Thank you all so very much for your wonderful comments on my last post. They really cheered me up no end, I've read them all through three times now and I love them. Lots of nodding and understanding. Some good suggestions - a run, sunflowers, yarn, fabric - and sympathetic tales of slumping involving wine, peanut butter cup ice-cream (I'd like to know more about that one), white chocolate star cake decorations and more wine. It was good to know that I'm not alone.
I tackled the allotment. The children were surprisingly helpful, in return for a shiny pound coin each. So perhaps not so surprising then. The younger two did some excellent weeding, I was honestly surprised. And I went back one evening before the rain to get out the worst of the seeding weeds. I went from thinking about giving it up, to being happy about it all again. If I do ever decide to give it up, you will talk me out of it won't you. I know I'd miss it, weeds and all.
I took a few photos of some of the hanging baskets on the high street on my way home. Our little town enters Britain in Bloom every year, and the people involved work really hard on it. There's a lovely big patch of pollinator friendly flowers this year as well, I must go and take a picture before they fade. It was so good to see that kind of planting rather than more municipal park-style flower beds. I thought the hanging basket in the top picture was a triumph. No idea how they get it to be that good, but I was most impressed.
We went to Bristol Museum on Friday, to avoid the rain, which in the end didn't really arrive as threatened. We all got to look at our favourite things though and I sighed (like I usually do) over the massive hoard of Roman coins found in our town by a man digging a pond in his garden. Imagine if it was me.
This year Bristol has a big trail of Shaun the Sheeps, decorated by various artists and celebrities. I'm not sure if we'll do some of the trail or not, but we've seen a handful of them in our travels.
For the next few weekends I shall enjoy not having anything at all on the calendar. Cricket has finished, football matches haven't started yet, we are free! I have no idea what we'll do, but it's such a treat not to have to rush off anywhere. Wishing you some blissful freedom too. CJ xx
Tomorrow is another day is such a useful mantra for the tired times isn't it? So pleased you're feeling more chipper, lovely CJ xx
ReplyDeleteThose Shaun the Sheeps are so cute! We love the Wallace and Grommit shows.
ReplyDeleteShaun the Sheep would definitely make my day. I would so LOVE to have nothing on the calendar, I am working, Little Buddy starts school in a week and my Mr. 18 starts college on Monday.
ReplyDeleteHugs to you,
Meredith
Glad you're feeling s bit better. I'm enjoying a weekend with nothing on the calendar too. A real luxury. Basil and I are just pottering around at home. Have a good Sunday. X
ReplyDeleteFreedom to just be is so wonderful. I always like to term is as "Just sit and sog, Ellen". But, it truly does not mean just doing nothing. To me, it is time between the mundane chores, to just be and listen, to just be and look...........and exclaim joyously now and then with a big Wow. It is such a goodness to have that quiet time to be with your family, but have that gentle time with yourself, that can be so rare when so much is going on. It is easier for me now that my boys are grown, but and an and, the business still happens around here..and the sit and sog is so good, at least for me.
ReplyDeleteBest to you.
I'm happy to know that you're feeling better. It's just one of those things, I think. We all go through it, you are so not alone. My husband and kids LOVE Shaun the Sheep. They laugh hysterically at him. I think they'd kill to see that exhibit. I hope you're having a good weekend, CJ.
ReplyDeleteGlad that you're feeling much better now and who cares if you have to pay for help with the weeding - if it gets it done and you have fun together on the allotment, it's definitely worth it. I'm rather partial to Shaun the Sheep too and Bristol Museum is such a beautiful building, although I've only actually been inside quite briefly. We have a Roman road running through our garden - I'm just off to look for that treasure! xx
ReplyDeleteAfter visiting your last few posts tonight, I can also say I am glad you are on the upswing again after having a bit of slump, CJ. Your beautiful trip to Wales looked like fun, and I'm so glad you got together with Annie and had a good visit. While in theory I too, am a mender, I have not ever done a proper darn on a sock and I admire your ability to do so. Your gardening efforts are greater than mine, and your harvest is more varied, too, but my sun gold cherry tomato plant is climbing up the rain downspout and producing a generous crop of tomatoes to delight me and my granddaughters especially. I have been galavanting up and down the West Coast of the USA, camping, attending a 50th wedding celebration and I visited an interesting little museum that I last posted about, but Shaun the Sheep was not in it. Our family quite likes Shaun, too :) I hope your summer continues on an upswing!
ReplyDeleteSuch a cheery post. Pleased you are feeling better.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you've perked up and are enjoying your allotment again. We all lose our ooomph sometimes, don't we? I know I do. Those hanging baskets are beautiful. I only have one every year and it never gets to looking that full and floriferous. There's a little cottage near us that must have around 30 hanging baskets on it, all looking amazing. Hope you enjoy your free weekends and the sun shines.
ReplyDeleteCathy x
Excellent news. Your 'wow' day out sounded fab and I'm glad you found time to give a bit of TLC to the allotment, it is only weeds after all. Come September you will so enjoy spending an hour or two down there by yourself, and it beats cleaning any day of the week. Guess what, I'm off to the allotment right now while my husband does the hoovering!
ReplyDeleteI hope that you are enjoying a relaxing weekend and will enjoy the coming up ones too. You sound much happier and more relaxed in this post. The Shauns are very cute aren't they! Sounds as though the allotment time was productive, we will remember and try to make sure that you don't give it up! Hugs! xx
ReplyDeleteGlad you are feeling more chirpy :) I love that hanging basket - as you say 'a triumph'! And I love Shaun the sheep too. A few years ago, on one of our trips to visit my sister and brother-in-law in Bristol, we saw some of the Gromits that were adorning the city. Great fun!
