Garden Girl Blog

Things are just mad at work... another 12 hour day today.. all going to come to a head on Thursday so keeping all my fingers, toes and anything else crossed. 

Off to bed as I have to be up at 5am (ish).  Keep everyting crossed, will report back!

I should be asleep soon as work tomorrow and need to be up early.  It has been a very busy day and I have been doing my part as domestic goddess.  The house is looking good, got the washing and ironing done, cooked dinner and even got the window cleaning finished (inside and out).  Have not stopped all day!  

Was very windy here today but that seems to be the normal now, the sun was out and it was a very pleasant day. Right sleep now..

Went for a walk in the Pentland hills first thing this morning.  The sky was clear and the view went for miles in each direction.  It is quite steep going up so both myself and the husband were quite out of breath by the time we got to the top, we are very unfit, even with the Wii fit we have been doing.  We were both glad the way down was easier!

We then went to secure a new chicken from M&S after the other one had to go in the bin.  We got cakes as well, the diet is not going so well....

I have been out in the garden this afternoon and took my camera with me, I was tring to get a picture of a Goldfinch but they refused to come into the garden while I had the camera out.  Did get a nice picutre of a chaff in a tree...

I came back in after this and the puss was enjoying a lay down as the sun came streaming in the front room window.  She looked very sweet so I took a few pics of her as well.

I have to work at 6pm so have to get on now and sort out dinner.  Hope everyone has enjoyed the sun today.

This morning it was -1.2 and a light frost, very cold! 

There are lots of birds around today, currently we have - 7 Chaffinches, 2 blue tits, 4 goldfinch, 1 siskin, 1 great tit, 1 starling and Mr and Mrs Magpie.   Very busy and the sun is out and the sky it blue.  Lets hope it stays like this today!

The bullfinch came back, I managed to get a few pictures but then I tried to open the window and he flew off.  Not great but here is what I got..

We just saw a male Bullfinch at one of the feeders, have never seen one in the garden before, the colour was very vivid.  Also we had a Great Spotted Woodpecker but he got frightened off by the Chaffs flying around like mad thing.  Think they are getting ready for spring! 

Drive home from work was great, not much traffic which always makes it better but great sky fantastic. 

In Edinburgh on Queen Street there are lots of old buildings, the sky was very dark and full of black clouds but the old builds had shafts of light on them as if they were lit by huge spot lights.  Would have been a great photo.

Further on there was a view of the Pentland Hills again, the snow had gone but was replaced by low cloud which was laced with pink,  looked fantastic!  Again did not have my camera but wish I had!

Nice way to finish off the day at work.

In work today, was a nice drive in first thing but lots of cloud now.  There was snow on the Pentland hills this morning so they loked wonderful.  I am going out for lunch so that will be good and then have to get my head down and do lots of work so I can get away on time. 

I have had a compost bin for some years and all I can ever make was mush and it smelled rotten!  So it must be rotten mush!  Last autumn, the husband purchased for me a tumbling compost bin, which guaranteed nice compost in a matter of months.

It arrived, he built it, I filled it, turned it, filled it, turned it all winter long. Now I have more mush!!! What am I doing wrong!  I will dig a hole and put the mush in it and then turn it over a few times, it does go okay in the end but this is not how it should be!  

So the plan now is to remove some of the mush from the tumble bin and then put in lots of brown cardboard, see if that helps, oh yes and to turn it every day!

Fingers crossed!

Oh no, there is no food in the house so am off to the shops.

Sunny, windy and raining (sideways) all so far this morning!.. Just need a bit of snow now! 

I have finished work and tomorrow is my day off... I do have some work stuff to do and plan to get up really early put the coffee on, do the bits I need to do then I have the day to myself.  That is the plan and I am going to stick to it!  Might try and get out in the garden but looks like it might rain, will have to wait and see. 

Now I am really tired, should not have stayed up last night to watch TV, so am going to bed.

What did you think I was taking about ... the results of the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch are out..

