They said it couldn't be done

Spring it is then. I saw a brimstone butterfly this morning. Grass everywhere is thick and green, green, green. The scent of the apple blossom is delicious, unlike the pear blossom which is frankly revolting. I wonder if it's just some people that don't like the smell of it, you know, maybe it's one of those things that smell lovely to some people and ghastly to others. I'm a ghastly.

The urchins are in the garden, breaking pots with scooters, bikes, cricket balls, tennis rackets, anything which comes to hand really. It's a triumph of hope over experience that I keep planting things, it really is.

The dog may have entered his teenage years. Suddenly, a couple of weeks ago, he got up and started being naughty again. I thought the teenage years were at around eight months of age, but apparently not. It's good job we are all scruffy round here. He has made it his job to make us all scruffier.

The biggest boy made me laugh this morning. I saw him walking to school with a friend while I was walking the dog after dropping the littlest boy off. He pretended he hadn't seen me/didn't know me. The first time he did that I kept looking at him to see if he'd smile or wave or something. Now I have got the hang of my 'I haven't seen you either' look. I did it to perfection I have to say.

I mended his bike for him yesterday. The chain was jammed solidly between the cogs and the frame and he hadn't managed to pull it out. I asked him if it was something I could do. He felt that, 'NO, IF I CAN'T DO IT, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO IT.' I said we'd have to take it to the bike repair place, which is conveniently round the corner. We're there literally every week with one bike or another. He muttered, 'He'll think we're HOPELESS.' I pointed out that we are hopeless. Anyway, I went outside, put on my heavy duty gardening gloves and using pure brute force pulled the chain out ALL BY MYSELF. I have literally told everybody I meet. Honestly, I am completely insufferable.

I went to a local literary festival the other day. It was absolutely brilliant. Completely inspiring and motivating. It was great to meet writers and hear their stories and learn a little about the writing world. I really must try and do that sort of thing more often. It has completely energised me. Any sort of writing is of course a very solitary business, and I have a lot of self-doubt, but everyone was so very encouraging. It is very much something I try and fit in in the evenings - the workday writing is non-fiction and very different. Often I'm tired by then, but so many people are in the same boat, and making it work. One mum writes from 9pm until midnight. I was hugely impressed as her children are small and no doubt very demanding in the day.

The irony is that now we've got the dog, I find I sleep better from all that walking and I'm not awake at 5.30am any more, which is a shame, because that would be the perfect time to write. But I'm squeezing it in where I can, a little every day.

Here in the UK a long, warm, bank holiday weekend awaits. Three days of sunshine by all accounts. I shall be telling people off for breaking things and chewing things, mowing the grass, making rice pudding (giant milk overload) and marching about the place with the teenage dog. Yourselves?