May musings

Life goes on, busy, but unremarkable, although Nathaniel has not been his usual sunny self all the time and has been prone to throwing wobblies. We did wonder whether he was sickening for something, as there is chickenpox about. However it could just be that his routine has been interrupted and changed so much lately, or it could just be that he is feeling his feet as they say. Who is to know?
We are gradually getting used to different childminding hours, although, as we no longer have them on a Friday, I tend to keep thinking that Friday is Saturday, and end up all confused. I have much less time on a Wednesday, as we have to go up to their home at 11.30 am, so it's a quick visit to WW just to be weighed then off to do the weekly shopping, then a quick unpacking and off out again. Although last week I arrived at the community centre for WW, and couldn't park there or at the nearby shops,so had to go straight to Sainsbo's
Husband missed church for a second week as he was coughing so much. My cough has been replaced by a more 'dry' cough, which usually comes on just as I am about to fall asleep at night, or about to doze on the sofa. Husband has been working at raising the fruit bed at the bottom of the garden, and he has now placed the compost bins on paving stones to try and stop rats burrowing their way in.We have had a couple of visits to garden centres, and I tidied up one bed, and planted some bedding plants. Last Friday we went to the one on the St Albans bypass. I'd had my hair cut that morning, husband came into town with me, then I went over to the material and wool shop, and bought a new pattern. Then we got the bus back up, got the car and drove to the garden centre, had lunch there, and did some browsing and buying.
I had been forbidden to plant anything in one bed till it has been dug over, the daff leaves need to die back, the lily of the valley needs to be culled as it has been taking over. The fruit is coming quite well, the big ceanothus is in full bloom,and had had to be tied back so that the milkman and postie can get down the path.
I decided it was time to stop procrastinating, and get on and use my sewing machine. I have made 2 skirts, and almost finished a dress, one sleeve left to put in, and a hem to do. I bought another pattern in a slightly different style to try, as I found some lovely material when we went to Eastbourne in February.

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And another

The weather has been pretty pleasant lately, quite hot in fact, but we are supposed to be getting rain soon. I was pleased to bump into H, who had the twins,and used to come to our toddler group at church. The twins must be 2 now, H still does childminding too, she is as bright and bubbly as ever.

Last Saturday, we ventured up to the forest at Ashridge, the aim was to take some family photographs, more about that later, but when the family arrived Nat had fallen asleep after a busy morning at a Birthday party, so we had a drink at the cafe, then tried again. It was very difficult to get a picture with everyone smiling, or the children not moving or in Lydia's case sticking her fingers in her mouth, then the children got hungry, so bits of sandwich got into the picture, and we all thought that professional child photographers really earn their money.

Mum and Dad give a helping hand

Nat waits for his drink

Lydie pinches dad's ice cream

Nathaniel has his own

Over the past 2 days or so, I have been redoing my pots, we had to go for more compost, but they are now done. I am in the doghouse a bit because I have managed to mislay a trowel. I also went for a coffee with a church friend on  Tuesday to catch up, as I'm still not able to get to women's hour, and feel so out of the loop.
Just to make a change, I broke my glasses. I dropped them, then stepped on them, Aaaaaargh! the new frames, broken! I had been told that I am now entitled to a free yearly eye test, so rang the opticians to check. They couldn't fit me in with my usual chap for more than a week, so I opted for an appointment with the chap husband sees. When I mentioned that I still get double vision at times, he got very interested, and gave me some goggles to wear, red one side, green the other, very fetching. He carried out a number of tests with me wearing the goggles, then studied my eyes very carefully. He then said he would refer me to my G P, as there is a possibility that I may have thyroid eye disease, and I may need to see a specialist. So perhaps it is a blessing that I stepped on my glasses. I have to have a pair made for driving and the cinema, with a prism in, so no more shutting one eye at acute junctions so that I only see one of each car, and hopefully when I go to see the third instalment of the Hobbit, the dwarves will have only one nose each in close up.
On a sad note, an ex work colleague who lives in America rang me last week, lovely to hear from her, but sad to hear that a mutual old friend died recently, another sufferer from Pancreatic cancer, we do seem to be hearing a lot about this dreadful disease lately. The rain actually came today, well overnight first, then as husband set off for town this afternoon, it rained, thundered, and then there was a terrific downpour. It's starting again as I write this. I needn't worry about watering the new plants.
I got rather cross today, I walked into town whilst Lydia was napping, got the bus back up, and the driver went a different way. The first stop left me with about a mile walk home. The reason I got the bus is because my back is bad. When I asked the driver why he had come that way, he blamed roadworks,and said if I had said where I was going, he would have told me not to get on the bus. To add insult to injury, as I hobbled down the hill, the same number bus passed me going down, so they are obviously not forbidden to use the route.
Nat had a good long sleep this afternoon, so I only had Lydia to look after. I was doing something in the kitchen, and she was being very quiet. I turned around and she was using a hand brush to spread washing powder over the floor! I must make sure the clip on the container has clicked into place. Happy Days!