Position    Species         Average per garden
1             house sparrow       3.70
2             starling                  3.21
3             blackbird                2.84
4             blue tit                   2.45
5             chaffinch                2.01
6             woodpigeon           1.85
7             collared dove         1.44
8             great tit                 1.40
9             robin                     1.36
10           long-tailed tit         1.34

Clear morning in Edinburgh and bright blue sky.  Sadly I am at work so do not get out to enjoy it.  Life in the office continues to be mad and everyone is being stretched beyond what is reasonable.  I was here for 12 hours yesterday so by the time I got home there was time for dinner and then the final episode of Battlestar Galactica which went on very late. 

Not much sleep so will suffer later, just hope it is not another 12 hour day!  Day off tomorrow so will recover then.

Very cold this morning -2.3!  Sky was clear but was starting to have wisps of cloud, these are now growing and it looks a little overcast.

I noticed today that my forsythia is just about in flower!  Also the blue tits are checking out the nest box, just have to try and keep puss away from them, it does already have some cat protection but might need more if she shows too much interest.  Think she is getting a bit old now and does not have a much interest.  I kept thinking she was 8 but realised the other day she is over 9!

She is getting better but her cut still looks a bit horrid, she also seems to have got into a fight and now has two cuts on her belly.  They seem to be healing up but look a bit sore.  Bad puss for fighting, she should be past this!

House work is done and the house looks fab and tidy, even cleaned a few of the windows, inside and out.  Do them a few at a time as I find it a bit hard work, but they really need it!  Even been to the post office with the somewhat late mothers day presents!

Still have some ironing to do but might go on Wii fit first.  I had not been on it for 13 days until yesterday, I know it was that long because it told me off and asked where I had been! Anyway when I went back to it the little me thing was asleep.. bless!

Okay Wii fit it is!

Is very windy again but I think they said on that radio that everywhere is going to be.   We had heavy rain first thing but now we have blue sky. Pots in the garden have gone over, I will need to go and sort them out should the wind ever slow down.  There are no birds in the garden, I think it is too windy for them to fly.

Gray and very very very windy in Edinburgh area today. I want the sun back please.

I have been out in the garden most of the day and it has been wonderful. Got lots sorted out and the garden is really starting to look good with flowers starting to bloom and colour everywhere.  I saw two bumblebees in the garden I have several Hellebore and they love them and lots of daffs so they were quite happy.  Lots of my seeds have come up so I was busy planting them on. The husband cleaned the car and cut the grass, it looks much better now.

We even managed to have a quick bar-b-que at lunch time.  Was great!

Woke up at 6am and went to check out how the overnight work stuff had gone.  Had thought that maybe I had done that I would get back to sleep but although all was good with the work there was no more sleep for me.  So I got up. 

The garden is full of birds, but the feeders are very low so I must get them filled today.  There are new flowers in the garden so I am looking forward to having a closer look later and a wren is running round the plants, it is the first time I have seen her this year.  Looks like the weather is going to be great today.

Not the husband he is stuck with me!  However the job maybe... This week I have had no life doing 12 hour days and then just yapping on about work when I get home.  It seems I have been driving my husband mad.

It has been mad, we had a big implementation which sort of went okay but seems anything we as a team touch we break.  Not good!  We are now getting to the stage where we just have to look at it and it breaks!  My whole team is feeling a bit depressed and I am barking at them via email, what they can and cannot do in an attempt to protect them and not make things worse.

So we go out for dinner because I really could not be bothered to cook and are discussing stuff.  The husband has not been feeling great and has been shirking from home so is somewhat fed up being on his own.  I am going on about work and what has been going on and he says that maybe I should leave.  I know it is not really the right time to be leaving but maybe they will make me redundant.  I am okay at my job but do not like it and it requires far more brain power than I can spare.  I also feel if I am going to do it, I should do it properly so I end up doing lots of extra hours and generally worrying about it but still feeling I do not do a very good job.  So anyway the husband says if they do not make me redundant in two months I should think about resigning.  Redundancy would be better to have as I have been there years, but we will see.
 
I am not going to work tomorrow but plan to catch up on stuff on Sunday.  Am looking forward to doing stuff in the garden and maybe going for a walk tomorrow.  It has been such a nice week that it has been a real shame to be in the office and I did not get my day off.  Am really looking forward to a bit of sun tomorrow!

