Gardens, plans and other sundry stuff......

I have had a few emails asking me if I am ok and saying that I have been very quiet recently. Well, I suppose that is true. I have been "doing" instead of observing. Stepping away from this screen for a little while, because it is too easy to spend most of my day here. We all know how simple it is to just sit.

Today has been slightly warmer than usual, so I have been in the garden cutting back things which I don't want to overpower the roses, and tidying up a little. My neighbours behind me (the tree felling ones) are going to get a JCB to dig up huge old roots of oaks, right on my boundary, and my old shed needs to be moved. So I looked at the rickety old thing and thought....you can go. They will burn it on their bonfire for me, so I won't have to do anything about removing it. Mind you, I do believe it will fall apart the moment anyone tries to shift it.

However, this brings up problem #1. It is full of old stuff Geoff used to use, so it needs sorting, and tools need sorting and boxes need tossing out too. So I have that delight ahead in the next few days. And then I looked at the real shed, and thought.....you need tossing out too.

But this brings me to problem #2. It is absolutely full of old furniture and trunks, filing cabinets full of tools, an old freezer and heaven knows what kind of wildlife. You can tell how often I use the things in there can't you? I opened the door, and slammed it shut immediately. I think I need a bonfire of my own here too. There is an old round dining table in there. About 3inches thick solid pine. My sister suggested painting it with a protective outdoor paint and using it in the garden. You know, for the 4 days we actually get to sit in our gardens here. It will fall apart, but till then, I could use it. It is useless where it is at the moment.

Anyway.

This is mind-blowingly boring I realise, but I am trying to work up some excitement and enthusiasm for the "burn the sheds" idea. My daughter wants to know where the spiders will go. I have also noticed the wretched squirrels leaping over the sheds with gay abandon, and maybe if they are gone, the squirrels will go too, and refrain, as a result, from digging up and eating all my bulbs. I need a machine gun.

I digress. Squirrels do that to me. And mice. I haven't seen any of them but I will be up a tree if I do. But the squirrels may be up the tree..... Oh get a grip, woman.

I need to be able to cut back the huge holly tree which looms over the shed, and the neighbours have scaffolding and will do it for me, providing the shed is history. And, it has occurred to me that the shed is actually in the sunniest spot of the garden anyway and so it should be a sitting area, and not a shed area.

See? The enthusiasm is marginally higher already. If I were as fit and flexible as I used to be, I could do all this myself, but I do believe I am going to need some assistance. My garden could be transformed! I also could do with a small conservatory in the corner outside the french doors, because that is dead space and always ends up being the dumping spot. If I win the lotto. And after I redo the dire bathroom, put in a new boiler and radiators instead of the foul hot air thingy I have now, redo the stairs and carpet half the house.

Sigh. Spring must be approaching.

My car is back from the MOT and it did need a good few things doing to it, so my plans to get the potting soil and start some seeds have been postponed. Maybe next week. I have plans for raised veg beds here at home as well as at the allotment too. Hmmmm. All this planning and dreaming and imagining is totally exhausting. And my brown wheelie bin is full so I am going to go and finish reading my book for book club. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. If you haven't read it yet, put it on your list. It is stunning. I am loving it.

The Bump continues to flourish and has wonderful playtimes at 3am. Her uncle is visiting her this weekend, so it is lovely to think my 2 sons are there together. I am not. I am here. Sigh.

Right. I am off to relax before I need to think about supper.