Seven years young

This year to celebrate my blog turning seven I’m turning to another list - there’s an annual theme developing here. Last year the list was blog related, this year not so much. At the start of the year I saw posts for the hashtag ‘makenine’ and was intrigued, and slightly tempted.

I kept thinking what my makenine might be, but it was easier to think what my “finish nine” might be as I seem to have enough projects on the go. So then I thought more laterally, what would my house and garden nine projects, which I’ll admit is distinctly less catchy. And again it felt like a bit of a commitment.

Then it struck me, my nine should be seven. Though that didn’t make it any easier to decide, so I’m taking a completely different approach. To celebrate my blog birthday I’m choosing a ‘visit seven’ - and that’s seven gardens I’m hoping to visit this year. I’d brainstormed a list - if you can brainstorm on your own - in January, and quite quickly had a list of fifteen. So here goes…

My visit seven for 2020

1. RHS Wisley, Surrey

   • Flaming Dogwoods in the sun

2. RHS Hyde Hall, Essex

3. Houghton Hall, Norfolk

4. Nymans, West Sussex

   • Nymans in the fog

   • My new room crush

5. Sizergh, Cumbria

6. Holker Hall and Gardens, Cumbria

7. Scampston Hall, North Yorkshire

So my visit seven will see me zipping up and down the country. I’ve included gardens in Cumbria and Yorkshire as I know we’ve got trips there in June, somehow though there’s no Devon gardens on the list and we’re heading there in a couple of months. There’s some old favourites - Wisley, Hyde Hall and Houghton - and some, like Nymans, which we’ve already made it along to. I could have included Emmetts Gardens too, but that would have felt a little like cheating.

Happy seventh blog birthday to me, and still I hope there’s many more.

Reflecting on my week #117

We spent the latter half of last week in Lyon, and a large amount of that time was spent eating. Or at least it feels like that anyway. We did of course see the sights, on foot and making use of the Metro, and with all the tasty food it was just as well that we topped 13,000 steps each day we were there. February it turns out seems to be the time of year when we head off for a pamper-break, and our hotel in Lyon had a spa and a very fancy restaurant. Our room was pretty fancy too, and the loo will be featuring in a future Loo Series post.

We saw cathedrals, the view from Fourviere, markets and a restaurant or two too. We walked alongside the river, up and down hills and relaxed in the jacuzzi. We drank wine, ate the local dishes and never made it to breakfast at the hotel because we just didn’t need any more food. We only just made the flight home though, which was a bit more anxiety-inducing than it needed to be. We made it to the gate from entering the airport in about 25 minutes, and thankfully there was still a queue so there was none of that “last call” business. What’s more surprising (or to us anyway) is that another five people sauntered along after us, at least we had the decency to run. We won’t be doing it again I can tell you.

I’ve still to edit my photos, but I couldn’t share this post without at least one. The Valentines bouquets outside florists and in markets were great to look at - and aren’t markets a great way to see how locals live? - and there were bunches of mimosa and eucalyptus for sale. It made me wonder, why we don’t have the same, or maybe we do, and I’m just not seeing them. Anyway, it’s on my list (along with editing lots of photos) to find out.

We agreed in advance to mark Valentines Day when we were back, and so what with one thing and another have been treating ourselves most of the weekend. A nice meal and a nice bottle of wine on Saturday night and gin fizz cocktails, complete with rosebuds, yesterday.

We finally swapped cards on Sunday too - I’d fessed up on our trip that I hadn’t made mine (or his) yet. He’d bought his, but hadn’t written it, so we were kind of equal there. It wasn’t until Sunday lunchtime though that I disappeared upstairs to return with this.

You’ll know I like simple card designs, and I’m quite pleased with this one too. i was about to say I’d make more, but realistically I don’t need to make more than one! It was nice to get back crafting though and I need to make more time for making cards, and crochet too as I’ve not picked up any of those projects up in the last few weeks. I have of course, added new projects to my list!

I’ve also subscribed to a new-to-me magazine, and Sunday afternoon I sat down and enjoyed my first edition of Simply Lettering. The quotes below seemed to talk to me, and follow on nicely from the coaching that I’ve recently completed with Nicky Kentisbeer, which encouraged me to ‘get out of my own way’ and was just what I needed.

Like many people I was shocked and saddened to read of Caroline Flack’s death. I’ve never watched Love Island and wouldn’t claim to be a huge follower of hers (or any celebrity) but I do watch Strictly and was rooting for her to win. Any death is sad, however it comes about, but for someone to feel that taking their own life is the best, or only, option open to them, that really is very sad and reflects badly on our culture and society. I can’t profess to understand, but I do wonder if only she, and sadly the many that take their own lives, knew how much they were loved, if it would make a difference.

I really wish it had, and can going forward. In her words, be kind.

Reflecting on my week #116

Compared to last weekend, this weekend has been positively chilled. Some of that was down to weather with Storm Ciara arriving and staying for most of Sunday. It was wet and windy here, but nothing like some of the devastation we’ve seen on the news.

My faux topiary ball by the front door has been swinging all over the place, and in the back garden I popped out to save my pool sign. I timed my visit much better than MOH, who decided to clean his bike just as some heavy rain arrived. Undeterred he donned a waterproof and carried on until it drove him indoors.

My trip to the garden was much more successful and there was even some time for some photos. Thankfully our neighbour’s trampoline had stayed in its own garden (and hopefully that’s continued).

The other reason for a quiet weekend is that it comes on the back of another busy, and long week. Combine that with a few days off next week and the work preparations needed means that taking some time off can be quite stressful. I can’t wait though, it’ll be nice to explore a new city and I’m looking forward to seeing just how quirky our hotel is. I’m expecting pretty quirky, and yes, I’ll let you know.

The other good news is that next door’s scaffolding is mostly down. It’s been up a while, I had to check, and it was the end of October. They’ve had some awful weather during the work, but even so I bet they weren’t expecting the job to last quite so long.

The glass balustrade is in and on a sunnier day I had a peek out of our top floor window.

We do seem to have a cracked paving slab which we’ll need to sort out, and there’s still quite a bit of clean up that needs to take place, however I’m currently not too concerned as throughout our neighbour has been considerate. They have offered to put the pots back, which were moved to accommodate the scaffolding, and while that’s nice I’m going to decline the offer as it will only make it much harder for MOH to get them exactly where they should go.

I’m talking more than in the right order, I’m talking exactly where they should go - equal distances between them, and so we can get to the tap too. I’m pretty sure they don’t realise the precision I need here! MOH is used to it now, it frustrates him I’m sure but he also knows I won’t settle until I’m happy.

While I was in the garden I looked up to check out the new addition from the ground. I think it’ll take some getting used to seeing it there, a bit like when you have a drastic haircut and shock yourself everytime you look in the mirror to start with.

MOH has also managed to get a viewing, I don’t know how he does it. He’s been in several of our neighbour’s houses and yet I don’t think I’ve been past the doorstep of any. I’m not quite sure how to take that, I’m sure there’s nothing in it…

Anyway, I’m hoping for a less quiet week on the blog as I’ve plenty of topics to cover, on top of the plenty of topics I already had, and of course I’ve plenty of photos to edit and blogs to read too. I’d better get cracking, thanks for bearing with me.