Weeks that slip through your fingers

It has been one of those weeks that feels full to the brim, but looks empty.

Hello from a wonderfully sunny Somerset,

I’m grateful to have gathered some new subscribers this week - so welcome if that’s you!

I don’t entirely understand where the time goes - beyond the daily tasks of household drudgery, walking the hound (am I too chatty with people I meet consequently elongating walks?), tending my plants, checking on the sheep and ensuring we eat I can’t quite think what I’ve done.

In my defence I did actually manage to pull my back on Tuesday (changing a toilet roll) and have as a result been walking somewhat slowly and crab-like since, but still… I resolve to be a model of efficiency and productivity next week. Possibly.

This morning I heard the sound of what, for me, is the epitome of Spring. The cuckoo. Every year for just a couple of weeks or so I hear its call up on the hill and it never fails to put a smile on my face, and indeed of the other dog walkers I encountered today.

The sound of the cuckoo will never fail to bring to mind my Grandfather who for a period had a minor obsession with recording its call, I fondly remember him walking up and down the lane outside the house with a large tape recorder upon his shoulder. I haven’t heard the cuckoo from the garden here since I was a child, but I messaged Mum this morning to tell her I’d heard it and she immediately recalled her father too!

Just in case you don’t get to hear one around you here is a poor quality recording via the Merlin Bird ID app! Listen carefully from around 9 seconds…

As I type this I’m feeling increasingly anxious about the seedlings I left outside the plastic palace this morning to begin hardening off, I fear they may just have been fried and must now run (crablike) up to check on them.

Panic over, they’re all okay! I have yet more seeds to sow, and some to resow since germination has been poor (Nigella oddly). The tomato seedlings are now in the beds of the plastic palace and I have underplanted with basil propagated from a supermarket plant which is rather satisfying. The garden is already so dry though, last night I actually watered a few things - rhubarb included since it was looking somewhat despairingly floppy.

Monday evening saw the village Garden Group meet again. My lovely neighbour over the road (and professional gardener) kindly shared her knowledge of propagation with us all, even providing a crib sheet for those of us with non existent memories. I’m going to try several plants over the weekend and have planned the meeting next month to be a plant/seedling swap in the hope that we’ll all have lots to share.

In other news we finally bit the bullet and cut the box hedging around the front garden, I’ve left it alone for the past couple of years since it has looked considerably healthier than most box around and I didn’t want to stress it. Still, it now looks much tidier to Mike’s delight, and I’m just hoping that with a feed this weekend it will continue to survive both blight and bugs.

Shamefully little action in here this week beyond one more batch of test glaze and a couple of firings. One bisque firing which is usually fairly stress free, and a repeat of the cocked up firing currently cooling. Keep your fingers crossed please for at least a couple of successful results so that I can finally get on and glaze everything I have sitting on shelves.

I can’t quite believe that last summer I managed to devote 12 whole weeks to full time pottery, and I even toyed with the notion of entering the Great Pottery Throwdown in order to focus my attention once again. But I don’t think I’d really enjoy the stress and in any case what would I do with Gertie?!

Next week I hope to spend more hours in the studio than the garden and have more to share on that front.

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It is virtually impossible to pick up one’s phone these days without reading a report of older women enjoying strength training, and given all my orthopaedic misadventures it’s important for me, but bloody hell there is nothing like others’ zealous enthusiasm to make me dig my heels in.

What is the matter with me? I know full well how much I would (indeed have previously) reap benefits from resistance training. Until a year ago I was doing regular kettle bell classes, only stopping after the tooth removal incident that created an hole between my jaw and sinus resulting in my nose bleeding each time I bent over for a period thus making classes impossible.

However, I have made excuses for many months now, becoming flabbier and less comfortable in my trousers week by week. I am steeling myself for action…

But in truth this is an issue I experience in many realms of life, the more I am told I ‘should’ do something, or sometimes even if I really want to do something, I will find a way to avoid doing it for a ridiculously protracted period. I’m sure there is a good psychological explanation for this but it can be rather frustrating.

Having written this post I now have the pleasure of ticking at least one thing of my list for the week. I hope if you’ve made it this far you’ve found something to relate to. I leave you now with wishes for a weekend filled with things that make you smile.

With love,

Vx

ps. thanks to all of you who kindly clicked the ♥️ heart button last week - maybe it’s your support that is gently increasing my subscriber numbers. xx