Mysteries etc.

I thought it would be a good idea to post an entry this evening, the only thing is I`m not sure what to say. never mind, I`m sure I`ll think of some trivial thing to say...lol!

The weather here is a bit on the miserable side. It rained this morning and then started to improve. Then just as I thought I would have a couple of hours gardening, down it came again, this time for the rest of the day.  The dahlias in my mini greenhouse are getting really big, infact they will have to be planted outside in the next two weeks or they will be too big for the greenhouse. All my summer bedding plants are doing well so I`m hoping for some really warm settled weather...am I asking for too much I wonder?

I haven`t told you about the mystery of my missing glasses case have I?  Well, I lost it at work on Wednesday last week and I searched high and low for it but still couldn`t find it. I remember putting it in the pocket of the body-warmer I wear for work but when itwas time to go home it wasn`t there. I even  searched my car just in case I HAD left it there but to no avail. Today, however, I found it sitting by one of the cash registers. It was very wet inside and I can only guess that it was found outside and handed in by a customer, very likely at the weekend because I asked my colleagues if they knew anything about it but they had no idea.  So, it remains a mystery but at least i`ve got it back again!

When I was at work I saw a bird that I hadn`t seen before so when I got home I had a look in my bird book but I can`t find it...another mystery I think, I hope I see it again tomorrow and maybe I can note a few more details.

I got paid yesterday, thank goodness AND I got a bit more than usual because I worked the Easter Bank holidays and that it time and a half.  Garden centre workers aren`t exactly well paid and it would be nice if I got more but well, I like my job, it`s in a nice environment and it`s not overly stressful.  I could leave and get a job with more money but I think I`m far better off where I am.  At my time of life, money isn`t everything, not any more.  Mind you, I`m going to spend the extra money on plants etc. so the company will get the money back again...lol!

Jim will be home from work soon and I`ll bet he`ll be watching Champions League football, which means I won`t get chance to watch any TV this evening, unless of course I watch it with him....yeh right!....I think I`ll stay online and he can bring me cups of tea to keep me happy...lol!

I`m still finding out a lot of things about the new computer, it seems to have so much more to it than the old one. It certainly comes to something when AOL is reliable and fast, something I didn`t dare hope for before.  Also as this one is Windows Vista I can open more than one window at a time, something I`ve not needed to do before but I`m sure I`ll find a time when I do. The only drawback is that I`m spending more time online after promising myself to cut back...which I had until we got this one. So Jim it`s not my fault, you can blame the new `puter...lol! 

Bye Bye. :o)

 

 

 

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A Happy Rocking Time

 

I can`t believe that it`s almost a week since my last entry. I just felt like not much had happened and I didn`t want to waffle on about nothing in particular.  However I have things to tell now so I will begin.

On Tuesday our new computer arrived and by the evening it was up and running.  I really do like it too, it`s very slick and modern and it actually does what I ask of it. It`s fast, AOL works like a dream (fingers VERY firmly crossed!) and is so much easier to use, I couldn`t be happier with it.

I have been busying myself with all gardening matters and I must report that all the seeds I`ve sown are doing well and I`m hoping to have a great deal of strong healthy plants for the Summer. I cleared more of the main flower bed of weeds and it won`t be long until I`m finished completely, I just hope the weather will be kind though it`s forecast to be wet all week long.:o)

Jim has recovered well from his fall and only has a slightly sore wrist. I however, had a fall of my own on Friday night that has left me slightly sore.  Actually it was all a bit silly and nowhere near as bad as Jim`s but I stubbed my toe on the corner of the bed, overbalanced and fell headlong onto the carpet. Jim laughed because he said one minute I was there, the next I`d vanished, just like a scene from a comedy film..... Ha flippin` Ha, I`ll remember that next time he`s unfortunate to fall over again. My toe really hurt and the next morning I did ache a bit but I didn`t have time to worry about that as were off to the Dominion theatre in London to see the Queen musical "We Will Rock You" which we have been waiting to see for ages.

We caught the train into London and then the Underground to Topttenham Court Road station which is right outside the theatre. We got there early so we could have a walk around Oxford St and Soho. It was a lovely day and very warm and we really wanted a cup of coffee so we went into Starbucks where we had coffee and fruit bread and watched the world go by through the window.  Then we looked in the shops, at least Jim did. Believe it or not it was him who encouraged me to go in and look at the " really nice shoes" that he saw in the window. Well, what is a girl supposed to do?  I went in with a strong resolve not to spend any money and came out with a new pair of summer shoes in a carrier bag....for this I blame is on my husband for exploiting my weak nature when it comes to new shoes....lol!

