I have had an amazing few days off so far!
Day 1: I went to Mum and Dad's to plant this batch of mistletoe finally. It took aaaages, but managed it with the help of my trusty assistant (aka mother). Mum held the stepladder as I scaled the apple trees, and I spent over an hour sticking the bogey-covered seeds to suitable branches and labelled up the batches. (Not actual bogey by the way, but if you ever get to squash an English mistletoe berry you'll understand what I mean. A little less like bogey and lot more like something stickier that I didn't want to mention in front of my mother...)
When the seeds were up, I got to let loose on the very overgrown gazebo with a hedge cutter. Once again, I got to climb the stepladder, but it gave me great satisfaction to be strimming back the clematis and honeysuckle in the glorious sunshine.
I went home exhausted, with clean, dry, awesome-smelling line-dried laundry and a car full of my plants that remained vaguely alive. Fewer than I'd have hoped, but never mind.
I spent yesterday morning catching up with friends I hadn't seen in almost a decade, and time flew. We made a trip to see our old boss (no love lost but I can be civil), and giggled just we used to do. With any luck, we'll get to do it all again in the summer, instead of leaving it another 9 or so years...
The rest of yesterday and most of today were spent re-potting the aforementioned houseplants, as the weather has been poor and it makes me feel better knowing that it's done for another year. I am hoping that they will all bounce back from their ordeal of being over-watered and left in a dark room for a few months... Yes, that pang of guilt extends to plant life too.
I have left what remains of the orchid collection, and the swathes of baby cacti that have somehow managed to survive. They can wait a while longer.
I managed to pilfer a pastry brush from Mum, so finally got to make a spinach and feta filo pie and devoured two thirds of it. I am sat here trying to resist the other third, as I intend to have that tomorrow lunchtime in celebration of my final day off work, before I take mum to a flower demo evening as a Mother's Day present.
