Happy all the current hols.
It’s the long Easter weekend here (ie, bank hols on Friday and Monday, though I worked like a dog Friday, which was a big surprise as Fridays are usually very quiet). Interestingly, the village is pretty quiet. All the people from up-country who moved down here last year are now holidaying elsewhere. Whatever.
We finally appear to have entered spring properly. Warm, gentle breezes, plants doing their thing. Haven’t seen any young bunnies yet, though I did see a couple of adult rabbits doing what I thought was reconnaissance a couple of months back, when the weather was still foul. Maybe they were so shocked that everyone is waiting till May to appear…
In any case I am hugely relieved with our current weather. We had an awful (and overly long, cold, windy and wet) autumn into winter. And winter hung around way too long.
Long may the good weather last.
The garden is now sorted bar two big sunflower plants which will go into the ground this coming weekend. The dog tooth violet is doing really well this year. I’ve got a strawberry plant in the ground (all my strawberries are in pots) that I didn’t plant. Wondering if that was a gift from a seagull. Waiting to see what colours all the self-seeded columbines will be and if the load of poppies from last year will reappear in a few months.
I’ve done very little this weekend bar watch back episodes of Gardeners’ World and the Beatles documentary (Get Back 1 & 2 — ended up racing through 2), walks with the dog, cooking in a desultory sort of way.
And thinking about the fact that I really don’t want to have another work day like Friday. I can’t seem to get work to fit. Ditching the evil client at the end of last year helped, but I’ve entered a weird sort of place where unless I’m really in the mood I resent anything that keeps me from doing what I want to do (whatever that is – reading endlessly, walking, yoga-ing, cooking, wandering aimlessly through the farm shop or Topsham, contemplating more travel, just being blank and admiring the tree in the garden opposite – I’ve worked solidly for around 40 years – that fact is starting to eat at me; it feels like a really really long time even though I know people who have had to endure longer).
Anyway, the dippy DIY guy was back this morning to sort the key safe he mucked up (it now works). The village is still done up in places for Easter (see various pics). We’ve got a lot more bees and butterflies than we did last year. The birds are seriously in full voice. Early morning here is sort of sublime.
(This is the flood gate in the village, which someone decorated …)
I’m still focused on Shalimar parfum but put on Cartier l’Heure Fougueuse today and am really enjoying the hay, horse thing for spring (notes: magnolia, bergamot, mate, vetiver, lavender, leather, musk, oakmoss). I gave my son a big white chocolate egg which had weird bits inside and got us Cream Egg marshmallows from the Naked Marshmallow company which were savoured but also dumped in hot chocolate to very good effect.
I hope you’re having a good longish weekend whatever you’ve gotten up to. Any good chocolate consumed or specific perfume you think fits with the hols?
Love the photos and glad your finally having spring- it cannot seem to decide what the heck it is here: we go from one day at 90F and the next at 60F to today, which went from 58F and foggy to 80F and sunny. Of well could be worse! Sadly we don’t get the days surrounding Easter off, and I didn’t actually get all of it off- had to show an apartment at the last minute on Sunday. But heck, it got me off my rear end and I went for a drive with the roof off after.
I know what you mean about working. Wish I didn’t have to and could just shop or read or nap or stare into space as I wish. But that isn’t happening anytime soon, sooo…
I don’t know what to think anymore about work. I’m just weary of it. At least with the US clients gone I don’t work UK holidays. Your weather sounds annoying. Enough already. But drive with top down sounds grand.
Nice photos, Cinnamon. Glad your weather is getting warmer. We’ve had a chilly spring. Last week was getting warm enough that we even turned on the A/C (more for pollen control than cooling), but today is freezing again. Oh well. Last fall I planted a bunch of seeds that are supposed to overwinter, so I’m eager to see if any will actually grow. Delphinium and foxglove if I remember correctly. I’m not a good gardener, so I don’t hold out a lot of hope. I wore Creed Jasmin Imperatrice Eugenie yesterday for Easter. It’s from a sample I was gifted. Glorious rich jasmine that lasted all day long. It has ambergris, sandalwood and vanilla in the base so there’s real oomph to it, no screechiness. Today: Prada Infusion d’Iris edp.
