Monday Morning Washday Blues

I seem to have filled the garden with lavenders and purples this year.  If I was a proper flower grower I would no doubt refer to them as blues.  Whatever you call them, they are lovely.   They make me smile especially when I watch the bees and insects flitting from one gloriously open flower to another.

I filled these two wooden planters up yesterday with plants bought from the car boot sale.  A tray of nine Dahlias  and six pots of plants for a grand total of £3.  You can't go wrong at that price can you, and it's nice to support small growers rather than the big garden centres for a change.

  Although I wasn't feeling quite as supportive when I spotted the biggest, fattest, slimiest slug ever lurking between the compartments of the tray of Dahlias.  Plants planted, slug pellets sprinkled ... just to be on the safe side!

Amongst my new plants are a mix of purples, whites and the yellow Dahlias, and three lovely green trailing plants currently just wedged in their little pots into the tall trellis.  I'll have to see about a lightweight planter or two for them ... although I don't really want to go out and buy anything so I'm going to have a bit of a look around the Van and see what I can find that could be attached to the trellis.

This morning I've gone a bit old school, washing my weekend clothes by hand, along with a new to me shirt bought at the car boot sale for £2. 

 The task of standing at the kitchen sink washing clothes is something I did for years when my boys were small.  No washing machine and eight terry nappies, along with the previous days clothes for four people kept me busy for hours, in comparison a few tops, a bit of underwear and a pair of jeans is simplicity itself. 

And immersing your hands in cool rinsing water is bliss on a hot day.

Sue xx

History Up in Flames

Years ago I managed charity shops, first I managed one at a time for various charities, then I upped my game and managed two. 

 Needing to know whether I had to be at one shop or the other, or in the office at the Hospice that we raised funds for meant that I needed to be organised.  The ideal thing for all this was obviously a Filofax.  I had a lovely big black one ... A5 size, bulging with diary pages, addresses and contact details for all the volunteers and staff at the shops and at the Hospice.  Pages and pages of shop window plans, notes, brainwaves, meeting dates ... you get the picture.

Then I left, I down-scaled my life.  I opened my own business and bought a desk diary.  It became a habit, every year buy a desk diary, fill it with work things, with home things, with appointments and come the end of the year copy all the vital information into the new fresh desk diary with a brand new pen.  The old one went into drawer in my desk.

The drawer is now full ... they will all be going on the next bonfire we have.

History going up in flames, but I have a good memory ... I really do not need a drawer full of old books.

Instead I'm reverting to a Filofax.

This time a nice neat turquoise personal sized one, that will have enough room for appointments, enough room for important names and addresses, for birthdays etc etc  And at the end of each year I can get rid of the diary pages and insert a fresh new year.

Another drawer emptied, another item simplified.

Sue xx

Getting My Deliveries ... and my Perspective

 First let's make this clear, very clear.  This is not an advert, I do not get this free for telling you about it ... in fact I can't bloody well get rid of it!!  Although I have to admit it's not that bad a problem to have.

Back at the tail-end of last year when I was in one of my  'I never spend any money I deserve a treat' moods I signed up for a yearly subscription box delivery from The VeganKind.  They started rolling in one a month within days of me signing on the dotted line and paying for my yearly subscription up front.  It was my Christmas present to myself ...

... and yes, every month does feel like Christmas when my box arrives and I unpack all the goodies inside.  

But I've changed, changed so much since ordering that first box just those few months ago.  I don't need treats.  I don't really want 'the latest' goodies that appear on the shelves to pop onto my doorstep.  I cancelled my ongoing subscription but I have to ride out this years deliveries.

But saying all that I will enjoy getting them and make the most of the boxes that are yet to arrive,

I think my mind and my outlook completely changed last month when these arrived on the same day.

Treats and tastiness in one box ...

 ... and a whole weeks supply of food for a refugee in the other.

I got my perspective that day.

Sue xx

So I Went to Amsterdam

While all the posts were self-publishing over last weekend I was many miles away in Amsterdam.  We booked the break before things changed.  Before trust was lost and my heart ached ... so I went.

  We travelled light, just small backpacks with a change of clothes or two and small toiletries saved from other hotel visits and ideal for taking through airport security.  And by using my favourite trick of wearing and taking all my oldest underwear and socks, all the dregs of small face creams, toothpastes and an old facecloth I was able to jettison much of what I took, helping me to feel like I was shedding an old used skin ... piece by worn out piece.

 I came back even lighter than I went away, but just as confused.

We bought one souvenir, a small clog with Forget Me Not seeds in it for my Mum.  Well I couldn't go to Holland and not buy a clog now could I. 

The rest of the time we rode in boats, we walked the streets until our feet ached soaking up the atmosphere, we sampled the foods ...

... we played 'spot the windmill'.

And marvelled at cute houses.

Then it was time to come home.  Schiphol Airport was a complete contrast to the mess, mayhem and chaos of Manchester airport.  Happy, smiley faces on all the staff, plants and trees growing everywhere and healthy snacks to be had at many places.

We arrived early and sat and read and then people watched for a while before boarding our flight home.

The only souvenirs from the holiday are a couple of single use plastic bottles that won't be single use for me, and the earphones from the boat tours we went on that we were told we could keep if we wanted to ... happily they fit my tablet.

It was nice to get away ... but it's even nicer to be home here at the Van.   Although I like the idea of travel, I think I have to accept that I don't like the reality, and that this perhaps final trip abroad was done with such a heavy heart makes me unbelievably sad.   My passport will now lie gathering dust, useful as proof of ID when needed but not much use for anything else!

Sue xx

I Need to Be Back

I apologise for leaving things half hearted

 For implying at things 

But not speaking about them

For dilly dallying

And not being clear.

I should put the record straight once and for all

But sometimes once you speak the words

Or write them

Their black lines standing darkly on white paper or screen

They are there

And the die is cast

So really at the moment you know as much as me

You are getting a glimpse into the confused state of my mind.

Some of you saw a post pop up earlier this week

And at the time of writing that was it

My mind was made up

But I panicked

And back-tracked

But I should keep in mind that ...

Thank you for all the care and concern shown in the comments over the last couple of days.  I think I just needed some space and clarity to set me on a new track and clear my mind.  You are a great bunch of friends on here ... yes I do consider you friends.  Thank you. xx

❤

Die a Little

So true

So very true

No more Mr Nice Guy

Or should that be little Miss Nice Girl

I'm a wiser version of me

And I will be strong

It's all I have left

♥

Everyone Loves the Wild Ones

Just that

There are no other words 

♥