back to normal
Things are back to normal here, everybody is now home and the unavoidable noise and mess have returned with a bang. Nobody noticed that my hair is now short. Nobody noticed that all rugs are completely stain free and fresh smelling. Maybe nobody noticed how filthy they were in the first place! Dirty socks have appeared in various corners of the house. Things feel more real now. It is far too big a house for a single person. Still, it was nice to be on my own and my very own mess (very little of it).
As you can see on the photo, the weather is also back to its normal wet grey, at least here in the West of Scotland. The sparrows love the tall grass full of nutritious seeds. I counted 17 this morning. I also spotted a blackbird eating our blueberries. He gulped down three berries in in one tiny moment!
Jack is all fixed. He had a checkup on Monday. It was the first time he didn't want to go into the vet surgery! He loves the practice nurse but she was not around. Luckily, we were seen by a different vet, the last one was terribly insecure, which didn't fill me with much confidence. Today's vet was far more secure in her judgement and was happy to discharge Jack. Staples are out and the wound is healed. I am so pleased. We went for a long walk on the very same evening. Jack made a runner and was not seen for 20 minutes. He must have forgotten all his good manners.
The garden is a bit of a wilderness. I didn't feel like weeding or any other garden work when I was on my own. It is difficult to see now where purposeful planting blends into random weeds. It is looking very lush at the moment because we've had plenty of rain recently. Unfortunately, some of the new perennials planted in April and May are a not as well established as I had hoped because it was dry for weeks and weeks just after they were planted. I hope they'll catch up, even if they don't flower profusely. Our new lavender hedge is well behind more established lavender plants in the neighbourhood. It just started flowering and hopefully, we'll have a great display for many weeks. I rub my fingers on a few leaves whenever I pass. The self seeded sweet pea just outside my office is epic. It produces lots of blooms. Unfortunately it is not a scented variety and I think I'll dig it up in autumn to make space for something that pleases all my senses. I don't quite understand the sweet pea hype if I can be honest. I have a well established bergamot flower now and I can't wait to pick the petals to make cordial next year. The scent is just amazing.
Annie decided that she needed a bedroom update. In particular, her high sleeper had to go. I have no problems with that in principle but she couldn't talk about anything else until she had finally badgered Richard into taking her to Ikea. It took just a few days of intense campaigning, he is a softie. He is helping her assemble the new bed as I type. She is good! I am keeping out of it. Annie also covered her walls with masking tape and painted it a pale blue. The result reminds me a bit of a giraffe's fur, not in colour of course but the net pattern. It looks quite cool. Annie also informed me quite matter of factly that she doesn't really like me. Fair enough.
I am looking forward to browsing a memory stick full of memories. My mum scanned hundreds of photos and slides (remember those?). I have not had a chance to look yet and I didn't want to have a quick peek only. I'll save this up for a special day, when I have lots of time. I have very few childhood memories and I really hope that seeing these never seen photos will unearth some long buried treasures.
I am off work again from tomorrow and all of next week and will enjoy highlights of Scotland with my friend from Switzerland. I am not sure what exactly we'll be doing but I know it will be fun. There is plenty going on locally and I hope to participate in some of the fun.
I did a bit of blog maintenance. Nothing major, just some tidying. I have also updated the "about me" page. In particular, I have updated the photo. With a heavy heart I have to admit, I really liked the old photo but I have changed rather a lot. Unfortunately I am not ageing like a good red wine.
I have finally been testing photo collage applications but can't find one that I like. PicMonkey, my favourite is no longer free, which is regretful. Let me know if you use something else, preferably free. I'll show you some more holiday photos once I have found an application I like.
That's it all for now. Thanks for stopping by. Have a good weekend when it comes. x
I make colleges in Picasa, which I have installed on my laptop. It's easy to use but I liked the PicMonkey options more. That's too bad about them not being free anymore. It sounds like life is getting back to normal there, hopefully you had plenty of time to rest up while they were away. I'm glad to hear that Jack is doing well and up to his usual tricks!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear Jack is back to normal! Annie's bedroom makeover sounds exciting. Raising children is a thankless rollercoaster at times, isn't it? Have a lovely time with your friend. xx
ReplyDeleteRaising children can indeed be thankless at times. It is so much easier to have Grandchildren, you just give them back. Pleased to hear Jack is on the mend. Overcast and wet here too, I was beginning to think it was just this little Island with the lack of sun. Have a great time with your friend.
ReplyDeleteI really miss picmonkey. There's a similar one called ipiccy now which I use sometimes, but it doesn't have the same flexibility that picmonkey had for collages.
ReplyDeletehttps://ipiccy.com/
Enjoy your week off :)
It doesn't surprise me that they didn't notice the clean rugs, but you'd think someone would see your hair was short wouldn't you?
ReplyDeleteLike the bird, I am eating blueberries (although they are likely not the same). They're in my cereal and going down well.
ReplyDeleteI have done many collages. I use photoshop and just do them manually. I don't know what other options there are. Hope you find one.
Kids can be brutal at times. Our daughter once told me that she thought I loved the cat more than her. I guess everyone needs a rival. Can't believe they didn't notice your hair.
ReplyDeleteMy family never registers when anything is clean, maybe I clean to o much and that is their normal? Annie sounds like a typical teen, mine had moments of not liking me but that was usually when I put my foot down about their behavior. Boys are different I think, they love you no matter what. Glad you had alone time, it is much needed for the soul.
ReplyDeleteLet me know if you find a good place to make collages, I like them a lot, but like you I won't pay for Picmonkey. Glad Jack is all mended now. Our vets are good at giving out biscuits, so Bertie's greed usually overcomes any scaredyness or reluctance. Goodness, as Mac n Janet says, children are brutal aren't they. Mine wouldn't notice my hair or the cleanliness of the house either. I usually help them along by shouting, 'I'VE JUST WASHED THAT FLOOR' as they troop past. Hope you have a good weekend. CJ xx
ReplyDeleteChildren can be so cruel but they do mostly grow out of it, although my youngest told me yesterday I never defend him ever despite me fighting his corner for the past 25 years! They still don't notice hair cuts or tidy spaces though.
ReplyDeleteLike a previous commenter, I am also using Picasa for collages, but it’s an old version that was downloaded onto my computer and not sure that Google supports it anymore. i have a cooy of Photoshop Elements which I believe may do collages, but have been lazy about checking it out. I enjiyed the About You page and if that’s the new haircut too bad family didn’t notice. The soaps in a previous post looked wonderful and so colorful. I have bought homemade soaps and really prefer them as they last so much longer.
ReplyDeleteGoodness.. sorry that your daughter isn't being nice.. I remember when my daughter went through a time like that. It broke my heart. Good luck with your collage program. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
ReplyDeleteGood to hear Jack has been signed off. Wish we could say the same about the Boo but our vet is 'puzzled'. Sounds like Annie is getting stuck in with the bedroom decorating (I'd never have dreamt of letting loose my girl with a tin of paint). Funny, isn't it, how our kids (I'd add husbands, too) show their appreciation of us and our efforts. It's much the same here.
ReplyDeleteSo glad jack is ok,he's so cute.Love these photos.xx
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