Still Here

Life has been a bit hectic lately......even more so than normal. Betty (my second Mum) died following a stroke in September so we have been in the UK for a couple of short spells recently. Betty was 96 and frustrated by her increasingly failing health so we could not feel sad at her passing as we knew she was ready to go after a very full and interesting life. Together with her son and her grand children we arranged a fitting celebration of her life with lots of laughs, she would have approved of that.

These sad occasions often go along side some very nice experiences. This one gave us the opportunity to stay with Clive (Betty's son) and his wife Mary. Over the past couple of years they have been building three houses on what was their garden. They have just moved into the one they build for themselves...... and we think it's fabulous. Perhaps more than most we can appreciate the work, blood sweat and tears they have put into the project.

However the downside of the trip was that we caught awful colds (presumably on the plane) which we can not get rid of. No doubt we will survive!! Unfortunately we have a lot to do to put the garden to bed and not much "go" to do it.

The weather has remained remarkably mild but wet, so the late garden is blooming much better than it did in the summer.  Still, I must take the bull by the horns and lift the tender plants. Foolishly I have made the situation worse by ordering 6100 bulbs which need planting. Seemed a good idea when I ordered them as they work out very cheap! Well these not so hardy souls started planting yesterday and managed to plant 500 mixed daffodils around the sycamores in the back field......only 5600 to go!!