My Week

Getting on the garden. We’ve got a lot to do in the garden at the moment. Since we moved in, four years ago, I’ve tinkered around with growing annuals and things in pots, but we’ve not really made any substantial changes. Lots of the shrubs have become very overgrown and not particularly healthy as we haven’t kept on top of the pruning, plus the ancient shed at the bottom of the garden is slowing sinking into the ground. A lot of the fencing is also on its last legs. This year we would really like to replace the broken bits of fence and create a new vegetable plot towards the end of the garden. The garden became a bit of a dumping ground over the Winter – we are gradually trying to clear this, although we will probably need a skip.

Anyway, last weekend we made a start on improving things – we’ve sown our special wild flower and grass seeds in a shaded area of the garden and I’ve planted some Cosmos seeds – always a favourite, and they do really well in our garden most years.

A few antiques. On Wednesday Tom skipped pre-school and we went over to view a local auction, in Willingham, with my parents. I fell in love with a Georgian bureau and Tom was very taken with some old rocking horses. I may put a bid on something this Saturday – I’ll keep you posted. Probably not a rocking horse though – who actually has room in their house for one of those?

Swimming. This week I’ve been swimming properly (not just splashing in the baby pool) for the first time in years. I need to find some more back-friendly exercise and I’m hoping this is it! I don’t have a great technique and can only do quite a weedy breaststroke. As it was 9am, the more aggressive, fast swimmers were long gone, and I was able to relax into it and go at my own pace without feeling intimidated.  I’ve always felt a bit ashamed not to be a quicker/stronger swimmer – but that’s silly really and I have every right to be there!

What I’ve been wearing. Ok, I caved in and ordered some dungarees.  Predictably they caused much amusement to the boys. I’ve also loved how warm it’s been at times. I’ve even gone without socks for the first time this year – although I did get rewarded with a huge blister and got my toes squashed by a small child’s scooter! On Friday I had a couple of inches lopped off my hair too – which feels really nice and Spring-like.

What I’ve made. This week all the beautiful pink blossom everywhere inspired me to get my watercolours out for a quick painting.

What I’ve been watching. I am quite ashamed by how addicted I am to Outlander (on Amazon Prime). I read about in Grazia, or somewhere, and thought I’d give it a go as I hardly seem to get my money’s worth out of the Amazon subscription these days. Little did I know how hooked I’d become! It’s like the Sharpe TV series crossed with Walter Scott, with a bit of Pillars of the Earth thrown in for good measure. Basically, it’s about an English nurse being transported from 1945 to eighteenth century Jacobite Scotland. Of course, it’s total tosh –  but we all need a bit of that sometimes.

Lizzie x