Well my week’s experiment has concluded. After a somewhat disappointing 1/2 a pound loss last week I had been looking at what I’d been eating and also what I’d been doing for exercise. Since the 22nd May I’ve been gardening in earnest – and because of the time involved there has been less walking in … More In the teens!
Although I have come to hate it with a passion there’s absolutely no denying that ivy is great for relieving stress. Not content with working on my own garden I agreed to help a friend out on his allotment today – and it’s nice to finally be physically able to return some of the help he … More Allotment ivy
Yesterday I walked into Sainsburys to get a coffee and unexpectedly walked out with a bag of clothes that I’d purchased because they were half price. This in itself is really not unusual I suppose – as clothes from shops like Tesco, Asda and Sainsburys are now cheap enough to make buying them little more … More Banded demoiselle
The effects of dramatic weight loss are (I’ve found) often unpredictable – and throughout my journey I’ve experienced a variety of odd feelings, strains, tensions and pains. I’ve put a lot of this down to my body weight shifting and stressing different muscles and ligaments in the process. Around the 11-12st mark I started getting a … More Windy day
It”s 9.50am on Saturday and I’m listening to Classic FM. I have my feet up on my POÄNG footstool and I’m in my POÄNG armchair, feeling very Swedish. I’m also feeling very frugal as – thanks to some patient bargain hunting – I managed to get both 2nd hand for a total of £14. This compares … More Swedishly frugal
Today has been my longest day gardening yet – and even if I do say so myself I’ve done a LOT. I started at 8am and finished just after 3 when I finally stopped for lunch. The weather has been changeable – but (despite dire weather predictions) it’s been a pretty nice day to put … More And then there were none…
It’s been a really mixed bag of moods this week – and having spoken to a few of my friends I don’t think I’m alone in this. As I mentioned previously my Saturday was all about eating everything I could lay my hands on. Today I’ve felt rather similar if I’m honest – and my … More And then there were two…
For the most part I’m in awe of nature. Apart from cat sh*t – which despite me not owning one seems to appear in pretty much the same place outside my shed with annoying regularity. Despite me knowing the likelihood is almost certainly nearby it never seems to stop me from stepping in it. This does … More Nature is awesome!
A reader asked me the other day how my garden was progressing – and the answer is ‘a little slower than before’. The weather this week really hasn’t leant itself well to gardening and has stopped my unbroken run of being out there every day doing a little bit of something. However I still managed 9 in … More Garden progress report
It’s the early morning (just after midnight) and I feel wide awake! Although admittedly I had a coffee a couple of hours ago this time it’s got more to do with an invigorating brisk walk home in the pouring rain. When I arrived home and closed the front door behind me I stood quietly in my hallway … More Gold bra
Well the day has started better than I expected. Shortly after my shower this morning I crept out into the garden at 8.30am (coffee in hand) like I was in a Scooby Doo cartoon to see whether or not there was any change on the blackbird nest front. I had been thinking about it on and off for … More Blackbirds return!
Isn’t it just the way – even when you’re trying to do the right thing and be extra careful you still end up making mistakes. One of the really nice side effects of letting my garden descend into wrack and ruin has been that a lot of wildlife moved in while I wasn’t around. Over the last … More Nest uncovered 😦
There’s nothing like an incentive to do something. I couldn’t help laughing when I visited a pub today – and sitting in the urinal was a green splash guard with a tiny goal and a little plastic football. It was an amusing and diverting way to make sure that clients who may be a little … More Towards the future
When I lived in Wales I was convinced that (maybe with the exception of Scotland) I was fortunate enough to hang my hat in one of the most beautiful parts of the UK. I loved every bit of the countryside around Aberystwyth and over the years I’ve continually felt a yearning to return. However over the last … More Coombe Abbey
I’ve been trying (it’s almost impossible) to avoid the news reports today. The details that are slowly emerging of the suicide bombing in Manchester last night are incredibly moving – and each time I turn on the radio I hear of a parent talking about a near miss or a sense of shared horror that … More Be kind to eachother
I neglect my garden. There. I said it. I’m a bad bad boy – but I’m trying to change (slowly). My friend however is someone that has significant interest in horticulture and I think my lack of grass and plant husbandry is something that definitely offends his eyes. He’s been gently suggesting we have a … More Frogs and blue steel
