Mothers' Day.

Today in the UK it's Mothers' Day or as an ex-headteacher used to insist - Mothering Sunday. With both of the boys so far away it was lovely to get two beautiful bouquets, one from Vytas and Sally yesterday and another from Romas and Laura this morning. I also had a lovely long chat with Romas on the phone while he was walking their dog, a French Bulldog named Rhubarb.  

Peter is coughing and spluttering and generally suffering with a heavy cold, poor thing. He did pop out today for some shopping and also managed to organise two builders to come and do the last two jobs, the garage roof and recementing some roof tiles. He's given up on our local handyman who had been promising to come and do those jobs for many months but never turned up. We need to get those jobs done before we put this house back on the market once the bungalow is part-way habitable. Luckily the houses up here sell very quickly as this is a popular area.

While Peter was out I went through a some things working out which can be given away, thrown away or hung on to. Some slightly threadbare towels, which we've had for at least 30 years, have gone in a bag to be used for mopping up plumbing spills or given away as dog towels. I'm chucking out a couple of duvets which are also very old and are filled with feathers which Sally is allergic to. Our bins are due to be collected this Tuesday and whoever it is that keeps putting extra bags in our usually 3/4 empty bin won't be able to do so this time. (I have a good idea of who it is too.)

Misty.

The sea mist didn't clear until the middle of the day after which it was sunny for a while before the mists began rolling in once more. I prefer to be outside whenever possible so this afternoon I sat on the decking and removed all the old stems from the last of the large ornamental grasses that grow in pots. At the same time I began planning which plants I'll be taking to Wales (ie most of them). As I worked I could hear the sound of sheep out on the hill and the higher pitched baaing of new lambs.

This evening we went to dinner with some friends from our old church. The wife sings in the choir also in the altos, so we  usually chat each week but it had been years since we met the rest of tonight's company so there was quite a bit of catching up to do. It was a very pleasant evening, great company and lovely food too.

Sea Mist.

We've had a sunny day cooled down by the north-westerly wind. From the morning the distant views were hazed over by the sea mist which slowly crept closer reaching us by about 6.00.

While Peter is in charge of researching the work that needs doing on the bungalow and finding trades people to give us quotes my jobs are to make a final sort out of our belongings and to come up with design ideas. This carved wood panel has been in 4 lofts over the last 30 years and it's time to let it go so I've put it up for sale for a nominal sum. I always thought that it was a headboard from a bed but somebody said it was more likely the top of a grand sideboard. Hopefully somebody will take it on as a project. I'm also going to give away one of the cat igloos. The cats hardly used them anyway and at the moment we're not thinking about getting any more cats.

I spent some time out in the garden finishing off cleaning between the paving slabs. It wasn't as warm as yesterday but I sat out with my book for a bit. Last year something, probably slugs, ate all the flowers on the established japonica. So far they haven't been touched and as hedgehogs can't get into the back garden I sprinkled some slug pellets around. 

Over the last week strange sounds have been emanating from Peter's study as he makes a start on learning Welsh. All I've done is to write down the different phonics; dd/hard th, f/v, ff/f, w/oo and the sounds which don't even occur in English; ll, rh and ch. Even if I don't make progress with learning Welsh I need to be able to pronounce place names correctly. So far all I can say is 'hello' but that varies depending on who you are saying it to and 'goodbye' plus my favourite (excuse the spelling but I know it from the radio) pop di ping which is a microwave, obviously. 

Foggy.

The sun continues to shine though when I first looked through the window this morning everything beyond our street was white. White from a morning fog that eventually burnt off leaving mostly blue skies. As the sun went down this evening I could see a massive fog bank covering the bay like a white blanket. 

It was good to get my exercises done early leaving time for me to catch up with the housework.

I spent the afternoon out in the back garden. I'd noticed that the paving slabs at the top of the garden had a green tinge from algae growing through our mild and wet winter. I got down on my knees and gave the slabs a scrub with bleach which should take care of the algae. I even went on to scrape out any moss and tiny seedlings growing between the slabs. Only then did I feel justified in simply sitting out in the sun to read my book. 

Still Sunny.