The show itself was fantastic, a magical experience for any Queen fan, which of course Jim and I have always been.  I`f you want to know what it is all about just click on this link.  "We Will Rock You"  We came away with our ears ringing but feeling euphoric. It really was a show that I will remember for a long, long time.  After the show we went to Pizza Hut, had a great meal and then headed for home on a train that was unusually on time and not at all crowded. It had been a wonderful day out but as always it`s always nice to get home again.

I want to say a belated Happy Birthday to Jim who reached the grand old age of 56 on Friday. he got lots of cards and presents and the trip to the theatre was the icing on the cake for him. Also I have to add that it is a relief that once again he is the same age as me. On my birthday he always says that he is now married to an older woman and that he is my toyboy....hmmm, come 25th April every year, he`s not anymore...lol!

Bye Bye for now. :o)

 

 

 

What a Weekend

 

I`ve had a really nice weekend at Kerry`s though I almost didn`t go. On Friday afternoon Jim had a nasty fall on his way back from parking his car in the garage. When he came in and said he`d fallen over my first reaction was to laugh, that is until I saw the cuts and bruises he had.  His hand was swollen were he`d tried to break his fall (he saved his glasses with the other one). He`d cut his knee and elbow too but it seemed that was the worst of it.  Then he started to feel dizzy and sick and he turned really pale. I managed to get a chair under him before he fell over as I knew I`d never be able to catch him if he passed out. I was getting more and more worried and told him I was going to call the doctor but he wouldn`t let me so I told him I`d wait another ten minutes then I would call anyway whether he wanted me to or no, also I could have got him in the car and driven him to accident and emergency at the hospital which is just 10 minutes away. Thankfully his colour started to come back and he felt less sick so I led him into the living room so he could get comfortable. It was several hours before he was his usual self and I must admit to being more than a little scared myself though I didn`t let on. I was just so thankful that he was alright again even if he was a bit sore from the fall.

Jim had been laying the foundations for the greenhouse on the friday and insisted on doing some more the next morning but was thwarted by the heavy rain we had all day Saturday. I told him that I would stay home with him and not go to Kerry`s but he wouldn`t hear of it. I made him promise that if he DID got outside that he took his mobile phone with him just in case he didn`t feel well. Huh, some promise, I called him from Kerry`s and he didn`t answer the house phone or his mobile.  He had gone to B&Q to buy six more bags of sand.  How he managed to lift them I have no idea but his hand is still painful today.....I don`t know....men!

I had a busy weekend at Kerry`s, firstly at the garden centre where Slava bought more paving slabs for a back patio area, some pebbles for between the slabs and some different pebbles for the front of the house. I bought some sweet peas and a couple of outdoor pots and a few other bits and pieces that I need for the garden. Unfortunately it was raining all day so we couldn`t do any work outside but come Sunday it was all change, the sun came out and we were out in the garden from 10.30am. As you can see from the photos I put some plants in Kerry`s flower bed after digging in some farm manure. The soil was very poor but now it is much improved and her plants should thrive. I bought a book to help choose the plants because half of her garden is shaded while the other half is sunny.  In the shaded area she will have cottage plants like the Aquilega that I bought her. In the middle is a yellow margarete, next to that is a Leucothe and lastly a patio rose called Fairy which will have pretty pink scented flowers. I have some begonias in my mini greenhouse that I will take back to Kerry`s when they are ready to plant out at the end of May, I say some but there are 24 plants in all, I think she`ll have to put some in tubs if she wants to use them all.  Jim came to Kerry`s late Sunday afternoon for dinner, Roman was really looking forward to seeing him and was thrilled when he arrived. I must admit I always have a wonderful time with my Little Man though he is growing up so quickly now. He keeps telling me he`s a big boy now and that he likes going to school. When we were in the local Sainsbury`s he told me we weren`t buying any nappies because they are for babies and he isn`t a baby anymore.  I can`t believe he`ll be 3 this July, I know we say it all the time but where DID the time go?

This afternoon after work I went into town to buy Jim`s presents for his birthday on Friday. I was lucky to find exactly what I wanted almost straightaway so I just hope he likes them. I`m not saying what I bought in case he reads this so if you are Jim, hard luck I`m not telling you...lol!

When I got home I had a quick coffee and then I planted some Cosmos seeds, repotted the sunflowers and planted the sweet peas. My tiny little greenhouse is almost full up with seeds and young plants so I`ve had to move some of my gardening things into Jim`s shed, much to his annoyance. He doesn`t like my garden things in his little domain...lol!I will really save some money this year if my seeds all do well, they cost a fraction of what I would normally spend on plants and it`s much more satisfying this way even if I have had to put the work in. The weather is supposed to be really nice tomorrow but first I have a pile of ironing that should have been done yesterday.......I`d much rather be in my garden though...sigh.

Anyway my friends, I must go and read some journals as I`m way behind. I hope you`ve all had a lovely day, take care and Bye Bye for now. :o)

 

 

 

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Photo Entry

Hi Everyone,

I managed to post a few photos at last, I hope you like them.

