The sunshine called.......

The weather has been glorious all week, and so, for the most part, I have abandoned the computer in favour of the great outdoors and the delights of the aqua classes. The combination of the whole lot - sun, gardening, aqua, etc has meant that coming inside to rest for a second = falling asleep instantly. Yes, I have done way too much, but oh oh oh, I have loved every minute of each day. 

On Tuesday, it was 36 years since I walked down the aisle as a bride in white French lace. The gardening garb didn't quite have the air of elegance we aimed for 36 years ago, but the memories were great and there was a great deal of grinning here. I simply cannot believe it was so long ago. Mum and I worked out that she had been married 26 years when I got married. 36 years ago is talking of ancient times. 

So it was a quiet and good day. 

On Wednesday, Jean and I headed out in the blazing sun at an early hour to a lovely garden centre close by - Podington - and after trying out their very new and definitely improved restaurant (we timed things perfectly - the scones were still warm), we grabbed a trolley and started choosing plug plants. Well, I did. Jean bought clothing. Plugs are tiny starter plants, a great deal cheaper than the fully grown plants will be in a couple of months, and I love planting things on and re-potting, so the plugs are great for me. 

 See? Rows and rows of little plug plants. Bliss. I knew exactly what I wanted and that was exactly what I bought. But the meandering about the aisles was such fun.

 Now this (above) is what REALLY caught my eye.What a superb idea. I loathe squirrels. Not because of the fact that they are squirrels. I am quite prepared to see their cuteness 10 miles from my garden. But the pesky little horrors around here destroy my plants, dig up all seedlings, wreck my garden and drive me potty. Not to mention the fact that they plant obscure nuts all over the place, in my pots, beds everywhere and then they grow instead of my pretty flowers. So that fence guard stuff had enormous appeal. Until I worked out just how much it would cost. However, I may try a section and see how they like it. They may have to learn Irish dancing to get across it. That would be just fine.

SEE?????? SEE THAT NUT?????? It was destined to be planted in my pots, only Mr Squirrel had second thoughts when I started waving a garden fork in the air like a demented person.

And then I moved on to the gentle art of sitting under my apple tree (the leaves are starting to appear at last) practising my breathing, lowering the blood pressure, post squirrel repelling dance. (Is that a word? If not, I have just invented it.) While sipping at the coffee, with the feet on the coffee table. The sun shining through the tulip petals looked so beautiful......calming.....

The double daffodils are coming out now too, and the lilac is starting to grow its leaves. And, while the sun today has been absent , it is starting to filter through the clouds as I speak. Just as I have finished covering the seedlings, plug plants and seed trays with fleece for the night. Did I mention that I upended the packet of nemesia seeds and the whole lot fell into one seed tray? They are very small and totally invisible on potting soil and then I looked at the packet. 750 seeds. Right. That could be interesting.

And there could be snow next week.

It has been a delight to be outside and just enjoying the miracle of spring, you know. Seeds I planted started coming up within 5 days and that has to be one of the greatest thrills. Little miniature brown specks transforming into green shoots. (I am contemplating what 750 little miracles all sprouting at once will look like.....) Like my apple tree, pruned back hard, and the new growth is strong and starting to reach for the skies. My roses too.

It is like life, isn't it? Sometimes things happen which are dreadful, and yet, looking back, I can see how the "pruning" led to new stronger growth. New shoots - talents, opportunities, paths - spring up where you least expect them. But the pruning is on-going, and it is only in retrospect that you can see the pattern. At the time, you just plod on determinedly every single day, no matter how difficult that day may be.

And the sun - well, sunshine makes things a great deal easier. People smile when the sun shines. Laughter echoes across the gardens - laughter which may well be muffled by bricks and mortar in gloomy times, but when the sun shines, and people move outside, the world seems a brighter place. A happier place.

I wonder if my plants are cooking under the fleece in the sun. Hmmm.

Our aqua teacher has been on holiday this week, so we have had substitute teachers, and no aquazumba because she is the only one qualified to teach that. it has been fun. Very hard work - especially yesterday's class. We were "running" or dancing back and forth up and down the pool, and were all wrecks by the end, but it was a good feeling. I still ache. Coming home and hauling out the garden furniture from under its covers was probably not the greatest idea I have ever had. A snooze may have been a better idea. But, as I said, the most important thing is that I have loved every moment out there. filling pots. Dreaming of what they will look like, going through all the seeds I collected last year from my plants and scattering them about, thinking about circles. Circles of life. The seeds. What seeds bring to mind. What life stories we all have - as you can see, my mind has been all over the place.

But I have LOVED IT!!!