The husband has got me a present... a baby laptop and it is blue.  What more can a girl want... it is so sweet, now I can do stuff while doing dinner and watching TV! It is great!.. Oh Grey's is back on...

The weekend away was great, just what I needed.

Saturday I was staying with a friend near Guildford, he had arranged a trip to Denbies Wine Estate for a tour and tasting, it was very interesting and some of the wine was nice… and some not so nice!  We then went out walking in the afternoon and to dinner at a posh restaurant in the evening.  He had told me that we would be walking and also to travel light, he was somewhat surprised to find that I had only brought my jeans and light walking boots, no posh shoes and frock.... so I went to dinner as I was.  It was fine; he just told me I had to keep my legs and feet under the table, which unless I get really drunk, is quite normal for me!

Sunday I moved to different friends and we sat outside in the glorious sun enjoying a catch up.  They are both an inspiration when it comes to the amount they do in their life.  I then when to visit and stay the night with another family and had full Sunday roast.  It was great and I felt like a little holiday from my real life. 

This trip was the first time I have really felt that I miss being down south and would ever want to go back, but think that was more to do with the people than the places.

Back home on Monday and the husband had been okay but said he was glad I was back.  It is nice to be missed.

Back to work but let’s not talk about that!

06:25 Edinburgh.  Street lights off and fully bright, some fog around but it is going to be a fantastic day.

I am going to London to visit friends for the weekend.  Am really looking forwar to it but will miss the husband as he is not coming.  Am really going to be glad to escape from work for a few days and will not be taking my laptop!

Very tired now, so off to bed.

I saw the first starlings of the year in my garden this morning.  They come and pick over the grass and find all the Leatherjackets (baby crane fly)  and put some air holes in the grass.  They do this for free every spring, my strange neighbours have been know to pay a local company £50 for the same task!

Yesterday I was, as seems to be the normal thing now, stressed about work and therefore connected in and did some stuff to get more up to date.  It should have been my day off but that was going to be okay because I have today off this week so no problem. Spent all morning working and then in the afternoon I went and sorted out stuff in the garden.  Had a really good afternoon and got lots done, I was very pleased.

Had a very lazy evening and did not even bother with Wii Fit and went to bed nice and early.

Part of the reason I had been stressed at work was because we were trying to redo the stuff that failed the other day, we got permission and that is no easy thing to get, and most of this permission was based on the fact that all of us involved told the world and his wife that we feel sure everything would go well... so now you can see what is come next like a great big train.... 3am this morning a text from one of my team.  Not only had part of what we were doing failed but there were bigger issues which started around the same time... cause unknown... what can I say but f*ck.. and I do not swear often.

So I got up and connected into work at 3am to try and help sort things out, we did get sorted and really our stuff when okay... besides the fact it failed of course... which is not always the point, but still a huge pain in the bum.

So my day off again is not really a day off and every time I think things cannot get worse... they do.

Oh well, what can you do?

and thinking that I will get logged on to work and make a start.  Did not sleep at all well as all the work stuff was going round in my head. 

Can I have a new head please?

It went much as I thought it would with me having to grovel to a multitude of people all day and try and explain why certain people give the impression they just have no idea/don't care/are rubbish at their job... but yes they still should keep their job and really they can do it very well .... now if I can just convince myself that is the case....  Not sure why I felt that need to do that, but I did and other than the fact that I basically got part of the blame for something that happened while I was tucked up in bed it did all get sorted.

Very long day at work and still doing email etc now.  Should be off tomorrow but am going to work from home to get everything I did not do today sorted. This is not good!

is not going to be a good day... we had something going on at work this morning and it failed.  So there will be lots of questions and the management will not be happy.

However I do have cake so might just eat the whole lot, make myself sick and go home!  Sounds like a plan to me.

Got out in the garden for a while yesterday afternoon, but kept getting rained on.  I am fighting the weeds that have crept into the garden over the winter and am in hand to hand battle with them, they grow I pull them out!  I am sure I will win in the end.  Still have lots to do in the garden and then I need to do the bit outside my fence on the hill as they creep under and invade from there.  I refilled the birdfeeders while I was out there and had a goldfinch feeding just two foot away.  It must have been very hungry as it is did not care that I was there. 

