Bedtimes.

This morning the weather forecast was for heavy rain surrounded by showers, odd terminology that. Fortunately the rain didn't start until the afternoon and it has been gentle rain which you can almost ignore. Surprisingly many of the children had arrived to school (walking), without any coats even though we still take them out to play so long as it is not pouring with rain.I had a quiet day in school with half the class doing their maths SATs in the morning. In the afternoon we were talking about their bedtime routines. Maybe I am old fashioned but I was saddened to discover how many (50%) of the class of 6 & 7 year olds are carried up to bed mainly because they are allowed to stay up until they fall asleep on the sofa. About 25% said they still sleep in their parents' bed, if that is correct I'm shocked though maybe that is more wishful thinking on their part. My boys were such fidgets with sharp elbows and knees that staying in our bed was never an option unless they were ill and that was very rare.

MOT Passed.

Despite the weather warnings for heavy rain it has been warm and muggy all day. The rain which has finally arrived didn't start until I was about to head out for an early evening walk up the hill. I have been teaching all day. Because the Year 2 children will be spending the next 2 days doing maths and literacy SATs tests I planned a fun drama day for today. The children chose simple picture books which they then turned into plays. It was a good exercise in working together even if the end results were a little dire.
My little car went in for its annual MOT test today and didn't have to have too much work done, only some bulbs, new number plate and windscreen wipers etc. I did have to have the handbrake adjusted because I sometimes might possibly have been guilty of driving with it on and the wheels needed balancing after all that bumping up and down our drive. I was feeling quite happy that I didn't have too big a bill to pay but then I got phone call from Linas saying that there have been some slip ups with his benefits and back to work bonus and he is penniless again. Bank of mum will have to step in once more.

A Satisfying Day.

I was at home this morning and as the forecast was for rain later I was straight out into the garden once I had my morning coffee. The plan was to weed a small flower bed and tidy up the path next to it. This job then expanded into weeding the flower bed, tidying up the path by pulling up the ornamental raspberry, (rubus spectabilis) that was growing into it and then heaving out a fair section of the rubus thicket which in the 16 years since it was planted has spread a little too far. Also removed were some brambles, small trees and a big fat root of bind weed (very satisfying to have unearthed that). There is still more of the rubus to take out but I shall ask Linas to help me with that. After a couple of hours I stopped to have my breakfast then sat in the sun working on some ideas for a staff meeting about sketching as art is my forte and I more or less volunteered to run it as a practical session. I was teaching in the afternoon, more art, and then I went into town to visit the post office, library etc. Of course I just had to check out the sales in the clothes shops. I went into a fairly cheap shop and found a top which I thought would do for school. I didn't think it was in sale but when I went to pay I was told that it was in sale so there was 30% off and also sale items were buy one get one free. It took me a while but eventually I found another top that I liked. By the time I had been to the library I found myself walking past the pasty shop at 5.00 when all the pasties were reduced to £1 each. So I bought 2 large steak pasties for our supper. My shopping still wasn't finished as I had to get some things in Tescos where I happened to pick up a few more reduced bargains; taramasalata, potato, pea & pesto salad(25p!) and some fresh cream choux buns half price.

It stayed dry all afternoon but looming over the far side of town were some very ominous looking black clouds. Coming home it looked as if it was raining over Exmoor and the news was full of yet more flooding in Wales. So far it is still dry but I am expecting heavy rain at any moment. At least I got to sit out in the garden and eat my pasty and read one of my library books. June is the month for roses and both the climbers over the front of the house are flowering well.
The old English roses seem to have come through the winter quite well this year. This one smells of strawberries.

The vibrant colour of this modern hybrid makes up for its lack of scent and the blooms are very resilient even in the strongest winds.

I am teaching for the next 3 day s so I don't mind too much what kind of weather we have.

Full Of Energy.

I was full of energy this morning and got so much done before I had to leave for work at lunchtime. I think it was a combination of being energised by the bright sunshine, catching up on sleep last week and Peter having to get up early for work so that I had my reviving cup of tea before 6.30. I was then able to put my head down for another half an hour before leaping out of bed at 7.20. Even before going downstairs I had tidied our bedroom, wiped down all the surfaces and cleaned the windows and mirrors. The kitchen jobs were done by 8.30 when I sat down to have my breakfast. A couple of hours of gardening and then it was time to get ready for work. Linas came into town with me to catch the train back to Plymouth. As the afternoon was so nice I took my class onto the field for some sports and then we sat round the big table in the Secret Garden while I read them a story. After school we had a staff meeting, there are so many things to fit into this last half-term including 2 alternative dates for the sports day, a trip to the beach, open afternoons and parents' evenings. I rushed home to record the England v France football match for Peter only to find later that he had heard the result, a draw, and didn't want to watch it anyway. Continuing with my new energised self I prepared a saucepan of vegetable soup and put a batch of flap jacks in the oven. Then I went for a walk up the hill to enjoy the evening sun. As I got up the hill I could hear a tractor in the top field. I approached cautiously because I didn't want to run the gauntlet of the muck spreader which liberally applies muck to the road as well but luckily it was only spreading dry fertiliser granules. However I didn't escape unscathed because as I made my way back down the hill past the tractor which was now in the lower field my legs were stung by the granules even though the tractor was about a third of the way across the field. Back home I worked on a little project for a friend's birthday present. We have agreed that now the 'children' are all grown up we shan't be giving out proper presents for birthdays and Christmas but I think that very small home-made tokens or produce might sometimes be appropriate.

Last Day Of The Holiday.