Bye for now. :o)

 

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On The Go and In The Garden

 

 

 

Phew, WHAT a day. The weather has been lovely all day and after the wet days we`ve had of late I hoped to do some serious gardening this afternoon. Work was what some would describe as manic. Customers wanting this and that and just about everything else besides. Between me and our shop manager, we lifted 15 heavy bags of compost into customers cars, one of them had 9 70 litre bags and having no men there today we just had to do it ourselves. The customer who had bought the 9 bags stood and watched while we loaded up her car.  I can`t tell you what was going through my mind at the time but you can imagine I`m sure. Let`s just say that all of us women who work there are over fifty and sometimes it can be a bit hard on the back. I really don`t mind helping the elderly or infirm but some people seem quite able to at least help out...I shall say no more on the subject!  Mind you we were both covered in compost when we`d finished and you should have seen my poor hands, I still can`t get all the dirt of no matter how hard I scrubbed them.

 

When I got home I hung out the washing, loaded the machine and made a coffee and some lunch and sat in the garden, then it was down to business. I started on the last flower bed and turned the ground over, pulling out any weeds ( luckily there were very few) and dug in plenty of organic farm manure. The soil in my garden is quite heavy clay and the manure improves drainage as well as being better for planting out.  It was very heavy going and after two hours my back was beginning to ache so I decided to stop for today, it should only take a few more sessions to finish the job.  Jim has taken the weekend off work so he can lay the base for the greenhouse. He`s already dug the turf out and covered the space with thick polythene to stop weeds from coming through. The concrete slabs and sand will be delivered Friday so he has all weekend to finish the job. In case it rains he`s going to cover the area with the gazebo so he can carry on and not get wet, clever eh?!  I will be glad when the greenhouse is up and running because my mini greenhouse is full and my kitchen has been taken over with seed trays. I`m growing giant sunflowers and one of the seedlings is almost a foot tall already, I just hope its growth will slow down though somehow I doubt it...lol!

 

On Saturday I`m going to Kerry`s to help her choose some plants for her garden. As her garden is half in shade I bought a book with recommended plants especially for shady spots. I have discovered that there are a lot of flowers that she can have and it will be fun helping her choose them all. I will be staying overnight and Jim will come over on the Sunday afternoon for dinner. I always enjoy my time over there because I can spend time with Roman and I know he loves it when I go to see him.

 

Oh I nearly forgot, Roman has a new born baby cousin Victoria. She was born this morning to Slava`s sister Julia and her husband Sergei. Kerry doesn`t have any other information but as far as she knows all is well with Mum and baby. Roman doesn`t understand cousin so he keeps saying he has a baby sister...lol!

 

I`ll say goodbye now as I`m starting to ache and I think a hot shower will help. I hope you`ve all had a lovely day and that the weather has been kind to you.  Bye Bye for now. :o)

 

PS:   For some reason known only to AOL, I can`t add graphics or photos. :o(  Hopefully I will be able to add them tomorrow.

 

Love  Sandra xxxx

 

 

 

 

Cats and Orchids

 

Hiya, I`m back at last.  Yesterday I was three quarters into my journal entry when AOL crashed on me.  I just couldn`t be bothered to start all over so here I go again with fingers firmly crossed.

 

We have been having really up and down weather since last week.  The last few days of last week saw some lovely, warm Spring weather. Come Sunday we woke up to a blanket of snow and freezing temperatures, then it cleared as the day wore on leaving it bright but still very cold.  The last few mornings have started cold and frosty but have reaching 16 degs. celsius. The only problem with the frost is that I`ve had to cover up the more vulnerable plants with winter fleece, ie. magnolia "Susan" which is about to bloom and I have no intention of losing the flowers to it

 

Kerry and Slava went to the Dominion theatre in London on Saturday evening to see "We Will Rock You", the musical featuring Queen songs. Kerry bought the tickets as a suprise for Slava`s birthday so of course we had Roman for the day. In the afternoon we all went out to take Jake for a walk. It was raining but we were well wrapped up and Roman loved being able to jump in the puddles wearing his Thomas wellies. When we got home he asked if we could go to B&Q and look around, I couldn`t believe it and asked him why.  "To get some wallpaper Nana".  The poor child has spent so much time in DIY stores since they moved house that he actually enjoys going there now...lol!  He always remarks on our wallpaper, curtains, carpets etc. and he`s not 3 until July,  I`ve said it before but he`s like a little old man!

