Oh my - I have spent a whole day in the garden, hedge trimming, digging weeding planting & tidying.  I ache everywhere.  The garden is looking better, there is still a long way to go but it is definitely better.  We normally tackle most of the heavy work during the Easter break but the weather just wasn't playing ball at Easter.  Why is it whenever I cut back the bushes with the hedge trimmer my arms give up the will to live?  At lunchtime, after the morning gardening session, I couldn't even lift up my drink because my arms were so weak.  At last I have got some summer bulbs in, albeit a bit late, my peas are in and I have at least got some tomatoes in, more to come though. 
In the middle of this, DD dropped some of her revision files on her finger and shattered a nail, the whole neighbourhood heard the screaming.   As she is going out this evening I had to find the time to repair her nail.  Actually it was a bit of a relief as it gave me a chance to sit down for a while.  Only son was very selective about the type of help he was willing to give; for which read "not a lot" although he did eventually decide to mow the lawns.
Our garden is very small but we do manage to pack a lot into it.  Flower beds, pond, seating area, patio, large strawberry patch (because they took over) and various veggie areas.  Usually in our small garden we grow, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, salad onions, potatoes, french beans, peas, dessert apples, cooking apples, herbs and whatever else takes our fancy.

These photos are from a couple of years ago but they give a pretty fair representation of what our little patch of green looks in summer.

God's plan for me

I just read a post on a blog by someone who seems to be fairly young but with a wonderful blog title (http://theplanshehasforme.blogspot.com/2010/04/for-season.html) and a lot of sense.  Kassi I just loved your comments on relationships and the fact that some people come into our lives just for a season and although sometimes we hang on by our fingernails, when their purpose in our lives is done God moves them on.  I would just add that their purpose in our lives can sometimes be that we have a purpose in their lives.  It is God, our heavenly father who plans and completes the purposes of our lives.

If not for God's perfect plan for my life, I could well be still trying to avoid a man who I found so irritating at times that I tried very hard not to be near on the few occasions when our paths crossed.  That would be such a pity as we have been happily married for the last 23 years.  God arranged for our paths to cross literally and for a very long way - 20 miles in fact.   He joined our young people's bible study group on Saturday evenings and when we arranged a long walk he came along.  A group of around 20 - 30 people walking can split into much smaller groups over a distance  as people walk at different speeds.  Our group was no exception and we split into several groups, each of which splintered into smaller groups.  We were with a group of about 8 people but the two of us were deep in conversation and when we turned around after another couple of miles they were nowhere in sight.  On that 20 mile walk I learned that his awkwardness was due to deep seated shyness and that once his reserve was broken through he was a lovely man.  When we reached our destination we discovered the reason that we had walked so many miles alone; the rest of the group we were walking with had found a bus stop in a village we passed through, and on discovering from the timetable posted there that there was a bus due, had opted to take a ride for the rest of the way.  As for me - I knew that my journey with this man was not going to end in Whitby.

PROM DAY

Today is the big day - 6th Form College Prom.   She has already done this before.  There was High School Prom and then last year was 6th Form College Prom but because she decided to stay on for an extra year she gets to go again!  We have paid for everything twice - the hair, the nails, the cars and everything else so this time I did her hair and nails, it was great fun, we spent good time together and enjoyed ourselves and the outcome is as you see here.  I am pretty pleased with this - especially the hair as I am no hairdresser but with an idea and a little research on the internet enabled me to do this.  It feels so good to be able to do something like this for my daughter.

 

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The venue is the Royal Armouries in Leeds which has to be an awesome place to hold an event.  http://www.rai-events.co.uk/  They
 all met up at college to board the black double decker bus which has delivered many of them to college on a daily basis, for the trip to Leeds.  There is no accounting for taste, I would be happy if I never set foot on a bus again, but they seem to have some sort of emotional attachment to this one.

Just for love

My daughter has her prom on Friday.  I have repaired her broken and chipped toe nails with acrylic, despite being horribly allergic to it.  I am eating anti-histamines and still scratching my hands but at least her toes look better.  They are decorated with black gloss and silver glitter which will go perfectly with her beautiful black gown with silver and gemstone straps. It would have been so much easier to use Gel though.
 This afternoon was waxing her legs and eyebrows.  A very girly time - lots of fun and giggles. 

I even let her have a go at waxing my eyebrows

- am I mad?

- I should have made her try out somewhere which doesn't show although I can't think where. 

Anyway - she did fine

Tomorrow she wants me to put gel nails on her and add artwork but she thinks I can do it between 3pm and 5.30pm and prepare and cook our evening meal before I leave for a meeting at 5.30  - oh yes I have to eat something in that time too as I will be so late back.  I also have to try to do her hair in a pin up style before Friday. No pressure there then!

Roll on Saturday

Weekending

After a weekend of energy sapping, headache and nausea inducing heat (43.7 deg C on Saturday) the weather is much fresher today.  Still hot but nothing like as hot (or humid) as the past two days.  The night time temperature in our bedroom with windows open and ceiling fan running was 32 deg. C.  Our garden is south facing which means it gets full sun all day with no shade at all.  I found an off-set parasol in a local shop for a really good price but we did our usual thing of "thinking about it" rather than buying immediately and when we went to buy it we found a staff member dismantling the display model for a couple who were waiting to buy it - sadly the last one.  So we still have no shade in our garden.

Emotional Literacy

I run groups in High School looking at Emotional Literacy, endeavouring to help students understand their feelings - particularly feelings of anger and frustration which cause them to lose control of themselves which is an Emotional Hijack.   The idea is to look at the different stages of anger and the physical reactions within our bodies when we start to get angry, and encourage them to understand how adrenaline can drown their ability to think clearly.  I could go into more detail but I don't want to put you to sleep. 
This morning was rather trying - the pupils were so obviously not interested - they just did not want to be there and were trying to see if they could make me throw them out of the classroom - but it didn't work!!  Which just goes to show that at least one of us is learning something about controlling our anger.  

Some more nail art

A few more examples of nail art done over the past few days.