The rain has been falling gently all day. Sometimes slightly heavier but always too much to consider gardening. I cleared the kitchen whiteboard and wrote up everything we will be doing over the next few months. Mainly it's regattas that Peter will be rowing in. Apart from one visit from our friends there is little that I will especially look forward to so I shan't be disappointed if events are rained off as so often happens. Linas made a start on filling the cracks in the pink bedroom walls as that is the next room I hope to redecorate.
Yesterday while it was nice and bright while weeding I counted 11 varieties of hardy geranium already in bloom with a few more yet to come. This large flowered one, Mrs K Clarke, is still my favourite with its pretty Wedgewood blue colours.

I cannot resist true blue flowers so this little speedwell while technically a weed is allowed to mingle with the snow-in-summer.

Starting to feel a little stir crazy I took myself off for a walk up the hill in the rain. It was very peaceful with just the sound of the rain pattering on leaves and a skylark trilling away high above me. I have felt a little disappointed with this half-term holiday as I don't feel I got very much done and the weather was grim but then I have been able to catch up on my sleep. The last few weeks of working almost full-time were tiring but they will pay for the car's MOT and tax which are due this month.

Anticipation.

Apologies for the rant yesterday but we were (and still are) upset by the way things turned out. When I tried to analyse why I felt so cross I realised that it was down to anticipation. We had so enjoyed the previous festivals that for 2 years we had been waiting with pleasant anticipation. Then when I checked the dates and found out it was coming up soon that was a time of excitement. There was the set back of finding out that it would cost so much but it gave us something to look forward to at the end of a rather washed out half-term holiday .......... It is quite probable that the new restricitons were imposed by the same group of police officials who when consulting with the organisers of the Green Man Festival, our local street festival, amongst other riduculous stipulations said ' But you don't even have any exit signs, where will people go if they have to clear the area?' Stunned silence from the Festival commitee members who had to point out that it was a street with roads leading off it and people could just .... leave.

But anticipation is a double edged sword, for every degree of pleasure at the thought of things to come there is the possibility of the same amount of disappointment when things don't happen or fail to meet expectations. Holidays are the classic case, months of saving, planning and anticipation can be brought to ruin by airport delays, substandard accommodation, noisy neighbours, tummy bugs etc. (This hasn't happened to us because we didn't take family holidays abroad or even anywhere after we moved here.) There is also the danger of anticipating 'surprises'. Now apologies to any chaps who this doesn't apply to but talking to my friends in general men have little concept of how to celebrate a special occasion. They seem to think that simply remembering the event with a card, maybe some flowers or even ... some chocolates is sufficient way to celebrate a special day - like your 50th birthday! (Not having to do any housework but having it all left for the next day does not count.) I have found that although it takes away some of the pleasure it is best to be very specific eg yes I do expect a birthday cake.

Anticipation is a good way to increase pleasure in an event, think of a child's excitement or an adult's happy planning but how do we cope with disappointment? It takes a strong character to simply shrug one's shoulders and be able to look on the bright side. Me, I have to have a good grumble before I can get back on track but I'm happy to say that I'm not cross any more .... much. And then to top it all I discover that the local 'Stars In Their Eyes' was on tonight. Usually it is a bit later in the year and although tickets are like gold dust Peter has connections so we always get them. Bummer. On the plus side the weather today was dry, windy and frequently sunny. After Peter dropped Linas into town (taxi service starts up again), we took ourselves for a walk at Mortehoe. We dropped down into the little Kinevor valley where it was sheltered and warm in the sun.
Although the bluebells were over there were wild flowers all around, buttercups, violets, wild roses and many more.


We walked alongside the babbling stream, through the sunny meadow and out to Bennet's Mouth. We stopped at the little beach to watch the waves crashing against the grey rocks while we had some coffee and cake. Then it was up the steep cliff paths to walk in the bracing breeze towards the lighthouse at Bull Point.

Looking across to Lundy the sea was a myriad shades of blue. We opted for the longer walk round to Morte Point as I had been feeling quite cooped up by the week's bad weather and needed to stretch my legs.
Back home I had some more time to read and weed. When Linas came back from town he cut all the lawns which is a help.

Windy Day.

The storm blew all night long and into the day. Peter went off in the morning to drive down to Plymouth to collect Linas and the bulk of his belongings now that he is moving back home, for the time being at least. The rain eased off by the afternoon so I wrapped up well and went out to work in the garden. Leaves and small branches were strewn across the garden with azalea blooms and rose petals making it look as if it were the aftermath of an exotic festival. I found it quite exhilarating listening to the roar of the wind in the trees as I scrambled about on the hillside pulling out weeds.
Linas told us this morning that he would be coming home for a few days so I baked a chocolate chunk cake before an unexplained dizziness caused me to take things easy. Nothing to worry about, I do get dizzy sometimes, it is probably my ears/sinuses. Peter and Linas arrived back safely and the dizziness is now wearing off.

And now another grumble, sorry but I think this is justified. We had been looking forward to going to the Lynmouth music Festival this weekend. We had even reconciled ourselves to the fact that unlike previous years when it was free it was now going to cost us £25 to go for one day. With the weather being so dreadful we waited until this evening to buy the tickets online only to find that ....... tickets are unavailable! While I was firing off a complaint to the organisers Peter was also checking out the festival website and found out that you are not allowed to bring any drinks onto the site, not just alcohol but soft drinks as well. I bet that also includes flasks of tea and coffee. How totally money grubbing yet the website is all about the inclusive ethos of the festival. Only inclusive for people with money to spare.