me on Monday

a wave I prepared earlier – when this posts I’ll be on a train enjoying some countryside on a train daytrip

over the weekend I enjoyed the sun when it appeared – in case it doesn’t come back for a while! I spent some time in my garden trimming and tidying and eyeing up the emerging fruit.  Later we had a nice walk in a local park and admired a new mural under a bridge

I like the mix of nature and traditional graffiti styles

while trimming the privet hedge I pondered things I love and hate, in response to the challenge posed by Eileen on her blog.  Here are the items I came up with – I resisted going back to make changes as that could be an endless process.  So here are 10 thinks that came to mind when I thought about what I love and hate on Sunday afternoon:

I love

1. Spring bulbs blooming
2. Summer fruit
3. Sound of waves on the shore
4. Rich colours
5. Laughter
6. Small kindnesses
7. A big book or series driven by a strong narrative – where things happen
8. A walk with camera
9. Ideas
10. Creativity and creating things

 

I hate

1. Dusk before dinner
2. Discrimination of all kinds
3. Surgery shown on TV
4. Furry food – such as peaches
5. Rudeness
6. Strong artificial smells
7. Lateness
8. Finding slugs have eaten the things I planted
9. Repetitive tasks
10. Not being able to think of enough items for a list

The challenge then asks me to nominate 10 people to repeat the exercise – but with several blogfriends already nominated we are likely to repeat so I’ll just say – if you want to do this then consider yourself nominated.

me on Monday

someone turned off the sun!!  After lovely, bare arms and shorts weather mid week the cloud and drizzle returned for the weekend – but more sun is promised forecast for later in the week.

Saturday morning found me out in my garden, removing weeds and digging.  I’m the first to admit that gardening is not my forte but I do like picking food from my garden.  So when my Dad offered me some of the seedlings that he had spare I accepted with thanks and then rooted through my recycle bin to find some pots to use as slug protection while they get established.  I can see them out of my kitchen window which should help remind me to water them when we don’t have rain.

In other news, for the second year Dad and I volunteered in the baggage tent for the Moonwalk – an over night 26 mile walk that raises money for breast cancer research. Many walkers wear fancy dress – in particular decorated bras so there is a fun atmosphere as the walkers gather and get ready to set off at midnight. We take their bags, check their number is attached and then store them in number order for easy retrieval by the morning shift.

Other than that is was a weekend of crochet, reading and practicing sign language.

Waving to Sian for prompting us to start each week with a wave, and to all my other lovely blogreaders – wishing you all a good week

5 in 5 with crocuses

I spent 5 minutes in my front garden admiring my crocuses and taking lots of photos for Sandie’s lovely 5 in 5 monthly meme and here are my favourite 5

I love the richness of the colours and the subtle patterns and I love the spring bulbs splashing colour over the otherwise drab ground.

5 in 5 in May in my flower garden

Taking Sandie’s suggestion to take plenty of photos in 5 minutes and then choose the 5 best.  I went into my front, flower garden and clicked away – often without looking at the screen on the back of the camera as I tried low and different angles to get near to the flowers.  It was fun to experiment like this – thanks Sandie.

So here are my picks and if I had smell-o-vision you would be smelling lavender as I brush against the lavender bush as I walk into the garden

lovely bluebells and marigolds giving colour now and plenty of promise of pinks and roses

lovely delicate lily of the valley blooming already – these are my birthday flowers so hope some are still flowering at the end of the month

I love this combination of plant components – leaves, thorns and flower

not forgetting the annoyingly ever present aphids (the spots on the leaves) which I squash regularly

and plenty of lovely ladybirds around – pretty and they also eat aphids

Zoom in on grape hyacinths

I'm back into my front garden for my zoom out and in this week

a sea of blue from the grape hyacinths with some spots of yellow daffodil and green leaves showing the promise of tulips and bluebells still to come.  A real change from the white and yellow of snowdrops and crocus in February when I zoomed in on them.

anticipating a fascinating range of subjects from this weeks shares - I love how this one simple meme prompts such a range of topics - thank you.