ReplyDeleteI remember Shaun the Sheep from a few blog posts last year - what a brilliant idea and great for a treasure hunt. The news of the Roman treasure hoard would have me investing in a metal detector and a spade - crikey, some people have all the luck, don't they! That museum looks like a wonderful place for a day out - hope you manage a few more jolly days with your boys before school goes back. Summer seems to have disappeared so quickly, I'm already planning my weeks up to October! Yikes!! Caro xx
ReplyDeleteBritain In Bloom - what a lovely idea. Glad that you have some downtime coming up. Wander, relax, and enjoy the last weekends of Summer.
ReplyDeleteLovely post and wonderful pictures. They sure are terrific hanging baskets. I've been seeing the Shaun the Sheep figures on Facebook and Twitter.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful aeroplane. I've seen similar replicas flying which were an amazing sight.
And as for giving up your plot....! Flighty xx
Hope you are feeling better, I think we all feel like that at points, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by the new nursery project, even though its what I want. I was totally exhausted last week, but taking my unhealthy eating back in hand, easing up a bit for a week and sleeping better has started to make things a bit better. Some times it all feels a bit too much. Lovely photographs of Bristol and those hanging baskets are amazing :) Have a good week
ReplyDeleteweekends of blissful freedom sound perfect. enjoy x
ReplyDeleteI love those trails! We had ducks here in June. Very cute! I can't wait for the next one to come.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you're feeling better CJ. The museum looks wonderful and the flowers amazing. We had a 'Shaun in the city arts trail' in London earlier in the year - great fun. Have a relaxing week. Jane xx
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your down time! (Now that I think about it, that phrase could be taken two ways. Having gone back to read your last post, where you were experiencing another kind of "down" time, I mean: enjoy your commitment-free time.) :)
ReplyDeleteSuch gorgeous flower baskets. I like the pink-and-lavender one against the pink stucco wall. The museum sounds and looks like great fun; those curly capitals and the sea-serpents are particularly striking.
NEVER give up your allotment! Yes, we would definitely talk you out of it if you tried. It's a precious bit of earth and you'd regret losing it. Having a blog is a bit like having an allotment, isn't it? A space to grow things, including guilt. And the weeds do take over so quickly. But then you get the satisfaction of a good clear-out. :D
Thrilled to hear you are feeling a little more upbeat and that you are managing to get on top of the allotment. I need to spend some serious time in the garden it really is looking tatty. I loved the hanging baskets, what a delight.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you are feeling more in control CJ. I have yet to tackle my garden. It is a disgrace. Maybe if I incentivise the children with a few shiny coins..... always wonder how people achieve to make these amazing hanging baskets! Have a lovely week. x
ReplyDeleteThose hanging baskets are very lovely. I love Shaun the sheep and was lucky enough to visit with a few in London this spring. Blessed and rare are the free weekends. Enjoy. I have just stuck my one and only back in middle school this very day. FREEDOM! Alas, soccer practice starts up at 2x this week. Sheesh. It's always something!!
ReplyDeleteOo, the Bristol Museum looks interesting, and we are great fans of Wallace and Gromit, and hence Shaun, here, in fact I have one of those Shaun the Sheep which was intended as a footstool, although he is NEVER used as a footstool, he is far too cute!
ReplyDeleteCaz xx
Maybe you should bookmark this post so that if you do think of giving up your plot you can read it and talk yourself out of it.
ReplyDeleteGlad that you have deslumped.
I'm glad you're not feeling slumpy any more, time without having to rush off anywhere is very good indeed xx
ReplyDeleteMake the most of getting the boys to help out at the allotment, once they get to their mid teens you can't bribe them with love nor money. I see lots of cities have these trails, I don't think Leeds has ever had one, well I haven't heard about them having one anyway. How lovely, some free weekends, still a few games of cricket left here, oh, and then indoor cricket for winter will start.
ReplyDeleteEven though the boys had to have some prodding to help you in the allotment, I'm sure they'll look back on this time helping their mom in her garden fondly:) It sounds wonderful to not have any plans for the next few weeks. Enjoy yourself and take some quiet time for yourself--you deserve it!! Hope you're having a great start to your week, CJ:)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flowers. Shaun the Sheep! My mom keeps saying she wants to see this movie but I have no clue what it is and here you guys have Shauns all over the place! Weirddd
ReplyDeleteI do love an empty schedule! It always ends up getting filled again, but 'freestyle' days are always so much less fraught.
ReplyDeleteIt seems as though lots of local councils are going down the path of wildflower planting this year. So much nicer than the usual marigolds and begonias and all the rest of it.
And yes, you must keep the allotment. Seriously. I insist!
Sarah x
I'm just catching up on your posts CJ, sorry to hear you have been down in the dumps - but I have every sympathy as this season really has taken it out of me this year. The baskets at the end of your road are just gorgeous and I love the colours of the front doors :-) We are about to start to enjoy some empty days too with me being off work for a few days and now the readiness of going back to school and college for my two teens. It will soon fill up again :-) Take care and enjoy the remaining days of summer xx
ReplyDeleteHey CJ,
ReplyDeletePayment in cold harsh cash works wonders here too. Except at plot no 10...
So glad you are feeling brighter, lovely girl. Olly and I did some of the Shauns; it was a lovely way to romp around central Bristol. Isambaa Brunel was my favorite.
Here's to day to day adventures with the boys.
LeAnn xx
Enjoy your free time, glad to hear that you are enjoying the allotment again after the help you received. Sarah x
ReplyDeleteI'm glad things are looking brighter. I meant to comment on your last post, and now can't remember if I did or not.
ReplyDeleteThose baskets in the high street look very pretty! And of course we would talk you out of giving up your gardening plot. :-)