and so life goes on

on and on and on

which is probably a good thing, eh

and today the sun is shining really brightly, it warms my face

it's also drying out all the seedlings which have sprung up from the seeds I planted a month ago - the tap in the courtyard is leaking, which explains the puddle on the kitchen floor (but at least there hasn't been a downpour recently, so the damp patch in Teen Too's bedroom is not dripping), but having a tap makes it easier to water the pots of peas, sweetcorn, raddishes, cauliflowers, spring onions, tomatoes, sweet peas and sunflowers. . . all of which now need replanting into the next size of container up

I find it ridiculous to think that I've done all this when there is actually no garden, and yet when we lived in The Big House in The Village, with its huge garden, I barely did any gardening at all - but that's because I was off doing other things, none of which I do now

I wonder if the children even notice the courtyard plants - yellow pansies and purple violas, three different types of thyme (green, golden and silver), lavender and rosemary, the bamboo and the acer (a miniature Japanese maple, as above) and the olive trees. . .

I went out for dinner with them last night - a real treat on a Friday night - and then they went on to their father's for the weekend; when I got back here I sobbed and sobbed

but the warmth of the sunshine has dried my tears and is bringing a smile to my face this morning

I hope you are smiling,
wherever you are

XXX