What a day(s) :)

Sun, swimming (first dip on Friday this year at local sandpits, but couldn't call it swim yet...), last bits of stress of the winter melting away...oh joy!The weather here has been incredible for the past week - unfortunately we haven't had any rain for some time and some trees are even becoming yellow due to the heat and drought.




In the afternoon I took D to his dad's. I think he'll hate this photo when he grows up :), took it two weeks ago - he usually always falls asleep in the car - trip takes about 50 minutes.

When I got home it was time for my weekend of gardening therapy! I've been the gardener here since I was a teenager, but I've wanted flowers, my mother was more interested in vegetables. I've replaced as much as possible of the lawn with flowerbeds and now there isn't even space for any vegetables anymore due to trees and bushes, which I've planted to try to decrease the effect of the cold nothern wind. The weeds had again taken over and when D is home, there isn't much time for the weeding. Now I had all of Saturday, and the sun was shining :). Some days it's really hard to get yourself going (at least I'm that way, I'm slowly learning to respect my rhythms - the result will be better and less strenuous if I try to wait for a better day if possible), yesterday was a day when I was so energetic weeds and nettles just flew away! I really wanted to do what I was doing and was enjoying it wholeheartedly! I also planted and moved some flowers and washed D's carseat.

I still need to fix my chainsaw and on Fridaynight the lawnmover partly broke. It is ancient and I'm always so surprised every year when it works, but now the bits and pieces are giving in. The handle won't stay up anymore on its own and it's rather heavy, I suspect the mower is't either exactly the most ecological one, but I hope to fix the handle somehow, don't really have any cash for a new one right now.

But my focus yesterday was on the flowers and I hope you can see the difference in the photos (before and after) - I'm sorry, I'm too lazy to use photoshop now, so they are a bit too dark, but I want to continue today (still lots to do...) until D comes home, so I shouldn't sit inside by the computer too long....
This part of the garden (next photo) I haven't had time to do anything about, but it's not too bad, I think. I've become better at simply removing plants that spread out too much, before I've wanted to let all the flowers/weeds bloom - that's also why my garden is rather different from the beautifully planned and organized ones you see in the magazines. I'd love to have one with elegant rows of flowers, but mine is more of a wild haphazard thing that has grown into what it is today during thirty years, most of which I didn't even live here, but visited for shorter or longer periods during the summer. Still I'm happy that I've managed to now have something blooming most of the time from early spring until late in the fall.


The day ended perfectly. Even if I was scratched, bitten (I think it's so unfair, we have are long, cold, dark winters and when warm weather finally arrives, so do all kinds of nasty insects :( ), had soil under my nails and bruises on my legs from before - in other words not really a body to show in a summerdress, but I still wore one - a bright red one :). I won't go into weightissues, let's just say I'm not exactly in summer shape, but I don't care that much anymore (or at this point at least...too relaxed :) - D doesn't mind about the extra kilos, and he is the only man in my life :).

A friend with a new house and fiancé :) had invited friends for dinner - incredible to be able to sit outside until 9.30, when the mosquitoes arrived and it became a bit cooler.

Later we went to a local restaurant in the marina (hmmm, that sounds a bit bigger than it is....) with live music and dance. It was really great and I managed to stay to the end (2 o'clock) thanks to three cups of coffee and three glasses of coke :) (normally my bedtime is far earlier :). I even danced with a few gentlemen :). I really enjoy seeing people more again and being able to do things I used to before D - maybe last year was the hardest and life can from now on be more a balance with chunks of everything - friends/family/work/house/my own time/trips... I hope and think so!