Growing

 I love this author, so I expected a good plot, I did not want to put it down, your worse nightmare is happening and your only child is involved, you find another parent who is in the same position, work together, it's dangerous. Book 23 read this year.

Another new author, and a different plot, most of the narrative was in her own head, to the point where you start to think is she just paranoid, no true facts, just thoughts, it's a very clever modern tale. Book 24 read this year.

I stitch most evenings, there is very little to watch on TV, this is growing and looking good, although it's a full design it will only make up part of my piece. It's very satisfying to make, for now just using 4 colours, with the addition of white soon. 

It's a disappointing year for Amaryllis here, the expensive bulb my daughter gave me for Christmas has lovely leaves but no flower stalk,  the cheap reduced bulb infront has grow a stalk, but as yet it shows no sign of opening, they are in the same spot as previous years, just not thriving.

Tuesday I did housework for most of the day, I was in the mood to clean, so I got the whole house done, hubby was out so I was undisturbed, cleaning windows in sunshine is bliss, it's the sort of task you can be so pleased with once finished. I can now be outside without any guilty feelings, no that I feel guilty being in the garden.

Molly and daughter visited on Wednesday morning, they did not stay long, George's school called he was unwell, we did Will's school run at 3.20pm after a quick visit to our favourite garden centre, back home for an evening together. 

I have a propagator in my spare room, I have set Alicante tomato and mini cucumber seeds, I also got a pack of mixed mini tomatoes and sliced three and planted in hope I get some different plants, seeds are so expensive, so I am trying the sliced method. My potatoes are starting to chit, so I've started my growing season. I'm not using my greenhouse yet as overnight temperatures are still low, we have had a frost every morning.

Sunny outside

Sunny days mean just one thing, garden, I've been outside everyday, just a couple of hours, because it's still cold, the sunshine and blue skies only give you so much. Most of my time has been in the back section of the garden, my working area, I've moved pots and made some space. Hubby made this small raised bed, it's covered for now, I will put sweet peas in there, in hope they grow up the fence and give me loads of blooms, the bottom has wire on but sits on soil, so plenty of room for roots. My two hosta pots sit here until they start to grow.

Hubby pinned the huge bug house onto the garage wall, it does not get so much sun, but it is sheltered from most of the rain. There is still space infront to put both my potato bags, as you are aware I try and use every bit of space I can find. This part of the wall has loads of bug and bird houses. I have my huge pot with tulips growing here as well, I will move it soon, afterwards I grow tomatoes in it.

My pond has done well through the cooler months, sadly no frogs, I hope to get local frog spawn, the smaller round pond was adding nothing to this area, I constantly have to top it up, so I decided to remove it, the container is always useful so it's back in the garage.

I decided to move one of my grasses, there is loads of room for it to grow here at the back, I did purchase a few pots of daffodils, I did not want to dig any out elsewhere. I moved a primrose into the hole from the moved grass, so a cheap and easy revamp.

I'm keeping on top of weeding, which has never been much of an issue here, this spring I am getting more weeds, mainly in the flower beds, I think brought in with the plants I purchased last year. I have tidied my greenhouse, cleared space for seed trays, I don't have many seeds, mainly veg, I tend to purchase small plug bedding plants and grow on.

I am feeling so much better, the sunshine and working outside always helps, we have had too many grey days, stuck inside feeling blue. I hardly ever want to go out on dull days and almost never on cold wet days. I have no big plans outside, which is a new feeling for me, having wanted more for years, our garden is truly full.

We have more rat holes coming from next door, one was big enough (or maybe a fox digging) to worry about Lilly escaping, hubby dug out a deep trough along our fence and poured in concrete, not ideal but hopefully it will stop them, we have sorted so many holes, there aren't many places they can get through.

Marching on

 I'm very pleased with this design, it's growing and looking good, all the unpicking is done. Having not stitched for a while I now have a sore finger, a couple days break will give me time to heal. 

Another new author to me and a very good plot, the story throws you around, so many moments which leave you wondering what is going on. I enjoyed every word, it was very clever. Book 22 read this year.

Lilly is now coming out into the garden with us, she started scratching at the patio doors, she is scared of so much, for now we leave the kitchen door open, she can bolt back inside when she needs to, she is much braver inside looking out than outside.

The heavy rain on Wednesday kept us out of the garden, we sat and watched the birds hopping around after bugs and worms, Lilly sits and watches the garden for hours. Now back to sunny, cold blue skies, it does make me much happier, it feels like spring, but it not, March can be a terrible month for weather, a nice start to the month can often bring back cold weather at the end, as the saying goes, 'in like a lamb, out like a lion'.

Molly came to play on Friday, mum spent hours in garage having her windscreen replacement fitted, she was so good, we went to our local bistro for a drink and cake. Later she played in the garden with Lilly, they both happily ran around together. 

I am concerned for our world, the idiot in the white house is out of control, you can't run a country like a business or a playground party, bullies do stick together, make their own narrative, it's going to be a scary world for the next four years. Politics and religion are not my normal subjects here, I do feel for the good people of USA, we do understand he is not serving in your name.

February round-up

 I purchased some new linen for my cross stitch, I do have loads, sadly none are white, I spend most of my time reading, garden spend not too bad, nothing on clothes or footwear. 

I have read 10 books this month

We needed nothing for the house, car had it's MOT, it passed no issues, just the cost of two new tyres. We looked at our finances this month, with so many prices rising, we wanted to ensure we were on a good path, firstly because hubby changed broadband, our mobile phones and joined a price held gas and electric contact, our bills have not gone up as high as we feared, we are saving money on the mentioned contracts, it really does pay to change suppliers often. We did have an extra expensive, daughters windscreen on her car has a huge crack, which is not covered by her insurance policy, to replace would take a huge chunk her savings, so we paid half. 

No waste food at all, my focus on food is now what is in the little processed food we purchase, looking at labels and trying to avoid all the different oils and sugars/sweeteners added to prolong shelf life or to make ingredients cheaper. Swapping to better choices, I have never drunk fizzy drinks, I dislike any type of cola and eat very few snack bits, so a huge chunk of the market we already ignore.

The couple of pounds put on in December are lingering, I am trying to be good and a few pounds. I am becoming more active again, and trying to cut back on chocolate, which is always my downfall.