I was watching Sky News this morning, they were interviewing a chap in a care home. I had known that being in a care home has been particularly difficult throughout this pandemic but what he said broke my heart and I sobbed.
The interviewer asked him what he was most looking forward to. And he replied “oh, just to go sit in a car, and maybe have a drive round the area to see what it all looks like still”
Oh my goodness, that opened the floodgates. Something so simple, so basic, something the rest of us have taken for granted, while we moaned about what lockdown was like for us.
Yes, I was cut off from time with my wider family, my friends, restaurants, hotels, etc etc. But I could at least go out of my front door every single day and go for a walk, or a drive if I fancied. It might have felt restrictive, but it really wasn’t. I was free. Much freer than I had thought.
And then I think of all those people the other day protesting because they’d been ask to wear a tiny piece of cloth over their nose and mouth to prevent them spit spraying their germs all over the place, and they had the cheek to wear yellow stars on their jackets and pretend that the measures brought in were reminiscent of and equated to what the Nazi’s did to Jewish people.
Really? I have no words. Well, I do, and although I’m no lady, I really don’t think it would be wise to start. Roy Chubby Brown would blush at what I’ve got to say. ;)
I’m a very happy go lucky bunny. I live in gratitude in my daily life in general. But I’m going to spare an extra thought for that chap and the thousands like him in a similar situation. Every time I get to do something or go somewhere. Because I am incredibly blessed with a wonderful life.
For example, last week, I did my best friend a garden tea party. Just the two of us. Is that what we’d usually do? Nope, dinner, shopping sprees, all sorts of things. But lunch in the garden was really lovely.
The weather was fine enough but the big tent was there just in case.
I made a pretty table scape. Just for her, with Lily of the valley (birth flower of May), and lilacs that are in flower beautifully at this time of year.
I bought this paper, when I got home I realised it matched a dress I bought in Karl Largerfeld the other day. I knew there was a reason I was drawn to it.
We had a lovely afternoon, she loved her pressies. And I loved spoiling her. She’s the best! xx
The day after couldn’t have been more different, as I decided to tackle some gardening, I’m not an avid gardener. In all honesty I’d rather not. But as we no longer have a gardener I guess I have to.
Well I was merrily chopping away at an area of over grown bramble and other flora and fauna.
I cleared quite a big area, and tidied up after myself, so that’s progress right there.
Anyway, I came in for a bit of a rest. I started to smell something unpleasant. Not only could I smell it, it seemed to be with me wherever I went. Now I’m a smart cookie, no, really I am!
I realised that the smell was coming from me, specifically my bag. It didn’t smell like a filter failure, that tends to have an irony/bloody odour.
I popped upstairs to change my bag, only to find that I was covered in scratches, but when I removed my bag that area had none. That’s because all the scratches in that area had been taken by the bag, and the smell I was smelling was the pin prick holes of brambles trimmings! Hahahahaha Not the first time it’s happened. And I’m sure it won’t be the last. But I do need to rethink my gardening outfits for bramble cutting back. :)
Such a glamorous life. Hahah
Anyway, the weekend came along, a long weekend here. Oh the joy.
We had friends over on Saturday for a bbq. I have been friends with Stephen for his entire life. He’s a month and 3 days younger than me. My mum was baby sitting his brother the day Steve was being born. We’ve literally been life long friends.
Well due to the pandemic we hadn’t seen each other for well over a year. This was the first time in our lives this has happened.
His wife and children are wonderful and we all get on fabulously. It’s been hard not to see them all.
So Saturday we had our big reunion!
Chris, very wonderfully and kindly asked if I’d like him to try and recreate a post I had put on my work’s social media.
It’s an amazing photograph of a very well scaped greenhouse. I loved it.
Chris said “I can do that, or something even better”
…and he bloody well did!
He made a start Saturday morning by adding the chandelier to the tent. But his plans were bigger and better than that. :)
I added my potting bench as a drinks station. Cold drinks in the ice bucket. Plus after dinner coffee. The garden is big and it’s a bit of a drag to keep shlepping backwards and forwards. (Literally how lazy am I?!)
My beautiful chandelier. It came just plain but Chris bought the crystal droplets to add to it.
Top from Jigsaw, Jeans from New Look, Shoes from Mulberry
I asked Chris to take my photo, poor thing, he’s been lumped with role of photographer, when he’d really probably rather not.
When I looked at the photos I was really chuffed with this outfit.
It gave me pause for thought. My body was hacked apart to save my life. I have the colostomy and bag, I have a rather large hernia, both of these things give me a very unfortunate pregnant looking belly.
But actually, I work on minimising the look of that with the clothes I choose. I was pleased I looked as good as I feel I do in this outfit.
I felt I looked ok. More than ok, actually. I felt really good too. How lovely a feeling is it to be pleased and grateful for the image reflected back at us.
