A bit of gardening

 We're not tackling the garden this year - it's a case of restricting our efforts to holding the wilderness back!  And that alone is a pretty big task.  For example, it takes me 2.5 hours to mow the lawn and I had to downgrade the mower to a lightweight flymo to cope with the slopes (and Phil is exempt due to hayfever).  In our old garden, we were forever pulling up sycamore seedlings whereas here, bindweed is encroaching everywhere as is a pretty but thuggish white geranium.  At least the sandy soil means that digging and pulling stuff up is easier than it was on Edward Ave's brick quality clay soil.

I've covered some of the veg patch with weed stopping fabric for this year - and did sneak in some spuds!  The aparagus bed gave us just 2 meals worth - very tasty.  I'm not as impressed with the tastiness of the raspberries though and may be replacing at some point.

Phil's made the birdbath watertight and has been attempting to make the patio a bit less uneven.  We've painted the fence - but we still need to repoint its brick base.

The clothes line is back in operation so I can start weaning myself off my recently acquired tumble dryer addiction.

And we've entertained in our conservatory - it made a good spot for lunch in the rain.

I'm enjoying the garden much more that working inside.
Wildlife: we've spotted a green woodpecker (on the lawn - very weird), goldfinches, wrens, sparrows, blue tits, great tits, robins, starlings & very tame blackbirds.  One pigeon fell victim to a female sparrowhawk who decapitated it & removed the liver on the driveway before flapping off!  She has been back and Phil's hoping she may keep the pigeon numbers down.

Dining Room - Furniture Change

 More grey IKEA Hemnes added...  We've been rethinking how the huge open plan space downstairs will work - and we're building the plan for the big overhaul that's waiting for my sharesave scheme to mature in December.  It does mean that we can make small changes secure in the knowledge that they will be right for the room in 6 months time as well as now.  


A very generous payment for a bike & housewarming gift from James & Freya enabled us to get 2 bookcases for the dining room.  Short term, it's meant the last of the boxes could be unpacked, freeing up the conservatory and giving me access to the cookery books.  Long term, they will stay there - and may be joined by another of the slim ones.  The pine dresser from our old house that I painted up fits beautifully next to the fish tank & is now overflow booze cupboard and table linen.

There was a wall shelf/unit in the dining room too - it used to be our TV stand in Edward Avenue, but became obsolete when we got a different telly that wouldn't fit.  However, combined with a blanket box, it makes a great suitcase/bag support for the guest room - not exactly elegant, but functional!  I don't know if I'm unusually lazy (probably), but I rarely unpack when staying at a friend's, but do like to be able to stow my bag somewhere - hence not worrying about spare drawers, but 2 places to shove and easily access a case.  after we redecorate this room, will probably put up some hooks so guests can hang up stuff....

Bedroom Furniture

We ended up getting IKEA freestanding furniture for the main bedroom having spent lots of our time talking about fitted units - partly because we couldn't afford the gorgeous wardrobes inspired by our friends' home in Winchester.  And I think that although it wasn't our first choice, it's worked out better as it keeps our bedroom feeling big and spacious - something about being able to see the wall behind.  There's enough space for Phil's clothes plus a chair (essential jacket/jersey/belt temporary storage!).  In an ideal world, the wardrobe door would not wobble when pulled open, but I think we can live with that!