Yet another bright and sunny day. I walked into town to visit the Post Office (aka back corner of W.H. Smith's) and to pick up a few things. I didn't wear my shorts but was sleeveless and wearing flip-flops. My back was kept warmer by my backpack and I didn't mind the slight crispness in the air. By the time I walked home anywhere that was in the sun felt lovely and warm. Now that we know where we are going my aim is to clear out anything we don't need. Today I took three pictures and the white glass crockery that came with the camper to the Hospice shop.

In the afternoon I put the trailing geraniums back outside. We hardly had any frost even in the winter and I'm pretty sure we won't be getting any now. With the geraniums out of the way I was able to put my seed trays back up on the table in the conservatory where they will get more light. The poor sunflower seedlings are looking a bit bendy at the moment. 

With the washing on the line and most of my jobs done what else could I do but sit out in the sun? That corner is such a sheltered sun-trap that I whiled away the rest of the afternoon simply reading and enjoying the sun. As ever the soundscape was a mix of country and town; sheep baaing up on the hill, seagulls overhead; the wailing of sirens and the constant drone of traffic. Today my attention was caught by a new sound coming from a single black bird, a corvid of some kind sitting in a nearby tree. The sound it made was neither the sharp 'jack' of the jackdaws nor the caw of rooks or the croak of a raven. It was a single plaintive 'onk ' repeated at intervals. I've tried looking on-line but can only find the standard calls though in a section of rooks it said they have many calls. My guess is that it was a juvenile rook out in the world on its own. 

Tonight we had choir, the last one until May. We had to sing the dreaded seaweed song but for most of the time we sang simpler warm up songs with some lovely harmonies. To make us listen and work harder instead of standing in blocks of the different voices we had to mix ourselves up. It was funny when it was pointed out that the tenors had simply moved around the semi-circle and were still all standing together. We stopped singing earlier than usual to allow time for socialising and munching the goodies that people had brought in. I indulged in a number of sweet treats which thankfully were mostly cut in 1" squares. No calories at all in those.

Sunny.

Another wonderfully sunny day so once again lots of things were done.  Washing hung out and then ironed. I have a feeling that the lid/container that you put the washing liquid in is still inside the duvet cover which is now back on the duvet but then how did I not notice it while I was ironing?

Tomorrow is the last of this term's choir evenings and because somebody asked if we were bringing 'nibbles' (which is normally only at the end of term before Christmas) it was decided we'd do that. No prizes for guessing that I chose to make Rocky Road. So simple and enjoyed by many. This time I've cut it into tiny bite-sized squares so that people don't get chocolatey fingers from holding a bigger piece. At the same time I made another batch of chocolate and peanut butter cookies for Peter as he was down to the last three in the box.

I'd completely forgotten about buying this dicentra spectabilis from  the reduced shelves in B&Q until I saw the first few sprays of little hearts in the front garden. The acer has many delicate flowers and the round bush by the front door (name unknown) looks like it will soon be covered with tiny white flowers. Last year I kept trimming it into a ball shape simply to stop wet branches growing out across the path.

There were only 12 of us at Pilates tonight and our teacher said we were going to have a 'gentle' session. I'm not so sure about that but with Peter warning me not to damage myself as I left the house I worked at my own pace and gave up on some of the exercises that I felt were too much. We did a lot of work around sit-ups which I find challenging though I can now do some of them when before they were a total failure. To cheer me up we did a lot of roll downs and downward dog which my body can do ending up with my very favourite where you bend over and rest your forearms on the floor. (Bending in any other direction is a struggle.) I also think that a lifetime of wearing flat footwear, mainly flip-flops or wellies, has given me flexible ankles so that I'm able to squat with my heels flat. It just illustrates how we all succeed in some areas and struggle in others.

Peter had a chat with the surveyor which came up with both good and bad points. On the good side the main part of the house is perfectly liveable but on the downside there is a lot of work to do on the rest which we kind of knew anyway. That throws up the possibility of moving before a lot of the work is done which does mean we can keep an eye on things and work out what we want as we go along but we wont just be moving in to a nearly finished place. Something to think about anyway.

Sunny.

