduced as a first timer and throughout the run not only did Kath, cheer me on, but there were volunteers on check points to keep us on route who were clapping, thumbs up and yelling words of encouragement. When I was lapped the other runners were great, with 'you've got this, you can do it' and several people stopped to chat to me afterwards, many who had come on their own, to say I'd done really well and for once I accepted the praise and said 'thank you'

My recovery went well also, with a walk around the town and a coffee to warm down, then I broke my 90 minute drive home up with visiting a couple of friends who have also started running recently for health benefits and home to a hot bath and an early night.

The following day was a rest day, but I did walk 1.5 miles home from the shops as advised online and I'm off for my next run on Monday as I start training for a 10k and another parkrun in Swindon next weekend.

Week 45 2025 - One Daily Positive and Project 365 - My first parkrun

It was strange going on Safari in the UK, especially an African one. I opted not to do the drive round West Midland Safari park as I find Safari drives frustrating with tourists not understanding the protocols of where to stop and not blocking the road for other drivers, plus I've seen all these animals in the wild and it does sadden me to see animals in captivity, even when they are there for breeding programmes to prevent extinction and for conservation projects. Also it takes around 90 minutes and kids get bored quickly in the car. In fact my 6 year old granddaughter got bored of the animals the second she realised there was a theme park and rides to go on, although she did enjoy the dinosaur experience. Typical.

Sunday 

Day 305 A day out with granddaughter to West Midland Safari Park. We went on all the rides, had a picnic and ice cream, walked round all the animal enclosures and completed all the tasks. While Peter took her home after a McDonald’s tea, I tidied up Halloween and got ready for my return to work in the morning. 

Monday 

Day 306 First day back in work after a month’s sabbatical. It wasn’t the right time to start a new job with the first anniversary of Stephanie’s death last month. I was really anxious, but bit the bullet and when asked where I’d been just came out with it all, nice and calmly, well rehearsed, a few tears, but held myself together in the staff room with a bunch of strangers. Morning spent in the staff room putting together everything I need to start interventions then afternoon eased myself back into lessons. Home for a run, Peter met me at the retail park for a coffee. Cooked a surprise apple crumble after defrosting apple slices thinking I was having curry for dinner, then making beans and cheese on toast. Off for a bath, some tv and blogging for the evening.

Tuesday 

Day 307 A very long day getting into bed at midnight after a full day in work then the train to Birmingham and 2 hours sitting in the cold and rain watching #bcfc thrash Millwall 4-0

Wednesday

Day 308 After a late night I struggled to get up, but got to work on time. A very busy day teaching two science lessons year 7 & 8 and 2 medical emergencies to deal with on top of mentoring and organising tutoring. Home and straight out to a badly planned route for a run into town that was mainly uphill which I struggled with. Reset a parcel that Evri returned without attempting to deliver so another £4 spent and now 2 weeks late. Peter met me in town for a coffee. Home to get ready for Nephews wedding tomorrow, rearranged the lounge now the carpet and rug are dry after the flood last week and late to bed, but a lot achieved. Celebrated grandsons 4th birthday on a video call. 

Thursday 

Day 309 After a run and a shower, we drove to Usk to my nephews wedding. Finished reading my book on the journey. No photos. Bride walked down the aisle to ‘Highway to Hell’ fabulous day and we were home by 6pm. Watched the finale of Celebrity Traitors and in bed at 11pm. 

Friday

Day 310 Van packed and a full day in work with History and PSHE years 8, 10 & 11. Drove to Monmouth to my friends for the evening for a catch up. Slept in the van on her drive. 

Saturday 

Day 311 Van packed up, tea drank. Went on a walk while I waited for friend to get ready then off to my first ever parkrun. At the half way point, had to kick in mentally to get through psychologically, but I did it. Off for coffee and chill out, then drove home via a stop at my old neighbourhood to drop off new baby and birthday gifts.

Things to make you smile:

Dealing with secondary school kids doing the '6, 7' at me and me trying to keep a straight face. My response 'have you finished? now I'm paid till 3.15pm, you can either learn or eventually I'll just do a call out, your choice'' 

Things that made me happy:

A day out just me and my granddaughter. Going to the football. Our nephews wedding day. My first parkrun. 

On the blog this week:

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

Word of the week - Win

Days out in the campervan September and October 2025

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