Did not get any more of the Snowdrop bulbs planted as when I went to start them it rained much heavier and I retreated into the house.  Fingers crossed I will be able to do more on Thursday.

Nothing to interesting in the evening.  The husband was busy trying to fix a router that some how got broken and I went to bed and left him to it.  Not sure if it got fixed.

It was light by the time I got to work this morning at 06:30, and it was still light at 18:00 last night.  Summer is coming!

Before I went to Sainsbury I went for a very quick walk in the Pentland Hills.  I started from the bottom car park and found a path that went straight up, thinking it would be good exercise I set off.  After about 30 minutes and lots of huffing and puffing, I got up to the top of the dry slope ski lift and stopped for a rest and to look over Edinburgh.   The view is fantastic, you can see all the Edinburgh sights right over to Bass Rock.  However the sky was starting to look very dark and I could see the rain coming in so thought I better go back down.   Was much easier on the way down and I was spured on by the sleety rain that started to fall!  Was down in under 15 minutes, noticed the gorse is starting to flower as I passed it on the way down. 

I then went off to Sainsbury to get a few bits and as I was standing at the till, I noticed a lady pouring cash into one of those 'coin star' machines.  I remember when I was a kid that counting coins from the 'penny jar' and bagging them up was something we did as a family, counting and then double checking.  Bit sad that you now just pour it all into a machine and job done.

Puss has been back to the vets again today to have her stitches out.  All is well and the vet says it looks good.  She also said that all the lumpiness (is that a real word) will go, so I am pleased about that.

The sun is out and a beautiful blue sky today so puss has gone off out and up the hill to the woods behind the house.   Am sure she will be having fun!

So I feel much better now.  I have been working for four ish hours and have done loads.  Got my email down and have done two documents that need doing and should have been done on Friday.  Both have now gone off to my manger for review!  On the one hand I feel much better and will sleep better for having done this.  On the other I will not get paid so it is not fair really, but could not go on worrying about it all. 

Still trying to think why I never get my work done when I am at work.  I do only work part time but do maybe have a slightly reduced workload but not by much.  I also think that we have constantly changing requirements.  I work in a very fluid environment and we have to pull things together very quickly at times and react to things as they are happening.  As the leader of the team, I am often involved in organising things so get pulled all over the place, I also need to be very organised for the days I am not there.  Not sure I can do much about that.  The other thing is that I babysit the team, help them get organised, or organise things for them, this takes my time lots.  I can do something about this, I can ensure they know what I want them to do and when it needs to be done etc and stop doing this.  Okay we run the risk of failure because something does not get done which might make the team look bad, but I am sure it would only happen once and next time they would make sure it did not happen rather than me.  I feel this should be my main goal for the next few weeks and see if it helps.  I hope it does or I need to invent more hours in the day! 

Off to bed for a nice sleep now. 

The husband is on the Wii fit doing step, bless.  He really is having a go at getting fit and trying to drop a few pounds.  I had been on it for an hour today so we both are really trying.  We have both set a certain amount of weight we want to have lost by so many days and so far the Wii thing says we are on track.

I did get out in the garden for a bit.  We got the final two new trellises up but there should have been another one so I have had to get in touch with the company that I got them from.  Wait to hear if they believe me that I ordered six and only got five.  The husband unpacked them for me and did not know how many I had ordered so we have only just realised.

I also pottered around my green house putting in more seeds and thinking of all the things I still need to do both in the house and garden, but mainly in the garden.  I have a daffodil that is about to come into flower which will be my first this year and also my crocus are now in flower.  They seem a bit late but it has been very cold.

We have had snow off and on all day but it has all gone, it was very wet snow.

I think I am going to do some work for a few hours now.  I have been thinking about the things I have not done and should have, and just the amount of email I had all weekend, so think if I can get some of it done that will be good.  Wish I did not worry about it so much but I just seem to be getting more and more to do.  Am having a good think why this is and also what I can do about it.

Right off to work then.. how sad is that…

We have a bit of snow down but big snowflakes coming down! They are saying it will snow all day. No gardening for me then.

