Friday 4 May 2018

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?

22 comments:

  1. Love that photo of Bert. Hope the garden damage wasn’t too bad in the end and enough pots survived. Well done on mending the bike. Top marks, that woman! A weekend of running awaits here (what else?). Enjoy the warm bank hol xx

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  2. I’m smiling at memories of years past when my three boys were younger and destroyed the garden regularly. Usually with the football or just boys larking about. Now it’s the tortoise that pushes pots over. Really. He's a tough little chap with that hard shell. Clever you to mend the bike. Woman power. Hope you get time to write when you are feeling inspired. It’s hard to get those two together I find. Haven’t seen a Brimstone yet, I’ll have to keep looking. We’re in the garden this weekend. Lots of planting out and more potting on. It’s endless but fun, especially in the sunshine. Have a good weekend. B x

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  3. Enjoy the sun, what a stroke of luck it's a Bank Holiday I shall be at the local May Fayre. x

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  4. Hello from Pennsylvania, USA!
    Your spring photos are lovely!
    We are seeing our first signs of spring here.
    I have been watching buds form on trees, and a rather funny woodpecker out our windows.
    Enjoy your long weekend!

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  5. What a beautiful garden you have....love from me Ria 💜

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  6. Lovely post and pictures, I especially like the one of Bertie. Shame about the broken pots. Well done on sorting the bike out.
    Enjoy the weekend, I'll be doing some plotting as usual. xx

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  7. I remember those years where they refuse to acknowledge you. I once went to collect my eldest from school in the midst of winter. He was coming out with a friend and as I approached he walked straight past, no eye contact but out of the side of his mouth muttered "ditch the hat". I thought it was a rather nice hat but apparently it was merely embarrassing! About to make porridge to use up the milk glut here, despite the weather. Have a good weekend CJ x

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  8. Good for you, CJ. You did it. I know what it's like when they won't acknoweledge you, though. My son is at that stage now. I'd like to think he's impressed with my can-do attitude and my vast breadth of skills, but that seems too optimistic. Speaking of bikes, we finally got my daughter a new one last weekend. She'd needed a bigger bike for about a year. My husband took her to the annual bike swap, where she got a gently-used bike that would have cost a fortune had we bought it new. We were so excited to get her home so she could ride it, but as soon as we walked into the house we realized that she had spiked a fever while we were out and she just crashed on the couch for the rest of the day. Poor thing. We were so happy about our great deal on the bike, we didn't even notice the child we were buying it for. Lovely bike, though! Haha.

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  9. The weather is glorious! And on a Bank holiday too! Hope you get some time to enjoy it.

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  10. I don’t know about S[ring - I think summer has arrived. We have managed to get quite a lot done on the allotment. The watering cans have even been brought into action again.

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  11. Happy Spring CJ. The blooms and wonderful Spring smells must be enticing. Good for you getting that chain out, nothing like Mother motivation and adrenaline to fix a chain. I fear boys will never understand how strong we really are. As for the ignoring, my oldest did that once, but it only happened that one time. Now certainly there were times I would like to have ignored them, including when they are right next to me in my own home. You are a fabulous writer my friend, never forget that.

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  12. I do enjoy your writing, you are a natural, it's all so wonderful and easy to read, I wish I could string words together so beautifully. Always a treat to visit and see what you, the dog and urchins are up to!!! xxx

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  13. Glorious blossom-y goodness!! We're not quite there yet, but very close. The magnolia down by the pond has some luscious big buds on it, just in time for a hurricane-force windstorm the other day. Why do they do that? Happily, most of the buds are still intact, a few days more of unfurling and they would've been scattered to the four corners.

    Very inspired by your writing festival and subsequent enthusiasms. I feel confident that same enthusiasm will return to me. One day. :)

    xoxoxo

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  14. You go girl with your bike mending superpower! After reading your post, I went and sniffed our pear tree - I hadn't noticed before, but it is rather unpleasant isn't it. Love the Bertie photo - he looks like butter wouldn't melt, not at all like a riotous teenager! L is home for the bank holiday, so we're hoping to go kayaking today. Have a good one. xx

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  15. I hope at some point your garden will recover. Ours is always in a state of destruction, dogs and boys are not a good mix. It is glorious outside here, I hope it is just like this where you are. Wishing you a happy week. x

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  16. Well done on the strength CJ. I'm afraid mine is somewhat lacking these days. I love your pictures and I'm not sure I have ever smelled Pear Blossom. I do think things smell differently to different people. Some people comment on the smell of the Bluebell woods but I can't say I have ever been able to notice a smell and I'm pretty sure they are the English sort.
    Hope you have had a lovely weekend.
    Jacquie x

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  17. We saw our first Brimstone butterfly this weekend. I has been wonderful having some warm weather after so long. Bertie looks so innocent, Tavi only started to calm down once he reached two, so you still have a while to go! Sarah x

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  18. Please do keep writing. I've read and enjoyed your blog for years. The word 'delightful' springs to mind. Linda

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    1. Thank you Linda, what a lovely comment. CJ xx

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  19. Such satisfaction finding you can do something that you and others thought not possible in one so frail. Shout it from the rooftops I say.
    I often wonder why we can't do more of the jobs for ourselves, that always seem to call for an expensive 'expert', who then bodges it anyway. I probably shouldn't mess with electricity (although my dad taught me how to change plugs and do a bit of soldering) but plumbing must be pretty straightforward.

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  20. Our vet informed us that Ziggy is just entering puberty. So far he's been just as naughty as usual which is Very Naughty. My two will no longer hold my hand or kiss/hug me goodbye at school. Soon they'll be blanking me too!

    Well done on mending the bike though. Xxx

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  21. Dogs have teen years????? :-)

    Don't know, as I always only had cats.

    Cute about the older boy... And the "do not notice me, Mom".... Glad you are at ease with this stage. It's the only way to be!

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