Friday 28 May 2010

(rough winds do shake the darling buds of May and summers lease has all to short a date... for me the most perfect flowers in the world. I never tire of them and they are with us such a short time - already the field looks like there has been a wedding with the scattered confetti petals.)

Since the move back to the old house we haven't stopped... there was moving - on the hottest weekend ever!! Which at several points I thought was actually going to kill me. To be honest it all went pretty smoothly. The old suite has gone- hurray! Donated to my sister for her new house because it will go with her decour. However the new one hasn't arrived yet so we are sofaless. Not that we would get chance to sit on them anyway.

(there are curtains you understand they are down for decorating)

The jungle is almost tamed- I'm not sure that MrPs bowling green lawn ever will be again though but I have scattered on aftercut and prayed for a light sprinkling of rain which mother nature provided for me through the night. I have weeded like a mad woman and put down weed control fabric and bark in the front garden (I have mentioned before my aversion to front garden gardening) so it is neat at least - if a little uninspiring- you can't have everything.

It has been decided for the purposes of selling that the veg garden is to be done away with (that's okay, I can live with that, so long as I have the greenhouse and my herb pots) and replaced with lawn. So there is more weeding and digging and raking to be done...

The pond is now clear and the remaining fish can breathe again-

(the big black one is Albert- he eats out of your hand- such a sweetie!)

they can't eat because Cairo ate all their food last night while we were at the stables- he says it wasn't him, it was Saffi, but I am pretty sure it was him and it is Cairo who keeps chewing grass this morning so I think my boy may have belly ache- serves him right!!

(who do you think looks most guilty?)

Then there is the painting. I'm not sure that there is much I can say about painting, especially painting in magnolia in a House Doctor style attempt to neutralize and depersonalise the house. Apart from one "feature wall" which I have done in a nice soft green.

I don't find it a personal house anyway, in fact I find it pretty soul-less. I'm a cottage girl, I'm beams and nooks and crannies, low ceilings and lower doors, not a straight wall in the place and sloping floors that make you feel drunk, wood-burners, mullioned windows, countryside, scrubbed pine and patchwork quilts, cottage gardens with veg growing between the flowers, tile floors and bread in the oven...
So a 1980s semi (especially a 4 bedroom one! which is way too big for just MrP and me) on a nice enough estate with a neat lawned garden, double glazing and modern fittings is my idea of hell- sorry if it's your idea of heaven I'm just talking about me and I'm a bit strange... but this is what we have to work with and it needs to be sold so that we can move to our happily ever after cottage in the country- and PDQ too! The vendor won't keep it off the market forever for us.

So I am sorry I am quiet and not getting back to as many people as I would like but there are walls that need magnolia-ing

Normal service will be resumed ASAP
Oh and there is no news, as of this morning, from bulging Poppy- the foal is officially due today though so watch this space...

(the girls this morning- now in adjoining fields just in case Poppy pops today)

5 comments:

Tracey said...

So glad you're back! Even though you're knackered. I couldn't live in an estate...I like bird song & the smell of manure! Can't wait till Poppy pops..xxx

flwrjane said...

I'm off for two days. if i lived close by I'd be over to help.

BadPenny said...

oh you've worked so hard - but it's looking fab so well done & good luck in selling.
Good thing it was only the fish FOOD eaten !
I love the blossom too - so pretty - my clematis is shedding pale pink petals everywhere - a bit like a wedding at times !

Anonymous said...

Boy do you have your hands full! You must post pics of the new foal when it arrives...I'm a sucker for newborns no matter what shape or form they take...

Unknown said...

Glad to see you back! I haven't been on here since Friday, so I am catching up! I have an aversion to front garden gardening too! So, I don't know why, when we bought this house (which has a very large back garden) I didn't seem to notice that the front garden is huge too! Oh no! I am the same as you, I love old creaky houses with cottagey feelings and history! WE are doing this house up now to sell, and I only hope that we will find the right sort of house when the time comes! Look forward to following your progress! Poor lawn, it certainly needs some rain, luckily it is pouring down here today, and the garden really need it! Have a lovely week! Suzie xxx

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