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I am back home after a long weekend spent visiting family on t'other side of the country. It was dear Mama's birthday. I tried to visit her last year for her birthday and she ended up spending several days in hospital. This time everyone managed to stay healthy enough to not need hospitals thankfully. So we had a rather better time.
I'm a bit tired and a lot thankful to be home though I am still sort of trying to convince myself that I am home. Do I have a strong or a weak sense of place? It can sometimes take me ages to be convinced I am in a new place. I sort of need that sense to seep in and occupy the 'place sensing bit' of me. Perhaps I am just distracted and think too much.
I brought home the latest collection of weird things from the parental abode, there is always something:
-12 pieces of cutwork wood bits for the back verandah made by Papa- my birthday present
- a new pine seed box- constructed by Papa in about 10 minutes. Served to demonstrate some of his impressive new woodworking machinery.
- a venerable retractable washing line- again for the back verandah. Mum used this when I was a child. Wonder how long it will last for me?
- a set of brass keys, decorative, including a cute one that is also a bottle opener, was my grandma's. Does our seneschal still need a key? If so, I can offer one.
- a tweed suit of my grandfather's- I am thinking of remodelling- more steampunkesque stuff!
- a tweed jacket of my father's- ditto
- a convex mirror in brass frame with laurel wreaths- which I fell for in an antique store. Where shall I hang it?
I have lots of laundry to do, how exciting. Also a new LBD, probably too girly but more exciting than laundry.
In other news unpublished from last week:
-there will be no beatiful show of blue flowers on the ceanothus* tree this year. A vast and unwelcome collection of caterpillars ate all the flowers. I finally got to them with pyrethrum, which worked, but I was too late, all eaten :-(
-the new almond tree is still looking dead, no spring growth yet. Fingers still crossed
-the first ranunculus** have flowered. One scarlet and one yellow.
-the freesias are past but I did so enjoy them this year, such lovely scent.
-all the new stuff in the herb garden is growing in a modest way, except perhaps the capsicum, maybe it is too cold yet. The new geraniums are taking off. The ones I am trying to strike are not dead yet which is a good sign.
- the rosemary bush is still only half pruned which looks pretty silly and is smothering the spring blooming lavender.
Now I shall try for a hot chocolate and some book before my lids fall whether I like it or not.
-update- blast, no hot chocolate 'cause some silly person did not buy any milk.
* bother, just looked this up. I thought it was a native but it turns out to be from north America
**spelling corrected-I thought that was slightly too many 'u's for one word
I'm a bit tired and a lot thankful to be home though I am still sort of trying to convince myself that I am home. Do I have a strong or a weak sense of place? It can sometimes take me ages to be convinced I am in a new place. I sort of need that sense to seep in and occupy the 'place sensing bit' of me. Perhaps I am just distracted and think too much.
I brought home the latest collection of weird things from the parental abode, there is always something:
-12 pieces of cutwork wood bits for the back verandah made by Papa- my birthday present
- a new pine seed box- constructed by Papa in about 10 minutes. Served to demonstrate some of his impressive new woodworking machinery.
- a venerable retractable washing line- again for the back verandah. Mum used this when I was a child. Wonder how long it will last for me?
- a set of brass keys, decorative, including a cute one that is also a bottle opener, was my grandma's. Does our seneschal still need a key? If so, I can offer one.
- a tweed suit of my grandfather's- I am thinking of remodelling- more steampunkesque stuff!
- a tweed jacket of my father's- ditto
- a convex mirror in brass frame with laurel wreaths- which I fell for in an antique store. Where shall I hang it?
I have lots of laundry to do, how exciting. Also a new LBD, probably too girly but more exciting than laundry.
In other news unpublished from last week:
-there will be no beatiful show of blue flowers on the ceanothus* tree this year. A vast and unwelcome collection of caterpillars ate all the flowers. I finally got to them with pyrethrum, which worked, but I was too late, all eaten :-(
-the new almond tree is still looking dead, no spring growth yet. Fingers still crossed
-the first ranunculus** have flowered. One scarlet and one yellow.
-the freesias are past but I did so enjoy them this year, such lovely scent.
-all the new stuff in the herb garden is growing in a modest way, except perhaps the capsicum, maybe it is too cold yet. The new geraniums are taking off. The ones I am trying to strike are not dead yet which is a good sign.
- the rosemary bush is still only half pruned which looks pretty silly and is smothering the spring blooming lavender.
Now I shall try for a hot chocolate and some book before my lids fall whether I like it or not.
-update- blast, no hot chocolate 'cause some silly person did not buy any milk.
* bother, just looked this up. I thought it was a native but it turns out to be from north America
**spelling corrected-I thought that was slightly too many 'u's for one word
