Mothering Sunday.

It's Mothering Sunday today otherwise known as Mothers' Day. I used to think the day had its origins in Victorian times when household servants were given the day off to go and visit their mothers. In fact it dates back to medieval times when labourers were allowed to return home so that they could go to their Mother (local) church in Lent. It was only later that it changed to a special day for mothers. I have been making myself feel sad thinking about Mothers' Day as up till 10 mins ago I had heard absolutely nothing from any of my 3 boys. I have just had an email from Romas apologising for not sending a card, (duh, hasn't he heard of free e-cards), but that has been the sum total of my special day. Peter used to buy some croissants and flowers so that the boys, usually Romas, could bring me breakfast in bed and sometimes I would get a card but that was mostly it. I'm not sad because of not getting a special breakfast but simply because of the fact that to the boys I'm just the person who runs the house and provides them with food, transport and cash. What happened to those 3 little boys who in church would fight over who was going to sit on my lap? Grown up and only interested in their own lives. Somewhere my parenting went seriously wrong. I wanted them to be independent but I have expected them to help around the place when they are at home. Nobody is born to be someone else's servant which is the role I feel a lot of mothers still take. There would have been a lot more harmony at home if I hadn't tried to get the boys to help around the place. Romas has been the most helpful but even so leisure activities come first and chores only if there is time. On a positive note at least the boys are all healthy and I've a good day working outside in the garden.

Everywhere I find plants almost ready to flower. This little saxifrage growing in the wall will have bright red flowers very soon.This is the 'before' picture from yesterday of the second half of the wall. The gap in the middle was originally a set of big stone steps but when the swimming pool was filled in the tractor used the gap for access and some of the stones were placed to the side and the rest covered with soil to protect them. Rebuilding those steps may actually happen this summer.

And now the 'after' picture. The poorly rosemary is between the santolinas and the lavender looking rather sparse. The best bits are the branches that are hanging almost to the ground. It may not look much but the wall is tidy and soon will be covered with flowering saxifrages, campanula, London pride and other small rockery plants.


I'm just about to go out and see how much of my bramble/branches pile I can burn without setting fire to the surrounding trees.
(Later) The 5ft pile is now a heap of glowing embers. I forgot to take my camera up with me and once I'd got the fire going I couldn't leave it because it was surrounded by trees and needed constant adjustment. Just before I went back outside Vytas phoned to say Happy Mothers' Day and chat which cheered me up. Having a wild supper of 2 low fat yogurts but I did treat myself to a small bar of chocolate after lunch.