The husband took yesterday off work. Not really sure why, he just fancied it.  He did some jobs that he had not got round to and also cleaned the outside of my greenhouse for me.  It really needed it so I am happy.  He did asked if there was anything else I needed done and I mentioned the house windows also needed a clean but he no longer seemed to be able to hear me... so they did not get done.

 I went to M&S this morning to spend my birthday gift card.  Could not find anything I fancied, which is always the way when I have money to spend, and ended up getting a new vase and a new bath towel. Very boring but had been thinking I needed both for a while.

This afternoon I have been out in the garden, still trying to sort out the beds. Also made a start on planting the 150 snowdrops I got off the internet.  Getting Snowdrops 'in the green' seemed like a good idea at the time.  I did not think about all the planting I would have to do!  Have only done a third and my back hurts.  Gave up for today.

Watched Muma Mia tonight which was very good and lots of fun.

I am off to the shops with my birthday gift card and the husbands credit card!  Joy

I am sunk.  Came in really early this morning to get on top of things and have failed.   I have more email in my mail box now than I did at 7am this morning and I have just remembered I promised my manger I would do something today, without fail, I have not done it.

Next week I am only in two days so cannot see things getting any better.  Feel a bit of 'unpaid' weekend working coming on.

Sort of think I know why I did not get it all done but not sure I can do anything about it, it is almost the nature of the job to be pulled in every direction and get dumped on.  Oh well, home via M&S I think.

Nice bottle of wine is waiting... and the cooking!

Lunch was fab and worth working late for!   We went to a place close to work and had very tasty home made burger and chips.  No pudding, I would say I very self controlled but more like my friend asked for the bill!

We sat in the window chatting and watching the world go by.  There were two girls next to us who I found myself constantly looking at.  On of them must have had very bad eye sight and kept using a magnifying glass, on a chain round her neck, to look at her mobile phone.  The other was maybe her PA and typing email etc for her.  Just seemed very odd doing all this in a restaurant.  I really could not help myself and just kept looking.  How bad is that!  

Anyway back to work!

Back to work today and I have a pile of email to do and lots of other stuff.  Not good!  I have agreed to go out to lunch and now seeing all the work I have to do, I regret it.  I guess it will be good to get away but bet it means I end up being here late.  Am trying to get on with everything but not really sure where to start.  I dislike days like this but more and more all days I work are like this!

Last night both myself and the husband did some time on the Wii.  He is a bit fed up because the stupid thing keeps telling him that he has put weight on when he is trying to take it off.  He did tell me that he had cake at work and I also gave him a few extra bits so he did eat a bit and we went out a few times last week.  He likes to eat and hates being hungry so is not really willing to eat less, I think this is the main reason why his weight is not coming off.  I will just carry on trying to help him and hope that we get there in the end.

Puss is doing well; she is loving being able to go out but not enjoying the cold.  She has a big bald patch on her side where she had her operation and think she feels the cold there.  She is more keen than normal to come back in but she has a little house in the porch if she gets desperate.  We are back to the vets on Monday to have the stitches out.

Have been to my local garden centre for a wander round and also Sainsbury... Feel much more human and calm and have food in the house again.

Had a very dizzy girl moment at Sainsbury, got all the way round the shop and just going to the till with my very full trolley, realise I have not got any bags and have to park the trolley and go back to the car.  I always take bags and could not believe I forgot to take them in.  Silly girl.

Snowing here today but has not settled or anything, very cold and think I might have to go and turn the heating back on.

I always seem to be rushing around, so breath and count to ten.....

No time to write yesterday, work was mad as mad can be and I seemed to spend the day going from one meeting to the next and then trying to get the things I had agreed to do at each meeting done in the time I had between.  Obviously I failed because I did not have enought time between the meetings so now already have lots to do on Friday.  Oh well.

No work for me today... other than the irresistible urge to dial in and look at my email and find out what is going on... wish I did not have the urge... but am sure I will.

So more house work to do today and the washing, the husband is rapidly running out of pants and socks, not a good place to be!

Last night we went out for dinner in our local French restaurant, we had a friend over to stay for the night so lots of chatting, eating and drinking was done.  Very nice evening! 

This morning is very frosty and cold, the bird feeders are all empty but not sure I will be able to get in the garden to fill them up.  Have to wait and see if the frost goes. 

