Cybergarden: Spring into Summer

[Upwardandonward]

Here's a new thread for us.

All very well some of us being travellers of the mind, but regret it's a bit beyond my mind, and can barely cope with here and now. Today I bought a couple of paperbacks, first for over a year, but both are much more frivolous than the cities book. Had to make space on shelves, and manage to move 8-10 which are not only unread, but can't imagine why I thought I'd ever read them, in fact, was beginning to think some visitor had dumped them on my shelves by mistake. However, I also bought a jigsaw, first for many years, so will hopefully have a few more interests to pursue just as soon as I feel better. Phone call today from surgery dispenser (the nice one) offering to have new prescription ready for me tomorrow at usual pharmacy, so should be able to make a start very soon.
Have got third mint cuttings from front garden Nilgiri, which will eventually be golden-blotched, and will send them off while out tomorrow, hoping not too soggy on arrival.

Ooh, jigsaw! And I'm very impressed you've actually gone out and bought new books, shodatin! Frivolity definitely a good idea - and old favourites where it doesn't matter if you don't read to the end of the page, or open at a different place three days later, because you know every scene anyway.

Shall prepare for more mint - but absolutely overdid things today so will try to rest tomorrow.

Glad that good things are happening round you, Merivel. And that violets are surviving thus far.

Hope same can be said of Upward, whom we think of every day.

Sudden slump here, so temporary goodnight.

Empathy & many sympathies shodatin on struggling phyiscally / cognitively , & it often upsets me that you can't enjoy reading as you sound as though you read voraciously .
Hope jigsaw will prove absorbing- you have prompted me to plan to learn new 2 hobbies myself , to help when brain can no longer cooperate with reading / PC screen... I intend to finally try to learn an instrument properly , & attempt dressmaking properly , which will take years as am so uncoordinated . Perhaps you could learn the mandolin or an inexpensive keyboard , with headphones so as not to disturb neighbours .I know this takes mental energy , but you may be instinctively good with rhythm & find it meditative ?

Hope new prescription will help very soon after your long weeks of great discomfort

nightcapss , hoping upward can sleep without too much difficulty

< waves to Nilgiri - see , there you are ! Hope you feel better after a good sleep tonight . Excellent reading advice < restarts a favourite book have half read 3 times as forgot characters & plot >

Sorry to hear of spoon shortage Nilgiri, and shall be delaying posting of last mint - it will be quite happy sitting in water for a few days, and one less little job for you to manage. Shame about the exhaustion this evening, and can really understand and sympathise.

Love the idea of learning musical instrument Merivel, but my problem with lon g-term sitting would make it too difficult, plus I had a guitar when young and did a poor job of remembering stuff even then, having to almost start from beginning every time. Would encourage you to do this, and wonder if you have any preference? A Ffriend realised long-term ambition by starting to learn violin about six years ago, after retirement, and has actually played in public, enjoying the classes and rehearsals although will never be very good, according to her.
Dressmaking's a very practical hobby, and you'd always have something to wear! Have tried this too, but for some reason, I prefer doing alterations, more puzzle-like perhaps, and hemming's so soothing to me.

This has started me wondering if upward has found anything new and interesting to do while in hospital, which must be very boring without some occupation, but very limiting through lack of personal space.

Waving goodnight all

Morning all! Lovely sunny morning here, but have to dash to town soonest, back later.

Morning good people , & thanks to shodatin forsorry for tardiness - hope your errand went well

Oooh, intermittent sunshine - hope we all have some .Must try & do some garden chores < feels spolied to have the time >

< off to check whether cybertadpoles have grown legs >

Do have a Merivel, as actually didn't have time this morning, although did think of you all. Errand successful thanks, and about to have first dose of new stuff, which I'm assured will make big difference (and can't wait for that).
Hope to get into garden this p.m., but so much tidying to do indoors, and do need breaks too. Hope we're all OK for spoons, and still sending best wishes to upward.
Decided to post mint to Nilgiri, if it's OK, thinking of possible help available at weekend if it goes now, but please just shove in water and leave if necessary.

Oh please just do whatever's most convenient for you, shodatin! It's so lovely of you to go to so much trouble. And will indeed put in water if necessary, but should be rested by the time it gets here.

Petits fours? No wonder you're exhausted! Did you make them yourselves, or just have people round for posh meal? (Seem to remember your DP is the cookery enthusiast, always wanted one of those, the man in my life was one of those who could manage to get one piece of bacon both burnt and raw, and thinking back, I can't remember my Father ever giving us food). He did once give us money to buy chocolate before returning to school, as person who was cooking for us (ex school-dinner-lady) produced something even worse than usual, and being "good" children, we were quietly pushing it round our plates without complaining. Another ramble, must be shock of Nilgiri's fancy food, about as expected as Father's emergency lunches. Another memory which just won't return completely, is why I once made some Langues de chat, still, people do odd things when young and trying to impress. Have not thought of these for years, but could just eat a couple now.
Today would have been a good day to garden, but not quite enough spoons, but hope other gardeners managed to get outside and enjoy the weather. Also hope *Merivel found that tadpoles had grown legs, and that we have lots surviving in cybergarden.

