Baby play days

We have Will over night, it's mummy and daddies 1st wedding anniversary on Monday, so tonight they are back at the hotel they got married in last year. 

 My Acer is happy in it's new pot. 

 Pink Magnolia flowers with the best blue skies

 Tomorrow we will fit my greenhouse window opener.

We popped to town early this morning, needed a few things in Wilkinson's grabbed a few bargains. I had my eye test as well, I was pleased to be told for the 3rd time (over 6 years), my eyes have not changed, I am off to look at 'SpeckyFourEyes' to get some bargains on new glasses.
We collected Will just before lunch, and have him until later morning tomorrow, it's our first time, I am staying over at his house tonight, it's much easier than bring everything he might require to ours. We had a lovely walk to the village, he is happy to be out watching the world go by. He slept whilst I did a bit of gardening and watered everywhere. I did not have much to do, I have potted on yellow tomato plants, a couple of cucumbers, and French Marigolds. I have sown more Gardeners Delight small vine tomatoes, my last lot did not grow. My potatoes in the raised bed in the greenhouse now have four plants, which was the number of seed potatoes I planted, we are looking forward to them. I have loads of seedling in my outside raised cut flower bed, I mixed all the seeds and scattered them across the bed, I think it will look better than having rows of different flowers.
I have ordered my staging for the greenhouse, it should arrive next week, in time for the Easter break, so I can sort the side of my greenhouse.
So everything is coming along well in our little world here in Hampshire.

Blue skies

A beautiful evening walk to Portchester Castle

 Along the coast opposite Portsmouth Harbour

 I love these grounds

 We were not alone, families and dog walkers

 A perfect way to start our evening

 Home, I do have a few flowers in the garden

 Seedlings

Tomato, cucumber and French Marigold

Lemon grass and corriander

 Last year I planted potatoes in my raised bed in the greenhouse for Christmas dinner, nothing came up and I was disappointed. But look here, there are tiny leaves near the bottom of the photo, two are now growing, so we will have new potatoes, just later than expected. 

 I have enjoyed reading this book loaned to me by a friend

 When I gave it back to her this morning, these were given to me to read. 

I am in my greenhouse each evening, my seeds are doing well, the second lots of French Marigolds are coming through. I have yellow tomatoes, the red tomato seeds have not come through, and my herbs are coming along, I have basil in a tub again. I have two lovely cucumber plants, I hope to have both growing this year. I have found homes for both my peonies, I will take them to work on Friday and pass them on.
Our garden is full of wildlife, loads of birds, I love the dawn chorus each morning, a perfect way to wake up. We have a young Robin, who's patch is the top of our garden just at the end of our decking, we spend evenings watching and chuckling at it.  We have seen a few huge bumble bee's, they are making the most of the early flowers.  Last night we had a fox on our back lawn, hubby did chase it away, they can cause damage. I have also seen signs of hedgehog activity, but as yet we have not seen the hedgehogs.
I have found time to read, but I have not done any stitching, by the time I sit down in the evenings, I want to relax, so my book calls me.
Just keeping everything crossed the weather stays and we can enjoy more outside time.

My perfect weekend

The sounds of summer, two wind chimes and this lovely gong

In a gentle breeze it's the sounds of summer

 Lovely flowers under my Christmas tree

 My Hellebore is happy at the end of the fruit garden in the shade of the tree 

 I planted this Bleeding heart last year

 English bluebells next to our new clematis. 

 Loads of flowers on this blueberry bush

Fridays I finish at 4pm, so I am home by 4.30, coffee and cake in the sunshine in the garden, we stayed outside until after 6pm, a perfect last day of March. I did a few tasks, hubby filled the bird feeders, so the starlings will be down for a good meal. Hubby also painted the garage door green to match the new to us garden gates, they are lighter than the old gates.
Saturday our boys from Somerset arrived with mummy and daddy, Logan is now 6 and Finn will be 3 later this year, we stayed outside all day, taking a walk to our local park, where the boys ran off some energy. Later Su and David came over with Will, so the cousins met for the 1st time, Logan loved Will and held him for ages, Finn was not so impressed, as the youngest he did not want another to take away his cute status. We had a wonderful family meal, loads of chatter and a bit of wine.
This morning after a later full english breakfast and a play in the garden, we all drove to see Su, David and baby Will, we had another couple of hours together, now the boys are on the long drive home.
Hubby and I are both tired, young boys keep us both on our feet, plus a really early call this morning. The house is quiet, looks as if a bomb has exploded, and we have loads of left overs to eat over the next few days.
Perfect weekends, nice weather, family and laughter, keeps us young.

March gone - here comes April

What a different a month can make to my stash spend.

 A couple of big purchases, potting bench and window opener for greenhouse and fabric for cross stitching, so now I've overspent by £5.67. Each thing was needed, and will be lovingly used. No requirements for any more big spends. 

Another month is done, and a quarter of 2017 has gone, how quick did that pass, and what have we done in the time.
At work we all spend our time wishing the day away and the week so we can have the two day weekend with our families. We are now entering into Summer time, which for a heating based company is our quiet time, so not enough work to go around, there are a couple of roles in different departments looking for staff, so I have put my name forward, maybe a new challenge would be good for me.
At home we find ways of slowing our time so we can enjoy the most of the time together. Avoiding the rush of going to town or any other shopping outlets. Our garden, my passion is the most loved place, either I am working in it, pottering most of the time, or if it's cold or wet, I sit inside and look at it.
Family, with baby Will adding to the number of grand sons, we love to see them all growing up, with visits from our Somerset boys, we love our home to ring with the sounds of them playing. Our children are a joy to both of us, watching the adults they have become and enjoying them as parents.
I am counting in another way, I am on the countdown to my retirement, I still have about 3 years to go, but as the time passes so quickly, we are making plans, once my salary stops we are down to pensions, and whilst we won't be poor, we do need to ensure our plans work and our comfortable lifestyle stays as it is.
Our life is not perfect, some things and people we have no control over, but we do work to make the best of what we can, and learn to live without the uncontrollable things.