Yo-Yoing

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 I would truly find it very hard to properly explain my absence for so long from this blog. Indeed I can do no better than to attribute it to yo-yoing where: we have travelled to and from family in London. I have traipsed in and out of the garden striving to get everything sown and planted between an assortment of weather conditions and temperatures. I have been constantly to and fro to my mother who is of increasing concern to us all. I have tried not to neglect my exercise routines and coffee socials, so it's been backwards and forwards to the gym. 

My positivity suffers and my muscles ache. It's the hardest period of retirement so far.

Can you believe too that Little Sister has just had her first birthday? It enabled an excuse for squeezing in another trip to London. Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if they lived locally but then it would just be another place to yo-yo to daily. I take my hat off to those in retirement who find themselves caring for parents and grandchildren day in, day out. At least our time with our granddaughters is such a complete distraction from my other family responsibilities that it almost feels like a holiday. It's no spa break or luxury destination though, not with the running noses and the pesky germs that I always succumb to.

On the plus side, MisterE and I are both well (unless the latest cold from the grandchildren counts). I have had some great days out and the garden is slowly getting back under control after 3 seasons of neglect as a result of that oil leak. (Thinking about the price of central heating oil now, we really should have considered setting up a nodding donkey and saving some of the underground puddle in barrels!)

The forecast says temperatures will climb this week and I think I can finally say goodbye to moving plants in and out of the greenhouse in an effort to protect them from the air frosts that have been persisting. The arrival of fine weather and summer sunshine is going to make everything feel a lot more under control. My optimism is restored and blogging regularly should resume.





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