Angel Jem's City Cottage

Whatever else you do today (hello! I'm writing this a day late on Thursday: better late than never) go and vote. I don't care who you vote for, just vote. And if there's nobody you want to vote for, go and spoil your ballot. Spoilt ballots get counted as well, and can be a form of protest. On to Wednesday Wind Up. I've had a bit of a slow wake up this week, I think I either have a water infection or a cold, I find it so hard to get out of bed and into work. Or perhaps the sunny mornings just make me wish occasionally I was still a SAHM. Oh, the things I could do with a few days at home now! Never mind, that's not my season. I work 9 to 4 most days, so that's what I do. What am I reading this week? I finished reading Gone Viking by Helen Russell. It was funny, and touching, and all the things I wanted it to be. A good happy read, so that was fun. I also finished Happy by Fearne Cotton. It was interesting: while I was reading it, I could hear Fearne...

We've been busy sprucing up the front;  power washing the block paving (apparently a power washer is really good for practising handwriting!) grey undercoat on the front door and garage before two coats of a dark red satin Weathershield paint called Monarch. The house is looking better, but like every time you do one small thing, now I'm looking at it thinking "I need to do the window sills. And the bell needs replacing. And don't the windows need a good wash...." Not to mention, I will need a new wreath for Christmas. Mistletoe, 40cm. Don't tell Mr AJ.

Golly! I hope this weather today isn't the pattern for the rest of the summer; dark, dank, wet and miserable. I'm quite glad I didn't save my garden plans for this weekend on the idea that I would have a week of half term break to do it! I got a lot done last weekend; gravel, building, planting some of my ideas in the garden. It was a very busy weekend and I had lots of plans for posting all about it, but of course by the time I came inside and sat down it was time to cook and then to sleep. There just isn't enough time in the day, is there? My garden has been growing wild for about 3 years, since my Dad was ill , and I chickened out of it last year and the year before as Too Big A Job to do. I wish I hadn't sometimes, but I suppose what I really was waiting for was the inspiration and the idea to do something to the area. That came this year, and I have beavered away. There was a lot of cutting back, a lot of cleaning, and a lot of thinking.  And a lot of my ...

The door is open, the birds are singing rampantly, I have already been up 4 hours and working in the garden. I'm ready for breakfast (well, it is 10 o'clock) and then more gardening. No pictures, no long ramble today. I'm taking the pictures as I go along and planning a post for later this week. For now, have a good weekend, y'all, and enjoy the sunshine.

Have I told you that I love my parents? Like, really love them? It never fails to surprise me how much I owe to them, not just life and a happy childhood, but just always having what I need and letting me have it when I need it. Can you see which flags have been cleaned? You betcha!  And in my mid 40's they are still turning up trumps. Like my garden clean up and my patio woes. Dad just trolls up with a power washer and a warning (don't let it run on one spot for too long. That's powerful enough to wipe off the top of the slabs. And don't point it at anybody. OK so sometimes he forgets I'm a  mature sensible adult. ) This is the back patio. We cleaned as much as we could on Sunday  and finished off the far corner on Monday after we got a long enough hose. Mid process. The sun was generous enough to make a pretty patio shine beautifully.  And I waited until Sunday and Monday when I had a couple of free hours and took my Mini me into the garden to work...

Golly! Yesterday and the day before have been gardening days. I don't think I've touched the garden seriously since my Dad was ill three years ago. Spending most free days up there and driving Ma around took up all my energy. And as any gardener will tell you, the stuff runs away and getting it back again is hard. But this year I know what hours are available and I know what I want to do so it's full steam ahead! And to show how much I'm going to use the garden, here is my breakfast in the flower bed this morning. I had a lie in til 10, and now I'm working. Cleaning and brushing, planning the living spaces and hoping that this sun will stay with us through the summer. Enjoy your day!

Building tents. We raided the garage for bamboo and wood, nicked every blanket out of the living room (can you tell I like red?) and set to work with nothing more than masking tape and wool. We have every kind of tent I could think of; the teepee, the Indian summer tent (canopy only; I don't have enough white sheets to make all four sides. Princess not happy with this.) and a traditional triangular tent with my comfiest red blanket as the roof. And me? I don't get a tent, only a parasol that I had to buy myself, with a glass of blackcurrant (the sun's not over the yardarm yet) and a couple of magazines for company. I predict that we are here for tea and into the night. Can't think how to do a campfire safely, and I haven't got any marshmallows so s'mores are out, but we might make do with tomato soup and burgers if it gets cold. Ans when your tent gets boring/ cold/ too sunny, what do you do? Move in with your brother.

Yes! Don't you love it when you get a result! I had a spare half hour today (OK, so I was supposed to tidy my bedroom, but it wasn't raining and you take your pleasures when you can in England) and I spent it very well indeed in the garden, transforming a small patch of my earth from this.... to this.... (apologies for the difference in tone; I know the before is actually a better colour, but the after is neater) and here is the pathetic flower currently sole occupant of this bed. I was so guilty that, with my spare half hour when the Princess was at a party I had to go to the garden centre and get some bedding plants. Watch this space... No not THIS space! Mind you, gardening is a long term commitment. The other corner of my garden looks like this... Yes, that is ground elder in there. Loads of it. I am as we speak blasting it with glycophosphate and pulling out every bit of root I can find... well, not literally as we speak. I was doing it 10 minutes ago until the rain began ...

When I was so much younger than now I used to play in a concert band. I played clarinet and, my favourite instrument then and now, saxophone. My Mum said it was a good way of letting us get out in supervised surroundings whilst also keeping us out of trouble. We spent at least 6 hours a week practising and often another 2 hours at a concert. Summer weekends passed in a haze of fetes and garden parties while the pleasures of a bi-annual band swap in Germany taught us that teenagers the world over are the same. One of my favourite pieces was a collection of American Civil war songs called 'The Blue and the Grey'. With classics such as Marching through Georgia, Aura Lee (Yes, the boys thought that was rude, but I never got the joke. Boys can be so infantile sometimes) and the Yellow Rose of Texas it was a real good toe tapping collection and made me happy. We used to joke that the only thing missing was the cannon fire. Then one July night we played for the Mersey River Festival...

Today I put the garden to bed. I cut the grass for (hopefully) the last time this year, I brushed up all the fallen leaves so far and collected all the kids toys into boxes and plastic baskets ready to go inside the little house and stay there all winter. Although the children go out and play, usually they like playing running games rather than sitting and drinking pretend tea, so they don't need the teaset or little chairs. I put away the washing line, tucked the chairs and table against the wall . I put the barely used parasol into the garage. Hopefully no mice will find it and chew it. And then I sat on my blue bench and drank a glass of cool water and sat down to enjoy the low afternoon sunshine. I know I'll need a warm bath later, but for now the knowledge that my garden is fit for 4 or 5 months will keep me warm.

So, this is the beginning of summer according to one source. As I sit here listening to Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds at full pelt from the other room (DP has recently got ever-so into this) I can believe it. Hasn't it been glorious? And I, in a burst of luck, have not been in work. Feast or famine; supply is not a certain source of income and I need something better. I'll work on that. But in the meantime; I have painted my bench and little picnic table. The garden has been weeded and the plants watered so that I can, this evening, take a cool beer out and enjoy the sunset through my trees. (must remember to take my hayfever tablets) I have got white geraniums to pot up and put at my front door and a red poppy, birthday gift from my Mum whom I dragged out to the garden centres today. I had a shopping trip yesterday and came back proud recipient of floral tins, wooden pegs (none better!) big shopping bags that will stop me using more plastic than I have to and a net canop...