Yesterday turned out to be warm and sunny. The thunderstorms and rain came in the evening. So, I got a lot of work done outside, continuing to clear the garden beds, cut back brambles – that sort of thing.
Today is cloudy and much colder. But by mid-week, we’re due for temperatures in the eighties, then back to normal. And so the pendulum swings back and forth. Welcome to Spring.
I was delighted when I saw that the flowering quince is in bud. That, my friends, is a sure sign of spring.
And then I turned to my right to check out the lilac.
Oh boy! With the warmer temps coming this week, these buds will be opening soon.
I’m so much happier when I’m working outside. That needs to be examined, because I should be just as happy when I’m confined to the house or when it’s snowing – again. It’s something I keep working on; finding joy in the everyday and letting go of perceptions and fears that keep me from that.
By the way, one of you suggested BritBox – a streaming service which streams British television shows. The suggestion came because Monty Don has a show that airs on this service called Gardener’s World. So I went for it. It’s a modest amount of money per month and I have been watching his show, catching up on it, and absolutely loving it. It makes me happy, I learn things, and there’s something about it which generates a peaceful feeling in yours truly.
Now, if I could only live in England!
Happy Sunday.
Wonderful news on the buds. You are right. That IS a sure sign for spring. Now if it continues we will be back on track.
Yes, and I think it will.
I am an anglophile in many ways.
Me too. You can’t have a name like ‘Hill’ and not be!
I love British shows, mostly the mysteries we get on PBS. I have some favorites on DVD sets. All of David Suchet’s Poirot, John Thaw’s Inspector Morse, and a few others. There are American series that compare favorably to British ones…most notably, Perry Mason. I recently bought the entire series on DVD and am binge watching. Today, I’m going to see part 1 of Angels in America. Part 2 next week.
I love British shows mainly because the actors look like real people, not barbie and Ken dolls all made up perfectly with bleached white teeth. There stories are so much better and no commercials (on Netflix). I especially love the shows depicting WWII.
Hi Chris, Do you watch Foyle’s War? My daughter is a great fan and got me to watch it with her.
Don and I always talk about that. The British are much more willing to use actors of all ages and types. It’s refreshing.
I remember watching Perry Mason when it first aired! Have fun at the theater.
My dream would be to live in a stone cottage with a thatched roof i and large cottage garden the English countryside!!
I planted a hydrangea last year (my first) and I’m ecstatic that it’s budding!
Hi Chris, what a wonderful dream/wish! I’ve been to the Cotswold and seen many beautiful thatched stone cottages. An idyllic place but I’ve read reports about how moneyed city (London) residents are buying up the cottages for weekends in the country and ruining the atmosphere. Reminds me of a series of episodes on As Time Goes By when the lead character played by Judi Dench tells off weekenders from the city for their gauche behavior. I hope that sort of behavior isn’t the norm, though.
I used to own what was called ‘a Cotswold cottage’ here in Southern California and I’d dream/pretend (imagine how it would be, if…) I was really in the beautiful English countryside (easy to do, in a charming little house like that; the wonderful Brits get it right on how to live!); the roof was shingled but it had the steep pitch of an authentic thatch. The home was built in 1923; I miss it like the dickens.
yay for progress with the lawn/garden work and the weather! and for don getting to come home for a couple days!
i don’t have cable tv, etc., but like the idea behind hulu, netflix and this new-to-me britbox. someday i’ll get a bit more with technology!
which reminds me to tell you, claudia, that “a gentleman in moscow” and “rules of civility” are to be made into six-to-ten hour miniseries. amor didn’t reveal when they will air, but said kenneth branaugh has signed to play the count. something to look forward to!
know you and don will enjoy the next couple days together. may the clock move slower for you two then! :)
kathy in iowa
I know about that. But, I prefer to keep the characters created in my mind as I read the books. Much as I like Branagh, I don’t want his face replacing the one in my mind. I never watch miniseries of books I truly love!
good point, claudia!
hope don’s home by now and you two have a great couple of days together.
kathy in iowa
xo
You know, Claudia, I just don’t think we’re creatures meant to be confined indoors. For as much as I like quiet indoor hobbies and tasks, I go absolutely stir crazy after a point. If there’s a nice day out there and even if I’m feeling crappy healthwise, I have to get outside with air and sun and color and the ‘aliveness’ of it all. Being outdoors makes our senses so happy – – the sounds, the smells, the sights, the feel of the breeze. I refer to her too much, don’t I, but Susan Branch calls it, “Needing an ‘airing’.” Get out there, take a walk, get moving.
An aunt of mine was such a terrific gardener and always said it was her therapy; her antidote to too much mental ‘dwelling’ and preoccupation. We all have a lot on our minds; being outdoors clears some of the webs. Maybe gardening and yard work somehow goes back to our ancestry when people would work the land and dig in the dirt, especially when the U.S. was a more rural country and not so urbanized.
For instance (the ‘airing’), yesterday, banging headache here as usual and my husband had to be at work all day but, 5pm or so, we spontaneously decided to drive up the 101 highway north to see if there were any wildflowers yet on the beach cliffs despite a lot of burn area from the December wildfire and there aren’t a whole lot of flowers although the yellow mustard over the spring-green growth was so beautiful on the one side of the highway, the blue ocean kicked up with a lot of whitecaps on the other, so I was in my own personal Heaven-on-earth. One thing that is really settling into me with 500% certainty is that I just can’t ever live far from the sea (so I have to stop looking at sections of the country where there isn’t one, despite some places looking very appealing to live, in terms of downsizing/relocating in retirement).
