Sunday, April 29, 2007

Time to relax

Spring. Hmmm. Yes. Yesterday was a stunningly warm and beautiful day and today was back to winter woolies. The wind was absolutely icy. However...... it is the weekend, and who cares. It can do what it wants. I am free to do what I want!

Yesterday morning, I took Mum to Podington for tea. The garden centre is my favourite and the best I have ever been to and the coffee shop is great. We looked at the bedding plants, and I resisted the temptation to buy loads, and just got a couple of tumbelina petunias. For now. I am not putting in masses this year, as we will be away for some of the time, and everything will expire. I will do the baskets, though. I love cascading flowers and colour. The other thing I did get was fleece for the allotment, just in case we have a few hard frosts. They had lovely little plastic dome thingies too, which you put over your plants. I refrained from buying them, but I did have this image of cake tray domes all over the allotment that made me smile.

It is bookclub here on Monday night, so I had to get some books. We do not all read the same book. Whoever is hosting buys about 5 books which go into the bookclub. Predictably, I can never find books I want desperately when it is my turn. Next week there will be dozens I covet. However, I have some that I think will make interesting reading.

House of Orphans, by Helen Dunmore, set in Finland
Be near me by Andrew O'Hagan, about an English priest who takes over a small Scottish parish
One thousand white women by Jim Fergus, about the Brides for Indians scheme in the US in 1875
Don't tell Mum I work on the rigs by Paul Carter, a biography of an oil rig worker who travels the world

They will have to do. I still have to clean the house, and buy the drinks and nibbles. Tomorrow.

Today I have been to church and also went to water the allotment. And the carpets. I am not certifiable. I decided that while the carpets will kill the weeds, I need the earth to be softened, so I watered the carpets so it can seep through and when we get round to the next dig, the ground will be manageable. I did get some very strange looks. The onions are shooting little green shoots, which is very exciting, and our bird scarer thing with dangling CDs has disintegrated in the wind, so I will have to get stronger fishing line. The type you can use to haul in very large sharks should do the trick. Not that there are any sharks in middle England, you will be pleased to hear.

So it has been a quiet weekend, with time to fall asleep on my bed, reading. There was a time when I could read a book a day. Sigh. Those days are long gone.

7 comments:

Barb said...

What? No sharks in middle England? LOL

What a nice, newsy post. Your book club sounds like a lot of fun and the books you chose sound interesting, too.

I hope the coming week is a nice one for you. What are thumbeina petunias? I love petunias and just got mine planted. I never heard of thumbelina petunias. Do I need to know about these? :-)

Linds said...

Barb - Tumbelina petunias are the BEST for cascading prolifically all over the place. Just one or 2 in a basket or pot and they are glorious. I will find a photo of last year's and show you! Yep. You need to know about them, but I don't know if they will be called the same in the States!

Susie said...

I'm also anxious to see pictures of the tumbelina petunias!
I laughed at you falling asleep reading. That used to be my favorite time to read, but now I find myself asleep after two or three pages! I think between blogging and falling asleep as soon as I hit the pillow, it takes forever to finish a book these days!!
xo

someone else said...

I'd love to see those petunias, too! They sound so pretty.

I have the hardest time reading for any length of time anymore. I just get so sleepy. Of course, it would help if I didn't try to read in my nice swing on the patio. It rocks me to sleep!

Carole Burant said...

I haven't read a book in years...ok ok I'll admit it, ever since I started blogging! lol Just don't seem to have the time nowadays. Your bookclub sounds like fun:-) Watering the carpets eh? Okkkkkkk!! hehe xox

Linda said...

The petunias are just gorgeous!!
Sounds like a very nice weekend Linds. I like you choices for the book club. Each one sounds so interesting - and a good variety.
I imagine you are a far superior gardener to me. I seem to kill everything I get my hands on. However, my little antique rose bush is just blooming its little heart out. I am happy!!
Thank you so much for your sweet, sensible, encouraging comment. You are a great friend.

Susan Skitt said...

Hi, visiting from PA via another blog.

I'm not much of a gardner, but your flowers look beautiful. I do however love to read and am part of a Christian Book Club that's held at Barnes & Noble Bookstore. Do they have Barnes & Noble in England? Our last book was The Yada Yada Prayer Group by Neta Jackson. A good read.

I too am not getting as much reading in these days as I'd like.

I noticed on your profile you've been widowed. I was widowed for awhile too. God is our help and strength, isn't He?

Blessings to you today,
Susan
www.shareyourgrief.blogspot.com