It's amazing just how full of energy I feel when the sun is shining. There was a little more cloud this morning but the afternoon was as bright as anything. In the morning I drove over to the dump to get rid of the garden waste. Then before I went into Lidl's I called in at the big pet store where I was sold a spray to stop Speedy from licking his feet. Hooray, I thought when I saw him recoil at the bitter taste but he still ended up licking his foot and making it bleed. Back on went the plastic cone. Then I raided the medical box and covered his feet first with gauze and then elastic bandage held on with some strapping. I tried taking off the cone but then Speedy began worrying at the bandages. I kept the bandages on until the end of the day when I started wondering if they were too tight. I can bandage a horse's leg but cats are more wriggly and I know how much damage a too tight bandage can do. I guess I'll just have to make an appointment at the vet and hope they don't charge me £50 for a 10 min appointment again.

 From yesterday.

Wild violets were flowering everywhere on the south facing side of the point. The gorse was in bloom too but it stays in bloom all year round. 

 Driving up and across Fullabrook Down.

 Coming back through Muddiford.

 Tonight's sunset.

Sunny.

It's been a lovely sunny day, perfect for a walk around Mortehoe. There was a chilly wind but that didn't stop me from baring my  arms and legs. As long as my back is warm and my ears covered I don't mind the cold. Mind you even through my sunglasses my legs looked like pale sticks of celery  and when I checked without the sunglasses they were horribly pale. Well, they need to be out in the sun to turn a more acceptable colour. 

With all the recent grey weather it was not surprising that there were plenty of people around. As well as many walkers with their dogs there were also people running along the stony track. On our drive up through Prixford we passed numerous cyclists, all in fancy lycra, a few runners and two horse riders. At one point we had to drive through a stretch of flooded road where the water came right up to the doors of our little car. I'll admit to holding my breath until we were safely through. We decided to take the Muddiford road home rather than chance the flood again.

We took a flask of coffee along and sat on our usual bench. Peter had a roll to eat and I munched happily on a chocolate and peanut cookie.  

We thought it might be more sheltered as we rounded Morte Point but the wind was blowing in from the sea. Once we turned away from the cliff path it felt very warm indeed. All my exercising must be doing my legs some good as I was able to tackle the long uphill paths without running out of puff. 

When we got home I mowed the grass before spending a little time sitting at the top of the garden with a cup of tea and a book.

Dry.

Another grey day, this time not so cold and with sufficient breeze to make it worth hanging out the washing. Followed later on by ironing.  

The wallflowers in the back garden seem to be a better mix than the ones in the front garden. I spent part of the afternoon doing some final pruning of the hydrangeas and buddleia. The grass was too wet to mow so for now it will remain long and filled with daisies. 

That's about it for today. While out in the garden my mind was busy working out which plants to take with us when we move. Although the front garden of the new house is terribly overgrown I can see how it once looked by 'walking along' with Google street view which must have been done a few years ago. I'm just wondering how well some of my plants, especially the hardy geraniums, will do when exposed to salt laden sea winds. I can see ordinary hydrangea bushes in the front garden so I'm thinking about buying some of the varieties that I saw at the garden centre that had some gorgeous colours. I better find out how hardy the new varieties are first.We've been told that the winters are quite mild so I'm hoping to add some more agapanthus to my remaining plants. I've just checked and the averages for December, January and February don't go below 3C/37.5F. That means I should be able to grow succulents outside as we saw on the Isles of Scily.

Grey.

A cold, overcast day today. Despite the chill everywhere Spring flowers are appearing. In the neighbours' gardens tulips are flowering and I can see pink cherry blossom too. In our front garden the self seeded aquilegias have flower buds ready to open and the first of the hardy geraniums, a dark pink macrorrhizum is flowering. 

While Peter was out meeting a friend I drew up plans of a number of options for the bay window in the new house. Being exposed to the winds it definitely needs to be triple glazed but we'll take advice from the surveyor. As we intend to extend the outside deck it would be good to have patio doors there though there is already a door from the dining area. I also finalised the layout of the small porch leading to the front door. Then I spent some time browsing through front door options, wow they are expensive. For the inner front door which has a glass panel by the side and including the whole frame prices seem to start at £1,000. If we had unlimited funds I would chose something like the door below though Peter says it's too much like a church door. I was thinking more Hobbit Hole.

Or what about this one?

Grey.

