Starting the day

Woke up at 545am, looked at the clock and jumped straight out of bed, wandered downstairs, made a cup of coffee and opened the back door.

What’s so blogworthy about that?  Well nothing really, apart from the fact it’s the first day of the Easter holidays and by rights I shouldn’t be waking up before the ‘alarm clock that wasn’t even set because it’s the holidays’ but I did!

I’m what you might call a broken sleeper.  Waking up is not something I enjoy doing in the normal Monday to Friday run of the mill because I never tend to wake up before anyone else these days, no matter how hard I try.  Imagine – you’re fast asleep, cosy and dreaming when you are woken up by the door slamming against the cupboard as it has been pushed open with some vim & vigour and the first words you hear are what’s for breakfast – that.  That’s why I like to wake up before anyone else so I can get going in my own time!  Which is why this waking up AND getting up bright and chipper this morning has taken me by surprise.

But it’s a nice surprise because in the last hour or so I have emptied the dishwasher, put it on a cleaning wash (I know domesticated so early in the morning), the washing is on the line (not sure if it will try by elevenses but it’s on the line), had a good long critical look at the fridge contents and most of it is now in the bin or compost, written a shopping list, swept the kitchen floor and wiped the work surfaces down.  IN PEACE.  No radio, no music, no bickering, no barking, no noise, no nothing, nothing!

Everyone in the house is exhausted with school, college and work.  Laree has returned from a residential trip with a very husky voice meaning she’s either been on the Capstan full strength or has been talking all night with her school friends plus her tooth fell out so she will be hugging her pillow a few hours more, Loops & Mook are teenager dirt bags and will appear bleary eyed with hair all over the place and Big Welsh although tired will probably bounce out of bed shortly to go for a lengthy cycle ride.  Which means the house will be quiet again.

Until everyone wakes up, throws open the bedroom door which will slam against the cupboard as it has been pushed open with some vim & vigour and the first words they mutter are what’s for breakfast – to an empty room!

And then the day will begin again!

It started with a bucket

You see, about 3 years ago Georgie THE Flower Farmer tweeted that she needed metal buckets and I replied with a daft response along the lines of it being a real pity you didn’t ask a week or so ago because I had a load of metal buckets that I’d bought from Garden Brocante, I had been in Pewsey and therefore nearer than being in Wokingham which was a shame and had I known (how??) it would have been so easy to nip across the county border and give you the buckets (in 140 characters or less).

Oh how we laughed!! We then plotted to meet up halfway which seemed a reasonable idea and then Georgie suggested that I rock on over to hers with all my lot and the dog AND the buckets, we’d have a fabulous slow roast mutton lunch and it would be great!!

It was great!! I picked up another Tweeter (who knew both Georgie and an old schoolfriend of mine) from Wokingham station and drove down to Common Farm talking and laughing all the way, lunch was indeed a riot as Sara (Elsie Florence) and her family were also there. I think it was possibly one of my most favourite Sunday lunches EVER!

Since then Georgie (British Flowers by post – put her details in your address book) has become my one and only go to girl for flaaaaars and wreaths which is why her Fun Blue Plaque is on her wall.

So you see, when someone asks for a metal bucket you might just wind up making great friends, filling your diary with dates and plans, joining in with workshops and feeling really pleased that you were in the right place at the right time. I know I am!

(If you do make contact with anyone mentioned in this blog do please let them know that Nellie, Nell, Nellie Noo Noo, PeacockPomPoms, Solutioneer sent you their way, with my love).

My friend the flower farmer

Morning all on this blustery Sunday February morning! If you’ve not seen this article then can I suggest you give it a read? Georgie and the team are the most fantastically marvellous and positive people I know.

If you care about the air miles of your flowers then this is the most perfect way to get beautiful UK grown flowers to any door. The beauty of opening a box and seeing hand reared, home grown, happy flowers is like sunshine on your face.

Flowers have meanings and connotations, Georgie ensures that each arrangement is part of a story. The wreath for my father always has Rosemary for remembrance and last year it had a sumptuous purple ribbon because Georgie cares and she has listened to me over the years.

You might be interested in attending a workshop at Common Farm Flowers. I’ve done a furniture painting course and am really looking forward to the advanced social media course next month. If there’s any spaces left then I can tell you it’s Tartiflette for lunch and an abundance of Welsh cakes. Their
Twitter feed is one of my favourites and I can’t wait to meet some of the tweeters I engage with through Georgie at the workshop! I clearly need to attend the workshop as I can’t add in a link to her Twitter feed but look see, here it is .. https://mobile.twitter.com/theflowerfarmer!

In short Georgie is an inspiration – wife, mother, fabulous friend, flower farmer, amazing business woman, superb cook, entertaining hostess, engaging writer and she blesses people with British blooms. A must for your address book and Twitter timeline.