Your buds are lovely, and I hope you and Don have a happy mini-reunion later today. He’ll enjoy being home and seeing your progress with the yard.
I think it’s great that you are able to do things around the house and your property, Claudia; and that you keep active rather than sort of sinking into a pit of missing him and feeling that your life is on hold/temporary with him there and you here and, although this is lucrative and important for him in his career right now, wondering when your life will ever get back to a place that you’re together every day and moving forward with other things like vacations or whatever. I was talking to a friend of mine on Friday whose husband has no plans to retire at age 71, still working full time and she’s wistful of all the other things they could be doing right now (it would be A LOT of traveling in retirement because she likes to go-go-go; she’s 70)…but she can’t get him to quit his job!! I have the opposite situation in that my husband, now that’s he’s made the decision to fully retire, can’t WAIT to quit his job. He has a check-off calendar where he’s actually ticking off how many days are left. And we’re precisely the couple where he SHOULD keep working to build extra savings, yet my friend’s husband has no money worries whatsoever. Such is life!
Don still enjoys working, though I don’t know if he’ll be up for anything after this show. We’ll see. He’s done just about everything in his long career, so it would have to be something very exciting for him to invest the time and energy.
Like maybe turn “Escape to Margaritaville” into a film and he has a starring role!
If anything, fully retiring after this musical, he ends his career on a high note.
Right now we’re worried that the run on Broadway might not be all that long. But who knows?
Monty is a sweetheart! I am learning so much from his shows. We also enjoy his Big Dreams, Small Spaces on Netflix. For those of you who would like to see what Gardner’s World is all about, it is on YouTube. After gardening in a cool coastal climate on an average city lot for forty five years, we are now gardening on just less than an acre that is part woodland and wetlands. We are enjoying fours season, woodland animals (deer) and very different soil conditions. We need all the help we can get and are appreciating the wonderful information his shows provide. I am looking to purchase a coral quince soon. It reminds me of my childhood home. Enjoy gardening this week Claudia. I look forward to your updates. Thanks for sharing.
Lani
Yes, I love Big Dreams, Small Spaces, as well. I like Britbox because, as far as I can tell, it’s pretty current. The most recent season that is airing in Britain is airing on BritBox as well. But I want to go to YouTube to watch older episodes as it’s all new to me.
Glad you got to do some outdoor work again. Today is lovely. Enjoy this week and Don’s visit,too.
Marilyn
I will. Cold today, Marilyn! Is it cold in the city, as well?
I, too, work on finding the joy in everyday and sometimes fears and perceptions try to crowd the joy out but just got to look around at the everyday things (our families, our gardens, flowers, books, our health…..) and then I realize I do have a lot of joy in my life and around me! Now, of course, when we watch the news, the joy goes right out the window.
don’t know if they have on Brit tv, but there’s a series on Acorn TV (similar to Brit) which is called A Place to Call Home, wonderful series takes place in the 50’s in Australia, has several seasons
Thanks, Diana.
Yes! That’s why I’m trying to limit my news time. Sad, but true.
I love seeing those precious little buds and will enjoy it even more when they are fully bloomed!…Cold and windy here today….Much better tomorrow I hope…You and Don great visit tonight and tomorrow!
Cold here, too! And rainy. But tomorrow (Tuesday) it will hit 70!
Hi Claudia, it’s so interesting your enjoyment of British entertainment. Having been born in England and having both my parents born there too , I naturally have always had a love of all things British. I have loved watching the shows on PBS , Saturday nights and have found many DVDs at our library produced by Acorn productions that has a large selection of British shows. I was also happy to find several of the Big Dreams Small Spaces on You Tube and have enjoyed watching them there. Once another thing that draws us together ! ☺
Oh yes. My roots are British (and Irish and Scots, as well) so I think it’s something that’s just a part of my DNA.
Your buds are way ahead of ours. Evidently, it’s been one of the coldest April’s on record here. I think I am happiest when I’m digging in the dirt…or even just sitting outside appreciating nature. Hope you have a lovely visit with Don! ;)
It’s been insanely cold and I can tell by looking back at last year’s posts that we’re about 3 weeks behind here. Today is in the low fifties, rainy, and cold. Yuck. But the rest of the week looks to be much warmer.
Hi Claudia, I can no longer manage any gardening. I did a little a couple of weeks ago, but my MS certainly let me know about it, so my husband said ‘no more’, He doesn’t enjoy gardening and is still recovering from a broken wrist, so we’ve arranged for a gardener to come in on Thursday. We had a different one in November, but I wasn’t happy with what he did, and he charged a fortune! Hopefully this one will do better work (but, alas, no cheaper) Monty Don is my hero. I record his programmes and love watching him late at night. He’s so soothing I have no trouble getting to sleep. We had 2 days of very warm weather but now it is windy with heavy rain and snow is forecast for later in the week. This weather is crazy. I’m sure my plants are having a nervous breakdown. Blessings
I’m so sorry your MS is keeping you from gardening. I hope the new gardener works out well, Lesley, so that you can enjoy your gardens.
You’re so right! Monty has this soothing, mellifluous voice – I have completely fallen under his spell!
Very cold and windy and rainy here as well. What a strange April we’ve had. Take care.
Watching Monty Don, and his faithful hound Nigel, is marvellous- we Brits at our best. To balance this, try watching PMQs (Prime Minusters Question Time)- Britain at its worst !
Siobhan