Ten on the tenth

Ten photos taken during the day, which here in the UK was Mothers Day, and also GM's birthday.

Pop over to Rebekah's "a bit of sunshine" to see how others spent their day

Mother's Day

If retailers are to be believed, the only way to make your Mum happy on this day is to spend, spend, spend.

Now I have four (adult) kids, the eldest is a stay-at-home dad, the second is an expectant dad, the third is working full time just to keep his head above water and the fourth is a student, so not one of them has money to spare, and yet I've had a very happy day, I have spoken to them all, and that, to me, is the most important thing. They took the time to remember me. Thank you guys, love you all.

It doesn't take much to make me happy . . .

. . . just a box of compost accelerator, some gladiolus and knifophia bulbs, and a large pack of bark chippings (not in shot), and my day is complete.

Linking up with Green Day Friday at Raindrops and Daisies

Kat and Hannah climb a mountain . . .

. . . Snowdon, in fact, as part of TeamHonk, to raise money for Red Nose Day. You can read about Kat's climb here and Hannah's climb here. Very well done both of you and the rest of TeamHonk. So far the team has raised £5,000, but with your help they could raise more. Please visit each girl's blog where you will find links to their fundraising pages.

Back on terra firma a couple of things have happened this week, and both on the same day - yesterday.

Our new dining room floor was fitted

and the first of my raised beds is finished and ready to grow.

Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring . . .

. . . we hope, anyway.

The last few days have been interesting.

I have a new penfriend. Thanks to EvelynMay who arranged a penfriend swap last month, I am now writing to Karen of Me, My Camera, Eye. Karen and I already "know" each other, we are Facebook friends, AKCB members and mutual blog followers, but its going to be fun to actually write letters and find out more about each other - we've already made first contact via snail mail.

I received a signed copy of "The Star Pirate", written by Any Winfield, which I proof-read for Amy last year, its a story about a little girl called Ebony . . . .

but I'm not going to tell you any more, you'll have to buy it!

Progress in the dining room has been slow, GM covered the newly plastered walls with plaster primer, he fixed up a batten and curtain rail, and we took a trip to Swindon to buy the new flooring. The floor men are booked to come and fit the floor next Tuesday, then GM will fit and paint skirting boards, I'll hang wallpaper and curtains, and then it will be finished.

My Springtime/Easter swap package of goodies is ready and will go in the post on Monday, I'll show and tell once I know that my swap partner Jill has received it.

Yesterday, for the first time this year, I spent an hour in the garden. We have this rotary washing line which is placed on one side of the lawn, within wind-blowing distance of the border alongside the fence exactly where the previous occupants had planted a couple of rose plants, with the obvious consequence.

(just in case you are worried, this is only an old sheet that we use on the floor when I give GM his beard trim - not one of our decent bedsheets!). GM is not a fan of roses, having been savagely attacked by one as a small child, so its days were numbered anyway. Yesterday it breathed its final breathe and is now in small pieces in the green wheelie-bin. And I have a nice space in which to grow something else, I'm thinking maybe some hollyhocks and/or morning glory - watch this space.

Next weekend one of our family members has a birthday, and also it's Mother's Day, so it should be a fun weekend. Enjoy your week.

Once a month for a whole year, month 7, March

Goodness gracious me, the start of the second half of the 12 month period already, and we are now just about into spring. Here are my pictures for the month of March, each one followed by its preceding picture for the month of February.

View 1. The garden. There are changes, but they're not yet evident. Buds are appearing on shrubs, snowdrops and daffodils are about to burst into flower. During the next 30 days these raised beds will definitely be worked on.

View 2. The Park. Again no real evidence of change, but things are about to burst into life, as you'll see next month.

Linking up with Green Day Friday at Raindrops and Daisies

February Photo Challenges

I didn't do too well with "A Kitten Called Betty" this month, but right at the very last minute I managed to get the Scavenger Hunt completed. Please click here for other entries, and a big thankyou to Greenthumb for organising again.

Here are my submissions.

1) Red (my Valentine card from GM)

2) 14 (my desk calendar)

3) A kiss (well, almost. Its not easy to kiss and click at the same time!)

4) Something heartshaped (a potato)

5) Something found nowhere else (this is an original artwork, I forgot to make a note of the artist's name, it's hanging in the village pub in Maiden Bradley, I dont really like it, but it's definitely a one-off!)

6) Frozen (my poor raspberry plants)

7) Park bench (too cold to sit on them right now!)

8) Glass (and bottle)

9) Shopping trolley (or grannie trolley as GM calls it)

10) A shadow (my glasses)

11) Breakfast (too late, you missed it!)

12) Bus (on the way to Salisbury Market)