Wednesday 12th March - Relaxing after a good day

 It was a 'doing' sort of day. 

Morning

Off to do various errands, including taking five large bags to the charity shop.

I comment I made on someone else's blog prodded me into action. Since I aim to get two bags of donations out of the house every month, this takes care of January, February and half of March all in one go.

I now telephone ahead to check if they want donations; there were a few weeks when none of the shops were accepting anything as they had all been inspected by the local fire service and were busy changing the way they stored stuff. They are sometimes more particular what they need too. 

The man who answered my call sounded caution 'what sort of things are you bringing?' 

'Some clothes, one bag of books, some gifts and ornaments. And NO cds, cassettes, videos or dvds' I answered; I know they are swamped by cds, and really don't want VHS tapes or cassette tapes!

Shopping

I had to go and pay the deposit for hiring a room later this year at a National Trust garden. It was too cold for me to walk round, but the shop was empty. Whoop whoop! I don't normally get a chance to browse round a Gift Shop... all sorts of bits and pieces seemed to leap into my basket; honey, biscuits, a replacement bird feeder, some seeds... I did enjoy myself!

Garden

Instead of going in and flopping on the settee when we got back home, I went for little prowl around the garden, taking advantage of the fact I was still all wrapped up against the cold.

Daughter cafe me this china sheep stuffed with sheep wool for Christmas. You hang it up for the birds to use for nest building. As you can see it didn't take long for them to find it. You can buy them, and extra wool, from the National Trust shop, I noticed. 

The little tete-a-tete daffodils are glowing at the bottom of the garden. I bought them for my mother's windowsill when she was in a care home over the winter of 2015-6. I replaced them every week and planted them under the hedge so I could enjoy them after she died as a memorial. 

The cardoons are looking great! You might spot the little red and blue flowers of 'soldiers and sailors' at the back creeping through the fence.

The clematis vines are all showing leafy buds.

The afternoon disappeared in menu planning and then a piano lesson; I've started teaching again after taking an extended break into this year. I've missed my students, all three of them!

Thought for the Day

I don't think I stopped to think today... I want to get vacation into the habit of sitting and thinking...

Music

Something gentle and relaxing...

The opening Pavane from the Mother Goose Suite, the orchestral version