< frolics round garden with HF at meltiness of Nilgiri's langues de chats, Nilgiri - what a delicious coincidence that you made some yourself ,shodatin - whilst living in France ? I'd never heard of them till now . Absolutely love your memories of your Father's attempts at child nutrition ,& at ex school dinner-lady's cuisine - am moved at thought of you children being so polite & at least getting some chocolate < chomps petits fours >

Sorry to be taking ages to post , & that you have too few spoons today for gardening , shodatin . I've been fortunate to be able to sort out front garden , playing musical pots to cover past-their-best borders & bald patches in lawn-
< goatiest of toes that your new prescription will help >

Hope Nilgiri has some non-drizzled-upon time outdoors , & finds the plants which have been late due to shady garden , are in bud or even leaf

Planning nice pastimes wth Dh , who is trying to cope with a horrible anniversary related to his late brother . Lots of projects have planned for ages but have fallen asleep instead of enacting -same with horrid appts , also being booked , easiest first

Walked part of way to work with him & saw a deer right at fence on quiet footpath through woodland- if only I hadn't been wearing clattery clogs that startled it ... it retreated behind trees & watched us , & Dh got amazing views of it as I crept carefully .

All sending love , Upward , & thinking of you often each day < shy doe brings upward a whole hyacinth >
afternoons

It's lovely that you can walk part-way to work with your DH, Merivel, and sure your company will help him manage the memories at a sad time; always feel helpless as so little one can do but seeing the deer is now one of the good memories. Are they wild where you live, or farmed as they are here?
Glad you've been able to make a difference to your front garden, and hope you're not too tired after so much exercise. Wish I'd been outside too, but did manage to tidy hall-stand, clean shoes, get out sandals and pack away snowboots etc, so it all looks much better. A new box, bought yesterday at RSPCA shop, makes good storage here for last-minute hair accessories, and fewer woollie hats means it's easier to find stuff. (Woolly? Can't remember, and too idle to look it up).

What a lovely way thought , that a new memory was made, shodatin , thank you . They are not farmed here -intriguing that that's the case in your area. We're some way away from any other patch of woodland except for a small one surrounded by heathland- neighbour thinks they come from there after somehow migrating 10 miles from the big forest

Aha , thought you might have had a guitar!. Very difficult not being able to sit for any length of time , whch is why I wondered whether keyboard or even violin might appeal , depending on other health concerns .
Agree guitar difficult likely imposible, but am determined to learn some despite no sense of rhythm - Dh is very talented (self-taught) & patient Played some basic violin at school & loved it ,so am going to try online tutorials when I can < HF runs for cover >
Would love to know more about upward's love of music
s

Re craft projects , this one seems a nice little footstool -
www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/mar/27/sew-your-own-pig-and-piglets

Violin's an excellent idea Merivel, but not sure HF would agree. Shall I ask Ffriend how she started as mature student?
Hope everyone has a good, refreshing sleep, must go now.

Oh just missed you, shodatin nipped back to apologise for me me me post & for forgetting to applaud spring sorting

< HF looks gratefully at shodatin for the empathy > Would love to hear how your fFriend started , many thanks- lifted my tuneless heart to see someone else suceeding with it

A very peaceful night to us all - not too starry round here
< warms rugs >< puts out pot of choc for Nilgiri >

Cyber- petits-fours, helas, shodatin. If only DP really had made some... Incredibly impressed by your youthful langues de chat, which I bet are jolly difficult to get just right.

Thank you for kind wishes for plants, Merivel. There is indeed much hopeful growth, some bright green, some deep red, some white tinged with nascent pink.

You've both been incredibly busy today, and achieved so much, with rests much deserved in between.

How amazing that you have so many deer, M. So glad one came to you and DH today. So sorry this is a difficult date for him, when you're both dealing with so much at the moment.

Oh, and that pig is hilarious! I wish I were the competent sort who could make stuff. at hemming being soothing to shodatin!

Upward, hope your day has also had some moments of light shining in.

Morning good people s
Hope we're all surviving , as upward says , and can maybe get a bit of sun on our faces

< sees no legs yet on cybertadpoles >

So good to hear your joyous plant descriptions , Nilgiri

Thanks for needed Merivel, and for checking on tadpoles. Another lovely, sunny morning here, although I overslept so missed some of it - grr. Hope we can all enjoy some good weather, as Merivel says, and am thinking particularly of upward here, and also of Nilgiri who may need more spoons to enjoy weather. At least one of mints should have arrived, such tiny packages hardly justify so many words! Hope not over-soggy.

Nowt yet. But postie comes early afternoon these days. And it's all grey and overcast, so should survive if not attended to immediately.

fortifying , and one for postie

I did the agitated-lady-in-nightie dance with bin this morning after oversleeping also

< wills sun to peek out for us all >

Don't do the nightie dance anymore Merivel, like most of neighbours, put bin out around dusk, as they ask for 7a.m. placing, which is just not convenient. It's actually between 8-9 a,m, but so easy to forget. Hope your dance was successful, and you've had the constant sunshine we had here.
Nilgiri, I do hope first package arrives, and didn't disintegrate (re-used your envelope with extra labels/tape and same stamp, so am starting to worry a bit; thought second one would have arrived by now...
No problem, we'll wait until they grow a bit more and I'll just send them again. Hope you're not too tired at present.
Saw a friend in village street, but just couldn't think of anything to say, struggling with stick and damp face, so hope she's not offended. Spend few minutes in back garden, doing stuff it's easier to do myself than explain to anyone else, like musical tubs, pruning herbs etc and promised them I'd do proper watering-in tomorrow, having not enough spoons to complete planned work but pleased with self for improvement, which helps at these times. Had planned manicure too, but feet were in greater need of help, so another postponement.

Ooof , sorry such arduous day , shsodatin- thank you for bin thoughts ! Will go at dusk next time

Miserable apologies PM not working for reply- will enlist Dh

Hope all dodge showers... am out for a few hours , dragging Dh away from work - sorry for unfinished post
Thinking of you, Upward

Hope all's well for you and family Merivel, and don't worry about how long it takes to reply as I know you have more than enough to do, and we've all to watch the spoons sometimes.
Hoping upward's time is going well at the hospital, and that leaving date arrives soon.