I am sinking under email, work and politics at work, and my computer is on a go slower and slower.  In our efforts to ‘save money’ we are generating huge amounts of work for everyone!   I want to go home!

Cooked birthday dinner for myself and the husband and it was very nice.  He stopped at M&S on the way home to get some pudding so was rather stuffed after a big dinner and pudding.  As we stood at the sink doing the washing up he put his arms around me and very romantically said that this time next year he would be able to feel a 40 year old... quick off the mark, and most unlike me, I shot back that I had been doing it for a few years and it really was not that exciting!  Bless his face just dropped a mile!  *LOL*

This morning I was a bit late in to work as after getting lots of nice messages on Facebook yesterday I felt the need to ensure that I sent a message to anyone who has a birthday today, so had to log on and send them before I left.    Also need to send my sister-in-law a text but thought she might not appreciate that at 6am.

Right down to work now....

It is raining again... I was out in the garden for about an hour just after lunch and got very wet, had thought it was going to be okay today but seems not.  Now raining sideways, the husband is going to be a bit wet after the ride home on his motorbike... the joys of Scotland! 

Puss went back to the vet for a check up and all is well, she is even officially allowed out now!

Flower shop van just arrived with a beautiful bunch of flowers from Puss.  Such a thoughtful and wonderful cat... or should that be husband.. Okay I take it all back, he did remember! :-) 

It is strange how just a phone call can change your mood.  A friend who I do not talk to that much, and should talk to more, who often is not happy about how much.. or little money she has just rang to say happy birthday.  We both talked about our recent holidays which mainly involved from her details of how her kids bowel habits and me thinking, glad I do not have kids, but it was nice. She made an effort to be happy and chatty and I now feel in a really good mood after that! 

Note to self - ring people on their birthday it is a really nice thing to do!

I am now off to dance with the dyson and will have a new spring in my step!

I am sure this morning the husband had forgotten it was my birthday.  He got up just before me and when I arrived downstairs with my cards in my hand ready to open he did not say anything and then almost as an after thought said ‘happy birthday’.  Maybe he was just still asleep, he takes a while to get going in the morning!

I know that I said to him I did not want anything, mainly because he had not got me anything and said he did not know what to get, but it is not that nice receiving nothing from him today.  He never knows what to get me but I always think I am easy to please, does this mean he does not really know me or that he is just really disorganised and does not think of it in advance.  I feel I am one of those people that you could buy a book, some flowers or some bubble bath and I would be more than happy.  There is a small risk that if the bubble bath gives me thrush (which has happened in the past) it will then be used to clean the loo, but I will still enjoy the nice smell!

He also had the cheek to ask if 'we' had remembered to send his sister a card for her birthday!  Of course 'I' had!

Anyway enough moaning on my birthday, I am off to do the house work!  

Spent late last night and early this morning looking for a cottage and a lodge in Wales for our summer holiday, we are going for a week in each.  To my shock I managed to find just what we were looking for, so we are all booked and are going to two different parts in Wales in June.  We are really looking forward to it! 

We will not be going for a day trip to Bangor.. we will be staying there! 

Didn't we have a lovely time
The day we went to Bangor
A beautiful day, we had lunch on the way
And all for under a pound, you know
That on the way back I cuddled with Jack
And we opened a bottle of cider
Singing a few of our favourite songs
As the wheels went around.... 

Got out in the garden after a lazy morning in the house.  Was most happy to find, in the flower bed that I was clearing, that under all last years dead leaves and plants there were all sorts of bulbs coming up.  I have also put down some dung, purchased from a farm down the road several months ago, which will give the roses a good start to the year.  

I got two bags of this stuff for about a pound each or something cheap like that.  The stuff is nice and full of fibre and better than that it is full of worms.  You can go online and buy worms for lots of money or get them for free, I will be going  back for a bit more soon! 

Also got to put up two of the new trellis that I got a few weeks ago, several more to be done but they are looking good. 

Today it seems the garden is starting to show the promise of spring with several different flowers in bloom and the daffs look like they will not be long.  It seems that spring is just about here! 

I relented with Puss on two counts.  One she was back to bed with me and the husband last night and two I let her out today.  She was very happy with both!  Just don't tell the vet!