February: well, where did that go?

Into spring, actually, although the dying gasp of the month put us firmly back into winter, ready for 'In like a lion and out like a lamb', as the saying goes about March. Or is it the other way round? I can be firmly convinced of either.

But February had its fair share of stormy weather, gales, high tides and fog. Lots and lots of fog, most of it over half term. We were all right - off on the boat to France, as documented in our motorhome adventures - but many weary travellers were delayed, sometimes for days. Ho hum - the price of living on paradise island, I suppose.

Inbetween the storms, the daffodils erupted - many growing in unexpected places, not only in our garden, but also along my daily commute to work. Most surprising were the single clumps, proudly perched high, on the grassy banks which do duty as walls or fences around the fields.

I managed a little more digging of our new vege patch: I'm creating more beds, digging up an old gravel path with some large rocks beneath it. #notenoughtimeathome

Otherwise, we managed to see many friends, both out and about and inviting them home. I had parents' evenings at school - all good, lovely to celebrate the children's progress with them.

And then it was half term, and we were off. To Brittany, this time.

In the midst of it all, there was much to pray for. Sick friends. Our children living in a war-torn country, serving the poor as best they can. Our children applying for new, exciting, adventures - and succeeding.  Pain and sorrow and anxiety and fear-that-trusts and rejoicing and excitement all rolled up into one intricate prayermat. God knows.

And the days grow longer, and lighter, and our spirits begin to lift...

Gardening. Gardening. GARDENING!

While I have been out at work, Richard has been home at work. There is so much gardening to do - a busy time of year anyway, let alone our wish to get the garden sorted so that we have enough parking. He has been cutting back shrubs, mowing the lawn... and creating more hard standing so that we can manoeuvre the cars.

It's feeling a bit like the Flanders and Swann song "The Gas Man Cometh":

'Twas on a Monday morning

The Gas-Man came to call;
The gas tap wouldn't turn - I wasn't getting gas at all.
He tore out all the skirting boards
To try and find the main,
And I had to call a Carpenter to put them back again.

Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do!

'Twas on a Tuesday morning
The Carpenter came round;
He hammered and he chiselled and he said: 'Look what I've found!
Your joists are full of dry-rot
But I'll put it all to rights.'
Then he nailed right through a cable and out went all the lights.

Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do!

'Twas on a Wednesday morning
The Electrician came;
He called me 'Mr Sanderson' (which isn't quite my name).
He couldn't reach the fuse box
Without standing on the bin
And his foot went through a window - so I called a Glazier in.

Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do!

Twas on a Thursday morning
The Glazier came along,
With his blow-torch and his putty and his merry Glazier's song;
He put another pane in -
It took no time at all -
But I had to get a Painter in to come and paint the wall.

Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do!

'Twas on a Friday morning
The Painter made a start;
With undercoats and overcoats he painted every part,
Every nook and every cranny,
But I found when he was gone
He'd painted over the gas tap and I couldn't turn it on!

Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do!

On Saturday and Sunday they do no work at all:
So 'twas on a Monday morning that the Gas-Man came to call!

So, we decided to clear a few shrubs to make more parking. But then the soil was too loose.

We had to remove the top soil to put crushed rock down.

Then a thin layer of soil back on which to lay plastic parking mesh.

Then we had to find somewhere to put all the rest of  the soil before we could put it back into the mesh...

and the mesh had to be stored somewhere until the soil was cleared.

But the flowerbed we cleared wasn't big enough to take all the extra crushed rock.

Now we have a pile of soil waiting to be put back. And a pile of surplus rock pieces. And some spare pieces of mesh. We can't turn the vehicles round easily. And there is a motor home to park.

So, we need to clear some more shrubs, dig up some more soil, put down the rest of the rock, to clear the rock pile so that we can manouevre the motor home in to its parking space. And we'll have space for guests to park, too.

But it's a lot - a LOT - of work.

Guess what I've been doing since I got home...?  #keepingfit #makingahome #gettingitalldonebeforeCatandAndyarrive