A very damp grey morning today left the garden plants glittering with water filled crystals. The sun never really came out at all today, just unremitting greyness. I was scrubbing out the waste food caddy on the main grass (not wanting soap and bleach over my garden) and a neighbour commented that we were supposed to have some sun. That was a dud forecast.

Tuesday's Pilates made itself felt today so I was happy just to get through my daily routine. I put the green glasses up for sale on Gumtree before anymore of the glasses get broken. Later I had another go at altering the crop top taking out my last set of tacking and trying a different approach and taking in the side seams instead of tightening up the lower edge. As I know there is no chance of getting back to a trim tummy (I must have had one once) I won't ever wear the crop top without the over vest but I still like things to fit.

Speedy had a bit of a shock when his metal water dish got caught in the plastic cone and flipped up over his head before clanging to the marble floor with much noise and water everywhere. I give him time to drink and wash when I take the cone off so that he can eat but the minute he licks his foot the cone goes back on.

Dry.

It's the Spring equinox and out in the front garden the acer is beginning to unfurl its leaves. Not only leaves but flowers are appearing on this well established tree. I don't think I've seen a flowering acer before. 

Today we drove out to the farm to take the camper for its MOT. We actually drove out twice because somebody (not me) forgot to bring the camper keys. They keep a spare set at the farm in case they need to shift things around in the barn but there was nobody in. All along the roads the trees were showing signs of change; the hawthorns were putting out lime green leaves, the blackthorn were covered in white blossom and the willows had fat pale green catkins. 

No prizes for guessing the direction of the prevailing winds which have reduced the growth of branches making it look as if the trees are leaning away from the wind. 

The camper safely delivered for its MOT and habitation check we called in at the nearby Sainsbury's. Peter needed one large or two medium carrots for his coleslaw and I was happy to check out a different range of clothing. I found a nice yoga top shading from purple to rust but didn't buy it as it was not in sale and wouldn't match any of my sports leggings. This evening we've been singing. We had to sing the dreaded seaweed song again and learn two more choruses. As soon as the song was announced a groan went up from just about everybody in the choir but our leader took no notice. Much relief when we moved on to a rousing African song.

Sunny.

A bright and sunny day today and warmer than yesterday.

This morning I took the green glasses, some amber necklaces, a finely carved ivory pendant and some silver pieces to be valued by the auctioneer. There weren't too many people there and you could help yourself to free coffee while you waited. Sadly the green glasses were pronounced lovely but not suitable for auction. Actually I'm relieved they didn't turn out to be wildly valuable because as well as the glass I found broken yesterday today I found that another of the large glasses was also broken. The 'silver' objects; a box shaped inkwell, a broach and a bean shaped locket on a chain, all turned out to be silver plate and not worth too much. I've already polished them up and put them on eBay as they are easy to post. I've left the amber and the ivory pendant with the auction house. If they sell at the estimates that will help towards yesterday's vet bills. I've put reserves on them as well because I don't want them going for pennies.

After the valuation I called in at Lidl's and Tesco's. I prefer the big Tesco's near the station as they have a better clothing section. I tend to mainly look at the reduced rails and among the things I tried on were some stretch black jeans. Oh the joy of finding that the size you thought you were is far too big. Luckily there was a pair in a smaller size which I bought. They're bootcut shape with a bit of a flare at the bottom which means they can be worn with crocs or even flip-flops. Passing through the rest of the ladies' section I came across some loose vests in a rust colour. I love that colour which I think suits my skin tone unlike pink which I like but doesn't so I indulged and bought one.

The house felt quiet without Patch's thud thud as he went up or down the stairs wanting either to be fed or just to sit with me. He also had a loud meow which he used when he wanted me to find him. Speedy never meows but the bell on his collar lets me know where he is at the moment. Yesterday morning he had managed to get his cone off. The cheap plastic clip on the collar didn't hold and the blood smears on the counter showed that he'd had a good lick at his feet. So now the cone with a new collar stays on for another week. Today Peter wondered how Speedy would manage on the 5 hour trip when we eventually move to Borth as he isn't that happy in either of the cat carriers we have. My plan is to get him used to wearing a cat harness with a lead so that he can sit on my lap instead.

It was back to Pilates tonight. It was a hard session especially after a 2 week break. I'm hoping that I haven't overdone things though I made a point of stopping when I felt I'd gone far enough and avoided certain moves altogether.