 

 

 

 

The above photo is, believe it or not, an orchid...and a healthy one at that, though it almost wasn`t.  The leaves were sagging on it and it looked in a very poor state so I took it out of the pot, planning to throw it away. Then I noticed that as well as the old roots that had rotted away there was one thick, healthy root that was providing a good water source. However the old leaves were using the water too and with only one good root eventually they would cause the plant to die of thirst.  So, I cut off the leaves and repotted it in new compost and then I noticed that there are three new roots growing through the main stem and at the top if you look closely, is a new leave emerging.  I have the plant sitting on my computer table because it can get the best light at all times of the day and hopefully soon it will look more like the beautiful plant it should be. And, as I have no life, I even talk to it...lol! ;o)

 

I`ve been really busy at work the last few days, if I haven`t been serving at the till I`ve been running across the planteria or helping a customer with a query. The pace has really stepped up lately and the plants are selling really well now. It will of course get busier and busier as we go towards the planting season, the busiest time of any garden centre`s year. I must admit that being buy like that is what I love about my job. The exercise does me good and the time just flies by AND I get to see all the plants so I have a good idea of what I want in my own garden....AND I get to meet a real assortment of customers, some not great but the majority are really nice friendly people. I always think the difficult customers aren`t very nice people anyway and I don`t want to waste my time worrying about their bad manners, even though they can cause the odd headache for myself and my colleagues.

 

This afternoon I thought I`d have a sneaky peek into the composter in the garden....ugh!  Let`s just say it still has a way to go before I can use it.  I think its too wet and hasn`t had enough air, consequently the smell was horrendous. So, I made some holes in it to let the air in and I`m going to add some dry materials to try to get the desired effect. Oh dear, I`m really not an expert and making compost, I`ll think I`ll look up a site on the internet to get some advice on how to get it right.

 

The cat next door, Willow, has become a good friend of ours. Given half a chance he`d be in through the door like a flash. The only problem in his way is a very indignant Jake who would soon chase him out again. Our neighbour Sean who is Willow`s owner said he is always stalking the birds who use the feeders in our tree and the other day he found a pile of feathers in his garden. Oh well, he is a lovely cat but cats do what they have to do so I won`t hold it against him...lol!  

 

That`s it from me for today, I hope you are all well. Take care and Bye Bye for now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A Borrowed Car and Roman`s Box

Sorry I haven`t done an entry for the last few days but I`ve been a bit busy.  At last my car is back from the garage and fitted with a new sunroof. The last time it went in I was told the same thing but it turns out that all they did was do something with the seal, probably to save money but anyway, it`s been done properly this time and fingers crossed, it won`t leak the next time we have heavy rain. I was really lucky because the courtesy car they gave me was a almost brand new Clio which was an absolute dream to drive and very, very smart. I felt like telling them to keep mine and let me keep this one...lol!

I`ve been spending hours in the garden yesterday and today. I`ve managed to weed and clear almost an entire flower bed the length of the garden. Jim has cut the grass and has marked out where he is going to put the greenhouse base. We`ve decided to revamp the whole of the bottom end of the garden and if it all goes to plan it`s going to look great though we certainly have our work cut out before we can say its finished. Already my back is pretty sore but it always happens, if I want the garden to look nice I have to put up with it. Work has been getting busier with the planting season starting up, people are buying a lot of Spring flowers and early summer plants. I`ll be joining them myself very soon I think.

Jake is doing very well on the Seraquin he is taking to help his dodgy hips and joints. Its not a drug as such but a supplement that contains a mild anti-inflammitory About a fortnight after he started taking them I noticed that he didn`t seem as stiff as he had been and he hasn`t been limping the way he was before.  His gait still resembles a kangeroo from the back but that won`t change, whats important is that he`s free from pain and happy, which he certainly is now.

I had an idea the other day and its called Roman`s Box. What it is really is a rather fancy pasta tin on which I stuck the words Roman`s Box on with craft glue. Then I put in a small toy, something inexpensive and a little chocolate bar or sweet (Jim added a twenty pence piece) and then put the lid back on. When Roman comes round to see us I`ll tell him about his special box and then ask him if he wants to look inside. Hopefully he`ll be really pleased to see what is in his box and he`ll take the goodies out and I`ll put the box back. Then when he comes round again we`ll go through it all again. I just want him to associate his own box with Nana and Grandad and I`m sure we can have some fun with it because he will never be sure whats inside. Of course he will have to be a good boy if he wants to have a look....lol!

The new neighbours always speak to us now, much more so than the last lot. They are much friendlier people and very quiet when inside, we couldn`t ask for anything more than that. The other day the chap said to me that he was sorry if his car was too close to our drive but he was building his own drive and he would soon move his car. I couldn`t believe that he was actually concerned about something that hadn`t even crossed my mind. I told him that it wasn`t a problem but thank you anyway.  Thats what I call polite and neighbourly.

Anyway my friends, I must run as I have only been online since 7pm and I have lots of journal alerts and emails to answer. I hope you`ve all had a lovely day, take care. :o)

 

 

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