I may have wild foxglove in garden. Not sure yet. Hope your weather improves dramatically.
Hey Cinnamon,
It’s been work, work, work on the new apartment. Jin and I got the fridge up two stories with the trolley and then had to do the internal 16 stairs just us two. It was a slog but we managed.
Only doors and their architraves to finish painting.
Friday we saw a small bunch of friends for fish & chips.
Because Jin has been such a marvel on this job I took him out for Nepalese on Saturday. It’s the current fave non Korean cuisine he’s latched onto. Spicy delicious.
Sunday started out collecting Gumtree appliances for the new apartment, helped my BFF Kath Guerny her Dad’s pool area. We got half on it done. Then I had to go get ready for work and work.
Late Sunday I did a HUGE Surrender To Chance order of news stuff I’ve yet to sniff! YAY!
Today, Monday, we were painting, organising, planning and then our mate TinaG (who is very interested in renting apartment) came to see how it’s all looking. SO MANY CHANGES since her last look.
GOSH! That’s almost long enough for a post!
Portia xx
Wow, that’s some serious. Was it a full-sized fridge? Ah, fish and chips. There’s a Nepalese here. Problem is it tastes good but after-effects aren’t positive. So, it’s a no go. Guerny? Googling gives me a place in France.
Yeah, it was a regular sized fridge, not a HUGE one. HEAVY
Guerny? Maybe I spelled it wrong. High pressure hose for cleaning outdoor areas. Bloody brilliant.
Jin also has “burning ring of fire” problems after super spicy food. He LOVES the food so much and I think also the complaining next day.
Portia xx
Happy Easter! Your village’s decorations are delightful! I wore several irises this cool weekend; it’s now pouring with a cold rain so I’m in Tribute attar.
Nothing special, foodwise, for Easter. I just wasn’t in the mood – and Easter is always a brunch-ish holiday for me.
xoxoxo
Easter brunch? Could be very eggy. Sorry about your rain. When does proper spring start there?
I started working part-time as a phased retirement in October and I must say it’s pretty wonderful. At the same time, I completely get what you are saying – I do sometimes feel annoyed at being asked to work at all. (Yes, totally irrational, I know.) Retirement beckons very soon. And then I will garden and read and yoga and bake and volunteer to my heart’s content. And I might even consider work again if I can choose it for fun rather than the paycheck and benefits. Wouldn’t that be nice.
I made a key lime pie with meringue for dessert tonight and ate some chocolate this morning. Happy Easter!
How much is part time? The biggest thing requiring attention in my garden is the lawn bit (which isn’t huge as beds continue to encroach). It needs digging up and re-sodding. I think someone else would need to do the former. I think that once I fully ‘retired’ I would want nothing to do with ‘work’ for a couple of years just to see how I felt. Plus, I’ve got some family digging to do in Europe which is going to require longer visits that certainly wouldn’t fit with ‘work’ timing.
Is retirement or part retirement calling? If so, I can highly recommend it!
I wearing En Passant today & found a bottle of Ostara still sealed in cellophane on eBay for a good price over the weekend too.
Your village decoration is so sweet
I sort of think ditching the evil client was partial retirement, as it lowered my monthly takings by a third. But maybe cutting back to being available three days a week from 2023 and stopping all together at the end of that year is an idea. I’m not sure the guy I work for would agree to three days and that might force the issue, which might well be good. Ooh, see Gena T’s comment about Ostara. Now I really do need to look for this. I was most taken by the decorations on the flood gate.
Happy Easter! For Easter I usually wear either Penhaligon’s Ostara or Yosh Stargazer. I am thinking this year I may wear both.
Have not sampled Ostara. Will need to remedy that. Yosh fragrances give me hives (literally have a reaction to them sadly — my allergist in the US was fascinated by that — ie, vs commercial perfumes).