I could spend hours picking it apart, and in years gone by I would have too, but that would waste my precious time, plus miss the point, that firstly my friends didn’t come to see my body or my clothes, they came to see me, my brain, my personality.
I felt happy in the inside because I felt I looked ok on the outside. And that shines through. :)
Channelling my inner Mrs Alice…
The Mrs Alice of, Mrs Alice, online curator and purveyor of incredible table scapes extraordinaire!
Her scapes are spenny but they are spectacular. And although I can’t afford most of the stuff on the website, I do love a browse on there for inspiration.
We had such a lovely day with Steve and Jac and the boys. They’re great kids. And remind me of my own, temperament wise. Just genuinely lovely people.
Ben came over to have a catch up too.
But bless him he also came to empty my pond. Which was so good of him.
Zak is coming in a couple of weeks and I had hoped our veg garden, where the pond is, would be fenced off and safe. But with Chris’s back injury that hasn’t happened. So the next best idea was to empty the pond so it’s of no danger to him. Kids will be kids, so I wanted to protect him from any possible mischievous mishap.
Ben made a really good start on emptying it, and I finished it off.
So Zak may well fall into the big hole, but he is safe.
We had such a lovely day. Such a fantastic time catching up. Now we’re all vaccinated and the boys test for covid twice a week we’re going to be able to catch up far more too.
Sunday, was a really quiet day. And bless him, Chris got on with his lighting scaping (hahahahaha I made that a thing. :))
He can’t feel his left leg at the moment due to the disc herniation and pressing on his spine. So how he was able to get up and down the ladder I will never know. He’s my hero, that’s for certain.
While he got on with that, I strimmed and cut the grass and I then finished off emptying the pond.
Ben had done most of it so I only had a small amount to empty. It’s rained again now, so I will probably have to re do that bit.
Found a little friend :)
Bank holiday Monday I woke up to find Chris was in some discomfort, having over done it the day before, the problem is you never really know you’ve over done it until it’s too late.
…but look at what he made!
He’s just so amazing and practical. I was blown away by how beautiful the lights turned out.
Chris’s lighting inspiration was taken from this photo I posted for Neptune Colchester on Friday. I absolutely love this look. But I love what Chris has created for us more.
And if the tent remains in place through these gale force winds we’re having at the moment it will be a wonderful place to entertain. I actually prefer it to having people in the house now.
I have a lovely home, I love people visiting but we’ve put in off white carpets, and I’ve got to be honest, myself and most of my friends are spillers. So I am finding garden entertaining far more relaxing. All I have to do is remove stains from the table cloths and napkins now. It’s heavenly. :)
Kids and dogs can roam the garden freely. Everyone (me mainly) can relax and enjoy the company.
So, Monday, once I realised Chris was in a bit of bother, I got up, got dressed and let him have the house to himself. He never, or very rarely is ever home alone.
Top from Sainsbury’s, Leggings from River Island, Shoes from Jimmy Choo
I took myself off to Neptune to have a look around, I’m always on the look out for home inspo.
I was going to pop to a garden centre and their deli on the way home but there were massive queues for both and I decided against it, I’m just taking my time about where I want to be. I don’t want to be near loads of people, so queueing to get in to start with isn’t for me.
I came home, had some lunch and then Chris said did I fancy going for a walk. Always!!
So we headed back to London for a trip to Fortnums to pick up a picnic, for an evening picnic in the park.
Ben and Kaitlyn had spent the day in London, so they met us at F&M before they headed off to dinner.
Chris and I bought our picnic, a new cold bag and new rug, as we had forgotten ours (oi yoi yoi) and headed off to Green Park.
Did I mention the gale force winds? I think I did.
Well we are a determined pair, the weather can’t stop us!
I had to tie my hair back with my face mask otherwise I was just eating mouthfuls of hair. And people say face masks don’t work!! Hahahahaha
Have you ever tried to picnic in a park in a force 8 gale? No, I’ve not had much experience of it either. But I thought it was a wonderfully romantic suggestion so I went with it.
The combination of the time of year and the wind meant the trees were releasing a noxious pollen storm. It was horrendous.
People in the park were struggling to see, covering their faces, walking backwards to avoid harm, and god help you if you have hayfever!!
See all the thousands of little strands that look like short dog hair? That’s the pollen. It was everywhere! On us, in us, we inhaled a lot.
Did it dampen our spirits? Not at all. I’m just very grateful and happy that after 27 years together my husband can still suggest spontaneous, romantic dates. Albeit in a hurricane. :)
I text Kaitlyn to see if the restaurant they had tried was nice, it was, she said, but they had to give up due to the wind. Her drink blew off the table and smashed and it was nigh on impossible to eat the food, as it was lifting up from the plate. So they left it at just drinks and starters and came home.
Dining outside is great. But maybe just for countries with a steadier climate. ;)